Senators Coons, Husted introduce bipartisan legislation to authorize and strengthen EPA’s Safer Choice Program

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jon Husted (R-Ohio) today introduced the Safer Choice Program Authorization Act (SCPAA) to formally authorize and strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency’s voluntary Safer Choice Program. The Safer Choice Program helps consumers, businesses, schools, and institutions identify cleaning and other products that meet rigorous standards for human health, environmental safety, and performance.

The SCPAA codifies EPA’s long-standing Safer Choice and Design for the Environment Programs, which have helped drive innovation in safer chemistry for decades while providing consumers and institutional purchasers with a trusted federal label for safer products. The Safer Choice and Design for the Environment programs have operated successfully for more than 30 years under administrations of both parties but have never been formally authorized by Congress. The SCPAA would provide statutory certainty for these widely used programs and the stakeholders that depend on them.

“Delaware is a state of innovators. To continue that legacy, we need to give businesses and entrepreneurs every opportunity to deliver the best results for consumers and the environment,” said Senator Coons, co-chair of the Senate Chemistry Caucus. “This legislation provides long-term certainty for manufacturers so they can invest in safer chemistry, and so Americans can continue to lead in innovation.”

“Ohioans want to be able to trust that the products they are using in their homes are not only effective, but safe for their families. The EPA’s Safer Choice Program helps Americans identify products that are both effective and made with ingredients that are safer for people and the environment. Our bipartisan bill would support and authorize this important program while expanding consumer choice in their everyday products. I’m proud to co-lead this effort to protect Americans’ health and keep our environment clean,” said Senator Husted.

The bill would:

Formally authorize EPA’s Safer Choice Program

Maintain rigorous, science-based standards for participating products

Strengthen protections against conflicts of interest in product reviews

Ensure continued maintenance of EPA’s Safer Chemical Ingredients List

Support transparency, stakeholder engagement, and public access to safer product information

The legislation has earned support from a wide variety of industry leaders, manufacturers, sustainability organizations, and cleaning product stakeholders.

“Safer Choice delivers real-world value at scale, reflected in the nearly 400 businesses that count on the program as a trusted, nationally recognized federal benchmark,” said Steve Caldeira, president and CEO of the Household & Commercial Products Association.“As a long-standing and strong advocate for Safer Choice, HCPA is proud to support legislation that would provide stability, direction, and dedicated resources to this highly regarded manufacturer partnership program.”

“ACI commends Senators Coons and Husted for their leadership in introducing the Safer Choice Program Authorization Act,” said Jennifer Abril, president and CEO of American Cleaning Institute. “The Safer Choice program is a leading example of how a government-led, voluntary program can leverage private-sector expertise to support safer product innovations and deliver meaningful benefits to consumers and the marketplace. ACI and the Cleaning Products Industry strongly support authorizing and strengthening this successful program within EPA.”

“The EPA Safer Choice Program has spent decades being the stamp of approval for cleaning products that are both high-performing and safer for people and the environment,” said John Nothdurft, vice president of government and public affairs, ISSA. “This bill gives manufacturers the certainty to invest, gives purchasers a trusted federal benchmark, and gives the American public confidence that the products used in cleaning their schools, hospitals, and workplaces meet a rigorous, science-based standard. ISSA strongly supports this legislation and urges Congress to act.”

“IFF supports efforts to codify EPA’s Safer Choice Program, which provides a rigorous, science-based framework for advancing safer ingredients in the household and personal care sector. By reinforcing consistency, label integrity, and stakeholder engagement, this legislation helps drive innovation while meeting evolving consumer and regulatory expectations. It is an important step forward for sustainable chemistry,” said Leticia Gonçalves Lourenco, president of health and biosciences, at International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF).

“EPA’s Safer Choice program works because the market has validated it. Companies across the value chain have built real business decisions around it, which has served to increase their market share,” said David Levine, co-founder and president at American Sustainable Business Network. “This federal program delivers results for businesses and consumers. Over 100 signers, including major business and trade associations like the American Sustainable Business Network and the Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA), ISSA – The Association for Clean & Facility Solutions, Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility, alongside individual companies of every size, send a clear signal to Congress: this program has earned its place in statute and needs to be authorized.”

“The Safer Choice Program is a model government program – broadly supported and highly effective, producing benefits for business, health, and environment. The Safer Choice Authorization Act codifies this voluntary program, ensuring its long-term viability and expansion over time to provide even greater economic and societal benefits. Change Chemistry and its member companies strongly support this bill,” said Joel Tickner, strategic advisor at Change Chemistry.

“We thank Senators Coons and Husted for the introduction of the Safer Choice Authorization Act, which will establish the Safer Choice Program which provides the development of innovative products that are science-based, and are transparent way to identify products that are safer for the people and the planet, supporting informed purchasing decisions and promoting safer chemical innovation for our consumers, businesses, and the environment,” said Rina Singh, PhD, executive vice president at Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition (AFCC).

“BASF’s ambition is to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We are therefore a longstanding supporter of Safer Choice, proudly offering a continually growing portfolio of household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products on its Safer Chemical Ingredients List,” said Catherine Trinkle, vice president and deputy general counsel; regulatory, environmental & government affairs, BASF Corporation.“We applaud Senators Coons and Husted for introducing this legislation and encourage Congress to move forward with formal authorization of the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) programs as soon as possible.”

Bill summary is available here.


Cornyn to Trump Admin: Hold the Line on Ending Iran’s Nuclear Program

WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed his support of President Trump’s decisive actions in Operation Epic Fury and urged the administration to stay the course in order to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, demonstrate peace through strength, and make Americans and American interests around the world safer. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

“The President has made very clear that he does not [want] Iran to ever get a nuclear weapon, and in a normal world, you would think there would be unanimous agreement among Republicans and Democrats. Well, I agree with President Trump’s position, and I hope we stay the course and complete the job that we started.”

“You can’t have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon. That remains our ultimate objective: peace. But if Iran gets a nuclear weapon, we will not have peace. We will have a ticking nuclear time bomb.”

“We should always hope that there could be productive negotiations and a ceasefire, but it has to be verifiable, and we have to achieve the goals that the President has set out for us, and we can’t back off of that without badly botching the leverage that we have now to accomplish these goals.”

“If the United States were to give Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the Strait, there’s no doubt the money would be put to nefarious purposes.”

“We have to make sure the job is finished in such a way that will provide for a lasting resolution and a lasting peace. I know there’s a lot of pressure on President Trump and this administration to end the conflict as soon as possible on any terms, but that would be a serious mistake.”

“I hope President Trump will stay strong in pursuit of these objectives, and if the Iranian regime will not yet agree to those in a verifiable manner, then I hope the president will use his authority as Commander-in-Chief to do so and force them to the negotiating table on terms that we insist on, not what they demand.”


PHOTO: Cornyn Meets with Austin Chamber & Central Texas Leaders

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) met today with the Austin Chamber of Commerce and Central Texas business, civic, and community leaders to give an update on the Secure America Act, which will fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection through 2029, and discuss provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, now law, that are helping businesses reinvest in their employees and Texans keep more of their hard-earned money. See photo below.


Cortez Masto, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Reverse its Rule Authorizing Social Media Review for Tourists

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined a letter led by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and co-signed by Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, demanding that they withdraw a proposed rule requiring travelers to disclose up to five years of their social media history prior to traveling to the United States and end the State Department’s new practice of social media screening of non-immigrant visa applications.

International tourism into the U.S. has already been impacted by Trump’s policies, with states like Nevada seeing the lowest number of visitors in 2025 in any year since the pandemic. The U.S. Travel Association estimates that travel and tourism to the United States brought in roughly $1.3 billion in spending in 2024 alone, accounting for 2.5% of the national GDP.

“These policies are further reducing already declining tourism to the United States at a time when our country should be working to welcome more tourists ahead of major international events like the World Cup,” wrote the Senators. “Reduced international tourism is already harming hotels, restaurants, airlines, and the many other industries that rely on tourism in the United States.”

“With this in mind, we urge the Department of Homeland Security to withdraw its proposed rule, ask the Department of State to end its practice of screening the social media history of non-immigrant visa applicants,” continued the Senators.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Senator Cortez Masto is a fierce advocate for Nevada’s travel and tourism economy. She has repeatedly raised concerns about the Trump Administration’s policies that are driving down tourism. Ahead of the July 2026 review of the USMCA, the Senator urged Trade Representative Greer to strengthen the trade agreement while encouraging collaboration on travel and tourism. She recently held a press conference with Las Vegas business owners reliant on the travel industry who have been harmed by the Trump Administration’s detrimental policies.

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Cortez Masto Joins Nevada Delegation on Bipartisan Bill to Support Veterans Exposed to Radiation in Nevada

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Representatives Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03) and Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02) in introducing the Sergeant Dave Crete Fighting for the Overlooked Recognition of Groups Operating in Toxic Test Environments in Nevada (FORGOTTEN) Veterans Act.

This bill would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to join the Department of Energy (DOE) in classifying the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), and all other locations where radiation and toxic exposure occurred, as contaminated; identify everyone who served within the NTTR since the first nuclear test on the range in 1951; establish a process for service members and veterans to provide proof of their service within the NTTR; and require the DOD to share this documentation with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as well as any injuries, exposures, or illnesses related to their service, so that impacted veterans will finally be able to claim and access their VA benefits.

From the 1950s through the 1990s, the NTTR – and the then-Nevada Test Site contained within it – conducted over 900 explosive nuclear weapons tests and other dangerous, toxic activities. Currently the DOD does not consider the NTTR to be a location where contamination and exposure occurred, but the DOE does for their civilian personnel who served in the same locations. Because of this mismatch in designations, NTTR veterans are not granted the same service-connected presumption of exposure and can’t receive the care and benefits they would otherwise be owed under the PACT Act. And because their location of service in their personnel records is classified, these veterans are unable to verify where they served when attempting to file a claim for benefits. This undermines the very intent of the PACT Act and continues to force aging veterans to navigate impossible evidentiary burdens.

“Our veterans who served at the Nevada Test and Training Range put their lives on the line to keep Americans safe,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Now that they are faced with the health impacts of their service, bureaucratic red tape is preventing them from claiming the benefits they are owed. This commonsense, bipartisan bill will ensure our veterans can finally access the care they need.”

Senator Cortez Masto has been a leader in work to help veterans who served within the NTTR receive the benefits they deserve. Last year, she cosponsored the first version of the FORGOTTEN Veterans Act, which advanced out of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Cortez Masto has also worked across the aisle to pass bills into law that help veterans exposed to Agent Orange and expand benefits for women veterans.

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Cramer Highlights Need for EVs to Pay into Highway Trust Fund, Reduce Red Tape at EPW Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee heard testimony from Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator Sean McMaster today at a hearing discussing the FHWA’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027.

Cramer thanked McMaster for his work finalizing West Fargo’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant agreement, which was signed earlier this year for “an important safety project.” The award supports the installation of a road-rail grade separation project complete with pedestrian, bicycle, and ADA accommodations at the intersection of 9th Street NE and an existing transcontinental BNSF rail line.

He also highlighted the need to simplify bureaucratic burdens on state departments of transportation (DOTs). Cramer introduced the Transportation Asset Management Simplification Act (TAMSA) with U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) to reduce this burden by eliminating annual implementation report submissions and incorporating them into the Transportation Asset Management Plans submitted every four years. Cramer described the existing system as “a paperwork burden that doesn’t build any roads,” and asked McMaster for his thoughts on TAMSA to streamline existing reporting requirements.

McMaster outlined FHWA’s efforts to cut red tape and expressed support for reforms to help projects move forward more quickly and efficiently, saying, “In this administration, we are laser focused on getting some of the federal bureaucracy down. We talk about regulatory reform a lot. The department issued 52 deregulatory actions, with more than 600,000 words removed. [Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy] issued an [interim final rule] on the [National Environmental Policy Act] process last year. We're working currently to update our NEPA process, Part 771 internally, so we'll see if we have some action on that in the future. We have simplified our notices of funding. We've cut them in half. We're adding a standardized template for applicants to make it easier for them. We are tracking obligation rates and working quickly to try to make sure that the dollars that are awarded get into projects and actually get shovels turning quickly. […] These programs can be overly burdensome at times and anything we can do to move projects more quickly and more efficiently, we are absolutely supportive of.”

Last month, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced and passed the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th (BUILD America 250) by a vote of 62 to 2. The legislation included a proposed fee for electric vehicles (EVs) to ensure EVs contribute to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). Earlier this year, Cramer wrote an op-ed in the Washington Times calling for EVs to pay their fair share alongside other road users, stating “Every vehicle in America, from pickup trucks to EVs to hybrid sedans,” should contribute to the HTF.

During the hearing Cramer explained, “It seems unreasonable to think that electric vehicles and others should use the roads without paying into the trust fund. And I don't know what the right formula is exactly, but I would be interested to know if you have an opinion or a suggestion on how we fund the Highway Trust Fund and make sure that everybody that's using the roads are paying for them.”

McMaster emphasized Secretary Duffy’s view, “His belief is that everyone who uses our roads should support the maintenance and operations and enhancement of the roads that they're using. I know this is an area of focus for you, for the Congress, for the House as well. You mentioned the trust fund has some solvency challenges. The secretary believes strongly, and I agree that […] the people who are using our roads should participate in supporting the maintenance upkeep and operations of those roads.”


EPA Awards $28.7 Million to NDDEQ For Drinking Water Systems

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded two grants totaling $28,730,000 to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ) through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).

These DWSRF grants will support the planning, design, and construction of drinking water improvement projects across North Dakota.


Curtis Calls for Infrastructure Funding Formula Reforms to Support Utah’s Rapid Growth

Near the end of the exchange, the Senator highlighted his bipartisan Build Housing, Unlock Benefits and Services (HUBS) Act, which he co-sponsored with Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), which makes several changes aimed at improving the usability of important infrastructure loan programs. The Senator ended his questioning by inviting Administrator McMaster to visit Utah to see the state’s projects firsthand.

The full transcript of the exchange is below, and video can be found here.

Senator Curtis: Thank you, Administrator, for being here. As you and I had a minute to talk before the meeting, we discussed the dynamic growth in Utah. And what I’d like to touch on just quickly, is the formula for funding that’s based upon static historical information and really doesn’t take into account a state like Utah’s rapid growth.

And as you can imagine, that’s very problematic for Utah with the growth that we’re experiencing. So, I guess my question is as Congress considers the next surface transportation reauthorization, how should we think about incorporating projected population growth and travel demand in the formula?

The Honorable Sean McMaster: Yeah, I know the formula is kind of a touchy topic. It hasn’t been adjusted dramatically for a little bit of time. We’d be happy to work closely with you. My understanding is, you know, population, you can kind of back into that a little bit in certain capacities, but I don’t think it directly associates itself with population growth. So, happy to work with you.

Curtis: I would love to work with you. You being familiar with our situation, you can see how frustrating that is to have that rapid growth not taken into consideration as we’re getting funding.

Some of my colleagues have talked about this permitting and state flexibility. As you know, Utah’s participated in the Federal Highway Administration’s NEPA Assignment Program and has demonstrated that states can successfully navigate this in a responsible way and do a good job.

So, my question is, what other flexibilities could Congress authorize, considering the federal permitting process, to help states build roads and bridges more efficiently?

McMaster: I appreciate your focus on permitting and permitting reform. As an administration, we share your interest in this. As we talk to industry and you talk to folks and state partners, stakeholders all across, everybody raises this as a point of interest and a point of necessity. We do require a lot of work on the permitting side in order to build projects.

And I’m sure there are ways that we can reform this. I think we would be happy as an administration to talk further with you and the Committee about ideas that we have put together or that we had considered during the reauthorization process.

Curtis: Would love to do that. I will just tell you, I’d be curious in all ways that we can change it. And just to give you an example, when I was mayor of Provo, Utah, as the third largest city, we had a rule of thumb that if we used $1 of federal money, it increased the cost of our project by 30%. So, we could do all of the same work, all the environmental standards we could meet, but increase the project by 30%.

And imagine a 30% increase in funds, just by simply changing a few policies, how many more roads that we could build. So, beyond just the NEPA and things like that, I would love to explore with you block grants, come to mind. Block grants come from the federal government, and those regulations don’t apply, states then get that 30% extra margin. That’s a big deal.

McMaster: I’ll be happy to work with you on that. And also, I want to give a shout out to your DOT. They are fantastic on environmental work. They are at the head of the pack.

Curtis: And that’s just a really good example that states can do it responsibly and where they can. And they demonstrated they can. The more we can head off, the better.

I’d like to talk just a little bit about transit-oriented development. Congress faces growing fiscal constraints. We should be looking for ways to stretch transportation dollars further and attract additional private and local investment, rather than relying solely on new federal spending.

The TIFIA program has historically been one of the federal government’s most effective tools for leveraging nonfederal capital for major investments.

I’m pleased to sponsor, with Senator Blunt Rochester, the Build Hubs Act, which is intended to help communities maximize the benefits of transportation investments through existing financial tools.

As you know, Utah has this unique situation where 80% of our population lives within about an 80-mile segment there, and the transit-oriented hubs are very effective. So, as we consider the next surface transportation reauthorization, can you discuss the role these programs play in helping communities maximize the long-term value of transportation investment and leveraging private parties?

McMaster: Well, the TIFIA program is run out of the Build America Bureau, which is run out of the Secretary’s office. But what I would say is it’s a fantastic tool for states and localities to leverage to build important infrastructure projects.

There’s not enough federal dollars to go around and loan programs at the Bureau, TIFIA in particular, are fantastically important and well utilized, and they have a long backlog.

And that just speaks to the value of those programs of the Bureau. So, I’m happy to take back the specific comments here, share them with the Bureau, and then follow up with you directly. However, we can be helpful.

Curtis: Good. I couldn’t end without an invitation to come see us in Utah and explore some of these projects together.

McMaster: I’d like that very much, I appreciate that.


Curtis Highlights Need for Protection of Olympic Sports, College Athletics Reform

Questioning University of Utah football player Lance Holtzclaw, Senator Curtis highlighted the challenges student-athletes face navigating a patchwork of state laws and institutional policies. Holtzclaw emphasized that a national framework would bring “standardization and regulation” while eliminating confusion and uncertainty for athletes.

Senator Curtis also focused attention on the critical role college sports play in developing future Olympians, particularly as Utah prepares to host the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. Speaking with Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua, Curtis noted that many future Team USA athletes are currently training and competing through collegiate programs. Bevacqua agreed that federal legislation should include meaningful protections for Olympic sports, warning that without sustained university investment, the United States’ Olympic pipeline could suffer.

The Senator concluded by discussing the broader purpose of college athletics with legendary coach Nick Saban. Referencing BYU Head Coach Kalani Sitake’s observation that the best part of coaching is developing leaders, Curtis stressed that college sports should remain focused on preparing young people for success beyond competition.

The full transcript of the exchange is below, and video can be found here.

Senator Curtis: Mr. Holtzclaw, my colleague alluded to the fact that you have played for a lot of different teams, and this wouldn’t be a good sports hearing without a little banter, so, I’m kind of curious: what is your favorite team? And just in case you need any help… *displays University of Utah cap*

Lance Holtzclaw: I wouldn’t call any team my favorite, but I do represent the team I currently play for, which is the University of Utah.

Curtis: You should be in politics.

Chairman Ted Cruz: Okay, that’s damn diplomatic. Senator Curtis, you better be worried that he may file for election.

Curtis: Oh, he looks far more comfortable in a uniform than he does in that suit, I’ll tell you that. So let me start with you and kind of follow up on this question. Through these different frameworks, you’ve seen different state laws, institutional rules, and constant legal authority changes. From your perspective as a student-athlete, what would be the benefit of having one clear national framework for name and likeness, transfers, eligibility, and athlete protections, rather than asking athletes to figure out a different system depending on where they play?

Holtzclaw: I think what it does is it creates standardization and regulation, and it keeps everybody on the same page regarding what we can and cannot do. It makes things a little easier in some respects. The way I would look at it is that it eliminates a lot of the gray area. That’s a big part of what we should do when we’re dealing with people who don’t always have the knowledge of what they can and cannot do and who may not know the legal frameworks at all times.

Curtis: Mr. Bevacqua, Utah will host the 2034 Olympic Games. I’m sure you’re aware of that. Many of the athletes who will represent Team USA in those games are being developed right now through college sports in Utah. That pipeline includes skiers, runners, and a host of other athletes who rely on college programs to help them achieve their dreams. As an athletic director responsible for making real budget decisions, what signals from Congress would incentivize schools to not only to preserve non-revenue sports but to expand opportunities for these athletes?

Mr. Pete Bevacqua: Well, thank you for that question. I am a tremendous fan of the Olympic movement. It goes back to my days at NBC Sports, which has been the home of the Olympics for so long. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend many Olympic Games. Some of our proudest moments on campus are when our student-athletes represent our country in the Olympics. That’s a moment of pride for Notre Dame, and obviously a moment of pride for their friends and families. I think there does need to be real teeth in the bill to protect Olympic sports and the Olympic movement because, without universities maintaining and investing in their Olympic sports, the U.S. Olympic movement will take a major step backward.

Quite frankly, I think you need to hold our feet to the fire. If universities are going to invest so heavily in sports like football and men’s and women’s basketball, there needs to be a quid pro quo. Where we are also going to demand you don’t take your foot off the gas, you continue to keep those Olympic programs. The overwhelming majority of young men and women student-athletes in this country participate in Olympic sports.

Curtis: Do you think this bill does that and sends those signals?

Bevacqua: I think it sends those signals. As Senator Cruz and Senator Cantwell said, the bill is a work in progress. I think it could do a stronger, more straightforward, and clearer job of protecting Olympic sports, depending on where the remainder of the bill goes.

Curtis: Coach Saban, I was moved by something you said in your written testimony. You talked about young people coming into a program needing structure, discipline, coaching, academic support, and accountability, and leaving with a degree, a career, a family, and a better chance to be successful in life. It reminds me of a comment by BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake, said that the best part of the job is helping develop great leaders. That is exactly what college athletics should be about. Those life-changing experiences are not limited to football. They also occur in sports that generate no revenue and have few fans, yet still transform the lives of young people. So, my question is this: As Congress looks at the future framework of college athletics, what do we need to get right to ensure we not only protect but also help grow non-revenue sports?

Nick Saban: Well, I think a lot of the things we’ve discussed here today are certainly imperative. If we’re going in the direction we are going—making huge investments in football and basketball and paying players increasingly larger amounts—we should stop calling them student-athletes and start calling them students that are athletes. We’re going to end up with professional sports teams sponsored by colleges and universities. That’s what’s going to happen because we’re going to be paying players so much.

I really think the only way to remedy this is to recognize that we have competitive conferences, competitive teams, and competitors all trying to create advantages for themselves in every way that we can. Yet in college athletics, we don’t have a legislative branch that sets the rules. In the NFL, the commissioner can say, “This is what you’re allowed to do. This is the salary cap. This is how we draft players. This is how we create parity. This is how we generate revenue so that we can maintain a level of competition across all sports, including Olympic sports and women’s sports.” We don’t have that in college athletics. People talk about conferences being dismantled and all of that. That would never happen if there were a head of all of this.

Right now, as they say back in West Virginia, it’s not about the money—it’s about how much. Everything that happens is about how much money can we create? The real question is whether we’re deploying that money in the right places to maintain student-athletes’ well-being.


Daines and Bessent in Senate Finance Committee: Working Families Tax Cuts Bringing Economic Growth, Jobs for American Workers and Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a Senate Finance Committee hearing where he discussed benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts and his digital asset tax framework.

Watch the full exchange HERE.

Daines on the conservation easement settlement:

Daines: Secretary Bessent, it’s good to have you here this morning… I want to start by emphasizing how pleased I was when I saw the IRS’s settlement offer for taxpayers involved with conservation easement tax disputes. For years, I’ve been sounding the alarm here on Capitol Hill on the abusive syndicated conservation easements that falsely were claiming a charitable donation solely to turn a profit. I’m an avid outdoorsman, a guy from Montana, protecting our farmers and ranchers and championing conservation is one of my biggest priorities as I represent the state of Montana here the past 13 years. I know this is a shared priority for you in this administration, which is why I commend you for your help in implementing and enforcing this settlement. So thank you.

Daines on benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts:

Daines: I also want to thank you for your hard work because we worked together over much of the last year on the Working Family Tax Cuts Act that was passed and signed the law. We’re seeing some great results in Montana. In fact, Montanans have received an average nearly $3,600 tax cut on their tax returns this year. And about 105,000 Montana small businesses will benefit from permanent tax relief due to that twenty percent pass through deduction. And as we know, the pass-through side of the equation actually supports more jobs than the C-corp side. So we did something here that’s going to be helpful to create more jobs, and importantly, job growth and income growth here for so many American people.

Bessent: And, Senator, I have very clear recollection of you in the Cabinet Room expressing to myself, White House staff, the president, the need for permanence. So I think that that will be one of your great lasting achievements once you retire.

Daines: Secretary Bessent, thank you. And I know we both knew that permanence was an important part of the equation to remove the uncertainty that’s oftentimes found in the tax code with expiring tax provisions. And there’s enough uncertainty on Capitol Hill, sadly, that happens because of whether it’s overreaching regulations or uncertain tax policy. But to take that off the table, I think, was one of the great achievements that we faced. But thank you for your kind words. And I do think that we’re going to see the benefits of this bill for many years to come. On Capitol Hill, anytime we pass something that’s 800 pages plus in length, usually the more you dig into something, the worse it gets. Oftentimes with big pork barrel spending bills, in this case, the more you dig into that working family tax cut bill, the better it gets.

Bessent: Sir, the statistics are unbelievable. We saw at the IRS that 61 million filers filed for at least one of the signature policies, and we are seeing an industrial renaissance because of the immediate expensing for equipment, factories, and farm structures.

Daines: It’s music to our ears. It’s what we predicted would happen. You put that kind of incentive structure in place. And I also believe to think about our China strategy, having that 100 percent expensing and the R&D investment to incentivize innovation will be another lasting legacy from what we accomplished together over the course of last year. I’d like just to ask you an open-ended question around how passing that largest tax cut, or said another way, preventing the largest tax increase in American history, why by making it permanent, is that making the American taxpayer better off?

Bessent: Sir, I believe that the, as you said, giving great certainty, whether it’s to households, small business, or large business, that provides for them to create capital stock, capital spending and increased productivity, and increased productivity is what leads to higher standards of living across the country.

Daines on implementing digital taxation framework:

Daines: Last question I have is on digital assets. Digital assets have moved from the margins now more to the mainstream. It’s been clear that our tax code hasn’t kept up. We bear that responsibility now to put a tax structure in place. I’m taking the lead here in the Finance Committee. As many in this committee know, that’s why we’ve been developing a framework that could give us clearer rules for digital asset taxation. Following the passage of the GENIUS Act, digital assets are becoming more integrated in our financial system. And I believe they’re going to play a growing role in our economy with the potential to keep driving investment in the United States. The numbers speak for themselves. The total crypto market cap reached $4 trillion for the first time in history. Stablecoin transaction volume was $33 trillion, a seventy-two percent increase from 2024. The number of crypto mobile wallet users reached an all-time high, up twenty percent from last year. I do believe it’s important that we provide some clarity as well as the tax dollars, and that’s our responsibility here that I’m working on at the moment. Secretary Bessent, as the administration continues its work in digital assets, will you commit to working with Congress on implementing digital asset taxation legislation and I anticipate that will very much be a two-way street?

Bessent: I will commit to that. And tax certainty, as we’ve seen with every other industry, is the key to innovation.

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Daines Sends Letter to DOL Urging Support for American Workers and Retirees

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Sonderling expressing support for DOL’s proposed rule to implement President Trump’s Executive Order that unlocks access to investments in alternative assets for Main Street America and retirees with a 401(k) defined-contribution plan.

Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Curtis (R-Utah), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Dave McCormick (R-Penn.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined Daines in sending the letter.

“For decades, defined-benefit pension plans and other sophisticated investors have allocated to alternative assets to enhance risk adjusted returns, improve diversification, and strengthen long term portfolio resilience. However, nearly 90 million Americans saving for retirement through defined contribution plans, such as 401(k)s, have largely been excluded from these opportunities. The proposed rule would help close this gap by providing fiduciaries with clearer guidance on the prudent selection of diversified investment options…

…The proposed rule would also address the significant litigation risk that has discouraged fiduciaries from offering professionally managed investment options that include alternative assets. For years, plan fiduciaries have faced costly litigation challenging prudent investment decisions, creating a strong disincentive to offer innovative or diversified products even where doing so could benefit plan participants. The rule’s safe harbor would help reduce this risk while preserving important protections for workers and ensuring that plan sponsors remain focused on acting in the best interests of beneficiaries,” they wrote in the letter.

Read the full letter HERE.

Background:

Daines has been a strong supporter of expanding access to alternative assets- read his letter to President Trump urging this action HERE and his statement praising the President’s Executive Order HERE.

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As The Trump Administration Continues To Threaten DACA & Senate Republicans Push For Additional ICE, CBP Funding, Durbin Denounces The President’s Cruel Mass Deportation Campaign

Durbin shared the story of Juan Chavez Velasco, a Dreamer and COVID-19 frontline worker, who was detained by ICE and swept up in the President’s anti-immigrant campaign

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), author of the Dream Act, today denounced the Trump Administration’s continued threats to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and Senate Republicans’ reconciliation bill which would give the Trump Administration $70 billion additional dollars for the President’s mass deportation operation.

“I’ve seen it firsthand [President Trump’s mass deportation campaign] in the city of Chicago… many other places in my state, where the ICE agents have arrived. America saw it firsthand in Minneapolis, when the ICE agents on the streets murdered two innocent people who were merely protesting as they have a right to do under our Constitution. Where are we today? We’re considering an appropriations bill… which will appropriate more money for immigration enforcement than ever in our history,” Durbin said.

“They want more money to go after illegal immigrants. So, the question obviously is how are they doing, with the billions of dollars being spent on ICE and Border Patrol? It turns out that six out of the seven people who have been arrested by this immigration force had no [serious] criminal record whatsoever. Listen to the story of one of these people and come to understand what I’m talking about,” Durbin continued.

During his remarks, Durbin shared the story of Juan Chavez Velasco. Juan is a medical laboratory scientist and has lived in the United States for more than 25 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Juan was a frontline worker at a hospital, and he never missed a day of work. Juan’s parents brought him to the United States when he was eight years old, and for more than a decade his ability to live and work in the United States has been protected by only one thing: his status as a DACA holder.

“With DACA, Juan had been a contributing member of our country for years and then President Trump was elected to a second term. Everything changed. In February, as Juan was driving to deliver milk to his infant daughter in the NICU, and he was stopped by ICE agents… His wife, Stephanie, was on the phone with him as ICE agents questioned his immigration status and they decided to detain him. He told them, ‘I’m a DACA holder.’ They ignored him. He was retained in ICE detention for three months. When his son Damien visited him in detention, he sobbed at the sight of his father behind a glass barrier. He could not understand why the government would take his dad away from him. Juan was finally released last month after his wife Stephanie bravely testified at a spotlight [forum] that I convened but he is not yet free. Juan still lives in fear that at any day ICE agents could return and take him away from his family and deport him to Colombia,” Durbin continued. “Juan’s story is heartbreaking, but it is only one of many stories from Dreamers who have been targeted by the Trump Administration.”

Upon returning to office, the President has used every tool at his disposal to thwart the protections of DACA. Last year, ICE arrested at least 261 DACA recipients and deported 86 of them. Even those who have not been detained have faced unprecedented delays in renewing their DACA status. Without renewal, these young people will lose their ability to work legally in the United States and will no longer be protected from deportation.

Last month, the Trump Administration announced it would also force legal immigrants to leave America to apply for a green card, except in rare circumstances. With bans in effect preventing consular processing for green card applicants from 75 countries, there is no assurance that they can ever return to the United States.

“After outcry across the country, DHS claimed to roll back their decision, saying that applicants who ‘benefit the national interest’ would not be affected. But it remains to be seen how this Administration will define national interest. Will spouses of U.S. citizens qualify? Will immigrants sponsored for a green card for their work as doctors and nurses be allowed to say in this country? We honestly don’t know,” Durbin said.

Durbin continued, “The terror and fear that this Administration seeks to inspire in legal immigrants does not make our nation great—it undermines the promise we made to these [green card applicants] … These are individuals who have lived in America for years, married and had their own U.S. citizen children, and are contributing to our communities. Why would we want them to leave?”

Durbin concluded, “As the Senate prepares to consider the upcoming Republican budget bill, which would put another $70 billion additional dollars into the President’s mass deportation operation, I urge my Republican colleagues to stand up and look at this honestly.”

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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Durbin Questions Secretary Rubio About $400 Million In Stalled U.S. Assistance For Ukraine And Continuation Of Clean Water Programs For The World’s Poor

“The $400 million that we appropriated to help the Ukrainian people fight this war has bounced back and forth… Are we going to send it to the Ukrainians?” Durbin asked during today’s Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a committee hearing examining the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request for the U.S. Department of State. During the hearing, Durbin pressed Secretary Rubio about U.S. assistance for Ukraine as it continues to fight off Russian aggression, four years after Vladimir Putin reinvaded the country.

Durbin began by questioning Secretary Rubio about the stalled disbursement of the $400 million in security assistance for Ukraine that was appropriated by Congress in the FY26 defense appropriations bill. Last month, Durbin wrote to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about the $400 million in stalled security assistance, as well as $200 million for the Baltic States, urging the funds be immediately obligated and disbursed.

“Here we are four and a half years later, the Ukrainians are still valiantly, successfully in many respects, fighting [Russia] day in and day out. I never had any doubt in my mind whose side I was on, in terms of the war in Ukraine,” Durbin began.

“The $400 million that we appropriated to help the Ukrainian people fight this war has bounced back and forth. Has it finally been resolved? Are we going to send it to the Ukrainians?” Durbin asked.

Secretary Rubio said that the funding is going through interagency processes but that he expects news shortly on the funding’s release.

Durbin replied, “That is what Secretary Hegseth said two or three weeks ago, and nothing has happened. Here they are fighting for their lives. They’re facing ballistic missiles. They don’t have the defense that they need. They’re valiantly doing everything they can to save their people, and we’re going through bureaucratic malaise…Will it be timely help? Will it be help that we can send them quickly that they need?”

Secretary Rubio said he hopes the issue is resolved quickly.

Durbin also pressed Secretary Rubio about the Trump Administration’s seemingly congenial relationship with Vladimir Putin, asking why the President is sending a U.S. delegation this week to the St. Petersburg Economic Forum in Russia.

“Twelve hours ago or so, when the Russians were attacking Ukraine and killing civilians, the Ukrainians were attacking the Russians in St. Petersburg. They destroyed some of their infrastructure and oil producing facilities. It is especially interesting to Putin because it is a week of the ‘Russian Davos’ [the St. Petersburg Economic Forum]…I’m asking why the United States would send an official delegation to Vladimir Putin’s ‘Russian Davos’ to talk about economic development in Russia?” Durbin asked.

Secretary Rubio said he was not familiar with which U.S. officials are attending. Secretary Rubio then expressed his hope for an end to the war before the attacks are escalated even further.

Durbin concluded his time by ensuring that Secretary Rubio would stand by his efforts to bring clean drinking water and sanitation systems to needy communities across the globe. In 2005, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act, which made access to clean water and sanitation a key U.S. development goal. In 2014, Durbin led follow-up legislation, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014, to build on the original bill’s goals for clean water and sanitation.

“You joined me when you were a member of the Senate in [supporting] the Paul Simon Water for the World Act to bring clean drinking water and sanitation to some of the poorest people on Earth. We’ve reached 76 million people with water, 58 million with sanitation. That program is still on the books. Are we going to fund it?” Durbin asked.

Secretary Rubio affirmed his commitment to ensuring the program continues to be well-funded and implemented.

Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

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Durbin Slams Senate Republicans For Holding A Subcommittee Hearing Supporting Trump Administration Threats To Denaturalize Americans

Durbin on the Trump Administration anti-immigration campaign that deserves the Subcommittee’s attention: “The targeting of DACA holders, new barriers to a green card, and an end to the refugee program—are devastating to immigrants and American communities.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing entitled “Protecting American Citizenship III: Denaturalization and Its Constitutional Limits.” Durbin slammed Senate Republicans for holding a subcommittee hearing supporting the Trump Administration’s threats of denaturalization—an attempt to intimidate naturalized Americans who challenge the President’s policies.

Key Quotes:

“In my office in the Capitol… is a graying document that is a naturalization certificate—my mother’s. She came to the United States at the age of two—brought here as an immigrant of Lithuania. After she was married and had two children, she decided to become a citizen of the United States. I have her naturalization certificate that she handed to me before she passed. I am proud of that—I am proud of the fact that it also declares I am the son of an immigrant. She is no longer with us and therefore cannot be threatened by anything we say today at this hearing, but the thought of taking something so precious away from her because of her political views does not sound like the America she was trying to be part of.”

“In a Thanksgiving Truth Social post, the President said [he would] ‘denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.’ This spring, MAGA Congressman Chip Roy introduced the ‘MAMDANI Act of 2026’ which aims to denaturalize individuals who advocate for socialism... Sound familiar? It should—these efforts harken back to the McCarthy [era], when denaturalization was used as a tool to silence political dissidents.”

“Among those dissidents was Harry Bridges, a renowned Australian-born labor leader accused of being a communist. During the McCarthy era, he faced a relentless campaign to revoke his citizenship. But the Supreme Court ruled in his favor—not once, but twice… Relying on the Fourteenth Amendment, the Supreme Court found that Congress does not have the power to take away an American’s citizenship—unless the citizenship was unlawfully procured.”

“Even under the first Trump Administration, only an estimated 160 people were denaturalized. So why hold a hearing to discuss this rare process? The title of this hearing says it all— ‘Protecting American Citizenship.’ Should American citizenship be, as the President and his faithful have suggested, about fealty to one man and his ideology? Or should it be about an individual’s fealty to this country and our Constitution?”

“I happen to believe the latter. Just look at DACA recipients and Dreamers. They grew up pledging allegiance to the flag and serve our country each day as doctors, teachers, and firefighters. They are American in every way but their paperwork, and they deserve a path to citizenship.”

“But this Administration is doing everything possible to stop hardworking immigrants—even those who follow every rule—from securing citizenship. Last week, the Administration issued a new policy to force most applicants to go abroad to get a green card.”

“After outcry from around the country, DHS claimed to roll back this policy, saying that applicants who ‘benefit the national interest and provide economic benefits’ would not be affected. The Administration has not clarified what this means. But we can take an educated guess. Just look at the refugee program. The President has barred all refugees from coming to the United States, excepting those whose admission it deems in the national interest. The only refugees the Trump Administration has decided [are] qualified so far? White Afrikaners.”

“These policy changes—the targeting of DACA holders, new barriers to a green card, and an end to the refugee program—are devastating to immigrants and American communities. They deserve our attention.”

Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

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Durbin Statement On Successfully Blocking Trump Ballroom, All Justice Department Funding From Reconciliation Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after Senate Republicans stripped language from the reconciliation bill funding Donald Trump’s ballroom and the Department of Justice:

“Thanks to the outrage of the American people and hard-fought challenges by Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans finally gave up on funding Trump’s billionaire ballroom for now.

“But can we really be sure this is the last dance for Trump’s billionaire ballroom? Republicans in Congress are running from this boondoggle and the disgraced slush fund for cop beaters.

“Trust me. There will be more MAGA madness but no help for struggling American families.”

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Durbin Touts Rock Island Arsenal’s High-Quality Manufacturing In Meeting With Army Secretary Driscoll

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll as the Senate Appropriations Committee reviews the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request. Durbin and Secretary Driscoll’s conversation centered on the importance of supporting jobs at Rock Island Arsenal and ensuring that the Arsenal is valued as a critical producer of military equipment. Last month during an Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing, Durbin secured a commitment from Secretary Driscoll that he would protect Rock Island Arsenal from further significant job cuts after several civilian employees at the Arsenal were impacted by the Army’s recent “rebalancing” effort.

“Today, I reiterated to Army Secretary Driscoll that our nation’s military readiness is better for the work done by the men and women at Rock Island Arsenal. I am grateful to Army Secretary Driscoll for working with me to protect the workforce at Rock Island Arsenal and develop opportunities that will sustain economic growth in the Quad Cities,” Durbin said.

Photos of the meeting are available here.

Durbin has long been a supporter of the Rock Island Arsenal and the groundbreaking manufacturing performed there. In the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Durbin secured significant support for the Arsenal including provisions to:

Authorize a new pilot program modeled after Durbin’s Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act to give contracting preference to public-private partnerships between industry and Army arsenals such as at Rock Island. This provision will help ensure Rock Island Arsenal remains active and viable while preserving the skilled workforce, equipment, and production capacity critical to the nation’s defense industrial base;

Restrict the Army from using any funds allocated for restructuring until the Army provides more information about its proposed plan to integrate Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command, helping to ensure operations and protect jobs at Rock Island Arsenal from unnecessary cuts; and

Authorize the Army to expand robotic munitions manufacturing capabilities at government-owned, contractor-operated facilities, which will help boost workload for facilities such as the Quad City Cartridge Case Facility.

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In Senate Floor Speech, Durbin Calls For Opposition To FISA Section 702 Reauthorization Without Serious Reforms

Durbin: “Any member of Congress who wants to ensure there are check on this out-of-control Administration should not vote to reauthorize this authority without meaningful guardrails.”

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on his Senate colleagues to support serious reforms to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is set to expire on June 12 after Congress passed an extension for the legislation in April. Section 702 grew out of a secret warrantless surveillance program conducted by the Bush Administration after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. When this illegal spying program was exposed, Congress enacted Section 702 as a temporary measure.

Durbin began his remarks by laying out how the federal government uses this authority for warrantless spying on Americans.

“Under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the government collects communications of foreigners overseas without a warrant from any court. But, in the process, the government, unfortunately, collects millions of communications of innocent Americans—people they are not authorized to surveil. Once collected, the government searches these communications without a warrant from any court…Every American needs to understand that this law allows the government to listen to your phone calls and read your private messages that have been collected under Section 702. The government does all of that without any court approval,” Durbin began. “This is a fundamental flaw that I have worked to change for a long time.”

Durbin stressed that the Fourth Amendment protects Americans from warrantless searches, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Security Agency (NSA) have been bypassing this constitutional right for years. The FBI alone conducted more than 7,000 warrantless searches on Americans last year.

“These abuses, according to the FISA Court, have been ‘persistent and widespread.’ The government itself has reported hundreds of thousands of unlawful searches using this authority... As further detailed in the Brennan Center’s report, the government has used Section 702 to spy unlawfully on many people. Who have they spied on? Members of Congress, congressional staff, judges, journalists, protesters, political donors, even women on dating apps,” Durbin said.

“Past attempts at reform have not solved the problem…As the Brennan Center explained, ‘the current system of Section 702 oversight relies almost entirely on the executive branch self-policing to prevent, detect, and report abuses.’ In other words, the fox is watching the chicken coop. That’s a flawed system under any Administration. Under this Administration, it is especially alarming,” Durbin continued.

Durbin then raised alarms about how the Trump Administration could further weaponize Section 702 against innocent Americans and political enemies.

“The question before Congress is whether we will grant broad warrantless surveillance authority to President Trump and MAGA loyalists like FBI Director Kash Patel and the new acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte for the rest of this Administration…The current Administration has repeatedly targeted political opponents…attacked independent institutions like the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board…and fired career law-enforcement officials and public servants at the FBI and Department of Justice. They cleaned shop. These people would have been responsible for ensuring that a program like Section 702 be lawful and nonpartisan,” Durbin said.

“In the hands of a government that has treated the Constitution as an afterthought, Congress should not place blind trust in the hands of an Administration which can clearly use the surveillance power for political purposes,” Durbin said.

“What happens when the Administration uses Section 702 to spy on Americans, perhaps those who protested the murder of two innocent people in Minneapolis during the ICE raids? They used to spy on Black Lives Matter protestors. Is it hard to imagine they would extend that to those who question the masked ICE agents’ activity? What happens if journalists have their texts or phone calls snooped on because they dare to report the controversial news about this Administration’s misconduct? Any member of Congress who wants to ensure there are checks on this out-of-control Administration should not vote to reauthorize authority of Section 702 without meaningful guardrails,” Durbin continued.

Durbin then spoke about his bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), the Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act, which would reauthorize Section 702 with pragmatic safeguards to protect the privacy and civil liberties with Americans. Durbin and Lee penned a New York Times op-ed on the SAFE Act, noting that the legislation would ensure Americans retain their rights guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment.

“Congress does not need to choose between protecting national security and preserving Americans’ constitutional rights. We can do both… Our bill [the SAFE Act] would require the government to obtain a judicial warrant before accessing the contents of Americans’ texts, emails, phone calls, and other private communications with exceptions for emergencies and other special circumstances. That’s exactly what we believe the Constitution requires of us because the Founders rightly understood that no Administration should be given a blank check to invade a citizen’s privacy without the oversight of an independent judge,” Durbin said.

Durbin concluded his remarks by calling on his colleagues to finally enact the Section 702 reforms that would protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties.

“The time to finally protect Americans from warrantless surveilling under Section 702 is now. Not later. Not next time. Now—with this Congress. We’ve heard these false promises too many times before, and with power in the hands of this President, we just can’t afford to wait any longer,” Durbin said.

“I oppose the reauthorization of warrantless surveillance powers under FISA Section 702 without guardrails to better protect the privacy of Americans. I urge all of my colleagues to do the same,” Durbin concluded his speech.

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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Ernst Helping Workers Climb Higher

WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) highlighted the harmful effects of federal benefits cliffs on Iowa workers, families, and small businesses. She pointed to the Upward Mobility Act, which she cosponsors, as a solution.

The legislation would initiate a pilot program for five states to consolidate multiple federal anti-poverty programs into a single funding stream and help families achieve financial independence, eliminating benefits cliffs that discourage work and advancement.

Watch Chair Ernst’s remarks here.

Ernst’s full remarks:

“Over the past 50 years, the national poverty rate has barely moved — and Iowa is no exception.

“For far too many small businesses and their employees, federal bureaucracy stands in the way of economic opportunity.

“Today I am excited to convene this Committee to discuss the important issue of federal benefits cliffs and their impact on America’s job creators.

“These cliffs occur when a small increase in income leads to a significant decrease in federal welfare benefits.

“Benefits cliffs create a paradox where the federal government, in effect, penalizes workers and leaves them worse off for pursuing higher income.

“It’s clear that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

“The reality is, despite over 80 federal programs and a trillion taxpayer dollars spent annually, the federal government often fails to address the barriers to self-sufficiency faced by those living in poverty.

“To make matters worse, the complex interactions of dozens of different programs create unintended cliffs and inhibit upward mobility.

“As a result, for many Iowans and Americans across the country struggling to make ends meet, taking one step forward often means taking two steps back.

“With misguided incentives, workers are encouraged to put off promotions, turn down full time work, and decline overtime opportunities to maintain eligibility for federal welfare programs.

“Benefits cliffs also create significant workforce challenges for small businesses seeking to grow their operations.

“Small business employers hoping to reward top talent are instead faced with the reality that due to misguided federal policies, rewarding hard workers may actually harm their employees financially.

“A recent Ohio Chamber of Commerce survey found that one in five businesses experienced personnel issues due to workers’ concerns about losing public assistance.

“I want to give you one brief example of the cliff effect: Years ago, while serving in the Iowa State Senate, I visited an assisted living center in my district at the time in Lenox, Iowa.

“I had the opportunity to visit with a young woman and single mom, likely in her twenties, who was employed by the assisted living home.

“She began working at the facility as a certified nursing assistant and quickly excelled.

“She was a hard worker and it was clear the residents all adored her, which led to a point where the assisted living home offered her a supervisory role with more responsibility.

“The promotion, the mother explained, would be a really tremendous opportunity.

“However, for those receiving government assistance and having an extra mouth to feed, as she did, the decision can be a bit trickier since a higher income level may put them over the threshold for certain government assistance.

“This young woman, she went home. She calculated what her pay increase would be, along with the government assistance that she would lose and what she figured out that would if she took the promotion, she would lose about $200 a month.

That $200 a month could have gone towards rent a car, a food or food for her family. And there are a lot of basic needs in Iowa at that time that could have been met with that $200.

“She was on a really tight income, and she was already working with challenging numbers.

“To her credit, and I really appreciate this young woman. To her credit, she chose to take the promotion knowing that she would lose that $200 a month.

“It wasn't an easy decision, but she knew if she did not take that promotion, she would never, ever get ahead of where she was at that time for her and her child.

“However, for many, that decision might be much more costly and too risky.

“Today, I am a proud co-sponsor of Senator Husted’s Upward Mobility Act.

“The Upward Mobility Act recognizes what most Americans understand: the best solutions often don’t come from Washington.

“The legislation creates a pilot authority for five states to combine funding from ten federal anti-poverty programs, including SNAP and TANF, into one single flexible funding stream to eliminate benefits cliffs while remaining deficit neutral.

“This flexible funding stream will encourage states to create a smooth, gradual decrease in overall benefits as incomes increase, ensuring incentives remain for work and economic opportunity.

“Hard working folks shouldn’t be punished for doing what is right for themselves and their families.

“By empowering states, the Upward Mobility Act will reduce government imposed barriers to financial independence and streamline the administration of federal welfare programs while taking measures to protect against fraud.

“I know that small business owners across our nation are committed to bettering the lives and future career prospects of their employees.

“The values of hard work and self-sufficiency have defined who we are as a nation. By ending benefits cliffs through common sense solutions, we can ensure that workers across America are rewarded with increased opportunity on the merits of their labor.”

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Ernst Helping Workers Climb Higher


Fetterman Urges FinCEN Rulemaking for Antiquities Industry

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) penned a letter to U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to propagate rulemaking requiring antiquities dealers to comply with anti-money-laundering laws.

“I am very concerned that looted antiquities are helping fund the Iranian terrorist regime, as well as criminal enterprises and other sanctioned actors. In 2020, Congress passed bipartisan legislation requiring FinCEN to issue proposed rules for antiquities dealers, but those rules were withdrawn and never finalized. Final rulemaking would provide regulatory clarity to antiquities dealers, and help law enforcement fight the use of looted antiquities to fund terrorism, sanctions evasion, and criminal cartels,” wrote Senator Fetterman.

Congress passed bipartisan legislation in 2020 authorizing Treasury and FinCEN to propose rules to combat money-laundering and terrorist-financing using antiquities. Treasury previously proposed rules, but never finalized and ultimately withdrew the proposal. Criminal cartels and terrorist groups such as ISIS have laundered funds using antiquities, which have wound up in the U.S. market. U.S. Customs and Border Control in Philadelphia, for example, recently intercepted looted Bronze Age artifacts originally from Iran.

“Finalizing rulemaking to require basic due-diligence in the antiquities industry will help law enforcement stop the pipeline of funding to American’s adversaries from looted antiquities. Many industries, including casinos, jewelers, and pawn shops, already do basic due-diligence on their customers to stop money laundering and terrorist financing,” continued the senator. “I urge FinCEN to quickly finalize this rule and provide the clarity that antiquities dealers need to engage in this kind of basic due-diligence.”

Read the full text of the letter below and here.

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I write to urge FinCEN to promulgate rulemaking requiring antiquities dealers to comply with anti-money-laundering laws. I am very concerned that looted antiquities are helping fund the Iranian terrorist regime, as well criminal enterprises and other sanctioned actors. In 2020, Congress passed bipartisan legislation requiring FinCEN to issue proposed rules for antiquities dealers, but those rules were withdrawn and never finalized. Final rulemaking would provide regulatory clarity to antiquities dealers, and help law enforcement fight the use of looted antiquities to fund terrorism, sanctions evasion, and criminal cartels.

On September 24, 2021, FinCEN issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) pursuant to Section 6110 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020. The law amended the Bank Secrecy Act to require compliance with anti-money-laundering and counter-terror-financing laws by antiquities dealers. FinCEN required public comments on the proposed rule by October 25, 2021, but the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was never published in the Federal Register and the ANPRM was subsequently withdrawn.

The use of looted antiquities for illicit finance and terror-funding is a serious national security concern. In February, CBP in Philadelphia intercepted Bronze Age swords and arrowheads originally from Iran. Experts in this field note that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and other elements in the Iranian terrorist regime may be actively looting Iran’s cultural heritage. Looted antiquities have been used to funnel money to terrorists, criminals, and America’s enemies. Documented cases of such illicit activities include:

Houthi terrorists and Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula have looted Yemeni artifacts to fund violence against the U.S, Israel, and international shipping lanes.

ISIS regularly sold stolen artifacts from Syria and Iraq.

Kremlin cronies have used antiquities to evade sanctions.

Convicted criminals Eugene Alexander and Michael Ward trafficked looted antiques worth over $31 million on American soil.

Cartels and drug-traffickers have used antiquities from Latin America, including pre-Colombian artifacts, to fund their criminal operations.

Finalizing rulemaking to require basic due-diligence in the antiquities industry will help law enforcement stop the pipeline of funding to American’s adversaries from looted antiquities. Many industries, including casinos, jewelers, and pawn shops, already do basic due-diligence on their customers to stop money laundering and terrorist financing. Last year I introduced the bipartisan Art Market Integrity Act to require anti-money-laundering compliance by art dealers, another area of serious concern for illicit finance. FinCEN already had the authority to promulgate rules for antiquities dealers and should move forward expeditiously. I urge FinCEN to quickly finalize this rule and provide the clarity that antiquities dealers need to engage in this kind of basic due-diligence.

I request that you provide a response to this letter by July 2nd, 2026.

Sincerely,


Fischer, Senate Colleagues in Wall Street Journal: E15 Is a Net Positive

In case you missed it: In theWall Street Journal, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) in setting the record straight on how year-round E15 will lower gas prices and boost our economy.

Read the full piecehere or below.

Regarding your editorial “An Ethanol Extortion Play” (May 11): When we talk with our constituents, we hear about high gas and diesel prices. We have a solution that will bring down fuel prices for Americans: E15 fuel, 15% ethanol, 85% gasoline. Legislation allowing year-round, nationwide sales of E15 has bipartisan support in the House and Senate. Opponents, the most vocal of which are a handful of oil refineries, are trying to stop it. Your editorial mirrors their misguided talking points.

Expanding E15 availability lowers gas prices by 20 to 40 cents per gallon on average. That could mean around $400 per year in savings for a U.S. household—precious dollars that could be spent on other needs.

E15 has been in the marketplace by presidential waiver for eight years. In that time, not one refinery has closed because of E15 availability. And, for all the talk of smog worries, data from Growth Energy shows E15 reduces smog-forming pollutants. Likewise, despite concerns voiced in some quarters, existing fuel infrastructure can be used for E15, just as it can for the E10 fuel Americans usually buy.

The market has spoken: E15 is a net positive. We know E15 will lower prices at the pump, and we’re committed to providing affordable options for families. Securing year-round, nationwide E15 is at the forefront of our agenda.


Gallego Announces Plan to Rebuild the Middle Class, Seeks Feedback on Framework

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) announced he’s working on a plan to rebuild the middle class. He is sharing his framework for the plan and inviting the public to share their ideas.

“I’m committed to building an economy that works for working people. That means bringing down costs. It also means addressing the other side of affordability: wage stagnation and unemployment,” said Senator Gallego. “I’ve got a lot of ideas – doubling unionization levels, exploring sectoral bargaining, creating a New Deal-style federal jobs program – but I also know there are many more good ideas out there. That’s why I’m asking for feedback, so that we can put together a plan that truly addresses the problems hardworking Americans are facing.”

In a memorandum announcing the framework, Senator Gallego lays out five pillars for rebuilding the middle class:

Raise Wages and Improve Benefits: Workers should get to share in the wealth they help create.

Create and Protect Quality Blue Collar Jobs: The federal government should double down on goal-oriented industrial policy and antitrust enforcement while discouraging offshoring, automation, and financial engineering.

Restore Worker Trust in Government: As AI and new technologies continue to develop, the government should have workers’ backs.

Expand Job-Creating Entrepreneurship, Focusing Outside of Superstar Cities: Good ideas don’t just happen in New York and LA, and new business and jobs shouldn’t be limited to those cities, either.

Help Workers Find Jobs Faster: Job seekers, especially first-time seekers, feel increasingly lost in the process. There needs to be clearer job application rules and more direct paths to work.

Read the full memorandum HERE.

The framework is just a starting point, and Senator Gallego is seeking feedback to incorporate into his final plan. Provide feedback HERE.


Gallego Fights Back Against Trump Administration’s Anti-Family Green Card Policy

Senator asks GAO for legal opinion, kicking off the process for Congress to repeal the Trump administration’s sweeping new policy forcing immigrants to leave the U.S. to apply for green cards

WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), kicking off the process to potentially repeal the Trump Administration’s new policy that quietly changed how immigrants can apply for green cards.

Read coverage from The Hill: Gallego kicks off effort to repeal Trump green card policy

Last week, the Trump administration announced that most immigrants already living in the United States will now have to leave the country and apply for green cards from abroad. For decades, many immigrants — including people married to U.S. citizens, workers, students, and refugees — have been able to complete the entire green card process without leaving their families, jobs, and communities. The new policy upends that.

In response to the new policy, Senator Gallego stated that he would do everything he could to stop it, and this letter is the first step.

In the letter, Senator Gallego asks the independent federal watchdog to weigh in on whether the Trump administration’s memo should classify as a rule subject to the Congressional Review Act. If GAO says it falls under the definition of a rule, then Congress would have an opportunity to repeal it.

“The new guidance would impact potentially hundreds of thousands of noncitizens and their families in the U.S. per year—representing a major change in policy and therefore satisfying the CRA’s definition of a rule,” writes Senator Gallego.


Gillibrand Blasts Republicans For Prioritizing Trump’s Vanity Projects And Political Pay-Offs Over The American People

During Budget Reconciliation Process, Gillibrand Will Vote To Kill President Trump’s Corrupt Slush Fund And Lower Costs For Working Families

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a virtual press conference to blast Republicans for prioritizing President Trump’s vanity projects and political pay-offs over lowering costs for the American people.

This week, Republicans are expected to force a vote on their budget bill. During the budget reconciliation process, Democrats will force votes to kill the president’s corrupt $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund.” They will also force votes on provisions to lower costs for Americans and protect the vital programs that New Yorkers rely on.

“New Yorkers are working harder, paying more, and falling behind in President Trump’s America. But instead of providing relief for working families, the president is focused on building a gilded ballroom, erecting monuments in his own honor, and using taxpayer dollars to pay off his allies,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This is corruption on full display and is hurting New Yorkers – it must stop. This week, I will join Senate Democrats to force votes on measures to kill the president’s slush fund, lower costs for working families, and preserve the programs that Americans rely on.”

The president’s “anti-weaponization fund” was announced by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of a deal to resolve President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. According to the DOJ, the fund is meant to provide a formal restitution process for people or entities who say they were unfairly targeted by the government for political, ideological or personal reasons. This is expected to include President Trump’s defense lawyers, his business associates, and potentially even the rioters who assaulted police officers on January 6, 2021.

During the budget reconciliation process this week, Senator Gillibrand will vote in favor of amendments to kill this fund. She will also join Senate Democrats in forcing votes on various mechanisms to lower costs for working families and preserve the programs that they rely on. These are critical measures like lowering healthcare costs, reversing SNAP cuts, and providing relief to American families struggling with high utility bills.

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Capitol Hill Report, 6-03-26

Audio from this afternoon’s call is available HERE.

Topics include: Iran, the Farm Bill, E15, improving child safety online and preserving Medicaid.


Grassley, Ernst, Fischer, Ricketts, Marshall Pen WSJ Letter to the Editor: The Market Has Spoken: E15 Is a Net Positive

WASHINGTON – In a Wall Street Journal Letter to the Editor, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) outlined the benefits of E15, including lower gas prices for consumers, and reaffirmed their commitment to providing affordable options for families by securing permanent, year-round, nationwide E15.

Text of their Letter to the Editor follows:

Regarding your editorial “An Ethanol Extortion Play” (May 11): When we talk with our constituents, we hear about high gas and diesel prices. We have a solution that will bring down fuel prices for Americans: E15 fuel, 15% ethanol, 85% gasoline. Legislation allowing year-round, nationwide sales of E15 has bipartisan support in the House and Senate. Opponents, the most vocal of which are a handful of oil refineries, are trying to stop it. Your editorial mirrors their misguided talking points.

Expanding E15 availability lowers gas prices by 20 to 40 cents per gallon on average. That could mean around $400 per year in savings for a U.S. household—precious dollars that could be spent on other needs.

E15 has been in the marketplace by presidential waiver for eight years. In that time, not one refinery has closed because of E15 availability. And, for all the talk of smog worries, data from Growth Energy shows E15 reduces smog-forming pollutants. Likewise, despite concerns voiced in some quarters, existing fuel infrastructure can be used for E15, just as it can for the E10 fuel Americans usually buy.

The market has spoken: E15 is a net positive. We know E15 will lower prices at the pump, and we’re committed to providing affordable options for families. Securing year-round, nationwide E15 is at the forefront of our agenda.

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), Deb Fischer (R., Neb.), Pete Ricketts (R., Neb.) and Roger Marshall (R., Kan.)

Washington


Grassley Questions Treasury Secretary on Benefits of Working Families Tax Cuts Act, Importance of Bringing Down Budget Deficits

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent about the benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act and the need to reduce deficits and the national debt.

“[The Working Families Tax Cuts Act] has been essential to the success that we have seen for the past four quarters ... On the household side, as I said, almost 50% of the tax returns we received had one of the president's four signature policies ... It is the certainty that allows both big and small businesses to be able to plan for the future, for hiring, for capital expenditures, and it is this capital stock and investment that generates high after-tax returns,” Bessent said.

In his remarks, Bessent emphasized the need to reduce spending and bring down the budget deficit to 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Grassley also praised the Treasury Department’s effort to crack down on tax cheats who abuse the conservation-easement deduction and encouraged Bessent to continue faithfully enforcing a recent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) settlement.

VIDEO

On the conservation-easement deduction:

I’m going to start first with a commendation to the department in regard to a program that Senator Wyden and I have been involved in. And, I think the department is doing the right thing, but I think you’re getting pressure to change.

So, I want to commend you and the IRS for protecting the integrity of the conservation easement deduction by holding those engaged in abusive syndicated conservation easements, hold them accountable.

These abusive transactions generally rely on highly inflated appraisals that result in taxpayer-investors saving two dollars in taxes for every one dollar spent. So, to be perfectly clear, these arrangements perverted a charitable deduction to turn a significant profit.

In 2020, the Finance Committee [released a] report that details Senator Wyden’s and my investigation of these arrangements clearly shows that both the promoters and the taxpayer-investors understood them to be tax shelters.

So, I encourage you and the IRS to stand by recent settlement offers – and ignore those who I think are lobbying you to water it down.

On the benefits of the Working Families Tax Cut law:

In 1981, at the time of growing deficits and elevated inflation, [Federal Reserve] Chairman Paul Volcker advised Congress to cut spending and to pursue pro-growth policies. He urged Congress to focus on reforms that would incentivize Americans, in his words, “to invest, to save and to work.”

The Working Families Tax Cut law adhered to the Volcker approach. It reduced spending by over $1 trillion while making provisions of the 2017 tax law focused on spurring domestic investment permanent, like full expensing for new factories and factory improvements.

How important has the Working Families Tax Law been in terms of promoting economic growth, job creation and wage growth?

On the need to cut the budget deficit and address the national debt:

You’ve been a proponent of targeting annual deficits of 3% of [Gross Domestic Product (GDP)], which roughly aligns with the post-World War II average. During the last two years of the Biden administration, we saw deficits of 6.2% and 6.3%. In 2025, President Trump’s first year in office, the deficit came in at 5.8% of GDP.

How does President Trump’s budget and deregulatory agenda ensure the annual deficit stays on a downward trend toward that 3% that you advocate?


Senate Judiciary Committee Releases Updated Text of the Secure America Act

WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee’s title of the Secure America Act is funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through Fiscal Year 2029 to ensure Democrats’ open border, defund-the-police agenda can no longer harm the American public. Click HERE for bill text.

“Democrats broke the appropriations process because they want to reopen the southern border, defund federal law enforcement and leave American communities vulnerable to violent criminals, potential terrorists, illicit drugs and deadly contraband. Republicans’ top priority is to provide for the public safety and security of American citizens,” Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said. “The Secure America Act will ensure Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding is no longer held hostage by Democrats’ radical leftist agenda. Democrats’ irresponsible and partisan government shutdown will result in a more robust DHS, with the funds to fulfill its mission through 2029.”

The Judiciary title:

Click HERE for a one-pager and HERE for a section-by-section of the bill.


ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Squawk Box on CNBC to Discuss Proxy Advisors and Acting DNI Nominee Bill Pulte

Washington—On Wednesday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Squawk Box on CNBC to discuss Proxy Advisors and Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Nominee Bill Pulte.

*Click the photo above or here to watch*

Partial Transcript

Hagerty on Proxy Advisors: “[Proxy advisory firms] are the companies that tell shareholders how to vote exactly on management’s proposals… What we find, though, is that the proxy advisors are actually owned overseas—Canada, Switzerland, but not American companies. They’re using, misusing and abusing their power to achieve political objectives. […] It’s a total shakedown. It’s corrupt. These are social investing activists that are getting involved in funding proxy advisory services to try to create an outcome that they could never achieve legislatively. […] I met with the Business Roundtable recently and went through what we’re dealing with in this situation. This is an opportunity for activists to come in through a side door and try to create influence. I think we need to take a very hard look at it and make certain that that power isn’t being abused. This is something that I will look into much more deeply.

Hagerty on Acting DNI Nominee Bill Pulte: “Bill is a very high-energy person. As we say in the South, he knows how to ‘get ‘er done.’ He gets things accomplished. He has earned the trust of the President of the United States, and I think that’s critically important—particularly in an environment where intelligence agencies have been weaponized. […] Before I came into the Senate, I was the United States Ambassador to Japan. We have an enormous military capability in Japan. In fact, the largest deployment of US military overseas—anywhere in the world—is in Japan. We also have a very large intelligence operation there. I’m a business person. I had a very large intel operation that I was responsible for… I would have all of the intelligence agencies that reported to me meet in a skiff and explain what they were working on that week, why I wanted them to be aligned. I didn’t want them spying on one another. I wanted them to work with each other and coordinate. That hadn’t happened before, and that’s because a business person has a different perspective. I think that’s the type of approach that would be welcome here in Washington.

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Heinrich Cosponsors Legislation to Combat the Maternal Mental Health Crisis

Mental health conditions — including substance use disorders — are the leading cause of preventable maternal death in the United States

WASHINIGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) cosponsored the bipartisan, bicameral Moms Matter Act, commonsense legislation to increase investments in maternal mental health programs and better support moms and pregnant women.

Mental health conditions — including substance use disorders — are the leading cause of preventable maternal death during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum. However, despite the high need for care, over 80% of pregnant and recently postpartum women live in maternal mental health resource shortage areas.

The Moms Matter Act will help combat this crisis by increasing investments in local maternal healthcare programs and expanding access to these programs.

Specifically, the legislation will:

Establish a Maternal Mental Health Equity Grant Program to invest in local initiatives supporting people with mental health conditions or substance use disorders during or after pregnancy; and

Provide funding for programs to grow and diversify the maternal mental and behavioral healthcare workforce to expand access to high-quality maternal mental healthcare and substance use disorder services.

The Moms Matter Act is led by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). Alongside Heinrich, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Companion legislation is led in the House by U.S. Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.).

The legislation is endorsed by over 200 maternal health organizations, including Moms Rising, March of Dimes, Reproductive Freedom for All, and the National Partnership for Women and Families.

The full text of the bill is here.

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Heinrich, Rounds Introduce Legislation to Improve Americans’ Access to Physical Therapy, Address Healthcare Workforce Shortage

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) led the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act, legislation to improve Americans’ access to physical therapy and address the healthcare workforce shortage in rural communities.

Many communities designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) face limited access to rehabilitative care and evidence-based, non-opioid treatment options, even as demand for physical therapy continues to grow. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has designated 32 of 33 New Mexico counties as HPSAs.

This legislation helps address longstanding healthcare workforce shortages by integrating licensed physical therapists into key federal safety-net programs, expanding access to rehabilitative care in rural communities, and enabling community health centers to offer more physical therapy services.

Specifically, the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act:

Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Morgan H. Griffith (R-Va.).

The legislation is endorsed by the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Rural Health Association, the National Association of Rural Health Clinics, the American Health Care Association, American Physical Therapy Association, and more. A full list of endorsers is here.

“APTA thanks Sens. Heinrich and Rounds for their leadership in introducing the Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act,” said American Physical Therapy Association President Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD. “This bipartisan legislation will strengthen the physical therapist workforce and improve access to care in rural and underserved communities. Including physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps and expanding flexibility for community health centers will help ensure patients receive essential services to prevent disability, manage chronic conditions, and improve quality of life.”

A one-page summary of the bill is here.

A section-by-section summary is here.

The text of the bill is here.

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