Gallego, Blumenthal Call for Inspector General Investigation into Reports Blanche Office Shut Down Investigation of Trump Pay-To-Play Clemency Scheme

WASHINGTON – Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote Acting Inspector General for the Department of Justice Sean O’Neill calling for an investigation into reports that Trump administration political appointees in the office of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche may have interfered in a Department of Justice investigation into a potentially corrupt clemency scheme.

The case involves President Trump’s commutation of a seven-year sentence that was being served by David Gentile, a private equity executive who was convicted of defrauding thousands of everyday investors—including many retirees. Trump’s grant of clemency not only released Gentile from prison, it also cost the government and victims more than $15.5 million in restitution.

“Recent reporting indicates the office of then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche may have intervened to kill an investigation into improper payments related to President Trump’s commutation of the sentence of David Gentile, less than two weeks into his seven-year sentence for his role in a $1.6 billion scheme that defrauded thousands of everyday investors,” the senators wrote.

“In light of Acting Attorney General Blanche’s refusal to answer questions on the matter, and the great importance of the fair and impartial administration of justice, we request that the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigate the decision to close the Eastern District of New York’s investigation into the circumstances sounding the commutation of David Gentile’s sentence.”

The full letter is available HERE.


Gallego Energy and Water Bills Advance in Senate Committees

WASHINGTON – Two of Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)’s bills aimed at conserving Arizona’s water and boosting clean energy production received committee consideration today.

“Arizona is facing historic drought conditions and soaring energy costs; we need innovative solutions to tackle these problems, and that’s exactly what my bills being considered today are about,” said Senator Gallego. “I’m glad to see both of them advance and look forward to continuing to work to see them become law.”

Language from Senator Gallego’s bipartisan Water Infrastructure Modernization Act was included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, which passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously this morning. The legislation would incentivize community water systems to purchase and implement new water technologies, including those that can monitor water loss and contamination in real time, integrate artificial intelligence, identify infrastructure failures, and promote aquifer recharge.


PASSED: Senate Unanimously Supports Gallego Resolution Disapproving of Any Sam Bankman-Fried Pardon

The resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that Bankman-Fried should under no circumstances receive a presidential pardon

WASHINGTON – Last night, the Senate unanimously passed Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)’s resolution expressing that convicted crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder of FTX, should not receive a presidential pardon, commutation, or any other form of Federal clemency.

“It should not be considered controversial to say that someone like Sam Bankman-Fried – a fraudster who was convicted by a unanimous jury – should not be allowed to walk away scot-free. That’s exactly what the Senate affirmed when they passed my resolution,” said Senator Gallego. “Bankman-Fried stole billions from hardworking Americans. He’s a criminal who deserves to stay locked up.”

Bankman-Fried, who co-founded FTX in 2019, was convicted by a unanimous jury in 2023 to a 25-year prison sentence for wire fraud, securities fraud, commodities fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and other counts. Federal prosecutors at the time described the collapse of FTX as “one of the biggest financial frauds in American history,” with American customers losing more than $8 billion in savings, investments, and livelihoods.


Gillibrand, Boozman Introduce Landmark Bipartisan Bill To Expand Paid Family And Medical Leave

Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced historic bipartisan legislation to expand Americans’ access to paid family and medical leave. The More Paid Leave for More Americans Act would establish a competitive grant program for states that provide a minimum of six weeks of parental, caregiving, or medical leave, and it would create an interstate working group to coordinate and harmonize paid leave benefits across participating states.

“No American should have to choose between earning a paycheck and caring for a new baby, a sick parent, or their own health,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The More Paid Leave for More Americans Act is a commonsense, bipartisan step toward solving a challenge facing millions of hardworking families. By empowering states to create robust paid parental, caregiving, and medical leave programs, this bill would help protect Americans’ financial security and allow them the flexibility to deal with life’s emergencies without sacrificing their income. I will fight to pass this bill through Congress and will continue working until every American has guaranteed access to paid family and medical leave.”

“As a former business owner, father of three daughters and Member of Congress, I have learned just how much there is to gain from expanding paid leave resources for working families,” said Senator Boozman. “Our bipartisan, bicameral approach offers a flexible way for more states and employers to help fewer Americans face the dilemma between career progression and financial security or meeting theirs or a loved one’s needs. I am optimistic this model will spur wider adoption across the country and appreciated collaborating with my colleagues alongside passionate advocates to achieve meaningful progress that will support families and our economy.”

Currently, nearly three-quarters of American workers do not have access to paid family leave. This means that millions of Americans are forced to make impossible choices between earning a living and caring for themselves or their loved ones in times of need, such as when they have a new baby, contract a serious illness, or have to care for an aging parent. A large body of research has shown that paid leaveimproves workers’ mental health, boosts employee retention and productivity, and spurs economic growth.

The More Paid Leave for More Americans Act encourages states to work together with private companies to adopt or expand scalable, sustainable access to paid leavebenefits.

Specifically, the bill would:

Establish a competitive three-year pilot grant program, administered by the Department of Labor, to states who enact a paid leave program meeting the following requirements:

Provides a minimum of six weeks of leave for any qualifying reason (parental, medical, or caregiving)

Is delivered by the state in partnership with a “private entity” such as an insurance company or benefits administrator

Provides, depending on earnings, a minimum 50–67% wage replacement, with benefits capped at 150% of the state’s average weekly wage

Establish the Interstate Paid LeaveAction Network, or I-PLAN, to coordinate and harmonize paid leavebenefits across participating states. This would benefit employers, states, and employees by facilitating streamlined benefit delivery and reducing administrative burdens.

States would receive a conforming grant between $1.5 and $8 million annually to participate in “good faith” in the I-PLAN.

States would also separately be eligible for implementation grants of between $1.5 and $8 million annually to help with costs associated with aligning their state paid leave program with the I-PLAN requirements, including administrative costs, technology, staffing and training, and outreach.

Instruct the Department of Labor to prioritize pilot program grants for states that do not currently have an established paid leave program, emphasize paid family leave, participate in I-PLAN, and have a lower percentage of the working population with access to paid leavebenefits.

The More Paid Leave for More Americans Act is endorsed by Engage: Promoting Women’s Economic Security, AARP, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Action, Third Way, Chamber of Mothers, the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, and Patriot Voices. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA).

Senator Gillibrand is the Senate’s foremost champion for paid family and medical leave. Since 2013, she has repeatedly introducedthe Family and Medical Insurance Leave(FAMILY) Act, which would establish a national program guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for every American. In 2023, Senator Gillibrand ledthe establishment of a bipartisan, bicameral paid leave working group to generate ideas for a national paid leave policy.

The full text of the bill can be foundhere.

A section-by-section summary of the bill can be foundhere.

A one-pager on the bill can be foundhere.

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Gillibrand Holds Virtual Press Conference Slamming Trump Administration’s Dangerous Rollbacks Of Gun Safety Regulations

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a virtual press conference to slam the Trump administration’s dangerous rollbacks of gun safety regulations.

“Earlier this month, devastating mass shootings turned Fourth of July celebrations in nine states into a series of tragedies. Instead of taking action to protect our families, the Trump administration is rolling back dozens of commonsense gun safety regulations that are designed to keep our streets safe,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Dismantling these protections is a direct surrender to the gun lobby at the expense of American lives. It’s absolutely unconscionable, and I am doing everything I can to fight back.”

Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced that it is scrapping dozens of gun regulations enforced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, including those that aim to block illegal firearm sales, provide oversight of private weapons transactions, and keep guns away from people with a history of mental illness. Gillibrand discussed the danger that these rollbacks pose to New Yorkers.

Gillibrand also shared the latest prosecution and gun seizure statistics around her interstate gun trafficking ban, which was passed into law as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022.

As of March 31, 2026, Gillibrand’s anti-gun trafficking statute has been used to charge 1,065 suspected gun traffickers nationwide, and more than 330 of those defendants have already been convicted. Additionally, over 6,000 guns have been seized by law enforcement as a result of these prosecutions, including more than 500 in New York State.

The seized weapons include:

574 AR-15s and AR-style weapons;

694 machine gun conversion devices, which can convert semi-automatic pistols and rifles into fully automatic weapons in under a minute;

251 ghost guns, which are completely untraceable homemade firearms.

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Gillibrand Statement On Republicans Voting To Allow AI To Deny Medical Care To Seniors

Today, after Republicans voted to block her legislation to end the Trump administration’s WISeR pilot program, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to deny seniors’ medical claims, Senate Aging Committee Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) released the following statement:

“Allowing AI to continue to delay and deny seniors’ medical care is completely immoral and absolutely unacceptable. While Trump and Republicans focus on helping private insurers and big AI companies pad their profits, Democrats are committed to preventing unaccountable machines from blocking seniors’ access to timely medical care. I will not stop fighting until the WISeR model is abolished once and for all.”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)’ WISeR (Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction) Model, which was implemented on January 1, 2026, allows private insurance companies to use AI tools to delay and deny care to seniors on Traditional Medicare across six states. Specifically, the WISeR model introduced prior authorization requirements into Traditional Medicare for the first time ever, letting AI decide what care patients receive even after their doctors recommend a particular procedure or medication. The third-party AI companies involved in the program are also compensated for “averted expenditures,” rewarding those companies based on the volume or cost of care they deny to seniors on Medicare. A recent report showed that the WISeR model has been catastrophic for seniors in the six states where it has been deployed so far.

In September 2025, Senator Gillibrand called on the Trump administration to halt its WISeR experiment, and she introduced legislation in December 2025 to block the program’s implementation. After the WISeR model went into effect earlier this year, she introduced the legislation that was voted on today, S.J.Res.198, to repeal it.

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Gillibrand Statement On Trump’s Primetime Waste of Time

Watch Here.

Today, ahead of President Trump’s “speech,” U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) – who will be spending all of Friday traveling across New York talking about grocery prices – released the following statement and video:

“At a time when families are paying more for less under this administration, instead of focusing on improving their lives, the president is focused on his own dangerous delusions.

“It’s a stark reminder of this administration’s priorities: while Americans worry about paying their bills, the president is still obsessing over an election he lost six years ago. Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Fair and square. It’s time for him to get over it.

“And make no mistake: he is already laying the groundwork to undermine our elections this November.

“The president is out of touch and out of his depth. He came into office promising to lower costs, but he’s made everything more expensive.

“His tariffs are a failure, forcing families to pay a hidden tax on everything from groceries to household essentials. His war in Iran is a disaster, sending gas prices skyrocketing. And his signature policy accomplishment? Stripping healthcare from millions of hardworking Americans, just to hand massive tax breaks to the wealthiest few.

“Americans deserve real relief – lower prices, accessible healthcare, and a cost of living that doesn’t price them out of their own lives. That is what I am fighting for every single day. I only wish the president and Republicans would join Democrats in that work, instead of using the Oval Office to lie to the American people.”

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Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Five Federal Judges

Daniel Mack Traynor, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit, by a vote of 11-10.

Angela Veronica Colmenero, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, by a vote of 11-10.

Kasdin Miller Mitchell, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Texas, by a vote of 11-10.

Michael C. Martin, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan, by a vote of 14-7.


Hawley Expands Postal Service Investigation, Questions Retention of New York Consultants

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) expanded his investigation into the United States Postal Service (USPS) after Postmaster General David Steiner refused to provide answers for the terrible postal service in Missouri. Senator Hawley questioned USPS’ apparent retention of a New York consulting firm while Missourians’ mail delivery lags, despite Congress passing thePostal Service Reform Act in 2022 to equip the agency to rectify service issues.

Senator Hawley wrote, “To date, my office has received no documents in compliance with my June 30 letter. Is it your intention simply to ignore statutory oversight? I expect full compliance with my oversight requests immediately. This letter is to inform you that my office is formally expanding its investigation to include the retention of outside consultants by the United States Postal Service (USPS) so Congress can evaluate whether postal service leadership is appropriately prioritizing service improvements.”

He questioned the Postal Service’s use of outside consultants, stating, “In a March 4, 2026 interview, you revealed that USPS had consulted with Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) for a ‘brief engagement to help with planning for all scenarios.’ I was surprised to learn that you have hired a New York-based management consulting company, which is known for corporate restructuring. You also emphasized that service and staffing cuts were a consideration in USPS’ efforts to mitigate its financial losses, arguing that ‘we must be prepared to do what we have to do because we cannot rely on outside forces.'”

Senator Hawley also inquired about why postal service for Missourians has not been fixed since Congress passed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which was requested by postal service leadership at the time to improve operations.

He concluded, “It is surprising to me that as you complain about this monetary crisis, you and other USPS executives continue to rake in annual bonus packages and have found plenty of cash to hire these outside consultants like A&M—all while service declines and far too many Americans are not receiving their mail. If the Postal Service plans to address its losses through hiring A&M, then Congress must be apprised of the nature of the engagement and A&M’s recommendations to ensure that USPS service standards—such as universal service and rural delivery—do not continue to decline in any agency restructuring plan. ”

Read Senator Hawley’s full letter here or below.

Senator Hawley’s investigation looks into the ongoing mail service failures plaguing Missouri, alongside potential criminal activity in abandoned mail and the alarming distribution of lavish bonuses to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) executives. Read more about Senator Hawley’s investigation here.

July 16, 2026

Postmaster General Steiner

United States Postal Service

475 L’Enfant Plaza SW

Washington, D.C. 20260

Dear Postmaster General Steiner,

To date, my office has received no documents in compliance with my June 30 letter. Is it your intention simply to ignore statutory oversight? I expect full compliance with my oversight requests immediately. This letter is to inform you that my office is formally expanding its investigation to include the retention of outside consultants by the United States Postal Service (USPS) so Congress can evaluate whether postal service leadership is appropriately prioritizing service improvements.

In a March 4, 2026 interview, you revealed that USPS had consulted with Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) for a “brief engagement to help with planning for all scenarios.” I was surprised to learn that you have hired a New York-based management consulting company, which is known for corporate restructuring. You also emphasized that service and staffing cuts were a consideration in USPS’ efforts to mitigate its financial losses, arguing that “we must be prepared to do what we have to do because we cannot rely on outside forces.”

As you know, USPS’s financial situation has become increasingly dire in recent years. The Postal Service has lost an estimated $25 billion over the last three fiscal years—an embarrassing achievement on top of internal projections that USPS would run a $17 billion deficit over that period. And this fiscal year alone, under your leadership, USPS projects a loss of at least $8.1 billion. This all comes after Congress passed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which was requested by postal service leadership to help stem these losses and guarantee universal service. Despite that legislation, nothing appears to have changed.

It is surprising to me that as you complain about this monetary crisis, you and other USPS executives continue to rake in annual bonus packages and have found plenty of cash to hire these outside consultants like A&M—all while service declines and far too many Americans are not receiving their mail. If the Postal Service plans to address its losses through hiring A&M, then Congress must be apprised of the nature of the engagement and A&M’s recommendations to ensure that USPS service standards—such as universal service and rural delivery—do not continue to decline in any agency restructuring plan.

Therefore, I reiterate my request for you to provide the documents, communications, and written responses enumerated in my June 30 letter. I also request a response to the additional questions on the engagement of outside consultants by Friday, July 24, 2026.

1. In addition to my questions and documents in my June 30 letter on the same subject, please also describe the process by which Alvarez & Marsal was retained by USPS, and who at USPS hired these consultants.

2. Please describe, in the last 10 years, every contract or instance in which USPS has hired management consultants for the same purpose and how much they were paid over the term of the contract.

3. How much has USPS budgeted for the retention of Alvarez and Marsal, how much have these consultants been paid already, and how much will they be paid over the terms of their contract?

4. What precisely was Alvarez & Marsal instructed to produce as a deliverable per the terms of their engagement?

5. Was Alvarez & Marsal instructed to find ways to cut costs at USPS? If so, were they instructed to investigate the closure of rural post offices or the restriction of rural delivery?

6. Was Alvarez & Marsal instructed to investigate executive compensation? Have they identified executive compensation as a cost that can be cut?

7. Are you planning to release any deliverables by Alvarez & Marsal to Congress and the public?

Sincerely,

Josh Hawley

United States Senator


Heinrich Introduces Legislation and Grid Initiative Aimed at Delivering Cheap, Reliable Power to Working Families and Businesses

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced the Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act, which would require grid operators to establish a fast-track process for connecting new energy projects to the electric grid, reducing delays and easing congestion.

"As electricity demand grows, we need to find better, faster ways to add more affordable, reliable power to the grid,”said Heinrich. “Right now, unnecessary delays are slowing projects that could help lower energy costs and deliver the low-cost energy we need. My Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act creates a fast-track to connect new energy projects so we can meet growing demand, improve reliability, and help keep electricity costs down for families and businesses.”

Across the country, new energy projects are stuck waiting years to connect to the electric grid in what are known as “interconnection queues,” delaying the affordable, reliable power that families and businesses need. Today, more than 2,000 gigawatts (GW) of energy generation and storage — more than twice the nation's existing electric generation capacity — are waiting in interconnection queues, with projects spending more than five years on average waiting to connect and roughly five years before they begin operating. These delays are driven in part by outdated rules that make it harder and more expensive to bring new energy online. Since 2017, the average cost of connecting a project to the grid has nearly doubled, rising from $225 per kilowatt (kW) to $422 per kW. In the PJM region alone, bringing just 10 percent of the projects currently waiting in interconnection queues online would have saved customers an estimated $3.5 billion, or 22 percent. Moving projects through the interconnection process faster is one of the quickest ways to increase energy supply, strengthen grid reliability, and help lower electricity costs.

The Grid Connection and Management Act aims to speed up that process by requiring regional transmission organizations (RTOs) to establish a fast-track pathway for qualifying energy projects to connect to the grid. In exchange for moving through an expedited review process, participating projects would agree to reduce their electricity output when requested by grid operators to maintain reliability. By shortening study times and creating a more predictable interconnection process, the bill will help bring new, cheap energy online faster.

The introduction of the Grid Congestion and Management Act is part of Heinrich’s Grid for Growth initiative, a roadmap to modernize the nation’s electrical grid and bring new, affordable energy online. Grid for Growth is a plan to meet surging electricity demand without shifting costs onto consumers and complements Heinrich’s ongoing efforts to pass a bipartisan permitting reform bill — ensuring that new transmission lines and clean energy projects can be built to meet rising electricity demand.

Heinrich’s Grid Congestion and Management Act is endorsed by GridLab, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), RMI, and Electricity Customer Alliance.

“We cannot build a modern, high-demand economy on an outdated interconnection framework. Transitioning to a 'connect and manage' model is a reliable, proven way to connect new energy resources quickly while managing congestion in real time. The energy-only provisions in the BASED Act represent a critical leap forward for U.S. grid policy,”said Ric O’Connell, Executive Director of GridLab.

“Too many of the solar and storage projects that America needs to meet growing energy demand and keep costs down for families are sitting in years-long interconnection queues. The Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act takes a significant step toward updating our interconnection policies for today’s critical energy technologies. The solar and storage industry thanks Ranking Member Heinrich for championing policies like the Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act that will keep costs down for Americans and bring solar and storage projects online faster,” said Erin Duncan, Vice President of Congressional Affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association.

“Throughout most of the US, we are struggling to connect new electricity generators to our grid. The exception is Texas who has used their “connect and manage” approach to add more generation and load to their grid than any other region. Learning from the successful Texas approach, this bill brings a “connect & manage” option to the rest of the country without interfering with how those grids operate. BASED will increase competition and reduce power costs, benefitting rate payers and industry alike,” said Chaz Teplin, who leads Clean Competitive Grids team within RMI’s Carbon-Free Electricity program.

“With electricity demand and prices continuing to rise, customers urgently need new power supply options and a grid that powers economic growth and affordability,” said Jeff Dennis, Executive Director of the Electricity Customer Alliance. “Reforming interconnection processes to speed the connection of low-cost, ready-to-go, generation resources that can safely and reliably add needed new electrons in short order will help put downward pressure on power prices and expand the options for economically serving new demands."

Grid for Growth: A Three-Principle Plan

The first principle,Connect What’s Ready, Fast, focuses on clearing the interconnection backlog that is driving up energy costs. The second principle, Get More from the Grid, calls for optimizing the grid with new technologies, such as dynamic line ratings, power flow control, and topology optimization, which have been shown to raise the capacity of existing lines by 50%. The third principle,Build Big, Lower Costs for Everyone, ensures the largest new users, driven primarily by data centers, manufacturing, and electrification, fund the grid investments their growth requires, rather than passing it to ratepayers. Together, the principles inform policies that will connect ready projects faster, get more capacity from the grid we already have, and build big while keeping costs fair.

Heinrich’s Leadership on Transmission and Grid Infrastructure

Heinrich has long been one of the Senate’s leading advocates for expanding and modernizing America's electric grid. He has consistently pushed to build more high-voltage transmission, reform the permitting process for major transmission projects, strengthen interregional planning, reduce interconnection delays, and ensure the grid can reliably deliver cheap, American-made energy while supporting economic growth. For the last decade and a half, Heinrich has been a steadfast champion of SunZia, one of the largest energy infrastructure projects in the Western Hemisphere, shepherding the project through lengthy permitting processes for nearly two decades. The project, based in New Mexico, is now fully operational and is delivering up to 3,650 megawatts (MW) of energy across the Southwest.

In March, Heinrich organized a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing examining the state of America's electric grid and solutions to lower electricity costs. During the hearing, Heinrich highlighted the need to expand interregional transmission, reduce transmission congestion, accelerate interconnection of new generation, and modernize the grid to meet growing electricity demand driven by manufacturing, data centers, and electrification. He called for investing in a "Grid for Growth" to strengthen reliability while lowering costs for consumers.

In July 2024, Heinrich voted to advance the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The legislation incorporated several provisions Heinrich had championed, including his Interregional Transmission Planning Improvement Act, provisions based on his FASTER Act and his bipartisan Geothermal Energy Optimization (GEO) Act, which puts geothermal projects on an equal footing with oil and gas projects on public land and will help accelerate the adoption of geothermal energy nationwide.

In May 2024, Heinrich welcomed the Biden administration’s Federal-State Initiative to Bolster America’s Power Grid, which brought together 21 states, including New Mexico, to meet electricity demand while delivering reliable, affordable, and resilient power. The initiative supports deployment of grid-enhancing technologies and better coordination between federal and state governments on transmission planning.

In April 2024, Heinrich welcomed U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to New Mexico to highlight how investments from recent landmark legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act created a clean energy manufacturing renaissance in communities like Albuquerque and Belén, N.M.

In June 2023, Heinrich introduced the Facilitating America's Siting of Transmission and Electric Reliability (FASTER) Act, landmark legislation to modernize the permitting process for major interregional transmission projects. The legislation would designate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as the lead permitting agency for qualifying transmission projects, establish a predictable permitting timeline, strengthen coordination among federal agencies, encourage community benefit agreements, and invest in local communities hosting transmission infrastructure.

Also in 2023, Heinrich introduced the Interregional Transmission Planning Improvement Act, legislation to improve planning and cost allocation for multi-state transmission projects. The bill would give FERC greater authority to ensure the costs of new transmission are allocated fairly among states that benefit from new infrastructure, helping remove one of the largest barriers to building interregional transmission.

In 2023, Heinrich delivered a keynote address at the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Policy Forum, where he laid out his vision for expanding America's transmission network and announced his legislative priorities to improve how the nation plans, permits, and pays for transmission infrastructure. Heinrich argued that transmission must become "the central piece" of America's clean energy strategy and emphasized that future projects cannot spend more than a decade navigating permitting processes like SunZia did.

In 2023, Heinrich also published an op-ed, "The Backbone of Our Clean Energy Future," arguing that expanding transmission is essential to improving grid reliability, lowering energy costs, strengthening resilience during extreme weather, and fully utilizing America's domestic energy resources. In the piece, Heinrich called for faster permitting, new federal financing tools, and investment incentives for nationally significant transmission projects.

A one-page factsheet of the bill is here.

A section-by-section summary of the bill is here.

The full text of the bill is here.


Heinrich, Leger Fernández Lead New Mexico & Texas Democrats to Introduce Legislation Reversing Rate Cuts for Veterans’ Essential Homecare Services

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) led New Mexico and Texas congressional Democrats in introducing the Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act, legislation to reverse the Trump administration’s cuts to reimbursement rates for essential homecare services for veterans in New Mexico and Texas.

As of January 1, 2026, the reimbursement rate for veterans’ homecare services fell by nearly 20 percent in New Mexico and 43 percent in parts of Texas, which could result in homemaker and home health aide agency closures. Approximately 68,000 New Mexico veterans over the age of 65, in addition to many disabled veterans, rely on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare. Nationally, one in 10 of these veterans use at least one homecare service to maintain their independence and continue living in their own homes and communities.

The rate cuts come as the Trump administration is reportedly spending nearly $900 million a day on their war in Iran — putting their reckless war of choice above caring for veterans.

“Homecare services are not luxuries. They are earned benefits that allow disabled and elderly veterans to remain in their homes and live with dignity,” said Heinrich. “The Trump administration has repeatedly refused to reverse its cuts to VA homecare reimbursement rates in New Mexico — denying veterans the care they have earned. It is insulting to New Mexico’s veterans that VA Secretary Collins refuses to even talk with me and my colleagues to defend these cuts. Meanwhile, veterans are struggling to pay for gas and groceries because of Trump’s war with Iran. It's bullshit. That’s why I’m introducing my Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act to reverse Trump’s harmful cuts, ensure veterans get the care they are owed and need, and require the VA to be transparent about any future reductions.”

"Our veterans kept their promise to our country. We must keep ours to them. These reckless reimbursement cuts are making it harder for disabled veterans to receive the in-home care they rely on for everyday tasks like getting out of bed, bathing, getting dressed, or preparing meals. When home health providers can't afford to serve veterans, veterans pay a steep price. Our bill restores those cuts, brings transparency to how these rates are set, and makes sure the VA can never quietly pull the rug out from under veterans and their caregivers again," said Leger Fernández.

Specifically, the Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act will reverse the reimbursement rate reductions that occurred in 2026 and require the VA to notify Congress of any future rate reductions.

The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), and Al Green (D-Texas).

“Our veterans and their families make the ultimate sacrifice to protect us – it’s our responsibility to make sure they’re cared for when they come home,” said Vasquez. “By cutting reimbursement rates for essential home healthcare services, this Administration is doing the opposite. These programs aren't a handout – they're earned. I’m proud to support this bill that would restore these benefits in New Mexico and make sure that our veterans get the support they need and deserve.”

“Our veterans in New Mexico have answered the call to serve, and we have a responsibility to ensure they receive the care they deserve,” said Stansbury. “Slashing reimbursements for home-based care while this administration spends billions on an endless war betrays our nations promises to our veterans. The Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act will reverse these harmful cuts and help ensure our veterans can live with the dignity, independence, and support they deserve."

“In South Texas, access to care means making sure veterans can receive the services they need where they live. Home-based care helps aging and disabled veterans stay safe, independent, and close to their families. This bill protects that care, supports the providers who deliver it, and ensures rural communities are not left behind,” said Cuellar.

"Home-based care is essential for disabled and elderly veterans in Texas's rural communities. Reversing the cuts to home health reimbursement will ensure that veterans with disabilities and serious health conditions can continue to receive the care they need. This is a necessity, not a luxury. Protecting these care options is crucial in making sure that our veteran communities can continue to live independently and with the support they deserve," said Veasey.

“Our military heroes deserve good healthcare no matter their zip code,” said Castro. “The Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act would help make sure veterans living in rural areas receive the high-quality medical care they deserve. Congress should be making it easier for veterans to stay healthy, not harder. This bill will make VA care more accessible and timely.”

“There are more than 50,000 veterans in South Texas, including 24,000 with service-connected disabilities; we need fewer barriers impeding access to health care, not more. Instead, this Administration does the opposite by hindering the VA’s ability to recruit and retain staff to operate rural homecare service programs and deliver our veterans the care they earned. With this bill, we will reverse a harmful one-size-fits-all approach that overlooks our smallest and most rural communities — and allow us to meet the individual needs of South Texas and beyond,” said Gonzalez.

The legislation is endorsed by the New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice Care, Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Elizabeth Dole Foundation.

The full text of the bill is here.

Earlier this year, Heinrich, Leger Fernández, Vasquez, Stansbury, and Cuellar sent a letter urging VA Secretary Doug Collins to reverse the Trump administration’s cuts to reimbursement rates for essential home healthcare services for veterans. VA Secretary Collins responded to the lawmakers’ letter, where he refused to reverse the cuts and asserted that the rate reductions reflected an agency assessment that rates in New Mexico and rural Texas exceeded “prevailing market rates.” Heinrich released a statement condemning VA Secretary Collins’ refusal to reverse the cuts, where he stated, “This is the kind of DC talk I am sick of...This money should be going directly to their care, which is why I plan to introduce legislation that reverses Trump’s cuts to homecare reimbursement rates in New Mexico and ensures veterans get the care they are owed.”

Heinrich also met with veteran-serving healthcare providers to discuss the impacts of the Trump administration’s rate cuts for veterans’ essential homecare services.

For additional background on Heinrich’s efforts to support New Mexico veterans, click here.

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Heinrich Statement on Trump’s Attempts to Manufacture Distractions From His War With Iran, High Gas Prices, & the Skyrocketing Cost of Everyday Essentials

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement reacting to President Trump’s Oval Office address where the president attacked American elections and set the groundwork for denying the results of the 2026 midterm elections, instead of addressing his role in starting a costly war with Iran, causing higher gas prices, and skyrocketing the costs of everyday essentials.

“Trump’s own Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency called the 2020 election ‘the most secure in American history’ and said there was no evidence that votes were changed or ‘flipped.’

“Trump’s claims tonight aren’t about election security. They’re about a sore loser who refuses to accept responsibility for rising costs and a failing economy, trying to lay the groundwork for claiming the next election is rigged if he doesn't like the outcome.

“Enough with the manufactured distractions, made up lies, and rewritten history. Lower costs.”

This week, Heinrich, a member and former Chairman of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released astatement 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. 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

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.

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N.M. Delegation Responds to Trump Administration Actions to Undo Chaco Canyon Protections

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) released the following statement in response to the news that the Trump administration is proposing to fully revoke a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has protected public lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and only allowing 14 days for public comment.

“Chaco Canyon is a living, breathing cultural landscape that is central to the identity of Tribes throughout New Mexico. The Trump administration has been abdicating its responsibility for meaningful and complete Tribal consultation and continues to railroad communities through arbitrary deadlines and rushed decision-making. Secretary Burgum has also not kept his commitment to sending an official with decision-making authority to conduct in-person, individual consultation with each interested tribe.

“This decision also comes on the heels of President Trump’s administrative action to reverse years of Tribally-led efforts to protect sacred sites in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. It is clear where his priorities lie, and it is not with New Mexico, and it is not with Tribes.

“Proposing to fully revoke protections for Chaco Canyon and only allowing 14 days to comment on this development is wrong, shameful, and a slap in the face to Tribes. Now is the time to use your voices and speak up to protect Chaco Canyon from oil and gas drilling.”

Located in northwestern New Mexico, the Greater Chaco landscape is a region of great cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to many Pueblos and Tribes that contains living sacred sites. Chaco was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is one of only 24 such sites in the United States.

The New Mexico Congressional Delegation has worked tirelessly to permanently protect Chaco Canyon.

In April, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the House Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) submitted a comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) urging the Trump administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to undo a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has kept public lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park off-limits to new oil and gas leasing. Earlier that month, the New Mexico delegation sent statements in opposition to the Trump administration only granting seven days to submit scoping comments.

Last November, Heinrich, Luján, and Stansbury hosted a press conference with Pueblo leaders on the actions needed to permanently protect the landscape.

Last September, the N.M. Delegation hosted a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol with 20 Governors and leaders from the Santa Ana, Picuris, Cochiti, Zia, Tesuque, Acoma, Santo Domingo, and Laguna Pueblos to demand the Trump administration permanently protect Chaco Canyon, and to invite U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit the Greater Chaco landscape before deciding its fate. Watch the video of the full press conferencehere.

In June 2025, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter initially inviting Secretary Burgum to visit Chaco Canyon and engage directly with Tribal leaders and local communities to hear about the profound cultural and spiritual significance of this sacred landscape. Secretary Burgum issued the directive to begin revoking the Chaco protections without experiencing it firsthand. Following Secretary Burgum’s directive, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter urging the Trump administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to fully revoke Chaco Canyon’s protections.

In April 2025, the N.M. Delegation reintroduced legislation to protect Chaco Canyon and the greater sacred landscape surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The legislation was led by Luján in the U.S. Senate and Leger Fernández in the U.S. House of Representatives.


Hickenlooper Condemns Trump’s Primetime Address & False Election Claims

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the below statement following President Donald Trump’s primetime address where he continued spreading lies and misinformation about America’s free and fair elections:

“President Trump is once again peddling conspiracies to distract from his failures and doubling down on his efforts to make it harder to vote,” said Hickenlooper. “As governor, we expanded Colorado’s mail-in voting system, which Democrats and Republicans trust because it’s convenient, safe, and secure. No matter how many lies Donald Trump, Tina Peters, or other election deniers tell, we’ll keep fighting to protect your right to vote.”

Hickenlooper has consistently fought back against Trump and MAGA Republicans’ voter suppression bill, the SAVE America Act, and stood up to their attacks on mail-in-voting, a proven safe and secure voting method. As governor, Hickenlooper created the gold-standard mail-in-voting system in the country, providing millions of Coloradans with easier access to the ballot box. Hickenlooper cosponsors several pieces of voting rights legislation, including the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Freedom to Vote Act.

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Hoeven, Cramer: Judge Dan Traynor’s Nomination to 8th Circuit Approved by Committee, Moves to Full Senate for Consideration

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer today issued the following statements after U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor’s nomination to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The nomination now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

“Judge Traynor has a long, impressive career in the legal profession and is well qualified to serve on the 8th Circuit, following his time as U.S. District Judge for North Dakota. We need judges like him serving in our federal courts. He has a record of impartiality and professionalism, while being committed to the rule of law. We appreciate our colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee for working with us to promptly advance his nomination, and we will continue working to secure his approval by the full Senate,” said Senator Hoeven.

“I’m grateful the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Dan Traynor’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. I’ve known Dan for more than 30 years and, without a doubt, his legal experience, character, and judicial temperament will make him an outstanding appellate judge. I look forward to supporting his nomination on the Senate floor,” said Senator Cramer.

Hoeven and Cramer announced Traynor’s nomination in May and have been working with the White House to advance his nomination to fulfill a vacancy resulting from U.S. Circuit Judge Ralph Erickson assuming senior status.

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Hoeven Marks 10th Anniversary of General Atomics’ Operations at GrandSKY

EMERADO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement marking the 10th anniversary of General Atomics’ operations at GrandSKY:

“We’ve built North Dakota into the premier location for unmanned aviation. As one of GrandSKY’s anchor tenants, General Atomics has been a tremendous partner in this effort, and we appreciate the company’s continued investment in our UAS ecosystem over these past 10 years,” said Hoeven. “When we first began working to establish our unmanned industry more than 20 years ago, GrandSKY was just an idea. Through years of collaboration and effort, we secured a lease to establish the technology and business park at the air base, and we got to work finding the right tenants to make this first-of-its-kind initiative a success. As we worked with General Atomics’ leadership, including CEO Linden Blue and President Dave Alexander, it was clear the company would be a natural fit. Today, we look back on how far we’ve our efforts have taken us and celebrate a decade of successful partnership.”

Following his efforts to secure an enhanced use lease with the Air Force to establish GrandSKY, Hoeven played a key role in bringing anchor tenants, including General Atomics and Northrop Grumman, to the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) business and technology park. Hoeven held multiple meetings with General Atomics leadership, both in Washington, D.C. and North Dakota, in a bid to locate the company’s UAS training center in the Grand Forks area. Hoeven announced the original 10-year lease between GrandSKY and General Atomics in 2015, helped break ground on the facility later that year and marked its grand opening in 2017.

Since that time, Hoeven has worked to expand the operations at GrandSKY, supporting General Atomics as it increased its presence and activities at the park, growing into a multi-mission hub for the company. This includes:

Two permanent hangars, a temporary hangar and two office facilities totaling more than 100,000 square feet.

More than 100 employees on site, supporting air systems training, flight testing and related operations.

Out of its GrandSKY location, the company provides training to its military and federal partners, including the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and Customs and Border Protection.

The company also provides training for operators from nine international partners, including the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Belgium, Japan, Canada, Taiwan and Poland.

Approximately 600 students per year receive training at GrandSKY through General Atomics’ courses.

Testing and validation of beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations, utilizing a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver that Hoeven secured.

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Kaine, Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Boost Health Care Workforce, Address Shortages

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced the Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act, legislation to address health care workforce shortages across the country. The bill would help internationally educated health care professionals overcome common barriers to entering the health care workforce in the United States.

“Everywhere I go in Virginia—especially in rural communities—I hear about health care workforce shortages. We should think creatively to address those shortages and ensure we’re tapping into all of the resources and talents of those in the United States,” said Kaine. “One way we can do this is by making it easier for people who were trained internationally and have significant experience to enter the health care workforce. I’m proud to introduce this bill that would help these professionals serve their communities.”

“Many of our rural communities face significant obstacles to providing quality health care because of workforce shortages. This legislation would create opportunities for qualified health care professionals to help meet the needs of Alaskans,” said Murkowski. “These health care professionals have found a home in Alaska and are ready and willing to answer the call to serve their communities. It is a win for everyone when we recognize their value and welcome their expertise into our nation's health care workforce.”

According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), over two million college-educated immigrants in the U.S. are either unemployed or underemployed, and approximately 270,000 of these individuals hold health-related degrees but are working below their level of training or are not working in health care. The Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act would help tap the talents of these individuals—who are living in the U.S. and legally able to work—and make it easier for them to enter the health care workforce at a level commensurate with their education, skills, and experiences.

Specifically, the Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act would create a grant program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration to:

Support communities in developing local- and state-level partnerships between health care organizations, community-based organizations, higher education, and state and local governments to help connect internationally educated health care professionals with the resources they need to enter the health care workforce.

Address barriers internationally educated health care professionals trying to enter the health care workforce face by –

Assisting with obtaining overseas academic or training records and providing support throughout the U.S. licensing and credentialing process.

Developing work-readiness, peer support, mentoring, and culturally competent career counseling opportunities.

Establishing opportunities to complete necessary prerequisite courses, continuing education training, and English-language learning.

Supporting growth opportunities to address classroom and clinical instructor shortages.

Give priority to partnerships focused on supporting health care workers serving rural communities or filling a workforce shortage within a community.

The legislation is supported by: Advocates for Community Health, Afghan Cultural Society, American Geriatrics Society, American Health Care Association, American Public Health Association, American Seniors Housing Association, Americas Essential Hospitals, Arkansas United, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, Association of Dental Support Organizations, Ballad Health, California Immigrants Resources Center, Chemeketa Community College, Federation of American Hospitals, Gerontological Society of America, Global Cleveland, IMPRINT Coalition, Intealth, International Institute of Buffalo, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, LeadingAge, Lifepoint Health, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Medicos Unidos Venezuela, National AHEC Organization, National Association for Geriatric Education, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, National Association of Indian Nurses of America, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, National Black Nurses Association, National Center for Assisted Living, National Immigration Forum, National League for Nursing, National Rural Health Association, National Skills Coalition, Pars Equality Center, Los Angeles, Philippine Nurses Association of America, Portland Refugee Support Group, Providence Public School, Restore Education, RUSA LGBTQ, Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, Synergy Texas, Talent Beyond Boundaries, The International Medical Graduates Academy (TIMGA), The Welcoming Center, Tiyya Foundation, TruMerit, UnidosUS, Upwardly Global, US Together, Virginia Center for Assisted Living, Virginia Health Care Association, Virginia Rural Health Association, Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, Welcome Back Initiative, Welcoming City, and World Education Services.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

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Kelly Announces Bipartisan Effort to Increase Male Educators and Mentors

Bills strengthen paid teaching opportunities and national service programs to recruit more men

Today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly introduced a two-bill package—the Educators for America Act and the Building Community in America Act—to expand pathways for Americans to serve as teachers, mentors, and volunteers. The bills bolster paid teaching opportunities and national service programs to boost recruitment, with a focus on increasing the number of men participating. Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA-09) is leading companion legislation in the House, and Senator John Curtis (R-UT) is a cosponsor of the Building Community in America Act.

The legislation addresses teacher shortages, declining community engagement, and increasing concerns about loneliness and disconnection among young people. Men today make up just 23 percent of public-school teachers and 28 percent of AmeriCorps volunteers, despite the important role teachers, mentors, and volunteers play in young people’s development. These bills reflect the work of many organizations that have spent years highlighting these challenges and advancing practical, community-based solutions.

“Every kid deserves positive role models, and every community is stronger when more people step up to serve,” said Kelly. “My years in the Navy taught me that service gives you purpose, responsibility and a stronger connection to your community. Right now, too many schools need teachers, and too many mentoring programs need volunteers. We need more men to become teachers, mentors, and volunteers. When more people serve, our kids and our communities are better off.”

“At a time when too many young men feel lonely and isolated, we should be creating more opportunities to mentor, volunteer, and connect to a great purpose,” said Curtis. “By helping connect more young men to meaningful service and mentorship programs, our legislation will make our communities healthier, more resilient, and more connected.”

“Boys in this country are struggling—in school, in work, and in life. Part of the reason is that so many of them are growing up without men showing up for them, as teachers, coaches, or mentors,” said Congressman Smith. “This legislation starts to fix that by getting more men into the classrooms and service programs where kids actually spend their time. I’m proud to lead this effort in the House.”

“We need good men – mentors, leaders and role models – in our communities and in our classrooms. The best antidote to a bad man online is a good man in flesh and blood, in the lives of our boys. The declining share of men in K-12 teaching and in community organizations ought to be setting off alarm bells across the country. Sen. Kelly’s bills represent a serious effort to address this problem, and are the first of their kind. It is easy to talk about the importance of male role models. These bills actually do something to promote them,” said Richard V. Reeves President, American Institute for Boys and Men.

“Connection is one of the strongest protective factors a young person can have. As the father of four boys, I know how important it is for young people to have caring adults who model respect, responsibility, and service. We appreciate Senator Kelly’s leadership in expanding opportunities for more men to become teachers, mentors, and volunteers and helping more young people build those meaningful relationships,” said Usiel Barrios, Director of Strategic Development at Amistades.

“Every day, I have the privilege of helping young men find guidance, purpose, and hope for the future. When boys are surrounded by strong mentors and a community rooted in faith, service, and compassion, they grow into better men, fathers, leaders, and neighbors. We appreciate Senator Kelly for recognizing the importance of mentorship and service, and we’re grateful for his leadership on the Building Community in America Act. We look forward to continuing our work to strengthen families and our community,” said Pastor David L. Wade.

The legislation is also supported by the American Institute for Boys and Men, the National Education Association, the National Rural Education Association, the National Center for Teacher Residencies, and MENTOR.

Click here to view the full list of supporting organizations and statements.

Background:

America’s schools and communities are facing shortages of teachers, mentors, and volunteers at a time when many young people report feeling increasingly isolated and disconnected. Men made up one-third of public-school teachers in the early 1980s but account for just 23 percent today. Only 17 percent of bachelor’s degrees in education are earned by men, and one in eight teaching positions nationwide is either vacant or filled by a non-fully certified teacher. Research suggests male teachers can have a positive impact on boys’ academic outcomes.

Community engagement has also declined in recent decades. Research shows volunteering strengthens social connections, improves mental and physical health, and increases civic engagement, yet men represent just 28 percent of AmeriCorps volunteers. Boys also face longer waitlists for mentors, and one in four boys and young men lacks an adult male mentor they can rely on.

The Educators for America Act would:

Ensure federally supported Teacher Quality Partnership residency programs prioritize the recruitment and selection of teacher candidates who are underrepresented in the profession, including men.

Strengthen the teacher workforce by expanding pathways into the classroom through teacher residency programs, which allow aspiring teachers to earn while they learn.

Help schools recruit more educators while increasing access to positive role models for students.

The Building Community in America Act would:

Prioritize national service programs that recruit and train underrepresented participants, including men.

Expand opportunities to serve in youth mentoring, after-school programs, conservation, disaster response, public safety, violence interruption, reentry services, skilled trades, apprenticeships, and workforce development.

Strengthen communities by encouraging more Americans to volunteer, mentor, and serve.

Click here to read the full text of the Educators for America Act and here for a one-pager.


Kelly, Arizona Democrats Demand Answers on Measles Outbreak in Arizona ICE Detention Centers

This week, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), alongside Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03), and Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07), demanded answers from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director David Venturella regarding the latest, ongoing measles outbreak in Arizona ICE detention facilities. The letter is in response to the confirmed measles cases at the Florence Service Processing Center and the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center.

“Given the highly contagious nature of measles and the increased risk of transmission in congregate detention settings, this development raises serious questions about the adequacy of ICE’s infection prevention and containment measures,” wrotethe lawmakers.

This is the second reported measles outbreak at a detention facility in Florence this year.

In the letter, the lawmakers demand that more be done to prevent future outbreaks, emphasizing that DHS has a responsibility to protect all those in the facility, from detained individuals to personnel to the surrounding communities, from exposure to this highly contagious disease. The lawmakers request detailed information by July 20, 2026, on the Department’s response to the outbreak, including:

The steps being taken to contain the current outbreak and prevent further transmission;

The findings and recommendations from ICE’s after-action review following the January 2026 outbreak;

Infection prevention and control measures currently in place at both facilities;

Medical care and isolation protocols for individuals diagnosed with or exposed to measles; and

The Department’s plans to prevent future outbreaks of infectious disease in ICE detention facilities.


Kelly-Shaped Bill to Secure Arizona’s Water Future Clears Committee

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously advanced the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA), legislation shaped by Arizona Senator Mark Kelly that strengthens Arizona’s water infrastructure, accelerates long-delayed projects, and supports rural and tribal communities across the state. As a senior member of the committee, Kelly secured provisions to help Arizona communities build water infrastructure projects more quickly, invest in drinking water and wastewater systems, expand water infrastructure for rural and tribal communities, improve wildfire and flood resilience, and authorize new investments in water infrastructure projects.

Authorized every two years, WRDA directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Program, which supports flood control, ecosystem restoration, navigation, and water infrastructure projects nationwide. This year’s legislation also reauthorizes the Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure programs, ensuring continued federal investment in communities working to modernize aging water systems and improve access to clean, reliable water.

“Arizona knows better than most that water isn’t something we can take for granted. As drought continues to strain the Colorado River and our communities keep growing, we have to make smart investments now to secure our water future,” said Kelly. “This bipartisan bill helps communities modernize aging water systems, build new infrastructure, protect families from floods and wildfires, and move long-delayed projects forward. These are practical solutions that will help Arizona become more resilient.”

Through Kelly’s leadership, WRDA 2026 includes major investments to modernize drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across Arizona while authorizing new projects that will strengthen water reliability, conserve scarce resources, and support growing communities.

City of Kingman Water Service Line Improvements: Authorizes $10 million to replace aging water service lines, strengthening the city’s water distribution system, conserving water resources, and supporting future growth.

City of Page Wastewater Treatment Facility: Increases the project’s authorization by $10 million, bringing the total authorization to $20 million to complete critical wastewater infrastructure improvements.

City of Tucson Southlands Recycled Water Loop: Increases authorization by $5 million, bringing the total authorization to $35 million to expand Tucson’s reclaimed water system, reducing reliance on groundwater and Colorado River water.

Santa Cruz County Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: Authorizes $10 million to reconstruct aging water infrastructure and improve long-term system reliability.

City of Buckeye Central Reclaimed Water Line: Increases authorization by $8 million, bringing the total authorization to $20 million to construct a reclaimed water line that will conserve an estimated 2.5 million gallons of groundwater each day.

Additionally, the following pieces of legislation sponsored or co-led by Senator Kelly are included in the bill: the Community Water Project Acceleration Act, the Futureproofing Local Operations for Water Systems Act, the Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act, the FIRE SMART Act, the Western Water Infrastructure Fairness Act, and the Wildfire Prevention and Recovery Act.

See below for a breakdown of key Arizona priorities Kelly secured in WRDA 2026:

ACCELERATING COMPLETION OF CRITICAL WATER PROJECTS

Kelly secured provisions directing the Army Corps of Engineers to accelerate or continue work on critical flood control, ecosystem restoration, and water infrastructure projects throughout Arizona.

Rio de Flag Flood Control Project (Flagstaff): Reauthorizes the project at its updated cost, allowing construction to move forward on the decades-long effort to protect Flagstaff from catastrophic flooding.

Rio Salado Oeste (Phoenix): Allows the Army Corps to complete the project’s feasibility study without delay, advancing restoration of nearly eight miles of the Salt River corridor.

Winslow Levee Project (Winslow): Accelerates completion of flood protection improvements to remove the City of Winslow and surrounding communities from a flood plain.

Cave Buttes Dam (Scottsdale): Advances repairs to the Cave Buttes Dam, which protects protecting more than one million downstream residents and billions of dollars in property in Scottsdale and the East Valley.

McMicken Dam (Surprise): Expedites rehabilitation of the McMicken Dam flood control infrastructure protecting Luke Air Force Base and surrounding West Valley communities.

Additional Arizona projects supported in the WRDA 2026 bill include the Globe McCormick Wash Flood Control Project, Lower Santa Cruz River Flood Control Project, El Corazon Recreation and Ecosystem Restoration Project, Gila River Indian Community Renewable Energy Pilot Project, Navajo Nation Bird Springs Watershed Management Plan, and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community habitat restoration project.

STRENGTHENING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMS

Kelly secured provisions to expand federal support for drinking water, wastewater, and rural water infrastructure programs on which communities across Arizona rely.

Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds: Reauthorizes the nation’s largest drinking water and wastewater infrastructure programs through 2030 while increasing authorized funding levels.

Indian Reservation Drinking Water Program: Reauthorizes $75 million annually for tribal drinking water infrastructure projects, including dedicated support for tribes throughout the Lower Colorado River Basin.

Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants: Reauthorizes a critical grant program that helps communities upgrade aging sewer systems and improve stormwater management.

PFAS Point-of-Use Filtration Pilot Program: Establishes a new competitive grant program to help communities reduce PFAS contamination in drinking water.

See below for a summary of Kelly-led bills included in the final WRDA package:

Kelly’s Community Water Project Acceleration Act

Allows locally-led water infrastructure projects receiving limited Army Corps funding to move into construction more quickly by streamlining federal review requirements.

In Arizona, many projects funded through the Corps’ Western Rural Water Program will be able to begin construction faster.

Kelly’s Futureproofing Local Operations for Water Systems (FLOWS) Act

Creates a new grant program to help small and rural water utilities deploy smart technologies.

Supports investments in leak detection, pressure management, water quality monitoring, and other modern water system technologies that improve reliability and reduce water loss.

Kelly’s Advancing Water Research and Collaboration (AWRC) Act

Reauthorizes the U.S. Geological Survey’s Water Resources Research Institutes.

Supports research partnerships, including at the University of Arizona, to develop innovative solutions to western water challenges.

Kelly’s FIRE SMART Act

Expands eligibility for federal water infrastructure assistance to include projects that improve fire suppression capabilities in high-risk rural communities.

Helps communities replace aging water infrastructure that supports wildfire response.

Western Water Infrastructure Fairness Act:

Allows eligible rural and economically disadvantaged Arizona communities to receive up to a 90 percent federal cost share for Army Corps water infrastructure projects funded through the Western Rural Water Program.

Wildfire Prevention and Recovery Act:

Requires the Army Corps to conduct wildfire risk assessments on lands it manages, beginning with a pilot program in Arizona.

Will reduce wildfire risk near Army Corps facilities in Arizona, including Alamo Lake, Whitlow Ranch Dam, and Painted Rock Dam.

See what Arizona leaders are saying about the provisions Kelly secured for the state:

“I want to thank Senator Mark Kelly and Senator Ruben Gallego for their leadership in advancing the expansion of Tucson’s Southlands Recycled Water Loop in the Senate’s Water Resources Development Act. In Tucson, every drop of water counts. This investment advances Tucson’s One Water vision by expanding the use of reclaimed water, protecting precious groundwater, and our Colorado River allocation. Investments like these are critical in supporting new jobs, housing, and economic opportunity that makes sense for Tucson,” said Mayor Regina Romero, City of Tucson. “I appreciate the Senate Committee’s inclusion of new authorities to help communities address PFAS in drinking water. Arizona’s Senators have been strong partners in protecting Tucson’s water resources and strengthening the infrastructure that keeps our community healthy, resilient, and prepared for the future. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Kelly, Senator Gallego, Representative Adelita Grijalva and Representative Juan Ciscomani as Congress advances a final WRDA bill.”

“Addressing McCormick Wash is critical to protecting residents, businesses, public infrastructure, and emergency access in the City of Globe from flooding while supporting the long-term safety and economic vitality of our community. Senator Kelly understands the importance of investing in resilient infrastructure, and his continued advocacy for the city is making a real difference. We appreciate his partnership and look forward to working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move this project forward as quickly as possible,” said Globe Mayor Al Gameros.

“Senator Kelly has been a tireless advocate for the Town of Superior and has fought to ensure federal programs help address the unique challenges we face. Thanks to his leadership, the FIRE SMART Act will allow us to access additional federal resources to fortify and protect our Town from catastrophic wildfire,” said Superior Mayor Mila Besich.

“The City of Flagstaff extends its sincere gratitude to Senator Kelly for his leadership in securing key provisions within the Water Resources Development Act of 2026. By directing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to adjust the cost framework for the Rio de Flag project, this legislation marks a major step forward for this long-awaited initiative. This provision underscores the vital need to safeguard our residents, local businesses, and essential infrastructure from future flood risks. We thank Senator Kelly for his steadfast commitment to Flagstaff and look forward to partnering with the Army Corps to deliver this critical community investment,” said Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett.

“Senator Kelly knows that in Kingman, the need for reliable and clean water supply is a must. We thank him for all his hard work in including us in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) reauthorization bill,” said Kingman City Manager Tim Walsh.

“Thank you to both Senators Kelly and Gallego for their support of critical water infrastructure needs here in Santa Cruz County. With their support, these resources will bring much needed storm water and sewer protection to the community,” said Santa Cruz County Chair John Fanning.

“Pima County deeply appreciates Senator Kelly’s tireless work to advance the El Corazon aquatic restoration project. This project represents a significant investment in Southern Arizona’s future by restoring critical aquatic habitat, improving watershed resilience, enhancing outdoor recreation, and supporting the long-term health of our environment and communities. Senator Kelly has been a strong advocate for Arizona’s water resources and infrastructure needs, and we appreciate his commitment to this important project. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deliver the benefits of this project to Pima County residents for generations to come,” said Pima County Chair Jennifer Allen.

“We are grateful to Senator Kelly for his leadership in securing language in the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 directing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the Winslow Levee Project. This provision recognizes the importance of protecting our residents, businesses, and critical infrastructure from future flooding while helping move this long-awaited project forward. On behalf of the City of Winslow, I thank Senator Kelly for his continued commitment to our community and look forward to working with the Corps to deliver this critical investment,” said Winslow Mayor Roberta “Birdie” Cano.

“We are grateful to Senator Kelly for his leadership in securing passage of the Water Resources Development Act and for his continued advocacy on behalf of the City of Buckeye.” Said Mayor Orsborn. “The $20 million authorization for the City represents an important opportunity to support critical water and wastewater infrastructure projects as our community continues to grow,” said Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn.

“Senator Kelly understands the importance and urgency for securing Page’s water supply, and we thank him for his leadership in directing additional federal resources to support this critical project for the city and surrounding area,” said Bryan Hill, General Manager of Page Utility Enterprises.


Klobuchar, Schmitt Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Americans from Anticompetitive Tactics Monopolizing the Online Search Market

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) introduced the bipartisan Securing Enforcement of Americans’ Right to Competition at Home (SEARCH) Act to prevent dominant search engines from blocking smaller competitors and preferencing their search products in other lines of business. The bipartisan legislation would put into law many of the remedies sought by the Justice Department after it won its case against Google for illegally maintaining a monopoly in online search.

“Through three administrations, the Justice Department has proven in court that Google has stifled competition and created barriers to user choice,” Klobuchar said. “Upstart search engines should be able to compete and innovate, bringing new tools to consumers. That’s why Congress should put the guardrails in place that both the Biden and Trump Administrations have said are necessary to bring competition to online search.”

“Big Tech monopolies are shaping what information Americans see and censoring free speech. A handful of search engines dictate how virtually every American accesses information, meaning the companies controlling those search engines hold massive power over what people see online and control the most basic infrastructure of human speech and freedom of information in the digital sphere,” Schmitt said. “That is unacceptable. As Missouri’s Attorney General, I sued Google over its illegal online search monopoly and its efforts to crush competitors, as well as fought Big Tech companies’ collusion with left-wing organizations and the administrative state that censored conservatives. Now, I am proud to work with Senator Klobuchar to offer a bipartisan path to protect one of the key tenets of modern American society: free speech online.”

The SEARCH Act would ban dominant search engines from blocking smaller competitors by paying distributors to make them users’ default choice, a practice federal courts have found violates antitrust laws by illegally maintaining a monopoly. The legislation would also require dominant search engines to share data and syndicate search results to foster competition in a market that has had little for decades, and require search access points to offer users choice screens so users can easily find and switch to alternative search engines.

The SEARCH Act is enforceable by antitrust enforcers at the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission or state attorneys general.

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Luján, Merkley, Massie, Khanna, Leger Fernández Introduce the Epstein Files Transparency Act II

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, legislation that gives standing to state attorneys general, the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators, and members of Congress to challenge the Department of Justice (DOJ) in court for the DOJ’s failure to comply with the disclosure of materials required by Public Law 119-38, the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA). U.S. Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) are leading the House legislation.

Senators Luján and Merkley, and Representatives Massie and Khanna, introduced and passed into law the original Epstein Files Transparency Act to ensure full transparency for the American people, accountability for those who conspired with Epstein, and justice for victims. The Trump administration has failed to fully comply with the law.

“Nearly eight months after our Epstein Files Transparency Act became law, the Trump Department of Justice has failed to comply with the law by releasing the Epstein files and delivering justice for survivors,” said Senator Luján. “That is why I am partnering with my colleagues to introduce the Epstein Files Transparency Act II to ensure accountability, transparency, and justice for survivors. Our legislation empowers state attorneys general and victims to challenge this Department of Justice for failing to provide the transparency and accountability that Epstein’s victims deserve.”

“At Trump’s bidding, the Department of Justice’s highest-ranking officials continue to break the law, denying justice to Jeffrey Epstein’s victims with an unprecedented cover-up of the abuse of our most vulnerable,” said Senator Merkley. “As long as those in power continue to side with the Epstein Class and shield abusers from accountability for their horrific crimes, we need the Epstein Files Transparency Act II to strengthen the original law we wrote, crack down on the DOJ’s illegal non-compliance, and stand with survivors and those seeking justice. The rich and powerful cannot be allowed to escape justice, and the American public deserves the transparency it is crying out for.”

“Since the Epstein Files Transparency Act was signed into law on November 19, 2025, the Department of Justice has flagrantly and consistently ignored EFTA’s disclosure requirements,” said Representative Massie. “The Department of Justice continues to unlawfully withhold over 3 million Epstein files that should be released to the public. In addition, the DOJ is unlawfully maintaining heavy redactions on the files it is releasing. State attorneys general and victims should have the right to sue the Attorney General of the United States to compel compliance with a transparency law President Trump signed.”

“Rep. Massie and I introduced our bill to release the Epstein files nearly a year ago. Since then, the DOJ has violated our law, delayed the release of millions of files, botched the redactions, and denied the survivors justice. That’s why I’m joining Rep. Massie and my colleagues to introduce the Epstein Files Transparency Act II that allows state attorneys general and survivors to sue the U.S. Attorney General and demand transparency,” said Representative Khanna.

“Todd Blanche and the Department of Justice have refused to release as many as 3 million Epstein files: they are hiding the truth from the American people and creating even more injustice and trauma for survivors,” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández. “When Trump’s administration does not comply with the law, there must be consequences. Attorney General Blanche is not fit to serve, should not be confirmed, and should instead resign. In the meantime, we must pass this bill to put power where it belongs—with survivors. No administration, no Attorney General, and no Department of Justice is above the law.”

“Survivors have waited too long for answers, and my office has waited too long for the federal government to turn over the unredacted records we need to complete our criminal investigation,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “This legislation gives state law enforcement the access this investigation requires, and it gives survivors control over their own records. Every day of delay is another day survivors are denied the justice they are owed.”

Specifically, the Epstein Files Transparency Act II:

Creates a private right of action allowing state attorneys general, district attorneys, other authorized State officials, members of Congress, and victims to challenge and sue the U.S. Attorney General for unlawfully withholding, redacting, delaying, concealing, removing, or failing to publish Epstein-related records.

Gives victims the right to obtain full, unredacted records concerning themselves or the harm they suffered, including relevant FBI FD-302 reports.

Enforces compliance with the existing law by subjecting DOJ and FBI officials to existing federal criminal penalties for knowingly concealing, destroying, falsifying, withholding, or misrepresenting files.

Requires the Department of Justice to provide State and local prosecutors with unredacted records needed for investigations, prosecutions, and judicial proceedings, including secure access to classified materials.

Explicitly prohibits the invocation of common law privileges, including deliberative process privileges, to evade disclosure requirements included in the original EFTA.

Senator Luján called for an independent audit and report to Congress about the DOJ’s practices in redacting information of the public release of the Epstein Files. Senator Luján also visited the DOJ to view the unredacted Epstein files.

The text of the Epstein Files Transparency Act II is available here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) released the following statement in response to the news that the Trump administration is proposing to fully revoke a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has protected public lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and only allowing 14 days for public comment.

“Chaco Canyon is a living, breathing cultural landscape that is central to the identity of Tribes throughout New Mexico. The Trump administration has been abdicating its responsibility for meaningful and complete Tribal consultation and continues to railroad communities through arbitrary deadlines and rushed decision-making. Secretary Burgum has also not kept his commitment to sending an official with decision-making authority to conduct in-person, individual consultation with each interested tribe.

“This decision also comes on the heels of President Trump’s administrative action to reverse years of Tribally-led efforts to protect sacred sites in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. It is clear where his priorities lie, and it is not with New Mexico, and it is not with Tribes.

“Proposing to fully revoke protections for Chaco Canyon and only allowing 14 days to comment on this development is wrong, shameful, and a slap in the face to Tribes. Now is the time to use your voices and speak up to protect Chaco Canyon from oil and gas drilling.”

Located in northwestern New Mexico, the Greater Chaco landscape is a region of great cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to many Pueblos and Tribes that contains living sacred sites. Chaco was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is one of only 24 such sites in the United States.

The New Mexico Congressional Delegation has worked tirelessly to permanently protect Chaco Canyon.

In April, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the House Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) submitted a comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) urging the Trump administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to undo a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has kept public lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park off-limits to new oil and gas leasing. Earlier that month, the New Mexico delegation sent statements in opposition to the Trump administration only granting seven days to submit scoping comments.

Last November, Heinrich, Luján, and Stansbury hosted a press conference with Pueblo leaders on the actions needed to permanently protect the landscape.

Last September, the N.M. Delegation hosted a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol with 20 Governors and leaders from the Santa Ana, Picuris, Cochiti, Zia, Tesuque, Acoma, Santo Domingo, and Laguna Pueblos to demand the Trump administration permanently protect Chaco Canyon, and to invite U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit the Greater Chaco landscape before deciding its fate. Watch the video of the full press conference here.

In June 2025, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter initially inviting Secretary Burgum to visit Chaco Canyon and engage directly with Tribal leaders and local communities to hear about the profound cultural and spiritual significance of this sacred landscape. Secretary Burgum issued the directive to begin revoking the Chaco protections without experiencing it firsthand. Following Secretary Burgum’s directive, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter urging the Trump administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to fully revoke Chaco Canyon’s protections.

In April 2025, the N.M. Delegation reintroduced legislation to protect Chaco Canyon and the greater sacred landscape surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The legislation was led by Luján in the U.S. Senate and Leger Fernández in the U.S. House of Representatives.


Senators Markey, Warren Demand Answers from Burlington ICE Field Office Following Fatal Shooting in Maine

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (July 16, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today wrote to David Wesling, Acting Field Office Director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston Field Office, following an ICE agent’s killing of Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old man, in Biddeford, Maine earlier this week. This is the second fatal shooting by ICE in less than a week—the other being the July 7 fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas—and it follows a string of other tragic and preventable deaths at the hands of ICE agents in recent months. Given the Burlington Field Office’s direct jurisdiction over enforcement operations in Maine and New England, the senators demand a full, transparent, and independent accounting of this killing.

In the letter, the senators wrote, “The killings of both Mr. Guerrero and Mr. Araujo reflect a disturbing pattern: warrantless, aggressive, and indiscriminate ICE enforcement operations ending in the loss of life. In the last few days, ICE has sharply escalated enforcement activity nationwide. Over a five-day span in late June, ICE agents made more than 10,000 arrests nationwide, roughly 2,000 per day, following the White House’s request for increased arrests. In Massachusetts, this surge has hit hard: ICE has been detaining people at ICE check-ins and biometrics appointments, in the street and at traffic stops, triggering alarm from immigrant advocates who report increased detentions of individuals, including many without criminal history. Meanwhile, in Maine, ICE activity has continued even after the January enforcement surge which ICE dubbed ‘Operation Catch of the Day.’ The incursion of ICE into our cities and the drastic uptick in enforcement have heightened the risk of volatile and harmful encounters, making our communities less safe.”

In both Mr. Araujo and Mr. Guerrero’s cases, DHS confirmed that the victims were not the target of ICE’s operations and that agents were not wearing body cameras. These cases, taken together, illustrate that the Biddeford shooting was not an aberration but part of a broader, escalating pattern of force that demands immediate scrutiny and reform.

The senators requested answers by July 30, 2026, to questions including:

What was the Burlington Field Office’s specific role in planning, overseeing, or authorizing the Biddeford operation?

Why were the ICE officers in the Biddeford operation not equipped with body-worn cameras?

Has the ICE officer who shot Mr. Guerrero been involved in any prior use-of-force incidents?

What are the current use-of-force policies for vehicle stops? Were these policies followed in the Biddeford shooting?

Did the ICE officers involved in the Biddeford shooting receive any training with respect to vehicle stops?

What reforms does the Burlington Field Office plan to implement to prevent fatal shootings by its ICE officers?

What communications occurred between the Boston Field Office and DHS headquarters regarding the pace and intensity of enforcement operations in New England in the weeks before the shooting, given the reported nationwide arrest surge?

Senator Markey is leading efforts to hold ICE and DHS accountable for their violations of Americans’ First Amendment rights, including their weaponization of surveillance technologies against peaceful protestors, immigrants, and American citizens.

On July 1, Senator Markey and Rep. Max Frost (FL-10) wrote to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and David Venturella, Senior Official Performing Duties of the Director for ICE, renewing their calls for a clear answer on whether ICE has created a database to track protesters. In responses to separate letters that Senator Markey and Rep. Frost sent to DHS and ICE in February, the agency evaded the lawmakers’ questions about whether ICE maintains a database of protesters.

In May, Senator Markey and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) led their colleagues in a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding the agency abandon its dangerous proposal, included in DHS’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027, to develop “smart glasses” for its immigration officers.

In February, Senator Markey, along with Senator Merkley, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), introduced the ICE Out of Our Faces Act, bicameral legislation that would ban ICE and CBP from acquiring and using facial recognition technology (FRT) and other biometric identification systems.

Also in February, Senator Markey wrote to ICE’s Acting Director Todd Lyons demanding that Lyons immediately confirm or deny reports that the agency is maintaining a so-called “domestic terrorists” database to track individuals protesting ICE activities.

In January, Senator Markey wrote to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston Acting Field Office Director David Wesling, demanding answers about conditions at the ICE field office in Burlington, Massachusetts, and the conduct of ICE agents in the Commonwealth. This letter followed Senator Markey’s previous December letter to Acting Director Wesling, raising concerns about the cruel conditions at the Burlington field office.

In November 2025, Senator Markey wrote to CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott, urging the agency to immediately cease using a system of license plate readers (LPRs) and predictive algorithms to monitor the movements of individual Americans. CBP is reportedly using the system to “identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.”

Also in November, Senator Markey led his colleagues in requesting that ICE cease the use of their biometric phone application known as Mobile Fortify following a previous unanswered request.

In September 2025, Senators Markey and Merkley wrote to ICE’s Acting Director Todd Lyons, demanding that ICE cease use of Mobile Fortify and requesting detailed information about its policies and practices surrounding the use of biometric technology.

In July 2025, Senator Markey, along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Schiff (D-Calif.), sent a letter to then-Secretary of DHS Kristi Noem on the DHS’s usage of Predator drones and aerial surveillance against peaceful protesters in Los Angeles. In the letter, the senators raised concerns about the threat to the protesters’ privacy and their constitutional rights that are guaranteed by the First Amendment.

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