Barrasso: Let Us Be Worthy of Our History, Our Heroes, and Our Heritage

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today spoke about Memorial Day ceremonies he attended across Wyoming to honor fallen service members and their families.

Senator Barrasso also commemorated America’s upcoming 250th anniversary and the enduring importance of the Declaration of Independence.

Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.

Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:

“Last Monday was Memorial Day – a day we honor and remember those who gave their lives for our freedom.

“Some say Memorial Day is the saddest day of the year. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas is a combat veteran. He served as a member of the Old Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. Senator Cotton wrote about Memorial Day in his New York Times bestselling book Sacred Duty. He points out that Memorial Day is the most noble day of the year.

“Senator Cotton’s powerful words were on my mind as I traveled across my home state of Wyoming this Memorial Day. I was in the cemetery in Douglas, Wyoming, for the flag raising ceremony at 7 a.m. I went to the Mount Hope Cemetery in Lander, Wyoming. And then, I joined the ceremonies in the cemetery in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. These are sacred places.

“At each cemetery, the people of Wyoming gathered in respect and in reverence. Like Americans across the country, we honored our fallen American warriors. There are tens of thousands of service members, veterans, and military families in Wyoming. They know what it means to serve and to sacrifice for the safety of the American people.

“This Memorial Day, I spoke about Staff Sergeant Tyler Pickett from Saratoga, Wyoming. I’ve spoken about Sergeant Pickett on this Floor earlier this year.

“In the year 2000, he enlisted in the United States Army – something he wanted to do his entire life. He became part of the legendary 10th Mountain Division. He was deployed to Iraq. On June 8, 2008, a suicide bomber attacked his convoy in Kirkuk. The bomb was supplied by Iran. Sergeant Pickett was killed. He was only 28 years old. He was a brave and beloved son of Wyoming. It has been almost 18 years to the day since Sergeant Pickett gave his life for our country.

“Earlier this year, I spoke with his Gold Star Mother, Sheri Peterson. She said that, after 18 years, she finally feels some relief from the weight of her son’s death. She said it was because Ayatollah Khamenei – the person responsible for supplying the weapon that killed her son – is finally dead.

“She said, ‘When you speak to our President, Donald J. Trump, please thank him for me and my family.’ She is a Gold Star mother. She knows we have a President who remembers our fallen service members not only with words, but also with courageous action.

“Stories like Sergeant Pickett’s remind us of the cost of freedom. We owe a debt to our fallen heroes.

“We are about to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of America. Exactly one month from today, July 2, is the anniversary of when the Continental Congress officially voted to declare independence. The Declaration of Independence was adopted two days later on July 4. On that day, our nation was born.

“America’s central idea is the Declaration of Independence. It is the root of every American idea. This is a document that is instantly recognizable around the world. In many ways, it is a work of art. It is a masterpiece. It beautifully expresses what America stands for.

“We don’t read it enough. We should. The central sentence is that we are ‘endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ Unalienable. That single word sums up the heart of the American experiment. It means that We the People are the source of the power and We the People loan that power to the government.

“Our Founding Fathers also believed deeply in a Creator. God is mentioned four separate times in the Declaration of Independence. You cannot explain the majesty of America without the Supreme Being.

“The Declaration of Independence is an inspiration to every generation of American. The Declaration of Independence belongs to us. All of us.

“When we think of the Declaration of Independence, we think of freedom and Liberty. We often use the words freedom and liberty interchangeably. Their meanings are different. Freedom is the ability to think, speak, and act the way we want. Liberty refers to the rights and privileges granted and protected by our laws.

“Let us be worthy of our history, our heroes, and our heritage. Let us live out the Spirit of 1776. Let us carry on that spirit to the next generation. As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I remain optimistic that America’s best days are still ahead.”

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Bennet Statement on Judge’s Decision to Pause Removal of NCAR Supercomputing Center

Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction to prevent the ownership transfer of the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s (NCAR) Wyoming Supercomputing Center to a new operator:

“In a reckless and political attack, the Trump Administration has been trying to dismantle NCAR, the world’s premier institution for weather research. The work done at NCAR benefits all Americans, forming the backbone of weather forecasting, disaster preparedness, water planning, wildfire prevention, and aviation safety. I have fought these efforts every step of the way, blocking the Senate appropriations process to demand full funding for NCAR and working to defend the scientists and public servants whose work keeps our country safe and competitive.

“Today’s ruling is a critical step in the right direction for science, the hundreds of public servants at NCAR, public safety, and Colorado. The judge was clear: this was a politically motivated effort to undermine one of our nation’s most important scientific institutions, despite its central role in advancing weather forecasting, protecting communities, and fulfilling the National Science Foundation’s mission. I am glad to see the courts stand up to this President and his Administration, and I will continue fighting to protect this vital Colorado research center and defend the independence of American science.”

Bennet has consistently condemned the White House’s plans to dismantle NCAR since reports first surfaced. In March 2026, Bennet joined Senator John Hickenlooper and Representatives Joe Neguse and Jeff Hurd to lead 80 of their colleagues in submitting a public comment opposing proposed structural changes to NCAR in Boulder. In January 2026, he spoke on the Senate floor on the need to protect funding for NCAR. Bennet also offered an amendment with Senator Hickenlooper and Democratic Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) to maintain core NCAR funding. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans blocked the amendment, and the appropriations package passed without NCAR funding included. In December 2025, Bennet joined Senator Hickenlooper in holding up a Senate Appropriations Package to demand funding for NCAR.

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Blackburn, Graham Introduce Legislation to Incentivize Every State to Submit Voter Rolls to DHS

“It goes without saying that U.S. elections MUST be reserved for U.S. citizens, and Tennessee is ranked #1 in election integrity because we cleaned up our voter rolls and require voter ID,” said Senator Blackburn. “More than 80% of Americans want government officials at every level of government to eliminate all voter fraud, and they are fed up with Congress not taking action. I will not rest until we pass election integrity measures in any way possible, which is why I am introducing the Election Security Partnership Act to ensure every state is using the SAVE program and following Tennessee’s lead to restore faith in America’s elections.”

“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.”

BACKGROUND

The SAVE Program at DHS is an online intergovernmental service designed to help federal, state, and local government agencies determine citizenship and immigration status of individuals within their jurisdiction to help them ensure illegal aliens are removed from these lists.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, only 26 states already have, or are in the process of establishing, a memorandum of agreement for voter verification with SAVE.

The Election Security Partnership Act would provide increased grant funding to states that submit their voter registration lists to DHS for the purpose of identifying ineligible voter registrations and non-citizens. This legislation would also improve election administration, election technology, and election security.

Click here for bill text.

RELATED

VIDEO: Blackburn Asks Democrat Lawmakers Why They Fear SAVE America Act

Congress Must Pass the SAVE America Act to Secure Our Elections


Blumenthal & Pappas Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Claims Sharks Scamming Veterans

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, today introduced legislation to hold claims sharks and other predatory actors accountable for exploiting veterans’ and survivors’ earned benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The lawmakers’ Stopping Abuse, Fraud, and Exploitation by Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (SAFEGUARD) Veterans Act would clarify that only accredited individuals can assist veterans with VA benefit claims. And it would reinstate criminal penalties for unaccredited agents who charge veterans extortionate fees for assistance with VA disability claims—a service provided for free by VA and accredited nonprofits. While federal law prohibits this activity, predatory actors have used loopholes to avoid prosecution and federal agencies are limited in their ability to enforce the law without criminal penalties.

“Veterans need protection against claims sharks and other predatory scammers who are stealing millions in hard-earned benefits,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Our legislation will close loopholes and impose strict criminal penalties— deterring as well as punishing bad actors. There should be zero tolerance for exploitive tactics robbing veterans of funds they well deserve and need to live. I hope this measure will have bipartisan backing.”

“Veterans seeking to access their benefits should not face another battle to do so. Unaccredited, for-profit companies are scamming veterans of their earned benefits under the guise of helping them and they must be stopped,” said Congressman Pappas. “This legislation is about transparency for veterans so they know the resources and help available to them when they apply for benefits, and accountability for for-profit claim sharks that are breaking the law and exploiting legal loopholes to defraud them. I’m glad to be working with Senator Blumenthal, veterans, veterans’ service organizations, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this issue. I won’t stop fighting to reinstate criminal penalties on these illegal business practices and safeguard the benefits veterans have earned.”

Among its many provisions, the SAFEGUARD Veterans Act would:

Reestablish criminal penalties for unaccredited claims representatives scamming veterans;

Prohibit VA accreditation of any person found guilt of unauthorized solicitation, charging, or receiving compensation for assisting with VA benefit claims;

Close loopholes exploited by unaccredited actors to skirt federal prohibitions on unaccredited agents assisting veterans with VA benefit claims;

Prohibit the use of robocall technology to obtain VA claims information—targeting claim sharks who spam VA call centers to gain unauthorized access to veterans’ claims information;

Require VA to establish a system to track accredited agents and where veterans can report scammers; and

Increase warnings to veterans about claim sharks and other predatory practices of unaccredited agents.

The lawmakers’ legislation builds on bipartisan efforts to hold unaccredited entities accountable and a NPR investigation that revealed private companies continue to make millions by extorting veterans, despite knowing their actions are likely illegal. It also comes on the heels of a U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina summary judgement ruling that unaccredited companies are considered agents and are subject to the federal ban on charging veterans for assistance with preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for VA benefits. Some states have passed legislation authorizing the practice of charging for assistance with VA claims. The SAFEGUARD Veterans Act includes state laws preemption regarding recognition, fee agreements, or authority to charge for assistance with the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of VA benefit claims.

The SAFEGUARD Veterans Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NM), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The legislation is also supported by National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and The American Legion.

“NACVSO supports the SAFEGUARD Veterans Act of 2026 and its efforts to restore integrity within the VA claims process,” said NACVSO President Andrew Tangen. “VA-accredited representatives operate under federal oversight, training requirements, and ethical standards designed to protect veterans, while unaccredited claims agents have increasingly exploited enforcement gaps while profiting from veteran injuries and illnesses. This legislation takes bad profit incentives away from unscrupulous claims agents by restoring criminal penalties for unauthorized assistance, improving transparency, modernizing accreditation oversight, and increasing awareness of predatory practices. No veteran should ever have to pay for initial claim services and those who have illegally profited must be held accountable.”

“For too long, unaccredited claims consultants have exploited veterans and survivors by charging excessive, unlawful fees for assistance they are not authorized to provide. The SAFEGUARD Veterans Act restores accountability, strengthens protections for veterans navigating the VA claims process, and reinforces the critical role of accredited veterans service organizations, attorneys, and claims agents who are held to rigorous standards," said MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret). "MOAA applauds lawmakers for introducing this important legislation to preserve the integrity of the VA benefits system and ensure veterans are not targeted by predatory actors seeking to profit off of service-earned benefits.”

“DAV strongly supports the SAFEGUARD Veterans Act to help combat a serious and ongoing threat: unethical individuals who prey on veterans navigating the complex VA claims process and charge fees for help that should be free and accredited,” said DAV National Service Director Scott Hope. “By reinstating criminal penalties for unaccredited claims assistance, streamlining the accreditation process, and making public those who have been barred from VA accreditation, this bill puts teeth back into protections that veterans need, deserve, and have earned. Passage of this legislation would demonstrate our nation’s unwavering commitment to honor and protect all who have served because every veteran deserves strong, honest advocacy when seeking earned benefits—not opportunists seeking to profit.”

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Senator Blunt Rochester Releases Statement on Trump Naming FHFA Director Bill Pulte Acting DNI

Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, today released the following statement on President Trump naming Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence.

“President Trump’s decision to appoint Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence is not only unwise, it is an affront to the true experts far more qualified for the role. Pulte has absolutely no national security or intelligence experience, yet he has been entrusted with overseeing the agencies responsible for safeguarding our national security. This announcement further illustrates the Trump administration’s prioritization of loyalty over expertise.

“Bill Pulte’s FHFA devoted significant attention to pursuing the President’s political grievances rather than addressing the housing crisis facing American families. For Americans sake, let’s hope Mr. Pulte has more success in his new role than he has at addressing housing affordability.”


Ranking Member Blunt Rochester Highlights the Importance of the Blue Economy

“What I’m hoping to get out of today’s hearing is a bipartisan path forward to better support our coastal communities and improve our national and economic security.”

Click here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester’s Remarks

U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, today led her fellow Democrats at a hearing titled “The Blue Economy: Advancing American Fisheries, Maritime Strength, And Coastal Economies.” She discussed the Blue Economy’s importance to coastal communities, like Delaware, for driving local innovation and opportunity. Senator Blunt Rochester’s questions focused on the Trump administration’s attempts to lessen the maritime industry’s economic impact, including cuts to port infrastructure funding and efforts to undermine U.S. global competitiveness with a prolonged Jones Act waiver.

Senator Blunt Rochester’s full remarks and exchange can be found here.

Senator Blunt Rochester’s opening statement, as delivered, is below:

“Thank you, Chairman Sullivan, and thank you so much to our witnesses for being here. We look forward to your testimony. Delaware may be small, [Senator Sullivan] mentioned that you have millions of lakes, and our colleague from Minnesota has 1000s of lakes, we have 10s of lakes. We’re small, but we’re mighty, we are urban, suburban, rural, and coastal, and because of that, this conversation is particularly important to my state, as well as our country, because coastal communities like the ones that call Delaware home rely on the maritime or blue economy. My home state sits on the Atlantic Ocean between the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, putting us in a perfect location to drive innovation and opportunity in the blue economy, and we do.

“The University of Delaware, Delaware State University, and Delaware Technical Community College collaborate on groundbreaking maritime marine research, underwater robotics, and coastal infrastructure. Our growing aquaculture industry continues to create new jobs while providing healthy, sustainable sources of food. Thanks to funding from a port infrastructure development program grant, the Port of Wilmington is about to begin an historic expansion that will quadruple its capacity, and millions of visitors head to the first state each year to enjoy our pristine beaches, bays, and coastline.

“All told, Delaware’s coastal economy supports over 100,000 jobs, generates over $22 billion in economic output, and is growing over five times faster than the rest of our state. But this isn’t unique to my state. The blue economy is a huge driver of economic growth and job creation across the United States. NOAA estimates that the marine economy contributes over a half a trillion dollars in GDP annually.

“Unfortunately, the administration has stifled and, in some cases, refused to provide our coastal communities with the support they need to thrive. Proposed NOAA budget cuts of over $1 billion which will undercut the agency’s critical mission to support sustainable fisheries and give coastal communities the tools they need to thrive. The administration terminated or withdrew roughly $672 million in port infrastructure development grants meant to support the offshore wind industry, delaying critical investments in my state and the expansion of cheap and sustainable energy at a time when Americans need it most. They pushed an unprecedented Jones Act waiver that will further undermine American shipping competitiveness, while doing little to address the inflation and energy crisis Americans are experiencing.

“While this administration has correctly identified our vulnerability to Chinese-made port equipment, they imposed tariffs without any plan to support domestic industries and bring critical manufacturing jobs home. So, while I commend the administration for trying to set a vision to maintain economic competitiveness and ensure national security, the actions that I have seen miss the mark for our country and our needs right now. We can all agree we need to invest in and grow our maritime industrial base, and what I’m hoping to get out of today’s hearing is a bipartisan path forward to better support our coastal communities and improve our national and economic security. I look forward to the conversation, and I yield back.”


Booker, Marshall Urge CMS to Issue Clear Guidance on Allowable and Non-Allowable Foods for Medicare Advantage Nutrition Benefits

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Roger Marshall (R-KS), members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, sent a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz urging CMS to provide clearer guidance defining allowable and non-allowable foods under the Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) in Medicare Advantage (MA). Grocery cards in these health care plans are supposed to help patients purchase healthy foods, which are known to help treat chronic conditions. Instead, insurance companies have used the lack of specificity in CMS guidance to market generic grocery cards that do not improve patient health.

“Medicare Advantage plans are spending billions on ‘food is medicine’ grocery benefits, yet too often that money is buying soda, candy, and other junk food, driving the very illnesses they are supposed to cure. Taxpayer dollars should support health, not marketing gimmicks. It’s time to close this loophole and ensure these benefits provide truly nourishing food,” said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, Cardiologist and Director of the Food Is Medicine Institute, Tufts University.

“We write to encourage the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide further specific guidance defining allowable and non-allowable foods for purposes of Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) in Medicare Advantage (MA),” the Senators wrote.

“While some MA plans have restricted SSBCI benefits to healthy foods that prevent and reduce chronic illness, other MA plans have used SSBCI to provide generic grocery cards without any nutritional criteria, creating a patchwork of benefits that undermines evidence-based care,” the Senators continued.

The senators note that the current policy does not specify clear parameters for what constitutes non-healthy food, leaving determinations to each individual MA plan, and suggest that benefits be limited to foods that meet established federal standards, including the Food and Drug Administration’s “healthy” labeling criteria or the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program purchasing guidelines.

“We encourage CMS to build on its April 2025 action by issuing specific guidance on allowable and non-allowable foods for SSBCI,” the Senators concluded.

To read the full text of the letter, click here.

The Honorable Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Administrator

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

7500 Security Boulevard

Baltimore, MD 21244

Dear Administrator Oz,

We write to encourage the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide further specific guidance defining allowable and non-allowable foods for purposes of Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) in Medicare Advantage (MA).

Poor nutrition is a leading cause of preventable complications and healthcare utilization. Billions of dollars are spent annually on SSBCI which, if appropriately administered, could improve health and provide cost-efficient care in MA.

While some MA plans have restricted SSBI benefits to healthy foods that prevent and reduce chronic illness, other MA plans have used SSBCI to provide generic grocery cards without any nutritional criteria. One evaluation by an MA plan found that soda and junk food represented significant portions of items purchased using SSBCI, and that individuals with such purchasing had higher levels of illness and total costs of care.

The variance SSCBI implementation in MA creates a patchwork of benefits for patients and undermines evidence-based care, creating a need for oversight. To begin to address the lack of nutritional guidance for SSBCI, in April 2025, CMS appropriately clarified that non-healthy food--which is food that does not assist in meeting the nutritional needs of a chronically ill enrollee-- does not meet the statutory standard for SSBCI. We commend CMS for this critical first step to ensure that nutrition-related supplemental benefits are aligned with health improvement rather than plan enrollment and marketing incentives.

However, as CMS has acknowledged, the current policy does not specify parameters for what constitutes non-healthy food, leaving determinations at the whim of each MA plan. Some MA plans have used this lack of specificity as a loophole to not update their benefits at all, continuing to allow benefits to be used to purchase any grocery items. This goes against the April 2025 rule clarification and the intent of the policy.

Beneficiaries and plans require clearer, evidence-based guidance that ensures that SSBCI nutrition benefits meaningfully support the health of chronically ill enrollees. Importantly, such guidance is also needed to establish a level playing field among plans, so that plans with health-promoting nutritional criteria are not penalized in the market.

The most straightforward approaches to defining allowable foods in SSBCI would leverage existing federal standards. Plan benefits should be used to support purchases of food that meet one of these criteria:

· The Food and Drug Administration’s definition for use of a “healthy” food labeling claim, as finalized in Docket No. FDA-2016-D-2335.

· The purchasing standards for the WIC program.

These established standards emphasize minimally processed foods that improve health— fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and shellfish, plant oils, dairy, and lean proteins—while excluding categories linked to health harms, including sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, ultra-processed foods, and processed meats.

We encourage CMS to build on its April 2025 action by issuing specific guidance on allowable and non-allowable foods for SSBCI.

Thank you for your consideration. I welcome continued dialogue on how CMS can advance evidence-based nutrition policy and accountability within Medicare Advantage.


Boozman Among Lawmakers Pushing Restoration of Protect Life Rule

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined 158 of his colleagues in the U.S. House and Senate urging U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore the Protect Life Rule and ensure Title X Family Planning Program funding does not support abortion or abortion services.

“We ask you to correct the misguided actions of the previous administration and reimplement the Protect Life Rule to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to subsidize the abortion industry,” the lawmakers wrote to Kennedy.

The bicameral letter calls on HHS to rescind a Biden-era Title X rule and reinstate a policy implemented during President Trump’s first term that required complete physical and financial separation between federally funded family planning services and abortion-related activities. The pro-life members argued the Biden administration’s changes compromised the integrity of the Title X program and allowed abortion providers to receive taxpayer funding contrary to congressional intent.

The letter was led by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus, along with Representatives Ron Estes (R-KS) and Virginia Foxx (R-NC). In total, 41 senators and 118 members of the House of Representatives signed the letter, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).

The full letter is available here and below:

Dear Mr. Secretary,

We write to urge your administration to swiftly propose and finalize the "Compliance with Statutory Program Integrity Requirements" rule, commonly known as the "Protect Life Rule," to restore crucial safeguards to the Title X Family Planning Program. Created by Congress in 1970, Title X of the Public Health Service Act clearly intended to prohibit federal funds from being spent in programs where abortion is a method of family planning. We ask you to correct the misguided actions of the previous administration and reimplement the Protect Life Rule to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to subsidize the abortion industry.

During President Trump's first administration, the Protect Life Rule successfully fulfilled the spirit and letter of this decades-old law by firmly separating abortion from family planning. The rule appropriately eliminated the egregious abortion referral mandate, which protected the conscience rights of health care providers and increased the potential for diversity among program applicants. Furthermore, it stipulated that Title X projects had to be organized with complete physical and financial separation between a grantee's Title X activities and abortion activities. This much-needed reform ended the practice of "co-location," which had made federal funds vulnerable to misuse and implied that abortion was a method of family planning. The Protect Life Rule also implemented a stronger focus on protecting women and children from being victimized by abuse, rape, incest, and trafficking by bolstering oversight of grantee compliance with state abuse reporting requirements.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration's decision to suspend and revise the Protect Life Rule compromised the integrity of the Title X program. By mandating abortion referrals, the Biden rule effectively required grantees to encourage or promote abortion in order to receive funding, operating exactly opposite to the requirements of the Title X statute. This mandate also directly violated the Weldon Amendment, which makes it illegal for the federal government to discriminate against health care entities that do not refer for abortion. Furthermore, by permitting the "co-location" of abortion clinics and Title X clinics in the same facility, the revised rule provided funding to clinics that perform abortions, allowing them to reallocate financial resources to advance their abortion agenda at the taxpayer's expense. The Biden administration even punished the pro-life states of Oklahoma and Tennessee by stripping their lifesaving Title X funding. Even now, Oklahoma is still waiting for the approximately $9 million Title X funds that were stripped in 2023 and 2024.

History confirms that without the Protect Life Rule, Title X serves as a funding stream for the abortion industry. For example, between 2013 and 2015, Title X funds made up over $170 million of Planned Parenthood's expenditures. Restoring these critical reforms is not without precedent; regulations requiring the physical separation of abortion activities and prohibiting abortion referrals were promulgated under President Ronald Reagan in 1988 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 1991.

It is time to restore the bright line of separation between family planning and abortion that is consistent with the plain text of the statute and Congressional intent. We urge you to move swiftly to issue regulations for the Title X program that will protect federal taxpayer funds from being spent for Title X programs where abortion is a method of family planning.


Cantwell & Colleagues Urge Sec. Lutnick to Halt Implementation of Trump’s Illegal EO to Undermine Vote-by-Mail

Senators direct Dept. of Commerce to explain its involvement with USPS & elections, & to preserve documents for Congressional oversight

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), led 13 Senate Democrats in a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick opposing the Department’s involvement in President Donald Trump’s illegal Executive Order (EO) attacking vote-by-mail and interfering with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). They also demanded that the Commerce Department halt implementing the EO and preserve and prepare all records and documents related to Commerce’s involvement in its drafting and implementation for congressional oversight purposes.

The Senators’ letter to Lutnick follows his prominent public appearance in the Oval Office in March, when he briefed President Trump on the contents of the EO prior to the President’s signing of the order, which requires states to submit voter data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), orders the USPS to refuse to deliver lawful ballots unless states comply, and threatens penalties for election officials and mail carriers. In addition, today, USPS published the text of a proposed rule to implement the EO. Despite the Department of Commerce lacking any authority over USPS or elections, Section 4 of the EO states that DHS and USPS “shall coordinate with the Secretary of Commerce in effectuating all relevant aspects of the implementation of this order.”

“We were greatly alarmed by your central role in EO 14399, as evidenced by your presence and remarks at the White House when President Trump signed EO 14399,” the senators wrote. “Despite the Department having no authority over the USPS or role in administering federal elections, EO 14399 directs USPS and several federal agencies to ‘coordinate with the Secretary of Commerce in effectuating all relevant aspects of the implementation of this order.’ In addition, we are aware of nonpublic reports that you and your office had a key role in drafting and internally advancing this illegal and unconstitutional order. It is deeply disturbing for the Secretary of Commerce to attempt to illegally interfere with lawful mail ballots in states that do not cooperate with President Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to ‘take over the voting.”

The Senators also emphasized that tens of millions of Americans rely on USPS and vote-by-mail as a safe and trustworthy method to vote in federal and state elections. Nearly 1 in 3 American voters voted by mail in the 2024 general election cycle, and USPS securely delivered more than 99 million ballots to and from voters – including free mail delivery to rural and remote communities. The Senators flagged that Trump’s vote-by-mail EO would severely restrict the use of absentee and mail-in voting among American voters, and any actions from the Department of Commerce to implement the EO would be an unlawful attempt “to interfere with lawfully cast ballots in federal elections.” President Trump himself has voted by mail at least three times in recent elections, including in 2026.

“We demand that the Department follow the law and cease any effort to ‘coordinate’ or ‘implement’ this EO,” the senators continued. “We also formally request that you and all Department employees involved in the drafting, legal analysis, or other preparation or consideration of EO 14399, or any other assertion of Department control over the USPS, take immediate steps to preserve and retain all Department records and documents related to those topics. In addition, we request that the Department begin organizing these materials to facilitate Congressional oversight into the extent of the Secretary’s and Department’s involvement in this attempt to interfere with mail and absentee ballots in the 2026 general election.”

In their letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the Senators also noted that the Secretary failed to respond to a previous Senate letter pushing back against Trump’s plans to privatize USPS services and any efforts to move USPS functions to the Department of Commerce.

In addition to Sens. Cantwell, Padilla, and Luján, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

In the 2024 election, nearly 48 million people – almost a third of all voters – cast their ballots by mail. All states offer registered voters the opportunity to vote by mail in federal general elections and 12 states, including Washington – an early pioneer in expanding by-mail voting – conducted their 2024 elections entirely by mail. Washington state started vote-by-mail in 1983, adopted optional vote-by-mail in 2005, and enacted universal vote-by-mail in 2011.

READ MORE:

The Seattle Times: Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting may hurt his own supporters in WA

The Spokesman Review: SAVE America Act would require Washingtonians to mail photocopies of official IDs with ballot to vote

Sen. Cantwell has been a stalwart defender against overreach of the Trump administration into our elections:

On May 1, she joined 7 of her colleagues in demanding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) follow existing federal law rather than President Trump’s EO.

On April 23, she joined colleagues in introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to block President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots and protect the right to vote by mail.

On April 22, she sent a letter to the United States Postal Service warning the agency against complying with the executive order, which would undermine mail-in voting.

On April 1, after the executive order on mail-in voting was announced, she issued a statement in opposition.

On March 18, she convened a group of current and former elected officials and representatives of nonpartisan voter advocacy groups for a virtual press conference on defending voter access. Video of that entire virtual press conference is HERE; video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.

On March 15, she issued a snapshot report showing that the SAVE America Act – a voter suppression bill – would cost Washington state taxpayers more than $35 million this year alone.

On Feb. 24, Sen. Cantwell invited Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs as her guest to President Trump’s State of the Union address to draw attention to the issue.

On Feb. 20, she convened local leaders in Seattle for a press conference urging Washingtonians to fight back against these proposed new burdens to voting.

On Feb. 19, she gathered in Vancouver with the Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey and local chapter heads of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP for a press conference on how this bill would disenfranchise voters.

Also on Feb. 19, she released a snapshot report showing who in Washington would face undue hurdles to voting if the SAVE America Act were signed into law. The report shows that certain populations – including people who live in rural areas, women who changed their name after marriage, and people who recently moved – would face additional, cumbersome burdens to prove their citizenship.

On Feb. 5, she appeared on MSNOW’s Morning Joe to push back against the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to interfere in state-run elections and collect private data on American voters. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s appearance is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

On Jan. 29, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate colleagues in a letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. DOJ has sued 24 states – including Washington state – and the District of Columbia demanding the personal information of their voters.

On Jan. 15, she joined Senate colleagues in a letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns with recent developments affecting postmark practices. Right before the holiday season, USPS changed its postmark practices, which could have significant impacts on voters nationwide and in Washington state – including rural voters, military and overseas voters, and many others who rely on rely on the mail to safely and securely cast their ballot.

On Jan. 9, she joined 13 Senate colleagues in filing an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in Watson v. Republican National Committee, a significant case pending before the Court that affects voting by mail. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatens the election administration practices of states like Washington that permit the counting of mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted when they are received within a certain number of days after Election Day.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Lutnick:

We write to demand you follow the law and refrain from taking any action to coordinate or implement President Trump’s Executive Order 14399 (EO 14399) “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” issued on March 31, 2026. We also formally request that the Department of Commerce (Department) retain and preserve all records and documents related to EO 14399 and organize these materials in preparation for congressional oversight.

On April 21, 2025, 8 U.S. Senators contacted you with strong opposition to any action to bring the United States Postal Service (USPS) under the control of the Department and potentially privatize its services. Any attempt by the Department to seize control over USPS would be illegal, and there are many serious policy concerns as well. Political interference in USPS would harm Americans and businesses who rely on the USPS for services, including the tens of millions of citizens who vote by mail or absentee ballots in U.S. elections. To date, the Department has failed to respond to that letter.

We were greatly alarmed by your central role in EO 14399, as evidenced by your presence and remarks at the White House when President Trump signed EO 14399. Despite the Department having no authority over the USPS or role in administering federal elections, EO 14399 directs USPS and several federal agencies to “coordinate with the Secretary of Commerce in effectuating all relevant aspects of the implementation of this order.” In addition, we are aware of nonpublic reports that you and your office had a key role in drafting and internally advancing this illegal and unconstitutional order. It is deeply disturbing for the Secretary of Commerce to attempt to illegally interfere with lawful mail ballots in states that do not cooperate with President Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to “take over the voting.”

President Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to “ban” mail voting, and he signed EO 14399 in pursuit of that goal, despite the fact that nearly 1 in 3 American voters—roughly 48 million citizens—voted by mail in the 2024 general election. Vote-by-mail is safe, secure, and convenient, and it has been used successfully across the political spectrum over many election cycles. It is particularly popular in Florida, where President Trump himself recently voted by mail in a March 24, 2026, special election, casting a mail ballot for at least the third time in recent years.

For tens of millions of other American voters, however, EO 14399 would severely restrict their use of absentee and mail-in voting. It attempts to require the USPS to refuse to deliver mail-in or absentee ballots unless the recipient is on a new federally approved list, a directive without any basis in law or the Constitution. The process by which USPS and federal agencies “shall coordinate” with the Secretary of Commerce “in effectuating all relevant aspects of the implementation” of this EO has not been publicly explained, but the implications are grave for the future of free and fair elections. Given your past statements regarding USPS, the text of the order, your role at the EO signing, and reports about your involvement in drafting the order, there is a clear danger that you will abuse your position to try to interfere with lawful mail ballots in upcoming federal elections.

As a result, we demand that the Department follow the law and cease any effort to “coordinate” or “implement” this EO. We also formally request that you and all Department employees involved in the drafting, legal analysis, or other preparation or consideration of EO 14399, or any other assertion of Department control over the USPS, take immediate steps to preserve and retain all Department records and documents related to those topics. In addition, we request that the Department begin organizing these materials to facilitate Congressional oversight into the extent of the Secretary’s and Department’s involvement in this attempt to interfere with mail and absentee ballots in the 2026 general election.

To better understand the extent of the Department’s involvement in this EO, we request an initial response to this letter no later than June 15, 2026. That response should confirm that the Department will adhere to the record preservation request and has begun to organize the relevant materials in anticipation of future requests. To better inform future requests, the initial response should include:

A full explanation of the extent of the Secretary’s and the Department’s involvement in drafting and implementation of EO 14399;

A full explanation of the Department of Commerce’s legal authority to “coordinate” USPS and federal agency implementation of EO 14399;

A list of the Department of Commerce political appointees involved in the consideration, drafting, and implementation of the EO 14399;

A list of all steps that the Department has taken to implement EO 14399 to date, including any meetings or communications between the Secretary or other Department political appointees with USPS or federal agencies regarding implementation of EO 14399.

We urge you to be mindful that no EO can grant the Secretary of Commerce any authority to “coordinate” the “implementation” of an illegal and unconstitutional attempt to interfere with lawfully cast ballots in federal elections. You and the Department are also bound by the Federal Records Act and other federal records laws, which require notification of violations and carry potential criminal penalties for violations involving the willful removal or destruction of documents. We look forward to your response no later than June 15, 2026.

Sincerely,


Cantwell Blasts Trump’s Suspension of the Jones Act

American shipbuilding industry dealing with “a tremendous amount of uncertainty”; Trump admin issued a temporary waiver of the Jones Act under the guise of lowering gas prices; reporting shows the move has had very little impact on increasing gas prices

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the committee, emphasized the need for the United States to support American maritime workers and shipbuilders, especially as the Trump Administration’s waiver of the Jones Act threatens to further destabilize the industry.

During a hearing Q&A with Clay Heil, vice president of government relations for Crowley Maritime Corporation, Sen. Cantwell asked about the impact of a potential extension of the waiver.

“We have a temporary waiver on the Jones Act, which creates a little more uncertainty,” Sen. Cantwell said. “So I wanted to know specifically from you, Mr. Heil — if the waiver is extended again, what would that mean for investments in shipyards and workforce development? Does it create uncertainty? How should we communicate about this?”

Heil responded: “The current waiver has created a tremendous amount of uncertainty— now 150 days — which is unprecedented. An unprecedented amount of time. To be extended again would be another signal to the investment community and to companies like ours and to mariners that the Jones Act is unstable, and investment will flee. Our U.S. mariners will wonder will they have jobs.

“This budget request for FY27 includes a large investment in the Merchant Marine Academy, which is sorely needed,” Heil continued. “But without the Jones Act, we don't need a Merchant Marine Academy, frankly. It's hard to see why that investment would be moving forward. The Jones Act supports the jobs from the Merchant Marine Academy — those go into our commercial mariners, into the U.S. military. They're critical, and the Jones Act is the foundation for all of that. So when you talk about an extended waiver, it would be extremely damaging to every part of the U.S. maritime industry.”

Sen. Cantwell: “Well, we certainly don't want that. We certainly want a very strong Jones Act, and we certainly want a strong shipbuilding [industry].

Video of their exchange is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

Originally established in 1920, the Jones Act requires that all shipping vessels delivering goods between U.S. ports be built, owned, flagged, and crewed by Americans. Earlier this year, the Trump administration issued a waiver on the Jones Act in a largely ineffective attempt to curb the oil prices that continue to rise as a result of his conflict in Iran. Sen. Cantwell pressed that building America's maritime industrial base requires long-term certainty for shipyards, vessel operators, and maritime workers. Sen. Cantwell warned that the Administration's unprecedented Jones Act waiver is creating market uncertainty at the very moment Congress and industry are working to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity.

The Jones Act supports approximately 650,000 American jobs and contributes more than $150 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The U.S. maritime industry includes nearly 40,000 vessels, 300+ shipyards, and tens of thousands of mariners. Witnesses testified that shipyards and vessel operators make investment decisions on 20- to 30-year timelines, requiring stable federal policy. America cannot rebuild its shipyards with one hand while weakening the laws that support American-built, American-crewed, and American-flagged vessels with the other.

Sen. Cantwell is a stalwart supporter of the Jones Act and of the American shipbuilding industry. Last year, she invited Tuuli Snow, of Ballard, WA-based shipbuilder Snow & Company, for a committee hearing focused on revitalization of our nation’s commercial shipbuilding industry. In 2023, Sen. Cantwell successfully negotiated a 50% increase in the Maritime Administration Small Shipyard Grant Program, which was passed in the National Defense Authorization Act.

In Washington state, the maritime sector supports 174,000 jobs through maritime logistics, shipping, shipbuilding, seafood, maritime transportation, and associated trades. In total, the sector supports $45 billion of economic revenue.

The U.S. is significantly lagging in shipbuilding capacity. In 2022, China had 1,794 commercial ocean-going ships under construction, South Korea had 734, Japan had 587, Europe had 319, and the U.S. had only five. China, South Korea, and Japan construct more than 90 percent of the world’s shipping tonnage; the U.S. builds only about 0.2 percent.

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Willapa Harbor Hospital Receives $1M USDA Grant To Upgrade Imaging Equipment at Rural Medical Clinic

Sen. Cantwell & Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez secured federal funds for new state-of-the-art CT scanner, bone density testing, and x-ray facilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03) announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding $1,015,00 to Pacific County Public Hospital District 2 to help Willapa Harbor Hospital’s Willapa Medical Clinic replace its imaging technology with new state-of-the-art equipment.

“This funding is a big win for Willapa Harbor, and for families across Southwest Washington. It will bring new advanced imaging technology to a high-need rural community, improving diagnostics and saving lives. This investment is especially critical in an area where more than a quarter of residents are over 65. We must continue to make sustained investments in rural health infrastructure so patients can access high-quality care, no matter where they live,” Sen. Cantwell said.

“Rebuilding our national health starts with making family doctors more accessible, especially in rural communities,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “The facilities at Willapa Harbor Hospital were built more than 70 years ago and this investment in imaging technology offers lifesaving services to residents who shouldn't have to drive many hours for critical care.”

The funding was secured through a Congressionally Directed Spending request supported by both Sen. Cantwell and Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez.

Willapa Harbor Hospital is replacing its entire health care facility, including outpatient, inpatient, emergency care, and imaging, laboratory, pharmacy, and other diagnostic and treatment services. The grant announced today will help Willapa Medical Clinic, a designated rural health clinic, upgrade its critical diagnostic equipment. The upgrades will include:


Cassidy, Warnock Announce June 11 as National Seersucker Day

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced a resolution designating Thursday, June 11th as National Seersucker Day.

“Seersucker is a New Orleans invention, a Senate tradition, and brings a welcome moment of unity to Washington every year,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I look forward to seeing colleagues from both parties join in again this year.”

“Seersucker is interwoven in the style and tradition of the South,” said Senator Warnock. “I’m proud to continue this storied bipartisan Senate tradition of Georgia cotton, Southern charm and fashion alongside Senator Cassidy.”

Seersucker suits were popularized by New Orleans businessman Joseph Haspel in the early 1900s as an answer to the summer heat. Former U.S. Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) brought Seersucker Thursday to Congress in 1996. After the tradition went unobserved in 2012 and 2013, Cassidy revived it and has continued the tradition in the Senate.

Cassidy invites Americans across the country to wear seersucker in celebration of National Seersucker Day. All senators are invited for an official photograph at the Ohio Clock in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, June 11, at 12:30 p.m. ET.

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Senator Collins’ Statement on the Accelerated Delivery of Bath-Built Future USS Patrick Gallagher

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the U.S. Navy’s acceptance of the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127) from Bath Iron Works more than two months ahead of schedule following exceptional sea trials.

“The accelerated delivery of the future USS Patrick Gallagher, made possible by its impressive performance during sea trials, is a testament to the extraordinary skill, dedication, and work ethic of the men and women at Bath Iron Works. This achievement will help get this new ship to our sailors sooner and strengthen our Navy at a critical time. Maine shipbuilders continue to prove that they are second to none because, as we know, ‘Bath built is best built.’”

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The ship is the final Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and is named in honor of Marine Corps Corporal Patrick Gallagher, who received the Navy Cross for his heroism during the Vietnam War.

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Senators Collins, Reed Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Job Corps, U.S. Shipbuilding Workforce Pipeline

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over the next decade, the maritime industrial base will need an estimated 100,000 skilled workers to build the high-tech ships and submarines our nation requires. To address this challenge and revitalize the nation’s defense and maritime industrial bases, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Jack Reed (D-RI) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in introducing the Job Corps Shipbuilding-Defense Industrial Base Pipeline Act to expand workforce training opportunities for American workers. A companion bill was introduced in the House by Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT-02).

The Job Corps Shipbuilding-Defense Industrial Base Pipeline Act would harness the collaboration between the armed services, defense industrial base, and Job Corps and registered apprenticeship programs (RAP) to prepare young workers to contribute to our national defense. It would extend eligibility for the Navy Shipbuilding Workforce Development Special Incentive program to Job Corps and RAPs and would help fund training by making Job Corps centers eligible for grants from the Department of Defense and other sources.

“The Job Corps program has a proven track record of helping young people gain the skills they need to succeed, including in critical trades that support Maine’s shipbuilding workforce at Bath Iron Works,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would strengthen partnerships between Job Corps and our defense sector, giving centers like the Penobscot and Loring Job Corps Centers greater flexibility to align training with workforce needs and prepare students for good-paying careers that are vital to our national security.”

“The Job Corps Shipbuilding-Defense Industrial Base Pipeline Act is a smart investment in our workforce, our communities, our national defense, and our future prosperity,” said Senator Reed. “Our national security will be strengthened by providing more skilled workers to address critical defense sector needs; young people will get life-changing career opportunities that will put them on a path to economic security and personal success; and the taxpayer will benefit from greater government efficiency in leveraging existing programs to address pressing national priorities. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this important legislation.”

Job Corps and RAPs have a proven track record of preparing young Americans for good-paying careers and offering Americans in their late teens and early twenties job-training, housing, health care, and a path to independence. In order to help these programs more effectively expand their services, this bill would provide Job Corps centers with the flexibility to make staffing and professional development decisions, enter into agreements with local partners, and engage stakeholders, while acting within existing budgets.

Additionally, the Job Corps Shipbuilding-Defense Industrial Base Pipeline Act would provide new avenues for participation in Job Corps and RAPs. The bill would require the Secretary of Defense to ensure military recruits who are ineligible for enlistment be made aware of opportunities to enroll in the Job Corps and registered apprenticeship programs to prepare them for enlistment or to learn skills that are in high demand in the defense industrial base. It would also streamline Job Corps’ enrollment for interested servicemembers in pre-separation counseling.

Since 1964, the federal Job Corps program has provided free vocational and career-training for underserved youth to help produce skilled workers for the nation’s economy. Job Corps has served more than three million low-income youth and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who face barriers to education and employment.

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Cornyn, Kaine Introduce Bill to Reduce Regulatory Burdens on American Farms

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced the Farm Credit Adjustment Act, which would extend the Farm Credit Administration’s (FCA) audit schedule for low-risk institutions from every 18 months to every 24 months. This extension would reduce regulatory burdens and costs for farm credit institutions and ensure they have the bandwidth to deliver for the hundreds of thousands of farmers, agribusinesses, and rural operations they serve.

“Farmers are the backbone of our country, and it’s imperative that their operations are not held up by burdensome or arbitrary federal regulations,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m proud to introduce the Farm Credit Adjustment Act, which would extend the Farm Credit Administration’s schedule for auditing low-risk institutions and ensure the agriculture community can continue producing the food, fuel, and fiber that Americans rely on.”

“Agriculture is Virginia’s largest private industry—making farms and our farmers an indispensable pillar of our economy,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m glad to be introducing this bipartisan legislation to cut red tape that can hold farm credit institutions back from providing the support farms across the country need to thrive. I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan bill.”

Background:

The Farm Credit Act of 1971 currently requires the FCA to examine all Farm Credit System institutions on a mandatory 18–month cycle. The regulatory burdens and costs associated with these audits negatively impact the ability of low-risk farm credit institutions to provide timely service. These audits often fall at the end of the calendar year when producers rely on their local farm credit institutions to help support their spring planting operations.

This bill would amend that requirement by giving the FCA the discretionary authority to extend the examination cycle to up to 24 months for institutions it deems low risk. Rather than mandating this extended timeline, the change is entirely at the FCA’s discretion, meaning the agency retains full flexibility to examine any institution more frequently if circumstances warrant.

Rep. Vindman (VA-07) and Rep. Fallon (TX-04) are leading the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.


BREAKING: Cortez Masto Bills to Promote Geothermal Energy Pass House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. – Today, two bills led by U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) to promote geothermal energy passed the House of Representatives. The Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms (STEAM) Act and the Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act were among various geothermal bills included in H.R. 5631, the Geothermal Energy Advancement Act.

“To meet the energy demands of the future, our country needs to seriously invest in an all-of-the-above approach to energy generation that includes geothermal,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Geothermal energy will help lower energy costs and power our future. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to make sure these bills pass on the Floor of the Senate and make it to the President’s desk.”

The STEAM Act is led by Cortez Masto and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in the Senate and by Representatives Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03) and Celeste Maloy (R-Utah-02) in the House. This bill would expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas, as is the case for oil and gas development projects, allowing certain projects to bypass cumbersome, repetitive environmental impact studies.

The Geothermal Ombudsman for National Deployment and Optimal Reviews Act, led by Cortez Masto and Senator James Risch (R-Idaho) in the Senate and Representatives Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.-03) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03) in the House, would streamline geothermal permitting on federal land by directing the Secretary of the Interior to appoint a geothermal ombudsman to lead a new Geothermal Permitting Task Force. The ombudsman would work with different Bureau of Land Management field offices and state offices to coordinate geothermal permitting and find solutions to geothermal permitting issues.

Read the full geothermal bill package here.

Senator Cortez Masto is a champion of Nevada’s renewable energy industry, including geothermal. She recently introduced the bipartisan Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act, a roadmap for America’s research, development, and demonstration of next-generation geothermal systems. The Senator has met with leaders at Ormat Technologies in Northern Nevada to discuss her work in the geothermal space. Last Congress, Cortez Masto supported the Manchin-Barrasso permitting reform package that would have accelerated geothermal projects across Nevada.

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Cortez Masto Statement on International Trade Commission Nominee

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Bart Thanhauser to the International Trade Commission. Thanhauser served as a Brookings Legis Congressional Fellow from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in her office in 2025.

“Bart is an experienced, thoughtful, and knowledgeable public servant. During his time in my office, he worked for the people of Nevada with admirable dedication and was a valuable advisor to me on trade issues ranging from critical minerals to agriculture,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “He is well-qualified to serve on the International Trade Commission, and I look forward to voting to confirm him.”

The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) is an independent, bipartisan entity that investigates issues relating to global trade and administers trade remedy laws. Six commissioners serve on the ITC, and no more than three of them may belong to a single political party. Senator Cortez Masto also supports President Trump’s other Democratic nominee to the ITC, Samuel Negatu.

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Curtis Calls for Countering PRC Influence, Strengthening Support for Taiwan

The two discussed the State Department’s proposed $245 million Countering PRC Influence Fund and highlighted bipartisan legislation Curtis introduced with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to dedicate a portion of those resources specifically toward strengthening Taiwan’s position and countering Chinese influence in the region. Read more about the legislation here.

The Senator also underscored the importance of language proficiency among American diplomats, particularly regarding Uyghur language training. Referencing provisions from the Uyghur Policy Act, Curtis stressed that Foreign Service Officers serving in Asia and China should have the language skills necessary to communicate directly with affected populations and better understand ongoing human rights abuses against Uyghurs.

Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to expanding language training capabilities and recruiting Foreign Service Officers with existing foreign language proficiency, noting the strategic importance of specialized languages such as Uyghur.

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

Senator Curtis: Mr. Secretary, thank you for being here. I’m always truly impressed with your ability to navigate around the globe so articulately and explain the positions.

Like you previously, I chair the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. One of the focuses that I’ve had is on Taiwan and Taiwan’s relationship in the Western Hemisphere.

We actually had our first Subcommittee hearing on Taiwan’s allies in the Western Hemisphere. And as you well know, Honduras switched diplomatic recognition away from Taiwan in 2023, in exchange for a lot of promises from China. No surprise—those promises have not been fulfilled. Their current president, during his campaign, talked about returning to Taiwan and restoring that relationship with Taiwan.

In your budget, you have $245 million for the Countering PRC Influence Fund. And I’d like to note, Senator Van Hollen and I have a bill that would actually carve off a portion of that specifically for Taiwan and countering the PRC influence there. So, I guess my question is, what can the U.S. do with the Countering PRC Influence Fund for Taiwan, particularly as it relates to Honduras kickstarting that relationship, developing a joint set of economic priorities for Taiwan in the Western Hemisphere? Anything else we can use that fund for?

The Honorable Marco Rubio: Yeah, well, first of all, the reason why these countries would switch recognition, primarily, was because the Chinese would go in and they would say, “If you switch recognition, we are going to provide you this loan—and in some cases worse than loans, maybe there were even cases of bribery and things of this nature—but we’re going to provide you, you know, free this and free that. We’re going to build an auditorium for you. We’re going to build a bridge. We’re going to build a port.”

And they haven’t kept many of those promises. So, I think the first thing is to just point to the fact that in many cases, these things are not provided.

The other angle is, if it’s loans, they create these debt traps, which is an argument we make all over the world, particularly in the Hemisphere.

But the broader goal of this fund is not just simply Taiwan-related, although that’s an action they took as a result of this leverage that was established on them.

But more broader, in many cases, these countries are trying to develop their telecommunication system. They’re trying to build roads, they’re trying to develop whatever it may be. And frankly, the only companies that show up are the Chinese companies, and they show up with lower cost, a financing mechanism, etc.

Now, there’s a track record of not completing these projects. There’s a track record of flooding the country with Chinese workers that come and do the work. So, I think part of this fund is designed to create alternatives to that, to give these countries alternatives to the Chinese or other foreign malign influence that might be occurring in their country.

Part of that is attracting U.S. commercial ventures to do it. But part of it is providing the resources so these countries can go out and do this without being subject to or vulnerable to this sort of leverage tactic that’s used against them.

Curtis: Thank you. Let me switch to China for just a minute. Your budget notes the merging of the Foreign Service Institute, where a lot of the state language training takes place, with the Human Resource Bureau, and hoping that can improve the language capacity.

But here in the Senate, I’ve picked up the Uyghur Policy Act, which you led when you were here. Part of the bill that I’m especially supportive of is the provision that’s supporting the Uyghur language training for Foreign Service Officers is not only important but required, and that we have Foreign Service Officers in Asia and China that can speak that language.

I think it’s absolutely vital that our diplomats be able to understand the people in their own language as to the abuses that are going on there. Given your previous experience on this bill and the Department’s focus on the CCP’s repression, do you still support this provision and can you just speak to how important this is?

Rubio: Yeah, well, I think—obviously—the Uyghur language is not a widespread language around the world, but it’s incredibly valuable in an important part of the world. So, I think we want to see a language proficiency that’s generally been a challenge writ large over a period of time. One of the goals of the consolidation is to be able to drive language school more effectively and more quickly to Foreign Service Officers before they’re deployed.

Obviously, proficiency in certain languages are very difficult. Some languages are harder to learn than others, especially if the base of the language is, you know, like just to give an example, it’s easy to learn Italian if you speak Spanish; it’s much harder to learn Mandarin or the Uyghur language for that matter. So, language is a priority for us. By the way, in our recruitment tools, is one of the things we also look for is whether potential candidates already bring an existing second or third language, which is a huge benefit.

Curtis: Yes. Very quickly, you want to clarify, the President had a Tweet about speaking with Hezbollah yesterday. Do you want to clarify for people what happened?

Rubio: Well, we received communications via the Lebanese government and the speaker over there on behalf of Hezbollah as early as Sunday about that they would restrain from attacking Israeli territory if Israel did not take strikes, new strikes in Beirut. And so it came from Hezbollah, but through Lebanese authorities.


Daines on Fox Business: The Iranian Regime Won’t Win a Stare-Down With President Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined Stuart Varney on Fox Business to discuss the latest on the Iran war.

Watch the full interview HERE.

Daines on President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s leadership:

Well, first of all, one of the best decisions President Trump made was to appoint Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. I think he’s one of the best secretaries we’ve had in our nation’s history. And Marco Rubio is not afraid to wade in to solve some of the toughest problems the world faces. And certainly, what’s happening right now in Iran is one of those. President Trump and Marco Rubio are working to end a 47-year war that Iran has waged against the United States and the Western world. Let’s not forget the primary destabilizing forces surrounding Israel and affecting the West are Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, all funded by this Iranian regime. Iran sends Hezbollah a billion dollars a year, Hamas, over $100 million a year. The Houthis, millions of dollars a year. And they are all proxies of this Iranian regime. Imagine a world, Stuart, we could wake up to where the regime has changed in Iran because the people of Iran rise up and change it. An Iran that seeks peace, that wants to sign the Abraham Accords… It would be an absolute game changer for the Middle East. And I’m proud of President Trump. I think it’s a lot of people who are working hard to solve perhaps one of the toughest problems we face on the planet.

Daines on the Iranian regime:

Well, the Iranians aren’t winning. We are winning at the moment. But I would agree with the General in that they want to buy time. There’s only one thing the Iranian regime respects, and that is strength. It is peace through strength. This is why you don’t want to stare down President Trump and America because you’re going to lose that stare down. And it’s because of the incredible operation we’ve already accomplished with our U.S. military that’s brought Iran to the negotiating table. But we need to finish the job. We need to get this done.

Daines on the end of the war:

It would be opening the Strait of Hormuz and a complete surrender by this regime. That would finish the job…

…That’s something President Trump and Secretary Rubio are working on hard. They both want to see this finished as quickly as possible. So do the American people. We want to see this job finished as quickly as possible. I know he’s working virtually 24-7 to solve perhaps one of the toughest problems on the planet.

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Daines to Rubio in Senate Foreign Relations Hearing: End Outdated Jackson-Vanik Restrictions, Unlock Strategic Access to Central Asia

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing where he discussed delivering economic prosperity through the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) framework agreement and removing the Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions.

Watch the full exchange HERE.

Daines on peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan:

Daines: One of the underreported successes for your diplomacy in this administration is what’s happened to the peace agreement, a landmark agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I know, Mr. Secretary, you just were in the region most recently. A major step forward for a region long beset by conflict, nearly 40 years of a hot war. And through your leadership and President Trump’s leadership, you’ve brought true peace to an area of the world sandwiched in between Russia and Iran. It was creative thinking that led the establishment of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity as a solution to some of the stickier issues in that negotiation. The program promises to be a boon, not only for Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also many neighboring countries. As Brzezinski once said, “Talk on the Global Chessboard,” his book, that Central Asia is the wine bottle and Azerbaijan’s the cork. You uncork the wine bottle, suddenly you’ve got oil and gas and critical minerals flowing back towards the West instead of to Russia, to China, and to Iran. Mr. Secretary, can you tell us a little bit about how you plan to implement the TRIPP framework agreements and deliver major economic benefit to both the United States in a very historically troubled region?

Rubio: It really has the opportunity to revolutionize Armenia’s strategic location and become a central hub for trade in the region. It solves the issue of access that Azerbaijan cared about, and it was an irritant in their relationship. But it does much more than that. It has the ability to transform the Armenian economy in a very powerful way.

Daines: It’s remarkable, and we were there together, in fact, last August at the White House when President Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Pashinyan in Armenia, came to sign that agreement with President Trump’s leadership. To think a Shiite Muslim country, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, one of the oldest Christian countries in the world, came together to sign a peace agreement, was truly a breakthrough. And so it’s an underreported story, in my opinion, Mr. Secretary. I think we need to get the story out. This is a critical geopolitical problem that has been definitely remedied by the leadership of this.

Daines on ending the outdated Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions:

Daines: I’ve been spending a lot of time over the past few years working with our friends in Central Asia, across the Caspian there, with the five Central Asian countries. Things are progressing well, thanks to your engagement and encouragement and President Trump’s. And we’re seeing a lot of fruit from last year’s C5 plus one summit that was right here in Washington. That being said… there is still a major hurdle to strengthen our ties. One of the key irritants to our friends in Azerbaijan and in Central Asia is the infamous Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions. These are Soviet-era relic restrictions. In fact, Senator Murphy and I are the co-leads on the repeal. It’s long past due that we get this changed. Mr. Secretary, is removing these restrictions a priority for you and your department and removing them have a significant impact on our relations with Central Asia?

Rubio: Yeah, it’s a detriment. We’d like to see it removed.

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Duckworth Grills Secretary Rubio on State Department Cuts That Undermine Diplomacy and Make Americans Less Safe

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) grilled U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Donald Trump’s Congressional budget request that once again proposes deep cuts to the State Department that would gut our diplomatic capacity and ultimately make Americans less safe. At today’s U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) hearing, Duckworth warned against wasting taxpayer dollars on a war of choice while further promoting the Trump Administration’s disturbing pattern of using military force as a first resort, which has endangered our servicemembers in the Middle East, tanked America’s economy and increased the risk that our adversaries will jump to use force first, too. Duckworth’s full exchange with Secretary Rubio can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.

“Time and again, this Administration insists on using military force as a first resort instead of a last resort, no matter the deadly costs or self-defeating impacts,” said Duckworth. “And now, Secretary Rubio wants to make even more budget cuts to our State Department and further undermine our diplomatic apparatus—the tools and professionals that are critical for not only preventing crises before they begin, but those who will be responsible for negotiating our way out of Trump’s war of choice against Iran, and whatever nightmare he dreams up next.”

Secretary Rubio’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY2027) Congressional Budget Request cuts the State Department by a whopping 33 percent after he previously tried to enact steep cuts and eliminations last year, many of which were already rebuked by Congress on a bipartisan basis. Duckworth noted that the Trump Administration has spent more on Trump’s illegal war against Iran than Secretary Rubio is requesting in his entire budget request. This week, the costs of President Trump’s illegal war of choice against Iran are likely to balloon past $35 billion dollars—by the rate from the Department of Defense’s (DoD) own May calculations—and surpass Secretary Rubio’s FY2027 budget request of $35.1 billion for the State Department and related programs.

Last week, Duckworth underscored the importance of prioritizing diplomatic engagement—as well as crisis management that doesn’t solely rely on the military—on her official Congressional delegation (CODEL) to the Philippines and Singapore. In her conversations, Duckworth highlighted the need for her new bipartisan bills—the South China Sea Strategy Act and the Strategy for Crisis Management Act—that would help ensure the State Department prioritizes diplomatic engagement and improve the DoD’s management of tensions in the region before they grow into full-blown crises that would require military action.

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Duckworth, Durbin Statement Calling for the Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros to Resign

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros:

“Andrew Boutros’s time as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois has been riddled with chaos, deep internal dysfunction, and alleged misconduct. He must resign, and there must be an open, transparent, and nonpartisan search to nominate the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.”

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Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $69 Million In Health Care Grants For Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $69,081,227 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to Illinois institutions. About $67.7 million of this funding was awarded through the Health Resources & Services Administration’s (HRSA) Health Center Program (H80), which offers federal funding for health centers that treat medically underserved communities. The other $1.4 million in grant funding will go toward supporting rural health care programs, addiction treatment, and community-based dental programs.

“Illinoisans deserve to have quality, accessible health care. These grants are bringing much needed resources to the community health centers, counties, and non-profits that are providing their patients with the treatments and preventative care they need,” Durbin said.

“Investing in our world-renowned medical institutions and research facilities is critical in helping ensure high quality health care for all Illinoisans,” Duckworth said. “I will keep working with Senator Durbin to make sure our health organizations have the federal support they need to continue key research while advancing medical treatments for patients and families across Illinois.”

Recipients of H80 grants include:

Asian Human Services Family Health Center: $1,715,447

Whiteside County: $1,045,348

Inner City Muslim Action Network: $649,283

Hamdard Center for Health & Human Services: $905,932

Heartland Community Health Clinic: $1,825,640

University of Illinois: $2,260,945

Friend Family Health Center, Inc.: $2,828,061

Alivio Medical Center, Inc.: $2,188,237

Henderson County Rural Health Center, Inc.: $769,678

Community Health Partnership of Illinois: $2,565,875

Heartland International Health Centers: $2,530,815

Christopher Greater Area Rural Health Planning Corporation: $2,030,016

Access Community Health Network: $7,773,727

Greater Family Health: $3,304,816

Lake County: $2,487,003

Rural Health Inc.: $1,650,622

Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation, Inc.: $7,996,167

Erie Family Health Center, Inc.: $4,451,090

Near North Health Service Corporation: $3,929,201

Crusaders Central Clinic Association: $3,608,361

Christian Community Health Center: $1,530,636

Will County Community Health Center: $1,153,424

VNA Health Care: $3,617,616

Primecare Community Health, Inc.: $1,988,966

Shawnee Health Service and Development Corporation: $2,877,184

The following Illinois health care centers also received HHS grants:

Southern Illinois University (Addiction Medicine Fellowship): $319,627

Wabash General Hospital District (Rural Health Development Program): $300,000

University of Illinois (Community Based Dental Partnership Program): $277,510

Henderson County Rural Health Center, Inc. (Rural Health Network Development Planning Program): $100,000

University of Illinois (Primary Care Training and Enhancement Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary): $400,000

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Durbin, Duckworth Statement Calling For The Interim U.S. Attorney For The Northern District Of Illinois Andrew Boutros To Resign

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement on Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros:

“Andrew Boutros’s time as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois has been riddled with chaos, deep internal dysfunction, and alleged misconduct. He must resign, and there must be an open, transparent, and nonpartisan search to nominate the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.”

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Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Fairfield Dental Clinic

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: Fairfield Dental Clinic of Jefferson County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

“For nearly 40 years, Fairfield Dental Clinic has represented the professionalism, community spirit, and dedication that keep Iowa’s small business community smiling,” said Chair Ernst. “Dr. Jones, Dr. Holt, and their team have built a trusted practice rooted in quality care, local engagement, and a strong commitment to serving families across Jefferson County.”

Co-owned by Dr. Pat Jones and Dr. Matt Holt, Fairfield Dental Clinic serves the Fairfield community through a patient-centered approach focused on cosmetic and preventative dentistry and oral surgery. Dr. Jones joined the practice as co-owner in 2015, while Dr. Holt became co-owner in 2022 after previously serving patients in the community since 2013. Today, the clinic employs seven staff members while continuing to invest in renovations, updated technology, and improvements to better serve patients throughout southeast Iowa.

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

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Gallego Introduces Legislation to Crack Down on Billionaire Tax Loophole

Legislation would close the ‘borrow’ aspect of the ‘buy, borrow, die’ tax loophole used by the ultra-wealthy to avoid paying capital gains or income tax

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced the Redistribution Of Billions by Instituting New High-income Obligations on Overlooked Debt (ROBINHOOD) Act to close the ‘borrow’ aspect of the ‘buy, borrow, die’ tax loophole that is used by the ultra-wealthy to finance extravagant spending without paying income or capital gains taxes.

“Working and middle-class Americans are paying their fair share – they do it with every paycheck. But the billionaires in this country? They’re using legal loopholes and tricky accounting to finance private jets and yachts while most Americans struggle to afford healthcare and groceries,” said Senator Gallego. “My legislation closes a critical loophole and brings us closer to billionaires finally paying their fair share.”

Punchbowl News: Gallego targets ‘buy, borrow, die’ tax maneuver

The ‘buy, borrow, die’ tax loophole has three stages:

Buy: A wealthy individual buys, or is given as part of their compensation package, assets, such as stocks. This allows them to store and grow their wealth without paying taxes since the gains from these assets are considered unrealized.

Borrow: The individual then borrows tax-free cash loans, often backed by those assets, to finance their extravagant lifestyles. All the while, their assets continue to gain value.

Die: Finally, when they die, their assets are gifted to their heirs on a stepped-up basis, meaning their heirs can sell the assets without paying taxes on the capital gains accumulated during the individual’s life.

The ROBINHOOD Act closes this loophole by treating taking out a loan as a realization event, meaning the individual would have to pay taxes on capital gains equal to the loan amount. The provisions of the bill apply to taxpayers who have an income over $100 million and/or assets worth more than $1 billion.

You can find a one-page summary of the legislation HERE.

You can find a section-by-section explainer of the legislation HERE.

You can find the full text of the legislation HERE.

Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Dan Goldman (NY-10).


Gillibrand, Colleagues Raise Concerns About Food Safety Amid Trump Administration Restructure Of Inspection Agency

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with 19 of her Senate colleagues, raised concerns about the Trump administration’s plan to reorganize the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The administration is forcing 200 FSIS employees – two-thirds of its D.C.-area staff – to relocate to Iowa, Georgia, or Colorado within months, which could cause mass staff departures and disrupt FSIS’ ability to rapidly respond to foodborne illness outbreaks and other food safety concerns.

“American families need to have full confidence in the safety of the food they eat,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Proper food inspection and safety is essential to keeping foodborne illnesses from spreading and harming consumers. The Trump administration’s reckless restructuring of the agency jeopardizes New Yorkers’ health and wellbeing, and I am demanding answers about how it plans to keep our food supply safe.”

The senators wrote to Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden, “This reorganization poses a risk to FSIS’s core mission of protecting public health and ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply.”

“Losses in staff and institutional expertise as a result of this relocation could delay the identification and containment of outbreaks involving pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria, allowing contaminated products to remain in commerce longer and increasing illnesses nationwide,” the senators continued. “Reduced coordination amongst FSIS and other food safety and public health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, and state partners could also slow traceback investigations and public communication during multistate outbreaks, when rapid response is critical to prevent additional illnesses. Instead of moving its employees across the country, FSIS should be focused on maintaining food safety. Overall, this reorganization threatens to undermine FSIS’s effectiveness and weakens an agency that American consumers rely on every day.”

Along with Klobuchar, the letter was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Senator Gillibrand and her Senate colleagues continue to sound the alarm on the Trump administration’s reorganization of USDA. Earlier this month, they pushed back on a similar plan to restructure the Food and Nutrition Service, which could undermine food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and the National School Lunch Program. They also raised concerns about the Trump administration’s restructure of the Research, Education, and Economics mission area, which could harm farmers by hampering USDA’s ability to produce timely and accurate data products.

The full FSIS letter is available here and below.

Dear Deputy Secretary Vaden:

We write with serious concern regarding the announced reorganization of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Rather than strengthening the agency’s effectiveness, this reorganization poses a risk to FSIS’s core mission of protecting public health and ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply.

FSIS plays a key role in safeguarding American consumers. Not only does FSIS provide critical frontline inspection of meat, poultry, egg, and some fish products, but the agency also plays an important role in informing the public through outreach and education and coordinating with the many international, federal, state, and local agencies that play a part in food safety. When outbreaks inevitably happen, FSIS provides a rapid response to contain illness before it spreads widely.

The Deferred Resignation Program implemented last year has already resulted in a loss of more than 500 FSIS employees, straining a key agency that operates under significant pressure. Now the Administration is asking two-thirds of the FSIS staff in the Washington, D.C. area to relocate to Iowa, Georgia, or Colorado within months, which could weaken interagency coordination and rapid response efforts during foodborne illness outbreaks, creating a greater risk to consumers and our food supply. Since FSIS was not explicitly included in the July 2025 Secretarial Memorandum on USDA’s proposed reorganization, FSIS stakeholders, employees, consumer advocates, and industry partners have not been able to provide meaningful comments on changes that could have significant implications for the nation’s food safety system.

Losses in staff and institutional expertise as a result of this relocation could delay the identification and containment of outbreaks involving pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria, allowing contaminated products to remain in commerce longer and increasing illnesses nationwide. Reduced coordination amongst FSIS and other food safety and public health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, and state partners could also slow traceback investigations and public communication during multistate outbreaks, when rapid response is critical to prevent additional illnesses. Instead of moving its employees across the country, FSIS should be focused on maintaining food safety. Overall, this reorganization threatens to undermine FSIS’s effectiveness and weakens an agency that American consumers rely on every day.

We ask that you provide a detailed description of how you will ensure that FSIS will maintain full operational capacity during and after this transition. Specifically, we ask that you provide further details on what communication USDA has had with impacted FSIS employees, how the USDA will mitigate anticipated workforce losses, preserve critical expertise, and ensure that outbreak response, interagency coordination, and rulemaking activities are not compromised.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and we look forward to receiving your response within 30 days.

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