Rep. Sykes Secures More Than $7.5 Million For Head Start in Stark County

CANTON, OH — Today, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the Stark County Community Action Agency $7,539,166 for its Head Start Program. These funds are a continuation of a grant the organization was previously awarded.

“Head Start plays a critical role in helping families secure the American Dream. Through supporting the healthy development of children and ensuring they are set up to be successful in kindergarten and beyond, Head Start lowers childcare costs for parents and guardians. It helps parents get into the workforce and secure opportunities that otherwise may be unattainable without reliable, affordable childcare,” said Rep. Sykes.

“This grant award of Head Start and Early Head Start funding serves as a significant and critically important investment in the Stark County Community Action Agency's commitment to support and provide needed early childhood educational development, health and family services to Stark County's most vulnerable children and families, designed to provide pathways to their future success,” said Stark County Community Action Agency CEO Rodney Reasonover.

Head Start is a federally-funded program that provides school readiness and ensures that both low-income children and parents are prepared for kindergarten and for a life filled with learning. Additionally, through direct service or referrals, Head Start children receive numerous health services ensuring good physical, dental, nutritional and mental health. Head Start is available at no cost to pregnant moms, infants, toddlers and children up to age five from income-eligible families. Children with special needs are also welcome.


Tlaib Introduces Make DTE Pay Act in Response to Clean Air Act Violations, Repeated Rate Hikes

DETROIT — Today, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), co-founder of the House People’s Environmental Justice Caucus, introduced the Make DTE Pay Act, which would substantially increase monetary penalties on utilities like DTE Energy when they seek customer rate increases within the two years preceding or following Clean Air Act violations.

“Corporate polluters like DTE treat violating our environmental protection laws as the cost of doing business,” said Congresswoman Tlaib. “It’s so insulting to our families that DTE wants to jack up their bills year after year while poisoning the air they breathe. We need to change the math and make polluting our communities as bad for business as it is for our health. The Make DTE Pay Act stands up for our families by forcing DTE and other dirty utilities to make a choice: follow the Clean Air Act or pay huge financial penalties when they try to hike customer rates.”

On February 17, 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Gershwin Drain found DTE liable for Clean Air Act violations that poisoned communities in Detroit and Downriver and ordered it to pay $100 million in fines. Just two days later, DTE received a $242.4 million electric rate increase, and last week DTE once again filed for an additional $474.3 million electric rate increase. DTE previously received a $217 million electric rate increase in January 2025.

In response to DTE’s outrageous behavior, the Make DTE Pay Act would amend the Clean Air Act to increase penalties against investor-owned utilities that sought or seek customer rate increases within the two-year period preceding or following an assessment of a Clean Air Act financial penalty. For each rate increase, the underlying Clean Air Act penalty would be increased by an amount equal to the original penalty assessment.

“Our office spent years in court to get DTE a $100 million Clean Air Act penalty for poisoning residents of Detroit and River Rouge,” said Andrew Bashi, Staff Attorney at the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. “It was a hard-fought win, and it sounds like a huge sum until you realize that DTE saved $70 million by breaking the law in the first place. This bill gets us one step closer to a world where following the law is more cost effective than breaking it. That’s essential, because money is the only language investor-owned utilities like DTE speak.”

You can read the full bill text here.

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Tonko Visits Johnsonville Home Undergoing Weatherization Upgrades

JOHNSONVILLE, NY — Today, Congressman Paul D. Tonko visited a Rensselaer County home undergoing weatherization improvements to view the ongoing progress, meet with the homeowner and local advocates, and discuss ways to help more families take advantage of the benefits provided by home weatherization.

During the visit, Tonko highlighted his Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act, a bipartisan bill that would invest federal funding in home weatherization efforts to help low-income families save hundreds of dollars on their energy bills while making their homes safer, healthier, and more energy efficient. Tonko’s legislation was recently advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a unanimous vote of 50-0.

“I was thrilled to visit this local home today to see firsthand how weatherization improvements can help families save on their energy bills and make their homes more energy efficient,” Congressman Tonko said. “With millions of American families facing rising utility costs thanks to Trump-caused inflation, the time is now for Congress to take action to help lower energy prices — and my Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act does just that. The Weatherization Assistance Program is already saving families hundreds each year on their home energy bills, and with my legislation, we can continue to improve upon this vital program and ensure that communities here in our Capital Region and beyond have the resources and support they need to carry these efforts forward.”

Data shows that home weatherization efforts, or weatherproofing, reduces energy burdens by providing safe, cost-effective energy efficiency retrofit investments including sealing and insulating. Additionally, households receiving services from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) save an average of $372 each year on their energy bills.

The Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act would strengthen the WAP program by:

· Reauthorizing the WAP through Fiscal Year 2030; and

· Raising the statutory Average Cost Per Unit from $6,500 to $12,000, allowing households to receive more assistance and allowing WAP implementers to pay competitive wages and retain their workforces.

Photos from today’s visit can be found on Congressman Tonko’s social media platforms at Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, or X (formerly Twitter).


Congresswoman Torres Introduces Resolution to Designate May 3-9, 2026 as National Wildfire Preparedness Week

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), alongside 28 House members, introduced a resolution to designate May 3 through May 9, 2026 as National Wildfire Preparedness Week. The resolution raises awareness of fire safety and prevention while encouraging individuals, families, and communities to take proactive steps to reduce risks and safeguard properties.

"Wildfires are one of the most dangerous natural disasters facing our nation, and after seeing thousands of Californians lose their homes in recent years, we must take decisive action to protect our communities," said Congresswoman Torres. "By establishing National Wildfire Preparedness Week, we can educate the public on the essential role every resident plays in preventing the loss of life and property. This resolution highlights the critical preventative measures and resources needed to prepare, respond, and recover, while ensuring we continue to advocate for the brave first responders who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe."

The resolution highlights that nearly 85% of wildfires are caused by human activity, stressing the importance of preventative measures such as vegetation management, proper evacuation planning, and limiting the use of combustibles during high-heat seasons. It also calls for increased financial support for communities impacted by wildfires to ensure resources are available for both immediate response and long-term recovery.

The resolution comes as 2026 national fire activity has already outpaced previous years and in response to the growing scale of wildfire damage. In 2025 alone, nearly 78,000 fires consumed over 5.1 million acres of land in the United States, with California suffering from more than 8,000 fires. As of April 30, 2026, 24,066 fires have burned 1,848,2101 acres this year, already above the 10-year average for acres. Congresswoman Torres is urging all Americans to utilize resources like ReadyForWildfire.org to learn about proactive steps for the upcoming season.

The resolution was cosponsored by 28 other members: Aguilar (CA-33); Barragán (CA-44); Bera (CA-06); Bonamici (OR-01); Brownley (CA-26); Carbajal (CA-24); Case (HI-01); Chu (CA-28); Cisneros (CA-31); Costa (CA-21); Garamendi (CA-08); Huffman (CA-02); Jacobs (CA-51); Khanna (CA-17); Levin (CA-49); Min (CA-47); Mullin (CA-15); Neguse (CO-02); Panetta (CA-19); Peters (CA-50); Pettersen (CO-07); Salinas (OR-05); Simon (CA-12); Takano (CA-39); Thompson (CA-04); Tokuda (HI-02); Whitesides (CA-27);Vargas (CA-52).

Full resolution

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Vindman, Ryan Introduce Legislation to Lower Prescription Drug Costs for Service Members, Veterans, & Military Families

The MISSION Rx Act Would Reduce Spending on Prescription Drugs for Service Members and Their Families While Saving Taxpayers up to $6 Billion Annually

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) and Pat Ryan (N.Y.-18) — both retired U.S. Army veterans and Members of the House Armed Services Committee — introduced legislation to lower prescription drug costs for service members, military families, and veterans while saving taxpayers billions.

Building on the success of the Inflation Reduction Act’s drug price negotiation program, the MISSION Rx Act would require TRICARE and the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay either the CMS-negotiated price or the program’s original price for prescription drugs, whichever is lower.

“After serving 25 years in uniform, I know firsthand the sacrifices our service members, veterans, and military families make every single day. The last thing any of them should have to worry about is whether they can afford the prescription drugs they need,” said Vindman. “The veterans and service members I represent in Virginia’s Seventh District have earned every benefit this nation can give them. That’s why I’m leading this commonsense effort to reduce the crushing cost of prescription drugs for those who have served and sacrificed.”

“Military families have sacrificed so much for our country – it’s absolutely unacceptable that they’re being forced to pay more than other Americans for the same medication,” said Ryan. “Our bill corrects this egregious oversight by ensuring that military families have access to the same lower drug prices that others do. Especially amid rising healthcare costs nationwide, leaving military families to bear the burden is simply un-American. They’ve stepped up and sacrificed for us – now we need to do right by them.”

The MISSION Rx Act is also sponsored by U.S Representative Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.-06), Maggie Goodlander (N.H.-02), Chris Deluzio (Penn.-17), Seth Moulton (Mass.-06), and Bill Keating (Mass.-09).

“As healthcare costs continue to rise across the country, the MISSION RX Act is a straightforward approach to reduce prescription drug costs,” said Houlahan. “As the Centers for Medicaid Services negotiate reduced prices for citizens on Medicare and Medicaid, it only makes sense to pass those same lower prices to the people who sacrificed the most for our nation: our veterans and military families.”

“Our bill will lower costs for America’s veterans, servicemembers, and military families by ensuring they pay the lowest price the federal government has already negotiated for prescription drugs,” said Goodlander. “No gimmicks, no new bureaucracy — just common sense and a promise kept to the patriots who served our country.”

“Democrats in Congress finally beat back pharmaceutical corporations’ power so that Medicare could negotiate down prescription drug prices,” said Deluzio. “Our troops and veterans should benefit, too, whether they get their prescriptions covered under TRICARE or the VA. That’s why I am signing onto the MISSION Rx Act. Still, America’s healthcare system is broken way beyond just the high cost of prescription drugs. I’m in the fight to fix it — we’ve got to make sure that every American has healthcare they can afford.”

“My district is home to a significant number of military families and veterans. And they, like all Americans, are being crushed by one of the worst affordability crises we’ve seen in recent memory,” said Keating. “The last thing our American heroes and their families need to do is pay more out of pocket for vital medication. If Medicare can secure a better deal for seniors, then our veterans and service members deserve access to those same savings.”

By paying the lowest available government-negotiated price, TRICARE and the VA would reduce spending on prescription drugs for servicemembers and their families while saving taxpayers billions. CMS estimates this policy could save up to $6 billion annually.

As CMS expands its drug price negotiations, the bill is designed to grow alongside the program, applying to any additional drugs subject to negotiated pricing in the future.

The MISSION Rx Act is supported by Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Marine Corps League, the Fleet Reserve Association, Air Force Sergeants Association, and Commissioned Officers Association Public Health Service.

“The Marine Corps League endorses the MISSION Rx Act for its intent to provide fairness and affordability for our military and veterans,” said Bob Borka, National Executive Director/COO, Marine Corps League. “Lifesaving medication should be equally available to all Americans receiving federal benefits, including our military families and veterans. Ensuring access to affordable medication aligns with our Nation’s promise to those who have served.”

“The Fleet Reserve Association supports the goals of this legislation to reduce prescription drug costs for TRICARE and VA beneficiaries by ensuring access to the lowest available federal prices,” said Theodosius Lawson, Director of Legislative Programs, Fleet Reserve Association. “This approach aligns with FRA’s longstanding advocacy on behalf of sea service veterans, retirees, and their families.”

“The Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service is very proud to support the MISSION Rx Act. This legislation takes a commonsense approach to lowering prescription drug costs for TRICARE and VA beneficiaries by ensuring they have access to the lowest available federal price for prescriptions,” said Jasmine Stuart, Director of External and Legislative Affairs. “Access to affordable medications is critical for those who serve and have served our nation. We appreciate the leadership behind this effort and its focus on improving affordability and access for our uniformed services and veteran communities.”

“The MISSION Rx Act is a commonsense win for Airmen, Guardians, our sister service members, veterans, and their families. There is no reason our servicemembers and veterans should pay more for prescription drugs than any other American,” said Keith A. Reed, Chief Executive, Air Force Sergeants Association. “AFSA proudly supports this bill and thanks Representative Vindman, Representative Ryan, and the cosponsors for their commitment to military quality of life.”

You can read full bill text here.

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Rep. Whitesides Announces Over $1 Million Investment for Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Improvements in Santa Clarita

SANTA CLARITA, CA – Yesterday, Representative George Whitesides announced a $1.2 million federal investment into Santa Clarita roads and intersections that he was able to secure in Congress’ annual budget bill. The funding, announced at an event with Mayor Laurene Weste and members of the Santa Clarita city council, will go towards infrastructure projects that improve pedestrian safety and traffic circulation at three of the busiest intersections in the city.

“Bringing federal funding home for our area is my top priority, and I’ve consistently heard about the immediate need to address the roads and intersections in Santa Clarita,” said Rep. Whitesides. “More than 100,000 cars drive on our roads every single day, and it’s imperative that our infrastructure can handle that kind of demand. These federal dollars will help modernize and expand roads, leading to safer streets and more accessible businesses.”

“As Santa Clarita continues to grow, it is essential that we leverage local, state, and federal partnerships to enhance mobility, improve pedestrian safety, and maintain the high quality of life our community expects,” said Mayor Laurene Weste. “This $1.2 million investment will deliver critical improvements.”

The funding Rep. Whitesides secured will address pedestrian safety and traffic flow at intersections between Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway, McBean Parkway and Newhall Ranch Road, and Valencia Boulevard and Magic Mountain Parkway, where the announcement was held. It is projected to enhance the local and regional economic wellbeing in the Santa Clarita Valley.

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Bennet, Hickenlooper, Hurd, Neguse Fight for Solutions to Improve USPS Access in Rural Colorado Communities

Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet led Senator John Hickenlooper and Representatives Jeff Hurd and Joe Neguse in sending a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors Chair Amber McReynolds to highlight opportunities for the USPS to partner with Colorado’s mountain towns to address facility constraints and staffing shortages.

“Colorado’s mountain communities have shared their solutions to improve service, reduce USPS costs, and address critical community needs. They are ready to help identify suitable parcels and buildings for USPS facilities, provide accurate timelines and cost estimates for facility improvements, and collaborate on resolving the staffing shortages common in these areas,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter follows a January meeting between Bennet, Congressional lawmakers, Postmaster General Steiner, Board Chair McReynolds, and Colorado’s mountain towns, where Colorado lawmakers highlighted several opportunities for USPS to partner with local municipalities on mutually beneficial solutions. These opportunities include redeveloping existing USPS facilities in partnership with community partners, creating workforce housing to combat recruitment and retention challenges in Colorado’s high cost-of-living communities, and providing space in its municipal buildings to address PO box shortages, among others.

“We are encouraged by January’s productive conversation with you and feel hopeful that it marks the beginning of improved communication. The localities of Colorado’s Western Slope have experienced many difficulties, from unexpected facility closures and long wait times to substandard service and unreliable mail access. We appreciate your continued work with these communities to ensure lease continuity and reliable service and delivery. We also understand that staffing and facility upgrades are more challenging problems that will require creative solutions, especially in our high-cost mountain towns. We are also hopeful the USPS will continue to work with these communities as well as those towns in Colorado with unresolved lease issues, such as the Town of Poncha Springs,” continued the lawmakers.

“Colorado’s mountain communities were glad to hear you request their help in identifying collaborative solutions. We are grateful for your willingness to partner on many existing local opportunities and hope this list is a useful starting point. We urge the USPS to move quickly to engage with these communities. We look forward to the continued partnership to improve the experience of USPS customers throughout Colorado,” concluded the lawmakers.

The conversation with local municipalities followed Bennet’s invitation to Postmaster General Steiner to visit Colorado to understand the longstanding difficulties Colorado’s mountain communities experience with mail delivery. Bennet has championed efforts to improve postal service to Colorado’s mountain communities, including calling for changes following a 2023 Office of Inspector General report that found staffing shortages, delivery delays, and inefficient mail sorting. In 2024, Bennet called on USPS to refund PO Box fees for Steamboat Springs residents, and in 2025, Bennet helped the Town of Crested Butte secure a lease extension for its post office, which faced imminent closure.

The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Dear Postmaster General Steiner and Board Chair McReynolds:

Thank you for meeting with Colorado’s mountain communities in January. The community leaders were grateful to share more about the challenges they face due to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) staffing shortages, facility constraints, and the absence of home delivery. As the USPS continues to modernize, these communities are willing and ready partners to tackle these issues.

Colorado’s mountain communities have shared their solutions to improve service, reduce USPS costs, and address critical community needs. They are ready to help identify suitable parcels and buildings for USPS facilities, provide accurate timelines and cost estimates for facility improvements, and collaborate on resolving the staffing shortages common in these areas.

Our offices have identified several opportunities for the USPS to partner with local municipalities for mutually beneficial solutions. We outline these opportunities below and look forward to working with you to implement them.

Vail

The current USPS facility in the Town of Vail was designed as a regional distribution facility, but now only serves as a retail and local postal pickup site. The post office building and the lot it sits on are oversized for the current services. The Town of Vail is interested in partnering with you to redevelop the site to provide workforce housing, including for USPS employees.

Frisco

Frisco’s Main Street post office is a one-story building on a large lot. However, the site has potential for higher-density mixed-use. The USPS and the Town of Frisco could partner on a future redevelopment that could include first-floor commercial retail shops, multi-floor office spaces, or multiple housing units, including dedicated housing for USPS employees. Additionally, Xcel Energy, Frisco’s main energy provider, plans to conduct a utility-scale geothermal energy pilot program. The Post Office sits in the zone of participation for the pilot and could receive free utility upgrades, heating, and cooling through the program.

Dillon

Similar to Frisco, the post office in Dillon is a one-story building on a large lot in the center of town. The Town of Dillon is interested in partnering with USPS to redevelop for higher-density mixed-use, commercial, and residential development. As part of a redevelopment effort, the Town could reserve housing units for USPS employees, which would help with recruitment and retention.

Keystone

The majority of Keystone residents must travel to Dillon for postal services because USPS does not offer home delivery to most of the town. However, the Dillon Post Office is out of P.O. boxes, and, as a result, residents are forced to wait in long lines for general delivery mail, which is often challenging or impossible for the local workforce. The Town of Keystone is willing to provide space in its municipal buildings for a Post Office or Contracted Postal Unit (CPU). The town has also offered to contribute to the cost of cluster box units (CBUs) to facilitate home delivery for residents.

Crested Butte

We appreciate USPS’s work to extend the Town of Crested Butte’s lease in 2025. While the renewed lease removes the threat of immediate loss of postal services, the current post office is too small for the current population and causes traffic issues. The town has offered land to USPS for a mixed-use development that could include housing and a larger post office. The development could prioritize housing for postal service employees and reduce USPS’s operational costs, while addressing longstanding challenges at the current post office location.

Gypsum

USPS undertook an analysis for an “alternate quarters” project for the Gypsum Post Office in 2022 and 2023 in recognition that the existing facility is in a state of disrepair and too small to serve the town’s growing population. The agency determined that a relocation is necessary and partnered with the Town of Gypsum to identify a new location and plan for the development of a new post office, in accordance with USPS facility requirements and specifications. After many years of planning, and with partners ready to proceed with development, USPS inexplicably paused the project in late 2025, despite the developer’s offers to offset the agency’s relocation costs and reduce rental payment amounts. During our January call, Postmaster General Steiner indicated that USPS would be eager to explore just such partnerships to assist USPS in improving postal service to Colorado’s mountain communities, yet USPS has declined to engage with the Town in a meaningful way.

We are encouraged by January’s productive conversation with you and feel hopeful that it marks the beginning of improved communication. The localities of Colorado’s Western Slope have experienced many difficulties, from unexpected facility closures and long wait times to substandard service and unreliable mail access. We appreciate your continued work with these communities to ensure lease continuity and reliable service and delivery. We also understand that staffing and facility upgrades are more challenging problems that will require creative solutions, especially in our high-cost mountain towns. We are also hopeful the USPS will continue to work with these communities as well as those towns in Colorado with unresolved lease issues, such as the Town of Poncha Springs.

Colorado’s mountain communities were glad to hear you request their help in identifying collaborative solutions. We are grateful for your willingness to partner on many existing local opportunities and hope this list is a useful starting point. We urge the USPS to move quickly to engage with these communities. We look forward to the continued partnership to improve the experience of USPS customers throughout Colorado.

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Blackburn, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Speed Up VA Construction Projects

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced the Faster VA Construction Act to direct the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to adopt commercial building codes and standards where possible, consistent with law:

“The VA’s construction process needs to be faster and more efficient,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Faster VA Construction Act would stretch taxpayer dollars by cutting unnecessary red tape, speeding up construction projects, and delivering better facilities for our veterans faster.”

“Hoosier veterans deserve timely care, not red tape,” said Senator Banks. “This bill speeds up VA construction and makes sure taxpayer dollars are put to their best use.”

“We should not let red tape get in the way of ensuring our veterans have access to care and services,” said Senator Hirono. “As veterans’ needs continue to grow in Hawaii and across the country, we should do all we can to ensure VA’s infrastructure can meet this demand. By allowing VA projects to follow commercial construction codes and standards, the Faster VA Construction Act takes steps to streamline the construction process, reduce costs, and help increase the number of projects VA can get built each year.”

BACKGROUND

VA estimates it would cost between $98 and $109 billion to fully implement its strategic capital investment plan, including deferred maintenance and new construction, and this figure has been steadily increasing for many years. VA’s infrastructure needs have long significantly exceeded its infrastructure resources, and stretching each construction dollar as far as possible is critical.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), Office of Inspector General (OIG), and VA officials have repeatedly cited the Department’s unique construction codes and standards as major, and sometimes unnecessary, cost drivers. VA has long maintained its own facility design standards that are significantly different from commercial codes and standards and often vary from project to project.

In contrast, GAO, OIG, and VA officials have touted the two CHIP IN Act projects in Omaha, Nebraska, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, for being completed more quickly and at lower cost compared to VA-managed projects because the law permitted their private developers to rely on commercial codes and standards to a limited extent.

FASTER VA CONSTRUCTION ACT

Specifically, the Faster VA Construction Act would:

Direct VA to use commercial codes and standards in its construction and leasing projects instead of, or in addition to, unique federal codes and standards where they do not conflict with statutory or regulatory requirements;

Direct VA to use commercial codes and standards in three construction or leasing projects, as a pilot, for each of the next five years; and

Require VA to report on its use of these authorities.

Click here for bill text.


Blumenthal & Colleagues Demand Gun Manufacturer Halt Marketing Campaigns of Assault-Style Weapons to Minors

[Hartford, CT] — Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) in writing to Eric Schmid, owner of Mountain Billy Gun Lab—formerly Weel Tactical—demanding the company cease all marketing of assault-style weapons directed at minors, withdraw related advertisements, and halt the sale of products promoted in campaigns. Although Weel Tactical rebranded as Mountain Billy Gun Lab in mid-2024, the underlying business model and marketing strategy appear substantively unchanged.

An investigation by The Smoking Gun reveal that Mountain Billy Gun Lab continues to promote scaled-down AR-15 style weapons—now branded as “GOAT-15”—using images and social-media content that depict children firing these weapons. The rebranding appears designed to deflect negative attention rather than to substantively alter the company’s approach to products and audiences.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “According to The Smoking Gun, Mountain Billy Gun Lab’s website and social-media accounts portray the GOAT-15 series as suitable for training new shooters and ‘family range days,’ with explicit visual depictions of children using the rifles in Instagram videos and posts. These include videos showing a young girl loading and firing a short-barreled GOAT-15, children assisted by adults while firing rifles, and captions referencing family and youth shooting contexts. These visuals and captions strongly suggest that Mountain Billy Gun Lab’s promotional outreach continues to appeal to minors—a practice that, whether intentional or not, raises serious questions about consumer safety and lawful marketing.”

The lawmakers requested answers to the following questions by May 15, 2026, including:

What are the intended and actual target markets, including any age-specific consumer research for each product sold or marketed since the rebrand?

Will you provide copies of all internal safety evaluations or age-appropriateness assessments for products designed or marketed for “new shooters” that could reasonably include minors?

Who are the marketing personnel, agencies, or consultants responsible for approving social- media content directed at or likely to reach minors?

What have been all of the social-media content, postings, and campaign analytics for Mountain Billy Gun Lab accounts since the rebranding?

What internal policies govern age-targeting on marketing platforms used by the company?

The lawmakers’ letter follows a letter from Senators Blumenthal, Warren, Markey, and others to the FTC, urging it to investigate Wee1 Tactical (the predecessor to Mountain Billy Gun Lab) for its promotion of the “JR-15,” a .22-caliber AR-15 style rifle scaled down for children.

Full text of the letter is available here.

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PHOTOS: Capito Tours Progress on CDS Project in Wellsburg

WELLSBURG, W.Va. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a leader on the Appropriations Committee, traveled to Wellsburg, W.Va. where she received updates and toured the Wellsburg Town Square and adjacent buildings, which were renovated through a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) allocation that she secured in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24).

In July of 2024, Senator Capito visited Wellsburg while the project was in early stages, meeting with local officials and community leaders to encourage continued growth in the area. Her return highlights the significant progress made since then—revitalization of historic buildings for mixed-use retail, commercial, and tourism business.

“The City of Wellsburg is in the middle of an exciting downtown renovation—one that I have been proud to support through the Appropriations process,” Senator Capito said. “I appreciated the opportunity to see firsthand how federal resources are helping drive renovation progress. Through the CDS process, I’ve worked to support local priorities that incentivize small businesses to launch and grow. Wellsburg’s downtown renovation is doing just that, and I am proud to partner with local leaders to keep the momentum up.”

“Thanks to Sen. Capito’s support, 701 Charles Street is already making an impact, with a new small business on the first-floor drawing visitors downtown and supporting our local economy,” Alex Weld, Chairwoman of the Wellsburg Urban Renewal Authority, said. “With apartments on the way, this project will also help address housing needs. We’re grateful for her continued investment in projects like these, that truly move the needle in small communities like Wellsburg.”

Photos from the visit are below:

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito tours a project supported by a Congressionally Directed Spending allocation she helped secure in Wellsburg, W.Va. on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito visits a project supported by a Congressionally Directed Spending allocation she helped secure in Wellsburg, W.Va. on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito tours a project supported by a Congressionally Directed Spending allocation she helped secure in Wellsburg, W.Va. on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

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Cassidy Highlights $669 Million in Retroactive Payments for Beneficiaries of His Effort to Repeal WEP & GPO

METAIRIE –U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) hosted an event yesterday in Jefferson Parish highlighting the success of the bill he championed to fully repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). As a result, monthly Social Security retirement benefits have increased for Louisiana’s retired teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other state and local government employees, and $669 million in retroactive payments have been made to compensate them for lost benefits.

“Our retired police officers, firefighters and teachers worked every day to keep us safe and educate our children,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Because of my work, they are finally getting the Social Security benefits they deserve.”

Cassidy was a long-time cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate, being an original cosponsor since he became a Member of Congress in 2009. Cassidy successfully demanded a vote, getting the bill signed into law.

During the event, Cassidy was joined by Mr. Chad Major, the President of the Professional Firefighters Association of Louisiana, Mr. Gasper Migliore, Jr., a former Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, and Ms. Annette Accomando, a former teacher at Chalmette High Schol.

“We’ve been working on this for years to the point where people were kind of exhausted, thinking it would never happen. But when it did, I started getting calls of joy, calls from widows that were crying on the phone,” said Mr. Major. “There’s lots of people whose lives have been bettered, Senator, for the things that you and other Members of Congress did. On behalf of over 5,000 active members that I represent, not including the retired members, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

“I can tell you what this did for me personally. It went from me waiting until I was 70 to start collecting [Social Security] because that’s when it would maximize out, to being able to draw it this past October at age 65,” said Mr. Migliore. “As police officers, sometimes we find ourselves in very dangerous situations, and we don’t know what’s on the other side of that door that’s waiting for us. We need to have the faith and belief that the person standing behind us has our back. Senator Cassidy, I want to thank you for having not only my back, but firemen, teachers, and all public service employees’ backs. Thank you for that.”

“It’s great to be able to be with my grandchildren, and that’s the one thing that this has allowed us,” said Ms. Accomando. “I was able to retire. I was able to just this January start getting my benefits, and my husband and I said, ‘shall I wait until I’m 70? I’m 68 now, do I wait?’ And we realized, ‘no, we want to go see our grandchildren more. We want to be able to go out for our anniversaries and our birthdays. This is going to give us the opportunity to do those peace-of-mind things that everybody wishes to do.”

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Cassidy Highlights Efforts to Create Jobs, Train Workers in New Orleans

METAIRIE – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) on Wednesday spoke before the French Quarter Business Association, which helps small businesses in the French Quarter succeed. Cassidy also toured unCommon Construction, which trains apprentices to be skilled laborers in the construction trades.

“Louisiana businesses thrive when they have a skilled workforce, safe community, and the tools to keep building,” said Dr. Cassidy. “That’s exactly what I’m working on in Congress.”

Cassidy supported the Working Families Tax Cut bill which ended taxes on tips and overtime, extended the Child Tax Credit, allowed businesses to deduct 100% of their new business investments, and made permanent the 20% small business pass-through deduction. As Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Cassidy also increased Americans’ access to career and technical-based education by establishing Workforce Pell Grants.

At both stops, Cassidy was thanked for his leadership in making the Greater New Orleans area safer and more prosperous.

“We thank Senator Cassidy for speaking at today’s French Quarter Business Association luncheon at the Astor Crown Plaza,” said Mr. Tony Viloria, Past President and Director of Development for the French Quarter Business Association. “Our members truly valued the opportunity to hear from him and to share our perspectives. We appreciate his time, engagement, and continued support of the French Quarter business community.

“We’re grateful to Senator Bill Cassidy for taking the time to visit our new campus and engage directly with our young people, hearing firsthand about their aspirations and hopes for their futures so he can represent them in DC,” said Mr. Aaron Frumin, Founder and CEO of unCommon Construction. “His curiosity about unCommon’s unique model for workforce development, and his willingness to connect authentically with the next generation of builders here in New Orleans means a great deal to our students and our community.”

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Texas Backs the Blue

Throughout the country, law enforcement officers put on their uniforms and badges every day and put their lives on the line for their communities. As President Ronald Reagan famously said, “Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid.” As Texans, we may have a reputation for being outlaws, but our sheriffs and police officers keep us safe and on the straight and narrow. Every May, we honor our law enforcement during National Police Week for answering the call to protect our communities, and we remember the fallen officers who lost their lives while serving in the line of duty.

On May 13, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund will host the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. National Police Week has been a longstanding tradition dating all the way back to 1962 when President John F. Kennedy dedicated May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Congress then recognized Police Week and the National Peace Officers Memorial Day in a joint resolution later that year, and they have been honored as annual observances ever since.

In the Lone Star State, we are blessed to have incredible police officers who serve our communities. Texas is home to approximately 140,000 police officers – the second highest number in the country. That averages out to about four police officers per 1,000 residents. Our brave law enforcement officers help ensure the safety of Texans day-in and day-out, and this week is a great opportunity to recognize their heroism.

In April, parts of Texas were hit with very heavy rainfall, which caused fast-paced moving floodwaters in parts of North Texas. Sergeant Jon Banner of the White Settlement Police Department was patrolling the night of April 25 when he noticed a car stranded in rushing water heading toward a creek. When he approached the car, he quickly noticed three children and their mother trapped inside. Sgt. Banner removed the children from the vehicle and placed them in his patrol car, then went back to get the mother, but with the rushing water, he began slipping, and the current started sweeping away the vehicle.

Officer Christopher Wiseman, who was also on the scene, then devised a plan to secure the mother using a makeshift harness made from jumper cables he kept in his patrol vehicle. Despite the rushing waters growing in strength, the officers can be heard on bodycam footage urging each other on to continue the fight and not let each other fall into the water. Finally, the mother was removed from the car, and the White Settlement Fire Department arrived to pull the car out of the water. Everyone was evaluated by first responders, but miraculously, no one was injured. Sgt. Banner, Officer Wiseman, the fire department, and everyone involved in the rescue of the family were rightly praised for their heroic actions that night.

Sgt. Banner’s story is just one of many tales of heroism in the State of Texas. Another example is the bravery of Corporal Lee Higginbotham from the Dallas Veterans Affairs Police Department.

On July 12, 2025, Cpl. Higginbotham was filling up his car at a local gas station when he noticed a crowd of people calling for help. He sprang into action and ran over to the scene to find a two-year-old child choking on an object and unable to breathe. Cpl. Higginbotham performed the Heimlich maneuver, removing the object from the child’s throat. He stayed with the child and the family until paramedics arrived and cleared the child. While Cpl. Higginbotham states that he was just doing his job, the Dallas VA Police Department praised him for his quick response and compassion, which ultimately saved a life.

These are just a few illustrations of how our state’s law enforcement exemplify fearlessness and devotion to our communities. One thing is for certain: Our men and women in blue have Texans’ backs. Texas police officers are willing to risk their lives to keep us safe, and there is no greater sacrifice than that. This National Police Week, I urge you to honor your local law enforcement officials, thank them for their service to your community, and remember the sacrifices they make every day for your safety. To all law enforcement in Texas, thank you for your dedication to our great state.


In Las Vegas Arts District, Cortez Masto, Small Business Owners Shine Light on Trump Tourism Slowdown

***VIDEO AVAILABLE***

FTPs for TV stations is available here.

Las Vegas, Nev. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Las Vegas small business owners put a spotlight on the tourism slowdown caused by President Donald Trump’s economic policies. Over the past year, the Trump Administration has placed blanket tariffs on our allies, increased costs and made it more complicated for foreign visitors to enter the U.S., and slashed the federal workforce and successful programs like BrandUSA. Earlier this week, the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released an independent report which found that these actions have caused a nationwide tourism slump that has negative effects on American small businesses and our workers.

“Over the past year, I have called attention to the fact that this Administration’s disastrous economic policies have harmed America’s travel and tourism industries,”said Senator Cortez Masto. “This week’s extensive Congressional report confirms what Nevadans know all too well – workers, small businesses, and local communities are hurting across every corner of the United States. As Nevada’s Senator, I will continue speaking out, demanding answers and accountability, and putting our hardworking families first.”

The Senator was joined at her roundtable by Josh Kellman, President of 18b Las Vegas Arts District; Brian Paco Alvarez, a Las Vegas Tour Guide and Vice President of 18b Las Vegas Arts District; Ira Kaganovsky Green of Freedom Deodorant; Megan Comfort of Studio 21 Tattoo; and Kristen Corral of Tacotarian. They shared that in their experiences, they’ve seen a decline in foot traffic to their businesses, including a noticeable decline in international visitors. Their observations are confirmed by the JEC report, which notes that the United States is the only country globally to have seen a decline in international visitation.

Senator Cortez Masto is a fierce advocate for Nevada’s travel and tourism economy. She has repeatedly raised concerns and demanded the Trump Administration consider and reverse their policies and make constructive plans for strengthening the travel and tourism industry. Ahead of the July 2026 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the Senator urged U.S. Trade Representative Greer to focus on actions that will strengthen the trade agreement while encouraging more collaboration on travel and tourism.

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Cramer Announces Grand Forks Air Force Base Selected for Advanced Counter-Drone Defense Pilot Program

***Click here to download audio.***

BISMARCK, N.D. – Breaking News: U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota announced Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) has been named by the U.S. Department of War (DOW) as one of four sites nationwide for a new pilot program testing advanced Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) technologies designed to detect, disable, and destroy hostile drones. The program was authorized in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which Cramer helped craft as chair of the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee.

The cutting-edge systems include high-powered microwave, laser, and similar technologies aimed at strengthening protections for critical military facilities and assets against growing unmanned aircraft threats.

“After putting language in the National Defense Authorization Act to stand up four sites for employment of covered Counter-UAS systems, I am pleased, but I'm not even a little bit surprised, the Department of War has named Grand Forks Air Force Base as one of those four,” said Cramer. “I've been in regular discussions for the last couple of months with Brig. General Matt Ross, who heads up the Joint Interagency Task Force, stood up to work on this, as well as with Secretary Hegseth and General Caine. Late last week I closed the loop with General Wilsbach, the chief of staff of the Air Force, who realized that Grand Forks was a center of excellence for UAS offensive capabilities as well as having the potential to be a counter-UAS center of excellence. He and I talked about this a lot. It's great ACC recognized that and made Grand Forks Air Force Base the Point Defense Battle Lab for ACC—and for all of the Air Force—but now they have the Department of War and JIATF 401 recognizing the same thing. It’s very rewarding.

“This isn't just about Grand Forks Air Force Base; it's about the entire ecosystem,” continued Cramer. “It's the capabilities at the University of North Dakota, it includes Camp Grafton, our wonderful Army National Guard facility that has not only technical capabilities, but good land, and a big range. The North Dakota National Guard is also proficient at UAS and countering-UAS. And of course, the Space Force Station up at Cavalier. The communities of Cavalier, Camp Grafton, Devil's Lake, and Grand Forks provide a perfect triangle. Along with the relationship that has been developed in our state with the Federal Aviation Administration, which is so critical to opening airspace for testing advanced systems like directed energy. It’s not everywhere you can do that sort of a high tech, kinetic testing. Grand Forks was the perfect place. Our Department of War, our military men and women, our assets on the ground and everywhere else, need to get more proficient at countering small UAS. And JIATF was stood up for that. Grand Forks is prepared for it.”

The announcement marks another major milestone for North Dakota’s growing role in national defense, unmanned aerial systems innovation, and next-generation military technology development.


Crapo, Risch Statement on the Detention of Stephen Hubbard, 2026 Hostage Week

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the statement below commemorating 2026 Hostage Week and the urgent need to free Stephen Hubbard, a man with Idaho ties detained in Russia.

“This Hostage Week, Americans across the country come together to send a unified message to those who are wrongfully detained around the world: we have not forgotten you and we never will.

“In particular, we think this week of Stephen Hubbard, who is being detained without cause in a Russian prison. Stephen is 74, in declining health, and has a family who loves him back in Idaho. We will do everything in our power to ensure his release, including working alongside the Administration to punish Russia and other bad actors who take Americans hostage. Through penalties under the Countering Wrongful Detention Act, we will show these nations that Americans aren’t to be messed with abroad, used for hostage diplomacy, or any other evil cause. This practice must end.

“We thank all hostage and wrongful detention advocates who took the time to visit Washington this week to advocate for their loved ones’ release. We stand with you. We look forward to shaking the hands of Mr. Hubbard and other wrongful detainees on that happy future day when they are released, but until then we will continue our work.”

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Readout of Daines’ Congressional Delegation Trip to China

U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) today conducted three official meetings in Beijing with Premier of China Li Qiang, Chairman of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji, and Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The bipartisan delegation discussed the importance of direct and open communication between the leadership of the two countries as well as issues of international and local importance. Topics of discussion included cooperation to stop the flow of fentanyl precursors, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, and supply chain security. The Senators discussed the importance of reciprocal trade and opening up China’s markets to sustained agriculture trade across beef, wheat, pulse crops, potatoes, apples, cherries, soybeans, grain sorghum, seafood, and other industries. The delegation also discussed the importance of China’s relationship with Boeing and the proposed aircraft purchase currently under consideration. The Senators expressed their hope for an impactful and successful summit between President Trump and President Xi next week.

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Duckworth, Durbin Join Senate Democrats in Filing Amicus Brief to Protect Mifepristone Access, Women's Health Care and FDA Authority

[CHICAGO, IL] – This week U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined more than 250 House and all Senate Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging them to overturn a Fifth Circuit decision that would upend the FDA approval process and restrict access to mifepristone. This brief follows emergency appeals from the manufacturers of mifepristone; the Supreme Court issuing a temporary stay of the decision Monday morning until next Monday, May 11; and the announcement that the Court has ordered briefing on the stay by this Thursday, May 7.

The lawmakers argued that mifepristone already undergoes a rigorous FDA approval process, and the medication has repeatedly been found to be safe and effective. For a court to overturn this decision not only limits who is able to receive this vital and life-saving medication, putting lives at risk, but it also undermines the longstanding, congressionally mandated, and evidence-based decision-making process at the FDA.

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

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

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

The members argued that this is a clear case of judicial overreach by a lower district court.

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

In the Senate, the amicus brief was signed by all 47 Democratic U.S. Senators.

In the House, the brief was signed by 212 Democratic U.S. Representatives.

The lawmakers’ amicus brief to the Supreme Court can be read in full HERE.

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Durbin Discusses Trump Administration’s Cuts To Snap, Impact On Chicago Families

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Common Pantry to hear about the impact of Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act on SNAP benefits received by Chicago families.

Forty-two million Americans, including two million Illinoisans, receive SNAP benefits. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut SNAP by nearly $200 billion, the biggest cut in history. Starting this month, up to 150,000 Illinoisans could lose their benefits.

“When prices at the grocery store are higher than ever and we are facing historic cuts to SNAP benefits, food insecurity can impact families regardless of income,” said Durbin. “Organizations like Common Pantry are a lifeline for the community, especially in the face of historic cuts from the Trump Administration. I am grateful for their continued service to Chicagoans.”

"Common Pantry is doing everything possible to help advocate, support and provide resources to our guests or the everyday people who have never needed a food pantry until now. We provide nutritious food, nutrition education and social services to help our neighbors in need and will continue our mission with determination, as demand increases because of the policy changes to SNAP now in full effect,” said Margaret O'Conor, Executive Director of Common Pantry.

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Durbin, Duckworth Join Senate Democrats In Filing Amicus Brief To Protect Mifepristone Access, Women’s Health Care, And FDA Authority

CHICAGO – This week, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined more than 250 House and all Senate Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging them to overturn a Fifth Circuit decision that would upend the FDA approval process and restrict access to mifepristone. This brief follows emergency appeals from the manufacturers of mifepristone; the Supreme Court issuing a temporary stay of the decision Monday morning until next Monday, May 11; and the announcement that the Court has ordered briefing on the stay by this Thursday, May 7.

The lawmakers argued that mifepristone already undergoes a rigorous FDA approval process, and the medication has repeatedly been found to be safe and effective. For a court to overturn this decision not only limits who is able to receive this vital and life-saving medication, putting lives at risk, but it also undermines the longstanding, congressionally mandated, and evidence-based decision-making process at the FDA.

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

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

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

The members argued that this is a clear case of judicial overreach by a lower district court.

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

In the Senate, the amicus brief was signed by all 47 Democratic U.S. Senators.

In the House, the brief was signed by 212 Democratic U.S. Representatives.

The lawmakers’ amicus brief to the Supreme Court can be read in full HERE.

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Op-Ed: Become a Republican? I’d be terrible.

The Washington Post

By: John Fetterman

Many might not know, but I won my first race by a single vote to be mayor of Braddock, a small steel town — one of the poorest in our commonwealth –– where 90 percent of the population left. It was a forgotten community.

I wasn’t interested in playing political games. I wanted to help deliver change. It wasn’t about being a Democrat or Republican, but about making sure places like Braddock received the benefits, focus and investments they deserved for their contributions to this great country.

As a U.S. senator, I still believe in that principle. It doesn’t matter if my colleague is in my party or across the aisle. My focus remains on working together to find wins and deliver for my constituents. And though I was elected as a Democrat, I’m proud to serve all Pennsylvanians, not just Democrats.

It has become increasingly lonely to serve in that way, but I firmly believe it’s what is needed.

My party cannot simply be the opposite of whatever President Donald Trump says. The president could come out for ice cream and lazy Sundays, and my party would suddenly hate them. Such pointless pile-ons and attacks are unproductive. The American people want us to work together to find solutions on issues they and our country face.

It wasn’t long ago when Democrats wanted a secure border. I voted on an immigration bill in 2024 to make sure an influx the size of Pittsburgh doesn’t come through the border like it did under the previous administration. I have co-sponsored legislation to stop the flow of fentanyl. I was the lead Democrat on the Laken Riley Act, and I strongly believe that someone who comes here illegally and commits a violent crime should be deported. Full stop.

It wasn’t long ago when Democrats believed shutting our government down was wrong and put American livelihoods at risk. I consistently voted to end back-to-back government shutdowns because our Transportation Security Administration agents, our homeland security, our airports and everyday Americans were hurting and should have never been held hostage. I took no pleasure in voting against my party. While the base targeted me for putting the country first, the demand to keep the lights on weighed more heavily than partisan games.

It wasn’t long ago when we believed it was crucial to support allies such as Israel against threats to their safety and peace. In the wake of the war in Gaza, Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah have ramped up their attempts to dismantle our ally. I remained committed to fully backing the elimination of these terrorists and their leaders. My party’s recent presidential candidates identified Iran as a significant global threat, one that shouldn’t be able to acquire a nuclear weapon. They emphasized a view I still hold: that the leading state sponsor of terror should be held to account. I appreciate that this administration acted on the threat Iran and its proxies pose.

These once-common views have become increasingly toxic in the Democratic Party, a result of catering to the fringe and agitated parts of our base. The party is fractured by their demands, heightened after the Gaza war and even more after Trump was elected in 2024. Numerous protesters have followed me around D.C. or shown up at my Braddock home to tell me I’m a traitor simply for voting my conscience, unapologetically standing with Israel and the global Jewish community, keeping our government open and our workers paid, securing our border — stances that were not unusual. My values have not changed, and I have always turned to those kinds of ideals that defined being a Democrat. I remain strongly pro-choice, pro-weed, pro-LGBT, pro-SNAP, pro-labor and even pro-rib-eye over bio slop.

I refuse to cave on my conscience because Pennsylvania deserves someone who is honest and can work across the aisle.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and I worked together to unfreeze $1 billion in federal funding for transportation projects across Pennsylvania. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania) and I have delivered hundreds of millions of federal dollars to our state for vital projects that improve the lives of our 13 million constituents, including $600 million to repair the Delaware River Bridge and to improve the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Sen. Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) and I introduced the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act to allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits to buy hot rotisserie chicken. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) and I have worked together to protect the mental health of our kids with our Stop the Scroll Act. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) and I have taken Pennsylvania’s wildly successful Whole-Home Repairs program and introduced a bill to bring it to the national level to keep Americans in their homes.

Being an independent voice that works with the other side to deliver for Pennsylvanians might put me at odds with the party that I have stayed committed to and have no plans to leave –– but I will continue to put the commonwealth and the country first.

Plus, I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.


Gallego Pushes for Passage of Major Richard Star Act at VFW Post 720

Senator Also Visits Soldier’s Best Friend and Luke Air Force Base

PHOENIX – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) spent the day meeting with veterans, service members, and community leaders in the Phoenix area to discuss his ongoing efforts to expand mental health resources, strengthen military infrastructure, and pass the bipartisan Major Richard Star Act.

Senator Gallego began the morning at Soldier’s Best Friend in Peoria, where he toured the facility and reviewed the organization’s “rescue-to-service” training process. The program pairs veterans living with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries with rescued service dogs, providing healing and rehabilitation.

Later, the Senator visited Luke Air Force Base, the primary training center for the F-35A Lightning II. Senator Gallego recently secured $45 million in the NDAA for a new child development center at Luke AFB to support the 6,800 active-duty airmen and their families stationed there.

Senator Gallego then hosted a community conversation at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 720 with VetsForward, Worker Power, and UNITE HERE Local 11 to advocate for the passage of the Major Richard Star Act. The bill, which the Senator has long supported, would provide combat-injured veteran retirees their full benefits.

Senator Gallego spoke about his plans to force a vote to add the Major Richard Star Act to Republicans’ reconciliation budget bill that is currently moving through Congress.

“Fact, we’re going to war and spending a lot of money there. We can find the billion dollars to take care of veterans. It’s bipartisan. It has huge support, and there’s no reason why it’s become political to the point where it’s getting stopped,” said Senator Gallego. “They’re not giving us a billion dollars for these veterans. We’re giving a billion dollars for the ballroom, something that was supposed to pay by private money. So it tells you what the priorities of this administration is.”

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) blocked the advancement of the bill most recently in March. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week pledged support for the legislation, to which Senator Gallego said today, “Hopefully, he sticks to that. That would solve this problem right away.”

Senator Gallego spoke about the current situation that more than 50,000 combat-injured military retirees face.

“You may end up making a decision: ‘do I take my retirement benefit or do I take my VA benefit?’ And that’s not the situation you want to put these men and women in, especially because a lot of them are going to be dealing with injuries that are going to be very expensive for them to deal with the rest of their lives,” he said.


Gillibrand Statement On Trump’s Tariffs Being Struck Down Yet Again In Federal Court

Today, after the Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump’s global 10% tariffs were unlawful, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement:

“Once again, Donald Trump’s price-hiking tariffs have lost in court. It’s time for the president to abandon these illegal tax hikes that are squeezing American families, who are already struggling to pay for groceries, gas, and health care thanks to his destructive policies. The Trump administration must immediately refund the cost of these tariffs to the American people and focus on lowering the cost of living, not seeking new ways to raise it.”

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ICYMI: Grassley Op-Ed: Republicans’ Rural Health Transformation Fund Is Improving Access to Care in Iowa

Republicans’ Rural Health Transformation Fund Is Improving Access to Care in Iowa

By Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)

May 7, 2026

The Gazette

I’m one of hundreds of thousands of rural Iowans who lives off a gravel road and am proud to call farm country home. Over one third of our state is considered rural. Yet too often, it’s difficult for rural Iowans to access the healthcare they need, close to where they live. Republicans are working to change that.

Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which President Trump signed on July 4 last year, not only put money back in people’s pockets to help them provide for their families, it delivered historic funding to expand access to care in rural communities and improve health outcomes.

It’s called the Rural Health Transformation Fund, and it’s the largest investment in rural health in U.S. history. Astoundingly, not a single Democrat in Congress voted to support this funding.

Here in Iowa, the Rural Health Transformation Fund is already making a difference and keeping care closer to home.

Under Gov. Kim Reynolds’ leadership, Iowa was the first state in the nation to begin awarding its federal funding. As a result, Iowans in Marshalltown looking for heart and cancer care soon won’t have to travel to Waterloo or Des Moines for treatment. The Marshalltown Hospital is recruiting two new specialists in cardiology and oncology so area residents can get local treatment that’s close to their loved ones, who provide a valuable support network.

In Anamosa, Jones Regional Medical Center is buying a new surgical robot with this money, expanding options for cancer patients and bringing more surgeons to the region. In Onawa, Burgess Health Center is purchasing a new, advanced mammography system that will help detect breast cancer sooner and save Iowans’ lives.

In Chariton, I met with Iowans who told me they’ll have access to an MRI machine at the Lucas County Health Center for the first time. And, during my meeting at the Pella Regional Health Center, I learned they’re leveraging the Rural Health Transformation Fund to purchase a machine to improve local cancer care. Iowans near Mason City will have access to a new Robotic Bronchoscopy system that detects lung cancer sooner, giving Iowans more years with family and friends.

The good news doesn’t stop there.

Over the next five years, Iowa will receive, at a minimum, $100 million annually from the fund. Our state already received over twice that much this year alone: $209 million.

Because of this federal investment, young mothers needing prenatal care will be able to access clinics and telemedicine in up to five different locations in rural Iowa from the Des Moines Center of Excellence in Maternal Fetal Medicine.

A grandfather in Jasper County who’s fighting cancer can get advanced procedures and high-quality scans at the Newton Medical Center now that its decades old equipment is being replaced.

Iowans will also have access to more healthcare professionals, like family medicine physicians and nurses, because of this federal investment.

As a senior member and former chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, I’m constantly advocating for rural healthcare on behalf of Iowans. That’s why I helped lead the charge to get the Rural Health Transformation Fund passed into law, and I’ll be following it closely to ensure Iowa receives the support it deserves.

I applaud Gov. Reynolds for her work to identify needs across our state that qualify for these federal grants, such as combating cancer, improving access to emergency care and recruiting top-tier healthcare professionals.

During my 99 county meetings this year, I’ve heard story after story from healthcare professionals who are putting this money to work for their patients. More Iowa communities will benefit from the Rural Health Transformation Fund in the years ahead.

Chuck Grassley is the senior U.S. senator from Iowa.


Albuquerque Journal: Heinrich says he will 'push back' against rising cost of living

As costs rise, the economic impact is forcing residents and business owners to adapt.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., hopes to share the stories of affected New Mexicans with lawmakers and the Trump administration in an effort to ease financial burdens and influence policy changes.

“Being able to hear these stories helps me push back against policies that just don’t make sense,” Heinrich said Thursday during a cost-of-living roundtable at the Women's Economic Self-Sufficiency Team (WESST) headquarters in Albuquerque.

The senator invited local business owners and residents to share issues affecting them in an unstable market.

“It’s not a secret to anyone that rising costs are the issue holding back our economy and impacting New Mexicans across the board right now,” Heinrich said.

Enchanting Soap Collections owner Chrystal Trykoski said the increase in raw material costs has forced her to shrink the size of her soap bars by half an ounce and to raise the price by $2. Trykoski said from the third quarter of 2023 to now, the cost of coconut oil — which she uses in her soaps — has increased over 126%.

Giovanna Urbina, a film worker and member of IATSE Local 480, said she had to take on additional jobs to support herself and her child due to tariffs and rising costs, which have shifted film productions to foreign countries.

She said that she may lose her health insurance by the end of September if she does not secure a new film production job. At one point, Urbina said, there were between 10 and 15 film productions filming in the state. Now, there’s only one.

“It’s a huge industry and we’ve seen it all but disappear in New Mexico,” she said.

Briana Smith, manager with the South Valley Economic Development Center, said that an aggregation facility the economic development agency was planning to open this month has been pushed back to July due to a tariff that she described as a $47,000 ransom.

Smith said some farmers are not growing crops this year because they don't know their profits after tariffs. She said shoppers can expect to see higher prices at local farmers markets, as the tariffs on fertilizer have caused crops to become more expensive.

One of New Mexico’s agricultural staples, chile, will also begin to feel the heat of the economy, Smith said.

“It takes a lot of fertilizer and nutrients in the ground,” she said. “We’re not going to have the same crops that we had in years past and that is a given.”

Heinrich said that while he’s seen the economy fluctuate many times during his three terms as senator, this time, the issues stem from decisions made by the Trump administration, including tariffs and the war with Iran.

“I think what’s different right now is that so many of the increases in costs that are bearing down on average folks are a matter of policy," he said. “The administration right now is making policy choices that are showing up in our costs.”


ICYMI: Hickenlooper, Coloradans Call Out Cost of Living Emergency, Highlight High Cost of Gas, Health Care

Hickenlooper: “I call it the cost-of-living emergency. It’s not a crisis anymore. It’s an emergency.”

White House, congressional Republicans refuse to address the affordability emergency

In case you missed it, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper held two events this week highlighting how President Trump’s policies are driving the cost-of-living emergency that’s hurting Colorado families and businesses.

On Monday, he met with truckers, construction and plumbing small businesses, labor unions, and rideshare drivers to discuss how the President’s tariffs, his reckless war in Iran, and the resulting spike in gas prices are squeezing workers and cutting into margins for transportation-dependent industries.

On Tuesday, Hickenlooper joined patients, physicians, and hospital social workers at Denver Health – Colorado’s largest safety-net hospital – to hear how $1 trillion in Republican-backed cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are increasing premiums, driving coverage losses, and straining hospitals and clinics across the state. As the rising cost of health care continues to put lives at risk, Hickenlooper also published an op-ed with the Sanders Institute highlighting his bill to enforce comprehensive price transparency at every level of the health care system.

Check out what they’re saying:

Colorado Public Radio: Patients and providers share stories of health care despair as worries mount over coverage and costs High health care costs are putting more of a burden on ordinary Coloradans and hospitals alike, fraying the state’s safety net. That’s according to a group of patients and providers who gathered at Denver Health on Tuesday to tell their stories.

They met as U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper was spotlighting how more than $1 trillion in cuts by the Republican-led Congress last year are ratcheting up costs. The cuts include reductions in spending on Medicaid, the health plan for low-income Americans, and the Affordable Care Act.

Patients told stories of grappling with higher premiums and losses in coverage. Denver Health physicians and other staff members said they expect to see more uninsured patients, which puts more pressure on critical services.

…’Cost of Living Emergency’

…After the event, Hickenlooper expressed frustration at Congressional Republicans for the deep cuts, which he and fellow Democrats voted against, while saying he hoped they’d work together to repair the damage.

“I call it the cost-of-living emergency. It’s not a crisis anymore. It’s an emergency. You just heard it,” Hickenlooper said. “This is not a small number of people that are experiencing the despair and just anger and fear and depression. I mean, these emotional states, we throw the words around, but these people (talking at the event) are living it.”

He described the health challenges coming just as the economy is sputtering.

The Gazette: Hickenlooper hears stories on Medicaid, health costs at Denver Health U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper went to Denver Health on Tuesday to hear how rising health care costs and federal policy changes are affecting patients.

He got an earful.

Hospital staff shared stories about Medicaid patients who lost eligibility — and then a limb or their life.

…Hickenlooper said he hopes the stories shared Tuesday will help persuade his Republican colleagues — he needs to sway at least a dozen — of the urgency of addressing Medicaid and rising health care costs.

Following the hourlong event, Hickenlooper called the state of health care in the U.S. troubling, saying “there’s a lot on the line.”

“This is what I call a cost-of-living emergency,” he said.

Colorado Sun: As Colorado gas prices near $4.50 per gallon, driving to work is like taking a pay cut

Before Feb. 28, Kareem Sawadogo paid about $40 to fill up his tank. Now, it’s over $65, said Sawadogo, a driver for both Lyft and Uber.

And if he’s driving full time, which is 40 to 60 hours a week, he must fill up daily. Combine the higher cost of gas with the rising prices of auto insurance and car maintenance, and it seems cheaper to just park his car.

“If you do the math, 30 times seven, that extra is a lot of money,” said Sawadogo, who’s taken on another job — organizing for the Colorado Independent Drivers United, which estimates there are 41,000 ridesharing drivers in the state. “I cannot afford to drive right now.”

…It’s just more money shelled out by consumers and small businesses, said U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, who convened the roundtable to listen to the tales of how higher prices are impacting Coloradans.

“Everybody’s got to get to work and all of a sudden, they just took a pay cut because of this war,” Hickenlooper said. “This is probably the worst time you could have picked to create a confrontation that has the effect of basically locking down the world’s energy production. And it’s the first time many of us have seen in our lifetime that it affects everybody.”

The Sanders Institute: Hickenlooper Op-Ed: Hidden Prices, Broken Promises: Why Health Care Transparency Is a Matter of Justice My belief that health care is a right, not a privilege, goes back to college. As a student at Wesleyan University, I met Mark Masselli and helped him found a community health center that became Community Health Center, Inc., one of the country’s leading federally qualified health centers. CHC Inc. was founded on a conviction that has never left me: no one should be denied care because of what they earn, where they live, or what they can afford to pay.

That conviction guided me as governor to expand health care to 500,000 Coloradans and continues to drive my work today in the Senate.

Approximately 100 million Americans carry medical debt. Health care costs have grown two to three times faster than wages this century. Families making difficult choices between care and rent are not victims of bad luck. They’re victims of a system deliberately designed to obscure what care actually costs, hide what corporations and shareholders profit, and prevent patients from ever knowing what hit them until the bill arrives weeks later.

This is not dysfunction, but a strategy to juice profits with the costs falling hardest on working people. That is why we introduced the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. This bill attacks that cynical strategy at its source.

WATCH: Senator Hickenlooper Talks High Gas Prices with Rideshare Driver

LISTEN: Colorado Public Radio on Hickenlooper’s Denver Health Event

WATCH: CBS Denver: Denver Affordability Event

WATCH: ABC Denver: Denver Affordability Event

WATCH: FOX Denver: Denver Affordability Event

WATCH: CW Denver, CO: Denver Affordability Event

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Hoeven: Grand Forks Air Force Base Selected for Deployment, Testing & Assessment of Counter-UAS Tech

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of War (DoW) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) selected the Grand Forks Air Force Base as one of four sites for the deployment, testing and operational assessment of counter-drone systems, including high-powered microwave, laser or similar technologies. This announcement builds upon Hoeven’s ongoing efforts as a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee to make counter-drone a cornerstone of U.S. defense strategy, leveraging North Dakota’s expertise in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to help protect against the misuse of unmanned aircraft. Hoeven stressed that the following priorities were key in securing Grand Forks’ selection for the pilot program:

Project ULTRA.

Hoeven established and funded Project ULTRA, which is working to quickly develop cost-effective measures to detect and neutralize threats from unmanned aircraft.

Point Defense Battle Lab.

Hoeven worked with Air Force leadership to advance Grand Forks’ selection for the battle lab, which will test and validate advanced technologies to defend installations from small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) threats.

T-REX event at Camp Grafton.

T-REX will provide companies with promising counter-UAS technology the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities and allow DoW to determine if it should procure their systems.

Hoeven secured Camp Grafton as the location for the T-REX event, having made the case for this initiative to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Recruiting Companies like AeroVironment to the region’s high-tech ecosystem.

Last year, AeroVironment acquired BlueHalo, a company that Hoeven worked to partner with the Sky Range program and Grand Forks Air Force Base, having secured a total of nearly $16 million for those efforts.

The company has since been expanding their presence in the state, including bringing its directed energy system to North Dakota, which laid the foundation for the kinds of operations and technology being assessed by the new DoW pilot program.

“The Grand Forks Air Force Base is the natural choice for this new DoW-FAA pilot program, which will test high-powered, directed energy technologies for counter-UAS. We’ve been laying the groundwork for this kind of initiative through efforts like Project ULTRA, the Point Defense Battle Lab and the upcoming T-REX event at Camp Grafton. In fact, AeroVironment, a company we recruited to work with Project ULTRA, has already deployed its directed energy technology in North Dakota for this same purpose, giving our state a head start,” said Hoeven. “We appreciate the DoW for continuing to work with us on establishing new partnerships and opportunities for counter-UAS work in the state.”

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Hoeven Passed 17th Piece of Legislation Advancing First-in-the-Nation Flood Protection Project, Using Federal Savings to Reduce Local Costs

FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today marked the signing of the new Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) between the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The new PPA is required to implement Hoeven’s legislation directing the Corps to apply federal savings toward reducing the local cost share for flood protection in the Red River Valley, the 17th piece of legislation passed by the senator to advance the project. As a result, $100 million has been distributed to the local project sponsor and additional funding will be distributed as the project closes out. Hoeven stressed the importance of the public-private partnership (P3) model in making these savings a reality:

The Red River Valley flood protection was the first major Army Corps project in the nation to utilize the P3 model, which kept the project on-time and under budget.

Under the standard Army Corps approach, the federal government would have been responsible for constructing the entire project, a method that has frequently caused delays and cost overruns for projects around the country.

Instead, the P3 model allowed the Corps and local sponsor to construct various aspects of the project concurrently, significantly improving the project timeline.

Further, Hoeven secured the full $750 million federal cost share up front in 2022, which enabled the Army Corps to complete its share of the work ahead of schedule and at a cost far lower than $750 million.

Accordingly, Hoeven passed legislation to accelerate the transfer of the remaining balance to the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Authority to be used for ongoing construction of the local portion of the project.

By receiving this $100 million now, the local sponsor will be able to complete its work at a much lower cost to taxpayers.

“With today’s new Project Partnership Agreement signed, we are nearly across the finish line on delivering comprehensive flood protection for the entire Fargo-Moorhead region. More than that, we are delivering savings to local taxpayers, as the new PPA implements my legislation, the 17th piece of legislation we passed for this project, to transfer excess federal funding to the FM Diversion Authority, starting with today’s $100 million payment,” said Hoeven. “This project has been a colossal task, spread across multiple federal agencies, states and localities, and I appreciate all of our partners for working to move this first-in-the-nation P3 project toward completion. By divvying up the work between the Corps and the local sponsor, we kept this project on-time and under budget, a truly remarkable accomplishment when you look at the challenges faced by similar projects around the country.”

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Husted leads effort to expand broadband access in rural Ohio

“It is hard to believe that in 2026, far too many Ohioans still lack access to reliable internet, impacting how people learn, work or complete training programs.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) joined Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) in introducing the Expanding Appalachia’s Broadband Access Act. This bill would increase access to broadband for rural communities across Appalachia.

Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) introduced the companion bill to the Expanding Appalachia’s Broadband Access Act in the House of Representatives. The bill passed the House on March 24, 2026, by unanimous voice vote.

“It is hard to believe that in 2026, far too many Ohioans still lack access to reliable internet, impacting how people learn, work or complete training programs. As Lt.Governor, I worked to form and lead the BroadbandOhio Office, which has made significant progress in bringing more people online. Working alongside our state and local partners, as well as the private sector, will help get the job done. I applaudRep. Taylor’s leadership on this issue in the House, and I look forward to getting this done for Ohio in the Senate,” said Husted.

“Access to broadband internet is critical for accessing health care, paying your bills,and staying connected to friends, family, and the world. I am so proud to be partnering with Senator Husted to introduce the Expanding Appalachia’s BroadbandAccess Act to ensure Marylanders in the most rural parts of our state can get and stay connected,” said Alsobrooks.

“Southern Ohio has long been a broadband desert, with our rural communities being left behind in an ever-changing and advancing economy. This bill will create an opportunity to demonstrate that embracing innovative technologies like satellite broadband could lead to massive opportunities for growth in southern Ohio. The Appalachian Regional Commission currently provides vital funding and services to Ohioans, and the inclusion of expanded broadband technologies in their programs would be life changing. It is past time to connect our communities to the modern economy after being held back for decades,” said Taylor.

More than 300,000 households in Ohio—representing nearly 1 million Ohioans—still lack access to broadband service. Limited connectivity makes it harder for students to complete online homework and for adults to access job opportunities, training programs and telehealth services.

This bill would direct a study to be conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on the capabilities of satellites to be used by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)for economic development. This study will measure the capabilities of satellites for ruralbusiness services and assess whether or not it can meet business’ needs.

If this study shows that satellites are an effective method of increasing rural broadband, this bill would allow rural businesses and communities to obtain broadband funding through ARC.


How $1 Billion Could Help Virginians Instead of Funding Trump’s Ballroom

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the news that Senate Republicans will try to use $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to pay for Donald Trump’s ballroom project, the offices of U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following report outlining how that funding could be used to help Virginians instead.

“It’s absurd that Senate Republicans are asking for $1 billion dollars to fund Trump’s ballroom after making historic cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, and refusing to extend healthcare tax credits,” said the senators. “To make matters worse, Trump’s war of choice is causing costs on groceries, gas, and consumer goods to soar. While Americans are struggling to make ends meet, Trump and Senate Republicans are focused on using tax dollars to build a ballroom.”

Below are estimates of what $1 billion could fund in Virginia instead of Trump’s ballroom:

Health Care:

$1 billion could pay for Medicaid coverage for a full year for over 25% of the Virginians who lost it due to Trump and Washington Republicans’ cuts in their 2025 budget megabill.

365,719 fewer Virginians were enrolled in Medicaid as of January 2026 when compared to 2023.

$10,219 is the average annual spending on Medicaid per enrollee in Virginia.

$1 billion could have extended the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credit for most of the year for nearly two-thirds of the Virginians who relied on it last year.

In 2025, 326,268 Virginians relied on these tax credits to help them afford health insurance and saved an average of $405 a month per enrollee.

Food:

$1 billion could restore SNAP benefits fornearly five years for every Virginian who was kicked off this food assistance program due to Trump and Washington Republicans’ cuts in their 2025 budget megabill.

100,913 Virginians were kicked off the program between July 2025 and January 2026.

Average yearly SNAP benefit per person is $2,127.

$1 billion could fund Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) benefits for all Virginians in the program for over 15 years.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 98,711 Virginians rely on WIC.

WIC provided an average of $652.8 per participant per year.

$1 billion could cover groceries for 118,119 Virginia families for a full year.

According to recent data, the average Virginia household spends an average of $8,466 on groceries per year.

Housing:

$1 billion could cover the average yearly rent for 46,399 Virginia households.

The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Virginia is $1,796.

$1 billion could pay for a year of average electricity costs for half a million Virginia households.

Virginia households spend approximately $1,900 on average a year for electricity.

$1 billion could pay for the construction or preservation of about 2,000 affordable homes across Virginia.

Building or preserving an affordable home typically costs a little over $500,000.

Child Care:

$1 billion could pay for child care for 59,537 infants.

The average annual cost of infant child care in Virginia is $16,796.

Other:

$1 billion could cover 12,500,000 America the Beautiful passes for Americans to visit National Parks across the country, including Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.

America the Beautiful passes for U.S. citizens and residents cost $80.

$1 billion could fund a year of transportation costs for 74,732 households in Virginia.

On average, Virginian households spend $13,381 a year on transportation costs.

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WATCH: Kelly Delivers Statement After Appeals Court Hearing

“This President is trying to silence us. I can’t think of anything more un-American.”

Today, following oral arguments on Kelly v. Hegseth at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly delivered a statement alongside his wife, Gabby Giffords, and fellow military veterans.

“This President is trying to silence us. Ican’tthink of anything more un-American. Just like these folks behind me, I signed up to serve our country and protect our freedoms, including the freedom of speech. Most of us joined it to be part of something larger than ourselves. To serve and protect the country we love.[…]

“Retired veterans have always been an important part of our democracy.Andthat’sexactly whyI’mnot backing down.After twenty-five years in the U.S. Navy, I have given too much to this country to be silenced by an administration that doesnotwant to be held accountable. So today, thiswas a day in court not just for me, but for the First Amendment rights of millions of us.

“Given what’s at stake, I appreciate the judges’ quick and careful consideration in this case. We have the Constitution and the law on our side, and I’ve never been more confident as I am today, standing here with my wife Gabby, my daughter Claire, the guy I flew most of my combat missions with, and these brave men and women who’ve served our country.”