Senator Marshall Secures $34 Million Federal Investment for Kansas City Biomanufacturing Hub

Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today applauded the U.S. Department of Commerce’s announcement that the Kansas City BioSecure Manufacturing Tech Hub has been selected to receive approximately $34 million through the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Tech Hubs Program.

The award follows Senator Marshall’s letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urging support for the project’s application. Marshall pointed to the Kansas City region’s world-class research institutions, advanced manufacturing base, the Animal Health Corridor, and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility as the assets that make it uniquely positioned to lead the next generation of American biomanufacturing. Strengthening domestic supply chains, outcompeting China, and protecting national security remain top priorities for Marshall as he continues advocating for Kansas.

“This investment is a major victory for Kansas, American manufacturing, and our national security,” said Senator Marshall. “The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the dangers of relying on foreign countries for our medicines and medical supply chains, and America cannot afford to make that mistake again. The Kansas City region has the talent, research institutions, and manufacturing expertise to lead the next generation of biomanufacturing. I’m grateful to Secretary Lutnick and the Trump Administration for recognizing that potential and partnering with us to strengthen America’s biomedical supply chain while creating high-quality jobs here in Kansas.”

“President Trump’s leadership is positioning America at the center of advanced manufacturing,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. “This award will position eastern Kansas and western Missouri as a global leader in advanced biomanufacturing for biologic medicines. It will modernize manufacturing processes, strengthen and retool domestic supply chains, and translate discoveries into scalable, resilient, and agile U.S. production of medications.”

The approximately $34 million investment includes:

$15 million to MRI Global to retrofit a facility into an advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing center.

$3.8 million to MRI Global to help secure FDA approval and expand adoption of advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies.

$6.2 million to BioNexus Kansas City to establish an end-to-end bioservices network capable of competing with China’s bioservices industry.

$5.5 million to Kansas Manufacturing Solutions to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical biomanufacturing inputs.

$2.8 million to BioNexus Kansas City to train workers in artificial intelligence and advanced biomanufacturing.

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Senator Marshall Visits USDA Summer Meal Program & Local Manufacturer in Kansas City Area

Kansas City – On Monday morning, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), visited the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City to learn about the USDA Summer Meal Program serving children in the KC area. He also toured Vita Craft Corporation to hear from a local manufacturer about how the Working Family Tax Cuts Act is benefiting their business.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City

Click here for more photos.

In Kansas City, Senator Marshall visited the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City to learn about their implementation of the USDA Summer Meal Program. Serving youth ages 5-18 in Wyandotte County, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City provides year-round programming, including their Summer Enrichment Program which offers daily STEM focused educational activities and field trips throughout June and July. Through the USDA Summer Meal Program, the Boys & Girls Club is able to provide a healthy breakfast and lunch to member youth as well as other youth in the community. Senator Marshall has long been a supporter of the USDA Summer Meal Program and its mission of ensuring children have access to nutritious food all summer long.

Vita Craft Corporation

Click here for more photos.

In Shawnee, Senator Marshall visited Vita Craft Corporation, which has manufactured stainless steel cookware in Johnson County for over 85 years, employing 100 people. They discussed pro-manufacturing provisions in the Working Family Tax Cuts Act, including a permanent 20% small business deduction and full expensing for capital investments, as well as Senator Marshall’s longtime support of skilled labor and machinist education programs.

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Wyden, Merkley Demand Civilian Protections, Greater Transparency for ICE Officers

Following killings in Maine and Texas, Oregon senators join colleagues calling for reforms, body-worn camera deployment, and independent investigations

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded stronger accountability measures for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers., urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to fulfill its previous commitments to deploy and expand the usage of body-worn cameras, strengthen officer identification requirements, and review enforcement protocols.

The measures suggested by the Oregon senators along with more than 30 of their colleagues in a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin seek to help prevent future deadly encounters involving ICE enforcement officers – and comes after two recent fatal shootings during immigration enforcement operations in Biddeford, Maine, and Houston, Texas.

“The recent fatal shootings involving U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers, specifically within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in Biddeford, Maine, and Houston, Texas, coupled with similar incidents elsewhere in the country, are completely unacceptable,” the senators wrote. “Rather than making our communities safer, these actions endanger our citizens and seriously undermine confidence in law enforcement generally.”

“The tragic deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero occurred less than a week apart and carry startling similarities,” the senators continued. “In both incidents, the individuals were killed in enforcement actions in which they were not the intended targets. Furthermore, both individuals were shot by DHS officials while inside a vehicle. The unnecessary loss of life in these incidents demands immediate, thorough, independent, and transparent investigations (including the full involvement of local and state law enforcement personnel) along with a comprehensive examination of enforcement protocols, training, and operational approaches necessary to prevent such tragedies. These recent events have further compromised the credibility of DHS and fractured public trust within communities across our country. In each case, DHS quickly issued statements asserting that officers were acting in self-defense, even before evidence of the facts surrounding the incidents had been gathered. Compounding this failure, no DHS officials involved in these fatal shootings wore body-worn cameras that could be reviewed by investigators or members of the public.”

“We remain supportive of removing dangerous convicted criminals from our communities, but this goal can and must be achieved without endangering these very communities in the process,” the senators finished. “The American people deserve clarity and accountability. We urge you to honor your Department’s earlier commitments and take immediate action to implement these necessary reforms. We also stand ready to work with you to codify reforms into law.”

In addition to Wyden and Merkley, other co-signers of the letter led by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) are U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and John Fetterman (D-PA).

The full letter is here.

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VIDEO: Shooting for the Stars Starts in Florida – On Space Exploration Day, Senator Moody Touts Florida Dominance as Nation’s Leader in American Expeditions to the Final Frontier

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Space Exploration Day, Senator Ashley Moody is touting Florida’s major role in propelling American interests into the Final Frontier. Launches on the Space Coast have increased by over 500% since 2016. Senator Moody is a champion of Florida’s dominance in space, witnessing the historic Artemis II launch from Kennedy Space Center, speaking with the crew as they returned from the moon, and meeting face to face with the world-renown astronauts last month at KSC when they thanked the NASA workers who made their trip possible.

“Space Exploration Day is a time to honor the innovators, engineers, astronauts, and visionaries who continue pushing the boundaries of the once thought impossible. The next generation of space exploration is being built in the Sunshine State, and I’ll continue fighting to keep Florida the launchpad for American innovation,” said Senator Ashley Moody.

BACKGROUND:

Senator Moody has a staunch record supporting Florida’s Space Coast.

Senator Moody passed the Secure U.S. Leadership in Space Act, to ensure the U.S. remains competitive and at the forefront of space innovation and exploration.

The legislation bolsters public-private partnerships by making spaceport facility bonds tax-exempt, treating spaceports the same as airports and seaports.

Senator Moody recently introduced the Space Ready 2.0 Act, which would establish a NASA-wide pilot program allowing the agency to accept voluntary private contributions for infrastructure improvement projects at NASA centers.

The proposal does not create a new spending program, establish a new Treasury fund, or authorize new federal spending. Rather, it builds upon NASA’s existing authority and allows private-sector partners to voluntarily invest in infrastructure improvements that directly support the missions they rely upon.

Earlier in July, Senator Moody met with the crew of Artemis II at Kennedy Space Center as they thanked the hundreds of NASA engineers, mathematicians and scientists who built the rocket that launched them farther into space than any human has ever traveled.

Senator Moody also introduced the CAPE Canaveral Act to relocate NASA headquarters to Florida’s Space Coast—where it belongs.

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Sen. Moran Announces $34 Million Award for KC BioHub from the Department of Commerce

Moran supported KC Metro’s designation as a Tech Hub through the CHIPS and Science Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) – today announced the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) will award a $34 million investment to the Kansas City BioSecure Manufacturing Tech Hub (KC BioHub), a consortium led by BioNexus KC, through the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program.

“Today marks a significant milestone for the Greater Kansas City area and will help strengthen the future of bio and medical research and development throughout the region,” said Sen. Moran. “I have long supported this program to give Kansas the opportunity to play a key role in supporting our national and economic security through increased research in biotechnology and other key technology areas. I’m pleased by this latest investment that connects our state’s experienced, highly skilled workforce with the resources to advance innovation and support growth across the region.”

Items to Note:

Sen. Moran worked with his colleagues to pass the CHIPS and Science Act, which was signed into law in 2022, establishing the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program to invest directly into high-potential U.S. regions and transform them into globally competitive innovation centers.

Through Sen. Moran’s role as the lead Republican on the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, he has worked to direct $623 million in federal resources for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program from FY2023 to FY2026.

In 2023, EDA designated KC BioHub as one of the 31 inaugural Regional Tech Hubs for showing potential for rapid growth in key technology sectors.

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Senator Murray Urges Congress to Stand Up for Students with Disabilities, Slams Trump Decimation of Department of Education

ICYMI: Murray Blasts Trump and McMahon’s Decision to Abandon Students with Disabilities & the Administration’s Legal Responsibility to Protect Students’ Civil Rights

Murray calls on Republican colleagues to join her in stopping illegal transfer of ED’s offices of special education and civil rights

Murray made clear she will not let any legislation that seeks to abolish the Department of Education make any progress in the Senate

*** WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE, DOWNLOAD HERE***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee, held a virtual press conference to sound the alarm on Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s plan to illegally transfer the responsibilities of the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through Inter-Agency Agreements (IAA).

Senator Murray was joined by Katy Neas, CEO of the Arc and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education under the Biden administration; Stephanie Smith Lee, Policy & Advocacy Co-Director for the National Down Syndrome Congress and former Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education under the George W. Bush administration; Catherine Lhamon, Executive Director for the Edley Center on Law and Democracy at UC Berkeley and former Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama and Biden administrations; Dr. Lanya Elsa, Special Education Researcher, Family Support Professional, and mother from Washington state of two sons who are deafblind; and Luisa Sparrow, special education teacher at Oliver Hazard Perry School and 2025 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.

“I have believed for a long time we need to be doing a lot more for students with disabilities. Programs like IDEA are not funded at nearly the level they should be,” said Senator Murray. “Just talk to any parent of students with disabilities—they’ll tell you the system is not perfect. But what Trump is doing threatens to make things so much worse. We have seen how this administration operates—it’s been haphazard and totally destructive. The agencies taking over these programs simply do not have the expertise and so many of the experts who oversaw these programs were fired or pushed out by Trump already. If Trump breaks the programs our kids with disabilities rely on, the outcomes will be grim… America has to stand up for kids with disabilities right now. This is not a partisan issue… I am calling on my Republican colleagues to listen to the parents of kids with disabilities. Listen to the teachers in our schools. Dismantling the Department of Education—continuing on this path—will be devastating for kids with disabilities in America.”

“A student who is denied services, disciplined for disability-related needs, or blocked from an accessible classroom needs one federal education system that can see the whole picture and act,” said Katy Neas, CEO, The Arc of the United States and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education under the Biden administration. “Moving special education to HHS and civil rights enforcement to DOJ would split apart the offices responsible for making disability rights real in schools, leaving families chasing answers across the federal government instead of getting accountability from one education agency.”

“Families are counting on Congress to reject the misguided notion that dismantling the U.S. Department of Education will reduce bureaucracy,” saidStephanie Smith Lee, Policy & Advocacy Co-Director for the National Down Syndrome Congress and former Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education under the George W. Bush administration. “I joined a bipartisan group of former officials who led federal special education under Republican and Democratic presidents since the Nixon Administration in urging Congress to stop the transfer of special education to another department. For decades, Congress has repeatedly reaffirmed that the Department of Education should oversee special education because students with disabilities need strong federal leadership, accountability, and oversight. Congress should not abandon that bipartisan commitment in favor of a disruptive experiment that creates confusion for families, burdens states and school districts, and adds more bureaucracy—not less.”

“After returning millions of dollars rather than spend it on civil rights protections for students in schools, terminating more than half of civil rights enforcement staff, and resolving a historic low in cases leaving students dangerously unprotected, now the Department of Education commits to a system designed to fail by agreeing to transfer its core civil rights enforcement functions to another agency with insufficient staff or expertise to meet the volume of need our nation’s students experience in their education journeys,” said Catherine E. Lhamon, Executive Director of the Edley Center on Law and Democracy at University of California, Berkeley School of Law and former Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama and Biden administrations. “This move, if unchecked, will at best only further delay justice and relegate students to federal afterthoughts rather than treating them like the valuable learners they are, who deserve Congress’ promise that they will not experience the ugly discriminatory harms our laws protect them against.”

“As both a special educator and the mother of two sons who are deafblind, I have seen firsthand what fifty years of federal protections and educational expertise have made possible for children with disabilities,” said Dr. Lanya Elsa, Special Education Researcher, Family Support Professional, and mother of two sons who are deafblind from Washington state. “My sons are now a college graduate and a college-bound student—but fifty years ago, children like mine were often segregated or institutionalized. We cannot turn back that progress. Special education deserves to remain within the Department of Education, overseen by leaders who understand that children like mine are not problems to be fixed—they are students who belong in our schools, alongside their peers. Moving special education programs to HHS and fragmenting civil rights enforcement puts at risk the expertise and accountability that families depend on. This is no longer about my sons. It is about every child coming behind them, and we owe those children the same opportunities to learn, thrive, and belong.”

“Students with disabilities have a civil right to the supports that will help them learn as much as possible in school, in learning spaces that include their general education peers,” said Luisa Sparrow, special education teacher at Oliver Hazard Perry School and 2025 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. “I’m here to advocate for my students, and for all students with disabilities, by highlighting the harm caused by moving special education to the Department of Health and Human Services. Isolating special education from general education in this way sends a damaging message that special education is about meeting healthcare needs rather than learning needs, and that it is separate from the main purpose of school.”

OCR is charged with enforcing federal civil rights laws to protect students’ rights in the classroom, and the Department of Education Organization Act of 1979 mandates the existence of the Office for Civil Rights at the Education Department to carry out these responsibilities.

Last year, the Trump administration thoughtlessly eliminated more than half of the staff in the Office for Civil Rights and closed half of the regional field offices, and in the time since, there has been a precipitous drop-off in the resolution of students’ cases. In 2025, the Department reached the lowest number of resolutions in 12 years and reached zero resolutions for students facing serious incidents including sexual harassment, sexual violence, seclusion, restraint, racial harassment, and discriminatory school discipline. Senator Murray has mobilized against the administration’s efforts to hollow out OCR, called out how it’s hurt students and families, and she’s repeatedly pressed Secretary McMahon on the issue.

OSERS is charged with implementing and enforcing the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandate that students with disabilities get the free appropriate public education and independence they deserve. In April, Senator Murray pressed Secretary McMahon on her plans to potentially offload OSERS’ responsibilities and told McMahon: “That is exactly why these parents and advocates are spitting mad because what they want to make sure is that their child with a disability has an education.”

Senator Murray has aggressively pushed back against Secretary McMahon’s efforts to dismantle the Department, including through the illegal use of IAAs, and she fought to insert ironclad language in the fiscal year 2026 funding bill for the Department that would bar Secretary McMahon from using IAAs to dismantle the Department—but Republicans refused to include new, binding language that would block arrangements like the ones announced in June. Last week, Senator Murray blasted House Republicans for working to advance a slate of legislative proposals to rubberstamp the administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education—Murray made clear she will not let any legislation that seeks to abolish the Department of Education make any progress in the Senate.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“Thank you for joining us today. I am really pleased to be here today with a parent, a teacher, and some experts from both Democratic and Republican administrations.

“We all know that public education in America is not going to get better by dismantling the Department of Education. But Trump is determined to raze it to the ground. Instead of helping kids get a great education, instead of supporting the unique needs of all our children, the Trump administration is spending its time, its energy, and your tax dollars on illegally trying to shutter the Department of Education.

“Now I am fighting tooth and nail against any efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, but I am especially concerned about what this could mean for all students, especially students with disabilities in America.

“Trump and Linda McMahon have fired and pushed out over 2,000 staff at the Department, and with them decades of institutional knowledge and that includes the staff they need to enforce our civil rights laws for students with disabilities. They have created absolute chaos and pandemonium for school districts across the country by holding up federal funding that our communities rely on, and last month, they announced they are illegally scattering federal education programs that support students with disabilities all over the government with different agencies managing programs that they have no business or expertise running.

“And you know who gets left behind? Students and their parents, who break their backs and lose sleep worrying about how to make sure their kid with a disability gets the individualized support they need.

“It is outrageous and completely unacceptable that Donald Trump and Linda McMahon want to pass off the essential work of the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice, and specifically to a division at DOJ that is being run by a right-wing extremist. And it is outrageous they are abandoning their obligation to manage the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and handing it over to RFK Jr at HHS—everyone who is here today knows these offices are critical, but they are especially important for students with disabilities.

“I have believed for a long time we need to be doing a lot more for students with disabilities. Programs like IDEA are not funded at nearly the level they should be. Just talk to any parent of students with disabilities—they’ll tell you the system is not perfect. But what Trump is doing threatens to make things so much worse. We have seen how this administration operates—it’s been haphazard and totally destructive. The agencies taking over these programs simply do not have the expertise and so many of the experts who oversaw these programs were fired or pushed out by Trump already. If Trump breaks the programs our kids with disabilities rely on, the outcomes will be grim.

“For far too long, these kids were outright denied the education they need and deserve right here in America. Most Americans don’t realize that as recently as the 1970s schools in the United States only educated about one in five children with disabilities, and a whole lot of states had laws excluding certain students, including kids who were deaf or blind or had some kind of intellectual disability.

“That is so wrong, and while progress has not been perfect—we have made tremendous progress since then. Over 50 years ago, parents and educators fought to enshrine basic protections in federal law to guarantee their right to a quality education—and to create mechanisms in law to right wrongs when they are denied the resources or support they deserve. That victory and many others since have ushered in a lot of hard-won progress—but instead of building on it, this administration is intent on rolling back the clock to a much darker time.

“It’s enough to make your blood boil. We cannot go backwards, but that’s exactly where this administration is taking us.

“Thanks to the Trump administration there is already a massive backlog of cases at the Office for Civil Rights and that list will just get longer. And under this administration, if a kid with disabilities is discriminated against, they are almost certainly not going to have their rights protected. Last year, OCR reached nearly 80 percent fewer disability discrimination resolution agreements compared to 2024. That’s not by accident, it’s by design–thanks to Trump’s staffing cuts and dismantling of the Department of Education.

“And it gets even worse. Let’s talk about RFK Jr. RFK Jr. should have nothing to do with making sure students with disabilities are getting the high-quality public education they deserve and are entitled to. The idea of him being put in charge of special education for our kids is absolutely appalling. Earlier this year, RFK Jr. went on a sick and offensive tirade spreading lies and taking cheap shots at kids with Autism. He said ‘autism destroys families’ and is an ‘individual tragedy as well.’ He talked about how kids with autism would never have a job, pay taxes, write a poem, or even go on a date. Those remarks are horrifying, and they are simply false. And they display a total lack of respect for the dignity, the humanity, and the limitless potential every child possesses to make their own way in this world.

“No way should RFK Jr. be in charge of programs meant to help students with disabilities learn, grow, and thrive.

“Look, as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I have a lot of say over how we spend taxpayer dollars—and you can bet I will fight to protect funding for the Department of Education. I have also fought to outright stop Trump from spinning off these critical education programs to other departments that have zero relevant expertise. But we are still deep in the minority, and in last year’s funding bills, Republicans refused to work with us to stop Trump’s destruction of the Department of Education. But with Trump and McMahon’s latest efforts to undercut the programs students with disabilities rely on, I am really hoping we can rally parents, teachers, and communities across America—in red states and blue.

“America has to stand up for kids with disabilities right now. This is not a partisan issue.

“So, I am desperately hoping this will be a wake-up call to my Republican colleagues who I know do care deeply about students with disabilities. I can fight to increase funding for special education in our spending bills—absolutely. But I can’t wave a magic wand on my own to stop the illegal transferring of special education to RFK Jr.’s HHS and student civil rights protections to DOJ.

“So what can we do? Well, a lot actually. With enough Republican support we could undo some of this destruction, whether in our funding bills or otherwise. I am calling on my Republican colleagues to listen to the parents of kids with disabilities. Listen to the teachers in our schools. Dismantling the Department of Education—continuing on this path—will be devastating for kids with disabilities in America.

“Join me in putting a stop to this before it’s too late.

“Finally, I want to address legislation we’ve seen in the House of Representatives that would rubberstamp much of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. As long as this former preschool teacher is a United States Senator, every one of those bills is dead on arrival. I’m very pleased to be joined by some of those very parents and teachers that every member of Congress ought to be listening to.”

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Amidst Cyclospora Parasite Outbreak, Sen. Ossoff Slams HHS Secretary Kennedy for Canceling CDC’s Monitoring of Cyclosporiasis Parasite

Washington, D.C. — Amidst the current parasite outbreak, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is slamming HHS Secretary Kennedy for canceling the CDC’s required surveillance of the Cyclosporiasis parasite.

In a new letter, Sen. Ossoff slammed U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for terminating the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) surveillance of Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite responsible for cyclosporiasis.

According to recent reports, cyclosporiasis has been identified in more than 1,600 confirmed cases, with more than 100 people hospitalized and thousands of cases being investigated across 34 states, including Georgia.

“Last year, you terminated the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) required surveillance of Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite responsible for cyclosporiasis. And now a cyclosporiasis outbreak sweeps the nation,” Sen. Ossoff wrote to HHS Secretary RFK Jr.“Your foolish and self-indulgent demolition of critical public health programs puts Americans at risk. The Trump Administration is actively undermining food safety.”

Sen. Ossoff continues working to protect public health, the CDC, and its workforce.

In April, Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock demanded answers from HHS Secretary RFK Jr. after reports that the CDC Atlanta Campus is still in need of repairs and improvements following last year’s shooting.

In March, Sen. Ossoff worked with Republicans and Democrats to ensure the CDC receives crucial funding to protect the American people, successfully defeating the Trump Administration’s proposed 50% cut in funding for the CDC in the FY26 budget.

Last October, Sen. Ossoff led Georgia’s Democratic Congressional Delegation in calling on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to answer for the chaos and disruption at the CDC that has marked his tenure, including the firings of CDC employees.

Last June, Sen. Ossoff spoke in the Appropriations Committee markup of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education funding bill about bipartisan efforts to protect the CDC.

Also in June, Sen. Ossoff demanded answers from the Trump Administration following an NPR report that the CDC Program to prevent fentanyl overdoses had been frozen.

In 2025, Sen. Ossoff and other members of Congress demanded that the Trump Administration provide answers on the reported shutdown of a critical Maternal Health data system at the CDC.

Click here to read Sens. Ossoff’s inquiry.

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Padilla, Durbin Demand DHS, DOJ Halt Improper $1.8 Million Fines on Law-Abiding Immigrants

Senators warn the Trump Administration is improperly using rarely imposed immigration penalties to intimidate law-abiding immigrants

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary’s Immigration Subcommittee, and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging them to end the improper application of certain civil penalties in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to law-abiding immigrants.

In an attempt to intimidate and frighten law-abiding immigrants, the Trump Administration is fining them up to $1.8 million, without any individual explanation for why fines have been assessed. These immigrants include individuals with legal authorization to be in the United States, such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, individuals seeking a green card, and survivors of domestic violence or trafficking with pending applications for immigration status. The INA authorizes civil monetary penalties for certain violations of immigration law. The penalties have rarely been applied—since the introduction of civil penalties in 1996, only President Trump has ever sought to impose civil penalties on noncitizens under these provisions.

“In assessing these fines, your Departments appear to have abandoned critical safeguards that have long prevented law-abiding immigrants from being improperly targeted with unreasonable penalties… last year President Trump issued a series of executive orders implementing his mass deportation campaign, through which he directed federal agencies to use these civil penalties to achieve ‘the garnishment of wages [] and the confiscation of savings and personal property, including homes and vehicles,’” wrote the Senators. “The Trump Administration began quietly changing federal policies to eliminate procedural safeguards that might have prevented the wrongful application of these penalties.”

DHS made a form change that allowed for penalty issuance without any individualized explanation for the basis for a fine. DHS and the Department of Justice issued an interim final rule (IFR)—a regulatory mechanism that bypasses standard notice and comment procedures—which codifies many of these changes and also permits the issuance of penalties based solely on a finding that an individual has a final order of removal or has agreed to voluntary departure.

“These changes raise serious legal concerns. They were made without advance notice to the public, leaving many noncitizens who had been complying with the law unsure of the basis under which these fees could be assessed and unsure of how to challenge them,” continued the Senators. “An individualized determination is necessary to provide adequate notice of the basis for a violation and a meaningful way to challenge the penalties. In addition, the mere existence of a removal order or voluntary departure agreement in a noncitizen’s record is not sufficient to establish willful or voluntary failure to comply with departure obligations, as is required under the statute… Without case specific analysis, your Departments cannot properly determine whether assessing penalties for failure to comply with departure obligations is appropriate under the law.”

“The Administration has stated it changed policies to allow the imposition of civil monetary penalties ‘swiftly and at [] scale’ in order to ‘achieve the Administration’s immigration enforcement and border security objectives,’” wrote the Senators. “As of May, the federal government had issued more than 65,000 fines to immigrants who reportedly have removal orders but who remain in the U.S., seeking more than $36 billion in total. However, as with the rest of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation policies, this policy does not appear intended to target the ‘worst of the worst,’ but rather to coerce law-abiding immigrants to leave the United States.”

In the letter, the Senators request responses to a number of questions no later than July 31, 2026.

Last month, Padilla and Durbin led over 50 colleagues in objecting to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)’s recent decision to weaken legal protections for DACA recipients. Earlier this year, Padilla demanded answers from the Trump Administration on their decision to pull thousands of federal law enforcement agents away from their work protecting communities from dangerous criminals and reassign them to arrest, detain, and indiscriminately deport noncitizens without criminal records.

Full letter is available here.

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Padilla, Tillis, Schiff and Curtis Press Congressional Leaders to Pass Long-Term Disaster Recovery Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, the senior senator from California, and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), along with Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and John Curtis (R-Utah), urged Congressional leaders to include long-term disaster recovery funding in any supplemental appropriations package after the Administration’s recent emergency funding request did not include desperately needed resources for communities to rebuild and recover following catastrophic natural disasters.

In a letter to Senate Committee on Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the Senators identified natural disasters that have severely devastated communities across the country, specifically highlighting the Eaton and Palisades fires that impacted Los Angeles County.

“Over the last few years, natural disasters have devastated communities across the United States,” wrote the Senators. “In 2025, fueled by wind gusts reaching up to 100 miles per hour, the Los Angeles County wildfires burned over 40,000 acres, destroyed over 16,000 structures, forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate, and claimed more than two dozen lives. During the response, California mobilized more than 15,000 personnel, including firefighters, National Guard members, highway patrol officers, and transportation teams, to contain the fires and protect communities. For comparison, these wildfires burned an area nearly three times the size of Manhattan. The scale and severity of these wildfires underscore the urgent need for additional federal assistance, coordination, and funding.”

The Senators urged long-term disaster recovery funding be included in any supplemental appropriations package moving forward, emphasizing the critical need required for fully rebuilding, as well as support needed for other natural disasters in North Carolina and Utah.

“These disasters have caused widespread damage across California, North Carolina, and Utah, affecting federal and state highways, critical public infrastructure, homes, and buildings,” continued the Senators. “The scale and complexity of these events will require sustained federal support to help communities rebuild damaged infrastructure, restore essential services, and meet long-term recovery needs. Therefore, we strongly urge you to include long-term disaster recovery funding, like the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), in any supplemental appropriations package to ensure communities have the resources needed to rebuild and recover.”

Senator Padilla has fought relentlessly to secure and protect access to desperately needed disaster relief aid for families in California. In January, on the one-year anniversary of the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, Padilla and Schiff and the Chairs of the Republican and Democratic Congressional Delegations — Representatives Ken Calvert (R-Calif.-41) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18) — led the entire bipartisan California Congressional delegation in urging Trump to provide overdue federal disaster relief funding and resources to help Los Angeles County communities rebuild and recover. In the immediate aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, Padilla and Schiff led 47 bipartisan members of the California Congressional delegation in successfully urging President Biden to grant Governor Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration to expedite timely relief to Los Angeles County residents impacted by these disasters. Early last year, Padilla, Schiff, Calvert, and Lofgren also led the entire bipartisan California Congressional delegation in urging Senior Congressional leadership to provide additional disaster relief funding and resources to help Los Angeles County communities rebuild.

Full letter is available here.

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Peters and Slotkin Bipartisan Bill to Extend Federal Funding and Protections for the Great Lakes Advances in the Senate

WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee unanimously voted to advance the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2026. The comprehensive bill includes a provision championed by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Elissa Slotkin (MI), based on their bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025. The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 would authorize $475 million in annual funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) through 2030.

“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is the most significant investment ever made to restore and protect our Great Lakes, and now more than ever, we need to ensure this vital program has the resources necessary to keep our treasured waterways healthy and vibrant,” said Senator Peters. “I’ll keep working in a bipartisan way to get this commonsense bill passed into law and help protect the Great Lakes for future generations.”

“The Great Lakes are a huge part of who we are as Michiganders and our way of life, but they’re also the backbone of our state economy,” said Senator Slotkin. “This crucial funding program helps keep it that way. I’ll keep fighting alongside both Republicans and Democrats to fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and get this bill signed into law.”

The GLRI combines federal and nonfederal efforts to stop the spread of carp and other invasive species, restore coastline and habitats connecting our streams and rivers, clean up environmentally damaged Areas of Concern, and prevent future contamination. While providing vital support for these efforts, the GLRI also helps ensure we can address new and emerging threats to the Great Lakes.

Since its inception, the GLRI has spurred tremendous progress in Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes region including nearly half of a million acres of habitat protected, restored, or enhanced, a five-fold increase in the successful cleanup and delisting of Areas of Concern, a ten-fold increase in the remediation of environmental and public health impairments, and reducing the threat of harmful algal blooms. The GLRI’s efforts have also resulted in economic returns of more than 3 to 1 across the region.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 is supported by the League of Conservation Voters, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, Council of Great Lakes Governors, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, American Great Lakes Ports Association, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, American Rivers, American Sportfishing Association, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Audubon Society - Great Lakes, Environmental Law & Policy Center, and other key stakeholders in Great Lakes protection.

Peters and Slotkin have been steadfast supporters of the Great Lakes, including by enacting the single-largest-ever investment in the GLRI through the bipartisan infrastructure law to accelerate the restoration of nine high-priority areas in Michigan whose lakes, rivers, and watersheds flow into the Great Lakes.

As Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Peters plays a key role in uniting Great Lakes Basin states to coordinate legislative initiatives, funding priorities, and oversight efforts to address the most important issues facing the Great Lakes, such as invasive species, environmental contamination, shoreline erosion, water quality, infrastructure needs, and more.

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Reed & Whitehouse Introduce Disaster Relief Fairness Act to Counter Trump’s Politicization of Federal Emergency Management Decisions

WASHINGTON, DC -- When catastrophic natural disasters strike, the federal government has historically used a merit-based, non-partisan process to do its part to assist states in the aftermath of major hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, floods, or blizzards, presuming impacted states can prove the severity of the damage caused by the event.

On February 22-23, 2026 Rhode Island was hit by a severe snowstorm that shut down the state for days. Over three feet of snow fell on the state in a 24-hour period – the highest one-day snowfall on record for Rhode Island. The storm hit Rhode Island with the intensity of a Category 2 hurricane, with heavy winds up to 74 miles per hour. It caused widespread power outages and tragically resulted in two fatalities and hundreds of emergency room visits. Local businesses faced prolonged closures due to disruptions to transportation, utilities, and public services across the state.

The historic blizzard caused over $19.3 million in damages across Rhode Island – amounting to more than nine times the threshold required for a Major Disaster Declaration under Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulations. Rhode Island emergency management officials worked hand-in-hand with FEMA to prepare a package documenting the damage, and a request was made to President Trump to make the necessary declaration to unlock funding to help with the recovery. Under federal law, only the president can approve a major disaster declaration.

Under any other administration, Rhode Island’s disaster declaration request would have been approved on the merits, given the blizzard's historic nature and FEMA’s own damage assessment guidelines. However, on July 2, the Trump Administration denied Rhode Island’s request -- along with similar requests from other northeastern states that were severely hit by the snowstorm, but whose states did not vote for Trump in the last election.

This is not a one-off: According to the Associated Press, President Trump “has approved more than three-fourths of the requests from states that voted for him in the 2024 election but less than half the requests from states that did not.” No other president in history has such a disparity in denials between states that supported him politically and those that did not. For example, during the Obama Administration, President Obama’s approval rate was identical for states that voted for and against him.

The same week President Trump denied applications from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York – states that are led by Democratic governors and that voted for Kamala Harris in the last election – he approved disaster declarations for nine Republican-leaning states. During Trump’s second term, the White House has approved 89 percent of disaster aid requests from Republican governors, and 23 percent of Democratic-led states, according to a memo compiled by minority members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee.

These unfair denials negatively impact state, city, and town budgets and property tax rates for residents.

Now, in an effort to counter Trump’s unfair, unwarranted politicization of federal emergency management decisions, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are teaming up to introduce the Disaster Relief Fairness Act (S.5018).

Under current law, major disasters are declared pursuant to Section 401 of the Stafford Act and based on consideration of several factors included in regulations at 44 CFR § 206.48. One key factor is a comparison of the cost of the disaster’s impact to the state's ability to handle the event, a metric that is typically calculated by multiplying the per capita indicator by the state's population. While the declaration process included in Section 401 leaves significant discretion to the president, no other president has ever before made politics the deciding factor in which states receive federal aid and which do not.

The Reed-Whitehouse bill would prevent Donald Trump from maliciously denying disaster assistance to states and communities when they have met the criteria to qualify.

“Time and again, President Trump has shown that he can’t see past his own personal grievances and partisan biases when it comes to providing disaster aid,” said Senator Reed. “The Disaster Relief Fairness Act would ensure that the disaster declaration process is both impartial and consistent. Our bill would prevent Trump from using disaster assistance for political leverage or retribution by ensuring that every request for disaster assistance made during his presidency will be approved as long as it meets FEMA’s established requirements and thresholds. This will guarantee that states and tribes will get the relief they need to fully recover from disasters.”

“When disaster strikes, Americans have always thrown partisanship out the door to support their neighbors and local businesses in need,” said Senator Whitehouse. “President Trump plays a dangerous, cruel game when he injects partisanship into the decision to deny much-needed disaster aid for states that didn’t vote for him. Our legislation would remove the President’s whims from the disaster aid process and ensure Rhode Islanders get every cent they are due.”


Risch, Baldwin Call on FDA to Crack Down on Mislabeled Dairy Imitation Products

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) along with Representatives John Joyce (R-Pa.) and Josh Riley (D-N.Y.) today called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to crack down on the misuse of dairy terms for plant-based products, which unfairly impacts dairy farmers and processors and misleads consumers.

“The blatant misuse of dairy terms for plant-based products unfairly impacts dairy farmers and processors and harms consumers due to inaccurate labeling information,” wrote the Members of Congress. “We urge you to enforce dairy standards of identity and stop imitation products from usurping dairy terms. Rescinding the current FDA guidance and enforcing existing dairy standards of identity is in best interest of our nation’s consumers, dairy farmers and broader public health.”

In July 2025, Risch and Baldwin introduced the DAIRY PRIDE Act to prohibit non-dairy imitation products, such as those made from plants, nuts, or grains, from using dairy names like “milk” or “yogurt.” The DAIRY PRIDE Act has support from the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, National Milk Producers Federation, and American Farm Cooperative.


NEW REPORT: Nevadans Paid $514 Million More in Gasoline Since Start of Trump’s War in Iran

WASHINGTON, DC – A new report released by the U.S. Congress’s Joint Economic Committee (JEC) reveals that Nevadans have paid $514 million more in gasoline, or about $460 per household, since the start of Donald Trump’s war in Iran. Since Donald Trump renewed operations in Iran, the average price of gas in Nevada hit $4.62 per gallon, higher than the national average.

“While Donald Trump continues to drag out his war in Iran, Nevada families are paying the price at the gas pump. When gas prices skyrocket, the costs of other essentials go up even more,” said Senator Rosen. “Nevadans can’t keep footing the bill for Trump’s reckless leadership. Instead of focusing on old election conspiracies and lies, Trump needs to focus on lowering costs and giving families relief at the pump.”

Senator Rosen has been working to bring down prices for Nevada families by pushing back on the Trump Administration’s cost-raising policies. In March, she successfully pushed Trump to immediately release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help bring down gas prices. Senator Rosen also introduced legislation to protect consumers from Trump’s reckless tariffs, including a bill to block tariffs levied on groceries or agricultural products.

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Rosen Joins Senate Colleagues in Demanding Pentagon Release Report on U.S. Bombing of Iranian Elementary School

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Senate Colleagues in a renewed push to get answers from the Department of Defense over the tragic U.S. bombing of an Iranian elementary school in February. The strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, which reportedly killed approximately 120 children and at least 175 people in total, was the worst civilian casualty incident caused by the U.S. military in decades.

“More than four months after the strike, and after the reported submission of the investigation in April, Congress and the American people still have not received the Department’s investigation and findings,” the senators wrote. “There is no justification for withholding an unclassified accounting of what happened, what went wrong, and what the Department is doing to prevent recurrence.”

“These reported issues, if accurate, raise deeply troubling questions about the integrity of U.S. target development, the adequacy of target validation and vetting procedures, the interoperability of intelligence and targeting databases, the timeliness and reliability of intelligence used for lethal targeting, and the Department’s implementation of civilian harm mitigation policies,” the senators wrote. “They also raise urgent questions about whether the Department has sufficient targeting personnel, training, accountability mechanisms, and technical safeguards to support large-scale conventional operations.”

The senators concluded, “The United States military has a legal and moral obligation to take all feasible precautions to prevent civilian harm. When a U.S. strike kills civilians, the Department owes Congress, the American people, and the victims’ families a clear accounting of what happened and a credible plan to prevent future failures.”

The full letter can be found HERE.


Schatz Statement On Death Of First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement on the death of First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of ‘Ewa Beach, who was killed in action on July 18, 2026 at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

“We are heartbroken by the loss of 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan of ?Ewa Beach, who gave his life while serving our country. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and fellow soldiers as they grieve this unimaginable loss. May his memory be a blessing.”

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ICYMI: Sen. Schiff Joins Sens. Luján, Welch, Raskin, Ocasio-Cortez to Introduce Legislation Imposing Gift Ban on Supreme Court Justices

Legislation Cracks Down on Lavish Gifts to Supreme Court Justices With $50 Limit Aligning Ethics Rules With Congress, Other Judges, and Federal Officials

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) to introduce the High Court Gift Ban Act, legislation to close a glaring ethics loophole that allows U.S. Supreme Court Justices to accept lavish gifts from wealthy benefactors and individuals with interests before the Court. U.S. Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.-14) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“The Supreme Court has lost the trust of the American people, and Justices accepting lavish gifts from wealthy individuals with business before the court has only made matters worse. We need to put an end to these egregious conflicts of interest and can start by establishing basic ethical standards for the Justices,” said Senator Schiff.

Unlike other federal judges, Members of Congress, and executive branch officials—who are all bound by strict gift rules—Supreme Court Justices are not currently bound by any limits on the value of the gifts they can accept. Investigative reporting has shown that some Justices have exploited this loophole, taking in lavish “gifts” from wealthy benefactors and political allies worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars—benefits that, in some cases, look more like payments than presents.

The scale of these undisclosed perks is staggering. One analysis found that Justices have accepted at least 445 gifts worth nearly $5 million over the past two decades. Reports have detailed that Justice Clarence Thomas alone received more than $4.2 million in luxury travel and other benefits from wealthy individuals with interests before the Court, including trips to Bali, stays at exclusive private retreats, and even a forgiven loan to purchase a luxury motor coach.

The High Court Gift Ban Act would block Justices from receiving gifts valued at more than $50 in a single instance or more than $100 in aggregate over the course of a year. It would also cap gifts of personal hospitality, like free trips on billionaire’s yachts and private jets, which are currently unregulated. This brings the Supreme Court in line with similar ethical standards applying to Members of Congress and other federal officials.

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen far too many reports detailing how lavish gifts and luxury travel have undermined public confidence in the Supreme Court,” said Senator Luján. “That’s why I’m proud to partner with colleagues to introduce the High Court Gift Ban Act, which would hold Supreme Court justices to the same ethical standards as other high-ranking federal officials. The Supreme Court — our nation’s highest and most powerful court — should be held to the highest ethical standards to protect our democracy from the influence of dark money and special interests.”

“For years, conservative Supreme Court Justices have accepted expensive gifts and travel from their friends who have business before the Court. It’s unethical, and it’s why public trust in the Court has eroded. Those serving on the Supreme Court should be held to the same ethical standards as every other federal judge—and it’s high time they are,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Luján on this bill to increase accountability and restore public trust in our nation’s most powerful court.”

“In every other part of the federal government, taking lavish gifts from interested parties is called corruption—but at the Supreme Court, it’s bizarrely been treated as a job perk. A gaping ethics loophole has allowed Justices to accept lavish gifts from individuals who may have business before the Court, which totally undermines public confidence in judicial fairness and independence. Our bill closes this indefensible loophole by saying that Supreme Court Justices should follow the same basic gift rules as every other federal official and their fellow judges. Americans shouldn’t have to wonder whether wealthy litigants and interested parties are influencing Supreme Court decisions with trips to luxury resorts, flights on private jets, and cruises on luxury yachts,” said Ranking Member Raskin.

“The Supreme Court is facing a major corruption crisis. As it stands, Supreme Court Justices are legally allowed to accept gifts from wealthy benefactors and people with special interests before the Court, actively furthering the distrust between working-class Americans and our legal institutions. That is why I am proud to introduce the High Court Gift Ban Act, alongside Congressman Jamie Raskin and Senator Ben Ray Luján, to remove the influence of dark money from our nation’s highest judicial body. We must pass this commonsense proposal to safeguard the sanctity of our legal institutions and democracy,” said Representative Ocasio-Cortez.

The High Court Gift Ban Act is endorsed by leading advocacy organizations, including: AFSCME, American Federation of Teachers, Alliance for Justice, American Humanist Association, Center for American Progress, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Clean Elections Texas, Courage California, Court Accountability, Courts Matter Illinois, EarthJustice, Enough of Gun Violence, Equality California, FFRF Action Fund, Fix the Court, Free Speech for People, Government Information Watch, Greenpeace USA, Indivisible, Leage of Conservation Voters, MoveOn, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Women’s Law Center, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Ohio Fair Courts Alliance, People for the American Way, People Power United, Public Citizen, Reproductive Freedom for All, Secular Coalition for America, Secure Elections Network, Stand Up America, Supreme Court Integrity Project, Take Back the Court Action Fund, True North Research, Voices for Progress, and The Workers Circle.

Full text of the bill can be found here.

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NEWS: Sen. Schiff Launches Push for Judicial Reforms, Increased Transparency Amid Historic Democratic Rollbacks by Supreme Court

Schiff, House allies are calling for the passage of legislation aimed at increasing transparency and improving conflict-of-interest guardrails for federal judges and Supreme Court Justices

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, launched his push for Congress to pass legislation to strengthen accountability, transparency, and ethical standards across the federal judicial court system. These proposed reforms are necessary in addition to other significant reforms to the Supreme Court and judiciary, including term limits, expanding the Court, and enforcing a code of ethics.

As the Supreme Court wraps up a session defined by historic rollbacks of the Voting Rights Act and other democratic guardrails, Schiff is pushing a legislative package that includes bills to restore faith in the federal judiciary and address abuses of power, including by Supreme Court Justices. The bills would apply conflict of interest ethical standards to federal judges and Justices, require judges and Justices to place financial assets into blind trusts, and make the federal judiciary subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

“The federal judicial system is desperately in need of reform to prevent further ethical lapses. The Supreme Court, and our federal judiciary at large, must be held to the highest standards, but time after time, judges have engaged in troubling acts, putting personal interests above the law and Constitution. I have long called for necessary reforms to regain trust in our system. We must hold judges to the same ethical standards as other federal officials, enhance transparency within the court system, and ensure cases are decided based on merit, not profits. Americans deserve nothing less,” said Senator Schiff.

Background:

A steady stream of alarming revelations in recent years has severely undermined public faith in the independence and integrity of the federal judiciary, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Investigative reports have uncovered a pervasive culture of undisclosed luxury gifts and glaring conflicts of interest, all while Justices refuse to recuse themselves from major cases tied directly to their benefactors’ financial or political advantage.

To regain the American people’s trust in our courts, Congress must pass rigorous, binding statutory guardrails that ensure no federal judge can operate above the ethical standards expected of other public servants.

Schiff’s legislative package includes:

The Judicial Integrity Act, which would hold judges and Supreme Court Justices to higher ethical standards by applying the federal conflict-of-interest statute, which currently applies to Executive Branch officials, to the federal judiciary. Doing so would restrict judges’ and Justices’ ability to participate in any official matters in which they hold a financial interest.

U.S. Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.-37) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Senate, this legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

“Americans’ confidence in our federal judiciary has reached a record low. With Supreme Court Justices reportedly accepting lavish vacations from billionaires and issuing decisions that seemingly favor the president over the constitution, it’s no surprise that this trust is broken,” said Rep. Kamlager-Dove. “I’m proud to introduce the Judicial Integrity Act, which would combat undue outside influence by requiring judicial employees to meet the same financial conflict-of-interest standards as the executive branch. Together, this legislative package would establish an enforceable code of ethics for federal judges and justices, taking long-overdue steps to bring transparency and accountability back to our courts.”

The Justice is BLIND Act,whichwould prevent judicial conflicts of interest by requiring federal judges and Supreme Court Justices to place their financial assets into blind trusts. Under this bill, all federal judges, Supreme Court Justices, magistrate judges, and bankruptcy judges, as well as their spouses and dependent children, must place covered financial interests into a qualified blind trust within 90 days of enactment or being sworn into office. Judges must provide a written compliance attestation within 15 days of establishing the trust, which the Administrative Office of the United States Courts will publish on a searchable public database.

U.S. Representative Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-4) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Senate, this legislation is co-sponsored by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

“Transparency and accountability are at the heart of the public’s trust in government,” said Rep. Johnson, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet. “Americans deserve to know that officials in every branch of government — including the judiciary — are acting honorably and in the interest of the people, not their bank accounts. The Justice Is Blind Act would go a long way in preventing any conflicts of interest that might arise and help restore trust in our judiciary by requiring judges and justices to place their financial assets in blind trusts.”

The Judicial FOIA Expansion Act, which would increase transparency by subjecting the administrative offices of the federal judiciary to the same Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements currently applied to executive branch agencies. The bill creates an explicit right of public access to specific administrative records, including judicial complaints, investigations, and orders against court personnel; attorney disciplinary proceedings; Judicial Conference meeting calendars and minutes; and PACER technical audits or update plans.

U.S. Representative Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.-10) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Senate, this legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

“Trust in our judicial system is waning because judges are not being held to the highest ethical standards. I’m introducing the Judicial FOIA Expansion Act to allow the public right of access to all records, including any judicial complaints. It is incumbent upon Congress to pass legislation to update ethical guidelines for judges and increase transparency, so that they are beholden only to the Constitution and the rule of law, not whoever is lining their pockets,” said Congressman Dan Goldman.

Senator Schiff is a strong supporter of other legislation to establish term limits for Supreme Court Justices, expand the number of seats on the Court, and require the Court to enact an enforceable code of ethics.

“The judiciary is not some mystical priesthood whose members perform work that’s beyond human understanding. The branch comprises government workers doing government jobs, and as such, a segregable part of their work product that’s not related to national security and does not include personal information should be subject to the same open records laws as those for executive branch officials. Fix the Court is pleased to endorse the Judicial FOIA Expansion Act and applauds Sen. Schiff’s leadership in advocating for greater openness from what’s become the most powerful, least accountable branch,” said Gabe Roth, Executive Director, Fix the Court.

“Federal judges and Justices make decisions that have an enormous impact on our daily lives. We enthusiastically support strengthening the ethical rules that they have to follow. That protects all of us,” said Svante Myrick, President, People for the American Way.

“Bringing FOIA to the federal judiciary aligns it with the executive branch and numerous state judiciaries that are already subject to Sunlight laws. The federal judiciary was appropriated north of nine billion dollars for 2026 and American taxpayers deserve to know how that money is being spent. Faith in the rule of law is a founding tenet of our democracy that is strengthened by the transparency this bill brings,” said Michael Lissner, Executive Director Free Law Project.

“Faith in our system of justice must be restored, and increasing transparency and stronger ethics requirements are a critical mechanism to moving us in that direction. In a moment where the American people are deeply dissatisfied with government, taking steps to decouple corruption and the courts is essential. We applaud Senator Schiff’s efforts to do just that,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President Public Citizen.

“Ensuring the impartiality and integrity of the federal judiciary is crucial to maintaining the democratic values our country was founded upon. By setting strong ethical standards and preventing conflicts of interests in the judiciary, we can protect these principles and strengthen our democracy,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President of Policy for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). “The Justice is BLIND Act and the Judicial Integrity Act, introduced by Senator Schiff, are pivotal pieces of legislation that CREW is proud to endorse. We urge Congress to pass these bills without delay.”

“If we are to defend the rights of the people, then we must reform the judiciary, and restore accountability and integrity to the highest courts in our country. The Justice is BLIND Act, the Judicial Integrity Act, and the Judicial FOIA Expansion Act take important steps toward our goal of rebuilding our courts into a system that is faithful to our Constitution and in service to the people, not to billionaires and special interests,” said Courtney Hostetler, Legal Director, Free Speech For People.

“These bills will bring more accountability and transparency to the federal judicial system. Something that is badly needed. We are proud to endorse them and urge Congress to pass them without delay,” said Tim Whitehouse, Executive Director, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

“For too long, legal loopholes have let Supreme Court Justices personally profit from their decisions, corrupting our courts and undermining the rule of law. We need systemic reform to restore faith in the Supreme Court, including a binding code of anti-corruption and ethics rules, term limits, expansion under the next pro-democracy president, and more. Judges must be held to the highest ethical standards, and Senator Schiff’s judicial integrity package offers a meaningful path in that direction to restore trust and curb corruption in our courts. We thank Senator Schiff for his leadership and urge his colleagues to advance these commonsense measures,” said Brett Edkins, Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, Stand Up America.

“The judicial system does not work if the public doesn’t have faith in the impartial administration of justice. We commend Senator Schiff’s efforts to hold federal judges to common-sense standards that ensure court rulings are not tainted by even the appearance of financial or other conflicts of interest,” said David Janovsky, Acting Director, The Constitution Project at POGO.

“This moment continues to highlight the urgent need to fortify the integrity of our courts with robust ethics reforms,” said Alliance for Justice President Rachel Rossi. “Judges are holding the line for democracy across the country, but that’s only possible when the courts maintain the highest standards of independence and integrity. Adding transparency to judges’ personal finances and to judicial processes ensures their impartiality and advances public trust as they interpret our laws and protect our rights.”

“Protections for the air we breathe, the water we drink, and a free and fair democracy depend on public institutions that earn the people’s trust and are free from corruption. For too long, the nation’s highest court has operated with the lowest ethical standards, including shocking revelations about MAGA Justices ruling against environmental protections despite personal ties to the fossil fuel industry. LCV is proud to stand with Senator Schiff in his pursuit of bold legislation to reduce judicial conflicts of interest, increase judicial transparency, and ensure our courts work for the people, not just for Big Polluters and other powerful special interests,” said Doug Lindner, Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy, League of Conservation Voters.

“Congress has clear authority to set ethics and transparency rules for the federal courts, and Senator Schiff’s package of reforms finally uses it. The judiciary currently writes its own ethics rules and decides for itself when they’ve been broken. The last few years have shown where that leads — undisclosed gifts, judges sitting on cases that touch their own finances, and no real consequences when the rules are ignored. These bills take the policing out of the courts’ own hands: blind trusts so judges can’t rule on holdings they have a stake in, an enforceable conflict-of-interest standard, and public access to how the courts handle complaints and discipline. The result is a judiciary that answers to the people, not to the benefactors and interests who appear before it,” said Alex Aronson, Executive Director, Court Accountability.

A one-pager and endorsements can be found here.

Full text of the Justice is BLIND Act can be found here.

Full text of the Judicial Integrity Act can be found here.

Full text of the Judicial FOIA Expansion Act can be found here.

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AS CENTRAL NEW YORK SEES RECORD HIGH GROCERY COSTS, SCHUMER ANNOUNCES LANDMARK LEGISLATION TO BREAK UP THE MEATPACKING MONOPOLIES, HELP FARMERS, AND DRIVE DOWN COST OF MEAT FOR FAMILIES

Schumer Says Four Corporate Giants Dominate Meat Market, Rigging The System Against Central NY Families, And Squeezing Farmers Who Keep Just 16 Cents Of Every Dollar Spent On Food

New Schumer Bill Will Break Up Big Monopolies, Lower Prices For Consumers, And Restore Real Competition To Help Boost Farmers And Smaller Meat Producers

Schumer: New Bill Will Bring Down Costs For Families At The Grocery Store

As Central New Yorkers experience some of the fastest price growth for groceries in the country, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today stood with Central New York families and local partners at the Tops supermarket in Auburn to introduce the Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act. The Senator’s new landmark legislation would break up the big meat monopolies, boost farmers Upstate, and lower grocery costs for families.

“The meatpacking monopoly is driving up costs for New Yorkers in Central New York at the grocery store and rigging the game against local farmers. Corporate giants dominate the meat market and set prices sky-high for families, all while squeezing profits from farmers by eliminating competition, and it needs to end,” said Senator Schumer. “That’s why I’m introducing legislation – the Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act – to break up the monopoly and lower costs. This bill is centered around making groceries more affordable, making farmers more profitable, and putting the needs of working middle-class people ahead of the interests of powerful corporations. America’s economy and our Main Streets are stronger when costs are lower and we have true competition, and this bill will do exactly that.”

According to analysis from the Urban Institute, New York’s 22nd Congressional District – which covers all of Madison and Onondaga Counties, and parts of Cayuga, Cortland, and Oneida Counties – has experienced some of the fastest price growth for groceries in the country in the past ten years. Grocery prices have increased from $730 to $1,130 each month, a whopping more than 50% increase. New York’s 24th Congressional District – which covers all of Wayne, Oswego, Seneca, Yates, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming, and Genesee Counties, and parts of Niagara, Ontario, Jefferson, Steuben, Schuyler, and Cayuga Counties – has seen an increase from $710 to $1080 each month, also a more than 50% increase.

These price hikes are forcing more and more families to dip into savings or utilize credit options just to buy food. According to a new analysis from the Urban Institute released last week, 1 in 5 adults used savings to pay for food, and more than 25% of adults who use credit cards to buy groceries struggled to make their repayments. Additionally, the analysis showed 1 in 10 adults used Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options, and more than one-third of those who did missed a payment.

Schumer explained that a major driver of high meat prices is a food system rigged in favor of corporate monopolies. Four companies, Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef, control 85% of the beef market, 67% of the pork market, and 60% of the chicken market.

Schumer’s Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act is a competition-driven, pro-farmer, pro-rancher, pro-worker, pro-consumer, cost-of-living bill that breaks up dominant meatpackers and uses all available tools to stop unfair pricing that drives up grocery bills for American families. The bill would force the biggest meatpackers to choose a line of business instead of dominating beef, pork, and chicken all at once, and aims to provide financial and technical assistance to farmers’ cooperatives and small businesses that seek to acquire, operate, or expand meatpacking plants or facilities, helping make more local supply chains to lower costs. In addition, to directing the FTC to go after foreign-controlled conglomerates that squeeze American producers and distort U.S. markets.

“Working families are stretched thin every time they walk into a grocery store, and they deserve relief. Senator Schumer’s Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act is a smart investment in both consumers and the local farmers who help feed our communities,” said UFCW Local One President Frank Deriso. By addressing costs throughout the food supply chain, this legislation can help make groceries more affordable while supporting good-paying union jobs and a stronger local economy. UFCW Local One is proud to stand with efforts that put working families first.”

“For over a century, generations of Post family farmers have produced beef and pork on our farm in Scipio. This year, our farm will raise around 65 cows and 65 pigs, while the four biggest meat producers will raise tens of millions. That lets the big producers set prices and control markets in ways that are good for their bottom line, but bad for local farmers and grocery prices. While local farms struggle with inconsistent demand and volatile prices at auction houses and in the freezer trade, big producers sell by the truckload to consistent demand at stable prices,” said Post Family Farm Owner Ken Post. “The playing field has been uneven for far too long, and it’s high time we leveled it. Today, I am proud to stand with Senator Schumer in the fight to rein in the big four and provide local farmers the support to grow, expand, and produce locally raised meat at prices our families, friends, and neighbors can afford. On behalf of local meat farmers here in Central NY, I would like to thank the Senator for coming to our community today advocating for local meat production, and always supporting NY State agriculture.”

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AS DEVASTATING GOP SNAP CUTS ARE SET TO SHIFT COST OF CRITICAL FOOD ASSISTANCE TO STATES AND COUNTIES AND INCREASE HUNGER, SCHUMER LAUNCHES PUSH TO DELAY COST SHIFTS AND SAVE CAPITAL REGION COUNTY...

Last Year Trump And Republicans Made The Largest Cut To SNAP In History – NEARLY $200 BILLION – Meaning Now Capital Region Counties Will Need To Find A Whopping $4.4+ MILLION To Keep Nutrition Assistance Flowing To Families, Seniors, and Veterans In Need Including $588,000 For Rensselaer County And $783,000 For Albany County

House And Senate GOP Have Refused To Reverse Cruel SNAP Cuts; Schumer Calls On Republicans To Work With Democrats To Write A Farm Bill That Restores SNAP & Helps 103,000 New Yorkers In The Capital Region Put Food On The Table

Schumer: Families & Children Should Not Go Hungry – Any Farm Bill Must Protect SNAP

As New York counties scramble to find funding to keep SNAP alive after Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill made the largest program cuts in history, and Congressional Republicans refuse to act, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today stood at Unity House in Troy with local officials and providers to launch his push for a two-year delay in cost shifts. In New York, counties administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and $4.4 million in new annual costs will fall directly on county budgets in the Capital Region, forcing counties to choose between raising local taxes or cutting food assistance for New Yorkers in need. As Congress works on the upcoming Farm Bill, Schumer urged Republicans to work with Democrats to meet the needs of families across the country suffering from skyrocketing costs of living and called on New York House Republicans to stand with New York families and local legislators against these cuts.

“103,000 New York families, kids, and seniors across the Capital Region depend on SNAP to put food on the table. But last year, Republicans passed the largest cut to SNAP in history, forcing Capital Region counties and their taxpayers to pick up the tab,” said Senator Schumer. “Now, Republicans want to move forward with a Farm Bill that would do nothing for hungry families or the counties. The Republicans’ plan will immediately blow a nearly $600,000 hole in the Rensselaer County budget, and counties across the state will be forced to choose between raising local taxes and cutting food assistance for hungry kids, seniors, veterans, and families. It’s just plain cruel.”

Schumer added, “That’s why I’m here today to announce that I will NOT support a Farm Bill that does not at least provide more time for states and counties to prepare to shoulder the cost of SNAP. A Republican Farm Bill that abandons hungry families is not a serious proposal. I urge Republicans, especially New York House Republicans, to come back to the table and write a Farm Bill that actually meets the moment: supporting farmers, strengthening rural America, protecting families, and ensuring Americans have enough to eat by reversing SNAP cuts.”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest anti-hunger program in the United States and a lifeline for nearly 3 million NY children, seniors, veterans, and families who rely on the critical funding to purchase groceries. Last year, Trump and Congressional Republicans rushed to pass a nearly $200 billion cut to SNAP, ripping away food from thousands of hungry kids and families across America.

Since SNAP is administered by counties in New York State, counties will be forced to shoulder the burden of increased SNAP costs, using more local dollars to administer the program because less federal funding will be coming in. During recessions or economic downturns, these impacts will be even more acute, as more people apply for benefits and state revenue declines, more children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and more will be turned away from this vital program due to insufficient funding. As Congress works on a five-year Farm Bill, which governs federal agricultural, food, and conservation programs, Schumer has said Democrats cannot support a Farm Bill until Republicans agree to include the two-year delay to the SNAP cost shift.

Just last month, Senate Republicans released the text of a five-year Farm Bill that fails to address SNAP cuts. In April, House Republicans passed a five-year Farm Bill that also failed to address SNAP cuts. Democrats stand united against any Farm Bill that does not include a two-year cost shift delay for SNAP, which would provide parity for New York with other states, like Alaska, which do not have to begin shouldering the cost of SNAP for another two years. There have been strong bipartisan calls to reverse course from governors, mayors, and state legislatures to support the cost-shift delay. Schumer is calling on New York House Republicans to join Democrats and their constituents in the fight against these cruel food assistance cuts.

New York State Association of Counties Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario said, “We thank Senator Schumer for standing with counties and New York City in our call for a two-year delay to the SNAP administrative cost shift that will dramatically increase county responsibilities while cutting $168 million in federal administrative support. This cost-shift cannot be absorbed by counties operating on tight, efficiently managed budgets. Without immediate federal action, counties will face impossible choices between raising local taxes and cutting other essential services residents depend on. A two-year delay gives counties the time needed to implement these changes responsibly while protecting the families, seniors, and veterans who rely on SNAP and the taxpayers who fund it.”

"SNAP is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, yet recent federal policy changes have already caused tens of thousands of people in our region to lose benefits. Demand for Regional Food Bank services is 14% higher than it was this time last year; the charitable food system cannot continue to absorb growing need," said Susan Lintner, Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer, Regional Food Bank. "We urge Congress to put our neighbors first and strengthen—not weaken—the programs that help keep hunger at bay. Congress must ensure that any Farm Bill includes a delay to SNAP cost-sharing requirements, giving states and counties time to implement these changes while protecting access to critical nutrition assistance for our most vulnerable neighbors."

According to a report from the New York State Association of Counties, 15,127 New Yorkers in Rensselaer County receive more than $35 million in annual benefits through SNAP. The planned cost shift is expected to leave Rensselaer County with an additional $588,765 in annual budget costs, at the same time as the county is already managing state and federal mandates, workforce shortages, rising service demands, and the property tax cap.

Across the Capital Region, more than 103,000 New Yorkers receive $250 million in annual SNAP benefits. The planned cost shift is expected to shift more than $4.4 million in costs to counties in the Capital Region. The 2026 Albany County budget said Trump’s Medicaid and SNAP cuts will pose significant challenges to municipalities. A breakdown of annual benefits paid, individuals served, and county cost increases for counties in the Capital Region can be found below:

County

Annual Benefits Paid

Individuals Served

County Cost Increase

Albany

$76,301,030

29,318

$783,388

Columbia

$11,724,584

4,803

$694,988

Greene

$9,121,184

3,706

$243,582

Rensselaer

$35,274,548

15,127

$588,380

Saratoga

$31,148,873

13,364

$735,649

Schenectady

$49,796,247

20,544

$181,620

Schoharie

$8,078,856

3,588

$183,876

Warren

$15,024,331

6,453

$416,854

Washington

$14,323,843

6,620

$574,558

TOTAL

$250,793,496

103,523

$4,402,895

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To Kick Off Final Farnborough Air Show, Shaheen Highlights New England Businesses’ Innovation and Role in U.S. National and Economic Security at SENEDIA Breakfast

(London, U.K.) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, helped kick off the Farnborough International Air Show by welcoming Granite State and other New England businesses as part of SENEDIA’s New England Breakfast on Saturday in London. A primary focus of Senator Shaheen’s bipartisan Congressional delegation to the Airshow is to connect smaller, regional businesses in New Hampshire and New England with industry leaders. With aerospace serving as New Hampshire’s top export sector, the SENEDIA New England Breakfast hosted a number of companies with business in New England who are supporting additional investment and trade abroad. Click HERE to view photos from the event.

“New Hampshire and New England companies are helping build the technologies and manufacturing capacity that keep America and our allies secure. I’m incredibly proud to welcome them to the Farnborough Air Show so that they can showcase their capabilities and deepen partnerships with larger industry players,” said Senator Shaheen. “I thank SENEDIA for hosting this morning’s breakfast focused on strengthening the trade relationships that will both support our economy by creating jobs and bolster our national defense and preparedness.”

“Senator Shaheen has dedicated her life to public service and the last two decades to national security and to growing the aerospace and defense economy, not only in New Hampshire, but across New England,” said Tim DelGiudice, chair of the SENEDIA Board. “To celebrate the Senator’s legacy and reinforce our gratitude for her leadership, SENEDIA is proud to create the Senator Jeanne Shaheen Aerospace and Defense Scholarship in her honor.”

SENEDIA’s Senator Jeanne Shaheen Aerospace and Defense Scholarship will support young women pursuing careers in aerospace and defense, with the first scholarship to be awarded this summer at Defense Innovation Days.

Supporting nearly 24,000 jobs and representing $1.7 billion in exports just last year, New Hampshire’s top export sector is aerospace—comprising a large, vital component of the state’s economy. This year, New Hampshire is sending its largest trade mission yet to the Air Show.

New Hampshire’s Office of International Commerce will feature New Hampshire exhibitors at the Air Show through the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), which Shaheen created in 2010. STEP assists New Hampshire businesses with expanding into overseas markets, helping small manufacturers compete globally while strengthening the domestic industrial base that supports American economic and national security.

Farnborough is the largest biennial trade show in the world and showcases aerospace manufacturers and suppliers from New Hampshire and around the world. Since 2023, Shaheen and Moran have led bipartisan Congressional delegations to the Farnborough and Paris Air Shows to highlight U.S. capabilities and strengthen international partnerships.

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ICYMI: Slotkin Gives Remarks on Senate Floor about the Risk of Weaponization of Intelligence Community

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) gave a speech on her newly introduced bill, the Minimum Experience Requirements for Intelligence Transition (MERIT) Act, that would require any individual serving as Director of National Intelligence (DNI), including in an acting or interim capacity, to have extensive national security experience.

Watch the speech here.

Download the speech here.

The requirement reiterates the standard already applied to Senate-confirmed DNIs under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, championed by Senator Susan Collins and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Her remarks come as the Administration continues to erode public trust, including in President Trump’s remarks last evening on our election systems, and as Bill Pulte, an unqualified loyalist of the President, serves as a leader in the intelligence community. The broader intelligence community is at risk of becoming weaponized against the American people for the political gain of the President.

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Senators Tina Smith, Jerry Moran Re-Introduce Legislation to Lower Cost of Oral Cancer Treatments

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to cut costs for cancer patients. Specifically, the bill would ensure cancer patients who are prescribed oral chemotherapy medication can access their drugs at comparable prices to other cancer treatments.

Their Cancer Drug Parity Act requires health insurers to cover patient-administered (oral) cancer medications at the same cost-sharing level as traditional intravenous (IV) anticancer drug treatments, closing the coverage gap for federally regulated health plans.

Over 2 million Americans are estimated to be diagnosed with cancer each year, and oral medications are a simpler, highly effective treatment option for many patients. According to a Susan G. Komen study released earlier this year, people receiving IV treatment reported a significantly greater negative impact on their daily lives than people receiving oral treatment, including having to take more time off from work. Despite these benefits, oral cancer treatments remain inaccessible to many patients due to unaffordable copays.

“Oral treatments for cancer are often less invasive than traditional IV medications and can be taken at home, reducing logistical and occupational barriers to treatment,” said Sen Smith. “However, unlike IV treatments, which are covered by a health plan’s medical benefits with moderate to minimal copays, oral medications often have high, unaffordable copays. It can add up to thousands of dollars in costs for patients each year and can cause many to delay or forego necessary care to treat their cancer. Our bill brings parity to these two kinds of treatments and lowers costs for those taking oral cancer drugs.”

“As cancer research and medical innovation continue to expand treatment options for cancer patients, including with orally administered cancer therapies, patients ought to be able to benefit from these medical advancements,” said Sen. Moran. “This commonsense legislation would encourage ERISA health insurance plans to expand access to orally administered cancer drugs. This legislation will help millions of patients access the therapies that best meet their needs. Improving access to new treatments, therapies and cures will help save lives.”

“Patients with cancer should have equitable and affordable access to all treatment options, regardless of how they are administered,” said Danielle Doheny, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for the International Myeloma Foundation who chairs the Coalition to Improve Access to Cancer Care. “Patients should not have to pay more simply because they take their medication at home rather than receiving an infusion. Insurance coverage should reflect today’s standards of care, not outdated benefit designs. The International Myeloma Foundation, which coordinates the Coalition to Improve Access to Cancer Care, appreciates Senators Smith and Moran for their continued leadership on the Cancer Drug Parity Act and looks forward to continuing to work with Congress to advance this important legislation.”

“Oral therapies are an important cancer care advancement that can reduce the burden of care for some and can be not only the best option, but the only option for others, especially for those living with metastatic breast cancer,” said Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at Susan G. Komen. “Unfortunately, outdated insurance design often takes away patient and provider choice leaving these treatments out of reach for too many. Komen is proud to support the Cancer Drug Parity Act and applauds Senators Smith and Moran for their continued efforts to ensure breast cancer patients can choose the best treatment for them without erroneous barriers.”

More than 40 states and the District of Columbia have enacted “oral parity” laws, which prevent health plans from creating different cost-sharing requirements for oral and IV cancer medicines. These laws have made a significant difference for cancer patients—for example, researchers found that the number of multiple myeloma patients initially charged $0 for oral medications nearly quintupled with the enactment of oral parity laws.

Senators Smith and Moran’s bipartisan Cancer Drug Parity Act would build on this state-level success by:

Expanding oral parity protections to privately-insured patients whose health care is regulated at the federal level.

Preventing insurers from covering oral and self-administered medicines at different cost-sharing rates than IV anti-cancer drug treatment.

Implementing these requirements for health plans that already cover both oral and IV anti-cancer drug treatments.

This bill is endorsed by over 35 organizations representing cancer patients and the medical community.

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