Bennet, Murray, Peters, Schumer, Merkley, Senate Colleagues Demand OMB Rescind Rule Giving President Sweeping Power Over Federal Grants

Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and the entire Senate Democratic caucus in demanding that Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought immediately rescind OMB’s proposed regulation on federal financial assistance. The senators warned the proposal exceeds OMB’s statutory authority, undermines Congress’ constitutional power of the purse, and would allow the President to weaponize federal grants for political purposes.

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

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

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

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

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

Every member of the Senate Democratic caucus signed the letter. In addition to Bennet, Murray, Peters, Schumer, and Merkley, U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) signed the letter.

The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Dear Director Vought:

We write to express our strong opposition to your proposed regulation on federal financial assistance (Fed. Reg. Vol. 91, No. 103, Friday May 29, 2026) and to insist you rescind it immediately. Your proposal exceeds OMB’s authority, will make it impossible for grant recipients to faithfully carry out the funding priorities that Congress establishes in statute, and would turn federal grants into a new cudgel for the President to unilaterally advance his partisan agenda and punish political rivals. Ultimately, these changes will make it harder for grant recipients to apply for and manage federal funds – undermining public safety, public health, economic competitiveness, and the government’s ability to address rising costs. And contrary to the regulation’s justification of fiscal transparency, the changes also weaken the oversight and effective stewardship of taxpayer funds.

The proposed rule undermines federal agencies’ and grant recipients’ ability to faithfully carry out the programs enacted by Congress. When Congress authorizes and appropriates money for federal grants, it does so with the understanding that all Administrations will distribute those grants consistent with Congressional intent and the funding instructions articulated in law. The type of discretion the President intends to bestow upon himself through this proposed rule is counter to all past precedent and ignores the reality of how appropriations and authorizing laws are drafted.

This proposal dramatically expands agencies’ authority to the point where the President could terminate or suspend any grant at any time for any reason and without any notice. The Trump administration’s actions over the last year and a half have already shown how these types of arbitrary cancellations create chaos and new costs, making it harder for grant recipients to provide the intended public benefit. In one instance, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency cancelled over $2 billion of grants to mental health and addiction programs without notice, only to reinstate those grants within 24 hours. In another instance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency unilaterally cancelled nearly $4.5 billion of natural disaster mitigation funding without notice, only to claim in court that they had never really cancelled those grants at all. This boundless power to terminate federal funding creates whiplash and erodes grant recipients’ trust in the grant agreements they sign. Ultimately, it makes it less likely that deserving and capable organizations and communities would apply for federal grants and risk tying their work to grants that could be upended with no rhyme, reason, or even advance notice.

The proposed rule would also require and empower political appointees to decide which grants do and do not get funded, explicitly directing them to not defer to expert peer review. This would have far reaching consequences, including but not limited to scientific research. For example, over decades the United States has built a biomedical research enterprise, led by investments in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that is the envy of the world and makes us the world leader in medical innovation. It has led to new cures and treatments for devastating diseases that decades ago would have been considered miracles. This was built on the foundation that investments in biomedical research would be allocated based on a strictly non-partisan, rigorous, scientific review process to determine which specific research projects to fund. This proposed rule would fundamentally undermine that, and direct political appointees to substitute their own independent opinions over those of panels of experts.

OMB’s proposal also transforms federal grants from policy tools that Congress uses to promote the public good into a political cudgel that the President plans to use to punish his perceived political foes while rewarding himself and his friends. President Trump’s administration has already begun to do this. Although multiple requests for information have gone unanswered, we estimate that at the Department of Transportation alone, at least 45 grants totaling $5.3 billion have been terminated, withdrawn, or cancelled by the Trump Administration. This includes nearly $109 million in five grants slated for Colorado, $679 million in 12 port related grants, and $54 million in transportation research conducted by universities. Meanwhile grantees in California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota continue to wait in limbo as OMB instructed DOT to cancel more than $943 million in grants in early February. With the threat of termination hanging over every grant recipient, presidents will be able to substitute their personal and partisan policy positions for federal spending directives, undermining Congress’s constitutional power of the purse.

The proposal also injects vague, burdensome, and potentially unlawful terms and conditions that give the president pretext to pick winners and losers among grant recipients. Contrary to OMB claims that the proposal will bring “regulatory clarity” to the administration of federal grants, the proposal would create limits on funding based on undefined terms, making it impossible for grant recipients to comply. In the proposal OMB explains that these undefined terms will ensure that federal funds are “not diverted to . . . radical political ideologies,” without further elaboration. Grant recipients must instead “demonstrably advance the President’s policy priorities,” whatever they happen to be. Terms like “anti-American values,” “gold-standard science,” and “diversity, equity, and inclusion” are not defined and, in some cases, are the subject of ongoing litigation. Further, Congress has passed specific statutes requiring agencies like the NIH to conduct health disparities research, including research on maternal mortality, cardiovascular disease in minority populations, and cancer screening equity. This rule’s prohibition on “diversity, equity, and inclusion” research would complicate compliance with those statutes. Rather than focusing on fulfilling the statutory purposes of a grant program, applicants and recipients will be forced to play an endless guessing game, trying to determine which of their activities may or may not run afoul of OMB’s ambiguous regulations or the president’s whims. Ultimately, many grant recipients will decide it is too costly and confusing to try to keep up with shifting priorities of each new administration and give up on seeking federal grants altogether, frustrating Congress’s purpose to help the intended beneficiaries of the program.

As OMB seeks to consolidate power over federal funds, it also seeks to undermine transparency and accountability of the use of taxpayer dollars. The proposal removes the requirement that grant recipients follow financial internal control standards established by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). However, Congress required that GAO issue standards for financial internal controls and that agencies follow these standards in the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act of 1982. Allowing recipients to disregard independent financial risk management standards required by statute jeopardizes the faithful stewardship of taxpayer dollars and increases the risk of fraud or abuse.

OMB’s grantmaking power grab is not only bad policy; it is also unlawful. OMB lacks the legal authority to issue binding regulations about how to cancel federal grants for each agency. In its proposal, OMB points to the Chief Financial Officers Act (CFO Act) for its sweeping assertion of power. However, the CFO Act in no way delegates to OMB the power to tell federal agencies that they can cancel grants at any time for any reason. Courts in Rhode Island and the District of Columbia have already rejected OMB’s claim that it can indiscriminately pause or terminate grants, holding that the CFO Act does not give OMB “the power to halt all finances, full-stop, on a moment’s notice.” By dictating policy for grant recipients, OMB is attempting to supplant Congress’s primary role in appropriating funds and directing their purpose.

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

###


Comprehensive Housing Package with Boozman Bill Supporting Veteran Home Ownership Signed Into Law

WASHINGTON—The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, legislation that will help Arkansans achieve the American dream of homeownership, has become law after receiving overwhelming support in both chambers of Congress. The bill also includes the Veterans Affairs Loan Informed Disclosure (VALID) Act of 2025 championed by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

Many eligible veterans do not utilize VA home loans, which means forgoing advantages such as no down payment, no private mortgage insurance and interest rates that are often lower than conventional or Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. The VALID Act ensures veterans will be fully informed about their financing options by requiring the VA loan options they may qualify for to be presented alongside conventional and FHA loans.

“This package represents multiple bipartisan solutions that cut red tape while increasing the housing supply so more Americans can own their home. I’m pleased it also includes my VALID Act to ensure veterans are informed of the VA home loan benefits they have earned,” Boozman said. “Helping make this key cost-of-living factor more affordable is an important achievement that will benefit Arkansans as well as the men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform.”

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act addresses obstacles to homeownership through supporting new home construction by private industry, reducing regulation and streamlining outdated review processes, protecting local and state jurisdiction, and delivering reforms to federal housing programs.

Specifically, the package supports these priorities by:

Assisting former servicemembers with cost comparison tools that clearly display options only available to veterans when purchasing a home through the Boozman-Van Hollen VALID Act;

Addressing the housing affordability crisis by making it easier and more efficient to rehabilitate and construct homes while incentivizing communities and empowering lenders to help increase supply;

Empowering accountability efforts within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) housing counseling services;

Cutting red tape and streamlining environmental reviews by federal departments and agencies including coordinating or combining evaluations for projects funded by both agencies instead of requiring separate reviews; and

Modernizing outdated requirements on modular and manufactured homes to expand access to these cost-effective housing options.


Senator Coons, Hickenlooper, colleagues pressure White House to reverse proposed political rule change harming American science, research, and innovation

“We cannot afford to export American innovation and American jobs because of partisan games.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and 9 of their colleagues called on White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought in a new letter to reverse a proposed rule, broadly titled “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance,” that negatively affects how nearly all federal agencies administer grants and financial agreements. The OMB’s rule change grants the White House political control over how awards are administered, further enabling corruption, undermining U.S. scientific investments and competitiveness, and blocking funding for critical life-saving research and collaboration.

“The proposed changes solidify federal grant-making as an unprecedented partisan power-grab that eliminates transparency of how taxpayer dollars are spent. This rule would derail American innovation and competitiveness at the local and national levels, kill good-paying American jobs, drive up costs for families, and halt essential projects in local communities,” wrote the senators. “Instead of supporting data-driven investments that pay dividends for the American people, this guidance facilitates partisan ideals and cronyism, leaving Americans in the dark.”

The senators continued, “We share the goals of improved transparency, accountability, and oversight; clarification of regulatory structure; and reducing recipient burden–all in pursuit of continuing America’s global leadership in science and innovation. However, these regulations would act in opposition to these goals. They would undermine our country’s competitiveness, erode our scientific ecosystem, increase unwanted bureaucracy, enable corruption, and perpetuate uncertainty across our local communities. We strongly urge you to withdraw this proposed rule.”

The OMB’s proposed rule change would rework how federal agencies award and administer grants and cooperative agreements. Changing how funding is administered affects the primary mechanisms through which the country funds basic research, applied science, and scientific workforce development. These agencies also fund local projects including but not limited to infrastructure, public health, resource conservation, and rural development, which have been consistent targets of the Trump Administration. The proposed rules formalize an August 7, 2025, Executive Order that directed OMB to expand political oversight over all federal awards.

In addition to Senators Coons and Hickenlooper, the letter is also signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Angus King (D-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).


Cornyn Op-Ed: CHIPS Act Will Help America Win the AI Race with China

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) authored the following op-ed in the Dallas Morning News sounding the alarm on the AI and semiconductor manufacturing race with China that will determine who controls the future of the world and highlighting the success of his CHIPS for America Act, legislation he authored with Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) that was funded through the CHIPS and Science Act, in reshoring semiconductor manufacturing:

CHIPS Act will help America win the AI race with China

Senator John Cornyn

Dallas Morning News

July 10, 2026

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/article/cornyn-ai-race-chips-act-22340332.php

The global competition for the future of artificial intelligence, or AI, is quickly becoming a two-way race between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China. Technology is evolving rapidly in life-changing ways and which of these two nations wins this race could determine the economic, political and even cultural future of the world.

Amid this technological revolution, the CHIPS for America Act, which I led with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., back in 2020, and the funding included in the subsequent CHIPS and Science Act, have proven to be fortuitous investments in the infrastructure that will underpin the next digital age.

AI models, including large language models and other AI systems, rely on enormous numbers of low-latency computers. This infrastructure requires unthinkable quantities of semiconductors. Whoever can manufacture these high-powered chips quickly and at a reasonable price will dominate the AI playing field.

The two-way AI race has many layers, some with the United States ahead, and others where China leads. Right now, the United States has a slight advantage over China on advanced semiconductor design. However, when it comes to actually building the infrastructure that AI relies on, such as the fabs that produce semiconductors, America has fallen behind.

Today, 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors are manufactured in Taiwan, a dramatic shift from the 1990s, when the United States produced nearly 40% of the world’s semiconductors.

How did the United States go from producing nearly half of the world’s semiconductors to only 12% today? The answer lies in the aggressive approach that the Chinese government has taken toward critical manufacturing infrastructure and complex supply chains. And what they can’t produce domestically, they coerce others to produce for them in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America at dramatically low prices with very little regard to working conditions.

With Chinese leader Xi Jinping threatening to take over Taiwan as soon as 2027, it matters whether the United States has the infrastructure to support the modern digital economy.

Consider that Iran has been able to essentially shut down oil commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to higher gas prices in the United States. The Chinese Communist Party could do essentially the same thing for free and open economies by invading Taiwan and shutting off the West’s access to the chips that power nearly all modern devices — mobile phones, smart watches, computers, TVs, cars, washing machines and more.

The United States has a fighting chance in this race because of the significant investment we made in semiconductors through the CHIPS for America Act and CHIPS and Science Act. Together, these laws provided $40 billion in direct manufacturing incentives for semiconductors and $13 billion for research and workforce development.

A large percentage of the funding from CHIPS went to building fabrication facilities also capable of manufacturing core memory, which will help companies quickly scale to meet the needs of the AI boom.

Back home on the Silicon Prairie, companies have used this funding to build new semiconductor fabrication plants at Samsung, Texas Instruments and many more. Texas Instruments was awarded $1.6 billion in funding from the CHIPS and Science Act, which allowed the company to construct new wafer fabrication facilities. GlobalWafers, also a participant in the CHIPS for America program, announced a joint investment with Micron on Thursday that will expand its wafer manufacturing facility in Sherman.

Spurred by our federal legislation, the Texas legislature passed the Texas Chips Act in 2023 to further invest in the Texas chips industry, which now boasts the second largest semiconductor workforce in the country. Other states should harness this same opportunity to build on these federal investments and attract further private sector investment and high-paying jobs.

The implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act has not been perfect. The Biden administration hijacked CHIPS to further its own DEI political agenda and other unrelated policies, undermining Congress’ intent and diluting the resources made available.

Luckily, the Trump administration has refocused the program toward actually reshoring this critical supply chain. Some projects have been held up because of state environmental regulations and permitting delays that Congress should address through permitting reform. But the purpose of our legislation was to spur investment in these critical infrastructure projects, not to implement a government command economy in the model of China.

I’m proud that the CHIPS for America Act and CHIPS and Science Act have proven to be contributors to reshoring America’s manufacturing in an industry that will determine who controls the future of the world. This legislation has not only been successful in kickstarting this growth, but has equipped the United States of America to lead in one of the generation-defining technological revolutions in human history.


Cornyn Statement on Confirmation of U.S. District Judges for Southern District of Texas

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm President Trump’s nominations of John George Edward Marck to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas – McAllen Division and Arthur Roberts “Rob” Jones to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas – McAllen Division. Video of Sen. Cornyn introducing Marck and Jones in the Senate Judiciary Committee can be found here.

“John Marck and Rob Jones have distinguished records of holding dangerous criminals accountable and enforcing the laws on the books to keep Americans safe and our southern border secure,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I was proud to recommend these astute Texans to President Trump, and I look forward to seeing them serve on the federal bench.”

Sens. Cornyn and Ted Cruz (R-TX) recommended John George Edward Marck and Arthur Roberts “Rob” Jones to President Trump following an extensive review and interview process of the candidate pool by the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee (FJEC). The Senators established the FJEC, a bipartisan panel of leading attorneys in Texas, to help identify the most qualified candidates to fill judicial vacancies. The panel reviewed applications, interviewed candidates, and made recommendations to the Senators, who interviewed individuals before making their recommendations to the President.

John G.E. Marck began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City where he prosecuted a high-volume caseload of major felonies, including murder, manslaughter, robbery and gang assault. He entered the Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Corpus Christi and Victoria Divisions of the Southern District of Texas and managed a diverse criminal docket that included charges of illegal reentry following deportation, alien smuggling, drug trafficking and other cartel-related offenses. Marck continued his federal prosecution career in the National Security and Public Corruption Section and was later promoted to Associate Deputy Criminal Chief before being named First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the district.

Rob Jones started his career in 2002 as a line Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the office’s Laredo Division, where he handled all aspects of border related crime. In 2011, he joined the office’s Houston-based Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces. Just prior to his appointment as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, Jones served as the deputy chief of the National Security and Public Corruption section. Prior to becoming an AUSA, Rob served on active duty as a judge advocate and officer in the U.S. Air Force’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps from January 1995 to September 2002, specializing in criminal litigation. He separated from the Air Force in September 2002 to become an AUSA but continued to serve as a judge advocate in the Air Force Reserve until his retirement in February 2023.


Cortez Masto, Gillibrand, Colleagues Demand Pentagon Release Report on U.S. Bombing of Iranian Elementary School

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and 23 of her colleagues joined a letter led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) demanding answers from the Department of Defense (DoD) over the U.S.’s bombing of an Iranian elementary school in February. The strike reportedly killed approximately 175 people, including 120 children.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper, the Senators called for the swift completion and release of the Pentagon’s investigation into the school strike, which was reportedly submitted in April, but remains under review by senior military officials. They also requested that the Pentagon provide Congress with a comprehensive plan to ensure that this type of incident does not happen again.

“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,” wrote the Senators. “There is no justification for withholding an unclassified accounting of what happened, what went wrong, and what the Department is doing to prevent recurrence.”

In early March, Reuters first reported that U.S. military investigators believed U.S. forces were likely responsible for the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab. Days later, Pentagon officials reportedly concluded through their preliminary investigation that a U.S. Tomahawk missile had struck the school. Investigators have also reportedly found that multiple failures led the school to be targeted in error.

“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,” they continued. “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.

Despite this reporting, Trump administration officials have not publicly taken responsibility for the strike or the resultant civilian deaths. President Trump himself has suggested multiple times that the strike was not the U.S.’ fault and has even blamed Iran.

“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,” they concluded.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Senator Cortez Masto has consistently called for transparency about President Trump’s reckless war of choice in Iran. This letter is the second that the Senator has joined demanding information from the DoD about its strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School. Following reports that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence to target American military forces, Senator Cortez Masto passed her bipartisan bill HONOR Act to prevent businesses from claiming a foreign tax credit or deduction against taxes paid to fund the Russian government’s war machine and slammed President Trump for providing sanctions relief to Russia. She has also supported numerous war powers resolutions to limit the Trump Administration’s ability to take further military action against Iran without a debate and vote in Congress.

###


Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $13 Million for Downstate Truck Parking and Rest Area Improvements

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $13,168,092 in federal funding for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to support infrastructure and accessibility improvements at Fort Massac and Salt Kettle Rest Areas in Massac County, Illinois. This funding, from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FY26 BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) program, will reconstruct and expand truck parking at the Fort Massac and Salt Kettle Rest Areas by adding ADA-compliant bathrooms, improving roadway infrastructure and increasing truck parking capacity from 19 to up to 64 stalls at Fort Massac and by up to 41 new stalls at Salt Kettle.

“Safe, reliable rest areas are essential for the truck drivers who keep our economy moving and the travelers who rely on Illinois’ roads every day,” Duckworth said. “This federal investment will help increase truck parking and modernize rest areas in Massac County by expanding parking capacity, improving accessibility with ADA-compliant bathrooms and making travel safer for drivers. I'm proud to have helped secure this funding, alongside Senator Durbin, to strengthen our infrastructure, support our supply chain and keep Illinois moving forward.”

“The open road, and the rest stops along the way, should be accessible to all who use it—truck drivers, Illinoisans, and visitors alike. This major federal investment—made possible through BUILD grants—will improve ADA accessibility and make more room for truckers who may be in need of a pit stop,” Durbin said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s FY 2026 BUILD program provided $1.5 billion in competitive discretionary grants for state, local and tribal surface transportation projects. This program targets capital construction and planning projects that have significant local or regional economic, mobility and safety impacts.

-30-


Duckworth, Durbin Announce NDAA Amendments to Prevent President Trump from Unlawfully Deploying the Military into American Cities

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced five amendments to the Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2027 to push back against the Trump Administration’s expansive use of the military for law enforcement or immigration enforcement support in American cities, including at times without the explicit consent or request of a state’s elected officials. These amendments would enhance congressional oversight of and clarify existing statutory restrictions on such domestic military deployments and support for law enforcement.

“Congress cannot allow Donald Trump—or any President—to politicize our Armed Forces for their own gain and turn our servicemembers against their fellow Americans,” said Duckworth. “Forcing the military, uninvited, into our cities to intimidate Americans in their own communities does not make our nation stronger, it simply distracts the military from executing its core mission: keeping our nation safe from real adversaries who wish us harm. Trump’s actions against Chicago, especially during ‘Operation Midway Blitz,’ were unwarranted, unwanted and unjust moves straight out of the authoritarian’s playbook. Our amendments would ensure the next defense bill puts an end to this egregious abuse of our military while protecting civil rights and preserving public trust in our Armed Forces.”

“Deploying the military into U.S. cities, especially without the request or consent of elected leaders, is a clear violation of the law by any president. This President’s shameless attempts to use our nation’s military as law enforcement against U.S. citizens, including Illinoisans during ‘Operation Midway Blitz,’ was a blatant abuse of his power as Commander in Chief—a sentiment that even the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with,” Durbin said. “Senator Duckworth and I are filing amendments to the NDAA to ensure that no president—especially President Trump—has the power to weaponize our military against American citizens.”

Duckworth and Durbin filed these amendments in the wake of so-called “Operation Midway Blitz,” which was used last fall as a mechanism by the President to sow fear in Illinois communities as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) have been tasked with carrying out the Trump Administration’s cruel mass deportation scheme.

The amendments that Duckworth and Durbin filed include:

Amendment #6332 to prohibit the use of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funds for any activities that would violate the Posse Comitatus Act or that would infringe on powers reserved to the States under the Constitution.

Amendment #6333 to ensure applicability of the Posse Comitatus Act on the National Guard. This amendment would close an unintended loophole President Trump has abused to deploy National Guard troops across state lines for law enforcement support and absent invocation of emergency authorities under the Insurrection Act.

Amendment #6136 to prohibit the use of any military construction funds to construct, renovate or expand any facility for the purposes of detaining migrants.

Amendment #6137 to require the President to notify Congress and justify in writing before providing access to military equipment—including surveillance equipment—bases or facilities to support law enforcement and require congressional approval to extend any such support longer than 30 days. This would effectively make it harder for President Trump to use military bases for detention, provide military surveillance equipment to support police or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and claim it is legal to deploy the military to American cities because they are only providing logistical support to law enforcement.

Amendment #6138 to delay funding for misused domestic deployments in FY27—while still allowing funding for reasonable domestic deployments, such as those consented to by destination elected officials, responses to local emergencies and southern border operations—until DOD reports to Congress the impact of such deployments on military readiness.

In response to the Trump Administration’s surge in federal law enforcement in Chicago and continuous threats to deploy the military in the area, Duckworth and Durbin have taken a number of steps to push back on these unlawful actions carried out by DHS under the direction of President Trump. The Senators’ actions to push back on the Trump Administration’s so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” can be found on Duckworth and Durbin’s websites.

-30-


Durbin, Duckworth Announce NDAA Amendments To Prevent President Trump From Unlawfully Deploying The Military Into American Cities

Durbin and Duckworth introduced the amendments in reaction to President Trump’s repeated attempts to deploy the National Guard in Illinois during the height of “Operation Midway Blitz” last fall

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a combat Veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced five amendments to the Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2027 to push back against the Trump Administration’s expansive use of the military for law enforcement or immigration enforcement support in American cities, including at times without the explicit consent or request of a state’s elected officials. These amendments would enhance congressional oversight of and clarify existing statutory restrictions on such domestic military deployments and support for law enforcement.

Durbin and Duckworth filed these amendments in the wake of so-called “Operation Midway Blitz,” which was used last fall as a mechanism by the President to sow fear in Illinois communities as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) have been tasked with carrying out the Trump Administration’s cruel mass deportation scheme.

“Deploying the military into U.S. cities, especially without the request or consent of elected leaders, is a clear violation of the law by any president. This President’s shameless attempts to use our nation’s military as law enforcement against U.S. citizens, including Illinoisans during ‘Operation Midway Blitz,’ was a blatant abuse of his power as Commander in Chief—a sentiment that even the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with,” Durbin said. “Senator Duckworth and I are filing amendments to the NDAA to ensure that no president—especially President Trump—has the power to weaponize our military against American citizens.”

“Congress cannot allow Donald Trump—or any President—to politicize our Armed Forces for their own gain and turn our servicemembers against their fellow Americans,” said Duckworth. “Forcing the military, uninvited, into our cities to intimidate Americans in their own communities does not make our nation stronger, it simply distracts the military from executing its core mission: keeping our nation safe from real adversaries who wish us harm. Trump’s actions against Chicago, especially during ‘Operation Midway Blitz,’ were unwarranted, unwanted and unjust moves straight out of the authoritarian’s playbook. Our amendments would ensure the next defense bill puts an end to this egregious abuse of our military while protecting civil rights and preserving public trust in our Armed Forces.”

The amendments that Durbin and Duckworth filed include:

Amendment #6332 to prohibit the use of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funds for any activities that would violate the Posse Comitatus Act or that would infringe on powers reserved to the States under the Constitution.

Amendment #6333 to ensure applicability of the Posse Comitatus Act on the National Guard. This amendment would close an unintended loophole President Trump has abused to deploy National Guard troops across state lines for law enforcement support and absent invocation of emergency authorities under the Insurrection Act.

Amendment #6136 to prohibit the use of any military construction funds to construct, renovate or expand any facility for the purposes of detaining migrants.

Amendment #6137 to require the President to notify Congress and justify in writing before providing access to military equipment—including surveillance equipment—bases or facilities to support law enforcement and require congressional approval to extend any such support longer than 30 days. This would effectively make it harder for President Trump to use military bases for detention, provide military surveillance equipment to support police or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and claim it is legal to deploy the military to American cities because they are only providing logistical support to law enforcement.

Amendment #6138 to delay funding for misused domestic deployments in FY27—while still allowing funding for reasonable domestic deployments, such as those consented to by destination elected officials, responses to local emergencies and southern border operations—until DOD reports to Congress the impact of such deployments on military readiness.

In response to the Trump Administration’s surge in federal law enforcement in Chicago and continuous threats to deploy the military in the area, Durbin and Duckworth have taken a number of steps to push back on these unlawful actions carried out by DHS under the direction of President Trump. Durbin and Duckworth’s actions to push back on the Trump Administration’s so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” can be found here and here.

-30-


Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Legislation To Expand The Gateway Arch National Park Boundary Into Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced the Gateway Arch National Park Boundary Revision Act, bicameral legislation that would add nearly 50 acres to the Gateway Arch National Park into Illinois. Expanding the site into Illinois, including Malcolm Martin Park and East St. Louis, will promote economic development in Illinois by attracting more visitors to the Illinois side of the river. Expanding the site was part of the original vision for the park by architect Eero Saarinen when the design was first pitched in the 1940s. Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Mike Bost (R-IL-15), Wesley Bell (D-MO-01), and Ann Wagner (R-MO-02).

“As an East St. Louis native, I’m thrilled to introduce legislation that would expand the Gateway Arch National Park into Illinois,” said Durbin. “This will bring economic growth to the region and surrounding areas. I thank my colleagues, Senator Duckworth and Congresswoman Budzinski, for joining me on this legislation, and look forward to working with our Missouri colleagues to see this expansion become a reality.”

“Expanding Gateway Arch National Park into Illinois would not only give visitors new ways to experience the Arch and the Mississippi River, but it would also help drive economic growth throughout the Metro East region,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin and our local leaders in introducing the Gateway Arch National Park Boundary Revision Act of 2026, which would boost tourism and strengthen economic development in East St. Louis and communities across Metro East.”

Durbin is also a cosponsor of U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt’s (R-MO) Gateway Partnership Act.

-30-


Durbin Reflects On Recent Bipartisan, Bicameral Congressional Delegation Trip To The NATO Summit In Türkiye

Durbin also spoke about President Trump declaring that the ceasefire with Iran is over and Trump’s unclear strategy to get us out of his war of choice

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, reflected on his recent trip to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Türkiye. During the summit, they discussed congressional support for the transatlantic relationship, the war in Iran, as well as continued Russian aggression and interference in western democracies.

During his remarks, Durbin reflected on the life and legacy of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who attended the summit before his passing. Senator Graham was passionate about helping our Ukrainian allies.

“Lindsey knew the stakes at play in Ukraine and the importance of standing up to Russian tyranny. This topic was top of mind for all those attending the NATO Summit, which concluded late last week,” said Durbin. “With the war in Ukraine entering its fifth bloody year, the timing of this event was important as tides begin to turn in Ukraine’s favor. Not only did Ukraine repel the initial invasion by one of the world’s largest armies, but it is increasingly showing progress in winning the conflict. Russia has been unable to seize additional land and is suffering staggering losses—losses that no political leader can sustain for a war of folly.”

“I am happy to report from the NATO Summit that the alliance remains determined to see Ukraine defend itself from Russia. Most of the 32-member bloc—formed from the ashes of World War II—have notably increased their defense spending. They are contributing more funding, equipment, and personnel and are reminding one another of their commitment to—and the importance of—this historic alliance,” said Durbin.

Durbin then spoke about President Trump’s recent comments on various foreign relations matters.

“I was glad President Trump attended the summit—he and President Obama were right to push our allies to pay more of their fair share for the cost of NATO. But President Trump’s constant rhetoric belittling the alliance and dreams of conquering Greenland have been ill timed, boorish, and counterproductive. They send exactly the wrong message to President Putin about American resolve and commitment. They put countries such as the Baltic states and Poland at even greater risk of future Russian aggression,” Durbin continued.

Durbin noted that Congress must do more to help our Ukrainian allies. He noted that we should continue to keep U.S. troop deployments as part of NATO efforts and that we should pass one of the two bipartisan Ukraine bills pending in this chamber—one of them being a sanctions package that Senator Graham worked tirelessly to build support for.

During his trip overseas, Durbin also traveled to Hungary.

“There was recently an election in Hungary that unseated Viktor Orbán after 16 years—a period that included democratic backsliding and being a thorn in the side of European efforts to help Ukraine. I want to congratulate the Hungarian people on this peaceful transfer of power and decision to play a more constructive role in European security, including standing with Ukraine. Theirs is a welcome choice that we should support here in the Senate—something I will do in my remaining time,” said Durbin.

Durbin was joined on the NATO summit trip by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Chris Coons (D-DE), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and U.S. Representative Mike Turner (R-OH-10). Senator Graham joined the delegation for several key meetings.

Durbin then concluded his speech by providing an update on Iran after President Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran was over after the United States launched a wave of retaliatory strikes in response to Iran firing on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

“I wish I could say I am surprised, but I am not. President Trump started this war with a genuine destabilizing regime without thinking it through... Iran’s response—striking U.S. and allied targets in the region and holding the Strait and global economy hostage—were easily foreseeable. The Iranian regime, much like Vladimir Putin in Russia, seems to be repeatedly trying to humiliate the United States and play for time,” Durbin continued.

“The original misstep may have occurred even earlier, when President Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear agreement during his first term, a deal that was working to restrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions. And now, we seem to be floundering back into a much weaker deal, one that that bewilderingly includes billions of dollars to help Iran rebuild. I hope wiser heads will prevail and I look forward to Congressional review of any ensuing deal with Iran as required under the bipartisan Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act,” Durbin concluded.

Video of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s floor speech is available herefor TV Stations.

-30-


Durbin Remembers Senator Lindsey Graham On The Senate Floor

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) recognized U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) lifetime of public service following his sudden passing this weekend.

“Last week, I joined several of my colleagues from the Senate and the House at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye… Last Wednesday, we had a dinner hosted by the U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye, Tom Barrack. There must have been 50 or 60 people there, all shared the concerns of the Summit conference,” Durbin said. “At the heart of that dinner was my colleague and friend, Senator Lindsey Graham. When I arrived that night, it was no surprise that he had been there before me and had been working the crowd, speaking to each and every person who was there—business leaders, political leaders, from all parts of the world—about his concerns. Lindsey was walking them through, one at a time, his vision on how we could end the war in Ukraine and the legislation we needed to accomplish that. Typical of Lindsey Graham.”

Durbin continued, “We all share that concern, but he was buzzing around that crowd like an aspiring candidate to convince everybody there was a way to end this war the right way. Only a few days after that dinner, my friend, Lindsey Graham, passed away. It was a shock. I would like to take a moment to recognize his lifetime of public service, both in the state of South Carolina and our nation.”

During his remarks, Durbin spoke about his work with Graham on the Dream Act and comprehensive immigration reform, as well as the confirmation of judges during the Biden Administration.

“I served with Lindsey Graham in the Senate for more than two decades, and during that time, I counted him as a trusted friend,” Durbin said. “Lindsey, for many years, was the only Republican willing to cosponsor the Dream Act, a bill that I introduced over 20 years ago and reintroduced in successive Congresses, providing protection to undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children. His support took guts. At a time when issues surrounding immigration were becoming politically toxic, Lindsey stuck his neck out for me and for these young people. I will never ever forget it.”

Durbin continued, “And I will also never forget a meeting that Lindsey and I had with President Trump in his first term in 2018. It was a meeting to discuss a possible comprehensive immigration reform package. It didn’t go well at all. President Trump made what I consider to be profane comments about some immigrants, and I won’t repeat them here. Lindsey, sitting next to me in the Oval Office, passionately, vocally, and with real commitment disagreed with the President, arguing that America is not defined by race or color, but by its ideals and many contributions that immigrants have made to our nation. He said to the President, as I sat right next to him in the Oval Office, you’re just wrong. These people that are immigrants make a difference in America. It’s the story of our country, and Lindsey said it was the story of his family. Lindsey spoke publicly about this interaction after it occurred. And despite the scorn that he earned from certain segments of the Republican base, he stuck to what he believed was right.”

Durbin continued, “When I [was] … Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham was my Ranking Republican sitting right next to me. We had our share of disagreements on issues and nominees, but I knew that his word was always good… He voted in favor of 75 percent of the judicial nominations that we considered while I was Chair, and there were 235 lifetime appointments that came out of that committee.”

Durbin concluded, “Loretta and I send our condolences to Lindsey’s family and his legion of friends in South Carolina and around the world. He was an extraordinary member of the Senate.”

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

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

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

-30-


Durbin Statement On Trump’s Decision To Slash Boundaries Of Bears Ears & Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reduce the boundaries of two national monuments—Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante.

In 2017, the first Trump Administration put 27 national monuments under review with the requirement they were established after 1996 and were over 100,000 acres. Then-Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke recommended six monuments for reduction, but reduced only two monuments—Grand Staircase and Bears Ears. Durbin led the effort against this review and reduction, and in 2021, then-President Biden restored the boundaries of both monuments.

“President Trump’s decision to, once again, slash the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments is an attack on some of our nation’s most extraordinary public lands.

“These lands belong to every American. In the wake of these unfortunate reductions, I urge Congress to pass my America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect and defend these lands for future generations.”

For years, Durbin has championed the America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect more than eight million acres of land in Utah that is rich in archaeological resources and home to numerous rare plant and animal species. These landscapes are also the access point for many national parks and offer unparalleled research, educational, and recreational opportunities for scientists, educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and American families.

-30-


Gallego, Kelly Demand FEMA Reimburse Shelter and Services Program Recipients

WASHINGTON – Today, Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly demanded that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator Robert Fenton process and reimburse all outstanding eligible Shelter and Services Program (SSP) claims filed before the program’s termination. The letter follows a May 7, 2026, U.S. District Court order in a case brought by Pima County, Chicago, and Denver requiring the agency to process eligible reimbursement claims for costs incurred before SSP grants were terminated.

SSP provided funding to local governments and service providers for short-term emergency services, including food and shelter, for asylum seekers legally processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at a time when the border was in crisis and local communities were forced to take on a federal responsibility.

“Arizona local governments and service providers carried out this work in reliance of congressional appropriations, FEMA’s program rules, and the federal government’s commitment that eligible expenses would be reimbursed,” wrote the senators. “Failing to fulfill reimbursements to these partners risks undermining the trust needed for effective coordination in future emergencies.”

The senators called on FEMA to designate a primary point of contact for Arizona SSP reimbursement claims and make appropriate DHS and FEMA officials available for a briefing on the agency’s plans to comply with the court order.

“Together, these rulings reinforce the need for FEMA to follow the law and process reimbursement requests pursuant to the rules and guidelines as they existed under the program prior to the agency’s termination and provide direction to recipients and subrecipients, including those in Arizona,” the senators continued. “Reimbursements are long past due, and FEMA must resolve reimbursement claims without further delay.”

“Arizona localities and service providers fulfilled their responsibilities under this program and courts have agreed the agency’s actions to limit reimbursements were unlawful,” the senators concluded. “FEMA should now provide the clarity, transparency, and timely reimbursement as required under the agency’s own program rules pre-termination. We urge you to comply with these obligations without delay.”


Gallego Slams Trump for Slashing Bears Ears National Monument

As a member of the House, Gallego successfully led the effort to restore Bears Ears after Trump shrank the monument in his first term

WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is speaking out after President Trump issued a proclamation today slashing Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by a total of three million acres, or 90%. The monuments, located in southeastern Utah, are of historic, cultural, and spiritual significance for several federally recognized tribes with a presence in Arizona and Utah.

“Today’s announcement is further proof that President Trump does not care about upholding our trust responsibilities or engaging in meaningful Tribal consultation. He’d rather sell off these areas of irreplaceable cultural and sacred heritage to the highest bidder,” said Senator Gallego. “When Trump shrank Bears Ears in his first term, I led the fight against it – I plan to fight back just as hard this time around.”

In 2016, after extensive negotiations with five Native American tribes, President Obama created Bears Ears National Monument, conserving 1.35 million acres of wilderness and protecting over 100,000 Native American archaeological and cultural sites.

In 2017, during his first term, President Trump moved to shrink the monument by 85%. As a member of the House, then-Representative Gallego vocally opposed the move and introduced legislation to restore the monument. In 2021, following calls from Rep. Gallego, President Biden restored conservation protections for Bears Ears.


Gillibrand, Colleagues Demand Pentagon Release Long-Awaited Report On U.S. Bombing Of Iranian Elementary School

Investigation into School Strike Was Reportedly Submitted in April but Has Not Been Released To Congress or the Public

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led 24 of her colleagues in continuing to demand answers from the Department of Defense (DoD) over the 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, represented the worst civilian casualty incident caused by the U.S. military in decades.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper, the senators called for the swift completion and release of the Pentagon’s investigation into the school strike, which was reportedly submitted in April, but remains under review by senior military officials. They also requested that the Pentagon provide Congress with a comprehensive plan to ensure that this type of incident does not happen again.

“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.”

In early March, Reuters first reported that U.S. military investigators believed U.S. forces were likely responsible for the Minab strike. Days later, Pentagon officials reportedly concluded through their preliminary investigation that a U.S. Tomahawk missile had struck the school. Investigators have also reportedly found that multiple failures led the school to be targeted in error, including missed 2019 remarks by an intelligence analyst indicating that the site had changed from a naval facility to a school. The analyst had entered the remarks into a digital system that was not connected to the authoritative targeting database, and officials planning the attack used imagery that had not been updated in several years and did not show a school at the site. In fact, according to recent reporting, senior U.S. military commanders ignored warnings that intelligence about potential targets was severely out of date for the sake of “expediency,” which directly contributed to the strike on the school.

“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.

Despite this reporting, Trump administration officials have not publicly taken responsibility for the strike or the resultant civilian deaths. President Trump himself has suggested multiple times that the strike was not the U.S.’ fault and has even blamed Iran. Additionally, Sec. Hegseth has spent his tenure deriding the rules of engagement and cutting DoD programs that aim to prevent harm to civilians during war, including slashing civilian harm mitigation and response staff at the U.S. combatant commands by over 90 percent.

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.”

In addition to Senator Gillibrand, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

Senator Gillibrand has worked tirelessly to hold the Trump administration accountable for its failures during the war in Iran, including the Minab school strike. In March, she called on Sec. Hegseth to resign over the strike, and she demanded a bipartisan Senate Armed Services Committee investigation into the incident. In April, she grilled Hegseth over civilian casualties at schools and hospitals during the Iran war and sought answers on DoD’s degradation of civilian harm prevention programs. In May, she pressed Adm. Cooper on reporting that 22 schools had been damaged by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. In June, she introduced the Secure and Accountable Military AI Act to keep human military commanders in control of life-and-death targeting decisions.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

###


ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Kudlow on Fox Business to Discuss Iran, Housing and Reconciliation 3.0

Washington—On Friday, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss Iran, housing and Reconciliation 3.0.

*Click the photo above or here to watch*

Partial Transcript

Hagerty on Iran: [Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper], is in charge of the [Strait of Hormuz]. It’s the United States of America that is driving the behavior [in Iran]. And what we have is increasing propaganda coming from the Iranian regime. They’re great at propaganda, they’re great at negotiations, but in terms of delivery—not so much. And their economy is in the tank. You see what we’ve done now: the ceasefire is over, [U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent] stepping back in, removing Iran’s temporary license to ship—that’s gone. Sanctions are being reimposed, economic pressure [is] back on, President Trump has hit [Iran] very hard. I think they’re realizing that the old playbook— the one they used with [President Barack Obama], the one they used with [President Joe Biden]—will not work with this administration […] I think that the memorandum of understanding is on life support, at best. [The United States has] reimposed sanctions. We are back at a point of negotiating from a position of strength, letting the Iranians know how it is going to be. We tried to allow them to behave like a normal country; it seems to be beyond them to do that. So, we are moving to plan B. […] We had completed about 75-80% of [target packages] before we went into the ceasefire. There is still a considerable amount of targeting that remains. Those targets are sensitive targets… The pace at which Brad Cooper undertakes this is the pace at which the President directs him to do so, I think is certainly something that was within the realm of the White House to make that decision, but we are moving back in that direction again.

Hagerty on housing and affordability: Why should the consumer, why should the everyday man and woman in America pay for the inflation that Joe Biden created? That is exactly where we are. [Indexing capital gains on housing] will unleash housing stock. It will unleash supply. It is a supply-and-demand problem right now that has made housing unaffordable… Another piece I would like to highlight has to do with the regulatory front. And that would be adopting my piece of legislation that deals with taking away the $100,000 that has been the quantification of the regulatory cost on the average home in America, permitting, et cetera, that takes place. $100,000 added to the cost of a home here in America—that is something we need to address first and foremost. My Freedom to Build Act would do just that. It would build on top of what we’ve already done with the [ROAD to Housing Act], and I think just another area to move us in the right direction to lower costs for Americans.

Hagerty on Reconciliation 3.0: This is something that we’ve proven that we can do. We can address the SAVE America concerns. I want to see the SAVE America Act passed. I’m a co-sponsor; I’ve voted for it every time. I’m willing to move in every direction we can—but we know we can make [budget] reconciliation work. And I think my colleagues in the House of Representatives are working away right now… I am very pleased to see us moving in that direction […] We have a short period of time here before we get into the zone of the fall election. I think the opportunity is right before us. The House is working away. I’m looking forward to getting Reconciliation 3.0 underway, and I appreciate the house taking the lead and moving it forward […] [Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsay Graham, R-SC,] and his team, actually, and the Budget Committee have been working on Reconciliation 3.0, and I think they’ve been in close contact with the House of Representatives… I think there are a number of ways to deal with it, but frankly, if [the SAVE America Act] comes over in a reconciliation bill, this is something that we have been able to pass. We’ve been very successful at it. I’d like to see it move in that direction, and I think we absolutely can do it.


Senator Hassan Visits Newport Farm, Discusses How Trump’s Policies are Driving up Costs for Families

NEWPORT – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan toured the locally owned Beaver Pond Farm in Newport on Friday to hear directly from farmers about how President Trump's policies, including tariffs and the illegal war in Iran, are driving up costs and hurting New Hampshire farms.

The farm’s owners described how higher fuel prices and increased costs for equipment and replacement parts are making it more expensive to operate. At the same time, the Trump Administration has delayed, eliminated, or severely reduced federal agriculture programs that New Hampshire farmers have relied on for decades, creating uncertainty and driving costs up even further.

“New Hampshire's farms are essential to our state's economy and way of life. President Trump's policies are driving up costs and making it harder for farms like Beaver Pond to feed Granite Staters,” said Senator Hassan. “I appreciated the opportunity to hear from the farmers about the impacts they’ve seen and the need for the Trump administration to reverse course.”


Heinrich Statement on Trump Executive Stripping Protections of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, Continuing War on the West and Attacks on America’s Public Lands

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement in response to President Trump stripping protections from the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments:

“Today’s executive action is another chapter in this administration’s War on the West.

“By once again stripping protections from the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, President Trump is turning the Antiquities Act on its head. This law – championed by conservationist John Lacey, drafted by archeologist Edgar Lee Hewett, and signed into law by President Teddy Roosevelt— was written to protect America’s greatest natural, scientific, and cultural treasures, not to strip away protections that generations of Americans have fought to secure.

“These monuments safeguard irreplaceable archaeological sites, critical wildlife habitat, and landscapes that hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for Tribal communities. They also support local economies built around outdoor recreation.

“Time and again, this administration has put the interests of billionaires and powerful industries ahead of America’s public lands and the people who own them. And once again, they’re ignoring Tribal voices, sidelining local communities, and threatening places that belong to every American.

“But the American people have made it clear they want public lands kept in public hands. They understand that these places are part of our natural heritage and our collective identity. Once they’re lost, they’re gone forever.

“These are not museums. They are living cultural landscapes that hold deep meaning and direct connection to Tribal communities today. To issue this executive action without government-to-government consultation is a slap in the face to all the Tribes who have fought for generations to protect these sacred places.

“I’ll keep fighting alongside Tribes, local communities, hunters, anglers, hikers, small businesses, scientists, and everyone who agrees that our public lands are one of America’s greatest ideas – and ensure that future generations can inherit the same opportunity to experience that wild places that define us. To everyone who loves your public lands: now is the time to raise your voices and make sure this is a brief, although dark, period in the story of this great nation.”

Heinrich has been a staunch supporter of protecting and expanding the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments.

In 2016, Heinrich applauded President Obama's designation of Bears Ears National Monument, praising the years-long work of Tribal nations to protect the landscape and highlighting the monument's groundbreaking tribal co-management framework.

In 2017, Heinrich stood with Tribal leaders in urging Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to meet directly with the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and honor the federal government's commitment to meaningful tribal consultation before taking any action affecting the monument.

Following President Trump's decision to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in December 2017, Heinrich forcefully condemned the action, calling it "a direct assault on sacred lands and tribal sovereignty" and warning it threatened public lands across the country.

In 2018, Heinrich repeatedly pressed the Trump administration to halt implementation of the monument reductions while legal challenges were pending, joining multiple Senate letters urging the Interior Department to pause new management plans, preserve existing protections, consider millions of public comments, and conduct meaningful consultation with Tribal nations.

Heinrich also cosponsored the ANTIQUITIES Act, legislation reaffirming that only Congress—not a president—has the authority to reduce or revoke a national monument designation.

In 2019, Heinrich opposed the Trump administration's final Bears Ears management plan, arguing Interior should not weaken protections for the monument while the legality of Trump's reductions remained before the courts.

In 2021, Heinrich led Senate Democrats in calling on Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to recommend restoring Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante,urging the Biden administration to reverse the Trump administration's reductions and defend the Antiquities Act.

Later that year, Heinrich applauded President Biden's restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, calling the decision an important step toward protecting America's public lands and supporting continued Tribal co-stewardship of Bears Ears.


NEW DATA: Trump’s Tax and Tariff Actions to Cost New Mexico Workers Hundreds of Dollars in 2026

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member and former Chairman of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released a statement reacting to a new report from JEC Democrats that finds that New Mexico workers will lose hundreds of dollars in 2026 from the combined impact of President Trump’s tariffs and Republicans’ Big, Bad Bill.

“New Mexicans are feeling a major economic strain on their budgets. This report helps compile that impact, making clear just how much President Trump’s war, tariffs, and economic policies are driving up costs for New Mexico workers,” said Heinrich. “Teachers, sheet metal workers, firefighters, truck drivers, nursing assistants, and countless other hardworking New Mexicans are paying more for gas, groceries, and other everyday essentials because of Trump’s reckless decisions. I’ll keep holding this administration accountable, calling attention to the real toll these rising prices are taking on working families, and pushing for solutions that bring down costs and provide meaningful relief.”

The report finds that under Trump’s tax and tariff policies:

Security guards will lose around $890

Home health aides and nursing assistants will lose around $860

Retail sales workers will lose around $800

Assembly and manufacturing workers will lose around $580

Grade school teachers and sheet metal workers will lose around $280

Fire fighters and truck drivers will lose around $270

Read the full JEC report here.

For more information on Heinrich’s actions to hold President Trump accountable for his illegal, costly, and reckless war on Iran, click here.

For more information on Heinrich’s work to combat President Trump’s tariffs and lower the cost of groceries and everyday essentials, click here.

For more information on Heinrich’s work to lower energy costs for New Mexico families, click here.

As New Mexico’s senior senator, Heinrich has repeatedly pressed the Trump administration to reverse policies that raise electricity prices and everyday costs for working families, including through hearings, oversight letters, roundtables, and direct engagement with Trump administration officials:

Last month, Heinrich, as Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, hosted a roundtable to discuss how the Trump administration’s policies, including the war with Iran, have driven up energy costs for families, consumers, communities, and small businesses.

Additionally, Heinrich hosted a roundtable with local small business owners, Roadrunner Food Bank, and Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team, Corp. (WESST) to discuss how President Trump’s global tariffs and war with Iran are making gas, groceries, and everyday essentials more expensive for New Mexico families and businesses.

Heinrich also wrote to the CEOs of the six biggest U.S. airlines seeking information on the current economic conditions of the airline industry as President Trump’s war in Iran continues, requesting that the airlines detail their plan to address rising jet fuel costs, and whether companies will cap or reduce executive compensation to help offset rising costs.

Last August, Heinrich hosted a roundtable discussion on how the Trump Administration is killing jobs and raising New Mexicans' utility bills as a result of Trump’s Big, Bad Bill. Heinrich blasted Republicans’ Big, Bad Bill immediately after the text was unveiled, warning that “the impact is electricity bills will go up.”

Throughout the reconciliation process, Heinrich stood up for New Mexico families, released a report that outlined the negative economic impact of the Big, Bad Bill, grilled the U.S. Energy Secretary over Trump’s plan to gut funding for energy programs that ensure working families have access to affordable, domestic sources of energy, pushed to amend the Big, Bad Bill – for over 27 hours – by repeatedly voting to lower energy costs for families, and voted against the reconciliation bill.

###


Hickenlooper Celebrates Long-Overdue Housing Bill Becoming Law

Bipartisan bill, which passed the Senate in June, limits homeownership by large institutional investors, helps build more homes

Legislation builds on four Hickenlooper-backed priorities to protect Americans’ homeownership from corporations, support housing loans for veterans, boost manufactured housing

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the below statement responding to the long-overdue 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act becoming law. The bipartisan legislation, which is the most consequential housing legislation in decades, passed Congress in June but remained on President Trump’s desk while he demanded that Congress first pass the SAVE America Act. Despite the President’s obstruction, the bill became law at midnight after the President took no action within the Constitution’s 10-day window.

The bill helps address the national affordable housing shortage by cutting red tape to build more homes, investing in programs to lower the cost of buying a house, and preventing corporations from dominating the housing market. Hickenlooper fought to include four provisions that he co-sponsors – American Homeownership Act, VA Home Loan Awareness Act, VALID Act, and PRICE Act – to expand housing loan support to veterans and boost manufactured housing.

“At a time when Americans are working multiple jobs and still struggling to buy homes, it’s absurd that President Trump held this monumental housing bill hostage for weeks over petty politics,” said Hickenlooper. “We fought to ensure this law contains critical protections that limit Wall Street’s influence in the housing market, while expanding loan support for veterans, and making the dream of homeownership more attainable for millions of hardworking families.”

Specifically, the legislation would:

Protect homeownership for Americans, not corporations

Builds off of the Hickenlooper-backed American Homeownership Act to restrict large institutional investors from purchasing, directly or indirectly, more than 350 single family homes and undermining the housing supply for working Americans

Expand housing supply:

Cut federal red tape to encourage new construction

Direct the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to develop best practices for zoning and provide grants to help communities create pre-approved architectural designs, known as pattern books, to speed up local permitting

Offer incentives to build housing near public transit, give priority to projects in Opportunity Zones (OZ), and create a pilot program to convert vacant and abandoned buildings into attainable housing

Establish the “Whole-Home Repairs Act” pilot to offer grants and forgivable loans to low- and moderate-income homeowners and small landlords to fix health hazards and preserve aging homes

Expand access to capital and homeownership

Attract private capital to underserved neighborhoods by increasing Public Welfare Investment (PWI) caps and prioritizing Opportunity Zone incentives

Direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to evaluate and adjust compensation rules and fee caps to encourage lenders to offer small-dollar mortgages

Increase accountability by allowing HUD to mandate training for, or revoke the certification of, underperforming housing counselors

Boost manufactured and modular housing to bring down prices

Broaden the federal definition of manufactured housing to include modular and prefabricated units that are not built on a permanent chassis

Adopt the Hickenlooper-backed Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Communities (PRICE) Act, which would permanently provide grants to stabilize and protect existing manufactured housing communities

Direct the FHA to assess barriers to financing modular homes and modernize mortgage lending standards for manufactured housing

Support veterans and underserved communities

Adopt Hickenlooper-backed VA Home Loan Awareness Act, which would help veterans better understand and access loan support

Adopt Hickenlooper-backed VA Loan Informed Decision (VALID) Act, which would require the FHA mortgage notice to include comparative rate and fee information about loans available under the Department of Veterans Affairs home loan program to make sure qualified veterans receive loans

Reauthorize the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program for three years and create a new Office of Disaster Management and Resiliency within HUD

Improve federal coordination and oversight

Force HUD and the USDA to coordinate on joint environmental reviews for rural housing projects

Require the heads of HUD, FHA, Ginnie Mae, USDA, FHFA, and the VA to testify annually before Congress

Establish a new Office of the Inspector General for NeighborWorks

The bipartisan bill has broad support from consumer housing groups, real estate industry groups, and local officials including the US Conference of Mayors.

HICKENLOOPER, DELEGATION UNLOCK HALF A BILLION FOR HOUSING

Hickenlooper has long fought to expand affordable housing. In 2021, he worked with the Colorado delegation to deliver more than $3.8 billion in American Rescue Plan funding for the state, which included more than $500 million towards affordable housing investments and $300 million in emergency rental assistance for low-income households.

Since being elected, Hickenlooper has also fought and secured more than $62 million for 37 specific Colorado projects that help address the housing crisis.

A list of the housing focused projects that Hickenlooper secured funding for is listed below and HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

###


Hickenlooper, Colleagues Demand Pentagon Release Investigation of Deadly Iran School Strike

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and 24 colleagues demanded that the Department of Defense provide transparency about a deadly U.S. missile strike in February on an Iranian elementary school. The senators called for the immediate release of the Pentagon’s investigation into the school strike, which was reportedly submitted in April, but remains under review by senior officials.

“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.”

On February 28, within hours of the Trump Administration initiating ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ a U.S. missile is reported to have struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran. The strike killed over 175 people, and most of the victims, approximately 120 individuals, were children. If those reports are accurate, this incident is one of the U.S. military’s deadliest civilian casualty incidents in decades. Directly after the strike, Hickenlooper and 45 of his Senate colleagues demanded the Department of Defense carry out a swift investigation.

While news reports of the February 28 incident indicate the U.S. knew it made a mistake in carrying out the strike almost immediately, the Department of Defense has yet to disclose its findings, accept blame, or hold anyone accountable for the grave error. 135 days after the strike, the Trump Administration has an obligation to provide the full investigation to Congress and share its findings with the public.

On March 5, Reuters first reported that U.S. military investigators believed U.S. forces were likely responsible for the Minab strike. Pentagon officials reportedly concluded through their preliminary investigation that a U.S. Tomahawk missile had struck the school. Investigators have also reportedly found that multiple failures led the school to be targeted in error, including missed 2019 remarks by an intelligence analyst that the site had changed from a naval facility to a school.

Despite this reporting, Trump administration officials have not publicly taken responsibility for the strike or the resultant civilian deaths. President Trump himself has suggested multiple times that the strike was not the U.S.’ fault and has even blamed Iran. Additionally, Secretary Hegseth has spent his tenure cutting DoD programs that aim to prevent harm to civilians during war, including slashing civilian harm mitigation and response staff at the U.S. combatant commands by over 90 percent.

“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,” wrote the senators.

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Hegseth and Admiral Cooper:

We write regarding the Department of Defense’s investigation into the February 28, 2026 strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School for girls in Minab, Iran, which reportedly killed approximately 120 children and at least 175 people in total. If true, this incident would constitute the U.S. military’s largest civilian casualty incident since 1991. The Department must promptly provide Congress with the complete and unredacted investigation, and submit a concrete plan to ensure such a tragedy does not happen again.

Recent press reporting indicates that the investigation ordered by Admiral Cooper was submitted in April but remains under review by senior DoD leadership. That reporting further indicates that investigators have identified multiple potential failures, including that an analyst noted as early as 2019 that the site appeared to have changed from a naval facility into a school, but that remark was entered into a digital intelligence tool that was not connected to the authoritative targeting database used to develop strike targets. The reporting also indicates that the site was reviewed multiple additional times in subsequent years without the targeting database being updated. Additional reporting from this week alleges that warnings were made in the system indicating the intelligence for the targets was dated, but those warnings were ignored for “expediency” even though the Administration spent weeks planning for President Trump’s war of choice.

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. 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.

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. There is no justification for withholding an unclassified accounting of what happened, what went wrong, and what the Department is doing to prevent recurrence.

Accordingly, we request that the Department of Defense and U.S. Central Command take the following actions no later than July 20, 2026:

1. Promptly finalize the investigation into the February 28 strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School and provide Congress with the complete and unredacted investigation.

2. Provide an unclassified version of the report to Congress, suitable for public release.

3. Submit to Congress a prevention and remediation plan that identifies the specific corrective actions the Department will take to ensure this does not happen again.

4. Provide a briefing to Congress on the investigation and all steps being taken to ensure errors of this kind do not happen again.

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.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

###


King Shares Remarks with Maine Press Corps on ICE Involved Shooting in Biddeford

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) spoke to the Maine press corps and share remarks on the reported shooting in Biddeford by a member of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE):

Opening Remarks

Senator King: “About 20 minutes ago, I talked to Secretary Markwayne Mullen of the Department of Homeland Security about the incident in Biddeford. Here's what I learned, and here's what I conveyed to him. The individual who has been killed is a male in his 20s. That's all I know about him. He had been given an order to leave the country. He was in a vehicle--pulled out in the vehicle, and the term the secretary used was “weaponized” the vehicle and was shot by an ICE agent. What I said to the Secretary was, we want a full, transparent and open investigation of this matter. And one of the problems is apparently—and again, everything I'm saying is what I know now, certain facts may come out—but apparently there are no cameras. Body cameras were not on the agents. So we have no video evidence of what occurred in this case. State and local officials, of course, are attending to it. The FBI will be leading the investigation because it was a federal operation, but my belief is that our state local officials should also be kept informed and engaged in the investigations. I also talked just five minutes, ten minutes ago to Mayor LaFountain of Biddeford and he is also anxious to see that state and local officials are not frozen out of this investigation. It's a tragedy whenever there's a loss of life. We don't know the circumstances at this point, but my statement to Secretary Mullen, I said, “I'm going to say that you have committed to me that this investigation will be full, fair and transparent. Can I say that? He said, “Yes, absolutely.” So that's the status of this matter right now. Of course, we'll be following it over the next several days. But as I say, I reached out to the Secretary less than a half hour ago, talked to Mayor LaFountain less than 15 minutes ago, and we're going to stay on this and determine exactly what happened. That's my statement at this point. Let me go ahead and take a few questions before I board the flight to Washington.”

Q+A (audio of questions unavailable)

Response 1

Senator King: “And that's why I was so explicit with the secretary. I know him from working with him in the Senate before he became secretary. I have no reason to think that he's not telling me the truth. But my motto, as with Ronald Reagan, is trust but verify. And I intend to stay on this. And to be sure that we can verify what happened and also whether the investigation is proceeding in a full, comprehensive and transparent way.”

Response 2

Senator King: “That's my understanding from the Secretary, was that he was given an order to be to leave the country. He had been through his various processes, and so his status was that he was the person who was shot, was the target of the end of the arrest warrant based upon his immigration status. That's about all I can tell you right now. I don't know the details of the status, but he wasn't a bystander or inadvertently, it was the person they were searching for. And the question is, what did he do with his vehicle? Were officers threatened? Was this were the threats rising to the level that justified deadly force? That's what this investigation is all about. And I certainly intend to, stay after it, to do everything I can to be sure the investigation is as transparent and thorough as possible, and that our state and local officials aren't frozen out from the involvement with this project, with this investigation. The FBI will lead it because it was a federal, project. But, to be given what's happened around the country, we need to verify that this investigation will be thorough and transparent and talking about.”

Response 3

Senator King: “I think the community has every right to ask questions and to bring pressure to bear on, on the federal government for straight answers and honest answers. And whatever evidence there is should be made public and should be made public soon. And, I think the role of the community is to express concern.”

Response 4

Senator King: “We don't yet really know what happened, but to, ensure that we find out what happened and that if there were actions that were unjustified, that those who committed those actions will be held accountable.”

Response 5

Senator King: “We’ve been told that body cameras would be widely distributed. Secretary told me that they're on order, that they have been distributed widely across the country, but not everywhere, and apparently not in Biddeford Maine.”

Response 6

Senator King: “My concern was the in the initial surge, they arrested something like 200 people and 20 of them had criminal records. The rest didn't. So this idea that they were going after the worst of the worst is just nonsense. And, it just doesn't pass the straight face test in terms of the actual data. So I want to understand if they're doing this again, and if so, how are they proceeding? What are the targets? Are they in fact going after people with criminal records? I would want to know whether this individual had a criminal record.”

Response 7

Senator King: “That's not what I believe. That's the fact that, you know, an investigation involving federal agents. It's the FBI that follows through. I presume it will be the FBI office here in Maine. But I believe, as I said, that it should be coordinated with and, the information should be shared with local and, and state officials, with the attorney general's office, with the governor's office. Because I believe that given what's happened over the past year, we can't just stand back and say, oh, it's a federal investigation. Everything's on the up and up. I hate to say that, but again, given the experience of the past year, I think we have to trust but verify.”

###