Fetterman Secures $25 Million for Colebrookdale Railroad Project

BRADDOCK, PA — This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a $25 million grant award for a railway improvement project along the Colebrookdale Railroad in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The award comes after U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) penned a letter of support to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy highlighting the safety and economic benefits of federal investment in this historic railroad.

“When we invest in historic landmarks like the Colebrookdale Railroad, we invest in Pennsylvania’s future,” said Senator Fetterman. “I’m proud to have fought for this funding and am grateful to Secretary Duffy for his commitment to this hidden Pennsylvania treasure, which will continue to play a critical role in the region’s economic future.”

The Colebrookdale Railroad is an active freight and heritage railroad that operates between Berks and Montgomery counties. The railroad, which was nearly abandoned after years of neglect, is now a pillar of the region’s economy.

The $25 million award will be used to install new track to separate local freight operations from the railroad’s tourist operations. The funding will also rehabilitate more than 2,000 feet of existing track along the corridor, enable the construction of a new train shed for Colebrookdale’s locomotives and rail cars, and connect the railroad to pedestrian infrastructure, public transit, and the nearby Schuylkill River Trail.

The funding was awarded through DOT’s Fiscal Year 2026 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program. In addition to this $25 million award, Montgomery County was also awarded $600,000 to study the feasibility of proposed infrastructure improvements along Germantown Pike and Sumneytown Pike.

“This award belongs to Pottstown. Montgomery County, the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Berks, and hundreds of residents and volunteers made the case that a town built on iron and rail deserved infrastructure equal to its ambitions. For me it is also personal: Pottstown raised me, and there is a particular satisfaction in helping the federal government see what those of us from here have always known,” said Nathaniel Guest, Executive Director of the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust and managing director of the Switchpoint Foundation.

“Pottstown helped build Pennsylvania’s past, and this $25 million BUILD Grant will help accelerate its future. Thanks to Senator Fetterman’s leadership, this investment will transform the Pottstown corridor into an engine for economic growth, job creation, and opportunity,” said Jamila Winder, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

“I’m grateful to Senator Fetterman for securing this transformative investment in Pennsylvania. The $25 million BUILD grant for the Pottstown area and Colebrookdale Railroad project will boost our economy, support local businesses, and create new opportunities for residents across the region,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija.

“Pottstown is a very important part of our county and we are thrilled to see it get the federal support it deserves,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello.

“There are those who say government can’t get things done. I’d ask them to come to this valley. Two counties, a state, and a nation rolled up their sleeves, not for the glory of government, but for the good of its people. The men and women here once forged the iron that built America. That spirit never left. Today, we put it back to work to help people with housing, training and a future,” said Berks County Commissioner Christian Leinbach.

“I am thrilled to see that the Colebrookdale Railroad was awarded this grant! The railroad is an important economic driver for both the Boyertown and Pottstown areas. I want to thank Senator Fetterman for his support of this project,” said Berks County Commissioner Michael Rivera.


Gallego, Colleagues Demand OMB Rescind Rule Giving President Sweeping Power to Politicize Federal Grants

WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, joined the entire Senate Democratic caucus in demanding Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought immediately rescind OMB’s proposed regulation on federal financial assistance. The Senators warned the proposal exceeds OMB’s statutory authority, undermines Congress’s constitutional power of the purse, and would allow the President to weaponize federal grants for political purposes.

“Your proposal exceeds OMB’s authority, will make it impossible for grant recipients to faithfully carry out the funding priorities that Congress establishes in statute, and would turn federal grants into a new cudgel for the President to unilaterally advance his partisan agenda and punish political rivals,” the Senators wrote. “Ultimately, these changes will make it harder for grant recipients to apply for and manage federal funds – undermining public safety, public health, economic competitiveness, and the government’s ability to address rising costs.”

The proposed rule would dramatically expand agencies’ authority to terminate or suspend federal grants at any time and without notice. It would also require political appointees to make funding decisions without deferring to expert peer review. The Senators warn this would inject partisan politics into grantmaking, threaten America’s leadership in scientific and medical innovation, and create chaos for communities and organizations that rely on federal funding to deliver critical services.

“Rather than focusing on fulfilling the statutory purposes of a grant program, applicants and recipients will be forced to play an endless guessing game, trying to determine which of their activities may or may not run afoul of OMB’s ambiguous regulations or the president’s whims,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators also argue that OMB’s proposal would force grant recipients to comply with vague, undefined, and political grant conditions that conflict with existing statutes. At the same time, it would weaken transparency and accountability requirements intended to safeguard taxpayer dollars. These changes could discourage qualified organizations from applying for federal grants and increase the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse.

The Senators concluded: “Article I of the Constitution vests the power of the purse in Congress, which Congress has historically exercised by appropriating taxpayer dollars through federal grants to fund critical programs, including to protect public safety, advance scientific research, and support health and nutrition initiatives. OMB’s proposal unlawfully seeks to substitute Congress’s role in directing federal spending with the President’s preferred priorities, and in doing so, makes it harder for every community and organization in the United States to fairly access federal funding. We call on you to rescind this proposal.”


Gallego Supports Bipartisan Bill to Help Arizona Tribes Combat MMIW Crisis, Fentanyl Trafficking

WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is supporting the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act. The legislation would help tribal police departments hire and retain tribal law enforcement officers by providing access to federal retirement, pension, death, and injury benefits on par with law enforcement officers from non-tribal jurisdictions.

“Tribal law enforcement officers are on the front lines of protecting their communities from crises like the fentanyl epidemic and the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered indigenous people,” said Senator Gallego. “Ensuring they have equal access to federal resources and support isn’t just a matter of fairness; it’s essential to the safety, justice, and well-being of tribal nations.”

According to the Department of Interior, public safety and justice at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is funded at just 13% of need, and over 25,600 personnel are needed to adequately serve Indian Country. This includes at least 13,000 more tribal law enforcement officers to meet FBI Community Safety Standards.

Senator Gallego has long been a champion for improving safety in tribal communities. During his time in the House of Representatives, he chaired the first Congressional hearing on the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), and in 2024 his bipartisan Native American Child Protection Act was signed into law.


Ranking Members Hassan and Garcia Launch Investigation into Trump Administration’s Personal Use of Luxury Government Aircraft

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Maggie Hassan, Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee, and Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, requested the Government Accountability Office to investigate Trump Administration officials’ personal use of government-owned aircraft and other expensive air travel on the taxpayers’ dime. Federal procurement data shows that agencies more than doubled spending on air travel in recent years, with costs growing from $2.35 billion in 2016 to more than $5 billion in Fiscal Year 2025. As the letter notes, according to ongoing public reporting, FBI Director Kash Patel has taken more than 10 trips that are likely to violate regulations, including to a wrestling tournament where his girlfriend performed.

"People are fed up with a Trump Administration defined by self-dealing and corruption that serves its members at the expense of hardworking Americans. As Americans struggle to fill up their gas tanks and pay rent, top Trump Administration officials are reportedly wasting taxpayer dollars by using government-owned planes for personal travel around the world,” said Senator Hassan. “Taxpayers should not be footing the bill for luxury personal travel for Trump Administration officials. These allegations of misuse of taxpayer dollars require oversight.”

“Trump Administration officials like Kash Patel are jetting around the country on luxury aircrafts paid for by taxpayers, while most Americans can’t afford rent and groceries. At every level of this corrupt Administration, officials are abusing their positions for their own gain. Congress has a responsibility to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable,” said Representative Robert Garcia.

Click here or see below to read the full text of Ranking Members Hassan and Garcia’s letter:

We are deeply concerned by Trump Administration officials’ flagrant personal use of government-owned aircraft and other expensive air travel on the taxpayers’ dime. As Americans deal with President Trump’s unprecedented affordability crisis and are forced to spend hundreds of extra dollars on groceries, electricity, and housing, they have watched as Trump Administration officials waste taxpayer dollars on extravagant and luxurious air travel. To make matters worse, the Trump Administration has provided no transparency into whether this air travel complies with federal regulations. To assist with essential oversight, we write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) review federal agency compliance with Office of Management and Budget’s Circular No. A-126, “Improving the Management and Use of Government Aircraft,” and the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Travel Regulation requirements, to ensure that taxpayers are not being forced to cover exorbitant and corrupt costs.

Since becoming Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel has continued to spark outrage and concern over his repeated use of government-owned aircraft for his leisure. According to ongoing public reporting, Director Patel has taken more than 10 trips that are likely to violate regulations. For example:

February 20, 2026: Traveled to Milan, Italy, on FBI-controlled aircraft to watch a hockey match at the Winter Olympics.

· February 20, 2026: Traveled to Milan, Italy, on FBI-controlled aircraft to watch a hockey match at the Winter Olympics.

· October 20, 2025: Traveled to Pennsylvania to attend the Real American Freestyle wrestling tournament where his girlfriend performed.

· Following his Senate confirmation, traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, multiple times to visit his girlfriend.

Presidents across administrations have designated the FBI Director as a “required use” traveler within the Department of Justice. However, OMB Circular A-126 requires designees to reimburse the government for personal and political travel.6 Given the FBI’s lack of response to a December 1, 2025, request from House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, the Oversight Committee reiterates congressional interest in learning whether reimbursement standards for personal or excessive air travel are being followed. We also echo the February 24, 2026, requests made by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member Dick Durbin “that the GAO’s ongoing review incorporate the Director’s latest international travel.”

Our concerns that taxpayer dollars are being used to fund unnecessary luxury travel are not isolated to one agency. GSA regulations state that “taxpayers should pay no more than necessary for the transportation of travelers” and that “a determination that another method of transportation is more advantageous to the Government will not be made on the basis of personal preference or inconvenience to the traveler.” Yet, federal procurement data shows that agencies more than doubled spending on air travel in recent years, with costs growing from $2.35 billion in 2016 to more than $5 billion in FY2025. Actual spending on air travel may be considerably higher if agencies use charge cards to charter air transportation, such as helicopter travel. GAO has previously reported on agencies’ use of helicopters in the D.C. area specifically, where the number of flights has been growing in recent years. We understand that GAO has done similar work on this matter, specifically a 2013 report titled, “Department of Justice: Executives’ Use of Aircraft for Nonmission Purposes.” Thus, this explosive growth and the long-ignored concerns expressed by both chambers of Congress surrounding the Trump Administration’s use of luxury travel on the taxpayers’ dime require timely attention. Americans deserve transparency surrounding Trump Administration officials’ compliance with federal requirements related to travel costs and oversight bodies need timely assessments to identify waste and abuse. Therefore, in addition to GAO’s ongoing work on this issue, we ask that you also review agencies with high annual obligations for air transportation. Specifically, we ask that GAO:

1. Review circumstances under which government-owned aircraft are being used by agency officials for non-mission purposes, such as personal travel, and the costs associated with these flights;

2. Review agency processes for tracking, documenting, and reporting agency and component executives’ use of agency aircraft;

3. Review agencies’ annual spending on air transportation for agency officials, including agency leadership use of government-owned aircraft and chartered aircraft that is procured via contract or charge card;

4. Assess agency officials’ use of government-owned aircraft with respect to OMB and GSA regulations and determine if reimbursements for personal travel were collected in accordance with federal requirements; and

5. Identify the amount reimbursed or not reimbursed in accordance with those policies.

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Heinrich Releases Fact Sheet Outlining How Trump’s Attacks on Renewable Energy Projects Are Skyrocketing Utility Costs for Americans

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released a fact sheet detailing how President Trump’s war on affordable, homegrown energy is driving up utility bills for families and businesses across the country.

The fact sheet finds that by blocking new renewable energy projects, the Trump administration is making it harder to meet growing electricity demand and forcing Americans to pay more for power. If renewable energy deployment continues to be constrained, the average household will pay an estimated $85 more on annual utility bills, while economy-wide electricity costs will increase by approximately $11.6 billion each year from 2027 through 2033.

“The fastest and most affordable way to meet America’s growing energy demand is to build clean, homegrown energy. Instead, President Trump is blocking those projects, raising utility bills, and making it harder for families and businesses to get ahead,” said Heinrich. “Families are already being squeezed by higher costs — and rather than finding ways to lower their bills, this administration is driving them even higher.”

Despite renewable energy being cheaper and faster to deploy, the Trump administration has consistently blocked renewable energy projects across the country. If those actions continue, over 90% of planned new electricity generation capacity could be prevented from coming online in the next several years.


Hickenlooper, Bennet, Neguse Celebrate Release of Grant Funds to Complete CO119 Project in Boulder County

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Joe Neguse announced the release of $15 million in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help finish the CO 119 Diagonal Highway Mobility Improvement Project in Boulder and Longmont. Hickenlooper and Bennet pressed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to release these previously-held funds.

“This is exactly why we passed our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: to make Colorado roads safer. As this project nears completion, we’re fighting to make sure Colorado gets the funding that was promised,” said Hickenlooper.

“This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is critical for the Boulder and Longmont communities,” said Bennet. “I am glad that this funding was released to Colorado and look forward to the CO119 Project being completed.”

“I was proud to work alongside Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet to secure the release of federal funding that will help complete the Colorado Highway 119 project, an initiative meant to help our state’s growing population by creating a safer, more reliable transportation corridor between two of Colorado’s fastest-growing communities—Boulder and Longmont,” said Neguse. “From the supporting state and local organizations all the way up to the federal level, Coloradans know this investment will dramatically improve transit and help improve lives for everyday citizens.”

The RAISE grant program is a direct federal investment in road, rail, and transit projects that achieve national transportation objectives and is funded by theBipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Hickenlooper helped to negotiate.

CO Highway 119 is the primary connection between Boulder County’s two largest municipalities, Longmont and Boulder, with 45,000 vehicles traveling per day and a projected traffic increase of 25% by 2040. In June 2023, the Colorado Department of Transportation was awarded a $25 million RAISE grant to improve major intersections and create a Bus Rapid Transit route, bus bypass lane, and bikeway. $10 million of this grant was already delivered, and today’s announcement fulfills the rest of the obligation. The released $15 million funds are for improvements at CO119/Hover Street in Longmont.

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Kelly, Warren, Colleagues Press Hegseth on Pentagon Gutting Civilian Protection Efforts Amid War in Iran

Pentagon’s independent watchdog found that Trump administration defunded and blocked reforms to protect civilians during war, potentially violating federal law

This week, Senator and Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly (D-AZ) joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and eight of their Democratic colleagues in pressing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) defunding and deprioritizing of programs that prevent and respond to civilian harm in war. The letter follows a new report by the DoD Inspector General (DoD IG), which found that under Hegseth’s leadership, DoD has put service members and civilians at risk and has potentially violated federal law. It also follows the recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian water treatment facilities, which damaged thousands of civilians’ access to drinking water.

“The Trump administration’s military adventurism overseas, combined with its obvious disregard for civilians, do not make the American people or our service members safer. We, therefore, request clarification about the steps the Department is taking to address these deficiencies and to protect civilians in line with the Department’s strategic, legal, and moral obligations,” wrote the senators.

In May, the DoD IG released a review of DoD’s implementation of its Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP), which found that the Trump administration may have violated federal law by defunding and blocking civilian protection efforts.

“The Department’s failure to implement the CHMR-AP has profound consequences for civilians in conflict zones and makes service members’ jobs harder and riskier,” wrote thesenators.

The lawmakers pressed Secretary Hegseth to explain DoD’s failure to implement civilian protection policies, account for changes in resourcing and staffing for civilian protection efforts, explain what DoD is doing to comply with federal law requiring civilian protection policies and institutions, and provide any analysis DoD has done on the impact of recent strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran.

Kelly and Warren were joined by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) along with Representatives Jason Crow (D-CO-06) and Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51).

Background:

The letter builds on Kelly’s work to hold DoD accountable for putting servicemembers and civilians in harm’s way. In May, Kelly pressed CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper on the DoD’s gutting of Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) staff. During that hearing, Kelly also asked Cooper about the civilian casualty count from the war in Iran, including the strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab that reportedly killed at least 168 people, mostly children.


Lankford Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Lawmakers Urging HHS and CMS to Monitor Dangers of Physician-Assisted Suicide

WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. urging HHS and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish reporting requirements in the hospice program to monitor physician-assisted suicide for discrimination against individuals with disabilities, older adults, and other vulnerable populations.

The Members warned that physician-assisted suicide “raises significant informed consent issues as well as concerns about disability and age discrimination” and noted that the vast majority of patients receiving physician-assisted suicide are enrolled in hospice.

The Members wrote in their letter, “We urge HHS and CMS to establish reporting requirements to monitor physician-assisted suicide for discriminatory practices and oversee compliance with federal funding restrictions within hospice programs. All hospice patients—regardless of disability, age or financial means—deserve compassionate end-of-life care that is free of coercion and discrimination.”

Lankford and Kaine were joined by US Representatives Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC-03) and Lou Correa (D-CA-46), who led the letter in the House.

“Every person has inherent worth and dignity, including those facing their final days,” said Lankford. “Hospice should be a place of compassion, comfort, and care, where the suffering are surrounded by loved ones and quality health care, not a place where they feel quietly pressured to end their lives through assisted suicide. Federal law is clear that taxpayer dollars cannot pay for assisted suicide, and discrimination against the aged and disabled is prohibited. HHS and CMS have a responsibility to make sure vulnerable people are protected. We’re simply asking them to do that job.”

“Everyone deserves to make their own decisions regarding end-of-life care,” said Kaine. “Where patients are making these choices, they should be free of discrimination and coercion. That is why my colleagues and I are calling on HHS and CMS to exercise oversight to make sure all patients are treated with dignity, including and especially at the end of their lives.”

“As a practicing physician of 35 years, I have dedicated my career to saving lives and comforting my patients, said Murphy. “The oath all physicians take is ‘to do no harm’. Physicians who take part in assisting suicide are breaking that oath. It is a great tragedy that people feel that life offers them no recourse other than to end their lives. Rather than suicide we should invest more in palliative care and hospice which are much more acceptable forms of medical care. Sadly abuses, such as the lack of informed consent and discriminatory practices, have occurred and patients and their families have been wronged. The House of Medicine should not participate in assisted suicide when we have other humane alternatives to offer.”

“All Americans deserve access to quality care, free from discrimination, and that’s why I’m joining my colleagues in urging HHS and CMS to protect patients from discrimination based on age, disability, diagnosis, or other factors when pursuing physician-assisted suicide,” said Rep. Correa. “We must have guardrails to make sure everyone receives compassionate end-of-life care regardless of their circumstances.”

In 1997, Congress passed the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997, which prohibits the use of Federal funds to provide or pay for any health care item or service or health benefit coverage for the purpose of causing, or assisting to cause, the death of any individual, including “mercy killing, euthanasia, or assisted suicide.” Congress has made clear that no Medicare funds, including hospice payments, may be used to facilitate physician-assisted suicide, including physician consultation services, prescribing or dispensing of medications used for the purpose of causing death, or assistance with the ingestion of such medications.

Congress also spoke to this issue when it passed the Affordable Care Act, which also provides anti-discrimination protections for an individual or institutional health care entity that does not participate in “assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing.”

Disability Rights groups have filed lawsuits in 5 states (CA, CO, DE, NY and IL) alleging that physician-assisted suicide laws unconstitutionally discriminate against people with life-threatening disabilities because it treats them differently from non-disabled patients who report suicidal ideation to a medical provider.

Many medical organizations and disability rights groups are opposed to assisted suicide, including but not limited to the World Medical Association, American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, National Council on Independent Living, United Spinal Association, Not Dead Yet, Access Living, Patients’ Rights Action Fund, and Aging With Dignity.

The National Council on Disability, an independent, bipartisan federal agency, warns in its 2019 report, “The Danger of Assisted Suicide Laws”, that under physician-assisted suicide laws, “some people’s lives, particularly those of people with disabilities, will be ended without their fully informed and free consent, through mistakes, abuse, insufficient knowledge, and the unjust lack of better options.”

You can read more about the letter in The Hill HERE.

You can read the full letter HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We write to you as bipartisan, bicameral Members of Congress in response to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) request for information regarding medical aid in dying (MAID), 91 Fed. Reg. 17338, also medically termed physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted suicide raises significant informed consent issues as well as concerns about disability and age discrimination. The vast majority of patients receiving physician-assisted suicide are enrolled in hospice—90% in Washington. This poses challenges for HHS and CMS’ regulation of patient health and safety within the hospice program. We urge HHS and CMS to implement reporting requirements in the hospice program to monitor physician-assisted suicide for discriminatory practices against vulnerable populations, as well as to ensure compliance with the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act.

In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld Washington’s and New York’s bans on physician-assisted suicide in Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco v. Quill. The majority opinions found that there is no right to physician-assisted suicide under the Due Process or Equal Protection Clauses. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor concurred, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Stephen Breyer, expressing concern about “the risk that a dying patient’s request for assistance in ending his or her life might not be truly voluntary.” Nearly thirty years of physician-assisted suicide in the United States has not alleviated that concern.

Currently, thirteen states plus the District of Columbia permit physician-assisted suicide. These laws permit certain medical practitioners to prescribe drugs at lethal dosages to a patient that is, among other criteria, eighteen years or older and “terminally ill” with a six month or less prognosis, with or without care, so that the patient may self-administer the drugs. Yet, as the National Council on Disability, an independent, bi-partisan federal agency, warns, under physician-assisted suicide laws, “some people’s lives, particularly those of people with disabilities, will be ended without their fully informed and free consent, through mistakes, abuse, insufficient knowledge, and the unjust lack of better options.”

There are grave informed consent issues within physician-assisted suicide. Patients spend little time with the physician providing physician-assisted suicide relative to the course of their disease. Only 0.5% of patients received mental health referrals, even though many physician-assisted suicide patients show signs of depression, which can impair the decision-making process. On top of this, “it is common for medical prognoses of a short life expectancy to be wrong,” and under the definition of terminal illness in physician-assisted suicide laws, “[t]here is no requirement that the doctors consider the likely impact of medical treatment, counseling, and other supports on survival.”

Physician-assisted suicide drugs are not approved for the purpose of ending human life. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved drugs indicated for physician-assisted suicide. These drugs would not meet the criteria as “safe” for purposes of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Instead, medical practitioners prescribe drugs approved for other indications to be used “off-label” for physician-assisted suicide. As The Atlantic reported in 2019, “[i]n states where the practice is legal, state governments provide guidance about which patients qualify but say nothing about which drugs to prescribe.” With “no government-approved clinical drug trial, and no Institutional Review Board oversight,” physician-assisted suicide drug prescribers are left with little oversight in assisting end-of-life patients.

Disability issues also arise in physician-assisted suicide. An individual with terminal illness meets the definition of a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In fact, individuals with disabilities and disability civil rights groups have raised this argument and alleged physician-assisted suicide laws violate federal disability rights laws in litigation across the country. Annual state reports have shown that patients seeking assistance in ending their lives commonly do so, not due to pain or concerns about future pain, but for disability-related reasons, citing concerns about “loss of autonomy,” being “less able to engage in activities,” and “loss of dignity.” 18 Consequently, many individuals with disabilities warn that states legalizing physician-assisted suicide send the message that the lives of persons with disabilities are less valued in society.

Age discrimination and elder abuse are also concerns within physician-assisted suicide practices. Most physician-assisted suicide patients are age 65 or older (86.2% in Washington). Although physician-assisted suicide laws require two witnesses to the lethal drug request, most states only require one witness to be disinterested, meaning, one of these witnesses may be a beneficiary to the patient’s will or life insurance policy or a disaffected caregiver 20 Physician-assisted suicide laws do not require a prescriber or any witnesses to be present when the patient self-administers the drugs. These circumstances enable the possibility of financial exploitation.

Physician-assisted suicide undermines America’s national posture of suicide prevention. America is facing an epidemic of suicide. In 2024, we lost more than 50,000 Americans to suicide and over 1.5 million Americans attempted suicide. Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in America and around 135 suicides occur every day on average. Additionally, over 14 million adults reported seriously considering suicide in 2024. Peer-reviewed data shows that where physician-assisted suicide is legalized, rates of suicide increase. Additionally, each year the U.S. government, states, and localities invest millions of taxpayer dollars in suicide prevention services. A 2024 National Institutes of Health report shows that the economic cost of suicide/self-harm is estimated at $510 billion annually. New data shows that people living with serious and potentially

life-limiting health conditions are more than twice as likely to die by suicide compared with the general population. Physician-assisted suicide undermines suicide prevention services, normalizes premature death for vulnerable populations, and pushes society away from robust care, support, and the protection of life.

Congress has restricted federal funding for physician-assisted suicide and protected conscientious objections to the practice. The Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act broadly limits federal funds from “paying (directly or indirectly)” for the provision of “any health care item or service furnished for the purpose of causing, or for the purpose of assisting in causing, the death of any individual, such as by assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing.” This prohibition extends to a “pay[ment] . . . for such an item or service” and a “pay[ment] (in whole or in part) for health benefit coverage” related to the coverage or expenses of “such an item or service.” The Affordable Care Act also provides anti-discrimination protections for an individual

or institutional health care entity that does not participate in “assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy

killing.” We request that you establish reporting requirements within hospice programs regarding

physician-assisted suicide. In doing so, please consider monitoring physician-assisted suicide practices for the following:

· Discrimination against individuals with disabilities, older adults, and other vulnerable populations;

· Proper disposal of unused medication and prevention of drug diversion;

· Insurance denials of life-sustaining medical care that offer to cover physician-assisted suicide drugs instead;

· Drug complications;

· Consistency of drugs prescribed “off-label” for use in physician-assisted suicide;

· Compliance with federal restrictions on using funds, directly or indirectly, for health care items or services for physician-assisted suicide.

As bipartisan, bicameral Members of Congress who are committed to the health and safety of hospice patients, especially those in vulnerable populations, we are grateful to see HHS and CMS consider how physician-assisted suicide practices may pose discrimination and informed consent issues. We urge HHS and CMS to establish reporting requirements to monitor physician-assisted suicide for discriminatory practices and oversee compliance with federal funding restrictions within hospice programs. All hospice patients—regardless of disability, age or financial means—deserve compassionate end-of-life care that is free of coercion and discrimination.

Sincerely,

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Senator Marshall Applauds DOE Funding to Lower Energy Costs for Kansans

Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., applauded the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement that Kansas will receive funding through the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) as part of a nationwide effort to help American families reduce energy costs and improve home energy efficiency.

The Department of Energy announced the disbursement of more than $400 million for energy-saving programs, including $325 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program and $30 million in Weatherization Readiness Funds. The funding will support all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories by helping eligible households lower utility bills through cost-effective home energy improvements.

“President Trump is following through on his commitment to lower energy costs for American families, and today’s announcement is welcome news for Kansas,” said Senator Marshall.“This funding will help eligible households cut their utility bills through practical, cost-saving improvements while supporting an energy agenda that puts hardworking Kansans and American energy first.”

“Weatherization makes homes safe, efficient, and affordable,” said Ryan Vincent, Executive Director of Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (which administers the state’s Weatherization Assistance Program). “We’re pleased to work with our network of service providers to keep Kansas homes healthy and comfortable.”

In addition to the Weatherization funding, DOE is today releasing $64 million in State Energy Program (SEP) funds to the same 56 grantees to pursue programming that ensures energy reliability, availability, security, and cost savings for businesses and residents. State governments are critical partners in achieving the President’s vision of American Energy Dominance, and SEP will continue to advance this critical mission.

Kansas is among the 56 grantees receiving funding through the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program.

Kansas Funding Breakdown:

Administering agency: Kansas Housing Resources Corporation

Retrofit allocation: $3,596,758

Weatherization Readiness Fund allocation: $348,011

Click here to learn more.

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SENATOR MCCORMICK URGES DEPARTMENT OFTRANSPORTATION TO SUPPORT BUTLERCOUNTY’S GATEWAY 228 GRANT APPLICATION

Senator McCormick backs critical transportation investment to improve safety, reduce congestion, and strengthen regional economic growth in Western Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy urging the Department of Transportation to give full and favorable consideration to Butler County’s application for funding through the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highways (INFRA) Grant Program.

In the letter, Senator McCormick expressed his support for Butler County’s request for $50.9 million to complete the Mars Railroad Bridge West Project, a central component of the larger Gateway 228 corridor improvement project. The investment would ease longstanding traffic congestion, improve freight movement, enhance commuter travel, and strengthen transportation infrastructure throughout the region.

“Reliable infrastructure is essential to keeping Pennsylvania’s economy moving,” said Senator McCormick. “The Gateway 228 project will improve safety, reduce congestion, strengthen freight movement, and create new opportunities for growth in Butler County and across Western Pennsylvania. I’m proud to support this application and encourage the Department of Transportation to give it full consideration.”

Gateway 228 serves as a vital commuter route and regional freight corridor but has struggled to keep pace with increased traffic and population growth. According to Butler County’s application, the project will complete a key segment of the corridor, creating a fully connected transportation route between Interstate 79 and State Route 8. The improvements are expected to reduce crashes by an estimated 61 percent, improve freight mobility, strengthen regional connectivity, and enhance quality of life for residents.

Read the full text of the letter here.

Dear Secretary Duffy:

I am writing to you to express my strong support for Butler County’s application for funding through the Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highways (INFRA) Grant.

Located in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Butler County seeks funding in the amount of $50,911,500 for the Mars Railroad Bridge West Project (the Project). The Project will undertake the final 3.25-mile segment of the larger Gateway 228 corridor improvement project. Currently, this current stretch of roadway experiences traffic bottlenecks, safety concerns, and transportation inefficiencies. Gateway 228 serves as a vital commuter route and regional freight corridor that has seen increased traffic congestion and strained transportation infrastructure due to development and population growth in the region.

The Project will undertake the completion of the Gateway 228 corridor and create a fully connected transportation corridor between Interstate 79 and State Route 8. By addressing existing concerns with this corridor, crashes will be reduced by an estimated 61%. The Project will improve freight movement and commuter travel throughout the region which will strengthen regional connectivity, enhance quality of life, and support economic growth and future development in the region.

I strongly urge the Department of Transportation to give this application full and favorable consideration. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

David H. McCormick

United States Senator


Merkley Joins Push to Kick Private Equity Out of Kids’ Sports and Stop the Ripoffs

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced he joined Senate and House lawmakers in supporting the Let Kids Play Act, legislation to stop Wall Street from pricing kids out of sports. The proposed legislation bans private equity firms from taking over youth sports, shutting down the vulture practices they use to jack up costs, and getting money back to the families who have been ripped off.

“Billionaire Wall Street executives are exploiting sports for profit,” said Merkley. “Instead of fostering work ethic and sportsmanship, private equity is focused on making money from an essential part of childhood. Let’s kick these greedy corporations out of kids’ sports to restore the dream of athletics for millions of youth across America.”

Over the last decade, youth sports have become prohibitively expensive. What was once an affordable, community-based tradition to give kids a chance to have fun and challenge themselves, has morphed into a $40 billion industry dominated by private equity, with the singular goal of extracting as much profit as possible from families.

Private equity firms have monetized and taken ownership of every layer of youth sports, including leagues, teams, venues, practice facilities, tournament circuits, uniforms, streaming services, hotels, and merchandise sales, boxing out local organizations that are invested in their community.

Once they’ve taken control of the competition, private equity wields their market power ruthlessly, sticking ordinary families with substantially higher prices, endless junk fees, and mandatory multi-year contracts. In just a few years, the cost of participating in youth sports has risen by 46 percent. Families routinely go into debt to keep their kids in sports, with the average cost exceeding $5,000 a year. As a result, millions of lower-income families have been locked out of the youth sports experience entirely, participating at half the rate of wealthier families.

The bicameral Let Kids Play Act stops Wall Street from pricing our kids out of sports by banning both private equity vulture investors and the vulture practices they use, and establishes strong enforcement tools to hold private equity accountable for the damage they cause by requiring:

Mandatory exit from youth sports: Private equity firms are automatically designated as vulture investors and banned from youth sports — leagues, facilities, tournaments, and player platforms — unless they prove they have never used vulture practices. Banned investors must sell their ownership stakes and management rights in youth sports within two years.

Refunds to families: This bill requires vulture investors to provide full refunds for any junk fees collected through vulture practices, cancels any predatory contracts, and wipes out any outstanding debts, interest, or late fees that were imposed by the private equity firms.

Liability for debts and safety violations: Private equity vulture investors are held personally and financially responsible for any debts, legal judgments, or law violations, including child safety and labor infractions, that occur while they are in charge.

Creation of Youth Sports Fund: Any penalties paid or money taken from these private equity firms is placed into a dedicated fund to provide scholarships, reduce costs for families, and keep local fields open for free community use.

Rights for communities and families be respected: This bill gives states and parents legal standing to sue private equity firms in youth sports, stop their vulture practices, and receive compensation for any financial losses or harm they have caused.

Merkley has long warned about private equity taking over various aspects of American life, bringing its dangerous playbook to essential industries—from housing to health care and child care.

He has led the charge in the Senate to kick hedge funds out of the housing market as large institutional investors gobble up homes in communities across the United States, driving up both purchase prices and rents for single-family homes. He also cosponsored the Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act and Take Back Our Hospitals Act to fight back against private equity abuses in health care. As Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, Merkley launched an investigation into two of the largest private equity-controlled child care companies.

The Let Kids Play Act is led by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Pat Ryan (D-NY), and Angie Craig (D-MN).

The bill is endorsed by the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), Groundwork Action, Sports Fans Coalition, Open Markets Institute, and Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF).

A one-pager of the bill is available by clicking here.

The full bill text is available by clicking here.

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PHOTOS: Senator Moody Rallies Hundreds of Florida Police Chiefs From Across Florida and Receives Statewide Law Enforcement Award

ORLANDO, Fla.—Senator Ashley Moody today received special recognition for her strong support of Florida’s law enforcement. Senator Moody received the Friends of the Florida Police Chiefs Association Award after rallying hundreds of law enforcement leaders from across the state at the FPCA Annual Summer Conference in Orlando. Throughout her career, Senator Moody has fought for Florida law enforcement officers—creating, supporting and sponsoring many measures to provide tools and resources necessary to strengthen law and order and build safer communities.

“Florida is the most pro-law enforcement state in the nation because we never waver in our support for the men and women who selflessly serve and protect our communities. As the wife of a law enforcement officer, I’ll continue fighting in Washington to ensure our officers have the tools they need to keep Floridians safe,” said Senator Ashley Moody.

BACKGROUND:

To view Senator Moody’s full remarks at the FPCA Summer Conference, click here.

Senator Moody is a long-time supporter of the rule of law and of law enforcement officers. Since becoming Florida’s newest Senator, Moody has:

Introduced the Halo Act to shield federal officers from those who seek to threaten and harass them on duty.

Supported the Graham Hoffman Act, which would allow the U.S. to use the full force of state and federal law to prosecute those who assault first responders and act as a deterrent to anyone considering such acts of violence.

Introduced the HELPER Act to make homeownership more obtainable for Florida heroes, including law enforcement officers.

Co-Sponsored the HALT Fentanyl Act, which was signed into law by President Trump. The new law assists law enforcement officers in getting fentanyl traffickers off the streets and permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

Sponsored the RIPPLE Act, which would expand the 287(g) program and provide resources to state law enforcement to more efficiently get criminal illegal aliens out of communities; and

Advanced six bills to support law enforcement, strengthen public safety and deliver critical tools to officers out of the Judiciary Committee during Police Week earlier this year.

As Florida’s Attorney General, Senator Moody created many programs to recognize the selfless efforts of law enforcement officers, including her Back the Blue, Thin Line Tribute, and Sunshine Salute programs. Moody also worked with state lawmakers to strengthen statutes to hold criminals accountable and help officers and prosecutors do their jobs.

Strengthen laws to prevent violent offenders from committing new crimes.

Helped recruit 1,900 new officers to Florida from every state in the nation.

During President Trump’s first administration, served as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice Law Enforcement Commission.

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In Seattle, Murray Highlights Urgent Need to Deploy AI Safely, Transparently, and to Benefit Working People; Murray Says Pro-Worker, Pro-Family Policies Don’t Have to Wait

Senator Murray reiterates that even as we are still working to understand how AI will change the future of work, Congress should pass a pro-worker, pro-family legislative agenda now—emphasizing that there is no need to delay on policies like national paid leave, universal health care, affordable child care, and stronger labor laws

Murray has opposed the Trump administration’s efforts to stamp out state-level regulations of AI

*** SEN. MURRAY’S REMARKS HERE***

*** PHOTOS, AND B-ROLL HERE***

Seattle, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) hosted a roundtable discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) in Seattle focused on how leaders can work to deploy AI safely, transparently, and in a way that benefits working people—not just giant corporations and billionaires. At the roundtable, Senator Murray spoke with leading AI experts about the challenges and opportunities associated with AI.

Senator Murray made clear that while policymakers can’t yet predict exactly how AI will change our economy and how we work, there is no reason for Congress to delay in passing so many of Murray’s longstanding legislative priorities that would benefit working people like stronger labor laws and enforcement, national paid leave, universal health care, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, affordable child care for every working family, and much more.

Joining Senator Murray for the discussion today were: Alexandra Holien, Interim CEO at ADA Developers Academy; Professor Noah Smith, Vice Provost for AI at the University of Washington; Cherika Carter, Secretary Treasurer at the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO; Yifan Zhang, Managing Director at the AI House; Professor Franziska Roesner, Professor, University of Washington Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering; Chad Kruger, Associate Vice President for Research Advancement and Strategy at Washington State University; and Gretchen Peri , State Chief Technology Officer at Washington Technology Solutions.

“I’m not here today with a stack of AI bills to sign. This technology is still taking shape, and anyone who tells you they’ve got it all figured out isn’t being straight with the American people,” said Senator Murray. “But here’s the thing: we do not have to wait to find out exactly how AI impacts our economy to understand what workers need right now. I have pushed a legislative agenda that puts working families first in our economy for a long time. I am hopeful that as we stare down this new technology, there will be a growing sense of urgency to strengthen the American social safety net—now. We need a national paid leave policy, universal health care, child care every working family can afford, the freedom to join a union, and strong labor laws and strong enforcement. These are things we can do right now to steady the ground under workers.”

“At Washington State University, AI is a cornerstone of our work as a future ready land grant university,” said Chad Kruger, Associate Vice President for Research Advancement and Strategy. “WSU researchers are applying AI to real-world challenges in agriculture, rural health care, energy resilience, sustainable aquaculture and fisheries, and rural education. Backed by more than $72 million in AI and machine learning research, WSU is helping position Washington as a leader in responsible, community focused innovation. We appreciate Senator Murray’s leadership in bringing folks together today to help ensure AI’s future remains focused on the public good, creating healthier communities, stronger industries, and greater opportunity for the people across our state.”

“Size is no longer an advantage in the age of AI—it can actually be a disadvantage,” said Yifan Zhang Managing Director, AI House. “The places that help founders, startups, and Small Tech thrive will be where AI creates the most jobs, innovation, and opportunity.”

“Artificial intelligence is reshaping how governments serve the public, and we have a responsibility to ensure that transformation is safe, transparent, and equitable,” said Gretchen Peri, State Chief Technology Officer at Washington Technology Solutions. “In Washington state, we’re focused on accelerating innovation while strengthening the guardrails needed for public trust. Our focus is on practical, transparent, and equitable implementation: building workforce readiness, improving data foundations, and supporting agencies with approved tools, guidance, and repeatable practices that scale what works to protect privacy, and expand opportunity for every community. I appreciate Senator Murray bringing leaders together to elevate this conversation. Our commitment is to an AI future that strengthens services, enhances operations, supports our workforce, and protects the rights and trust of the people we serve.”

As vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray negotiated the Commerce‑Justice‑Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2026, which is currently the largest federal investment in AI standards and testing ever passed through a CJS bill. The CJS bill includes $1.8 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) overall, an increase of $690 million over last year’s funding level. This includes no less than $55 million for AI research, an increase of $20 million, and up to $10 million for NIST’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation to advance AI research, standards, and testing. Senator Murray fiercely defended science agencies from President Trump’s proposed reductions, which threatened to cut NIST by more than 28 percent.

Senator Murray also played a key role in helping to pass the bipartisan Chips and Science Act which makes historic investments in American manufacturing, and research and development. The bill included AI scholarships through NSF, funding for the Department of Energy’s research and development on AI and machine learning, support for NIST’s work on AI and quantum information science, and resources for the creation of a NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships which will focus on domestic development of AI and other quantum computing.

Senator Murray has also been outspoken against President Trump’s efforts to ban states from regulating AI. She recently introduced legislation to halt the A.I.-Driven Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model which is overruling doctors and delaying care for Medicare beneficiaries.

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Sen. Ossoff Pressing Trump Administration About PFAS Cleanup Delays at Georgia Military Installations

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is again pressing the Trump Administration about reported delays in PFAS cleanup at Georgia military installations.

Sen. Ossoff is pressing Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth to address reported delays in the cleanup and remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at DoD installations in Georgia and across the country.

In 2019, reports found that Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Moody Air Force Base, and Robins Air Force Base used firefighting foam that contained significant amounts of PFAS and led to concerns about the drinking water near these installations. Last September, DoD released updated timelines for cleanup feasibility studies, including delays in Georgia of 5-20 years since the initial remediation timeline was released.

PFAS are in a class of chemicals known as “forever chemicals,” and have been linked to numerous public health risks, including reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, thyroid problems, and cancer.

The letter, led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), follows an earlier letter from Sen. Ossoff and colleagues who wrote to Sec. Hegseth with concerns about DoD’s delayed cleanup schedules last November.

“As a nation, we must stand by our servicemembers and military communities to protect them from the health impacts of PFAS,” Sen. Ossoff and the group wrote. “Without a doubt, federal resources must address immediate and dangerous risks to human health and the environment. However, if not reversed, delays of this magnitude must also come with transparency, more specifics on these new timelines, an explanation as to which installations resources are being prioritized toward, and more local stakeholder engagement.”

Sen. Ossoff continues working to protect Georgians from harmful chemicals and contaminants.

In May, Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock and Rep. McBath brought Republicans and Democrats in Congress together to deliver Federal funding for the City of East Point to install PFAS removal filters to existing drinking water pipes, helping improve drinking water quality for families.

In April, Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock brought Republicans and Democrats together to upgrade the Alcovy River Pump Station in Newton County to better serve residents in the county by mitigating the risk of exposure to PFAS and other contaminants and improving available water supply.

In 2023, Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry with the Department of Defense to address the prevalence of chemical hazards on installations and to protect servicemembers who may have been exposed.

Click here to read Sen. Ossoff and the group’s full letter.

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Padilla, Morelle Statement on Firing of Democratic Commissioners of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, and Representative Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25), Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, released the following statement following the Trump Administration’s illegal firing of the Democratic Commissioners of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) — just weeks after the conservative Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision to upend decades of executive power to appease the President — and the resignation of the remaining Republican Commissioner, which leaves the EAC without any leadership less than four months before Election Day 2026:

“Here we go again. President Trump is trying to dismantle yet another independent guardrail of our democracy designed to keep elections fair and secure. Purging commissioners just months before the midterm elections and further gutting support for our state and local elections officials is a blatant part of his plan to politicize our elections and enable more unlawful and dangerous election interference. Trump continues to double down on his efforts to erode trust in our elections, undermine independent oversight, and further his Administration’s attempt to ‘take over’ elections. Americans deserve elections that are safe, secure, and run free from political interference — not overseen by partisan loyalists and election deniers beholden to Trump.”

Created by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, the EAC is an evenly divided commission of four commissioners where only two may be of any one political party. Commissioners are appointed by the President, subject to advice and consent of the Senate, for up to two four-year terms and “[a] member of the Commission shall serve on the Commission after the expiration of the member’s term until the successor of such member has taken office as a member of the Commission,” according to 52 U.S.C. § 20923(b)(3)(B).

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Reed Statement on Latest Developments in Iran

PROVIDENCE, RI – As Iran and U.S. military forces trade waves of strikes, President Trump and Iranian hardliners renew verbal threats, and a crumbling so-called ceasefire agreement threatens to renew military prolonged conflict and regional tensions in the Middle East, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) issued the following statement:

“I opposed Trump’s reckless Iran war from the start. President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth underestimated Iran and failed to plan for obvious contingencies.

“There has never been a true ceasefire. President Trump changes his mind on a daily basis, prolonging the conflict without a strategic plan to end it.

“Under the Trump Administration, it has been one mistake after another resulting in lost lives, millions of dollars wasted, depleted munitions, and global instability. Every day, Americans are forced to pay higher costs due to President Trump’s unilateral failures in Iran.

“He has somehow weakened America’s hand while strengthening Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have to insist upon diplomacy, but the way the President is approaching this, with his son-in-law and his golfing buddy as lead negotiators instead of a group of true professionals, is not getting the job done.

“I have voted repeatedly to end this unauthorized war and will continue pressing for more votes in Congress until my Republican colleagues join Democrats in doing the right thing and holding President Trump accountable.”


Reed Welcomes $1.87 Million in Weatherization Funds to Help RIers Lower Their Utility Bills

PROVIDENCE, RI – In an effort to help Rhode Islanders improve energy efficiency and save money on their utility bills, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today delivered $1,877,852 in federal funding for Rhode Island’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP).

This federal funding will allow the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) and Department of Human Services to partner with Community Action Agencies throughout the state to provide weatherization services to eligible households, helping low-income families permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. According to the Department of Energy, WAP households save on average $372 or more on energy costs annually. Examples of weatherization assistance includes air sealing, attic and wall insulation, heating system upgrades, energy audits, and window and roof repair and replacement. The program also helps with home health and safety measures, such as installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

“Trump’s ill-advised war in Iran is driving up costs, particularly when it comes to cooling and heating. This federal funding will help Rhode Islanders cope with those costs, lower their energy bills and make their homes more energy efficient, which generates long-term savings. At the same time, WAP also creates jobs for energy experts and contractors. That’s a win-win that generates instant savings and also helps the state meet its long-term energy goals,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee who led the bipartisan effort to include $360 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) in the 2026 fiscal year appropriations package, and successfully included the funding despite the Trump Administration’s attempt to eliminate the program.

Reed noted that when weatherization professionals do home visits, they check for far more than insulation and air sealing. A team of contractors inspects homes and identifies serious safety and health issues, such as exposed electrical hazards, improper ventilation, and disconnected smoke detectors. So in addition to lowering energy bills, the work helps prevent tragedies and helps more families live in safe, healthy homes.

Studies show that low-income people and senior citizens spend a disproportionate share of their income on heating and electricity. Energy efficiency improvements can significantly cut or eliminate the excess energy burden experienced by these households.

WAP grants are administered by the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources and Department of Human Services with applications available at local Community Action Programs. Priority is given to households with children, seniors, persons with disabilities. Both homeowners and renters with the permission of their landlords may apply, and the program assists all types of housing including single-family homes, multi-family buildings, and manufactured homes.

Over the last five years, Senator Reed has delivered over $25 million in federal WAP funding to the state.


Rosen, Cortez Masto Announce Nearly $30 million in Federal Funding for Airports Across Nevada

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) announced $29,974,140 in federal funding for Nevada’s airports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), ensuring that these airports will continue to serve communities throughout the Silver State. This funding will be used for pavement and utility upgrades, runway and taxiway modernizations, improvements to weather observation systems, and hangar upgrades.

“Nevada’s airports see millions of travelers every year, domestic and international, who come to our state and contribute to Nevada’s economy,” said Senator Rosen. “This funding will help keep the infrastructure of our airports up to date, allowing them to keep up with Nevada’s demands as a top travel destination. I’ll continue supporting our state’s tourism and travel economy at the federal level.”

“Nevada’s airports are the gateway to our state – for visitors, for emergency services, and for Nevadans traveling throughout the Silver State and across America,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “It’s critical that all the airports across Nevada continue to have world-class facilities and infrastructure. Nevada’s Congressional delegation will never stop fighting to deliver for our state’s aviation infrastructure.”

The Senators helped secure the following grants for twelve airports across the state:

$13,695,039 for Reno-Tahoe International Airport to reconstruct the existing airport terminal, including upgrades to pavement and utilities that have reached the end of their useful lives.

$5,094,412 for Reno-Stead Airport to reconstruct 24,800 square yards of the existing main apron pavement that has reached the end of its useful life. An airport apron is the area of an airport in which aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled, boarded, or maintained.

$3,564,630 for Harry Reid International Airport to rehabilitate pavement across its airport apron and plan for future improvements.

$2,947,000 for Austin Airport to realign, rehabilitate, and reconstruct the airport’s taxiways, modernizing the airport and bringing them up to modern standards. The airport will also acquire and install a new automated weather observing system to gather more accurate local weather information.

$1,667,000 for Tonopah Airport to reconstruct 21,000 square yards of the existing aircraft apron pavement that has reached the end of its useful life.

$1,092,652 for Fallon Municipal Airport to construct a new 300-foot taxi-lane to provide airfield access to the site of future airport hangars, as well as update existing taxiways.

$769,028 for Mesquite Airport to reconstruct 25,000 square yards of the existing aircraft apron pavement that has reached the end of its useful life. The airport will also reconstruct a gravel road used by airport vehicles, FAA vehicles, and ground service equipment.

$387,448 for Silver Springs Airport to acquire and install a new automated weather observing system to gather more accurate local weather information.

$282,000 for Minden-Tahoe Airport to rehabilitate taxi-lanes that have reached the end of their useful lives.

$187,500 for Carson City Airport to reconstruct the pavement on airport taxiways to extend their useful lives.

$160,901 for Lincoln County Airport to construct a new 1,500 square foot building to house snow removal equipment.

$126,530 for Wells Municipal Airport Harriet Field to construct a new 200-foot taxi-lane to provide airfield access to the site of future airport hangars.

Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto have consistently fought to ensure communities across Nevada have the funding they need for their infrastructure projects. This month, the Senators announced more than $35 million in federal funding for critical infrastructure projects and renovations in rural communities across Nevada. In May, they also secured $20 million in federal funding to support renovations at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Most recently, they announced $1 million in funding for the Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s Air Support Unit, which helps with search and rescue operations, routine patrols, and event security across Clark County.

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Rosen Slams Trump’s Refusal to Sign Bipartisan Bill to Lower Housing Costs

LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released a statement blasting President Donald Trump for his continued refusal to sign the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, landmark legislation that is the most significant federal effort to bring down housing costs in a generation, as tomorrow’s deadline approaches. According to the U.S. Constitution, a President has ten days except Sundays to sign a bill before it becomes law if Congress has not adjourned. Senator Rosen supported this bipartisan bill in the Senate, where it passed with overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans. Hours before Trump was scheduled to sign the legislation into law, he canceled his plans to do so, citing his desire to pass unrelated legislation that would make it more difficult for millions of eligible voters to cast their ballots. As the bipartisan housing bill gathers dust on Trump’s desk, the Las Vegas Sun reported that Las Vegas home prices are at a record high.

“While hardworking Nevadans are being squeezed by high housing costs, Donald Trump is holding a bipartisan bill to lower housing costs hostage because he claims it is ‘so unimportant,’” said Senator Rosen. “Democrats and Republicans in Congress worked together across party lines to address the housing crisis, but Trump is delaying it from becoming law because he’s more focused on his extreme bill to nationalize elections, his efforts to waste millions in taxpayer dollars on luxury upgrades to his $400 million Qatari private jet, and his gilded White House ballroom. Fortunately, this bipartisan bill will become law with or without Trump’s signature, but Nevadans will remember how he stood in the way of desperately-needed financial relief in pursuit of his self-serving goals.”

In the Senate, Senator Rosen has prioritized actions to help lower the cost of housing for Nevadans. She helped pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in the Senate, and immediately called on Trump to sign it following his cancellation of the signing ceremony. Senator Rosen has also introduced legislation to exempt homebuilding materials from Trump’s tariffs, a bipartisan bill to support small businesses in the housing industry, and bipartisan legislation to help grow the construction workforce, making it easier to build and bring down costs.

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NEWS: Sanders Statement on Civil War and Genocide in Sudan

BURLINGTON, Vt. July. 9 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement:

This is the year 2026. One might have hoped that, after thousands of years of war, humanity could have come up with a better way to resolve conflicts than killing and mass destruction. Unfortunately, that is not the case. There is now more war and bloodshed raging across the world than at almost any point in decades.

In February 2022, Vladimir Putin, without provocation, invaded Ukraine. The result: hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians killed, millions displaced and a war that grinds on with no end in sight.

In October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 innocent people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Netanyahu and the Israeli military did not simply wage war against Hamas — they waged war against the entire population of Gaza. At least 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, the real toll almost certainly far higher, most of them women, children and the elderly. Virtually the entire physical infrastructure of Gaza has been destroyed. I agree with the major human rights organizations around the world who call this a genocide.

Four months ago, in collusion with Netanyahu, Trump took a page from Putin’s playbook: he started a war with Iran without provocation. The result of this war (and the ensuing Israeli war against Lebanon): 13 U.S. service members dead, thousands of Iranian and Lebanese civilians killed and more than $100 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars spent.

And in the midst of all of this — Ukraine, Gaza, Iran — there is another horrific war happening now that is getting relatively little attention: the civil war and genocide in Sudan.

Sudan’s two rival military factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the country’s national army, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, have been at war since 2023. The RSF descends from the Janjaweed militias that carried out Sudan’s first genocide in Darfur two decades ago, killing as many as 400,000 non-Arab civilians. Today, the RSF is trying to finish what it started. The State Department has formally determined that the RSF is committing genocide, again, murdering men and boys and systematically raping women and girls because of their ethnicity. Last October, the RSF laid siege to the city of El-Fasher; in just the first three days after it fell, an estimated 6,000 people were killed. Right now, the same horror is unfolding in the city of El-Obeid, where nearly half a million people are trapped.

Let’s be clear. Trump’s good friend and staunch U.S. ally, the United Arab Emirates dictatorship, run by one of the wealthiest families in the world — has financed and enabled this genocide for years. And why is this happening? Billions of dollars of looted gold from Sudan is flowing straight into the pockets of Emirati oligarchs – making a multibillionaire family even richer. This has been documented by the United Nations, independent journalists, and international human rights organizations.

Here is the scale of what this war has caused: at least 59,000 people confirmed killed since 2023, with credible estimates running as high as 150,000. Fourteen million people driven from their homes. Thirty million people, two–thirds of Sudan’s population, in need of emergency humanitarian assistance just to survive.

U.S. foreign policy must be based on a respect for democracy and human rights. We cannot be complicit in the face of genocide, no matter where it is happening. Congress must demand that the UAE cease its military support for the RSF and work with the international community and the Sudanese people to bring an end to this horrific conflict and provide the humanitarian aid that is desperately needed there.


ICYMI: Sen. Schiff Calls Out Trump’s Unqualified Pick for Attorney General, Talks Need for Significant Supreme Court Reforms on Talking Feds

San Diego, CA — In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined Talking Feds podcast with Harry Litman for a live wide-ranging conversation about Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s upcoming confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the costs of President Trump’s illegal war in Iran, and Trump’s politicization of federal assistance for blue states including California.

Schiff also spoke about the corruption and partisanship of the Roberts Supreme Court – underscoring the need for significant reforms, including Court expansion, term limits, and an enforceable code of ethics for the justices.

View the full interview here.

Key Excerpts:

On Todd Blanche’s upcoming confirmation hearing for Attorney General:

[…] I remember vividly meeting with Todd Blanche when he was nominated for the position he is currently in, not the acting position, but when he was nominated to be the number three in the Justice Department. And as Harry mentioned, I had spent almost six wonderful years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. I care deeply about the department. And having gone through Trump one, I think I said something along these lines to Mr. Blanche. The hearing was coming up, I think the following day. “We know all the same people, it’s a small A-U.S.A network around the country. I know a number of people that serve with you in the Southern District of New York. They have good things to say about you. I have no doubt you have the experience to do this job. My question is different, though. My question is, what will you do the first time you’re asked to do something unethical, immoral, or potentially illegal. Do you have the gravitas, do you have the stature, do you have the character to say no?” And his answer was one I would then hear from a great many other people who came up for confirmations for judge or other things. His answer was, “I don’t think I will ever be put in that position.”

[…] Now, we have someone who doesn’t resemble at all the Todd Blanche from the Southern District of New York. There have been so many compromises along the way that I think he has concluded, as a great many have, “I’m all in. I made my bed with this guy. There is nothing left me to do but be all in.” To the point where he stands before the country at the podium at the Justice Department, and auditioning for the role as Attorney General, says that the president has not only a right but a duty to go after his political enemies and to use the Justice Department to do it. And I listened to that, and I thought, what happened to that guy? But this is a story that I’ve seen play over and over again with other people in other positions. And it all takes me back to something Harry and I have talked about before, something the historian Robert Caro once said in an interview when he said that “Power doesn’t corrupt as much as it reveals. It doesn’t always reveal us for our best, but it says a lot about who we are.” And my conclusion is that Todd Blanche really didn’t change when he was with the Southern District, we just didn’t know who he was. We just didn’t know what decision he would make when he was put in that position, and now we do.

On the need to reform the Supreme Court:

[…] I don’t want my kids, who are in their 20s, to have to live their entire lifetimes under a right-wing, socially right-wing Court like this one, partisan Court like this one, devoted to big wealth, as this one is. We’re going to need to expand the Court. Now, I remember making this argument when I was on the House Judiciary Committee. And it got up the ire of the Republicans, as you can imagine, for the reason you mentioned, which is, Roosevelt tried to do that. “You’re trying to pack the Court like Roosevelt tried to pack the Court,” to which my response was, “You already packed the Court. You already packed the Court.” There is more than one way to pack the Court. You can pack it as Roosevelt tried by adding justices, or you can pack it as Trump did, and McConnell did, by withholding justices. But you have packed and stacked the Court, and the only question now is whether it gets unpacked and unstacked. And so, I would not have entertained a remedy like this ten years ago. But as I don’t want a whole generation to have to suffer under this totally unrepresentative body, I think we need to change the Court.

[…] I do believe the most consequential reform, if we could bring it about, would be to put a term limit on the Supreme Court, such that justices would serve say a period of 18 years, or whatever the appropriate term would be, and then they would be rotated back onto a court of appeals or district court. I think this would be constitutional, because the justices would still have life tenure on the Court. There is no constitutional requirement that you have life tenure on a particular court. The court system wasn’t even established at the time of the Constitution. Here’s the rub, though. The rub is it would be this Supreme Court that would adjudicate the constitutionality of a term limit. Which is why expansion of the Court is necessary for any meaningful reform of the court.

On the consequences of Trump’s illegal war in Iran:

[…] This is a huge strategic defeat for us already. How ever this ends, that is a huge strategic defeat. Iran understands too that it has all the leverage right now. So, there’s supposedly 60 days to reach a nuclear deal. They’re not even really talking about a nuclear deal, and the nuclear deal they’re talking about looks a lot like the JCPOA that Trump tore up. Except now Iran also has the ability to close the strait, something it didn’t know it had during the JCPOA. So, the administration is going to struggle just to get back to where we were before the war, during the JCPOA. It is a terrible outcome, and indeed, one of the other criticisms of the JCPOA was it didn’t deal with Iran’s sponsorship of terror, it didn’t deal with its missile threat. Well, neither does what Donald Trump is talking about. So, hard to see how this ends in anything but a strategic, enormous setback.

[…] So, it’s an unmitigated disaster, and it’s been costly to us. We’ve lost 13 servicemembers. There are more at risk all the time. Americans have had to pay the price of this war at the pump and in innumerable other ways. So, hard to find anything positive yet that has come out of this war, and it is once again an illustration of how unwise it is to get into a war with Iran without thinking through the consequences, without having the public support.

On the Trump administration targeting blue states:

[…] There is incredible hostility to the state from the president, obviously from the White House. We see it reflected in innumerable ways. They’re canceling our wind projects, they’re canceling our renewable energy projects, they’re canceling our health care funding. They’re refusing to provide disastrous assistance to thousands and thousands of Californians who lost their homes in Los Angeles in these two terrible fires. It is not just California, though. There is kind of a, if there’s a war going on, it’s against all blue states. Certainly, some more than others, and California has a particular place of ire for the president, maybe because he loses so handily here. But we’ve never seen this before. We saw some of it Trump one. But we’ve never seen it like this before.

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NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Husted, Kim, Moreno to Unveil Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Manufacturing Jobs, Enhance American Manufacturing Competitiveness

Bill would protect longstanding bipartisan manufacturing program at Commerce Department, compel release of pending funds to states

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) will introduce bipartisan legislation to protect the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program that supports small and medium-sized manufacturers by improving productivity, reducing costs, accelerating technology adoption, and strengthening supply chains.

The Senator’s legislation, the Defend American Manufacturing Act, requires the U.S. Department of Commerce to continue to operate the MEP program after the Department suspended funding nationwide despite its broad, longstanding bipartisan support.

“American manufacturing is vital to our economy and our national security. It also provides good-paying jobs and stability for millions of American families. In order to help small manufacturers compete in an increasingly small and globalized world, it is important that they have the resources to grow and adapt. Our legislation requires the Department of Commerce to release funding that is essential to hundreds of thousands of workers and manufacturers across the country,” said Senator Schiff.

“Ohio makes the things the world needs, and our strong history and future in the manufacturing industry has long been the backbone of our state’s economy. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership program has been a driver behind the success of many successful small businesses, and this bill ensures that success will continue, while also maintaining the ability to weed out waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Senator Husted.

“New Jersey’s manufacturers not only drive our economy but continue to drive and grow a new era of incredible innovation. We must continue to answer the call to have our manufacturers’ backs across the country and use legislation like this to build the systems and support they need to continue to succeed,” said Senator Kim.

In California and across the country, the U.S. Department of Commerce continues to suspend the disbursement of already-appropriated funds to several MEP centers.

The Defend American Manufacturing Act will:

Require the Department of Commerce to continue operating the MEP program by executing cooperative agreements, ensuring the Department cannot sidestep the program and stall funding;

Protect Center funding by prohibiting the Department from suspending, canceling, or not renewing funding to a MEP Center unless the Center operator receives an evaluation other than positive;

Mandate that a Center operator placed on probation – but actively remedying – continues to receive funding during the probationary period;

Dictate that the Department must re-evaluate a probationary Center and make a final determination regarding the Center’s status within 180 days;

Force the Department to launch a competition for a new operator within 30 days of canceling a contract, cap the application period at 90 days, and mandate a final award decision within 30 days of closing applications;

Ensure any unspent funds allocated to a previous operator are automatically transferred to the newly selected operator;

Codify assessments regarding financial management, including fraud monitoring and misuse of funds, as part of the formal “Evaluation of Centers” process.

U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (D-Kan.-03) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Defend American Manufacturing Act is endorsed by the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC).

“The American Small Manufacturers Coalition strongly supports this legislation because it provides greater transparency, accountability, and consistency in the administration of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program. MEP Centers operate under rigorous performance standards and deliver measurable results for small and medium-sized manufacturers nationwide. This bill strengthens oversight while ensuring that performance concerns are addressed through a clear, timely, and fair process that protects manufacturers from service disruptions. These improvements will help preserve the integrity and effectiveness of the nation’s most successful manufacturing assistance program,” said Carrie Hines, President of the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC).

The full text of the legislation is available here.

A one-pager for the legislation is available here.

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NEWS: Who Killed the Abbott Case?: Schiff Opens Inquiry into Reports that Department of Justice Closed Criminal Case Against Abbott Laboratories Recommended by Trump’s Own Political Appointees

Schiff to Blanche: “If prosecuting cases involving the risk of injuries or death to premature infants are not a priority enforcement matter, I have questions about what priorities the DOJ considers worthy of pursuing”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is opening a new inquiry into the Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly dropping a major criminal case involving contaminated baby formula produced by Abbott Laboratories.

Schiff launched the probe today demanding answers from Acting Attorney General Blanche on who at DOJ made the decision to close the case, and what personal involvement Blanche had in potentially overruling Trump’s own political appointees and career prosecutors that reportedly endorsed pursuing the criminal charges.

“A DOJ spokesperson apparently confirmed the criminal probe was closed, saying ‘criminal charges would have been heavy handed.’ That is a concerning admission: under your management, DOJ does not consider a case involving deadly risks to medically sensitive infants, after a recommendation of a felony charge, to be worthy of criminal prosecution. If prosecuting cases involving the risk of injuries or death to premature infants are not a priority enforcement matter, I have questions about what priorities the DOJ considers worthy of pursuing,” wrote Senator Schiff.

Schiff also raises significant concerns about the involvement of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, the law firm representing Abbott that also has provided free legal services to the Trump administration in the past year.

His letter to Blanche highlights Trump DOJ’s own filings that say “Abbott repeatedly lied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and state agencies” in a “years-long and widespread failure to manufacture compliant powder infant formula” involving the dangerous Cronobacter bacteria.

The full text of the Senator’s inquiry to the DOJ can be found here and below.

Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche:

I write to demand answers about the decision to drop a major criminal case involving contaminated baby formula. On June 28, 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported that a multiyear criminal investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) into Abbott Laboratories (Abbott) yielded significant evidence and a recommendation of charges, yet was dropped by “top decision makers.” On July 6, 2026, Bloomberg Government reported that the Deputy Attorney General’s Office—that you were leading at that time—overruled the Criminal Division’s decision to charge the company and its executives. A DOJ spokeswoman apparently confirmed the criminal probe was closed, saying “criminal charges would have been heavy handed.” That is a concerning admission: under your management, DOJ does not consider a case involving deadly risks to medically sensitive infants, after a recommendation of a felony charge, to be worthy of criminal prosecution. If prosecuting cases involving the risk of injuries or death to premature infants are not a priority enforcement matter, I have questions about what priorities the DOJ considers worthy of pursuing.

This pattern of protecting corporations over people has proliferated during your tenure as Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General, and is present in this investigation that DOJ supervisors “thought [] was a good case.” As DOJ attorneys wrote in a February 2026 public filing, “Abbott repeatedly lied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture[] (‘USDA’) and State agencies” in a “years-long and widespread failure to manufacture compliant powder infant formula” involving the dangerous Cronobacter bacteria Assistant Attorney General Tysen Duva of the DOJ Criminal Division reportedly pushed for a felony charge that “Abbott executives conspired to defraud the US, along with a separate Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act charge against the company.” Remarkably, DOJ’s current position is apparently not that the criminal case lacked merit but that a civil penalty is sufficient to deter and punish such dangerous behavior. For such serious allegations, a DOJ dedicated to enforcing the law—regardless of the political affiliation of its Attorney General—would likely insist on criminal charges and a civil penalty, not simply a settlement that is a cost of business for a corporation.

DOJ’s failure to seek justice and accountability in this case is heightened by the fact that Abbott was represented by Kirkland & Ellis LLP. It is profoundly troubling that a law firm “donating” valuable legal services to the Trump Administration would also be permitted to lobby to drop criminal cases against the firm’s clients.

These circumstances suggest that DOJ leadership made a bad decision for the wrong reasons. Although the evidence from the DOJ criminal investigation is not yet public, the DOJ’s own False Claims Act allegations reflect serious concerns about Abbott’s conduct and culpability along with a “culture of concealment.”10 For example, DOJ alleged:

“[I]n a March 2022 message from senior Abbott leadership, notably sent after the Sturgis facility shut down and recall: ‘[j]ust don’t want to give more [to FDA] than what we committed.’”

“[I]n January 2022, rather than providing the most timely and complete information to FDA, the Site Quality Assurance Director decided not ‘to show them [FDA] January swabs’ and instead provided less accurate and more favorable data. This misrepresentation took place while FDA was at Sturgis investigating reports of illness and findings of insanitary conditions at the facility, including the presence of Cronobacter spp.”

“In 2019, Abbott was aware of, and failed to disclose, a positive C. sak finished product result to FDA during an FDA inspection in response to FDA investigators’ request for all of Abbott’s finished product testing.”

“[S]enior Abbott personnel explicitly acknowledged: ‘[y]ou will hear everyone speak to C. sak around here, but we actually are required [by FDA] to assure no Cronobacter species are present.’”; and

“The Sturgis Site Director was also known to ‘push shortcuts’ to hit metrics.”

These detailed factual allegations corroborate that DOJ attorneys had concluded Abbott engaged in intentional misconduct. At the same time, there are unmistakable signs that white collar criminal enforcement is collapsing at DOJ, including through recurring pardons, the Administration dropping 23,000 criminal investigations after redirecting resources to out-of-control immigration enforcement, and a mass exodus of thousands of attorneys.

Congress will continue to closely monitor and investigate your decisions and that of other DOJ officials in this case. Your Department made a decision to soften the burden for a large corporation that put American families and their children at risk due to tainted infant formula. That is unacceptable and contrary to public safety. When the false claims settlement is eventually disclosed, the public will know how seriously you take the risk of danger to the lives of infants when weighed against corporate profits. I suspect that Congress, along with the parents of infants exposed to these dangerous products and the American people, will profoundly disagree.

Considering the significance of these new reports and your nomination to be Attorney General, I request answers to the following questions by no later than July 13, 2026:

You have stated publicly that criminal cases targeting corporations should focus on charging individuals, yet the Abbott matter reportedly involved a high-level recommendation to charge executives for defrauding the government. Why does a case involving harm to American infants, including some who tragically died and a “culture of concealment” not merit the harsh penalties of criminal prosecution?

Which “top decision makers” at DOJ determined that the Abbott case did not merit a criminal prosecution?

Did you personally review the proposed criminal charges against Abbott, its executives or employees? If so, did you conclude that the charges lacked merit? If not, who did you assign to overrule career prosecutors and supervisors?

Did “top decision makers” close the criminal investigation before or after Abbott made an offer to settle the False Claims Act case? If after, how do you respond to charges that justice in your DOJ is for sale?

Did your office complete an analysis of the principles of prosecuting business organizations as required by the Justice Manual after receiving a recommendation from career prosecutors? If so, what factors did DOJ political appointees weigh more heavily in overruling the career investigators’ recommendation?

What is your relationship with Mark Filip? Did you know that he had advocated for removing authority to charge criminal cases from the very office that was investigating his client Abbott Laboratories? Please provide copies of all communications and written materials related to criminal enforcement authorities that Kirkland & Ellis or Filip provided to DOJ.

When did you learn that Filip’s law firm, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, was providing free legal services for the federal government? Do you know the value of free legal services provided by Kirkland & Ellis to the federal government?

Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas previously served as defense counsel for Abbott Laboratories in cases involving allegations of harm from infant formula.What contact, if any, did Diamantas have with DOJ officials regarding the decision to drop the criminal investigation of Abbott?

If prosecuting cases involving injuries or death to premature infants are no longer a priority enforcement matter, what priorities are the DOJ Criminal Division’s Health & Safety Unit pursuing?

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