Blumenthal Announces He Will Live UC & Force Amendment Votes On The Major Richard Star Act This Week

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today announced he will ask for unanimous consent this week to advance the Major Richard Star Act—bipartisan legislation to deliver 59,000 combat-injured veterans their full military benefits. He also announced he will force amendment votes on the legislation during the Senate Armed Services Committee markup on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bipartisan legislation has been blocked twice in the last year by Senate Republican leadership.

“This week, I will again demand passage of the Major Richard Star Act on the Senate Floor, and plan on forcing votes on the legislation during the NDAA markup. Secretary Pete Hegseth supports the legislation. 79 Republican and Democrat Senators cosponsor it. 59,000 combat-injured men and women need it and deserve action— not excuses. Veterans should not be forced to sacrifice important VA benefits to correct this DOD injustice.”

At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in April, Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged the Department’s support for the Major Richard Star Act, following pressure from Blumenthal. “As I have said in the past to other organizations, we support the Richard Star Act,” said Hegseth at the hearing.

The Major Richard Star Act is bipartisan legislation to fix an injustice preventing combat-injured veterans from receiving their full military benefits. Currently, only veterans with disability ratings above 50 percent and more than 20 years of service are eligible to receive the full amount of their DoD retirement and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability payments—leaving behind more than 50,000 combat-injured military retirees.

This legislation has overwhelming support from the majority of both chambers of Congress, with 79 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate and 334 bipartisan cosponsors in the House. However, Senate Republican leadership has blocked two attempts from Blumenthal in October and March to advance this overwhelming bipartisan support, claiming our country cannot afford these benefits.

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U.S. Senator Katie Britt Directly Secures $900,000 for the Winston County Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security Appropriations, recently directly secured $900,000 for the Winston County Commission in the Fiscal Year (FY) 26 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. This funding will support the replacement of a key drainage structure on County Road 54 at Quarter Creek north of Haleyville that collapsed during a flood in 2022 and has closed the road for over four years.

Photo of the collapsed drainage structure from the Winston County Commission

This funding will be used to replace a drainage structure which failed in 2022 when two 15-feet diameter pipes collapsed due to flooding from excessive rainfall. Replacement and refurbishment of the bridge and structure is imperative to avoid further damage to the road and residents. This project will also eliminate a 10-mile detour which affects emergency personnel when responding to emergency situations, 29 businesses, a local manufacturer, and residents.

“Alabamians know strong infrastructure is the foundation for strong communities. That’s why I’m proud to have secured $900,000 in this appropriations bill for the Winston County Commission,” said Senator Britt. “This funding goes beyond just upgrading a critical drainage structure—it will help emergency services respond more rapidly when every second counts. I look forward to seeing how this commonsense investment results in a stronger and more resilient Winston County community.”

“On behalf of the citizens and the Commission, I would like to thank Senator Britt and her dedicated staff in securing Homeland Security Appropriations Funding for this critical project for our County. If Senator Britt had not gotten involved, this project would have never happened due to the County’s limited resources. Thanks again for your support and commitment to the citizens of Winston County,” said Winston County Commission Chairman David Cummings.

In total, Senator Britt directly secured more than $14.97 million for Alabama in FY26 Homeland Security appropriations funding.

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PHOTOS: Capito Addresses West Virginia Girls State

ELKINS, W.Va. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) traveled to Elkins, W.Va. to address participants of the Rhododendron Girls State at Davis and Elkins College. Started in 1941, Rhododendron Girls State is structured on the principles of Americanism, citizenship, and leadership.

“Girls State is an event I look forward to participating in every year, and I’m so glad I had the chance to speak to this impressive group today. These women go above and beyond, exemplifying the programs core values of citizenship, leadership, and patriotism. I’m grateful to Girls State’s continued commitment to instilling the values we hold dear in West Virginia’s next generation and empowering them with the courage and confidence to become the future leaders of America,” Senator Capito said.

“Rhododendron Girls State is honored to consider Senator Shelley Moore Capito as one of our own. Her tremendous contributions to the state of West Virginia would be difficult to quantify and the positive impact of her work has been transformative for the state. Her career has shown young women that standing up to be counted is important and finding your voice is not enough…you need to use it for good,” Rosemary Thomas, Director of Rhododendron Girls State, said.

Photos from the event are included below:

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) addresses Girls State at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va. on Monday, June 8, 2026.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) meets with Rhododendron Girls State President Kaitlin Hall at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va. on Monday, June 8, 2026.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) meets with Rhododendron Girls State participants at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va. on Monday, June 8, 2026.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) meets with Rhododendron Girls State participants at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va. on Monday, June 8, 2026.

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Senator Collins Praises Growing Senate Support for INSULIN Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins today praised the announcement of four new cosponsors for the bipartisan Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act. With Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) now supporting the bill, the legislation has 22 cosponsors.

The INSULIN Act, introduced by Senator Collins with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and John Kennedy (R-LA), would cap the cost of insulin at $35 per month for Americans with private and employer-sponsored insurance. It would also create a pilot program to make insulin available at the same cost to uninsured Americans, removing barriers to care and expanding access for millions of patients.

“Tens of millions of Americans rely on insulin as part of their daily treatment, and for many, it is literally a matter of life and death. I have heard far too many stories from people in Maine and across the country who have been forced to ration their insulin because of the cost, and that is simply unacceptable,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would cap the cost of insulin at $35 and address underlying issues in the insulin market so that more patients—both insured and uninsured—can afford the medication they need. I am pleased to see growing support for this bill, which reflects a shared commitment to lowering costs and ensuring that no American is forced to go without lifesaving insulin.”

The INSULIN Act would directly address the root problems in the insulin market causing high list prices, while simultaneously extending vital patient protections, fostering competition, and broadening access to needed insulin products.

Specifically, the INSULIN Act:

Limits out-of-pocket costs for patients with diabetes by ensuring that group and individual market health plans must waive any deductible and limit cost-sharing to no more than $35 or 25% of list price per month for at least one insulin of each type and dosage form;

Mandates pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) pass through 100% of insulin rebates and other discounts received from manufacturers to plan sponsors, reducing incentives in the insulin market that encourage high list prices, thereby helping patients through reduced premiums;

Promotes generic and biosimilar competition to lower costs to patients;

Creates a pilot grant program for 10 states to implement programs to identify people with diabetes who are uninsured and provide them with insulin at $35 per month; and

Establishes an insulin resource center and hotline for people with diabetes who are uninsured to connect them with resources about diabetes and programs to help them secure insulin.

The bipartisan INSULIN Act is supported by the American Diabetes Association, Breakthrough T1D, and the Endocrine Society.

Click here to read the complete text of the legislation.

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Ranking Members Coons, Reed introduce bill to require human safeguards around use of artificial intelligence in defense

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), ranking member for Defense Appropriations, and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced legislation to establish a framework to guide the rapid adoption and use of artificial intelligence by the Department of Defense (DOD) while prioritizing safety and the rule of law. The legislation comes following attempts by DOD to blacklist and discriminate against certain AI companies for mandating safeguards on new and rapidly evolving technology and prohibiting their use for mass surveillance.

The Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense (RAIDA) Act would require AI-enabled autonomous systems to be deployed in a way that ensures human operators are able to control, monitor, detect unintended behavior, and manually disengage or deactivate any deployed AI-enabled system, if necessary. It would prevent the use of AI for nuclear decision making and mass domestic surveillance of Americans. It would also instruct DOD to maximize AI adoption in defense, ensuring the United States leads in military AI quickly, safely, and lawfully.

“The Department of Defense can use frontier AI models for rapid innovation to ensure that the United States maintains its military supremacy and edge in artificial intelligence without running roughshod over safety concerns,” said Ranking Member Coons. “Threatening our cutting-edge companies with legal and economic punishment when they balk at demands to perform illegal acts is not just un-American – it will stifle innovation, dissuade industry from collaborating with government, and allow China and our adversaries to build insurmountable leads in the field of AI. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to put in place necessary safeguards to prevent deadly accidents or misfires by autonomous weapons using new and evolving technologies, while also directing the Pentagon to utilize this cutting-edge technology to promote US national security.”

“Artificial intelligence will continue to shape the battlespace of the future, and our military must be equipped with every tactical and technical advantage it needs to win in this complex environment,” said Senator Reed. “Simultaneously, we must ensure the Department of Defense has a comprehensive AI strategy that establishes sensible safeguards and provides a framework for other nations to ensure global military AI standards are adhered to. To begin, we should formalize international norms for military and civilian uses of AI to regulate areas where full human control over the technology is essential. The Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act is a practical first step toward ensuring the United States military is a principled leader in AI use.”

The Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act would:

Require human operators to retain the ability to monitor and manually deactivate autonomous systems

Direct DOD to maximize use of AI and autonomous capabilities

Require impact assessments for higher-risk AI capabilities to safeguard civil liberties

Direct DOD to conduct rigorous testing before putting these weapons into the field

Senator Coons has been vocal about the importance of U.S. leadership in AI. Last year, he introduced legislation limiting the sale of frontier chips to China – the bipartisan SAFE Chips Act – and he has demanded answers from senior Trump administration officials about their plans to export advanced chips.

In 2024, Senator Reed and a bipartisan group of colleagues unveiled the first congressional framework to deal exclusively with the extreme risks posed by future developments in advanced AI models. The framework sought to establish federal oversight of frontier model hardware, development, and deployment to mitigate AI-enabled extreme risks from biological, chemical, cyber, and nuclear threats.

In addition to serving as ranking member for Defense Appropriations, Senator Coons is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Ethics Committees.

Senator Reed is also a leading member of the Appropriations Committee and the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee where he is working to strengthen the cybersecurity resilience of America’s financial sector and people’s personal bank accounts amidst the growing risks of AI-enabled cyberattacks.

The one-pager is available here.


Cornyn, GOP Colleagues Introduce Bill to Combat ‘Smash-And-Grab’ Crimes

AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) joined Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and 17 of their Senate GOP colleagues in introducing the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Protection Act to address the dangerously high number of “smash-and-grab” thefts targeting gun dealers by enhancing penalties for criminals who steal firearms from federally licensed firearms and ammunition dealers:

“Criminals who steal firearms from gun stores should be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would prevent gun thefts by strengthening the consequences for those who break the law, and I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to support it.”

This legislation is being led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and is cosponsored by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Thom Tillis (R-NC).

Background:

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reported 4,046 FFL theft incidents from 2021 to 2025. During these burglary, larceny, and robbery incidents, a total of 23,319 firearms were stolen from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). Texans have been directly impacted by these crimes as thieves have stolen 2,737 firearms from FFLs across the state during this same four-year period of 2021 to 2025.

The FFL Protection Act would:

Increase the statutory maximum penalty for knowingly stealing any firearm in an FFL’s business inventory from 10 to 20 years;

Impose a mandatory minimum sentence of three years for burglary from an FFL and five years for robbery from an FFL;

And criminalize the attempted theft of a firearm from a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector.

The legislation is endorsed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).


Duckworth, Durbin Join Senate Democrats in Pressing Trump on Legal Basis for Justifying Claim that Hostilities in Iran Have Terminated

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 33 Senate Democrats, in refuting the Trump Administration’s claim in a May 1 letter to Congress that the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, in Iran have “terminated.” Additionally, the Senators are requesting President Donald Trump release the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion supporting this claim. In their letter to Trump, the Senators emphasize that the already unconstitutional war in Iran has violated its statutory deadline set by the War Powers Act and argue that the ongoing naval operations, bombings, blockades and strike campaigns that have been ongoing since February 28 continue to constitute hostilities.

“Furthermore, the United States and Iran, and their associated partners and proxies, have continued to use lethal force in contravention of the ceasefire, which also constitute hostilities. Finally, U.S. forces remain postured for, and you have regularly threatened, the swift return of major combat operations,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators point out that the continued deployment of troops, ongoing strikes and an active naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz rebut the claim that hostilities have terminated after the April 7 ceasefire. Senators Duckworth and Durbin have joined Schiff, Kaine and several of their colleagues to force numerous votes in the Senate on the War Powers Resolution, including asserting the 60-day statutory clock, triggered by a notification to Congress, had run out on the president’s ongoing use of military force, in addition to being unconstitutional from the start.

“Your administration has not explained to the Congress or the American people why you believe the Constitution permits launching a war of this magnitude – including the loss of U.S. service members’ lives, scores of civilians killed in Iran and the broader region, and staggering economic and geopolitical costs – without authorization from Congress as Article I requires...It is imperative that you publish the OLC legal theory underlying your interpretation to the contrary in a timely manner,” the Senators concluded.

In addition to Duckworth, Durbin, Schiff, Kaine and Schumer, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The full text of the letter can be found below and on Senator Duckworth’s website and below.

Dear Mr. President,

We write to express our strong disagreement with the legal justification presented in your May 1, 2026, notification to Congress pursuant to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, regarding the authority to conduct war against Iran. The notification stands in sharp contrast with the text of the War Powers Resolution, the relevant legislative history, domestic and international law, and past interpretations made by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) and the State Department under Administrations of both parties. We also request that you make public the OLC opinion justifying the administration’s claim that U.S.-Iran hostilities were determined to be “terminated” for the purposes of the War Powers Resolution, and any OLC opinion justifying the use of military force against Iran without congressional authorization.

Your May 1 notification falsely stated that “the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated.” This statement was repeated by Secretary Hegseth in his April 30 testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee when he asserted that after the April 7 ceasefire announcement, the administration’s “understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.” This argument fails to account for the facts and actions of the parties to the conflict. The ongoing naval operations and related efforts to conduct a blockade against Iran constitute hostilities. Furthermore, the United States and Iran, and their associated partners and proxies, have continued to use lethal force in contravention of the ceasefire, which also constitute hostilities. Finally, U.S. forces remain postured for, and you have regularly threatened, the swift return of major combat operations.

At that time, the President is compelled to promptly remove forces from the situation without Congressional intervention or a physical, domestic attack.

Furthermore, legislative history demonstrates Congress’ clear intent for these terms (“hostilities” and “imminent involvement in hostilities”), which are to be understood broadly, to establish a low threshold for both the reporting and withdrawal provisions of the War Powers Resolution. The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s report on the Resolution explains that “the word hostilities was substituted for the phrase armed conflict during the subcommittee drafting process because it was considered to be somewhat broader in scope...hostilities encompasses a state of confrontation in which no shots have been fired but where there is clear and present danger of armed conflict.” That describes the Iran War starting on February 28, 2026, and continuing to today regardless of a declaration of ceasefire.

Given the discrepancy between the requirements of the War Powers Resolution and the continued use of American forces in the Strait of Hormuz and throughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility, it is critical for Congress to understand the Executive Branch’s legal basis for its exceedingly narrow interpretation of “hostilities,” and “any use of armed forces.” Since February 28, 2026, your administration has maintained a force presence of thousands of U.S. servicemembers in the region, blockaded Iranian ports (including using military force to seize vessels), and continued to interrupt global supply chains and increase the cost of living on all Americans. On May 8, 2026, Central Command publicly confirmed that over 15,000 troops are forward deployed, and over 200 aircraft and 20 warships are enforcing an active naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Even after your notification to Congress indicating that hostilities had “terminated” on May 1, 2026, you accurately referred on May 4, 2026, to the war with Iran in the present tense, saying “we have a war right now.”

We have established that the United States and Iran’s continued posture of a state of military confrontation is itself sufficient to constitute ongoing hostilities under the text and legislative history of the War Powers Resolution. The Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual affirms that a declared ceasefire alone does not mean an end to war and hostilities, the current ceasefire “is not a partial or temporary peace; it is only the suspension of military operations to the extent agreed upon by the parties to the conflict. War as a legal state of hostilities between parties may continue, despite the conclusion of an armistice agreement.”

Moreover, despite the stated ceasefire, both sides have continued to exchange fire on several occasions since April 7. And even if they had not exchanged fire, the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz in itself further constitutes hostilities. The Supreme Court, the Department of Defense, and OLC all have published opinions confirming that they unequivocally consider a blockade to be a belligerent act and an act of war. As the Supreme Court held in the Prize Cases in 1862, the “proclamation of blockade is itself official and conclusive evidence to the Court that a state of war exist[s].” The Commander of U.S. Central Command himself recently acknowledged in his May 14 testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that an international armed conflict continued to exist due to the ongoing blockade.

Congress has a recent and directly applicable legal opinion from your administration on how to interpret what it means for hostilities to cease. On April 21, 2026, the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser published a statement that notes that, “any assessment of whether an armed conflict has ended must be fact-based, taking into account both the intentions and the actions of the parties to the conflict.” The Legal Adviser argued that the fact of ongoing ceasefire or peace negotiations did not in itself constitute the termination of hostilities. Instead, he stated that a credible intention to end hostilities, and an absence of parties planning or threatening further military engagements should diplomacy fail, is required to indicate an end to hostilities. Given that Secretary Hegseth has consistently argued that U.S. forces are “locked and loaded” and are “ready to go at the command of our President and at the push of a button,” it cannot be credibly argued that the current ceasefire meets the test set forward by the State Department’s Legal Adviser for constituting an end to hostilities.

We would not need to discuss the War Powers Resolution if this were a war authorized by Congress, but it is not. Our view, supported by law and history and consistent with even past Executive Branch practice taking a far broader view of the President’s authority, is that the current war violates our Constitution’s separation of powers. Your administration has not explained to the Congress or the American people why you believe the Constitution permits launching a war of this magnitude – including the loss of U.S. service members’ lives, scores of civilians killed in Iran and the broader region, and staggering economic and geopolitical costs – without authorization from Congress as Article I requires.

The facts, history, and law affirm that the hostilities that began on February 28 are active and ongoing, in violation of international law and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. There is no justification to interpret military actions that would “restart,” “unpause,” or begin a new 60-day clock. Rather, hostilities have continued since February 28 and never terminated; the 60-day clock specified in the War Powers Resolution does not have a pause button. It is imperative that you publish the OLC legal theory underlying your interpretation to the contrary in a timely manner.

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Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Leah Jean Boutique

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

“Leah Jean Boutique is a wonderful example of the dedication and community spirit that has become tailored to Iowa small businesses,” said Chair Ernst. “Through personalized service, thoughtfully curated products, and meaningful local involvement, Leah Jean Boutique has become a trusted destination for families across North Iowa.”

Founded in 2018 by Brittany Leah Howieson and Donna Jean Ahrends, Leah Jean Boutique is a woman-owned small business offering children’s apparel, toys, gifts, accessories, and other family-oriented products. Established to help strengthen Clarion’s small-town Main Street, the boutique has become known for its welcoming atmosphere and “for moms, by moms” approach, with Brittany and Donna personally selecting products they trust and use themselves.

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

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Fischer Celebrates Senate Passage of Bill Awarding Congressional Gold Medal to North Platte Canteen

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-NE) legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the individuals who volunteered or contributed to the North Platte Canteen during World War II.

“This is the highest honor Congress can bestow upon civilians of this country, and everyone from the North Platte Canteen deserves it,” Fischer said. “The Canteen was a beacon of hope for soldiers during such a troubling and uncertain time. Over 55,000 people sustained this effort for over four years, and every soldier that passed through saw the very best of what Nebraska has to offer. I thank my colleagues for understanding the significance of the North Platte Canteen, and for working with me to give them the recognition they deserve."

James Griffin, Director of the Lincoln County Historical Museum, said, “We are so excited to learn that the United States Senate has passed the North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act today! This is well-deserved recognition for the 55,000 volunteers who served food to 6 million soldiers, sailors, and marines during World War II. The true effects of their selfless giving can't be quantified, but to the ordinary soldier who experienced the North Platte Canteen, they were nonetheless real. As real as bullets, tanks, and ships—and when the going got tough, it was the Canteen that buoyed their spirits. This bill would not have passed without the tireless efforts of Senator Deb Fischer. To her we want to say thank you—thank you on behalf of every volunteer of the North Platte Canteen and every member of the armed forces who visited the Canteen.”

Brandon Kelliher, Mayor of North Platte, NE, said, “The Senate passage of the North Platte Canteen Congressional Medal Act is a proud and historic moment for our community, our region and our nation. This recognition honors the extraordinary generosity, patriotism, and unwavering spirit of the thousands of volunteers who showed America what service truly means. The legacy of the North Platte Canteen continues to inspire us, reminding future generations that compassion, sacrifice, and love of country can leave an impact far beyond our own time.”

Fischer’s legislation, the North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act, was cosponsored by 76 Senators, including Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE).

Representative Adrian Smith (NE-03) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, and it is cosponsored by Reps. Mike Flood (NE-01) and Don Bacon (NE-02).

The House must now pass the bill before it is sent to the president to be signed into law.

Background:

The North Platte Canteen was a volunteer war effort at a railroad stop in North Platte, Nebraska, during World War II. Volunteers offered hospitality and friendship to soldiers traveling through the area on their way to the front lines.

An estimated 55,000 people from 125 communities throughout Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas contributed food, money, or time to serve the Canteen’s estimated 6 million visitors.

The North Platte Canteen began on Christmas Day, 1941 and ended April 1, 1946. It was the largest community-based canteen in the U.S. and one of the largest volunteer efforts during World War II.

Fischer recently spoke on the Senate floor to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the North Platte Canteen. Watch her remarks here.

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Gillibrand Calls On CDC To Provide Updates On Public Health Readiness Ahead Of Mass Travel For World Cup

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to provide updates to the public, providers, and Congress regarding public health readiness for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With millions of international visitors expected across the country amid deadly outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola abroad, Senator Gillibrand emphasized the importance of comprehensive plans to detect, identify, and respond to potential infectious diseases.

In a letter to Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya and ASPR Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response John Knox, Senator Gillibrand called out the dangers of disease spread at an event as massive as the World Cup, writing, “The scale of international travel associated with the World Cup presents unique public health challenges that warrant substantial coordination. Infectious diseases do not respect borders, and with millions of people expected to attend the World Cup, we must be proactive to safeguard our nation’s public health.”

With millions of travelers in international airports, public transit systems, hotels, stadiums, and other high-density settings providing opportunities for diseases to spread, Gillibrand pushed the CDC and ASPR to engage with “local, state, and national partners, in addition to international bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) who is crucial to identifying and understanding threats, as well as monitoring and responding to potential outbreaks.”

Gillibrand closed by stressing the heightened risk that New Yorkers face during the tournament, writing that “as a major international hub and host city of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, New York State has a particular interest in ensuring the United States is fully prepared to respond to evolving infectious disease threats before they reach our communities. I urge CDC and ASPR to provide timely and transparent updates to the public, providers, and Congress regarding hantavirus and Ebola response efforts.”

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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Senator Gillibrand And Mayor Spano Announce Over $1 Million For Yonkers Water Infrastructure, Pushes For FY27 Funding

Gillibrand Celebrates $1.1M Secured for Forest Avenue Water Main Repair;

Announces Push for Funding for Midland Avenue Project to Keep Water Flowing During Planned 2032 Suspension of Yonkers’ Connection to the Lower Catskill Aqueduct

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stood with Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano to announce a major federal investment in the city’s drinking water infrastructure. Gillibrand celebrated $1,092,000 she secured in the FY26 appropriations bill to repair the critical Forest Avenue water main. Additionally, Gillibrand announced her ongoing push to secure funding in the FY27 appropriations bill for the Midland Avenue Transmission Water Main project. This initiative is necessary to help prevent a massive water crisis ahead of federal deadlines for water quality compliance and a planned 2032 suspension, for repairs, of Yonkers’ connection to the Lower Catskill Aqueduct, which supplies 45% of the city’s daily domestic water and firefighting supply.

The Forest Avenue Transmission Main is an 8-inch cast iron water main running directly beneath the heavily traveled Interstate 87 (Major Deegan Expressway) near the Bronx border. It serves as a critical link between the west and east portions of Yonkers’ southern high-service distribution system. The existing century-old Midland Avenue water main is heavily obstructed and severely undersized, leaving the city vulnerable to upcoming regional infrastructure shutdowns.

“Access to clean, reliable drinking water is a fundamental right, and we cannot allow aging infrastructure to put Yonkers families and businesses at risk,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am proud to have secured over $1 million in federal funding to fix the critical water main breakdown at Forest Avenue, but our work isn’t done. I am fighting to secure additional funding for the Midland Avenue project. This funding is essential not only to meet federal environmental standards, but also to ensure that 18,000 residents, including thousands in underserved communities, have uninterrupted water and fire protection when the city’s connection to the Lower Catskill Aqueduct goes offline for repairs.”

“Thank you, Senator Gillibrand, for being a strong partner in helping Yonkers modernize critical infrastructure and ensure reliable water service for our families, businesses, and first responders,” said Mayor of Yonkers Mike Spano. “Reliable water service is something every Yonkers resident depends on, whether they think about it or not. Together, we can continue to advocate for the resources we need to protect our water supply, strengthen fire protection, and support the future growth of our city.”

“Every person in our country should have peace of mind knowing their water is safe and clean every time they turn on the faucet. I’m proud to have secured $1,092,000 for the Forest Avenue project through the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process alongside Senator Gillibrand for the people of New York’s 16th District. I look forward to continuing this work for Yonkers in the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process, including through the $746,868 for the Midland Avenue project included in the House Appropriations Committee draft bill,” said Congressman George Latimer.

“As our water infrastructure continues to age, it is critical that we invest in the health and safety of our residents to ensure that safe drinking water and fire protection is available to all, we thank the Senator for her continuous hard work in securing funding to complete these projects,” said Yonkers Department of Public Works Commissioner Thomas G. Meier.

The City of Yonkers relies entirely on the New York City Water Supply System, distributed through an aging network of cast iron pipes. Decades of wear have left the city’s water distribution system vulnerable, threatening the daily water supply and fire protection for thousands of residents, local healthcare facilities, and major commercial hubs.

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Senator Gillibrand Pushes To Protect Graduate Education  Programs That Create Critical Workforce Pipelines

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand stood with Binghamton University President Dr. Anne D’Alleva to advocate for the protection of graduate education programs that fuel critical workforce pipelines. Gillibrand highlighted her upcoming Senate legislation, the Professional Student Degree Act, which would expand the statutory definition of a “professional degree” to include qualifying graduate programs currently excluded by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The bill would help ensure financial stability for students and universities while strengthening essential workforce pipelines.

Currently, the ED’s implementation of federal student loan provisions under H.R.1 creates an immediate “loan cliff” for certain graduate degrees. By narrowing the definition of a “professional degree” to just 11 eligible programs, the current framework severely limits financial access for graduate programs in fields already facing severe labor shortages. Students in these newly designated “non-professional” programs face annual student loan caps that are $30,000 lower, and aggregate limits $100,000 lower, than students in designated professional tracks.

The Professional Student Degree Act would correct this imbalance by adding several graduate programs in areas such as nursing, education, and public health to the federal list of professional degrees eligible for higher borrowing limits. The department’s current definition excludes these and other critical fields, limiting students’ ability to secure the federal loans needed to complete their education and threatening to worsen nationwide workforce shortages, particularly in healthcare.

“The Professional Student Degree Act would ensure that students pursuing nursing, education, and public health degrees are no longer penalized with lower loan borrowing limits,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill would expand the definition of what constitutes a professional degree, giving students in these fields access to the financial resources they need to complete their education and begin their professional lives helping others.”

“The Professional Student Degree Act is vital and necessary legislation to ensure that students have access to programs that produce qualified and skilled professionals in healthcare fields facing critical shortages,” said Binghamton University President Anne D’Alleva. “The University is proud to have talented faculty and staff who lead these programs and help develop the next generation of professionals to provide care to New Yorkers. I am grateful for Senator Gillibrand’s leadership on this issue as well as her longstanding support of Binghamton University and its commitment to learning, research, economic development, and community engagement,” said Binghamton University President Anne D’Alleva.

“Without our healthcare workers, we would not be healthy nor would we have the important research to help our communities have a better quality of life. It is critical that we provide expanded opportunities for talented young people to start their journey in this profession. When we talk about maternal mortality and the impacts on marginalized communities, it is crucial that solutions are centered in addressing the disparities such as racial, gender, economic, and others that exist in the healthcare workforce. Ensuring financial stability for students and universities while strengthening essential workforce pipelines means that we can work towards closing these gaps and encourage more eager students to join the healthcare field,” said New York State Senator Lea Webb.

“I would like to thank Senator Gillibrand for introducing the Professional Student Degree Act and for visiting our community today. Nursing, education, and public health are vitally important career paths that deserve to be part of the professional degree designation. At a time when New York and other states are facing workforce shortages in these fields, we should be removing barriers that play no useful purpose. I hope this bill gains the support it needs for passage,” said Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo.

Despite receiving significant backlash during the public comment period, ED finalized the current borrower rules on April 30, 2026, and announced the caps on federal loans will go into effect on July 1, 2026, failing to account for workforce shortages, especially in healthcare. Without a statutory or legislative fix, students entering these costly but essential degree programs will be priced out of the workforce, further destabilizing already high-need professions.

The bill has been endorsed by the American Academy of Audiology, American Academy of Physician Associate, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, American Council on Education, American Institute of Architects, American Institute of Architecture Students, American Physical Therapy Association, Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Columbia University, Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities, Dominican University New York, National Architectural Accrediting Board, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, National Organization of Minority Architects, New York Medical College, Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), Physician Assistant Education Association, Yale University, and Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY) currently leads the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Senator Gillibrand Celebrates $1 Million For Arts Center Lake Placid

Federal Funding Will Expand the 50-Year-Old Campus into a State-of-the-Art Creative Hub and Early Childhood Education Complex

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stood with officials to celebrate the $1 million she secured for the institution in the FY2026 Agriculture-Rural Development funding bill. The $1 million will be used to modernize and expand the center’s 50-year-old annex facility to create a new arts and early childhood education complex.

“I am proud to have secured more than $250 million in funding for essential projects across New York State, including $1 million for Arts Center Lake Placid,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This funding will directly benefit North Country residents and the entire arts community who know the center to be at the forefront of arts programming and exhibitions. I look forward to seeing the center’s new expanded space and programming, and I will continue to work tirelessly to make sure families, workers, artists, and businesses in New York State have what they need to succeed.”

“Senator Gillibrand continues to be a champion for the North Country and Arts Center Lake Placid (formally Lake Placid the Center for the Arts). In addition to the $1 million appropriation from 2025, Senator Gillibrand and her team helped to secure an additional $1 million for LPCA from the Northern Border Regional Commission. The $2 million in funds will be transformational to the region and our organization, allowing us to expand access to quality arts and early childhood education to local residents and protect the incredible cultural heritage of the North Country. Senator Gillibrand’s leadership continues to underscore the essential role that arts and culture play in strengthening communities—simultaneously creating lucrative economic advancements while fostering expression, learning, and support for artists and organizations alike,” said James Lemons, Executive Director of Arts Center Lake Place.

Arts Center Lake Placid is a year-round community arts center that serves as a vibrant cultural hub for the Adirondack region, offering a diverse range of programming and educational opportunities. This funding will be used to renovate and build out the center’s facilities, bolstering its already robust live entertainment offerings that include theater productions, music concerts, dance performances, and film screenings. The renovation will also include a new education complex that will house early childhood education classrooms, arts education studios, and office workspace for additional nonprofits.

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Grassley Statement on Blanche Nomination

WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released the following statement:

“Today, the Senate received President Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche to be United States Attorney General. Maintaining the Department of Justice’s ability to protect Americans from crime and hold criminals accountable is essential for the safety of American families. I’ve worked well with Acting Attorney General Blanche for more than a year and appreciate his commitment to transparency and support for law enforcement. Blanche is well-qualified and has shown his dedication to restoring law and order across our country. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s work to process Blanche’s nomination is underway.”


ICYMI: Rubio and Hegseth Warn of ‘Devastating’ FISA Expiration, Call on Democrats to Support Bipartisan Cotton-Grassley Reauthorization Bill

WASHINGTON – Ahead of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA) expiration date on June 12, senior administration officials are urging Capitol Hill to take immediate action to pass the bipartisan Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act, introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, respectively, in close collaboration with Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Mark Warner (D-Va.).

The Cotton-Grassley bill reauthorizes FISA for three years, allowing the federal government to continue to collect foreign intelligence information while enacting key changes that protect Americans’ privacy. The legislation includes all six reforms passed by the House of Representatives in April, in addition to further accountability measures. The Trump administration endorsed the bill last week.

FISA is a critical component in the U.S.’s counterterrorism and national security efforts. Grassley and Cotton wrote to Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio over the weekend urging the administration to prepare in the event of a lapse in FISA authorities due to Democrat obstruction.

Here’s what administration officials are saying in response:

Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio:

“Despite the strong reforms that congressional Democrats helped craft, I am deeply disappointed to see them walk away from the legislation over political differences. This Administration has gone above and beyond in implementing every reform in 2024 reauthorization, and there is no evidence of any political abuse or misuse of Section 702 under President Trump. This Administration—and every single appointee—is committed to protecting Americans’ constitutional rights both in current law and through the additional safeguards contained in your legislation.

“You know that allowing Section 702 to lapse will be devastating to our national security; your Democrat colleagues know that too. The security and constitutional rights of the American people are too important to be subject to partisan politics. I urge Senate Democrats to put partisanship aside and join you in reauthorizing Section 702 before it is too late.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth: “The bipartisan Senate reauthorization strengthens both security and civil liberties by adding new safeguards, increasing transparency, expanding congressional oversight, imposing criminal penalties for misuse, and enhancing protections for Americans’ constitutional rights.

“Democrats are choosing to halt action on reauthorization, undermining national security and putting politics ahead of the safety of the American people. At a time of growing threats around the world, Congress should be strengthening the tools that protect our nation—not weakening them. We call on Senator Schumer and Senator Warner to bring Senate Democrats back to the table with Senate Republicans and pass this critical piece of legislation.

“Reauthorizing Section 702 is about protecting Americans’ privacy and protecting Americans’ security. We can—and must—do both.”


Senators Hassan, Cassidy, and Colleagues Introduce Historic Bipartisan Bill to Improve Child Literacy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Jim Banks (R-IN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the bipartisan Reading Excellence and Achievement for Development (READ) Act to improve all children’s ability to read, empowering them to achieve the American Dream.

“In the greatest country in the world, we cannot resign ourselves to the fact that many children still struggle to read at grade level and that only one in three students leave high school as proficient readers,” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan bill will build on the extensive research that shows how students learn to read most effectively and will help make those tools available for teachers to use in their classrooms. We must come together to prioritize our children’s success, and I urge my colleagues to work with me on this bipartisan effort.”

“Capable students are dropping out of high school simply because they were never taught how to read. Children with dyslexia are extremely bright, but without early testing and proper resources, they are being left behind,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Let’s learn from states like Louisiana and implement proven reforms so every child has the power to read and reach their full potential.”

“There's no skill more fundamental than reading,” said Senator Hickenlooper. "Literacy programs are some of the best investments we can make for kids, and for Colorado's future.”

“Literacy is one of the most valuable tools in life we can give students, but our nation is seeing a decline in reading outcomes,” said Senator Scott. “The READ Act strengthens federal literacy grants and helps our education system return to proven, evidence-based reading practices, which is especially important for kids growing up in low-income communities like I did. This bill is about making sure our youth have the high-quality education they deserve to succeed in life and unlock their God-given potential.”

“I am the product of a good public education, and every kid deserves that. If we want our kids to get ahead, we need to invest in the teachers, parents, and schools helping them get there,” said Senator Kelly. “This bill is a step towards every kid having an opportunity to succeed, whether they want to join the military, go into public service, or just a build a good life.”

This legislation aims to address the national literacy crisis by strengthening evidence-based literacy instruction, requiring early literacy screening, and empowering states, local communities, and parents with more resources.

Read the full bill text here.

Read the full one-pager here.

Read the full section-by-section here.

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Hawley Op-Ed: RECA Compensation Soars Past $100 Million, Overdue Justice for Missourians

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) authored the following op-ed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch following a major milestone for his expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), which began paying out benefits to survivors and their families in Missouri last year. Read the full op-ed here or below.

Our state just passed a major milestone. The federal government has now paid out more than $100 million to the Missouri families poisoned by their government’s reckless handling of nuclear waste. Nothing can make up for the pain and suffering that radiation survivors have endured at the hands of their own government. But this compensation, made possible by the expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), provides a measure of relief— and a measure of justice. The application window is still open, and my office stands ready to assist survivors with their claims.

Missourians from across the St. Louis region who have received RECA compensation – often a lump sum payment of $50,000 – have shared their experiences with my office. One constituent from St. Charles wrote to me recently to describe the difference RECA has made in her life: “The RECA payment is helping with paying for my cancer treatment that Medicare doesn’t cover. I am no longer so stressed knowing I have the extra money so when I do finally leave this Earth, I hopefully won’t leave my husband with a boatload of debt for my cancer care.” Another from Warrenton called it “a true blessing to my income to comfortably live out my final years.” Survivors have waited a long time for this relief.

The story of RECA begins between World War II and the end of the Cold War, when the U.S. government oversaw a sprawling network of nuclear research, production, and waste sites. Because these were spread across the country, dozens of communities from Alaska to Tennessee were affected and have suffered huge spikes in cancer and other radiation-related diseases.

Missouri was one such place. It played a crucial role in the Manhattan Project— nearly all the uranium that was used for the first atomic bombs was dumped in downtown St. Louis in the 1940s. Over the years, it leached out, contaminating the environment and poisoning local residents. For generations, Missourians in affected parts of St. Louis and St. Charles counties have suffered from dramatically elevated rates of cancer as a result.

The worst part? The federal government refused to acknowledge its wrongdoing. For decades, the government covered up the harms that it had done to Missourians and citizens across the nation. Meanwhile, the residents of St. Louis were living in contaminated homes and sending their children to contaminated schools.

It wasn’t until 1990 that Congress started to remedy this injustice. Senator Orrin Hatch’s Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) passed that year, establishing a fund to compensate Americans who had been poisoned. This was an important accomplishment—but it was only a first step. Coverage was limited to certain counties in the Southwest that had been exposed to fallout from nuclear tests. Not included were the other places where radioactive material had been improperly processed, stored, and ultimately disposed.

Congress finally passed my expanded version of RECA in July of last year covering Missouri and other states that had been left out of the original program. As a result, residents from our state who have struggled for decades with radiation-linked disease and–in some tragic cases–watched their loved ones pass away now qualify for compensation.

This issue goes beyond politics. A RECA claimant from the area wrote me, “I don’t think I could disagree with you more on most political issues. That being said, I can’t thank you enough for your support for extending the RECA claims to Missouri.” He continued to explain that his wife recently had a double mastectomy and is currently undergoing chemo treatments. “Because of her age, breast cancer is an anomaly because she has no family history of it,” he wrote, “But she grew up in Ferguson next to Coldwater Creek. This was most likely the cause of her cancer.”


Schiff, Kaine, Schumer Lead 35 Senate Democrats in Pressing Trump on Legal Basis for Justifying Claim that Hostilities in Iran Have Terminated

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and 35 Senate Democrats are refuting the Trump administration’s claim in a May 1 letter to Congress that the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026 in Iran have “terminated” and requesting President Donald Trump release the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion supporting this claim.

The Senators emphasize that the already unconstitutional war in Iran has violated its statutory deadline set by the War Powers Act and argue that the ongoing naval operations, bombings, blockades, and strike campaigns that have been ongoing since February 28 continue to constitute hostilities.

“Furthermore, the United States and Iran, and their associated partners and proxies, have continued to use lethal force in contravention of the ceasefire, which also constitute hostilities. Finally, U.S. forces remain postured for, and you have regularly threatened, the swift return of major combat operations,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators point out that the continued deployment of troops, ongoing strikes, and an active naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz rebut the claim that hostilities have terminated after the April 7 ceasefire. Senators Schiff and Kaine, joined by several of their colleagues, have forced numerous votes in the Senate on the War Powers Resolution, including asserting the 60-day statutory clock, triggered by a notification to Congress, had run out on the president’s ongoing use of military force, in addition to being unconstitutional from the start.

“Your administration has not explained to the Congress or the American people why you believe the Constitution permits launching a war of this magnitude – including the loss of U.S. service members’ lives, scores of civilians killed in Iran and the broader region, and staggering economic and geopolitical costs – without authorization from Congress as Article I requires...It is imperative that you publish the OLC legal theory underlying your interpretation to the contrary in a timely manner,” the Senators concluded.

In addition to Schiff, Kaine, and Schumer the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai'i), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

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

Dear Mr. President,

We write to express our strong disagreement with the legal justification presented in your May 1, 2026, notification to Congress pursuant to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, regarding the authority to conduct war against Iran. The notification stands in sharp contrast with the text of the War Powers Resolution, the relevant legislative history, domestic and international law, and past interpretations made by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) and the State Department under Administrations of both parties. We also request that you make public the OLC opinion justifying the administration’s claim that U.S.-Iran hostilities were determined to be “terminated” for the purposes of the War Powers Resolution, and any OLC opinion justifying the use of military force against Iran without congressional authorization.

Your May 1 notification falsely stated that “the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated.” This statement was repeated by Secretary Hegseth in his April 30 testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee when he asserted that after the April 7 ceasefire announcement, the administration’s “understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.” This argument fails to account for the facts and actions of the parties to the conflict. The ongoing naval operations and related efforts to conduct a blockade against Iran constitute hostilities. Furthermore, the United States and Iran, and their associated partners and proxies, have continued to use lethal force in contravention of the ceasefire, which also constitute hostilities. Finally, U.S. forces remain postured for, and you have regularly threatened, the swift return of major combat operations.

At that time, the President is compelled to promptly remove forces from the situation without Congressional intervention or a physical, domestic attack.

Furthermore, legislative history demonstrates Congress’ clear intent for these terms (“hostilities” and “imminent involvement in hostilities”), which are to be understood broadly, to establish a low threshold for both the reporting and withdrawal provisions of the War Powers Resolution. The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s report on the Resolution explains that “the word hostilities was substituted for the phrase armed conflict during the subcommittee drafting process because it was considered to be somewhat broader in scope...hostilities encompasses a state of confrontation in which no shots have been fired but where there is clear and present danger of armed conflict.” That describes the Iran War starting on February 28, 2026, and continuing to today regardless of a declaration of ceasefire.

Given the discrepancy between the requirements of the War Powers Resolution and the continued use of American forces in the Strait of Hormuz and throughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility, it is critical for Congress to understand the Executive Branch’s legal basis for its exceedingly narrow interpretation of “hostilities,” and “any use of armed forces.” Since February 28, 2026, your administration has maintained a force presence of thousands of U.S. servicemembers in the region, blockaded Iranian ports (including using military force to seize vessels), and continued to interrupt global supply chains and increase the cost of living on all Americans. On May 8, 2026, Central Command publicly confirmed that over 15,000 troops are forward deployed, and over 200 aircraft and 20 warships are enforcing an active naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Even after your notification to Congress indicating that hostilities had “terminated” on May 1, 2026, you accurately referred on May 4, 2026, to the war with Iran in the present tense, saying “we have a war right now.”

We have established that the United States and Iran’s continued posture of a state of military confrontation is itself sufficient to constitute ongoing hostilities under the text and legislative history of the War Powers Resolution. The Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual affirms that a declared ceasefire alone does not mean an end to war and hostilities, the current ceasefire “is not a partial or temporary peace; it is only the suspension of military operations to the extent agreed upon by the parties to the conflict. War as a legal state of hostilities between parties may continue, despite the conclusion of an armistice agreement.”

Moreover, despite the stated ceasefire, both sides have continued to exchange fire on several occasions since April 7. And even if they had not exchanged fire, the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz in itself further constitutes hostilities. The Supreme Court, the Department of Defense, and OLC all have published opinions confirming that they unequivocally consider a blockade to be a belligerent act and an act of war. As the Supreme Court held in the Prize Cases in 1862, the “proclamation of blockade is itself official and conclusive evidence to the Court that a state of war exist[s].” The Commander of U.S. Central Command himself recently acknowledged in his May 14 testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that an international armed conflict continued to exist due to the ongoing blockade.

Congress has a recent and directly applicable legal opinion from your administration on how to interpret what it means for hostilities to cease. On April 21, 2026, the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser published a statement that notes that, “any assessment of whether an armed conflict has ended must be fact-based, taking into account both the intentions and the actions of the parties to the conflict.” The Legal Adviser argued that the fact of ongoing ceasefire or peace negotiations did not in itself constitute the termination of hostilities. Instead, he stated that a credible intention to end hostilities, and an absence of parties planning or threatening further military engagements should diplomacy fail, is required to indicate an end to hostilities. Given that Secretary Hegseth has consistently argued that U.S. forces are “locked and loaded” and are “ready to go at the command of our President and at the push of a button,” it cannot be credibly argued that the current ceasefire meets the test set forward by the State Department’s Legal Adviser for constituting an end to hostilities.

We would not need to discuss the War Powers Resolution if this were a war authorized by Congress, but it is not. Our view, supported by law and history and consistent with even past Executive Branch practice taking a far broader view of the President’s authority, is that the current war violates our Constitution’s separation of powers. Your administration has not explained to the Congress or the American people why you believe the Constitution permits launching a war of this magnitude – including the loss of U.S. service members’ lives, scores of civilians killed in Iran and the broader region, and staggering economic and geopolitical costs – without authorization from Congress as Article I requires.

The facts, history, and law affirm that the hostilities that began on February 28 are active and ongoing, in violation of international law and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. There is no justification to interpret military actions that would “restart,” “unpause,” or begin a new 60-day clock. Rather, hostilities have continued since February 28 and never terminated; the 60-day clock specified in the War Powers Resolution does not have a pause button. It is imperative that you publish the OLC legal theory underlying your interpretation to the contrary in a timely manner.

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Kelly, Cassidy, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Child Literacy

Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jim Banks (R-IN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced the bipartisan Reading Excellence and Achievement for Development (READ) Act to improve all children’s ability to read.

The legislation is a part of Kelly’s efforts to protect public education for all students, no matter what zip code they live in. Earlier this year, Kelly introduced the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act after warning the country about Arizona’s costly and unaccountable private school voucher program.

“I am the product of a good public education, and every kid deserves that. If we want our kids to get ahead, we need to invest in the teachers, parents, and schools helping them get there,” said Kelly. “This bill is a step towards every kid having an opportunity to succeed, whether they want to join the military, go into public service, or just a build a good life.”

“Capable students are dropping out of high school simply because they were never taught how to read. Children with dyslexia are extremely bright, but without early testing and proper resources, they are being left behind,” said Cassidy. “Let’s learn from states like Louisiana and implement proven reforms so every child has the power to read and reach their full potential.”

“In the greatest country in the world, we cannot resign ourselves to the fact that many children still struggle to read at grade level and that only one in three students leave high school as proficient readers,” said Hassan. “This bipartisan bill will build on the extensive research that shows how students learn to read most effectively and will help make those tools available for teachers to use in their classrooms. We must come together to prioritize our children’s success, and I urge my colleagues to work with me on this bipartisan effort.”

“There’s no skill more fundamental than reading,” said Hickenlooper. “Literacy programs are some of the best investments we can make for kids, and for Colorado’s future.”

“Literacy is one of the most valuable tools in life we can give students, but our nation is seeing a decline in reading outcomes,”saidScott. “The READ Act strengthens federal literacy grants and helps our education system return to proven, evidence-based reading practices, which is especially important for kids growing up in low-income communities like I did. This bill is about making sure our youth have the high-quality education they deserve to succeed in life and unlock their God-given potential.”

Background:

The Reading Excellence and Achievement for Development (READ) Act aims to address declining literacy rates by strengthening evidence-based literacy instruction, requiring early literacy screening, and empowering states, local communities and parents with more available resources.


Kelly Joins Democratic Colleagues in Pressing Trump on Legal Basis for Claim that Hostilities in Iran Have Terminated

Today, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) joined Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and 34 other Senate Democrats in refuting the Trump administration’s claim that the hostilities in Iran have “terminated” and request President Donald Trump release the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion supporting this claim.

The Senators emphasized that the already unconstitutional war in Iran has violated its statutory deadline set by the War Powers Resolution and argue that the ongoing naval operations, bombings, blockades, and strike campaigns that have been ongoing since February 28 continue to constitute hostilities.

“Furthermore, the United States and Iran, and their associated partners and proxies, have continued to use lethal force in contravention of the ceasefire, which also constitute hostilities. Finally, U.S. forces remain postured for, and you have regularly threatened, the swift return of major combat operations,” the senators wrote.

The Senators pointed out that the continued deployment of troops, ongoing strikes, and an active naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz rebut the claim that hostilities terminated after the April 7 ceasefire.

“Your administration has not explained to the Congress or the American people why you believe the Constitution permits launching a war of this magnitude—including the loss of U.S. service members’ lives, scores of civilians killed in Iran and the broader region, and staggering economic and geopolitical costs—without authorization from Congress as Article I requires. […] It is imperative that you publish the OLC legal theory underlying your interpretation to the contrary in a timely manner,” the senators concluded.

In addition to Kelly, Schiff, Kaine, and Schumer, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).


Kelly, Warren Press Trump Admin to Support American Workers by Reinstating Port Fees on Chinese Ships

“A strong domestic shipping industry is essential for our national security, especially in moments of global conflict.”

Read in Bloomberg: Democrats Press Trump to Hike Port Fees on Chinese Ships

Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) urged United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to protect American workers and promote domestic ship manufacturing by reinstating the Trade Act of 1974’s Section 301 port fees on Chinese ships.

Last year, Kelly and Senator Todd Young (R-IN), alongside Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Trent Kelly (R-MS-01), introduced the SHIPS for America Act to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries. Warren is a co-sponsor of the legislation.

The letter comes on the heels of Kelly and Young, alongside Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Tim Scott (R-SC), calling on President Trump to stand strong on shipbuilding and not offer concessions to China in his summit with President Xi.

“Section 301 port fees are critical to revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding. Presidents of both parties have long recognized the serious threat that Chinese shipbuilding dominance poses to the United States, and…[these] fees and restrictions on Chinese vessels would have protected American shipbuilding businesses and workers,” wrote the senators.

In 2000, China produced less than 5 percent of commercial ships. Last year, Chinese ships accounted for more than half of commercial ships produced worldwide. At the same time, U.S. shipyard production accounted for only 0.1% of global production, leaving America’s economy reliant on Chinese ships.

Presidents of both parties have acted to counter Chinese shipbuilding dominance, investigating China’s targeting of maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding. As a result of a Biden-era investigation, the Trump administration initially proposed fees on Chinese-owned and operated ships. The prospect of these fees led to a 23.5 percent decrease in orders at Chinese shipyards in just nine months.

But President Trump’s reckless trade war reversed this progress. China imposed its own fees on U.S. ships and massive tariffs on critical minerals used in military technology and semiconductors. As a result, the Trump administration made several concessions—including suspending the shipping fees and restrictions for one year—so China would drop its restrictions on critical minerals. Within days, the backlog of orders on hand at Chinese ports rose 25 percent.

Even since suspending the fees, the Trump administration has reiterated the need to “reclaim America’s maritime strength” and generate “demand for U.S.-built ships, shipyards, and mariners.”

“The dire consequences of this consolidation have only become more evident since President Trump launched his war in Iran. […] Without significant investment in domestic shipbuilding capacity, the U.S. will find itself in the same position in future global conflicts. A strong domestic shipping industry is essential for our national security, especially in moments of global conflict,” concluded the senators.

In their letter, the senators urged Ambassador Greer to reinstate the fees and restrictions on Chinese ships entering U.S. ports, commit to keeping them in place, explain how the pause on fees is affecting American workers, and reveal whether the Trump administration secured any meaningful concessions from China for pausing the fees and restrictions.


Lankford Praises Chickasaw Nation Governor Anoatubby on Retirement After Four Decades of Leadership

WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today released the following statement following Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby’s announcement of his retirement.

“Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Nation are both better today because of the service of Bill Anoatubby,” said Lankford. “For over four decades, he has led with honor, integrity, and the mantra of ‘what is good for the state of Oklahoma is good for the Chickasaw Nation and what is good for the Chickasaw Nation is good for the state of Oklahoma’. During Governor Anoatubby’s time in office, the Chickasaw Nation has utilized its sovereign authority to put in place countless health, educational, and economic resources benefiting not only the Chickasaw people but all Oklahomans. I’m grateful that during my time in office, I have been able to count Governor Anoatubby as a friend and someone I could call upon to talk through important issues impacting our state. He and Janice have more than earned this retirement together, and I know they look forward to many happy days together with the grandkids.”

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Graham Pushes Legislation to Strengthen Election Integrity, Stop Illegal Aliens from Voting

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) introduced the Election Security Partnership Act that would incentivize states to take action to prevent illegal aliens from voting in federal elections.

Under this legislation, states that submit their voter registration lists to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would receive supplemental federal funding. Through its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, DHS can identify non-citizens and other ineligible individuals listed on state voter rolls. Currently, twenty-six states, including South Carolina, have opted into the SAVE program. The Graham-Blackburn bill seeks to expand participation among outstanding states.

“Free, fair and secure elections are the bedrock of our republic. However, Democrat-led states across the country have failed to enact common-sense election integrity measures to combat fraud and cheating,” said Senator Graham.

“After millions of illegal aliens invaded our country during the Biden years, Americans want to know that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections. I’m pleased to join Senator Blackburn in introducing this legislation to strengthen the integrity of and confidence in our elections.”

This legislation is a continuation of Graham’s efforts to bolster election integrity in South Carolina and around the country. Graham is an original cosponsor of the original SAVE Act and the updated SAVE America Act that requires voter ID and proof of citizenship in order to vote in federal elections. As Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham secured a vote on his SAVE America Act amendment during the Senate’s consideration of the Secure America Act.

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Luján Joins Schiff, Kaine, Schumer, 34 Senate Democrats in Pressing Trump on Legal Basis for Justifying Claim that Hostilities in Iran Have Terminated

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and 34 Senate Democrats in refuting the Trump administration’s claim in a May 1 letter to Congress that the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026 in Iran have “terminated” and requesting President Donald Trump release the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion supporting this claim.

The Senators emphasize that the already unconstitutional war in Iran has violated its statutory deadline set by the War Powers Act and argue that the ongoing naval operations, bombings, blockades, and strike campaigns that have been ongoing since February 28 continue to constitute hostilities.

“Furthermore, the United States and Iran, and their associated partners and proxies, have continued to use lethal force in contravention of the ceasefire, which also constitute hostilities. Finally, U.S. forces remain postured for, and you have regularly threatened, the swift return of major combat operations,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators point out that the continued deployment of troops, ongoing strikes, and an active naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz rebut the claim that hostilities have terminated after the April 7 ceasefire. Senator Luján has joined Senator Schiff, Senator Kaine, and colleagues in numerous votes in the Senate on the War Powers Resolution, including asserting the 60-day statutory clock, triggered by a notification to Congress, had run out on the president’s ongoing use of military force, in addition to being unconstitutional from the start.

“Your administration has not explained to the Congress or the American people why you believe the Constitution permits launching a war of this magnitude – including the loss of U.S. service members’ lives, scores of civilians killed in Iran and the broader region, and staggering economic and geopolitical costs – without authorization from Congress as Article I requires…It is imperative that you publish the OLC legal theory underlying your interpretation to the contrary in a timely manner,” the Senators concluded.

In addition to Luján, Schiff, Kaine, and Schumer the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

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

Dear Mr. President,

We write to express our strong disagreement with the legal justification presented in your May 1, 2026, notification to Congress pursuant to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, regarding the authority to conduct war against Iran. The notification stands in sharp contrast with the text of the War Powers Resolution, the relevant legislative history, domestic and international law, and past interpretations made by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) and the State Department under Administrations of both parties. We also request that you make public the OLC opinion justifying the administration’s claim that U.S.-Iran hostilities were determined to be “terminated” for the purposes of the War Powers Resolution, and any OLC opinion justifying the use of military force against Iran without congressional authorization.

Your May 1 notification falsely stated that “the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated.” This statement was repeated by Secretary Hegseth in his April 30 testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee when he asserted that after the April 7 ceasefire announcement, the administration’s “understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.” This argument fails to account for the facts and actions of the parties to the conflict. The ongoing naval operations and related efforts to conduct a blockade against Iran constitute hostilities. Furthermore, the United States and Iran, and their associated partners and proxies, have continued to use lethal force in contravention of the ceasefire, which also constitute hostilities. Finally, U.S. forces remain postured for, and you have regularly threatened, the swift return of major combat operations.

At that time, the President is compelled to promptly remove forces from the situation without Congressional intervention or a physical, domestic attack.

Furthermore, legislative history demonstrates Congress’ clear intent for these terms (“hostilities” and “imminent involvement in hostilities”), which are to be understood broadly, to establish a low threshold for both the reporting and withdrawal provisions of the War Powers Resolution. The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s report on the Resolution explains that “the word hostilities was substituted for the phrase armed conflict during the subcommittee drafting process because it was considered to be somewhat broader in scope…hostilities encompasses a state of confrontation in which no shots have been fired but where there is clear and present danger of armed conflict.” That describes the Iran War starting on February 28, 2026, and continuing to today regardless of a declaration of ceasefire.

Given the discrepancy between the requirements of the War Powers Resolution and the continued use of American forces in the Strait of Hormuz and throughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility, it is critical for Congress to understand the Executive Branch’s legal basis for its exceedingly narrow interpretation of “hostilities,” and “any use of armed forces.” Since February 28, 2026, your administration has maintained a force presence of thousands of U.S. servicemembers in the region, blockaded Iranian ports (including using military force to seize vessels), and continued to interrupt global supply chains and increase the cost of living on all Americans. On May 8, 2026, Central Command publicly confirmed that over 15,000 troops are forward deployed, and over 200 aircraft and 20 warships are enforcing an active naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Even after your notification to Congress indicating that hostilities had “terminated” on May 1, 2026, you accurately referred on May 4, 2026, to the war with Iran in the present tense, saying “we have a war right now.”

We have established that the United States and Iran’s continued posture of a state of military confrontation is itself sufficient to constitute ongoing hostilities under the text and legislative history of the War Powers Resolution. The Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual affirms that a declared ceasefire alone does not mean an end to war and hostilities, the current ceasefire “is not a partial or temporary peace; it is only the suspension of military operations to the extent agreed upon by the parties to the conflict. War as a legal state of hostilities between parties may continue, despite the conclusion of an armistice agreement.”

Moreover, despite the stated ceasefire, both sides have continued to exchange fire on several occasions since April 7. And even if they had not exchanged fire, the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz in itself further constitutes hostilities. The Supreme Court, the Department of Defense, and OLC all have published opinions confirming that they unequivocally consider a blockade to be a belligerent act and an act of war. As the Supreme Court held in the Prize Cases in 1862, the “proclamation of blockade is itself official and conclusive evidence to the Court that a state of war exist[s].” The Commander of U.S. Central Command himself recently acknowledged in his May 14 testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that an international armed conflict continued to exist due to the ongoing blockade.

Congress has a recent and directly applicable legal opinion from your administration on how to interpret what it means for hostilities to cease. On April 21, 2026, the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser published a statement that notes that, “any assessment of whether an armed conflict has ended must be fact-based, taking into account both the intentions and the actions of the parties to the conflict.” The Legal Adviser argued that the fact of ongoing ceasefire or peace negotiations did not in itself constitute the termination of hostilities. Instead, he stated that a credible intention to end hostilities, and an absence of parties planning or threatening further military engagements should diplomacy fail, is required to indicate an end to hostilities. Given that Secretary Hegseth has consistently argued that U.S. forces are “locked and loaded” and are “ready to go at the command of our President and at the push of a button,” it cannot be credibly argued that the current ceasefire meets the test set forward by the State Department’s Legal Adviser for constituting an end to hostilities.

We would not need to discuss the War Powers Resolution if this were a war authorized by Congress, but it is not. Our view, supported by law and history and consistent with even past Executive Branch practice taking a far broader view of the President’s authority, is that the current war violates our Constitution’s separation of powers. Your administration has not explained to the Congress or the American people why you believe the Constitution permits launching a war of this magnitude – including the loss of U.S. service members’ lives, scores of civilians killed in Iran and the broader region, and staggering economic and geopolitical costs – without authorization from Congress as Article I requires.

The facts, history, and law affirm that the hostilities that began on February 28 are active and ongoing, in violation of international law and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. There is no justification to interpret military actions that would “restart,” “unpause,” or begin a new 60-day clock. Rather, hostilities have continued since February 28 and never terminated; the 60-day clock specified in the War Powers Resolution does not have a pause button. It is imperative that you publish the OLC legal theory underlying your interpretation to the contrary in a timely manner.

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Senators Markey, Scott Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing June 6th as National Naloxone Awareness Day

Washington (June 8, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) today led their Senate colleagues to introduce a bipartisan resolution designating June 6, 2026, as National Naloxone Awareness Day.

In addition to designating a national day for awareness, the resolution also states, “naloxone is a safe and effective medication that can reverse opioid overdoses and save lives when administered promptly” and “increasing access to naloxone can improve the chances of recovery for individuals struggling with opioid use disorder and support a future free from the grip of opioid use disorder.”

“Too many families know the pain of losing a loved one to overdose. Naloxone is a vital tool that can save lives when people know where to get it, can afford it, and know how to use it. I’m proud once again to join my colleagues in recognizing June 6 as Naloxone Awareness Day. Today we redouble our commitment to getting this lifesaving medication to every community,” said Senator Markey.

“America’s drug epidemic spares no party, family, or state. We all know someone who has been impacted by the heartbreak of losing a family member or friend to drugs, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Naloxone saves lives. The more we can do to increase awareness, access, and training for it, the more we can do to keep Americans alive and help them pull themselves out of the brutal cycle of substance abuse and addiction. Too many have lost brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters, and Congress should be focused on finding real solutions to combat this crisis,” said Senator Scott.

Additional cosponsors include Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Angus King (I-Maine), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev).

Read the resolution text HERE.

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Senator Marshall: We Have the Tools to Eradicate the New World Screwworm

Senator Marshall Joins Newsmax

Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Newsmax’s Wake Up America with Sharla McBride and Marc Lotterto discuss eradicating the New World Screwworm, funding DHS and Border Patrol, and the work being done to support Kansas agriculture and lower input costs.

Click here to download the full video.

On passing funding for DHS and Border Patrol:

“Well, Marc, we don’t have a choice — we need to fund Homeland Security, as well as ICE. I mean, we’re still having the repercussions of millions of people coming across that border illegally under Joe Biden. Not only does this stop the humans from coming across, but it funds border patrol, and that’s how we stop the fentanyl and all the illegal goods coming in. So, we don’t have a choice, they are getting really short on money, and I got confidence in the Speaker over there. He’ll get this across the finish line.”

On containing the New World Screwworm:

“Yeah, Sharla, well we got this. We’ve been through this before — we eradicated the screwworm in 1966 and we’ll talk about this. But this is another thing we can thank Joe Biden for — that when millions of people came out of Central America, they brought this screwworm with them. It was on their pets, maybe on their flesh as well, but we had it contained to Central America. So, the good news is we got great treatments for this — ivermectin works on it, we’ve been through this before. But ultimately, what we have to do is raise more of these worms: sterile screwworm flies is what it amounts to. A female screwworm fly can only mate one time — this is kind of deep here — but they only mate one time and they die. So, what you do is you fill the environment with sterile males to do that, if that makes sense. So, we’ve known this for over a year, that it was headed this way. We’re making these flies in Central America now, and we have new labs going up in Texas and Mexico as well.”

On the screwworm’s impact on beef supply:

“So, here’s the challenge before us — you’re right, the lowest cattle herd we’ve ever had in my lifetime, anyway, mainly due to the drought. But usually we import about a million live cattle from Mexico every year, so we shut down the borders because we saw this screwworm creeping this way. So, we harvest maybe 13 million — so maybe 1/13 of our beef supply comes from Mexico and fills our feedlots, and we’ve always inspected it. There’s no possibility that this screwworm can hurt humans, it requires live flesh to survive; I want to reemphasize that as well. So, what we have to do is get the screwworm under control, and then be able to let those cattle come across the border, because right now we’re missing about 1/13 of our supply of cattle.”

On Senator Marshall’s work to support Kansas agriculture:

“Well, I think that the biggest challenge right now in farmland and rural America are the input costs — it’s fertilizers, and it’s also the price of diesel as well. But I just want to emphasize that we’re trying to do things to bring down the price of fertilizer, the White House is doing that, we could go through that list if you would like to. The diesel prices, we know is all tied to Iran, and the President is, you know, stuck between a rock and a hard place. But this president has done more for American agricultural, rural America than any president I’ve ever seen it — and with Republican-only votes. You think what we accomplished in the Working Family Tax Cuts bill — we added $65 billion to crop insurance and crop protection as well, we added $50 billion to a rural health transformation fund, we gave the farmers permanency on protection on a 199 tax deduction, as well as being able to write off interest and capital depreciation, as well — bonus depreciation. So, we’ve done a lot for the farmer, they’re still in need; we’ve given them $43 billion of farm aid so far, and we’re going to have to look at some more money to help them get through this trial because of the fertilizer prices. And by the way, one simple thing we could do is pass E15 year-round. It wouldn’t cost the federal government anything, and it would consume an extra 2 billion bushels of corn.”

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