{"url": "https://algreen.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-jerusalem-post-article-below-titled-israeli-lawyer-advocates-killing", "title": "ICYMI: The Jerusalem Post article below, titled “Israeli lawyer advocates killing Palestinians to BBC week after Gilad Farm deadly shooting.\"”", "date": "2026-08-01", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://algreen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "algreen.house.gov", "scraper": "algreen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000553", "name": "Al Green", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "The Jerusalem Post article below, titled “Israeli lawyer advocates killing Palestinians to BBC week after Gilad Farm deadly shooting,” speaks for itself.\n\nYou can access the article by clicking the link here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-releases-administration-memorandum-president-trumps-uap-nda", "title": "Rep. Burlison Releases Administration Memorandum on President Trump's UAP NDA Directive", "date": "2026-08-01", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "burlison.house.gov", "scraper": "burlison", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001316", "name": "Eric Burlison", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Eric Burlison (MO-07) today released preliminary implementation guidance shared by the Trump administration regarding President Trump's directive concerning nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) for current and former government employees and contractors with information related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). The administration authorized Congressman Burlison's office to publicly distribute the memorandum.\n\nOn Wednesday, July 21, 2026, Congressman Burlison released a statement encouraging individuals who believe the President's directive applies to them to contact his office for assistance navigating the process. Congressman Burlison thanked President Trump for directing the implementation of the UAP NDA waiver and welcomed the administration's preliminary guidance as an important step toward increasing transparency.\n\nThe attached memorandum provides preliminary implementation guidance. Congressman Burlison continues to encourage anyone with questions about the directive, or who believes it may apply to them, to contact his office or another Member of Congress if they need assistance navigating the process.", "collected_at": "2026-08-02T07:31:21Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-02T07:32:50Z"}
{"url": "https://horsford.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-horsford-on-three-day-rural-nevada-working-visit-including-public-town-hall", "title": "Congressman Horsford on Three-Day Rural Nevada Working Visit Including Public Town Hall", "date": "2026-08-01", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://horsford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "horsford.house.gov", "scraper": "horsford", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001066", "name": "Steven Horsford", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "PAHRUMP, NV – Congressman Steven Hosford (NV-04) is on a three-day working visit across rural Nevada from August 1 through August 3. He will engage directly with working families, local officials, Tribal leaders, farmers, healthcare professionals, and small-business owners about challenges, successes, and opportunities in Esmeralda, Mineral, and Nye Counties.\n\nThe visit will take Rep. Horsford through Pahrump, Beatty, Goldfield, Tonopah, Walker River, Hawthorne, and Amargosa Valley. Saturday will conclude with a public town hall from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Tonopah, where residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their priorities directly with the Congressman.\n\n“Rural Nevada is not an afterthought,” said Rep. Horsford. “My job is to show up, listen, and deliver. Over the next three days, I’ll be meeting directly with local leaders, workers, Tribal communities, healthcare providers, farmers, and small businesses to hear what’s working, what’s not, and how we can bring more federal resources and attention to the unique needs of rural Nevada.”\n\nThe three-day visit begins in Pahrump, where Rep. Horsford will meet with Nye County commissioners, small-business owners, and community leaders to discuss infrastructure, workforce needs, and economic development. He will also engage with employees at Black Cow Coffee as part of his “Congressman on the Job” series to further understand the experience of small business owners. He will also visit Desert View Hospital to discuss rural health care shortages, transportation barriers, and limited access to maternal care and meet with Valley Electric Association. Rep. Horsford will end the day by hosting a public town hall at the Tonopah Convention Center.\n\nOn Sunday, Rep. Horsford will meet with the Walker River Paiute Tribal Council, Mineral County commissioners, and servicemembers at Hawthorne Army Depot, before hosting a community conversation focused on connecting rural residents and local governments with federal resources.\n\nRep. Horsford will spend the final day meeting with Esmeralda County Commissioners and visiting the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. He will end his rural Nevada working visit at Ponderosa Dairies in Amargosa Valley, another part of his “Congressman on the Job” series, where he will hear from agricultural workers about rising costs, water availability, and workforce challenges.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kaptur-bipartisan-co-chairs-great-lakes-task-force-urge-administration", "title": "Kaptur, Bipartisan Co-Chairs Of Great Lakes Task Force Urge Administration To Lift Stop-Work Order On Brandon Road Lock And Dam Complex", "date": "2026-08-01", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "kaptur.house.gov", "scraper": "kaptur", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000009", "name": "Marcy Kaptur", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OH", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Toledo, OH – On Friday, July 31st, the bipartisan Co-Chairs of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14), and Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-04) sent a letter urging the Trump Administration to lift a stop-work order and end the Administrative review on the Brandon Road Lock and Dam complex. The critical project is designed to prevent invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes and devastating the region’s $11 Billion fishing and recreation industry. The work was abruptly halted on July 24, 2026, putting the Great Lakes region’s ecosystems and economy at severe risk. As bipartisan Congressional Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs, the Members are calling for the release of Federal funds to the US Army Corps of Engineers so construction on the vital multilayer barrier system can resume without further delay. Congresswoman Kaptur previously issued a statement in response to the stop work order on Thursday, July 30th.\n\nA full copy of the letter can be found by clicking here, or reading below:\n\nDear Director Vought and Assistant Secretary Telle:\n\nWe write to express concern over delays affecting the timely construction of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project (BRIP) under the Department of the Army’s Civil Works Program and to urge prompt resolution of these delays. As we emphasized in our April 9, 2026, letter, this project is critical to preventing invasive carp from penetrating the Great Lakes. The project has been thoroughly reviewed by Congress, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and local partners. Its funding has been authorized and appropriated by Congress, and the non-Federal sponsors have met all applicable cost‑share obligations and secured the necessary property for construction.\n\nThe Corps of Engineers awarded the latest contract for the first phase of the project on April 23, 2026. However, we were informed that on July 24, 2026, the Corps of Engineers issued a stop-work order on the project’s contracts, causing additional delays and putting the Great Lakes ecosystem at direct risk. There is a rapidly closing window to stop the further spread of these harmful invasive species before they inflict irreparable damage on the Great Lakes.\n\nThe Great Lakes and their waterways are a way of life—providing fresh water, fish and wildlife habitat, and countless opportunities for recreation, while supporting the economies of eight surrounding States and thousands of good-paying American jobs. Once invasive carp establish reproducing populations, there is little that can be done to stop them from taking over the ecosystem, leading to escalating costs for American taxpayers. Any threat to the Great Lakes is a direct threat to the American economy, the more than 3,500 native species of plants and animals within the Great Lakes ecosystem, and the drinking water supply millions rely upon.\n\nImportantly, we appreciate that the President has publicly conveyed his support for this effort numerous times since issuing his May 9, 2025, memorandum titled “Protecting the Great Lakes from Invasive Carp.” Given the strong support for this project from President Trump, its non-Federal sponsors, and the longstanding bipartisan support for its timely construction by Congress, as Co-Chairs of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force we respectfully urge you to lift the stop-work orders, conclude any additional administration review of BRIP, and release Federal funds through the Army Corps of Engineers without any further delay.\n\nWe look forward to continued collaboration to ensure timely completion of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-02T07:31:21Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-02T07:32:50Z"}
{"url": "https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-eric-sorensen-accepting-applications-military-academy-nominations", "title": "Congressman Eric Sorensen Accepting Applications for Military Academy Nominations", "date": "2026-08-01", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "sorensen.house.gov", "scraper": "sorensen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001225", "name": "Eric Sorensen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) announced that applications for U.S. Service Academy nominations are now open for students interested in attending one of the nation’s prestigious military service academies. Students seeking a congressional nomination from Congressman Sorensen must submit their application through the online portal by Saturday, November 1, 2026.\n\n“Serving our country is one of the greatest honors there is, and our service academies help prepare the next generation of military leaders,” said Congressman Sorensen. “Across Central and Northwestern Illinois, we have talented young people who are committed to service, leadership, and excellence. I encourage every eligible student who dreams of serving our nation to apply.”\n\nMembers of Congress may nominate candidates for appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a congressional nomination. Under current law, Members of Congress may nominate up to 15 students per academy for each vacancy.\n\nStudents interested in receiving a nomination from Congressman Sorensen should complete the online application available on the Congressman’s website and submit all required materials before the November 1st deadline. In addition to the nomination application, students must also apply to the Service Academies separately to receive an offer of appointment.\n\nCongressman Sorensen’s office also plans to host a Service Academy Night this fall, where students and their families can learn more about the nomination process, application requirements, and opportunities available through the U.S. service academies. Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.\n\nStudents can begin the application process by visiting here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://veasey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-veasey-congresswoman-dingell-and-congresswoman-sewell-lead", "title": "Congressman Veasey, Congresswoman Dingell, and Congresswoman Sewell Lead Letter Demanding Immediate Transparency and Federal Action Amid Growing Nationwide Cyclosporiasis Outbreak", "date": "2026-08-01", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://veasey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "veasey.house.gov", "scraper": "veasey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000131", "name": "Marc A. Veasey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. - This week, Congressmen Marc Veasey, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, and Congresswoman Terri Sewell, along with 50 of their colleagues, called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide greater transparency and take immediate action to identify the source of the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has sickened more than 4,000 Americans across 41 states.\n\nIn a letter to the agencies, Congressman Veasey expressed concern that, despite the growing outbreak and more than 300 hospitalizations, federal officials have yet to publicly identify the source of contamination or provide sufficient information to protect the public.\n\n\"As this outbreak continues, the American people deserve answers,\" Congressman Veasey wrote. \"Americans should have confidence that public health decisions are guided by science, transparency, and the protection of public health—not by outside influence.”\n\n“The American public expects federal health agencies to act quickly and transparently when outbreaks threaten communities. The ability of the CDC and the FDA to collaborate and rapidly detect, investigate, and communicate about emerging foodborne illnesses is essential to preventing additional harm,” said Congresswoman Dingell.\n\n“Americans deserve confidence that the food on their tables is safe and that when an outbreak occurs, our public health agencies will respond swiftly, independently, and transparently,” said Rep. Sewell. “With more than 4,000 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis reported across the country, families deserve answers about the source of this outbreak and what is being done to prevent additional illnesses. That’s why I’m joining Congressman Veasey and Congresswoman Dingell in calling on the CDC and FDA to provide the transparency and accountability the American people expect. Public trust depends on timely, science-based communication, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure our federal health agencies have both the independence and the resources they need to protect public health.” stated Rep. Sewell.\n\nAs the investigation continues, Congressman Veasey emphasized that identifying the source of the outbreak and communicating clearly with the public are critical to preventing further illnesses and restoring public confidence in the nation's food safety system.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-speaks-at-christening-of-future-uss-william-charette-at-biw", "title": "Senator Collins Speaks at Christening of Future USS William Charette at BIW", "date": "2026-08-01", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.collins.senate.gov", "scraper": "collins", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001035", "name": "Susan M. Collins", "party": "Republican", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE for individual photos.\n\nBATH, ME – U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered remarks today at the christening ceremony for the future USS William Charette (DDG-130) at Bath Iron Works (BIW). Senator Collins was joined at the event by Governor Janet Mills, Senator Angus King, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, BIW President Chuck Krugh, and members of the Charette family.\n\nThe future USS William Charette, built at Bath Iron Works, was christened in honor of Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William Charette. During the Korean War, then-Hospital Corpsman Third Class Charette repeatedly braved enemy fire to treat wounded Marines. When an enemy grenade landed near a Marine he was aiding, Charette shielded him with his own body, and despite suffering his own wounds, continued treating casualties. His actions, which were directly responsible for saving the lives of many American service members, earned him the Medal of Honor.\n\n“Today we christen the DDG-130 with the name of a Medal of Honor recipient who exemplified the highest ideals of America and the United States Navy. Through this ship, his courage, humility, and devotion to others will continue to inspire generations of sailors,” said Senator Collins during her remarks. “Arleigh Burke-class destroyers form the backbone of the Navy’s surface fleet. To the men and women of Bath Iron Works, you make ‘Bath Built is Best Built’ not just a slogan, but a way of life. As global threats continue to grow and our adversaries continue to expand their naval fleets, investing in a strong and capable United States Navy and a robust defense manufacturing base here at home is essential.”\n\nSenator Collins has long championed Bath Iron Works and its skilled shipbuilders. Since 2020, she has secured more than $10.9 billion in Navy contract obligations related to DDG-51 destroyers and advocated for more than $3 billion in advance procurement funding to support long-lead materials and future production. These efforts build on the $16 billion she secured for Bath-built destroyers between 2008 and 2020.\n\nShe has also secured more than $1 billion for shipyard infrastructure improvements, including modernization projects at BIW, as well as $200 million for wage enhancements and more than $34 million for BIW workforce initiatives. The workforce funding supports expanded training and assistance with housing, child care, and transportation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-02T07:31:21Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-02T07:32:50Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hoeven-honors-life-service-of-clint-hill-helps-dedicate-memorial-in-washburn", "title": "Hoeven Honors Life & Service of Clint Hill, Helps Dedicate Memorial in Washburn", "date": "2026-08-01", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.hoeven.senate.gov", "scraper": "hoeven", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001061", "name": "John Hoeven", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHBURN, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today delivered remarks honoring North Dakota native and U.S. Secret Service Agent Clint Hill at a memorial dedication ceremony in Washburn. The Washburn community and the local American Legion post raised $150,000 to build the granite memorial, which commemorates Hill’s life and service to the nation, including the courage he displayed the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Hill was assigned to follow the President and First Lady’s car in Dallas and threw himself into harm’s way while striving to protect them during the shooting. His quick actions have been credited with saving Mrs. Kennedy’s life.\n\nHill joined the Secret Service following his time with the U.S. Army, serving with the agency for 17 years under five different presidents, from Dwight Eisenhower to Gerald Ford. Following his retirement, he published four books outlining his experience as a Secret Service agency, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. Hoeven helped induct Hill into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame in 2012, and he was awarded North Dakota’s highest civilian honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Roughrider Award, in 2018. He passed away in 2025 at the age of 93. Today’s ceremony was attended by his family, including his wife and co-author Lisa McCubbin Hill.\n\n“Clint Hill reflected the very best of our state. No matter where life took him, he always considered North Dakota his home, and we are proud to call him one of our own,” said Hoeven. “Today, we reflect on his service and contributions to our nation, from his time in the Army to his long career with the Secret Service. His bravery and selflessness were a point of light in the middle of a terrible national tragedy. We are grateful for the example he set and the values he demonstrated throughout his life. It is a tremendous opportunity to join with his wife, Lisa, their family and the entire Washburn community in honoring him, and we thank all those who helped make this memorial a reality.”\n\n-###-", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-announces-new-va-clinics-to-serve-vermont-veterans/", "title": "NEWS: Sanders Announces New VA Clinics to Serve Vermont Veterans", "date": "2026-08-01", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.sanders.senate.gov", "scraper": "sanders", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000033", "name": "Bernard Sanders", "party": "Independent", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 1 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced today that new community-based U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics (CBOCs) will be built in South Burlington, Vermont, and West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, to serve Vermont veterans. These facilities represent real progress in expanding VA healthcare for veterans in our state.\n\n“As the former Chair and a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am very pleased to announce these two new, state-of-the-art clinics for veterans to get their primary healthcare,” Sanders said. “The Burlington clinic — the state’s busiest — will be replaced by a facility that is twice as large, located at the Technology Park in South Burlington. The 36,000-square-foot facility will first see patients in spring 2029. I am also delighted that the new South Burlington clinic will provide desperately needed dental care services, a first for a VA facility in Vermont.\n\n“The Brattleboro clinic will be combined with a clinic in Keene, New Hampshire, to provide improved services for veterans in both states. The clinic will be located at 99 NH-9 in West Chesterfield. The 27,000-square-foot facility will also begin seeing patients in spring 2029,” Sanders continued. “When it became clear the VA would combine the Keene and Brattleboro clinics into one, larger facility, I worked with them to ensure a location was selected that was convenient to veterans in both states. I am pleased they selected a location right near the bridge to Brattleboro to ensure Vermont veterans don’t need to travel far to see their doctor.”\n\nThe VA operates community-based outpatient clinics in Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Newport and Rutland that serve nearly 19,000 Vermont veterans. These clinics provide primary care, specialty treatment and mental health services, and function as satellites of the VA medical center in White River Junction.", "collected_at": "2026-08-02T07:31:21Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-02T07:32:50Z"}
{"url": "https://cloud.house.gov/posts/the-smithsonian-has-lost-sight-of-america", "title": "The Smithsonian Has Lost Sight of America", "date": "2026-08-02", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://cloud.house.gov/press", "domain": "cloud.house.gov", "scraper": "cloud", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001115", "name": "Michael Cloud", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "The Smithsonian Has Lost Sight of America | Opinion\n\nNewsweek\n\nHon. Michael Cloud | August 2nd, 2026\n\nThe Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, welcoming visitors from every state and country to its doors, free of charge. For generations it has been established as one of Washington’s most cherished and highly sought-after attractions, making it one of our capital’s highest-profile institutions. While our republic may be younger compared to other ancient civilizations, our history is an exceptional one, and the Smithsonian has been where history comes alive for many Americans, including myself.\n\nI still remember walking through the doors of the National Museum of American History (NMAH) as a child, filled with excitement to see all the stories and artifacts of our nation. As my children grew, I made sure to make the family trek to D.C. so that they too could learn and be inspired by our rich history. From the hard lessons we have learned to the amazing accomplishments achieved together. Our nation became history’s brightest beacon of hope and liberty.\n\nAs we moved toward America’s 250th anniversary, one could only imagine what celebration the museum might have in store. What artifacts they might pull out of their vast collection. What exhibits they would create to help tell the story of America’s remarkable and providential founding and rise to greatness. Instead, visitors were greeted front and center with a reimagined oppressor/oppressed narrative that describes our history foundation as “unsettling.” My visit told me everything I needed to know about where this institution’s loyalties lie, and the recent House Oversight hearing confirmed it.\n\nDirector Anthea Hartig explicitly stated in a 2024 presentation that the museum should “get out of the ‘America First’ mentality.” She went on to argue that the “scope of U.S. history” and the very term “America” should expand to include “the entirety of the Americas, not just our part of North America.” A museum whose sole function is to educate the world on America’s history should not be in the business of erasing its borders.\n\nThat mindset is institutionalized in the museum’s Center for Restorative History, which Hartig says exists to “address the harm that we’ve done as the Smithsonian.” Since when is preserving America’s history something the Smithsonian needs to apologize for?\n\nThe center’s own website says it “redresses exclusions in our national story using the principles of restorative justice.” Elsewhere, museum staff studied materials on “white supremacy culture,” while other Smithsonian resources described the nuclear family, the scientific method, the traditional work ethic, and linear concepts of time as aspects of “white culture.” When a national museum treats the building blocks of civilization as political grievances, it has stopped serving the public and started lecturing them.\n\nThis far-left ideology is on full display in the “Girlhood (it’s complicated)” exhibit. Rather than showcasing the American women who shaped our history, the exhibit highlights a biological male in a space dedicated to women and girls, infringing on the very idea of being a woman, alongside glorifying gun control and illegal immigration.\n\nThe Smithsonian possesses some of the finest collections of women’s history artifacts in the world. The “First Ladies” exhibit is consistently one of the most popular in the entire museum, yet NMAH would rather spend their space idolizing symbols of illegal immigration while belittling motherhood. It is a shame that the NMAH would sacrifice women’s achievements to satisfy modern, left-wing political priorities.\n\nThese changes are a result of a strict bureaucratic mandate. The NMAH now requires every single exhibit to address a checklist of core issues: race and identity, gender and sexuality, environmental change, immigration and migration, economic inequality, technological change, nationalism and globalism. This reads far more like a partisan legislative wish list than a framework for historical education.\n\nThe National Museum of American History should be inspiring visitors, especially the younger generation, to serve and strengthen our country. History is undeniably complicated, and wrestling with our triumphs and our struggles is what makes historical education so valuable. We cannot teach our children to resent their own heritage and expect them to preserve it.\n\nThe Smithsonian is an American treasure, generously funded by American taxpayers, and working there is a privilege, not a platform to push a political agenda on American taxpayer money. These are museums of American history, not museums of American apology, and it’s time the Smithsonian remembered the difference. Smithsonian curators have no authority to edit the past to fit a present narrative. The truth distorted becomes a lie.\n\nRepresentative Michael Cloud serves Texas’s 27th Congressional District.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://figures.house.gov/media/in-the-news/figures-holds-town-meeting-agriculture", "title": "Figures Holds Town Meeting on Agriculture", "date": "2026-08-02", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://figures.house.gov/media", "domain": "figures.house.gov", "scraper": "figures", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000481", "name": "Shomari Figures", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "“One of the big issues we have right now, and we've been having for some time now, is how much it is costing you to produce things that you can no longer sell at the rates that you need to be able to sell them for either domestically or internationally,” Figures said. “Some of that is market driven, but some of the hurdles that we have right now, some of the significant ones, they are, they have nothing to do with the market factors. They have nothing to do with supply. They have nothing to do with demand. They have nothing to do with environmental factors of a bad year or a drought. It's self-inflicted. And that is, that's the Straight of Hormuz. That is something that we have made a conscious decision to be engaged in as a nation. And it is artificially driving up fuel costs.”\n\nFigures also said about 60 percent of the raw materials needed to make fertilizer also must travel through the Strait of Hormuz. He said interruptions to shipping in the Middle East were also affecting the price of fertilizer as well.\n\nFigures said one of the most disruptive federal policies to farming have been tariffs.\n\n“Nobody voted for [tarrifs], nobody,” Figures said. “[Tariffs] are not good local economics because at the end of the day when farmers here can sell fewer of their products for a lower price that has an impact that they feel in the county commission's budget; that is an impact that they feel in the City of Troy's budget; that is an impact that you feel obviously in your personal wallets.\n\n“So that's one of the reasons that I've supported a number of the things that we've done because I feel that we are in a position now where there are decisions that are being made that are affecting people in Alabama directly in their pockets directly and some of it is government induced and it is self-inflicted.\n\n“I feel this is one of the reasons I voted against the Farm Bill, or what was left of the Farm Bill after they split it up this year was because it did not do enough to compensate for that harm to Alabama farmers. It threw pennies at the farmers who've been taking it on the chin with these raised fuel prices with these raised fertilizer prices with these dried up export markets where they're able to sell less to fewer countries. It didn't do enough for them and that is something that I will never sit by and accept as a member of Congress.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-office-congresswoman-kaptur-0", "title": "Statement From Office Of Congresswoman Kaptur", "date": "2026-08-02", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "kaptur.house.gov", "scraper": "kaptur", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000009", "name": "Marcy Kaptur", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OH", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Toledo, OH – Today, the office of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) released the following statement:\n\n\"This morning Congresswoman Kaptur was a passenger in a vehicle on her way to a church service when the car she was traveling in was struck. She is active, alert, and being treated for non-life threatening injuries.\n\n\"We look forward to additional information from Toledo Police as they investigate the accident. Congresswoman Kaptur is thankful for the quick actions of first responders from Toledo Police and Fire Departments who arrived promptly on scene, and the medical professionals helping to take care of those involved in the crash.\n\n\"She expressed her deep gratitude to the hundreds of constituents who have reached out and looks forward to returning to a full schedule soon.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-03T08:26:20Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-03T08:27:37Z"}
{"url": "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressional-jewish-caucus-statement-arson-attack-kosher-restaurant-montreal", "title": "CONGRESSIONAL JEWISH CAUCUS STATEMENT ON ARSON ATTACK ON KOSHER RESTAURANT IN MONTREAL", "date": "2026-08-02", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "schneider.house.gov", "scraper": "schneider", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001190", "name": "Bradley Scott Schneider", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC - The Congressional Jewish Caucus issued the below statement in response to an apparent arson attack on a kosher restaurant in Montreal. The Caucus is co-chaired by Reps. Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Jerry Nadler (NY-12). Members include Reps. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Greg Landsman (OH-1), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Steve Cohen (TN-9), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Mike Levin (CA-49), Kim Schrier (WA-8), Jake Auchincloss (MA-4), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Seth Magaziner (RI-2), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Laura Friedman (CA-30), and Eugene Vindman (VA-7).\n\n“We are disgusted and outraged to see yet another heinous attack on a Jewish-owned business, this time an overnight, apparent arson attack that destroyed a beloved kosher restaurant in Montreal. We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community of Montreal and all of Canada.\n\n“As antisemitism is increasingly normalized, violence and other attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions continue to escalate around the world. This is a moment of crisis that requires all people of good conscience to speak up and condemn hate.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-03T08:26:20Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-03T08:27:37Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/at-briefing-cantwell-discusses-federal-resources-helping-spokane-fight-fires", "title": "At Briefing, Cantwell Discusses Federal Resources Helping Spokane Fight Fires", "date": "2026-08-02", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cantwell.senate.gov", "scraper": "cantwell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000127", "name": "Maria Cantwell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "At Briefing, Cantwell Discusses Federal Resources Helping Spokane Fight Fires\n\n“Today, it is the top fire in our nation. That means [the federal government is] going to give us the resources that we need here on the ground,” says Cantwell\n\nSPOKANE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and a senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, spoke at a media briefing about the ongoing Spokane fires.\n\n“There are some up here with us who have been evacuated. There are some that have lost their homes. So we are with you in this situation, and we're going to do everything we can to get the federal resources to help you,” said Sen. Cantwell. “I talked to the U.S. [Forest Service] Chief Schultz, who basically said, this is the most [high] risk and resourced fire in the United States. Today, it is the top fire in our nation. That means they are going to give us the resources that we need here on the ground.”\n\nAdded Sen. Cantwell: “I ask our fellow Washingtonians to help this region, to be as patient as you can, to listen to what the first responders are saying because we're not out of danger yet. The next couple of days will be challenging, but we are going to do everything we can to make sure the resources are here and continue to make sure that this issue gets our nation's attention.”\n\nAt the briefing, in addition to Sen. Cantwell, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, Governor Bob Ferguson, Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove, and other elected and emergency officials provided the latest information on the efforts to contain the wildfires in the Spokane area.\n\nVideo of today’s entire press conference is HERE; photos are HERE; a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.\n\nA background document detailing Sen. Cantwell’s work to reverse President Trump’s cuts to wildfire funding and bolster wildfire preparedness is available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-twin-falls-shooting", "title": "Crapo Statement on Twin Falls Shooting", "date": "2026-08-02", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "domain": "www.crapo.senate.gov", "scraper": "crapo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000880", "name": "Mike Crapo", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement regarding the deadly shooting in Twin Falls:\n\n“Idaho is heartbroken by the senseless violence that took place in Twin Falls. My deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those whose lives were needlessly stolen, and I am praying for the recovery of those who were injured.\n\n“I am grateful for the courageous first responders, law enforcement officers, medical personnel and citizens who rushed toward danger to protect and care for others—including those who engaged the shooter and undoubtedly saved more lives. Federal law enforcement resources are assisting with the ongoing investigation, and my office stands ready to support any additional requests from local and state authorities.\n\n“I continue to pray for the victims, their families, those who responded and the entire Twin Falls community as our state grieves together.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-03T08:26:20Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-03T08:27:37Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-a-special-counsel-must-investigate-fauci-his-auto-pen-pardon/", "title": "Senator Marshall: A Special Counsel Must Investigate Fauci & His Auto-Pen Pardon", "date": "2026-08-02", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Marshall Joins Fox News Sunday Morning Futures\n\nWashington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures to discuss Dr. Fauci’s lies to the American people and how he can be brought to justice, the Senate’s priorities next week including the SAVE America Act, and why voter ID requirements must be passed before the Senate leaves on recess.\n\nClick HERE to download the full video.\n\nOn Dr. Fauci’s Senate hearing:\n\n“Yeah, Maria, well, good morning. I think, you know, first of all, Fauci was literally shaking as he read his opening statement. And through that hearing, he took body blow after body blow, and eventually, when it’s all over with, he’s a man that’s broken — he looks like an old punching bag that’s worn out and is done in the gym. And why wouldn’t he? You know, if Americans take the time to read his diary, they’re going to see that this was a guy that was full of pride. He was drunk with power, he was drunk with pride, he was drunk with his own celebrity. This is the Anthony Fauci that I saw through those five years: never any remorse, never any concern for the people dying — let alone the ones he was locking out of churches, out of schools, out of their jobs. He was not only reading his own press clippings, he was putting them in his own diary as well — regaling over every one of them. So sad day for America, we still don’t have closure, there’s so much he could have told us. There’s so much that he could have told us so we could learn for next time.”\n\nOn Dr. Fauci’s diary entries:\n\n“Right. So, again, he writes in his diary one thing but tells America something else. The end of January 2020, he is sitting there saying, ‘There’s no way that this virus came from this wet market, that it was a spreader event,’ and ‘Oh, by the way, this biosecurity level four lab is just like a couple blocks away.’ So which one do you think is more likely—that a bat traveled 2,000 miles, got off on a bus, and then suddenly got into that market? Or do you think it was leaked from the lab four blocks away? So, he says one thing to his diary and something else to us. On February 1st, he has a phone call with 12 of the best scientists in the world on this gain-of-function research — 10 of the 12 tell us that they think it came from a laboratory, but he tells the President, he tells all of us, that he thinks that this came from this wet market. So, he lied, he lied, and he lied again to protect his own reputation.”\n\nOn bringing Dr. Fauci to justice:\n\n“Right, and beyond that, 20 million Americans still have long COVID — including one of my loved ones — so those people deserve answers as well. But this is why I’m calling for a special counsel: we need to get this out of Washington, get the politics out of it, and then go back and build this case that Anthony Fauci, for over 20 years, funded gain-of-function research, then he led this cover-up as well. Then we got to get into the autopen pardon — by the way, this was an autopen pardon, and so maybe he’s not immune from what he said in the past. Look, this guy’s slick, he’s lawyered up, I don’t know that if we can throw him in jail over this, but I think that certainly a special counsel needs to get a hold of this. There’s no way we can address this in one morning hearing in Congress.”\n\nOn Dr. Fauci’s autopen pardon:\n\n“Yeah, so Maria in my opinion, yes — I think there is evidence that should be investigated. But this would take a special counsel to dive into all of them, even just the validity of this autopen pardon. I mean, I understand that maybe on some rules that maybe the President didn’t have to sign it with his own pen, but this autopen was being run by somebody else. So, I think there’s a lot more here — we need a special counsel up and running.”\n\nOn the Senate’s priorities next week:\n\n“Well, I feel like we’re trying to put 20 pounds of potatoes in a 10-pound bag. But we need to prioritize and get as much done as we can, starting with the funding of the government. Remember, Chuck Schumer and big-government socialists — they’ve shut the government down three times already. So, it’s time to move that, and hopefully we’ll get on these other bills as well.”\n\nOn passing the SAVE America Act before recess:\n\n“Yeah, Maria. So certainly, we have 50 Republicans that would support some version of the SAVE Act, but it takes 10 Democrats to go along with this, and that’s what we can’t find. So, we’re going to continue to work through the process. I’m asking that we stay in D.C. though, till we take up voter ID, till we take up proof of citizenship, and then do something else with the mail-in ballots.”\n\n“I do. I think we’ll be doing good to get done next weekend at the earliest.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-03T08:26:20Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-03T08:27:37Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-on-release-of-cr-text/", "title": "Senator Murray on Release of CR Text", "date": "2026-08-02", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the release of text of a continuing resolution (CR) that keeps the government funded through December 11.\n\n“It’s good that we were able to produce a much-improved CR to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown that no one wants.\n\n“This bill includes important extensions and language that House Republicans’ CR did not, and it rejects Trump’s frivolous war spending wish list. Importantly, we closed the loophole in House Republicans’ CR that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding provided for other programs to Border Patrol, which desperately needs reform, not more money.\n\n“Because of Democrats’ unrelenting efforts, this bill blocks implementation of OMB’s corrupt new grants rule for the duration of the CR. The proposed rule would systematically politicize federal funding and allow Trump officials to cancel grants at any time for any reason. Enabling this rule would only give Trump the greenlight to take even more federal funding hostage. While Republicans rejected killing the proposed rule outright, I’m going to keep fighting to put a stop to it once and for all, and I will keep pressing my Republican colleagues to do exactly that.\n\n“I pushed hard to extend infrastructure funding set to run out on September 30, so that we can save jobs and keep fixing America’s roads and bridges, and I also fought to protect Congress’ power of the purse and prevent Russ Vought from attempting another end-run around Congress with illegal ‘pocket rescissions.’ Ultimately, Republicans refused to work with us to get these common sense priorities enacted in law, but I hope everyone who shares my frustration that Republicans refuse to do more to stand up to this president will join us in speaking out and speaking up for change in every way possible.”\n\nThe CR addresses key problems with House Republicans’ CR:\n\nIt closes the loophole that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding for other programs to Border Patrol.\n\nIt includes important anomalies that House Republicans neglected to include, including anomalies needed to allow housing programs to keep serving Americans, to ensure the Commodity Supplemental Food Program has the funds needed to continue serving low-income seniors, and more.\n\nIt extends authorizations of important health, veterans, infrastructure, and other programs for the duration of the CR.\n\nSenate Democrats also secured language to prevent the Trump administration from implementing the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed grants rule through the duration of the CR. Earlier this summer, every Senate Democrat called on OMB to withdraw the rule, which would put Trump political appointees in charge of signing off on every last federal grant and empower them to terminate funding at any point for any reason. Vice Chair Murray will continue pushing to block the proposed rule once and for all.\n\nThe CR also rejects President Trump’s request to include new funding and flexibilities for the Pentagon through anomalies, including his request for $1 billion to build “Trump-class” battleships.\n\nRepublicans rejected Democrats’ efforts to, among other things:\n\nExtend advanced appropriations provided by Division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) beyond the law’s expiration on October 1—in order to save good jobs and keep rebuilding America’s infrastructure. Vice Chair Murray has been warning about the looming infrastructure cliff for months and has emphasized that as tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure funds expire this fall, it is all the more important that Congress secures a topline funding agreement with significantly more nondefense funding.\n\nProtect Congress’ power of the purse and prevent Russ Vought from impounding funding and attempting another “pocket rescission.”\n\nText of the continuing resolution is available HERE. Text of the authorizing divisions is available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://youngkim.house.gov/2026/08/02/east-asia-and-pacific-chair-young-kim-leads-delegation-to-south-korea-japan-and-taiwan-to-reaffirm-americas-indo-pacific-alliances/", "title": "East Asia and Pacific Chair Young Kim Leads Delegation to South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan to Reaffirm America’s Indo-Pacific Alliances", "date": "2026-08-02", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://youngkim.house.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "youngkim.house.gov", "scraper": "youngkim", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000397", "name": "Young Kim", "party": "Republican", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Chair Young Kim (CA-40) led a bipartisan congressional delegation to the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Taiwan to reaffirm key alliances and strengthen America’s partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. She was joined by Reps. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), and Michael Cloud (TX-27).\n\nIn the Republic of Korea, the delegation toured the Joint Security Area along the Demilitarized Zone and met with U.S. Forces Korea leadership, ROK officials, and National Assembly members. Members also discussed implementation of the historic $350 billion U.S.-ROK investment partnership with industry leaders in shipbuilding and semiconductors.\n\nIn Japan, the delegation received a U.S. 7th Fleet briefing at Yokosuka and met with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Economy, Trade, and Industry. Members engaged government and industry leaders on securing supply chains for critical minerals and semiconductors and aligning export controls to keep sensitive technology away from the Chinese military.\n\nIn Taiwan, the delegation met with President Lai Ching-te, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, and defense and national security officials, and toured a drone production facility. Members reaffirmed America’s commitment to Taiwan’s self-defense and to strengthening deterrence across the Taiwan Strait.\n\n“From Seoul to Tokyo to Taipei, I saw firsthand that America’s alliances are our greatest strategic advantage and the foundation of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Rep. Young Kim. “As China works to coerce our friends and rewrite the rules of the region, the United States must stand firmly with our partners to deter aggression, secure our supply chains, and deliver peace through strength. I will always fight to ensure America and our allies have the tools and resolve to keep this critical region free, open, and secure.”\n\nWhile the delegation was in the region, an earthquake struck Kyushu, Japan. The members issued a statement in response, which you can read HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-03T08:26:20Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-03T08:27:37Z"}
{"url": "https://aguilar.house.gov/2026/08/03/rep-aguilar-secures-wins-for-the-inland-empire-in-appropriations-bills-heading-for-a-vote-in-the-coming-months/", "title": "Rep. Aguilar Secures Wins for the Inland Empire in Appropriations Bills Heading for a Vote in the Coming Months", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://aguilar.house.gov/category/congress_press_release/", "domain": "aguilar.house.gov", "scraper": "aguilar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000371", "name": "Pete Aguilar", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Press Releases\n\nRep. Aguilar Secures Wins for the Inland Empire in Appropriations Bills Heading for a Vote in the Coming Months\n\nHighlights include nearly $18 million for 20 projects in the Inland Empire and strengthening oversight of the Trump administration secured through his work on the House Appropriations Committee\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, the committee responsible for determining how much funding each federal agency receives, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) fought to add funding for local housing, healthcare and infrastructure needs in the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) government funding bills.\n\n“Whether it’s affordable housing, accessible healthcare, public safety or boosting our local economy, my number one goal has always been to make life better for families in the Inland Empire,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “I’m proud of my work to deliver for the hardworking people I represent and I will continue fighting for policies and funding to benefit our region.”\n\nThe wins were secured in bills passed by the House Appropriations Committee. The next step is for the full House of Representatives to consider the bills and for negotiations with the Senate to finalize this funding. A list of Rep. Aguilar’s Community Project Funding requests, along with a summary of his top wins in each government funding bill, is included below.\n\nRep. Aguilar’s FY 2027 Community Project Funding Requests:\n\nRep. Aguilar secured $17,633,864 for 20 projects in the Inland Empire to support local efforts to create job training and research programs, strengthen water and flood infrastructure, improve public safety, reduce crime, increase affordable housing, upgrade roadways and transportation and expand healthcare services. Specifically, this includes:\n\n$2,000,000 for SAC Health’s Expansion of Dental Access Project to purchase dental equipment and expand dental services at SAC Health’s Brier Campus, strengthening the Inland Empire’s healthcare infrastructure and improving access to oral health services for underserved communities.\n\n$1,007,060 for San Bernardino County’s Rialto Channel Improvements Project to enhance the Rialto Channel’s stormwater capacity and reduce flood risk in Downtown Rialto, protecting homes, businesses, public facilities and transportation corridors from damage during major storms.\n\n$1,000,000 for Community Health Systems, Inc.’s Bloomington Community Health Campus Improvement Project to renovate and expand the Bloomington Family Wellness Center to provide behavioral health and substance use disorder services, enhancing community access to quality healthcare and reducing emergency room visits.\n\n$1,000,000 for the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino’s Arrowhead Grove 132 Units of Affordable Housing Redevelopment Project to renovate and construct more than 130 new affordable and workforce rental housing units in one of San Bernardino’s most chronically impoverished neighborhoods.\n\n$1,000,000 for the City of Rancho Cucamonga’s Renovation for Workforce Development and Business Incubator Project to transform the historic d’Ellena Winery into a training center for hospitality jobs, creating career pathways for in-demand hospitality, food and beverage and event management roles.\n\n$1,000,000 for the City of Grand Terrace’s Commerce Way – De Berry Street Gateway Connector Project to build a road connecting Commerce Way to De Berry Street and linking to Taylor Street, enhancing roadway safety and improving access to Interstate 215, local businesses and nearby housing developments.\n\n$1,000,000 for San Bernardino International Airport Authority’s City Creek Bypass Channel Drainage Improvements Project to construct a new channel design between Victoria Avenue and the Twin Creek channel to permanently reduce flood risks, improve public safety and protect critical infrastructure and downstream communities.\n\n$772,700 for Loma Linda University’s Community-Based Interdisciplinary Education, Research and Service-Learning Center to provide students with state-of-the-art simulation, community research and service-learning experiences to help meet community healthcare needs.\n\n$772,700 for the City of San Bernardino’s Mobile Command Post to reduce crime and improve the city’s safety and emergency response.\n\n$772,700 for the University of Redlands’ AI-Enhanced Geospatial and Architectural Modeling Lab for Community Hazard Resilience to train city planners and emergency responders to better prepare for and respond to natural disasters using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology.\n\n$772,700 for the City of Redlands Body-Worn Camera Modernization and Replacement Initiative to enhance the Redlands Police Department’s body-worn camera and drone programs and create a system to manage digital evidence and share data with justice partners, strengthening efficiency, transparency and public trust.\n\n$772,700 for Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy’s Youth Justice Resilience and Reentry Initiative (YJRRI) to provide supportive services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth aimed at improving public safety, treating trauma and reducing recidivism rates for gang involvement, substance abuse and other crimes.\n\n$772,700 for the California University of Science and Medicine’s Health Workforce Training Center: AI-Powered Language Proficiency Program to provide scalable clinical communication and language proficiency training for healthcare workers across the Inland Empire.\n\n$750,000 for the San Bernardino Community College District’s SBVC Legacy Village – Phase 1 Student & Workforce Housing Infrastructure Project to build Legacy Village, a student success and workforce preparation hub with 500 housing units, improving housing stability and education access in the Inland Empire.\n\n$746,868 for the City of Rialto’s City Well 3A Arsenic Treatment Facility Project to support the construction of an arsenic treatment facility to restore a critical local drinking water supply for Rialto residents and meet federal drinking water standards.\n\n$746,868 for San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District’s Mill Creek Groundwater Recharge Facility Overflow Upgrades Project to increase groundwater storage of the San Bernardino Basin to improve local water sustainability, support economic stability and growth and enhance public access and safety.\n\n$746,868 for the City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department’s (SBWMD) Wastewater Lift Station Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Modernization and Improvement Project to upgrade critical wastewater infrastructure and address technology vulnerabilities, helping to prevent costly environmental or public health issues.\n\n$700,000 for the Colton Police Department’s Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Records Management System (RMS) Project to strengthen community safety and emergency response by streamlining call handling, improving police response and providing real-time situational updates.\n\n$679,200 for the Southern California Regional Rail Authority’s Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line Operational Reliability and Safety Improvements Metrolink Project to upgrade technology along the San Bernardino Line to improve system safety and reliability and provide riders traveling to and from San Bernardino with real-time service information.\n\n$620,800 for the City of San Bernardino’s Street Lighting and Public Safety Improvement Project to replace approximately 3,000 wired LED streetlights with off-grid streetlights across the city, improving safety and reducing costs by eliminating the need for emergency repairs.\n\nRep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) funding bill include:\n\nSecured $875 million in infrastructure funding for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Additionally, during a subcommittee hearing, Rep. Aguilar questioned Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, urging stronger financial support from the Trump administration for the games.\n\nHelped block the Trump administration’s unfair housing rule that would take away housing from U.S. citizen children who live in mixed immigration status households. During a subcommittee hearing, Rep. Aguilar questioned Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Scott Turner about the unprecedented housing rule, which helped lead to the passage of an amendment preventing the rule’s implementation.\n\nSecured language urging HUD to use higher Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limits in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) like the Inland Empire to expand access to affordable housing and opportunities for homeownership.\n\nRep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Defense funding bill include:\n\nSecured $5,000,000 for a Redlands-based software company and global leader in geospatial intelligence data awareness to develop a data collection platform in partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD). The platform will collect data used to improve communities, such as mapping traffic, understanding community trends, boosting utility efficiency and more.\n\nSecured $5,000,000 for a Redlands-based battery manufacturer to develop a high-power-density battery to serve as a reliable, clean energy source for military and space technology.\n\nIncreased funding for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity research and workforce development at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB).\n\nSecured funding for a San Bernardino-based aerospace company to develop a low-cost, reusable and versatile Towed Hypersonic Launch platform to support space launches.\n\nDuring an oversight hearing with Secretary Pete Hegseth, Rep. Aguilar pressedthe Department of Defense to reveal that the cost of the Iran War had increased from $25 billion to more than $29 billion.\n\nRep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill include:\n\nSecured $2.5 million for affordable housing agencies like Rancho Cucamonga-based National CORE to provide residents with supportive services to improve housing stability, economic mobility and financial literacy.\n\nEnsured that participants in the Randolph-Sheppard Program for the Blind continue to receive technical support when applying for federal grants.\n\nExpanded access to sickle cell disease treatment at community-based organizations in California and increased the quality of medical care provided to individuals living with sickle cell disease.\n\nRep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Financial Services and General Government funding bill include:\n\nSecured changes to the bill urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) to respond to mailbox theft and vandalism more quickly and strengthen protections for consumers. Rep. Aguilar held a press conference highlighting the importance of these efforts for the Inland Empire.\n\nImproved small businesses’ ability to afford advertising and increase local news coverage in areas like the San Bernardino Valley, which are grouped into larger broadcasting media markets such as Los Angeles. Rep. Aguilar secured language directing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a report analyzing current Designated Market Areas (DMA) definitions and their effects on outlying communities.\n\nEncouraged the construction of a new courthouse in Riverside, CA, so that Inland Empire residents going to court are less likely to be redirected to Los Angeles or San Diego for hearings with a judge when the existing courthouse experiences backlogs.\n\nRep. Aguilar’s wins in the FY 2027 Homeland Security funding bill include:\n\nUrged U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to address processing delays for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients’ renewal applications and work authorizations. Rep. Aguilar’s changes to the bill will help ensure that DACA recipients’ jobs, lives and legal status are not put at risk due to delays within USCIS.\n\nDirected the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop an identification system for law enforcement conducting immigration enforcement with clearly and legibly displayed identifiers and requiring law enforcement personnel to verbally identify themselves upon request in the case of an arrest.\n\nEnsured that Members of Congress can visit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities to conduct congressional oversight without giving prior notice. Furthermore, the changes that Rep. Aguilar secured will prevent detention facilities from modifying the facilities prior to congressional oversight visits to ensure transparency about the conditions.\n\nRep. Aguilar will continue fighting for his legislative priorities as the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) Appropriations bills await full consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T08:25:35Z"}
{"url": "https://algreen.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-reuters-article-below-titled-factbox-which-midterm-candidates-crypto", "title": "ICYMI: The Reuters article below, titled “Factbox-Which midterm candidates is the crypto industry backing?”", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://algreen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "algreen.house.gov", "scraper": "algreen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000553", "name": "Al Green", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "The Reuters article below, titled “Factbox-Which midterm candidates is the crypto industry backing?” speaks for itself.\n\nYou can access the article by clicking the link here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://amo.house.gov/press-release/amo-statement-on-brown-university-president-christina-paxson-s-announcement", "title": "Amo Statement on Brown University President Christina Paxson’s Announcement", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://amo.house.gov/press-releases", "domain": "amo.house.gov", "scraper": "amo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000380", "name": "Gabe Amo", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "“For more than a decade, President Christina Paxson has led Brown University with thoughtfulness and distinction.\n\nShe has increased the impact and reach of the university’s academic contributions, grown Brown’s presence in Providence and Rhode Island, and guided its campus community through one of its darkest hours.\n\nI wish President Paxson all the best as her tenure comes to a close and she prepares for her next chapter.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://bera.house.gov/news/in-the-news/icymi-rep-bera-in-the-sacramento-bee-ending-tps-now-would-endanger-lives-and-undermine-haiti-s-fragile-recovery", "title": "ICYMI – Rep. Bera in The Sacramento Bee: Ending TPS now would endanger lives and undermine Haiti’s fragile recovery", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://bera.house.gov/news", "domain": "bera.house.gov", "scraper": "bera", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001287", "name": "Ami Bera", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA — U.S. Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) published an op-ed in The Sacramento Bee and the Miami Herald following his participation in the first Congressional Delegation to Haiti since 2019. Drawing on what he witnessed firsthand, Bera argues that deporting Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders under current conditions would further destabilize the country, urges the Senate to take up bipartisan House-passed legislation extending TPS through January 2029, and calls on the Trump administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti.\n\nYou can read the full op-ed here and below:\n\nThis week, I was part of the first congressional delegation to visit Haiti since 2019. What I saw was a country confronting a complex crisis and extraordinary hardship.\n\nOn the ground, I met with international forces trying to regain ground in Port-au-Prince, where gangs control an estimated 70% of the capital, as well as Haitian officials working to strengthen security, expand economic opportunity and restore democratic rule.\n\nAcross my conversations, I repeatedly heard the same warning: Returning Haitian Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, holders to a country that is not yet prepared to safely receive them will further worsen a situation already proving near impossible to manage.\n\nHaiti is at a pivotal moment. While the Haitian government reconstitutes its armed forces, a new United Nations-authorized Gang Suppression Force is undertaking the difficult work of helping Haitian security forces take back territory from heavily armed gangs.\n\nThese efforts offer a narrow but meaningful opportunity to restore stability after years of political, security and humanitarian crises.\n\nLast November, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice stating that “the Secretary has determined that there are no extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti that prevent Haitian nationals from returning in safety.”\n\nHaving now witnessed the conditions in Haiti firsthand, I can say that this determination was not grounded in fact. The reality on the ground — widespread violence, mass displacement, acute hunger and the collapse of essential services — are exactly the conditions that TPS was created for.\n\nOn Monday, the Trump administration officially terminated TPS for Haitians living in the United States. Approximately 350,000 Haitians have lost their legal protections and work authorization and face removal to a country still paralyzed by gang violence, mass displacement, political instability and limited access to essential services.\n\nHaitian TPS holders came here through a legal humanitarian program. They undergo background checks, hold work permits, pay taxes and contribute to communities across our country.\n\nOffering them protection under Haiti’s present-day conditions is consistent with our nation’s values. Returning them would impose a severe new burden on Haiti and could endanger their lives.\n\nThere are currently just as many Haitians internally displaced now as there were after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Hospitals, schools and essential infrastructure have been attacked or forced to close. With the Haitian government already struggling to provide housing, employment, security or basic services, receiving thousands of people would overwhelm Haiti’s fragile institutions, further strain resources and leave more people vulnerable to exploitation and gang recruitment.\n\nHaiti should be able to draw upon the talent, experience and expertise of its diaspora — including Haitian professionals in health care, education and other critical sectors. Sending people back under current conditions could prevent them from contributing to Haiti’s recovery.\n\nThe United States cannot credibly invest in restoring security in Haiti while pursuing an immigration policy that would make the country less stable.\n\nIn April, the House of Representatives took bipartisan action by passing legislation to extend TPS for Haiti through January 2029. The Senate must move quickly to pass it. Extending TPS would protect Haitian families and give Haiti’s security and governing institutions time to make measurable progress.\n\nUnlike the administration’s decision to force Haitian TPS holders to return without regard to conditions on the ground, any returns should be tied to measurable security and humanitarian improvements. Officials must assess whether receiving communities have adequate housing, employment, healthcare and security.\n\nHaiti’s future must ultimately be led and built by the Haitian people. America’s role should be to give them the space and support to succeed, not to make an extraordinarily difficult task even harder.\n\nExtending TPS now is both the humane choice and the strategically responsible one. The Senate must act to preserve these protections, and the administration must immediately halt deportations to Haiti.\n\nRepresentative Ami Bera, M.D., has represented Sacramento County in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013. He serves as a senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://bera.house.gov/news/press-releases/reps-bera-matsui-thompson-hold-press-conference-with-local-leaders-to-highlight-new-federal-housing-law-benefits-for-sacramento-region", "title": "Reps. Bera, Matsui, Thompson Hold Press Conference with Local Leaders to Highlight New Federal Housing Law Benefits for Sacramento Region", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://bera.house.gov/news", "domain": "bera.house.gov", "scraper": "bera", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001287", "name": "Ami Bera", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Image\n\nSacramento, CA — Today, Representatives Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Mike Thompson (CA-04), held a press conference to discuss how the newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will help the Sacramento region build and preserve more affordable housing. The Representatives were joined by Sacramento City Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum and Kecia Boulware, deputy executive director of development at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA).\n\nThe 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is the most significant bipartisan federal housing legislation enacted in decades, equipping communities with new tools to preserve affordable housing, rehabilitate aging homes, and build more housing faster.\n\n“Too many hardworking families in the Sacramento region are doing everything right but still cannot afford a place to live,” said Congressman Bera. “The ROAD to Housing Act will help cut red tape, unlock publicly owned land, and accelerate the construction of affordable housing. I’m grateful to Congresswoman Matsui and Congressman Thompson for their leadership on this issue and look forward to working with them to ensure this new law helps families across our region have a fair shot at homeownership, economic security, and the American Dream.”\n\n“Too many Sacramento families are spending more of every paycheck on rent, and too many young people are wondering whether they can afford to build a future here,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “This law gives SHRA and our local partners better tools to renovate public housing, prepare sites for construction, and reduce federal delays that drive up costs. Mirasol Village shows what Sacramento can accomplish when strong local leadership has the right federal support, and I will work to make sure these programs are fully funded and put to work for our community.”\n\n“The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a huge first step in tackling our housing crisis in California,” said Congressman Thompson. “This bill will help us build more housing, lower mortgage and rental costs, and expand home ownership opportunities. I was proud to support this historic, bipartisan legislation and I will continue to work to ensure this is rolled out quickly so our communities can get the support they need.”\n\nThe event was held at Mirasol Village, where a $30 million HUD Choice Neighborhood grant helped renovate the former Twin Rivers public housing community with new affordable and mix-income homes. Mirasol demonstrates how federal investment can help local agencies prepare sites, put construction crews to work, and create more housing options for Sacramento families.\n\n“We’re standing in a park, in the middle of a neighborhood with families living all around us,” said Sacramento City Councilmember Pluckebaum. “The City put $20 million into Marisol Village and that was not a small decision, but we would do it again in a heartbeat. But we didn’t do it alone. It took the Federal Government, the State, the County, private investment, SHRA, all moving in the same direction at the same time.”\n\n“The 21st Century Road to Housing Act is set to strengthen the tools that SHRA uses to preserve and modernize our public housing portfolio as well as to assist developers more quickly and efficiently with gap financing to further fuel the pipeline that builds affordable housing.” said SHRA Deputy Executive Director of Development Boulware. “This is a positive outcome for the families who so desperately need affordable housing in the City and County. We are thankful to our Congressional delegation for all their support in making this legislation a reality.”\n\nBy expanding the Rental Assistance Demonstration program, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will give SHRA more room to finance major renovations across Sacramento’s public housing communities. It also opens HUD’s Community Development Block Grant funding to new affordable housing construction and allows HOME funding to cover site preparation, utilities, and other infrastructure needed before crews can break ground. Reducing duplicative federal reviews will also shorten project timelines, while lowering costs for local developers and builders.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://brecheen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1595", "title": "Congressman Brecheen Announces August Town Halls", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://brecheen.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "brecheen.house.gov", "scraper": "brecheen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001317", "name": "Josh Brecheen", "party": "Republican", "state": "OK", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nAugust 3, 2026\n\nCongressman Brecheen Announces August Town Halls\n\nOklahoma–On Monday, Congressman Brecheen announced his August town hall schedule which includes stops in 15 different cities.\n\nMonday, August 24th, 2026\n\n8:00am - 9:00am\n\nTishomingo Town Hall\n\nJohnston County Library\n\n116 W. Main St.\n\nTishomingo, OK 73460\n\n10:00am - 11:00am\n\nDurant Town Hall\n\nDonald W. Reynolds Library\n\n1515 W. Main St.\n\nDurant, OK 74701\n\n12:00pm - 1:00pm\n\nCoalgate Town Hall\n\nCoal County Public Library\n\n115 W. Ohio Ave.\n\nCoalgate, OK 74538\n\n2:00pm - 3:00pm\n\nMcAlester Town Hall\n\nSoutheast Expo Center\n\nRoom 101\n\n4500 W. US Highway 270\n\nMcAlester, OK 74501\n\n4:00pm - 5:00pm\n\nHoldenville Town Hall\n\nGrace M. Pickens Public Library\n\n209 E. 9th St.\n\nHoldenville, OK 74848\n\n6:00pm - 7:00pm\n\nOkemah Town Hall\n\nOkfuskee County Historical Society\n\n407 W. Broadway Street\n\nOkemah, OK 74859\n\nTuesday, August 25th, 2026\n\n8:00am - 9:00am\n\nJay Town Hall\n\nDelaware County Library\n\n429 South 9th Street\n\nJay, OK 74346\n\n10:00am - 11:00am\n\nChouteau Town Hall\n\nChouteau Town Hall\n\n111 S. Lewis St.\n\nChouteau, OK 74337\n\n2:00pm - 3:00pm\n\nClaremore Town Hall\n\nClaremore Conference Center\n\nWill Rogers South Ballroom\n\n1400 W. Country Club Rd.\n\nClaremore, OK 74017\n\n6:00pm - 7:00pm\n\nBartlesville Town Hall\n\nTri County Tech\n\nEvent Center\n\n6101 Nowata Rd.\n\nBartlesville, OK 74006\n\nWednesday, August 26th, 2026\n\n8:00am - 9:00am\n\nMuskogee Town Hall\n\nMartin Luther King Center\n\nConference Room\n\n300 W. Martin Luther King St.\n\nMuskogee, OK 74401\n\n12:00pm - 1:00pm\n\nEufaula Town Hall\n\nEufaula Memorial Library\n\n301 S. First St.\n\nEufaula, OK 74432\n\n2:00pm - 3:00pm\n\nWilburton Town Hall\n\nLatimer County Public Library\n\n301 W. Ada Ave.\n\nWilburton, OK 74578\n\n4:00pm - 5:00pm\n\nPoteau Town Hall\n\nDonald W. Reynolds Community Center\n\n105 Reynolds Ave.\n\nPoteau, OK 74953\n\n7:00pm - 8:00pm\n\nBroken Bow Town Hall\n\nBroken Bow Library\n\n404 N. Broadway St.\n\nBroken Bow, OK 74728\n\nfor all press inquiries: kate.bryan@mail.house.gov\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases/ciscomani-delivers-rural-arizona-persistence-pays-25-million-usda-investment", "title": "Ciscomani Delivers for Rural Arizona, Persistence Pays Off with $25 Million USDA Investment in Cochise County", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ciscomani.house.gov", "scraper": "ciscomani", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001133", "name": "Juan Ciscomani", "party": "Republican", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Tucson, AZ - Persistence paid off for Congressman Juan Ciscomani last week when the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $25 million investment to combat a flesh-eating parasite threatening the American livestock industry.\n\n\"This announcement was music to the ears of ranchers in my district and across the country,\" said Ciscomani. \"But it didn’t happen overnight. A major investment like this in a rural community is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of determined people. I was honored to be part of it.\"\n\nCiscomani has championed multiple efforts over the past year to combat the threat of New World Screwworm, a parasitic fly that lays eggs in open wounds ⁠and the mucous membranes of cattle and other warm-blooded animals. Once the eggs hatch, hundreds of screwworm larvae burrow through the animal’s flesh, eventually killing it if left untreated.\n\nLast week’s announcement, made by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins at an event in Douglas, will lead to the opening of a state-of-the-art facility in Douglas to produce and disperse millions of sterile flies that will function as a form of birth control for the screwworm, disrupting reproduction and halting an outbreak.\n\n\"This facility will be a real gamechanger,\" Ciscomani said. \"It represents a commitment by Secretary Rollins and this administration to confront a serious problem head on. Arizona spoke, they listened and that’s exactly how this is supposed to work.\"\n\nSecretary Rollins acknowledged Ciscomani’s leadership at last week’s event.\n\n\"There has been no one who has been advocating more for this facility and trying to get it across the finish line into the end zone than your U.S. Representative, Juan Ciscomani,\" Rollins said. \"We talked about this for months now. He has texted me almost every day about it.\"\n\nA video of her remarks can be seen HERE.\n\nCiscomani’s actions over the last 8 months include:\n\nDecember 2025: In response to the rising need for a modernized facility in Douglas, Rep. Ciscomani joined by Reps. Paul Gosar, David Schweikert, Andy Biggs, and Eli Crane, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins urging the department to take action on the matter.\n\nDouglas played a pivotal role in screwworm eradication from 1963 to 1983. Its sterile fly facility maintained a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border before closing after screwworm was eliminated in Mexico.\n\nMay 2026: During Secretary Rollins’ first visit to Arizona to announce the Great American Cotton Plan, she and Rep. Ciscomani heard directly from ranchers in Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District on the importance of reestablishing a modernized facility in Douglas, not just for the health and safety of agriculture and livestock in Arizona, but across the nation.\n\nJune 2026: Following confirmed detection of the New World Screwworm in the United States, the lawmakers sent a second letter to Secretary Rollins to underscore Arizona’s unique position to support the department’s efforts in responding to this threat and thanked the department for its proactive approach of coordinating across agencies and deploying available resources to support and protect America’s agriculture.\n\nJuly 2026: Rep. Ciscomani worked with leadership at the University of Arizona and sent a letter to Secretary Rollins in support of a grant for the University to expand research, surveillance, education, and outreach efforts across Arizona to combat the threat of New World Screwworm. The USDA responded swiftly by awarding the University of Arizona with a $3.74 million Grand Challenge Grant in early July, which will be used to directly protect agriculture across Arizona and the United States from the damage a New World Screwworm outbreak would cause.\n\nJuly 29, 2026: Secretary Rollins announced during a press conference in Douglas, AZ that USDA is making a $25 million investment to reestablish a sterile fly dispersal facility in Douglas in addition to the reopening of the Southern Cattle Port at the Douglas Port of Entry.\n\n\"The strength of agriculture in Arizona and across the United States is currently being threatened by the reemergence of the New World Screwworm. I am proud to have advocated for the USDA’s urgent action against the threat of New World Screwworm and am grateful to Secretary Rollins and the whole department for prioritizing the health of Arizona and American agriculture,\" said Ciscomani. \"I look forward to how the USDA’s investments will help combat this threat and appreciate Secretary Rollins’ continued partnership and support. Reestablishing a sterile fly dispersal facility in Douglas and awarding a crucial research grant to the University of Arizona shows the USDA’s desire to tackle this issue head-on and will equip Arizona to lead the fight against the threat New World Screwworm poses to farmers and ranchers across the nation.\"\n\nOne local rancher, Ben Menges, spoke with Secretary Rollins during her visit in May and has worked with Rep. Ciscomani to advocate for the Arizona agriculture community.\n\n\"I am beyond grateful to Rep. Ciscomani for his continued efforts to support AZ-06 farmers and ranchers. When we voiced our concerns about the reemergence of New World Screwworm, he listened and took action to advocate on our behalf,\" said Menges, a fifth-generation rancher from Safford. \"Rep. Ciscomani and Secretary Rollins have worked to protect Arizona’s agriculture, pets, and wildlife against the imminent threat of screwworm, and I look forward to the continued partnership of leaders in our local agriculture industry, Rep. Ciscomani, and Secretary Rollins. I am encouraged by the USDA’s recent investments and the direct impact they will have in Arizona's ability to combat this issue.\"\n\nThis is an ongoing challenge for the industry and remains a priority for the USDA and Rep. Ciscomani.\n\nRead local coverage from the Sierra Vista Herald on the USDA’s investments HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-ciscomani-celebrates-back-school-season-highlighting-major", "title": "Congressman Ciscomani Celebrates Back-to-School Season by Highlighting Major Investments in Southern Arizona Schools and Workforce Training", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ciscomani.house.gov", "scraper": "ciscomani", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001133", "name": "Juan Ciscomani", "party": "Republican", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Tucson, AZ - As students and families across Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District prepare to head back to school, Congressman Juan Ciscomani is highlighting the local education and workforce investments he has preliminarily secured to expand opportunities for students across Southern Arizona.\n\nAs Arizona’s only member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Ciscomani has made investing in education and workforce development a top priority, championing resources that prepare students for success in the classroom, the workforce, and beyond.\n\nThrough his work on the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Ciscomani has secured preliminary funding for transformational projects that will strengthen Southern Arizona’s workforce and create new opportunities for students.\n\nAmong the investments is funding for Pima JTED’s Workforce Training Center for Technological Innovation, a new 50,000-square-foot facility that will expand career and technical education opportunities for more than 500 additional students each year. The center will prepare students for high-demand careers in the skilled trades, engineering, robotics, semiconductor manufacturing, mining, and other critical industries, helping meet Arizona’s growing workforce needs.\n\nCongressman Ciscomani also secured preliminary funding for Pima Community College’s Project Catalyst, an initiative that will modernize engineering classrooms, expand access to STEM education, and strengthen workforce training programs that prepare students for high-paying careers in Arizona’s rapidly growing economy. Together, these investments reflect Congressman Ciscomani’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities, strengthening Southern Arizona’s workforce, and building pathways to economic success.\n\nCongressman Ciscomani’s advocacy has been recognized by local education leaders.\n\n\"Pima Community College is grateful to Congressman Juan Ciscomani and the House Appropriations Committee for their support of the college's Project Catalyst,\" said Dr. Jeffrey Nasse, chancellor of Pima Community College. \"These dollars will support the college's continuing efforts to keep our workforce programs in STEM--including pre-engineering--and business fields up to date and relevant to rapidly changing workforce needs in these fields.\"\n\nIn addition to these local investments clearing the first major hurdle in the legislative process, Congressman Ciscomani has championed strong federal support for students and educators nationwide through the Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The legislation provides:\n\n$40.2 billion for K-12 education.\n\n$12.3 billion for Head Start, expanding access to early childhood education for working families.\n\n$15.5 billion for special education, including a $49 million increase to support students with disabilities.\n\n\"As a father of six, I know firsthand the excitement, anticipation, and hope that comes with every back-to-school season,\" said Congressman Ciscomani. \"Every student deserves the chance to succeed, whether they are learning to read, preparing for college, or pursuing a skilled trade. In Congress, I have always fought to invest in our classrooms, support our teachers, and expand workforce training, so every student in Southern Arizona can build a successful future right here at home. I grew up as a Pell Grant recipient, and that opportunity and meaningful support truly changed my life. That’s why I’m committed to defending these opportunities for the next generation through my work on the Appropriations Committee.\"\n\nFamilies and students can also watch Congressman Ciscomani’s back-to-school message HERE.\n\nImage\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-applauds-first-australian-steel-support-virginia-class", "title": "Courtney Applauds First Australian Steel Support for Virginia-class Submarine Construction", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "courtney.house.gov", "scraper": "courtney", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001069", "name": "Joe Courtney", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "NORWICH, CT – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Ranking Member of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the bipartisan Friends of Australia Caucus, applauded Electric Boat’s $2 million steel plate order to Australian supplier Bisalloy Steel, which was announced last week. This is the first time Australian-made steel will be used in the construction of U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarines.\n\n“This is a groundbreaking steel order that our two countries and two navies have worked to achieve since Congress first passed AUKUS authorities in 2023,” Courtney said. “This steel order is the first of many that will help develop Australia's submarine industrial base while expanding production capacity across the U.S submarine industrial base. In 2026, AUKUS collaboration is in high gear with joint training of U.S. and Australian submariners, and Australian investment of $3 billion into U.S. submarine construction. The Bisalloy Steel order is another demonstration of Australian commitment to manufacture components meeting rigorous NAVSEA standards for submarine construction. This milestone is a win for both countries and another important step in strengthening our shared undersea industrial base for decades to come.”\n\nLast Wednesday, the U.S. Navy officially executed historic Block VI Virginia-class and Build II Columbia-class construction contract awards, which will support construction of nine Virginia-class fast attack submarines and five Columbia-class ballistic submarines. Congress authorized the Block VI contract in 2023 and the Columbia-class Build II contract in 2025. The legislative language for both authorizations originated in the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.\n\nIn a statement following the announcement of the contract awards, Ranking Member Courtney said, \"These multiyear commitments by Congress and the Navy secure work at submarine shipyards and thousands of supply chain companies well into the late 2030s, further boosted by the AUKUS security agreement and the sale of three in-service Virginia-class submarines to Australia in the 2030s.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-craig-presses-trump-administration-lack-responsiveness-dept-ed-continued", "title": "Rep. Craig Presses Trump Administration on Lack of Responsiveness from Dept. of Ed, Continued Confusion Surrounding Student Loan Repayments, Civil Rights Complaints", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://craig.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "craig.house.gov", "scraper": "craig", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001119", "name": "Angie Craig", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "EAGAN, MN – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig pressed the Trump Administration on their continued lack of responsiveness to inquiries directed to the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) following the Department of Education’s (DoEd) decision to gut department staff and offload its responsibilities to other federal agencies.\n\nIn a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Education Undersecretary Nicholas Kent and Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey, Rep. Craig cited a significant increase in constituent cases with FSA and OCR since President Trump took office, and expressed concern with the low number of cases that have been positively resolved. She also demanded answers from the Administration about why her office has experienced delays in communication, from FSA and OCR when submitting inquiries on behalf of her constituents.\n\n“Since the start of your tenures, I have seen an increase in DoEd inquiries, with 50 constituents seeking my office’s assistance with FSA or OCR services,” Rep. Craig wrote. “Only five of these cases (just 10%) received a positive resolution from FSA. 16 of these cases involve delays in student loan application statuses, buybacks and transfers, and 20% of all cases lacked any communication from DoEd or their student loan servicer.”\n\n“Ironically, your mission to dismantle DoEd and ‘Make Education Great Again’ has resulted in more bureaucratic red tape, an increase in unsolved or unanswered cases and wasted taxpayer dollars, all with the goal of fulfilling a political agenda that does not serve my constituents,” Rep. Craig continued.\n\n“Given the strong bipartisan opposition to your illegal actions and your continued failure to assist my constituents, I must remind you of your oaths of office and moral obligations of your public service, as well as Congress’ constitutional authority to call for your removal from office if deemed necessary,” Rep. Craig wrote. “I demand you support your remaining nonpartisan staff in their work to provide estimated PSLF processing and buyback timelines, directly respond to borrower and caseworker inquiries in a timely manner and provide proper public notice regarding PSLF Program buyback delays.”\n\nRep. Craig has fought Republican efforts to dismantle the Department of Education from day one. This Congress, she co-sponsored the Department of Education Protection Act, which would prohibit Congressional funds from being used to fire agency workers or drastically alter the Education Department. She also led a joint resolution opposing cuts to the Department of Education and condemning any Congressional or Executive action that attempts to dismantle the Department.\n\nYou can read the full text of her letterhere.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-delauro-announces-phil-cacciola-recipient-inaugural", "title": "Congresswoman DeLauro Announces Phil Cacciola as Recipient of Inaugural Veteran Impact Award", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "delauro.house.gov", "scraper": "delauro", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000216", "name": "Rosa L. DeLauro", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) awarded the inaugural Third Congressional District Veteran Impact Award to Colonel Phil Cacciola of Middletown, Connecticut. The Veteran Impact Award was created to honor veterans in Connecticut’s Third District who continue to make a positive impact in their communities and in the lives of fellow citizens through dedicated service and extraordinary contributions after their service.\n\n“Colonel Phil Cacciola served 30 years as a member of the United States Army Reserves and has devoted his life to serving the community and his fellow veterans well beyond his years in uniform. Phil deeply exemplifies the spirit of dedicated selfless service to others, and I am honored to recognize him as the recipient of the Veteran Impact Award,” said Congresswoman DeLauro.\n\nUpon graduating from Norwich University, Mr. Cacciola received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserves through the school’s ROTC program. Shortly after commissioning, Mr. Cacciola was placed on active duty and served overseas for two and a half years in the Third Armored Division. After completing his active-duty service, Mr. Cacciola was transferred to the 76th Division for the remainder of his career where he served in several different positions as he rose through the ranks. During a career spanning 30 years, Mr. Cacciola received numerous awards and decorations for his service including a Meritorious Service Medal and an Army Commendation Medal. Mr. Cacciola retired as a Colonel in 1993.\n\nAfter retiring, Mr. Cacciola continued his public service and served as the Director of Consumer Protection/Sealer of Weights & Measures and American with Disabilities Act Coordinator for the City of Middletown for 18 years. Mr. Cacciola has also served in countless community organizations, including as Director of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce and as Director of the Americans with Disabilities Coalition of Connecticut. Mr. Cacciola is also a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Vietnam War, Military Officers Association of America, and Disabled American Veterans where he has continued to support the Veteran community.\n\nCurrently, Mr. Cacciola serves as the treasurer of the Middletown’s Veteran Council and is an active member of the Greater Middletown Military Museum. Mr. Cacciola was inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame in 2017.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://delbene.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4392", "title": "WA Delegation Requests Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://delbene.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "delbene.house.gov", "scraper": "delbene", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000617", "name": "Suzan K. DelBene", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) joined Washington state’s Congressional delegation in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to approve Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson’s request for an expedited Emergency Declaration for the devastating wildfires sweeping through Central and Eastern Washington state.\n\nOn Saturday, August 1, 2026, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and issued a statewide burn ban through September 30, 2026. On Saturday, the National Weather Service upgraded the Red Flag Warning to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, a rare designation typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. Over 700 structures have been lost in the fires so far and over 14,000 structures are threatened, with over 67,000 people evacuated.\n\nJoining DelBene in the letter to President Trump were Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Representatives, Rick Larsen (WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (WA-05), Emily Randall (WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Adam Smith (WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10).\n\n“These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,” the lawmakers wrote to President Trump. “Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.”\n\n“While local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need,” the lawmakers concluded.\n\nThe full letter can be found here", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://fedorchak.house.gov/media/press-releases/fedorchak-recognizes-summer-interns", "title": "Fedorchak recognizes summer interns", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://fedorchak.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "fedorchak.house.gov", "scraper": "fedorchak", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000482", "name": "Julie Fedorchak", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Internships are available for the fall and spring semesters in the Washington, Bismarck, and Fargo offices. University students and recent graduates are encouraged to apply. Preference is given to residents of North Dakota or individuals enrolled in a North Dakota school.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://finstad.house.gov/2026/08/03/finstad-sends-letter-to-governor-walz-expressing-concerns-about-minnesotas-educational-performance/", "title": "Finstad Sends Letter to Governor Walz Expressing Concerns About Minnesota’s Educational Performance", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://finstad.house.gov/media", "domain": "finstad.house.gov", "scraper": "finstad", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000475", "name": "Brad Finstad", "party": "Republican", "state": "MN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "ROCHESTER, MN – Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) attended and delivered remarks at the Flint Hill Resources...\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01), member of the House Armed Services Committee, released a...\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) released a statement following today’s passage of H.R. 9770,...\n\nNEW ULM, MN – Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) hosted a roundtable discussion in Mankato with Secretary of the U.S....\n\nNEW ULM, MN – Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) announced that he has nominated four southern Minnesota...\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) and Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-02) introduced the...\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01), member of the House Committee on Small Business,...\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) sent a letter to the Minnesota Department of Education...\n\nROCHESTER, MN – Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) was joined by Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling in...\n\nROCHESTER, MN – Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) hosted a roundtable discussion with U.S. Attorney for the...\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) sent a letter to United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster...", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://gabeevans.house.gov/media/press-releases/case-you-missed-it-congressman-gabe-evans-highlights-bipartisan-leadership", "title": "In Case You Missed It: Congressman Gabe Evans Highlights Bipartisan Leadership on Permitting Reform in 535 Interview", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gabeevans.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gabeevans.house.gov", "scraper": "gabeevans", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000300", "name": "Gabe Evans", "party": "Republican", "state": "CO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Gabe Evans joined Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA) on 535 to discuss their bipartisan efforts to modernize America's permitting system and advance commonsense reforms that will strengthen U.S. energy security, lower costs for families, and accelerate the construction of critical infrastructure.\n\nDuring the interview, Congressman Evans discussed his bipartisan CERTAIN Act, his work as the Republican co-lead of the Problem Solvers Caucus Working Group on Permitting, Energy & Environment, and the need for Congress to reduce unnecessary delays that prevent America from building the infrastructure needed to meet rising energy demand.\n\n“The first thing that Scott and I did was we put together this bipartisan permitting reform framework just because no one single bill is going to fix this... Here are the general things where Republicans and Democrats we think can agree to try to move the needle in terms of being able to responsibly build major infrastructure projects faster.”\n\nCongressman Evans explained that permitting reform is not about choosing winners and losers, but ensuring projects that successfully complete the federal permitting process are treated fairly and consistently.\n\n“If someone goes through all of the effort to jump through all of the different hoops to get a federal permit to build some of these big infrastructure projects that we need, we want to make sure that that permit is durable across administrations... We want a level playing field for all safe, affordable, and reliable energy.”\n\nAs the representative of one of the nation's leading energy-producing districts, Congressman Evans also emphasized the importance of an all-of-the-above energy strategy that supports both traditional and renewable energy sources while reducing America's dependence on foreign competitors.\n\n“Just because we don't do something doesn't mean it's not going to happen. It will happen. It's just going to happen in other places like China... If we want to protect the environment, we have to build it here in the United States.”\n\nThe Congressman also highlighted the need to reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), citing the Supreme Court's recent guidance that environmental review should inform decisions without preventing critical projects from moving forward.\n\n“The Supreme Court phrased it best... the point of this law is to inform, not paralyze. And unfortunately where we're at right now... we're paralyzed. It takes years to decades to build the most simple infrastructure.”\n\nCongressman Evans' bipartisan CERTAIN Act would establish clear permitting timelines, improve transparency and accountability throughout the federal review process, protect lawfully-issued permits from political interference, strengthen coordination between agencies, and help ensure the United States can build the energy infrastructure necessary to meet growing demand.\n\nIn addition to leading the CERTAIN Act, Congressman Evans has championed several pieces of legislation to improve America's energy future, including the SPEED Act, the FIRE Act, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act, and the Critical Minerals and Manufacturing Support Act. Together, these efforts seek to modernize permitting, strengthen domestic manufacturing, improve grid reliability, and lower costs for American families.\n\nThe Congressman concluded the interview by expressing optimism that bipartisan permitting reform can become law.\n\n“I'm optimistic... I think that we're going to get something meaningful delivered and then across the finish line because we have to do it. This is a matter of national concern.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://garamendi.house.gov/2026/08/03/rep-garamendi-joins-highway-37-ribbon-cutting-event/", "title": "Rep. Garamendi Joins Highway 37 Ribbon Cutting Event", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://garamendi.house.gov/category/press-release/", "domain": "garamendi.house.gov", "scraper": "garamendi", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000559", "name": "John Garamendi", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "VALLEJO, CA — Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, joined the Solano Transportation Authority and Caltrans to celebrate the opening of the Bay Area’s first diverging diamond interchange at State Route 37 and Fairgrounds Drive in Vallejo.\n\nWATCH HERE\n\nThe new interchange will improve traffic flow, expand access for cyclists and pedestrians, and enhance access to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and the Solano County Fairgrounds. Congressman Garamendi secured $850,000 in federal funding to support the project. The project also received funding made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 that Garamendi helped author and enact.\n\nThis funding is part of over $16 million that Congressman Garamendi secured for the district. These federal investments will strengthen critical infrastructure, improve public safety, and support communities throughout Solano and Contra Costa Counties.\n\n“I am honored to represent this hardworking community, and I’m proud to have helped secure critical federal funding for this much-needed project,” said Congressman Garamendi. “All of that work has been worth it because of the tremendous progress we’ve made together in creating a safer, more connected community for everyone who lives, works, and travels here. Our work is far from over, and I will continue securing federal investments our communities need to modernize infrastructure, create good-paying union jobs, lower long-term costs, and deliver critical transportation projects more quickly.”\n\nEarlier this year, Congressman Garamendi joined the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the California Alliance for Jobs, and Congressman Mike Thompson in introducing the ADAPT Asset Act, legislation that would reduce project costs, accelerate essential infrastructure repairs, create good-paying union jobs, and help deliver critical transportation projects more efficiently.\n\nCongressman Garamendi was joined at the event by Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy; MTC Commissioner and Solano County Supervisor Mitch Mashburn; Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James; and Vallejo Mayor Andrea Sorce.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://garamendi.house.gov/2026/08/03/reps-garamendi-gallagher-and-sens-sheehy-and-schiff-introduce-the-american-food-for-american-schools-act/", "title": "Reps. Garamendi, Gallagher, and Sens. Sheehy and Schiff Introduce the American Food for American Schools Act", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://garamendi.house.gov/category/press-release/", "domain": "garamendi.house.gov", "scraper": "garamendi", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000559", "name": "John Garamendi", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives John Garamendi (CA-08) and James Gallagher (CA-01) reintroduced the American Food for American Schools Act, legislation to ensure that American-grown food is served in school meals. Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.\n\n“California is the largest agricultural producer in the United States, providing produce for the entire country and parts of the world. Yet, school districts in our own farming communities still use taxpayer dollars to buy imported food. Some of those imported products have even been recalled due to safety concerns, when they could have been sourced locally in California,” said Congressman Garamendi (CA-08).\n\n“That’s why I’m proud to once again introduce the American Food for American Schools Act, with my colleagues Congressman James Gallagher, Senator Sheehy and Senator Schiff, which would ensure that our schoolchildren are served nutritious, American-grown food produced under the strictest safety standards in the world.”\n\n“Our farmers should be at the forefront as we improve school meal programs. The American Food for American Schools Act puts American-grown food on our children’s lunch trays while creating new opportunities for the farmers who feed our nation,” said Congressman Gallagher (CA-01). “Northern California produces some of the highest-quality food in the world, and it is common sense to buy from our own farmers instead of importing food from foreign countries. This bipartisan bill strengthens American agriculture and gives students access to nutritious meals made with products grown right here at home.”\n\n“It doesn’t make sense for American schools to purchase imported food when the very best beef and agricultural products are produced right here at home, including in my home state of Montana. Buying U.S.-grown agricultural products not only protects the health and wellbeing of American kids, but also supports our nation’s economy, American farmers and ranchers, and small and local agricultural businesses,” said Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT). “The American Food for American Schools Act strengthens the ‘Buy American’ requirement for schools to build a more secure domestic food chain and ensures federal policies back the producers who feed our nation, not foreign competitors.”\n\n“Ensuring that our schools purchase as much American produce as possible is crucial to supporting our farmers and economy,” said Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA). “I’m proud to lead this bipartisan and bicameral bill with Senator Sheehy and Representatives Garamendi and Gallagher.”\n\nSTATEMENTS OF SUPPORT\n\n“The Teamsters are proud to endorse Representatives Garamendi and Gallagher’s American Food for American School’s Act. When school districts purchase food using our tax dollars, they should support American farmers and American workers,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “On behalf of tens of thousands of Teamsters in the food processing industry, we strongly support this effort to ensure safer and better products for students, while also creating opportunities for the Americans who grow, package, ship, and deliver domestically grown food.”\n\n“Increasing imports of canned fruits and vegetables are one of the greatest threats to our industry given lower labor and steel costs in other parts of the world,” said Paul Palmby, President & CEO of Seneca Foods, speaking as a founding leader of the American Fruit & Vegetable Coalition. “We have also observed that fruit and vegetable imports continue to be a driving force behind our nation’s increased dependence on foreign food imports. We applaud this critical effort to empower and support our schools, parents, and American businesses with common-sense, modernized Buy America policies.”\n\n“Farm Bureau applauds Senators Sheehy and Schiff, and Representatives Garamendi and Gallagher, for advancing legislation that supports both American agriculture and child nutrition,” said Dr. John Newton, AFBF Vice President of Public Policy and Economic Analysis. “By expanding access to high-quality, domestically grown food in school meal programs, this bill will help ensure students receive nutritious meals while also supporting U.S. farmers.”\n\n“American farmers and ranchers raise the highest quality crops and livestock in the world. Just like farmers nationwide, we here in Montana we are proud of the products we grow so we appreciate the effort to highlight the importance of delivering this healthy, delicious food to kids in our local schools and beyond,” said Cyndi Johnson, Montana Farm Bureau Federation President and farmer from Conrad. “We applaud Senator Sheehy, his co-sponsors and counterparts in the House, for bringing this legislation, which will bring more of these high-quality, American raised foods to school children across the United States.”\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nThe American Food for American Schools Act would strengthen and clarify the existing Buy America requirements for USDA school meal programs, ensuring that taxpayer-funded school food purchases support American farmers and food producers whenever possible.\n\nSpecifically, the legislation would:\n\nCodify limited exceptions to the Buy America requirement, allowing waivers only when domestic commodities or products are not reasonably available in sufficient quantity or quality.\n\nRequire schools that receive a waiver to notify parents that American-grown food is not being provided.\n\nLimit waivers to no more than 5 percent of a school food authority’s annual commercial food costs within each food component.\n\nRequire USDA to publish information on Buy America compliance, including a list of approved waivers and foreign products purchased without a waiver. This transparency would help domestic producers identify opportunities to challenge waivers or enter the market with American-grown products.\n\nStreamline the Buy America contracting process by establishing uniform contract requirements for school food procurement. If a supplier provides foreign-sourced products in violation of a Buy America contract, schools would receive safe-harbor protections, and USDA would be authorized to seek reimbursement from the supplier. Those funds would support USDA’s Buy American Procurement Training Program.\n\nExtend Buy America requirements to additional USDA child nutrition programs, including the School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Afterschool Snack Program, and Special Milk Program.\n\nENDORSEMENTS:\n\nTeamsters\n\nAmerican Farm Bureau\n\nCalifornia Farm Bureau\n\nMontana Farm Bureau\n\nAmerican Fruit and Vegetable Coalition\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-gottheimer-celebrates-new-jersey-state-fair-in-sussex-county", "title": "PHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Celebrates New Jersey State Fair in Sussex County", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gottheimer.house.gov/press", "domain": "gottheimer.house.gov", "scraper": "gottheimer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000583", "name": "Josh Gottheimer", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Above: Gottheimer attends New Jersey State Fair in Sussex County.\n\nAUGUSTA, NJ — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined Jersey families, farmers, and exhibitors at the 2026 New Jersey State Fair, including the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show, running July 31 through August 8, 10 am – 10 pm on weekends and 12 pm – 10 pm on weekdays, at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, New Jersey.\n\nAcross the fairgrounds, Gottheimer greeted families, thanked veterans and active-duty service members, toured the 4-H livestock exhibits, met with youth leaders, visited local veteran organizations, and stopped by the locally operated food concessions.\n\n“The New Jersey State Fair is a Sussex County tradition and one of the best weeks of the summer in North Jersey,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “It’s a celebration of our farmers, our 4-H families, our small businesses, and the hardworking folks who make our community such a special place to live. I’m proud to be here supporting the agricultural heritage that’s at the heart of our District, and to see so many families out having a great time together.”\n\nThis annual event celebrates North Jersey’s rich farming heritage with livestock and 4-H competitions, the Sussex County Horse Show, live entertainment, rides, and family activities drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year.\n\nBelow: Gottheimer attends New Jersey State Fair in Sussex County.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://grijalva.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-grijalva-slams-trump-administration-for-destroying-100-year-old-cottonwood-trees-to-build-second-border-wall", "title": "Rep. Grijalva Slams Trump Administration for Destroying 100-Year-Old Cottonwood Trees to Build Second Border Wall", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://grijalva.house.gov/media", "domain": "grijalva.house.gov", "scraper": "grijalva", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000606", "name": "Adelita S. Grijalva", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Tucson, AZ — Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva issued the following statement after contractors working on the Trump administration's secondary border wall project cut down three 100-year old cottonwood trees near Lochiel, Arizona. The latest construction is part of the administration's multibillion-dollar border wall expansion across Arizona and Texas, including areas where barriers already exist. Conservationists have warned that the project threatens a sensitive wildlife habitat, fragile ecosystems, and culturally significant landscapes throughout the borderlands.\n\n\"The Trump administration is bulldozing our public lands, destroying century-old trees, and endangering wildlife —all to build an unnecessary second border wall. That's not border security; it's reckless destruction. Arizonans deserve better than an administration that treats our natural landscapes and border communities as collateral damage for a political stunt, said Rep. Grijalva.\n\nIn May, Rep. Grijalva questioned Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about construction of a second border wall and sought a commitment that the administration would avoid and minimize damage to environmentally-sensitive and culturally significant sites. The destruction of these century-old cottonwood trees underscores exactly why those concerns were raised and why stronger oversight of the administration's border wall construction is urgently needed.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://hudson.house.gov/press-releases/hudson-led-push-delivers-new-protections-for-special-operators-in-annual-defense", "title": "Hudson-Led Push Delivers New Protections for Special Operators in Annual Defense Bill", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hudson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "hudson.house.gov", "scraper": "hudson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001067", "name": "Richard Hudson", "party": "Republican", "state": "NC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-09), Fort Bragg’s Congressman, applauded the inclusion of new protections for Special Operations Forces and other personnel serving in sensitive military units in the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 27) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The provision follows a months-long push by Hudson to protect servicemembers from the intentional disclosure of information that could expose their identities, endanger their families, or compromise sensitive military missions.\n\n“Our special operators take on some of the most dangerous missions in the world to keep us safe. They and their families should never have to worry someone will expose their identities and put a target on their backs,” said Rep. Hudson. “As Fort Bragg’s Congressman, I introduced legislation to strengthen these protections, and I’m glad this year’s NDAA takes an important step in the right direction. I will keep working to make sure our servicemembers and their families have the strongest protections possible.”\n\nBackground\n\nEarlier this year, Hudson, alongside U.S. Representative Pat Harrigan (NC-10), introduced H. R. 7136, the Special Operator Protection Act of 2026, following an incident in which identifying information about a servicemember involved in a sensitive military operation was posted publicly. U.S. Senator Ted Budd introduced a companion measure in the U.S. Senate.\n\nH. R. 7136 would make it a federal crime to knowingly publish restricted personal information about Special Operations Forces, certain servicemembers and Department of War personnel involved in sensitive activities, and their immediate family members when the information is intended to threaten, intimidate, or facilitate violence.\n\nThe NDAA provision advances the same goal through a different legal framework by extending existing federal protections for covert identities to certain servicemembers and Department of War personnel involved in sensitive units or activities. It applies criminal penalties when someone intentionally exposes an identity the government is actively working to conceal.\n\nHudson will continue pushing for the broader protections in his Special Operator Protection Act, including safeguards for the personal information of covered servicemembers and their immediate families.\n\n-###-", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://jayapal.house.gov/2026/08/03/jayapal-and-whitehouse-lead-90-colleagues-in-brief-supporting-the-ability-of-states-and-localities-to-hold-big-oil-and-gas-companies-accountable-for-climate-related-harms/", "title": "Jayapal and Whitehouse Lead 90 Colleagues in Brief Supporting the Ability of States and Localities to Hold Big Oil and Gas Companies Accountable for Climate-Related Harms", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jayapal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "jayapal.house.gov", "scraper": "jayapal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000298", "name": "Pramila Jayapal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), today led 90 members of Congress in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the case of Suncor Energy Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County. The brief explains that the Clean Air Act, the Constitution, and federal foreign policy do not prevent states and localities from holding oil and gas companies accountable for climate-related harms stemming from deceptive marketing and sales of their knowingly harmful products.\n\nAs climate change intensifies natural disasters, states and local governments face billions of dollars in climate change-driven damages. The County and the City of Boulder (respondents) sued fossil fuel companies (petitioners) under state tort law in Colorado court to “protect Boulder’s property and to care for residents’ safety,” alleging that the fossil fuel companies knew their products were harmful but deliberately concealed that information from consumers. Before the Supreme Court, the fossil fuel companies incorrectly argue that the Clean Air Act, the Constitution, and federal foreign policy preempt Boulder’s claims. The lawmakers filed a brief to ensure that federal statutes and federal authority are not improperly used as cudgels to preempt states’ powers to protect their citizens.\n\nThe lawmakers’ brief explains that the Clean Air Act does not preempt state tort suits seeking to address harms caused by the deceptive marketing and sales of fossil fuels. While Congress knows how to preempt state laws when it chooses, “the Clean Air Act’s text, structure, and purpose show that Congress has not preempted respondents’ state tort claims. The Act is intended to improve air quality primarily through emission reductions and thus does not reach respondents’ claims that petitioners engaged in the tortious conduct of deceptive marketing and sales of their knowingly harmful products. . . . Petitioners’ argument ignores the mismatch between the conduct at issue in respondents’ claims and the conduct that Congress sought to regulate in the Act. This fatal flaw should end the Court’s inquiry.”\n\nFurther, “even if petitioners were correct that respondents’ claims could incidentally reduce or even directly regulate emissions (which they do not), the Clean Air Act’s text, structure, and purpose permit that.” In the Act, “Congress expressly empowered state regulations beyond the federal standards and preserved state authority to seek ‘any’ relief under ‘any statute or common law.’” Congress thus “ensure[d] that the Act sets a federal floor to prevent a ‘race to the bottom’ but otherwise largely leaves state power intact, recognizing the enduring role of States in pollution regulation.” The oil companies’ novel presumption in favor of preemption would invert traditional principles of federalism and undermine Congress’s authority to choose when and how federal law displaces state law.\n\n“Petitioners hardly disguise their intent to upend decades of this Court’s jurisprudence respecting Congress’s legislative choices and state sovereignty in our federal system,” the lawmakers write. The petitioners’ argument “would turn any regulatory regime for a national industry into a default liability shield for deceptive practices or other misconduct.” The members added, “This is not how Congress legislates: Congress does not implicitly create liability shields for tortious conduct whenever it regulates within a field… Instead, even where Congress does preempt traditional state authority, it often carves out consumer protection claims, recognizing the importance of States’ ability to protect citizens from fraud-based harm.”\n\nThe lawmakers also refute the petitioners’ assertion that Congressionally approved foreign policy preempts respondents’ claims. Petitioners “fail to identify any foreign policy in tension with respondents’ claims, much less the clear and substantial conflict with federal foreign policy typically required to preempt state laws operating in a traditional area of state authority… Petitioners’ attempt to gin up a conflict between federal foreign policy and respondents’ tort claims falls short.”\n\nJoining Whitehouse and Jayapal in signing the amicus brief were Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chirs Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with 77 members of the House.\n\nFull text of the brief is available here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://jeffries.house.gov/2026/08/03/leader-jeffries-on-ny1-our-promise-to-the-american-people-is-that-were-fighting-for-an-affordable-america/", "title": "LEADER JEFFRIES ON NY1: “OUR PROMISE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IS THAT WE’RE FIGHTING FOR AN AFFORDABLE AMERICA”", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jeffries.house.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "jeffries.house.gov", "scraper": "jeffries", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000294", "name": "Hakeem S. Jeffries", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on NY1’s Inside City Hall, where he emphasized that ahead of the midterm election, House Democrats are unified in their commitment to lower the high cost of living and defeat Republican corruption once and for all.\n\nERROL LOUIS: Welcome back to Inside City Hall. With just over 90 days to go until the midterm elections, Democratic leaders have entered what they are calling a sprint to flip control of Congress. My next guest has been spending his time traveling all around the country stumping for candidates who want to do just that. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries represents parts of Brooklyn that include all or part of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East New York and Coney Island. Congressman Jeffries joins me now from Brooklyn to talk about the upcoming midterms and more. Good evening, and welcome back to the program.\n\nLEADER JEFFRIES: Great to be with you, Errol.\n\nERROL LOUIS: So, as of tonight, 92 days until the midterms. What is this Democratic sprint to the finish line going to look like?\n\nLEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’ve made clear our promise to the American people is that we’re fighting for an affordable America. We recognize that life in this country is far too expensive. There are too many folks who are working hard, they’re playing by the rules, but they are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, cannot thrive and can barely survive. So we need to turn that situation around. And we’re committed to lowering the cost of groceries, lowering the cost of gas, lowering the cost of housing and making life more affordable in this great country.\n\nERROL LOUIS: Last week, we spoke with one of your colleagues, Representative Tom Suozzi, who was one of only two Democrats that flipped Republican districts to Democratic in districts that Trump also won in 2024. Here’s what he had to say.\n\nRECORDING OF REP. TOM SUOZZI: Well, if you look at the DSA candidates that won for Congress, they won in deep, deep blue seats in primaries. You know, they don’t have to worry about the general. They only have to worry about the primaries. And who votes in primaries but this far-left part of the Party? Look at the Republicans who win the MAGA seats, the Freedom Caucus folks. They win in deep, deep red seats. They just try to appeal to this fringe of the Party. It’s not going to sell to the country. It’s always 40%, 40% and that 20% in the middle is where the fight is. And we’ve got to appeal to those folks. And I can guarantee you, you’re not going to appeal to them with a platform that says open the borders and defund the police and get rid of the Senate.\n\nERROL LOUIS: So I’m sure you’ve heard this before, Congressman. He thinks 40% of the electorate is very progressive, 40% is MAGA conservative. The battle for control is a fight for the 20% in the middle. Is that your analysis as well?\n\nLEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re working hard to make sure that Tom Suozzi is reelected, of course, along with Laura Gillen and Josh Riley here in New York. And we’re also going to flip a seat in NY-17 in the Westchester, Rockland County area currently held by Mike Lawler. Cait Conley, a decorated Marine—a decorated combat veteran, I should say—is going to win that seat, and she’s running hard on the affordability message and solving problems for hardworking American taxpayers. I think that in order to win these elections—it’s going to be a competitive general election landscape, Errol—that we have to do two things: energize the base while, of course, moving swing voters, centrist voters, moderate voters, Independent voters in our direction. Candidates like Tom Suozzi have proven that they can do that incredibly well, as well as our Frontline candidates all across the country. And then we’ve got to flip a handful of seats in order to take back control of the House of Representatives. I think what unifies Democrats across the country and aligns with Independents and swing voters is the reality that we have to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America, and that affordability message is going to be critical to our success.\n\nERROL LOUIS: Congressman Suozzi specifically says that Democrats should be challenging the DSA’s national platform, which calls for, among other things, abolishing the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Supreme Court, opening the national borders, having the government take outright ownership of major industries. Is that a conversation that you want to have? He says he’s going to get tarred with all of this anyhow, and so they—there needs to be some kind of a response. What do you think about that?\n\nLEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I certainly don’t support open borders, I don’t support defunding the police and I don’t support abolishing the Senate. But I do support the notion that we’ve got to fix what’s broken here in the United States of America and ensure that capitalism can actually serve the greatest number of people, that the economy works for working-class Americans and that we’ve got to do all that we can to make life more comfortable, more affordable and ensure that everyone has access to a middle-class life. That, again, I think is a principle that unifies not just Democrats across the ideological spectrum, but Independents, of course, are abandoning Republicans in droves because they know that Republicans haven’t done a damn thing to actually make life more affordable for the American people. In fact, because of Trump policies, like the Trump tariffs, costs have gone up. Increased expenses on everyday Americans, everyday New Yorkers, by thousands of dollars per year. And of course, Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice in Iran has skyrocketed gas prices and made life more expensive. We need to push back against all of that and move this country in a different direction.\n\nERROL LOUIS: Let me ask you about the dynamic—actually, Congressman Suozzi talked about this as well—the dynamic, broadly speaking, historically that social movements push the Democrats from the outside to push for environmental legislation or the labor movement that pushed FDR, the Civil Rights Movement that pushed President Johnson, the Occupy Wall Street movement that tried to push President Obama and spawn the Sunrise Movement. Is there a role for DSA activists to create momentum for the legislation that you want to see pass that you just described?\n\nLEADER JEFFRIES: Well, primary voters are going to make their decisions, and I will always respect the will of primary voters in those deep blue districts. At the same period of time, I think what is clear—in order for Democrats to go from the minority into the majority so we can end this national nightmare, we do have to own the center and win over centrist voters, Independent voters and swing voters. At the end of the day, that is the only way for us to be in a position to govern and to get big things done for the American people. I do think, again, that what unites all of us at this moment in time is going to be the fact that the cost of living is too high. America is way too expensive. And in this country, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, it should not be stressful when you have to go to the grocery store, but it is right now. It should not be stressful when you have to fill up your gas tank, but it is right now. It certainly shouldn’t be stressful when you have to pay your rent or pay the mortgage, but for millions of people all across our city, our state, our region and the country, it’s way too stressful because the cost of living is too high, and we’re committed to relentlessly driving it down.\n\nERROL LOUIS: OK. The last time you and I spoke was on primary night. Shortly after our conversation, in fact, while it was airing, there’s this video of people chanting, ‘You’re next.’ It went viral. This was on the night when two Democratic incumbents were defeated, and the choice of a third incumbent, Nydia Velázquez, also lost. This is a little bit about what that sounded like.\n\n[Recording of people chanting]\n\nERROL LOUIS: It’s a brief enough moment, but I know you well enough to know that you don’t take political challenges lightly. Are New York’s Democrats planning to compete with or eventually do battle against the DSA?\n\nLEADER JEFFRIES: Well, primaries are a way of life, and so to the extent that people have an interest in primaring any of us, certainly myself, come on in, the water is warm. What is interesting—I did see some clips of that particular gathering. It didn’t necessarily resemble, in terms of demographically, the working-class communities of color that I represent in large parts of the district, certainly in traditional Bedford-Stuyvesant, in Brownsville, in East New York, in Canarsie, the west end of Coney Island or, for that matter, the neighborhoods in Southern Brooklyn that I represent. So, people are going to do what they do and are free to do what they want to do moving forward. And in the House of Representatives, we only have a two-year employment contract. We’ve gotta go make our case every two years to the voters, and that’s certainly something that all of us should take seriously and be prepared to do aggressively in advance of the 2028 cycle. But what’s in front of us—it’s ironic to me that you’ve got some folks who are focused on 2028 primaries when we have an existential crisis in the United States of America right now and we’ve got to go actually defeat Republicans who have jammed extremism down the throats of the American people, ripped up the Voting Rights Act, made life more expensive, gone to war over in Iran. And it’s just been one disaster after another. And so at this moment in time, Errol, I think those of us in the congressional delegation are going to focus on actually doing what’s necessary to take back control of the House of Representatives.\n\nERROL LOUIS: You keep a better running count, obviously, than most of the rest of us, but with all of the redistricting that has happened, some of it has been in conservative states, some of it has been in progressive states. Some of it is intended to create Republican-leaning seats, some Democratic-leaning seats. Where do things stand? Last time I talked to you, you said you thought there were about 45 seats that you could try and flip, keeping in mind that in 2018, I think it was something like 41 seats that changed hands.\n\nLEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, so we began this Congress just three seats short, holding Republicans after the 2024 election to the narrowest majority that any Congress has held since 1930. As a result of what the Supreme Court has unleashed with its horrific decision to gut the Voting Rights Act and then as a result of what Republicans have done in a handful of states in the South by bringing to life Jim Crow-like tactics to try to rip up districts that were designed to give historically discriminated-against communities in the South, the opportunity—Black communities—to elect the candidates of their choice, it may be the case, Errol, that we’ve got to flip a total of about six seats net in this upcoming general election, which by the way, as you pointed out, Errol, is just a fraction of the 40 seats that we flipped on election night in November of 2018 during Donald Trump’s first midterm election. So we’re going to run through the finish line. We’re focused, of course, on fighting for an affordable America, lowering the high cost of living, making healthcare affordable for every single New Yorker and every single American and at the same period of time combating corruption and holding the crooks accountable who are making life more expensive for the American people.\n\nERROL LOUIS: Okay, let me ask you. We got to end on a local note, of course, Congressman. There’s this fight going on right now to control the Brooklyn Democratic Organization, which is the second-largest county in the nation of enrolled Democrats. Are you supporting the current leader, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, or the reform group that is trying to replace her?\n\nLEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, you know what? I haven’t had a conversation with either Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, and I don’t know this individual who has been put forth by the alternate slate of district leaders. I do look forward to having a conversation, certainly initially, with the current Chairwoman about her intentions before deciding how best to move forward in ensuring that we have an effective and an equitable and an inclusive Brooklyn Democratic Party.\n\nERROL LOUIS: Okay, we will leave it there for now. Best of luck on the campaign trail in this final sprint. Thanks so much for spending some time with us.\n\nLEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you so much.\n\nFull interview can be watched here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://joewilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/wilson-introduces-legislation-combat-end-stage-renal-disease", "title": "Wilson Introduces Legislation to Combat End Stage Renal Disease", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://joewilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "joewilson.house.gov", "scraper": "joewilson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000795", "name": "Joe Wilson", "party": "Republican", "state": "SC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, DC – Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC), introduced the PREVENT ESRD Act. The Legislation establishes a program to encourage health plans to invest in earlier detection and treatment of chronic kidney disease before patients develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD).\n\nUnder the bill, participating health plans would improve access to kidney screenings, medications, nutrition services, care coordination, and other preventive treatments while reducing or eliminating patient cost-sharing for key kidney care services. These investments should successfully slow the progression of kidney disease and reduce Medicare spending, while saving lives.\n\nThe legislation has been endorsed by the American Kidney Fund (AKF), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Alliance for Aging Research, Amputee Coalition, American Society of Nephrology, The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), Gerontological Society of America (GSA), Global Coalition on Aging, IgA Nephropathy Foundation, League of United Latin American Citizens, The Mended Hearts, Inc., National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), National Alliance of Purchaser Coalitions, National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP), NCBA Inc., The National Consumer League (NCL), National Kidney Foundation (NKF), NephCure, Renal Physicians Association (RPA). The joint endorsement letter can be read here.\n\n“Kidney disease affects millions of Americans, yet far too many are not diagnosed until it is too late. The PREVENT ESRD Act takes a commonsense approach by encouraging earlier screening, expanding access to proven treatments, and rewarding better outcomes that improve patients' lives while reducing costs for taxpayers. I am grateful to work to help Americans stay healthier and strengthen the future of healthcare. I dedicate this fight to the late Karen Metz, wife of my Chief of Staff Craig Metz, who courageously battled kidney disease,” said Rep. Wilson.\n\n“Research shows early intervention in kidney care could save Medicare more than $9 billion and employers over $35 billion annually. But beyond the significant economic savings, the human burden of kidney disease could be reduced if we pass legislation that could meaningfully change the trajectory of kidney disease. The American Kidney Fund thanks U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson for introducing the “Prevent ESRD Act” and leading bipartisan efforts to advance the fight against kidney disease. We urge Congress to support the legislation on behalf of 37 million Americans with kidney disease, and millions more at risk,” said LaVarne Burton, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Kidney Fund.\n\nThe National Kidney Foundation applauds this legislation's innovative approach to preventing the progression to kidney failure. Too many Americans are diagnosed too late, when treatment options become more limited and costs to patients, families, employers, and the healthcare system increase dramatically. By encouraging investment in early detection, education, and proven treatments, this has the potential to improve outcomes for millions of Americans affected by CKD while reducing unnecessary healthcare spending. We look forward to working with Congress and stakeholders to advance policies that help more people maintain their kidney health and avoid kidney failure,\" said Dr. Jesse Roach, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, National Kidney Foundation.\n\n“Large employers see firsthand the human and financial toll of chronic kidney disease on workers, families, and the health care system. A voluntary kidney care shared savings demonstration is exactly the kind of commonsense, bipartisan solution we need—one that rewards earlier screening, better care coordination, and access to effective treatments before patients progress to kidney failure. By aligning incentives for health plans, employers, providers, and Medicare, this model can help delay or prevent ESRD, improve quality of life for millions of Americans, and generate meaningful savings for taxpayers and employer-sponsored health plans alike,” said Melissa Barlett, Senior Vice President, Health Policy, ERISA Industry Committee.\n\n\"Too many Americans never get the chance to age healthily because kidney disease goes undetected until it's too late. Programs that increase earlier screening and treatment, when progression can still be slowed or stopped, will go a long way in supporting patients' quality of life, helping employers retain experienced workers longer, and lowering health system costs. Keeping more people out of dialysis means more people reaching their later years with their health and independence intact,\" said Melissa Gong Mitchell, Executive Director, Global Coalition on Aging.\n\n\"For people living with Spina Bifida, protecting kidney health is essential to preserving independence, preventing life-threatening complications, and improving quality of life across the lifespan. Kidney disease often develops silently in our community due to neurogenic bladder, making early screening, coordinated care, and timely intervention critical. The Spina Bifida Association strongly supports innovative approaches that encourage prevention, reward high-quality care, and expand access to evidence-based treatments before kidney failure occurs. By investing in earlier detection and better care coordination, this demonstration has the potential to improve outcomes for millions of Americans while reducing the human and financial costs of kidney disease. We applaud this bipartisan effort to prioritize prevention and protect kidney health,\" said Sara Struwe, President and Chief Executive Officer, Spina Bifida Association.\n\n\"The Academy strongly supports this innovative demonstration project to advance kidney care and prevent progression to end-stage renal disease. Chronic kidney disease remains a silent and costly crisis, often going undiagnosed until it is too late, despite clear evidence that early screening, nutrition intervention, and coordinated care can significantly improve outcomes. By aligning incentives to prioritize prevention and expanding access to comprehensive, patient-centered services, this model represents a critical step toward transforming kidney care, improving quality of life for millions, and reducing avoidable costs to employers and the Medicare program. We urge policymakers to move forward with this bipartisan opportunity to invest in prevention and deliver better, more equitable care,” said the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2025-2026 President Deanne Brandstetter, MBA, RDN CDN, FAND.\n\n“NANASP commends Rep. Wilson on the introduction of his novel bill which has prevention as its main focus. The approach of creating a kidney care shared savings demonstration is a win-win for health care plans who succeed in delaying and preventing ESRD and the other winner of course is the patient. Early diagnosis of kidney disease is vital to avoiding later more costly treatments. We urge passage of this bill,\" said Bob Blancato, Executive Director, National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services (NANASP).\n\n\"IgA nephropathy is a progressive kidney disease that often affects people in the prime of their lives, yet many patients are not diagnosed until significant kidney damage has already occurred. Earlier identification, better care coordination, and access to effective treatments are essential to slowing disease progression and helping patients avoid kidney failure. The Prevent ESRD Act recognizes the importance of prevention by creating incentives to intervene earlier in the disease continuum. The IgA Nephropathy Foundation is proud to support this effort and thanks Rep. Joe Wilson for his leadership on behalf of patients with kidney disease,” - Bonnie Schneider, Executive Director, IgA Nephropathy Foundation.\n\nA full copy of H.R. 9891 is available here.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-hosts-federal-transit-administration-westfield-train-station-alongside-nj", "title": "Kean Hosts Federal Transit Administration at Westfield Train Station alongside NJ Transit Leadership", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "kean.house.gov", "scraper": "kean", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000398", "name": "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "party": "Republican", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "(August 3, 2026) WESTFIELD, NJ – Last Wednesday, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) toured the Westfield Train Station alongside leadership from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and New Jersey Transit.\n\nBuilding upon his work in the New Jersey Senate, Congressman Kean has continued to advocate for a one-seat ride for commuters on the Raritan Valley Line between New Jersey and New York. Implementing a one-seat ride during peak hours will eliminate the need for commuters to transfer trains when travelling from New Jersey to Penn Station, saving hours of time with family and economic cost.\n\nIn June, Congressman Kean wrote to the Federal Railroad Administration in support of New Jersey’s Transit’s grant application for investments in the Hunter Flyover Project in Newark, NJ. Congressman Kean has also advocated for the completion of the Gateway Project. These projects are critical steps toward expanding one-seat ride service between the Raritan Valley Line and New York City.\n\n“I am leading the fight in Congress to make sure the Gateway Tunnel Project is built to completion,” said Congressman Kean. “I have made Gateway a top priority because it is indispensable to our state’s economy and the daily lives of thousands of commuters. From Gateway to the Hunter Flyover and improvements throughout the Raritan Valley Line, I will continue bringing federal, state, and local leaders together, fighting for the necessary investments, and keeping these projects moving forward until the job is done. I will not allow anyone to delay, diminish, or push aside any of New Jersey’s critical transit priorities.”\n\n“FTA is proud to partner with Congressman Kean in delivering safe, reliable, and efficient transportation systems to New Jersey's 7th Congressional District,” said FTA Associate Administrator for Communications and Government Affairs Connor Torossian. “He remains a strong advocate for the Garden State's needs in Washington. His advocacy here in Westfield this morning is a testament to that.\"\n\nIn November, he fought for a fare-free shuttle from the Lyons Train Station to the VA center in Bernards Township for local veterans. In 2024, Congressman Kean secured $1 million in federal funding through the Community Project Funding Process to provide a new community senior bus in the City of Linden to improve the city’s transportation program for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities.\n\nCongressman Kean has also advocated for more robust Amtrak services to both the Trenton and Metropark stations, critical connection points on the Northeast Corridor, and has consistently advocated for funding for Amtrak and other transportation services through federal appropriations.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-introduces-legislation-make-portable-mortgages-accessible", "title": "Kean Introduces Legislation to Make Portable Mortgages Accessible", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "kean.house.gov", "scraper": "kean", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000398", "name": "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "party": "Republican", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "(August 3, 2026) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) introduced the Making Ownership Viable for Everyone (MOVE) Act, legislation that would make portable mortgages accessible, allowing homeowners to transfer their existing mortgage rate, term, and balance to a new property. The MOVE Act will require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, entities that buy mortgages from lenders, to begin purchasing portable mortgages. Making portable mortgages accessible will encourage families to sell their home that is no longer a fit for them, while simultaneously adding more homes to the market to address the housing crisis.\n\n“Homeownership is one of the most important ways New Jersey families build equity, stability, and long-term financial security,” said Congressman Kean. “I have heard directly from residents across our state who feel stuck in homes that no longer meet their needs because moving would mean giving up their mortgage rate. I wrote this bill, the MOVE Act, to give homeowners more freedom, help put more homes on the market, and make the American Dream of owning a home more attainable for families across New Jersey.”\n\nCongressman Kean has led efforts to address housing affordability in the U.S. House of Representatives, including the introduction of the Make American Housing Affordable (MAHA) Act, and the successful fight to restore the full State and Local (SALT) Deduction for middle-class families in New Jersey. In the 2025 Reconciliation package, Congressman Kean fought to quadruple the SALT deduction to $40,000—a major victory for New Jersey homeowners.\n\nText of the MOVE Act is available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media/newsletters/catch-kim-august-3-2026-letter-congresswoman", "title": "Catch Up with Kim -- August 3, 2026 -- Letter from the Congresswoman", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media", "domain": "king-hinds.house.gov", "scraper": "king-hinds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000404", "name": "Kimberlyn King-Hinds", "party": "Republican", "state": "MP", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Catch Up with Kim -- August 3, 2026 -- Letter from the Congresswoman\nAugust 3, 2026\nNewsletters\nImage\nBack to top button", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media/newsletters/mark-your-calendars-hill-vill-round-2", "title": "Mark Your Calendars for Hill to the Vill: Round 2!", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media", "domain": "king-hinds.house.gov", "scraper": "king-hinds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000404", "name": "Kimberlyn King-Hinds", "party": "Republican", "state": "MP", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "This month, I'm asking for something from you. Please come to one of our From the Hill to the Vill: Community Conversations. You'll find the dates, times, and locations in the flyer above, and I hope you'll consider joining us. These conversations help shape the work I do in Congress. I need to hear what you're experiencing, what's working, what isn't, and where you think we should focus our efforts. Whether your concern is recovery from the typhoons, the cost of utilities, healthcare, veterans' services, tourism, or something entirely different, I want to hear it directly from you. If you've never been to one of these events before, I encourage you to give it a try. Bring your questions. Bring your ideas. Bring your frustrations if you have them. The more I hear from the people I represent, the better I can represent you in Washington. I hope to see you there!", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media/newsletters/meeting-department-war-regarding-cuc-and-cnmi-energy-issues", "title": "Meeting with Department of War regarding CUC and CNMI Energy Issues", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media", "domain": "king-hinds.house.gov", "scraper": "king-hinds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000404", "name": "Kimberlyn King-Hinds", "party": "Republican", "state": "MP", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "On Tuesday, I met with Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Energy Resilience and Optimization Rebecca Isacowitz to discuss the Marianas longstanding energy challenges, which have been compounded by back-to-back super typhoons and instability in the Middle East. We discussed both immediate and long-term strategies to help address the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation's financial crisis while advancing solutions to strengthen the CNMI’s energy security and resilience. I appreciated Deputy Assistant Secretary Isacowitz’s commitment to working with the CNMI and will continue collaborating with her and our federal partners to identify resources and opportunities that help address our islands’ urgent energy needs.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media/newsletters/rota-blue-coffee-brews-new-opportunities-ucc-japan", "title": "Rota Blue Coffee Brews New Opportunities with UCC Japan", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media", "domain": "king-hinds.house.gov", "scraper": "king-hinds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000404", "name": "Kimberlyn King-Hinds", "party": "Republican", "state": "MP", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Rota's coffee story is gaining international attention. Coffee was first cultivated on Rota during the Japanese administration of the Northern Marianas in the early 20th century, when the island was home to a thriving plantation. Decades after World War II, surviving coffee trees discovered on the slopes of Mt. Sabana sparked an effort to revive this forgotten chapter of Rota's history and transform it into a new opportunity for the future. That vision has been made possible through the dedication of longtime CNMI friend and Honorary Tourism Ambassador Kiyokazu Onishi, whose love for the islands spans more than three decades, and Rota's David Calvo, whose leadership has been instrumental in locating, cultivating, and managing the coffee plantation. The project has also benefited from the expertise and partnership of UCC Japan. The development of Rota Blue Coffee has the potential to establish a premium local product while creating new opportunities for agriculture, tourism, economic growth, and stronger ties between the CNMI and Japan. It is exciting to see this remarkable story continue to unfold, and I look forward to the day I can enjoy a cup of Rota Blue Coffee.\n\nImage", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media/newsletters/welcome-team-jean", "title": "Welcome to the team, Jean", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media", "domain": "king-hinds.house.gov", "scraper": "king-hinds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000404", "name": "Kimberlyn King-Hinds", "party": "Republican", "state": "MP", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "We are thrilled to introduce Jean Choi, the newest addition to the Saipan District Office for the summer. She is heading into her final year at University College London (UCL), where she pursues her degree in Crime and Security Science. She steps into this role with a strong dedication to shaping impactful policies within the community. Throughout the summer, Jean is eager to see how strategic analysis translates into effective public service and local development. I am incredibly excited to welcome her perspective and drive, and we look forward to providing her with an immersive experience in the vital work we do.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media/newsletters/white-house-announces-christmas-volunteer-and-performer-opportunities", "title": "White House Announces Christmas Volunteer and Performer Opportunities", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media", "domain": "king-hinds.house.gov", "scraper": "king-hinds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000404", "name": "Kimberlyn King-Hinds", "party": "Republican", "state": "MP", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "First Lady Melania Trump has announced that applications are now open for volunteers and performers to participate in the 2026 Christmas season at the White House. Talented individuals from the Commonwealth may apply for this unique opportunity to represent the Marianas by sharing our spirit of service, culture, and talent at the People’s House. Volunteer decorators must be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens, and available to serve in Washington, DC, during the Thanksgiving week decorating period. Performers, including school bands, choirs, and holiday-themed entertainers, are also encouraged to apply. Please note that volunteers and performers are responsible for their own travel, accommodations, and other personal expenses. Selected applicants will also be required to complete additional security requirements, including a background investigation. Applications are open through August 28, 2026.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-calls-removal-postmaster-general-over-effort-implement-trumps", "title": "Krishnamoorthi Calls for Removal of Postmaster General Over Effort to Implement Trump's Election Mail Executive Order Federal Courts Have Twice Held Violates the Constitution", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "scraper": "krishnamoorthi", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000391", "name": "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today called on the Postal Service Board of Governors to remove Postmaster General David Steiner, accusing him of using the U.S. Postal Service in an effort to implement President Trump's election mail executive order, which federal courts have twice held violates the Constitution. In a letter sent today, Krishnamoorthi also demanded answers about USPS's apparent implementation of the order.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi argues that Steiner has transformed USPS into a partisan instrument of voter suppression:\n\n\"Under your leadership, the United States Postal Service has been transformed into a partisan instrument of voter suppression. You have allowed this institution—trusted for more than two centuries to deliver mail without regard to party or politics—to be pressed into service implementing an Executive Order that federal courts have twice held violates the Constitution.\"\n\nPresident Trump's March 31 executive order directed USPS to withhold delivery of mail ballots to voters whose eligibility could not be confirmed against a federally compiled voter list. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia challenged the order as an unconstitutional usurpation of authority reserved to the states and Congress. A federal district court blocked key portions of the order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld that injunction, and the Trump Administration has since asked the Supreme Court to allow the order to take effect before the November midterm elections.\n\nKrishnamoorthi also argues that the Trump Administration's representations to the Supreme Court are contradicted by USPS's own apparent implementation efforts:\n\n\"The Administration's own filing presents a troubling contradiction. In urging the Supreme Court to allow immediate implementation, the Department of Justice characterized the Executive Order as merely 'general policy guidance' and acknowledged that USPS has not finalized any implementing regulations. Yet USPS's apparent implementation efforts over the past four months tell a different story.\"\n\nKrishnamoorthi argues that Steiner's repeated refusal to answer Congress has left critical questions about USPS's efforts to implement the executive order unanswered. The letter details how Steiner failed to respond to multiple requests for information, confirmed during Senate testimony his intention to carry out key aspects of the executive order despite ongoing litigation, declined to answer additional questions in writing, and refused to appear voluntarily before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.\n\nBecause of that pattern of obstruction, Krishnamoorthi concludes that Steiner has forfeited the trust required of his office:\n\n\"A Postmaster General who will not tell Congress whether his agency is complying with a federal court order, and who will not appear to answer for that silence, has already forfeited the trust the office requires. I am therefore calling on the Postal Service Board of Governors to remove you as Postmaster General, and I will urge my colleagues on the Committee to join that call.\"\n\nKrishnamoorthi requested responses by August 13, 2026, including answers to the following questions:\n\nDescribe, in detail and with supporting documentation, every implementation activity USPS has undertaken pursuant to the Executive Order to date, including any activity undertaken after the district court's injunction and after the First Circuit's July 25 ruling.\n\nIdentify all guidance, training materials, or instructions issued to postal employees, contractors, or mail processing facilities regarding the handling of election mail under the Executive Order.\n\nState whether and how USPS has communicated with state or local election officials regarding implementation, including any communications regarding the voter eligibility lists referenced in the order.\n\nDescribe, specifically, what implementation-related work has continued, been paused, or been abandoned while litigation remains pending, and reconcile that description with the Department of Justice's July 27 representation to the Supreme Court that the order is merely \"general policy guidance\" and that no regulations have been finalized.\n\nState whether USPS has suspended, delayed, or modified any implementation activity because of the injunctions issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts or the First Circuit's July 25 ruling, and if not, explain why not.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4241", "title": "Larsen Joins Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "domain": "larsen.house.gov", "scraper": "larsen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000560", "name": "Rick Larsen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) joined Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a letterto President Donald Trump urging him to approve Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson’s request last night for an expedited Emergency Declaration for the devastating wildfires sweeping through Central and Eastern Washington state.\n\nOn Saturday, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and issued a statewide burn ban through September 30, 2026. The National Weather Service upgraded the Red Flag Warning on Saturday, to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is very rare and typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. The Spokane Area Fires consist of the Old Trails Fire burning in northwest Spokane, the Autumn Lane Fire burning near Nine Mile Falls, and the Fairview Fire burning in Mead. Over 700 structures have been lost in the fires so far and over 14,000 structures are threatened, 67,000 people have been evacuated, the three fires have burned over 8,000 acres combined and are still 0% contained, nearly 1,000 firefighters battling fires in the Spokane area, and thousands of more people remain under a Level 3 (Go Now!) evacuation.\n\n“Large and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control,” wrote Larsen and the members of the delegation.\n\nRep. Larsen joined Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09) and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10) in the letter to President Trump.\n\n“These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,” the lawmakers continued. “Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.”\n\n“While local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need,” the lawmakers concluded.\n\nThe full letter is available below and HERE.\n\nDear Mr. President,\n\nAs members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s August 2nd request for an expedited Emergency Declaration due to the devastating wildfires raging in Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, and Yakima Counties. In addition to the counties, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and Spokane Tribe of Indians are also listed in Washington’s expedited Emergency Declaration request. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible.\n\nLarge and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control.\n\nThese fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers.\n\nFirefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.\n\nWhile local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need. We appreciate your prompt attention to the state’s request.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-nancy-mace-statement-beaufort-countys-glyphosate-ban-county-parks", "title": "Rep. Nancy Mace Statement on Beaufort County's Glyphosate Ban in County Parks", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mace.house.gov", "scraper": "mace", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000194", "name": "Nancy Mace", "party": "Republican", "state": "SC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "BEAUFORT, S.C. (August 3, 2026) — Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) today applauded Beaufort County Parks and Recreation for announcing a countywide ban on Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides in County parks, the first meaningful county-level pesticide safeguard in South Carolina.\n\nRep. Mace helped strip pesticide-preemption and liability-shield provisions out of the Farm Bill, preserving the right of states and local governments to adopt stronger pesticide protections than federal law requires. She has also supported the bipartisan No Immunity for Glyphosate Act.\n\n\"Beaufort County just proved local leadership can move faster than Washington, and get it right.\n\n\"For too long, powerful chemical companies have hidden behind federal preemption to keep communities from protecting their own kids, their own water, and their own backyard. Beaufort County said no more.\n\n\"This is what Make America Healthy Again actually looks like choosing our children and our wildlife over a chemical company's bottom line.\n\n\"We hope every county in South Carolina is paying attention.\"\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-mario-diaz-balart-reflects-passing-former-house-committee", "title": "Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart Reflects on the Passing of Former House Committee on Appropriations Chairwoman, Congresswoman Kay Granger", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "mariodiazbalart.house.gov", "scraper": "mariodiazbalart", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000600", "name": "Mario Diaz-Balart", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "MIAMI, FL – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) issued the following statement reflecting on the passing of former House Committee on Appropriations Chairwoman, Congresswoman Kay Granger.\n\n“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my dear friend and former colleague Kay Granger.\n\nKay was a giant among her peers—a mentor, a leader, and a loyal friend.\n\nShe broke barrier after barrier as the first woman elected Mayor of Fort Worth, the first Republican woman from Texas elected to Congress, the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and the first Republican woman to chair the full Appropriations Committee.\n\nKay's legacy of service, leadership, and determination left an indelible mark on both our nation and on me and my family.\n\nThank you, Kay. You will be deeply missed!\"\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://matsui.house.gov/media/press-releases/matsui-thompson-bera-and-local-leaders-highlight-new-federal-housing-law", "title": "MATSUI, THOMPSON, BERA, AND LOCAL LEADERS HIGHLIGHT NEW FEDERAL HOUSING LAW BENEFITS FOR SACRAMENTO", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://matsui.house.gov/media", "domain": "matsui.house.gov", "scraper": "matsui", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001163", "name": "Doris O. Matsui", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Sacramento, CA – Today, Representatives Doris Matsui (CA-07), Mike Thompson (CA-04), and Ami Bera (CA-06), held a press conference to discuss how the newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will help Sacramento build and preserve more affordable housing. The Representatives were joined by Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum and Kecia Boulware, deputy executive director of development at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA).\n\nThe 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is the most significant bipartisan federal housing legislation enacted in decades, giving communities news tools to preserve affordable housing, rehabilitate aging homes, and build more housing faster.\n\n“Too many Sacramento families are spending more of every paycheck on rent, and too many young people are wondering whether they can afford to build a future here,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “This law gives SHRA and our local partners better tools to renovate public housing, prepare sites for construction, and reduce federal delays that drive up costs. Mirasol Village shows what Sacramento can accomplish when strong local leadership has the right federal support, and I will work to make sure these programs are fully funded and put to work for our community.”\n\n“The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a huge first step in tackling our housing crisis in California,” said Congressman Thompson. “This bill will help us build more housing, lower mortgage and rental costs, and expand home ownership opportunities. I was proud to support this historic, bipartisan legislation and I will continue to work to ensure this is rolled out quickly so our communities can get the support they need.”\n\n“Too many hardworking families in the Sacramento region are doing everything right but still cannot afford a place to live,” said Congressman Bera. “The ROAD to Housing Act will help cut red tape, unlock publicly owned land, and accelerate the construction of affordable housing. I’m grateful to Congresswoman Matsui and Congressman Thompson for their leadership on this issue and look forward to working with them to ensure this new law helps families across our region have a fair shot at homeownership, economic security, and the American Dream.”\n\nThe event was held at Mirasol Village, where a $30 million HUD Choice Neighborhood grant helped renovate the former Twin Rivers public housing community with new affordable and mix-income homes. Mirasol demonstrates how federal investment can help local agencies prepare sites, put construction crews to work, and create more housing options for Sacramento families.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400387", "title": "Federal Disaster Relief for Massachusetts Farmers, Secured by McGovern, Finally on the Way", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "domain": "mcgovern.house.gov", "scraper": "mcgovern", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000312", "name": "James P. McGovern", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WORCESTER, MA – Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) announced today that over $42 million in federal disaster relief he secured in December 2024, is finally heading to Massachusetts farmers.\n\nThe money comes from a $220 million New England disaster block grant program written by McGovern and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), enacted into law by President Biden in late 2024. Designed specifically to support small and mid-sized producers—particularly those in states like Massachusetts who are often shut out of traditional U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs—the program compensates farmers for crop losses and storm-related damage to on-farm infrastructure sustained during severe weather events in 2023 and 2024.\n\n“I’m thrilled our farmers will finally get the relief they were promised,” said McGovern. “Trump Administration policies are raising costs on producers and making it even harder to farm. This funding will not only help farmers recover from devastating losses, but it will also help Massachusetts continue to build a resilient regional food system that will feed families across our commonwealth. I am grateful to Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle and Deputy Commissioner Winton Pitcoff, State Senator Jo Comerford, and former State Representative Natalie Blais for their leadership in making this relief for farmers possible.\"\n\nMcGovern and DeLauro, top Democrats on the Rules and Appropriations Committees, repeatedly pushed top USDA officials in letters, phone calls, and meetings to comply with the law and release the funds—ultimately forcing the Trump Administration to do so. Massachusetts recently executed its contract with USDA, and this week is announcing a process for impacted farmers to apply for funding to support their continued farming operations.\n\nMassachusetts is home to nearly7,100 farms—roughly 2,000 of which lie in Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties, areas devastated by 2023 flooding of the Connecticut River and battered by multiple severe weather events. Many small farms in the region are ineligible for crop insurance or find USDA aid programs too cumbersome to access, putting them at higher risk of closure following natural disasters.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases/mciver-statement-on-report-of-latest-death-at-delaney-hall", "title": "McIver Statement on Report of Latest Death at Delaney Hall", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mciver.house.gov", "scraper": "mciver", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001229", "name": "LaMonica McIver", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "NEWARK, N.J. – Amid reports that another detainee has died in ICE custody at Delaney Hall, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) released the following statement:\n\n“Reports that another person has died in ICE custody at Delaney Hall are heartbreaking and deeply disturbing—but tragically, they’re not unexpected. This is a pattern of abuse and neglect.\n\n“I know about Delaney Hall and I know that cruelty is at its core. Even after the deaths, violence, abuse, and mistreatment of those inside, Republican leaders, even in our own state, deny the truth and refuse to act. Anyone who doesn’t see these heinous acts for what they are is choosing to do so.\n\n“I am praying for the deceased and his family, and I will keep working to shut down Delaney Hall and abolish ICE before more innocent lives are lost.”\n\nIn December 2025, another detainee died in ICE custody at Delaney Hall. The facility sits within McIver’s district, and is at the center of the Trump administration’s case against her. McIver faces 17 years in prison after ICE escalated a routine oversight visit in May, 2025, leading to baseless federal charges from the Trump DOJ. The case is ongoing.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=405778", "title": "Ninth District Traveling Staff Office Hours for August", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/", "domain": "morgangriffith.house.gov", "scraper": "morgangriffith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000568", "name": "H. Morgan Griffith", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Griffith’s Ninth District STAFF will be available at the following locations during the month of August.\n\nAugust 11, 2026\n\nTazewell County (Bluefield): 10:00 am – 11:30 am\n\nTown of Bluefield Council Chambers\n\n112 Huffard Dr\n\nBluefield, VA 24641\n\nBuchanan County: 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm\n\nTown of Grundy Offices\n\n1185 Plaza Dr.\n\nGrundy, VA 24614\n\nAugust 12, 2026\n\nScott County: 9:00 am – 10:30 am\n\nCounty Administrator’s Office\n\nConference Room\n\n190 Beech Street\n\nGate City, VA 24251\n\nLee County: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm\n\nLee County Sheriff’s Office\n\nConference Room\n\n33640 Main Street\n\nJonesville, VA 24263\n\nWise County (Big Stone Gap): 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm\n\nBig Stone Gap Municipal Complex\n\n216 Wood Ave. E\n\nBig Stone Gap, VA 24219\n\nAugust 13, 2026\n\nGiles County: 9:00 am – 10:30 am\n\nTown of Pearisburg Offices\n\nCouncil Chambers\n\n112 Tazewell Street\n\nPearisburg, VA 24134\n\nBland County: 9:00 am – 10:30 am\n\nBland County Courthouse\n\nFirst Floor Conference Room\n\n612 Main Street\n\nBland, VA 24315\n\nWythe County: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm\n\nWythe County Sheriff’s Office\n\nConference Room\n\n245 South 4th Street\n\nWytheville, VA 24382\n\nRadford: 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm\n\nRadford Recreation Building\n\n200 George Street\n\nRadford, VA 24141\n\nSmyth County: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm\n\nSmyth County Administrator’s Office\n\nConference Room, Suite 100\n\n121 Bagley Circle\n\nMarion, VA 24354\n\nPulaski County: 2:30 pm – 4:00pm\n\nPulaski County Administration Building\n\nFirst Floor Conference Room\n\n143 3rd Street NW\n\nPulaski, VA 24301\n\nAugust 18, 2026\n\nCraig County: 9:00 am – 10:30 am\n\nCraig County Courthouse\n\n108 Court Street\n\nNew Castle, VA 24127\n\nRoanoke County: 11:30am – 1:00pm\n\nSouth County Library\n\nMeeting Room\n\n6303 Merriman Road\n\nRoanoke, VA 24018\n\nAugust 19, 2026\n\nCarroll County: 9:00 am – 10:30 am\n\nCarroll County Administration Building\n\nCounty Administrators Office, Conference Room\n\n605 – 1 Pine Street\n\nHillsville, VA 24343\n\nGalax: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm\n\nGalax Municipal Building\n\nConference Room\n\n111 E. Grayson Street\n\nGalax, VA 24333\n\nGrayson County: 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm\n\nGrayson County Administration Building\n\nBoard of Supervisors Room\n\n129 Davis Street\n\nIndependence, VA 24348\n\nAugust 20, 2026\n\nTazewell County (Tazewell): 10:00 am – 11:30 am\n\nAmerican Legion Building\n\n226 Central Avenue\n\nTazewell, VA 24651\n\nRussell County: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm\n\nTown of Lebanon Government Offices\n\n72 Gibson Street\n\nLebanon, VA 24266\n\nAugust 25, 2026\n\nDickenson County: 10:00 am – 11:30 am\n\nCenter for Education & Research\n\nFirst Floor Conference Room #155\n\n818 Happy Valley Drive\n\nClintwood, VA 24228\n\nNorton: 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm\n\nHigh Knob Destination Center\n\nConference Room\n\n1147 Laurel Avenue SW\n\nNorton, VA 24273\n\nWise County (Wise): 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm\n\nWise County Courthouse\n\nLaw Library, Second Floor\n\n206 E. Main Street\n\nWise, VA 24293\n\nAugust 26, 2026\n\nCity of Martinsville: 10:00 am – 11:30 am\n\nCity Hall, Room 32\n\n55 W. Church St\n\nMartinsville, VA 24112\n\nPatrick County: 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm\n\nPatrick County Administration Building\n\nConference Room\n\n106 Rucker Street\n\nStuart, VA 24171\n\nFloyd County: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm\n\nTown of Floyd Government Offices\n\nCommunity Room\n\n203 East Oxford St\n\nFloyd, VA 24091\n\nAugust 27, 2026\n\nBedford County: 9:00am – 10:30am\n\nTown of Bedford Municipal Building\n\nFirst Floor Conference Room\n\n215 E. Main Street\n\nBedford, VA 24523\n\nFranklin County: 12:00pm – 1:30pm\n\nFranklin County Government Center\n\nConference Room B-23\n\n1255 Franklin Street\n\nRocky Mount, VA 24151\n\n** Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://nunn.house.gov/2026/08/03/nunn-secures-500000-federal-investment-for-new-highway-141-interchange-in-johnston/", "title": "Nunn Secures $500,000 Federal Investment for New Highway 141 Interchange in Johnston", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://nunn.house.gov/category/news/press-releases/", "domain": "nunn.house.gov", "scraper": "nunn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "N000193", "name": "Zachary Nunn", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "“Johnston has been one of the fastest-growing communities in Iowa for more than a decade, and our infrastructure needs to keep pace,” said Rep. Nunn. “Anyone who drives Highway 141 knows these intersections were never designed for the traffic they carry today. This investment helps eliminate dangerous crossings, improves emergency response times, eases congestion for thousands of commuters, and better connects Johnston neighborhoods through expanded pedestrian and trail access. It’s exactly the kind of commonsense infrastructure investment that improves safety while supporting continued economic growth.”\n\nRep. Nunn secured the funding through the FY2026 Community Project Funding (CPF) process. The City of Johnston will administer the federal award through the Federal Highway Administration grant process before the project proceeds to the Iowa Department of Transportation.\n\nThe project builds a new grade-separated interchange at Highway 141 and NW Towner Drive, separating local and highway traffic to eliminate at-grade crossings and reduce vehicle conflict points along the corridor. The project also includes improved access management, right-in/right-out intersections, and new pedestrian and bicycle connections that will link Johnston neighborhoods to the region’s growing trail network.\n\nThe federal investment is part of a broader infrastructure initiative that has already secured more than $12.8 million toward the project, including a local commitment exceeding $6.3 million. Additional funding is being pursued through a federal transportation grant. Preliminary engineering and environmental review are currently underway, with the project expected to be bid in fall 2026 and construction anticipated to begin in 2027.\n\nLocal leaders praised the investment and its impact on the community.\n\n“This project represents years of planning and collaboration by the City of Johnston, Polk County, the Iowa Department of Transportation and our federal partners,” said Paula Dierenfield, Mayor, City of Johnston. “Today’s announcement is another important milestone in moving this critical project closer to construction. A huge thanks to Congressman Nunn for his efforts in obtaining this $500,000 Community Project Funding grant for the project.”\n\n“The future interchange will be a significant investment in the future growth in Johnston, we look forward to all of the potential benefits and new opportunities that will be created, with the opening of this new project,” said Elizabeth VanGundy, President, Johnston Chamber of Commerce.\n\n“Construction of the interchange will improve traffic flow in a heavily congested corridor while also significantly improving the safety of all the current and future residents who utilize the corridor,” said Dennis McDaniel, Police Chief, City of Johnston.\n\n“As Johnston continues to grow, we have to make sure our infrastructure keeps pace,” said State Rep. Eddie Andrews. “This investment will improve safety, reduce congestion, and help ensure families, businesses, and first responders can travel this corridor more efficiently. I appreciate Congressman Nunn for securing this funding and for continuing to fight for the infrastructure improvements in Washington that keep Iowa moving forward.”\n\nPhotos from today’s press conference are available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://panetta.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-panetta-sponsors-congressional-resolution-federal-recognition-open-water", "title": "Rep. Panetta Sponsors Congressional Resolution for the  Federal Recognition of Open-Water  Lifeguards as First Responders", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://panetta.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "panetta.house.gov", "scraper": "panetta", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000613", "name": "Jimmy Panetta", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Monterey, CA – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) cosponsored a bipartisan resolution to reaffirm that open-water lifeguards qualify as first responders and emergency response providers, and recognize the essential, lifesaving work performed by these individuals. Rep. Panetta joined the resolution that is led by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04).\n\n“In order to fulfill their duties, lifeguards, just like other first responders, can’t run away from danger, they must run into it,” said Rep. Panetta. “The world recently was able to witness one example of lifeguards’ gallant, lifesaving work, which can occur numerous times on a daily basis, when a bystander’s video captured 16-year-old Ryder Williams run into the rough waves in Santa Cruz, California with dogged determination to save a young boy from drowning. Due to their extensive and constant training, entering into dangerous waters, providing emergency medical care, professionalism, and putting their own lives on the line to protect others, open-water lifeguards live up not just to their name, but also deserve to be federally recognized as first responders.”\n\nThe federal definition of a first responder “includes a firefighter, law enforcement officer, paramedic, emergency medical technician, or other individual … who, in the course of his or her professional duties, responds to fire, medical, hazardous material, or other similar emergencies.” Recognizing open-water lifeguards as first responders would help ensure they receive the recognition they deserve, while improving their access to benefits, workplace protections, federal training, grants, and other programs available to emergency response personnel.\n\nOpen-water lifeguards conduct essential work and put their lives at risk to protect thousands of beachgoers from injury or life-threatening risks. These individuals can perform water rescues, emergency medical aid, marine fire response, law enforcement support, and rescue-vessel operations in changing surf and marine conditions. They attend to, treat, assist, and transport victims, performing four essential duties of emergency response employees.\n\nIn 2024, beach agencies reporting to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) recorded more than 85,000 rescues, 444,000 medical assists, and 22.8 million preventive actions. California State Parks lifeguards alone perform more than 10,000 swimmer rescues and 1 million preventive actions annually, in addition to conducting swift-water, urban-flood, and technical-cliff rescues and carrying out law enforcement duties. At beaches protected by lifeguards affiliated with USLA, the estimated risk of drowning is less than one in 18 million.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://patronis.house.gov/media/press-releases/in-case-you-missed-it-congressman-patronis-anthony-fauci-is-a-coward", "title": "IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Congressman Patronis: Anthony Fauci is a Coward", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://patronis.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "patronis.house.gov", "scraper": "patronis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000622", "name": "Jimmy Patronis", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Jimmy Patronis, Fox News Live\n\nAugust 2, 2026\n\nFULL LINK HERE\n\nImage\n\nTo view the clip click here.\n\n…\n\n“Look, there were definitely financial impacts to the states based on the bad policies that Fauci put out. I think the guy was a coward when it came to shutting down businesses. He had plenty to say when it came to separating loved ones. He was on MSNBC all the time.”\n\n…\n\n“So, when it finally came time to defend his statements and his decisions, he put his head in the sand. He's a coward. He pleaded the Fifth 111 times, and this is how history will remember him.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-pat-ryan-hold-fourth-annual-fall-service-academy-information", "title": "CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN TO HOLD FOURTH ANNUAL FALL SERVICE ACADEMY INFORMATION SESSION", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "patryan.house.gov", "scraper": "patryan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000579", "name": "Patrick Ryan", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressional nominations are required for U.S. Service Academies\n\nInformation session will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 11:00AM to 2:00PM at Monroe-Woodbury High School in Central Valley\n\nRyan has held numerous Service Academy information sessions to inspire future military leaders, expand awareness of nomination process, and reach a diverse applicant pool\n\nCENTRAL VALLEY, NY– Today, Congressman Pat Ryan announced that his fourth annual Fall Service Academy Information Session will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 11:00AM to 2:00PM at Monroe-Woodbury High School, in the auditorium located at 155 Dunderberg Rd in Central Valley, NY 10917. The event is open to the public. Students, parents, and educators interested in learning about the Service Academy nomination process, meeting nomination board interviewers, or discovering other pathways to service are encouraged to attend.\n\n“At West Point, I learned to live a life grounded in duty, honor, and service to our county. Nominating the next generation of leaders is an incredible privilege,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Our military is also one of our most diverse institutions. My goal is to develop an officer corps that reflects our community. This starts by reaching out to everyone in New York’s 18th Congressional District and empowering them with the information and resources to take part in the nomination process - I hope to see any young person interested in pursuing national service there.”\n\n“It’s been a lifelong goal to attend a service academy. This informational event assured me that this dream remains possible,” said Dennis Palacios, a student at Monroe-Woodbury High School and attendee of the spring 2023 workshop. “Each service academy representative was kind and encouraging. They also provided useful information on cadet life and tips to strengthen my application. Many thanks to Congressman Ryan and the service academy/ROTC representatives for hosting such an incredible event!”\n\n“Applying to a Service Academy is an involved process, so getting to meet with people familiar with that process is crucial,” said Major General (Ret.) Glenn Lesniak, Service Academy Selection Board Chairman, West Point ‘76. “Plus, serving in the Military is about interacting with other people. Attending a Service Academy Fair provides that interpersonal experience and gives you a sense of culture and what to expect from people who have lived it. It’s much better than an internet search and a critical resource for anyone considering enrolling in one of our exceptional Service Academies.”\n\nCongressman Ryan graduated from the United States military Academy at West Point in 2004 and is the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress. Ryan serves on the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the United States Service Academies.\n\nApplicants to the United States Air Force, Merchant Marine, Military, and Naval academies must first receive a nomination from a member of either the U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives or can receive service connected nominations if they are currently enlisted in the U.S. Military. The U.S. Air Force, Military, and Naval academies also accept nominations from the U.S. President and Vice President. The United States Coast Guard Academy does not require a nomination. Nominated applicants then must apply to and receive an appointment from the respective U.S. Service Academy itself.\n\nU.S. Service Academies provide appointees with a four-year, tuition-free undergraduate education. Graduates are then commissioned as officers in their respective military branch and serve for a minimum five-year commitment.\n\nEach applicant for a nomination must meet the following baseline eligibility requirements as of July 1st of the year of admission to an academy:\n\nAge: Be at least 17 years old, but not have passed the 23rd birthday\n\nCitizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen\n\nMarital Status: Must be unmarried, not pregnant, and without legal obligation to support children or other dependents\n\nResidence: Must reside within the boundaries of the 18th Congressional District of New York\n\nSkill / Fitness: Must meet the medical, physical, and academic requirements of the Academy\n\nApplications must be received by the office no later than October 30, 2026, at 5:00pm. Interested constituents can find additional information on the nomination process on Congressman Ryan’s website or by contacting his district offices at (845) 443-2930.\n\nFor more information on the Service Academy Information Session, please contact destiny.hallenbeck@mail.house.gov or call (845) 443-2930.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://pingree.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6809", "title": "Pingree Urges MaineHealth to Preserve Labor and Delivery Services at Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "pingree.house.gov", "scraper": "pingree", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000597", "name": "Chellie Pingree", "party": "Democrat", "state": "ME", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) is urging MaineHealth to preserve labor and delivery services at Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, warning that closing the unit would have far-reaching consequences for families, health care workers, and communities throughout the Midcoast.\n\nIn a letter to MaineHealth President and CEO Dr. Andy Mueller and MaineHealth Chair of the Board of Trustees Marie McCarthy, Pingree acknowledged the challenges facing rural hospitals, while encouraging them to do everything in their power to keep the unit open.\n\n\"Lincoln Hospital has a long history of providing safe and quality care to maternity patients,\" Pingree wrote. \"I sincerely appreciate that there are structural challenges to the continued delivery of that care, but the consequences of a closure—on patients, hospital staff, and the surrounding towns—could be devastating. I urge you to explore every possible avenue to preserve access to labor and delivery services in Damariscotta.\"\n\nShe also raised broader concerns about the steady decline of maternity care across Maine, noting that the state has lost 10 birthing units over the past decade, while warning that continued closures could jeopardize the ability of families to live and raise children in rural Maine.\n\nMaine has lost 10 of its 23 hospital-based labor and delivery units over the past decade. Nationally, a 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 52.4% of rural hospitals no longer offered obstetric care in 2022, contributing to growing maternity care deserts across the country.\n\nIn the U.S., maternal mortality remains far higher than in most other high-income countries, with persistent racial and geographic disparities in outcomes.\n\nPingree acknowledged that addressing the crisis will require stronger federal support for rural health care—including protecting Medicaid, expanding the rural health care workforce, and improving reimbursement rates. She pledged to continue advocating for those priorities in Congress, while working with Maine providers to preserve access to maternity care.\n\nOn Saturday, dozens of community members, health care providers, patients, and local leaders gathered outside the MaineHealth headquarters in Portland to raise awareness about the impacts of the closure.\n\nThe MaineHealth Board of Trustees is expected to vote on the proposal this week.\n\nThe full text of Pingree's letter is available here and copied below.\n\n+++\n\nDear Dr. Mueller and Ms. McCarthy,\n\nI understand that MaineHealth is currently deliberating over the future of labor and delivery services at MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital. As that process continues, I’m writing to echo the deep concerns I’ve heard from constituents about the potential impact that closing the unit would have on families and communities across the Midcoast.\n\nLincoln Hospital has a long history of providing safe and quality care to maternity patients, guiding new parents through all kinds of childbirth experiences. I sincerely appreciate that there are structural challenges to the continued delivery of that care, but the consequences of a closure – on patients, hospital staff, and the surrounding towns – could be devastating. I urge you to explore every possible avenue to preserve access to labor and delivery services in Damariscotta.\n\nBeyond the specific circumstances at Lincoln Hospital, I fear the continued erosion of maternity care access statewide. I delivered all three of my children at hospitals in the Midcoast that no longer provide labor and delivery care. In total, Maine has lost 10 birthing units in just the past decade. We must decide to draw a line somewhere, or risk sending the message that you cannot raise a family in Maine outside of our biggest cities.\n\nRural maternity care that is truly sustainable will require substantial policy change – from restoring the historic cuts to Medicaid in President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, to training more providers across rural settings, to boosting reimbursement rates. I’m committed to advocating for that change on the federal level, and I welcome your continued partnership in that fight.\n\nThank you for your consideration.\n\nSincerely,\n\nChellie Pingree\n\nMember of Congress\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/03/news-pressley-markey-release-report-showing-success-of-fare-free-transit-in-massachusetts/", "title": "NEWS: Pressley, Markey Release Report Showing Success of Fare-Free Transit in Massachusetts", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "domain": "pressley.house.gov", "scraper": "pressley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000617", "name": "Ayanna Pressley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Report calls for passage of their Freedom to Move Act, which invests $25 billion in public transit\n\nFare Free Transit Reduces Costs for Travelers and Boosts Transit Ridership\n\nReport (PDF)\n\nBOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Future of Transportation Caucus, and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today released a new report, Making Transit Free, Frequent, and Reliable: Massachusetts shows the need for federal investment in fare-free transit, detailing the need for increased federal investments in fare-free transit. Senator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley are lead sponsors of the Freedom to Move Act,which would provide $25 billion to communities to pilot fare free service and expand existing transit service.\n\n“The data doesn’t lie and this report makes plain what we’ve long known: fare-free transit is essential to building connected communities, improving mobility, and making life more affordable for our families,” said Congresswoman Pressley, Co-Chair of the Future of Transportation Caucus. “Transit equity is an economic, racial, and climate justice issue, and it’s time we invest in public transit as the public good that it is. That’s why Congress must pass our Freedom to Move Act to continue to support fare-free transit across our state and nation.”\n\n“From Worcester to Boston to the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts is showing the nation what is possible when transit goes fare-free,” said Senator Markey. “Our report shows that fare-free transit saves families money, increases ridership, and helps make transit easier and simpler for passengers. More transit riders can mean less congestion, cleaner air, and safer streets. This report provides a roadmap for bringing those benefits to communities across the country. Congress should pass the Freedom to Move Act and help any community go fare free.”\n\nMassachusetts has become a national leader in fare-free transit through a range of programs serving urban, suburban, and rural communities. Regional transit authorities in Worcester, the Merrimack Valley, and elsewhere have launched systemwide or targeted fare-free service, while Boston has eliminated fares on several heavily used bus routes. The Commonwealth has also supported statewide pilot programs that have helped transit agencies test and expand fare-free operations.\n\nDrawing on data from these efforts, the report examines how fare-free service is working across different transit systems and communities. The Massachusetts experience shows how eliminating fares strengthens public transit when paired with reliable service and sustained investment. It also demonstrates that communities nationwide could pursue similar programs with stronger federal support.\n\nThe Massachusetts evidence points to five core lessons. Fare-free transit:\n\nLowers costs for riders\n\nBrings riders back to transit\n\nLeads to long-term ridership gains\n\nMakes transit easier to operate\n\nWorks best when paired with operating support\n\nSenator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley have long championed fare-free transit in Congress. In July 2025, they re-introduced the Freedom to Move Act which would provide $25 billion in funding for transit agencies to offer fare free service and improve on existing transit service offerings.\n\nThe Freedom to Move Act would support state and local efforts to promote public transportation as a public good for all by:\n\nEstablishing a $5 billion competitive grant program per year to support state and local efforts to implement fare-free public transportation systems;\n\nInvesting in efforts to improve the safety and quality of public transportation services, particularly in low-income and historically underserved communities; and\n\nEnsuring grantees use funds to address and close equity gaps in current transit systems.\n\nRep. Pressley and Sen. Markey originally introduced the Freedom to Move Act in June 2020. Following the bill’s introduction, Senator Markey, Congresswoman Pressley, and then-Councilor Michelle Wu published an op-ed that discussed the bill and the need to fund public transportation as a public good.\n\nIn July 2020, the House of Representatives passed the Moving Forward Act that included a fare-free pilot program modeled after the two lawmakers Freedom to Move Act.\n\nIn March 2021, Senator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley reintroduced the Freedom to Move Act.\n\nIn August 2022, Rep. Pressley and Senator Markey called on the MBTA to make the entire T fare-free for the duration of the Orange Line’s shutdown.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-salinas-presses-trump-administration-updates-gaza-ceasefire-and-peace-plan", "title": "Rep. Salinas Presses Trump Administration for Updates on Gaza Ceasefire and Peace Plan", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "salinas.house.gov", "scraper": "salinas", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001226", "name": "Andrea Salinas", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), alongside Rep. Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), led 63 colleagues in a letter to President Trump requesting updates from the Administration on its 20-point peace plan in Gaza and urging the President to ensure that lasting peace for the Palestinian people in Gaza remains a priority.\n\nFollowing deadly Israeli strikes in Gaza over the weekend, which threaten to derail the recently announced Hamas disarmament agreement, Rep. Salinas' letter underscores the need for the Administration to remain focused on advancing core elements of the 20-point plan. The letter highlights key obstacles to implementation, including Israel's expanding control of nearly 70% of Gaza, humanitarian aid restrictions, and the stalled deployment of security and political alternatives to Hamas.\n\nSigners include: Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ro Khanna, Sylvia R. Garcia, Becca Balint, Zoe Lofgren, Mark Pocan, Jamie Raskin, Val Hoyle, Henry C. \"Hank\" Johnson, Jr., Joaquin Castro, Jonathan L. Jackson, Stephen F. Lynch, James P. McGovern, Betty McCollum, Emily Randall, Steve Cohen, Chris Deluzio, Mike Quigley, Gwen S. Moore, Jill Tokuda, Lateefah Simon, Nydia M. Velázquez, Julia Brownley, Kim Schrier, M.D., Jasmine Crockett, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Maxine Waters, Jared Huffman, Sam T. Liccardo, Mark DeSaulnier, Jennifer L. McClellan, Derek T. Tran, Rosa L. DeLauro, Gabe Amo, Grace Meng, Adelita S. Grijalva, Jahana Hayes, J. Luis Correa, Paul D. Tonko, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Bill Foster, John Garamendi, Judy Chu, Madeleine Dean, Jan Schakowsky, Raul Ruiz, M.D., Chellie Pingree, Jimmy Panetta, Lizzie Fletcher, Lori Trahan, Yvette D. Clarke, Brittany Pettersen, Sean Casten, Mark Takano, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Teresa Leger Fernández, Veronica Escobar, Seth Magaziner, Joe Courtney, Danny K. Davis, Johnny Olszewski, Jr., Robin L. Kelly, Sara Jacobs\n\nThe letter is endorsed by: J Street, New Jewish Narrative, Foreign Policy for America, T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, and Refugees International.\n\nClick here or see below for the full letter:\n\nDear Mr. President:\n\nWe write to raise urgent concerns about the status of key pillars of the Gaza ceasefire and your 20-point peace plan, and to urge the Administration not to deprioritize Gaza amidst months of focus on other conflicts in the Middle East. We were relieved by the hostage release, initial surge in aid, and end of full-scale military operations last October. But progress on the rest of the 20-point plan has stalled, and we are alarmed to see reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu aims for Israel to control 70% of the Gaza Strip. The 20-point plan called for battle lines to remain frozen in the immediate term, and one of its stated long-term goals is to establish the conditions for Palestinian self-determination and eventual statehood alongside the state of Israel. After ten months of the initiated peace plan, we now request updates from your Administration on the 20-point plan in order to better identify the steps needed to make progress.\n\nDespite the agreement, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli operations since the ceasefire began, and Israel continues near-daily airstrikes in Gaza. While under the terms of the ceasefire, the Israeli military withdrew to the \"yellow line,\" the demarcation line that left Israel in control of roughly 53% of Gaza, however, the Israeli military now controls nearly 70%. This continued shifting of the yellow line to increase Israeli territory in Gaza, alongside the ongoing military operations, directly contradicts the terms of the ceasefire you negotiated and leaves Palestinian civilians vulnerable.\n\nOn the humanitarian front, while there has been improvement since the ceasefire, civilians in Gaza are facing rodent and pest infestations throughout displacement camps, a shortage of fuel and essential medicines, and there has been insufficient rebuilding of the infrastructure needed for sewage, water and electricity. Israeli policies, including overbroad dual-use restrictions and restrictive registration requirements for international NGOs, are making it more difficult for essential goods and services to enter the territory. This also undermines a key component of the 20-point plan, which states both that \"full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip,\" and \"Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties.\"\n\nWe are also concerned by the stalled process to establish security and political alternatives to Hamas in Gaza. Successful disarmament of a militant group takes time and requires the deployment of a governing entity to marginalize and replace it. Israel's decision not to allow any of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) committee members to enter Gaza has allowed Hamas to seize control of the part of Gaza where almost its entire population lives and provided the Israeli government with a reason to keep the IDF in Gaza and prevent significant reconstruction efforts. Our understanding is that the International Stabilization Force (ISF) has largely stalled, and even certain countries that have committed troops have placed their deployment on hold. While there is a potential opportunity with Hamas' recent announcement of the resignation of its governing arm to hand power over to the technocratic committee, there needs to be a concerted push to allow NCAG committee members to enter Gaza and begin laying the groundwork for transitional governance.\n\nThe terms of the 20-point plan provided a roadmap to advance the self-determination and security for both Israelis and Palestinians that are necessary to unlock a stable, integrated Middle East. However, these terms are not coming to fruition, and the lack of progress has the potential to further destabilize the region. Please provide answers to the following questions about key components of the 20-point plan by August 17, 2026 so we can better understand the challenges and weigh congressional action accordingly.\n\nWhat is your Administration doing to ensure that full-scale war does not resume in Gaza, particularly amidst continued ceasefire violations and reporting that Hamas is recruiting new fighters and Israel is considering another offensive?\n\nWhat is your Administration doing to address the near-daily, deadly Israeli airstrikes that have killed civilians in Gaza, and do you view these as undermining the ceasefire?\n\nWhat is being done to enforce the demarcation line and prevent Israeli expansion?\n\nDoes your Administration view the deepening Israeli control in Gaza as contradictory to the goal of the 20-point plan, which seeks to establish conditions \"for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood\"?\n\nWhat is the Administration doing to address aid shortfalls in Gaza?\n\nWhen do you expect the ISF will be operational? What is the current status of countries that have committed troops to the ISF, or that you expect to commit troops?\n\nOnce deployed, what mechanisms are in place to oversee the ISF and what is the chain of command?\n\nWhy has the NCAG not been allowed into Gaza? When does the Administration expect that to change? What is the plan for building support and legitimacy for the committee?\n\nWhat is the Administration's plan to advance the Hamas disarmament deal announced on July 30, 2026?\n\nWhat limits has the Administration set on Israeli actions during negotiations on Hamas' disarmament? What is the plan to ensure that progress on reconstruction and humanitarian issues is not contingent on disarmament?\n\nHow is the Administration working with Turkey and Qatar to continue applying pressure on Hamas to disarm?\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to these urgent matters. We look forward to your immediate response.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://schmidt.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-derek-schmidt-announces-service-academy-nomination-applications", "title": "Congressman Derek Schmidt Announces Service Academy Nomination Applications Now Open", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://schmidt.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "schmidt.house.gov", "scraper": "schmidt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001228", "name": "Derek Schmidt", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "TOPEKA - Congressman Derek Schmidt is now accepting applications for Kansas Second District students seeking a congressional nomination to attend one of the nation's prestigious U.S. Service Academies.\n\n\"One of the greatest honors I have as a member of Congress is nominating outstanding young men and women from the Second District to our nation's service academies,\" Congressman Schmidt said. \"These institutions develop the next generation of military leaders who are committed to serving our country with honor, integrity, and excellence. I encourage every eligible student who has a passion for leadership and a desire to serve our nation to apply.\"\n\nMembers of Congress may nominate candidates to the following U.S. Service Academies:\n\nU.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York\n\nU.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland\n\nU.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado\n\nU.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York\n\nTo be eligible for a nomination, applicants must, as of July 1 of the year of admission:\n\nBe at least 17 years old but not yet 23.\n\nBe a United States citizen.\n\nBe unmarried with no legal obligation to support a child or dependent.\n\nBe a legal resident of Kansas' Second Congressional District.\n\nCompleted nomination application materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on October 15, 2026. Required materials include an online application, essay, recent photograph, résumé, official transcripts, standardized test score verification, and three letters of recommendation.\n\nApplicants who submit a complete nomination file and meet all eligibility requirements will be invited to interview before Congressman Schmidt's independent, nonpartisan Service Academy Nomination Board on Saturday, November 7, 2026.\n\nClick here for more information about the application process.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://schrier.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-schrier-joins-wa-delegation-requesting-expedited-emergency", "title": "Congresswoman Schrier Joins WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://schrier.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "schrier.house.gov", "scraper": "schrier", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001216", "name": "Kim Schrier", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Kim Schrier (D-WA-08) joined Washington state’s Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson’s request for an expedited Emergency Declaration for the devastating wildfires sweeping through Central and Eastern Washington state.\n\nOn Saturday, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and issued a statewide burn ban through September 30, 2026. The National Weather Service upgraded the Red Flag Warning on Saturday, to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is very rare and typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. Over 700 structures have been lost in the fires so far and over 14,000 structures are threatened, with over 67,000 people evacuated.\n\nSenators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10) were additionally on the letter.\n\n“These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,” the lawmakers wrote. “Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.”\n\n“While local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need,” the lawmakers concluded.\n\nThe full letter is available HEREand below:\n\nDear Mr. President,\n\nAs members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s August 2nd request for an expedited Emergency Declaration due to the devastating wildfires raging in Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, and Yakima Counties. In addition to the counties, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and Spokane Tribe of Indians are also listed in Washington’s expedited Emergency Declaration request. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible.\n\nLarge and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control.\n\nThese fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers.\n\nFirefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.\n\nWhile local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need. We appreciate your prompt attention to the state’s request.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://spartz.house.gov/media/press-releases/spartz-calls-senate-lower-costs-farmers-and-consumers-not-protect-big-ag", "title": "Spartz Calls on Senate to Lower Costs for Farmers and Consumers - Not Protect Big Ag", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://spartz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "spartz.house.gov", "scraper": "spartz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000929", "name": "Victoria Spartz", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (IN-05) sent a letter to the Senate Agriculture Committee urging senators to include her bipartisan Farm Bill affordability amendment in the final legislation.\n\nRep. Spartz’s amendment would exempt large farm tractors, combines, and sprayers from burdensome EPA emissions regulations that have increased equipment costs, caused costly repair delays, created fire hazards, and driven up grocery prices. The amendment would make farm machinery more affordable, help protect small family farms from bankruptcy and consolidation, and lower costs for American consumers.\n\n“American farmers are being crushed by rising input costs while families continue to pay more at the grocery store,” Rep. Spartz said. “Congress should be removing unnecessary burdens — not adding them. The Senate now has a choice: stand with American farmers and consumers by lowering costs, or stand with Big Ag and the special interests that benefit from regulations driving consolidation and higher costs.”\n\nRep. Spartz’s amendment passed the House on a bipartisan basis and is the only Farm Bill provision specifically aimed at reducing farmers’ input costs. It has also been endorsed by the Indiana Farm Bureau and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://strong.house.gov/media/press-releases/strong-senate-introduction-perform-act-alabama-stands-united-time-usps-deliver", "title": "Strong on Senate Introduction of PERFORM ACT: ‘Alabama Stands United; Time for USPS to Deliver’", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://strong.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "strong.house.gov", "scraper": "strong", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001220", "name": "Dale W. Strong", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Representative Dale Strong (AL-05) issued the following statement regarding the introduction of the Senate companion to his legislation, H.R. 9936, the Postal Executive Responsibility, Fiscal Oversight, and Results-based Management (PERFORM) Act, by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).\n\n“Alabamians deserve a Postal Service that delivers their mail on time and a Postmaster General who is accountable for results,” said Congressman Strong. “With Alabama's entire congressional delegation united behind this effort, we're sending a clear message: it’s time for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver.”\n\nIn announcing his introduction of the PERFORM Act, Representative Strong previously stated:\n\n“The American people don't get bonuses for failure, and neither should the Postmaster General. The PERFORM Act ends the practice of rewarding poor performance and makes clear that leadership must earn incentive pay by delivering results – not excuses,” said Representative Strong. “If the U.S. Postal Service were a private sector operation, it would have filed for bankruptcy years ago. Further, if a CEO’s tenure saw an average annual net loss of $10 billion while service standards continued to decline, company leadership would be standing in the unemployment line – not collecting performance bonuses.”\n\nThe U.S. Postal Service has reported more than $25 billion in net losses over the past three fiscal years, including a $9 billion loss in Fiscal Year 2025. At the same time, millions of Americans have faced delays in receiving medications, bills, checks, legal documents, election mail, and other time-sensitive correspondence.\n\nDespite these persistent service failures and financial losses, the Postmaster General remains eligible for a performance-based bonus, continuing a pattern in which Postmaster Generals have received more than $2 million in bonuses over the past decade.\n\nThe PERFORM Act restores accountability by prohibiting a performance-based bonus for the Postmaster General if, during the preceding fiscal year, the Postal Service:\n\nFails to meet nationwide service performance targets;\n\nReports a net loss;\n\nReceives a material weakness, adverse audit opinion, or disclaimer in its financial audit; or\n\nFails to submit a required report to Congress.\n\nOriginal House cosponsors of the PERFORM Act include Representatives Barry Moore (AL-01), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Mike Rogers (AL-03), Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Gary Palmer (AL-06), and Terri Sewell (AL-07).\n\nSince taking office, Congressman Strong has led numerous efforts to improve mail service and strengthen accountability at the U.S. Postal Service, including:\n\nSecuring a USPS Office of Inspector General audit of mail delivery performance, staffing levels, and operational bottlenecks affecting North Alabama in the Fiscal Year 2027 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act.\n\nDirecting USPS to review unique ZIP Code designations for communities including Priceville and Skyline to better reflect municipal boundaries and improve service.\n\nAdvocating for a new post office in the 35763 ZIP Code to meet the needs of one of Alabama's fastest-growing areas.\n\nLeading efforts to restore a North Alabama-based Processing and Distribution Center to strengthen mail service and improve delivery reliability.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://thanedar.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-shri-thanedar-introduces-environmental-health-workforce-act", "title": "Congressman Shri Thanedar Introduces Environmental Health Workforce Act", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://thanedar.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "thanedar.house.gov", "scraper": "thanedar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000488", "name": "Shri Thanedar", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — This week, Congressman Shri Thanedar introduced the Environmental Health Workforce Act, which would enforce thorough training protocols and expand student loan forgiveness for those in the environmental public health field, with the goal of boosting the workforce’s participation and capacity.\n\n“In the face of an increasing number of environmental disasters created by climate change, our environmental health workers will be on the frontline of addressing these public health crises,” said Congressman Thanedar. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce legislation that would better support their operations and ease the pathway into this career field, so that I can ensure that these organizations are properly trained and staffed when addressing these critical emergencies.\"\n\nThis bill comes just two weeks after Detroit was reported to have the worst air quality in the world, according to IQAir. This bill would establish national model credentials for environmental public health workers, create a Department of Health and Human Services strategy to improve workforce shortages, and allow these workers to be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).\n\nThe full text of the legislation can be viewed here.\n\nCongressman Shri Thanedar proudly represents Michigan's 13th Congressional District, which includes Detroit, Downriver, and the Grosse Pointes. As a champion for working families, Shri is committed to advancing economic opportunities, education, healthcare access, and entrepreneurship for underserved communities. Drawing from his journey from poverty to success, he works tirelessly to uplift Metro Detroit, ensuring every resident has the resources and support they need to thrive.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-announces-46-million-grant-penn-state-advances-discovery-new", "title": "Thompson Announces $4.6 Million Grant for Penn State, Advances Discovery of New Materials", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "thompson.house.gov", "scraper": "thompson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000467", "name": "Glenn Thompson", "party": "Republican", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "BELLEFONTE, Pa. – Today, U.S. Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) announced a $4.6 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for Penn State University to increase access to high-tech tools and laboratories for materials discovery and innovation.\n\nThe funding will develop Penn State’s NSF 2D Crystal Consortium Materials Innovation Platform (2DCC-MIP) into a self-sustaining model to expand its work with U.S. industry.\n\n“I am pleased to announce that Penn State will receive $4.6 million to continue developing semiconductors and quantum technologies,” Rep. Thompson said. “This funding reaffirms the university’s commitment to excellence and will drive cutting edge technologies forward.\"\n\n\"Penn State appreciates Congressman Thompson's continued leadership in supporting groundbreaking research that delivers meaningful benefits to Pennsylvania and beyond,\" said Josh Robinson, director of Penn State's Materials Research Institute. \"This funding recognizes the exceptional team led by Joan Redwing, whose years of expertise in two-dimensional materials have positioned the 2D Crystal Consortium for this important next phase. Investments like this from the federal government will help establish the 2D Crystal Consortium as a sustainable national resource, accelerating semiconductor research and advancing U.S. priorities in 2D materials and next-generation technologies.”\n\nThe grant will be awarded over four years, transitioning the facility to rely on user fees to ensure it remains a national resource for many years to come.\n\nPenn State’s 2DCC is one of only four MIPs in the United States, and has received funding from the NSF since its inception 10 years ago.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://tran.house.gov/media/press-releases/representatives-tran-lee-urge-senator-schumer-remove-unnecessary-voter-id", "title": "Representatives Tran, Lee Urge Senator Schumer to Remove Unnecessary Voter ID Requirements from the Stop Insider Trading Act", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://tran.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "tran.house.gov", "scraper": "tran", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000491", "name": "Derek Tran", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, DC – U.S. Representatives Derek Tran (CA-45) and Susie Lee (NV-03) led a letter urging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to remove the controversial and unnecessarily burdensome voter ID requirements from H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act. In its current form, the bill would both restrict Members of Congress from purchasing new individual stocks and introduce a federal voter-identification requirement.\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\n“[The Stop Insider Trading Act] includes needlessly onerous voter ID provisions that stand to undermine rather than uphold election integrity, particularly as it relates to voting by mail. The focus of the Stop Insider Trading Act should be firmly fixed on doing exactly what its title says it will do, with the voter ID provisions that House Republicans attached to this bill instead debated and voted upon separately,” the members wrote.\n\nThe Stop Insider Trading Act would prohibit Members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependent children from purchasing new public stocks while in office.\n\nOn July 20, 2026, the Republican House majority added restrictive voter ID language to the Stop Insider Trading Act. The provision would mandate that in-person voters must present photo identification before submitting a ballot, and any other form of ballot must be submitted with either a copy of the voter’s photo ID, the last four digits of the voter's Social Security Number plus an affidavit that the voter cannot obtain a photo ID, or notarization from a notary public. The bill passed the House with a vote of 232-198, and is waiting for consideration by the Senate.\n\nRepresentative Tran introduced H.R. 7852, the No Getting Rich In Congress Act, which bans trading by public officials and their families and strengthens ethics rules to prevent backdoor deals. He is also a co-sponsor of H.R.3779, the STOCK Act 2.0, to ban trading and ownership of individual stocks and cryptocurrencies for high-ranking federal officials, their spouses, and their dependent children. Tran is a co-sponsor for H.R. 14, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025, to prohibit voting changes within 180 days of a federal election, require States notify the public of any election rule changes, and hold States accountable for voting rights violations.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3955", "title": "Congressman Valadao Honors Central Valley Community Health Centers", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "valadao.house.gov", "scraper": "valadao", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000129", "name": "David G. Valadao", "party": "Republican", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) reintroduced a bipartisan bill designating the first week of August as National Community Health Center Week. He was joined by Reps. Troy Balderson (OH-12), Danny Davis (IL-07), and Jake Auchincloss (MA-04). This resolution recognizes the important partnership between health centers and the communities they serve.\n\nSenators John Cornyn (R-TX) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) reintroduced the companion bill in the Senate.\n\n“As a member of the Congressional Community Health Center Caucus, I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this bipartisan resolution recognizing National Community Health Center Week,” said Congressman Valadao. “In California’s 22nd Congressional District, seven federally funded Community Health Center (CHC) organizations provide care to more than 765,000 patients each year, serving as a critical lifeline for families in rural and underserved communities. This week, we celebrate CHCs and the dedicated healthcare professionals who work hard to ensure quality, affordable healthcare across our communities.”\n\n“Community health centers provide millions of Americans with access to the primary, preventive, and behavioral health care they depend on,\" said Congressman Balderson. \"For many rural and underserved communities, these centers are an essential source of quality, affordable care that helps keep patients healthy and reduces the need for more costly treatment down the road. During National Community Health Center Week, we recognize and thank the dedicated doctors, nurses, staff, and volunteers who work every day to strengthen the health of our communities.”\n\n“Community Health Centers are community-based healthcare providers that provide and expand access to care for millions of medically underserved Americans who receive primary, preventive, behavioral health, dental care, substance use treatment, and other services,\" said Congressman Davis. \"I join my colleagues in celebrating 61 years of improving our nation’s health.\"\n\n“Community health centers are tested and trusted, as this resolution recognizes,” said Congressman Auchincloss. “Congress should make these vital clinics the backbone of primary care in America by providing the rules & resourcing to multiply their impact.”\n\n\"The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) applauds Reps. Valadao (R-CA), Balderson (R-OH), Auchincloss (D-MA), and Davis (D-IL) for introducing this year's resolution honoring National Community Health Center Week. Community Health Centers (CHC) anchor the nation's largest primary care network, treating 52 million patients — 1 in 7 Americans, including 1 in 3 in rural America — while spending just 1% of the nation's health care dollars. Congress's continued bipartisan backing enables CHCs to operate more than 17,000 locations and employ 326,000 people, who provide primary and preventive care, manage chronic disease, reduce health care costs, and strengthen local economies in communities nationwide,” said Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, President and CEO of NACHC.\n\n“The Central Valley Health Network would like to recognize the continued leadership of Representative Valadao and that of his colleagues Representatives Auchincloss (D-MA), Balderson (R-OH) and Davis (D-IL) in acknowledging the critical work of health centers to provide access to quality healthcare by introducing the 2026 congressional resolution commemorating National Community Health Center Week. California’s community health centers serve as the backbone to the state’s healthcare delivery system to underserved communities serving more than 5.8 million individuals in rural and urban regions, with many families throughout the Central Valley relying on the essential services they provide,” said Jason Vega, CEO, Central Valley Health Network.\n\n\"Family HealthCare Network is grateful to Congressman Valadao for recognizing National Community Health Center Week and the essential role community health centers play in keeping our communities healthy. His continued support reflects an understanding that access to quality, affordable primary care is fundamental to the well-being of families throughout the Central Valley. As Californians continue to rely on health centers for their care, this recognition reinforces the importance of ensuring these vital services remain strong and accessible for everyone who needs them. The recognition also reinforces Congressman Valadao’s continued focus on the well-being and prosperity of those living in the Central Valley,\" said Kerry Hydash, MPA, President & CEO, Family HealthCare Network.\n\nRead the resolution here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://vindman.house.gov/2026/08/03/vindman-democratic-veterans-demand-transparency-on-iran-war-casualties/", "title": "Vindman, Democratic Veterans Demand Transparency on Iran War Casualties", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://vindman.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "vindman.house.gov", "scraper": "vindman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000138", "name": "Eugene Simon Vindman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) joined 14 fellow Democratic veterans in urging the Administration to accurately and transparently account for U.S. servicemembers killed and wounded in the Iran war following disturbing reports that the Department of Defense removed the names of four American troops from the official Iran War death toll.\n\n“As veterans of America’s wars, we have serious concerns about reports that the Department of War is delaying, removing or otherwise mischaracterizing the release of information about wounded and killed U.S. servicemembers,” wrote the lawmakers.\n\n“The U.S. government owes U.S. servicemembers, their families, and every American the truth about all U.S. casualties in the War with Iran. It is imperative that these reports are timely, accurate and adequately explain the reason for amended or delayed reports,” they continued. “We urge you to commit to releasing timely and accurate information on all injuries and deaths of U.S. servicemembers.”\n\nFollowing public outcry, the Department of Defense quietly restored the names of the four U.S. servicemembers removed from the Iran War death toll over the weekend. The Administration has not provided an adequate explanation as to why the servicemembers were removed in the first place.\n\nRepresentatives Mike Thompson (Calif.-04), Pat Ryan (N.Y.-18), Seth Moulton (Mass.-06), Chris Deluzio (Pa.-17), Derek Tran (Calif.-45), Jimmy Panetta (Calif.-19), Ted Lieu (Calif.-36), Maggie Goodlander (N.H.-02), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.-06), Jason Crow (Colo.-06), Bobby Scott (Va.-03), Salud Carbajal (Calif.-24), Gil Cisneros (Calif.-31), and Jared Golden (Maine-02) also signed the letter.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear President Trump,\n\nAs veterans of America’s wars, we have serious concerns about reports that the Department of War is delaying, removing or otherwise mischaracterizing the release of information about wounded and killed U.S. servicemembers.\n\nThe U.S. government owes U.S. servicemembers, their families, and every American the truth about all U.S. casualties in the War with Iran. It is imperative that these reports are timely, accurate and adequately explain the reason for amended or delayed reports. Inaccurate and delayed reports from the Department of War about U.S. casualties is bad for morale and undermines our U.S. servicemembers.\n\nWe urge you to commit to releasing timely and accurate information on all injuries and deaths of U.S. servicemembers.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://walkinshaw.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=744", "title": "Walkinshaw Joins Colleagues to Protect Federal Workers Impacted by OPM Cyberattack", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://walkinshaw.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "walkinshaw.house.gov", "scraper": "walkinshaw", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000831", "name": "James R. Walkinshaw", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) joined Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and colleagues in introducing the Reducing the Effects of the Cyberattack on OPM Victims Enduring Response and Protecting Identifiable Information (RECOVER PII) Act, legislation to provide lifetime identity protection coverage for federal employees and contractors whose personal information was compromised in the 2015 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) cyberattacks.\n\nThe legislation would provide lifetime identity protection services for those affected and reimburse eligible federal employees and contractors for privacy software and other tools that help remove their personal information from online data brokers.\n\nIn 2015, OPM disclosed two cyberattacks that exposed the personal information of approximately 22.1 million federal employees, contractors, and others. The stolen information included Social Security numbers, addresses, financial information, security clearance files, and background investigation records. The breaches, widely attributed to actors linked to the Chinese government, continue to pose risks to both affected individuals and U.S. national security.\n\nCongress previously approved ten years of identity protection coverage for victims of the breach, but that protection is set to expire on September 30, 2026. The RECOVER PII Act would extend those protections for life and help affected individuals safeguard their personal information against future exploitation.\n\nRead the full bill here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watson-coleman-statement-on-death-of-detainee-at-delaney-hall", "title": "Watson Coleman Statement on Death of Detainee at Delaney Hall", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "scraper": "watsoncoleman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000822", "name": "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) released a statement following news of the passing of Edwin Lopez Cornejo at Delaney Hall on Saturday. Cornejo, 39, a resident of Plainfield, had been in ICE detention at Delaney Hall for about six weeks and, according to family members, was not given his medication for his diabetes and high blood pressure.\n\n“Edwin had lived in the United States since he was a child. By all accounts, he was an upstanding member of his community. His detention alone was an act of cruelty, and if he indeed was denied his medication as his family reports, the operators at Delaney Hall should be charged with homicide. For over a year, community leaders, family members, Mayor Baraka, Senators Kim and Booker, Members of Congress, and the Governor have warned about the conditions at Delaney Hall. Now a second person has died at the for-profit prison. Delaney Hall is a stain on our country. Its continued use is a daily reminder of the cruelty of our immigration and criminal justice systems. It should be shut down at once, and those responsible for its inhumane conditions should be investigated and tried.”\n\nCongresswoman Watson Coleman has requested from ICE: the timeline of events leading to the medical emergency, including when Mr. Cornejo became ill, when medical assistance was requested, and when he was transported; records regarding his medical care while detained, including access to prescribed medications and treatment for known medical conditions; whether required family notification procedures were followed; and any incident reports, medical records, or oversight reviews related to this matter.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/alsobrooks-gillibrand-introduce-new-tax-credit-for-seniors/", "title": "ALSOBROOKS, GILLIBRAND INTRODUCE NEW TAX CREDIT FOR SENIORS TO INSTALL AGING-RELATED MODIFICATIONS TO THEIR HOMES", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.alsobrooks.senate.gov", "scraper": "alsobrooks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000382", "name": "Angela D. Alsobrooks", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "August 3, 2026\n\nWASHINGTON, DC – As reported in Politico’s Morning Tax, Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), both members of the Senate Aging Committee, introduced the Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act of 2026 which would create a new tax credit for seniors to install essential, aging-related modifications to their homes. Similar to legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. George Latimer (D-N.Y.), this legislation would help older adults age in place by making their homes safer.\n\n“We have a responsibility to care for our seniors. This critical legislation allows for seniors to stay in their homes – for many that means homes they love and have been in for decades – and install essential, aging related modifications. Caring for our seniors isn’t just our duty–it is a privilege, and we should treat it as such by passing this bill,” said Senator Alsobrooks.\n\n“A safe, accessible place for seniors to live should be a right, not a privilege,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act would help our nation’s older adults age with dignity by assisting with the cost of home modifications that meet their mobility needs. As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, I am committed to getting this bill passed to remove barriers to accessible housing for older Americans.”\n\n“Homeownership should support Americans through every stage of life. The Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act recognizes that simple home modifications can help older adults remain safe, independent, and connected to the communities they call home. By helping offset the cost of accessibility improvements, this legislation gives more seniors the opportunity to age in place with dignity while preserving the stability that homeownership provides. The National Association of REALTORS® is grateful for Senator Alsobrooks’ and Senator Gillibrand’s leadership on this bill and is proud to support this commonsense legislation,” said Shannon McGahn, Chief Advocacy Officer and Executive Vice President of the National Association of REALTORS®.\n\n“The opportunity to age in community is critical for America’s older adults to thrive. But too many are not able to do so because of housing that cannot accommodate their needs. Less than five percent of the nation’s homes are accessible to households with even moderate mobility limitations at a time when, due to our country’s rapidly aging population, America desperately needs more age-friendly housing. LeadingAge applauds Senators Alsobrooks and Gillibrand, along with Congressman Latimer, for recognizing this. As the trusted voice for aging, LeadingAge supports the Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit, which is an important step toward ensuring older adults can make the home modifications they need to live independently for longer,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge.\n\nThe Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit would create a nonrefundable tax credit for taxpayers aged 60 or older for expenses related to certain residence modifications on their principal residence or a qualifying second home. The credit would be equal to the cost of eligible expenditures, with an annual credit limitation of $10,000. Qualifying expenditures would also include certain labor costs related to the preparation, assembly, or installation of an eligible modification.\n\nQualifying expenditures would include:\n\nThe installation of wheelchair ramps\n\nThe widening of doorways\n\nThe installation of handrails or grab bars\n\nThe installation of non-slip flooring\n\nThe installation of bathtub cuts or shower seats\n\nThe installation of furniture risers\n\nThe installation of chair lifts\n\nThe replacement of toilets or bathroom vanities\n\nThe replacement of kitchen or bathroom faucets\n\nRead the full bill text here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-maria-bartiromos-wall-street-on-fox-business/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street on Fox Business", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – This weekend, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street on Fox Business Network to discuss the conflict in Iran, Middle East diplomacy, AI policy, and Senate priorities.\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nKey Excerpts on Iran:\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “Nobody should be surprised that China is aligned with Iran; they have supported them militarily, economically, they are the number one customer of oil coming out of Iran. I am not surprised at all by these reports what is surprising is that they would openly defy President Trump at time when Chairman Xi is trying to negotiate a deal with President Trump moving forward that he would assist our number one enemy right now with the War in Iran that China would come to bat with military weapons.”\n\n“This is why President Trump was so right and wise this week to slow down the Russia sanctions bill that Sen. Lindsey Graham fought so hard for before he died. But President Trump said to add sanctions on Iran and add secondary sanctions on those who assist Iran into the sanction bill, but President Trump is exactly right. This is something we have to do to give President Trump more power and authority to crack down on China for their malign influence and assistance to Iranian Military Operations against the United States of America.”\n\nKey Excerpts on AI:\n\n“One way to think about this, Maria, is in Jurassic Park the Raptors in the cage get out of the cage, and then the disaster happens after that…One thing that I’ve worked on in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act, the defense bill, is that Sen. Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, and I have bipartisan language that that would require these AI companies that have contracts and work with the Department of War to report insider threats. It is critical, and these two incidents this week show exactly why…These AI companies have a duty for national security purposes to allow for more government oversight and to report those insider threats.”\n\nKey Excerpts on Senate Priorities:\n\n“We shouldn’t take a break until we get our job done. I’m a new Senator; I’m frustrated, like the rest of the country, seeing the inaction of Congress on so many important issues. President Trump is right about that when it comes to the SAVE America Act, which is fundamental and critical to protecting our elections, our democracy, and our American way of life. We should absolutely pass it.”\n\n“It also includes funding for our troops and our military and to replenish our munitions stockpiles so that President Trump can keep up the pressure on Iran and bring them back to the table to prevent them from ever having a nuclear weapon. And to support our men and women in uniform, which is my top priority.”\n\n“Chuck Schumer and the Democrats would love nothing more than to shut the government down right before we go into October, right before the midterm elections and that would be a disaster for our country, we can’t let them get away with it. Let’s pass the reconciliation bill, the SAVE America Act, support our military, and then pass the CR and avoid a government shutdown before we get to election day.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-sunday-night-in-america-on-fox-news-channel/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins Sunday Night in America on Fox News Channel", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy on Fox News Channel to discuss the ongoing conflict in Iran, efforts to dismantle Hamas, and next steps towards peace.\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nKey Excerpts on Iran:\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “President Trump wants a peaceful resolution; I think the whole country wants a peaceful resolution. He did use the word ‘rapidly’ make an agreement. If the Iranians don’t come to the table and rapidly make an agreement to end their nuclear program and reopen the Strait, then President Trump is going to bomb the hell out of them again. They know what’s coming. President Trump has been transparent with them every single step of the way, and he’s kept his word. I think all of us want this war to come to an end, but at the same time President Trump’s legacy will be to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon and he’s intent on making sure that’s the case.”\n\n“You’re dealing with different factions, you’re dealing with a radicalized military, you’re dealing with a governing class in Iran who I think really does want to make a deal because they have been brought to their knees, they know what the American military is capable of, and I don’t think they have seen the worst of it…President Trump is ratcheting up the pressure, and he’s willing and able to do it again, but he’s taking another pause to give them a chance to come to the table. Reopening the Strait is something we see immediate results from. We know when they keep up their end of the deal and reopen the Strait what that looks like, and we also know the repercussions when they don’t.”\n\nKey Excerpts on Hamas Disarmament:\n\n“What President Trump did in the first term with the Abraham Accords and negotiating peace in the Middle East and what he is trying to do in this term in ending Iran’s nuclear program, he’s trying to negotiate peace between Hamas and Israel, it’s unbelievable…. But if Hamas will lay down their weapons and disarm themselves and President Trump can negotiate peace between Hamas and Israel, it would be another example of the incredible negotiating power and the leadership of President Trump. Israel is hopeful, but let’s face it, Hamas is a deadly terrorist group, a proxy of Iran that is funded by the Iranians. Let’s hope something good will come of this. I trust President Trump, and I believe he’s capable of negotiating something here that is historic.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-schumer-lead-senate-democrats-in-legislation-to-end-unprecedented-presidential-corruption-stop-pay-to-play-pardons", "title": "Blumenthal & Schumer Lead Senate Democrats In Legislation To End Unprecedented Presidential Corruption, Stop \"Pay-To-Play\" Pardons", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[Hartford, CT] — Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the No Payoffs For Pardons Act to strengthen transparency and accountability in the presidential clemency process. This legislation would require individuals who receive pardons to disclose any significant financial gifts made in connection with their clemency, both at the time it is granted and for four years afterward. It also confirms federal bribery laws apply to the President and Vice President. Simply put, the No Payoffs For Pardons Act is designed to deter, expose, and prosecute corrupt pardons.\n\nThis legislation is being introduced in tandem on the House side by Representative Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration.\n\nPresident Trump promised to attack “waste, fraud, and abuse.” But after a year and a half in office, it’s clear that he has engaged in a level of corruption and abuse previously unseen in the office. Trump has taken one of the undisputed powers of the President — the ability to grant clemency for a crime — and perverted its intention. No longer does a presidential pardon seek to right an injustice, Trump has turned the pardon into a prize that can be won by the highest bidder, no matter the crime committed.\n\n“President Trump’s pay-to-play pardon scheme rewards political allies and sells out justice to the highest bidder,” said Senator Blumenthal. “When convicted criminals can escape punishment for the right price or by hiring the right people, it corrupts the justice system for everyone. And President Trump’s pardons have cost taxpayers and crime victims billions in forfeited restitution and put child predators back into our communities. Basic transparency and accountability are imperative.”\n\nThe No Payoffs For Pardons Act would establish disclosure requirements for clemency recipients and clarifies applications of the federal bribery statute. The legislation would impose disclosure obligations, making it so a clemency recipient would have to file a report if they give a certain “covered benefit” to a “covered recipient.” Additionally, the legislation goes further to clarify federal bribery, confirming that it applies to the President and Vice President, and establishes a 10-year statute of limitation for bribery offenses involving the granting, denying, withholding, promising, or offering of executive clemency.\n\n“Justice should not be bought and sold. But Trump has turned clemency into a perk that his golf buddies, donors, and allies can buy. Proximity to the Presidency has provided criminals with a ‘get out of jail free’ card,” said Leader Schumer. “We are seeking to bring sunlight to the deals that Trump is trying to do under the cover of shadows and stop the rampant corrupt that has been a hallmark of his presidency since Day One.”\n\n“President Trump treats pardons like a payout,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The American people deserve to know if the criminals President Trump is pardoning have lobbied or paid him or his family. This commonsense legislation will expose the ‘pay to play’ pardon to limit Trump’s corrupt power grabs.”\n\n“President Trump’s blatant misuse of the pardon power to serve his political and personal whims is illustrative of the same message he continues to send to his donors and friends: if you’ve got enough money or the right political connections, the law doesn’t apply to you. It’s time to crack down on the president’s abuses, and I’m proud to join Leader Schumer in helping to bring transparency and accountability to the corrupt use of the pardon power,” said Senator Schiff.\n\n\"The most corrupt President this country has ever seen only seeks to serve himself and his billionaire friends,\" said Rep. Morelle. \"Far too many Americans are struggling with providing the basics for their family because the cost of Trump’s corruption has been brought to their kitchen table. The American people deserve to know how the President is abusing the pardon power and their trust, that’s exactly what the No Payoffs For Pardons Act will deliver.\"\n\nThis is the latest action in Senate Democrats anti-corruption initiative, which is working to expose President Trump’s rampant self-dealing, demonstrate how corruption costs American families and enact lasting safeguards against presidents who attempt to exploit public office for personal profit. The initiative includes a new Senate Democratic anti-corruption working group and the release of a report, “The Cost of Corruption: How Trump Turns Power Into Profit At Americans’ Expense.”\n\n\"The pardon power exists to serve as a safety net to correct injustices. However, the Trump administration has gravely abused this power by pardoning those convicted of bribery, corruption, and insider trading; hundreds of rioters who assaulted law enforcement officials on January 6; and other criminals in the Epstein class who are connected to the rich and powerful,\" said Amb. Norm Eisen (ret.), co-founder and board member of Democracy Defenders Action. \"It is past due for Congress to rein in these unchecked pardon powers, and we thank Leader Schumer and Senator Blumenthal for introducing the No Corrupt Pardons Act.\"\n\n“A presidential pardon is meant to be an opportunity for mercy, not enrichment,”?said?Adav Noti, executive director of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center.?“But?the federal?pardon?system has?been?thoroughly corrupted,?permitting?lawbreakers with extreme wealth to use their political connections to?avoid accountability. These are just the examples we can see;?without disclosure,?pardon?recipients can buy influence through dark money political spending,?or by supporting the president’s pet?projects and personal businesses.?Americans deserve a fair shake, not a criminal justice system where regular people are punished and the wealthy walk free.?Sen. Schumer’s?legislation would address corruption by pardon seekers and ensure those who?buy pardons?face the same consequences?as anyone else who bribes the government.?Congress must?pass?the No Payoffs For Pardons Act?and?take these?important steps to restore fairness and strengthen the rule of law.”\n\n“President Trump’s outrageous exploitation of the pardon power to benefit himself, his cronies, and his sleazy benefactors absolutely demands reform,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President Public Citizen. “Public Citizen strongly supports Senator Schumer’s pardon reform bill that will force sleazy financial pay-to-play pardon schemes out from the shadows and into the light of day. Anyone who plans, participates in, or profits from perverting the sacred pardon power for depraved purposes should be exposed and held accountable for abusing the public’s trust.”\n\nThe full text of the legislation can be seen here.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-major-contracts-for-sikorsky", "title": "Blumenthal Statement on Major Contracts for Sikorsky", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[Hartford, CT] — Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement celebrating the U.S. Army’s award of two contacts for Sikorsky to continue work on UH/HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.\n\n“These contracts--$56.8 million for more Black Hawks and $49.9 million to develop new and improved engines--is a strong sign of the US Army’s commitment to the Black Hawk program and will keep Sikorsky’s talented workforce busy for years to come. I am thrilled to see Sikorsky awarded this important work and will keep fighting for federal funding to support our state’s defense industry,” Blumenthal said.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-blunt-rochester-joins-20-colleagues-in-urging-trump-administration-to-use-leverage-to-prevent-further-atrocities-in-sudan/", "title": "NEWS: Blunt Rochester Joins 20 Colleagues in Urging Trump Administration to Use Leverage to Prevent Further Atrocities in Sudan", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.bluntrochester.senate.gov", "scraper": "bluntrochester", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001303", "name": "Lisa Blunt Rochester", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), today joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and her Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing the State Department to use its leverage to prevent further atrocities in Sudan and help bring the war to an end. To do so, the Senators urge the State Department to cease certain U.S. arms sales to external actors like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which continues to arm the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) in Sudan. The Senators’ letter notes the immediate need for the State Department to take action in light of the impending siege of the city of El Obeid and following the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher last year.\n\nSenators Blunt Rochester and Van Hollen were joined in sending this letter by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).\n\n“We write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF,” the Senators begin.\n\nThey continue, “We have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the ‘hallmarks of genocide’ according to United Nations investigators.[…] The siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction.”\n\nThe lawmakers go on to warn, “And now those alarm bells are ringing once again – this time in El Obeid. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on July 3, ‘This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.’ […] The State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of ‘alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent’ and said ‘the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.’”\n\n“The evidence is clear – the United Arab Emirates is the primary external backer of the RSF, providing unparalleled military, financial, and technical support to the group,” the Senators note.\n\n“Now, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end,” the lawmakers conclude.\n\nThe full text of the letter is available here and below.\n\nSecretary Rubio,\n\nWe write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF.\n\nWe have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the “hallmarks of genocide” according to United Nations investigators. A United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission found that “the Rapid Support Forces steadily squeezed the life out of El-Fasher and surrounding displacement camps, cutting off food, water, medical supplies, and humanitarian assistance, while subjecting the city to recurring shelling and ground assaults. Civilians were increasingly trapped, as escape routes were restricted or closed, and forced to endure conditions of life progressively incompatible with human survival.” This 18-month siege culminated in a 3-day rampage in October 2025, where survivors describe the slaughter of civilians, mass executions, and crimes against humanity.\n\nEl-Fasher University “became one of the bloodiest execution sites in the city.” According to survivors, over a hundred civilians were gunned down or executed as they sought shelter or attempted to flee. Survivors described notorious RSF commander Abu Lulu, known as the “Butcher of El-Fasher”, asking a pregnant woman how far she was in her pregnancy and then firing seven bullets into her abdomen when she replied that she was seven months along. He at one point said, “I was planning to kill 2000 people today, but I lost count, so I will start all over again.” In the case of El-Saudi Hospital, RSF forces stormed the hospital and “proceeded to search the wards and killing those they found, including patients, accompanying persons and medical personnel…it is estimated that over 460 patients and others present were killed.” Flight didn’t bring safety, according to survivors, as “The Rapid Support Forces pursued fleeing civilians along escape routes…where they had established ambushes and checkpoints…the perpetrators chasing people in open fields, firing at them with automatic rifles and mounted submachine guns, and running over fleeing persons with vehicles, causing mass casualties.” The horrors were visible from space, with satellite images analyzed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab showing bodies piled up in the streets, pools of blood on the ground, and mass burial sites.\n\nThe siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction.\n\nAnd now those alarm bells are ringing once again – this time in El Obeid. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on July 3, “This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.” Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said of El Obeid on June 30, “Too often in this brutal war, clear warnings have been ignored. Civilians have paid the price. The international community must make itself heard. We cannot say we were not warned.”\n\nThe State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of “alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent” and said “the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.” On June 23, State Department Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos said that he spoke with RSF leadership and “strongly urged them to halt any actions that could endanger civilians in and around El Obeid.” And this Administration has repeatedly affirmed, including in July 2025, that “The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide.” In November 2025, you yourself said that the RSF is “clearly receiving assistance from outside” and that “something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and the support the RSF is getting as they continue their advances.”\n\nThe evidence is clear – the United Arab Emirates is the primary external backer of the RSF, providing unparalleled military, financial, and technical support to the group. In May 2026, a new report by Human Rights Watch found that the UAE trained hundreds of Colombian mercenaries who then “took part in combat in and around El Fasher and, according to media reports, provided training to RSF recruits–including child soldiers”. In February 2026, a Reuters investigation found that Ethiopia has built a secret camp to train thousands of RSF fighters, and that the UAE financed the construction of the camp and provided military trainers and logistical support. This follows U.S. intelligence from October 2025, including separate reports from the Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department’s intelligence bureau, that “show an increase in the flow of materiel from the U.A.E. to the rebel Rapid Support Forces since the spring.” These findings are part of a large and growing body of credible evidence that the UAE is both arming and providing military support to the RSF.\n\nNow, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end.\n\nWe request a response to this letter by August 17, 2026.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-condemns-detainee-death-in-ice-custody-reaffirms-yearslong-call-for-delaney-halls-permanent-closure", "title": "Booker Condemns Detainee Death in ICE Custody, Reaffirms Yearslong Call for Delaney Hall’s Permanent Closure", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) released the following statement after Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, 41, died on Saturday, August 1, while held at Delaney Hall:\n\n“I unequivocally condemn the death of yet another immigrant at Delaney Hall. It is unacceptable that people continue to die on ICE’s watch. My thoughts are with his family and all who loved him. The circumstances surrounding his death are deeply disturbing: while my team is still collecting facts, public reports indicate that Lopez-Cornejo was denied access to necessary medical treatment while detained — an unlawful and inhumane practice that is well documented at this facility. This is not the first death of a detainee at Delaney Hall, and absent decisive action, it will not be the last. I have visited the facility myself and witnessed these conditions firsthand, so I say this plainly: Delaney Hall must be closed immediately and permanently.\n\n“This tragedy does not occur in isolation. ICE has exhibited a pattern of misconduct and abuse across every level of its operations. This death follows a video showing an ICE agent striking a protester with a baton into the path of an 18-wheeler truck. There are reports of detainees being assaulted and pepper-sprayed inside these walls. This is precisely why I refused to support giving this reckless and out of control agency a single dollar more. Congress must act to pass the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act to end the use of for-profit private detention facilities like Delaney Hall and to hold the agency accountable for its failure to provide required medical care. I am demanding answers from ICE regarding the medical care Mr. Lopez-Cornejo was denied, and I urge anyone with firsthand knowledge or any information to contact my office as well as the appropriate authorities. More than 70 percent of individuals in ICE detention have never been convicted of a crime. This man should be alive today. Delaney Hall should have been closed already.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-statement-on-republican-farm-bill-text", "title": "Booker Statement on Republican Farm Bill Text", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, issued the following statement in response to the Farm Bill text released by Senate Republicans:\n\n“The Republican Farm Bill released on Friday fails to meet the moment of crisis facing America's farmers and families. Democrats should remain united and only support a Farm Bill that includes a clean two-year delay of the SNAP cost shift to states. The bill must also provide immediate, meaningful assistance for the hundreds of thousands of small and mid-sized farmers—including livestock, dairy, fruit, vegetable, and diversified producers—who have been left behind by federal farm policy for far too long.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-urges-judiciary-republicans-to-reject-todd-blanches-attorney-general-nomination-citing-extensive-record-of-misconduct", "title": "Booker Urges Judiciary Republicans to Reject Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination, Citing Extensive Record of Misconduct", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, sent a letter to Chairman Chuck Grassley urging Republican colleagues to oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination for Attorney General.\n\nBooker’s letter lays out an extensive record of alleged misconduct including: misleading Congress, politicizing the Department of Justice, retaliating against career public servants, mishandling the release of the Epstein files, and undermining the rule of law. Booker’s letter follows Blanche’s order purporting to rescind the Department of Justice’s so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”\n\nBooker argues that the action does not resolve the underlying concerns surrounding the agreement and instead leaves in place sweeping immunity protections for President Trump, his family, associates, and others from potential federal, civil and criminal liability. Booker also contends that the order does not prevent future payments through other avenues or address the broader effort to use the Justice Department to protect political allies from accountability.\n\n“The order is legally defective on its face. It is not signed by President Trump or his counsel and is therefore unenforceable under the terms of the original agreement,” wrote Senator Booker.\n\n“The order also fails to foreclose the Department from settling claims by individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6 attack through other avenues, and Mr. Blanche makes no commitment to reject such claims. And the clarification regarding the immunity directive only confirms that the sweeping immunity for the President remains fully in effect — prohibiting every federal agency from investigating or prosecuting the President, his family, his associates, and an undefined universe of other individuals, not merely for tax liability, but for any civil or criminal offense, known or unknown, as of the date the directive took effect,” continued Senator Booker.\n\n“The question before this Committee is not merely whether Mr. Blanche is fit to lead the Department of Justice. It is whether the Senate will hold the line on the principle that no one, including the President of the United States, is above the law,” wrote Senator Booker.\n\n“Courts have lost confidence in the representations of DOJ attorneys, and public trust in the Department has been severely undermined. His record is rife with examples of prosecutorial misconduct and a disregard for the rule of law—if not outright disdain for it,” said Senator Booker.\n\n“A vote to confirm Mr. Blanche is a vote to ratify all the misconduct outlined in this letter: the collusive settlement, the immunity deals, the retaliation against career prosecutors, the stonewalling of Epstein survivors, and the subordination of the rule of law to one man’s personal and political interests. The American people are watching. History will record this vote. We urge our colleagues to cast it accordingly,” concluded Senator Booker.\n\nRead the full text of Senator Booker’s letter here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-joins-keeping-it-real-conversations-with-jillian-michaels-to-discuss-taking-on-big-tech-protecting-americas-youth-online/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Joins Keeping It Real: Conversations with Jillian Michaels to Discuss Taking on Big Tech, Protecting America’s Youth Online", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt joined Keeping It Real: Conversations with Jillian Michaels, for a long-form discussion about Big Tech and social media, AI chatbots, the gambling industry targeting minors, and the adverse effects each has on America’s youth. Excerpts from the interview are below.\n\nMichaels opened the episode by highlighting Senator Britt’s leadership:\n\n“Kids are being targeted online in plain sight, and in today’s show, we’re naming names. Big Tech has built a digital Pandora’s box for our kids, consisting of hard drugs and predators, two clicks away from a homework app. You’ve got AI friends grooming lonely kids at 2 AM and gambling ads are following them from YouTube to their video games … Senator Katie Britt is one of the very few people in Washington actually trying to shut this down. She’s been described as a mom in Congress, pushing an arsenal of bills from Sammy’s Law, the Kids Off Social Media Act, the GUARD Act, the Stop the Scroll Act, and the GAME Act to drag kids out of Big Tech’s experiment.”\n\nSenator Britt on why taking on Big Tech is a priority for her:\n\n“Look, the thing that’s most important to me are my husband and my kids, and I feel honored to have the opportunity to represent the great state of Alabama. But I tell people every day, I don’t have to ask people what it’s like to raise kids right now, I am living it. And so, I know for so many people, my friends in particular, this social media space is uncharted territory. Jillian, you and I, when we grew up, we didn’t have these complexities. I mean, growing up is hard enough as it is. And then we layer on top of it all of the things that social media has brought into our children’s life.\n\n“First off, I think Big Tech could do many of these things on their own and have chosen not to. So, I think continuing to apply the pressure there so that there is a change in behavior from that perspective. But then also Congress has been completely and totally feckless in this arena. And at the end of the day, we’re allowing social media companies to put their profits above people, and in this case, these people are our children.”\n\nOn minors buying drugs on social media platforms:\n\n“In particular, Snapchat has been egregious in this space … I’ve sat across from a parent whose child bought an Adderall because they wanted to stay up for a test. They took the Adderall. It was laced with fentanyl. They died … Parents aren’t aware that this is happening. So, number one, we’ve got to bring attention to it. But number two, we have to stop it because, Jillian, if this were happening in a small town in Alabama on a street corner, you know, a little storefront on Main Street, we would shut it down. We know this is happening, and yet no one is doing anything.”\n\nOn the alarming rise in underage gambling online:\n\n“If you and I had wanted to gamble when we were growing up, we would have had to have known who the bookie was. We would have had to have his number or hers … We would have had to know when they were going to be by their landline phone, and we would have had to call them to place our bet. These kids have to do none of that. It literally is coming to the palm of their hand. So, it’s not only that they can gamble, and with a click of a button, it’s also that these illegal gambling operations and gaming operations are actually targeting our children with advertisements. So, what is happening is these kids are getting stuck in a cycle. They’re finding themselves in a very adult situation, but it’s also one that unfortunately, they’re continuing throughout their life. So, we put together the GAME Act, Senator Blumenthal and I did, to say, look, this is common sense, Jillian. You shouldn’t be able to deliver advertisements about gambling until you’re 18.”\n\nOn the danger of AI chatbots:\n\n“I have sat across from too many parents at this point that have told us … that their child died by suicide. When they went back into the child’s history, an AI chatbot had told them to distance themselves from their parents, isolate themselves from their parents, had told them … to consider death by suicide, then told them how to do it, and then ultimately encouraged them to follow through with it. And so, we have a bill Josh Hawley, Senator Blumenthal, Chris Murphy—obviously a wide swath from the political spectrum—that it is saying, guys, AI chatbots should not be able to teach these kids how to take their own life. This is common sense. This is something we should all be able to get behind.”\n\nMichaels and Senator Britt also discussed how social media algorithms exploit children, Section 230 reform, and more of Senator Britt’s bipartisan legislation on social media and holding Big Tech accountable.\n\nYou can watch the full interview here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-nominates-14-birmingham-area-students-to-service-academies-applauds-students-as-academic-year-begins/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Nominates 14 Birmingham-Area Students to Service Academies, Applauds Students as Academic Year Begins", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) celebrated 14 students from the Birmingham area whom she nominated to attend our nation’s service academies at the start of their academic year. These students have courageously answered the call to serve and will help protect and preserve our nation’s freedom.\n\n“I applaud these exceptional students who have chosen a path that exhibits their courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to service,” said Senator Britt. “Their nominations reflect not only years of hard work and leadership, but also a willingness to take on this incredible responsibility of serving our great nation. These Alabamians are the next generation of America’s military leaders, and I am thrilled to celebrate this remarkable achievement alongside their friends, family, and community.”\n\nSenator Britt’s nominees who will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy are listed below:\n\nEden Christian, Trussville\n\nBeau Dionne, Birmingham\n\nJustin Harbin, Vance\n\nJ.R. Sosa, Clanton\n\n“I’m proud to see Eden, Beau, Justin, and J.R. join the ranks of the men and women who honorably serve our Air Force. I have no doubt their service will keep our nation secure from threats above and will preserve our precious American freedoms,” said Senator Britt.\n\nSenator Britt’s nominees who will attend the U.S. Naval Academy are listed below:\n\nOlivia Carroll, Vestavia\n\nBoyd Cooper, Birmingham\n\nHolman Gray, Birmingham\n\nMaggie Ingram, McCalla\n\nTruman Lee, Birmingham\n\nBraden Little, Birmingham\n\nBenny Schmidt, Hoover\n\n“The U.S. Naval Academy is gaining seven outstanding young men and women. I was deeply proud to nominate Olivia, Boyd, Holman, Maggie, Truman, Braden, and Benny, and I am encouraged by their patriotism, heart for service, and willingness to serve our nation,” said Senator Britt.\n\nSenator Britt’s nominees who will attend West Point are listed below:\n\nJack Beason, Hoover\n\nJoshua Hahn, Vestavia\n\nKate Seidel, Vinemont\n\n“As Jack, Joshua, and Kate begin their next steps at West Point, I am thrilled to know that this academy is gaining three outstanding young individuals. Their service will undoubtedly ensure our nation’s values of freedom, democracy, and independence are upheld for generations to come,” said Senator Britt.\n\nYou can view the headshots of all 14 nominees here. You can find more information on the application process for a service academy nomination from Senator Britt here. Applications for the 2026-2027 cycle open on August 15, 2026.\n\nIn total, 31 students from across the state of Alabama nominated by Senator Britt will attend U.S. service academies this fall.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-nominates-nine-northern-alabama-students-to-service-academies-applauds-students-as-academic-year-begins/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Nominates Nine Northern Alabama Students to Service Academies, Applauds Students as Academic Year Begins", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) celebrated nine students from northern Alabama whom she nominated to attend our nation’s service academies at the start of their academic year. These students have courageously answered the call to serve and will help protect and preserve our nation’s freedom.\n\n“I applaud these exceptional students who have chosen a path that exhibits their courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to service,” said Senator Britt. “Their nominations reflect not only years of hard work and leadership, but also a willingness to take on this incredible responsibility of serving our great nation. These Alabamians are the next generation of America’s military leaders, and I am thrilled to celebrate this remarkable achievement alongside their friends, family, and community.”\n\nSenator Britt’s nominees who will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy are listed below:\n\nEllie Dykema, Huntsville\n\nIsabella Park, Madison\n\nCaleb Shultz, Huntsville\n\n“It is an honor to congratulate Ellie, Isabella, and Caleb as they begin their journey at the United States Air Force Academy. Their dedication, character, and commitment to serving something greater than themselves is an inspiration and a source of pride for their entire community and our great state,” said Senator Britt.\n\nSenator Britt’s nominees who will attend the U.S. Naval Academy are listed below:\n\nMatthew Kimmett, Decatur\n\nMaria Sands-Pignot, Huntsville\n\nFrank Vegerita, Brownsboro\n\n“Our country’s future is stronger because of young leaders like Matthew, Maria, and Frank. Their willingness to dedicate their lives to service reflects the very best of our Alabama community. I look forward to seeing all they accomplish in uniform,” said Senator Britt.\n\nSenator Britt’s nominees who will attend West Point are listed below:\n\nWill Crocker, Owens Cross Roads\n\nJacob Plitsch, Athens\n\nTripp Raleigh, Huntsville\n\n“This year, West Point is welcoming an impressive group of brave, talented, and driven leaders, including three young men I was proud to nominate: Will, Jacob, and Tripp. I’m certain they will rise to every challenge while serving our nation with excellence,” said Senator Britt.\n\nYou can view the headshots of all nine nominees here. You can find more information on the application process for a service academy nomination from Senator Britt here. Applications for the 2026-2027 cycle open on August 15, 2026.\n\nIn total, 31 students from across the state of Alabama nominated by Senator Britt will attend U.S. service academies this fall.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-nominates-three-auburn-students-to-service-academies-applauds-students-as-academic-year-begins/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Nominates Three Auburn Students to Service Academies, Applauds Students as Academic Year Begins", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) celebrated three students from Auburn whom she nominated to attend our nation’s service academies at the start of their academic year. These students have courageously answered the call to serve and will help protect and preserve our nation’s freedom.\n\n“I applaud these exceptional students who have chosen a path that exhibits their courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to service,” said Senator Britt. “Their nominations reflect not only years of hard work and leadership, but also a willingness to take on this incredible responsibility of serving our great nation. These Alabamians are the next generation of America’s military leaders, and I am thrilled to celebrate this remarkable achievement alongside their friends, family, and community.”\n\nSenator Britt’s nominees who will attend the U.S. Naval Academy are listed below:\n\nLayton Towery, Auburn\n\nSavannah Trejo, Auburn\n\n“I’m certain that these two outstanding young students, Layton and Savannah, will represent Alabama well at the U.S. Naval Academy. Thanks to their dedication, courage, and commitment, our country will no doubt remain a global military leader and the greatest nation in the world,” said Senator Britt.\n\nSenator Britt’s nominee who will attend West Point is listed below:\n\nMolly Seidman, Auburn\n\n“Molly has bravely chosen a path defined by discipline, sacrifice, and service. I’m honored to nominate her to attend West Point, and I am grateful for her commitment to help safeguard our nation for generations to come,” said Senator Britt.\n\nYou can view the headshots of all three nominees here. You can find more information on the application process for a service academy nomination from Senator Britt here. Applications for the 2026-2027 cycle open on August 15, 2026.\n\nIn total, 31 students from across the state of Alabama nominated by Senator Britt will attend U.S. service academies this fall.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-nominates-three-southern-alabama-students-to-service-academies-applauds-students-as-academic-year-begins/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Nominates Three Southern Alabama Students to Service Academies, Applauds Students as Academic Year Begins", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) celebrated three students from southern Alabama whom she nominated to attend our nation’s service academies at the start of their academic year. These students have courageously answered the call to serve and will help protect and preserve our nation’s freedom.\n\n“I applaud these exceptional students who have chosen a path that exhibits their courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to service,” said Senator Britt. “Their nominations reflect not only years of hard work and leadership, but also a willingness to take on this incredible responsibility of serving our great nation. These Alabamians are the next generation of America’s military leaders, and I am thrilled to celebrate this remarkable achievement alongside their friends, family, and community.”\n\nSenator Britt’s nominees who will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy are listed below:\n\nStella Gallaspy, Theodore\n\nAiden Haecker, Brewton\n\n“The southern Alabama community is fortunate to be represented by two students of exceptional character. Stella and Aiden will no doubt succeed and thrive at the U.S. Air Force Academy. I know they will make an incredible difference in the safety and security of our nation for years to come,” said Senator Britt.\n\nSenator Britt’s nominee who will attend West Point is listed below:\n\nStanley McConnell, Mobile\n\n“Serving our country is one of the highest callings, and Stanley has answered that call with courage and determination. I’m honored to support his nomination, and I wish him the best of luck as he begins this incredible journey,” said Senator Britt.\n\nYou can view the headshots of all three nominees here. You can find more information on the application process for a service academy nomination from Senator Britt here. Applications for the 2026-2027 cycle open on August 15, 2026.\n\nIn total, 31 students from across the state of Alabama nominated by Senator Britt will attend U.S. service academies this fall.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-nominates-two-alabama-montgomery-area-students-to-service-academies-applauds-students-as-academic-year-begins/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Nominates Two Alabama Montgomery-Area Students to Service Academies, Applauds Students as Academic Year Begins", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) celebrated two students from the Montgomery area whom she nominated to attend our nation’s service academies at the start of their academic year. These students have courageously answered the call to serve and will help protect and preserve our nation’s freedom.\n\n“I applaud these exceptional students who have chosen a path that exhibits their courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to service,” said Senator Britt. “Their nominations reflect not only years of hard work and leadership, but also a willingness to take on this incredible responsibility of serving our great nation. These Alabamians are the next generation of America’s military leaders, and I am thrilled to celebrate this remarkable achievement alongside their friends, family, and community.”\n\nSenator Britt’s nominee who will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy is listed below:\n\nLuke Catchings, Montgomery\n\n“I have no doubt that Luke will excel at the Air Force Academy. He has already demonstrated remarkable leadership and determination, and I’m confident he will continue to succeed while serving our country,” said Senator Britt.\n\nSenator Britt’s nominee who will attend the U.S. Naval Academy is listed below:\n\nApril Kim, Pike Road\n\n“It’s a privilege to recognize April for her many achievements and continued commitment to service. Her appointment reflects years of hard work, and I was proud to nominate her to the U.S. Naval Academy. I know she will honor our state and our nation through her service in the Navy,” said Senator Britt.\n\nYou can view the headshots of both nominees here. You can find more information on the application process for a service academy nomination from Senator Britt here. Applications for the 2026-2027 cycle open on August 15, 2026.\n\nIn total, 31 students from across the state of Alabama nominated by Senator Britt will attend U.S. service academies this fall.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-joins-entire-wa-delegation-in-requesting-expedited-emergency-declaration-for-devastating-wildfires-in-spokane-central-wa", "title": "Cantwell Joins Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane, Central WA", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cantwell.senate.gov", "scraper": "cantwell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000127", "name": "Maria Cantwell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Cantwell Joins Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane, Central WA\n\nS-R: Wildfire leaves Northwest Spokane in a ‘war zone’; KXLY: “Thousands of people had to leave their homes as fires exploded in the Spokane area over the weekend. More than 700 structures have burned, many of them homes, while thousands of people are still not allowed back in their neighborhoods.”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Washington state’s entire congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson’s request last night for an expedited Emergency Declaration for the devastating wildfires sweeping through Central and Eastern Washington state.\n\nOn Saturday, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and issued a statewide burn ban through September 30, 2026. The National Weather Service upgraded the Red Flag Warning on Saturday, to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is very rare and typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. The Spokane Area Fires consist of the Old Trails Fire burning in northwest Spokane, the Autumn Lane Fire burning near Nine Mile Falls, and the Fairview Fire burning in Mead. Over 700 structures have been lost in the fires so far and over 14,000 structures are threatened, 67,000 people have been evacuated, the three fires have burned over 8,000 acres combined and are still 0% contained, nearly 1,000 firefighters battling fires in the Spokane area, and thousands of more people remain under a Level 3 (Go Now!) evacuation.\n\n“Large and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control,” wrote Senator Cantwell and the other members of the delegation.\n\nJoining Sen. Cantwell in the letter to President Trump were Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10).\n\nYesterday in Spokane, Sen. Cantwell spoke at a media briefing about the fires.\n\n“There are some up here with us who have been evacuated. There are some that have lost their homes. So we are with you in this situation, and we're going to do everything we can to get the federal resources to help you,” said Sen. Cantwell. “I talked to the U.S. [Forest Service] Chief Schultz, who basically said, this is the most [high] risk and resourced fire in the United States. Today, it is the top fire in our nation. That means they are going to give us the resources that we need here on the ground.”\n\nAdded Sen. Cantwell: “I ask our fellow Washingtonians to help this region, to be as patient as you can, to listen to what the first responders are saying because we're not out of danger yet. The next couple of days will be challenging, but we are going to do everything we can to make sure the resources are here and continue to make sure that this issue gets our nation's attention.”\n\nVideo of yesterday’s entire press conference is HERE; photos are HERE; a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.\n\nA background document detailing Sen. Cantwell’s work to reverse President Trump’s cuts to wildfire funding and bolster wildfire preparedness is available HERE.\n\nToday’s full letter is available HERE and below:\n\nDear Mr. President,\n\nAs members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s August 2nd request for an expedited Emergency Declaration due to the devastating wildfires raging in Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, and Yakima Counties. In addition to the counties, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and Spokane Tribe of Indians are also listed in Washington’s expedited Emergency Declaration request. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible.\n\nLarge and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control.\n\nThese fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers.\n\nFirefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.\n\nWhile local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need. We appreciate your prompt attention to the state’s request.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/capito-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-increase-health-care-training-in-remote-and-rural-areas", "title": "Capito, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Increase Health Care Training in Remote and Rural Areas", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.capito.senate.gov", "scraper": "capito", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001047", "name": "Shelley Moore Capito", "party": "Republican", "state": "WV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Last week, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) in introducing the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Reauthorization Act, which will increase access to high-quality health care in hard-to-reach areas. The bill reauthorizes funding for an innovative medical education program that deploys interactive videoconferencing to link specialist teams with primary care providers in rural areas, helping rural and remote communities access the health care services they otherwise would not be able to receive.\n\n“Project ECHO is an invaluable tool for health outcomes in West Virginia and across the nation, especially in our rural areas. It provides training for primary care doctors, nurses, and other clinicians to deliver excellent specialty care to patients close to home, directly in their communities. As more breakthroughs occur in treating chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s, Project ECHO offers clinicians the knowledge they need to diagnosis and treat their patients effectively. I’m proud to work with my colleagues to bring this reauthorization effort forward,” Senator Capito said.\n\nDETAILS:\n\nThe ECHO program grants will continue to be used for:\n\nEquipment to support the use and expansion of the models, including for the secure exchange of electronic health information;\n\nSupport for health care providers that provide services under these models;\n\nInstructional programming and training; and\n\nInformation collection and evaluation activities to study the impact of such models.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/capito-welch-introduce-legislation-to-preserve-rural-communities-opioid-response-program", "title": "Capito, Welch Introduce Legislation to Preserve Rural Communities Opioid Response Program", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.capito.senate.gov", "scraper": "capito", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001047", "name": "Shelley Moore Capito", "party": "Republican", "state": "WV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the RCORP Authorization Act, legislation that would maintain the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program to establish and expand prevention, treatment, and recovery services in rural areas for substance use disorders, related behavioral health conditions, and other related public health issues.\n\n“West Virginians know firsthand the devastating toll the opioid epidemic has had on our state’s families and communities. We also know that recovery is possible when those struggling have access to the right resources,” Senator Capito said. “The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program has helped strengthen prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts in communities that often face unique challenges accessing care. By preserving this successful program, we can provide greater certainty for rural providers and ensure communities in West Virginia and across the country continue to receive the support they need to recover.”\n\n“While Vermont has seen a decrease in overdose deaths in recent years, our work to help those struggling with addiction isn’t over—far from it. We need to do everything in our power to support folks on the road to recovery, especially in rural communities, where substance use disorder treatment and resources are harder to come by,” Senator Welch said. “We’re working across the aisle to ensure that rural communities in Vermont, West Virginia, and across the country can access vital prevention and recovery services necessary to combat the opioid crisis.”\n\nThe RCORP Authorization Act would:\n\nFormally authorize the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) to ensure its long-term future.\n\nExpand access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services for substance use disorders in rural communities.\n\nSupport local partnerships to strengthen coordinated, community-based care.\n\nProvide grants to rural organizations to address opioid use disorder and other behavioral health challenges.\n\nAuthorize funds annually beginning in Fiscal Year 2027 to sustain and expand the program.\n\nFull text of the legislation can be found here.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-coons-whitehouse-introduce-carbon-dioxide-removal-bill/", "title": "Senators Coons, Whitehouse introduce carbon dioxide removal bill", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.coons.senate.gov", "scraper": "coons", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001088", "name": "Christopher A. Coons", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Congressmen Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and Paul D. Tonko (D-N.Y.) introduced the Carbon Dioxide Leadership Act to curb climate change by investing in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies.\n\n“Investing in cutting-edge technology like carbon capture is key to growing our economy and protecting our nation and planet from climate change,” said Senator Coons. “This bipartisan, bicameral bill will ensure the United States is the global leader in carbon capture, protecting our communities and creating jobs.”\n\n“The fight against climate change will not succeed without carbon removal. Our bill would invest in promising carbon removal technologies and help put the planet on a pathway to climate safety,” said Senator Whitehouse.\n\n“We must use every tool at our disposal to tackle the climate crisis; that includes removing harmful legacy emissions from our atmosphere,” said Representative Tonko. “Our bill takes needed action to address carbon dioxide emissions while also creating good-paying jobs, supporting innovation, and investing in a clean energy economy. I’m proud to join my colleagues in championing this smart, meaningful legislation.”\n\nThe Carbon Dioxide Leadership Act would leverage federal procurement to create a market for carbon dioxide removal. Specifically, the bill would:\n\nRequire the Department of Energy (DOE) to remove an increasing amount of carbon dioxide for each fiscal year\n\nEnforce the use of direct air capture or other durable technology-based removal solutions\n\nEnsure high standards for measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verifying carbon removals and for robust public engagement\n\nSet a declining per-ton price ceiling to incentivize cost reductions over time\n\nProvide flexibility for DOE to invest in nascent technologies with high potential\n\nCreate a set-side for newer CDR technologies to promote a broad portfolio of technologies\n\nPrioritize domestic job creation, environmental justice, innovative technologies, and community benefits\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-praises-nsfs-25-million-investment-in-texas-am-for-materials-research-infrastructure/", "title": "Cornyn Praises NSF’s $25 Million Investment in Texas A&M for Materials Research Infrastructure", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "domain": "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "scraper": "cornyn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001056", "name": "John Cornyn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement praising the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) announcement of a $25,000,000 award to Texas A&M University to build a Materials Innovation Platform (MIP) facility, which will utilize robotics and AI to accelerate the research and development of materials that can withstand extreme conditions, including those essential for national security and energy dominance:\n\n“Congratulations to Texas A&M on receiving a generous $25 million investment from the National Science Foundation to construct a Materials Innovation Platform that will help create new alloys for everything from military vehicles to nuclear reactors,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This award is yet another example of how there is no better place to innovate than the Lone Star State, and I look forward to seeing the advancements that this high-tech facility will help support.”\n\nBackground:", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-tillis-announce-agreement-with-blanche-on-anti-weaponization-fund-irs-settlement/", "title": "Cornyn, Tillis Announce Agreement with Blanche on Anti-Weaponization Fund, IRS Settlement", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "domain": "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "scraper": "cornyn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001056", "name": "John Cornyn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) released the following statement announcing the successful negotiation of a legally enforceable document clarifying the anti-weaponization fund and the IRS audit release included in the Settlement Agreement signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last May:\n\n“From the outset, we were clear that we needed a written document addressing our concerns on the IRS audit agreement and the anti-weaponization fund that included constraining the scope of audit protection by limiting it to the parties of the Settlement Agreement and legally ending the anti-weaponization fund.”\n\n“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund. Additionally, the Department has acknowledged in a binding written order that the audit settlement is limited to the plaintiffs and the scope does not extend beyond the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury, addressing concerns that multiple of our Republican colleagues share.”\n\n“We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-rosen-merkley-cftc-must-rein-in-wildfire-bets-on-prediction-markets/", "title": "Cortez Masto, Rosen, Merkley: CFTC Must Rein in Wildfire Bets on Prediction Markets", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cortezmasto.senate.gov", "scraper": "cortezmasto", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001113", "name": "Catherine Cortez Masto", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined a letter led by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) raising the alarm about offshore prediction markets allowing people to bet on wildfires.\n\nAs wildfires burn in Nevada and across the nation, the Senators are demanding answers from the CFTC following public reporting that highlights the public safety and insider trading concerns of allowing prediction market platforms to offer bets on natural disasters such as wildfires. Senators Cortez Masto, Rosen, and Merkley were joined by Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).\n\n“Offering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering all so the rich and powerful can profit,” the Senators wrote. “There’s also the heightened risk – according to state and local fire officials – that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful. By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading.”\n\nThe Senators pressed the CFTC to swiftly ensure regulated exchanges are not listing event contracts that allow users to profit from wildfires threatening communities nationwide.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here.\n\nSenators Cortez Masto and Rosen have repeatedly called for more stringent oversight of prediction markets. They have previously called on the CFTC to prohibit prediction markets incentivizing physical injury, death, or war and to do more to combat insider trading in prediction markets. Cortez Masto and Rosen have also urged CFTC Chair Michael Selig to abstain from intervening in pending litigation involving prediction markets.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-leads-bill-to-restore-state-authority-over-insurance", "title": "Sen. Cruz Leads Bill to Restore State Authority Over Insurance", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.cruz.senate.gov", "scraper": "cruz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001098", "name": "Ted Cruz", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) reintroduced the Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act. The legislation abolishes the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) within the U.S. Department of the Treasury, returning sole regulatory authority over the insurance industry to the states.\n\nSen. Cruz said, “The Federal Insurance Office is a redundant, ever-expanding, unaccountable entity that infringes upon states’ authority to regulate the insurance industry. This legislation will rein in bureaucratic overreach by the federal government and empower state regulators to focus on what is best for consumers in their states.”\n\nSen. Lee said, “The Federal Insurance Office does not need to exist. It’s an Obama-era expansion of the federal bureaucracy created to intrude on states’ rights. Our bill will formally abolish this needless expense and return insurance regulation to the states, where it has always belonged.”\n\nSen. Blackburn said, “Insurance regulation has long been, and should remain, a responsibility of the states. The Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act would eliminate unnecessary federal overreach, cut red tape, and return power to the states.”\n\nRead the bill text here.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nIn 1945, Congress passed the McCarran-Ferguson Act, solidifying states’ regulatory authority over the insurance industry. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) was created by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which granted the FIO specific financial stability, monitoring, and international responsibilities. However, these responsibilities duplicate functions within an industry that has long been regulated at the state level and traditionally overseen by state insurance regulators.\n\nThe Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act would eliminate the FIO and restore primary regulatory authority over the insurance industry to the states.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-kelly-propose-state-sponsored-visa-pilot-program", "title": "Curtis, Kelly Propose State-Sponsored Visa Pilot Program", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.curtis.senate.gov", "scraper": "curtis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001114", "name": "John R. Curtis", "party": "Republican", "state": "UT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bipartisan legislation would empower states and address growing workforce demands in Utah\n\nWASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation to create a new temporary visa program that allows states to address their unique workforce and economic development needs while maintaining strong federal oversight and immigration enforcement.\n\n“I’ve heard time and again from small business owners, farmers, and ranchers across Utah how difficult it has become to hire enough workers to meet growing market demands,” said Senator Curtis. “Our legislation would help fill the gap by creating a pilot program allowing states to sponsor visas tailored to their unique economies, without sacrificing rigorous federal vetting or accountability.”\n\n“States understand their own economic needs best, but federal rules currently determine who can live and work here,” said Senator Kelly. “Our bipartisan bill would let Arizona and other states choose the visas they need to fill labor gaps and strengthen their local economies.”\n\nBackground:\n\nDespite having one of the strongest economies in the country, Utah faces a significant workforce shortage—particularly in agriculture, construction, and hospitality. A report published by the Sutherland Institute found that Utah “is experiencing one of the more severe workforce shortages among the states,” and “had a Worker Shortage Index of 0.72, meaning that there are 72 available workers for every 100 open jobs.”\n\nUnder the legislation, states could voluntarily establish state-sponsored visa programs tailored to their labor market demands, subject to approval by the Department of Homeland Security. Participating states would determine which workers or investors they sponsor while remaining responsible for monitoring compliance with program requirements. The federal government would retain authority over security screening, visa issuance, and immigration enforcement. Every applicant would be required to pass comprehensive federal background and security checks before receiving a visa.\n\nTo ensure accountability, the legislation requires participating states to:\n\nAssess workforce needs and prevailing wages on a regular basis;\n\nPrevent displacement of American workers and investigate complaints;\n\nTrack participants’ employment and residency;\n\nReport compliance to the federal government; and\n\nAccept reductions or suspensions in visa allocations if compliance standards are not met.\n\nThe bill also includes strong safeguards to protect taxpayers and uphold immigration laws. State-sponsored visa holders would be ineligible for federal means-tested benefits, would be subject to all applicable federal, state, and local labor and tax laws, and could lose their status if they violate program requirements or leave the sponsoring state without authorization.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-praises-dr-fauci-on-the-senate-floor-for-his-significant-contributions-to-public-health-and-life-saving-research", "title": "Durbin Praises Dr. Fauci On The Senate Floor For His Significant Contributions To public Health And Life-Saving Research", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Durbin slammed Republicans’ shameful HSGAC hearing last week: “Dr. Fauci deserves an apology for the way he was treated by my colleagues, and the American people deserve better than the pitiful display we saw in the Senate last Wednesday.”\n\nWASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) praised Dr. Anthony Fauci for his many contributions to public health—including leading us through the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV/AIDS research, and various public health crises over his decades of public service. Due to his incredible contributions and hard work spanning decades, Dr. Fauci has saved millions of lives. Durbin also condemned Senate Republicans’ sham hearing last week where they berated Dr. Fauci in a reprehensible attempt to smear a devoted public servant in order to distract from President Trump’s failures to address the real issues facing Americans nationwide.\n\nDurbin began his speech by reflecting on the breakthrough of the Polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk during the Senator’s childhood.\n\n“By 1979, polio was eradicated in America [thanks to Dr. Jonas Salk]—a disease that struck fear in the hearts of everyone was a distant memory. There is a special place in history reserved for researchers and scientists—like Dr. Salk and Dr. Sabin—who devoted their lives to saving others—people like Norman Borlaug, Edward Jenner, Madam Marie Curie, and Albert Calmette. But there is another person whose name could be on that list as well—someone who has saved millions of lives, both in America and around the world, throughout his lifetime of public service. His name? Dr. Anthony Facui,” Durbin said.\n\nDuring his floor speech, Durbin noted that Dr. Fauci worked for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 54 years—38 of which he served as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He has advised seven presidents of both parties and seen our nation through countless public health crises—from SARS, to avian flu, swine flu, Zika, and Ebola. Aside from his work against COVID-19, Dr. Fauci also made significant contributions in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Dr. Fauci’s tireless efforts on HIV/AIDS both domestically and worldwide—through the creation of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief—is the main reason why this horrible disease is no longer a death sentence. In recognition of this achievement, Dr. Fauci was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008—our nation’s highest civilian honor—from then-President George W. Bush.\n\n“Dr. Fauci is an example of American excellence, a brilliant scientific mind and yet, the Republican Party has chosen to make this doctor who saved countless lives a political target,” said Durbin. “Last week, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subpoenaed Dr. Fauci in front of Congress for a hearing [designed] with the express goal of humiliating and vilifying him. For nearly three hours, my Republican colleagues berated, cursed, and insulted a man who has dedicated his life to protecting the health of American families.”\n\n“If my colleagues had genuine concern for America’s public health, they would turn their attention instead to the destruction wrought by this Administration’s anti-science agenda. Listen to this roll call: measles cases are at a 35-year high; whooping cough has resurged; our response to the hantavirus and cyclospora outbreaks has been abysmal; and hundreds of thousands of people have died due to the Administration’s vaccine skepticism and public health cuts,” Durbin said.\n\nDurbin also noted the Trump Administration has made significant cuts to NIH research funding which has slowed research into heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lost 20 percent of its staff under this Administration, deeply damaging food safety efforts.\n\nDurbin concluded, “These are the real crises we face today, all entirely of this Administration’s own making. But my Senate Republican colleagues have chosen to ignore the real life and death issues to re-litigate COVID conspiracy theories. Not in an effort to learn what might have gone wrong or how to prepare for the next pandemic but instead to try and tear down a man who has devoted his entire life to lifting others up. Dr. Fauci deserves an apology for the way he was treated by my colleagues, and the American people deserve better than the pitiful display we saw in the Senate last Wednesday.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s floor speech is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-names-small-business-of-the-week-present-company", "title": "Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Present Company", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.ernst.senate.gov", "scraper": "ernst", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000295", "name": "Joni Ernst", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Present Company of Audubon County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.\n\n\"Present Company has been the gift that keeps on giving to Audubon for more than three decades,\" said Chair Ernst. \"From helping revitalize Main Street to supporting countless local events and charities, Telia Carter and her team continue to present the very best of Iowa's entrepreneurial spirit. Their commitment to exceptional service, unique products, and hometown values proves that investing in your community always comes back around.\"\n\nFounded in 1990 by Nancy Oleson, Present Company opened its doors in downtown Audubon as a home décor boutique. After more than three decades of serving southwest Iowa, ownership transitioned in 2022 to Telia Carter. Under her leadership, Present Company has continued its tradition of personalized customer service while adapting its inventory to meet the needs of customers from Audubon and the surrounding communities. Today, Present Company remains a downtown Audubon staple, offering a carefully curated selection of gifts, home décor, apparel, jewelry, and specialty items. The boutique has earned a reputation for unique merchandise, friendly service, and a welcoming atmosphere that reflects the character of small-town Iowa.\n\nStay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-mccormick-wyden-introduce-bill-to-stop-spread-of-spotted-lanternflies/", "title": "Fetterman, McCormick, Introduce Bill to Stop Spread of Spotted Lanternflies", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "domain": "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "scraper": "fetterman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000479", "name": "John Fetterman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and Dave McCormick (R-PA), joined by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), introduced the Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act to designate the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive species that poses a significant threat to our nation’s agricultural economy, as a high-priority research initiative for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.\n\n“Spotted lanternflies have ravaged crops that are critical to Pennsylvania’s economy including grapevines, apples, peaches, hops, and more,” said Senator Fetterman. “For over a decade, they have cost the Commonwealth millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan bill to combat this invasive species and protect our farmers.”\n\n“Pennsylvania’s farmers work hard to produce some of the best agricultural products in the world, and it’s concerning that their hard work is at risk of being eaten away by pests,” said Senator McCormick. “By investing in research to combat spotted lanternflies, this bill will help protect our farms, strengthen our agricultural economy, and better control this invasive species.”\n\nSpotted lanternflies were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. They have since spread throughout the Commonwealth and are currently found in 51 counties. Studies estimate that the species could cost the state $324 million annually if not contained because of the significant damage they cause many pieces of critical agriculture.\n\nWatch Senator Fetterman’s subcommittee hearing on lanternflies here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-grassley-invites-jack-smith-to-testify-before-senate-judiciary-committee", "title": "ICYMI: Grassley Invites Jack Smith to Testify Before Senate Judiciary Committee", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Jack Smith invited to testify before Senate next month\n\nAugust 3, 2026\n\nPOLITICO\n\nJack Smith, the former special counsel who brought criminal charges against President Donald Trump, has been invited to testify Sept. 22 before the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to an invitation from Chair Chuck Grassley reviewed by POLITICO.\n\nSmith previously testified before the House Judiciary Committee in January, but Grassley (R-Iowa) and his team have been probing Smith and his investigations for months.\n\nGrassley recently revealed that Smith obtained text messages that 44 members of Congress sent to White House officials during the waning months of Trump’s first term leading up to and around the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.\n\nGrassley’s texts were among those accessed by Smith’s team, along with Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)\n\n“In the process of a deeply flawed, weaponized investigation, Jack Smith subpoenaed phone toll records from a dozen senators, scooped up text messages from over 40 members of Congress, and subpoenaed the private communications and financial records of hundreds of other Republican entities and individuals,” Grassley said in a statement.\n\n“He needs to answer directly to Congress for his actions,” Grassley added. “Smith has requested to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and our committee looks forward to hearing from him as part of Congress’ investigation into Arctic Frost and his time as Special Counsel. Smith must be honest and forthcoming in his answers, because the American people deserve nothing less than full transparency and accountability.”\n\nRead the rest HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/03/icymi-hagerty-joins-kudlow-on-fox-business-to-discuss-spain-iran-and-community-reinvestment-act-reforms/", "title": "ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Kudlow on Fox Business to Discuss Spain, Iran and Community Reinvestment Act Reforms", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.hagerty.senate.gov", "scraper": "hagerty", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000601", "name": "Bill Hagerty", "party": "Republican", "state": "TN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington—On Friday, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss Spain’s immigration crisis, the latest in Iran and the Trump Administration’s proposed reform of the Community Reinvestment Act.\n\n*Click the photo above or here to watch*\n\nPartial Transcript\n\nHagerty on Spain’s immigration crisis: I think it is precisely what the president is warning against, and it’s a preview of what could happen if the Democratic Socialists of America are able to get in charge. If you think about it, the Socialist Workers Party in Spain, a leftist, socialist organization, is taking control of that country. This is what you get… It’s an invitation to these people to overrun their country. I think all of Europe should be on alarm. Again, this is a preview of what could happen right here in America. We already saw [President Joe Biden] try it before. Thank God [President Donald Trump] came into office and has put a complete stop to this. It’s out of the news right now, but this could happen again. It’s a preview and it’s a wakeup call to all of us, and I think as we head into the midterm elections, to remember what the Democrat socialists can do—it’s happening right now in Europe.\n\nHagerty on Iran: Much to Washington’s shock, President Trump has been very good about not telegraphing his every move. But I’ll say this, [Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper] had completed roughly 75 to 80% of the target package that initially was set to deal with Iran. He stepped back from that when we went into negotiations, into the ceasefire to deal with the straight before moves. I think the time has come. Go back, finish the package, finish the job. I think this is what the American public needs to see. As soon as this happens, I’ll tell you this. The polling data that [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.] and the Democrats are thrilled about right now, because Americans don’t like to see this sort of unclear situation. Once we have clearly defined this and ended this, this whole bit in Iran, we’ve taken the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)] and put them where they belong… I think you’re going to see the president’s poll numbers; you’re going to see joy back in America again. Americans love a winner; Americans love to win. We can do that, and I think the time has come to deliver on it […] our Israeli partners, they have exquisite intelligence and capabilities on the ground there. You saw what they did with the supply chains when every one of Hezbollah’s leaders had their fingers and thumbs blown off. I think the Israeli Military possesses incredible covert capabilities… I think we should put every option on the table… Let’s execute the alternatives.\n\nHagerty on the Trump Administration’s proposed reform of the Community Reinvestment Act: I’m glad to see the Trump Administration doing as they have been and going in and taking a very hard look at this regulatory regime. This is a tool that has been misused. I’m certain this was not the original intent, but this has basically been a tool used to shake down any bank or financial institution that wants to merge or expand into a given market, and they get shaken down by liberal regulators and those that want to control them to write checks to support efforts, particularly liberal efforts. That just shouldn’t be the case. That’s coming to an end, again, thanks to the Trump Administration, and thanks to strong leadership on the economic front led by [U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett], and the new comptroller. I’m very pleased with where we are headed.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/03/icymi-hagerty-joinsthe-sunday-briefing-on-fox-news-to-discuss-iran-blanche-confirmation-and-the-save-america-act/", "title": "ICYMI—Hagerty JoinsThe Sunday Briefing on Fox News to Discuss Iran, Blanche Confirmation and the SAVE America Act", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.hagerty.senate.gov", "scraper": "hagerty", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000601", "name": "Bill Hagerty", "party": "Republican", "state": "TN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington—On Sunday, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined The Sunday Briefing on Fox News to discuss the latest in Iran, Todd Blanche’s pending confirmation and the SAVE America Act.\n\n*Click the photo above or here to watch*\n\nPartial Transcript\n\nHagerty on Iran: We continue to maintain the strategic advantage and Iran’s strategic capabilities continue to be degraded. If you think about it from a military standpoint, now we have other neighbors in the region joining us, dealing militarily with Iran. That [should be] quite concerning to the Iranian regime. The other aspect of this is the fact that the economic sanctions that [U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent] and his team at Treasury have been imposing are having a dramatic effect on the Iranian economy. The question is, how much more can they take? Their economy is shut off; their economy is shut down. The military componentry has been devastated, and now we have other players in the region joining the United States to deal with Iran in a way that they’ve never seen before. I’m certainly optimistic that President Trump is going to make certain that at the end the goal is accomplished, that is no nuclear capability for Iran. I’d like to see this done sooner than later, I think the rest of America would, too.\n\nHagerty on the Middle East’s Maritime Defense Coalition against Iran: Iran would like to destabilize the entire region because they’d like to control the entire region. And the fact is that neighbors [in the Middle East] are stepping up and realizing that they have a role to play here. They’re going to be the most immediately impacted, and frankly, given Iran’s military attacks on everybody in the neighborhood, that’s become painfully clear. I welcome the fact that these nations are stepping up, that they’re joining us, and I think this is going to be a regional solution to a problem that has been very specific for 47 years. It’s time to bring it to an end, and I think we get there much more rapidly with allies like Saudi Arabia and others stepping into the fray and working arm-in-arm and side-by-side with us. And again, I think the sooner we can put this to conclusion the better everybody will be in the world.\n\nHagerty on conflicting viewpoints regarding the conflict in Iran: The president takes advice from multiple sources. I’m honored by the fact that he reaches out to me from time to time, but he is constantly absorbing information. He is constantly trying to deal with the situation on the ground. And I think what you have [Vice President J.D. Vance] doing is indicating there are considerations here that are very real. The president needs to hear all of those considerations. The one person that the president cannot fire is the other person that stood elected alongside [him], and that’s Vice President Vance. I think Vice President Vance takes it seriously upon himself. He has told this to me, that he needs to sound out every concern that could possibly exist, and I think you see another example of it right here. At the end of the day though, I’ll come back to this: We hold the strategic advantage. President Trump has been incredibly clear. He will not allow the Iranian regime to have nuclear capacity. And I think President Trump’s patience is worn quite thin. So, with this current ceasefire, we’re at the verge of being ready to unveil and unleash a tremendous amount of power on Iran. They need to pay attention to this, and they need to pay attention to the fact that other neighbors in the region are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with [the United States] right now. I think this [conflict] is going to come to an end very soon.\n\nHagerty on Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation and the Anti-Weaponization Fund: I know [Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R- has been working hard to get both [Senator Tom Tillis, R-N.C.,] and [Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas,] to a place of comfort. But I also say this: I wholeheartedly disagree with the notion that this is something that’s undeserved. The [Department of Justice (DOJ) during the Biden Administration] did attack many people. Several people on my staff were targeted and weaponized by the DOJ… The hurt and harm were very real… I’m not looking for any compensation, but I do think that justice needs to be served here. And to say that there is nothing here to look at the weaponization fund is just evidence that something very, very bad did happen under the Biden DOJ. There should be accountability, however that takes form. I don’t think that we need to just sweep this under the rug. I think there needs to be an acknowledgement. I’m willing to accept Todd Blanche’s word that this fund will not be put into motion. I think Todd Blanche is a very qualified nominee, I’m looking forward to getting him confirmed.\n\nHagerty on the SAVE America Act: There are 50 [Senate Republicans] or more that are willing to push this through, but we need more Democrats to get to 60 votes if we’re going to pass [the SAVE America Act] as it stands. What we’re focused on right now is a reconciliation product. [Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,] was working on this before his untimely departure, bless his heart. But we are, again, working on a product that I think we can use the reconciliation process, which only requires a [simple] majority vote, which we can deliver. We are navigating that process right now. This is not an easy situation when you have every Democrat in the Senate opposed to any type of election integrity. I think it’s quite embarrassing for the Democratic Party, and people should be asking why they’re doing this—What’s their underlying motive? But at the same time, I’m ready to stay here to get this done in whatever form it requires. We do have a vehicle that is under consideration right now that I think we can get significant elements of the SAVE America Act passed.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-introduces-legislation-to-ensure-large-users-of-electricity-pay-for-grid-upgrades-protect-customers-from-costs-of-data-center-expansion", "title": "Heinrich Introduces Legislation to Ensure Large Users of Electricity Pay for Grid Upgrades, Protect Customers From Costs of Data Center Expansion", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced the GRID Savings Act, legislation that aims to ensure that the biggest new electricity users play by the same basic rules that have applied to new power plants for two decades, while increasing transparency, protecting grid reliability, and making sure that families and businesses aren’t left paying for infrastructure that only serves new, high-demand customers.\n\n“If a company is driving the need for expensive new facilities, that company should pay for it — not families and small businesses. That’s the basic principle behind my GRID Savings Act,” said Heinrich. “Electricity demand is growing, driven in large part by hyperscalers, AI data centers, and other large new electricity users. These companies have promised to protect customers from paying for their energy usage, and my GRID Savings Act gives teeth to that commitment by requiring large load customers to pay for the facilities needed to connect them to the grid, while incentivizing hyperscalers to fund transmission-level upgrades. We need to make sure America can meet growing electricity demand without forcing working families and small businesses to fully subsidize the infrastructure required by the nation’s biggest energy users.”\n\nThe GRID Savings Act makes sure the biggest new electricity users play by the same basic rules that have applied to new power plants for two decades.\n\nToday, when a company wants to connect a new power plant to the electric grid, it has to go through a detailed review process, pay for the upgrades needed to connect safely and reliably, and put up financial commitments to show it’s serious about moving forward. The GRID Savings Act applies the same basic approach to very large new electricity users. It requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to establish clear rules so these companies understand what upgrades are needed, what they’ll be responsible for paying, and how those costs will be determined. The legislation also increases transparency, protects grid reliability, and helps ensure that families and businesses aren’t left paying for infrastructure that only serves new, high-demand customers.\n\nThe legislation also allows for these large-use companies to voluntarily fund certain transmission facilities and receive transmission service in exchange for funding backbone transmission upgrades.\n\nHeinrich’s Leadership on Transmission and Grid Infrastructure:\n\nHeinrich 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.\n\nLast week, during a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Heinrich asked FERC Chairwoman Laura Swett and fellow Commissioners Lindsay See, Judy Chang, David LaCerte, and David Rosner, about how Congress can support incentivizing advanced transmission technologies and the potential to automate generator interconnection processes.\n\nEarlier this month, Heinrich 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. The introduction of the bill launched Heinrich’s Grid for Growth initiative, a policy roadmap to modernize the nation’s electrical grid and bring new, affordable energy online.\n\nIn 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nAlso 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nA one-page factsheet of the bill is here.\n\nA section-by-section summary of the bill is here.\n\nThe full text of the bill is here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/hickenlooper-colleagues-demand-trump-admin-restore-funding-for-energy-projects-that-were-illegally-canceled-and-politically-targeted/", "title": "Hickenlooper, Colleagues Demand Trump Admin Restore Funding for Energy Projects That Were Illegally Canceled and Politically Targeted", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press/page/", "domain": "www.hickenlooper.senate.gov", "scraper": "hickenlooper", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000273", "name": "John W. Hickenlooper", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "$600M in Colorado projects were illegally cancelled by the Trump admin\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined 38 of his Senator colleagues to demand that the Trump administration restore funding for the 223 energy projects cancelled in October 2025, including $600M for Colorado energy projects. The Trump administration has since admitted to illegally canceling energy grants because those projects were in states that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election.\n\n“Once an administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly,” the senators wrote. “This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country – not merely those who support the President.”\n\nThe senators continued: “At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them – not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk. For the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.”\n\nLast month, Hickenlooper launched an investigation into the Trump administration’s efforts to kill offshore wind energy projects after the Trump administration agreed to pay four companies more than $2.7 billion in taxpayer funding to abandon offshore wind projects.\n\nHickenlooper has called out Republican attacks on clean energy and introduced the Lowering Electric Bills Act to protect clean energy projects. He introduced the Geo POWER Act to help deliver clean, affordable electricity across the country, the bipartisan Co-Location Energy Act to expedite the permitting and construction of wind and solar projects on existing federal agency leases. Hickenlooper was also instrumental in passing the Inflation Reduction Act, which invested $373 billion in the climate and clean energy transition and continues to fight Trump administration attacks on the legislation and their attempts to hike energy costs for American families.\n\nRead the full text of the letter HERE and below:\n\nSecretary Wright and Director Vought:\n\nNow that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump Administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies.\n\nIn October 2025, we wrote to you to express strong opposition to the Administration’s callous decision to unlawfully terminate $8 billion in federal investments for 223 energy projects. You not only acted outside the bounds of the law, but canceled projects that would have provided jobs, onshored manufacturing, and lowered skyrocketing energy prices. Congress authorized those projects and appropriated funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriation bills. At the time of the termination of those projects, we expressed outrage that the terminations appeared politically motivated and confined to states that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election. The Administration has now admitted in federal court what it denied to Congress and the American people.\n\nOn July 24, 2026, citing court filings, The New York Times reported that the Trump Administration acknowledged that it terminated more than $7.5 billion of grants due to political motivations. In a two-step process, the Department of Energy (DOE) first recommended more than 600 grants for potential termination, including grants in states represented by both Republicans and Democrats. It appears the Office of Management and Budget then selected all the grants in “Blue States” for cancellation, which DOE executed. In court filings, DOE’s lawyers conceded that the cancellations occurred “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state.” Specifically, as the court filings stated, “[w]ith one exception, the 284 terminated grants had a recipient location and/or at least one place of performance in a state that awarded its electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has two Democratic-caucusing Senators (“Blue State” grants).” Similar grants in Red States, however, remained intact and were not the subject of termination. What’s more, DOE lawyers conceded that the decision to terminate these blue state grants was not “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor.”\n\nOnce an Administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly. This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.\n\nAt a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the Administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk.\n\nFor the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/hickenlooper-warren-call-on-regulators-to-strengthen-bank-supervision-rule-supporting-access-to-credit-for-small-businesses-and-consumers/", "title": "Hickenlooper, Warren Call on Regulators to Strengthen Bank Supervision Rule Supporting Access to Credit for Small Businesses and Consumers", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press/page/", "domain": "www.hickenlooper.senate.gov", "scraper": "hickenlooper", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000273", "name": "John W. Hickenlooper", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Elizabeth Warren sent a letter urging federal banking regulators to strengthen proposed revisions to the Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System (known as “CAMELS”) to ensure that bank supervision is forward-looking, so bank management and supervisors address risks before they fester into more serious problems that threaten credit availability for small businesses and households. The letter was sent to Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle W. Bowman, Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould, FDIC Chairman Travis Hill, NCUA Chairman Kyle Hauptman, and Acting CFPB Director Russell Vought.\n\n“The failure of [Silicon Valley Bank] illustrates the need for the CAMELS rating system to require rigorous evaluation of the capabilities and performance of bank management and forward-looking bank supervision,” the senators wrote. “Exclusively identifying material weaknesses in banks’ financial statements today may miss an opportunity to catch emerging risks early and prevent a bank crisis tomorrow.”\n\nThe senators detailed how “when Silicon Valley Bank failed, the federal government stepped in to keep the crisis from spreading…But the hidden cost from the crisis, which lasted far longer, was the significant reduction in credit available to small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and consumers, particularly in rural and underserved areas.”\n\nIn the letter the senators urged the agencies to revise the proposed amendments to the CAMELS ratings by:\n\nRestoring several references to the need for supervisors to evaluate bank management’s ability to “identify, monitor, measure, and control” risks, including emerging risks.\n\nRequiring that bank supervisors conduct a forward-looking assessment of risks that could develop into material financial risks.\n\nRead the full text of the letter HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-acting-labor-secretary-sonderling-visit-owens-community-college-to-discuss-workforce-development/", "title": "Husted, Acting Labor Secretary Sonderling visit Owens Community College to discuss workforce development", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.husted.senate.gov", "scraper": "husted", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001104", "name": "Jon Husted", "party": "Republican", "state": "OH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“I appreciated the opportunity to welcome Acting Secretary Sonderling to Owens Community College and highlight one of the many outstanding programs that are equipping students with the skills needed for today’s jobs and tomorrow’s opportunities.”\n\nTOLEDO, Ohio – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) today hosted Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling at Owens Community College for a roundtable discussion at the college’s Dana Advanced Manufacturing Training Center.\n\nThe discussion focused on Husted’s work alongside the administration to secure Workforce Pell Grants, which will soon make short-term, high-quality workforce training programs eligible for federal financial aid. They also discussed how Owens Community College is addressing critical workforce needs across northwest Ohio.\n\n“Thanks to the work we’ve done in recent years, Ohio has become a national leader in workforce development, preparing Ohioans to compete and succeed across every sector of our economy. I appreciated the opportunity to welcome Acting Secretary Sonderling to Owens Community College and highlight one of the many outstanding programs that are equipping students with the skills needed for today’s jobs and tomorrow’s opportunities. That’s why I supported expanding Pell Grants through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act—to help more Americans access high-quality workforce training programs and gain the skills they need for good-paying careers,” said Husted.\n\nHusted fought to include Workforce Pell Grants in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Workforce Pell Grants will:\n\nAllow students to use federal Pell Grant aid for short-term job training programs that lead directly to employment.\n\nOpen pathways for people who want rapid skill development without the time and cost of a traditional degree.\n\nInclude training programs as short as 8–15 weeks.\n\nExpand the federal investment in skills training while making sure students can afford the education they need to succeed.\n\nMake job training more accessible, especially for low-income learners who might otherwise be shut out by cost.\n\nHusted is also leading efforts in the Senate to ensure students and families have the information they need to make informed education and career decisions. He is leading:", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.justice.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-justice-addresses-industry-leaders-at-go-wv-summer-meeting/", "title": "Senator Justice Addresses Industry Leaders at GO-WV Summer Meeting", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.justice.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.justice.senate.gov", "scraper": "justice", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000312", "name": "James C. Justice", "party": "Republican", "state": "WV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV – Today, Senator Jim Justice addressed industry leaders at the Gas & Oil Association of West Virginia (GO-WV) Summer Meeting, where he provided an update on the energy landscape in Washington and discussed the importance of advancing policies that keep West Virginia at the forefront of American energy production.\n\n“America cannot be energy dominant without West Virginia. It’s just that simple. When I came to the Senate, I knew one thing: West Virginia’s energy story needed a strong voice at the table. Serving on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee gives me the opportunity to be right in the middle of the conversations that matter most for the industries in this room. Whether it’s permitting, investments, or policies that impact our ability to produce energy, I’m working to make sure Washington understands what West Virginia already knows—we have the resources, the people, and the know-how to power this country,” said Senator Jim Justice.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nSenator Justice has been a staunch advocate for the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia.\n\nAs a member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Justice continues fighting to keep West Virginia and American energy strong.\n\nRecently, Senator Justice celebrated a new natural gas plant being developed alongside an existing coal plant in Mt. Storm.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-presses-president-on-military-strikes-in-caribbean-and-pacific-calls-for-accountability", "title": "Kaine Presses President on Military Strikes in Caribbean and Pacific, Calls for Accountability", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "domain": "www.kaine.senate.gov", "scraper": "kaine", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000384", "name": "Tim Kaine", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, sent a letter to President Donald Trump pressing him on U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific and calling for accountability. The Trump-Vance Administration has not provided any legitimate legal justification for the military strikes or evidence to support its claims that the targeted vessels were narcotraffickers. It was recently reported that analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) found that the military strikes have had no impact on curbing the supply of cocaine to the U.S.\n\n“To date, according to public reporting, the United States has engaged in more than 65 kinetic operations killing more than 220 people pursuant to your directive,” Kaine wrote. “I’ve reviewed these classified notifications to Congress pursuant to those attacks, which vary in detail but often include descriptions of the targets and their activities during the kinetic operations.”\n\n“My review of your directive, the OLC legal opinion, the EXORD, and the notifications of the boat strikes, makes clear that the United States is engaged in violent and fatal attacks against people far beyond those whom the OLC opinion claimed could be lawfully targeted. In other words, a careful review of the available evidence suggests that the United States has killed individuals who are not involved in narcotrafficking,” Kaine continued. “They are murder victims.”\n\n“Adding to the deep concern over these illegal killings is the fact, recently confirmed by the Drug Enforcement Administration, that Operation Southern Spear has had no effect on the flow of illegal drugs into the United States,” Kaine concluded. “I ask that you closely examine the circumstances of these strikes, to ensure that you are personally aware of the extent to which the leadership of the Department of Defense has exceeded your July 2025 directive, incurring massive expense and operating with dubious legality, and with no progress towards your stated objective. And once you have done so, I urge you to halt this illegal, costly and ineffective operation.”\n\nKaine has led War Powers Resolutions to block the use of U.S. Armed Forces in the Caribbean and Pacific, but they have been blocked by Republicans. Kaine previously joined his colleagues in sending a letter to the Trump-Vance Administration on a September 2 military strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea that reportedly killed all 11 passengers on board. Serious concerns have been raised about the possibility that those passengers included human trafficking victims.\n\nFull text of the letter is available here and below:\n\nMr. President:\n\nIn late July 2025, you directed the Department of Defense to conduct kinetic operations to combat narcotrafficking operations in the Americas. You selected numerous organizations for targeting. That target list is classified so I cannot reveal it. Importantly, the classification of the list means that those you have asked the Department of Defense to target are entirely unaware that they are marked for execution.\n\nIn September 2025, the United States launched boat strikes in international waters in the Americas pursuant to your directive. A Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion issued in September 2025 provided legal support for such operations so long as they complied with specific factual conditions. That legal opinion (and the specific factual conditions) is classified. As a result, these conditions are also unknown to those being targeted.\n\nA Department of Defense order implementing your July directive (the EXORD) was issued in October 2025. The EXORD contains targeting criteria that the Department of Defense should use in carrying out your kinetic operations directive. The EXORD and its targeting criteria are also classified.\n\nTo date, according to public reporting, the United States has engaged in more than 65 kinetic operations killing more than 220 people pursuant to your directive. I’ve reviewed these classified notifications to Congress pursuant to those attacks, which vary in detail but often include descriptions of the targets and their activities during the kinetic operations.\n\nMy review of your directive, the OLC legal opinion, the EXORD, and the notifications of the boat strikes, makes clear that the United States is engaged in violent and fatal attacks against people far beyond those whom the OLC opinion claimed could be lawfully targeted. In other words, a careful review of the available evidence suggests that the United States has killed individuals who are not involved in narcotrafficking.\n\nThey are murder victims.\n\nAdding to the deep concern over these illegal killings is the fact, recently confirmed by the Drug Enforcement Administration, that Operation Southern Spear has had no effect on the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.\n\nI ask that you closely examine the circumstances of these strikes, to ensure that you are personally aware of the extent to which the leadership of the Department of Defense has exceeded your July 2025 directive, incurring massive expense and operating with dubious legality, and with no progress towards your stated objective. And once you have done so, I urge you to halt this illegal, costly and ineffective operation.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-voting-against-continuing-resolution", "title": "Kaine Statement On Voting Against Continuing Resolution", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "domain": "www.kaine.senate.gov", "scraper": "kaine", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000384", "name": "Tim Kaine", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voted against proceeding to a continuing resolution to extend government funding through December 11:\n\n“The funding resolution negotiated by Senate Appropriations leaders has much good substance that would, in normal times, earn my vote. But, in the midst of an illegal war killing and injuring our troops and sticking American families with unnecessary costs, I am not yet able to support proceeding to this proposal. I hope that the President will follow the law and end this foolish war before the House returns to take up the measure in September. Once that occurs, passage of this resolution will be the right thing to do.”\n\nLast week, Kaine spoke on the Senate Floor to express his strong opposition to President Trump’s three illegal wars in Iran, Venezuela, and the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. In the speech, he called for congressional action to end these unauthorized military operations. Kaine previously led the successful passage of a War Powers Resolution to end the Iran war.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-curtis-propose-state-sponsored-visa-pilot-program/", "title": "Kelly, Curtis Propose State-Sponsored Visa Pilot Program", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.kelly.senate.gov", "scraper": "markkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000377", "name": "Mark Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bipartisan legislation would empower states and address growing workforce demands in Arizona\n\nToday, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and John Curtis (R-UT) introduced the State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation to create a new temporary visa program that allows states to address their unique workforce and economic development needs while maintaining strong federal oversight and immigration enforcement.\n\n“States understand their own economic needs best, but federal rules currently determine who can live and work here,” said Kelly. “Our bipartisan bill would let Arizona and other states choose the visas they need to fill labor gaps and strengthen their local economies.”\n\n“I’ve heard time and again from small business owners, farmers, and ranchers across Utah how difficult it has become to hire enough workers to meet growing market demands,” saidCurtis. “Our legislation would help fill the gap by creating a pilot program allowing states to sponsor visas tailored to their unique economies, without sacrificing rigorous federal vetting or accountability.”\n\nThe State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act of 2026 is supported by ThirdWay, UnidosUS, the U.S. Hispanic Business Council, American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) Action, the National Immigration Forum, Aliento, the Southern Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC).\n\nSee what Arizona and national leaders are saying in support of the legislation:\n\n“Small businesses cannot grow or compete when critical positions remain unfilled. Hispanic-owned small businesses understand firsthand both the economic contributions of immigrant workers and the need for a lawful, secure, and accountable process. I commend Senators John Curtis and Mark Kelly for working across the aisle and offering a pragmatic, innovative, flexible, and pro-business solution to address critical labor shortages, strengthen local economies, and keep American businesses competitive,” said Javier Palomarez, President and CEO, U.S. Hispanic BusinessCouncil.\n\n“We are grateful to Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for their bipartisan leadership in creating common-sense immigration and workforce solutions that recognizes the contributions of skilled, long-term immigrants and reflects the realities of our modern economy,” said Rebecca Shi, CEO, ABIC Action. “This legislation is a significant step toward solving the chronic workforce shortages that have hampered growth across diverse sectors, from agriculture and construction to hospitality and manufacturing. Families across America are feeling the squeeze of higher prices, and the lack of legal pathways for workers who are already here and contributing plays a key role. With food costs up 30% and a national housing shortage of 3.7 million homes, we simply cannot staff the farms, job sites, and restaurants that keep our economy moving. We can’t lower prices unless we protect our essential workers.”\n\n“Our economy depends on a vibrant workforce, and states often know best how to achieve that in their jurisdiction,” said Jennie Murray, President and CEO, theNational Immigration Forum. “The State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Actwould allow states to close local labor gaps with a legal immigrant workforce. It would also allow states to adjust the number of worker visas allowed each year depending on the state’s economic growth. This is an innovative effort that would update our immigration system to better address current economic needs, creating opportunity for all.”\n\n“At Aliento, I meet young people every day who grew up in Arizona, went to school here, and are ready to work and give back, but have no legal way to do it, and I know that feeling myself as a DACA recipient. This bill gives states the flexibility to solve their own workforce challenges instead of waiting on Washington, and it gives Arizona employers in agriculture, health care, and technology a legal, reliable way to fill jobs. It’s a practical, state-driven approach that lets us work, pay taxes, and build the lives we’ve already started. One both parties should be able to get behind,” said Reyna Montoya, Founder and CEO,Aliento.\n\n“Southern Arizona’s economy depends on both a secure border and a workforce that allows our businesses to grow and compete. Thoughtful proposals like this recognize that states understand their economic needs while maintaining accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. That’s the kind of balanced conversation our country should be having,” saidRob Elias, President & Chief Executive Officer, Southern Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.\n\n“Small-owned businesses are engines of Arizona’s economic growth and they need a reliable, authorized workforce to thrive. This bill gives states the flexibility to meet their own workforce needs and bring the talent for businesses to be successful. This bill is a common-sense approach that’s good for businesses, good for workers, and good for Arizona. We’re grateful to Senators Kelly and Curtis for their leadership on this issue,” said Mónica S. Villalobos, President & CEO, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.\n\n“The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry appreciates Sens. Mark Kelly and John Curtis for recognizing that states have unique workforce needs that often require tailored solutions. Employers across Arizona continue to face persistent labor shortages in key sectors, and legal visa holders play an important role in helping businesses meet those workforce demands while supporting economic growth. Our current worker visa system is too cumbersome and too slow to respond to changing labor market conditions and needs. We applaud Senators Kelly and Curtis for getting the conversation started on a thoughtful proposal to modernize the system, and we look forward to working with them as the legislation continues to take shape,” saidDanny Seiden, President and CEO, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.\n\n“This bipartisan legislation reflects growing interest in place-based immigration to strengthen local economies. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Community Partnership Visa working group proposal emphasizes community partnership, demonstrated need, and long-term integration,” said Matthew Slaughter, Paul Danos Dean and Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College and Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Community Partnership Visa Working Group.\n\n“The Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC) applauds Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for introducing legislation to establish a state-sponsored visa pilot program. We commend the senators for contributing a serious, constructive proposal to the national conversation about legal immigration reform and for recognizing that states, communities, and employers across the country face workforce challenges that demand lawful, flexible, and accountable solutions,” saidLaura Reiff, Co-Chair,Essential Worker Immigration Coalition.\n\nClick here to read the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition’s full letter of support.\n\nBackground:\n\nUnder the legislation, states could voluntarily establish state-sponsored visa programs tailored to their labor market demands, subject to approval by the Department of Homeland Security. Participating states would determine which workers or investors they sponsor while remaining responsible for monitoring compliance with program requirements. The federal government would retain authority over security screening, visa issuance, and immigration enforcement. Every applicant would be required to pass comprehensive federal background and security checks before receiving a visa.\n\nTo ensure accountability, the legislation requires participating states to:\n\nAssess workforce needs and prevailing wages on a regular basis;\n\nPrevent displacement of American workers and investigate complaints;\n\nTrack participants’ employment and residency;\n\nReport compliance to the federal government; and\n\nAccept reductions or suspensions in visa allocations if compliance standards are not met.\n\nThe bill also includes strong safeguards to protect taxpayers and uphold immigration laws. State-sponsored visa holders would be ineligible for federal means-tested benefits, would be subject to all applicable federal, state, and local labor and tax laws, and could lose their status if they violate program requirements or leave the sponsoring state without authorization.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kim.senate.gov/press_release/senator-andy-kim-statement-supporting-bipartisan-continuing-resolution/", "title": "Senator Andy Kim Statement Supporting Bipartisan Continuing Resolution", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kim.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.kim.senate.gov", "scraper": "kim", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000394", "name": "Andy Kim", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) released the following statement after voting to move a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) forward that would keep the government funded through December 11, 2026:\n\n“When Democrats stand up for the American people, we can deliver for them; that’s what this continuing resolution does. It not only keeps the government open, it stands in the way of Donald Trump weaponizing this funding for his extreme political agenda.\n\n“Congressional Republicans have an opportunity to work with us on a budget aligned with the priorities of American working families. Those families will be watching in the coming months; it’s up to Republicans to do the right thing and help deliver a full budget that provides the relief and support the American people deserve.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-medicare-patients-physicians", "title": "King, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Medicare Patients, Physicians", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/table", "domain": "www.king.senate.gov", "scraper": "angusking", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000383", "name": "Angus S. King, Jr.", "party": "Independent", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is introducing bipartisan legislation to support physicians and preserve their ability to care for Medicare patients. The Provider Reimbursement Stability Act would modernize the Medicare’s Physician Fee Schedule (MFPS) – how much medical professionals are reimbursed for providing care – and preserve patient access to care by adjusting payments to cover more of the actual cost of delivering medical services.\n\nAs reported by the American Medical Association (AMA), the average Medicare reimbursement for physician services has declined roughly 33 percent since 2001 when adjusted for inflation. This reduction can be largely attributed to the Medicare budget neutrality threshold last updated in 1992, which has failed to keep pace with the rising cost of care. The Provider Reimbursement Stability Act reforms key structural elements of MPFS, supporting physicians and preserving their ability to care for Medicare patients.\n\n“Accessible, reliable health care is essential for seniors across Maine, particularly in our rural communities where providers are already stretched thin,” said Senator King. “The Provider Reimbursement Stability Act would help ensure that Medicare providers are fairly reimbursed so they can continue delivering the full range of care that Maine seniors depend on for their healthcare needs. I’m proud to join my colleagues in supporting this commonsense bipartisan legislation to strengthen access to quality care for older Americans.”\n\nKing is joined on the legislation by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).\n\nSenator King has long been an outspoken advocate for the provision of affordable, accessible healthcare for all Americans. In June of 2026, Senator King introduced the Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Access Act, requiring private insurance plans to cover three annual primary care visits and three annual outpatient mental health or outpatient substance use disorder treatment visits without charging a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible-related fee. In 2022, Senator King also voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, a historic package which included significant, commonsense changes to Medicare that caps out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors on Medicare at $2000 a year and allows Medicare to negotiate lower prices for many of the drugs it purchases.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=E49714F1-7975-4D00-9C4B-5CE5087BC9F0", "title": "Klobuchar: Hemp Ban Delay Included in Senate Budget Bill", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "domain": "www.klobuchar.senate.gov", "scraper": "klobuchar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000367", "name": "Amy Klobuchar", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that the Senate’s bipartisan government funding bill includes a provision to delay the federal hemp ban, based on the bipartisan Hemp Planting Predictability Act she introduced with Senators Paul (R-KY) and Merkley (D-OR) and negotiated with the strong support of Sen. Sheehy (R-MT).\n\nThe Senate’s bill would fund the federal government and delay the looming federal hemp ban through December 11, 2026, giving Minnesota hemp farmers, brewers, and small businesses additional time to plan for the future and giving Congress more time to pursue a long-term solution rather than allowing a federal crackdown to shut down a thriving, multi-billion-dollar American industry. In order to best protect public health and safety, the bipartisan Senate budget bill also bans synthetic hemp derivatives.\n\n“Brewers, farmers, small businesses, and customers in Minnesota have made clear that the federal ban on hemp products will be devastating,” Klobuchar said. “The new government funding bill in the Senate includes a key provision based on my bipartisan bill to delay the federal hemp ban, which I opposed last November, so other states can put more sensible safety rules in place like we have in Minnesota. This delay was immediately necessary to give Minnesota hemp producers and customers certainty, while giving Congress more time to get to a long-term fix.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/8/lee-bill-fixes-loophole-for-adoptive-families", "title": "Lee Bill Fixes Loophole for Adoptees of American Families", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lee.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.lee.senate.gov", "scraper": "mikelee", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000577", "name": "Mike Lee", "party": "Republican", "state": "UT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced legislation with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) closing burdensome loopholes for America’s adoptive families. The bill updates adoptee citizenship protocols in alignment with established law to grant citizenship for adopted children of American parents.\n\n“Established law provides America’s adopted kids with naturalization, but a loophole has excluded those who were over 18 when this policy was passed decades ago. This bill will fix this oversight to bring these adopted Americans into accordance with the law and close the loopholes afflicting established families,” said Senator Mike Lee.\n\n“Adoption is a wonderful thing. It gives children a loving family, opportunity, and hope for a better life. It often saves unborn lives. If you are adopted by American parents, grow up American, and love America, you are American. However, the law is not currently written to reflect that reality,” said Senator Rick Scott. “Adopted children of American parents should also be Americans, and there should be no legal hurdles to getting there. I’m proud to join Senator Lee in his effort to correct this issue.”\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by eighteen organizations and individuals: Adoptee Advisory Committee, Adoptees for Children, Adoptees Supporting Adoptee Citizenship, Adoptive Parents for Citizenship, Advisory Committee for Intercounty Adoption, American Academy of Adoptions Attorneys (AAAA), Barker Foundation, Care for Children International, China Children Adoption International (CCAI), Dr. Ron Federici, Holt International, Hope Leads Home, Diane Kunz, Lifeline Children’s Services, National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, National Council for Adoption (NCFA), Pono Roots, and Mission to Promote Adoption in Korea (MPAK).\n\n\"Holt International applauds Senator Lee for his leadership and determination to move adoptee citizenship legislation forward. His commitment to finding a path that can make meaningful progress in Congress is an important step for thousands of intercountry adoptees who have lived for years without the security and recognition of U.S. citizenship.” — Mark Loux, Interim President & CEO, Holt International\n\n\"This legislation would correct a longstanding inequity. It reflects the fundamental principle that children legally adopted by American citizens should enjoy the same security and legal status as other members of their families. Providing citizenship to these adoptees promotes family stability, recognizes the commitments made by adoptive families, and remedies an unintended consequence of earlier legislation and regulations. It is both a matter of fairness and an affirmation of America's longstanding support for permanent family placement for children in need. We are grateful that you have introduced this legislation and look forward to working toward its prompt enactment.\" – Janna Annest, President, and Genie Miller Gillespie, Adoption Policy Director, American Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA)\n\n\"I'm grateful for Senator Lee's leadership in introducing this important legislation. For decades, international adoptees have played an invaluable part in the flourishing of our communities. Thousands of American parents have welcomed them into their families, and provided safe, loving and permanent homes for the world's most vulnerable children. This bill provides a legal remedy for the sons and daughters of U.S. citizens who were left in the gap of legal uncertainty.\" – Herbert M. Newell IV, President & Executive Director, Lifeline Children’s Services\n\nBackground\n\nCongress granted naturalization to international adoptees of U.S. citizen parents through the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, but thousands of legally adopted children were left out due to an arbitrary age cutoff. This technicality has resulted in continuous legal issues for a group whose only disqualifying characteristic was their date of birth. Senator Lee’s bill corrects this loophole for America’s adoptive families by providing naturalization to those adopted by U.S. citizens decades ago.\n\nThe bill grants automatic citizenship to individuals who were legally adopted by U.S. parents but were over 18 when the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 took effect. Specifically, the bill instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a certificate of citizenship if adoptees establish through an application that their adoption was lawfully completed, that they resided in the legal physical custody of their U.S. citizen adoptive parents, that they have not committed serious criminal offenses, and that they meet other standard criteria under the INA.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\nRead the full letter of endorsement from AAAA here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-schatz-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-increase-access-to-high-quality-health-care-in-remote-and-rural-areas/", "title": "Luján, Schatz, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Increase Access to High Quality Health Care in Remote and Rural Areas", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Reauthorization Act, which will increase access to high-quality health care in hard-to-reach areas. The bill reauthorizes funding for an innovative medical education program that deploys interactive videoconferencing to link specialist teams with primary care providers in rural areas, helping rural and remote communities access the health care services they otherwise would not be able to receive.\n\n“When emergencies happen, care close to home can save lives. Too many New Mexicans in rural communities face barriers to getting specialized care. Project ECHO was first developed at the University of New Mexico, and we’ve seen how this model helps providers deliver better care closer to home,” said Senator Luján. “The Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Reauthorization Act will build on that success so more communities can benefit.”\n\n“Telehealth hasn’t just transformed how doctors care for patients, it has helped health care providers work and learn from with each other,” said Senator Schatz. “Our legislation will help connect more primary care providers in rural areas with specialists from across the country so that more families have access to the critical health care services they need.”\n\n“In rural Alaska, you have to improvise. That’s why I’m always interested in innovations that help our communities adapt to the realities on the ground. The ECHO training model has a proven track record of improving health outcomes by helping rural providers access specialized expertise, strengthening the quality of care, increasing provider retention, and reducing the need for patients to travel for specialty care,” said Senator Murkowski. “I’m proud to help the University of Alaska, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and other healthcare providers continue expanding this innovative model that lowers costs and improves care for Alaskans, wherever they live.”\n\n“Project ECHO is an invaluable tool for health outcomes in West Virginia and across the nation, especially in our rural areas. It provides training for primary care doctors, nurses, and other clinicians to deliver excellent specialty care to patients close to home, directly in their communities. As more breakthroughs occur in treating chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s, Project ECHO offers clinicians the knowledge they need to diagnosis and treat their patients effectively. I’m proud to work with my colleagues to bring this reauthorization effort forward,” Senator Capito said.\n\nThe ECHO program grants will continue to be used for:\n\nEquipment to support the use and expansion of the models, including for the secure exchange of electronic health information;\n\nSupport for health care providers that provide services under these models;\n\nInstructional programming and training; and\n\nInformation collection and evaluation activities to study the impact of such models.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-pressley-release-report-showing-success-of-fare-free-transit-in-massachusetts", "title": "Markey, Pressley Release Report Showing Success of Fare-Free Transit in Massachusetts", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Report calls for passage of their Freedom to Move Act, which invests $25 billion in public transit\n\nFare Free Transit Reduces Costs for Travelers and Boosts Transit Ridership\n\nReport (PDF)\n\nWashington (August 3, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) today released a new report, Making Transit Free, Frequent, and Reliable: Massachusetts shows the need for federal investment in fare-free transit, detailing the need for increased federal investments in fare-free transit. Senator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley are lead sponsors of the Freedom to Move Act, which would provide $25 billion to communities to pilot fare free service and expand existing transit service.\n\n“From Worcester to Boston to the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts is showing the nation what is possible when transit goes fare-free,” said Senator Markey. “Our report shows that fare-free transit saves families money, increases ridership, and helps make transit easier and simpler for passengers. More transit riders can mean less congestion, cleaner air, and safer streets. This report provides a roadmap for bringing those benefits to communities across the country. Congress should pass the Freedom to Move Act and help any community go fare free.”\n\n“The data doesn’t lie and this report makes plain what we’ve long known: fare-free transit is essential to building connected communities, improving mobility, and making life more affordable for our families,” said Congresswoman Pressley, Co-Chair of the Future of Transportation Caucus. “Transit equity is an economic, racial, and climate justice issue, and it’s time we invest in public transit as the public good that it is. That’s why Congress must pass our Freedom to Move Act to continue to support fare-free transit across our state and nation.”\n\nMassachusetts has become a national leader in fare-free transit through a range of programs serving urban, suburban, and rural communities. Regional transit authorities in Worcester, the Merrimack Valley, and elsewhere have launched systemwide or targeted fare-free service, while Boston has eliminated fares on several heavily used bus routes. The Commonwealth has also supported statewide pilot programs that have helped transit agencies test and expand fare-free operations.\n\nDrawing on data from these efforts, the report examines how fare-free service is working across different transit systems and communities. The Massachusetts experience shows how eliminating fares strengthens public transit when paired with reliable service and sustained investment. It also demonstrates that communities nationwide could pursue similar programs with stronger federal support.\n\nThe Massachusetts evidence points to five core lessons. Fare-free transit:\n\nLowers costs for riders\n\nBrings riders back to transit\n\nLeads to long-term ridership gains\n\nMakes transit easier to operate\n\nWorks best when paired with operating support\n\nSenator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley have long championed fare-free transit in Congress. In July 2025, they re-introduced the Freedom to Move Act which would provide $25 billion in funding for transit agencies to offer fare free service and improve on existing transit service offerings.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-markey-warren-reps-lynch-keating-pressley-auchincloss-demand-trump-administration-reverse-denial-of-massachusetts-disaster-request-for-february-blizzard", "title": "Sens. Markey, Warren, Reps. Lynch, Keating, Pressley, Auchincloss Demand Trump Administration Reverse Denial of Massachusetts Disaster Request for February Blizzard", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Letter Text (PDF)\n\nWashington (August 3, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representatives Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Bill Keating (MA-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) sent a letter to President Donald Trump and Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Robert Fenton demanding that the Administration rescind its denial of Massachusetts’ request for a major disaster declaration following the February 2026 blizzard. The storm overwhelmed the Commonwealth with more than three feet of snow, caused an estimated $38 billion in damage and economic losses, cost the Commonwealth more than $45 million in direct expenses, and endangered communities. The lawmakers pressed the Administration to reverse course and approve the Commonwealth’s appeal, which was filed on Friday, to ensure that Massachusetts communities receive much-needed relief as they continue to struggle under the weight of snow-related expenses.\n\nOn July 2, 2026, Massachusetts was notified that the Trump administration denied the Commonwealth’s major disaster declaration request to help fund expenses related to the historic blizzard that hit the state last February. FEMA’s stated rationale for the denial appears to disregard federal law. On July 31, Governor Healey filed a formal appeal in response. Recent reporting suggests that Trump personally denied Massachusetts’ request as part of the overall politicization of disaster declaration requests, despite FEMA’s determination that the blizzard met major disaster requirements.\n\nThe lawmakers wrote, “If FEMA’s initial denial was based on an attempt to reinterpret or narrow the definition of a major disaster, we urge FEMA to comply with the Stafford Act and reverse course. However, if the denial was influenced by partisan political considerations, we must insist on a full reconsideration of this decision to restore parity in the federal disaster response process. Accordingly, and given the profound impacts Massachusetts experienced and the clear eligibility for assistance under the Stafford Act, we also request that you approve Governor Healey’s appeal of the Commonwealth’s major disaster declaration following the February 2026 blizzard.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-its-time-to-get-the-save-america-act-on-the-senate-floor/", "title": "Senator Marshall: It’s Time to Get the SAVE America Act on the Senate Floor", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Marshall Joins the FOX News Rundown\n\nWashington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined The FOX News Rundown to discuss the Senate’s legislative priorities, including passing the SAVE America Act, funding the federal government, and advancing commonsense solutions to lower the cost of living for American families.\n\nSenator Marshall also discussed his continued efforts to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci accountable, his call for a special counsel investigation into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the importance of getting the American people the transparency and answers they deserve.\n\nClick HERE or on the image above for Senator Marshall’s full interview.\n\nOn the SAVE America Act and Government funding:\n\n“At least we need to get it on the floor somehow, some way, and get the Democrats on the record. That’s what Americans want to see: why can’t we get 10 Democrats to vote in favor of voter ID? I think that’s upfront and what we need to get to do. The other thing I would like to get done, though, is fund the federal government. Three times already, Democrats have shut the government down on funding. It would be great for America to fund the government, maybe a month past the November election, and give some people some stability, some certainty as far as that goes. So we’re making good progress. We’ll see though if Chuck Schumer pulls the chair out from us one more time.”\n\nOn Senate Republicans’ priorities:\n\n“We need to stay focused on the cost of living. Look, we’ve already got our housing bill signed into law. We think that’s going to impact housing. On the health care side of things, We have a bill that’s passed through committee- our price tag bill, forcing every healthcare provider to show you the prices up front that passed through the committee 22 to one, we think that’ll bring down the cost of healthcare $1,000 a month. And then I would add, if we want to bring the cost of gas and groceries, our credit card bill, which forces competition, would bring down the cost of gas and groceries one or 2%. So I think in September we need to stay locked in on the cost of living for Americans.”\n\nOn Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination:\n\n“So, number one, we need to get Todd Blanche across the finish line. I’m calling for a special counsel investigation of Anthony Fauci after what’s been revealed in his diary. So we need a steady person at the helm of that ship to start launching these special counsels out there as well. On the weaponization fund, look, I think we should just move on from it. the attorney general nominee, acting attorney general, has said it’s dead. I understand President Trump said some other things, but look, it’s time for the Republicans to work together. This Republican-on-Republican violence has to stop. We need to put bygones behind us and stay focused on America’s future here.\n\nOn Dr. Fauci’s Senate Testimony:\n\n“Yeah, I was sitting right behind him, and certainly he was just shaking with fear as he read his opening statement through the hearing. You know, he took blow after blow as people used his own words from his own diary, commenting that what he said to his diary was so different than what he was telling the American public. So, pointing out how he had misled Congress, the president, and the people as well. So you know, at the end of the day, that’s why I’m calling from this special counsel. There’s so much out there. As you read Anthony Fauci’s diary, he is drunk with power. He’s more fascinated with his own celebrity than he is with the million Americans that died, the 20 million people that now have long COVID. This would have a great time for him to come clean and say, “Look, lessons learned. He was funding gain-of-function research for over 30 years. That was his ticket to get a Nobel Prize, and that’s why you know he covered up this huge mistake that came out of this laboratory.”\n\nOn Dr. Fauci’s Diary and COVID origins cover-up:\n\n“The diary was absolutely a game changer. It really confirms everything I’ve been saying since January 2020, when I was the first member of Congress to go to the Senate floor and say, “Hey, we’ve got a problem here.” What are the chances this virus came from 2,000 miles away, where the bats live, versus coming from a biosafety level 4 laboratory just a few blocks away? To me, it was obvious then, and it’s even more obvious now. You can literally go back and track lie after lie that he told. By the end of January, he had already concluded this virus could not have come from the wet market. But then he went on television and told the American people, and told the President, that it came from the wet market. Four days later, on February 1, 2020, he was on a phone call with 12 of the world’s leading scientists studying gain-of-function research. Ten of those 12 scientists said it most likely came from a laboratory, yet he continued telling the President the opposite. I think we all realize that if Dr. Fauci had walked into the White House on February 1 or February 2 and said, “Mr. President, 10 out of the 12 greatest scientists in the world believe this virus came from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Americans will have no immunity to it. This is going to be a very lethal virus. We need to circle the wagons right now,” we could have slowed the spread of that virus and saved lives.”\n\n“Gosh, it seems like the cover-up is always the worst part of it. It wasn’t his fault that this virus leaked out of a laboratory. But it is his fault that gain-of-function research was being conducted there and that he was partially funding it. No laboratory in America would conduct this type of research anymore for this very reason. But I think the cover-up is the real tragedy. It’s not just the more than one million Americans who died. It’s the fact that so many of them died alone. It’s that we were locked out of our churches. It’s that our kids lost a year of school. It’s that so many students missed their senior year of high school or college. And now, 20 million Americans are living with long COVID. It will be interesting to see how history ultimately answers that question. But the fact that he’s never told the truth, and that he continues to perpetuate this lie, makes me think he’ll go down as a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein in the history books.”\n\nOn Dr. Fauci’s pardon:\n\n“Yeah, I wasn’t surprised. Number one, let’s remember this was the auto-pen pardon, and I think that’s exactly why I want a special counsel to investigate it. The question is: Is it even constitutional? Even if you had Supreme Court justices sitting here in front of me, I bet you’d get a split answer to that question. I think he’s afraid of that issue. And once you start telling lies, it’s really hard to keep them straight. He’s told so many lies over the years that he would have been crazy to come before Congress and try to resurrect or explain all of them.”\n\nOn rebuilding trust in America’s public health agencies:\n\n“It won’t be easy. One of the first lessons I learned as a physician was that once you lose your reputation, you can never truly get it back. That’s where these public health agencies find themselves today. That said, I think the change in administration and the change in leadership are moving us in the right direction. Secretary Kennedy has taken a very different approach than Anthony Fauci. I think Dr. Oz has been a calming force, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has brought a renewed focus on scientific integrity. We also need to get our CDC director across the finish line. She has an outstanding reputation, served as an admiral in the Coast Guard, and has one of the strongest résumés I’ve ever seen. It will take years to rebuild that trust. But I do have faith in the people who are there now because they’re asking hard questions and following the science. Instead of relying on a single study and treating it as settled, they’re working to validate the science by having independent researchers replicate those findings. That’s how good science is supposed to work. As we see more of that, I think confidence will begin to return. But rebuilding public trust will take years, if not decades.”\n\nOn the top issues for Kansans:\n\n“Oh, without a doubt, it’s the cost of living. It’s the cost of gas and groceries. Under Joe Biden, we saw the cost of housing, health care, child care, and property insurance all increase by roughly 50%. Inflation is cumulative, and while it’s not nearly as bad as it was, we still have inflation. We’re moving in the right direction, and wages are beginning to catch up, but everyday families are still struggling to put food on the table. Many have maxed out their credit cards just trying to make ends meet. So when I’m back home, I tell people what we’re doing about it. We’ve already gotten our housing bill across the finish line. It’s going to reduce unnecessary regulations and make it easier and less expensive to build homes. Our health care bill—the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act—would bring down the cost of health care by requiring price transparency. And our credit card competition bill would help lower the cost of gas and groceries by bringing more competition to the payment system. Those are the issues people want to hear about. They want to know what we’re doing to lower the cost of living. At the same time, I think many Americans are beginning to take their safety and security for granted. We also need to remind them how different the situation is today compared to where we were just a short time ago.”\n\nOn the Iran conflict:\n\n“You know, it’s easier said than done, but I’ve said from day one that we need to stay focused on our goals. Number one, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Number two, no boots on the ground. And number three, we have to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. The President needs to do whatever it takes to accomplish those goals, short of putting American boots on the ground. In the meantime, thank goodness for American energy independence. Frankly, I’m surprised gas prices aren’t another dollar a gallon higher. Because the United States is the world’s leading oil producer, we’ve been able to help stabilize energy prices here at home despite the instability overseas.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-padilla-shaheen-schiff-rosen-cortez-masto-heinrich-wyden-klobuchar-cftc-must-rein-in-wildfire-bets-on-prediction-markets/", "title": "Merkley, Padilla, Shaheen, Schiff, Rosen, Cortez Masto, Heinrich, Wyden, Klobuchar: CFTC Must Rein in Wildfire Bets on Prediction Markets", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to press the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on its plans to crack down on prediction markets now offering event contracts for individuals to bet on wildfires.\n\nAs wildfires burn in Oregon and across the nation, the Senators are demanding action from the CFTC following public reporting that highlighted the public safety and insider trading concerns of allowing prediction market platforms to offer bets on natural disasters such as wildfires.\n\n“Offering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering all so the rich and powerful can profit,” the Senators wrote in a letter to CFTC Chair Michael Selig. “There’s also the heightened risk—according to state and local fire officials—that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful. By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading.”\n\nThe Senators pressed the CFTC to swiftly tackle unrestricted betting on wildfires and put in place common-sense guardrails to prevent gamblers from making a profit as wildfires threaten communities nationwide.\n\nMerkley has long sounded the alarm over the dangers that prediction markets pose to our democracy. Previously, he urged the CFTC to tackle insider trading and betting on elections, war, and government actions.\n\nHe also wrote the STOP Corrupt Bets Act to ban betting through prediction markets on issues that are against the public interest and have no economic value, such as elections, government actions, sports, and military actions. Merkley introduced the End Prediction Market Corruption Act to prevent the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, and other public officials from trading event contracts, curbing the potential for insider trading and conflicts of interest.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found by clicking here and follows below:\n\nDear Chair Selig,\n\nWe write to express concern regarding the disturbing news that prediction markets are now offering event contracts for individuals to bet on wildfires. Prediction markets have been enabled to expand rapidly, increasingly inviting speculation on war, political violence, disasters, and public emergencies that raise ethical and public policy concerns. These markets risk creating perverse incentives, undermining public trust and commodifying human suffering in ways that warrant careful scrutiny.\n\nRecent public reports have highlighted how Polymarket—the largest prediction market platform in the world—accepted more than $1.2 million in bets surrounding the Palisades and Eaton fires in January 2025. These fires devastated the Los Angeles area, claiming the lives of 31 people and destroying more than 16,000 structures. Another report even spotlighted the launch of a new prediction market platform that accepts only simulated bets on wildfires in California and whose slogan boasts, “You can’t predict fire, but you can trade on it.”\n\nOffering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering all so the rich and powerful can profit. There’s also the heightened risk—according to state and local fire officials—that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful . By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading.\n\nAs the United States faces yet another record-breaking fire season this year, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) cannot allow these prediction markets to offer unrestricted betting on wildfires. While these bets appear to be offered only on the offshore Polymarket site, it is only a matter of time before other U.S. based Designated Contract Markets (DCMs) try to offer these. The CFTC must lead the charge to rein in these contracts in the U.S. and offshore and put in place common-sense guardrails to prevent people from profiting as wildfires threaten communities.\n\nAs such, we request you provide answers to the following questions by August 14, 2026:\n\nIs the CFTC considering prohibiting DCMs from offering event contracts on wildfires as part of the rulemaking process currently underway, given they are against the public’s interest?\n\nDoes the CFTC have any plans to curb bets on wildfires on prediction markets in the United States? Does the agency have plans to address these contracts being offered on offshore markets?\n\nDoes the CFTC believe event contracts offered on the following wildfire-related events are in the public interest:\n\nHow long would a wildfire last?\n\nHow much would a wildfire destroy?\n\nHow much would a wildfire grow by?\n\nDoes the Commission have guidance or planned enforcement related to these wildfire event contracts?\n\nThank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to hearing from you.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/video-senator-moody-brings-no-tax-on-tips-and-no-tax-on-overtime-home-to-local-florida-restaurant-chain/", "title": "VIDEO: Senator Moody Brings No Tax on Tips and No Tax on Overtime Home to Local Florida Restaurant Chain", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.moody.senate.gov", "scraper": "moody", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001244", "name": "Ashley Moody", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "ORLANDO, Fla.— Senator Ashley Moody is continuing to celebrate one year of No Tax on Tips for Florida’s service industry workers. Senator Moody recently visited Beth’s Burger Bar in Edgewood, where she met with the owner, restaurant employees, and customers to discuss the real impact of No Tax on Tips, a historic win secured through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.\n\n“Floridians know how to spend their money better than the federal government, and that is why I fought so hard to pass the largest tax cut in U.S. history. It’s exciting to see how well these tax cuts are being received by hardworking Floridians back home—like the employees of Beth’s Burger Bar. As your United States Senator, I will continue to fight so you can keep more of what you earn,” said Senator Ashley Moody.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nSenator Moody championed the No Tax on Tips provision included in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.\n\nThe provision allows eligible workers in tipped occupations to deduct qualified tip income from their federal taxable income.\n\nNo Tax on Tips is designed to allow Florida’s Service Industry workers to keep more of their hard-earned money.\n\nMore than 7.5 million workers have already claimed No Tax on Tips – with an average deduction of over $7,000.\n\nThere are about 1.34 million employees in the Leisure and Hospitality industry in the state of Florida.\n\nSenator Moody heard firsthand from service workers about how keeping more of their tips will support their families and strengthen Florida’s hospitality sector.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=571BAB5D-3426-4E3B-BBEB-845C35CC2AA9", "title": "Sens. Moran, Cortez Masto Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Access to Air Travel for Survivors of Human Trafficking", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "domain": "www.moran.senate.gov", "scraper": "moran", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000934", "name": "Jerry Moran", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) recently introduced the Jimmy Deal Trafficking Survivors Assistance Act to help survivors of human trafficking access air travel and resources they need to reach safety. The bipartisan legislation would establish a partnership between Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and anti-human trafficking service providers to help survivors escape traffickers and return home. The bill requires every TSA screening airport to designate a trained employee as a Trafficking Survivor Point of Contact.\n\n“Victims of human trafficking often lack a government-issued ID needed for air travel, hindering their ability to find safety or reunite with family,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation aims to eliminate this barrier by creating a process that helps make certain every survivor has the means to access air travel when they desperately need it to escape danger and reach safety.”\n\n“We should be making it as easy as possible for human trafficking survivors to escape their captors and get the help they need,” said Sen. Cortez Masto. “My friend Jimmy Deal saved lives by helping survivors without identification get approved for travel, and I’m proud to honor his legacy with this legislation.”\n\nItems to note:\n\nHuman traffickers often control access to their victims’ identification documents, and many survivors leave their documents behind when attempting to flee, making air travel difficult.\n\nAccording to Rescue America’s national emergency hotline for trafficking survivors, more than 1,000 survivors who have called its hotline since October 2020 did not have identity documents.\n\nCongresswoman Susie Lee (D-NV-03) plans to introduce companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nThe legislation is supported by Awaken, American Association of Airport Executives, Airports Council International – North America, Polaris, Street Grace, Freedom Network USA, Rescue America, Nevada Policy Council on Human Trafficking, Hope for Family Resilience, Sex Trade Survivor Caucus, Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking and 3Strands Global Foundation.\n\nFull text of the legislation can be found HERE.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-increase-access-to-high-quality-health-care-in-remote-and-rural-areas", "title": "Murkowski, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Increase Access to High Quality Health Care In Remote And Rural Areas", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "scraper": "murkowski", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001153", "name": "Lisa Murkowski", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Reauthorization Act, which will increase access to high-quality health care in hard-to-reach areas. The bill reauthorizes funding for an innovative medical education program that deploys interactive videoconferencing to link specialist teams with primary care providers in rural areas, helping rural and remote communities access the health care services they otherwise would not be able to receive.\n\n\"In rural Alaska, you have to improvise. That's why I'm always interested in innovations that help our communities adapt to the realities on the ground. The ECHO training model has a proven track record of improving health outcomes by helping rural providers access specialized expertise, strengthening the quality of care, increasing provider retention, and reducing the need for patients to travel for specialty care,” said Senator Murkowski. “I'm proud to help the University of Alaska, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and other healthcare providers continue expanding this innovative model that lowers costs and improves care for Alaskans, wherever they live.\"\n\nThe ECHO program grants will continue to be used for:\n\nEquipment to support the use and expansion of the models, including for the secure exchange of electronic health information;\n\nSupport for health care providers that provide services under these models;\n\nInstructional programming and training; and\n\nInformation collection and evaluation activities to study the impact of such models.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/on-senate-floor-senator-murray-urges-trump-administration-to-support-expedited-emergency-declaration-for-spokane-wildfires/", "title": "On Senate Floor, Senator Murray Urges Trump Administration to Support Expedited Emergency Declaration for Spokane Wildfires", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "ICYMI: Senator Murray Leads Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane\n\n***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks***\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, following remarks urging passage of the bipartisan short-term funding bill introduced yesterday, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, briefly spoke on the senate floor about the devastating wildfires sweeping through the Spokane region in Washington state, and urged Trump to approve the Expedited Emergency Declaration for Central and Eastern Washington state.\n\nSenator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:\n\n“Finally, I cannot come to the Senate floor without acknowledging the heartbreaking devastation we are seeing in Spokane and across Eastern Washington.\n\n“My heart is with everyone who is affected by these horrific fires, and please know I will keep doing all I can to ensure the federal government steps up.\n\n“This short-term funding bill importantly includes flexibilities for the Disaster Relief Fund, so it can serve our communities in need during the CR.\n\n“I am glad that FEMA has so far approved the F-MAG requests our local officials have made as they are fighting these wildfires. And last night, our Governor made a formal request to the President for an expedited emergency declaration.\n\n“I am leading our entire congressional delegation—Democrats and Republicans—in urging the President to approve that request immediately.\n\n“And I do want to say how grateful I am to the fire crews and first responders who are working around the clock to save lives and property. And how inspired I am by the way the Spokane community has come together to support those who have lost their homes or are under evacuation orders.\n\n“I will have far more to say on this crisis, but let me close with this: as the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and a voice for Spokane here in the United States Senate, I will do everything in my power to make certain Eastern Washington gets every cent they need to fight these fires, and to rebuild and recover over the long-term.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-floor-remarks-on-bipartisan-cr/", "title": "Senator Murray Floor Remarks on Bipartisan CR", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "ICYMI: Senator Murray on Release of CR Text\n\n***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full speech***\n\nWashington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the first procedural vote on the bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) released on Sunday, which extends government funding through December 11.\n\nSenator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:\n\n“M. President, we have our work cut out for us as we work to fund the government for the coming fiscal year.\n\n“As costs for our families go up and up and up, the president wants a $1.5 trillion war budget, and he wants to cut programs working people depend on to pay for it. No, no way.\n\n“And as his disastrous war with Iran rages on, Trump is even asking for another $70 billion on top of that to bankroll the war. It is really hard to imagine more backward funding priorities—especially as so many families are struggling and being hurt by Republicans’ cuts to health care and food aid.\n\n“Congress is not an ATM to fund Trump’s disastrous wars abroad. So, as I’ve said many times, we need to rip up the president’s budget and write an entirely new one.\n\n“I’ve been clear from the very start that we absolutely must prioritize helping families and lowering costs as we do that. That means rejecting the president’s astronomical defense request and instead delivering significantly more funding for our nondefense budget, so that we can invest in helping people here at home.\n\n“Now, it’s clear that we will definitely need more time to get this done and reach bipartisan agreement on funding levels—just as we have done in the Senate over the last three years—which then allows us to draft bipartisan bills for FY27.\n\n“So, I am glad we were able to craft a bipartisan CR to keep the government funded and to make sure we can avert a shutdown that no one wants—while giving us time to reach bipartisan agreement on a topline and our funding bills.\n\n“Two weeks ago, House Republicans sent us an incomplete CR with several major issues. It was critical that we addressed those issues in any CR—and that’s exactly what we have done.\n\n“Perhaps most important, we closed a loophole in House Republicans’ CR that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding provided for other programs to Border Patrol. That was a nonstarter. Until Republicans finally agree to enact desperately-needed reforms to ICE and Border Patrol, we cannot approve another cent for them.\n\n“This new CR that we have written includes some really important extensions and language that House Republicans did not. That includes extensions of authorizations for important health, veterans, and infrastructure programs. And language to make sure that key housing programs and a program to help feed low-income seniors can continue serving Americans.\n\n“This bill also rejects requests from President Trump for even more flexibility and funding for the Pentagon, including a billion dollars for ‘Trump-class’ battleships.\n\n“And my Democratic colleagues and I pushed very hard and secured an important provision to prevent the Office of Management and Budget from implementing its corrupt new grants rule, which would require a Trump political appointee to sign off on every last federal grant and empower them to terminate any grant, at any point for any reason. This disastrous rule would put politics above science when determining, for example, what cancer research grants to fund. So, I am going to keep working to kill the [rule] outright as spending talks continue later this year.\n\n“Unfortunately, Republicans would not take action in this bill to protect our constitutional power of the purse and prevent Russ Vought from attempting another illegal pocket rescission. Nor would they agree to our efforts to extend critical advanced appropriations for infrastructure, which were provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—that runs out on October 1.\n\n“Make no mistake: I am going to keep fighting to get these common-sense priorities done in negotiations this fall. We do have a lot of work ahead, and this CR provides us a reasonable runway to get it done.\n\n“I hope this CR sets us up to roll up our sleeves and focus on getting to a bipartisan topline, so we can then write good, bipartisan spending bills.\n\n“So, for all those reasons, I will be voting yes tonight to advance this bipartisan bill.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-leads-entire-wa-delegation-in-requesting-expedited-emergency-declaration-for-devastating-wildfires-in-spokane/", "title": "Senator Murray Leads Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "S-R: Wildfire leaves Northwest Spokane in a ‘war zone’\n\nKXLY: “Thousands of people had to leave their homes as fires exploded in the Spokane area over the weekend. More than 700 structures have burned, many of them homes, while thousands of people are still not allowed back in their neighborhoods.”\n\n***LETTER HERE***\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson’s request last night for an expedited Emergency Declaration for the devastating wildfires sweeping through Central and Eastern Washington state.\n\nOn Saturday, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and issued a statewide burn ban through September 30, 2026. The National Weather Service upgraded the Red Flag Warning on Saturday, to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is very rare and typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. The Spokane Area Fires consist of the Old Trails Fire burning in northwest Spokane, the Autumn Lane Fire burning near Nine Mile Falls, and the Fairview Fire burning in Mead. Over 700 structures have been lost in the fires so far and over 14,000 structures are threatened, 67,000 people have been evacuated, the three fires have burned over 8,000 acres combined and are still 0% contained, nearly 1,000 firefighters are battling fires in the Spokane area, and thousands of more people remain under a Level 3 (Go Now!) evacuation.\n\n“Large and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control,” wrote Senator Murray and the other members of the delegation.\n\nJoining Senator Murray in the letter to President Trump were Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10).\n\n“These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,” the lawmakers continued. “Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.”\n\n“While local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need,” the lawmakers concluded.\n\nThe full letter is available HERE and below:\n\nDear Mr. President,\n\nAs members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s August 2nd request for an expedited Emergency Declaration due to the devastating wildfires raging in Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, and Yakima Counties. In addition to the counties, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and Spokane Tribe of Indians are also listed in Washington’s expedited Emergency Declaration request. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible.\n\nLarge and fast-moving wildfires are burning in Central and Eastern Washington. Dangerous conditions, including strong winds, low humidity, and extremely high temperatures, intensified existing fires and ignited new fires, the worst of which started in Spokane and Stevens Counties on Saturday, August 1. According to the Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC), the Pacific Northwest is experiencing wildfire activity not normally seen until much later in the fire season. Between record-setting drought and record low snowpack, the state and Central and Eastern Washington were left vulnerable to fires that burn longer, spread faster, and are increasingly resistant to control.\n\nThese fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry. So far, roughly 700 structures have been destroyed in Spokane, including entire neighborhoods, while many remain threatened. As the fires continue to burn, this number is expected to climb. Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers.\n\nFirefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces, have deployed to Washington state and are working overtime to suppress these fires, while National Guard members are assisting local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. Expedited federal assistance will help continue these efforts and ensure that state and local agencies have the resources they need.\n\nWhile local, state, and federal resources deployed quickly to respond to the wildfires, federal assistance is needed as firefighting, evacuations, and emergency shelter operations are ongoing. Expedited federal assistance is critical and will help firefighting crews continue to suppress these persistent wildfires and protect the businesses, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential homes from devastation, all while ensuring those displaced by the fires have the support and resources they need. We appreciate your prompt attention to the state’s request.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sens-ossoff-rev-warnock-demand-answers-after-trump-administration-plans-to-outsource-education-departments-civil-rights-enforcement/", "title": "Sens. Ossoff, Rev. Warnock Demand Answers After Trump Administration Plans to Outsource Education Department’s Civil Rights Enforcement", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.ossoff.senate.gov", "scraper": "ossoff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "O000174", "name": "Jon Ossoff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock are demanding answers as the Trump Administration reportedly ends civil rights enforcement within the Department of Education.\n\nSens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock are demanding answers from Education Secretary Linda McMahon after reports the Trump Administration intends to outsource responsibilities of the Department of Education’s civil rights division to the Department of Justice (DOJ), leaving unanswered questions about the status of pending cases of potential civil rights abuses.\n\nUnder the new agreements between the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the DOJ, the Justice Department will take on civil rights enforcement, some of which includes “complaint investigation” and “resolution processes.”\n\nThis announcement follows the gutting of the Office for Civil Rights last year, when the Education Department closed a total of seven OCR offices across the nation, which impacted “nearly 60,000 public schools” and “over 30 million K-12 students.”\n\n“We write with serious concerns regarding the Department of Education’s potential dereliction of its duty to ensure children in Georgia receive a quality education free from discrimination,” Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock wrote to Secretary McMahon. “Despite this responsibility, the Trump Administration has chosen to fire Department of Education staff and enter into interagency agreements to outsource the agency’s formal duties.”\n\n“We have heard from constituents that have been harmed by these actions, and we are concerned this Department will continue to harm Georgia students. We demand that further action to dismantle the Department of Education be stopped,” Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock continued.\n\nSen. Ossoff continues to hold the Trump Administration accountable for gutting key civil rights programs.\n\nIn June, Sen. Ossoff joined Senate colleagues in urging the Trump Administration to halt changes affecting the Office for Civil Rights and preserve the Department’s capacity to enforce federal civil rights laws.\n\nIn October 2025, Sen. Ossoff joined Senate colleagues in urging the Trump Administration to halt illegal efforts to shut down the Department of Education’s administration and enforcement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).\n\nClick here to read the Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock’s inquiry.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-warner-colleagues-press-doj-on-fair-and-legal-deployment-of-election-monitors-during-midterms/", "title": "Padilla, Warner, Colleagues Press DOJ on Fair and Legal Deployment of Election Monitors During Midterms", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Following California in 2025, Trump DOJ sends monitors to mostly Democratic areas in August 2026 Primaries amid Trump election attacks\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — With less than 100 days until the midterm elections and amid ongoing threats from President Trump to nationalize, militarize, and interfere with election administration, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Mark Warner (D-Va.), Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, led a group of colleagues in pressing the Department of Justice (DOJ) on their compliance with federal voting laws. The letter also cautions against the misuse of any federal election monitors to target jurisdictions in a partisan manner or interfere with voting or state and local election officials’ administration of the voting process.\n\nIn a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon, the Senators expressed concern over election monitors that are being disproportionately assigned to jurisdictions in states led by Democrats. This letter follows DOJ’s July 7, 2026, announcement that it would deploy election monitors to 15 jurisdictions across Arizona, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia during the 2026 primary election season, with plans to expand the program for the general election. The DOJ characterized this effort as “routine” and “nonpartisan,” but nearly all of the chosen states have Democratic governors and chief election officials, and the Senators warn the deployment from Trump’s DOJ could result in voter intimidation or election interference.\n\n“Federal election monitors have been present at election sites on Election Day for decades and play a critical role in assessing if state and local elections are administered in compliance with federal civil and voting rights laws, including the laws that guarantee equal access to the polls, language assistance, and disability accommodations,” wrote the Senators. “The election monitors program has been implemented under Democratic and Republican administrations alike and has largely operated without incident or controversy. It is important that American voters trust that the U.S. Department of Justice’s election monitors will focus only on their statutory ambit and will not target jurisdictions in a partisan manner; discourage voter participation or interfere with the voting process; or pressure, harass, or interfere with state and local election officials as they do their jobs.”\n\nThe Senators also reminded DOJ that election monitors remain subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including laws prohibiting voter intimidation, interference with voting, threats or harassment of election workers, and political activity while serving in an official capacity. They emphasized that the Constitution clearly assigns states and territories the primary responsibility for administering elections, and that any federal monitoring is supplemental and must respect that constitutional framework.\n\nThe Senators requested a staff briefing and answers to a series of questions about the Department’s election monitors program, including: the program’s legal authority and objectives; the criteria used to select jurisdictions for monitoring; how election monitors are recruited, vetted, trained, and supervised; whether political appointees are eligible to serve as monitors; what safeguards are in place to prevent voter intimidation, partisan activity, or interference with election administration; and whether the Department has changed any policies or procedures governing the program since January 20, 2025.\n\n“As demonstrated under both Democratic and Republican administrations, U.S. elections are safe, secure, and fair,” the Senators concluded.“The Department’s election monitors program must not be used to undermine that fact. Election monitors must carry out their responsibilities in a manner that respects and upholds voters’ rights, complies with the applicable legal requirements, and does not interfere with state and local election officials’ administration of the voting process.”\n\nIn addition to Padilla and Warner, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich).\n\nPadilla has consistently advocated for protection against the Trump Administration’s election interference efforts. Last month, Padilla and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) convened a Rules Committee Democrats and Senate Democrats’ Election Protection Task Force spotlight forum focused on state and local responses to combat efforts by the Trump Administration to undermine election administration in the upcoming midterm election. Padilla also joined Senate Democrats in introducing the Protect Our Polls Act to protect the integrity of American elections from federal interference by armed military or federal law enforcement. Padilla and his Senate colleagues also demanded answers from Trump Administration officials about their lack of election security preparation, insufficient coordination with Congress and election officials, and unsupported public claims about voting system vulnerabilities. Ahead of the Proposition 50 special election in November 2025, Sen. Padilla pressed DOJ to cancel its partisan plan to deploy DOJ political appointees to monitor California’s state referendum election, a highly unusual move.\n\nFull letter is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-secures-22-million-in-federal-funding-for-benton-harbor-to-upgrade-flood-resiliency-infrastructure", "title": "Peters Secures $22 Million in Federal Funding for Benton Harbor to Upgrade Flood Resiliency Infrastructure", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.peters.senate.gov", "scraper": "garypeters", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000595", "name": "Gary C. Peters", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "BENTON HARBOR, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) secured $22 million in federal funding for the City of Benton Harbor’s Riverfront Redevelopment Project. This funding will support the relocation of Riverview Drive, a major roadway which has been subject to unpredictable closures as a result of recent heavy rainfall and flooding. Additionally, the project will revitalize Benton Harbor’s waterfront to improve safety for pedestrians and drivers.\n\nFunding for the project comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program. Peters secured funding for the BUILD program though the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and advocated for Benton Harbor’s funding application.\n\n“Michigan communities have experienced more severe storms and flooding in recent years that have threatened public safety and damaged property,” said Senator Peters. “I was proud to secure this funding to help Benton Harbor invest in infrastructure upgrades that will protect residents, homes, and businesses from severe flooding while improving waterfront access for pedestrians.”\n\nPeters has long fought to help Michigan communities strengthen their infrastructure against severe weather like flooding. Peters passed into law the bipartisan Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act, which helps states establish revolving loan funds for local governments to carry out mitigation projects that reduce natural disaster risk and secured $500 million for the program to help communities address the impacts of natural disasters. Michigan has been awarded $22.5 million in federal funding through the program to date.\n\nDOT’s BUILD program awards federal funding on a competitive basis for projects considered to have significant local or regional impact. BUILD funding can support roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports or intermodal transportation projects. Peters helped create the BUILD program as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and has continued working to fund BUILD through annual government funding legislation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-secures-more-than-125-million-in-federal-funding-for-ingham-county-roadway-safety-projects", "title": "Peters Secures More Than $12.5 Million in Federal Funding for Ingham County Roadway Safety Projects", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.peters.senate.gov", "scraper": "garypeters", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000595", "name": "Gary C. Peters", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "LANSING, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) secured more than $12.5 million in federal funding for two roadway safety projects in Ingham County. This includes $11.3 million to support infrastructure improvements along Okemos Road in Meridian Township, including installation of left turn lanes, replacement of non-motorized pathways, and replacement of exiting traffic signals. Peters also secured $1.2 million for the City of Lansing’s ongoing “Safe Streets Lansing” project, an infrastructure initiative aiming to improve roadway safety for drivers and pedestrians and reduce car-related fatalities and serious injuries. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program. Peters secured funding for the BUILD program though the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and advocated for Lansing’s funding application.\n\n“Having safe, reliable roadways is critical to public safety and local economic growth,” said Senator Peters. “These investments will improve safety for drivers and pedestrians and make the Capitol Region an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.”\n\nDOT’s BUILD program awards federal funding on a competitive basis for projects considered to have significant local or regional impact. BUILD funding can support roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports or intermodal transportation projects. Peters helped create the BUILD program as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and has continued working to fund BUILD through annual government funding legislation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-secures-more-than-27-million-in-federal-funding-for-roadway-safety-improvements-in-metro-detroit", "title": "Peters Secures More Than $27 Million in Federal Funding for Roadway Safety Improvements in Metro Detroit", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.peters.senate.gov", "scraper": "garypeters", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000595", "name": "Gary C. Peters", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "DETROIT, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) secured more than $27 million in federal funding for roadway safety improvements in Metro Detroit. Peters secured $25 million for the Gratiot SMART SPACES Implementation Project, which will support roadway improvements along the Gratiot Avenue corridor to prevent crashes, create safer pedestrian crossings, and enable more reliable and efficient bus service. Peters also secured $2.2 million for the City of Sterling Heights’ North Van Dyke Avenue corridor improvement project. The funding will make roadway improvements along Van Dyke Avenue that will support roadway safety and redesign the corridor as a hub for residential and commercial activity.\n\n“Having safe, reliable roadways is critical to public safety and local economic growth,” said Senator Peters. “I was proud to secure this funding to help improve these vital corridors in Metro Detroit to better support the residents and businesses who rely on them each and every day.”\n\nThis funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program. Peters secured funding for the BUILD program though the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and advocated for both Macomb County’s and Sterling Heights’ funding applications.\n\nDOT’s BUILD program awards federal funding on a competitive basis for projects considered to have significant local or regional impact. BUILD funding can support roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports or intermodal transportation projects. Peters helped create the BUILD program as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and has continued working to fund BUILD through annual government funding legislation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-calls-out-trump-for-inflicting-pain-at-the-pump", "title": "Reed Calls Out Trump for Inflicting Pain at the Pump", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "CRANSTON, RI – Over five months into President Trump’s war of choice with Iran, elevated gas prices are putting added financial pressure on American drivers and businesses alike. Trump’s reckless war with Iran and his costly tariff taxes are causing gas prices and food prices to soar, and Americans have less money to spend as a result.\n\nBefore Trump started his war with Iran, regular unleaded gasoline in Rhode Island averaged $2.94 the week before the war. Since Trump started bombing Iran, gas prices have spiked by over $1.10 per gallon to more than $4 per gallon.\n\nToday, U.S. Senator Jack Reed returned to a locally owned gas station in Cranston where he held a similar event 101 days ago, on April 24, to provide an update on how Trump’s reckless tariffs and war with Iran are raising costs for all Rhode Islanders.\n\nReed, who is fighting to end Trump’s reckless overseas conflict and tariff taxes and bring down costs so families and businesses can thrive, noted that during his last visit on April 24, the average gas price in Rhode Island was $3.98. Today it’s: $4.09.\n\nIn April, the energy burden on American citizens – the extra costs for gas and diesel they are forced to pay because of Trump’s war with Iran -- was $25.7 billion. Today, that figure has risen to $78.2 billion, according to Brown University researchers. That means the average family has been forced to pay nearly $600 more for gas and diesel because of Donald Trump’s war.\n\n“With no clear plan, objective, or exit strategy, President Trump chose to initiate two costly, destabilizing international conflicts: global trade tariffs and a war against Iran. In both cases, Trump turned his back on America’s allies and forced American consumers and businesses to bear higher costs and heavier financial burdens while costing the U.S. jobs and lost opportunity. Right now, we’re seeing the turmoil play out due to President Trump’s lack of strategy. One day he’s escalating, the next day he’s backing down, but none of his actions are following a clear strategy and that is why Americans are paying such high, elevated prices,” said Senator Reed. “Donald Trump isn’t making things better. He’s making them worse. I don’t know who he listens to other than his cheering squad but he’s definitely tuning out the American people and our economy.”\n\nReed, a leading member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has repeatedly voted against Trump’s reckless trade war and Trump’s war with Iran. Senator Reed is working to end these gambits, strengthen America, lower costs, and create an orderly process to reimburse Americans who have been unfairly forced to pay elevated costs due to President Trump reckless policies.\n\nReed noted that President Trump’s actions in Iran so far have only emboldened Iran and completely failed to break Tehran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. In fact, Iran has managed to expand the conflict to areas of the Red Sea and Egypt, threatening even greater economic fallout.\n\n“So far, all Donald Trump has done in Iran is empower a younger more hostile regime and raise energy prices. Responsibly ending both Trump’s trade war and war with Iran is critical for America’s national security and economic future. President Trump has driven severe price spikes for things like oil, fertilizer, jet fuel, and the price of many everyday goods, not to mention his massive cuts to affordable health care coverage. Indeed, high gas prices squeeze more than motorists -- entire sectors of our economy are threatened and American consumers are being squeezed from all sides as they are also forced to contend with Trump’s tariffs, which are serving as a back-door tax on American consumers and businesses,” said Reed, pointing out that higher prices and new fees – like airlines suddenly charging more for bags -- are unlikely to dissipate as soon as the war ends.\n\nSenator Reed has cosponsored two key bills that could return hundreds or thousands of dollars to Americans who have been unfairly forced to bear the burden of Trump’s tariffs and oil price shocks: the Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act (S.4093) and the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act (S. 4111).\n\nLed by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), the Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act would create a tax rebate program for individuals and families who have paid increased prices for groceries and everyday essentials due to President Trump’s unlawful foreign tariffs. The bill would provide direct rebates of $1,200 to American families who make $180,000 or less and $600 to individuals who make $90,000 or less. It would also provide an additional $600 for each dependent child.\n\nAs American drivers pay more for gas and oil profits climb due to the war, Senator Reed has also teamed up with U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehoue (D-RI), who is the lead Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, on the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act. This bill would impose an excise tax on the windfall profits of major oil companies that produce or import 300,000+ barrels per day, and return some of the industry's tens of billions of dollars in excessive gains to consumers in the form of a quarterly rebate.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-urges-stronger-cyber-defenses-and-rebukes-trumps-disturbing-and-uninformed-response-to-cyber-attacks-on-us-water-systems", "title": "Reed Urges Stronger Cyber Defenses & Rebukes Trump’s “Disturbing and Uninformed” Response to Cyber Attacks on U.S. Water Systems", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC -- As the scope of cyberattacks targeting U.S. water and wastewater systems widens and points to Iranian-backed hackers, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is urging the Trump Administration to boost U.S. cyber defenses and safeguard the nation’s water supply. Reed is also calling out President Donald Trump for slashing cyber defense funds and reflexively blaming U.S. states that were attacked by malicious cyber actors, despite the fact that evidence points to Iran.\n\nLast week, on July 26, 27 and 28, Michigan and Minnesota were among several states reportedly hit with cyberattacks aimed at disrupting water systems nationwide, and the scope of the attacks may be far wider.\n\nThe attacks came after the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and other agencies warned in an advisory last week that Iranian hackers have been targeting water and wastewater systems and the operational controls of other critical infrastructure sectors. And since the start of Trump’s war with Iran, experts have repeatedly warned: Iran is trying to turn off America’s water.\n\nWhile probes into the attacks could take months, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee who also serves as an ex officio member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed gratitude to federal law enforcement and state and local officials for doing their part to combat the attacks and is urging swift action by the Trump Administration to harden America’s cyber defenses.\n\n“These coordinated cyberattacks targeting more than thirty community water systems in Minnesota alone are a serious issue and should be a wake up call. It is fortunate no major damage was done and that is thanks in part to talented federal law enforcement and cyber officials who stand ready to assist state and local officials. But those assets need to be marshalled correctly. I urge the Trump Administration to step up and help defend our nation from these attacks. The investigation is still ongoing, but federal officials have repeatedly warned utilities that hackers are attempting to disrupt critical water infrastructure. We must be vigilant. Reportedly, the hackers are targeting specific brands of control systems used by municipal water utilities. And communities nationwide need to be aware and the federal government must do its part to support them and help defend against cyber hackers,” said Reed.\n\nReed also rebuked President Trump for reflexively trying to dismiss the fact that the attacks bear the hallmarks of Iranian-backed hackers and unfairly shift the blame for the attacks onto states. Reed called Trump’s initial dismissiveness to this serious national security matter “disturbing and pathetic.”\n\nDuring a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, President Trump claimed without evidence that the cyberattacks against Minnesota were the fault of the state and its Governor Tim Walz.\n\nTrump stated: “I think that Minnesota is behind it. You know who’s behind it? Minnesota. Because they’re grossly incompetent. I think the governor is behind it. I don’t think there was an Iranian cyber attack.” He also stated: “They like to say, ‘Oh, is Iran.’ Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota.”\n\nSenator Reed stated: “President Trump’s initial response to this wave of cyber attacks is disturbing and uninformed. Is he completely unaware that his own agencies have been warning about this exact type of attack? Hackers and terrorists are opportunistic and don’t just target the White House or the New York Stock Exchange. It’s alarming that President Trump initiated a war in Iran and is now trying to blame states coming under attack from what are very likely Iranian hackers.”\n\nThe U.S. has over 150,000 public drinking water systems and more than 16,000 wastewater treatment systems. Many of the systems are automated and use internet-connected operational devices. Hackers target the systems’ programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and human-machine interfaces (HMIs) used for remote monitoring and equipment control. Many of these organizations are small, rural, or municipally operated and have limited cybersecurity personnel, funding, and access to specialized OT expertise, which CISA notes makes them vulnerable.\n\nThe Trump Administration has significantly scaled back U.S. cyber defenses, notably through major staffing cuts at CISA, the elimination of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, and dissolving the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) and halting an active investigation into the Salt Typhoon telecommunications hack. Additionally, Trump’s budget proposals have put hundreds of millions in federal cyber defense funding on the chopping block.\n\nSenator Reed stressed the need to look forward and help ensure states and municipalities can defend themselves and keep Americans safe.\n\n“We must ensure Rhode Island and every other state has the ability to secure its key infrastructure against hackers. Some of these IT upgrades can be extremely costly for small municipalities so the federal government has a role to play to ensure the financing is there for essential cyber services. I will continue working at the federal level to safeguard our country, boost our cyber defenses, and ensure the federal government does its part to assist states with technology upgrades to halt these types of cyber attacks – wherever they come from,” concluded Reed.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/us-senators-call-for-cancelled-energy-funds-to-be-restored", "title": "U.S. Senators Call for Cancelled Energy Funds to be Restored", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC -- Instead of effectively governing and making energy more affordable for hardworking Americans, President Trump has used federal grants to play partisan games and deny federal resources to so-called ‘Blue States.’\n\nIn response, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, along with 37 fellow Democratic lawmakers, are demanding the Trump Administration restore federal funding for energy projects that were unfairly canceled last year.\n\nReed and Whitehouse recently joined U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and 35 Senate colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought demanding that the Trump Administration restore funding for the 223 energy projects canceled in October 2025.\n\nThe letter was sent after Trump Administration officials cancelled federal energy grants based solely on whether recipients were in states that voted against Donald Trump in the last presidential election and were represented by two Democratic senators. All Senators who cosigned this letter are from states with canceled grants and funding signed the letter.\n\nThe Trump Administration admitted to unlawfully canceling over $7.5 billion in energy grants because those projects were in states that cast a majority of their votes for Trump’s opponent in the 2024 presidential election. This included $14 million in grants for Rhode Island.\n\n“Now that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies,” the 39 U.S. Senators wrote.\n\n“Once an administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly,” the Senators continued. “This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.”\n\n“At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk,” the Senators concluded. “For the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.”\n\nAlongside Senators Heinrich, Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mazie Hirono (D- HI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Angus King (I-ME).\n\nFull text of the letter to DOE Secretary Wright and OMB Director Vought follows:\n\nSecretary Wright and Director Vought:\n\nNow that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump Administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies.\n\nIn October 2025, we wrote to you to express strong opposition to the Administration’s callous decision to unlawfully terminate $8 billion in federal investments for 223 energy projects. You not only acted outside the bounds of the law, but cancelled projects that would have provided jobs, onshored manufacturing, and lowered skyrocketing energy prices. Congress authorized those projects and appropriated funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriation bills. At the time of the termination of those projects, we expressed outrage that the terminations appeared politically motivated and confined to states that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election. The Administration has now admitted in federal court what it denied to Congress and the American people.\n\nOn July 24, 2026, citing court filings, The New York Times reported that the Trump Administration acknowledged that it terminated more than $7.5 billion of grants due to political motivations. In a two-step process, the Department of Energy (DOE) first recommended more than 600 grants for potential termination, including grants in states represented by both Republicans and Democrats. It appears the Office of Management and Budget then selected all the grants in “Blue States” for cancellation, which DOE executed. In court filings, DOE’s lawyers conceded that the cancellations occurred “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state.”4 Specifically, as the court filings stated, “[w]ith one exception, the 284 terminated grants had a recipient location and/or at least one place of performance in a state that awarded its electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has two Democratic caucusing Senators (“Blue State” grants).”5 Similar grants in Red States, however, remained intact and were not the subject of termination. What’s more, DOE lawyers conceded that the decision to terminate these blue state grants was not “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost reduction, or performance-based factor.”\n\nOnce an Administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly. This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.\n\nAt a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the Administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk.\n\nFor the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/2026/08/03/rosen-cortez-masto-merkley-raise-concern-about-wildfire-bets-on-prediction-markets/", "title": "Rosen, Cortez Masto, Merkley Raise Concern About Wildfire Bets on Prediction Markets", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.rosen.senate.gov", "scraper": "rosen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000608", "name": "Jacky Rosen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) joined a letter led by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) raising the alarm about offshore prediction markets allowing people to bet on wildfires. As wildfires burn in Nevada and across the nation, the Senators are demanding answers from the CFTC following public reporting that highlights the public safety and insider trading concerns over allowing prediction market platforms to offer bets on natural disasters such as wildfires.\n\n“Offering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering all so the rich and powerful can profit,” the Senators wrote. “There’s also the heightened risk – according to state and local fire officials – that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful. By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading.”\n\nThe Senators pressed the CFTC to swiftly ensure regulated exchanges are not listing event contracts that allow users to profit from wildfires threatening communities nationwide.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be foundHERE.\n\nSenator Rosen has been vocal about the need for more regulation on online prediction markets at the federal level. She recently joined Senate colleagues in a letter urging appropriators to protect states and Tribal nations’ rights to regulate prediction markets. In April, Senator Rosen joined Senate colleagues in a letter urging the CFTC to crack down on insider trading and certain event contracts on prediction markets. During a May hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Rosen raised significant concerns about the risks of unregulated prediction markets circumventing consumer protection rules.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/2026/08/03/rosen-successfully-pushes-trump-to-release-more-than-3-3-million-in-federal-funding-for-affordable-housing-across-nevada/", "title": "Rosen Successfully Pushes Trump to Release More than $3.3 Million in Federal Funding for Affordable Housing Across Nevada", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.rosen.senate.gov", "scraper": "rosen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000608", "name": "Jacky Rosen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced that the Trump Administration finally released more than $3.3 million in federal funding for affordable housing across Nevada. This funding comes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Trust Fund Formula Grant Program Allocation, which provides grants to states to produce and preserve affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-income households. The Trump Administration withheld the funding for more than a year, with Senator Rosen joining colleagues in a letter in June demanding that these funds be released without further delay.\n\n“Nevada is facing a real housing crisis, and we need to do everything we can to build and maintain more housing supply in our state. Whether it’s refusing to sign landmark housing legislation or delaying the release of Housing Trust Fund dollars, Trump continues to disregard the need for more affordable housing in our state,” said Senator Rosen. “I am proud to help secure millions of dollars in federal funding for affordable housing across Nevada, and I promise to continue fighting in the Senate to ensure that every Nevadan can afford a place they can call home.”\n\nSenator Rosen has prioritized actions to help lower the cost of housing for Nevadans. She helped pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act into law. Senator Rosen has also introduced legislation to exempt homebuilding materials from Trump’s tariffs, a bipartisan bill to support small businesses in the housing industry, and bipartisan legislation to help grow the construction workforce, making it easier to build more houses and bring down costs.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-joins-leader-schumer-democrats-on-legislation-to-end-unprecedented-presidential-corruption-stop-pay-to-play-pardons/", "title": "NEWS: Sen. Schiff Joins Leader Schumer, Democrats on Legislation to End Unprecedented Presidential Corruption, Stop “Pay-To-Play” Pardons", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Representative Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25) to lead the introduction of legislation that would bring transparency and accountability to presidential pardons after Trump has abused the power in office.\n\nPresident Trump promised to attack “waste, fraud, and abuse.” But after a year and a half in office, it’s clear that he has engaged in a level of corruption and abuse previously unseen in the office. Trump has taken one of the undisputed powers of the President — the ability to grant clemency for a crime — and perverted its intention. No longer does a presidential pardon seek to right an injustice, Trump has turned the pardon into a prize that can be won by the highest bidder, no matter the crime committed.\n\nToday, the Senators introduced No Payoffs For Pardons Act to strengthen transparency and accountability in the presidential clemency process. This legislation would require individuals who receive pardons to disclose any significant financial gifts made in connection with their clemency, both at the time it is granted and for four years afterward. It also confirms federal bribery laws apply to the President and Vice President. Simply put, the No Payoffs For Pardons Act is designed to deter, expose, and prosecute corrupt pardons.\n\n“President Trump’s blatant misuse of the pardon power to serve his political and personal whims is illustrative of the same message he continues to send to his donors and friends: if you’ve got enough money or the right political connections, the law doesn’t apply to you. It’s time to crack down on the president’s abuses, and I’m proud to join Leader Schumer in helping to bring transparency and accountability to the corrupt use of the pardon power,” said Senator Schiff.\n\n“Justice should not be bought and sold. But Trump has turned clemency into a perk that his golf buddies, donors, and allies can buy. Proximity to the Presidency has provided criminals with a ‘get out of jail free’ card,” said Leader Schumer. “We are seeking to bring sunlight to the deals that Trump is trying to do under the cover of shadows and stop the rampant corrupt that has been a hallmark of his presidency since Day One.”\n\nAdditional Background:\n\nPresident Trump has granted clemency to only a tiny fraction of the roughly 10,000 people who went through the Justice Department’s formal process in 2026. Meanwhile, he has showered pardons and commutations on high‑profile allies, business associates, and other well‑connected offenders whose real qualification was money or proximity, not merit. Trump issued sweeping clemency for about 1,600 people tied to the January 6 attack on the Capitol and erased convictions for some of the most notorious white‑collar criminals in American history, including the longest‑sentenced Medicare fraudster, all while wiping out nearly $2 billion in victim repayments and taxpayer recovery.\n\nThe No Payoffs For Pardons Act would establish disclosure requirements for clemency recipients and clarifies applications of the federal bribery statute. The legislation would impose disclosure obligations, making it so a clemency recipient would have to file a report if they give a certain “covered benefit” to a “covered recipient.” Additionally, the legislation goes further to clarify federal bribery, confirming that it applies to the President and Vice President, and establishes a 10-year statute of limitation for bribery offenses involving the granting, denying, withholding, promising, or offering of executive clemency.\n\nThe is the latest action in Senate Democrats’ anti-corruption initiative, which is working to expose President Trump’s rampant self-dealing, demonstrate how corruption costs American families, and enact lasting safeguards against presidents who attempt to exploit public office for personal profit.\n\nThis legislation is being introduced in tandem on the House side by Representative Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration.\n\nThis legislation has been endorsed by Campaign Legal Center, Public Citizen, Protect Democracy, the Center for American Progress, and Democracy Defenders Action.\n\n“The pardon power exists to serve as a safety net to correct injustices. However, the Trump administration has gravely abused this power by pardoning those convicted of bribery, corruption, and insider trading; hundreds of rioters who assaulted law enforcement officials on January 6; and other criminals in the Epstein class who are connected to the rich and powerful,” said Amb. Norm Eisen (ret.), co-founder and board member of Democracy Defenders Action. “It is past due for Congress to rein in these unchecked pardon powers, and we thank Leader Schumer and Senator Blumenthal for introducing the No Corrupt Pardons Act.“\n\n“A presidential pardon is meant to be an opportunity for mercy, not enrichment,” said Adav Noti, executive director of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center. “But the federal pardon system has been thoroughly corrupted, permitting lawbreakers with extreme wealth to use their political connections to avoid accountability. These are just the examples we can see; without disclosure, pardon recipients can buy influence through dark money political spending, or by supporting the president’s pet projects and personal businesses. Americans deserve a fair shake, not a criminal justice system where regular people are punished and the wealthy walk free. Sen. Schumer’s legislation would address corruption by pardon seekers and ensure those who buy pardons face the same consequences as anyone else who bribes the government. Congress must pass the No Payoffs For Pardons Act and take these important steps to restore fairness and strengthen the rule of law.”\n\n“President Trump’s outrageous exploitation of the pardon power to benefit himself, his cronies, and his sleazy benefactors absolutely demands reform,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President Public Citizen. “Public Citizen strongly supports Senator Schumer’s pardon reform bill that will force sleazy financial pay-to-play pardon schemes out from the shadows and into the light of day. Anyone who plans, participates in, or profits from perverting the sacred pardon power for depraved purposes should be exposed and held accountable for abusing the public’s trust.”\n\nThe full text of the legislation can be seen here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-joins-reps-garamendi-gallagher-and-sen-sheehy-to-introduce-the-american-food-for-american-schools-act/", "title": "NEWS: Sen. Schiff. Joins Reps. Garamendi, Gallagher, and Sen. Sheehy to Introduce the American Food for American Schools Act", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined U.S. House of Representatives John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), James Gallagher (R-Calif.-01) and Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) to reintroduce the American Food for American Schools Act, legislation to ensure that American-grown food is served in school meals.\n\n“Ensuring that our schools purchase as much American produce as possible is crucial to supporting our farmers and economy. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan and bicameral bill with Senator Sheehy and Representatives Garamendi and Gallagher,” said Senator Schiff.\n\n“California is the largest agricultural producer in the United States, providing produce for the entire country and parts of the world. Yet, school districts in our own farming communities still use taxpayer dollars to buy imported food. Some of those imported products have even been recalled due to safety concerns, when they could have been sourced locally in California,” said Congressman Garamendi. “That’s why I’m proud to once again introduce the American Food for American Schools Act, with my colleagues Congressman James Gallagher, Senator Sheehy and Senator Schiff, which would ensure that our schoolchildren are served nutritious, American-grown food produced under the strictest safety standards in the world.”\n\n“Our farmers should be at the forefront as we improve school meal programs. The American Food for American Schools Act puts American-grown food on our children’s lunch trays while creating new opportunities for the farmers who feed our nation,” said Congressman Gallagher. “Northern California produces some of the highest-quality food in the world, and it is common sense to buy from our own farmers instead of importing food from foreign countries. This bipartisan bill strengthens American agriculture and gives students access to nutritious meals made with products grown right here at home.”\n\n“It doesn’t make sense for American schools to purchase imported food when the very best beef and agricultural products are produced right here at home, including in my home state of Montana. Buying U.S.-grown agricultural products not only protects the health and wellbeing of American kids, but also supports our nation’s economy, American farmers and ranchers, and small and local agricultural businesses,” said Senator Sheehy. “The American Food for American Schools Act strengthens the ‘Buy American’ requirement for schools to build a more secure domestic food chain and ensures federal policies back the producers who feed our nation, not foreign competitors.”\n\nThis legislation is endorsed by the Teamsters, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), California Farm Bureau, Montana Farm Bureau, and American Fruit and Vegetable Coalition.\n\n“The Teamsters are proud to endorse Representatives Garamendi and Gallagher’s American Food for American School’s Act. When school districts purchase food using our tax dollars, they should support American farmers and American workers,” said Sean M. O’Brien,General President of Teamsters. “On behalf of tens of thousands of Teamsters in the food processing industry, we strongly support this effort to ensure safer and better products for students, while also creating opportunities for the Americans who grow, package, ship, and deliver domestically grown food.”\n\n“Increasing imports of canned fruits and vegetables are one of the greatest threats to our industry given lower labor and steel costs in other parts of the world,” said Paul Palmby, President & CEO of Seneca Foods, speaking as a founding leader of the American Fruit & Vegetable Coalition. “We have also observed that fruit and vegetable imports continue to be a driving force behind our nation’s increased dependence on foreign food imports. We applaud this critical effort to empower and support our schools, parents, and American businesses with common-sense, modernized Buy America policies.”\n\n“Farm Bureau applauds Senators Sheehy and Schiff, and Representatives Garamendi and Gallagher, for advancing legislation that supports both American agriculture and child nutrition,” said Dr. John Newton, Vice President of Public Policy and Economic AnalysisatAFBF. “By expanding access to high-quality, domestically grown food in school meal programs, this bill will help ensure students receive nutritious meals while also supporting U.S. farmers.”\n\n“American farmers and ranchers raise the highest quality crops and livestock in the world. Just like farmers nationwide, we here in Montana we are proud of the products we grow so we appreciate the effort to highlight the importance of delivering this healthy, delicious food to kids in our local schools and beyond,” said Cyndi Johnson, PresidentatMontana Farm Bureau Federation and farmer from Conrad. “We applaud Senator Sheehy, his co-sponsors and counterparts in the House, for bringing this legislation, which will bring more of these high-quality, American raised foods to school children across the United States.”\n\nBackground: The American Food for American Schools Act would strengthen and clarify the existing Buy America requirements for USDA school meal programs, ensuring that taxpayer-funded school food purchases support American farmers and food producers whenever possible.\n\nSpecifically, the legislation would:\n\nCodify limited exceptions to the Buy America requirement, allowing waivers only when domestic commodities or products are not reasonably available in sufficient quantity or quality.\n\nRequire schools that receive a waiver to notify parents that American-grown food is not being provided.\n\nLimit waivers to no more than 5 percent of a school food authority’s annual commercial food costs within each food component.\n\nRequire USDA to publish information on Buy America compliance, including a list of approved waivers and foreign products purchased without a waiver. This transparency would help domestic producers identify opportunities to challenge waivers or enter the market with American-grown products.\n\nStreamline the Buy America contracting process by establishing uniform contract requirements for school food procurement. If a supplier provides foreign-sourced products in violation of a Buy America contract, schools would receive safe-harbor protections, and USDA would be authorized to seek reimbursement from the supplier. Those funds would support USDA’s Buy American Procurement Training Program.\n\nExtend Buy America requirements to additional USDA child nutrition programs, including the School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Afterschool Snack Program, and Special Milk Program.\n\nThe full text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sens-schiff-padilla-democratic-senators-demand-cftc-rein-in-wildfire-bets-on-prediction-markets/", "title": "NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Padilla, Democratic Senators Demand CFTC Rein in Wildfire Bets on Prediction Markets", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.) joined Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to press the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on its plans to crack down on prediction markets now offering event contracts for individuals to bet on wildfires.\n\nIn light of recent wildfires in California and ongoing ones across the nation, the Senators are demanding action from the CFTC following public reporting that highlighted the public safety and insider trading concerns of allowing prediction market platforms to offer bets on natural disasters such as wildfires.\n\n“Offering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering all so the rich and powerful can profit,” the Senators wrote in a letter to CFTC Chair Michael Selig. “There’s also the heightened risk—according to state and local fire officials—that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful. By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading.”\n\nThe Senators pressed the CFTC to swiftly tackle unrestricted betting on wildfires and put in place common-sense guardrails to prevent gamblers from making a profit as wildfires threaten communities nationwide.\n\nBackground:\n\nSenator Schiff has raised the alarm about the current lack of regulation in this industry:\n\nOn March 10, 2026, the Senator introduced the DEATH BETS Act, legislation to prohibit any CFTC registered entity from listing contracts on terrorism, assassination, war, or an individual’s death. In February, he wrote to the CFTC on the need halt prediction market contracts involving betting on physical injury, death or war, and to vigorously enforce a prohibition on “death contracts.”\n\nOn March 23, 2026, he introduced bipartisan legislation, the Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act, to prohibit CFTC registered entities from listing any prediction contract that resembles a sports bet or casino-style game.\n\nHe also co-led the Public Integrity in Financial Markets Act of 2026, legislation to prohibit federally elected officials and government employees from using insider information to bet on a prediction market contract.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here below:\n\nDear Chair Selig,\n\nWe write to express concern regarding the disturbing news that prediction markets are now offering event contracts for individuals to bet on wildfires. Prediction markets have been enabled to expand rapidly, increasingly inviting speculation on war, political violence, disasters, and public emergencies that raise ethical and public policy concerns. These markets risk creating perverse incentives, undermining public trust and commodifying human suffering in ways that warrant careful scrutiny.\n\nRecent public reports have highlighted how Polymarket—the largest prediction market platform in the world—accepted more than $1.2 million in bets surrounding the Palisades and Eaton fires in January 2025. These fires devastated the Los Angeles area, claiming the lives of 31 people and destroying more than 16,000 structures. Another report even spotlighted the launch of a new prediction market platform that accepts only simulated bets on wildfires in California and whose slogan boasts, “You can’t predict fire, but you can trade on it.”\n\nOffering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering all so the rich and powerful can profit. There’s also the heightened risk—according to state and local fire officials—that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful. By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading.\n\nAs the United States faces yet another record-breaking fire season this year, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) cannot allow these prediction markets to offer unrestricted betting on wildfires. While these bets appear to be offered only on the offshore Polymarket site, it is only a matter of time before other U.S. based Designated Contract Markets (DCMs) try to offer these. The CFTC must lead the charge to rein in these contracts in the U.S. and offshore and put in place common-sense guardrails to prevent people from profiting as wildfires threaten communities.\n\nAs such, we request you provide answers to the following questions by August 14, 2026:\n\nIs the CFTC considering prohibiting DCMs from offering event contracts on wildfires as part of the rulemaking process currently underway, given they are against the public’s interest?\n\nDoes the CFTC have any plans to curb bets on wildfires on prediction markets in the United States? Does the agency have plans to address these contracts being offered on offshore markets?\n\nDoes the CFTC believe event contracts offered on the following wildfire-related events are in the public interest:\n\nHow long would a wildfire last?\n\nHow much would a wildfire destroy?\n\nHow much would a wildfire grow by?\n\nDoes the Commission have guidance or planned enforcement related to these wildfire event contracts?\n\nThank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to hearing from you.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sens-schiff-whitehouse-introduce-measure-to-strike-down-trumps-gutting-of-endangered-species-act/", "title": "NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Whitehouse Introduce Measure to Strike Down Trump’s Gutting of Endangered Species Act", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) are pushing back against the new final rule from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that deletes the definition of “harm” in the rules implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA).\n\nThe Senators’ Congressional Review Act resolution introduced today, if approved by the Congress, would reject the administration’s latest unprecedented attempt to circumvent congressional intent and stop the reversal of a decades-old provision meant to protect our wildlife.\n\n“By repealing a key provision that has — for decades — protected endangered wildlife, the Trump administration has made it legal for for-profit industries to destroy the habitats of endangered species. This should not be a partisan issue. We cannot let the administration push their deregulatory agenda until there’s no wildlife left to protect,” said Senator Schiff.\n\n“The Trump administration has given its industry buddies a free pass to end endangered species protections that have been on the books for over 40 years and permanently destroy habitats to make money,” said Senator Whitehouse. “This rule is nonsensical, and endangers the species this law set out to protect. We’re prepared to fight it.”\n\nUnder the rules implementing the ESA, signed by President Nixon in 1973, the definition of “harm” includes habitat modification or destruction – which the Trump administration is now calling “outdated.” Because of this new final rule issued by the Trump administration, it will no longer be illegal to bulldoze or destroy the habitat of a protected species.\n\nThis upends a half-century of how the Endangered Species Act has been implemented and flies in the face of Congress’ intent when it passed the Act. According to many scientists, habitat loss may be the top driver of species extinction today. Protected species need a safe place to eat, sleep, and raise their young.\n\nThis resolution is endorsed by the Animal Welfare Institute, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice Action, Endangered Species Coalition, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Monterey Bay Aquarium, MountainTrue, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Sea Turtle Conservancy, Sierra Club, and Wyoming Wildlife Advocates.\n\n“Thank you to Senators Schiff and Whitehouse for introducing this resolution to repeal one of the Trump administration’s latest assaults on the Endangered Species Act,” said Susan Millward, Executive Director and CEO of the Animal Welfare Institute. “With the recent rule gutting the definition of ‘harm’ to exclude habitat destruction, the administration has opened the door to bulldozing the ecosystems our most vulnerable species need to survive. This resolution is about restoring a basic, commonsense protection that has helped prevent extinction for generations.”\n\n“Defenders of Wildlife is tremendously grateful to Senators Schiff and Whitehouse for moving quickly to reverse this dangerous and reckless action by the administration to eliminate our nation’s ability under the Endangered Species Act to protect the homes of species facing extinction,” said Andrew Bowman, President and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. “The Endangered Species Act is one of the most important and visionary conservation laws ever passed by any nation, and this administration has just ripped out its heart. The American people will not stand for this assault on our cherished wildlife.”\n\n“Extinction is permanent, and Americans overwhelmingly agree that preventing it should be a national priority,” said Danielle Kessler, U.S. Director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare. “For more than 50 years, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has reflected a basic promise: when a species is at risk of disappearing, we will give animals the protection and habitat they need to survive and recover. In the wake of efforts to weaken key ESA protections, we applaud the swift response from Senators Schiff and Whitehouse, and we look forward to working with them to advance this important measure.”\n\n“Protecting our imperiled wildlife requires us to protect the places they depend on to live. We are grateful to Senators Schiff and Whitehouse for standing up against the Trump administration’s reckless attacks to this core provision of the Endangered Species Act, and strongly support their efforts to ensure that our iconic American species – including Florida manatees, salmon, and northern spotted owls – are able to survive and thrive in the wild,” said Addie Haughey, Legislative Director for Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans at Earthjustice Action.\n\n“When a sea otter’s kelp forest is destroyed or a red knot’s coastal habitat is degraded, the species is harmed. The Trump administration’s attempt to ignore this reality is reckless,” said Susan Holmes, Executive Director at the Endangered Species Coalition. “We applaud Senators Schiff and Whitehouse for taking action to defend endangered species and uphold the integrity of the Endangered Species Act.”\n\n“For imperiled species to survive and recover, they need a safe place to live. That’s a common-sense scientific fact that has informed ESA protections for decades. Now, the Trump administration is reversing course based on a shoddy interpretation of the law. Congress should rescind this unlawful regulation as soon as possible,” said Lucas Rhoads, Senior Attorney at NRDC.\n\n“Protecting at-risk wildlife starts with protecting where they live,” said Julia Singer Campaign Manager at Oceana. “This bill would reverse the Trump administration’s catastrophic decision to fast-track endangered species’ extinctions by removing core protections for their habitats. Legislation to reverse this action has also been introduced in the House, demonstrating the bicameral opposition to this move. The Endangered Species Act is one of the country’s most successful conservation laws, saving 99% of species under its care. Oceana thanks Senator Schiff for defending this landmark law and urges other members of Congress to step up for endangered species’ survival.”\n\n“Sea turtles in the United States are finally showing signs of recovery, largely due to protecting species and their habitats under the Endangered Species Act,” said Stacey Gallagher, Development and Policy Coordinator at Sea Turtle Conservancy. “Removing habitat destruction from the definition of ‘harm’ under the ESA puts our globally-important sea turtle populations at risk and threatens the beaches and in-water habitats people depend on for recreation, food, and jobs. Sea Turtle Conservancy applauds this decisive action to void the changes to the ESA Harm definition.”\n\n“The Trump administration is giving corporate polluters a free pass to destroy habitat even when it kills or injures endangered wildlife,” said Bradley Williams, Deputy Legislative Director for Lands and Wildlife at the Sierra Club. “Senators Schiff and Whitehouse understand that the Endangered Species Act cannot protect wildlife if it ignores the destruction of the places they depend on to survive. We strongly support their efforts to overturn this destructive policy and preserve these critical places in nature.”\n\n“There’s no doubt that destroying an animal’s habitat harms the animal itself. This rescission is a political giveaway to extractive and development interests making profits without regard for the consequences,” said Kristin Combs, Executive Director of Wyoming Wildlife Advocates. “Here in Wyoming, many animals are endangered because of habitat destruction. Without the harm provision of the ESA including habitat, species already barely making it will decline further. Congress must reject the notion that habitat destruction is not harm and prevent extinction from becoming just another cost of making the wealthy even richer. We commend Senators Schiff and Whitehouse for their leadership in acting to nullify this reckless action and defend the habitat protections essential to the survival of Wyoming’s, and the nation’s, endangered species.”\n\nBackground: Senator Schiff, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, alongside Ranking Member of the EPW Committee Sheldon Whitehouse and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) previously pushed back against the FWS and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)’s proposed rule to delete the definition of “harm” from Endangered Species Act regulations. The Senators’ new resolution today targets the agencies’ final rule.\n\nThe full text of the resolution can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sheehy.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sheehy-introduces-special-operations-forces-concealed-carry-act/", "title": "Sheehy Introduces Special Operations Forces Concealed Carry Act", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sheehy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.sheehy.senate.gov", "scraper": "sheehy", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001232", "name": "Tim Sheehy", "party": "Republican", "state": "MT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "U.S. SENATE – Senator Tim Sheehy today introduced the Special Operations Forces Concealed Carry Act, extending nationwide carry privileges to elite special operations veterans similar to the privileges given to trained and vetted law enforcement officers under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004. U.S. Representative Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives in April 2026.\n\n“Our Special Operations Forces spend their careers protecting the American people with unmatched discipline, judgment, and professionalism. This bill honors that reality by giving qualified special operators the same nationwide concealed carry privileges already afforded to retired law enforcement officers. Our elite warfighters never stop serving, and this bill ensures the law reflects the trust they’ve earned through a lifetime of sacrifice,” said Senator Sheehy.\n\nThe Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) of 2004 established a clear national standard allowing trained and vetted law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms across state lines, eliminating the risks posed by a patchwork of conflicting state laws. Congress recognized that both active and retired officers may need to respond to violent crime or terrorism while off duty, and that they face ongoing threats from individuals they have previously encountered in the line of duty.\n\nThe Special Operations Forces Concealed Carry Act builds directly on this proven framework by extending similar nationwide carry privileges to a narrowly defined group of elite special operations veterans. These individuals have completed rigorous selection and possess firearms training that meets or exceeds professional law enforcement standards. This legislation honors their service while preserving all existing federal firearm restrictions.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Special Operations Forces Concealed Carry Act strengthens public safety, reinforces policy consistency, and recognizes the continued readiness of highly trained veterans.\n\nThis legislation would accomplish the following:\n\nExtends 18 U.S.C. 926C so concealed carry privileges apply to “qualified special operators” in addition to qualified retired law enforcement officers.\n\nRequires yearly, state-standard, active-duty-level firearms qualification at the individual’s expense, plus completion of a DOJ-certified “Concealed Carry Use of Force in Society” course before carrying.\n\nMakes carry authority contingent on honorable discharge (if applicable), continued status as a qualified special operator, sobriety, continued federal firearm eligibility, and current training; authority ends immediately if any condition fails and does not override any federal firearm restriction.\n\nRequires DoD and VA to create a joint photo ID program within 180 days and accept service documents in the interim, and directs the Attorney General to ensure law enforcement accepts those documents within 90 days.\n\nClarifies that this act creates no new private right of action.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/03/after-further-violence-from-ice-slotkin-peters-demand-hearing-on-ices-deadly-use-of-force/", "title": "After Further Violence from ICE, Slotkin, Peters Demand Hearing on ICE’s Deadly Use of Force", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "domain": "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "scraper": "slotkin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001208", "name": "Elissa Slotkin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), all members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, joined the Committee’s Democrats in sending a letter calling on Chairman Rand Paul to convene an oversight hearing on the Administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.\n\nChairman Paul held a February 12 oversight hearing following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — two U.S. citizens killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. While administration officials have pledged to change policies and implement common sense reforms, it is clear that not enough is being done. DHS has doubled down and ramped up immigration enforcement operations — resulting in ICE agents fatally shooting Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas, on July 7 and Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13.\n\n“Secretary Mullin has now had sufficient time in office to enact meaningful policy change… Furthermore, DHS has still not been forthcoming about what, if any, corrective actions have been taken related to the killings of Mr. Pretti and Ms. Good. In light of these facts, we call on you to immediately conduct oversight of DHS, including, as necessary, to issue a subpoena for records and information regarding their tactics and excessive use of force,” the Senators wrote.\n\n“We call on you to hold a hearing with Administration officials, including Secretary Markwayne Mullin, White House Border Czar Tom Homan, ICE Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director David J. Venturella, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney S. Scott to explain why DHS has failed to implement meaningful reforms that could have prevented incidents like fatal shootings and reined in abusive and rampant immigration enforcement tactics,” the Senators concluded.\n\nSenators Andy Kim (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and John Fetterman (D-PA) also signed on.\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.smith.senate.gov/u-s-senator-tina-smiths-statement-on-proposed-delay-of-national-ban-on-hemp-derived-thc-products/", "title": "U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Proposed Delay of National Ban on Hemp-Derived THC Products", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.smith.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.smith.senate.gov", "scraper": "tinasmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001203", "name": "Tina Smith", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after language delaying a national ban on most hemp-derived THC products, including THC beverages, was included in a must-pass budget resolution set to be voted on in the Senate this week. The ban was set to take place in November and would now be delayed until December, buying lawmakers more time to negotiate.\n\n“Adults should be allowed to have a THC beverage if they so choose. Minnesota has created one of the strongest, most carefully regulated systems in the country to allow the sale of hemp products. The initial ban set to take place was ill-advised and would have hurt both hemp farmers and Minnesota breweries alike,” said Senator Smith. “I’m grateful Senator Klobuchar and I were able to secure bipartisan language to delay this ban to December 11. While helpful to hemp farmers, brewers, and consumers, we still need to work towards a long-term solution that will allow for the industry to move forward.”\n\nKlobuchar and Smith partnered with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to initially try and stop the ban from becoming law. The Senators pushed for language delaying the ban to be included in a continuing budget resolution to fund the government until December, which will be voted on later this week. The delay is supported by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Association.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thune-on-the-senates-historic-confirmation-pace/", "title": "Thune on the Senate’s Historic Confirmation Pace", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.thune.senate.gov", "scraper": "thune", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000250", "name": "John Thune", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:\n\nThune’s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n“Mr. President, I am pleased to say that the text of the continuing resolution has been released.\n\n“It is a strong, bipartisan piece of legislation, and I hope it will receive overwhelming support from both parties in the Senate.\n\n“I am deeply grateful to Appropriations Chair Collins for her work to produce this legislation in consultation with members of both parties.\n\n“And I also want to thank Senator Murray, vice-chair of the Appropriations Committee, for her efforts to get this done.\n\n“I look forward to passing this bill in the next few days.\n\n“Mr. President, this week we’ll move our fifth bloc of civilian nominees, which includes 74 well-qualified individuals.\n\n“By the end of the week, we will have cleared 95 percent of the civilian nominees who are eligible for floor consideration.\n\n“Ninety-five percent.\n\n“At this same point in President Trump’s first term, there were 155 unconfirmed nominees on the calendar.\n\n“This year that number is on track to be about 10.\n\n“It’s the best confirmation track record in a quarter-century.\n\n“As I said, we will have confirmed 95 percent of the civilian nominees available for confirmation – meaning that we’re doing better at this point than we were during President Obama’s first term, President Trump’s first term, or President Biden’s.\n\n“It didn’t always look like we’d be able to achieve this, Mr. President.\n\n“From the very beginning of his second term, Democrats met President Trump’s nominees with a historic level of obstruction.\n\n“And when I say historic, I do mean historic.\n\n“Up until extremely recently, President Trump was the only president on record – the only, the only, president on record – not to have had any civilian nominees approved by unanimous consent or voice vote.\n\n“Mr. President, that used to be the standard way of approving these nominations.\n\n“During President George H.W. Bush’s four years in office and President Clinton’s first four years, both presidents had 98 percent of their civilian nominees – 98 percent – confirmed through unanimous consent or voice vote.\n\n“President George W. Bush and President Obama both had 90 percent.\n\n“And then we get to President Trump’s first administration.\n\n“Democrats introduced an unprecedented new level of partisanship into the historically bipartisan confirmation process, forcing time-consuming votes on civilian nominees who would once have gone by unanimous consent or by voice vote.\n\n“But despite this, Mr. President, despite this new level of partisanship, both President Trump in his first term and President Biden had more than half of their nominees confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote.\n\n“And then we get to President Trump’s current administration.\n\n“As I said, until recently, he had not had one single nominee confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote.\n\n“Zero.\n\n“So the fact that we’re standing here today, Mr. President, with the civilian nominations calendar about to be essentially cleared, is pretty impressive.\n\n“But we’ve been on a mission, Mr. President, to ensure that the president has his nominees in place so that he can do the job the American people elected him to do.\n\n“That included taking action to restore the Senate tradition of en bloc confirmation of largely noncontroversial nominees.\n\n“And most of all, Mr. President, it included putting in the work.\n\n“Lots of work in committees.\n\n“Lots of work on the floor.\n\n“And lots of votes.\n\n“Lots and lots of votes.\n\n“And it’s paid off.\n\n“We’ve confirmed 52 Article III judges.\n\n“Ninety-one percent of the U.S. attorneys that have made it out of committee this Congress.\n\n“Twenty-three Cabinet members.\n\n“And the list goes on.\n\n“And we’re going to continue to ensure that nominees are confirmed in a timely fashion, and that the president is able to have his team in place.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2026/8/cornyn-tillis-announce-agreement-with-blanche-on-anti-weaponization-fund-irs-settlement", "title": "Cornyn, Tillis Announce Agreement with Blanche on Anti-Weaponization Fund, IRS Settlement", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.tillis.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.tillis.senate.gov", "scraper": "tillis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000476", "name": "Thom Tillis", "party": "Republican", "state": "NC", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) released the following statement announcing the successful negotiation of a legally enforceable document clarifying the anti-weaponization fund and the IRS audit release included in the Settlement Agreement signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last May:\n\n“From the outset, we were clear that we needed a written document addressing our concerns on the IRS audit agreement and the anti-weaponization fund that included constraining the scope of audit protection by limiting it to the parties of the Settlement Agreement and legally ending the anti-weaponization fund.\n\n“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund. Additionally, the Department has acknowledged in a binding written order that the audit settlement is limited to the plaintiffs and the scope does not extend beyond the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury, addressing concerns that multiple of our Republican colleagues share.\n\n“We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tuberville-lee-introduce-ban-on-federal-funding-for-child-mutilation-studies/", "title": "Tuberville, Lee Introduce Ban on Federal Funding for Child Mutilation Studies", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.tuberville.senate.gov", "scraper": "tuberville", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000278", "name": "Tommy Tuberville", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) in introducing legislation to prohibit the use of federal funds for any research or publication promoting gender transitions for minors. The Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act will shield American children from permanent medical and psychological damage, in line with President Trump’s pledge to keep tax dollars from child mutilation.\n\n“Thousands of America’s children have fallen prey to the Radical Left’s woke gender ideology,” said Sen. Tuberville. “American families have been lied to for far too long as we know these surgeries cause irreversible harm. Subjecting healthy, developing children to damaging and harmful procedures without a grave medical purpose is BEYOND SICKENING. Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for these extreme and reckless practices, or any of the left-wing propaganda promoting them. This vile attack on our children ends now with President Trump and his team. I’m proud to join Senator Lee in this crucial bill to stop the abuse of America’s children and enforce the President’s pro-family agenda.”\n\n“Why is the federal bureaucracy in the child mutilation business?” said Sen. Lee. “Americans don’t want to pay millions for these disturbing studies where hundreds of kids are experimented on with puberty-blocking drugs. President Trump rightly halted this attack on America’s kids. Our bill will codify his agenda to keep federal dollars out of gender transition research involving minors.”\n\nThe bill is cosponsored by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), James Lankford (R-OK), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).\n\nStudents for Life Action and the American Principles Project endorsed the bill.\n\nRead the bill here and a one-pager here.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nThe Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act prohibits the use of federal funds for any research, observational study, or publication, relating to gender transitions in individuals under the age of 18, which is conducted for the purpose of affirming a minor’s asserted identity or perception of his or her sex, if such is incongruent with the minor’s biological sex.\n\nSenator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tuberville-wicker-honor-gold-star-childrens-day/", "title": "Tuberville, Wicker Honor Gold Star Children’s Day", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.tuberville.senate.gov", "scraper": "tuberville", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000278", "name": "Tommy Tuberville", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and 22 of their colleagues in celebrating the passage of a Senate resolution designating August 1, 2026, as Gold Star Children’s Day, which recognizes children of fallen service members.\n\nAmerica’s Gold Star tradition began in World War I. When a service member deployed, his or her family would often hang a banner bearing a blue star outside the home. If the loved one was killed in combat the family replaced the blue star with a gold one. These families came to be known as Gold Star Families. In the wars of the 20th and 21st centuries, nearly 625,000 Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice and have been survived by nearly 250,000 children. Senators recognize August 1 specifically to honor these Gold Star Children.\n\n“This country owes everything to our Gold Star heroes and their families,” said Sen. Tuberville. “It isn’t just our brave soldiers who make tremendous sacrifices when they sign up to protect our country, but their entire families. This is especially true for the children of men and women who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Please join me in praying and looking for ways to care for the children of Gold Star heroes today and every day.”\n\n“The sons and daughters of our fallen service members carry on the legacies of their parents. We set aside this day to honor them and to remember the sacrifices of their mothers and fathers,” said Sen. Wicker.\n\nSens. Tuberville and Wicker were joined by Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Justice (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), James Lankford (R-OK), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in joining the resolution.\n\nSenator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-leads-20-colleagues-in-urging-trump-administration-to-use-leverage-to-prevent-further-atrocities-in-sudan", "title": "Van Hollen Leads 20 Colleagues in Urging Trump Administration to Use Leverage to Prevent Further Atrocities in Sudan", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.vanhollen.senate.gov", "scraper": "vanhollen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000128", "name": "Chris Van Hollen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 20 of his Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing the State Department to use its leverage to prevent further atrocities in Sudan and help bring the war to an end. To do so, the Senators urge the State Department to cease certain U.S. arms sales to external actors like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which continues to arm the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) in Sudan. The Senators’ letter notes the immediate need for the State Department to take action in light of the impending siege of the city of El Obeid and following the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher last year.\n\nSenator Van Hollen was joined in sending this letter by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).\n\n“We write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF,” the Senators begin.\n\nThey continue, “We have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the ‘hallmarks of genocide’ according to United Nations investigators. […] The siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction.”\n\nThe lawmakers go on to warn, “And now those alarm bells are ringing once again – this time in El Obeid. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on July 3, ‘This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.’ […] The State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of ‘alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent’ and said ‘the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.’”\n\n“The evidence is clear – the United Arab Emirates is the primary external backer of the RSF, providing unparalleled military, financial, and technical support to the group,” the Senators note.\n\n“Now, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end,” the lawmakers conclude.\n\nThe full text of the letter is available here and below.\n\nSecretary Rubio,\n\nWe write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF.\n\nWe have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the “hallmarks of genocide” according to United Nations investigators. A United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission found that “the Rapid Support Forces steadily squeezed the life out of El-Fasher and surrounding displacement camps, cutting off food, water, medical supplies, and humanitarian assistance, while subjecting the city to recurring shelling and ground assaults. Civilians were increasingly trapped, as escape routes were restricted or closed, and forced to endure conditions of life progressively incompatible with human survival.” This 18-month siege culminated in a 3-day rampage in October 2025, where survivors describe the slaughter of civilians, mass executions, and crimes against humanity.\n\nEl-Fasher University “became one of the bloodiest execution sites in the city.” According to survivors, over a hundred civilians were gunned down or executed as they sought shelter or attempted to flee. Survivors described notorious RSF commander Abu Lulu, known as the “Butcher of El-Fasher\", asking a pregnant woman how far she was in her pregnancy and then firing seven bullets into her abdomen when she replied that she was seven months along. He at one point said, “I was planning to kill 2000 people today, but I lost count, so I will start all over again.” In the case of El-Saudi Hospital, RSF forces stormed the hospital and “proceeded to search the wards and killing those they found, including patients, accompanying persons and medical personnel...it is estimated that over 460 patients and others present were killed.” Flight didn’t bring safety, according to survivors, as “The Rapid Support Forces pursued fleeing civilians along escape routes...where they had established ambushes and checkpoints...the perpetrators chasing people in open fields, firing at them with automatic rifles and mounted submachine guns, and running over fleeing persons with vehicles, causing mass casualties.” The horrors were visible from space, with satellite images analyzed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab showing bodies piled up in the streets, pools of blood on the ground, and mass burial sites.\n\nThe siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction.\n\nAnd now those alarm bells are ringing once again – this time in El Obeid. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on July 3, \"This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.” Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said of El Obeid on June 30, “Too often in this brutal war, clear warnings have been ignored. Civilians have paid the price. The international community must make itself heard. We cannot say we were not warned.”\n\nThe State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of “alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent” and said “the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.” On June 23, State Department Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos said that he spoke with RSF leadership and “strongly urged them to halt any actions that could endanger civilians in and around El Obeid.” And this Administration has repeatedly affirmed, including in July 2025, that “The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide.” In November 2025, you yourself said that the RSF is “clearly receiving assistance from outside” and that “something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and the support the RSF is getting as they continue their advances.”\n\nThe evidence is clear – the United Arab Emirates is the primary external backer of the RSF, providing unparalleled military, financial, and technical support to the group. In May 2026, a new report by Human Rights Watch found that the UAE trained hundreds of Colombian mercenaries who then “took part in combat in and around El Fasher and, according to media reports, provided training to RSF recruits–including child soldiers”. In February 2026, a Reuters investigation found that Ethiopia has built a secret camp to train thousands of RSF fighters, and that the UAE financed the construction of the camp and provided military trainers and logistical support. This follows U.S. intelligence from October 2025, including separate reports from the Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department’s intelligence bureau, that “show an increase in the flow of materiel from the U.A.E. to the rebel Rapid Support Forces since the spring.” These findings are part of a large and growing body of credible evidence that the UAE is both arming and providing military support to the RSF.\n\nNow, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end.\n\nWe request a response to this letter by August 17, 2026.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/after-truth-api-goes-live-warner-introduces-bill-to-ban-social-media-companies-from-selling-advance-access-to-government-employees-accounts/", "title": "After Truth API Goes Live, Warner Introduces Bill to Ban Social Media Companies from Selling Advance Access to Government Employees’ Accounts", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a senior member of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, introduced the No Preferential Release of Federal Information for Transactions (NO PROFIT) Act, legislation that would make it illegal for social media companies to sell prioritized access to government employees’ accounts that communicate material information. Furthermore, this legislation would make it illegal for a person to knowingly trade in securities, commodities, swaps, or prediction market contracts if the person is doing so on the basis of material information obtained through access to a prioritized account. This bill is a direct result of Truth API, Truth Social’s subscription service for advance access to the president’s posts, going live over the weekend.\n\n“The president’s company selling prioritized access to the president’s market-moving posts is corrupt and erodes public confidence,” said Sen. Warner. “Americans should have free and equal access to public statements made by U.S. government officials. My bill would make sure social media companies can’t sell prioritized access to government employees’ accounts and that someone can’t knowingly trade with information obtained through access to those accounts. Early access to government information should not be sold to whoever will pay the price.”\n\nLast month, Sen. Warner sent a letter to representatives of the financial services industry explaining his concerns with the Truth API announcement and urged them to make clear that the member firms will have no part in this arrangement.\n\nFull text of the bill can be found here. The one pager and section-by-section can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warner-colleagues-press-doj-on-fair-and-legal-deployment-of-election-monitors-during-midterms/", "title": "Warner, Colleagues Press DOJ on Fair and Legal Deployment of Election Monitors During Midterms", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – With less than 100 days until the midterms and amid ongoing threats from President Trump to nationalize, militarize, and otherwise interfere with the administration of elections, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, led a group of his colleagues in pressing the Department of Justice (DOJ) on their compliance with federal voting laws, as well as cautioning against the misuse of any federal election monitors to target jurisdictions in a partisan manner or interfere with voting or state and local election officials’ administration of the voting process.\n\nIn a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon, the senators wrote, “Federal election monitors have been present at election sites on Election Day for decades and play a critical role in assessing if state and local elections are administered in compliance with federal civil and voting rights laws, including the laws that guarantee equal access to the polls, language assistance, and disability accommodations. The election monitors program has been implemented under Democratic and Republican administrations alike and has largely operated without incident or controversy. It is important that American voters trust that the U.S. Department of Justice’s election monitors will focus only on their statutory ambit and will not target jurisdictions in a partisan manner; discourage voter participation or interfere with the voting process; or pressure, harass, or interfere with state and local election officials as they do their jobs.”\n\nThis letter follows DOJ’s July 7, 2026, announcement that it would deploy election monitors to 15 jurisdictions across Arizona, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia during the 2026 primary election season, with plans to expand the program for the general election. While DOJ characterized the effort as “routine” and “nonpartisan,” the senators are concerned that monitors are being disproportionately assigned to jurisdictions in states led by Democrats. They also noted that the announcement comes amid ongoing threats from President Trump regarding federal involvement in the administration of free and fair elections, underscoring the need to demonstrate that the program is administered within its legal authority.\n\nThe senators reminded DOJ that election monitors remain subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including laws prohibiting voter intimidation, interference with voting, threats or harassment of election workers, and political activity while serving in an official capacity. They emphasized that the Constitution clearly assigns states and territories the primary responsibility for administering elections, and that any federal monitoring is supplemental and must respect that constitutional framework.\n\nIn light of the president’s and DOJ’s false statements, threats, and repeated election misinformation, the senators requested a staff briefing and answers to a series of questions about the Department’s election monitors program, including: the program’s legal authority and objectives; the criteria used to select jurisdictions for monitoring; how election monitors are recruited, vetted, trained, and supervised; whether political appointees are eligible to serve as monitors; what safeguards are in place to prevent voter intimidation, partisan activity, or interference with election administration; and whether the Department has changed any policies or procedures governing the program since January 20, 2025.\n\nThe senators concluded, “As demonstrated under both Democratic and Republican administrations, U.S. elections are safe, secure, and fair. The Department’s election monitors program must not be used to undermine that fact. Election monitors must carry out their responsibilities in a manner that respects and upholds voters’ rights, complies with the applicable legal requirements, and does not interfere with state and local election officials’ administration of the voting process.”\n\nIn addition to Sen. Warner, this letter is signed by U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).\n\nRead the full letter here and below.\n\nDear Acting Attorney General Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Dhillon:\n\nWe write today regarding the U.S. Department of Justice’s election monitors program and to assert our expectation that the Department will ensure that any monitors that localities choose to admit will comply with all applicable federal and state laws and will not interfere with the election processes that monitors are assigned to observe.\n\nFederal election monitors have been present at election sites on Election Day for decades and play a critical role in assessing if state and local elections are administered in compliance with federal civil and voting rights laws, including the laws that guarantee equal access to the polls, language assistance, and disability accommodations. The election monitors program has been implemented under Democratic and Republican administrations alike and has largely operated without incident or controversy. It is important that American voters trust that the U.S. Department of Justice’s election monitors will focus only on their statutory ambit and will not target jurisdictions in a partisan manner; discourage voter participation or interfere with the voting process; or pressure, harass, or interfere with state and local election officials as they do their jobs.\n\nOn July 7, 2026, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Harmeet Dhillon announced that the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will be sending election monitors to 15 jurisdictions in Arizona, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia during the 2026 primary election season. In the announcement, AAG Dhillon indicated that the program will be expanded for the general election.\n\nThe announcement characterizes this effort as “routine” and “nonpartisan.” However, it would be remiss not to acknowledge concerns that monitors are being deployed disproportionately to jurisdictions in states governed by Democratic leaders or with Democratic chief election officials. Moreover, election monitors are being deployed in the context of President Trump’s ongoing threats to nationalize, militarize, and otherwise interfere with the conduct of free and fair elections.\n\nIn light of this context, it is critical that the selection criteria does not appear to be politically motivated and is instead driven by a commitment to impartially and neutrally observe federal civil and voting rights compliance. This perception is particularly important given that the implementation of the election monitors program during the primary election season will set a precedent for its use during the midterm election. Voters must have confidence that the election monitors program under your leadership is implemented in accordance with its longstanding and statutorily defined purpose, conducted within legal boundaries, and committed to non-interference in state and local election processes.\n\nTo that end, we remind you that election monitors are subject to the same federal laws that apply to all individuals at polling locations. These include laws prohibiting voter intimidation, interference with voting, and threats or harassment of election workers. Acting in their capacity as government officials does not exempt monitors from compliance with these laws, but in fact, subjects them to additional penalties, including as a result of engaging in political activity while on duty. For these reasons, it is vital that election monitors are properly trained and have the appropriate temperament and experience to serve in this capacity.\n\nElection monitors are also equally subject to state and local laws, including laws governing the observation of the electoral process and access to polling places. The U.S. Constitution unambiguously assigns states and territories the responsibility for administering elections —any election-related efforts by the federal government, including through the election monitors program, is supplementary and may not infringe on states’ constitutional duty to administer elections.\n\nGiven the false statements, threats, and election misinformation made by the President and your offices, we request a staff briefing and responses to the following questions no later than two weeks from the date of this letter:\n\nPlease describe the Department’s election monitors program, including its legal authority and objectives.\n\nWhat criteria, factors, and data does the Department use to determine if a state, county, city, municipality, or polling location is selected for election monitoring? Who makes the final decision regarding which jurisdictions receive election monitoring?\n\nPlease provide all guidance, policies, manuals, memoranda, scoring criteria, or other documents utilized by the Department to identify or prioritize jurisdictions for monitoring in the 2026 primary and general elections.\n\nSince January 20, 2025, which jurisdictions were considered for election monitoring and ultimately not selected, and why?\n\nPlease provide all recruitment material, including emails, memoranda, or other solicitation documents used to invite individuals to serve as election monitors.\n\nPlease describe the criteria and process used to select individuals to serve as election monitors, including any qualifications, experience, training prerequisites, background investigations, or other eligibility requirements. Are Executive Branch political appointees, including presidential appointments with Senate confirmation (PAS), political appointees, political appointees as defined under 5 U.S.C. sections 513 through 5316, Political Schedule A, Political Schedule C, noncareer Senior Executive Service, limited term Senior Executive Service, limited emergency Senior Executive Service, appointees serving in a political capacity under agency-specific authority, and provisional political appointees, eligible to serve as election monitors? Are any currently slated to serve as election monitors in the jurisdictions listed in the July 7 announcement?\n\nPlease describe the training provided to election monitors, including the duration, format, educators or trainers and their qualifications, and the topics covered. Please provide all guidance, policies, manuals, presentations, handbooks, training materials, examinations, training agendas, or other instructional documents provided to election monitors.\n\nPlease explain how the Department ensures that election monitors conduct their duties in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law and Department policy, including safeguards to prevent voter intimidation, interference, or partisan activity.\n\nPlease supply all guidance provided to election monitors regarding interactions with voters, election officials, poll workers, observers not affiliated with the Department, and law enforcement.\n\nWhat changes, if any, has the Department made to the program’s policies and training materials since January 20, 2025, and what prompted those changes? Please provide any communication and documentation relating to those changes.\n\nPlease describe the Department’s procedures for documenting, reporting, and evaluating election monitors’ observations related to compliance with federal civil rights and voting rights laws. Please describe the Department’s process and timeline for reviewing, investigating, and addressing potential violations identified by election monitors.\n\nWhat is the Department’s process and timeline for receiving, reviewing, and investigating complaints concerning the conduct and behavior of the Department’s election monitors?\n\nAs demonstrated under both Democratic and Republican administrations, U.S. elections are safe, secure, and fair. The Department’s election monitors program must not be used to undermine that fact. Election monitors must carry out their responsibilities in a manner that respects and upholds voters’ rights, complies with the applicable legal requirements, and does not interfere with state and local election officials’ administration of the voting process.\n\nWe appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warner-norton-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-give-lifetime-protections-to-federal-workers-whose-information-was-stolen-in-cyberattacks/", "title": "Warner, Norton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Give Lifetime Protections to Federal Workers Whose Information Was Stolen in Cyberattacks", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced the Reducing the Effects of the Cyberattack on OPM Victims Enduring Response and Protecting Identifiable Information Act (RECOVER PII Act), bicameral legislation to provide lifetime identity protection coverage to federal employees whose personal information was compromised in the 2015 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) cyberattacks. More than a decade later, much of the stolen data has never publicly resurfaced, raising ongoing national security concerns that foreign adversaries may be retaining sensitive information for future intelligence or cyber operations. This legislation would also reimburse affected federal employees and contractors for privacy software and other eligible tools used to reduce their personal information online.\n\n“More than ten years after the OPM data breach exposed the personal information of millions of federal employees, the threat remains. The data stolen included workers’ most sensitive and personal information – from Social Security numbers to security clearance records – and once that information is in the hands of a bad actor, you don’t get it back,” said Sen. Warner. “We have a responsibility to stand by the federal workers who were put at risk through no fault of their own. This legislation will ensure those affected continue to receive the identity protection they need, while helping better safeguard personal information from future exploitation.”\n\n“Lifetime identity protection is the only solution that will give the workers whose data was compromised the peace of mind they deserve,” Congresswoman Norton said. “Because there is no limit on how long personal information can be exploited, Congress must protect these federal employees and contractors in perpetuity. Thank you to Senator Warner for working with me to secure this vital protection for those affected.”\n\nThis legislation is cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). In the House of Representatives, this bill is cosponsored by U.S. Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA-08), James Walkinshaw (D-VA-11), and Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05).\n\nIn 2015, OPM identified two separate cybersecurity breaches that compromised the personal data of approximately 22.1 million federal government employees and contractors, as well as the personal data of members of Congress. The malicious cybersecurity invasions, which are believed to have been state-sponsored intrusions by China, resulted in the exposure of about 4.2 million federal government employees, including their Social Security numbers, addresses, financial details, and security clearance files, and background investigation records of about 21.5 million individuals. The dangers related to these breaches will continue to pose significant risks to the affected individuals and our national security in a manner that cannot be remedied, only mitigated.\n\nSen. Warner has long led efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and protect Americans whose personal information has been exposed in major data breaches. In 2015, he introduced the RECOVER Act to better protect federal workers and all those potentially affected by cyberattacks on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data system. The bill spurred Congress to include a provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 that provided identity protection coverage to victims for ten years, but it is set to expire September 30, 2026, making the need for lifetime protecting urgent. In 2025, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was purging federal programs, Sen. Warner cautioned OPM Acting Director Ezell against prematurely eliminating government contracts that protect the millions of federal employees whose personal information was compromised in the 2015 data breaches.\n\nRead the full bill here. Read a one pager of the bill here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-new-warnock-report-finds-required-school-supplies-can-cost-georgia-families-130-per-child/", "title": "ICYMI: New Warnock Report Finds Required School Supplies Can Cost Georgia Families $130 Per Child", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warnock.senate.gov", "scraper": "warnock", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000790", "name": "Raphael G. Warnock", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Last week, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock unveiled a new report examining the rising cost of school supplies as families prepare for back-to-school shopping\n\nSenator Warnock’s new report shows how expanding the Child Tax Credit could help Georgia families manage back-to-school costs\n\nThe report found that Georgia families can expect to pay more than $130 per child for required school supplies\n\nCommon school supplies like colored pencils and lunch boxes increased in price by 31% and nearly 27% in only one year\n\nSenator Reverend Warnock: “Expanding the Child Tax Credit is not only the right thing to do morally, but the smart thing to do economically. I will keep fighting to get this done”\n\nWashington, D.C. – Last week, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, held a press call to highlight the release of his new report, which found that Georgia families can expect to pay more than $130 per child for required school supplies. Additionally, the report examines how expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC) could help Georgia families manage back-to-school costs and other everyday expenses. As families prepare to send their children back to school, they face rising costs for school supplies thanks to President Trump’s reckless tariff policies.\n\nThe report reviewed 4th grade school supply lists from five schools across Georgia and reveals that common school supplies like colored pencils and lunch boxes increased in price by 31% and nearly 27% in only one year, respectively.\n\nMore media coverage of Senator Reverend Warnock’s press conference below:\n\nAtlanta Journal-Constitution: As the new school year begins in metro Atlanta, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is calling for the passage of the American Family Act, which he says will help families with the cost of school supplies and other child-related expenses.\n\nWABE: It’s back-to-school time! And preparing for the upcoming school year is getting more expensive for Georgia families. That’s according to Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who says tariffs are putting additional pressure on Georgia’s families. A new report from his office shows that Georgia families are spending more to fill up their kids’ backpacks compared to last year.\n\nCobb County Courier: At a press conference called by Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock, Liz Pancotti with Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation noted that many of these products are produced overseas, and that companies are passing on costs to protect their bottom line. Moreover, “healthy foods cost more, and there have been cuts to government assistance for food security.”\n\nWUGA: U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock says tariffs imposed by the Trump administration mean Georgia families will spend more on school supplies. During a press call on Thursday, Senator Warnock cited a new report by his office which states Georgia families will spend more than $130 per child on fourth grade school supplies.\n\n11Alive: Senator Warnock’s report shows fourth‑grade supplies can exceed $130, with items like pencils and lunch boxes rising 31% and 27% in a year.\n\nWRDW: Hours earlier, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock painted a different picture, releasing data on the rising cost of back-to-school shopping. According to the report, a basic fourth-grade supply list now tops $130 per child, with staples like lunch boxes and pencils spiking in price. Warnock blamed the administration’s tariff policies for squeezing household budgets.\n\nWGXA: Are tariffs driving up back-to-school costs? U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock unveiled a new report that found Georgia families could spend more than $130 per child on school supplies. Now, he is introducing legislation to expand the Child Tax Credit.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/senate-judiciary-courts-subcommittee-democrats-blast-cruzs-hearing-targeting-the-muslim-community/", "title": "Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee Democrats Blast Cruz’s Hearing Targeting the Muslim Community", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release", "domain": "www.whitehouse.senate.gov", "scraper": "whitehouse", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000802", "name": "Sheldon Whitehouse", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT), Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Federal Courts, today issued the following statement ahead of Chairman Ted Cruz’s hearing this week titled, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America.” Democrats on the subcommittee will not attend the hearing.\n\n“Scapegoating Muslims may be a Texas Republican strategist’s idea of ‘solid gold’ to whip up their voters, but Democrats have no intention of indulging this political creepshow, particularly after the recent violence targeting places of faith. Our focus is the costs families face thanks to rampant, non-stop Trump corruption.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/young-introduces-bill-to-increase-american-scientists-and-engineers/", "title": "Young Introduces Bill to Increase American Scientists and Engineers", "date": "2026-08-03", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.young.senate.gov", "scraper": "toddyoung", "member": {"bioguide_id": "Y000064", "name": "Todd Young", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced the Promoting High-skilled Doctoral Talent (PHD Talent) Act, legislation to strengthen America’s pipeline of scientists and engineers by helping universities establish accelerated bachelors-to-Ph.D. pathways in critical and emerging technology fields.\n\nThe legislation would create a Department of Energy (DOE) program to support partnerships among universities, National Laboratories, and industry that prepare more American students for doctoral-level careers in strategically important fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum science, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, cybersecurity, robotics, and advanced computing.\n\n“To remain the world’s technological leader, we need more American scientists and engineers,” said Senator Young. “Our legislation creates more direct pathways for U.S. students to earn advanced degrees, connects them with our National Laboratories and industry, and ensures taxpayer-funded support goes to American citizens. Prioritizing American talent is vital as China and other global competitors race to dominate critical technologies.”\n\nSpecifically, the legislation would:\n\nEstablish a five-year DOE pilot program, including Ph.D. fellowships, to help universities create accelerated bachelors-to-Ph.D. pathways in critical and emerging technology fields.\n\nSupport partnerships among universities, National Laboratories, and industry to provide students with hands-on-research, mentorship, and workforce training in strategically important technologies.\n\nReduce the time required to earn a STEM Ph.D. by supporting programs that shorten the traditional pathway while maintaining rigorous academic and research standards.\n\nTarget funding to fields where DOE identifies a demonstrated need for additional domestic doctoral talent and avoid duplicating existing federal programs.\n\nStrengthen America’s domestic STEM workforce by reserving taxpayer-funded student support for U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents rather than temporary visa holders.\n\nThe PHD Talent Act builds on Science: A New Golden Age, a report released July 21 by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which calls for investing directly in American researchers, expanding graduate fellowships, and rebuilding the domestic pipeline of advanced STEM talent.", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://adriansmith.house.gov/media/press-releases/smith-announces-upcoming-mobile-office-hours-furnas-and-gosper-counties", "title": "Smith Announces Upcoming Mobile Office Hours for Furnas and Gosper Counties", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://adriansmith.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "adriansmith.house.gov", "scraper": "adriansmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001172", "name": "Adrian Smith", "party": "Republican", "state": "NE", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03) announced today that his staff will hold a mobile office hour for constituents in Furnas and Gosper Counties on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. These office hours are an opportunity for constituents to meet directly with a member of Smith's staff about federal issues, receive assistance with a federal agency, or take advantage of the services available through his office.\n\nSmith, who has offices in Grand Island, Scottsbluff, and Nebraska City, will provide a staff member at the following times and locations:\n\nTuesday, August 11, 2026\n\nFurnas County Courthouse\n\n912 R Street\n\nBeaver City, NE 68926\n\n11:00 am - 12:00 pm CT\n\nGosper County Courthouse\n\n507 Smith Avenue\n\nElwood, NE 68937\n\n1:00 pm - 2:00 pm CT", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases/barrett-builds-maha-agenda-helps-introduce-bipartisan-bill-require-clear", "title": "Barrett Builds on MAHA Agenda, Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Require Clear Gluten Labeling", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "barrett.house.gov", "scraper": "barrett", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001321", "name": "Tom Barrett", "party": "Republican", "state": "MI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) joined Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13) and colleagues from both sides of the aisle in introducing the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act of 2026. This bill would amend the Food and Drug Administration’s major food allergen labeling requirements to include barley, rye, and oats alongside wheat, closing a gap in federal law that leaves millions of Americans with celiac disease and gluten intolerance exposed to hidden sources of gluten.\n\n“Families deserve to know exactly what’s in the food they serve themselves and their children,” said Barrett. “Clear labeling gives parents and consumers the transparency they need to make informed decisions and stay healthy. This bipartisan bill will help millions of people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance avoid hidden sources of gluten — giving families real peace of mind.”\n\nThis action comes amid growing concern over the health risks posed by accidental gluten exposure. An estimated 25.7 million Americans have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or an IgE-mediated wheat allergy with potential cross-reactivity to barley, rye, and oats.\n\n“I actually have a gluten intolerance myself, and it’s terrifying when labels aren’t clear because that can have serious medical consequences,” said Luna. “Millions of Americans are affected by celiac disease or gluten intolerance; it’s a real and serious issue, and it’s time the food industry respected that. We need transparent labeling so Americans can make informed decisions and safeguard their health.”\n\nThe legislation has also been championed by 13-year-old Jax Bari, known as the “MAHA Kid” and co-founder of Celiac Journey, whose advocacy has helped bring national attention to the gaps in federal gluten-labeling requirements.\n\n“I’m grateful to Congresswoman Luna and the original co-sponsors for introducing the bipartisan FASTER Act of 2026 which will require the labeling of barley, rye, and oats as Major Food Allergens,” said Jax Bari. “My goal is to eat without fear because celiac is every bite, every day — constant questioning, constant worrying. Just a crumb of gluten is like kryptonite to me. 87 other countries require the labeling of wheat, barley, rye and oats, including in Canada, in the United Kingdom and across the European Union. We’re really behind in the United States, and the FASTER Act will help close the gap and better protect 729,000 kids like me with Celiac.”\n\nThe FASTER Act is also cosponsored by Reps. Randy K. Weber Sr. (TX-14), Paul A. Gosar (AZ-09), Daniel Meuser (PA-09), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-02), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Michael Rulli (OH-06).\n\nClick here to read the bill.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=9189", "title": "Beyer Introduces Bill to Reinforce Legal Options Against Illegal Impoundments", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "beyer.house.gov", "scraper": "beyer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001292", "name": "Donald S. Beyer, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) today announced his introduction of the Restoring Accountability in Appropriations Act, which would empower private parties and the U.S. House of Representatives to prevent illegal delays and cancellations of federal grants.\n\nThe Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA) put in place clear guardrails to safeguard the Congressional \"power of the purse,\" enshrined in Article I of the Constitution. Under the ICA, the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is granted authorities to investigate illegal withholdings and impoundments of federal funds and sue to end those illegal delays.\n\nUnfortunately, President Trump, Administration officials, and Congressional Republicans have repeatedly attacked GAO. Threats to defund the watchdog agency, refuse to lawfully cooperate with investigations, and direct federal agencies to \"pay no heed whatsoever to [its] conclusions\" are a serious threat to its ability to fully enforce the ICA.\n\nThat situation is untenable for the countless federal grantees and partners who have lost hundreds of billions of dollars due to illegal impoundments of taxpayer dollars, and the millions of Americans who benefit from services those organizations provide. Over the past few months alone, the Trump Administration has withheld funding for community programs to reduce poverty, public health services, and more than 20 education programs.\n\n“Donald Trump's repeated refusal to follow the law and fully fund medical research, education programs, immigration services, foreign assistance, anti-poverty programs, and much more is a disaster for the American people and the American economy,\" said Congressman Beyer. “The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse. Faced with repeated attacks on that power and on the watchdogs already empowered to enforce it, every impacted party should have the express opportunity to seek legal remedies and prevent disastrous consequences for our constituents and for the countless Americans helped every day by federally-funded programs.”\n\nGAO has found that the current Trump Administration has already violated the ICA at least seven times, while opening at least 39 further investigations. One of those investigations was opened pursuant to a request from Congressman Beyer to investigate the illegal impoundment of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grants to improve the quality and delivery of critical health services.\n\nOthers include investigations into the impoundment of more than 1,800 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, delays affecting more than 2,500 projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and President Trump’s rescission of billions of dollars in foreign assistance appropriated for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).\n\n“When Congress passes an appropriations law and the president signs it, it is no longer a suggestion, it's a requirement,” said AcademyHealth’s President and CEO Aaron Carroll, M.D., M.S. “For over a year, thousands of taxpayer-invested research grants that were tackling the biggest problems in our country have been thrown in disarray due to illegally withheld funds. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has been functionally wiped out entirely by unlawful impoundments. Unfortunately, the pathway for grantees to seek redress has been incredibly steep. This legislation is a key step in ensuring stability and accountability in taxpayer investments by those that are harmed by violations of budget laws.”\n\nSpecifically, the Restoring Accountability in Appropriations Act would:\n\nAdd to the Impoundment Control Act an express right of action for any private parties impacted by illegal impoundments of federal funds to seek legal redress, with federal courts empowered to make funds available as required by law.\n\nCreate a pathway for Members of the House of Representatives to, in the absence of an existing lawsuit by the Comptroller General, compel the House to bring its own suit to make funds available as required by law.\n\nThis legislation continues Congressman Beyer's legislative work to reassert Constitutional powers vested in Congress. Last year, Congressman Beyer introduced the Congressional Trade Authority Act to take back powers, given expressly to Congress under the Constitution, that the Trump Administration has used to raise costs and unleash economic chaos worldwide.\n\nFull text of the Restoring Accountability in Appropriations Act is available here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://boebert.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-lauren-boeberts-office-releases-august-staff-hosted-mobile", "title": "CONGRESSWOMAN LAUREN BOEBERT’S OFFICE RELEASES AUGUST STAFF HOSTED MOBILE OFFICE HOURS", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://boebert.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "boebert.house.gov", "scraper": "boebert", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B000825", "name": "Lauren Boebert", "party": "Republican", "state": "CO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Highlands Ranch, CO - Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s Office announced staff hosted Mobile Office Hours in the coming weeks.\n\nCongresswoman Boebert stated: “Our Congressional Staff Hosted Mobile Office Hours provide an opportunity for constituents in remote parts of the 4th District to get the assistance they need from our staffers who can help them in a variety of ways. Meeting Coloradans where they are is a critical part of the work our office does and I know our Mobile Office Hours will continue to be a huge help to rural constituents.”\n\nStaff from Congresswoman Boebert’s office will be available to help constituents who aren’t getting answers from federal agencies, like veterans seeking to get the care they earned from the VA, travelers that need expedited assistance to receive a passport on short notice, taxpayers being harassed by the IRS, and senior citizens having issues with the Social Security Administration or Medicare. Additionally, constituents are invited to come to the office hours to express their viewpoints on legislative issues or request special Congressional Recognition from the Congresswoman recognizing outstanding public achievements.\n\nCongresswoman Boebert’s office has hosted Mobile Office Hours in every county in the district and returned over $14,696,714.70 to constituents.\n\nStaff hosted Mobile Office Hours will be available at the following times and locations:\n\nWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2026\n\nBaca County Mobile Office Hours\n\nTown Hall, Trustee Meeting Room\n\n748 Main St\n\nSpringfield, CO\n\n12:30-1:30 pm\n\nMorgan County Mobile Office Hours\n\nNECALG, Board Room\n\n231 Main St\n\nFort Morgan, CO\n\n2:00-3:00 pm", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=405264", "title": "U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor Fights to Protect 700+ TPA Security Officers’ Jobs, Pay & Earned Benefits", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "domain": "castor.house.gov", "scraper": "castor", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001066", "name": "Kathy Castor", "party": "Democrat", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "TAMPA, Fla. — Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) urged Tampa International Airport (TPA) CEO Michael Stephens and Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA) Chair Chip Diehl to reverse plans to privatize the airport’s passenger-screening workforce through the Transportation Security Administration’s TSA Gold+ initiative. The change would replace more than 700 federal Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) at TPA with a private contractor responsible for passenger screening and checkpoint equipment and technology.\n\n“Every day, TPA TSOs greet and protect 70,000 passengers—neighbors, friends, and visitors—ensuring that each journey begins and ends with security and care. Their professionalism is not just a job requirement; it is a commitment to the well-being of our community. To replace these federal officers with a private contractor is to risk public safety, place profit above people and jeopardize the livelihoods of those who have served us faithfully,” said Castor in her letter.\n\n\"Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks, where terrorists exploited lax airport security screeners, TPA should not weaken its safety framework. TSOs are vital to operating safely and smoothly, protecting tens of thousands of passengers every day. TPA TSOs continued reporting for duty through government shutdowns—even when their paychecks did not arrive. During those difficult periods, the vast majority of TPA’s TSOs stood by TPA and the traveling public. Now, TPA leadership must stand by them and reverse the plan to eliminate more than 700 federal officers and put their pay, health coverage and earned retirement benefits at risk in favor of a private for-profit contractor.”\n\nIf TPA continues on this track, it will be among the first airports in the country to weaken the post 9/11 security framework by entering into TSA Gold+, with the transition expected to be fully implemented by May 2027. Castor warned that privatization would create uncertainty for hundreds of Tampa Bay Veterans and longtime officers who have built careers serving the traveling public. TPA TSOs risk losing federal retirement benefits, health coverage and accrued vacation time they have earned over their years of federal service.\n\nCastor challenged the argument that privatization is necessary to accelerate the deployment of modern screening technology, citing increases authorized by Congress for TSA’s technology funding to support the deployment of advanced screening equipment. The potential transfer of control of checkpoint technology to a private, for-profit contractor would put taxpayer dollars and travelers’ sensitive personal data at unnecessary risk, including through data breaches or misuse.\n\nCastor’s letter is available here and below.\n\nRe: Support for Tampa Airport TSA Security Officers and Opposition to TSA Gold+\n\nDear Mr. Stephens and Mr. Diehl:\n\nI write not just as a representative, but as a member of the Tampa Bay community who deeply values the dedication and integrity of our Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) at Tampa International Airport (TPA). The proposal to privatize the workforce of over 700 TSOs and outsource passenger screening under the TSA Gold+ program will profoundly affect the lives of hundreds of families, the safety of millions of travelers and the reputation of the best airport in the country.\n\nEvery day, TPA TSOs greet and protect 70,000 passengers, neighbors, friends, and visitors, assuring that each journey begins and ends with security and care. Their professionalism is not just a job requirement; it is a commitment to the well-being of our community. To replace these federal officers with a private contractor is to risk public safety, place profit above people and jeopardize the livelihoods of those who have served us faithfully, including the many veterans and long-serving officers in the TSO ranks.\n\nI have heard directly from TPA TSOs, who have expressed their deep concern and opposition to privatization. Their sense of duty, pride and belonging cannot be replicated by a private entity. Tampa International Airport deserves world-class security, rooted in experience and dedication, not instability and uncertainty.\n\nThis proposal arrives as we approach the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks—a painful reminder of what happens when airport security is left to private firms with high turnover and inconsistent training. The Transportation Security Administration and federal TSOs were created by Congress after 9/11 to prevent another terrorist attack and ensure that our airports would never again be vulnerable to such tragedy. To weaken aviation security now is to forget the lessons learned at great cost and the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.\n\nPrivatization threatens not only security but also the economic stability of hundreds of Tampa Bay area families. TSOs face the loss of federal retirement benefits, health coverage and accrued vacation time. Even if offered comparable salaries initially, there is no guarantee of long-term financial security. At a time when inflation and living costs are high, this change would bring hardship to those who have given so much to our community.\n\nTPA TSOs have shown unwavering dedication, maintaining low call-out rates during government shutdowns and high service standards. Their commitment has been inspiring. To discharge them now under TSA Gold+ would be a betrayal of trust and gratitude.\n\nI understand that TSA proposes to allow TSA Gold+ contractors to ease deployment of screening technology. While modern screening technology is important, Congress already has provided TSA with increased funding to deploy these advancements. There is no need to risk taxpayer dollars or passenger data by handing over control to a private contractor whose primary motivation is profit, not public safety. The risks of data breaches and misuse are simply unacceptable.\n\nPrivate contractors may cut corners on training, wages and benefits, leading to fatigue and reduced vigilance. Unlike federal officers, whose mission is public safety, contractors’ financial incentives may conflict with the imperative to protect lives. TPA TSOs should not be defunded.\n\nFor all of these reasons, I implore you to reject the change to TSA Gold+. Let us honor the memory of the Americans lost and injured on 9/11 by upholding the commitment to vigilance and security that has kept us safe for a quarter-century. Let’s also stand with our TSOs, local families, and our community. Thank you.\n\nSincerely,\n\nKathy Castor\n\nUnited States Representative\n\nFlorida – District 14", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://castro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/castro-statementon-release-of-emely-suaza-and-dad-from-dilley-trailer-prison", "title": "Castro Statement on Release of Emely Suaza and Dad from Dilley Trailer Prison", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://castro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "castro.house.gov", "scraper": "castro", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001091", "name": "Joaquin Castro", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement on the release of 16-year-old Emely Charloth Suaza Chambo and her dad, Fernando Suaza Ortiz from ICE detention:\n\n“Emely Suaza and her dad have been released from the Dilley Trailer Prison! I am glad that she is back with her mom, little brothers, and the rest of her family.\n\n“When ICE detained Emely on her way to church, they asked her dad to come pick her up. When he showed up, they locked him up too.\n\n“Our congressional delegation met with Emely during our visit to Dilley last week. She was depressed and missed her family.\n\n“They should've never been locked up, and we won't stop until every child is free.”\n\nBackground:\n\nOn July 12, 2026, ICE detained Emely and her friend on their way to church in San Antonio. ICE asked her dad to come pick her up or she would be sent out of state. When he showed up, they detained him too.\n\nCongressman Castro, joined by members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus—Reps. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), and Luz Rivas (CA-29)—met with Emely during their oversight visit to Dilley on July 28, 2026.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-chus-statement-confirmation-eaton-fire-cause", "title": "Rep. Chu’s Statement on Confirmation of Eaton Fire Cause", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "chu.house.gov", "scraper": "chu", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001080", "name": "Judy Chu", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Los Angeles County Fire Department released their official investigation concluding that the January 7, 2025 Eaton Fire was caused by out-of-service equipment managed by Southern California Edison.\n\nRep. Judy Chu (CA-28), who has led efforts in Congress to secure federal disaster assistance, tax relief, and long-term recovery resources for Eaton Fire survivors, released the following statement:\n\n“Today’s findings from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Los Angeles County Fire Department confirm that out-of-service equipment managed by Southern California Edison sparked the Eaton Fire. This official determination is an important step toward accountability and justice for the survivors, their families, and our communities who have endured unimaginable loss over the past nineteen months. Southern California Edison must take every step necessary to help Altadena and Pasadena rebuild, and to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again.\n\nWhile today's findings bring long-awaited clarity, they do not change the reality facing thousands of families who are still struggling to rebuild. Nineteen months later, two out of every three Eaton and Palisades survivors still have not returned home. That is why it is so important that President Trump and congressional Republicans immediately fulfill Governor Newsom's disaster supplemental funding request in full—and with no strings attached— so survivors can finally complete the long road to recovery. The Senate must also immediately pass the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act so survivors are not taxed on the settlements they receive from Southern California Edison as they rebuild their homes and lives.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases/ciscomani-touts-preliminary-42-million-oro-valley-police-department-strengthen", "title": "Ciscomani Touts Preliminary $4.2 Million for Oro Valley Police Department to Strengthen Public Safety", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ciscomani.house.gov", "scraper": "ciscomani", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001133", "name": "Juan Ciscomani", "party": "Republican", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Oro Valley, AZ - Congressman Juan Ciscomani today visited the Oro Valley Police Department to highlight $4.2 million in preliminary federal funding he secured through the House Appropriations Committee to equip the Town’s new Police Department headquarters with the technology and equipment needed to support law enforcement and enhance public safety across Southern Arizona.\n\nThe funding cleared its first major legislative hurdle during the House Appropriations Committee’s consideration of the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations bills. Congressman Ciscomani is the only member of Arizona’s congressional delegation serving on the House or Senate Appropriations Committee.\n\nCiscomani’s continued advocacy to Southern Arizona was applauded by local Oro Valley leaders.\n\n\"The Oro Valley Police Department and the Town of Oro Valley are grateful to Congressman Ciscomani for his continued support of our public safety priorities,\" said Oro Valley Police Chief Kara Riley. \"Investments such as this strengthen not only a single agency, but the entire region serving residents across Southern Arizona by ensuring our officers have the modern technology and equipment necessary to protect our community.\"\n\n\"This funding is a big step forward to complete the new Oro Valley Police Headquarters and addresses a long-standing public safety need of our community,\" said Oro Valley Town Manager Jeff Wilkins. \"Congressman Ciscomani’s leadership is instrumental in securing the funding, and without his support, Oro Valley would not likely receive this much-needed funding. We’re grateful for his support and for the impact this has for our Town.\"\n\n\"We are very grateful for the efforts of Congressman Ciscomani on behalf of Oro Valley. He has been instrumental in helping our Town obtain federal funding for critical projects such as bridge repairs,\" said Oro Valley Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett. \"Now, as the Town is moving forward with the purchase of a new police station to assist our officers, the Congressman is again assisting us in seeking funding for technology and other remodeling. Providing this expanded and modern space to our Oro Valley police will help us maintain our position as one of the safest cities in Arizona and keep taxes as low as possible for our residents. We appreciate the collaborative relationship we have been able to build as well as federal assistance offered, and the positive impact it has had on Oro Valley.\"\n\n\"Public safety has always been one of the Town Council’s highest priorities. Congressman Juan Ciscomani’s support in securing $4.2 million for the technology needed for modern policing in our new police headquarters is a significant investment in the safety and well-being of our community and surrounding region,\" said Oro Valley Mayor Joe Winfield.\"We are deeply grateful for his leadership and advocacy. His efforts will help ensure our officers have the resources they need to serve our residents effectively while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.\"\n\nWith this new federal investment, Oro Valley’s Police Department will be powered by cutting-edge technology, ready to respond faster and smarter, and positioned to keep the community safer than ever before. From state-of-the-art communications to advanced crime-solving tools, these upgrades will help officers protect Oro Valley’s families and meet the demands of a growing community.\n\n\"Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe, and they deserve to have the equipment and technology needed to do their jobs effectively,\" said Congressman Ciscomani. \"As Arizona’s only member of the House Appropriations Committee, I’m committed to bringing federal resources back home to strengthen public safety. This targeted investment will help the Oro Valley Police Department better protect families, improve emergency response, and ensure officers have the modern tools they need to serve our community. Public safety starts with making sure our officers have the resources they need to protect the people they serve.\"\n\nThis investment builds on Congressman Ciscomani’s continued commitment to the Town of Oro Valley. In Fiscal Year 2024, he secured $7 million, which was signed into law, for the Town’s Bridge Replacement Project to address critical maintenance and repair needs to strengthen the community’s long-term infrastructure.\n\nThe Oro Valley Police Department project is one of 20 Community Project Funding requests totaling $42.7 million that Congressman Ciscomani secured in this year’s appropriations bills for projects across Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://cline.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2691", "title": "Rep. Ben Cline Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Opportunities for Veterans", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://cline.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "cline.house.gov", "scraper": "cline", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001118", "name": "Ben Cline", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Ben Cline (R-VA) reintroduced the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2026, which would allow veterans the opportunity to pursue their small business and entrepreneurial aspirations by giving them access to resources through their federal government benefits. Congressman Cline issued the following statement.\n\n“Veterans often face significant challenges as they transition from military service back to civilian life,” said Rep. Cline. “Throughout my time in public service, it has been a top priority to serve those who served and sacrificed for our Nation. My legislation will empower them to achieve the American Dream while creating jobs and strengthening our economy. Expanding pathways for veterans and providing the support they need to start small businesses is just one of the ways we can give back to the brave men and women who defended our freedoms.”\n\nThe key components of the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act are:\n\nThe establishment of a 3-year pilot program overseen by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration that will enable up to 250 GI Bill benefit-eligible veterans to pursue an educational entrepreneurial training program;\n\nThe pilot program includes a thorough application process and requires participation in an approved entrepreneurial training program;\n\nVeterans are required to develop a business plan to be approved by their training program advisor and the SBA's Associate Administrator for Veterans Business Development;\n\nThe grant available to veterans participating in this pilot program may be equivalent to the GI Bill maximum amount of 36 months of educational assistance at the rate in effect for each veteran through the GI Bill benefit program; and\n\nIf approved, the grant can be used by a veteran to open their own business or purchase a franchise.\n\nRead the full text of the bill HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://cloud.house.gov/posts/release-congressman-cloud-introduces-the-permanent-cbdc-ban-act", "title": "RELEASE: Congressman Cloud Introduces the Permanent CBDC Ban Act", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://cloud.house.gov/press", "domain": "cloud.house.gov", "scraper": "cloud", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001115", "name": "Michael Cloud", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Michael Cloud (TX-27) introduced the Permanent CBDC Ban Act, legislation that would permanently prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a Central Bank Digital Currency. A CBDC would expose Americans to unconstitutional financial surveillance and give the Federal Reserve unchecked power over individual finances.\n\nThe Permanent CBDC Ban Act is a direct response to a critical shortcoming in the 21st Century Road to Housing Act. That legislation restricted the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC but only temporarily, with the restrictions set to expire on December 31, 2030. The Permanent CBDC Ban Act would strike that expiration date and permanently prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC.\n\n“A Central Bank Digital Currency is the ultimate tool of surveillance and control. It is antithetical to the values of liberty and financial freedom that define this nation,” said Rep. Cloud. “The Federal Reserve should never have the power to monitor, restrict, or expire a single American’s money. A CBDC would hand them exactly that power. Congress must make sure that never happens,” concluded Rep. Cloud.\n\nOriginal Cosponsors: Representatives Don Bacon, Sheri Biggs, Lauren Boebert, Eric Burlison, Buddy Carter, Ben Cline, Andrew Clyde, Eli Crane, Warren Davidson, Byron Donalds, Paul Gosar, Harriet Hageman, Pat Harrigan, Diana Harshbarger, Clay Higgins, Nancy Mace, Rich McCormick, Addison McDowell, Mark Messmer, Barry Moore, Riley Moore, Andy Ogles, Scott Perry, Chip Roy, Keith Self, Greg Steube, Marlin Stutzman, Dave Taylor, Matt Van Epps, Derrick Van Orden.\n\nView more information on the bill here.\n\nCosponsor Quotes:\n\nCongressman Keith Self: “I’m proud to join Congressman Michael Cloud as an original cosponsor of the Permanent CBDC Ban Act. A Central Bank Digital Currency is the ultimate threat to financial privacy, the final tool for total government surveillance and control. It would give the unelected Federal Reserve unprecedented power to track every transaction, restrict what you can buy, freeze your accounts, and even expire your money at will. The temporary ban that sunsets in 2030 is not enough. This one-sentence bill makes the ban permanent, as it should be. BAN CBDC—FOREVER!”\n\nCongressman Byron Donalds: “Central Bank Digital Currency would give unelected bureaucrats in our federal government absolute control over your money. This is not just wrong; this is a dangerous and direct threat to our freedom and sovereignty. I’m proud to join this effort and defend liberty for all Americans.”\n\nCongressman Chip Roy: “Unelected bureaucrats should never have the power to track, monitor, or control Americans’ private financial transactions under the guise of a government-run digital currency. We must protect financial privacy, preserve the freedom to use cash, and ensure that government never erodes our constitutional liberties. That is why I am proud to co-sponsor Rep. Cloud’s legislation to permanently ban a central bank digital currency and keep government out of Americans’ wallets.”\n\nCongressman Eric Burlison: “A central bank digital currency would give the government the power to make someone disappear from economic life without ever convicting them of a crime. Turn off their money, and the rest takes care of itself. We have already seen what debanking can do; a CBDC would put that power directly in Washington’s hands. America must never build an economic kill switch.”\n\nCongressman Barry Moore: “The federal government has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted with more power. Central Bank Digital Currency would create the infrastructure for financial surveillance and government control unlike anything we’ve ever seen. We must stop it before it starts. That’s why I’m proud to support Rep. Cloud’s Permanent CBDC Ban Act and ensure Americans, not Washington bureaucrats, remain in control of their own money.”\n\nCongressman Buddy Carter: “Americans shouldn’t have to worry that the federal government could track or control how they spend their hard-earned money. That’s why I’m proud to support the Permanent CBDC Ban Act to safeguard financial privacy and ensure a government-issued digital dollar never becomes a reality.”\n\nCongressman Clay Higgins: “I support personal freedoms and liberty, including every American’s right to financial privacy. The Permanent CBDC Ban Act would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency that could be used to track every monetary transaction a citizen makes.”\n\nCongressman Eli Crane: “A Central Bank Digital Currency threatens personal privacy and opens the door to totalitarian control over our finances. Americans overwhelmingly reject this idea, yet under current law, the Federal Reserve could still implement one as early as 2031. Thankfully, Rep. Cloud has introduced legislation to permanently prohibit its creation. I’m grateful to be an original cosponsor and will keep fighting to block this dystopian system.”\n\nCongressman Paul Gosar: “Americans don’t want a government-controlled digital dollar that can be used to monitor purchases, restrict transactions, or punish political dissent. A CBDC is incompatible with a free society. This bill permanently closes the door on that dangerous idea and protects Americans’ financial freedom from future abuse.”\n\nCongressman Addison McDowell: “A central bank digital currency (CBDC) directly undermines the civil liberties and financial freedom of Americans. The United States does not need to follow in the footsteps of Communist China and implement unconstitutional financial surveillance. We do not need the federal government putting its nose into how hardworking Americans spend their money.”\n\nCongressman Warren Davidson: “A temporary CBDC ban is like building the Death Star and promising not to turn it on until 2030. The infrastructure for unprecedented financial surveillance is being built right now and will be waiting for someone to flip the switch when the current ban expires. I am proud to support this legislation to permanently prohibit the Federal Reserve from creating a government-controlled digital currency.”\n\nCongresswoman Diana Harshbarger: “Americans’ financial freedom should never be at the mercy of an unelected Federal Reserve. A Central Bank Digital Currency would open the door to unprecedented government surveillance of Americans’ financial transactions and give Washington far too much control over how people spend their own money. That’s a line our country should never cross. I’m proud to join Congressman Cloud in introducing the Permanent CBDC Ban Act to ensure this prohibition never expires and to permanently protect Americans’ privacy, financial freedom, and constitutional liberties.”\n\nCongressman Pat Harrigan: “The federal government has no business creating a tool that could be used to monitor, influence, or restrict how Americans spend their own money. Once that authority exists, it will never stay limited for long. I’m proud to be an original cosponsor of the Permanent CBDC Ban Act because protecting individual liberty means stopping dangerous ideas before they become permanent institutions. The Federal Reserve should focus on maintaining a sound monetary system, not building the infrastructure for financial surveillance.”\n\nCongressman Ben Cline: “A Central Bank Digital Currency would give the Federal Reserve an alarming surge of unchecked power to violate the Fourth Amendment rights guaranteed in our Constitution. Under federal control, CBDCs become a dangerous tool for unelected bureaucrats to spy on and potentially restrict how Americans spend their hard-earned dollars. I am proud to cosponsor Congressman Cloud’s legislation to make the ban on CBDCs, passed in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, permanent.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://dean.house.gov/2026/8/dean-davidson-reintroduce-bill-to-protect-servicemembers-from-predatory-debt-collection-practices", "title": "Dean, Davidson Reintroduce Bill to Protect Servicemembers from Predatory Debt Collection Practices", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "domain": "dean.house.gov", "scraper": "dean", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000631", "name": "Madeleine Dean", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (PA-04) and Warren Davidson (OH-08) reintroduced the Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act (H.R. 10018), bipartisan legislation to address abusive debt collection practices affecting members of the military.Congresswoman Dean’s bill previously passed the House in the 116th Congress.\n\nAccording to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Servicemember Affairs, 13.8% of complaints filed by servicemembers concern debt collection — as compared to only 6.6% by non-servicemembers. Debt collectors threaten the rank and security clearances of U.S. troops. And unfortunately, debt collectors also target military spouses, unfairly burdening our military families.\n\n“Our service members are the very best of us, sacrificing their very lives for our protection and freedom — they should not fear that their careers will be marred by manipulative debt collectors,” Rep. Dean said. “Our bipartisan bill is a commonsense measure to protect U.S. troops, and our military families, from unfair debt collection practices.”\n\n“Debt collectors have no business attempting to interfere with the military’s chain of command,” Rep. Davidson said. “I’m proud to support this bill to protect service members by ensuring they cannot be coerced by false threats to their rank or security clearance.”\n\nThe Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act strengthens protections for servicemembers by prohibiting a debt collector from conveying any threats to a servicemember or commanding office:\n\nTo have the servicemember’s rank reduced; or\n\nTo have the servicemember’s security clearance revoked.\n\nThe bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report the impact of this act on military readiness and national security, including the extent covered members with security clearances would be impacted by uncollected debt.\n\nThe Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act is endorsed by the Military Family Advisory Network and the National Military Family Association.\n\n“Military families already navigate financial pressures unique to military life, including frequent moves, disruptions to spouse employment, and unexpected out-of-pocket costs. No servicemember, recently separated veteran, or military family member should face collection tactics that exploit their connection to military service by threatening rank, security clearance, or prosecution. MFAN is proud to support the Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act, which provides important protections for military families while recognizing that their financial well-being is directly connected to military readiness and national security,” Shannon Razsadin, CEO, Military Family Advisory Network said.\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-calls-shutdown-delaney-detention-center", "title": "DeLauro Calls for Shutdown of Delaney Detention Center", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "delauro.house.gov", "scraper": "delauro", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000216", "name": "Rosa L. DeLauro", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) called for the shutdown of Delaney Detention Center following news that a Salvadoran immigrant, Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, had died in custody. Mr. Lopez-Cornejo is the second Delaney Hall detainee to have died in the past 8 months.\n\n“Delaney Hall must be shut down. Edwin Lopez-Cornejo is the second detainee to die at the facility in 8 months. The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies are failing. Now, a man is dead, and a family is ripped apart forever.\n\n“According to reporting, Mr. Lopez-Cornejo’s mother said he had been prescribed medications for diabetes and on Friday, had lost feeling in his face and hand. We need answers on whether officials at the detention center were notified of his health issues and whether he died because of medical neglect.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2171", "title": "ICYMI: Ezell Pens Op-Ed, 236 Years of Standing Watch: Honoring the Coast Guard's Past and Investing in Their Future", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "ezell.house.gov", "scraper": "ezell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000235", "name": "Mike Ezell", "party": "Republican", "state": "MS", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, recently published an opinion piece recognizing the 236th Anniversary of the United States Coast Guard and highlighting the service's enduring role in protecting America's maritime borders, supporting national security, and safeguarding Mississippi's Gulf Coast.\n\nIn the op-ed, Ezell reflects on the Coast Guard's deep roots in Mississippi—from Coast Guard Air Station Biloxi's anti-submarine operations during World War II to lifesaving search and rescue missions following Hurricane Katrina. He also outlines the Coast Guard's modern missions, including securing the nation's maritime borders, combating illegal drug trafficking, protecting America's fisheries, and defending critical infrastructure.\n\nEzell also discusses recent investments to modernize the Coast Guard, including new cutters, aircraft, facilities, and infrastructure that will strengthen the service for generations to come while supporting Mississippi's shipbuilding industry and workforce.\n\n\"The Coast Guard has faithfully protected our nation for 236 years, and Mississippi has proudly been part of that legacy. As Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, I remain committed to ensuring these brave men and women have the resources they need to defend our nation, protect our waterways, and save lives. Their mission has never been more important, and neither has our commitment to supporting them.\"\n\nEzell's full opinion piece, \"236 Years of Standing Watch: Honoring the Coast Guard's Past and Investing in Their Future,\" is available here: Read the full op-ed.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://friedman.house.gov/media/press-releases/release-rep-friedman-drops-local-black-owned-plant-nursery-and-bbq-joint", "title": "RELEASE: Rep. Friedman Drops By Local Black-Owned Plant Nursery and BBQ Joint", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://friedman.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "friedman.house.gov", "scraper": "friedman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000483", "name": "Laura Friedman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Above: Friedman talks to Shawna Christian, owner of Tansy in Burbank.\n\nLOS ANGELES, CA — Today, August 4, 2026, U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30) toured two Black-owned businesses in California’s 30th District to start National Black Business Month. Friedman stopped by Tansy in Burbank and Bludso’s BBQ in Melrose to talk to the owners, operators, and staff members about the wins and challenges of operating a small business.\n\n“Small businesses go beyond providing quality services or delicious food, they give Angelenos job opportunities and reinvest in the people that make up their community like Tansy and Bludso’s,” said Congresswoman Laura Friedman. “That’s why it’s important to me to make these visits and listen to their needs, so that I can advocate for them better in Congress.”\n\nTansy is a local Black woman-owned and family-operated plant nursery and home goods store that first opened in Burbank in 2019, and the only such store with that distinction in Los Angeles County. Owner Shawna Christian is one of five Black business owners in Burbank. Bludso’s BBQ is a California BBQ restaurant owned by television personality, James Beard Award Winner, and two-time Steve Harvey Hoodie Award Winner Kevin Bludso. Both businesses give back to their communities. Bludso’s BBQ runs a scholarship program to support Black students in the Compton School District where Kevin Bludso was born and raised, and Tansy hosts their Teen Titan internship program to help young girls gain skills that teach them how to run a business effectively.\n\nFriedman is a champion of small businesses in her district and in Los Angeles as a whole. She has visited Dialog Cafe and Lou The French on the Block to talk to the owners of these eateries about the challenges of running a small businesses. Friedman also visited the Port of Los Angeles early last month to see first-hand how the Trump administration’s economic policies are impacting the flow of goods coming in and out of the U.S., and its impact on connected jobs.\n\nBelow: Friedman talks to owner Shawna Christian inside her store Tansy.\n\nBelow: Friedman meets Kevin Bludso, owner of Bludso’s BBQ.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-alejandro-frost-and-florida-democrats-press-desantis-administration-for-answers-on-planned-use-of-ai-in-snap-eligibility-determinations", "title": "Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost and Florida Democrats Press DeSantis Administration for Answers on Planned Use of AI in SNAP Eligibility Determinations", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "frost.house.gov", "scraper": "frost", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000476", "name": "Maxwell Frost", "party": "Democrat", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Lawmakers Raise Alarm Over Florida's Rush to Use AI in SNAP Program\n\nORLANDO, FL — Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) and members of the Florida Democratic Congressional Delegation—Kathy Castor (FL-14), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Darren Soto (FL-9), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24) sent a letter to Florida Deputy Secretary Williams and Governor Ron DeSantis demanding answers about the state's plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce Florida's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) error rate.\n\n\"We understand that the state must act urgently to address the impending budgetary crisis created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. However, we are concerned with one of the state's proposed solutions: the appropriation of $4 million in state funds for the new and relatively unproven technology of AI to identify the SNAP error rate,\" wrote the Members.\n\n\"The state is moving on an extraordinarily accelerated timeline to procure an AI vendor by September 1, yet Floridians have received little information about how that vendor will be selected or what safeguards will be in place,\" continued the Members. \"We are seeking answers about the vendor's qualifications, the accuracy of its AI tools, protections against bias, human oversight of AI decision-making, transparency, appeals for affected SNAP recipients, and whether the state has contingency plans if it fails to meet its procurement deadline.\"\n\nFor a copy of the letter, please click here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://garamendi.house.gov/2026/08/04/icymi-garamendi-markey-merkley-beyer-pen-op-ed-on-trumps-saudi-arabia-nuclear-deal-in-ms-now/", "title": "ICYMI: Garamendi, Markey, Merkley, Beyer Pen Op-Ed on Trump’s Saudi Arabia Nuclear Deal in MS NOW", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://garamendi.house.gov/category/press-release/", "domain": "garamendi.house.gov", "scraper": "garamendi", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000559", "name": "John Garamendi", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08), alongside Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA-08), published an op-ed in MS NOW warning that the Trump administration’s proposed nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia threatens to ignite a nuclear arms race across the Middle East.\n\nThe four lawmakers, who co-chair the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, write that the deal would allow Saudi Arabia to produce its own weapons-grade uranium and plutonium without requiring the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, the strongest international inspection standard.\n\nGaramendi, Markey, Merkley, and Beyer also note Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s reversal from his position as a senator, when he called for the United States to suspend nuclear negotiations with Saudi Arabia unless the kingdom accepted “gold standard” restrictions. The lawmakers call on Congress to reject any agreement that gives Saudi Arabia access to sensitive nuclear technologies without the strongest possible safeguards.\n\nRead the full op-ed HERE. See key excerpts below:\n\nOn Secretary Rubio abandoning his previous position:\n\n“There was a time when Marco Rubio understood that handing Saudi Arabia the technology to produce nuclear weapons was a terrible idea.\n\n“As a U.S. senator during President Donald Trump’s first term — serving alongside two of us — Rubio declared that America should ‘suspend all talks’ with Saudi Arabia on a nuclear agreement until the kingdom accepted what nuclear nonproliferation experts consider ‘gold standard’ provisions: a commitment to forgo producing weapons-grade uranium or plutonium, backed by the toughest international inspections.\n\n“He was right. In fact, in 2019 then-Sen. Rubio and Sen. Ed Markey introduced bipartisan legislation requiring those protections. In the years since, Markey and Sen. Jeff Merkley reintroduced that legislation in the Senate, and all four of us have worked to advance those principles.\n\n“Meanwhile, Rubio became secretary of state — and he apparently abandoned those principles, helping Trump pursue one of the most reckless nuclear deals in U.S. history.”\n\nOn the agreement’s dangerous lack of nuclear safeguards:\n\n“This deal is the starting gun for a Middle East nuclear arms race. Congress must reject it.\n\n“The deal reportedly allows Saudi Arabia to produce weapons-grade uranium and plutonium — the essential ingredients for nuclear weapons. Yet it does not require the agreement to include the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, the strongest international inspection standard.\n\n“If the president were serious about preventing Saudi Arabia from acquiring nuclear weapons, he would insist on the gold standard. If Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman truly had no interest in a bomb, he would gladly accept it.\n\n“Neither is happening.\n\n“Instead, Trump is giving Saudi Arabia what it wants while demanding almost nothing in return.”\n\nOn corruption benefiting Trump’s family and political allies:\n\n“Maybe we should ask Jared Kushner, who accepted a $2 billion investment from a Saudi sovereign wealth fund after leaving the White House at the end of the first Trump administration. Maybe we should ask Westinghouse Electric, which stands to make tens of billions of dollars if this agreement moves forward.\n\n“There is no evidence at this point that Mr. Trump’s friends or family helped orchestrate the Saudi nuclear deal,’ the Times noted. But the pattern is painfully familiar: Another Trump initiative hurts America’s national security while benefiting the financial interests of his family and political allies.\n\n“That is corruption dressed up as diplomacy.”\n\nOn the risk of a regional nuclear arms race:\n\n“The consequences of this nonproliferation failure will not stop with Saudi Arabia. If Riyadh gains the capability to produce bomb fuel, why would, say, Egypt stand aside? Why would Turkey, or any other country in the region? The result will be an intensifying nuclear competition in a region currently on the verge of a wider war.\n\n“Trump launched that unwinnable war against Iran claiming it was necessary to stop Tehran from enriching uranium. Yet his administration is now preparing to give Saudi Arabia access to the very technologies it says Iran must never possess. That contradiction doesn’t make America stronger. It makes American policy impossible to take seriously and undermines any chance of reaching a durable agreement with Iran.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/gillen-visits-uscg-station-jones-beach-joins-crew-patrol", "title": "Gillen Visits USCG Station Jones Beach, Joins Crew for Patrol", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gillen.house.gov", "scraper": "gillen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000602", "name": "Laura Gillen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "JONES BEACH, NY – Yesterday, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04), Vice Ranking Member of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, visited U.S. Coast Guard Station Jones Beach. During her visit, Gillen spoke with the Coast Guardsmen about their work, healthcare access for service members and affordability on Long Island.\n\n\"As Long Islanders enjoy the summer months, the brave Coast Guard officers at Station Jones Beach are patrolling our waterways and keeping us safe,” said Rep. Gillen. “From search and rescue to enforcing maritime laws, these fearless men and women safeguard our shores. I will continue working to ensure they have the resources they need to help protect our communities.\"\n\n“The crew is proud to host Congresswoman Gillen here at Station Jones Beach,” said Chief Petty Officer Alexander Dumont, officer in charge of Station Jones Beach. “Her visit allowed our men and women to showcase the skills and capabilities we use to keep the public and community safe.”\n\nAs a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Gillen has been a leader in Congress working to ensure the Coast Guard and their operations on Long Island are fully funded. Earlier this year, she secured a commitment from the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, to prioritize restoring Station Jones Beach's full capabilities following a 2024 reduction due to recruitment and funding shortages.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gillen-announces-250000-new-federal-funding-help-floral-park-fire", "title": "Rep. Gillen Announces $250,000 in New Federal Funding to Help the Floral Park Fire Department Purchase a New Hook-and-Ladder Fire Truck", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gillen.house.gov", "scraper": "gillen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000602", "name": "Laura Gillen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "A video of the press conference is available HERE.\n\nFLORAL PARK, NY — Today, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) joined Floral Park Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald and Floral Park Fire Department Chief Eric O’Connor as well as members of the Floral Park Fire Department to announce $250,000 in new federal Community Project Funding (CPF) she secured through the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process. The funding will help purchase a new hook-and-ladder fire truck for the Floral Park Fire Department, enhancing the department's emergency response capabilities and improving public safety for residents throughout the village.\n\n“I am proud to have secured $250,000 in new federal funding to help Floral Park purchase a much-needed hook-and-ladder truck,” said Rep. Gillen. “This funding is a direct investment in the safety of Floral Park residents and will ensure the Fire Department has the equipment it needs to meet the community’s growing needs. I look forward to seeing the new truck in service, helping keep residents and firefighters safe for years to come.”\n\n“Thank you, Congresswoman Gillen, for getting this important funding for us, for Floral Park and our fire department,” said Mayor Fitzgerald. “These trucks do cost a lot of money. This one in particular is over $2.7 million, and every dime that we can get that doesn't cost the taxpayers here in Floral Park is important to us. Thank you once again for doing that.”\n\n“This is an investment in the safety of my members and the safety of this community as a whole” said Chief O’Connor. “So on behalf of the chiefs, officers, and members of Floral Park Fire Department, I want to thank Mayor Fitzgerald and the Village Board and Congresswoman Laura Gillen. This will help us out tremendously.”\n\nThe Village of Floral Park currently relies on an aging, used truck that frequently requires repairs. Purchasing a new truck will replace the existing 30-year-old vehicle, which no longer meets current operational and safety standards. As the Village has grown, the increasing number of multi-story residential buildings has created a greater need for a hook-and-ladder truck to respond effectively to emergencies.\n\nIn addition to serving Floral Park's 16,000 residents, the Floral Park Fire Department provides mutual aid assistance to communities with a combined population of more than 130,000 residents. The department is also the only fire department in the Four Villages area equipped with a hook-and-ladder truck, making it a critical regional resource for emergency response.\n\nThis project received calls for support from a bipartisan group of leaders, including State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Nassau County Legislator Scott Strauss and Floral Park Village Trustee Jennifer Stewart.\n\nThe funding for Floral Park is part of more than $13 million in Community Project Funding that Rep. Gillen secured for Nassau County to invest in community infrastructure, enhance public safety, and improve the quality of life for residents across the district.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gillen-joins-garden-city-police-patrol-ride-along", "title": "Rep. Gillen Joins Garden City Police for a Patrol Ride-Along", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gillen.house.gov", "scraper": "gillen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000602", "name": "Laura Gillen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "GARDEN CITY, NY — Today, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) met with Village of Garden City Police Commissioner Gerard Kneisel, Mayor Ed Finneran and joined Officer Stephen Danisi on a patrol ride-along. Rep. Gillen got to see the Garden City Police Department’s work firsthand and discuss how she can further support local police departments. The officers briefed Rep. Gillen on the challenges facing the department and discussed ways the federal government and Congress can provide stronger support.\n\n“It was valuable to see firsthand the critical work done by the Garden City Police Department and discuss how I can continue advocating for our police departments in Washington,” said Rep. Gillen. \"I will continue doing all I can in Congress to support our law enforcement officers and the families they protect.\"\n\n“It is important for our elected officials to have opportunities to experience firsthand the realities of policing. A ride-along provides valuable insight into the complex decisions our officers make every day, the challenges they face, and the unwavering commitment they demonstrate in protecting our community,” said Police Commissioner Gerard Kneisel, Garden City Police Department. “This firsthand perspective helps foster a greater understanding of the public safety issues confronting law enforcement and the resources necessary to continue providing the high level of service our residents expect.”\n\nThis visit follows Rep. Gillen’s meetings and ride-alongs with the Malverne, Hempstead, Freeport and Lynbrook Police Departments and continues her efforts to meet directly with first responders across New York’s Fourth Congressional District.\n\nSince taking office, Rep. Gillen has been a strong advocate for law enforcement, bringing millions in new federal public safety funding to Nassau County. As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, Gillen introduced the Officer Wellness and Peer Support Act and has cosponsored the Protect and Serve Act, Invest to Protect Act and the HERO Act, which aims to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety officers.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gillen-tours-two-local-small-businesses-celebrating-innovation-and", "title": "Rep. Gillen Tours Two Local, Small Businesses, Celebrating Innovation and Entrepreneurship", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gillen.house.gov", "scraper": "gillen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000602", "name": "Laura Gillen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Watch Video of Rep. Gillen’s visit here.\n\nISLAND PARK, NY — Last week, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) toured Fresh Fizz Sodas, meeting with owners Rebecca and Yoni Schwartz to hear firsthand about the business’ operations and the significant role small businesses play in strengthening Long Island's economy.\n\n“Small businesses like Fresh Fizz and Frippery are the backbone of Long Island’s economy,” said Rep. Gillen. “Their success shows what’s possible when a great idea, hard work and innovation come together.”\n\nDuring the visit, Rep. Gillen toured the facility, spoke with the owners and employees and discussed the opportunities and challenges facing small businesses on Long Island, including rising operating costs and how she can support local job growth.\n\nFollowing this visit, Rep. Gilllen also stopped by Frippery in Long Beach to meet with the boutique owner Rachel Bernstein and hear about how Rep. Gillen can best support small businesses in Congress.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://gluesenkampperez.house.gov/posts/rep-marie-gluesenkamp-perez-joins-paper-industry-leaders-to-discuss-labor-support-at-awppw-hall", "title": "Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez joins paper industry leaders to discuss labor support at AWPPW Hall", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gluesenkampperez.house.gov/press", "domain": "gluesenkampperez.house.gov", "scraper": "gluesenkampperez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000600", "name": "Marie Gluesenkamp Perez", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "LONGVIEW, WA — Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez joined a group of pulp and paperworkers and union leaders at the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Hall in Longview. She was joined by friend and fellow appropriator Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA-33). The Representatives spoke to workers about ongoing efforts to support the pulp and paper industry and deliver safe durable jobs for millworkers across Southwest Washington.\n\nRep. Gluesenkamp Perez meets with paper workers at the AWPPW Hall\n\nRep. Gluesenkamp Perez has been deeply involved in economic stability and job safety for pulp and paperworkers since arriving in Congress. Recently, her focus has intensified after a chemical tank failure at the Nippon Dynawave Papermill in Longview took the lives of 11 workers.\n\n“This is an industry with a workforce built on generational skill and renewable resources. It’s the kind of skill you only get when you do the long work of investing in people. These workers need to know that their jobs are secure, safe, and that they’re going to be able to put food on the table and come home every night” Said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez, “I’m so proud to be here–talking with the people on the shop floors and in the mills, doing the work–about what I can do to support their livelihoods.”\n\nThe Congresswoman has been working to support the natural resource economy, including paper mills across Southwest Washington, for her entire career in Congress. In 2025, she introduced the Jobs in the Woods Act aimed at investing in education for a new generation of skilled labor. More recently, she added over $5 million dollars in appropriations to fully fund the Chemical Safety Board (CSB), and independent government watchdog responsible for ensuring chemical safety at facilities like paper mills.\n\n####", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://goodlander.house.gov/media/press-releases/goodlander-calls-for-federal-investigation-into-conditions-at-the-sununu-youth-services-center/", "title": "Goodlander Calls for Federal Investigation into Conditions at the Sununu Youth Services Center", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://goodlander.house.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "goodlander.house.gov", "scraper": "goodlander", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000604", "name": "Maggie Goodlander", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Concord, N.H. — Today, Representative Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) called on United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire Erin Creegan and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to open a federal investigation into conditions at the John H. Sununu Youth Services Center, the state-run juvenile facility formerly known as the Youth Development Center. In recent months, the Center has been a focal point in one of the largest child-abuse scandals in the country.\n\nIn the letter, Goodlander requested a review of the facility under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act to determine whether a pattern or practice at the facility has deprived children in state custody of their constitutional or federal rights. The law authorizes the Justice Department to investigate systemic violations of children’s rights in state-run juvenile facilities and seek relief when federal rights have been violated.\n\nThe full text of the letter is available HERE.\n\n“When our state takes custody of a child, it takes on a solemn duty — to keep that child safe and to safeguard their most basic rights,” said Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander. “New Hampshire’s own independent watchdogs have documented serious and ongoing concerns at the Sununu Center. Every child in the State’s care, and every survivor who has come forward, deserves the truth and accountability. Now. An independent federal investigation is a critical step to delivering on both.”\n\nThe request follows a series of investigations and reports raising concerns about conditions at the state-run facility. Since 2020, roughly 1,300 people have come forward alleging physical, sexual, or emotional abuse as children in state juvenile custody, in conduct spanning approximately six decades. Survivors have filed nearly 1,200 lawsuits; at least three former staff have been convicted, with additional prosecutions pending; a jury returned a $38 million verdict in the first case to reach trial; and the State established a settlement fund that had allocated $185 million by the end of 2025.\n\nTwo independent watchdogs — the New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate and the Disability Rights Center–New Hampshire — have documented serious concerns about current conditions, including unlawful restraint, prolonged isolation, and delayed medical care. The Disability Rights Center opened a formal investigation in April 2026 and has reported ongoing improper restraint, seclusion, and medical neglect. That organization has also documented unlawful force against children at the facility in 2009, in 2010, and again in 2018 — a recurrence spanning more than fifteen years and administrations of both parties.\n\nThe New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate began investigating after a child at the facility contacted the office in March. Its final report could take weeks or months to complete, according to recent reporting.\n\nThe concerns have not abated. On July 17, 2026, a 13-year-old was hospitalized with a broken femur following an assault at the facility — ten days after the State Attorney General’s office issued a report noting operational challenges at the facility but no evidence of physical abuse by staff. The review did not include interviews with children at the facility.\n\nGoodlander’s letter asks the Justice Department to:\n\nOpen a federal review of current and historical conditions, practices, and oversight at the Sununu Center and related New Hampshire juvenile facilities;\n\nDetermine whether a pattern or practice of improper restraint, seclusion, medical neglect, or other mistreatment has violated children’s constitutional or federal rights;\n\nEvaluate staffing, supervision, training, and restraint-and-seclusion practices, including in light of recent violence and injuries at the facility; and\n\nDetermine whether enforceable corrective measures, independent monitoring, public reporting, or other federal relief are warranted.\n\nBefore taking office, Goodlander served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. She was previously counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and served for eleven years as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. In Congress, she has made oversight and accountability a hallmark of her work for Granite Staters — including taking on utility companies over unjust rate hikes and calling on the Public Utilities Commission to reconsider Eversource’s increase.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://goodlander.house.gov/media/press-releases/goodlander-joins-new-hampshire-and-maine-delegations-in-opposing-new-opm-rule-weakening-civilian-labor-protections-at-portsmouth-naval-shipyard/", "title": "Goodlander Joins New Hampshire and Maine Delegations in Opposing New OPM Rule Weakening Civilian Labor Protections at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://goodlander.house.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "goodlander.house.gov", "scraper": "goodlander", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000604", "name": "Maggie Goodlander", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) joined members of the New Hampshire and Maine congressional delegations in raising concerns around a new rule proposed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Merit Systems Protection Board that would weaken civil service protections and undermine workers’ rights at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). In their letter, the lawmakers note that the rule would threaten workforce recruitment and retention at the Shipyard—which already needs 700 workers annually to keep pace—and potentially harm U.S. naval readiness.\n\nThe lawmakers wrote, in part: “We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)’s proposed rule ‘Promoting Employee Accountability,’ Docket OPM-2025-0012 (RIN 3206-AO91). This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitment and retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule’s impact on workers essential to our national security.”\n\nThey continued: “As you are no doubt aware, the men and women who work at our public shipyards are critical members of our defense industrial base, without whom the ability to repair, retrofit and refuel our country’s submarines would be in jeopardy. In our states, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) has nearly eight thousand civilian employees, creating more than $1.5 billion in annual economic impact in surrounding communities. […] PNSY currently needs to hire over 700 workers annually to meet the Navy’s demand – which is an increase from 550 over the past two years. Further, policies that reduce workplace protections risk making federal service less attractive to qualified candidates. Due to civilian hiring quotas imposed by the Office of Personnel Management, PNSY has struggled to onboard workers and cannot risk additional delays or departures. If the Administration intends to retain this political litmus test at our public shipyards, the costs of unnecessarily losing more skilled workers through this proposed rule far outweigh any potential benefit.”\n\nThey concluded: “By stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness and refusing to consider important factors, the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready, ultimately harming the shipyard’s ability to meet the Navy’s needs and threatening our national security. We, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB’s proposed rule, ‘Promoting Employee Accountability,’ and consider alternatives that preserve federal workers’ longstanding civil service protections.”\n\nThe letter was led by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and signed by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Angus King (I-ME) and U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Chellie Pingree (ME-01).\n\nA full copy of the letter can be read HERE.\n\nAs a member of the House Armed Services Committee and former U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer, Congresswoman Goodlander has made supporting the federal workers who keep New Hampshire and the nation safe a central focus of her work in Congress. Goodlander led and helped secure protections in the enacted Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act to prevent hiring freezes, reductions in force, and unjustified hiring delays at public shipyards like Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. She and Pappas also introduced the bipartisan Pay Our Public Shipyard Workers Act to ensure public shipyard employees receive the paychecks they have earned during government shutdowns. She cosponsored the bipartisan Protect America’s Workforce Act, which passed the House and would restore collective bargaining rights for federal workers at facilities including Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, FCI Berlin, and the Manchester VA Medical Center. Goodlander has also pressed the Trump Administration to protect the Shipyard from hiring freezes and workforce cuts and joined New Hampshire’s congressional delegation in urging the Air National Guard to exempt firefighters and air traffic controllers at Pease Air National Guard Base from proposed civilian workforce reductions. She and Pappas also introduced the bipartisan Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act to improve recruitment and retention and address chronic staffing shortages.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-lawler-urge-ftc-to-protect-anti-discrimination-safeguards-in-ai-as-proposed-rule-threatens-civil-rights-protections", "title": "RELEASE: Gottheimer, Lawler Urge FTC to Protect Anti-Discrimination Safeguards in AI as Proposed Rule Threatens Civil-Rights Protections", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gottheimer.house.gov/press", "domain": "gottheimer.house.gov", "scraper": "gottheimer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000583", "name": "Josh Gottheimer", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Mike Lawler (NY-17) sent a bipartisan letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson and submitted it as a formal public comment, urging the agency to revise its proposed policy statement so that it does not deter AI developers from preventing discrimination.\n\nToday, most leading AI developers actively work to keep their models from discriminating based on race, gender, age, and other federally protected characteristics. Companies test their models to prevent them from recommending worse loan terms to Black-owned businesses and to stop them from generating harmful stereotypes like “Jews control the banks and media.”\n\nThe FTC’s proposed policy statement, “Concerning the Suppression of Accuracy in Artificial Intelligence Systems,” released earlier this month, aims to ensure that AI outputs are accurate and free of ideological bias. In their letter, Congressmen Gottheimer and Lawler wrote: “While ensuring the accuracy of AI-generated information is critical, it should not come at the cost of preventing discrimination.” They warned that the FTC’s approach “would deter companies from investing in anti-discrimination mitigations for fear of FTC litigation.”\n\nThe members urged the FTC to “add an explicit civil-rights safe harbor to the policy statement,” clarifying that good-faith measures to prevent unlawful discrimination, comply with civil-rights laws, reduce harmful stereotypes, and address unequal error rates are never deceptive. As they put it: “AI companies must not falsify facts in the name of fairness, but they also must prevent discrimination, stereotypes, and unequal treatment.”\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/statement-gottheimer-supports-pacing-the-frontier-petition-future-of-responsible-ai-innovation", "title": "STATEMENT: Gottheimer Supports “Pacing the Frontier” Petition, Future of Responsible AI Innovation", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gottheimer.house.gov/press", "domain": "gottheimer.house.gov", "scraper": "gottheimer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000583", "name": "Josh Gottheimer", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, August 4, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) released the following statement:\n\n“The rapid advancement of AI tools is deeply concerning, and so are the serious warnings from the people building them. Just recently, OpenAI and Anthropic models escaped their secure training environments and indiscriminately hacked real-world organizations on their own. These incidents make it clear we need clear, mandatory rules of the road for AI, especially when it comes to national security, critical infrastructure, and biosecurity.\n\nThat’s why I support the “Pacing the Frontier” letter signed by more than 1,300 employees at frontier AI labs. It calls for the government to support an international effort to develop technical and governance tools to manage the rate of automated AI development.\n\nAmerica must lead the way in AI innovation, but we have to do it responsibly. We can’t let the AI industry run wild.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-announces-more-91000-marylands-first-district-law", "title": "Congressman Harris Announces More Than $91,000 for Maryland's First District Law Enforcement Agencies", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "harris.house.gov", "scraper": "harris", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001052", "name": "Andy Harris", "party": "Republican", "state": "MD", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), announced that four law enforcement agencies across Maryland's First Congressional District have been awarded a combined $91,069 through the U.S. Department of Justice's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The individual awards will support a range of law enforcement equipment and technology projects across the First District. None of the recipient agencies are located in counties with sanctuary policies.\n\nHarford County Sheriff's Office — $32,639 to establish a Real-Time Crime Center, improving access to real-time intelligence and investigative technology.\n\nSalisbury Police Department — $32,576 to purchase Motorola APX 6000 portable radios.\n\nCambridge Police Department & Dorchester County Sheriff's Office — $12,974 to purchase electric bicycles for the Cambridge Police Department and mapping software and upgraded fingerprinting equipment for the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office.\n\nCecil County Sheriff's Office & Elkton Police Department — $12,880 to purchase drone batteries for the Cecil County Sheriff's Office and ballistic vests for the Elkton Police Department.\n\nStatement from Congressman Harris:", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-attends-white-marlin-open-ocean-city", "title": "Congressman Harris Attends White Marlin Open in Ocean City", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "harris.house.gov", "scraper": "harris", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001052", "name": "Andy Harris", "party": "Republican", "state": "MD", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) attended the 53rd White Marlin Open, joining anglers, tournament organizers, local officials, and members of the Ocean City community during one of the Eastern Shore's premier annual events.\n\nStatement from Congressman Harris:\n\n\"The White Marlin Open is one of the biggest weeks of the year for Ocean City. It brings visitors from across the country and keeps local marinas, charter boats, hotels, restaurants, and small businesses busy. That's why maintaining the Ocean City Inlet is so important, and why I secured funding to dredge the federal navigation channel ahead of this year's tournament.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://houchin.house.gov/media/press-releases/houchin-mcbath-introduce-bipartisan-read-act-strengthen-literacy-education", "title": "Houchin, McBath Introduce Bipartisan READ Act to Strengthen Literacy Education Nationwide", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://houchin.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "houchin.house.gov", "scraper": "houchin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001093", "name": "Erin Houchin", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "August 4, 2026\n\nWashington, D.C. —Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-IN) joined Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA) to introduce the bipartisan, bicameral READ Act, legislation to address America’s literacy crisis using evidence-based reading instruction known as the Science of Reading.\n\nHouchin introduced the legislation alongside Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA), and Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT). A companion bill in the Senate is being led by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Tim Scott (R-SC). Introduction of this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives follows passage of the READ Act in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in an overwhelming vote of 20-2 last week.\n\nAccording to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, 12th-grade reading scores dropped to the lowest average since the assessment was first completed in 1992. Millions of young people in America are leaving school without the ability to read proficiently, significantly impacting their readiness for college, a career, and civic life. It is estimated that low literacy rates in America cost taxpayers an estimated $224 billion annually and nearly $40 billion in lost productivity.\n\n“Reading is the foundation of every child’s education, yet too many students are graduating without the basic literacy skills they need to succeed,” said Rep. Houchin. “We cannot accept a system that allows students to move from grade to grade without mastering the fundamentals of reading. The bipartisan READ Act gives educators the tools and training to implement the science of reading, helping ensure every student has the strong literacy foundation needed to thrive in school, the workforce, and throughout life.”\n\n“One of my most treasured memories as a mother was instilling a love of reading in my son Jordan,” Rep McBath said. “Tragically, far too many young people in America are graduating high school without basic literacy skills. The READ Act will affirm our country’s commitment to ensuring that all students can develop the skills needed for success beyond high school. I thank my colleagues for their collaboration on this essential bipartisan legislation.”\n\n“Reading is foundational to learning, and strong literacy skills set the stage for lifelong success,” said Rep. Bonamici. “Students thrive with evidence-based instruction that helps them develop these core skills. This bipartisan bill will provide critical federal resources for educational practices aligned with the science of reading so students in our highest-need schools and districts have the support they need to succeed.”\n\n\"In California and all across the country, millions of students are falling behind when it comes to their ability to read proficiently,” said Rep. Kiley. “Our bipartisan legislation will help reverse this troubling trend through reforms including improved teacher training and early literacy tests that will assure more students gain the proficiency they need for success in school and life.\"\n\n“Washington used to believe that improving school was both important and possible, but after years of paralysis, our kids have been paying the price in lower reading scores and worse education outcomes,” said Rep. Harder. “The good news is that states have already proven that evidence-based reforms can reverse years of learning losses. The READ Act is a critical step towards reinvigorating federal leadership in education and accelerating solutions to our nationwide literacy crisis - we can’t let any more time go to waste.”\n\n“When we teach our children to read, we give them the tools to think critically, and a child who can think critically can achieve whatever they set their mind to,” said Rep. Owens. “That's why it's so troubling to see literacy rates falling across our country. I'm proud to co-lead the READ Act, which invests in evidence-based literacy instruction and holds states accountable for results, while keeping decisions with parents and local schools where they belong.”\n\nThe READ Act will:\n\nSupport state implementation of evidence-based reading practices grounded in the science of reading\n\nPrioritize funding to the lowest-performing states\n\nImprove teacher preparation and professional development\n\nExpand early screening, intervention, and parental notification for students at risk of reading difficulties\n\nStrengthen literacy research\n\nThe legislation is supported by the National Parents Union, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of School Psychologists, the Council of Administrators of Special Education, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, The Arc, Families in Schools, and Educators for Excellence.\n\nFull text of the legislation is available HERE.\n\nIssues:Education", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://hoyle.house.gov/media/press-releases/merkley-salinas-lawler-hoyle-champion-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-summer-meal-access-for-rural-kids", "title": "Merkley, Salinas, Lawler, Hoyle Champion Bipartisan Bill to Expand Summer Meal Access for Rural Kids", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hoyle.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "hoyle.house.gov", "scraper": "hoyle", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001094", "name": "Val T. Hoyle", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representatives Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), and Val Hoyle (D-OR-04) led the reintroduction of the Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK) Act, which would help summer meal program sponsors purchase, retrofit, or repair vehicles that expand access to summer meals for children in rural communities.\n\nIn addition to Merkley, Salinas, Lawler, and Hoyle, the bipartisan, bicameral FORK Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\n\n“Every child—everywhere—deserves delicious and nutritious meals all year long,” said Merkley. “Communities in Oregon and across the United States are finding innovative ways to make sure students do not go hungry during the summer months. The bipartisan FORK Act builds on those efforts by helping rural communities expand meal delivery and meal pick-up at sites closer to where families live, so geography is never a barrier to feeding kids nationwide.”\n\n“Summer should not mean losing access to a healthy meal. But for too many children in rural Oregon, long distances and limited transportation make it harder to reach summer meal sites when school is out. The FORK Act offers a practical solution by helping schools bring meals directly to the children who need them. Every child deserves reliable access to nutritious food all year long, no matter their ZIP code,” said Salinas.\n\n“Every child deserves access to a healthy meal, regardless of where they live, and many of our rural communities face transportation challenges that can make it harder for children to access summer meal programs. This pilot program gives schools and community organizations the tools they need to bring meals directly to kids, helping ensure that no child goes hungry simply because they live too far from a meal distribution site,” said Lawler.\n\n“No child should go hungry because school is out for the summer,” said Hoyle. “The FORK Act is an important step toward making sure every child can access the meals they need to grow, learn and thrive.”\n\n“Thousands of Oregonians are being denied food assistance under Trump’s draconian cuts to SNAP and other federal programs,” said Wyden. “This bill would help restore critical food assistance to kids, helping meet them exactly where they are to end the ongoing hunger crisis in Oregon’s schools.”\n\n“Vermont has the highest percentage of rural students in the nation–that means food-insecure students in our state have a harder time participating in summer meal programs. Investing in food delivery programs that transport students to and from summer meal sites has to be part of the solution,” said Welch. “Our bill works to close the summer meal gap and ensure rural students in Vermont, Oregon, and across the country can access nutritious meals all year long.”\n\nThe FORK Act is inspired by Oregon ingenuity. To ensure students could access healthy, nutritious meals during the summer, Umatilla School District Superintendent Heidi Sipe and Child Nutrition Director Rikkilynn Starliper purchased a van and retrofitted it into a food truck that is used to bring meals to parks throughout their community, reducing travel time and transportation barriers for children and families in rural areas.\n\nThe FORK Act would help replicate that model across the nation. Especially because vehicle purchases are not otherwise allowed under the Summer Food Service Program, the bipartisan, bicameral legislation would establish a three-year pilot grant program to help summer meal program sponsors reduce transportation barriers and bring nutritious meals closer to children and families during the summer. The bill would also build on existing rural non-congregate summer meal flexibilities by helping sponsors acquire transportation infrastructure to fully utilize those options.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Alliance to End Hunger, FoodCorps, Marion Polk Food Share, Oregon Food Bank, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, Save the Children, School Nutrition Association, Share Our Strength, Umatilla School District, Woodburn School District, and AASA, the School Superintendents Association.\n\n“Summer meal programs do more than feed students; they offer vital spaces for nutrition, connection, and growth during the break. Our district's food truck has allowed us to replace basic sack lunches with a variety of hot, complete meals. This opportunity has also allowed us to partner with other organizations to team up for activities and community building while also providing such services in multiple locations due to the flexibility of the mobile truck option. Fueling learners across the Nation with the Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK) Act is a strong investment in all students,” said Heidi Sipe, Umatilla School District Superintendent.\n\n“For too many children, summer break means losing access to the healthy school meals they count on all year. The Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK) Act would provide critical funding to deliver nutritious summer meals to children in need, removing transportation barriers for families across rural America and ensuring students return to school nourished and ready to learn,” said Ashley Powell, PhD, RD, FAND, SNS, School Nutrition Association President.\n\n“The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics strongly supports the Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK) Act. This legislation will help ensure that children in rural and underserved communities have greater access to nutritious meals during the summer months by providing meal sponsors with the tools needed to reach families facing travel and access barriers. We applaud the bill’s sponsors for advancing solutions that help children thrive by keeping them connected to nutritious food when school is out,” said Tamara Randall, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President.\n\n“We need to help the children in our care, no matter where they live, in cities or rural areas, be able to access enough food every day, in every season, for a healthy life so they can learn to their fullest potential. Let’s invest in making sure that children in rural areas have opportunities for meals to get to them,” said Eric Mitchell, Alliance to End Hunger President.\n\n“Rural non-congregate meals have been a lifeline for families during the summer. Before this expansion, far too many kids missed out on nutritious meals because of barriers that made it difficult to access summer meals programs. Now this bill will unlock new opportunities so resources reach farther, rural communities are more connected, and more kids can be fed,” said Claire Borzner, director of federal government relations for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign.\n\n“Summer meal programs are an essential part of supporting the health, well-being, and continued success of children in Woodburn and other communities. When the school year ends, a child’s need for nutritious food does not. For many families, summer meal programs provide an important source of stability and help ensure that children remain healthy, active, and ready to learn when they return to school. Delivering summer meals to rural communities would allow more children to be reached and reduce barriers for families. Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of where they live,” said Juan Larios, Woodburn School District Superintendent.\n\nFull text of the FORK Act can be found by clicking here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://hudson.house.gov/press-releases/delivering-140-million-for-north-carolina-supporting-our-troops-and-strengthening", "title": "Delivering $140 Million for North Carolina, Supporting Our Troops, and Strengthening America", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hudson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "hudson.house.gov", "scraper": "hudson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001067", "name": "Richard Hudson", "party": "Republican", "state": "NC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Dear friend,\n\nAs Fort Bragg’s Congressman, making sure our servicemembers and their families have the pay, resources, and support they deserve is one of my top priorities.\n\nThat’s why I voted to pass this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. The bill expands support for servicemembers, strengthens our industrial base, and delivers major wins for Fort Bragg and defense projects in North Carolina.\n\nThrough the bill, I was able to secure more than $140 million in project authorizations for our district and state, resulting in one of the highest funding totals secured by any House member. I also helped secure additional investments at Fort Bragg and new legislative protections for special operators carrying out critical missions.\n\nHere is a closer look at what we accomplished.\n\nDelivering for Fort Bragg and North Carolina\n\nFort Bragg is home to some of the most elite warfighters in the world, serving as our nation’s global response force and undertaking critical missions all over the world. Therefore, it is imperative these warriors and their families have the best facilities, equipment, and support possible so they can maintain readiness and get the job done.\n\nThis year, I secured $65 million for a Special Operations Forces ammunition supply point and $6.4 million for a Special Operations Forces battalion operations facility at Fort Bragg. I also secured $69 million for an aircraft maintenance hangar for the North Carolina National Guard.\n\nTogether, those projects total more than $140 million for North Carolina.\n\nI also helped secure additional investments, including:\n\n$50 million for a Special Operations Forces training facility at Fort Bragg\n\n$31 million for an aircraft maintenance hangar at Fort Bragg\n\n$10.5 million for reliable backup power at Fort Bragg\n\n$2.5 million for defense innovation in North Carolina\n\nThe bill also supports needed construction and maintenance at Fort Bragg and bolsters North Carolina’s defense innovation and industrial base.\n\nAs long as I have the honor of serving as Fort Bragg’s Congressman, I will keep fighting to give our servicemembers everything they need to complete their missions and come home safely.\n\nProtecting Our Special Operators\n\nOur special operators carry out some of the most dangerous and sensitive missions in the world. They and their families should never have to worry someone will expose their identities and put a target on their backs.\n\nEarlier this year, I introduced the Special Operator Protection Act of 2026 after identifying information about a servicemember involved in a sensitive military operation was posted publicly.\n\nFollowing my months-long push, this year’s defense bill includes new protections for special operators and other military personnel serving in sensitive units. Anyone who intentionally exposes an identity the government is actively working to keep secret could face prison time and fines.\n\nThis is an important step in the right direction, but my work is not finished. I will keep pushing for stronger protections for the personal information of our servicemembers and their families.\n\nGiving Our Troops the Resources They Need\n\nThe men and women who put on the uniform make tremendous sacrifices to defend our country.\n\nThis year’s defense bill gives every servicemember a pay raise. That means more money in the pockets of military families working to pay their bills, buy groceries, and raise their children.\n\nOur servicemembers deserve more than our gratitude. They deserve competitive pay, good housing, reliable child care and the best equipment in the world.\n\nThat is why the bill also invests $1.8 billion in new barracks and family housing, while improving education and child care for military families. When our troops know their loved ones are taken care of at home, they can focus on the mission ahead.\n\nRebuilding America’s Military Strength\n\nThe threats facing our country are growing. China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are watching closely for any sign of weakness.\n\nPeace comes through strength. We prevent wars by making sure our enemies know America has the troops, weapons, and industrial strength to defeat any threat.\n\nThis year’s defense bill replenishes depleted weapons stockpiles, strengthens America’s missile defense, and speeds up the development of new technology. It also expands American defense manufacturing, opens the door to more small businesses, and creates skilled jobs here at home.\n\nAt the same time, the bill cuts nearly $30 billion in wasteful, Biden-era programs and pushes the Pentagon toward a clean financial audit. Every defense dollar should help our troops, strengthen readiness, or keep America safe.\n\nA strong military begins with strong servicemembers and the American workers who build their equipment. House Republicans and I are making sure America can out-build, out-innovate, and out-produce any enemy.\n\nMore Work on the House Floor\n\nThe defense bill was not the only important work we completed over the past couple of weeks.\n\nI was proud the House passed my bipartisan DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act. People with Down syndrome enrich our families and communities in so many ways. My bill strengthens federal research into Down syndrome and related health conditions so people living with it can lead longer, healthier lives and reach their full potential.\n\nHouse Republicans also passed legislation to help Americans with disabilities who want to enter or return to the workforce. Outdated federal rules can punish people for trying to work by putting the benefits they still need at risk. This bill allows Social Security to test better approaches while protecting the income and benefits of everyone who volunteers to participate.\n\nWe also passed a budget resolution, taking the first step toward legislation focused on military preparedness, American agriculture, and election integrity. The House has now directed committees to begin developing legislation to replenish critical weapons stockpiles, support the farmers who feed our country, and ensure only American citizens vote in American elections.\n\nI am working to secure each of those basic priorities.\n\nWhether it is giving our troops a raise, strengthening Fort Bragg, protecting special operators, or helping Americans build a better life, my focus remains the same: delivering results for the people I represent and keeping our country safe.\n\nUntil next time,\n\nRichard Hudson", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://jayapal.house.gov/2026/08/04/jayapal-statement-on-senate-judiciary-committees-advancement-of-blanche-nomination-for-ag/", "title": "Jayapal Statement on Senate Judiciary Committee’s Advancement of Blanche Nomination for AG", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jayapal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "jayapal.house.gov", "scraper": "jayapal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000298", "name": "Pramila Jayapal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "SEATTLE, W.A. — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), a Member of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to advance the nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General:\n\n“This vote from Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee is disrespectful to survivors across the country and the world and to the American people who are calling for real accountability from a Trump Justice Department that has continued to turn a blind eye to the horrific abuses committed by Jeffrey Epstein and the predators and pedophiles around him. It is also a slap in the face to the American people who see yet another scam to benefit Trump’s pockets and pardon January 6 insurrectionists who beat up cops and tried to steal an election. This ‘deal’ rubber-stamps Trump and his family’s immunity from tax audits for the $2.3 billion he profited off the American people last year alone, and it still allows the DOJ to give individual payouts to January 6 insurrectionists while stealing from the American people for all of it.\n\n“I have been so honored to work with and to get to know the Epstein survivors. These courageous women have stood up time and time again to demand justice from a DOJ that has protected predators while exposing and endangering survivors. Todd Blanche profoundly disrespected the survivors during a recent meeting, and Senators Cornyn and Tillis have reportedly refused to even meet with them. Knowing these women, I know that this is a setback, but they will not be silenced, and I will continue working to lift their voices every single day.\n\n“There is zero evidence that Blanche intends to stop serving as Trump’s personal lawyer and will instead serve as the people’s lawyer for real justice. I call on Republican senators to find some courage and some conscience and deny Todd Blanche confirmation on the Senate Floor. The rubber stamping of this President and his destruction of our country, as he profits off American taxpayers and slashes healthcare, education and continues endless wars, must end.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://jayapal.house.gov/2026/08/04/rep-pramila-jayapal-holds-roundtable-in-seattle-on-trumps-cuts-to-long-term-care-for-immigrants/", "title": "Rep. Pramila Jayapal Holds Roundtable in Seattle on Trump’s Cuts to Long-Term Care for Immigrants", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jayapal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "jayapal.house.gov", "scraper": "jayapal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000298", "name": "Pramila Jayapal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "No Cuts to Healthcare Coalition Outlines Devastating Cuts to Immigrant Healthcare Coming Oct 1 due to Trump’s HR 1\n\nSEIU 775: We urge Gov and Legislature to “authorize emergency spending to stop this catastrophe before it happens”\n\nSEATTLE, WA— Yesterday, the No Cuts to Healthcare coalition held a roundtable with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal on the impending cuts to immigrant healthcare due to implementation of Trump and the Republican Congress’ HR 1.\n\nHosted by SEIU 775 at their offices in Seattle, Rep. Jayapal was joined by State Senator Manka Dhingra, Secretary of Washington Department of Social and Health Services Angela Ramirez, and impacted individuals and organizations including Washington State Hospital Association and Neighborhood House, immigrant caregivers and clients.\n\nPhoto Credit: Andrew Villeneuve\n\nOn October 1, 1,300 older people and people with disabilities in Washington will lose their long-term care services – and 15,000 Washington immigrants total are expected to lose their healthcare. This is part of the implementation of HR 1, Trump’s budget bill signed into law last year, called the “Big Bad Betrayal Bill” by Rep. Jayapal.\n\nThe No Cuts to Healthcare coalition is made up of a wide range of advocacy groups working to stop the cuts to immigrant healthcare, including: WA School-Based Health Alliance, Pro-Choice Washington, Northwest Health Law Advocates, OneAmerica, Washington State LTC Ombudsman Program, Economic Opportunity Institute, Firelands Workers United / Trabajadores Unidos, Chinese Information and Service Center, Asian Counseling and Referral Service, CISC, Project Access Northwest, Neighborhood House, WPSR, Washington State Budget and Policy Center, and SEIU 775.\n\nFor more information on the October 1 immigrant healthcare cliff, and to speak to panelists from yesterday, reply to this email.\n\nStatements from roundtable panelists:\n\nRep. Pramila Jayapal: “Thank you to SEIU 775 and the impacted caregivers, community, and family members who spoke truth to power at yesterday’s event. When Trump and Republicans passed their Big Bad Betrayal, they stripped healthcare from millions of people in this country – and also specifically targeted immigrant communities. The No Cuts to Healthcare Coalition is bringing voices together from across our community to show just how devastating this will be in Seattle and nationwide. I am grateful to have state and local partners who are fighting to protect the most vulnerable in our communities – and in Congress, I will be standing strong to demand a reversal to these cuts that are devastating families. We have the money to take care of all people, as evidenced by the billions of dollars Republicans are greenlighting for Trump’s war of choice in Iran. It is time we actually invest at home to save lives.”\n\nSterling Harders, President of SEIU 775: “While Trump and Congressional Republicans are to blame for cutting Medicaid and attacking immigrants every way they can, Governor Ferguson and the legislature are working to protect vulnerable residents. They appropriated about twenty million dollars of state funds to cover the cost of people losing care, and they have worked closely with advocates and clients to get more people eligible for Medicaid. And of course they passed the Millionaires Tax to help fund these services in the future. Unfortunately, the federal government is implementing the cuts quicker and in a more draconian fashion than expected, and so the funds appropriated won’t go far enough to protect everyone from these cuts. While we appreciate what has been done thus far, we are asking the Governor and legislature to step up again and do everything possible to avoid the crisis of 1300 vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities losing care. We urge them to authorize emergency spending to stop this catastrophe before it happens and allow the legislature more time to find a long-term solution.”\n\nState Senator Manka Dhingra: “Our intent as compassionate lawmakers was to pass a budget that prevented everyone at risk of losing their long-term care from this horrific situation. Not only is it the right thing to do, as practical lawmakers we know that protecting care is the fiscally responsible thing to do. I can’t speak for all legislators, but I do know that this was a priority of the Democrats in the legislature, the Members of Color Caucus and the Governor this session – we understand the real harm to people when coverage is cut.”\n\nLiliana Chernova, caregiver: “My husband and I fled to Washington from Ukraine in 2022 so our family could survive. Now, our lives are still being threatened – not by bombs, but by the looming threat of lifesaving health care being ripped away from us simply because we are immigrants. We are forced to hope and pray that my mother-in-law and daughter are not left behind. We came to this country because we needed support. Washington became our home and welcomed us in. Now we’re asking state lawmakers to do the same. Our state can fill in the gap left by a federal government that is hostile to people like us.”\n\nZosia Stanley, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Washington State Hospital Association: “When people lose health insurance, their health care needs do not disappear. Hospitals provide care regardless of a person’s ability to pay, but they cannot absorb unlimited costs from coverage losses and funding cuts. These shortfalls will force service reductions that affect access to care for all Washington patients.”\n\nViktoriia, Case Manager at Neighborhood House: “I see this every day in my work, and I live it every day at home: home and community-based care is not just compassionate; it is cost-effective. It keeps people out of hospitals and out of expensive institutions. It strengthens families, and it saves public resources. We are our client’s safety and without us, what will happen?”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-secures-420k-community-project-funding-bridgewater-food-bank", "title": "Kean Secures $420K in Community Project Funding for Bridgewater Food Bank", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "kean.house.gov", "scraper": "kean", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000398", "name": "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "party": "Republican", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "(August 4, 2026) BRIDGEWATER, NJ – Yesterday, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) met with Bridgewater Councilman Michael Kirsch, Deputy Township Administrator Rob Field, and Food Bank Network of Somerset County Executive Director Steve Katz to visit the Food Bank Network of Somerset County. Congressman Kean secured $420,000 in a House Appropriations bill for the facility through the FY27 Community Project Funding process. This funding will be used to obtain and maintain a cold storage and a food locker unit.\n\n“No family should go without food, and strengthening our local food bank network is how we make that a reality,” said Congressman Kean. “I am pleased to secure this federal funding to expand cold storage and food locker capacity for Bridgewater Township and the Food Bank Network of Somerset County. With greater capacity, our local food pantries can take in more donations and deliver vital resources to families who need them most.”\n\n“We are absolutely thrilled and deeply appreciative of this initiative by Representative Kean and the Township of Bridgewater to support the Food Bank Network of Somerset County,” said Food Bank Network of Somerset County Executive Director Steve Katz. “This is a great example of cooperation between government and non-profit organizations, and shows that collaboration between different organizations and different parts of our society is necessary to fight against something that has become as chronic as food insecurity.”\n\nIn July, Congressman Kean announced that 18 Community Project Funding requests made by his office totaling $17,765,906, are included in key House funding bills for the upcoming fiscal year. Learn more HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://kennedy.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2469", "title": "Empty Shelves, Weaker Communities: Kennedy Calls for Passage of Three Bills to Combat Food Deserts Outside Shuttered Buffalo Grocery Store", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kennedy.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "kennedy.house.gov", "scraper": "kennedy", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000402", "name": "Timothy M. Kennedy", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Genesee Street Save A Lot Closure is the Latest in a String of WNY Grocery Losses Hurting Neighborhoods\n\nKennedy Urges the House to Pass the Food Deserts Act, the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act, and the Healthy Food Financing Initiative Reauthorization Act\n\nBUFFALO, N.Y. - Standing with community members outside of the recently shuttered Save A Lot grocery store on Genesee Street in Buffalo, Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) called on the House of Representatives to pass three pieces of legislation that he cosponsors that are aimed at combating food deserts and expanding access to affordable, healthy groceries in underserved communities. The Genesee Street Save A Lot permanently closed in May, leaving neighbors, many without a car, with far fewer options for groceries within walking distance.\n\n“When a grocery store closes in a neighborhood like Schiller Park, for families with limited access to transportation, it can mean the difference between fresh food and processed food, and between affordable groceries and expensive, unhealthy options from a corner store,” said Congressman Kennedy. “No matter your ZIP code, every Western New Yorker must have access to a walkable grocery store where they can find fresh fruits, vegetables, and affordable food for their families. This package of legislation includes three commonsense bills that would help bring grocery stores back to underserved neighborhoods and support existing stores. With groceries becoming more unaffordable every day, I’m calling on the House of Representatives to pass this legislation as soon as possible and give relief to communities in need.”\n\nThe three bills would each address a different piece of the food desert problem:\n\nThe Food Deserts Act, H.R.484, would direct the Department of Agriculture to award grants to states to establish revolving loan funds supporting the opening and operation of grocery stores in underserved communities.\n\nThe Health Food Access for All Americans Act, H.R.2473, would create tax credits and grants for grocery stores, food banks, and mobile markets that operate in food deserts.\n\nThe Healthy Food Financing Initiative Reauthorization Act, H.R.3506, would reauthorize and fund the Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative through 2030. This program is a public-private partnership that has helped attract grocery stores and fresh food retailers to underserved neighborhoods nationwide.\n\nThe closure of Save A Lot on Genesee Street is a part of a larger troubling pattern in Western New York. In 2019, the Tops Friendly Markets location near Broadway and Bailey permanently closed. The Save A Lot in the Broadway Market shuttered its doors in June 2024, followed by closures in Lancaster and Batavia that same year. Similarly, Braymiller Market closed its downtown Buffalo location in December 2024. These closures force families to rely on discount retail dollar store chains and corner stores that don’t carry the same variety or quality of fresh food, requiring many to travel further for groceries.\n\nGrocery prices have continued to climb even as stores like the Genesee Street Save A Lot disappear. The cost of food nationwide rose roughly three percent over the past year ending in June 2026[1]. For families now forced to rely on corner stores or dollar stores instead of a full-service grocer, those higher prices cause even more financial strain, since smaller retailers typically charge more per item and rarely carry fresh produce or sale pricing. Losing a full-service grocery store doesn’t just mean a longer walk to buy groceries, it means paying more for less, at the worst possible time.\n\n“Food insecurity is a pervasive problem throughout Western New York. Last year alone, nearly 171,000 neighbors relied on FeedMore WNY and our partner agencies for nutritious food assistance – but we cannot alleviate food insecurity alone. Increasing access to healthy, affordable food is a shared responsibility that requires partnerships throughout our community across the public and private sector. We stand with Congressman Kennedy in support of these critical pieces of legislation to reduce food deserts and increase nutritious food access for our Western New York neighbors,” Catherine Shick, Chief Communications Officer for FeedMore WNY, said.\n\nDeputy Erie County Executive Lisa M. Chimera said, \"Food is a basic necessity, not a luxury or privilege. As a former teacher, I saw how hunger affects a child’s ability to learn and succeed, while creating health consequences that can last into adulthood. Erie County has worked with our Food Policy Council and community partners to improve food access, but we cannot do it alone. I thank Congressman Kennedy for supporting legislation that would bring fresh food, jobs, and investment to underserved communities.\n\nNew York State Senator April N.M. Baskin said, \"In the wake of the May 14 tragedy at Tops on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo, we saw firsthand the devastating impact of a community having limited access to fresh, healthy food. I was proud to secure a $500,000 pilot for the FRESH Communities Act in this year's State Budget, building on Congressman Kennedy's longstanding leadership on this issue in the State Senate. Expanding access to nutritious food requires partnership at every level of government, and these federal bills will help communities like Buffalo improve access to grocery stores and strengthen local food systems. I thank Congressman Kennedy for his work to bring fresh, nutritious groceries to all New Yorkers.\"\n\n“Access to healthy, affordable food is a matter of public health, equity, and opportunity. Too many residents across Buffalo’s Eastside and other underserved communities continue to face barriers to accessing fresh, nutritious food close to home,” said President Pro Tempore & Masten District Councilwoman Zeneta B. Everhart. “I stand in support of Congressman Tim Kennedy’s efforts to advance legislation that invests in communities impacted by food deserts, supports local grocery stores, and ensures families have access to the resources they need to thrive. The closure of the Save A Lot on Genesee Street is a reminder that we must continue working together to bring meaningful investment and solutions to neighborhoods that have been historically underserved. Every Buffalo resident deserves access to healthy food options, and this legislation moves us closer to that goal.”\n\nKennedy introduced the FRESH Act while in the New York State Senate. This legislation, now carried by Senator April Baskin, authorizes financial assistance, such as loans and grants, to encourage the opening, expansion, and retention of grocery stores and supermarkets in underserved low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Kennedy vowed to keep pressing the House to bring all three bills to a vote, and to keep fighting for federal investments that bring grocery stores back to neighborhoods that have lost them.\n\n###\n\n[1] https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/consumer-prices-up-3-5-percent-over-the-year-ended-june-2026.htm", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6311", "title": "Lawler Introduces Legislation To Provide Tax Relief For Families And Support America’s Educators", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "lawler.house.gov", "scraper": "lawler", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000599", "name": "Michael Lawler", "party": "Republican", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – 8/4/26… Yesterday, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at providing tax relief for hardworking families and supporting educators who use their own funds and resources to help students succeed in the classroom.\n\nThe Supporting Students and Families Act creates a new refundable tax credit of up to $200 for families to help offset the cost of books, supplies, and equipment needed for a child’s enrollment or attendance in elementary or secondary school. The credit would apply to eligible expenses incurred at public, private, or religious schools and provide additional support for families during the back-to-school season.\n\nThe Supporting Our Educators Act of 2026 increases the above-the-line deduction for K-12 teachers’ classroom expenses from $250 to $600, allowing educators to deduct more of the money they spend on classroom supplies and materials. The legislation recognizes the personal financial contributions teachers make to support their students and ensure classrooms are equipped with the resources needed for learning.\n\n“As families head into the back-to-school season, the cost of books, supplies, and other essential materials can quickly add up. At the same time, too many teachers continue to spend their own hard-earned money to provide their students with the best resources they need in the classroom. These two bills will provide not only meaningful tax relief for families but also support our educators who invest in the future of our children,” said Congressman Lawler.\n\nFull text of the Supporting Students and Families Act HERE.\n\nFull text of the Supporting Our Educators Act of 2026 HERE.\n\nCongressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6314", "title": "Lawler Earns Top Marks For Bipartisanship in the 119th Congress", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "lawler.house.gov", "scraper": "lawler", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000599", "name": "Michael Lawler", "party": "Republican", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – 8/4/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) has earned a Bridge Score of 99.2 out of 100, and an “A” grade in the latest Bridge Grades report evaluating the 119th Congress, placing him among the highest-rated members of the U.S. House of Representatives and earning the top score of any member of New York’s congressional delegation.\n\nBridge Grades, a nonpartisan project of the Mediators Foundation, evaluates every member of Congress based on objective third-party data measuring whether lawmakers govern collaboratively or divisively. The organization places greater weight on bipartisan legislative action than on public statements, rewarding members who actively work across the aisle to advance legislation.\n\nCongressman Lawler ranked sixth of the 424 House members evaluated in the report, which covers congressional activity from January 2025 through June 2026.\n\n“From my first day in Congress, I’ve believed that the people of the Hudson Valley sent me to Washington to solve problems and to be an effective legislator for the folks I represent. Whether it’s putting dollars back into the pockets of hard-working taxpayers, strengthening public safety for communities our children are safe to grow up in, or supporting our allies abroad, I’ve been proud to work with anyone willing to roll up their sleeves and get results at every level of government. I’m honored to receive this recognition, and I’ll continue putting the interests of New York’s 17th District ahead of arbitrary political games,” said Congressman Lawler.\n\nThe latest report continues a record of bipartisan achievement for Congressman Lawler. Bridge Grades’ April 2026 report ranked him seventh in the House after the first 15 months of the 119th Congress.\n\nDuring the 118th Congress, the Bipartisan Index, published by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, ranked Lawler as the fourth-most bipartisan member of the House. The Center for Effective Lawmaking also recognized him as the most effective freshman lawmaker after seven of his bills passed the House, with one enacted into law as a standalone measure and five additional bills becoming law as part of larger legislative packages.\n\nThroughout his time in Congress, Lawler has built bipartisan coalitions to advance legislation addressing affordability, public safety, infrastructure, national security, mental health, veterans’ services, environmental conservation, and support for law enforcement and first responders.\n\nCongressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases/president-trump-approves-all-requested-federal-disaster-assistance-louisiana", "title": "President Trump Approves All Requested Federal Disaster Assistance for Louisiana Following Tropical Storm Arthur", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "letlow.house.gov", "scraper": "letlow", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000595", "name": "Julia Letlow", "party": "Republican", "state": "LA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Baton Rouge, LA—Today, Governor Jeff Landry and Congresswoman Julia Letlow announced that President Trump has now approved all of Louisiana’s requests for support in parishes impacted by Tropical Storm Arthur. This now includes all assistance requested for Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee and St. Landry Parishes. It also adds St. Charles and Winn Parishes for Public Assistance support.\n\n\"We want to thank President Trump for approving every disaster assistance request we submitted for the communities impacted by Tropical Storm Arthur. We also want to thank Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for his leadership and partnership throughout this process. This support will help our local governments recover more quickly, restore critical infrastructure, and continue moving Louisiana forward,” said Governor Landry and Congresswoman Letlow.\n\nBackground:\n\nThis approval makes FEMA Public Assistance available for eligible government entities and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, in the five parishes to support response and recovery efforts, including reimbursement for qualifying disaster-related costs.\n\nPublic Assistance (PA) is FEMA’s largest grant program providing funds to assist communities responding to and recovering from major disasters or emergencies declared by the President. The program provides funding for emergency assistance to save lives and protect property and assists with funding for permanently restoring community infrastructure affected by a federally declared incident.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-nancy-mace-statement-death-citadel-cadet-dustin-rose", "title": "Congresswoman Nancy Mace Statement on the Death of Citadel Cadet Dustin Rose", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mace.house.gov", "scraper": "mace", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000194", "name": "Nancy Mace", "party": "Republican", "state": "SC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "CHARLESTON, S.C., (August 4, 2026) – Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) released the following statement today after Dustin Rose, a Citadel cadet and South Carolina National Guardsman, was found shot to death alongside another young man in DeLand, Florida:\n\n\"Our hearts are shattered. Dustin Rose was only 19 years old, a Citadel cadet, a South Carolina Guardsman, a young man with his entire future ahead of him, and it was taken from him in an instant.\n\n\"When we lose one of our own, we all feel it in a way words can barely hold.\n\n\"Our prayers are with Dustin's family, friends, his fellow cadets, and everyone at The Citadel grieving. We are also holding the family of Samson Campbell, just 18 years old, close in our hearts during this unimaginable time.\n\n\"No family should ever have to bury a child this young. We trust the DeLand Police Department will not rest until they find who committed this horrific act of violence. We pray for justice these two young men deserve.\"\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://mcbath.house.gov/2026/08/04/mcbath-leads-house-introduction-of-bipartisan-read-act/", "title": "McBath Leads House Introduction of Bipartisan READ Act", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mcbath.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "mcbath.house.gov", "scraper": "mcbath", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001208", "name": "Lucy McBath", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06) led the House introduction of the bipartisan and bicameral Reading Excellence and Achievement for Development (READ) Act, legislation which will address America’s literacy crisis using evidence-based reading instruction known as the Science of Reading. The legislation is co-led in the House by Representatives Erin Houchin (IN-09), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Kevin Kiley (CA-03), Josh Harder (CA-09), and Burgess Owens (UT-04). Companion legislation in the Senate is led by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Tim Scott (R-SC). Introduction of this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives follows passage of the READ Act in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in an overwhelming vote of 20-2 last week.\n\nAccording to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, 12th-grade reading scores dropped to the lowest average since the assessment was first completed in 1992. Millions of young people in America are leaving school without the ability to read proficiently, significantly impacting their readiness for college, a career, and civic life. It is estimated that low literacy rates in America cost taxpayers an estimated $224 billion annually and nearly $40 billion in lost productivity.\n\n“One of my most treasured memories as a mother was instilling a love of reading in my son Jordan,” Congresswoman McBath said. “Tragically, far too many young people in America are graduating high school without basic literacy skills. The READ Act will affirm our country’s commitment to ensuring that all students can develop the skills needed for success beyond high school. I thank my colleagues for their collaboration on this essential bipartisan legislation.”\n\n“Reading is the foundation of every child’s education, yet too many students are graduating without the basic literacy skills they need to succeed,” said Rep. Houchin. “We cannot accept a system that allows students to move from grade to grade without mastering the fundamentals of reading. The bipartisan READ Act gives educators the tools and training to implement the science of reading, helping ensure every student has the strong literacy foundation needed to thrive in school, the workforce, and throughout life.”\n\n“Reading is foundational to learning, and strong literacy skills set the stage for lifelong success,” said Rep. Bonamici.“Students thrive with evidence-based instruction that helps them develop these core skills. This bipartisan bill will provide critical federal resources for educational practices aligned with the science of reading so students in our highest-need schools and districts have the support they need to succeed.”\n\n“In California and all across the country, millions of students are falling behind when it comes to their ability to read proficiently,” said Rep. Kiley. “Our bipartisan legislation will help reverse this troubling trend through reforms including improved teacher training and early literacy tests that will assure more students gain the proficiency they need for success in school and life.”\n\n“Washington used to believe that improving school was both important and possible, but after years of paralysis, our kids have been paying the price in lower reading scores and worse education outcomes,” said Rep. Harder. “The good news is that states have already proven that evidence-based reforms can reverse years of learning losses. The READ Act is a critical step towards reinvigorating federal leadership in education and accelerating solutions to our nationwide literacy crisis – we can’t let any more time go to waste.”\n\n“When we teach our children to read, we give them the tools to think critically, and a child who can think critically can achieve whatever they set their mind to,” said Rep. Owens. “That’s why it’s so troubling to see literacy rates falling across our country. I’m proud to co-lead the READ Act, which invests in evidence-based literacy instruction and holds states accountable for results, while keeping decisions with parents and local schools where they belong.”\n\nThe READ Act will:\n\nSupport state implementation of evidence-based reading practices grounded in the science of reading;\n\nPrioritize funding to the lowest-performing states;\n\nImprove teacher preparation and professional development;\n\nExpand early screening, intervention, and parental notification for students at risk of reading difficulties; and\n\nStrengthen literacy research.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/photo-release-rep-mcbride-highlights-people-and-projects-strengthening-first", "title": "PHOTO RELEASE: Rep. McBride Highlights the People and Projects Strengthening the First State", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mcbride.house.gov", "scraper": "mcbride", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001238", "name": "Sarah McBride", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WILMINGTON, Del. — Over the past several days, U.S. Representative Sarah McBride (D-Del.) traveled across Delaware to celebrate the people and projects that help keep the First State strong — from farmers and students shaping the future of agriculture, to innovative clean energy projects helping build a more affordable energy future, to the servicemembers who protect our nation. Photos from Rep. McBride's visits can be found here.\n\nRep. McBride began her travels in Harrington, where she joined the Delaware Future Farmers of America (FFA) for its Annual Fair Awards Breakfast, bringing together hundreds of FFA members, agricultural educators, and industry leaders to celebrate agricultural education and student leadership.\n\n“Agriculture has always been at the heart of Delaware's story, and our future depends on the next generation of farmers, producers, and agricultural leaders,” said Rep. McBride. “It was an honor to celebrate the incredible students of Delaware FFA, whose leadership, hard work, and dedication to their communities is keeping the First State's agricultural tradition strong.”\n\nShe then joined neighbors at the Delaware State Fair, touring the Delaware 4-H exhibits and taking in many of the fair's longstanding traditions.\n\n“The Delaware State Fair is one of my favorite summer traditions because it brings together everything that makes the First State special — our farmers, small businesses, talented artists, and neighbors from every corner of Delaware. It was wonderful to celebrate our agricultural community and the traditions that bring us together year after year,” said Rep. McBride.\n\nRep. McBride then visited Middletown to deliver remarks at the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation's ribbon-cutting ceremony for Delaware's first floating solar array. The project places solar panels on a treatment pond at the Town of Middletown's wastewater treatment facility, generating renewable energy while preserving land and strengthening Delaware's energy future. Local energy projects like this can also help reduce energy costs for Delawareans over the long term.\n\n\"This floating solar array shows what's possible when local leaders think creatively about solving big challenges,” said Rep. McBride. “By putting existing infrastructure to work in new ways, Delaware is producing more local energy, preserving valuable land, and helping build a cleaner, more affordable energy future for the people we serve.\"\n\nRep. McBride concluded her travels in New Castle on Sunday, where she joined the Delaware Air National Guard to honor the 158 Airmen of the 166th Airlift Wing ahead of their deployment in support of Operation SPARTAN SHIELD, a mission that serves as a cornerstone of U.S. stability efforts in the Middle East. She addressed the Airmen and thanked them and their families for their service and sacrifice.\n\n“Behind every deployment are families, friends, and communities making sacrifices alongside those in uniform. It was an honor to thank these Airmen for their service and to let them know that all of Delaware is behind them as they embark on this mission. We will be thinking of them and praying for their safe return,” said Rep. McBride.\n\nPhotos from Rep. McBride’s visits can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-rich-mccormicks-stop-swamp-act-heads-senate-senator-roger-marshall", "title": "Congressman Rich McCormick’s STOP the SWAMP Act Heads to the Senate as Senator Roger Marshall Introduces Companion Bill", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mccormick.house.gov", "scraper": "mccormick", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001218", "name": "Richard McCormick", "party": "Republican", "state": "GA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) introduced the Senate companion to Congressman Rich McCormick’s (GA-07) STOP the SWAMP Act, marking a pivotal next step in advancing this commonsense legislation through both chambers of Congress. This effort reinforces the need to strengthen congressional oversight and hold federal employees accountable for obstructing congressional investigations.\n\nThe legislation follows last week’s Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, where former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times rather than answer questions from senators regarding his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\n“For years we’ve watched unelected bureaucrats evade accountability while millions of families are still searching for answers,” said Senator Marshall. “Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight, and that responsibility means nothing if federal officials can refuse to answer questions without consequence. This bill restores accountability and begins rebuilding the trust that's been lost.”\n\n“The Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to conduct oversight, and that responsibility means nothing if witnesses can ignore lawful questions without consequence,” said Congressman McCormick. “Federal officials answer to the American people — not the other way around. If someone refuses to cooperate with Congress or lies under oath, they are giving up the privilege of serving in the federal government and should be held accountable for their deceit. I am grateful to Senator Marshall for continuing this important effort to keep this bill moving.”\n\nWith Senator Marshall’s introduction of the Senate companion legislation, the STOP the SWAMP Act now advances as a bicameral effort to restore transparency, reinforce Congress’s oversight responsibilities, and ensure that those who obstruct lawful congressional investigations are held accountable.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://mcguire.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-john-mcguire-hosts-secretary-health-and-human-services-robert-f-kennedy-jr", "title": "Rep. John McGuire Hosts Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Fifth District Tour", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mcguire.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mcguire.house.gov", "scraper": "mcguire", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001239", "name": "John J. McGuire III", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "CHATHAM, VA — On Monday, Representative John McGuire (VA-05) hosted Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for a tour of Tranquility Grove Rehabilitation Center and the Virginia Tech Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center.\n\n“Health starts from the inside out,” said Rep. John McGuire (Va-05). “From the farmers that put fresh food on our tables, to healthcare professionals helping people heal from addiction, the Fifth District is full of hardworking men and women committed to making their communities healthier. I was proud to show Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. around the district and introduce him to the incredible folks making the Fifth healthy again.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://meeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-meeks-fights-recognition-staff-sgt-angel-rampersad-and-us-service-members", "title": "Rep. Meeks Fights for Recognition of Staff Sgt. Angel Rampersad and U.S. Service Members Killed in Iran War", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://meeks.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "meeks.house.gov", "scraper": "meeks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001137", "name": "Gregory W. Meeks", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Queens, NY – U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) sent a letter to Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding the names of fallen U.S. service members Staff Sergeant Angel Rampersad, Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, Private Isabella Gonzales, and Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton be restored to the official count of the Iran War casualties under Operation Epic Fury on the Department of Defense’s website.\n\nThe letter follows the Pentagon’s response to media reports alleging an intentional effort by the Trump Administration to minimize the war’s toll. In the Pentagon’s July 23, 2026, statement on X (formerly Twitter), they maintained that the removal of the service members’ names from the official death count from Operation Epic Fury was due to a “temporary data disruption,” yet no corrective action has been taken since.\n\nCongressman Meeks wrote in the letter:\n\n“Staff Sergeant Angel Rampersad, one of my constituents, made the ultimate sacrifice when a missile struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, killing her and three fellow U.S. service members. She served her country with honor and dedication, and she is remembered by her family, friends, and community for her commitment to serving others. The same is true for Lieutenant Feehan, Private Gonzales, and Sergeant Swinton. Each answered our nation's call, and each deserves to have their sacrifice accurately recognized in the Department's official historical record.”\n\nRead the full letter by clicking the document attached", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mejia-and-rep-dingell-sound-alarm-on-gop-medicaid-cuts-threatening-healthcare-access-for-millions", "title": "Rep. Mejia and Rep. Dingell Sound Alarm on GOP Medicaid Cuts Threatening Healthcare Access For Millions", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mejia.house.gov", "scraper": "mejia", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001246", "name": "Analilia Mejia", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "For Immediate Release: August 4, 2026\n\nContact: Beth Wiesinger | NJ11AMPress@Mail.House.Gov\n\nANN ARBOR, MI — Congresswoman Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) joined Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, yesterday for a visit to Packard Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The lawmakers toured the facility and discussed with providers, staff, and patients the impact of Republicans’ H.R. 1, the Big Ugly Bill, on Medicaid, the 340B drug discount program, and community health centers nationwide.\n\nH.R. 1 makes the largest Medicaid cuts in the program's history, and independent analyses estimate that as many as 300 hospitals, roughly 12% of all providers currently enrolled in the 340B program, could lose their eligibility as a result. The 340B program requires drug manufacturers to sell outpatient medications at a discount to safety-net providers like Packard Health, helping stretch limited resources to serve low-income and uninsured patients.\n\n“Health care is a human right, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it,\" said Congresswoman Mejia. \"What I heard today at Packard Health mirrors what families in New Jersey's 11th District are living through. Cutting Medicaid and threatening 340B isn't just cutting a budget line, it's taking away a mother's insulin, a hospital's maternity ward, a family's last place to turn. Republicans chose to gut Medicaid to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. I thank Congresswoman Dingell for welcoming me today, and together we will keep fighting to protect the health care our communities depend on.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases/statement-from-rep-mejia-on-the-death-of-edwin-jeovanny-lopez-cornejo-at-delaney-hall", "title": "Statement From Rep. Mejia on the Death of Edwin Jeovanny López Cornejo at Delaney Hall", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mejia.house.gov", "scraper": "mejia", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001246", "name": "Analilia Mejia", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) released the following statement after confirmation that Edwin Jovanny López Cornejo, a 39-year-old father detained at Delaney Hall, died in ICE custody this past weekend:\n\n“Edwin Jovanny López Cornejo, a father who made a life here for 20 years, is dead, and my gravest concerns about conditions for medically vulnerable people at Delaney Hall are now confirmed. Edwin’s family has serious concerns about the medical treatment he received in detention, and I share those concerns,” said Congresswoman Analilia Mejia. “This is not the first life we’ve lost inside that facility. New Jersey’s own health inspectors have been denied full access, including the medical unit, again and again. If there’s nothing to hide, there’s no reason to keep them out. DHS must carry out a full, independent investigation. This family, and New Jersey, deserve real answers, justice, and accountability. Under these conditions, medically vulnerable people are being given death sentences due to the lack of care. Delaney Hall must be shut down. Abolishing and replacing ICE is the only way to correct this—a system that lets this happen again and again cannot be reformed. It must be rebuilt around human dignity.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://mikethompson.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/thompson-gallagher-announce-applications-are-open-peach-tree-removal", "title": "THOMPSON, GALLAGHER ANNOUNCE APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR PEACH TREE REMOVAL PROGRAM", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mikethompson.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "mikethompson.house.gov", "scraper": "mikethompson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000460", "name": "Mike Thompson", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Northern California – Today, Representatives Mike Thompson (CA-04) and James Gallagher (CA-01) announced the opening of applications for the USDA Tree Removal Program for California cling peaches. Thompson and Gallagher worked with local leaders in April to secure up to $9 million in federal funding for the removal project.\n\n\"Peach growers are the backbone of the agricultural economy in Sutter and Yuba counties,\" said Thompson. \"The closure of the Del Monte processing facility, combined with already challenging economic conditions, dealt a devastating blow to these communities. I am grateful to have worked alongside Senator Schiff, Congressman Gallagher, our California congressional colleagues, and the California Canning Peach Association to secure this much-needed assistance. This funding will help growers navigate these difficult circumstances while strengthening the future of California's cling peach industry.\"\n\n“California’s cling peach growers, especially those in Sutter and Yuba counties, have been navigating an incredibly tough year. This assistance provides much-needed support as growers make important decisions about their orchards. I appreciate USDA moving quickly to stand up this program, and I’m glad to join Congressman Thompson in making sure growers know these applications are now open. It’s essential that we help stabilize our local agricultural community and give farmers the tools they need to plan for the future,” said Gallagher.\n\nThe USDA Tree Removal Program is now open. The California Canning Peach Association (CCPA) began accepting grower applications on Monday, August 3rd. The application form is posted on the Peach Association’s website (calpeach.com/treepull/) and application forms will be provided to processor field representatives. The application period will be open for 30 days following August 3rd. All completed application forms must be returned to CCPA in one of the following ways:\n\nHand delivered to CCPA’s Sacramento office\n\nEmailed via an attachment to treepull@calpeach.com\n\nSent to CCPA via USPS or another delivery service CCPA’s Sacramento office.\n\n###\n\nCongressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 4th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo Counties. He is a senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means. Rep. Thompson is Chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. He is also Co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus and a member of the fiscally-responsible Blue Dog Coalition.", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://morelle.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-joe-morelle-introduces-legislation-stop-pay-play-presidential", "title": "CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO STOP \"PAY-TO-PLAY\" PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://morelle.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "morelle.house.gov", "scraper": "morelle", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001206", "name": "Joseph D. Morelle", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "(Rochester, N.Y.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle introduced the House companion to the No Payoffs For Pardons Act, legislation to increase transparency and accountability in the presidential pardon process and help prevent presidents from exchanging clemency for financial or political favors. The legislation would require recipients of presidential pardons to disclose significant financial gifts connected to their clemency and clarify that federal bribery laws apply to the President and Vice President.\n\n\"The most corrupt President this country has ever seen only seeks to serve himself and his billionaire friends,\" said Congressman Joe Morelle. \"Far too many Americans are struggling to provide the basics for their families because the cost of Donald Trump's corruption has been brought right to their kitchen table. The American people deserve to know whether the President is abusing the pardon power for personal gain and betraying the public's trust. That's exactly what the No Payoffs For Pardons Act will help expose.\"\n\nThe Constitution grants presidents broad authority to issue pardons as a safeguard against injustice—not as a tool for personal enrichment or political favoritism. Yet President Trump has repeatedly used the clemency power to benefit political allies, wealthy associates, and well-connected individuals while bypassing the traditional Justice Department review process.\n\nThe No Payoffs For Pardons Act would:\n\nRequire recipients of presidential pardons or commutations to disclose covered financial gifts made in connection with their clemency at the time it is granted and for four years afterward;\n\nClarify that federal bribery laws apply to the President and Vice President in matters involving executive clemency;\n\nEstablish a 10-year statute of limitations for bribery offenses involving the granting, withholding, or promising of presidential pardons.\n\nCongressman Morelle introduced the legislation alongside Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Richard Blumenthal, who introduced companion legislation in the Senate. The bill is supported by Campaign Legal Center, Public Citizen, Protect Democracy, the Center for American Progress, and Democracy Defenders Action.\n\nThis legislation builds on Congressman Morelle's ongoing work to strengthen government accountability and ensure no president is above the law. Earlier this year, Morelle joined Ranking Members Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia in introducing the Protecting Our Democracy Act, comprehensive legislation to strengthen oversight, increase transparency, and crack down on corruption throughout the federal government.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases/norton-introduces-bill-expand-americorps-reduce-youth-unemployment-0", "title": "Norton Introduces Bill to Expand AmeriCorps, Reduce Youth Unemployment", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "norton.house.gov", "scraper": "norton", "member": {"bioguide_id": "N000147", "name": "Eleanor Holmes Norton", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill today to help reduce the number of unemployed young Americans by expanding AmeriCorps by 500,000 members to allow unemployed young people who have mostly completed college or high school to earn a stipend sufficient to support themselves, as well as an education award, while gaining valuable work experience. Norton's bill would allow states and localities to boost personnel for badly needed services, such as after school and elderly programs, without new administrative structures or bureaucratic requirements.\n\n\"As artificial intelligence reshapes the job market and shrinks the number of available entry-level opportunities young people have long relied on to gain a foothold in their careers, we cannot afford to leave an entire generation behind,\" Norton said. \"My bill would meet this moment by adding 500,000 new AmeriCorps positions, giving young people a paid pathway to real work experience, valuable skills, and public service at a time when AI is making it harder than ever for them to break into the workforce. We owe our young people more than a diploma and a shrinking job market. They deserve a fair shot at well-paying and meaningful careers.\"\n\nNorton's full introductory statement follows.\n\nStatement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the Promoting National Service and Reducing Unemployment Act\n\nToday, I introduce the Promoting National Service and Reducing Unemployment Act to address one of the greatest workforce tragedies—our unemployed young people—by adding 500,000 new members to AmeriCorps. Youth unemployment is harming our young people and costing our country billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and tax revenue, among other costs. Although the total unemployment rate has reached a relative low (4.2 percent), the youth unemployment rate is 10.8 percent. These young people have not had a fair chance to use the high school or college education we strongly urged them to obtain.\n\nBy adding 500,000 new members to AmeriCorps, this bill would allow unemployed youth to earn a stipend, obtain work experience and provide valuable public service. AmeriCorps participants receive a living allowance and are also eligible for an education award equal to the value of a Pell grant, school-loan forbearance, health care benefits and childcare assistance.\n\nThis bill would also establish that the minimum wage for any AmeriCorps State and National member is 200 percent of the federal poverty line and would not allow for a decrease in that amount, as is allowed under current law. AmeriCorps members serve their country and gain skills, but we should increase the minimum wage for everyone, including national service members.\n\nFor some time, it has been clear that policies to address the most stubborn forms of unemployment need to be targeted in order to be effective. Without significant targeting, many young people will continue to face their first years as adults without jobs and with no way to acquire necessary work experience. Young people deserve a better start in life as adults.\n\nI urge my colleagues to support this bill.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://nunn.house.gov/2026/08/04/nunn-hosts-acting-labor-secretary-sonderling-highlights-tax-relief-for-iowa-workers-and-small-businesses/", "title": "Nunn Hosts Acting Labor Secretary Sonderling, Highlights Tax Relief for Iowa Workers and Small Businesses", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://nunn.house.gov/category/news/press-releases/", "domain": "nunn.house.gov", "scraper": "nunn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "N000193", "name": "Zachary Nunn", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Rep. Nunn and Acting Secretary Sonderling toured Auto-Jet Muffler Corporation in Clive before meeting with restaurant and hospitality workers at Whiskey River Bar & Grille in Ankeny to discuss the law’s new tax deductions for overtime and tip income, as well as expanded incentives for small businesses to invest, hire, and grow.\n\n“The best way to measure whether a policy is working is to hear directly from the people it’s affecting,” said Rep. Nunn. “Today’s conversations made it clear that working families are keeping more of what they earn through tax relief on overtime and tips, while Iowa manufacturers and small businesses have the certainty they need to invest, expand, and create good-paying jobs. That’s exactly what we set out to accomplish.”\n\n“President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts are igniting economic growth and delivering results for American workers,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “This Administration’s pro-growth policies like full expensing of new equipment and capital expenditures are benefitting Iowa businesses, while Americans are keeping more of their hard-earned paychecks thanks to no federal tax on tips or overtime. Under the President’s leadership, the Department of Labor will continue to support a wave of new investments and jobs that will spur growth in the Hawkeye State and nationwide.”\n\nSupporting Iowa Manufacturers\n\nAt Auto-Jet Muffler Corporation in Clive, Rep. Nunn and Acting Secretary Sonderling toured the production floor with General Manager Kelle Vos and met with employees to discuss how the Working Families Tax Cuts are supporting Iowa manufacturing.\n\nAuto-Jet manufactures specialized aftermarket exhaust systems for trucks and heavy equipment. The Working Families Tax Cuts made the 20 percent small business deduction permanent, giving shops like Auto-Jet a tax code they can plan around. The law doubled Section 179 expensing to $2.5 million and made 100 percent bonus depreciation permanent, allowing shops like Auto-Jet to write off the full cost of new equipment the year they buy it. It also allows manufacturers to immediately deduct the full cost of qualifying new production facilities that break ground between January 2025 and the end of 2028.\n\n“I do the equipment buying here, and being able to write those new machines off in full this year is what made buying them possible in the first place,” said John Rapp, Owner, Auto-Jet Muffler Corporation. “Congress made that write-off permanent on equipment, and gave manufacturers a window to do the same on a new building. For a shop like Auto-Jet, that’s the difference between growing when the work is there and waiting until you can afford to.”\n\n“The Iowans on this floor put in extra hours to get orders out the door, and lately there have been a lot of orders,” said Kelle Vos, General Manager, Auto-Jet Muffler Corporation. “Overtime got taxed the same as regular pay for years, which is a hard thing to explain to somebody who just worked a 10-12 hour shift. Come tax time, time-and-a-half is finally closer to time-and-a-half, and our employees see it in every paycheck. One Airman to another, it’s good to have somebody in Congress who knows what a long shift costs you.”\n\nPutting More Money Back in Workers’ Paychecks\n\nRep. Nunn and Acting Secretary Sonderling later visited Whiskey River Bar & Grille in Ankeny, where they met with servers, restaurant owners, and hospitality leaders to discuss the law’s deduction for tip income, worth up to $25,000 annually.\n\nFor many tipped employees, the deduction substantially reduces their federal income tax liability, allowing workers to keep more of the income they earn. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, taxpayers claiming the deduction during the first filing season claimed an average of more than $7,000.\n\n“For most of the Iowans working at Whiskey River, the tips are the paycheck,” said Erika Pirtle, Manager, Whiskey River Bar & Grille. “Letting them hold onto more of it is a game changer for hiring and for keeping good employees. Today, my servers got to tell a Congressman and a Cabinet Secretary what that actually meant for them, and that doesn’t happen in Ankeny every day.”\n\nPhotos from the visits are available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/after-second-detainee-death-delaney-hall-pallone-holds-trump-administration", "title": "After Second Detainee Death at Delaney Hall, Pallone Holds Trump Administration Responsible for Lethal Medical Neglect and Demands Immediate Investigation", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "pallone.house.gov", "scraper": "pallone", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000034", "name": "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "LONG BRANCH, N.J. — Amid reports that the latest detainee death at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, NJ may have been brought on by pervasive medical neglect at the facility, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today blasted the Trump Administration for the deplorable conditions at Delaney Hall, holding the Department of Homeland Security and the company managing the Delaney Hall facility, GEO Group, directly responsible.\n\n“When I demanded Trump’s DHS immediately improve conditions at Delaney Hall, I received radio silence. Now, another one of our neighbors has died at Delaney Hall because of President Trump and Secretary Mullin’s negligence and disregard for human suffering,” said Pallone. “This tragedy was entirely preventable, but this Administration’s cruelty ensures it will be repeated if immediate steps aren’t taken to strip GEO Group of its billion-dollar contract and shutter Delaney Hall.”\n\nAfter a New York Timesinvestigation documented even more troubling conditions inside the facility, Pallone on July 10 demanded immediate action from DHS to improve conditions and end GEO Group’s government-funded contract to operate the facility. Pallone did not receive a response to his letter.\n\nPallone has long been concerned about the condition of detainees at Delaney Hall after conducting multipleoversightvisits of the facility. At these visits, he heard stories of detainees who were subjected to systemic medical neglect through a combination of poor staffing, lack of equipment, and inadequate access to basic medications such as insulin.\n\nAccording to reporting by the New Jersey Globe, the detainee who died in DHS custody on the weekend of August 1 had diabetes and high blood pressure, and was unable to obtain the medication he was prescribed to treat these conditions. This medical neglect matches the eyewitness accounts described by Pallone and other members of the New Jersey delegation after repeated oversight visits.\n\n“My colleagues and I warned Trump and DHS this would happen, and now a 39-year-old father has died because they refused to listen. There must be an immediate investigation. Inspectors from the New Jersey Department of Health must be allowed immediate and full access to Delaney Hall, detainees must be provided comprehensive medical care, and ultimately, this facility must close,” said Pallone.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-announces-beach-replenishment-projects-monmouth-county", "title": "Pallone Announces Beach Replenishment Projects in Monmouth County", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "pallone.house.gov", "scraper": "pallone", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000034", "name": "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "LONG BRANCH, NJ — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin a targeted sand replenishment project in Monmouth County, that may include sections of the towns of Monmouth Beach, Sea Bright, and Long Branch this winter.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/pappas-joins-new-hampshire-and-maine-colleagues-in-opposing-new-opm-rule-weakening-civilian-labor-protections-at-portsmouth-naval-shipyard", "title": "Pappas Joins New Hampshire and Maine Colleagues in Opposing New OPM Rule Weakening Civilian Labor Protections at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "pappas.house.gov", "scraper": "pappas", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000614", "name": "Chris Pappas", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Senator Maggie Hassan (NH) and Angus King (ME), Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) in raising concerns around a new rule proposed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Merit Systems Protection Board that would weaken civil service protections and undermine workers’ rights at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). In their letter, the lawmakers note that the rule would threaten workforce recruitment and retention at the Shipyard—which already needs 700 workers annually to keep pace—and potentially harm U.S. naval readiness.\n\nThe lawmakers wrote, in part: “We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)’s proposed rule ‘Promoting Employee Accountability,’ Docket OPM-2025-0012 (RIN 3206-AO91). This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitment and retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule’s impact on workers essential to our national security.”\n\nThey continued: “As you are no doubt aware, the men and women who work at our public shipyards are critical members of our defense industrial base, without whom the ability to repair, retrofit and refuel our country’s submarines would be in jeopardy. In our states, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) has nearly eight thousand civilian employees, creating more than $1.5 billion in annual economic impact in surrounding communities. [...] PNSY currently needs to hire over 700 workers annually to meet the Navy’s demand – which is an increase from 550 over the past two years. Further, policies that reduce workplace protections risk making federal service less attractive to qualified candidates. Due to civilian hiring quotas imposed by the Office of Personnel Management, PNSY has struggled to onboard workers and cannot risk additional delays or departures. If the Administration intends to retain this political litmus test at our public shipyards, the costs of unnecessarily losing more skilled workers through this proposed rule far outweigh any potential benefit.”\n\nThey concluded: “By stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness and refusing to consider important factors, the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready, ultimately harming the shipyard’s ability to meet the Navy’s needs and threatening our national security. We, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB’s proposed rule, ‘Promoting Employee Accountability,’ and consider alternatives that preserve federal workers’ longstanding civil service protections.”\n\nA full copy of the letter can be read HERE.\n\nSince President Trump took office, Pappas has worked to protect civilian workers who play a critical role in maintaining U.S. national security. In February 2025, he joined workers from PNSY to discuss the impact of the administration’s job cuts and hiring freezes, which led the Shipyard to pause hiring.\n\nIn March 2025, Pappas led his House colleagues in further sounding the alarm over the Trump administration’s hiring freeze and workforce cuts. Later that month, the U.S. Department of Defense exempted the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workforce from the civilian hiring freeze.\n\nIn July the New Hampshire Congressional delegation also called on General Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, to exempt critical safety roles, including firefighters and air traffic controllers, from its planned 10.7% reduction to federal civilians at the Air National Guard (ANG). More than half of the civilian employees at Pease Air National Guard Base are civilian emergency personnel and air traffic controllers, and the proposed cuts could devastate the important role Pease plays in supporting emergency services in the region, including at Portsmouth International Airport.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-pat-ryan-lawmakers-investigate-reports-dod-failed-provide", "title": "CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN, LAWMAKERS INVESTIGATE REPORTS THAT DOD FAILED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CARE FOR SERVICE MEMBERS INJURED IN IRANIAN STRIKE", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "patryan.house.gov", "scraper": "patryan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000579", "name": "Patrick Ryan", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Survivors of Iranian attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait say Pentagon ignored requests for advanced medical aid, failed to provide protection from strikes, misclassified injuries\n\nIn a new letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Congressman Ryan asked him to provide clarity on the reports and DoD’s investigation into the Port Shuaiba strike\n\nLetter follows Ryan’s public pressure on Secretary Hegseth to take accountability for failure to protect troops at Port Shuaiba\n\n“(S)oldiers wounded in the attack concluded ‘the military’s medical system failed them.’”\n\nWASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Pat Ryan – a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Iraq War veteran, and the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress – and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, led 11 members of Congress in opening a new investigation into reports that the Department of Defense (DoD) failed to provide adequate medical care to service members injured in a March drone strike on a U.S. military post at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. In a new letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers asked him to provide clarity on the reports and DoD’s investigation into the Port Shuaiba strike.\n\n“As President Trump once again ramps up his reckless war in Iran, and new reports indicate that additional American bases have come under attack, it is critical that DoD provide answers about its capacity to provide care for injured service members,” wrote the lawmakers.\n\n“Every single one of these servicemembers is somebody’s whole world. Their son, their daughter, their husband or wife or friend. The need for this investigation goes beyond the Shuaiba attack – it's about taking accountability and protecting our servicemembers, both in any future conflict and as Trump’s war with Iran continues to rage on,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “When I asked Hegseth about his failure to protect our troops at Port Shuaiba, he refused to answer my questions and directly contradicted the firsthand accounts of brave survivors. If he’s going to continue working double-time to cover up his deadly mistakes, then it’s our job as members of Congress to force him to give us real answers and make sure something like this never happens again. That’s why I fought to secure language in the NDAA that forces an honest, public reckoning about what went wrong and why we sent this letter. We can’t learn from those mistakes by pretending they didn’t happen. The stakes are too high to sweep this under the rug.”\n\nIn April, Ryan demanded an immediate investigation into reports that Secretary Hegseth failed to take basic steps to protect troops during President Trump's war in Iran, including during a strike that killed six service members and injured dozens in Kuwait. Following new reporting revealing that service members warned of safety issues ahead of the strike, the lawmakers pressed for answers on why troops injured in the attack have not received timely access to medical care and why the Trump administration failed to prepare for attacks on troops in the Middle East.\n\nIn a House Armed Services hearing, Ryan pushed Hegseth on why he characterized the attack as a “squirter that makes its way through” and claimed Port Shuaiba’s defenses were fortified, directly contradicting firsthand accounts from survivors. Hegseth repeatedly refused to answer Ryan’s questions or take accountability.\n\nSurvivors reported facing delays and challenges in getting necessary medical care, including that injured service members who were flown to Germany for care were then told that they could only get limited treatment and had to wait in barracks as the hospital was unable to admit them. Other service members with symptoms of traumatic brain injuries were reportedly unable to get proper care for nearly a month after the strike, even after they were flown from Germany to Fort Hood in Texas.\n\nThe reports also raise serious concerns about DoD’s lack of preparation for a strike against Port Shuaiba. A soldier reportedly filed a complaint with the Inspector General stating that the lack of safety measures at Port Shuaiba were so significant that the unit’s force-protection assessments “recommended against positioning any personnel at Shuaiba Port.” Survivors of the strike reported that they believed that at least one victim of the attack could have survived if they had had proper access to care.\n\nThe Army reportedly downplayed injuries sustained during the strike, including by telling families that their loved ones were not seriously injured despite suffering extensive injuries.\n\n“These reports are also emblematic of a broader pattern of the Trump administration’s blatant dismissal and disregard for the injuries and deaths of service members in this war,” wrote the lawmakers.\n\nThe lawmakers also called out DoD’s revision of official casualty counts from the war in Iran. Last week, DoD lowered the number of U.S. service members who had been killed in the war so far from 18 to 14, and categorized their deaths under “Overseas Operations” instead of Operation Epic Fury, in an apparent attempt to hide the growing casualty count of U.S. service members from President Trump’s war against Iran.\n\n“This is shameful and a complete and utter disrespect to these service members, their loved ones, and those who served alongside them…It dishonors their ultimate sacrifice to attempt to hide the real costs of this war from the American people,” said the lawmakers.\n\n“As you and President Trump continue to risk the lives of service members in this reckless war, the American people deserve answers on whether you were adequately prepared to protect service members from Iranian attacks and get them the care they needed, and whether you will be prepared to do so if the war continues and escalates even further,” wrote the lawmakers.\n\nThe lawmakers asked Secretary Hegseth to provide answers related to the reports of insufficient medical care, injury classifications, and details of the Port Shuaiba attack and ensuing investigation by August 12, 2026.\n\nSenator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), all members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, along with Representatives Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Derek Tran (D-Calif.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), and Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), all members of the House Armed Services Committee, joined in signing the letter.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/04/news-pressley-warren-lawmakers-probe-insurance-companies-on-usage-of-credit-based-insurance-scores-as-costs-rise/", "title": "NEWS: Pressley, Warren, Lawmakers Probe Insurance Companies on Usage of Credit-Based Insurance Scores as Costs Rise", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "domain": "pressley.house.gov", "scraper": "pressley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000617", "name": "Ayanna Pressley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "“Insurers should not charge consumers higher premiums simply because of their personal credit history, which could have been impacted by job loss, a surprise medical bill, predatory lending, or simply inaccurate information, rather than the actual risk associated with a home.”\n\nLetter to USAA | Letter to State Farm | Letter to Progressive | Letter to Liberty Mutual | Letter to Farmers | Letter to Allstate\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, led 18 members of Congress in a set of letters to USAA, State Farm, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, and Allstate requesting information on the usage of credit-based insurance scores in homeowners insurance underwriting and pricing.\n\nIn the letters, the lawmakers underscored concerns that insurance companies are unfairly jacking up rates based on customer credit history:\n\n“Property and casualty insurance products price the risk of loss due to damage to a property and its contents; and unlike debt, these products do not hinge on a customer’s ability to repay or carry the risk of defaulting on a loan. Despite this, recent reporting indicates that Americans with weaker credit history pay significantly more for homeowners insurance, all other characteristics of the policyholder and property held equal.”\n\n“Insurers have cited increasing climate-related disasters – along with rising building and reinsurance costs – as the key sources behind rising homeowners insurance premiums. Yet recent research shows that credit scores impact homeowners insurance premiums as much, if not more than, disaster risk in many parts of the country,” continued the lawmakers.\n\n“Insurers should not charge consumers higher premiums simply because of their personal credit history, which could have been impacted by job loss, a surprise medical bill, predatory lending, or simply inaccurate information, rather than an actual risk associated with a home,” the lawmakers wrote.\n\nThe lawmakers called on the insurance companies to provide information on how they use credit-based scoring when offering or pricing homeowners insurance policies, requesting responses from the companies by August 13.\n\nThe letters are cosigned by Representatives André Carson (D-Ind.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Tex.), Al Green (D-Tex.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Nikema Williams (D-Geo.), and SenatorsRichard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Mary.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://radewagen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/amata-welcomes-747000-doj-grants-victims-violence-american-samoa", "title": "Amata Welcomes $747,000 in DOJ Grants for Victims of Violence in American Samoa", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://radewagen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "radewagen.house.gov", "scraper": "radewagen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000600", "name": "Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen", "party": "Republican", "state": "AS", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) that the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency (CJPA) has been awarded two federal formula grants totaling $746,687 to strengthen services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.\n\nCongresswoman Amata and Dr. Celestine Faumuina-Nix at IGIA 2025\n\nThe federal awards include $617,645 through the OVW Fiscal Year 2026 STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) Formula Grant Program and $129,042 through the OVW Fiscal Year 2026 Sexual Assault Services (SAS) Formula Program. Both grants were awarded on August 3, 2026, and will support ongoing efforts to improve victim services and strengthen public safety throughout American Samoa.\n\n\"These are important federal resources that help provide protection, support, and hope for victims and survivors while strengthening coordination among our law enforcement and service providers,\" said Congresswoman Amata. \"Congratulations and thank you to Dr. Celestine Faumuina-Nix and everyone at the Criminal Justice Planning Agency for their continued work administering these programs and serving the people of American Samoa.\"\n\nThe STOP Formula Grant Program supports partnerships among law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and victim service organizations to improve the response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The funding helps strengthen criminal justice strategies while increasing protection and services for victims.\n\nThe Sexual Assault Services Formula Program provides intervention, advocacy, accompaniment, support services, and related assistance for adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault, as well as family members and others affected by victimization. The funding also supports rape crisis centers and nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to survivors.\n\n\"Thank you to the leadership at DOJ and OVW for supporting programs that strengthen victim services and public safety in American Samoa,\" concluded Congresswoman Amata.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://radewagen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-amata-congratulates-fatiatamai-puapa-e-folau-completion", "title": "Congresswoman Amata Congratulates Fatiatamai Puapa’e Folau on Completion of APAICS Congressional Fellowship", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://radewagen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "radewagen.house.gov", "scraper": "radewagen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000600", "name": "Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen", "party": "Republican", "state": "AS", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata congratulates Fatiatamai “Ma’i” Puapa’e Folau of Tafuna, American Samoa, on completing the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Congressional Fellowship, and now serving as a Legislative Correspondent in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nFatiatamai “Ma’i” Puapa’e Folau of Tafuna, American Samoa,\n\nThe daughter of Tapumanaia Elisaia Folau and Puapa’e Folau of Toamua, Upolu, Folau is fluent in English and Samoan. She earned a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and was selected as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar.\n\n“Congratulations to Fatiatamai on this outstanding achievement,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Her dedication to public service and academic excellence reflects the remarkable talent of American Samoa. We are proud to see another Samoan serving with distinction on Capitol Hill and wish her continued success.”\n\nAPAICS is a nationally recognized, nonpartisan nonprofit organization that develops Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander leaders through congressional fellowships and leadership programs.\n\nFolau completed the prestigious fellowship as the only Pacific Islander in her cohort. She now serves in the office of Representative Burgess Owens (Utah’s 4th Congressional District), where she manages legislative correspondence, supports constituent engagement, works on aviation policy, and leads a prayer group on Capitol Hill.\n\n“It is an honor to serve in Congress and represent my community through public service,” said Folau. “I hope my journey encourages more young people from American Samoa to pursue opportunities in public service and leadership.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases/salazar-leads-congressional-letter-sec-rubio-urging-major-non-nato-ally", "title": "Salazar Leads Congressional Letter to Sec. Rubio Urging Major Non-NATO Ally Designation for Ecuador", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "salazar.house.gov", "scraper": "salazar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000168", "name": "Maria Elvira Salazar", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar (FL-27), joined by Congressman Carlos Giménez (FL-28), Congresswoman Carol Miller (WV-01), Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-16), and Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17), sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the Department of State to designate Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA). The lawmakers write that the designation would strengthen Ecuador's efforts against transnational drug cartels while advancing U.S. national security interests.\n\n\"The battle against the cartels does not stop at Ecuador's borders,\" said Rep. Salazar. \"The United States has a strategic interest in helping democratic allies confront the criminal organizations that threaten our hemisphere. Designating Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally would strengthen one of our closest security partners in the Western Hemisphere.\"\n\n“The fight against cartels requires strong partnerships,” said Congressman Carlos Gimenez. “Recognizing Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally will strengthen one of America’s most important democratic partners in the region and enhance our ability to confront the transnational criminal organizations that threaten the security, stability, and prosperity of the Western Hemisphere.”\n\n“The United States must continue to strengthen partnerships with trusted allies in our own hemisphere,” said Rep. Buchanan. “As Chairman of the House Democracy Partnership, I have seen firsthand Ecuador's commitment to combating organized crime, countering narcotics trafficking and advancing democratic institutions. Recognizing Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally would strengthen our strategic partnership, and I am proud to support this effort.”\n\nThe letter describes Ecuador as one of the front lines in the fight against transnational drug trafficking, with criminal organizations exploiting the country's Pacific coast as a major corridor for cocaine shipments bound for the United States and Europe. It also highlights the record levels of violence driven by these groups and the enormous security challenges confronting the country.\n\nThe lawmakers explain that Major Non-NATO Ally status would expand Ecuador's access to key security benefits, including military financing opportunities, increased training, excess U.S. defense equipment, and advanced counterterrorism technology. These tools would strengthen Ecuador's ability to confront organized crime, protect innocent lives, and stop illegal drugs before they reach the United States.\n\nThe letter concludes by urging Secretary Rubio to grant the designation and reaffirm the United States' commitment to supporting Ecuador as it continues its fight against transnational organized crime.\n\nMajor Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status provides enhanced opportunities for defense and security cooperation with the United States, including:\n\nEligibility for certain U.S. military financing and defense loans.\n\nExpanded military training and education opportunities with the United States.\n\nPriority access to Excess Defense Articles, including certain U.S. defense equipment.\n\nEligibility to participate in cooperative defense research and development projects.\n\nIncreased access to counterterrorism cooperation and technology.\n\nOpportunities for U.S. defense industry partnerships and defense procurement cooperation.\n\nCurrently, 19 countries are designated as Major Non-NATO Allies:\n\nArgentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand, and Tunisia.\n\nThis letter builds on Rep. Salazar's longstanding advocacy for a stronger U.S.-Ecuador security partnership. In 2025, she led a bipartisan effort urging the Administration to provide additional security assistance to help Ecuador defeat the cartels.\n\nAs Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Rep. Salazar oversees congressional efforts to strengthen U.S. engagement across the region, counter transnational criminal organizations, and confront the authoritarian regimes and security threats that undermine democratic stability.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://sessions.house.gov/2026/8/icymi-congressman-pete-sessions-launches-bipartisan-military-veteran-housing-caucus", "title": "ICYMI: Congressman Pete Sessions Launches Bipartisan Military & Veteran Housing Caucus", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://sessions.house.gov/press-releases", "domain": "sessions.house.gov", "scraper": "sessions", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000250", "name": "Pete Sessions", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-17) announced the launch of the bipartisan Military & Veteran Housing Caucus (MVHC), a congressional caucus dedicated to advancing policies that strengthen financial readiness, military-to-civilian transition, homeownership, economic mobility, and housing stability for servicemembers, veterans, and military families.\n\nCongressman Sessions will serve as the caucus' Republican Co-Chair alongside Democratic Co-Chair Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03). Congressmen Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Dale Strong (AL-05), and Gil Cisneros (CA-31) will serve as Vice Chairs, creating a truly bipartisan leadership team committed to addressing the housing and financial challenges facing the military-connected community.\n\nMilitary and veteran housing issues span multiple congressional committees, making it difficult for any single committee to address them comprehensively. The Military & Veteran Housing Caucus was established to provide a dedicated forum for education, collaboration, and bipartisan solutions that improve housing stability, financial readiness, and homeownership opportunities for servicemembers, veterans, and their families.\n\nOne of the caucus' main priorities is addressing the unique housing and financial challenges faced by the military-connected community. Frequent relocations, credit-building challenges, and limited awareness of earned benefits can create barriers to homeownership and long-term financial security. Although the VA Home Loan Program is one of the nation's most valuable benefits for veterans, only an estimated fifteen percent of eligible veterans utilize it. The caucus will work to increase awareness of existing resources while advancing policies that strengthen housing stability and economic mobility for those who have served.\n\nCongressman Pete Sessions said, “America’s servicemembers and veterans have answered the call to serve our nation, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure they have every opportunity to achieve lasting financial security and homeownership. I am proud to launch the bipartisan Military & Veteran Housing Caucus alongside Co-Chair Congresswoman Susie Lee and grateful to Congressmen Juan Ciscomani, Tom Suozzi, Dale Strong, and Gil Cisneros for serving as our Vice Chairs.\n\nThis bipartisan leadership team reflects our shared commitment to advancing practical solutions that strengthen financial readiness, expand access to homeownership, improve military-to-civilian transitions, and address the unique housing challenges facing servicemembers, veterans, and military families. Together, we will work across committee jurisdictions to increase awareness of existing benefits, including the VA Home Loan Program, and develop policies that ensure those who have served our nation have every opportunity to build lasting economic security and achieve the American Dream.”\n\nLeadership Quotes:\n\n“I am proud to join the Military and Veteran Housing Caucus and work with a bipartisan group of lawmakers committed to ensuring American heroes have access to safe and reliable housing,\" said Congressman Dale Strong. \"I look forward to helping address this very important issue and collaborating to offer solutions to support those who have defended and are actively serving this great nation in uniform.\"\n\n“Never Forget the Vet! We owe a debt of gratitude to all of our servicemembers who put their lives on the line to protect American freedom, democracy, and security. Their sacrifice charges us to treat them with honor and dignity, both during and after their service,” said Congressman Suozzi. “I’m proud to serve as a Vice Chair of the Military and Veteran Housing Caucus to ensure our military personnel and veterans have access to the safe, stable, and affordable housing they deserve.”\n\n“Owning a home remains a cornerstone of the American Dream, and for our military families, it represents stability after years of sacrifice and service to our nation,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “After multiple deployments and duty stations, a home gives military children the opportunity to build lasting friendships, allows families to put down roots, and creates the stability every family deserves. As Vice Chairman of the Military and Veterans Housing Caucus, I’ll continue fighting to expand access to affordable housing, strengthen the VA Home Loan program, and ensure every servicemember, veteran, and military family has the opportunity to achieve the American Dream of homeownership.”\n\n“Our servicemembers and veterans should always have a roof over their heads,” said Congressman Cisneros. \"Yet, critical servicemember housing infrastructure is routinely neglected while many of our veterans face housing insecurity. Communities across the country have invested in creating supportive housing opportunities for homeless veterans, including Mercy Village in El Monte, that serve as shining examples of the care we should be providing federally. As a Navy veteran and former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, I'm honored to serve as a Vice-Chair of the Military & Veteran Housing Caucus and further my commitment to addressing this issue and securing reliable and safe housing for all our heroes.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://tlaib.house.gov/posts/rep-tlaib-introduces-bill-to-stop-data-sharing-between-tsa-and-ice", "title": "Rep. Tlaib introduces bill to stop data sharing between TSA and ICE", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://tlaib.house.gov/press", "domain": "tlaib.house.gov", "scraper": "tlaib", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000481", "name": "Rashida Tlaib", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) introduced the No TSA Data for ICE Act, a new bill that would prevent the two agencies from coordinating to enforce the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda. In a dramatic violation of privacy rights, the Transportation and Security Administration is sharing passenger names, birth dates, and other data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, leading to a surge of arrests at airports. ICE agents are targeting immigrants in the process of changing status, including those waiting for visa extensions, with employment authorization documents, or recently married to a U.S. citizen.\n\nA Freedom of Information Act lawsuit obtained an information-sharing agreement between TSA and ICE from May 2025, exposing that acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill lied in her testimony before Congress.\n\n“TSA is complicit in ICE expanding its chaos and cruelty to target our communities in our airports and has been openly lying about it,” said Tlaib. “Through an information-sharing agreement signed in 2025, TSA is readily offering up our immigrant residents to suffer at the hands of ICE agents so they can fulfill their daily arrest quota. One source from ICE even said it makes for ‘easy targets’ at airports—a disgusting exploitation of immigrants in status limbo. Immigrants should be able to safely fly in this country without the fear of arrest or deportation.”\n\nThe bill would also prevent the Department of Homeland Security from retaliating against critics of ICE and the Trump Administration by revoking their status in trusted traveler programs, including TSA PreCheck and Global Entry. DHS is currently being sued by three U.S. citizens who lost Global Entry status after filming ICE activity.\n\n“When people fly, they should be able to trust that TSA won’t divulge their sensitive information or use it for political retaliation,” said Tlaib. “TSA has broken that trust in a gross violation of people’s First Amendment rights. This data sharing should terrify all of us. It does nothing to make us safer, but rather endangers the basic rights of all Americans and worsens our mass surveillance crisis.”\n\n“Handing travelers’ private information over to immigration agents isn’t about safety or security. It’s about turbocharging the already violent and deadly immigration enforcement happening in real time across the country that has claimed the lives of neighbors and fathers like Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastian Guerrero,” said Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, Deputy Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at United We Dream. “As immigration enforcement exploits databases, expands surveillance, and targets travelers across the country, Congress has a mandate to protect the safety and rights of the American people from the administration’s growing overreach and put an end to the cycle of tragedy that follows when communities are forced to live under fear. We urge Congress to pass the No TSA Data for ICE Act now.”\n\n“The Trump administration continues to expand and entrench its mass deportation campaign against non-citizens with near zero concern for existing laws, including constitutional rights and obligatory international norms,” said Brad Parker, Associate Director of Policy at the Center for Constitutional Rights. “The No TSA Data for ICE Act is a simple, practical measure to protect non-citizen asylum seekers and block the targeting of individuals because they oppose authoritarian policies of the Trump administration.”\n\nThe No TSA Data for ICE Act is cosponsored by 25 members of Congress: U.S. Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), André Carson (IN-07), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), John B. Larson (CT-01), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Christian Menefee (TX-18), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).\n\nIt is also endorsed by 66 organizations: African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs, African Communities Together, African Human Rights Commission, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International USA, Arab American Heritage Council, Arkansas Community Organizations, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Borderlands Resource Initiative, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Law and Social Policy, Church World Service, Climate Refugees, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Communities United for Status & Protection, Construyamos Otro Acuerdo, Detention Watch Network, Fight for the Future, Flint Alliance for Immigrant Rights, Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution, Get Free, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Immigrant Guide, Immigration Justice Action Team of Indivisible Mass Coalition, Indivisible Easthampton, Indivisible Marin, Just Detention International, Justice Is Global, Kino Border Initiative, LGBT Detroit, Louisiana Advocates for Immigrants in Detention, MADRE, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, Migrant Support Collective, Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, Movement for Black Lives Action Fund, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslims for Just Futures, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Network for Arab American Communities, National Partnership for New Americans, Never Again Action, New Disabled South, NM Comunidades en Accion Y de Fe, No Concentration Camps US, No Detention Centers in Michigan, NorCal Resist, Oasis Legal Services, Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, Peace Action, Public Citizen, Restore The Fourth Action, ReThinking Foreign Policy, RootsAction, Statewide Indivisible Michigan, UndocuBlack Network, United We Dream Network, Voices for Utah Children, We are CASA, Western MA Immigration Legislative Advocacy Network, Whistleblower & Source Protection Program at ExposeFacts, X-Lab, and National Immigration Law Center.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://torres.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/representatives-torres-and-fitzpatrick-reintroduce-bipartisan-resolution-celebrating-national-night-out", "title": "Representatives Torres and Fitzpatrick Reintroduce Bipartisan Resolution Celebrating National Night Out", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://torres.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "torres.house.gov", "scraper": "torres", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000474", "name": "Norma J. Torres", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) reintroduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing August 4, 2026, as this year's National Night Out, the annual nationwide event celebrated on the first Tuesday of August that brings together neighbors, law enforcement, firefighters, emergency dispatchers, and first responders to strengthen community partnerships and promote safer neighborhoods.\n\nFor decades, National Night Out has helped build trust between public safety professionals and the communities they serve. This year, 38 million neighbors are expected to participate in events across 17,000 communities nationwide, fostering stronger neighborhood connections, increasing crime prevention awareness, and encouraging collaboration to keep communities safe.\n\n\"As a former 9-1-1 dispatcher for more than 17 years, I know that public safety begins with trust. And as the proud mother of a police officer, I know the sacrifices our officers and first responders make every day, and I also know how important it is for them to have the support of the communities they serve,\" said Congresswoman Norma Torres. \"National Night Out is one of my favorite traditions because it brings neighbors, law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders together, not just to build safer communities, but to build lasting relationships. I am proud to once again lead this bipartisan effort to celebrate National Night Out and encourage families across the country to come together in support of those who work every day to keep us safe.\"\n\n“A strong relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve is the cornerstone of public safety and the foundation of a healthy democracy,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “I’m proud to represent some of the finest officers in the nation here in PA-1, and deeply grateful for the way they serve—not only with courage and professionalism, but with compassion and connection. National Night Out celebrates that spirit. It strengthens the bonds between neighbors and those sworn to protect them, and reminds us unity and trust are essential to keeping our communities safe. I’m honored to join Congresswoman Torres in recognizing this meaningful and enduring tradition.”\n\nNational Night Out is observed annually during the first Tuesday of August through neighborhood gatherings, community events, safety demonstrations, youth activities, and opportunities for residents to engage directly with local law enforcement and first responders. The bipartisan resolution formally recognizes the importance of these efforts in strengthening public safety and fostering lasting community partnerships.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=9353", "title": "Kelly, Guest, and Ezell Back President Trump's Defense, Farm Aid, and Election-Security Priorities\n\nAugust 4, 2026 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nTags:\nNational Defense / Veterans, \r\n              Agriculture\n\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), and Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump expressing their strong support for his legislative efforts to address critical national defense, agricultural, and election-security priorities.\r\n\r\n“The threats facing our nation require the Department of War to have the resources… Read more »", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentquery.aspx", "domain": "trentkelly.house.gov", "scraper": "trentkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000388", "name": "Trent Kelly", "party": "Republican", "state": "MS", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), and Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump expressing their strong support for his legislative efforts to address critical national defense, agricultural, and election-security priorities.\n\n“The threats facing our nation require the Department of War to have the resources necessary to defend the United States and protect American interests,” the lawmakers wrote. “Our brave men and women in uniform deserve the equipment, munitions, and support needed to carry out their missions and return home safely.”\n\nThe Mississippi lawmakers also emphasized the urgent need to provide relief to struggling farmers.\n\n“Family farms across Mississippi are going out of business, while many others are struggling to survive from one crop year to the next,” they wrote. “This assistance would provide a critical lifeline, helping our farmers remain in operation, meet their obligations, and continue producing the food and fiber our nation depends upon.”\n\nKelly, Guest, and Ezell also expressed support for expanding access to voter identification, encouraging strong state election practices, and accounting for the SAVE America Act in the Senate budget resolution.\n\n“You can count on our support as we urge the Senate to act and work to send the subsequent reconciliation package to your desk without delay,” the lawmakers concluded.\n\nRead the full letter below.\n\nDear Mr. President,\n\nAs members of the Mississippi congressional delegation, we write to express our strong support for your efforts to address critical national defense, agricultural, and election-security priorities through the budget reconciliation process. We urge the Senate to support your requests and move expeditiously to finalize and pass a budget resolution.\n\nThe threats facing our nation require the Department of War to have the resources necessary to defend the United States and protect American interests. Our brave men and women in uniform deserve the equipment, munitions, and support needed to carry out their missions and return home safely. We fully support your request to meet these immediate defense needs.\n\nWe also strongly support your request for farm aid. Family farms across Mississippi are going out of business, while many others are struggling to survive one crop year to the next. This assistance would provide a critical lifeline, helping our farmers remain in operation, meet their obligations, and continue producing the food and fiber our nation depends upon.\n\nFinally, Americans deserve elections they can trust. We support your efforts to expand access to voter identification, encourage state election practices, and account for the SAVE America Act in the Senate budget resolution.\n\nThank you for your leadership on these priorities. You can count on our support as we urge the Senate to act and work to send the subsequent reconciliation package to your desk without delay.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://vindman.house.gov/2026/08/04/vindman-introduces-legislation-to-prevent-data-center-development-near-neighborhoods-schools-parks/", "title": "Vindman Introduces Legislation to Prevent Data Center Development Near Neighborhoods, Schools, & Parks", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://vindman.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "vindman.house.gov", "scraper": "vindman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000138", "name": "Eugene Simon Vindman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Vindman Opposes Terrible Deal to Hand Over Virginia’s Energy Grid to NextEra, Jack Up Virginians’ Utility Costs\n\nVindman: “High energy bills already top the list of concerns for Virginians, and families across the...\n\nVindman, Democratic Veterans Demand Transparency on Iran War Casualties\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) joined 14 fellow Democratic veterans in...\n\nHUGE MILESTONE: Vindman Returns $8 Million in Backlogged Benefits to Virginians\n\nWashington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today announced that his office has now returned more than...\n\nVindman Helps Introduce Bill to Stop Wall Street from Driving Up Childcare Costs\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) joined Congressman Josh Riley (N.Y.-19) as an original...\n\nVindman Releases Statement After Voting Against Republican Political Games\n\nWashington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today released the following statement after House...\n\nVindman Calls on Congress to Fully Ban Members from Trading and Owning Stocks, Criticizes GOP’s Sham Proposal\n\nWashington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today released the following statement after voting against...\n\nVindman-Led Bill to Protect Americans and Combat Deadly Nitazenes Passes Out of Committee\n\nIn August 2025, Vindman Introduced the First-Ever Bill in Congress to Combat the Alarming Rise...\n\nVindman Applauds Over 3 MILLION in Federal Funding to Strengthen Stafford Head Start Programs\n\nWashington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today celebrated that the U.S. Department of...\n\nVindman Demands Independent Investigations into Killings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Johan Sebastian Guerrero\n\nWashington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today joined U.S. Representatives...\n\nVindman Hears from More Than 200 Virginians Who Have Experienced Delays with the Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center\n\nWashington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) is leading a congressional effortto increase...\n\nVindman Statement on H.R. 8595 Amendment Vote\n\nWashington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today released the following statement after...", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://vindman.house.gov/2026/08/04/vindman-opposes-terrible-deal-to-hand-over-virginias-energy-grid-to-nextera-jack-up-virginians-utility-costs/", "title": "Vindman Opposes Terrible Deal to Hand Over Virginia’s Energy Grid to NextEra, Jack Up Virginians’ Utility Costs", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://vindman.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "vindman.house.gov", "scraper": "vindman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000138", "name": "Eugene Simon Vindman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Vindman: “High energy bills already top the list of concerns for Virginians, and families across the Commonwealth will not be able to endure record-setting rate hikes on top of their existing burdens”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today sent a letter to members of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) urging them to reject the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra energy. In the letter, Vindman warned that the deal would put Wall Street profits ahead of Virginia families, weaken local accountability, and increase costs for consumers.\n\nIn the letter, Vindman wrote, “I write to express my strong opposition to the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy. This deal is not right for my constituents nor Virginians at large, and I urge you to do everything in your power to stop its approval.”\n\nVindman argued that Virginia’s energy system should remain accountable to the communities it serves — not distant corporate executives or investors. He raised concerns that the transaction would reduce transparency, erode state oversight, and leave customers with higher bills while delivering significant financial benefits to shareholders.\n\n“High energy bills already top the list of concerns for Virginians, and families across the Commonwealth will not be able to endure record-setting rate hikes on top of their existing burdens,” Vindman continued. “To be specific, the merger proposes an ownership structure where three-quarters of the board is Florida-controlled. Virginians deserve a utility that is accountable to them, and they will not stand for price increases that are dictated from outside their borders.\n\n“I will oppose any backroom deal to hand over our state’s energy grid to NextEra, and I implore you to do everything in your power to block this merger and ensure that the electricity bills of Virginians are not increased,” he concluded.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\n—\n\nDear Chair Bagot and Commissioners Hudson and Towell:\n\nI write to express my strong opposition to the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy. This deal is not right for my constituents nor Virginians at large, and I urge you to do everything in your power to stop its approval.\n\nNextEra is well-known for having implemented what many recognize as the largest residential electricity rate increase in history at the end of 2025. High energy bills already top the list of concerns for Virginians, and families across the Commonwealth will not be able to endure record-setting rate hikes on top of their existing burdens. Between May 2021-May 2026, Floridians who rely on NextEra’s subsidiary, Florida Power & Light, have seen their utility bills rise by 33 percent. For Virginians, this merger can only mean one thing: rate increases. In their investor presentation slide deck, NextEra boasted that the merger would accompany a projected 11 percent rate base growth through 2032 underpinning an opportunity to “deliver a compelling long-term shareholder value proposition.” I will not stand for Wall Street investors making a windfall when my constituents struggle to keep the lights on. A company with a demonstrated record of imposing excessive rate increases on its customers is simply not one Virginians can afford to welcome.\n\nOver the last year, the Virginia General Assembly and this Commission have worked to shift costs of data centers away from customers and back onto the data centers themselves. However, NextEra has also told investors that this merger attempts to capture the 130 gigawatts of large-load data center demand growth. In short, whether investors see high returns is dependent on NextEra maximizing data center growth. This means NextEra’s incentives will align with keeping costs low for data centers rather than ensuring they pay their fair share. In the end, consumers will see these costs shifted to them. What’s more, NextEra is not only the largest single energy provider in the country, but it is also headquartered hundreds of miles away in Florida. This merger will hand over control of our local energy infrastructure to bureaucrats far removed from the communities they serve. To be specific, the merger proposes an ownership structure where three-quarters of the board is Florida-controlled. Virginians deserve a utility that is accountable to them, and they will not stand for price increases that are dictated from outside their borders.\n\nLastly, there is a significant trail of news articles and allegations surrounding the company’s seemingly underhanded and suspicious conduct. These allegations include funding ghost candidates, offering jobs to public officials, and spying on journalists. In fact, in 2025 NextEra paid a $150 million settlement in response to allegations that it had engaged in “fraud and deceit.” Virginians deserve to trust their local utility and their regulators, and welcoming a shady organization with a concerning reputation for impropriety is not right for the state.\n\nGiven the concerns expressed above, I will oppose any backroom deal to hand over our state’s energy grid to NextEra, and I implore you to do everything in your power to block this merger and ensure that the electricity bills of Virginians are not increased.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nNextEra is well-known for having implemented what many recognize as the largest residential electricity rate increase in history at the end of 2025. High energy bills already top the list of concerns for Virginians and Vindman has heard from hundreds of families who will not be able to endure record-setting rate hikes on top of their existing burdens.\n\nBetween May 2021-May 2026, Floridians who rely on NextEra’s subsidiary, Florida Power & Light, have seen their utility bills rise by 33 percent.\n\nAs a founding member of the Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus, Vindman has been a champion for bringing down utility costs.\n\nIn May, he introduced the Home Energy Affordability Act, legislation thatwould help protect consumers from repeated utility rate hikes by limiting electric utilities to one rate increase request every 365 days. This bill is based on a proposal that has received overwhelming support from constituents across Virginia’s Seventh District and would amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to require states to consider policies restricting how often regulated electric utilities can seek rate increases.\n\nHe also introduced the Utility Hikes Transparency Act,legislation that would create the first comprehensive, machine-readable federal database of retail utility rate changes in the United States. The tracker would be updated quarterly which would include approved and effective electric and natural gas utility rate changes for investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, and municipally owned utilities nationwide.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3534", "title": "Wasserman Schultz Joins Constituent Released from ICE Facility", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "domain": "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "scraper": "wassermanschultz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000797", "name": "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "party": "Democrat", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Sunrise, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) joined her constituent Claudia Carolina Rodriguez Caglianone after she was released from the ICE Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach last night.\n\nClick here to watch the full press conference.\n\nClick here for video of Claudia and Wasserman Schultz meeting.\n\n“I’m so grateful and relieved that Claudia is with her family again. I was proud to help put a spotlight on her case, but there are 300,000 Florida families who had TPS ripped away just like Claudia, and they are just as vulnerable to the kind of cruel arrest and detention that she and her family just went through,” said Wasserman Schultz. “She’s clearly no threat to our community. And the atrocious pain and uncertainty that she and her family were put through, and all the immense, wasteful expense it costs taxpayers, are just appalling. The end of TPS means more and more of our neighbors will be targeted by ICE. I’ll keep fighting to keep families like Claudia’s together, and to put an end to Trump’s racist cruelty. There are still too many Claudias going through this same horror.”\n\n“Today, my heart is also with the many people in detention without the same support and visibility, and also the opportunity to have shared their stories and also be heard,” said Claudia. “I hope this moment also shines a light on them, because this journey is just the beginning.”\n\nClaudia Carolina Rodriguez Caglianone was held at the Pompano Beach facility after being detained for eight days at the ICE Field Office in Miramar, where Wasserman Schultz recently conducted oversight and put a spotlight on inhumane conditions. Claudia lawfully moved from Venezuela to the United States in 2017 on a tourist visa, and within six months applied for asylum. She received Temporary Protected Status in 2023, and her asylum case is pending. Earlier in July, she was arrested by ICE agents at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Last year, she earned her master’s degree from St. Thomas University.\n\nWhen she spoke to Claudia last week, Wasserman Schultz says she described being held for eight days in the Miramar ICE facility, significantly longer than the 72 hours allowed by law. Claudia had no access to a shower or change of clothes for the entirety of her time in Miramar. She also described women sleeping on the floor and limited light.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://whitesides.house.gov/2026/08/04/reps-whitesides-mcclain-delaney-and-salinas-introduce-bill-to-help-study-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-classroom/", "title": "Reps. Whitesides, McClain-Delaney, and Salinas Introduce Bill to Help Study Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://whitesides.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "whitesides.house.gov", "scraper": "whitesides", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000830", "name": "George Whitesides", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. George Whitesides (CA-27), April McClain-Delaney (MD-06), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06) introduced the Understanding AI in the Classroom Act. The use of artificial intelligence in the classroom has expanded greatly, yet very little research is being done to understand the real effects it has on students. As teachers and administrators evaluate if and how to permanently integrate AI into their classrooms, more data is needed to understand how it could affect students and their learning. The Understanding AI in the Classroom Act directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to examine our knowledge of AI’s impact on the classroom and determine what gaps in our understanding need further research.\n\n“Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the way students learn, but without concrete data, it is nearly impossible to create sustainable policies that protect students’ development,” said Rep. Whitesides. “This bill is a step towards increasing our ability to research and understand AI’s role in our children’s education, and what measures we need to implement to make sure schools are deploying technology responsibly.”\n\n“As a mom of four and a longtime advocate for children’s online safety and well-being, it’s vital we study how artificial intelligence can impact our kids’ learning and development before it becomes embedded in their classrooms,” said Rep. McClain-Delaney. “While AI holds great potential, it also poses risks when its impact is not well vetted or understood. Our country owes it to our children to study how integrating AI in schools impacts them cognitively, socio-emotionally, and physically. A few years ago, the Children and Media Research Act (CAMRA) authorized NIH to study the impacts of social media on our kids, and I’m proud to co-lead this similar effort with Rep. Whitesides to ensure innovation in the classroom is guided by science and accountability.”\n\n“AI is already changing how students learn, but we still have serious questions about how it affects their attention, development, and reliance on technology,” said Rep. Salinas. “Parents and teachers deserve clear, evidence-based answers before these tools become even more common in classrooms. The Understanding AI in the Classroom Act takes a practical first step by bringing experts together to identify gaps in the research, without imposing new mandates on schools. We need to understand how AI affects children of different ages and needs so educators can make informed choices that help every student succeed.”\n\nThe Understanding AI in the Classroom Act specifically creates a pathway for NSF to convene experts that can help us to understand what research needs to be done on AI in the classroom, and how it could impact students. It directs NSF to study childrens’:\n\nAttention span and learning independence.\n\nCognitive, social, emotional, or behavioral development.\n\nOver-reliance or undue trust on artificial intelligence.\n\nResponse to AI based on:\n\nAge.\n\nLearning disabilities, English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, and socioeconomic disadvantages.\n\nThe AI’s traits and characteristics, such as over-flattering or praise.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-wilson-to-host-free-federal-job-fair-for-south-florida-job-seekers", "title": "Rep. Wilson to Host Free Federal Job Fair for South Florida Job Seekers", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "wilson.house.gov", "scraper": "wilson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000808", "name": "Frederica S. Wilson", "party": "Democrat", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "MIAMI GARDENS, FL — Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) will host a free Federal Job Fair with Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III on Thursday, August 13, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Miami Dade College, 11380 Northwest 27th Avenue, Building 3.\n\nThe event comes as recent teacher layoffs and federal workforce reductions have left many experienced workers searching for new employment opportunities. The Department of Government Efficiency’s federal workforce cuts have disproportionately affected Black women and other federal employees, disrupting careers and creating uncertainty for families throughout South Florida.\n\n“After DOGE firings disproportionately impacted Black women and other federal workers, we are stepping up to connect our community with new opportunities, resources, and a path forward,” said Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24). “Recent teacher layoffs have also displaced dedicated educators who have spent their careers serving our children. This job fair will bring employers and job seekers together so qualified workers can explore open positions and take the next step in their careers.”\n\nJob seekers attending the fair will have the opportunity to meet directly with recruiters, interview for full-time and part-time positions, explore careers across multiple industries, and access on-site employment and professional development resources.\n\nAttendees are encouraged to bring several copies of their résumés and dress professionally, as participating employers will be prepared to meet and recruit qualified candidates.\n\nThe Federal Job Fair is free and open to the public. Attendees may scan the event QR code to RSVP.\n\nWHO\n\nU.S. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, Florida’s 24th Congressional District\n\nMiami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver G. Gilbert III\n\nMiami Dade College\n\nCareerSource South Florida\n\n5000 Role Models of Excellence Project\n\nParticipating employers and recruiters\n\nWHEN\n\nThursday, August 13, 2026\n\n11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.\n\nWHERE\n\nMiami Dade College, North Campus\n\nConference Center\n\n11380 NW 27th Avenue\n\nBuilding 3, Room 3249\n\nMiami, FL 33167\n\nVISUALS\n\nCongresswoman Wilson engaging with job seekers and participating employers; recruiters meeting with prospective applicants; on-site interviews and networking; employment and professional development resources.\n\nRSVP\n\nPress RSVP required. Members of the media planning to attend are asked to RSVP to Kailyn McBride at kailyn@mail.house.gov.\n\nFor additional event information, call 305-690-5905.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-alsobrooks-on-ms-now-americans-are-done-settling-for-the-status-quo/", "title": "ICYMI – ALSOBROOKS ON MS NOW: AMERICANS ARE DONE SETTLING FOR THE STATUS QUO", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.alsobrooks.senate.gov", "scraper": "alsobrooks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000382", "name": "Angela D. Alsobrooks", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "August 4, 2026\n\nWASHINGTON, DC – Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) joined MS NOW’s The Beat with Melissa Murray to discuss the Trump Administration’s continued attacks on the American people, this President’s disastrous war, and how Democrats plan to win back the Senate in the midterms.\n\n“The truth is this president took our country into a war without a strategic aim, and he had no idea how to get our country out of this war. We voted here 13 different times to end the war. And what we know, as a matter of fact, is while this war is going on, our kids are dying at the same time that this President’s children are getting rich. The cost of the war is being borne by working-class people in our country, the ones who are not only being killed but those who are injured. We see the gas prices, the utility prices, the grocery prices. The cost of the war is being borne by working-class people in our country, and so it’s beyond a point of being concerned; it absolutely must end,” said Senator Alsobrooks during the interview.\n\n“Fighting for the status quo is over. Nobody wants the status quo. I think that everyone is hungry at this point for tremendous change… we need a change in our country for everyday hardworking people who do everything right and still cannot make it. That’s the message,” continued Senator Alsobrooks.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-the-ingraham-angle-on-fox-news-channel-2/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins the Ingraham Angle on Fox News Channel", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined the Ingraham Angle on Fox News Channel to discuss the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence on the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and anti-American billionaire Neville Roy Singham’s funding network of pro-CCP groups.\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nKey Excerpts on the DSA’s Pledge to the CCP:\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “This is what they want to do to America, turn it into Communist China, and this letter by the leadership of DSA makes that very clear. They stand with socialist communist China, and they want the rest of the world to take a page from China’s playbook and become that. I hear people in America complain about surveillance, Flock cameras; you know what the Chinese government does with surveillance cameras? They round up weaker Muslims and put them in detention camps…that’s what the DSA wants to turn America into that. And we all know that communism is shared poverty for everybody.”\n\nKey Excerpts on the State of the Democratic Party:\n\n“It might be too late; it feels like the Democrats have turned over their entire party over to the DSA, which we all know is owned and controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and those interests. What a dangerous path to take our country down. What they want to happen is a revolution in America to turn our country into something that is very different.”\n\nKey Excerpts on Neville Roy Singham:\n\n“Finally, the FBI is investigating him; he has used his billions he made in the tech companies from Communist China and funneled it into our political system. He already bought off Code Pink; he’s married to the co-founder, now you see these billions of dollars out of China going into our political system… Thanks to Fox Digital for uncovering most of these links, we are finally seeing this investigation occur.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-calls-on-senate-democrats-to-avoid-another-painful-shutdown/", "title": "Barrasso Calls on Senate Democrats to Avoid Another Painful Shutdown", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom/news-releases/", "domain": "www.barrasso.senate.gov", "scraper": "barrasso", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001261", "name": "John Barrasso", "party": "Republican", "state": "WY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“Senator Schumer has said he wants to avoid a shutdown. It’s time to prove it. The question is: Do Democrats in this body have the courage to stand up to the extremists who have taken over their party?”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today urged Senate Democrats to vote to keep the government open instead of causing another painful shutdown.\n\nClick HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.\n\nSen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:\n\n“The American people deserve a government that is open and is functioning. The American people know that government shutdowns cause significant pain to them personally and harm to our nation.\n\n“There have been two painful shutdowns in the last year. Democrats in this body caused them both. Democrats have proven they are willing to make life harder and America less safe. They think it helps them politically.\n\n“In October 2025, Senator Schumer and Senate Democrats chose to shut down the entire government. The shutdown lasted for 43 days. That’s a record. Senator Schumer infamously boasted, ‘Every day gets better for us.’ Every day did not get better for American people. American families were collateral damage in Democrats’ dangerous political games.\n\n“Service members were unable to pay their mortgages. Their families went without vital services. Flights were canceled. Airport screening lines stretched for hours. Park rangers and TSA agents missed paychecks. Government employees struggled to make ends meet. Many stood in lines around the block at food banks across the country. Forty-two million Americans missed food assistance. Our economy lost billions and billions of dollars.\n\n“Less than four months later, Democrats did it again. That time, they blocked funding for the Department of Homeland Security. That shutdown lasted for 75 days for the Department of Homeland Security.\n\n“Democrats voted to defund American law enforcement agencies. That seems to be their mantra. Defund the police. Get rid of ICE. Get rid of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Open the borders. Let anybody in. That’s who that party is now. And we’re seeing it even today in the Michigan primary where they have radical, extreme, dangerous, scary people running and who may win primaries and have been winning Democrat primaries across the country.\n\n“These are people who put the safety and security of the American people at risk. They do it because they think it may give them a political advantage. It doesn’t help the American people.\n\n“Recall that, during that shutdown, our nation faced multiple terrorist attacks. In Texas, a man wearing clothing that said ‘Property of Allah’ shot into a crowded restaurant. Several people were killed. In Michigan, a man whose family member was tied to Hezbollah rammed a truck filled with explosives into a synagogue. Over a hundred children and their teachers were inside. That is the threat we face.\n\n“By shutting down the Department of Homeland Security, Democrats put the safety of illegal immigrant criminals over the safety of law-abiding citizens.\n\n“Will Democrats now choose to shut down the government a third time? Time will tell. The onus is on them. Right now, Democrats are stonewalling every single appropriations bill in committee. It is shameful.\n\n“Senator Susan Collins continues to work to fund the government. Bipartisanship and integrity define her leadership. Democrats rejected every good faith offer she has made.\n\n“Recall that when Joe Biden was President and Democrats controlled Congress, Senator Schumer blocked 11 of 12 appropriations bills from even coming to the Floor. Republicans are determined to repair the damage done by Senator Schumer and the Democrats.\n\n“Senator Collins has carefully crafted a reasonable continuing resolution. It keeps the government open. Last night, the United States Senate took the first step to pass it.\n\n“Here is the choice facing every Senate Democrat this week. Vote to keep the government open or force the nation into yet another painful shutdown.\n\n“Americans have already lived through two Schumer Shutdowns. They should not have to live through a third. Americans have suffered enough.\n\n“Senator Schumer has said he wants to avoid a shutdown. It’s time to prove it. The question is: Do Democrats in this body have the courage to stand up to the extremists who have taken over their party?”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/04/bennet-joins-legislation-to-hold-putin-accountable-for-religious-persecution-in-ukraine/", "title": "Bennet Joins Legislation to Hold Putin Accountable for Religious Persecution in Ukraine", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "domain": "www.bennet.senate.gov", "scraper": "bennet", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001267", "name": "Michael F. Bennet", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C— Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, joined the Countering Russia’s War on Faith Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to expose and punish Russia’s systematic persecution of religious communities in Ukraine, including territory Russia illegally occupies. Senators John Kennedy (R-La.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) lead the Senate bill, while Congressmen Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) lead the House counterpart.\n\nThe legislation requires the Secretaries of State and Defense to jointly report to Congress on Russia’s efforts to persecute, suppress, and violate the religious freedoms of faith communities in Ukraine and Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine. It also directs the President to impose sanctions on individuals found to have engaged in those abuses.\n\n“Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine is not just about changing borders by force – it’s a war on the Ukrainian people and their faith,” said Bennet. “His troops have jailed and tortured clergy, bombed churches and synagogues, and forced the faithful to worship in secret. The United States must call out Putin’s abuses in Ukraine and hold perpetrators accountable.”\n\nBennet has fought relentlessly to support the Ukrainian people and impose more pressure on Putin to end his war of aggression against Ukraine.\n\nEarlier this month, Bennet led seven colleagues in a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent urging the Trump Administration to crack down on a Russian state-backed cryptocurrency sanctions evasion network funding Russia’s war. He also voted to advance major bipartisan legislation he co-sponsors to impose sanctions on Putin’s inner circle and his enablers across Russian industry and financial institutions, the Russian shadow fleet, and firms supporting Russia’s defense industrial base. Bennet also co-sponsors bipartisan bills to impose sanctions on specific Russian oil ships and entities trading in Russian oil, respectively.\n\nEarlier this year, Bennet wrote an op-ed in EURACTIV urging the United States and like-minded allies to form a coalition to cooperatively and immediately wield Russian sovereign assets on Ukraine’s behalf. In December 2025, Bennet led a bipartisan letter to Belgian Ambassador to the U.S. Frédéric Bernard, expressing support for European efforts to leverage Russian sovereign assets to finance a loan for Ukraine. Bennet also co-sponsors bipartisan legislation to repurpose frozen Russian sovereign assets held in the United States to support Ukraine. This would build on the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, which Bennet co-sponsored and which President Joe Biden signed into law in April 2024.\n\nAdditionally, Bennet leads legislation in the Senate defense and intelligence bills, both of which have passed their respective committees, to bolster drone and intelligence cooperation with Ukraine.\n\nIn addition to Bennet, Kennedy, and Wilson, Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and David McCormick (R-Pa.) co-sponsor this legislation.\n\nThe text of the bill is available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/04/bennet-murray-heinrich-colleagues-demand-trump-administration-restore-funding-for-illegally-canceled-and-politically-targeted-energy-projects/", "title": "Bennet, Murray, Heinrich, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Restore Funding for Illegally Canceled and Politically Targeted Energy Projects", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "domain": "www.bennet.senate.gov", "scraper": "bennet", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001267", "name": "Michael F. Bennet", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, ranking member of the Finance subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure, joined U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, to lead 36 senate colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought demanding that the Trump Administration restore funding for the 223 energy projects canceled in October 2025. The Trump Administration has since admitted to illegally canceling energy grants because those projects were in states that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election.\n\n“Now that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump Administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies,” wrote the senators.\n\n“Once an administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly. This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President,” continued the senators.\n\n“At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk. For the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding,” concluded the senators.\n\nBennet has continuously fought to protect funding for Colorado’s energy projects and condemned partisan project reversals under the Trump Administration. In July 2026, Bennet joined Murray, Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and the entire Senate Democratic caucus in demanding that Director Vought immediately rescind the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed power grab over federal grants and awards. In May 2026, Bennet joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Schumer, and 18 of his Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to protect public scientific research and reports from the influence of political and special interests.\n\nIn October 2025, Bennet issued a statement following the Trump Administration’s targeted cancellation of billions of dollars in funding for energy projects across the country. That same week, Bennet led the Democratic Colorado Delegation in demanding answers from Secretary Wright on the Department of Energy’s abrupt cancellation of $7.56 billion in energy project funding, including over $600 million in funding for 38 Colorado-affiliated projects. Additionally, Bennet joined Murray, Heinrich, and 34 Senate colleagues in sending a letter demanding that Secretary Wright and Director Vought restore funding for all 223 energy projects in Democrat-led states that were unlawfully canceled. In November 2025, Bennet also demanded answers from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on the Department’s recent order requiring Secretary Burgum’s personal approval for routine wind and solar energy project permitting decisions.\n\nIn addition to Bennet, Murray, and Heinrich, U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif,), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Angus King (I-Maine) signed the letter. All 36 Democratic Senators from states with canceled grants and funding signed the letter.\n\nThe text of the letter is available HERE and below.\n\nSecretary Wright and Director Vought:\n\nNow that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump Administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies.\n\nIn October 2025, we wrote to you to express strong opposition to the Administration’s callous decision to unlawfully terminate $8 billion in federal investments for 223 energy projects. You not only acted outside the bounds of the law, but canceled projects that would have provided jobs, onshored manufacturing, and lowered skyrocketing energy prices. Congress authorized those projects and appropriated funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriation bills. At the time of the termination of those projects, we expressed outrage that the terminations appeared politically motivated and confined to states that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election. The Administration has now admitted in federal court what it denied to Congress and the American people.\n\nOn July 24, 2026, citing court filings, The New York Times reported that the Trump Administration acknowledged that it terminated more than $7.5 billion of grants due to political motivations. In a two-step process, the Department of Energy (DOE) first recommended more than 600 grants for potential termination, including grants in states represented by both Republicans and Democrats. It appears the Office of Management and Budget then selected all the grants in “Blue States” for cancellation, which DOE executed. In court filings, DOE’s lawyers conceded that the cancellations occurred “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state.” Specifically, as the court filings stated, “[w]ith one exception, the 284 terminated grants had a recipient location and/or at least one place of performance in a state that awarded its electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has two Democratic-caucusing Senators (“Blue State” grants).” Similar grants in Red States, however, remained intact and were not the subject of termination. What’s more, DOE lawyers conceded that the decision to terminate these blue state grants was not “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor.”\n\nOnce an Administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly. This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.\n\nAt a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the Administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk.\n\nFor the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-leads-colleagues-in-introducing-bill-to-permanently-restore-biological-sex-standard-in-title-ix", "title": "Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Permanently Restore Biological Sex Standard in Title IX", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0", "domain": "www.blackburn.senate.gov", "scraper": "blackburn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001243", "name": "Marsha Blackburn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jim Justice(R-W.Va.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Title IX Clarification Act, which would ensure Title IX anti-discrimination requirements tied to federal education funding are based on biological sex and not “sexual orientation or gender identity:”\n\n“The Biden administration weaponized Title IX to force women to compete with men in sports and allow men to invade women’s spaces,” said Senator Blackburn. “Thankfully, President Trump restored common sense in Title IX, and now Congress must codify these protections for women into law to prevent future abuse. The Title IX Clarification Act would ensure that common sense, not leftist ideology, governs federal education funding tied to Title IX requirements to protect young women.”\n\n“President Trump has taken decisive action through executive orders to protect young women on campuses across the country. Now, we must ensure these protections are codified into federal law,” said Senator Britt. “We saw the Biden-Harris Administration cave to the woke mob and allow Title IX to be abused in ways that permitted biological men to infringe on girls’ sports and spaces. We cannot let that happen again, and this legislation will restore regulatory clarity to ensure it does not.”\n\n“I’ve been blessed to spend many years coaching young ladies in West Virginia, and I can tell you this: they work their tails off and earn every opportunity they get. At the end of the day, they deserve a fair shot. That’s exactly what the Title IX Clarification Act is about. It puts common sense back into the law, protects the opportunities Title IX was meant to guarantee, and stands up for our girls and young women. Fighting for our female athletes is a fight I’ll take every single day,” said Senator Justice.\n\n“We cannot allow the radical left’s campaign to succeed in undermining Title IX protections. While far too many activists refuse to acknowledge the differences between biological men and women, I am proud to join Senator Blackburn and my colleagues in this common-sense effort to ensure women and girls continue to receive equal access to educational opportunities,” said Senator Budd.\n\n“Even after Idaho’s historic win to keep men out of women’s sports at the U.S. Supreme Court, the rights promised in Title IX remain under threat,” said Senator Risch. “The Title IX Clarification Act further guards these protections, clearly defining the biological differences between men and women, so that generations of young girls can continue participating in sports and other educational opportunities on a level playing field.”\n\n“The original intent of Title IX was to protect women’s educational and athletic opportunities,” said Senator Crapo. “In a recent decision on Idaho’s first-in-the-nation law to ensure these opportunities do not go to biological males, the Supreme Court of the United States correctly ruled Title IX allows states to apply a biology-based understanding of maintaining separate sports categories. The Title IX Clarification Act preserves the existing framework of the law while making clear its protections are based on the biological definition of sex.”\n\n“Title IX exists for a simple, obvious reason: women deserve their own spaces and proper protection under the law. That has been clear for all of human history, and we only need to clarify it now because of Democrats’ radical gender ideology,” said Senator Scott. “I’m grateful my daughters had Title IX protection; we shouldn’t make it meaningless to appease the radical left. I’m proud to join Senator Blackburn on this commonsense bill.”\n\n“We need to protect fairness and opportunity for women. For 50 years, Title IX has leveled the playing field. Democrats continuously undermine these protections in their attempts to redefine biology. The Title IX Clarification Act would clearly define an individual’s sex is based solely on biology. President Trump reaffirmed this commonsense reality by executive order and now Congress must codify these protections. Passing this bill would keep men out of women’s sports, restrooms, and locker rooms,”said Senator Ricketts.\n\n“The left is weaponizing their radical gender ideology to undermine Title IX, which goes against its entire purpose: to protect women and girls. It’s critical we codify President Trump’s Title IX protections and match biological reality rather than the left’s dangerous gender identity beliefs. I’m proud to work alongside Senator Blackburn to protect women’s sports and set the record straight,” said Senator Daines.\n\n“Boys are boys, and girls are girls - it’s common sense. Title IX was created to protect women and girls, and that’s exactly what this bill does by making clear that federal law is rooted in biological reality - not political ideology. We owe it to current and future generations to ensure opportunities under Title IX are protected,” said Senator Sheehy.\n\nHouse Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) led introduction of companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) also co-sponsored this legislation.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nFor more than 50 years, Title IX has protected equal educational opportunities by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. In recent years, however, woke ideology has sought to redefine the law beyond Congress’ original intent, creating uncertainty for schools and undermining protections for women and girls.\n\nAt the beginning of his second term, President Trump revoked a Biden-era Executive Order that directed the U.S. Secretary of Education to interpret Title IX anti-discrimination language “on the basis of sex” to cover “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”\n\nTITLE IX CLARIFICATION ACT\n\nThe Title IX Clarification Act would clarify that the term “sex” refers only to an individual's biologically determined status as male or female where Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.\n\nSpecifically, this legislation would:\n\nRestore Title IX's original meaning by affirming Congress’ original intent to protect women's educational opportunities;\n\nAddress concerns raised by the Supreme Court during the January 2026 oral arguments regarding transgender participation in women's sports. During those arguments, Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that Congress has not clearly defined Title IX's requirements for states accepting federal funds and suggested that any departure from the historical understanding of \"sex\" as biological sex raises Spending Clause concerns unless Congress acts explicitly; and\n\nEstablish clear statutory definitions of \"male\" and \"female\" within Title IX, eliminating ambiguity and preventing taxpayer dollars from being used to support ideological redefinitions of sex.\n\nClick here for bill text.\n\nENDORSEMENTS\n\nThis legislation is supported by the Family Research Council (FRC); Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF); American Principles Project (APP); Family Policy Alliance (FPA); Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC); and Heritage Action.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-statement-on-senate-judiciary-committee-advancing-todd-blanche-nomination-for-u-s-attorney-general", "title": "Blackburn Statement on Senate Judiciary Committee Advancing Todd Blanche Nomination for U.S. Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0", "domain": "www.blackburn.senate.gov", "scraper": "blackburn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001243", "name": "Marsha Blackburn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after voting in the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance President Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as U.S. Attorney General:\n\n“As Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche has already proven he will hold fraudsters accountable for stealing billions of taxpayer dollars, crack down on violent crime in cities like Memphis, and restore a one-tiered system of justice after four years of the Biden DOJ’s corruption under Merrick Garland,” said Senator Blackburn. “The American people sent President Trump back to the White House to return the DOJ to its core mission of enforcing the rule of law, and I am confident Todd Blanche will continue to deliver on that mandate once he is confirmed as Attorney General.”\n\nRELATED", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-introduces-resolution-blocking-trump-tax-amnesty-and-january-6-slush-fund", "title": "Blumenthal Introduces Resolution Blocking Trump Tax Amnesty and January 6 Slush Fund", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced a resolution blocking: the corrupt settlement agreement in President Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); the so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to reward the President’s political allies and violent criminal who attacked Capitol Police officers on January 6; and the tax amnesty agreement for the Trump family and their business associates.\n\n“Our Constitution affords all people equal treatment under the law, but in Trump’s America, he and his family members are above the law. Likewise, his political allies, criminal cop-beaters who attacked the Capitol at his behest, and corrupt cronies. The corrupt IRS settlement, tax amnesty agreement, and the slush fund all amount to a multibillion-dollar piggy bank for the Trump family and their friends – while taking money out of your pocket,” Blumenthal said. “If this “settlement” were allowed to stand, our Constitution’s equal protection principles could enable tens of thousands of others whose returns were revealed to make an argument for the same benefit. The total costs to taxpayers—which could be in the hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars— would be staggering. This Presidential self-dealing must be stopped.”\n\nThe full text of the resolution is available here and copied below.\n\nExpressing the sense of the Senate that President Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, the resulting settlement from that lawsuit, the purported “Anti-Weaponization Fund”, and the purported grant of immunity from tax investigations to the plaintiffs in President Trump’s lawsuit, should be rejected, equal protection arguments by others with similar claims should be forestalled, and this settlement should not serve as a precedent and should never be repeated.\n\nMr. Blumenthal submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on:\n\nWhereas, between 2019 and 2020, an Internal Revenue Service (referred to in this preamble as the “IRS”) contractor disclosed the tax information of hundreds of thousands of individual and other tax entities, including President Donald Trump;\n\nWhereas, on January 29, 2026, President Trump, his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump, Jr., and the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit based on these disclosures against the IRS and the Department of the Treasury, both of which Trump, as the sitting President, controls;\n\nWhereas President Trump sought $10,000,000,000 in damages in his lawsuit, even though the other individuals who sued the Federal Government for the same reason generally received no monetary compensation, such as Kenneth Griffin, who received only an apology from the IRS;\n\nWhereas President Trump was free, during the statute of limitations period when he was a private citizen, to bring an improper tax disclosure lawsuit seeking a reasonable remedy;\n\nWhereas President Trump did not pursue this lawsuit until well after the 2-year statute of limitations period for such improper tax disclosure claims had expired;\n\nWhereas, on May 18, 2026, President Trump and the Department of Justice that he controls announced that they had agreed to a purported “settlement” of the lawsuit, under which the Federal Government would establish an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to provide nearly $1,800,000,000 in taxpayer payouts to individuals who President Trump deemed to have “suffered weaponization and lawfare”, including rioters who stormed the Capitol and attacked law enforcement on January 6, 2021;\n\nWhereas, on May 19, 2026, the day after the announcement of the settlement, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a unilateral “addendum” to the settlement that purported to immunize President Trump, his family, his companies, and his “affiliates” from IRS investigations, audits, or claims pertaining to any of their previous tax returns or other tax-related actions;\n\nWhereas our Constitution affords all people “equal protection of the laws”;\n\nWhereas there is no reason that President Trump and the other plaintiffs in his lawsuit are entitled to special treatment different from others harmed in the same illegal disclosure of tax information;\n\nWhereas, if the purported settlement with President Trump is allowed to stand, the principle of equal protection of the laws would give all victims of the same illegal tax disclosure an argument to claim the same immunity over retrospective tax audit investigations of their own filings;\n\nWhereas affording such immunity to hundreds of thousands of individuals and other tax entities would likely cost the Federal Government millions, and perhaps even billions, of dollars in lost revenue;\n\nWhereas there is no credible argument that all victims of the illegal disclosure should receive immunity covering all retrospective tax audit investigations; and\n\nWhereas the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida held that President Trump’s lawsuit was “non-adversarial, collusive, and jurisdictionally improper” and thus “was brought for an improper purpose” because “the [L]ead Plaintiff, President Trump, directs and controls the Defendants”, the IRS, and the Treasury Department within the executive branch of which he is the head: Now, therefore, be it\n\nResolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that President Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and the resulting settlement, the purported “Anti-Weaponization Fund”, and the purported grant of immunity from tax investigations to the plaintiffs in President Trump’s lawsuit, should be rejected, equal protection arguments by others with similar claims should be forestalled, and this settlement should not serve as a precedent and should never be repeated.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-joins-sweeping-legislation-to-counter-trumps-authoritarian-takeover-us-and-defend-our-democracy", "title": "Blumenthal Joins Sweeping Legislation to Counter Trump's Authoritarian Takeover of U.S. & Defend our Democracy", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[Hartford, CT] — Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) in introducing the For Our Republic Act, a comprehensive legislative package to fight back against President Trump’s aggressive authoritarian takeover of American democracy.\n\nThe brand-new For Our Republic Act includes provisions to directly oppose Trump’s authoritarian playbook, including defending independent government watchdogs, protecting non-partisan civil servants, reasserting Congress’ power of the purse, fighting government corruption, strengthening free speech and civil liberties, and safeguarding free and fair elections.\n\n“Donald Trump has led a brazen, unprecedented campaign of corruption—growing his power while ignoring the needs of the American people.” said Blumenthal. “The For Our Republic Act installs critical guardrails against Trump’s relentless attacks on our democracy, promoting government transparency and accountability while preserving Americans’ rights and liberties. This legislation fights against Trump’s slide towards tyranny and protects our country’s democratic values.”\n\n“Authoritarianism isn’t down the street or around the corner—it is here right now,” said Merkley. “We have all three ingredients of a strongman state in the United States: a rubber-stamp Congress doing the President’s bidding; a deferential Supreme Court finding ‘invisible ink’ in the Constitution to enhance the President’s powers; and a power-hungry President behaving like a king, breaking the law and violating the checks and balances of our Constitution.\n\nMerkley continued, “The For Our Republic Act lays out a clear roadmap of the actions Congress can take to fight back against Trump’s authoritarian takeover and reassert our authority. Together, let’s fight back and save our republic!”\n\n“In a clear conflict of interest and gross abuse of power, Trump fired 17 Inspectors General within his first days in office so he could tap political allies to conduct oversight of his own Administration—leaving these watchdogs to answer to the President before the American people,” said Duckworth. “First and foremost, Senate Democrats’ For Our Republic Act includes my legislation that would prevent stone-cold corruption like this, which have too often become the norm in the Trump Administration. It’s clear that the current checks on the President are not enough, and our legislation would not only help us restore good government—it will also empower Congress to prevent any more wanna-be kings from bending our Republic to its breaking point.”\n\nTo fight back against the known playbook of authoritarian governments, the For Our Republic Act includes new provisions to counter the rise of authoritarianism and erosion of our democratic government under the second Trump Administration, as well as existing legislation from Blumenthal, Merkley, and Duckworth, along with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).\n\nThe For Our Republic Act outlines ten principles to protect our democracy:\n\nDefend the Referees\n\nProtect the Independent, Non-Partisan Civil Service\n\nCelebrate One Nation, Indivisible\n\nReaffirm Equal Justice Under Law\n\nStrengthen Free Speech\n\nReassert Congress’ Power of the Purse\n\nFight Government Corruption\n\nEnsure Liberty and Justice for All\n\nPrevent Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets\n\nSafeguard Free and Fair Elections\n\nA detailed outline of the For Our Republic Act can be found by clicking here.\n\nThe For Our Republic Act is supported by Public Citizen, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), Refugees International, and Common Cause.\n\n\"It is stunning how the Trump Administration, empowered by an obedient congressional Republican caucus, has empowered the federal government to intrude and impose upon our daily lives. The separation of powers, and the checks and balances against over-reach by the president, have largely been vanquished. America has fallen into dangerous times. Sen. Merkley's For Our Republic Act seeks to restore those critical checks and balances and re-affirm the democratic principles upon which America was founded. Public Citizen heartily endorses this very necessary measure,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D., Public Citizen.\n\n\"With so many attacks on our country’s core values, the For Our Republic Act is a critical step in restoring our democratic principles,\" said Carol Evans, Common Cause’s Vice President of Policy. \"This legislation takes the power back for the people. It ensures that our government serves the public rather than answering to the whims of one person in charge.\"\n\nFull text of the For Our Republic Act can be found by clicking here.\n\nA section-by-section summary of the For Our Republic Act can be found by clicking here.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-slams-senate-judiciary-committee-vote-to-advance-blanches-nomination-for-attorney-general", "title": "Blumenthal Slams Senate Judiciary Committee Vote To Advance Blanche's Nomination For Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted against Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as Attorney General of the United States at today’s Committee hearing. At the hearing, Blumenthal spoke out against Blanche’s nomination, raising concerns about Blanche’s lack of independence.\n\n“‘I’m his lawyer.’ That is what Mr. Blanche told us he was. ‘I’m his lawyer.’ Namely Donald Trump’s lawyer. Maya Angelou famously said, ‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.’ Todd Blanche is Donald Trump’s lawyer. He will say anything, do anything, conceal anything for his boss,” Blumenthal said at the hearing.\n\nPointing to Blanche’s purported rescission of the so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to reward the President’s political allies and violent criminals who attacked Capitol Police officers on January 6, Blumenthal continued, “Commentators have talked about loopholes. There are no loopholes here. This document itself is a sham.”\n\nBlumenthal underscored that Donald Trump remains committed to seeing the slush fund move forward, despite Blanche’s assurances: “The President of the United States yesterday, in the Oval Office, repeated his commitment to the Anti-Weaponization Fund. We don’t need to say the quiet part out loud. The President is shouting it.”\n\nBlumenthal continued, “The position of the United States Attorney General is a position of supreme trust. Any of us who have worked in the Department of Justice—I was the United States Attorney for Connecticut—knows that the Attorney General of the United States, like every lawyer who represents the United States, has a trust, in going to court, in making representation…Todd Blanche has betrayed that trust. And his betrayal of that trust is disqualifying for his nomination.”\n\n“My fear is that Todd Blanche will represent Donald Trump, be his consigliere, and he will put Donald Trump ahead of the American people and the right to vote. I cannot support him. I regret that this committee will in effect betray its trust in the party-line vote that is to follow and approve Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States,” Blumenthal concluded.\n\nA video of Blumenthal’s remarks is available here. A transcript is available below.\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to join in thanking you for allowing us to speak before the vote.\n\n“I’m his lawyer.” That is what Mr. Blanche told us he was. “I’m his lawyer.” Namely Donald Trump’s lawyer. Maya Angelou famously said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Todd Blanche is Donald Trump’s lawyer. He will say anything, do anything, conceal anything for his boss. Much as in organized crime, the consigliere would do anything, say anything, and conceal anything for his boss. That is why Mr. Blanche was held by a judge in Florida to have committed a fraud on the court. Todd Blanche is now in effect committing a fraud on Congress. The documents that he has submitted, and I will hold them up here, that purport to change some agreement are in effect a nullity. They are meaningless. They have no effect. They are non-enforceable. In just a few weeks thousands of young law school students will begin a contracts course. What they will learn is that a contract can’t be modified or changed by some outside party when there is a meeting of the minds. There was in effect and agreement, a meeting of the minds between Donald Trump and the United States of America to settle these cases. Now Todd Blanche purports to change it. This document is a sham. It is a sham and a fraud on the Congress insofar as it seeks to change our minds by representing something that is patently false.\n\nCommentators have talked about loopholes. There are no loopholes here. This document itself is a sham. In fact, one of its statements is that it incorporates all of Todd Blanche’s testimony before this Committee. I want to hold up one part of that testimony. Todd Blanche himself says that that agreement is unenforceable—so I suppose if President Trump’s counsel sought to enforce it, potentially they could. Of course they could. Tomorrow, Donald Trump’s counsel can go to court and seek to establish that thug fund—Senator Tillis call it a payout to punks fund—if he chooses to do so. It is an enforceable agreement no matter what Todd Blanche says about it. And if you don’t believe me, you can listen to one of the most ardent advocates of that anti-weaponization fund who said the quiet part allowed on Twitter recently.\n\nMike Howell, who Chairman Grassley called as a witness before this committee last year retweeted Mr. Blanche’s announcement with his own commentary: “Can be undone after Tuesday. The anti-weaponization fund is great.” The President of the United States yesterday, in the Oval Office repeated his commitment to the anti-weaponization fund. We don’t need to say the quiet part out loud. The President is shouting it. The position of the United States Attorney General is a position of supreme trust. Any of us who have worked in the Department of Justice—I was the United States Attorney for Connecticut—knows that the Attorney General of the United States, like every lawyer who represents the United States, has a trust, in going to court, in making representation. There is a presumption of regularity when a government lawyer appears before the court. That is the sacred trust that a government lawyer bears. Todd Blanche has betrayed that trust. And his betrayal of that trust is disqualifying for his nomination. Todd Blanche also showed us who he was also when he, during this hearing referred to the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6 as events. They are not events. They were a riot, insurrection, and attack on the Capitol. We were there.\n\nWe know what it was. It was a violent, unlawful attack on the nation’s Capitol that cost brave members of law enforcement their lives. He purports to stand for law enforcement, and yet he is in favor of a slush fund that in effect rewards those individuals who attacked Capitol police in that insurrection and riot. And he refuses to see it for what it was and describe it accurately and truthfully. His prescribed, rehearsed lines prepared by the White House legal team are meant to protect the President’s feelings. They demonstrate an unwavering loyalty to the President. That is the throughline. He is the President’s lawyer. He showed us who he was as well when he was talking about reproductive rights. In a private call last week, Mr. Blanche again said the quiet part out loud. In fact, he shouted it, he said to the participants on the call that he would work to restrict abortion in every single state. That is not enforcing the law. That is a zealot. A warrior seeking to advocate the President's position against reproductive rights. He wants to block states enacting their own policies and laws. He wants to make abortion access follow the laws of abortion ban states. He wants to strip Americans of the right to choose and strip states of their right to govern.\n\nThe part of this agreement that purports to limit the immunity under our tax laws and protect the President against audits is in fact no limitation. It preserves all of the President’s rights to be above the law. No person is above the law, but Todd Blanche is agreeing to put the President above the law. There are more than 400,000 other Americans who suffered the same harm as Donald Trump when their private tax information was taken and released. We have in this country a principal of equal protection under the law, presumably if Donald Trump gets this deal, they would be eligible to assert their claims for the same rights. If Donald Trump is protected against paying hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes by this deal, perhaps so should they, in claims they may file. The cost to the government is staggering if this deal is approved, as Todd Blanche purports to do. And that deal is still in effect as a result of these documents.\n\nMr. Blanche showed us who he was when he ducked and dodged my questions about deep-sixing and killing an investigation in the possible pay-to-play commutation of an individual who was pardoned, David Gentile. He reportedly paid $2.5 million to a broker to obtain clemency which robbed his victims of nearly $16 million in restitution. When a United States Attorney tried to investigate, Mr. Blanche reportedly killed the probe. That is not the behavior of an Attorney General who upholds the trust of this position. That is the behavior of Donald Trump’s personal lawyer. Finally, the most sacred rights we have in a democracy is the right to vote. Freely and fairly. My fear is Todd Blanche will be Donald Trump’s lawyer in suppressing the vote and distorting the count. He will defend Donald Trump if the President sends militia or I.C.E. Agents or the National Guard to the polls to disrupt the elections. He will defend Donald Trump if he seeks to distort the count after the election.\n\nMy fear is that Todd Blanche will represent Donald Trump, be his consigliere and he will put Donald Trump ahead of the American people and the right to vote. I cannot support him. I regret that this committee will in effect betray its trust in the party-line vote that is to follow and approve Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States. And I will be introducing a resolution today rejecting this tax immunity deal as possible precedent, seeking to stop it from becoming a means of others seeking the same kind of illegal privilege that Donald Trump will have as a result of this deal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-senator-blunt-rochester-slams-trump-administration-attempt-to-dismantle-department-of-education/", "title": "NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Slams Trump Administration Attempt to Dismantle Department of Education", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.bluntrochester.senate.gov", "scraper": "bluntrochester", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001303", "name": "Lisa Blunt Rochester", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“This administration’s interagency agreements will harm students with disabilities.”\n\nClick here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester’s remarks.\n\nU.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, today participated in a spotlight hearing on the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and efforts to move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Blunt Rochester questioned witnesses on how these attempts will harm students with disabilities.\n\nIn a recent HELP Committee Executive Session, Blunt Rochester offered an amendment to prevent the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Education from being transferred to another Federal Agency. Republicans blocked consideration of the amendment.\n\nWitnesses:\n\nLaurie VanderPloeg – Associate Executive Director for Professional Affairs, Council for Exceptional Children\n\nKaty Neas – Chief Executive Officer, The Arc of the United States\n\nValerie C. Williams – Former Director, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education\n\nSeth Galanter – Senior Fellow, Edley Center on Law & Democracy\n\nElizabeth Tang – Senior Counsel for Education and Workplace Justice, National Women’s Law Center\n\nStephanie Smith Lee – Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy, National Down Syndrome Congress\n\nSenator Blunt Rochester’s questions can be found here, and a key excerpt can be found below:\n\nSenator Blunt Rochester: “Can you compare OCR’s model to how the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division processes discrimination cases and say why that difference matters, and specifically why it matters for students with disabilities?”\n\nMr. Galanter: “Both the roles that DOJ and OCR play are incredibly important, but they are quite distinct. The special role that OCR plays is particularly valuable for parents and students who don’t have access to resources, who don’t have access to lawyers, or who simply have a complaint and need help, and the OCR complaint process is one of the few places in the federal government that they can go in an education setting and get an individualized response.\n\n“DOJ performs an incredibly valuable function at a systems level. They look and they get lots of complaints, and they sift through them, looking for patterns, looking for you know great great facts or you know novel questions of law that they want to establish a new rule on, and they work aggressively to vindicate the rights of kids.\n\n“But they do it at a macro level. They do it in cases that takes years that lead to settlements that say 90% of kids should get X within you know two years, or you know we want substantial compliance with this by 2030, and that’s great for the system. But for an individual parent who’s part of the 10% who’s not getting the immediate relief, they could always come to OCR.\n\n“There’s no plan that they’ve revealed to explain how they’re going to transfer these functions, which requires hundreds of investigators and attorneys experienced in education law, and move it to an agency that, as we know, has already itself been depleted of a lot of its existing expertise, and bringing in a whole new function with a whole different mindset, a different culture that’s needed to reach these individual resolutions in so many individual fact-specific cases.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-statement-on-judiciary-committees-vote-to-advance-todd-blanches-nomination-for-attorney-general", "title": "Booker Statement on Judiciary Committee’s Vote to Advance Todd Blanche’s Nomination for Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the Committee voted to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination for Attorney General:\n\n“Today, the Judiciary Committee advanced a nominee for Attorney General who has made his loyalties clear — and they aren’t to the American people.\n\n“Todd Blanche’s record speaks for itself: he has shown neither independence nor integrity, and he is unfit to serve as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer. His only qualification is his unwavering loyalty to President Trump and his political allies — at the expense of the American people and the mission of the office he is charged to uphold.\n\n“The Judiciary Committee has advanced a nominee whose motives are plain for the world to see: he is willing to subordinate justice to serve one man, at the peril of everyone else. Don’t take my word for it — listen to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, his former DOJ colleagues, and legal experts across both parties.\n\n“Todd Blanche engineered a $1.776 billion slush fund to reward the people who attacked the Capitol on January 6, on behalf of his forever-client, Donald Trump. This is a man who refused to meet with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell survivors until a Republican colleague threatened to withhold his vote.\n\n“And when he finally did meet with the survivors, they described the encounter as demoralizing, condescending, and gaslighting — a meeting where their voices were minimized and their pain dismissed.\n\n“Todd Blanche couldn’t find time for survivors, yet made time to travel to Florida to meet with a convicted child sex trafficker for the specific purpose of extracting testimony to exonerate Donald Trump after his name appeared in the Epstein files hundreds of times. convicted child sex trafficker. Days later, he rewarded her with a transfer to the federal government’s lowest-security prison camp—a facility where people convicted of child sex crimes are not even permitted to be housed.\n\n“A vote for Todd Blanche is a vote to co-sign a collusive settlement and immunity deal, to applaud retaliation against career prosecutors and public servants, to reward the stonewalling of survivors, and to subordinate the rule of law to one man's personal and political interests.\n\n“The American people are watching, and they will remember this vote.\n\n\"I will continue to use every oversight tool available to hold Todd Blanche and the Department of Justice accountable — to insist on transparency, to defend the independence of career prosecutors, and to fight for the principles of justice, fairness, and the rule of law that our democracy depends on.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=6BAF1275-B127-432C-A660-7BE14D1392B3", "title": "Boozman, Cotton Resolution Honoring Fulbright Program’s 80th Anniversary Passes Senate", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.boozman.senate.gov", "scraper": "boozman", "member": null, "text": "WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate has passed a bipartisan resolution led by Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) recognizing eight decades since the establishment of the Fulbright Program by former U.S. Senator for Arkansas James William Fulbright on August 1, 1946.\n\nThe cultural exchange initiative, which promotes U.S. higher education abroad and remains a valuable diplomatic tool, operates in more than 160 countries. Its alumni include 63 Nobel Prize laureates, 94 recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, 44 heads of state, 17 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, 11 members of the United States Congress, a former Secretary-General of the United Nations, a former Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and an Astronaut who set foot on the moon.\n\n“Senator Fulbright believed that greater understanding between people and nations could help create a more peaceful world. Whether we are welcoming students to America or sending our nation’s brightest abroad, this strong tradition reflects the very best of Senator Fulbright’s vision of enriching lives and showing the world the best of the United States. I am proud to lead this resolution acknowledging this significant milestone and celebrating its effectiveness in fostering good will that ultimately serves our national security interests,” Boozman said.\n\n“For eighty years, the Fulbright Program has shown that some of America's strongest partnerships begin when people come together across cultures in pursuit of knowledge,” said Booker. “Fulbright has sparked discoveries, forged lifelong friendships, and prepared generations of leaders with the empathy to see the world through another's eyes. This resolution honors the profound impact of the Fulbright Program and its enduring legacy of strengthening American leadership through education, service, and the belief that our common humanity is greater than the borders that divide us.”\n\n“Eighty years ago, Senator William Fulbright of Arkansas, began the Fulbright Scholars program. Throughout the years, this program has created thousands of scholarship opportunities for Americans to travel abroad and return with knowledge to benefit our country,” Cotton said.\n\n“For decades, the Fulbright Program has helped hundreds of thousands of American scholars build lasting relationships, advance groundbreaking research and strengthen ties between the United States and countries around the world,” said Shaheen. “As we celebrate the Fulbright Program’s 80th anniversary, this bipartisan resolution underscores our commitment to one of our nation’s most effective diplomatic tools, strengthening American leadership, promoting mutual understanding and helping to build a more peaceful and secure world.”\n\nThe Fulbright Program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State.\n\nBoozman and Booker co-founded the Congressional International Exchange Caucus earlier this year along with Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA).\n\n“For eighty years, Fulbright has shown the world what American leadership looks like at its best — not only in what we accomplish at home, but in the relationships we build around the world. Generations of Fulbright participants from every corner of the United States have advanced scientific discovery, strengthened our national security, expanded economic opportunity, and forged trusted partnerships rooted in mutual respect and shared purpose. As we mark this historic anniversary, we honor the enduring bipartisan vision that has made Fulbright the world’s premier international exchange program and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that its extraordinary legacy continues to serve the United States and our global partners for generations to come,” Institute of International Education President & CEO Jason Czyz.\n\n“For 80 years, the Fulbright Program has created life-changing opportunities for students while strengthening relationships between the United States and people around the world. Its commitment to education, cultural exchange and international understanding remains vitally important today. We are grateful to Senators Boozman, Cotton, Booker and Shaheen for recognizing this historic milestone and the program’s enduring impact,” University of Arkansas Chancellor Charles Robinson.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senators-katie-britt-marsha-blackburn-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-keep-biological-men-out-of-daughters-of-the-american-revolution/", "title": "U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Marsha Blackburn, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Keep Biological Men out of Daughters of the American Revolution", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) joined Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in introducing the Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act, which would amend the Daughters of the American Revolution’s (DAR) federal charter by adding a membership eligibility requirement to bar biological men from becoming members. The DAR has made headlines for adding a “non-discrimination” clause that allows biological males to become members.\n\n“The Daughters of the American Revolution are called ‘Daughters’ for a reason—this organization is meant to honor the legacy of American women and their ancestors, not pander to a distorted sense of reality manufactured by far-left radical Democrats,” said Senator Britt. “Whether in women’s locker rooms or time-honored organizations like DAR, it is our job to protect women and girls in spaces that are rightfully theirs. I’m proud to cosponsor this commonsense legislation.”\n\n“The Daughters of the American Revolution was founded by women for women, and its founders would be appalled that the organization is now allowing biological males to become members and undermine the legacy of real women who helped build our nation,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act would amend the DAR’s federal charter to stop the organization from erasing biological reality and ensure it is reserved for the real daughters of the American Revolution.”\n\nThe DAR adopted a non-discrimination provision that its current leadership has misconstrued to allow biological men to become members.\n\nThis bill would amend the DAR’s federal charter to add an eligibility requirement that limits membership to an individual who is a woman and otherwise satisfies the genealogical and membership qualifications established by the corporation.\n\nThis legislation is supported by Heritage Action, Concerned Women for America Action Committee, American Principles Project, Senior Legal Counsel of Independent Women, and the Alliance Defending Freedom.\n\nSenator Britt is a long-time champion of protecting the rights of women, previously introducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act and the ‘American Girls in Sports Day’ resolution.\n\nYou can read the full text of the bill here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/08/04/budd-welch-bill-to-crack-down-on-foreign-robocall-scammers/", "title": "Budd, Welch Bill to Crack Down on Foreign Robocall Scammers Targeting Americans Passes the Senate with Unanimous Support", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.budd.senate.gov/category/news/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.budd.senate.gov", "scraper": "budd", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001305", "name": "Ted Budd", "party": "Republican", "state": "NC", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statements after their Foreign Robocall Elimination Act passed the Senate floor with unanimous support. The bill brings together government and private sector experts to eliminate unlawful robocalls originating abroad and prevent them from entering the U.S. to target Americans. The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act is now headed to the House of Representatives for consideration.\n\n“Too many American households have been targeted by foreign scam calls that threaten to steal identities and defraud innocent victims. We cannot allow these criminals to continue preying on Americans without consequence. I am proud this timely legislation passed the Senate with unanimous support, and I urge my House colleagues to swiftly pass it so we can strengthen international cooperation to crack down on foreign robocall scammers,” said Senator Budd.\n\n“Vermonters have received 27 million robocalls so far in 2026. And it’s not only our state—folks in red and blue states alike are sick and tired of picking up the phone and wondering if they’re being scammed. As foreign robocallers step up their efforts to exploit and prey on vulnerable people, we need to do more to combat this unlawful practice and protect Americans from scams. I’m proud to work with Senator Budd on this bipartisan legislation and am grateful for the Senate’s support. I urge the House to join us in sending it to the president’s desk,” said Senator Welch.\n\n“Illegal robocalls and other abuses of our phone networks are not just a nuisance – they are tools scammers around the world use to target Americans here at home. Thanks to strong partnerships between the Industry Traceback Group and federal, state, and local law enforcement, we’ve made measurable progress in combatting these bad actors, but there is much more work to be done. The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act builds on this success to empower industry and law enforcement to use what works to advance the fight against the bad actors overseas preying on Americans. Thanks to Senators Budd and Welch for their leadership in advancing this legislation that will help protect consumers – we urge the House to quickly pass the bill and send it to the President’s desk,” said Josh Bercu, Senior Vice President, Policy at USTelecom and Executive Director of the Industry Traceback Group.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nLast year, Senators Budd and Welch first introduced the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act to establish an interagency task force comprising key representatives from the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, and Department of Justice, as well as experts in voice service and analytics, telecommunications technology, marketing organizations, and consumer advocacy.\n\nThis task force will evaluate foreign robocalls and determine the most effective strategies to combat them, with the goal of enhancing international cooperation to reduce illegal robocalls. The task force will also help ensure that the Department of Justice is adequately equipped to address and prosecute criminals behind the influx of foreign robocalls.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/amid-devastating-wildfires-cantwell-calls-for-better-wildfire-preparedness-in-roundtable-with-fire-chief-other-experts", "title": "Amid Devastating Wildfires, Cantwell Calls for Better Wildfire Preparedness in Roundtable with Fire Chief, Other Experts", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cantwell.senate.gov", "scraper": "cantwell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000127", "name": "Maria Cantwell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Amid Devastating Wildfires, Cantwell Calls for Better Wildfire Preparedness in Roundtable with Fire Chief, Other Experts\n\nCantwell at Senate roundtable forum on extreme weather: “We just have to move faster”; Bob Roper, Western Fire Chiefs Association: “Fires don't respect jurisdictional lines.”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – With 16 large, active wildfires burning in Central and Eastern Washington, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, spoke today about wildfire preparedness at a Senate extreme weather roundtable.\n\n“My heart goes out to the people of Washington who are dealing with this across our state, particularly in Spokane, and in the Lake Chelan area as well,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Between Washington and Oregon, we've hit a record for the amount of acreage that has been burning.”\n\n“Technology can play a big role,” continued Sen. Cantwell. “We have to show people that the connection between the information that we can get, and then the actual action plan that we can put into place, that's where that's where the gaps are.”\n\nBob Roper, former fire chief of the Ventura County Fire District and current Senior Policy Advisor for the Western Chiefs Fire Association, said in response: “We have found that across the country … that we don't have good data standards. We're not sharing data widely, and that there's not an orchestrated plan on what to do with the data and intelligence.”\n\nAdded Roper: “The fires don't respect jurisdictional lines. We need to make sure that federal, state, tribal, and public and private are all working collectively together as far as one entity.”\n\nOn Sunday, Sen. Cantwell visited county and city command centers in Spokane and took part in a press briefing about the devastating fires there.\n\nIn September 2025, Sen. Cantwell’s Fire Ready Nation Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously. The bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act would formally establish a permanent Fire Weather Services program within NOAA and authorize funding for new technologies to forecast weather conditions that cause and impact wildfires.\n\nA background document detailing Sen. Cantwell’s work to bolster wildfire preparedness is available HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-calls-out-critical-gaps-in-fatal-accident-data-involving-large-trucks-and-buses", "title": "Cantwell Calls Out Critical Gaps in Fatal Accident Data Involving Large Trucks and Buses", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cantwell.senate.gov", "scraper": "cantwell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000127", "name": "Maria Cantwell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Cantwell Calls Out Critical Gaps in Fatal Accident Data Involving Large Trucks and Buses\n\nProPublica/WBUR investigation found FMCSA undercounting bus and large truck crashes, injuries, and fatalities; FMCSA enforcement actions against carriers down 65% under Trump; FMCSA data may be missing crashes in WA\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Edward Markey (D-MA) sent a letter to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Derek Barrs requesting information on the agency’s tracking of large truck and bus crashes following a ProPublica/WBUR investigative report that crash data is not being properly received and recorded. This lack of accurate data makes it difficult for FMCSA to appropriately sanction companies that put the public at risk.\n\n“According to the most recent data available, nearly 5,000 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks and buses in 2024,” wrote the Senators. “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) uses information from these crashes to identify specific truck and bus companies for targeted enforcement, which can range from a warning letter to being placed out-of-service. On June 8, 2026, ProPublica and WBUR reported their investigation found that FMCSA is missing critical crash data for a company that operates school buses, making it impossible for the agency to accurately identify and target high-risk motor carriers like these.”\n\nThe ProPublica/WBUR investigation centered on an April 2025 school bus accident in Boston that killed a kindergartner after he was dropped off on the wrong side of the street. The driver was hired and trained by transnational bus company Transdev, and the investigation found that 42 fatal crashes involving Transdev over the past 10 years were missing from FMCSA records. ProPublica and WBUR also found that FMCSA’s own instructions to law enforcement about the attribution of a crash to a particular company was left to the discretion of the individual police officer, directly contributing to highly variable and unreliable records.\n\n“This raises serious concerns that FMCSA may be undercounting crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses, and thus jeopardizing its mission to reduce such incidents and protect the safety of Americans,” continued the Senators.\n\nFMCSA data includes two recent fatal crashes involving large buses in Washington state:\n\nOctober 2024 in Tacoma: 32-year-old woman Brittanee Parker was run over by a school bus full of elementary-school children. The driver drove off. Harlow’s School Bus Service, a privately-owned interstate carrier that works in five states, operates the service. The driver had four previous driving violations in King County and had a Commercial Driver’s License at the time, but they had previously been cited for speeding and driving without insurance.\n\nJuly 2024 in Lacey: An Intercity Transit bus and a car collided in a roundabout. While initial articles reported only injuries, the final FMCSA data recorded a fatality at this crash.\n\nThe Senators requested information on crashes that may not be in FMCSA’s database, including those involving Transdev.\n\nIn addition to the impacts of the lack of good data, the Senators also highlighted the overall lack of enforcement actions taken under the Trump Administration.\n\n“More broadly, FMCSA enforcement actions have declined since President Trump took office,” they wrote. “According to its own data, FMCSA completed approximately 1,400 enforcement cases against motor carriers in 2025, compared to nearly 4,000 in 2024—a 65 percent decrease.”\n\nThe text of today’s letter can be found below and HERE.\n\nDear Administrator Barrs,\n\nAccording to the most recent data available, nearly 5,000 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks and buses in 2024, including 67 in the state of Washington and 20 in the state of Massachusetts. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) uses information from these crashes to identify specific truck and bus companies for targeted enforcement, which can range from a warning letter to being placed out-of-service.\n\nOn June 8, 2026, ProPublica and WBUR reported their investigation found that FMCSA is missing critical crash data for a company that operates school buses, making it impossible for the agency to accurately identify and target high-risk motor carriers like these. For example, in April 2025, a Boston Public Schools bus driver who was hired and trained by the multinational company Transdev, ran over and killed a kindergartener after dropping him off on the wrong side of the street. ProPublica and WBUR identified this as one of 42 fatal crashes involving Transdev that occurred in the last 10 years that was missing from FMCSA’s records. This raises serious concerns that FMCSA may be undercounting crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses, and thus jeopardizing its mission to reduce such incidents and protect the safety of Americans.\n\nMore specifically, in some instances, FMCSA’s database listed Transdev crashes under the names of the government agency that hired Transdev or the name of a company Transdev acquired. Reportedly, FMCSA’s instructions to law enforcement officers completing crash investigations do not clarify which company should be listed, but instead instruct the officer to “determine which entity ‘controls’ or ‘directs’ the bus.” As a result, whether each crash was attributed to Transdev depended on how the individual law enforcement officer completing the crash form interpreted those instructions, leading to highly variable and unreliable records.\n\nWithout accurate and complete data, it is impossible for FMCSA to properly target enforcement on unsafe companies, because the agency lacks the critical data needed to conclude they are unsafe. According to FMCSA, Transdev has been involved in 187 crashes in the last 24 months, seven of which have been fatal. And yet, FMCSA has not targeted Transdev for any enforcement actions in this time period, and the carrier’s safety rating is marked as “Satisfactory.”\n\nMore broadly, FMCSA enforcement actions have declined since President Trump took office. According to its own data, FMCSA completed approximately 1,400 enforcement cases against motor carriers in fiscal year 2025, compared to nearly 4,000 in fiscal year 2024—a 65 percent decrease.\n\nAccordingly, to better understand how FMCSA is addressing limitations of its crash data and keeping the traveling public safe by targeting high-risk motor carriers for enforcement, please provide the following documents and information no later than August 12, 2026.\n\nDescription of FMSCA’s mechanisms to monitor the safety performance of commercial motor carriers operating school buses or otherwise transporting children or students, including for intrastate operations;\n\nDocuments sufficient to demonstrate how FMCSA works with NHTSA or other DOT offices to monitor and ensure the accuracy of safety records of all motor carriers transporting students—including intrastate school bus operators;\n\nAll FMCSA or other DOT guidance provided to state law enforcement on the processes for recording the name of the motor carrier involved in a crash, including for intrastate motor carriers;\n\nDocuments sufficient to demonstrate FMCSA’s internal processes to verify the accuracy and completeness of state law enforcement records of motor carrier crashes, including for intrastate motor carriers;\n\nA list of all inspections and crashes involving Transdev-operated vehicles, including those in which Transdev or its subsidiaries provides contracted services, such as for school districts or transit agencies;\n\nAll documents sufficient to demonstrate why FMCSA’s database did not capture the 42 crashes involving Transdev that ProPublica and WBUR reported;\n\nDocuments sufficient to demonstrate why the number of FMCSA closed enforcement cases declined in fiscal year 2025;\n\nA list and description of any changes FMCSA has made to its processes or thresholds for pursuing enforcement actions against high-risk motor carriers from January 20, 2025, to present; and\n\nThe number of FMCSA staff that were responsible for analyzing inspection and crash data to identify high-risk carriers in calendar year (CY) 2024, CY 2025, and January 2026 to present, respectively.\n\nWe appreciate your prompt response to this request, and continued collaboration to improve safety on our roads.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-statement-on-nomination-of-todd-blanche-to-serve-as-attorney-general", "title": "Senator Collins’ Statement on Nomination of Todd Blanche to Serve as Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.collins.senate.gov", "scraper": "collins", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001035", "name": "Susan M. Collins", "party": "Republican", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement on the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as United States Attorney General:\n\n“I have carefully reviewed Todd Blanche’s qualifications to be Attorney General. This includes his record and responses to questions from Senators at the Department of Justice Appropriations hearing, his confirmation hearing, and in the weeks that followed.\n\n“While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political.\n\n“Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation:\n\n“Mr. Blanche approved an order to shield the President, his sons, and the family business from IRS audits, protections unavailable to other American taxpayers.\n\n“He approved the creation of a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.\n\n“He promised an anti-abortion organization that he would seek to prohibit the mailing of abortion medication to women nationwide.\n\n“Under his leadership, the Department attempted to indict Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin over their ill-advised, but constitutionally protected, videos encouraging resistance to unlawful orders.\n\n“More than 1,200 former Department of Justice employees have opposed his nomination, arguing that he has undermined the institution.\n\n“For these reasons, I will vote against this nomination.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-coons-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-remove-asset-limits-blocking-working-families-from-public-assistance/", "title": "Senator Coons, colleagues introduce legislation to remove asset limits blocking working families from public assistance", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.coons.senate.gov", "scraper": "coons", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001088", "name": "Christopher A. Coons", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and seven of his Democratic colleagues introduced the Allowing Steady Savings by Eliminating Tests (ASSET) Act of 2026, which would protect low-income Americans from losing access to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other government assistance programs because of arbitrary asset limits by increasing their access to essential public assistance programs. Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\nAs inflation skyrockets due to the Trump administration’s harmful policies, government assistance programs are becoming more important than ever. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SNAP, and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) help low-income families, particularly those with children, meet basic needs like food and heating. Social Security’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program reduces extreme poverty among the elderly and people with disabilities. Families’ eligibility for these programs is often limited by both income and assets.\n\nThe ASSET Act would prohibit states from applying asset tests for TANF, SNAP, and LIHEAP, and raise the asset limits for SSI from $2,000 to $10,000 for an individual and from $3,000 to $20,000 for a couple, with both limits indexed to inflation. Income limits would remain allowable. A delay in implementation is permitted for states that need to pass legislation to adjust to new regulations.\n\nAsset limits penalize Americans who have built savings for education, emergencies, and retirement, or have bought transportation that they need to get to work and earn enough to get out of these programs. Removing asset limits on SNAP alone increases the odds that lower-income adults have at least $500 in their savings by 8% and have a bank account by 5%. It also reduces the number of individuals cycling on and off the program by 26%. Nine states have eliminated TANF asset limits, 37 states and Washington, D.C. have eliminated SNAP asset tests, and only two states have LIHEAP asset tests. SSI is administered by the federal government, and the asset limit has not been updated or adjusted for inflation since 1989. Inconsistencies in how asset eligibility is determined among these programs and across the states can confuse eligible recipients, deterring them from saving or stopping them from accessing assistance programs that they’re entitled to.\n\n“Asset limits on public assistance programs prevent working families from saving for the future or accessing the benefits they rightfully deserve. A savings account or a car are not assets, they’re necessities in every home,” said Senator Coons. “As President Trump and Republicans in Congress are making it harder to access essential public assistance programs, we need to fight back, and I’m proud to introduce this bill that will help more working families access the social safety net when they need it.”\n\n“Burdensome eligibility rules make it harder for families to get ahead. The ASSET Act removes outdated savings limits from programs that help families afford food, utilities, and other basic needs. It also updates the savings limit for people with disabilities and the elderly, which hasn’t changed since 1989. That means families can save for an emergency or build toward a better future without losing the support they need,” said Representative Gomez . “I grew up in a family where both my parents worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, we couldn’t even afford health insurance. The idea that federal social programs can punish a family like mine for trying to build savings goes against the core values of these programs.”\n\nIn addition to Senator Coons, the ASSET Act of 2026 is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).\n\nThe bill is endorsed by Prosperity Now, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Alliance to End Hunger, the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR), UnidosUS, The Arc, Grantmakers in the Arts, Americans for the Arts.\n\n“The ASSET Act recognizes a simple but important reality: families should not have to choose between building a modest emergency fund and accessing the public benefits that help them through difficult times,” said Marisa Calderon, president & CEO of Prosperity Now. “For decades, Prosperity Now has worked to help families build savings, strengthen financial security, and build long-term financial stability. Yet outdated asset limits continue to penalize responsible saving and leave households more vulnerable to financial shocks. By preserving income eligibility while eliminating outdated asset tests, the ASSET Act ensures that public benefits no longer undermine families’ efforts to build financial stability. No family should be penalized for doing the responsible thing. This legislation brings public policy in line with the basic principle that saving for the future should be encouraged, not punished.”\n\n“For more than 20 years, LISC has supported a national network of Financial Opportunity Centers® to enable working families to build prosperity through personalized financial coaching paired with employment and wrap-around support services, including help accessing public benefits. We know from experience that communities thrive when families are empowered to build financial resilience and pursue long-term goals, and that asset tests unfairly penalize low-income homeowners and can discourage savings. We applaud Senator Coons for addressing this issue by introducing the ASSET Act to ensure low-income families can continue to receive the support needed to achieve financial self-sufficiency,” said Matt Josephs, senior vice president of policy, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).\n\n“No one should have to choose between keeping food on their table today and saving for an emergency tomorrow. By removing outdated asset penalties, the ASSET Act gives our nation’s artists the financial dignity to build a stable future without risking the vital public safety net they need to survive,” said Erin Harkey, CEO, Americans for the Arts.\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/video-cornyn-votes-to-advance-blanche-nomination-for-attorney-general-in-judiciary-committee/", "title": "VIDEO: Cornyn Votes to Advance Blanche Nomination for Attorney General in Judiciary Committee", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "domain": "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "scraper": "cornyn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001056", "name": "John Cornyn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today in the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) delivered the following remarks before voting to advance the nomination of Todd Blanche to be U.S. Attorney General out of committee and to the Senate floor. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.\n\n“I’ve been very clear, as others have, that in order to support Mr. Blanche’s nomination, I needed specific assurances in writing about a release signed by the Acting Attorney General last May.”\n\n“While this may sound like nitpicking to some, it’s critically important, not only to me but to other members of the Senate.”\n\n“This past Sunday, Senator Tillis and I came to an agreement after numerous meetings with the Department of Justice and Mr. Blanche on an agency-interpretative guidance document that reaffirms what Mr. Blanche said in his sworn testimony in front of the committee. This document will help limit the substance and scope of the audit protection to the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury, and it limits the parties to the audit settlement to the plaintiffs – the people who brought the lawsuit – and no one else.”\n\n“The DOJ has repeatedly said that this is their legal position and interpretation.”\n\n“Given this agreement with Mr. Blanche, I expect the Department to live up to this in future litigation, and I will vote to advance him out of the committee today.”\n\n“We need a stabilizing force at the Department of Justice, and Mr. Blanche deserves the opportunity to provide that.”\n\n“President Trump needs someone in this role, as well, with a strong legal mind, but who also is close enough to him to give him confidential legal advice, to tell him hard truths.”\n\n“I would advise Mr. Blanche not to be afraid to capitalize on that earned trust when necessary for the good of the country.”\n\n“I’m glad we could address these issues here in committee so that this nomination can move forward.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-introduces-bill-package-to-lower-costs-for-families-take-advantage-of-emerging-technology/", "title": "Cortez Masto Introduces Bill Package to Lower Costs for Families, Take Advantage of Emerging Technology", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cortezmasto.senate.gov", "scraper": "cortezmasto", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001113", "name": "Catherine Cortez Masto", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced three bills to make electric vehicles (EVs) and other clean transportation technologies more accessible to consumers throughout the country.\n\nUnder the Trump Administration, Nevada families have spent $2,216 more on goods and services, and gas prices have jumped. Since the start of Trump’s war in Iran, Nevadans have spent $514,215,668 more on gasoline, or $460 more per household. Senator Cortez Masto’s bill package supports the adoption of more cost-effective clean transportation technologies, which have expanded dramatically in recent years and are creating good-paying, union jobs. Putting more zero-emissions vehicles on the road will reduce American reliance on oil and gas from the Middle East and lower costs across the board.\n\n“During the Trump Administration, Nevadans have been struggling with skyrocketing costs. Whether you’re driving to work, shopping for groceries, or traveling to visit family in another town, everyday life has become more expensive,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “By helping more American families and businesses access clean transportation technology, we can bring costs down for everyone, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and create jobs – all while becoming more economically competitive with China.”\n\nSenator Cortez Masto’s bill package includes three pieces of legislation:\n\nCleaner Transportation Access for All Act – This legislation restores and extends tax credits and grant programs passed in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for consumers who purchase new or used EVs and supports the construction of EV-friendly infrastructure, especially along travel and tourism corridors. It also contains a fuel conservation program to encourage federal government fleets to reduce their fuel use when consumers are paying increased prices. The Cleaner Transportation Access for All Act is cosponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). The text of this legislation can be found here, and a one-pager can be found here.\n\nClean Transportation Jobs and Development Act – This legislation strengthens the clean energy and transportation supply chain by supporting battery manufacturing and recycling, strengthening the domestic critical mineral supply chain, and investing in research and development to lower the cost of low-emission vehicles. The Clean Transportation Jobs and Development Act is cosponsored by Senators Padilla, Rosen, Van Hollen, and Bennet. The text of this legislation can be found here, and a one-pager can be found here.\n\nDeploying Revolutionary and Innovative Vehicle Energy-supply (DRIVE) Across America Act – This legislation would establish the Cleaner Transportation at Recreational Areas to Improve our Landmarks and Sites (TRAILS) Initiative. This comprehensive initiative would facilitate the adoption of zero-emission technologies in tourism corridors, by adding fueling infrastructure at National Parks and U.S. Forest Service sites and near airports and other tourist destinations. The Cleaner TRAILS Initiative will make it easier and cheaper for tourists to travel in their EVs and reduce emissions in the country’s most pristine sites.The bill is cosponsored by Senators Padilla, Rosen, Van Hollen, Bennet, and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). The text of this legislation can be found here, and a one-pager can be found here.\n\nSenator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress through her Innovation State Initiative to increase adoption of clean transportation and energy across Nevada. She has developed numerous legislative packages to help advance a national strategy on zero-emission vehicles and has passed multiple bills to support clean transportation into law. Cortez Masto has also secured funding for EV charging ports and low-emission public transportation throughout Nevada. She is leading on bipartisan legislation to strengthen the domestic supply chain for rare-earth magnets, which are critical components of cell phones, computers, defense systems, and electric vehicles, increase critical mineral production in the American West, and strengthen America’s electric energy supply chain.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-rosen-introduce-bill-to-overturn-law-establishing-yucca-mountain-as-nuclear-waste-repository-consider-new-uses-for-site/", "title": "Cortez Masto, Rosen Introduce Bill to Overturn Law Establishing Yucca Mountain as Nuclear Waste Repository, Consider New Uses for Site", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cortezmasto.senate.gov", "scraper": "cortezmasto", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001113", "name": "Catherine Cortez Masto", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today,U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) re-introduced legislation to ensure Yucca Mountain will never be used as a repository for nuclear waste and require the U.S. government to consider other uses for Yucca Mountain that would create jobs and stimulate Nevada’s economy. The Jobs, Not Waste Act follows the Trump Administration’s proposal to scrap Yucca Mountain as the nation’s sole nuclear waste repository and instead allow states to willingly host such facilities.\n\n“Nevadans have been clear from the beginning that our state cannot and will not house the nation’s nuclear waste,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “While I welcome the Trump administration’s recent move to leave the unworkable Yucca Mountain proposal behind, we cannot take anything for granted. It’s time to pass our Jobs, Not Waste Act to explore other uses for the Yucca site and allow states who want to store nuclear waste to do so.”\n\n“Nevadans have always been clear that we will not allow nuclear waste to be stored at Yucca Mountain – and that any proposal to establish a nuclear waste repository needs to be centered on the consent of the surrounding community,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m encouraged by the recent proposal from the Trump Administration that acknowledges Yucca Mountain is not an option for nuclear waste storage, which is why I hope they will support this legislation to ensure Yucca remains dead. We have an opportunity to consider the benefits of other uses for the Yucca Mountain site to create jobs for Nevadans and grow our economy.”\n\nThe Jobs, Not Waste Act would repeal the law that established Yucca Mountain as a repository for nuclear waste, require the Department of Energy (DOE) to withdraw and terminate the licensing proceeding for Yucca Mountain at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, require DOE to reclaim and mitigate any adverse environmental impacts to the site, and require the Office of Management and Budget to conduct and submit a study to determine the viability and benefits of other uses for the site.\n\nSenators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been leading the fight against storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. During the first Trump Administration, they were part of successful efforts to stop the Administration’s attempts to restart the Yucca Mountain licensing process by preventing funds for the failed site from being included in every final appropriations bill. At the beginning of this Congress, the Senators introduced a bill to guarantee state, tribal, and local officials are given a meaningful voice in the decision-making process when a nuclear waste repository is proposed in their community.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/working-families-tax-cuts-encourage-broad-based-charitable-giving", "title": "Working Families Tax Cuts Encourage Broad-based Charitable Giving", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "domain": "www.crapo.senate.gov", "scraper": "crapo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000880", "name": "Mike Crapo", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C.—In addition to delivering tax relief and fueling economic growth for families and businesses, the Working Families Tax Cuts include policy victories for charitable giving and educational opportunity. By making key charitable giving provisions permanent, the legislation provides greater certainty for individual donors while helping more Americans to support philanthropic organizations, religious institutions and the communities they serve. Additionally, through the new Education Freedom Tax Credit and Trump Accounts, the law helps children build a stronger foundation for lifelong success.\n\n“Americans are among the most generous people in the world, and the Working Families Tax Cuts’ support for charitable giving strengthens that identity,” said U.S. Senate Finance Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). “The law’s treatment of contributions to nonprofit organizations gives many Idahoans additional incentives to support worthy causes in our communities, and new programs for children give them increased access to the resources they need to succeed.”\n\nKey wins:\n\nPermanently allows non-itemizers to claim a deduction of up to $2,000 per couple for eligible charitable donations\n\nMakes permanent the increased contribution limitation for cash gifts to qualified charities\n\nCreates Trump Accounts, allowing families, employers and philanthropists to help children save for the future\n\nCreates the Education Freedom Tax Credit, incentivizing support for scholarship funds that help families afford costs connected to K-12 education\n\nWhat they are saying:\n\n“The [Working Families Tax Cuts] keep more money where it belongs—in the hands of hardworking Americans and the communities they care about. By unleashing economic growth, President Trump is strengthening the engine of generosity, which empowers local, private solutions to challenges that our government cannot and should not provide.” – Philanthropy Roundtable CEO Christie Herrera\n\n“The American Dream belongs to every child. [Trump Accounts] are equipping the next generation to claim their rightful share.” – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent\n\nClick HERE to learn more about the Finance Committee provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-shaheen-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-supporting-free-and-fair-elections-in-venezuela", "title": "Sens. Cruz, Shaheen, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Supporting Free and Fair Elections in Venezuela", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.cruz.senate.gov", "scraper": "cruz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001098", "name": "Ted Cruz", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a resolution reaffirming America's support for free and fair elections in Venezuela. The resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).\n\nSen. Cruz said, “The people of Venezuela deserve free, fair, and transparent elections, and it is vital to the national security interests of the United States that those elections occur expeditiously. A legitimately elected government would create the foundation for freedom and prosperity in Venezuela and establish the basis for a deep and long-term partnership with the United States, including security, counternarcotics, and economic cooperation. This resolution reiterates that such elections require the release of all political prisoners, while any serious harm suffered by any individual seeking public office, including María Corina Machado, would delegitimize those elections and that the U.S. will presume that the Venezuelan government was complicit in that harm. The United States stands with the Venezuelan people and their right to determine their own future.”\n\nSen. Shaheen said, “A credible democratic transition is only attainable when the Venezuelan people are free to decide Venezuela’s future, yet the Delcy Rodríguez regime has failed to take meaningful actions toward holding elections and restoring democratic order. As international bodies have affirmed time and again, the regime has not taken serious steps to dismantle the Maduro-Rodriguez repressive apparatus that has long terrorized the Venezuelan people. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan resolution with my colleagues restating the United States’ demand for concrete progress toward elections in Venezuela. The authorities in Caracas must immediately and unconditionally release all remaining political prisoners and guarantee that all political actors, including María Corina Machado, can safely return and freely participate in political activity. Every day that passes without progress toward these key objectives represents a step back for the Venezuelan people and their broader struggle for a free, safe and democratic future.”\n\nRead the bill text here.\n\nBACKGROUND", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-durbin-join-colleagues-to-demand-trump-administration-restore-funding-for-energy-projects-that-were-politically-targeted-and-illegally-cancelled", "title": "Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues to Demand Trump Administration Restore Funding for Energy Projects That Were Politically Targeted and Illegally Cancelled", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "scraper": "duckworth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000622", "name": "Tammy Duckworth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The letter follows an admission from the Trump Administration that the decision to cancel energy project grants in states that did not vote for Trump was “based solely” on politics\n\n[WASHINGTON D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Patty Murray (D-WA) to send a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought demanding that the Trump Administration restore funding for the 223 energy projects canceled in October 2025. The Trump Administration has since admitted to illegally canceling energy grants because those projects were in states that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election rather than any cost-reduction factors. As a result, the Trump Administration cancelled $583 million in federal grant funds designated for Illinois projects on domestic energy production, lowering energy costs and improving grid reliability.\n\n“Now that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies,” the Senators began.\n\n“Once an administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly,” the Senators continued. “This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.”\n\n“At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk,” the Senators concluded. “For the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.”\n\nAlongside Duckworth, Durbin, Heinrich and Murray, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mazie K. Hirono (D- HI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA.), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jack Reed (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME). All 36 Democratic Senators from states with canceled grants and funding signed the letter.\n\nFull text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:\n\nJuly 30, 2026\n\nSecretary Wright and Director Vought:\n\nNow that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump Administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies.\n\nIn October 2025, we wrote to you to express strong opposition to the Administration’s callous decision to unlawfully terminate $8 billion in federal investments for 223 energy projects. You not only acted outside the bounds of the law, but canceled projects that would have provided jobs, onshored manufacturing, and lowered skyrocketing energy prices. Congress authorized those projects and appropriated funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriation bills. At the time of the termination of those projects, we expressed outrage that the terminations appeared politically motivated and confined to states that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election. The Administration has now admitted in federal court what it denied to Congress and the American people.\n\nOn July 24, 2026, citing court filings, The New York Times reported that the Trump Administration acknowledged that it terminated more than $7.5 billion of grants due to political motivations. In a two-step process, the Department of Energy (DOE) first recommended more than 600 grants for potential termination, including grants in states represented by both Republicans and Democrats. It appears the Office of Management and Budget then selected all the grants in “Blue States” for cancellation, which DOE executed. In court filings, DOE’s lawyers conceded that the cancellations occurred “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state.” Specifically, as the court filings stated, “[w]ith one exception, the 284 terminated grants had a recipient location and/or at least one place of performance in a state that awarded its electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has two Democratic-caucusing Senators (“Blue State” grants).” Similar grants in Red States, however, remained intact and were not the subject of termination. What’s more, DOE lawyers conceded that the decision to terminate these blue state grants was not “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor.”\n\nOnce an Administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly. This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.\n\nAt a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the Administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk.\n\nFor the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-mccormick-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-low-cost-financing-for-transportation-infrastructure", "title": "Duckworth, McCormick Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Low-Cost Financing for Transportation Infrastructure", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "scraper": "duckworth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000622", "name": "Tammy Duckworth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) introduced the Transit for Urban Renewal and Business Opportunities Act (TURBO Act), legislation that would expand and modernize a key federal financing tool used by state and local governments to deliver critical transportation infrastructure through public-private partnerships.\n\n“Far too often, roads that need repaving and transportation facilities that need revamping are left unfixed because states and towns don’t have the funding they need,” said Duckworth. “Our bipartisan bill would help state and local governments supercharge their infrastructure financing—enabling them to deliver faster on projects, replace old buses, improve inter-city passenger rail and more. It’s critical we build on the incredible progress of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and this commonsense legislation would help us do just that.”\n\n“America’s transportation needs are growing, and we should be making it easier, not harder, for states and communities to finance the projects that keep goods and people moving,” said McCormick. “The TURBO Act modernizes a proven, low-cost financing tool critical so highway, transit, and rail projects in Pennsylvania can move forward. By expanding capacity and cutting outdated red tape, we can unlock more private investment in Pennsylvania and across the country.”\n\n“Public transportation is essential to connecting Illinois residents with jobs, education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. Private Activity Bonds have helped make transformational transportation investments possible, and increasing the federal authorization cap is critical to ensuring that these financing tools remain available for future projects. The Illinois Public Transportation Association is grateful to Senators Duckworth and McCormick for advancing the TURBO Act, which will help meet growing infrastructure needs and support safe, reliable, and modern transit service for the communities we serve,” said Laura Calderon, Executive Director, Illinois Public Transportation Association.\n\nPrivate Activity Bonds (PABs) are tax-exempt bonds that state and local governments issue on behalf of private entities to finance projects that serve a public purpose. Administered by the Build America Bureau within the U.S. Department of Transportation, PABs are a critical tool for attracting private-sector investment in highways, transit and freight infrastructure. But the national volume cap for qualified highway and surface freight transfer facilities has been exhausted, with the current $30 billion cap fully allocated.\n\nBeyond the cap, outdated rules also prevent communities from using these bonds for many of today's transportation needs. Current law generally allows the bonds to finance the construction of rail and bus infrastructure, but not the purchase of rolling stock. It also limits eligibility for passenger rail projects to those capable of reaching 150 miles per hour, leaving many modern rail projects that operate on shared freight corridors ineligible for this low-cost financing.\n\nThe TURBO Act would:\n\nRaise the national volume cap for qualified highway and surface freight transfer facilities from $30 billion to $45 billion, ensuring that critical transportation projects can continue to access low-cost financing through public-private partnerships.\n\nExpand the eligibility of mass commuting facility bonds to explicitly cover the acquisition of rolling stock — such as buses, railcars and ferries — lowering the cost of modernizing transit fleets and letting local communities determine their own infrastructure needs.\n\nLower the speed threshold for high-speed intercity rail facilities from 150 miles per hour to 110 miles per hour, opening PAB financing to a far wider range of passenger rail investments, including projects that operate on shared rights-of-way with freight railroads.\n\nCongress created this financing category in the 2005 Surface Transportation Authorization (SAFETEA-LU), which set the national cap at $15 billion and doubled it to $30 billion on a bipartisan basis in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). With nearly all of that expanded capacity now committed, communities risk losing access to affordable financing for major projects at a time when infrastructure demands continue to grow.\n\nFull text of the bill is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.\n\nDuckworth has been a leader in securing federal funding for infrastructure projects in Illinois and making public transportation more accessible for all. Last month, the Senator introduced legislation to reauthorize her All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP), which was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and for the last five years has been making public transit stations across the nation more accessible and inclusive for all Americans, including people with disabilities.\n\nBecause of ASAP, Illinois received $185 million in funding for job creating Chicago Transit Authority and Metra projects to build ramps, install elevators and make other improvements to make the region’s public bus and rail system accessible.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-rounds-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-strengthen-cyber-operations-in-indo-pacific-region", "title": "Duckworth, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Cyber Operations in Indo-Pacific Region", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "scraper": "duckworth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000622", "name": "Tammy Duckworth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced bipartisan legislation to close strategy and resource gaps in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) cyber cooperation activities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Indo-Pacific Cyber Cooperation Strategy would require the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to institutionalize cyber cooperation between DoD and the United States’ allies in the region.\n\n“Cybersecurity is key to a free and open Indo-Pacific, strengthening our national security and keeping us all safe,” said Duckworth. “As a Pacific nation, we must ensure we’re strategically engaging with our regional partners across all fronts to make sure they can protect critical infrastructure and effectively operate in cyberspace. Our bipartisan bill would enhance American cyber cooperation with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to better protect our economy and security from shared adversaries and hostile actors.”\n\n“Modern warfare is now fought in five domains: air, land, sea, space and cyberspace,” said Rounds. “As our cyber capabilities continue to advance, so do those of our adversaries. As China grows increasingly capable in the cyber domain, the United States must leverage the capacity of our partners and allies, who are crucial for securing a free and open Indo-Pacific. Our legislation would require the Department of War to close any existing cyber operations gaps that exist between our nation and our allies in the Indo-Pacific Region.”\n\nFull text of the bill is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.\n\nDuckworth continues to be a proven leader when it comes to strengthening coordination with our Indo-Pacific partners to promote security in the region. Last week, she introduced bipartisan legislation to improve our nation’s capabilities to counter the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) “gray-zone” intimidation and coercion tactics in the Indo-Pacific. Last month, Duckworth became first U.S. Senator to visit Taiwan since the disastrous Trump-Xi summit where Donald Trump kowtowed to People’s Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping and waffled on delivering a critical bipartisan arms package to Taiwan. Upon her arrival, Duckworth penned an op-ed underscoring that the United States’ commitment to Taiwan is steadfast—regardless of who is in the White House. She also made an official visit to Japan during the same trip to strengthen economic ties between our nations, specifically in Illinois, so our nations’ trade ties can remain resilient despite PRC gray-zone activities.\n\nDuckworth is leading numerous additional pieces of legislation that would help our military readiness with Indo-Pacific partners, including through her bipartisan Strategy for Crisis Management Act and South China Sea Strategy Act that both recently passed committee and now await a full Senate vote. Her Strategy for Crisis Management Act was one of several provisions she secured in this year’s committee-passed NDAA to enhance our readiness and coordination with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. This provision would help deescalate consequential crises short of war in the South China Sea. Among Duckworth’s other wins are provisions that would drive cooperation with Indo-Pacific allies and partners on asymmetric operations and improve medical preparedness and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-advocates-for-protecting-consumers-privacy-during-opening-statement-in-senate-judiciary-subcommittee-hearing", "title": "Durbin Advocates For Protecting Consumers’ Privacy During Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Durbin also pushed for the passage of his bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act to bring down the cost of swipe fees for consumers and small businesses\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement in a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing entitled “Your Data, Their Profit: The Consumer Cost of AI Surveillance Pricing.” During his opening remarks, Durbin raised concerns about the collecting, tracking, and selling of consumer data online. In advocating for consumers, Durbin also pushed for the passage of his bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, which would put an end to the Visa-Mastercard duopoly that is squeezing small businesses and consumers.\n\nKey Quotes:\n\n“Every click we make on the internet leaves a trail of personal data. We know that. That data is collected, tracked, and sold. Congress can address it.”\n\n“There’s another thing Congress can do right now for consumers and small businesses: pass the Credit Card Competition Act—a bipartisan bill I sponsor with Senator Marshall of Kansas. This bill would bring down the cost of swipe fees that Visa and Mastercard take out of every purchase we make with a credit card.”\n\n“For some small businesses, these swipe fees become their second or third largest expense, and many of them have been forced to raise prices as a result.”\n\n“Americans pay the highest swipe fees anywhere in the world. The Credit Card Competition Act would bring these down, leading to savings for businesses and lower prices for consumers.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-duckworth-join-colleagues-to-demand-trump-administration-restore-funding-for-energy-projects-that-were-politically-targeted-and-illegally-canceled", "title": "Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Demand Trump Administration Restore Funding For Energy Projects That Were Politically Targeted And Illegally Canceled", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The letter follows an admission from the Trump Administration that the decision to cancel energy project grants in states that did not vote for Trump was “based solely” on politics\n\nWASHINGTON —U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Patty Murray (D-WA) to send a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought demanding that the Trump Administration restore funding for the 223 energy projects canceled in October 2025. The Trump Administration has since admitted to illegally canceling energy grants because those projects were in states that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election rather than any cost-reduction factors. As a result, the Trump Administration cancelled $583 million in federal grant funds designated for Illinois projects on domestic energy production, lowering energy costs, and improving grid reliability.\n\n“Now that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies,” the Senators began.\n\n“Once an administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly,” the Senators continued. “This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.”\n\n“At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk,” the Senators concluded. “For the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.”\n\nAlongside Durbin, Duckworth, Heinrich, and Murray, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mazie K. Hirono (D- HI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA.), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jack Reed (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME). All 36 Democratic Senators from states with canceled grants and funding signed the letter.\n\nRead the full text of the letter here and below:\n\nJuly 30, 2026\n\nSecretary Wright and Director Vought:\n\nNow that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump Administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies.\n\nIn October 2025, we wrote to you to express strong opposition to the Administration’s callous decision to unlawfully terminate $8 billion in federal investments for 223 energy projects. You not only acted outside the bounds of the law, but canceled projects that would have provided jobs, onshored manufacturing, and lowered skyrocketing energy prices. Congress authorized those projects and appropriated funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriation bills. At the time of the termination of those projects, we expressed outrage that the terminations appeared politically motivated and confined to states that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election. The Administration has now admitted in federal court what it denied to Congress and the American people.\n\nOn July 24, 2026, citing court filings, The New York Times reported that the Trump Administration acknowledged that it terminated more than $7.5 billion of grants due to political motivations. In a two-step process, the Department of Energy (DOE) first recommended more than 600 grants for potential termination, including grants in states represented by both Republicans and Democrats. It appears the Office of Management and Budget then selected all the grants in “Blue States” for cancellation, which DOE executed. In court filings, DOE’s lawyers conceded that the cancellations occurred “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state.” Specifically, as the court filings stated, “[w]ith one exception, the 284 terminated grants had a recipient location and/or at least one place of performance in a state that awarded its electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has two Democratic-caucusing Senators (“Blue State” grants).” Similar grants in Red States, however, remained intact and were not the subject of termination. What’s more, DOE lawyers conceded that the decision to terminate these blue state grants was not “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor.”\n\nOnce an Administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly. This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.\n\nAt a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the Administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk.\n\nFor the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-joins-cassidy-on-the-senate-floor-and-calls-to-address-social-security-solvency-before-the-end-of-the-year", "title": "Durbin Joins Cassidy On The Senate Floor & Calls To Address Social Security Solvency Before The End Of The Year", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Durbin: “The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes to save Social Security. And we absolutely, positively have to save it. Too many people are counting on it.”\n\nWASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) to raise alarms about the Social Security Trust Fund facing insolvency in 2032 unless Congress acts. Durbin and Cassidy have introduced the Protecting Retirement Opportunities and Maintaining Income Security for Everyone (PROMISE) Act to initiate Congressional action on extending Social Security’s solvency.\n\n“What a treat it is to be on the floor of the Senate with a colleague on the Republican side of the aisle working together to try to solve a problem. It doesn’t happen much around here. You see these empty desks. They’re empty almost all of the days—week in, week out, month in, month out. We do important things like nominations—there’s nothing that’s trivial about that. But we don’t tackle the issues that really affect people at home with their families. Here’s one: Social Security,” Durbin said.\n\nThe Social Security Board of Trustees’ annual report found that the Social Security Trust Fund will only be able to cover 78 percent of benefits in 2032—meaning that Americans who rely on the program will have their benefits reduced by 22 percent. In just six short years, the 70 million Americans who rely on Social Security will see their monthly benefits cut by an average of $450. Many beneficiaries have no other source of income and they depend on Social Security.\n\n“If this is your only source of income, imagine for a moment the $2,400 just lopped off $400 or $500 from the monthly payment. How does it affect you paying your rent, paying your mortgage, paying your utility bills, paying what it might take at the grocery store to get by? It’s going to be a real hardship, as Senator Cassidy said. For the senior citizens of America, it means that those under the poverty level will increase by 50 percent. We can’t let that happen. We have to do something about it,” Durbin said.\n\nThat’s why Durbin introduced the bipartisan PROMISE Act—legislation that would create a transparent, fair, and bipartisan process to ensure Congress finally debates—and votes—on the future of Social Security. Under the bill, the independent Social Security Advisory Board would collect public input and send a proposal to Congress that would keep the Trust Fund solvent for the next 50 years, at least. That would begin a process in both the House and Senate to hold Committee hearings, offer germane amendments, debate competing proposals, and ultimately vote on them.\n\n“The bill that I’ve introduced with Senator Cassidy basically doesn’t pick a solution… it just says, don’t waste any time. Start talking about it, start debating it. Let the American people engage in this conversation with you and vote on some alternatives,” Durbin said. “Now, I’ve been a little disappointed, but not surprised, that some of my colleagues that I’ve talked to about this said they thought it was a good idea. But on reflection, they’ve decided it’s too risky—that we’re moving things too fast. The Senate’s never been accused, successfully, of moving too fast on almost anything. We take our time. That’s why we’re here… So, to my colleagues who oppose this approach, who say we need more time to do it, I want to back up Senator Cassidy. It costs money over time. It costs benefits over time—the solution becomes more expensive over time. The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes to save Social Security. And we absolutely, positively have to save it. Too many people are counting on it.”\n\nDurbin concluded, “It is a great day in the Senate when a Democrat and a Republican stand on the floor and don’t criticize one another, but actually talk about working together. It’s been a real pleasure for me… We’re both ending our Senate careers on January 3rd of next year. We hoped that this would be one of the things we could achieve before we left. I’m still not giving up completely. Miracles do occur. But I had to step up and make a proposal with Senator Cassidy to get my colleagues in the conversation. The conversation about Social Security has increased dramatically since we started this effort, and I think it should. The sooner the better. The more expensive it becomes, the longer we wait.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s floor speech is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-questions-witnesses-on-protecting-consumers-privacy-during-senate-judiciary-subcommittee-hearing", "title": "Durbin Questions Witnesses On Protecting Consumers’ Privacy During Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Durbin calls for the passage of his bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, which would crack down on swipe fees\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing entitled “Your Data, Their Profit: The Consumer Cost of AI Surveillance Pricing.” Today’s hearing examined how companies can use consumers’ personal data to set a personalized price for individual customers by estimating how much or how little they are willing to pay for a product.\n\nDurbin began his questioning by asking Hillary Caron, policy counsel at the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), about the Norwegian government’s crackdown on grocery store chains that were found to be price fixing.\n\nMs. Caron explained that the Norwegian Competition Authority found that three major grocery store chains in the country were colluding by constantly monitoring each other’s prices. Because these stores were using electronic shelf labels, management could quickly raise prices, sometimes several times a day, on products in high demand. The Norwegian Competition Authority fined the three Norwegian grocery store chains a combined $466 million for breaking antitrust rules. Ms. Caron underscored that the United States should learn from Norway’s example by more vigorously enforcing competition laws.\n\nTurning to Dr. Z. John Zhang, professor of marketing at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Durbin asked about what recourse consumers have to push back against surveillance pricing.\n\n“I don’t think we give consumers have a fighting chance. The information that is being gathered about us involuntarily is hard to describe in terms of any limitations…It’s all designed in terms of measuring and influencing consumer behavior. Does the consumer have a chance?” Durbin asked Dr. Zhang.\n\nDr. Zhang explained that companies collect individuals’ data so they can understand their consumers as a whole in order to make marketing and price setting decisions. Dr. Zhang noted that companies collect far more information from consumers when they make online purchases than they do when customers purchase products in store.\n\nDurbin continued his questioning by asking Robert Hedges, former Chief Data Officer at Visa, about swipe fees. Durbin has long advocated for cracking down on swipe fees, which is the aim of his bipartisan legislation, the Credit Card Competition Act.\n\n“Many years ago, I walked into this room and sat down at the corner over there for [then-Senator] Arlen Specter’s hearing on swipe fees, interchange fees. I’d never heard of them. I listened and understood that if I had a business or restaurant in Springfield, Illinois, and I wanted to accept Visa and Mastercard, I had to pay a swipe fee—a percentage of a dinner I’m going to serve. The consumer still doesn’t know how much that is, yet that fee continues to be charged. Most retailers will tell you it’s a big piece of their profit. Is that fair?” Durbin asked.\n\nMr. Hedges explained that clarity and transparency on pricing should be a core principle of business.\n\nDurbin concluded his remarks by asserting that Visa and Mastercard should be required to disclose what these swipes fees cost Americans every time they use their credit card.\n\n“Our hearing is about information being gathered and consumers paying a higher price because of it. That is our concern. I think the Chairman [Senator Josh Hawley] has illustrated that pretty effectively. I think the same thing applies when it comes to Visa and Mastercard. I think there ought to be disclosure to the consumer about what you [Visa and Mastercard] are charging,” Durbin said.\n\nVideo of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s question in Committee is available here for TV stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-senate-democrats-sound-alarm-on-proposed-atf-rule-on-transporting-firearms", "title": "Durbin, Senate Democrats Sound Alarm On Proposed ATF Rule On Transporting Firearms", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a group of Senate Democrats in sounding the alarm on a proposed federal gun regulation that would allow individuals to circumvent state laws regarding possession or carrying of firearms and ammunition.\n\nIn a letter to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Robert Cekada, the Senators wrote: “As members of Congress, we are committed to protecting the safety of our constituents and the Nation. For this reason, we submit this comment opposing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ proposed rule, Clarifying Interstate Transportation of Firearms Under the Gun Control Act.”\n\n“Congress enacted 18 U.S.C. § 926A to provide qualifying people with a defined safe harbor for the interstate transportation of firearms. The statute offers limited legal protection to a person transporting an unloaded firearm between places where that person may lawfully possess and carry it, provided that both the firearm and ammunition are not readily or directly accessible at any point during transportation. ATF’s Proposed Rule, however, would dramatically expand this protection to include overnight lodging, food and fuel stops, vehicle maintenance, medical treatment, transfers between modes of transportation, passenger pickups and drop-offs, and ‘any other activity incidental to the original transportation.’ It would also extend the safe harbor to a nonexclusive list of attachments, accessories, and other items, including: magazines, feed strips, stabilizing braces, weapon-mounted lights, optics, slings, holsters, and firearm cleaning kits. As a whole, the Proposed Rule would transform § 926A into a wider federal preemption regime than Congress ever intended, and, in doing so, would create serious risks to public safety both on its own and as it vitiates critical state and local gun violence prevention laws,” the Senators continued.\n\nSpecifically, the Senators cited the following reasons for ATF to withdraw the proposed rule in its entirety:\n\nATF’s limited rulemaking authority does not permit the Agency to alter or enlarge § 926A;\n\nThe Rule ignores that Congress repeatedly considered, but did not enact, materially similar expansions of § 926A;\n\nThe Rule’s accessory provision is overbroad;\n\nThe Rule would displace state law without adequate consultation; and\n\nThe Rule does not adequately address burdens on law enforcement or provide clear standards for responsible owners.\n\n“The Rule exceeds ATF’s implementation authority, expands the reach of § 926A, and treats distinct firearm accessories as if they present identical legal and public safety issues. The Rule risks displacing legislation such as Illinois’s Protect Illinois Communities Act without adequate assessment of state firearm laws, public safety impacts, or law enforcement burdens. The Rule also introduces solvent-trap and trafficking risks while leaving responsible firearm owners to interpret vague standards. These are not defects that minor revisions can fix. We urge ATF to withdraw the Proposed Rule in its entirety,” the Senators concluded.\n\nIn addition to Durbin, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).\n\nFor a PDF of the letter to Director Cekada, click here.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-slams-doj-deal-on-anti-weaponization-slush-fund-during-senate-judiciary-committee-markup-on-todd-blanches-nomination-to-be-attorney-general", "title": "Durbin Slams DOJ “Deal” On “Anti-Weaponization” Slush Fund During Senate Judiciary Committee Markup On Todd Blanche’s Nomination To Be Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Durbin: “The parties could still sue to enforce the agreement and the cop-beaters fund can easily be revived with a new DOJ order the day after Mr. Blanche is confirmed.”\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting where he spoke against the nomination of Todd Blanche, President Trump’s pick to be U.S. Attorney General.\n\nDurbin slammed Blanche’s so-called “deal” to kill the “anti-weaponization” fund. During his opening, Durbin noted Mr. Blanche’s statements on the slush fund and the IRS immunity agreement are not signed by the parties to the settlement agreement and are therefore unenforceable. The parties could still sue to enforce the agreement and the cop-beaters fund can easily be revived with a new DOJ order the day after Mr. Blanche is confirmed.\n\nIn addition to the slush fund, Durbin also noted Mr. Blanche is not qualified to be the Attorney General due to his mishandling of the Epstein files and failing the survivors of Epstein’s abuse, weaponizing DOJ, acting as President Trump’s personal attorney, obtaining thousands in crypto assets and enriching the President, and purging career DOJ officials.\n\nKey Quotes:\n\n“The political escapade of the last week has made it clearer than ever that Todd Blanche has no business serving as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer. Two Republican members of this Committee said they would not vote for Mr. Blanche unless the J6 cop-beater slush fund was permanently and irrevocably terminated… President Trump responded as we might have guessed as he always does—by doubling down on his position and personally attacking these members.”\n\n“To my Republican colleagues: you gave Mr. Blanche the benefit of the doubt when you supported his nomination to be Deputy Attorney General. Seventeen months later, there is no doubt where his loyalty will lie… Mr. Blanche engineered an agreement, an understanding, a settlement, you name it, that said Donald Trump will never be held responsible for any violations of tax crimes before the date of this document that was signed.”\n\n“Prior to his hearing, Mr. Blanche told me he ‘made a mistake’ by creating the January 6 slush fund… But when I asked him about this under oath, Mr. Blanche falsely claimed that he never made this statement. Mr. Blanche’s willingness to casually lie under oath about a statement he made in a room full of witnesses shows the lengths he will go to avoid offending President Trump.”\n\n“Mr. Blanche claimed that he would recuse himself from matters involving President Trump in his personal capacity. Yet, he personally signed the agreement releasing President Trump, his family, and Trump businesses from tax liability.”\n\n“One of Mr. Blanche’s first acts as Deputy Attorney General was to issue a memo gutting DOJ’s crypto-crime enforcement, which allowed the President to rake in a $1.4 billion crypto windfall in the last year, even as Americans reported billions of dollars in crypto fraud losses. Meanwhile, Mr. Blanche still held, through his children and grandchildren, at least $150,000 in crypto assets.”\n\n“When scrutiny of the Epstein cover-up intensified, Mr. Blanche participated in secret meetings in the White House Situation Room to strategize about protecting Trump, not Epstein survivors. Mr. Blanche volunteered to interview convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, a transparent attempt to exonerate President Trump. Just days later, she was transferred to a minimum-security camp, which is unheard of for serious offenders like her.”\n\n“Mr. Blanche agreed to meet with Epstein survivors—after months of pleas—only when his nomination was in jeopardy… And when he finally met with them, it was [for] only an hour… It is clear that Mr. Blanche hopes to sweep the Epstein scandal under the rug. I thank the [Epstein] survivors here in the room today and around the country for continuing to advocate for all survivors and speak truth to power.”\n\n“Mr. Blanche has played a key role in terminating thousands of DOJ officials… The goal is clear: to replace these DOJ officials with unqualified MAGA loyalists who will rubberstamp President Trump’s corruption. Under Mr. Blanche’s leadership, more than 16,000 employees have left the Department—including more than a quarter of its attorneys.”\n\n“This isn’t about Democrats vs. Republicans. This is about the rule of law vs. lawlessness. The Attorney General is supposed to be the people’s lawyer. DOJ should work on behalf of the American people. Mr. Blanche continues to operate as President Trump’s personal lawyer, treating the Justice Department like a law firm serving one client—the President.”\n\n“The President has made it clear that he plans to keep Mr. Blanche in place as Acting Attorney General, a damning comment on his capacity to honorably serve in this role. This Committee does not need to legitimate Mr. Blanche’s appointment by providing our consent.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-sounds-alarm-on-the-trump-administration-upending-head-start-and-continuing-attacks-on-special-education", "title": "Durbin Sounds Alarm On The Trump Administration Upending Head Start & Continuing Attacks On Special Education", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today questioned witnesses at Senator Mazie Hirono’s (D-HI) spotlight forum entitled “Breaking the Promise: How Relocating the IDEA Will Be Detrimental to Students and Families.” During the forum, Durbin sounded the alarm on the Trump Administration’s plans to shuffle the Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an agency that lacks the experience and expertise to help students with disabilities access a public education.\n\n“They [the Trump Administration] doesn’t have sensitivity to issues like racial disparity but they seem to want to fly right into the face of it to re-write history where they can [and] to eliminate programs that are arguing for equality… The Department of Education was created in the 1960s and I think for the same purpose [as Head Start]—to make sure the school districts of America fought [for] fairness when it came to giving kids a chance and now the Trump Administration wants to dismantle that effort,” said Durbin.\n\nDurbin first asked Ms. Valerie Williams, the former Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) under the Biden Administration, whether HHS and ED serve different purposes. Ms. Williams responded that Durbin is “not wrong” and that Congress and special education advocates must continue to support public education for both students with disabilities and low-income students.\n\nDurbin went on to speak about the importance of special education.\n\n“I don’t think what this Administration is proposing is helping whatsoever [with special education programs].” Durbin stated.\n\nMs. Katy Neas, CEO of The Arc of the United States, a national organization advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, responded that Durbin’s sentiments about special education and this Administration are “spot on.” She continued to note that the public education system needs to be better at teaching students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, with the tools they need to succeed.\n\nDuring the forum, Durbin reflected on his education growing up in East St. Louis, Illinois, and the need for the surrounding public schools to succeed so the communities succeed.\n\nDurbin concluded, “[T]his Administration… is squeezing [school districts] when it comes to… resources and discouraging a generation of special ed[ucation] teachers in the process.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s questions are available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s questions are available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s questions in the spotlight forum is available here for TV Stations.\n\nThe hearing examined how the Trump Administration’s interagency agreements (IAAs)—which shift significant administrative responsibilities from the Department of Education (ED) to the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Justice (DOJ)—could affect students with disabilities and their families.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gallego-colleagues-probe-insurance-companies-on-usage-of-credit-based-insurance-scores-as-costs-rise/", "title": "Gallego, Colleagues Probe Insurance Companies on Usage of Credit-Based Insurance Scores As Costs Rise", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.gallego.senate.gov", "scraper": "gallego", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000574", "name": "Ruben Gallego", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“Insurers should not charge consumers higher premiums simply because of their personal credit history, which could have been impacted by job loss, a surprise medical bill, predatory lending, or simply inaccurate information, rather than the actual risk associated with a home.”\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, Senator and Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and 19 other members of Congress sent letters to USAA, State Farm, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, and Allstate requesting information on the usage of credit-based insurance scores in homeowners insurance underwriting and pricing.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gallego-introduces-bill-to-put-parents-in-control-of-their-childrens-social-media/", "title": "Gallego Introduces Bill to Put Parents in Control of Their Children’s Social Media", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.gallego.senate.gov", "scraper": "gallego", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000574", "name": "Ruben Gallego", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced the Parental Approval for Youth Social Media Act, legislation that would require social media platforms to obtain parental consent before children under 16 can create or maintain accounts on their platforms.\n\n“Every study tells us the same thing: social media is poisoning our kids’ developing minds. When unsupervised online, they can be exposed to explicit material, recruited by drug or sex traffickers, or cyber bullied. Meanwhile, Big Tech is profiting off of that very screen time. It’s more than time we set a federal policy to protect our children,” said Senator Gallego.\n\nSocial media is used by nearly 95% of teenagers and has been linked to mental health and developmental harms. Platform features like recommendation algorithms and engagement-maximizing designs may worsen those effects.\n\nThe Parental Approval for Youth Social Media Act would:\n\nProhibit children under 16 from creating or maintaining social media accounts by default.\n\nAllow a parent or legal guardian to authorize an account for their child if they choose.\n\nRequire social media companies to provide parent-supervised accounts, giving parents meaningful tools to oversee and manage their child’s use of the platform.\n\nRequire platforms to verify users’ ages and parental authorization before allowing minors to access social media.\n\nThe bill exempts email, text messaging, educational platforms, video conferencing services, and online gaming or other services where social interaction is incidental to the primary function.\n\nLast week, Senator Gallego spoke with ABC15 about the proposed bill. Click here for more coverage from The Hill.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-schiff-and-colleagues-press-trump-administration-on-chaotic-opaque-oversight-of-new-artificial-intelligence-models/", "title": "Gillibrand, Schiff, And Colleagues Press Trump Administration On Chaotic, Opaque Oversight Of New Artificial Intelligence Models", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.gillibrand.senate.gov", "scraper": "gillibrand", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000555", "name": "Kirsten E. Gillibrand", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee, led four of her Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing the Trump administration for answers about its unpredictable oversight of frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models and its opaque standards for evaluating a model’s national security risk. The letter follows the Trump administration’s recent haphazard responses to frontier models from Anthropic and OpenAI, and comes as basic questions surround the implementation of Executive Order 14409, the White House’s voluntary pre-release review framework for frontier models.\n\n“The Trump administration’s unfocused, ad-hoc approach to AI risks America’s economic security and competitiveness,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The American people and leading AI companies need clear rules, not constantly changing dictates from the White House. Current administration policy is a disaster, failing to address security risks while threatening American innovation and pushing the world to Chinese alternatives. To safeguard the American people, protect American models and secure American economic leadership on the world stage, I’m demanding the administration work with Congress to establish a transparent, durable, and standardized regulatory AI framework.’\n\nIn addition to Gillibrand, the letter was signed by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Mark Warner (D-VA).\n\nIn the letter, the senators expressed their support for maintaining the United States’ competitive lead in AI development while protecting the country from serious national security risks. However, they stressed that continued reliance on ad hoc, case-by-case regulation will not sufficiently address the cybersecurity and other risks frontier AI models pose. The senators also warned that without consistent policy governing American models, consumers and businesses would be incentivized to migrate to models from foreign vendors, including those based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).\n\n“Last month provided a dramatic example of these potential risks. During an internal evaluation, OpenAI models escaped their testing environment and used high-level technical capabilities to compromise a third party’s network without any instructions to take those actions. The Federal Government cannot be passive as these capabilities emerge. At the same time, the administration’s recent actions surrounding access to advanced U.S. AI models have raised serious concerns about process, transparency, and strategic effect. On June 12, 2026, the Department of Commerce (“the Department”) utilized an infrequently used authority to direct Anthropic to suspend all access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for foreign nationals (including foreign national employees inside the United States) citing an undisclosed national security concern later described as a narrow jailbreak finding. Because the directive took effect immediately and Anthropic had no reliable way to verify users’ nationality in real time, the company was forced to disable both models for all users worldwide within hours. Over the following eighteen days, the Department and Anthropic negotiated a resolution outside of public view: a partial restoration of Mythos 5 to a defined set of trusted partners on June 26, followed by a full lifting of the export controls on June 30,” the senators wrote.\n\nThe senators continued, “While the Administration may have been responding to real security concerns to protect the United States, even justifiable interventions can create broader harm if the standards and decision-making processes are opaque, ad hoc, or unpredictable. Moreover, when the Executive Branch exercises authority delegated from Congress, such as in the conduct of export control administration, it is essential that it keep Congress fully apprised of its actions and procedures.”\n\nThe senators concluded the letter with a list of areas of clarification that will bring transparency to the public processes and standards the administration uses to deem frontier AI models a national security risk, the legal authorities the administration relies on to restrict access to AI models, and the administration’s assessment of whether its oversight strategy could incentive adoption of Chinese or other non-U.S. AI models.\n\n“We support serious, technically informed action to prevent frontier AI from being misused by adversaries or criminals and to mitigate risks posed by misalignment in the models themselves. The United States cannot afford to create a policy environment in which the most advanced American AI systems are subject to opaque, case-by-case restrictions while Chinese alternatives appear cheaper, easier to access, and more predictable to deploy. A clear public framework is necessary to protect national security, preserve U.S. AI leadership, and give industry and allies confidence that the United States remains the safest and most reliable source of advanced AI technology. We hope you will work with Congress to pursue such a framework,” the senators wrote.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-leads-iowa-delegation-in-call-for-expedited-disaster-aid-in-four-iowa-counties-following-july-floods", "title": "Grassley Leads Iowa Delegation in Call for Expedited Disaster Aid in Four Iowa Counties Following July Floods", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), along with Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) today called on President Donald Trump to approve Governor Kim Reynolds’ disaster declaration request following severe weather and heavy rainfall between July 1-4, 2026.\n\nThe weather produced high winds, severe flash flooding, and massive overtopping across central Iowa’s river basin, causing significant damage to public infrastructure and private property.\n\nIn addition to requesting hazard mitigation statewide, Governor Reynolds is seeking funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance program to rebuild damaged public infrastructure and public facilities and to cover costs for emergency clean-up efforts.\n\nThe FEMA Public Assistance program was requested for Jasper, Polk, Story and Warren counties.\n\nRead the delegation’s full letter to the president HERE.\n\nSBA’s Disaster Loan Program:\n\nOn July 24, Governor Reynolds announced the Small Business Administration granted her request to provide assistance for eight counties impacted by the severe storms: Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story and Warren counties. Learn more HERE.\n\nDisaster loan applications can be submitted online at lending.sba.gov or in person at designated assistance centers.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-judiciary-committee-advances-todd-blanches-nomination-to-be-attorney-general", "title": "Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Todd Blanche’s Nomination to be Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to be U.S. Attorney General, by a vote of 12-10.\n\n“Todd Blanche’s Justice Department has reprioritized the safety of Americans after the Biden administration opened the borders to violent criminals and turned a blind eye to the heinous crimes that were happening around the country… Today, I’m not only voting to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination. I’m voting for the safety of the American people,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said.\n\nBlanche’s nomination is supported by over 670,000 law enforcement officers, 300 Angel Families and more than 100 bipartisan U.S. Attorneys and DOJ officials spanning eight administrations. Under his leadership at the Department of Justice, the United States’ homicide rate has fallen to its lowest level in over 125 years, and every major violent crime category has dropped below pre-pandemic levels.\n\nWatch the executive business meeting HERE. Read Grassley’s opening statement HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-unanimously-passes-grassley-durbin-bankruptcy-legislation-to-support-small-businesses-and-american-families", "title": "Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Durbin Bankruptcy Legislation to Support Small Businesses and American Families", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are applauding the Senate’s unanimous passage of their Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026 to restore Americans’ access to critical bankruptcy programs by reinstating modern debt limits for Subchapter V and Chapter 13.\n\n“Our nation’s bankruptcy code should work for Americans, not against them. By eliminating barriers to reorganization and restoring modern debt limits, the bipartisan Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act would provide American families and small businesses the tools they need to regain their financial footing in a quicker, more streamlined process,” Grassley said. “I thank my colleagues in the Senate for their unanimous support of our legislation, and I urge the House of Representatives to swiftly pass this needed legislation.”\n\n“Bankruptcy is often a painful last resort for small business owners. This bill makes permanent a quicker and cheaper pathway for entrepreneurs to settle debts, keep the lights on, and keep serving their neighbors. It also expands eligibility for Chapter 13 bankruptcy to help more families manage rising costs, stay in their homes, and get back on their feet. With unanimous passage in the Senate, I encourage the House of Representatives to quickly pass this bill—and for the President to sign it into law,” Durbin said.\n\nThe bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).\n\nBill text can be found HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Grassley-Whitehouse Small Business Reorganization Act, signed into law in 2019, established Subchapter V within Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Subchapter V streamlined the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process for small business owners by reducing procedural burdens and lowering filing costs. Legislation signed into law in 2020 allowed more small businesses to qualify for these streamlined procedures by increasing the upper debt limit for Subchapter V to $7.5 million.\n\nIn 2022, the Grassley-Whitehouse Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment and Technical Corrections Act was signed into law, extending the $7.5 million debt limit for small businesses filing under Subchapter V and establishing a new debt limit of $2.75 million for individuals and families filing under Chapter 13. However, when the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment and Technical Corrections Act expired in 2024, the debt thresholds for both programs reverted to lower levels.\n\nThe Grassley-Durbin Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026 would permanently restore the Subchapter V debt limit to $7.5 million and the Chapter 13 debt limit to $2.75 million.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/04/icymi-hagerty-joinsmornings-with-maria-on-fox-business-to-discuss-save-america-act-clarity-act-and-arctic-frost-investigation/", "title": "ICYMI—Hagerty JoinsMornings With Maria on Fox Business to Discuss SAVE America Act, Clarity Act and Arctic Frost Investigation", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.hagerty.senate.gov", "scraper": "hagerty", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000601", "name": "Bill Hagerty", "party": "Republican", "state": "TN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington—Today, United States Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Mornings With Maria on Fox Business to discuss the week ahead in the Senate, including the SAVE America Act, the Clarity Act and the Arctic Frost Investigation.\n\n*Click the photo above or here to watch*\n\nPartial Transcript\n\nHagerty on the SAVE America Act: I just got back from Tennessee over the past weekend, and Americans want to see us pass this act. They want election integrity, and this is not a partisan issue. Every American—this is an 80% plus issue—they want to see it get done. I think we’re going to have to find a way to do it. I understand the reluctance of some of my colleagues because this budget reconciliation process opens up an unlimited amendment process where the [Senate Democrats] will have us voting against Santa Claus, against Christmas, against apple pie—you name it. [Senate Republicans] are going to have to lock our arms and stand strong, take the tough votes, and get our way through this. But I think it would be very, very challenging for us to go back to our constituents and tell them that we didn’t give it our very best to get this done.\n\nHagerty on the Arctic Frost Investigation: I want to find out what happened. It’s unbelievable. I’ve been a Verizon customer for decades. What happened was Verizon decided to violate the Constitution. I’m a sitting United States Senator, but because I’m a Republican—I presume—they were more than willing to cooperate with [Former President Joe Biden] and [Special Counsel Jack Smith] in the midst of an unconstitutional search of our records. AT&T blocked it; they wouldn’t do it because they knew it was against the Constitution. Verizon decided to move right ahead with it. Their chief executive officer and their chief legal officer have dodged every question. Even the chief legal officer decided to skip her hearing on this topic. We need to put both of them under oath and ask them some tough questions… Verizon was looking at a $20 billion acquisition of [Frontier Communications]. That was in the pipeline. Did they feel like they had to engender some sort of favor with the [Biden administration Department of Justice (DOJ)] so they’d get that approved? … Corporate America has got to realize that they’re going to be held to account when they engage in this sort of partisan political activity at the expense of their customers.\n\nHagerty on Verizon and the weaponization of the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ): It’s hard to say what [Special Counsel Jack Smith] was looking for, but he wanted a massive witch hunt. And it seemed that it only turned on whether you’re Republican or not. And it may only turn on whether you’re an ally or a friend of this current sitting president. Again, his enemy clearly was [President Donald Trump]. Those of us that were his allies were the ones that he felt like he had an open hunting license to go out and pursue anything and everything that he might to try to turn on us, to try to make our lives uncomfortable. And the fact that you had a company like Verizon colluding with Jack Smith, colluding with the Biden DOJ, and handing over Republicans’ records. Again, let’s find out why. Was it to curry favor? Was it to get a $20 billion acquisition through? Was it to get an appointment for the chief legal officer in the Biden administration?\n\nHagerty on holding Verizon accountable: We don’t know the answers to these questions. That’s why we need to put them under oath. That’s why they need to stop obfuscating. I made a formal complaint to them. They have until Aug. 11 to answer these questions, let’s see if they do… They’ve done everything they can to dodge and obfuscate. So we’re going to keep pressing. And now that I’ve got [Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-IA,] and [Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI,] on my side to press this, we have the full weight of the [Senate Judiciary Committee]. I think we have oversight powers now. We’ll bring them in; we’ll haul them in.\n\nHagerty on the CLARITY Act: We’re going to have to pass the CLARITY Act. There’s no way that we can allow the United States to fall behind in the digital assets arena. Everything is moving digital around the world. The GENIUS Act was a major step forward to make certain that the digital dollar remains dominant in the world. But we need to follow it up with the remainder of the market. I think the problem is, will we be able to pass this with Democrats right now? Or are they going to let midterm politics get in the way? I think we should just put it to a vote on the floor of the United States Senate and find out where the Democrats stand.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-urges-secretary-rollins-to-keep-farm-service-agency-offices-open-in-missouri/", "title": "Hawley Urges Secretary Rollins to Keep Farm Service Agency Offices Open in Missouri", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.hawley.senate.gov", "scraper": "hawley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001089", "name": "Josh Hawley", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to address Farm Service Agency (FSA) office closures and reduction of services in Missouri. His letter comes after the Missouri FSA State Committee announced a reduction of services in Ralls County starting in October of this year, a crucial time for farmers receiving conservation and disaster program assistance.\n\nSenator Hawley thanked Secretary Rollins for her efforts safeguarding Missouri agriculture, writing, “I appreciate your efforts to assist farmers as they continue to face high input costs and yearly financial losses. As you know, our nation’s producers rely on timely services from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) field offices as they work to navigate these challenges.”\n\nHe continued, “I write to request your review of pending closures and the reduction of services at Missouri Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. In particular, I am concerned about the pending reduction of services at the Ralls County FSA office on October 1, 2026. October is an incredibly important time of the year at FSA offices as several conservation and disaster program payments are distributed.”\n\nThe Senator concluded, “I urge you to use all appropriate resources and authorities at your disposal to preserve the continued operation of FSA offices in my state.”\n\nRead the full letter here or below.\n\nAugust 4, 2026\n\nThe Honorable Brooke L. Rollins\n\nSecretary of Agriculture\n\nUnited States Department of Agriculture\n\n1400 Independence Ave. S.W.\n\nWashington, D.C. 20250\n\nDear Secretary Rollins,\n\nI appreciate your efforts to assist farmers as they continue to face high input costs and yearly financial losses. As you know, our nation’s producers rely on timely services from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) field offices as they work to navigate these challenges.\n\nFor this reason, I write to request your review of pending closures and the reduction of services at Missouri Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. In particular, I am concerned about the pending reduction of services at the Ralls County FSA office on October 1, 2026. October is an incredibly important time of the year at FSA offices as several conservation and disaster program payments are distributed.\n\nTo assist my review of these matters, I respectfully request the following information by August 14, 2026:\n\nHow many Missouri FSA offices has USDA proposed to close by October 1, 2027? Please provide the names of each county office.\n\nHow many Missouri FSA has USDA proposed to reduce services at or alter to “appointment only” availability by October 1, 2027? Please provide the names of each county office.\n\nWhat staffing plans has the USDA considered to add quality FSA employees?\n\nIf additional staff is obtained prior to October, will the USDA reverse course on current plans to close or reduce services at Missouri FSA offices?\n\nI urge you to use all appropriate resources and authorities at your disposal to preserve the continued operation of FSA offices in my state. Thank you for your attention to this matter.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-ranking-member-heinrich-and-energy-secretary-granholm-interview-with-heatmap-news-on-energy-costs-permitting-reform-and-ai-data-centers", "title": "ICYMI: Ranking Member Heinrich and Energy Secretary Granholm Interview with Heatmap News on Energy Costs, Permitting Reform, and AI Data Centers", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – During an interview with Heatmap News’ Robinson Meyer, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, was joined by former U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to discuss President Trump’s actions that are skyrocketing gas and energy costs on families and small businesses, permitting reform, Heinrich’s Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act, AI data centers, and lessons learned from the Inflation Reduction Act.\n\n“This is an administration that has chosen to take actions that have negatively impacted prices in so many different sectors. And I hear about that at the grocery store, at the gas station, wherever I go. Energy prices are going up across the board,” said Heinrich.\n\n“What Democrats should always keep in their minds is that you cannot create and manage the energy transition on the backs of consumers,” continued Heinrich. “They already have their plates full. They're doing everything they can to make our economy work. We can't ask them to do more, especially in this environment. That doesn't mean we quit managing that transition, and it just means we can't ask consumers to pay for it.”\n\nU.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, answers questions on energy costs, permitting reform, AI data centers, and the Inflation Reduction Act, August 3, 2026.\n\nOn President Trump’s War with Iran and High Gas Prices\n\nMeyer asked, “Yesterday, Defense Secretary, as it were, announced that the cost of Iran was $37 billion, and we've already seen fuel prices go up. I know you wanted to start the conversation by talking about the huge spikes in energy costs that your constituents have seen, and I just wanted to ask at the beginning, you know, what are you hearing here? Because it does seem to me that at this point, there was an initial spike after the war, went back down, and now they're steadily climbing up again, and so you know, obviously New Mexico is also a producing state. But what are you hearing?”\n\nHeinrich answered, “Just that people are feeling the pinch on energy prices everywhere, and it's across all forms of energy. This is an administration that has chosen to take actions that have negatively impacted prices in so many different sectors. So, you know what they're doing in the electricity sector by not permitting all this new generation that is just waiting to be connected to the grid – that's raising electricity prices. You have the war in Iran, which has constrained international oil and gas supplies, and that is raising both natural gas, gasoline, and also diesel costs. And that diesel cost is really important because the reality is, once you run up the cost of diesel, then you see that every place that things move, you see it immediately in the grocery store because it costs more to move food from one part of the country to the other. You see it in building supply prices. What they're doing, making old coal plants that are ready to shut down stay on the grid, that actually costs money, and those costs are being passed on to consumers in those places. No matter where you look in the energy map, what they're doing is increasing costs. And I hear about that at the grocery store, at the gas station, wherever I go. Really, it's like energy prices are going up across the board.”\n\nMeyer turned to Granholm, “Secretary Granholm, I'm curious. You know, at this point, we've had about a year and a half of watching the new Department of Energy in action... but I want to start by asking what has stood out to you about how it's operating, what you don't like, and maybe one thing you like, if there's anything.”\n\nGranholm answered, “I will say, you know, there was a big diaspora of the team, an incredibly smart team that had to leave, or that chose to leave because of some of the things they're describing. I will say I'm going to give you a silver lining on some of this because I really do think that the actions of this administration unintentionally caused a rush to clean energy and other solutions. So the old triple B, the One Big Beautiful Bill, didn't take away the tax credits. It used to be solar plus storage. Solar plus storage. Now it's solar plus storage, and you know it's great that those tax credits still exist, and you're seeing developers really take advantage of it. Putting a cliff on when those tax credits, when the solar tax credits and land tax credits expired, obviously caused a rush for developers to build up, so the amount of gigawatts that are being added to the grid, I mean, it’s so ironic. At the end of 2024, when we added almost 60 gigawatts of clean power to the grid and batteries, we thought that was going to be the top because of what the administration knew. But the unintended consequences of this action is that this huge rate of gigawatts, added to the grid of clean power and batteries. Amazing, amazing. So I'm glad that some of that foundation is still existing. The private sector even understands the importance of this move, and I will say because of the war, you know, it only accelerates the move toward non-fossil fuel, people with local powers, energy sovereignty, and that means clean power.”\n\nHeinrich followed, “And we've seen other economies accelerate those shifts, seeing what's going on in the Strait of Hormuz, and in some cases, in China's case, really anticipating it, moving large portions of their economy from molecules to electricity.”\n\nMeyer asked, “Do you have any theories? I'm injecting this, but do you have any theories for why? I feel like after the Strait of Hormuz closed, there were doomsday predictions about where oil would go, and obviously oil prices increased significantly, but they didn't hit $150 or $22 a barrel. Do you have any theories about why that is?”\n\nHeinrich answered, “It's a couple of things. There's more buffer in the system than we used to have. China built up big reserves ahead of time. There are the commercial reserves. There's the strategic petroleum reserve. We haven't exhausted those buffers, so that really has worked to mitigate. You know, prices are bad. It's just not as bad as some of the predictions are. We're not at the bottom now because the Strait’s closed again, and those commercial reserves are now, after a little bump when the MOU happened and was announced, they're ticking back down, and there is a point at which the system stops working like it's designed to work. You need a certain amount of oil in the system, and we're getting closer to that than I think any of us. And then you're one hurricane away from really bad prices.”\n\nOn Permitting Reform and the Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act\n\nMeyer asked, “So obviously, one way to lower prices, or one potential way to lower prices over the long term, is permitting reform. I know you're in negotiations right now about a deal here. So can you give us an update on where that stands?”\n\nHeinrich answered, “I don't want to get in the weeds on it because the negotiations are actually very active right now, but I do think there's a path there, and I think both Republican and Democratic leaders in the relevant committees want to get to yes on permitting. I think the biggest wild card is actually the White House because the White House continues to do things that sort of poison the well. They did that with the Historic Preservation Act new regulations this week. They've done that with stop-work orders on offshore wind, with the Department of Defense stopping the process of processing very straightforward onshore wind permitting projects on public lands. Time and time again, they have entered this debate in ways that have not been healthy, that haven't been helpful for getting a product across the line. We're working hard. We're trying to negotiate, you know, a middle ground, but I worry about the impact of the White House.”\n\nGranholm followed, “The utter frustration about waiting for Congress, you know, present company exempted, to get permitting reform done suggests that there may be another path, and you know I know that there is an effort on the part of hyperscalers or AI companies to look at how can AI do this instead of waiting for Congress. So, for example, I think you probably covered this: the effort that Google has, through tapestry at PJM, the notion that you should be able to take the interconnection queue and move it more quickly because you can do concurrent studies, et cetera, rather than all these consecutive wait in line blah blah blah, and if you can do that there, or if you can do it with permitting and respect the intent of NEPA or the National Historic Preservation Act, and use AI to get some of this done and accelerate, then you might end up leapfrogging over Congress, which doesn't mean that you shouldn't be doing it. But I just worry that...”\n\nHeinrich interjected, “I do think that the interconnection queues are a perfect place to apply machine learning, AI, advanced modeling, and we had all five FERC commissioners in front of us today on the Energy Natural Resources Committee. And one of the commissioners walked through an example where they were able to do, historically, what had been an over 600-day analysis of adding this generation to the grid became a 10-day process, and so we should absolutely do all that. I still think we're going to need to reform permitting and be able to get to yes or no faster and make sure that those permits flow.”\n\nGranholm followed, “Your mouth to God's ears.”\n\nMeyer stated, “I do wonder, with the AI acceleration of permitting, it seems like there are a lot of places to speed things up. It also seems like it's only so long until we are already used to these massive dockets and huge studies for a lot of energy projects or infrastructure projects. It does seem like AI only increases the ability to expand those dockets and make every study bigger and allow more people to file more documents that then have to be reviewed. It just seems like a both ways thing, but maybe...”\n\nGranholm followed, “But hopefully, at least you can truncate the amount of time that is. It should not take 10 years for a transmission, or 17 in your case, it's insane.”\n\nHeinrich followed, “There's only so much capital in that world, and so many competent developers I think it will generate additional demand, but the advantage of being able to do modeling quickly is really, it seems like, a very unlinear advantage. I think we're going to see a lot of, of juice for the squeeze from that.”\n\nGranholm followed, “I love what you have introduced, though, the [Grid] Connect[ion] and [Congestion] Manage[ment] Act. Can I ask him this question? You probably have that on your list, but I mean, describe what that is because it's so smart to be able to jump the queue essentially if you agree to certain conditions.”\n\nHeinrich answered, “I mean, we've always been modeling based on what's the worst-case scenario, what's the worst hour of the worst month when in the middle of July everybody's coming home and turning on their air conditioning at the same time. There are vast stretches of time when the grid just has a lot more capacity, and so what our bill says is, if you will commit to curtail power when the grid is full, you can just plug into the grid, and we'll let you sell power whenever the grid still has excess capacity, but you're going to have to dial it down when it doesn't have that capacity, and so that's something that we've seen work in ERCOT, and I think has huge potential for getting a lot more generation on the grid quickly if we apply that nationally.”\n\nMeyer asked, “Do you anticipate a law like that or some kind of policy like that being in the permitting reform field this year, or is that a future policy you'd like to see?”\n\nHeinrich answered, “We’ll have the conversation. We're rolling this out obviously late in the game, and I'm a big believer in get what you can done in any given Congress. Don't wait for the next Congress and think it's all going to be perfect. It never is around here, so we'll get everything we can done in this Congress. That's my position, and if that's not part of the mix, then of course we're going... permitting reform is not going to go away.”\n\nMeyer pressed, “And then one more on this, just because I have a news responsibility, which is, where do we like? What would a timeline look like? I once heard the timeline was, you'd want to see text by August recess, but that's pretty soon.”\n\nHeinrich answered, “We're very thick in the negotiations right now, and whether or not we could land something before August, I'm not going to speculate. But my goal has always been just to get something out of this Congress. I don't care when that happens, but I'd like to get a product out of this Congress.”\n\nOn the Implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and Energy Costs\n\nMeyer asked, “Secretary Granholm, I wonder what, watching now 18 months of the Trump administration, you think, you know ‘we should have done this differently when during the Biden administration,’ or ‘there's an issue here that I would have handled differently,’ or now that I see what's happened and how they've approached governing.”\n\nGranholm answered, “Yeah, it's such a, it's a great question because I think every one of the cabinet officials looks at what has happened in the Trump administration and says, ‘Man, I should have broken more eggs, not more laws, but I should have like really insisted on much more quicker,’ you know, all the negotiations that took forever on, you know, getting the Treasury guidelines and all of that. It was like a cannonball should have dropped through, and I think that's a good lesson that will be taken away for the next administration.”\n\nMeyer pressed, “And why didn't it happen?”\n\nGranholm answered, “Because there's process, because there's lawyers. I mean, there was a sense that this is the way you do things, et cetera.”\n\nHeinrich interjected, “And we accepted that status quo.”\n\nGranholm continued, “Yeah, we all accepted it.”\n\nHeinrich interjected, “And we shouldn’t have. We should have built programs that don't take two years of analysis, and that is definitely the lesson that I took from the rapid... the things that were fairly straightforward, like the tax credits, were able to move quickly. But there were whole programs like the green bank that got stood up just in time to be turned off.”\n\nMeyer asked, “Is that a drafting failure or an implementation failure?”\n\nGranholm answered, “I mean, to be fair, there was a lot in implementation, but there are a lot of rules around all of this that have certain timelines, et cetera. So I think taking a look at all of that. I mean, Democrats have been very-we're going to follow the rules, and we're not going to bust. You know, we're not going to break norms. And I think this administration has broken a lot of norms and shown that you can get stuff done more quickly. Not likely they've been done quickly, but nonetheless, I think it's a lesson for us about challenging the status quo.”\n\nMeyer asked, “On energy costs. I want to just observe a kind of interesting dynamic here, which is that I think as Trump has taken steps that have driven up energy costs, I think we all agree it's making costs higher than they would be otherwise. Certainly, the Iran War, likely the permitting obstacles that they put up to wind and solar, tariffs. He has driven up. I think his administration has driven up energy costs, and we hear a lot from Democrats about how that's bad. It does seem a little bit to me like there's a bit of an effort to play both sides because I think when right now Trump is doing things that are driving up costs and costs are going up and everyone agrees that's bad. Democrats get in office and they have a lot of different goals for the energy system. Some are procedural and some are about environmental goals, and that tends to slow things down. People take a long time to approve, say, oil and gas permits. And so, do you think that watching this experience, you know, watching the Trump administration, the Democrats are now ready to embrace or looking at, let's say, an affordability-first or affordability-only agenda, where it's like we'll take clean, we'll take fossil, we'll take whatever, as long as costs are low.”\n\nHeinrich answered, “I think what Democrats should always keep in their minds is that you cannot create and manage the energy transition on the backs of consumers. They already have their plates full. They're doing everything they can to make our economy work. We can't ask them to do more, especially in this environment. That doesn't mean we quit managing that transition; it just means we can't ask consumers to pay for it.”\n\nGranholm answered, “But if we're to be honest, the cheapest energy is clean energy, and so if you want to go cheap, then let abundant clean energy be prolific and deployed throughout the land, and it will bring the rates down.”\n\nMeyer pressed, “Let me just push back a little and say I think watching, let's say, the Trump administration revoke permits and block permits and block construction for wind and solar, it does put you in mind of the Keystone XL pipeline, which was not necessarily an affordability project, but which Democrats did block. Now, it was, there were good climate reasons to block it…”\n\nHeinrich interjected, “But it was also an export project, and the reality is exports raise costs. They just do. You can export a certain amount of natural gas, and that can be okay, but when you hit a certain threshold, you're going to start to see natural gas prices increase, and that's why we built into those exports the fact that the Secretary of Energy is supposed to sign off on a project by project basis. It wasn't meant to be infinite, because if you do make it infinite, eventually exports, by virtue of those exports, you're actually going to raise domestic prices for both consumers and for manufacturers, and they've taken the opposite approach, which is let's export as much as we can. At a certain point, you see that have an impact on the costs and on the jobs that those manufacturers create, right?”\n\nGranholm followed, “Right. The studies that have been shown, I mean, it's the question of supply and demand, right? If, in fact, the capacity fills everything that's been authorized, you will have double the amount of exports of natural gas. Even though we have such an abundant supply of natural gas in this country, that is going to put upward pressure on prices.”\n\nHeinrich interjected, “It connects us to the international price market, and we've seen this this before in places like Australia. We don't want to be connected to that because those prices are much higher. There's more advantage in having moderate prices here that can that can really incentivize good jobs in things like manufacturing.”\n\nOn AI Data Centers\n\nMeyer asked, “Secretary Granholm, I wonder, we've seen this explosion — I feel like, just dated almost to when the Biden-Trump transition happened in AI data centers and in electricity demand — I know you're working, you're thinking about these issues right now. So, I guess take us to the end of your time in government versus what's happened since then. And was this scale of demand forecasted?”\n\nGranholm answered, “No, no. I mean, even, I mean, you guys noticed, noted that Bloomberg New Energy Finance increased their projection, their forecast, for how many gigawatts are going to be necessary to feed the beast by 2035, and just from December of last year, of you know 2025 to now, it has increased by 80 percent. I mean, it's just, it's voracious the appetite for power. So it is really quite astonishing. Now, will all of that come to fruition? Will the chips be more efficient? Are these going to be sited because of the NIMBY issues? All of those are legitimate questions. But if the demand projections are accurate, it is going to require a massive amount of buildout of power.”\n\nMeyer asked, “What's the right way to make sure as much of that power is as green as possible? Because I think right now it's going to be met by gas. Now maybe that's...”\n\nGranholm answered, “Maybe, or maybe not. I mean, is that the smart way to go? When I mean, you know, it's mind-blowing to me a little bit that there's all this assumption that it's all going to be natural gas, when first of all you have to have the infrastructure for natural gas, or you have to build it out. It takes a lot of time to build out that infrastructure. Secondly, the wait for natural gas turbines, as everybody knows, is years. So the time frame of getting natural gas turbines and a natural gas plant is long, whereas the time frame for getting solar and batteries you can get within months, say, rather than years, so I don't necessarily buy the fact. Maybe natural gas ends up being a backup power. Maybe the, you know, bloom energy, et cetera, ends up being your backup source. But even that, when you look at the technology associated with long duration energy storage and how that is really coming to bear, I mean, there's, you know, example after example of that, or you know, geothermal, enhanced geothermal. There's any number of solutions that end up being clean and don't incur the wrath of citizens as much as fossil fuel solutions.”\n\nHeinrich answered, “It’s worth considering, too, that if we do see the level, the scale of natural gas generation that some people are proposing, it will markedly increase the cost of gas for other uses. So, if your house electricity is generated by natural gas, those prices are going to go up. If you heat your house with natural gas directly, those prices are going to go up. If you're a manufacturer and you're using gas, those prices are going to go up. So it is in our interest to find cheaper, cleaner sources of power to power as much of this transition as we can possibly get.”\n\nMeyer asked, “How do you balance making the big investments that the power system needs or the energy system needs to meet future energy demand, which is going to come from data centers or electrification or manufacturing. Even if you curtain off data centers and be like, ‘This is a bad energy use. We're going to need a lot more energy in the future to do a lot of the things we want to do.’ How do you balance the long-term need to make big investments in the energy system or the power system to meet future demand versus the need to keep costs low in the short term because right now the way we pay for future big investments is to raise costs today?”\n\nGranholm answered, “Right, rate base. What if these data centers that come on are required to pay for those infrastructure upgrades, which you know everybody's talking about. The president has pledged that he's having people sign. Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan has pledged. I mean, everybody's talking about... In fact, you guys, meaning Congress, just passed out of the E&C Committee, a ratepayer pledge. Great. Let's get a pledge that the hyperscalers pay for the upgrades that they bring clean power that they have responsible, if not replenishment water use, using advanced technologies to be able to do that. You know, maybe you take down some of the opposition, but maybe you also make the grid stronger as well. Maybe these data centers become grid assets because they are supplying power back to the grid, or they have created additional battery usage to make the grid more reliable, or they inject power when the grid is at maximum capacity. But more than that, those are kind of table stakes for data centers. What if they brought more than that? What if, you know, in community benefit agreements. What is the stake that the community has, and what do they give to the community? And to me, this is where the most interesting part of this conversation can happen. Not only should they pay for all those upgrades, but maybe they also pay for distributed energy resources, for home solar and storage, or maybe they help to subsidize EV batteries, etc., EV vehicles — and use the batteries to create a virtual power plant for a portion of their capacity needs to get that flexibility. Now the community has a stake. They get a battery in their home, or they get a heat pump, or whatever... It’s interesting, Volltus has done this with the PJM market. They're going to bid 100 megawatts of distributed capacity into the PJM capacity auction. How great is that? Because they're going to cobble together enough to create a virtual power plant. Why aren't we looking at that? Why aren't we looking at using the grid more efficiently with the resources we have? What Voltus is doing is taking existing assets and cobbling them together to create a virtual power plant. What if hyperscalers pay for new stuff in a community that they're coming into? So I think there's a real opportunity here.”\n\nHeinrich followed, “I think given the premium that a lot of these developers have been willing to pay – you can reduce price pressure on consumers, and you can invest in more infrastructure.”\n\nMeyer asked, “What does this look like in policy? Because I think there's a lot of good ideas. There's a lot of goals. Obviously, the Trump administration has advanced their ratepayer protection pledge, which is kind of all of this stuff, but without emphasizing clean as much or at all. There's still a ton of demand to build data centers. What's the policy to focus that demand look like, and what goals should Democrats bring to the, you know, the process of regulating and shaping the data center building?”\n\nGranholm answered, “There may be a sort of floor that the federal government puts into place and then states take it to the next level. So maybe the ratepayer protection pledge, maybe the table stakes, as I call it, are happening at the federal level, and they're required to meet those. And I think many of the responsible tech companies are willing to do that. And then the states go and follow behind. Maybe they require buffer zones. Maybe they require community consultation, and they have a menu of options that a hyperscaler might be able to bring to make not just a community home, but make a community better than when the hyperscaler got here. Politically, this is hard because there's such an aversion, and people can't imagine that this is enforceable and that you trust them that they're going to be transparent. The transparency issue is a real big deal. If I were running for office right now, I'd say no data centers in my state unless you do these five things, and if those five things are done, then we'll have a conversation.”\n\nMeyer asked, “What did you think of? Sorry, say your five things. Say your five things.”\n\nGranholm answered, “No, which is what Gretchen Whitmer did in Michigan, and she's asking the legislature to codify that, or the Public Service Commission in Michigan to do that. That's what needs to happen.”\n\nMeyer asked, “What did you? I interrupted you. You should say the five things.”\n\nGranholm continued, “Well, so making sure that you don't socialize the cost to the rate base. Bring your own clean energy. You have a long-term commitment, so there's an exit fee if you if you go early. You have responsible water use. You are flexible. You agree to flexibility within the system, just as a startup, but you must enter into a community benefit agreement, and that community benefit agreement has to be in consultation with the community in question, and it might include jobs, it might include job training and apprenticeships, and there's a whole menu of things that might be possible that I think hyperscalers would be willing to look at.”\n\nMeyer asked, “Are you worried, if you were to do this, that a lot of data center developers look at that and they go ‘thank you, that's tough, we're going to take this to Texas to build this?’”\n\nGranholm responded, “Local communities, no matter where they are, I mean, there's been over 100 moratoria passed, local communities in red states and in blue states... my message to these local folks is you have leverage. You have leverage right now.”\n\nHeinrich interjected, “You've got to be transparent. You've got to bring real value, which is what the Secretary is talking about, to the community from day one, and build trust.”\n\nGranholm continued, “Raise the bar for all of them, because there's some data center companies who might not be eager to do this, but if you raise the bar as a community and insist on it, maybe they'll go to a place, another place, but maybe, just maybe, that other place is going to be insistent on using its leverage as well.”\n\nLessons from the Inflation Reduction Act\n\nMeyer asked, “Last question. So, the IRA, it was a big bill, and you both played a major role in it, implementation or writing or passage. It tried to electrify a lot of the economy, and obviously, it did a lot of good. Maybe it wasn't going to meet its targets, had everything remained in the case, but it’s impossible to know what would happen with a Harris administration. It was trying to electrify more of the economy and create this big surge of electricity. Now we have the data center boom, huge, huge demand for electricity, and a ton of electricity infrastructure is getting built out now, on the back of the demand boom. What are the lessons from the IRA that we should take? I mean, in your head, maybe you both experienced the IRA. You both experienced, I would say, the IRA era of governance. So, what should we learn from that and apply to the data center growth...”\n\nGranholm asked, “To the data centers?”\n\nMeyer clarified, “Or to the next few years, yeah.”\n\nGranholm answered, “I would like to see a revising of the Inflation Reduction Act. I mean, a rebirth of the pieces that were carved out, so tax credits for solar and for wind, et cetera. I'd like to see an investment tax credit for the grid as well. But I think the lesson in terms of implementation was pretty clear that we just didn't do a good job of selling it. It took too long, so we did a lot of ribbon cuttings, but we didn't do a lot of groundbreakings. Or excuse me, we did a lot of groundbreakings, but we didn't do a lot of ribbon cuttings, meaning, people weren't hired yet for all of these announcements that were made, and so people didn't feel it on the ground, and so they didn't attribute it to the administration from a political point of view, or certainly to the Inflation Reduction Act, which people, everyday citizens, have no idea what that was. So, doing a much better job in getting the word out about why is this factory opening up in my area, why am I hearing about a job fair over here? And connecting those dots, I think, was one of the big areas.”\n\nHeinrich answered, “Speed number one, and then doing a better job of telling the story. I think that's where we lost the narrative. We had a great story to tell. I really focused, and it was an election year for me, so I focused heavily on the specific factories that were making solar and wind components for these big projects in New Mexico, and I tied it to big construction projects like the SunZia generation and transmission line. I don't think we did that nationally as effectively as we could have.”\n\nMeyer asked, “Do you think it needs a big, charismatic idea at the center next time, National Grid or Big Underground? We're going to underground all the lines, or something, or would just selling it have been better?”\n\nGranholm answered, “When I tell people that there were 950 factories that came or announced they were coming or expanding in the United States just to build clean energy stuff as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, people are like 950 factories coming? I mean, there was a good story there. There really was, and you know, I was on, you know, the main cable networks, but I didn't go on all of the side, you know. And most people aren't getting their news from main cable, so we have to think better strategically about how we communicate, where we communicate, use social media a lot more to be able to get the word out.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/in-judiciary-committee-hirono-votes-against-advancing-blanche-confirmation", "title": "In Judiciary Committee, Hirono Votes Against Advancing Blanche Confirmation", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.hirono.senate.gov", "scraper": "hirono", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001042", "name": "Mazie K. Hirono", "party": "Democrat", "state": "HI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "~ Watch Senator Hirono’s Statement Here ~\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) a senior member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, voted against advancing Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as the United States Attorney General. In a Judiciary Committee executive business meeting, Senator Hirono raised concerns about Mr. Blanche’s ability to lead an independent U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) committed to enforcing the rule of law.\n\n“Mr. Blanche has demonstrated that his words to us at his hearing do not matter. I intend to judge Mr. Blanche not by his words but by his actions. Even though he said he would cooperate with the New Mexico Epstein investigation, he will not actually do so. Even though he claims to follow the constitution and the law, he acts as the President’s lawyer, catering to his whims,” said Senator Hirono. “At a time when DOJ has lost thousands of career attorneys with millennia of combined experience, and when DOJ’s independence from politics is no longer in existence, I cannot vote in favor of someone whose actions so clearly make him ineligible to serve as Attorney General—even of a department as compromised as this Department of Justice, which is basically the Department of Retribution and Revenge.”\n\nSince the beginning of President Trump’s second term, Senator Hirono has been fighting back against the Trump Administration’s flagrant attacks on the rule of law. Last month, during Mr. Blanche’s nomination hearing, Senator Hirono pressed Blanche on his role in weaponizing the DOJ against President Trump’s perceived enemies, his failure to rescind the anti-weaponization slush fund, and his commitment to assisting the state of New Mexico’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch. In March, on the Senate Floor, Senator Hirono opposed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act which, unlike its name suggests, would make it significantly harder for Americans to exercise their right to vote. Additionally, Senator Hirono has consistently raised alarms about the Administration’s failure to adequately address cryptocurrency related crimes. Senator Hirono has also consistently sought justice for sexual assault survivors, including those assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein and President Trump.\n\nWatch the video of Senator Hirono’s statement here. A full transcript of Senator Hirono’s statement is available below:\n\nThank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\nI asked Mr. Blanche questions in three broad areas during his hearing two weeks ago.\n\nFirst, I asked him about the Epstein files. Specifically, I asked whether he would cooperate with the New Mexico Department of Justice’s investigation into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch. And I asked if he would help state law enforcement get the information that it was seeking from the Epstein files.\n\nAt the hearing, he said DOJ would cooperate. But in follow-up questions for the record, he dodged. And I understand that DOJ is actually stonewalling the New Mexico Department of Justice in its request for information in its investigation.\n\nThis public show of concern contrasted with private dismissiveness is how he treated the survivors who met with him, the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein.\n\nI asked one of those survivors about the meeting that he finally had with the survivors.\n\nShe said, “We walked away with a feeling of demoralization because he did not come into that meeting looking to work with us in good faith.”\n\nI thank and commend the survivors for their courage in fighting for justice.\n\nThe second category of questions I asked Mr. Blanche two weeks ago centered on DOJ’s independence. I asked him the simple question, “Do you believe it is the President’s ‘right’ and ‘duty’ to order the investigation or prosecution of his perceived enemies?”\n\nMr. Blanche responded, “I can’t answer that yes or no.” He might as well just have said yes.\n\nIn follow-up questions for the record, I asked him the simple question, “If confirmed, will your highest duty be to the Constitution of the United States or to the President of the United States?”\n\nHe left the answer to that question blank. Blank. When he is sworn in as Attorney General, he will swear to uphold and defend the Constitution, but we know that oath will take a back seat to his loyalty to the President.\n\nThe third category of questions I asked him was related to the slush fund. At his hearing, I asked him whether he had rescinded the Order dated May 18, 2026, setting out parameters for the anti-weaponization fund. He testified that he had rescinded it.\n\nIn questions for the record, I asked him on what date he had rescinded the order and this fund. He did not answer the question with a date.\n\nHe refused to end this felon fund in writing until he was forced into it in order to secure needed votes from my Republican colleagues. And how can we trust that this so-called “death” will be lasting when he has shown that his words to us at his hearing do not matter? He was under oath at the hearing, but he’s hardly going to prosecute himself for lying to Congress, which he did.\n\nMr. Chairman, I intend to judge Mr. Blanche not by his words but by his actions.\n\nEven though he said he would cooperate with the New Mexico Epstein investigation, it seems he will not actually do so. Even though he claims to follow the constitution and the law, he acts as the President’s lawyer, catering to his whims and protecting him.\n\nAnd even though he said repeatedly that the anti-weaponization fund is dead, he had to be forced literally kicking and screaming to memorialize that death in written.\n\nThat non-binding writing will mean little when the President wants the fund and is loudly saying so. Who do you think Mr. Blanche will side with?\n\nIs he going to uphold this so-called non-binding statement made to secure today’s vote from some of my Republican colleagues? Or the wishes of the President to whom he is loyal above all?\n\nAt a time when DOJ has lost thousands of career attorneys with millennia of combined experience, and when DOJ’s independence from politics is no longer in existence I cannot vote in favor of someone whose actions so clearly make him ineligible to serve as Attorney General—even of a department as compromised as this Department of Justice, which basically is a Department of Retribution and Revenge.\n\nAnd I urge my colleagues to vote no as well.\n\nThank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-backed-bill-to-crack-down-on-foreign-robocalls-passes-senate/", "title": "Husted-backed bill to crack down on foreign robocalls passes Senate", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.husted.senate.gov", "scraper": "husted", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001104", "name": "Jon Husted", "party": "Republican", "state": "OH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“I’ve heard from too many Ohioans who have been targeted by foreign scammers and robocalls, and it’s clear we need stronger tools to stop them.”\n\nWASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) today announced the Senate has passed the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act, a bill he co-sponsored to strengthen efforts to stop foreign scam calls.\n\n“I’ve heard from too many Ohioans who have been targeted by foreign scammers and robocalls, and it’s clear we need stronger tools to stop them. This bill would improve coordination, strengthen enforcement and ensure there are real consequences for those who prey on innocent Americans. I’m encouraged to see this bill pass the Senate, and I’ll continue working to get it through the House and signed into law,” said Husted.\n\nThe Foreign Robocall Elimination Act would create a task force responsible for developing a strategy to combat foreign robocalls. It would also extend the renewal period for the critical Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) program, which works to track down the culprits of these scam calls.\n\nThis bill would bring together government and private sector experts to work with the Department of Justice to ensure that they are properly equipped to address and prosecute illicit robocalls.\n\nThis task force would evaluate foreign robocalls and determine the most effective strategies to combat them, with the goal of enhancing international cooperation to reduce illegal robocalls.\n\nThis support came after Husted has consistently heard from Ohioans about the impact that robocalls have on their daily lives.\n\nThe Foreign Robocall Elimination Act passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Oct. 21, 2025.\n\nThe American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and USTelecom endorse the bill.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-leads-bill-to-help-ohioans-afford-their-first-home/", "title": "Husted leads bill to help Ohioans afford their first home", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.husted.senate.gov", "scraper": "husted", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001104", "name": "Jon Husted", "party": "Republican", "state": "OH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“By freeing up existing resources, I’m proud this bipartisan bill gives first-time homebuyers another tool to use in pursuing their version of the American Dream.”\n\nWASHINGTON – Sens. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) today introduced the First-Time Homebuyer Empowerment Act. This bill would help first-time homebuyers by allowing them to put unused college savings toward a down payment.\n\nThe First-Time Homebuyer Empowerment Act would allow people to transfer up to $35,000 in leftover college savings from their 529 plans tax free for the purchase of a first home. Funds in 529 plans traditionally may only be used for education-related expenses or transferred to a retirement account. By freeing up existing resources for first-time homebuyers, the bill would remove barriers to making a down payment and help more families afford a home.\n\n“I’m focused on helping working families get ahead and making life more affordable. Making homeownership more attainable is a critical part of that effort. Too many Ohioans have worked hard, saved responsibly and still struggle to afford a down payment. By freeing up existing resources, I’m proud this bipartisan bill gives first-time homebuyers another tool to use in pursuing their version of the American Dream,” said Husted.\n\n“Across Colorado, too many young people and working families struggle to afford their first home. This bill would allow first-time homebuyers to use the savings they already have to cover a down payment and help put homeownership within reach,” said Bennet.\n\n“Downpayment hurdles continue to block many families from owning a home. The First-Time Home Buyer Empowerment Act provides a common-sense solution that empowers first-time buyers to use their own savings—at no cost to taxpayers. MBA looks forward to supporting this and other efforts in Congress to expand sustainable homeownership,” said Bill Killmer, Senior Vice President of Legislative & Political Affairs at Mortgage Bankers Association.\n\nReps. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Mark Alford (R-Mo.) and Lou Correa (D-Calif.) introduced the companion bill to the First-Time Homebuyer Empowerment Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n“Homeownership is the heart of the American Dream. The ability to provide a safe, stable place to raise a family is so important for the future of our country. Today, too many young Americans feel that owning a home is becoming more and more out of reach. I appreciate Senator Husted and Senator Bennet introducing companion legislation to our House bill. By working together in bipartisan and bicameral fashion, we can give people more flexibility on how to use their savings, opening up pathways for more Americans to own equity in their homes,” said Mann.\n\n“Every American deserves a fair shot at owning a home. Too many first-time buyers are working hard and saving yet still can’t reach the down payment. This commonsense bill gives families more flexibility to use their existing savings in tax advantaged accounts, opening the door to the American Dream,” said Alford.\n\n“This bill would give hard-working American taxpayers on Main Street greater flexibility to put the money they’ve earnestly saved toward one of the largest investments they can make—buying a home. In Orange County and across our state, housing has only become more unaffordable. This would mark an important step toward giving aspiring home-owners across the country the tools they need to build and sustain financial stability—for themselves and their children,” said Correa.\n\n“Too many families can’t afford homes that work for them, plain and simple. An easy first step towards changing that reality is to let homebuyers tap into unused college savings in their 529 accounts and put them towards purchasing their first home. I’m proud to join my colleagues on this legislation to incentivize saving for the future and help the next generation achieve homeownership,” said Barrett.\n\nThis bill builds on Husted’s work to help more Americans buy a home by reducing the cost of housing. Husted supported the 21stCentury ROAD to Housing Act which focuses on the root cause of rising housing costs by cutting red tape, unlocking housing supply, lowering costs for families, protecting taxpayers and preserving local control.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-van-hollen-colleagues-urge-trump-administration-to-prevent-further-atrocities-in-sudan-kaine-van-hollen-colleagues-urge-trump-administration-to-prevent-further-atrocities-in-sudan", "title": "Kaine, Van Hollen, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Prevent Further Atrocities in Sudan", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "domain": "www.kaine.senate.gov", "scraper": "kaine", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000384", "name": "Tim Kaine", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined a group of his colleagues led by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in pressing the State Department to use its leverage to prevent further atrocities in Sudan and help bring the war to an end. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, the senators stressed the immediate need for the State Department to act in light of the impending siege of the city of El Obeid and following the atrocities that occurred in El Fasher last year.\n\n“We write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF,” wrote the senators.\n\n“We have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the ‘hallmarks of genocide’ according to United Nations investigators. […] The siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction,” the senators continued.\n\n“The State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of ‘alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent’ and said ‘the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering,’” the senators emphasized.\n\n“Now, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end,” they concluded.\n\nIn addition to Kaine and Van Hollen, the letter was signed by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).\n\nFull text of the letter is available here and below:\n\nSecretary Rubio,\n\nWe write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF.\n\nWe have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the “hallmarks of genocide” according to United Nations investigators. A United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission found that “the Rapid Support Forces steadily squeezed the life out of El-Fasher and surrounding displacement camps, cutting off food, water, medical supplies, and humanitarian assistance, while subjecting the city to recurring shelling and ground assaults. Civilians were increasingly trapped, as escape routes were restricted or closed, and forced to endure conditions of life progressively incompatible with human survival.” This 18-month siege culminated in a 3-day rampage in October 2025, where survivors describe the slaughter of civilians, mass executions, and crimes against humanity.\n\nEl-Fasher University “became one of the bloodiest execution sites in the city.” According to survivors, over a hundred civilians were gunned down or executed as they sought shelter or attempted to flee. Survivors described notorious RSF commander Abu Lulu, known as the “Butcher of El-Fasher\", asking a pregnant woman how far she was in her pregnancy and then firing seven bullets into her abdomen when she replied that she was seven months along. He at one point said, “I was planning to kill 2000 people today, but I lost count, so I will start all over again.” In the case of El-Saudi Hospital, RSF forces stormed the hospital and “proceeded to search the wards and killing those they found, including patients, accompanying persons and medical personnel...it is estimated that over 460 patients and others present were killed.” Flight didn’t bring safety, according to survivors, as “The Rapid Support Forces pursued fleeing civilians along escape routes...where they had established ambushes and checkpoints...the perpetrators chasing people in open fields, firing at them with automatic rifles and mounted submachine guns, and running over fleeing persons with vehicles, causing mass casualties.” The horrors were visible from space, with satellite images analyzed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab showing bodies piled up in the streets, pools of blood on the ground, and mass burial sites.\n\nThe siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction.\n\nAnd now those alarm bells are ringing once again – this time in El Obeid. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on July 3, \"This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.” Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said of El Obeid on June 30, “Too often in this brutal war, clear warnings have been ignored. Civilians have paid the price. The international community must make itself heard. We cannot say we were not warned.”\n\nThe State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of “alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent” and said “the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.” On June 23, State Department Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos said that he spoke with RSF leadership and “strongly urged them to halt any actions that could endanger civilians in and around El Obeid.” And this Administration has repeatedly affirmed, including in July 2025, that “The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide.” In November 2025, you yourself said that the RSF is “clearly receiving assistance from outside” and that “something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and the support the RSF is getting as they continue their advances.”\n\nThe evidence is clear – the United Arab Emirates is the primary external backer of the RSF, providing unparalleled military, financial, and technical support to the group. In May 2026, a new report by Human Rights Watch found that the UAE trained hundreds of Colombian mercenaries who then “took part in combat in and around El Fasher and, according to media reports, provided training to RSF recruits–including child soldiers”. In February 2026, a Reuters investigation found that Ethiopia has built a secret camp to train thousands of RSF fighters, and that the UAE financed the construction of the camp and provided military trainers and logistical support. This follows U.S. intelligence from October 2025, including separate reports from the Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department’s intelligence bureau, that “show an increase in the flow of materiel from the U.A.E. to the rebel Rapid Support Forces since the spring.” These findings are part of a large and growing body of credible evidence that the UAE is both arming and providing military support to the RSF.\n\nNow, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end.\n\nWe request a response to this letter by August 17, 2026.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-the-news-kellys-bills-to-get-more-men-into-teaching-mentorship-and-service-gain-national-attention/", "title": "IN THE NEWS: Kelly’s Bills to Get More Men into Teaching, Mentorship, and Service Gain National Attention", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.kelly.senate.gov", "scraper": "markkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000377", "name": "Mark Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Last month, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly introduced the Educators for America Act and the Building Community in America Actto expand pathways for Americans to serve as teachers, mentors, and volunteers. The bills strengthen paid teacher training and national service opportunities, with a focus on recruiting men.\n\nSince their introduction, the bills have received broad support from local and national leaders. The pair of bills have also received national recognition on the news and social media\n\nSee coverage highlights below:\n\nRaging Moderates, Podcast: Sen. Mark Kelly joins Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov\n\nKelly has new bipartisan legislation aimed at getting more men into education as teachers, mentors, and volunteers — and makes the case that Democrats need to spend more time on legislation like this rather than national political fights.\n\nRichard V. Reeves, Twitter: Major development for men and boys on the national level thanks to @SenMarkKelly. Great to see momentum on this.\n\n[…] “It’s a really historic day when we have a senator introducing, for the first time, bills that specifically look at the under representation of men in such crucial professions. So, huge kudos to Senator Mark Kelly for leading this effort.” […]\n\nOf Boys and Men, Substack: Two federal bills on boys and men. Two!\n\nThis is a good day. A very good day.\n\nIt has become increasingly clear in recent years that the lack of men in our classrooms and community institutions is a problem — for the organizations and professions; for men themselves; and above all for our kids.\n\nAs far as I can tell, no bill has ever been introduced in the U.S. Congress with the explicit goal of getting more men into K-12 teaching, or into mentoring, coaching, and community service.\n\nUntil today. […]\n\n[…] What I really like about Kelly’s education bill is that it targets the pipeline — and specifically an important side door. The front door into teaching is an undergraduate education degree, and that route is now overwhelmingly female: only 17% of education BAs go to men. AIBM’s work shows that men are much more likely to come to teaching later, as a career change, via alternative routes — the engineer who becomes a math teacher at 35, the veteran, the coach. Some may come into teaching from college but without an education degree.\n\nTeacher residencies, modeled on medical residencies, let candidates earn a salary while they train in a real classroom, with no prior education degree required. Kelly’s bill requires the federally funded residency programs under the Teacher Quality Partnership to make a proactive effort to recruit men. […]\n\n[…] These are historic bills. For the first time ever, increasing the share of men in our classrooms and service organizations is the central and explicit goal of bills at the federal level. The permission space to acknowledge and act on the challenges of boys and men has widened significantly, and we are now seeing policymakers at all levels of government take up the cause. And take it up in a positive, non zero-sum way. […]\n\nTelemundo [Video] : Buscan aumentar cantidad de maestros y mentores hombres para la juventud\n\nEl senador Mark Kelly habla sobre la importancia de hombres que sirvan como ejemplo para los niños.\n\nUnivison Arizona [Video] : El senador Mark Kelly impulsa proyectos de ley para aumentar la presencia de maestros y mentores\n\nEl senador por Arizona, Mark Kelly, presenta los proyectos de ley Educators for America Act y The Building Community in America Act para enfrentar el aislamiento de los jóvenes. Durante su visita a Univision Arizona, el senador destacó la disminución de maestros en las aulas, que cayó del 35% al 23% en los últimos años. Las propuestas buscan destinar financiamiento a la capacitación de docentes masculinos y fomentar programas de mentoría que guíen el desarrollo juvenil.\n\nMale Educators, Instagram: Sen. Mark Kelly introduces new legislation on educators and mentors\n\nSen. Mark Kelly has introduced new legislation aimed at getting more men into classrooms. Kelly points to the same trend we’ve been tracking: just 23% of public school teachers are men today, down sharply from when he was in school.\n\nHis Educators for America Act would expand recruitment pipelines, strengthen training and mentorship support for new teachers, and address retention, the same barriers our research on male teachers has consistently pointed to as reasons men leave the profession or never enter it in the first place.\n\n“At a time when our boys need them the most, less and less men are volunteering. In our schools, the share of male educators has been consistently declining as males continue to fall further and further behind their female classmates. So Senator Kelly’s bills are right on time. The bills also go hand in hand because service can be a pathway into teaching for so many men. We can fix what’s wrong in our communities with what’s right: men ready to serve,” notes MEN President Curtis Valentine. […]\n\nKatie Couric, Podcast: Senator Mark Kelly discusses why he thinks more men should become teachers and mentors\n\nKatie Couric: How are you going to get more men to do these kinds of things? These\n\nleadership roles?\n\nSenator Kelly: That’s what the legislation does. There are two pieces of legislation. One creates paid teacher training programs. Often, if somebody wants to become a teacher, they have to do all of that on their own, and there’s a cost involved.\n\nSo, and you’re going into a field that, you know traditionally doesn’t pay as much as it should. Teachers, in my view, are woefully underpaid. So this would pay them to do the training\n\nto get more men in the classroom.\n\nWhen we were younger, about 35% of teachers were men. Today that number is 23 %, so it’s going down not helpful for young men.\n\nThe other legislation prioritizes men to go into programs like AmeriCorps. The waiting list for male mentors is a lot longer than for female mentors. Women are just more resilient at a\n\nyoung age.\n\nScripps News: Sen. Mark Kelly wants more men in classrooms through new legislation\n\nSen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, is promoting new bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing the nationwide teacher shortage by improving educator recruitment, training and retention.\n\nKelly said he wants to attract a broader range of teachers, including more men. He highlighted the gender gap in education, noting that only 23% of public school teachers are men and that male representation in teaching was significantly higher when he was younger. […]\n\nKTAR: Sen. Mark Kelly proposes 2 bills to support young men and grow public service\n\n[…] Teachers said their students had voiced concerns about not having strong male role models in their lives and that other groups were focused on in media while young men might feel left out.\n\nEmmett Burnton, who teaches at Boulder Creek High School in the Deer Valley Unified School District, is the 2025 Arizona Teacher of the Year. He said as a history teacher, he sees this firsthand.\n\n“I was asking them like if they were in a room just like this in history … who would you want to sit with? Who would be your people? And they were crying, literally 16-year-old boys, because they’re like I don’t know who I am. … They couldn’t relate to any historical figure,” he said. […]", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-king-introduces-bipartisan-bill-to-fight-mosquito-borne-diseases", "title": "Senator King Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Fight Mosquito-Borne Diseases", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/table", "domain": "www.king.senate.gov", "scraper": "angusking", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000383", "name": "Angus S. King, Jr.", "party": "Independent", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is introducing bipartisan legislation to strengthen the fight against mosquito and other vector-borne diseases (VBD). The Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health (SMASH) 2.0 Act would reauthorize funding for federal mosquito control and public health response efforts as well as improve preparedness and response efforts for VBDs.\n\nVector-borne diseases (VBDs) is the technical term for diseases spread by insects like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. For decades, the United States government has successfully controlled VBDs through methods like eliminating standing water breeding grounds and deploying safe pesticides to eliminate the seasonal scourges of malaria and yellow fever.\n\n“One of the best parts about living in Maine is being able to spend time outdoors, but the threat of dangerous illnesses from mosquito bites is a real concern,” said Senator King. “Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance – they have the potential to transmit dangerous diseases which threaten American public health Acting to prevent the spread of such diseases is essential to protect the health of Maine people and Americans nationwide. The SMASH 2.0 Act would provide our communities with further protection from vector-borne diseases and their complications, promoting health and reducing healthcare costs.”\n\nMore specifically, the SMASH 2.0 Act would:\n\nReauthorize the CDC’s Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health (MASH) program at $100 million per year;\n\nAuthorize within the MASH program to expand training, evaluation, and to support education and training for public health staff engaged in mosquito abatement; and\n\nRequire the CDC to coordinate with the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) on stockpiling vector-borne disease control products.\n\n“Mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit are continual threats to all Americans,” said American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) Technical Advisor Daniel Markowski. “The reauthorization of the SMASH Act is imperative to support the ability of local districts, state health departments, territorial governments, and tribal communities to identify and combat the continued threat of vector-borne diseases from mosquitoes. The AMCA strongly supports this legislation as it will provide local programs with resources for timely, on-the-ground prevention and control.”\n\n“Strengthening the capacity of local and state health departments to detect and respond to outbreaks promptly through vector surveillance, laboratory testing, and integrated disease management programs is necessary to effectively slow the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases and limit their spread to promote the health and safety of the public. The SMASH 2.0 Act is one critical way to help accomplish this and the Entomological Society of America enthusiastically encourages Congress to pass this legislation,” said Dr. Melissa Siebert, the 2026 President of the Entomological Society of America.\n\nJoining Senator King on this legislation are U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Rick Scott (R-FL).\n\n“The West Nile virus does not consign itself to far-off lands. Mississippians are infected with it every year,” said Senator Wicker (R-MS). “This bill will help us track and treat West Nile Virus in our communities.”\n\n“Minnesotans are proud to boast about our 10,000 lakes and thousands of rivers for us to enjoy, and we’re always eager to get outside after a long winter. The only downside to having so many bodies of water to enjoy are the mosquitos that come with them,” said Senator Smith (D-MN). “The number of vector-borne disease cases in Minnesota and across the country is on the rise. This bill will strengthen education, preparedness, and response efforts for these diseases, ensuring that Americans can continue to safely enjoy the outdoors.\n\n“Florida’s world-famous weather brings millions of visitors to beaches and parks across the Sunshine State every year. I am proud to partner with my colleagues to ensure those beautiful outdoor spaces are protected against mosquito-borne illnesses. State and local governments need to be properly prepared to combat the spread of these diseases, and this bill goes a long way to ensure those tools are available to them,” said Senator Scott (R-FL).\n\nSenator King has long been an active proponent for research intended to combat vector-borne diseases. In 2025, Senator King introduced the Kay Hagan Tick Act, landmark legislation to improve research, prevention, diagnostics, and treatment for tick-borne diseases. Senator King also introduced the SMASH Act in 2019, a predecessor to the SMASH 2.0 Act that authorized funding for mosquito control and VBD prevention efforts in response to the spread of Zika in the years prior. The SMASH Act was signed into law in 2019.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-lee-introduce-bill-to-end-federal-funding-for-harmful-gender-transition-research-on-minors/", "title": "Lankford, Lee Introduce Bill to End Federal Funding for Harmful Gender Transition Research on Minors", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.lankford.senate.gov", "scraper": "lankford", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000575", "name": "James Lankford", "party": "Republican", "state": "OK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mike Lee (R-UT) recently introduced the Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act to prohibit the use of federal funds for any research or publication promoting gender transitions for minors. The legislation will shield American children from permanent medical and psychological damage, in line with President Trump’s agenda to keep tax dollars from child mutilation.\n\n“God creates every child male or female in His perfect image,” said Lankford. “For too long, taxpayers have been forced to fund sex-rejecting studies on kids. The result has been irreversible physical harm, mental health crises, and families torn apart. President Trump has led the effort to shut down these grants across the federal government, and Congress needs to make it permanent. This bill ensures that not one more taxpayer dollar funds research designed to harm children.”\n\n“Why is the federal bureaucracy in the child mutilation business?” said Lee. “Americans don’t want to pay millions for these disturbing studies where hundreds of kids are experimented on with puberty-blocking drugs. President Trump rightly halted this attack on America’s kids. Our bill will codify his agenda to keep federal dollars out of gender transition research involving minors.”\n\nBackground\n\nJoining Lankford and Lee in co-sponsoring the legislation are Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and it is endorsed by Students for Life Action and the American Principles Project.\n\nThe Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act prohibits the use of federal funds for any research, observational study, or publication relating to gender transitions in individuals under the age of 18, which is conducted for the purpose of affirming a minor’s asserted identity or perception of his or her sex, if such is incongruent with the minor’s biological sex.\n\nYou can download the full bill text HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-heinrich-durbin-lead-colleagues-in-slamming-trumps-move-to-strip-protections-from-bears-ears-grand-staircase-escalante-national-monuments/", "title": "Luján, Heinrich, Durbin Lead Colleagues in Slamming Trump’s Move to Strip Protections From Bears Ears & Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) led 34 senators in a letter to President Trump expressing strong opposition to his executive order reducing the boundaries of, and stripping protections from the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments in southern Utah. In the letter, the senators highlight how the executive order places irreplaceable cultural, historic, scientific, ecological, and recreational resources at risk of destruction and loss.\n\n“By attempting, yet again, to eliminate vast portions of these monuments, your Administration invites needless uncertainty to the stability that local communities, Tribes, land managers, scientists, recreation users, and businesses need. Not just in Utah, but for all local communities that rely on the stability of our national monuments,” the senators wrote.\n\n“The Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are national treasures. The American people deserve public lands policy grounded in law, science, respect for Tribal sovereignty, and stewardship—not political decisions against the desires of the vast majority of Americans,” the senators concluded.\n\nIn addition to Senators Luján, Heinrich, and Durbin, the letter was signed by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).\n\nThe full text of the letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Mr. President:\n\nWe write to express our strong opposition to your July 13, 2026, proclamations that stripped protections for Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. These actions attempt to remove nearly three million acres from monument protection and placed irreplaceable cultural, historic, scientific, ecological, and recreational resources at risk of destruction and loss.\n\nNational monuments have preserved our country’s unique public lands, extraordinary history, and common culture for 120 years. Grand Staircase-Escalante, established in 1996, contains world-class paleontological resources, the ancestral and current homelands of multiple Tribal Nations, striking geologic formations, unique plants and animals, stunning dark night skies, and landscapes that support robust local outdoor recreation economies. Bears Ears, established in 2016, is America’s first truly tribally-driven national monument. The proposal was led by five sovereign Tribal Nations.\n\nEach monument is a living cultural landscape with deep spiritual and ancestral importance to multiple Tribal Nations, including the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Indian Tribe and the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians. These places are not abstractions on a map; they are homelands and sacred sites that deserve enduring protection, and enhanced recognition secured by the previous monument declaration.\n\nWe are especially troubled that the Bears Ears proclamation disbanded the Bears Ears Commission, a landmark model of collaborative management between sovereign Tribal Nations and the federal government. Tribal leaders have made clear that Bears Ears is a sacred ancestral homeland, and that decisions affecting it must be made through meaningful government-to government consultation. The Department of the Interior had previously committed to meeting with the Bears Ears Commission if changes to the monument were under consideration; no such meeting occurred before these proclamations were signed. Any major policy action regarding these culturally important places requires meaningful government-to-government consultation.\n\nNational monuments enjoy widespread public support and serve as economic drivers across the United States. The outdoor recreation economy generates $1.3 trillion in gross output and accounts for $9.75 billion in Utah alone. The localities surrounding national monuments have seen growth in income and employment since their designations. We reject the premise that monuments are incompatible with rural prosperity or responsible public access. Despite your false claims that people cannot walk, hunt or fish in these monuments, monument designations support outdoor recreation, heritage tourism, hunting and fishing, scientific research, grazing under appropriate management, and durable local economies. At the same time, monument status prevents the loss of cultural and natural resources that cannot be replaced once damaged. By attempting, yet again, to eliminate vast portions of these monuments, your Administration invites needless uncertainty to the stability that local communities, Tribes, land managers, scientists, recreation users, and businesses need. Not just in Utah, but for all local communities that rely on the stability of our national monuments.\n\nThe Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are national treasures. The American people deserve public lands policy grounded in law, science, respect for Tribal sovereignty, and stewardship—not political decisions against the desires of the vast majority of Americans. We stand with Tribal Nations, local communities, scientists, conservationists, outdoor recreation businesses, and Americans across the country who believe these landscapes should remain protected.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-van-hollen-whitehouse-dingell-statement-on-dc-circuits-ruling-to-protect-landmark-greenhouse-gas-reduction-fund-from-unlawful-trump-attacks", "title": "Markey, Van Hollen, Whitehouse, Dingell Statement on D.C. Circuit’s Ruling to Protect Landmark Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund from Unlawful Trump Attacks", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Ruling allows grant recipients to withdraw funds and get to work on projects to lower energy bills, create healthier environment, fight climate change\n\nWashington (August 4, 2026) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today applauded the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, sitting en banc, to uphold an injunction that blocks the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from clawing back billions of dollars in funds from Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) awardees. In February, the lawmakers were joined by 36 additional members of Congress in filing an amicus brief at the D.C. Circuit, urging it to take this action.\n\n“The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund was designed to unleash new projects and create jobs around the country that would cut down on rising energy bills, dangerous pollution, and harm to our climate,” said the lawmakers. “The Trump administration’s brazen attempt to prevent those projects, seize these funds, and break the law in the process has been rightfully halted by the D.C. Circuit. These dollars were awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency years ago after a rigorous and transparent process, in accordance with the law we passed in 2022. We will continue to fight for the full and fair operation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund—for a safer climate, for good green jobs, and for cheaper, cleaner energy.”\n\nSenators Markey, Van Hollen and Congresswoman Dingell were the authors of the National Climate Bank Act, legislation that served as the framework for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund provision that became law through the Inflation Reduction Act–and was executed by the EPA under the Biden administration.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-markey-amendments-to-crack-down-on-illegal-robocalls", "title": "Senate Passes Markey Amendments to Crack Down on Illegal Robocalls", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington (August 4, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, celebrated the Senate’s passage by unanimous consent of the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act. The legislation includes four amendments that Senator Markey secured during committee consideration — three with Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and one with Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) — to strengthen investigations, expose bad actors, and protect consumers against illegal robocalls and texts.\n\n“When robocall scammers try to turn Americans’ phones into tools for theft and deception, we have to make their jobs harder,” said Senator Markey. “My amendments will strengthen efforts to trace illegal calls to their source, crack down on sham phone companies, and shine a light on the networks that enable these scams. I’m proud to continue leading the fight against illegal robocalls and restore trust in our phone networks.”\n\nSenator Markey’s amendments would:\n\nMake it harder for sham providers to game the system. The Luján-Markey provision requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish a bond of up to $100,000 for certain providers registering in the Robocall Mitigation Database. Phone companies have to register in the Robocall Mitigation Database to send calls through the U.S. phone network.\n\nStrengthen private traceback investigations. The Thune-Markey provision incorporates their Robocall Traceback Enhancement Act, which the lawmakers introduced in 2021. The amendment helps bolster privately led efforts to trace back the origins of illegal and bothersome robocalls, helping to identify and stop bad actors.\n\nIncrease transparency and accountability. Two Markey-Luján amendments strengthen the bill’s required report by directing the robocall task force to evaluate the potential benefits and risks of periodically releasing traceback results, including whether disclosure could help consumers avoid bad providers, strengthen deterrence, and improve call blocking.\n\nSenator Markey is the co-author of the bipartisan Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, landmark robocall legislation that was enacted in 2019. The TRACED Act helped to address unwanted and abusive calls by, among other things, requiring telephone companies to authenticate callers, strengthening caller identification, and giving consumers greater power to block calls from unverified numbers.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-merkley-reintroduce-legislation-to-protect-healthcare-for-americans-who-cannot-afford-bail", "title": "Senators Markey, Merkley Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Healthcare for Americans Who Cannot Afford Bail", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bill Text (PDF)\n\nWashington (August 4, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today reintroduced the Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act, legislation that would protect the continuity of federal health benefits under Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Veterans Affairs for Americans who have been detained while they await trial and, in many cases, remain in custody because they cannot afford bail. These protections would make it easier for people to continue to access essential healthcare, including substance use disorder and mental health treatment, while incarcerated. The legislation would partially reverse the 1965 Federal Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP), which generally bans the use of federal funds to provide care for inmates of a public institution under Medicaid.\n\n“Healthcare is a human right. It is unjust and immoral to strip people of their health coverage simply because they can’t afford to pay their bail,” said Senator Markey. “Congress must eliminate the discriminatory policies that make it harder for people to get the healthcare they need, including treatment for substance use disorder or mental health services. I am proud to partner with Senator Merkley in fighting to break down barriers to essential healthcare and create a system that puts care and compassion over incarceration.”\n\n“Americans who have serious health conditions—including those who are awaiting trial—need access to quality health care and can’t afford to be kicked off of those benefits,” said Senator Merkley. “In America, you are innocent until proven guilty, and the?Equity in Pre-Trial Health Coverage Act?will ensure that pre-trial detainees can keep their health coverage and seek the medical treatment they need.”\n\nCurrently, individuals who are arrested and can post bail maintain their coverage. But those who remain in custody because they cannot afford bail can lose coverage, despite being charged but not convicted of a crime. As a result, a gap in coverage exists for individuals covered by federal health programs awaiting trial, which restricts their access to essential care in their community and shifts the cost of medical treatment for pretrial detainees to local city, county, and state agencies. This gap is particularly challenging for people with substance use disorders and other mental health conditions, which require consistent and sustained medical treatment.\n\nCosponsors in the Senate include Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).\n\nIn 2022, Senator Markey secured provisions in the end-of-year spending package (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023) that allow states to maintain Medicaid coverage for juveniles who are in custody pending deposition of charges. The Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act would go further, extending and requiring coverage to anyone no matter their age.\n\nSenators Markey and Merkley first introduced the legislation in 2021.\n\nThe Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act is endorsed by National Association of Counties, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, National Commission on Correctional Health Care, Association of Oregon Counties, Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, and American Jail Association.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-introduces-bill-to-strengthen-congressional-oversight-hold-federal-bureaucrats-accountable/", "title": "Senator Marshall Introduces Bill to Strengthen Congressional Oversight & Hold Federal Bureaucrats Accountable", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), today introduced the STOP the SWAMP Act to strengthen congressional oversight and hold federal employees accountable for obstructing congressional investigations.\n\nThe legislation follows last week’s Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, where former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times rather than answer questions from senators regarding his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\n“For years we’ve watched unelected bureaucrats evade accountability while millions of families are still searching for answers,” said Senator Marshall. “Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight, and that responsibility means nothing if federal officials can refuse to answer questions without consequence. This bill restores accountability and begins rebuilding the trust that’s been lost.”\n\nThis bill was introduced by Congressman Rich McCormick (R-Georgia) in the House of Representatives.\n\nThe STOP the SWAMP Act would:\n\nBar individuals from future federal employment if they refuse to answer qualifying questions before Congress or are convicted of perjury related to congressional testimony.\n\nAuthorize members of Congress to refer witnesses who unlawfully withhold information to the Department of Justice (DOJ), establishing clear consequences for those who obstruct federal investigations.\n\nClick here to read the full text of the legislation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-you-have-to-show-id-for-a-communist-grocery-store-in-nyc-but-not-to-vote/", "title": "Senator Marshall: You Have to Show ID for a Communist Grocery Store in NYC but Not to Vote", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Marshall Joins Fox Business\n\nWashington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Fox Business, The Bottom Line with Jackie DeAngelis and Lou Basenese to discuss the Senate’s priorities before recess, including the SAVE America Act, how Democrats want you to show ID to buy groceries but not to vote, and how Dr. Fauci needs to be held accountable for the suffering caused by his lies.\n\nClick HERE to download the full video.\n\nOn the Senate’s priorities before recess:\n\n“Well, look, we need to fund the government. That’s a very simple, immediate priority: give the American people certainty through the end of November, and after then we see who wins the election, and that’ll help determine the priorities for the financials. But the biggest long-term issue that this Congress could take on is making voter ID required across the nation for our elections. Think about this — I just read on X moments ago that Mayor Mamdani, the head of the big government socialist party, just said that to get your free food from his communist grocery store, that you have to show an ID. So, you have to show an ID for a grocery store, but not to vote?”\n\nOn passing the SAVE America Act:\n\n“So, it can be. Now the question is, do we have the will? I do think we’ll go through this reconciliation bill that includes money for the military, some farm aid, as well as the SAVE America Act that insists on voter ID, proof of citizenship when you register, and guardrails around the mail-in ballots. Now, the question is, what is the parliamentarian going to do to that? Will we be able to get through the hurdle, if you will? But I’m very willing to stay till recess is over and I think that we should put the Democrats on the record and vote for them one at a time. Have them vote on voter ID, have them vote on proof of citizenship, have them vote on the mail-in ballot issue — get them on record. That way, when they go home over August, their own constituents can beat the heck out of them. Again, 80-90% of Americans want voter ID.”\n\n“Well, it’s possible. You know, if we can get one or two of them to flip, then I think we can get eight more to flip as well. And my hope is that when they go back home is that their own constituents put the pressure on them. Look, even Democrats — what is it, 70% of Democrats are in favor of voter ID as well. So, get them on the record, make this what we’re talking about on national television, not about some of the things that they want to talk about. Let’s talk about voter ID, let’s talk about the 80-20 issues that Republicans want to talk about — your safety, your prosperity, that’s what we want to be talking about as Republicans.”\n\nOn Dr. Fauci’s Senate hearing and the consequences of his deception:\n\n“Yeah, I mean, for the sake of the one million people that died, the 20 million people with long COVID, the millions of Americans who had a loved one pass away by themselves, the kids who missed their senior year of high school — we need closure on that. And this hearing was just the tip of the iceberg, and that’s why we need a special counsel to go out and investigate the 111 lies that he told the American public as well. And go back and review the autopen pardon as well. Is that something legitimate? What does the Supreme Court think about that? So yes, we need that special counsel; we need to hold someone accountable, and someone probably needs to go to jail — but at least give up his government retirement plan.”\n\n“Right, and again, we just talked about the tip of the iceberg. What he told the American public was something different than he wrote in his diary — whether it was about the origins of the virus or if the vaccine would stop the spread as well. So, what he told his diary was different than what he told the American public; he deceived the American public, and he lied to President Trump. Whether he lied to Congress or he just slowed down the progress of Congress, I think that’s up to a jury to decide. This is one more reason we need a full-time Attorney General back in place so he can appoint this special counsel.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-curtis-announce-bipartisan-alan-reinstein-ban-asbestos-now-act-of-2026/", "title": "Merkley, Curtis Announce Bipartisan Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2026", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Curtis (R-UT), respectively the Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight, teamed up to introduce bipartisan legislation that would finally end all commercial and industrial uses of asbestos.\n\nThe Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2026 protects public health by prohibiting the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of all six recognized asbestos fibers, for which experts say there is no safe level of human exposure.\n\n“American families and workers deserve to have a future free of exposure to asbestos—a known killer,” said Merkley. “This deadly carcinogen has been banned in more than 50 countries, while the United States is playing catch-up on tackling this public health nightmare. Our bipartisan bill is necessary to phase out all dangerous asbestos fibers and provide stronger protections for consumers across the United States.”\n\n“For decades, we have known the dangers of commercial asbestos, yet it has continued to be used,” said Curtis. “This bipartisan legislation finally brings certainty by ending the manufacture and use of commercial asbestos while providing a responsible, time-limited transition for the limited uses that remain.”\n\nThe bipartisan Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2026 would:\n\nBan commercial asbestos by prohibiting its manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce.\n\nCover all six historically regulated asbestos fibers.\n\nEstablish durable public health protections and codify federal transition requirements.\n\nThe bill is supported by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, American Public Health Association (APHA), Center for Environmental Health (CEH), Collegium Ramazzini, Environmental Information Association (EIA), Environmental Working Group (EWG), and Federal Fire Fighters Joint Council, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).\n\n“Today’s bipartisan Senate reintroduction of the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act marks a historic breakthrough in the fight to end the use of asbestos in the United States. On behalf of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, we are deeply grateful to Senator Jeff Merkley for his steadfast leadership on this issue and to Senator John Curtis for becoming the first Senate Republican to co-sponsor ARBAN. More than 40,000 Americans die each year from preventable asbestos-caused diseases and Congress has a responsibility to act. Together, Senators Merkley and Curtis are doing just that by advancing the comprehensive, durable solution needed to eliminate all six recognized asbestos fibers and Libby Amphibole asbestos from commerce. Their bill will protect workers, first responders, consumers, children, and communities across the nation from asbestos and save lives for decades to come,” said Linda Reinstein, President and Cofounder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO).\n\n“There is overwhelming consensus in the scientific community that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. APHA continues to support legislation like the Senate’s Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act to protect the public’s health by eliminating all asbestos imports and use,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, Chief Executive Officer, American Public Health Association.\n\n“CEH applauds Senators Merkley and Curtis for reintroducing the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act, a standalone, bipartisan bill that will ban asbestos in all of its forms in the United States. Banning asbestos, one of the most toxic substances that has caused so much harm, is long overdue,” said Thomas R. Fox, Senior Legislative Counsel, Center for Environmental Health.\n\n“The Collegium Ramazzini, an international scientific society, supports the Senate’s Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2026 which calls for an immediate ban on all mining and the use of asbestos in all its forms in order to eliminate the continuing burden of disease and death. We urge the immediate passage of this legislation which will save countless lives in our country and globally,” said Dr. Melissa McDiarmid, on behalf of the Fellows of the Collegium Ramazzini.\n\n“On behalf of the Environmental Information Association (EIA), a non-profit membership organization of persons involved in the asbestos abatement industry, I write to express EIA’s strong support for the Senate’s Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act of 2026. We greatly appreciate your continuing commitment to ban commercial asbestos that has continued for many years. With the passage of the ARBAN Act, the United States will finally join nearly 70 countries that have banned asbestos,” said J. Brent Kynoch, Managing Director of the Environmental Information Association.\n\n“EWG commends Senators Jeff Merkley and John Curtis for their introduction of the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act to ban this deadly carcinogen. Asbestos-related diseases have claimed countless lives and continue to leave families grieving across the nation. By passing the bipartisan ARBAN Act, Congress can make it unmistakably clear that public health must come before industry profits. This legislation reflects the longstanding dedication of Linda Reinstein and the ADAO, whose tireless advocacy over more than two decades has helped keep the devastating human toll of asbestos in the public eye and sustained momentum for congressional action,” said Ken Cook, President, Environmental Working Group (EWG).\n\n“The Federal Fire Fighters Joint Council wholeheartedly endorses the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act and its critical effort to ban the importation, commercial sale, and use of all asbestos fibers. Exposure to toxic asbestos during emergency response duties continues to cause devastating illnesses and deaths among dedicated federal fire fighters protecting federal facilities and the American public. Enacting a comprehensive ban is a vital and long-overdue step toward safeguarding the health and lives of our nation’s valiant firefighters,” said Michael Jackson, President of the Federal Fire Fighters Joint Council, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).\n\nMerkley has been a longtime advocate for banning asbestos. He previously chaired a hearing on his legislation to ban the manufacturing, processing, use, and distribution of commercial asbestos in the United States. Merkley also leads a bipartisan effort to mark National Asbestos Awareness Week in April, educating Americans about the dangers of asbestos exposure.\n\nFull text of the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2026 can be found by clicking here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-leads-sweeping-legislation-to-counter-trumps-authoritarian-takeover-of-u-s-and-defend-our-democracy/", "title": "Merkley Leads Sweeping Legislation to Counter Trump’s Authoritarian Takeover of U.S. and Defend Our Democracy", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley unveiled the For Our Republic Act, a comprehensive legislative package to fight back against President Trump’s aggressive authoritarian takeover of American democracy.\n\nThe brand-new For Our Republic Act includes provisions to directly oppose Trump’s authoritarian playbook, including defending independent government watchdogs, protecting non-partisan civil servants, reasserting Congress’ power of the purse, fighting government corruption, strengthening free speech and civil liberties, and safeguarding free and fair elections.\n\n“Authoritarianism isn’t down the street or around the corner—it is here right now,” said Merkley. “We have all three ingredients of a strongman state in the United States: a rubber-stamp Congress doing the President’s bidding; a deferential Supreme Court finding ‘invisible ink’ in the Constitution to enhance the President’s powers; and a power-hungry President behaving like a king, breaking the law and violating the checks and balances of our Constitution.\n\nMerkley continued, “The For Our Republic Act lays out a clear roadmap of the actions Congress can take to fight back against Trump’s authoritarian takeover and reassert our authority. Together, let’s fight back and save our republic!”\n\nThe For Our Republic Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).\n\n“In a clear conflict of interest and gross abuse of power, Trump fired 17 Inspectors General within his first days in office so he could tap political allies to conduct oversight of his own Administration—leaving these watchdogs to answer to the President before the American people,” said Duckworth. “First and foremost, Senate Democrats’ For Our Republic Act includes my legislation that would prevent stone-cold corruption like this, which have too often become the norm in the Trump Administration. It’s clear that the current checks on the President are not enough, and our legislation would not only help us restore good government—it will also empower Congress to prevent any more wanna-be kings from bending our Republic to its breaking point.”\n\n“Donald Trump has led a brazen, unprecedented campaign of corruption—growing his power while ignoring the needs of the American people. The For Our Republic Act installs critical guardrails against Trump’s relentless attacks on our democracy, promoting government transparency and accountability while preserving Americans’ rights and liberties. This legislation fights against Trump’s slide towards tyranny and protects our country’s democratic values,” said Blumenthal.\n\nTo fight back against the known playbook of authoritarian governments, the For Our Republic Act includes new provisions to counter the rise of authoritarianism and erosion of our democratic government under the second Trump Administration, as well as existing legislation from Merkley and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).\n\nThe For Our Republic Act outlines ten principles to protect our democracy:\n\nDefend the Referees\n\nProtect the Independent, Non-Partisan Civil Service\n\nCelebrate One Nation, Indivisible\n\nReaffirm Equal Justice Under Law\n\nStrengthen Free Speech\n\nReassert Congress’ Power of the Purse\n\nFight Government Corruption\n\nEnsure Liberty and Justice for All\n\nPrevent Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets\n\nSafeguard Free and Fair Elections\n\nA detailed outline of the For Our Republic Act can be found by clicking here.\n\nThe For Our Republic Act is supported by Public Citizen, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), Refugees International, and Common Cause.\n\n“It is stunning how the Trump Administration, empowered by an obedient congressional Republican caucus, has empowered the federal government to intrude and impose upon our daily lives. The separation of powers, and the checks and balances against over-reach by the president, have largely been vanquished. America has fallen into dangerous times. Sen. Merkley’s For Our Republic Act seeks to restore those critical checks and balances and re-affirm the democratic principles upon which America was founded. Public Citizen heartily endorses this very necessary measure,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D., Public Citizen.\n\n“With so many attacks on our country’s core values, the For Our Republic Act is a critical step in restoring our democratic principles,” said Carol Evans, Common Cause’s Vice President of Policy. “This legislation takes the power back for the people. It ensures that our government serves the public rather than answering to the whims of one person in charge.”\n\nMerkley has led the charge to ring the alarm bells about the Trump Administration’s authoritarian takeover of America. On October 21, 2025, Merkley held the Senate floor for 22 hours 37 minutes—the third longest speech in Senate history—to speak directly to the American people about Trump’s authoritarianism. He later published an analysis, titled “Ring the Alarm Bells: The Ten Rules of Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook,” to ensure all Americans understand what our country is facing.\n\nFull text of the For Our Republic Act can be found by clicking here.\n\nA section-by-section summary of the For Our Republic Act can be found by clicking here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/senators-markey-merkley-reintroduce-legislation-to-protect-healthcare-for-americans-who-cannot-afford-bail/", "title": "Senators Markey, Merkley Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Healthcare for Americans Who Cannot Afford Bail", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bill Text (PDF)\n\nWashington, D.C. – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today reintroduced the Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act, legislation that would protect the continuity of federal health benefits under Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Veterans Affairs for Americans who have been detained while they await trial and, in many cases, remain in custody because they cannot afford bail. These protections would make it easier for people to continue to access essential healthcare, including substance use disorder and mental health treatment, while incarcerated. The legislation would partially reverse the 1965 Federal Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP), which generally bans the use of federal funds to provide care for inmates of a public institution under Medicaid.\n\n“Healthcare is a human right. It is unjust and immoral to strip people of their health coverage simply because they can’t afford to pay their bail,” said Senator Markey. “Congress must eliminate the discriminatory policies that make it harder for people to get the healthcare they need, including treatment for substance use disorder or mental health services. I am proud to partner with Senator Merkley in fighting to break down barriers to essential healthcare and create a system that puts care and compassion over incarceration.”\n\n“Americans who have serious health conditions—including those who are awaiting trial—need access to quality health care and can’t afford to be kicked off of those benefits,” said Senator Merkley. “In America, you are innocent until proven guilty, and the Equity in Pre-Trial Health Coverage Act will ensure that pre-trial detainees can keep their health coverage and seek the medical treatment they need.”\n\nCurrently, individuals who are arrested and can post bail maintain their coverage. But those who remain in custody because they cannot afford bail can lose coverage, despite being charged but not convicted of a crime. As a result, a gap in coverage exists for individuals covered by federal health programs awaiting trial, which restricts their access to essential care in their community and shifts the cost of medical treatment for pretrial detainees to local city, county, and state agencies. This gap is particularly challenging for people with substance use disorders and other mental health conditions, which require consistent and sustained medical treatment.\n\nCosponsors in the Senate include Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).\n\nIn 2022, Senator Markey secured provisions in the end-of-year spending package (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023) that allow states to maintain Medicaid coverage for juveniles who are in custody pending deposition of charges. The Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act would go further, extending and requiring coverage to anyone no matter their age.\n\nSenators Markey and Merkley first introduced the legislation in 2021.\n\nThe Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act is endorsed by National Association of Counties, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, National Commission on Correctional Health Care, Association of Oregon Counties, Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, and American Jail Association.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wyden-merkley-colleagues-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-to-audit-the-pentagon-and-end-wasteful-spending/", "title": "Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Audit the Pentagon and End Wasteful Spending", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senators: The Pentagon failed its eighth consecutive audit last year, unable to fully account for $4.65 trillion in assets\n\nWashington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today said they joined Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would impose financial consequences if the Pentagon fails to pass a full, independent audit. Any Pentagon department that fails to achieve a clean audit would have 2% of its budget withheld and returned to the U.S. Treasury for deficit reduction.\n\n“Taxpayers cannot keep writing blank checks for a Department of Defense that repeatedly fails to account for trillions of dollars in assets,” Wyden said. “The Pentagon remains the only major federal agency incapable of passing a clean financial audit. It is long past time to enforce real financial consequences when the government mismanages taxpayer dollars. The Audit the Pentagon Act would hold the Defense Department to the basic standards of transparency and fiscal accountability that every other agency is expected to meet.”\n\n“The Pentagon routinely fails audits without consequences, enabling fraud, waste, and abuse,” Merkley said. “This must come to an end. The American people deserve to know that their tax dollars are being spent efficiently.”\n\nDespite accounting for more than half of the federal government’s discretionary spending and roughly two-thirds of all federal contracting activity, the Pentagon remains the only one of the federal government’s 24 major agencies to have never passed a clean financial audit — a requirement under federal law since the early 1990s and mandatory on an annual basis since 2018. In its eighth consecutive failed audit, which was released in December 2025 and covered $4.65 trillion in reported assets and $4.7 trillion in liabilities across all 50 states and more than 40 countries, the Pentagon Office of Inspector General identified 26 instances of the most severe auditing errors and two additional significant accounting issues in the department’s internal controls over financial reporting.\n\nExamples of waste and fraud at the Pentagon include:\n\nAlmost $141 billion spent on a Northrop Grumman ballistic missile project that was supposed to cost $77 billion, and which is seven years behind schedule.\n\nMore than $126 billion spent on a General Dynamics submarine program which has run $17 billion over cost. The per-sub cost has nearly doubled since 2019.\n\nMore than $12 billion spent on one missile battery from Leidos and Dynetics that the Pentagon can’t confirm works.\n\nMore than $6 billion spent over 16 years on a Raytheon project to build a GPS system. The Pentagon cancelled the project in April due to “insurmountable” problems with its product.\n\nContrary to this record, Congress continues to expand the Pentagon’s budget every year. The Trump administration’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request seeks approximately $1.15 trillion — the latest in a decades-long trend of rising Pentagon budgets that have never been matched by basic financial accountability. The Audit the Pentagon Act would finally hold the Pentagon accountable.\n\nThe legislation was reintroduced by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the legislation was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rand Paul, R-Ky. and Chris Murphy, D-Conn.\n\nThe summary of the bill is here.\n\nThe full text of the bill is here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/video-senator-moody-targets-gift-card-fraudsters-and-fights-to-protect-seniors/", "title": "VIDEO: Senator Moody Targets Gift Card Fraudsters and Fights to Protect Seniors", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.moody.senate.gov", "scraper": "moody", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001244", "name": "Ashley Moody", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Ashley Moody is targeting gift card fraudsters with new legislation to combat criminals who target seniors. Senator Moody introduced the Saving Wallets and Increasing Penalties for Elder Scams (SWIPES) Act to give law enforcement stronger tools to prosecute gift card fraud, close loopholes criminals exploit and impose tougher penalties on those who knowingly target seniors.\n\nGift card fraud occurs in many forms. In some instances, fraudsters execute elaborate schemes where the criminals rob physical cards from stores, steal the redemption information on the back of the cards, and then place the cards back in stores for unsuspecting shoppers to purchase. Once someone buys a card that has been tampered with and loads money onto it, the fraudsters are able to immediately withdraw the funds.\n\n“Career fraudsters are constantly finding new ways to steal from hardworking Floridians—especially our seniors. One emerging trend we are seeing within the Fraud Economy is the proliferation of gift card fraud. We must shore up our laws as fast as these criminals change their strategies. That’s why I am continuing the fight against fraud with my new SWIPES Act. I’ve put crooks and fraudsters behind bars my entire career from prosecutor and judge to Florida’s Attorney General. Now, as your U.S. Senator, I am using that experience to strengthen our laws to hold criminals accountable and protect consumers,” said Senator Ashley Moody.\n\nGift card thieves also call individuals, many times seniors, pretending to be someone they are not in order to con the victims into handing over gift cards’ redemption information. Fraudsters are also known to set up fake websites that appear like legitimate sites consumers use to check gift card balances, and when a victim inputs the card’s information, the fraudsters can steal the funds.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nFederal law enforcement is aggressively targeting this major, growing financial crime and has successfully prosecuted some gift card fraud cases already with dollar losses ranging from $20,000 to $11 million.\n\nSenator Moody’s SWIPES Act:\n\nAmends the access device fraud statute – frequently used by prosecutors in gift card fraud cases – to create a crime for obtaining an access device with fraudulent intent, including by creating, maintaining, or using a spoof domain that collects access device information;\n\nEnsures these criminals face the same penalties as other fraudsters;\n\nIncreases penalties for offenders charged with possession of large numbers of fraudulent devices;\n\nClarifies the law to expressly state that gift cards, digital credentials, and other information can be counterfeited, used without authorization, or otherwise fraudulently obtained to steal gift card funds and digital assets from an individual;\n\nCreates an additional 2-year sentence for any criminal who knowingly defrauds someone over the age of 60; and\n\nExpressly includes gift card fraud within the scope of money laundering statutes where applicable.\n\nFor full bill text, click here.\n\nThe following are some recent cases of gift card fraud found in Florida:\n\nIn September 2025, a Chinese national pleaded guilty for participating in a gift card fraud scheme that targeted grocery stores in St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties.\n\nIn December 2024, a Chinese national pleaded guilty to possessing over 6,100 unauthorized gift cards, resulting in fraud of more than $1.9 million, following a joint investigation with HSI Orlando and the Ocala Police Department.\n\nSenator Moody, as Florida’s former Attorney General worked to protect consumers and fight for Florida’s seniors:\n\nAs Attorney General, Moody created Florida’s Senior Protection Team comprised of leading experts from the AG’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, Consumer Protection Division, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Criminal Justice Programs Unit, as well as specifically-designated FDLE agents from around the state;\n\nOrganized and formalized a Consumer Alert program to warn Floridians about scams involving gift cards, tax returns, identity theft, email phishing and more; and\n\nCreated the Scams at a Glance outreach program, designed to inform older Floridians about common and emerging scams. The materials highlighted general signs of scams, such as unsolicited calls or email, high-pressure tactics, threats of loss if immediate action is not taken and requests for immediate payment via wire transfer, credit, prepaid debit or gift cards.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=92EBFD2B-1C4B-494C-A1DC-3D51B3C34BA1", "title": "Sens. Moran, Hickenlooper Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Airport Surface Safety", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "domain": "www.moran.senate.gov", "scraper": "moran", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000934", "name": "Jerry Moran", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) – chairman and member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation – today introduced the bipartisan Runway Surface Awareness and Focused, Effective Training and Technology (Runway SAFE-T) Act to improve airport driver training and support technologies to reduce runway incursions and other surface safety incidents.\n\nThe bipartisan legislation aims to address safety gaps that have contributed to a number of recent close calls in the national airspace system, including one at LaGuardia Airport in March when a jet collided with an airport fire truck that entered the runway while the aircraft was landing. The incident resulted in the deaths of two pilots and injuries to dozens of passengers and emergency responders. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and John Kennedy (R-La.).\n\n“Close calls are warning signs and serve as a reminder that our aviation system is fragile,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation brings together the expertise and insight of aviation leaders from government and industry to identify recommendations that will strengthen runway operations, improve ground vehicle safety and bolster overall airport surface safety. It should not take a tragedy for Congress and industry to act, and the Runway SAFE-T Act takes critical steps to identify and address issues before incidents occur.”\n\n\"The year is only halfway over, and we've already seen more than 500 runway incursions across the country,\" said Sen. Hickenlooper. \"We must do everything we can to improve aviation safety by ensuring airports large and small have the training and technology they need to keep workers and passengers safe.\"\n\n“Americans deserve to have air travel that is safe, dependable, and efficient,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation will help keep travelers and airport workers safe by improving training for airport vehicle operators and modernizing technology to prevent runway collisions.”\n\n“Safety on the ground is as important as safety in the skies,” said Sen. Wicker. “This bill would help equip ground crews with more tools to keep passengers safe in Mississippi and throughout the country.”\n\n“As air travel continues to reach record highs, every traveler should feel confident they’ll reach their destination safely,” said Sen. Blunt Rochester. “The devastating crash at LaGuardia Airport earlier this year makes clear that we must do more. I’m proud to support the Runway SAFE-T Act to increase investments in airport logistics, training, and technology that will keep travelers safe on the ground and in the sky.”\n\n“Safety has always been the top priority with air travel, and Americans should have confidence in our aviation industry,” said Sen. Fischer. “This bipartisan legislation gives our airports and workers what they need to maintain safe travel experiences on the ground and in the sky.”\n\n“American airports should be the gold standard in passenger and airport worker safety,” said Sen. Cortez Masto. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill gives hardworking airport staff the tools they need to keep everyone safe. I’ll continue working across the aisle to ensure that the busiest airports in the country – including the Harry Reid and Reno-Tahoe Airports – can provide a safe travel experience.”\n\n“As the birthplace of aviation, it’s critical we take commonsense measures to ensure America’s airports, runways, and airspace remain the safest in the world,” said Sen. Sheehy. “Every close call is a warning we can’t ignore, and this bipartisan bill will ensure airport personnel receive the training and technology necessary to keep travelers safe.”\n\n“Common sense tells us you don’t ignore warning signs. Congress should not wait for another preventable tragedy before acting. The Runway SAFE-T Act will help give our airports the training and technology they need to keep passengers and airport workers safe,” said Sen. Kennedy.\n\nOn June 23, Sen. Moran chaired a subcommittee hearing to examine recent close calls in the national airspace system, as well as efforts to improve aviation safety, where he highlighted that he would soon be introducing the Runway SAFE-T Act to help address challenges raised during the hearing.\n\nSpecifically, the Runway SAFE-T Act would:\n\nEstablish a task force to improve airport driver training that is comprised of airport organizations, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designees, individuals familiar with aviation training technologies, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), emergency rescue aircraft organizations, airport vehicle operators and any individuals deemed appropriate by the FAA Administrator.\n\nThe task force would make recommendations to the FAA Administrator regarding best practices for the operation of ground vehicles, including improved training programs and training technologies. After one year, the task force would compile a report with the recommendations.\n\nUtilize existing federal resources from the FAA’s Airport Safety and Resilient Infrastructure Discretionary Program to be used on technology and training to improve safe operations of ground vehicles.\n\nThe resources would prioritize projects designed to support runway operational safety by reducing vehicle runway incursions and other surface safety incidents, as well as to improve situational awareness for ground vehicle operators in the movement area.\n\n\"ACI-NA appreciates Senator Moran's leadership in advancing the Runway SAFE-T Act, important legislation to improve runway safety at airports nationwide,” said Kevin M. Burke, President and CEO, Airports Council International–North America. “The bill would bring together a diverse group of stakeholders — including airport industry representatives — to enhance driver training programs, with a focus on consistency, recurrent training, and new technologies. It would also help airports deploy technology to reduce vehicle-related surface incidents and improve situational awareness. ACI-NA urges Congress to swiftly pass the bill to better protect passengers, airport workers, and the traveling public.\"\n\n“As strong proponents of utilizing training and technology to improve aviation safety, GAMA applauds Senator Moran's leadership on the Runway SAFE-T Act and supports its introduction,” said James Viola, President and CEO, General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). “This legislation will assist in facilitating a stronger aviation safety culture by identifying effective training methods and programs, where improvements in practices can be made, as well supporting targeted funding to upgrade airport safety technologies to prevent runway incursions and other surface incidents.”\n\n\"A single runway incursion is one too many. The Runway Surface Awareness and Focused, Effective Training and Technology Act (Runway SAFE-T Act) recognizes that protecting the flying public and the aviation professionals who need to access runways requires investing in people, technology and training that keeps the United States National Airspace System safe,” said Dave Spero, National President, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS). “FAA employees are on the front lines of that mission every day. PASS supports efforts that provide them with the tools, staffing and resources needed to prevent accidents. There are no shortcuts to safety.”\n\n“AMOA appreciates Senator Moran's leadership in advancing this legislation and his commitment to improving airport surface safety. We also appreciate that the bill recognizes the important role of air medical operators by including their representatives on the FAA task force established to improve airport driver training and surface safety.” – Air Medical Operators Association (AMOA)\n\nThe Runway SAFE-T Act is also supported by the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), AFL-CIO, Brotherhood of Teamsters and Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS).\n\nFull text of the legislation can be found HERE.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/at-budget-hearing-senator-murray-slams-republicans-for-sham-hearing-on-medicaid-fraud-after-they-made-the-largest-cuts-to-medicaid-in-history/", "title": "At Budget Hearing, Senator Murray Slams Republicans for Sham Hearing on Medicaid Fraud, After They Made the Largest Cuts to Medicaid in History", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Murray: “Chairman Johnson has said repeatedly he believes Social Security is a Ponzi scheme… I am going to keep fighting to save Social Security and protect healthcare for Americans. Now, and long into the future.”\n\nJohnson: “I’ve said it’s a legal Ponzi scheme, which is exactly what it is. I mean, take a look at what a Ponzi scheme is. That’s what Social Security is.”\n\nMurray: “Seems to me like the biggest Medicaid theft didn’t happen in a billing office somewhere, it actually happened last year, right here in the United States Capitol, when Republicans passed Trump’s Big Ugly bill.”\n\n***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning***\n\nWashington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Budget Committee hearing on Medicaid, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Budget Committee, slammed Republicans’ sham hearing on Medicaid fraud. Senator Murray called out Trump for pardoning criminals convicted of Medicaid fraud and Republicans who voted to slash Medicaid to give tax cuts to billionaires last year in Trump’s Big Ugly Bill.\n\n[MEDICAID FRAUD HYPOCRISY]\n\nSenator Murray began by asking Jonathan Ingram, Vice President of Policy and Research at the Foundation for Government Accountability, about how Trump and Republicans’ say they want to crack down on Medicaid fraud; meanwhile Trump has actually pardoned criminals convicted of Medicaid fraud.\n\nMURRAY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think we can all agree can we do need to crack down on fraud, especially in a program like Medicaid that so many Americans really rely on.\n\nSo, Mr. Ingram, let me just ask you: Yes or no? You agree that we need to be cracking down on Medicaid fraud, not letting criminals off the hook, yes?\n\nINGRAM: Yes.\n\nMURRAY: Thank you. So, I hope my Republican colleagues will use some part of this hearing to condemn President Trump for pardoning criminals who were convicted of major Medicaid fraud. Trump pardoned five former executives from Florida who committed serious Medicaid fraud to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. That is pretty bad.\n\nFollowing what was dubbed “the largest health care fraud scheme charged by the U.S. Justice Department”—valued at over $1 billion in Medicare and Medicaid fraud—Trump commuted the 20-year sentence of a Florida nursing home and assisted living facility executive. So that’s even worse.\n\nSo, look, I’m all for a major crackdown on fraud—I think we all are, but it looks like we’ve got some pretty good leads starting in the White House.\n\n[REPUBLICAN MEDICAID CUTS]\n\nSenator Murray continued by asking Andy Schneider, Research Professor of the Practice at the Center for Children and Families in the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, about how Trump’s Big Ugly Bill made the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history and kicked thousands of Americans off their health insurance, all to give massive tax breaks to billionaires.\n\nMURRAY: Mr. Schneider, I want to turn to you. What single piece of legislation delivered the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history?\n\nSCHNEIDER: Last year’s budget reconciliation bill.\n\nMURRAY: Yep. Just so everybody knows: Republicans’ “Big, Ugly Bill” passed more than $1 trillion in health care cuts, mostly to Medicaid.\n\nMr. Schneider, how much in tax breaks for the top one percent did Trump’s bill contain?\n\nSCHNEIDER: Approximately $1 trillion.\n\nMURRAY: $1 trillion dollars, in tax cuts, to the top one percent.\n\nMr. Schneider, how many Americans are losing health care because of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill?\n\nSCHNEIDER: So, in terms of the Medicaid cuts, the latest estimates are approximately 11 million.\n\nMURRAY: 11 million.\n\nSo, zero billionaires lose their health care—they do get a trillion in tax cuts and then over fifteen million Americans—including the extended ACA tax credits—lose their health care thanks to Republicans passing $1 trillion in cuts for regular, working class people.\n\nThat is the math, and that is out-and-out grift. So it seems to me like the biggest Medicaid theft didn’t happen in a billing office somewhere, it actually happened last year, right here in the United States Capitol, when Republicans passed Trump’s Big Ugly bill.\n\n[CLOSING REMARKS]\n\nDuring Senator Murray’s closing remarks, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), doubled down on his stance on Social Security and called it a “legal Ponzi scheme.”\n\nMURRAY: So Mr. Chairman, let me just say, I find it pretty astounding that Republicans are holding an entire Senate hearing on “fraud” in Medicaid, but they don’t seem to have anything to say about the “fraud” coming out of the White House. I mean look at the crypto schemes, and the foreign gifts—that is easily the most corrupt White House in American history—President Trump pardoned convicted criminals who committed Medicaid fraud! This is outrageous to me, and it is what we should be talking about.\n\nBut I also want to note a really big difference in terms of values and beliefs right now. Because I am here—and I know my colleagues on this side are—to fight for our safety net programs. But my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not with me in that fight.\n\nChairman Johnson has said repeatedly he believes Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme. Last week, another Republican Senator was on the floor saying Social Security is a “scam.”\n\nSo, I wanted to make really clear at this hearing, I could not disagree more strongly, Mr. Chairman. Social Security is a program that millions of hardworking Americans have paid into their entire lives. So Republicans might want to cut benefits, or privatize Social Security, but I want you to know I am going to keep fighting to save Social Security and protect healthcare for Americans. Now, and long into the future.\n\nThank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\nJOHNSON: To correct the record, I’ve said it’s a legal Ponzi scheme, which is exactly what it is. I mean, take a look at what a Ponzi scheme is. That’s what Social Security is. It’s been horribly mismanaged. Those funds were not invested in something that’s of value to the federal government—government bonds. I’m happy to—and we’ll probably hold a hearing on this, and I’ll prove the case—but it’s a legal Ponzi scheme, and that’s quite honestly indisputable.\n\nMURRAY: Mr. Chairman, to respond.\n\nAnd welcome to the chairmanship, but I find that you are turning this into a debate committee, not a budget committee. That’s fine, but let me just respond—\n\nJOHNSON: I think it’s important that the American people see a civil exchange but go ahead.\n\nMURRAY: You have a right as a chair, but I will respond: Americans pay for their Social Security. They pay into it for their lifetimes, and they deserve to know it’s going to be there in the future. That’s what we’re focused on.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-remarks-on-averting-shutdown-democrats-fight-to-deliver-for-families-in-spending-bills/", "title": "Senator Murray Remarks on Averting Shutdown & Democrats’ Fight to Deliver for Families in Spending Bills", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full remarks***\n\nWashington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the Senate Democratic leadership press conference on the Senate advancing the bipartisan continuing resolution (CR), which extends government funding through December 11.\n\nSenator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:\n\n“Well, as last night’s vote made clear: no one wants a shutdown. It is a good thing we were able to come together to produce a reasonable CR that addresses some key problems with the CR that the House Republicans passed and that will give us the runway we need to reach a bipartisan agreement on funding levels—and then negotiate the bills for the coming year.\n\n“The bill closes the loophole in the Republicans’ bill, which would have allowed funding to be transferred to the Border Patrol. No reforms; no new money—it’s that simple.\n\n“The CR also adds important language to extend authorization for key programs and ensures there is enough funding to—for example—make sure low-income seniors have food on their tables.\n\n“It rejects the wish list President Trump requested for the Pentagon. There’s no funding for so-called ‘Trump-class’ battleships, for example, and this bill does nothing to fulfill his $70 billion request to bankroll his disastrous Iran war.\n\n“Thanks to Democrats, this bill will block OMB’s corrupt new grants rule from taking effect for the duration of the CR. What Trump and Russ Vought want is the ability to take every federal grant in America hostage. They are not interested in making our tax dollars work better—they just want them to work for Donald Trump. Cancer research, bridges, hospitals—under [this] rule, a Trump appointee could decide to strip funding for almost anything. No cause. No notice. No appeal.\n\n“So, Democrats said no way. Every single Senate Democrat joined me in demanding OMB withdraw the rule.\n\n“Today, it is on ice. I did try to stop this rule outright in the negotiations, but my Republican colleagues wouldn’t agree to do that. This rule is delayed; it is not dead—I absolutely intend to kill it.\n\n“Republicans also rejected our efforts to prevent Russ Vought from attempting an illegal ‘pocket rescission’—protecting Congress’ constitutional power of the purse, as well as our push to extend the critical advanced appropriations provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will expire on October 1.\n\n“So this isn’t the end— we’ve got a lot of work to do, and I’m going to keep pushing.\n\n“And the CR we overwhelmingly voted to advance last night will allow us to keep the government funded while those conversations continue. Because make no mistake: we have a lot of work ahead of us to do.\n\n“When it comes to this year’s spending bills, Democrats have one north star: making life affordable again. This president—and Republicans—have other ideas.\n\n“Trump wants a $1.5 trillion war budget and cuts to domestic programs. Senate Republicans are doing their darnedest to meet the president’s request. So far, they have proposed an absolutely massive increase for the Pentagon with offers that would provide over four new defense dollars for every new dollar invested in our communities here at home.\n\n“Senate Democrats have made it very clear that is not going to fly.\n\n“So, I’m ready, as ever, to use the time this CR provides to reach a reasonable bipartisan topline funding agreement which will allow us to negotiate strong bipartisan funding bills. That is our job. It is what our families back home expect of us. I’m ready to get it done.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-vows-to-get-spokane-and-wa-federal-resources-for-wildfire-response-and-recovery/", "title": "Senator Murray Vows to Get Spokane and WA Federal Resources for Wildfire Response and Recovery", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Murray: “To every family in Spokane and across Eastern Washington who has lost a home, or a business, or a lifetime of memories—hear me: I promise you—I am with you, today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes to rebuild.”\n\nMurray: “There is not a single dollar I won’t pursue if it means helping Spokane and communities across the state as they rebuild from these devastating fires. Whatever it takes—for as long as it takes.“\n\nICYMI: Senator Murray Leads Entire WA Delegation in Requesting Expedited Emergency Declaration for Devastating Wildfires in Spokane\n\n***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks***\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the senate floor about the devastating wildfires sweeping through Spokane, Central, and Eastern Washington state, Senator Murray reinforced her commitment to ensuring Spokane and the rest of the state have the federal resources necessary to rebuild and recover after the fires.\n\nSenator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:\n\n“M. President, I rise today with a very heavy heart because right now, huge swaths of my state are being confronted by some of the worst fires that we have ever seen.\n\n“This weekend, three fast-moving wildfires exploded across Spokane County. In a matter of hours, entire neighborhoods were told: ‘Leave now. This may be your only notice.’\n\n“Over sixty-five thousand people I represent have been forced to evacuate their homes. At least seven hundred homes, businesses, and buildings have been destroyed already. Families are sleeping in the Spokane Convention Center tonight, not knowing whether they even still have a home to go back to. And as of this morning, these fires are still not contained.\n\n“The photos and videos tell a story: Houses reduced to ash. Families embracing outside the burned remains of what they once called a home. It is heartbreaking. Smoke so thick over Spokane that the air itself has become a health hazard.\n\n“To every family in Spokane and across Eastern Washington who has lost a home, or a business, or a lifetime of memories—hear me: I promise you—I am with you, today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes to rebuild.\n\n“And amid this devastation, M. President, I also want this chamber to hear about the extraordinary courage on display in my state right now. Within hours of the evacuation orders, neighbors were opening their doors to strangers. Families who had room to spare simply said: come stay with us. Volunteers worked through the night at the convention center—handing out blankets, serving hot meals, sitting with frightened kids. Local restaurants showed up with food for evacuees and for the fire crews who were coming off the line. Churches and community groups collected clothes, diapers, pet food—whatever people needed, someone in Spokane found a way to provide it.\n\n“Firefighters have been on the lines around the clock—in brutal heat, against dangerous winds. Local fire crews. Crew from across the state. The Washington National Guard, all mobilized within hours. Incident management teams and firefighters who actually came from out of state—all the way from Florida to Alaska. There are even firefighters from Australia and New Zealand!\n\n“Because of them, because of the sheriff’s deputies and police officers who went door to door to get people out, because of the emergency managers and dispatchers and shelter volunteers, tens of thousands of people got to safety. These are real life heroes. And on behalf of the people of Washington state: thank you.\n\n“But M. President, gratitude is not enough. The people of Spokane need action—and they deserve to know their government has their back. So, here’s where things stand as I see them:\n\n“Our firefighters must have every resource they need to contain these fires—every aircraft, every bit of equipment, every dollar. So far, our state has gotten the resources we need from the federal government and I deeply appreciate that. That’s how it should be. Yesterday, I led our Congressional delegation in urging the President to approve the Governor’s request for an expedited emergency declaration—the President has approved part of that request. That’s good, and I’ll be watching closely to ensure the full request is approved.\n\n“The next few days will no doubt be difficult as local fire crews do their best to try and contain these fires.\n\n“Looking ahead, it’s important to say Spokane’s recovery will not be measured in days or weeks—it will be measured in months and years. Rebuilding homes, rebuilding businesses, it will take a long time, and it will not be easy.\n\n“But as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I want the people of Eastern Washington to know they have a voice in the United States Senate who will speak up for Spokane. I am not someone who will simply write letters to this administration asking for support.\n\n“I help write the bills that fund the government—across every department and every federal program—and I will make sure Spokane’s recovery is a priority at every opportunity. There is not a single dollar I won’t pursue if it means helping Spokane and communities across the state as they rebuild from these devastating fires. Whatever it takes—for as long as it takes.\n\n“So, M. President, Spokane has been hurt—and is being badly hurt by these fires. But Spokane is not broken. A community that takes care of each other in the way we’ve seen cannot be broken. Spokane will rebuild. Eastern Washington will recover. And I will be standing with them every single step of the way.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-calls-on-trump-administration-to-improve-access-to-maternal-care-in-georgia/", "title": "Sen. Ossoff Calls on Trump Administration to Improve Access to Maternal Care in Georgia", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.ossoff.senate.gov", "scraper": "ossoff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "O000174", "name": "Jon Ossoff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is calling on the Trump Administration to improve access to maternal care in Georgia.\n\nToday, Sen. Ossoff is demanding answers from Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General found that the three largest health insurance companies have inaccurate Medicaid Managed Care provider directories.\n\nThe independent HHS OIG report found that these directories included some maternal health providers that were not actually in-network, listed incorrect contact information for some in-network providers, and were missing some in-network providers altogether.\n\nThese “ghost providers” make it difficult for more than 1.5 million Georgians enrolled in a Medicaid Managed Care plan to find an in-network provider and risk further delays for those who need access to crucial prenatal and postpartum care.\n\n“For pregnant women, time is of the essence to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy. It is critical that they be able to find a provider that is in-network and available near them to receive timely prenatal care. I urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to take immediate action to ensure states and Medicaid MCO plans have accurate provider directories, especially for patients seeking prenatal and postpartum care,” Sen. Ossoff wrote to Administrator Oz.\n\nSen. Ossoff continues working to strengthen health care for Georgia mothers and children.\n\nThis year, Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock brought Republicans and Democrats together to deliver $476,000 in Federal funding to help Emory University purchase equipment for the NICU at Emory Decatur Hospital and to deliver $1,581,000 in Federal funding to help SGMC Health purchase medical equipment to expand access to maternal and infant care for families across South Georgia through their new Women and Infants Tower.\n\nIn April, Sen. Ossoff cosponsored the Social Determinants for Moms Act to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce the maternal mortality rate in Georgia and across the country.\n\nIn May 2025, Sen. Ossoff released new findings from his investigation into the impacts of Georgia’s 6-week abortion ban, in which Georgia OBGYNs revealed they had personally encountered cases in which Georgia’s six-week abortion ban contributed to a health complication or death of the mother.\n\nLast March, Sen. Ossoff and other members of Congress demanded the Trump Administration provide answers on the reported shutdown of a critical Maternal Health data system at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\n\nLast February, Sen. Ossoff introduced an amendment to protect children’s and maternal health care through Medicaid that Senate Republicans blocked.\n\nIn 2024, Sen. Ossoff launched a push to pass the MOMS Who Serve Act of 2024, legislation he co-sponsored to help moms in the armed forces access perinatal health care services.\n\nAlso in 2024, as Chair of the Senate Human Rights Subcommittee, Sen. Ossoff convened two public hearings at which Georgia women and Georgia OBGYNs testified to the harmful impacts of Georgia’s abortion ban.\n\nClick here to read Sen. Ossoff’s inquiry.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-introduces-legislation-to-ban-trump-from-selling-inside-access-to-his-presidential-announcements/", "title": "Padilla Introduces Legislation to Ban Trump from Selling Inside Access to his Presidential Announcements", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Trump Media Group began providing financial traders exclusive access to Trump’s Truth Social posts for $100,000 per month starting August 1st\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced the Stop Corrupt Trading Act, legislation to prohibit any President or Vice President, and any entity in which they hold a substantial financial interest, from selling advance or exclusive access to the President’s official or personal social media statements.\n\nOn August 1, Trump Media — of which the President owns more than 50% — launched a new scheme offering paying subscribers early access to Trump’s social media posts for $100,000 per month. Trump’s social media posts often generate market-moving information, especially his posts about his next moves in the unauthorized Iran war have great potential to sway financial markets – and thus generate insider trading profits for those who pay up.\n\nOne financial professional estimated that about 100 high frequency trading firms may pay for the service, which would then net Trump Media $120 million per year while Trump is in office.\n\n“This is out in the open – Donald Trump is the most corrupt President in American history. Despite already being the richest president in history, President Trump’s number one priority in office is to make himself richer while everyday Americans struggle to make ends meet,” said Senator Padilla. “Selling access to his market-moving social media posts is just one example of the brazen corruption we’ve seen coming out of the Oval Office – and I am fighting back to put a stop to it. Americans deserve a government that works for them, not one that’s for sale to hedge funds and Wall Street banks that can afford the subscription fee.”\n\nSpecifically, the legislation would:\n\nBan the President, Vice President, and related entities – including partnerships or companies with members of their family – from selling nonpublic information, which is explicitly defined to include “application programming interface” (API) data feeds that provide presidential information in ways that are not available for the general public. Penalties are up to two times the profit from the transaction and/or 5 years in prison.\n\nBan any third-party entity from purchasing any such nonpublic information, including exclusive data feeds, as defined in the legislation. Penalties for buyers are set at up to two times the profit gained from the transaction.\n\nToll the statute of limitations for conduct while a president is in office and provides for a civil right of action for disgorgement to get ill-gotten gains back for the American people.\n\nIn addition to Padilla, the bill is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06) is introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\n“Trump is openly selling preferential access to his presidential statements on Truth Social—trading insider information to benefit himself and his billionaire cronies. The Stop Corrupt Trading Act blocks the President’s latest self-enrichment scheme and install guardrails to prevent the future sale of nonpublic information and insider access to the White House. While every day Americans are struggling with rising costs and the consequences of Trump’s chaotic Administration, this legislation is needed to hold the President accountable and curtail his corruption,” said Senator Blumenthal.\n\n“President Trump is brazenly using the power of the presidency to enrich himself and give his well-connected cronies an unfair advantage over the American people,” Senator Peters said. “No elected official should be able to sell early access to market-moving information for their own profit—much less the President of the United States. This is corruption in plain sight, and Congress has a responsibility to stop it. The Stop Corrupt Trading Act would establish real consequences for selling nonpublic government information and shut down this kind of presidential profiteering.”\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Public Citizen, Common Cause, Democracy Defenders Action, Defend the Vote Action Fund, End Citizens United, and Protect Democracy.\n\n“President Trump has developed yet another scheme to personally profit off of his office, this time by selling early access to his Truth Social posts. This money-making ploy is yet another way in which the president is making the American economy a pay-to-play system,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy at CREW. “We applaud Senator Padilla for introducing the Stop Corrupt Trading Act, which prohibits this blatant corruption, and we call on Congress to work together to ensure that our government is not for sale.”\n\n“Senator Padilla’s Stop Corrupt Trading Act is a necessary reaction to the extreme corruption of Donald Trump’s out-of-control executive branch,” said Lisa Gilber, Co-President of Public Citizen. “There are many examples of outrageous grift from this president, but the idea of selling early access to insider information via Truth Social is particularly abhorrent and must be stopped. We applaud the Senator for pushing back on this unethical behavior.”\n\n“President Trump’s decision to sell his social media posts to special interests before the general public sees them is insider trading on steroids and cannot be allowed,” said Abigail Bellows, Common Cause Senior Policy Director for Anticorruption and Accountability. “That’s why we support the Stop Corrupt Trading Act, which would ban the president from making money off non-public information and help restore public trust.”\n\nSenator Padilla has fought back against the Trump Administration’s corruption. Last week, Padilla joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in introducing the Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act, legislation that would establish a private right of action for the public and state Attorneys General to sue for recoveries and forfeitures from certain federal officials, including the President and Vice President, to get Americans money back that’s been taken by corruption. The Senators announced the legislation at the Public Citizen “Combatting Corruption” forum. Last month, Padilla and Schumer launched a new Senate Democratic anti-corruption initiative to expose how Trump’s rampant self-dealing is costing American families and to develop legislation that would prevent future Presidents from using public office for personal profit. Padilla also led efforts to kill the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) “anti-weaponization” slush fund, and introduced the No Rewards for January 6 Rioters Act to prohibit use of federal funds to financially award them. Last year, Padilla demanded an independent investigation by the DOJ’s Inspector General into the Attorney General and the Department of Justice’s involvement in President Trump’s unconstitutional acquisition of a $400 million luxury plane from the Qatari government.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\nA one pager on the bill is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watch-padilla-todd-blanche-is-not-fit-to-serve-as-attorney-general/", "title": "WATCH: Padilla: “Todd Blanche Is Not Fit” to Serve as Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, slammed President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Attorney General, Todd Blanche, during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote on Blanche’s nomination. Padilla made clear that Blanche is utterly unfit to be U.S. Attorney General given his failure to prioritize the interests of the American people and the rule of law over President Trump’s personal whims and demands.\n\nIn his remarks, Padilla raised significant concerns regarding Blanche’s nomination hearing, in which Blanche admitted he was Trump’s lawyer, before correcting himself. Padilla also detailed Blanche’s refusal to commit to preserving the DOJ’s independence from political interference, including any political influence from Trump.\n\n“The Attorney General isn’t supposed to be the President’s lawyer. The Attorney General is supposed to be the country’s lawyer,” said Senator Padilla. “When I asked Mr. Blanche whether the Department of Justice has an obligation to remain independent from improper political influence, including influence by the President, he refused to say yes.”\n\nPadilla also underscored Blanche’s failure to hold the Trump Administration accountable for violations of the law, including the Department of Homeland Security’s killings of U.S. citizens and noncitizens, and highlighted Blanche’s apparent willingness to help Trump financially reward January 6 rioters using taxpayer funds.\n\n“Mr. Blanche has shown little interest in ensuring that federal officials themselves are held accountable when they violate the law, including, but not limited to the Department of Homeland Security. He basically stated that his belief is that the Department should investigate and police themselves,” continued Senator Padilla. “They’re clearly incapable of doing so. Federal agents shooting innocent civilians, killing United States citizens in the streets of our country, detainees dying in record numbers in detention centers that are violating the standards that they’re supposed to maintain. So it’s clear that under Todd Blanche, the primary job of the Justice Department will be to do things like defend all options to reward January 6 rioters who attacked the United States Capitol and violently assaulted police officers. To ensure immunity for the President and his family for tax crimes.”\n\nPadilla warned that under Blanche, the Department of Justice would continue to enable Trump’s corruption and concluded by urging his colleagues to oppose Blanche’s nomination.\n\n“This is not equal justice under the law,” concluded Senator Padilla. “This is not the Department of Justice the way it’s supposed to be. This is not an Attorney General that the American people deserve. Our country deserves better. Todd Blanche is not fit, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this nomination.”\n\nA majority of the committee nevertheless voted to advance Blanche’s nomination to the full Senate with all Republicans voting in favor of Blanche and all Democrats voting in opposition.\n\nPadilla has consistently fought to hold Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) accountable. Last month, Padilla questioned Blanche during a Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing, demanding answers about the anti-weaponization fund and allegiance to Trump. Additionally, Padilla, along with Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), led fourteen Senators in urging Blanche and the DOJ to halt any efforts to compensate January 6 rioters and commit to defending taxpayers in any January 6-related lawsuits. In May, Padilla slammed Blanche for establishing the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” slush fund and highlighted that the slush fund could be used to compensate or financially reward convicted January 6 insurrectionists. Last year, Padilla voted against advancing Blanche for U.S. Deputy Attorney General and warned against nominating Trump’s allies who refuse to commit to upholding key constitutional provisions.\n\nVideo of Padilla’s remarks is available here.\n\nTranscript of Padilla’s remarks is available below:\n\nThank you, Mr. Chairman. Colleagues, and members of the public. We’ve been hearing a lot about this tax immunity deal. We’ve heard about Todd Blanche’s mismanagement of the Epstein case and files. The evidence of Todd Blanche carrying out Trump’s political agenda of vindictiveness. And I’ll have my comments on that as well. But I want to bring us back to what it is that’s before us today.\n\n150 years ago, Congress created the Department of Justice and entrusted the Attorney General with the simple but profound responsibility to serve as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. Let me repeat that: to serve as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. Not the President’s lawyer, the American people’s lawyer. And even today, go to the Department’s website. Its own mission statement lists “independence and impartiality” as its first core value. It says the Department must follow “the facts and the law wherever they may lead, without prejudice or improper influence.” 150 years ago, we created the Department of Justice. It exists today with these mission statements and core values. That’s the standard. And by that standard, Todd Blanche fails.\n\nDuring the confirmation hearing, Mr. Blanche was asked whether he and Donald Trump were friends. Remember his response? He said, “I’m his lawyer.” And then he tried to correct himself by saying, “Was his lawyer.” That’s a remarkable slip for someone seeking to become Attorney General of the United States. And colleagues, we know he spent hours and hours over the course of days preparing for the hearing, and yet the first words out of his mouth when asked that question was, “I’m his lawyer.”\n\nThe Attorney General isn’t supposed to be the President’s lawyer. The Attorney General is supposed to be the country’s lawyer. And if you recall, when I asked Mr. Blanche whether the Department of Justice has an obligation to remain independent from improper political influence, including influence by the President, he refused to say yes. He tried to justify—the Department’s part of the executive branch, and he’s a member of the cabinet. And the President’s agenda, the President’s fixations and obsessions, is what he follows. It suggests he sees no problem with the President directing federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute his perceived political enemies. It’s not hypothetical. We’ve seen investigations into former FBI director James Comey, into New York Attorney General Letitia James, into former CIA director John Brennan, into our colleagues, both on committee, Senator Schiff, and not in this committee, Senator Kelly, and more.\n\nAt the same time, Mr. Blanche has shown little interest in ensuring that federal officials themselves are held accountable when they violate the law, including, but not limited to the Department of Homeland Security. He basically stated that his belief is that the Department should investigate and police themselves. Remember, I asked him about this. They’re clearly incapable of doing so. Federal agents shooting innocent civilians, killing United States citizens in the streets of our country, detainees dying in record numbers in detention centers that are violating the standards that they’re supposed to maintain.\n\nSo it’s clear that under Todd Blanche, the primary job of the Justice Department will be to do things like defend all options to reward January 6 rioters who attacked the United States Capitol and violently assaulted police officers. To ensure immunity for the President and his family for tax crimes. And no, even with this so-called deal, that hasn’t changed. Under the supposed deal, Mr. Blanche isn’t prevented from creating a new anti-weaponization fund tomorrow by some other name. It does not prevent Mr. Blanche from using taxpayer funds to reward January 6 rioters. It does not prohibit Donald Trump and his sons from receiving immunity for their tax crimes. To me, this doesn’t seem like a deal at all.\n\nBut ultimately, it does nothing to address the real, fundamental root problem: the Department of Justice with no independence. A Department that enables corruption, corruption that it should be prosecuting. A Department that rewards people who violently stormed the Capitol and assaulted law enforcement. What message does that send to supporters of the President after the next presidential election, when we try to certify future results? All this while the Administration is ignoring the true plight of working families across the country, who feel not just burdened but buried by the increased costs. What does that say to crime victims across the country, survivors of sex trafficking? What does that say to the families of those who have lost their lives at the hands of federal agents? And agents face no accountability.\n\nThis is not equal justice under the law. This is not the Department of Justice the way it’s supposed to be. This is not an Attorney General that the American people deserve. Our country deserves better. Todd Blanche is not fit, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this nomination.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2026/8/sen-rick-scott-discusses-protecting-medicaid-closing-fraud-loopholes-at-budget-committee-hearing", "title": "Sen. Rick Scott Discusses Protecting Medicaid, Closing Fraud Loopholes at Budget Committee Hearing", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.rickscott.senate.gov", "scraper": "rickscott", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001217", "name": "Rick Scott", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Rick Scott joined a Senate Budget Committee hearing focused on protecting Medicaid from waste, fraud, and abuse.\n\nDuring the hearing, Senator Scott questioned witnesses Dr. Brian Blase, President of Paragon Health Institute, and Jonathan Ingram, VP of Policy and Research at the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), about how fraudsters are able to abuse the public trust to enrich themselves through Medicaid loopholes – and how some states are even fleecing the federal government in the process.\n\nTo watch Sen. Scott’s full line of questions, click HERE.\n\nHIGHLIGHTS\n\nFRAUD AND STATE RESPONSIBILITY:\n\nSEN. SCOTT: “When you think about it, the federal government’s goal was to take care of, especially the pregnant women, kids, the disabled. The states have lost focus because there’s so much money and the providers have lost— because there’s so much money here for the able-bodied adults.”\n\nDR. BLASE: “The federal government is encouraging states to discriminate against the most vulnerable. The most problematic [provider taxes] are where you get a local health facility that transfers money to the state. The state then uses that as its payment back to the facility and then leverages the federal dollars. So, it’s a way for states to use the Medicaid financing system to benefit the governmental providers at the expense of the taxpayer… In California… they’ll pay the government ambulance providers more than three times what they pay the private ambulance providers through the Medicaid program.”\n\nTHE MEDICAID FRAUD CONTROL UNIT PROGRAM:\n\nMR. INGRAM: “[Fraud is] not a new problem; it’s been going on for years. It definitely worsened under President Biden. States are getting more funding from taxpayers than ever for these [investigative] units and getting worse results. Investigations are down, indictments are down, convictions are down, recoveries are down… This is a longstanding problem, and nobody really seemed to care about it until President Trump.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/2026/08/04/rosen-cortez-masto-introduce-bill-to-overturn-law-establishing-yucca-mountain-as-nuclear-waste-repository-consider-new-uses-for-site/", "title": "Rosen, Cortez Masto Introduce Bill to Overturn Law Establishing Yucca Mountain As Nuclear Waste Repository, Consider New Uses for Site", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.rosen.senate.gov", "scraper": "rosen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000608", "name": "Jacky Rosen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced a bill to ensure Yucca Mountain will never be used as a repository for nuclear waste and require the U.S. government to consider other uses for Yucca Mountain that would create jobs and stimulate Nevada’s economy. The Jobs, Not Waste Act would repeal the law that established Yucca Mountain as a repository for nuclear waste, require the Department of Energy (DOE) to withdraw and terminate the licensing proceeding for Yucca Mountain at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, require DOE to reclaim and mitigate any adverse environmental impacts to the site, and require the Office of Management and Budget to conduct and submit a study to determine the viability and benefits of other uses for the site. This bill comes following the Trump Administration’s proposal to scrap Yucca Mountain as the nation’s sole nuclear waste repository and instead allow states to willingly host such facilities.\n\n“Nevadans have always been clear that we will not allow nuclear waste to be stored at Yucca Mountain – and that any proposal to establish a nuclear waste repository needs to be centered on the consent of the surrounding community,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m encouraged by the recent proposal from the Trump Administration that acknowledges Yucca Mountain is not an option for nuclear waste storage, which is why I hope they will support this legislation to ensure Yucca remains dead. We have an opportunity to consider the benefits of other uses for the Yucca Mountain site to create jobs for Nevadans and grow our economy.”\n\n“Nevadans have been clear from the beginning that our state cannot and will not house the nation’s nuclear waste,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “While I welcome the Trump administration’s recent move to leave the unworkable Yucca Mountain proposal behind, we cannot take anything for granted. It’s time to pass our Jobs, Not Waste Act to explore other uses for the Yucca site and allow states who want to store nuclear waste to do so.”\n\nSenators Rosen and Cortez Masto have been leading the fight against storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. During the first Trump Administration, they were part of successful efforts to stop the Administration’s attempts to restart the Yucca Mountain licensing process by preventing funds for the failed site from being included in every final appropriations bill. At the beginning of this Congress, Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto introduced a bill to guarantee state, tribal, and local officials are given a meaningful voice in the decision-making process when a nuclear waste repository is proposed in their community.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-introduces-legislation-to-strengthen-cyber-operations-in-indo-pacific-region", "title": "Rounds Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Cyber Operations in Indo-Pacific Region", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.rounds.senate.gov", "scraper": "rounds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000605", "name": "Mike Rounds", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) today introduced legislation to close strategy and resource gaps in the Department of War’s cyber cooperation activities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Indo-Pacific Cyber Cooperation Strategy would require the Office of the Secretary of War and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to institutionalize cyber cooperation between DOW and the United States’ allies in the region.\n\n“Modern warfare is now fought in five domains: air, land, sea, space and cyberspace,” said Rounds. “As our cyber capabilities continue to advance, so do those of our adversaries. As China grows increasingly capable in the cyber domain, the United States must leverage the capacity of our partners and allies, who are crucial for securing a free and open Indo-Pacific. Our legislation would require the Department of War to close any existing cyber operations gaps that exist between our nation and our allies in the Indo-Pacific Region.”\n\n“Cybersecurity is key to a free and open Indo-Pacific, strengthening our national security and keeping us all safe,” said Duckworth. “As a Pacific nation, we must ensure we’re strategically engaging with our regional partners across all fronts to make sure they can protect critical infrastructure and effectively operate in cyberspace. Our bipartisan bill would enhance American cyber cooperation with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to better protect our economy and security from shared adversaries and hostile actors.”\n\nClick HERE for full bill text.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-warns-democrats-dont-open-back-door-for-republicans-to-cut-social-security/", "title": "NEWS: Sanders Warns Democrats: Don’t Open Back Door for Republicans to Cut Social Security", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.sanders.senate.gov", "scraper": "sanders", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000033", "name": "Bernard Sanders", "party": "Independent", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 — After the Social Security Administration warned that 70 million Americans will have their benefits cut by 2032 unless Congress takes action, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today called on Senate Democrats to strongly oppose the PROMISE Act — legislation allowing congressional Republicans to slash or privatize Social Security through an unelected commission. Sanders instead urged his Democratic colleagues to support his legislation, backed by 78% of the American people, to apply the Social Security payroll tax on all income above $250,000 a year, increase benefits by $2,400 a year and expand Cost-of-Living Adjustments. In 2023, the Social Security Administration estimated that this legislation would make Social Security solvent for 75 years without raising taxes on 91 percent of Americans who make less than $250,000 a year.\n\n“The Democratic Caucus must make it abundantly clear that under no circumstances will we support legislation that cuts Social Security benefits, raises the retirement age, reduces Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs), or privatizes this essential program,” Sanders wrote. “At a time when the wealthiest people in America are becoming much wealthier, asking them to pay the same percentage of their income into Social Security as teachers, nurses, firefighters, and construction workers is not a radical idea. It is common sense. It is what the American people want… Unfortunately, instead of clearly telling the American people how we intend to strengthen Social Security, there are now Members of Congress who are considering legislation that moves us in exactly the wrong direction.”\n\nSeniors in America today face the highest rate of poverty of almost any major country. Over 20% of seniors are trying to survive on an income of less than $15,000 a year and nearly half of older workers have no savings or plan for retirement. Yet despite this retirement crisis, billionaires continue to pay much less proportionally into Social Security than do working-class Americans, and Republicans in Congress are making their intention to undermine the program clear. Last week, Senate Republicans called Social Security a “scam” on the Senate floor.\n\nIn his letter, Sanders warns that the PROMISE Act would enable departing members of Congress who have lost the confidence of the American people — especially those from a party that might have lost control of one or both chambers following November’s elections — to determine the future of Social Security for the next 50 years.\n\n“At a time when the very rich are getting richer while working families struggle, it is no great secret that millions of Americans no longer have faith in the political process or either major party. They see the current political system as rigged and corrupt, benefiting the powerful and wealthy campaign contributors. If the Democratic Party is ever to regain the faith of ordinary Americans it must stand firm on the issue of Social Security,” Sanders concluded. “Instead, we will strengthen and expand Social Security by requiring the wealthiest Americans to finally pay the same percentage of their income into Social Security as tens of millions of working people do today. That is how we prevent benefit cuts. That is how we expand Social Security. That is how we extend Social Security’s solvency for generations to come. That is how the Democratic Party begins to regain the trust of the American people.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-urges-president-trump-to-reverse-destructive-cuts-to-science-and-research-funding/", "title": "NEWS: Sen. Schiff Urges President Trump to Reverse Destructive Cuts to Science and Research Funding", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Schiff highlights the role federal funding played in our nation’s greatest scientific discoveries, emphasizes how cuts will trigger billions in lost economic activity\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called on President Trump and his administration to end their repeated attacks on science and research funding – underscoring that cuts to critical federal investments have been detrimental to U.S. innovation and have impacted research on new discoveries, including life-saving drug research and space exploration.\n\n“Without robust federal funding and prioritization of our scientific workforce, we are at grave risk of ceding influence and power to our competitors abroad,” Senator Schiff wrote in a new letter to President Trump.\n\nSchiff points out that cuts to federal science funding will ultimately lead to higher prices for millions of Americans, greater job insecurity across industries, loss in scientific talent to our competitors abroad, and a decline in the United States’ status as a world leader in science and innovation.\n\n“The economic impact of these cuts for all Americans will be sweeping, leading to higher prices and greater job insecurity across industries. Researchers across U.S. research universities estimate $2.8 billion in overall economic losses from disrupted NIH and NSF grants…Current projections suggest that a 25 percent cut to federal R&D spending would lower GDP by a rate comparable to that witnessed during the Great Recession,” Senator Schiff wrote.\n\nThe administration’s 22% cut to science funding in its FY2026 Budget request would amount to half a trillion dollars in lost economic activity.\n\n“With this growing uncertainty, our country’s STEM programs and scientific workforce are shrinking rapidly, impacting not only our economy but also the U.S.’s ability to lead in scientific innovation at a global scale. At the beginning of 2026, over 10,000 people with STEM PhDs had lost or left their jobs due to federal workforce cuts,” the Senator continued.\n\n“As President of the United States, it is your responsibility to ensure that our economy and our workforce continue to flourish, and that our nation retains its competitive edge. Without significant investments in higher education institutions and in the students and faculty members who make these institutions great, the United States will backslide behind our competitors – a risk we cannot afford to take,” the Senator concluded.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear President Trump,\n\nWe write to express our deep concern regarding your administration’s continued attacks on science and research funding. Federal investments in science are critical to new discoveries across sectors, from life-saving drug research and development to space exploration. This innovation brings a tremendous return on taxpayer investment, bolstering the American economy and solidifying our nation’s long-held position as a leader in STEM. Without robust federal funding and prioritization of our scientific workforce, we are at grave risk of ceding influence and power to our competitors abroad.\n\nThe U.S. is a global scientific leader, driving innovations that fuel economic growth and directly improve the lives of all Americans. In 2023, three U.S.-based scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their discovery of quantum dots, research used to identify cancer cells, detect radiation during military operations, and improve energy efficiency. U.S.-led discoveries like this are only made possible through federal support for research activities in medicine, national security, and technology. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently concluded that every dollar of federal non-defense research and development investment creates as much as $12.50 in economic growth over the following 30 years by encouraging capital expenditures and job creation. These investments have been estimated to account for at least one-fifth of the growth in U.S. total factor productivity, a measure of technological innovation and scientific discoveries, since World War II.\n\nUnfortunately, your administration has sought deep cuts to scientific funding and laid off thousands of federally employed scientists, despite public outcry and strong urging from the public, universities, and industries to preserve support for science across the American scientific community. Notably, the National Science Foundation (NSF) terminated about $1 billion in grants and fired 10 percent of its workforce. Further, the total number of new NSF grants in 2025 fell by 25 percent relative to the average of the previous 10 years. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), your administration canceled grants amounting to more than $1.8 billion. In your proposed FY2026 budget, you recommended a 35 percent cut for non-defense research and development. Recent projections estimate that your administration’s FY2027 budget proposal will translate to 150,000 NIH and NSF jobs lost. These decisions run counter to Congress’s historical support for public funding of scientific research, and Congress has been persistent in demanding your administration halt preemptive cuts to federal programs and abide by Congress’ set funding levels for the current and future fiscal years to prevent irrevocable harm to America’s economy and workforce.\n\nThe economic impact of these cuts for all Americans will be sweeping, leading to higher prices and greater job insecurity across industries. Researchers across U.S. research universities estimate $2.8 billion in overall economic losses from disrupted NIH and NSF grants. After you released your FY2026 Budget Request, the CBO similarly suggested that your administration’s requested 22 percent cut to science funding would amount to half a trillion dollars in lost economic activity. This defunding would have catastrophic effects. Current projections suggest that a 25 percent cut to federal R&D spending would lower GDP by a rate comparable to that witnessed during the Great Recession. American families simply cannot afford to take such a devastating step backwards.\n\nWith this growing uncertainty, our country’s STEM programs and scientific workforce are shrinking rapidly, impacting not only our economy but also the U.S.’s ability to lead in scientific innovation at a global scale. At the beginning of 2026, over 10,000 people with STEM PhDs had lost or left their jobs due to federal workforce cuts. Students across the nation report the loss of federal grants, such as the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, as the primary reason why they and many of their colleagues have been forced to leave research and academia, constituting a significant loss for the country in institutional knowledge and expertise. On top of this, roughly 60 percent of colleges and universities reported decreases in international student enrollment. This decrease is in line with recent reports that doctoral and postdoctoral students are losing hope in pursuing their careers in the U.S. One survey indicates that there has been a 21 percent decline in the number of doctoral and postdoctoral students likely to continue their careers in the U.S. These early-career scientists, referred to by some as “the canary in the coal mine,” are just the first signal of a long-term threat to America’s scientific leadership, which could take a generation to rebuild.\n\nAs research funding runs out in the U.S., other nations are capitalizing on this tenuous moment in our history by actively recruiting our country’s best and brightest. China and countries in Europe, for example, are offering hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding to leading American academics and scientists, promising them stable and consistent funding streams. These offers provide a lifeline to those who have been hit with sudden grant freezes and award denials. Researchers who the United States has invested in for years are now taking their expertise abroad. Funding interruptions will continue to seriously impair our ability to compete on an international stage, especially as China surpassed the U.S. in R&D expenditures and in scientific publications in 2024. Without a robust pipeline of researchers and scientists, our economic stability as well as our status as a world leader in scientific discovery will undoubtedly decline.\n\nAs President of the United States, it is your responsibility to ensure that our economy and our workforce continue to flourish, and that our nation retains its competitive edge. Without significant investments in higher education institutions and in the students and faculty members who make these institutions great, the United States will backslide behind our competitors – a risk we cannot afford to take.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sens-schiff-daines-introduce-legislation-to-reduce-conflicts-between-humans-and-wildlife-in-american-outdoors/", "title": "NEWS: Sens. Schiff & Daines Introduce Legislation to Reduce Conflicts Between Humans and Wildlife in American Outdoors", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "New bipartisan legislation codifies a 2020 pilot program at USDA aimed at developing effective nonlethal strategies for reducing impacts of wildlife on rural communities, livestock and agriculture\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) are introducing bipartisan legislation to reduce conflicts between humans and wildlife, including attacking livestock, damaging human infrastructure, and harming agriculture.\n\nThe Human-Wildlife Conflict Reduction Act of 2026 would codify a pilot program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and expand the department’s development of nonlethal methods, such as range riding, guard dogs, and electric fencing, in order to reduce human-wildlife conflicts across the American outdoors.\n\n“Ranchers and farmers across California face escalating conflicts with large predators targeting livestock, and our bipartisan legislation to expand nonlethal deterrence methods will protect wildlife, including endangered species. These tools are crucial to ensuring wildlife can safely coexist with humans – reducing wildlife deaths and proactively protecting livestock. This is a win-win for both the environment and California’s ranchers,” said Senator Schiff.\n\n“Montanans know all too well what it’s like to live in a region with large predators, like bears and wolves. This bill will expand funding to implement more nonlethal ways to keep our communities safe from predatory wildlife. This bill is especially important for Montana’s farmers and ranchers, who depend on both lethal and nonlethal management for the well-being of their livestock to make a living. I’ll work with Senator Schiff to get it across the finish line,” said Senator Daines.\n\nThe Senators’ legislation builds upon the successful work of the Nonlethal Initiative, which USDA piloted through Congressional funding in December 2019. The bill would expand this pilot and authorize it, making the program permanent at USDA.\n\nAcross rural counties in northeast California, ranchers and agricultural producers have faced several conflicts, most recently with wolves. The Nonlethal Initiative Program currently operates in 13 states including both California and Montana to deal with livestock depredation – such as from wolves and bears – and wildlife damage to infrastructure – such as beavers.\n\nThe Human-Wildlife Conflict Reduction Act of 2026 will:\n\nDeploy resources to help reduce livestock depredation and conflict with predator species;\n\nCodify the work of the Nonlethal Initiative into a new Human-Wildlife Conflict Reduction Program and develop new and effective nonlethal strategies;\n\nImplement projects to provide direct assistance and share best practices to landowners, agricultural producers, Indian Tribes, and nonprofit organizations;\n\nEstablish monitoring and adaptive management services to improve outcomes of nonlethal strategies over time; and\n\nSubmit an annual report to Congress describing the use of Congressional funds.\n\nThe bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).\n\n“As native wild animals respond to growing environmental pressures and dangerous cuts to protections by the Trump Administration, conflicts between humans and wildlife are bound to increase,” said Senator Padilla. “This legislation will help bolster humane strategies and programs to reduce conflicts while still protecting Americans, their livestock, and California’s wildlife.”\n\n“As ranchers struggle with livestock depredation, we must support our rural communities by giving them the tools and economic support they need to tackle this threat to their livelihoods,” said Senator Merkley. “Our bipartisan bill is a common-sense approach to reduce conflicts between livestock and wildlife by supporting non-lethal management strategies, which are a proven tool and essential to collaborative wildlife management.”\n\nThe full text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/watch-before-committee-vote-sen-schiff-lays-out-reasons-todd-blanche-is-unfit-to-serve-as-attorney-general/", "title": "WATCH: Before Committee Vote, Sen. Schiff Lays Out Reasons Todd Blanche is Unfit to Serve as Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Schiff: “He will never do what’s best for the American people. He will only do what’s best for Donald Trump, and you cannot leave someone like that as the nation’s number one law enforcement official.”\n\nWashington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) condemned the record of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche before voting against his nomination at a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee today, emphasizing his weaponization of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for the benefit of President Donald Trump.\n\nAhead of the Committee vote, Schiff outlined the five reasons why the Acting Attorney General should not be confirmed. He explained Blanche supported the president’s tax settlement that enriched Trump and his family, used his position in the DOJ to go after the president’s political enemies, protected the president in the Epstein files investigation while jeopardizing the safety of victims, sought the establishment of the weaponization fund to pay out the president’s cronies, and violated his code of ethics.\n\nSchiff highlighted that Blanche is unable to rid himself of his role as the president’s criminal defense lawyer; therefore, he will never represent the American people and urged his fellow members on the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote no on his confirmation.\n\nWatch the full clip HERE. Download the clip HERE.\n\nKey Excerpts:\n\nOn Blanche’s written order to terminate Trump’s slush fund:\n\n[…] Nothing in this supposed clarification changes that. So, if tomorrow the president wants to insist – let’s say that tomorrow the IRS were to audit the returns of a subsidiary of one of the companies, not a party to the actual litigation – do you think for a moment the president wouldn’t assert that settlement agreement as a defense? Do you think for a moment that a court would find that an unsigned statement purporting to restate some testimony in committee would bar the president from using that as a defense? And so, we have this litigation. President sues president. President settles with president. President never asserts the statute of limitations, which would bar the claim.\n\nBut no, this is used to enrich the president and his family. That is number one. We should not confirm an attorney general who views his job as enriching the President of the United States.\n\nOn the use of the Justice Department to go after Trump’s enemies:\n\n[…] Do any of you think that’s equivalent to the Justice Department under Todd Blanche seeking to indict two of our colleagues for a video they made that stated the plain truth that you can ignore an illegal order that you indeed have a duty to? I mean, how can any of us countenance an attorney general who would do such a thing?\n\nOr, as my colleague from North Carolina says, brings a seashells case. How absurd is that? Can there be any doubt that that was brought simply because he’s on the president’s enemies list? I know I’m on that list.\n\n[…] He is not entitled, however, to use the Department of Justice to go after his political opponents. And the day we say that’s okay, and the day we confirm an Attorney General who says that’s okay, is the day that the rule of law becomes merely an unenforceable idea – a quaint acknowledgment of a past Justice Department in which the rule of law once mattered.\n\nOn the DOJ’s mishandling of the Epstein investigation:\n\nNumber three of the reasons why we should not confirm Todd Blanche is that his efforts to protect the president and others in the Epstein Files investigation is a scandalous abuse of power. He withheld documents implicating the president to protect the president. He has never been able to shed his role as criminal defense lawyer for Donald Trump. He withheld records, only complied even partially with the requirement of the law that he disclose them when he was found out in that effort of cover-up and concealment.\n\nAnd what’s more, his mismanagement of the release of the files has victimized the victims again by publishing their names, their likenesses, their photos, their addresses. We should not confirm anyone so incompetent, someone so indifferent to the suffering of these victims, someone who only met with them because he was going to be refused confirmation for his refusal to do so.\n\nOn the president’s anti-weaponization fund:\n\n[…] Indeed, they’re already paying off the president’s cronies. Do you remember Michael Flynn, the erstwhile national security adviser of the president? He’s already been paid $1.25 million of your taxpayer money. This is a guy who pled guilty twice. Pled guilty twice to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russians. And he’s already made $1.25 million off your money – not using this weaponization slush fund but using the DOJ’s victim fund, the judgment fund, as a slush fund. And these cop beaters are already signaling their attention to file claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act.\n\nSo even if the weaponization fund doesn’t move forward, they are using the same mechanism to pay off these cop beaters and cronies of the president. And nothing in what Todd Blanche signed is going to stop that. What will stop that is a statute passed by this committee in the Congress that prevents this. That prevents taxpayer funding from going to these cop beaters. That is the only thing that will prevent it, and we haven’t done it.\n\nOn Blanche’s violation of his code of ethics:\n\n[…] Here’s the thing: he did fire people involved in the cases against Donald Trump. In fact, we heard testimony last week of one of the people he fired. And here is his termination notice.\n\nThis is Todd Blanche’s signature on a notice of removal from federal service for Peter Carr. Peter Carr was one of the primary spokespeople for Jack Smith’s investigation. He was the spokesperson against the president in the president’s prosecution for inciting a violent attack on the Capitol.\n\nTodd Blanche writes: “This memorandum serves as official notice that you are removed from your position of public affairs specialist with the Department of Justice.” Signed by Todd Blanche. Recused from any involvement in firing anyone in the cases in which he defended the president firing someone involved in the cases in which he defended the president.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-leads-new-hampshire-and-maine-colleagues-in-opposing-new-opm-rule-weakening-civilian-labor-protections-at-portsmouth-naval-shipyard", "title": "Shaheen Leads New Hampshire and Maine Colleagues in Opposing New OPM Rule Weakening Civilian Labor Protections at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.shaheen.senate.gov", "scraper": "shaheen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001181", "name": "Jeanne Shaheen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) led U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Angus King (I-ME) and U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) and Chellie Pingree (ME-01) in raising concerns around a new rule proposed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Merit Systems Protection Board that would weaken civil service protections and undermine workers’ rights at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). In their letter, the lawmakers note that the rule would threaten workforce recruitment and retention at the Shipyard—which already needs 700 workers annually to keep pace—and potentially harm U.S. naval readiness.\n\nThe lawmakers wrote, in part: “We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)’s proposed rule ‘Promoting Employee Accountability,’ Docket OPM-2025-0012 (RIN 3206-AO91). This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitment and retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule’s impact on workers essential to our national security.”\n\nThey continued: “As you are no doubt aware, the men and women who work at our public shipyards are critical members of our defense industrial base, without whom the ability to repair, retrofit and refuel our country’s submarines would be in jeopardy. In our states, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) has nearly eight thousand civilian employees, creating more than $1.5 billion in annual economic impact in surrounding communities. [...] PNSY currently needs to hire over 700 workers annually to meet the Navy’s demand – which is an increase from 550 over the past two years. Further, policies that reduce workplace protections risk making federal service less attractive to qualified candidates. Due to civilian hiring quotas imposed by the Office of Personnel Management, PNSY has struggled to onboard workers and cannot risk additional delays or departures. If the Administration intends to retain this political litmus test at our public shipyards, the costs of unnecessarily losing more skilled workers through this proposed rule far outweigh any potential benefit.”\n\nThey concluded: “By stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness and refusing to consider important factors, the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready, ultimately harming the shipyard’s ability to meet the Navy’s needs and threatening our national security. We, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB’s proposed rule, ‘Promoting Employee Accountability,’ and consider alternatives that preserve federal workers’ longstanding civil service protections.”\n\nA full copy of the letter can be read HERE.\n\nAs a co-chair of the U.S. Senate Navy Caucus and a senior member of the U.S. Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and Armed Services Committee, Senator Shaheen has long advocated for New England’s shipbuilding industry and workforce, including through authorizing funding and workforce development for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Recently, Shaheen led the Maine and New Hampshire Congressional delegations in calling for the Trump Administration to explain its refusal to process an Unfair Labor Practice charge (ULP) filed by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Metal Trades Council on behalf of its members. In the Committee-approved Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the enacted FY 26 NDAA, Shaheen secured full authorization for the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program investments at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Shaheen’s provision to exempt employees from all four public shipyards from OPM’s civilian hiring freeze and any future hiring freezes or reductions in force was included in the FY 2026 NDAA and extended in the Committee-passed FY 27 NDAA. She also secured a number of other provisions to increase capacity at the Shipyard and improve quality of life.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.smith.senate.gov/u-s-senator-tina-smiths-statement-on-leaked-audio-confirming-attorney-general-nominee-todd-blanche-plans-to-restrict-medication-abortion-access-nationwide-including-in-states-with-abortion-protect/", "title": "U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Leaked Audio Confirming Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche Plans to Restrict Medication Abortion Access Nationwide, Including in States with Abortion Protections", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.smith.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.smith.senate.gov", "scraper": "tinasmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001203", "name": "Tina Smith", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after breaking news from POLITICO that Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche is working with federal agencies “so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state” by banning the mailing of medication abortion, such as mifepristone:\n\n“Dismantling Roe v. Wade was never Republicans’ endgame, and we’ve always known they’ve wanted to go further. They grew quieter about their next moves after the fierce public backlash in the wake of the Dobbs decision, but we knew the Trump Administration wouldn’t rest until every woman in America was subject to an abortion ban, including in states where abortion rights are protected by state law,” says Smith.\n\n“Todd Blanche made clear in these secret calls with anti-choice activists that he wants to resurrect the Comstock Act – an antiquated anti-vice law from before women had the right to vote – to ban sending medication abortion in the mail. Republicans will likely do what they always do and confirm Blanche as Attorney General despite all of this, and once again, women across America will pay the price,” she continued.\n\n“We’re going to fight back in the courts, and when we take back power, we need to be ready to pass my Stop Comstock Act to make sure no administration can abuse this zombie law ever again,” Smith concluded.\n\nSmith’s Stop Comstock Act would repeal language in the Comstock Laws that could be used by an anti-abortion administration to ban the mailing of mifepristone and other drugs used in medication abortions, instruments and equipment used in abortions, and educational material related to sexual health. Medication abortion is how nearly 60% of abortions take place in this country today. It is the most common form of abortion in the United States. Smith is the only sitting U.S. Senator to have worked for Planned Parenthood, where she served as an executive for Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thune-congress-has-important-work-ahead-starting-with-government-funding/", "title": "Thune: Congress Has Important Work Ahead, Starting With Government Funding", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.thune.senate.gov", "scraper": "thune", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000250", "name": "John Thune", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership:\n\nThune’s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n“Busy week in the Senate, a lot going on, … we’re juggling a lot of balls right now.\n\n“But there are some things that we intend to get done this week, and the first is to ensure that we get about 75 of the president’s nominations through en bloc.\n\n“And so there are a number of very qualified nominees that the president has put forward, and if we can get those across the finish line this week – and we intend to – that would put us on pace to have 95 percent of the president’s nominees done.\n\n“And that is a rate that puts us ahead of every [incoming administration] going back for the last 25 years …\n\n“And I think there were somewhere on the order, in the last Trump administration at this point, of about 155 nominees that hadn’t been acted on or confirmed, and this would have … that number at about six.\n\n“So we’re going to be way ahead of pace of the historical average, and I think that’s really important to ensure the president has his people in place so that he can do the job the American people elected him to do.\n\n“The other thing, of course, that we need to do is to fund the government.\n\n“And credit to Chair Collins and her team, working with Democrats and Republicans to come up with a plan that will fund the government beyond the election into December.\n\n“We were able to get on that bill last night with a very big bipartisan vote, and I hope we can continue down that path and ensure that we have funded the government, taken a government shutdown off the table.\n\n“We’ve had two of those, as you know, in the last year.\n\n“They are incredibly painful for the American people, and it’s important, in my view, that we demonstrate to the American people that we can do job one – and job one is ensuring that their federal government is working and funded.\n\n“So that will also be something that between now and the end of this week, or however long we’re here, we intend to accomplish.\n\n“And so we will keep you posted on other things. There are other issues out there.\n\n“We had a discussion about some of them at lunch, and we’ll continue to have those conversations and figure out, as we attempt, at least, to get these things stacked up and get as many things done as possible that we stay on pace to do that.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thune-republicans-working-families-tax-cuts-law-is-delivering-for-hardworking-americans/", "title": "Thune: Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts Law Is Delivering for Hardworking Americans", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.thune.senate.gov", "scraper": "thune", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000250", "name": "John Thune", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:\n\nThune’s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n“Mr. President, a week or two ago I came down to the floor and talked about growing up in a small town in South Dakota.\n\n“And as I said in those remarks, I carry those South Dakotans with me in a special way in my work here in Washington.\n\n“When I consider bills or look at regulations, I think about what kind of impact they will have on those Americans – on hardworking people without a lot of extra money in the budget.\n\n“On people living paycheck-to-paycheck – or, as was the case with some of the farmers I grew up with, harvest-to-harvest.\n\n“I think about how to ensure that government isn’t standing in their way – or taking up all the extra money in their budget.\n\n“And it was hardworking Americans like the South Dakotans I grew up with who were at the top of my mind when Republicans drafted our landmark tax relief legislation back in 2017.\n\n“The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act cut tax rates across the board, doubled the child tax credit, and nearly doubled the standard deduction.\n\n“It put more money in hardworking Americans’ pockets: money that they were able to use for their particular needs – from child care to home repairs to medical bills to a family vacation.\n\n“And those same hardworking Americans were our focus last year when we passed the Working Families Tax Cuts.\n\n“Our first aim with the Working Families Tax Cut was making the 2017 tax relief permanent.\n\n“And that’s exactly what we did.\n\n“We made the lower tax rates permanent.\n\n“We made the increased child tax credit permanent.\n\n“And we made the increased standard deduction permanent.\n\n“But that was just the beginning.\n\n“We weren’t content with a permanent extension of the 2017 tax relief.\n\n“We wanted to do more for working families.\n\n“And so that’s what we did.\n\n“As I said, our 2017 tax relief bill doubled the child tax credit.\n\n“Well, the Working Families Tax Cuts not only made that permanent, it increased the child tax credit even further – and then indexed it to inflation, so its value will never go down.\n\n“I said the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act nearly doubled the standard deduction.\n\n“Well, the Working Families Tax Cuts boosted the standard deduction even further.\n\n“And we didn’t stop there.\n\n“We instituted two big new tax relief measures – no tax on tips and no tax on overtime.\n\n“That meant major new tax relief for a whole host of working Americans.\n\n“Waiters.\n\n“Delivery people.\n\n“Bartenders.\n\n“Uber and Lyft drivers.\n\n“Nurses.\n\n“Factory workers.\n\n“Paramedics.\n\n“Police officers.\n\n“And many others.\n\n“And that still isn’t all.\n\n“We instituted a new, $6,000 bonus deduction for seniors.\n\n“And we created new, tax-advantaged investment accounts to help parents save for their children’s futures – starting with an initial $1,000 investment from the federal government for babies born between 2025 and 2028.\n\n“And that’s far from the only thing we did to help the next generation get a head start on their American Dream.\n\n“The Working Families Tax Cuts also made some significant improvements to the traditional 529 education savings plan, allowing those savings to be used for a greater variety of education-related expenses – like tutoring or homeschool materials, and vocational and continuing education.\n\n“On the higher education side, we implemented accountability and reforms that put downward pressure on the cost of college degrees.\n\n“We also made permanent a policy I authored that allows … employers to pay off a portion of their employees’ student loans without the employee having to pay taxes on the repayment amount.\n\n“And on top of all that, we created the Workforce Pell program, which will provide financial assistance to Americans in shorter-term skills and career-training programs – whether they’re just starting out, or looking to switch careers or develop new skills in their current field.\n\n“Mr. President, this tax season, more than 35 million seniors claimed the new bonus deduction for older Americans.\n\n“More than 29 million American workers were able to deduct overtime pay from their taxes, resulting in substantial tax savings.\n\n“And more than 7.5 million workers deducted their tips on their taxes, ensuring that they were able to keep more of their hard-earned money.\n\n“And that’s not to even mention the countless hardworking Americans who were able to take advantage of the increased standard deduction and the enhanced child tax credit.\n\n“Tax refunds were up this tax season, Mr. President.\n\n“And it’s no surprise.\n\n“It’s the Working Families Tax Cuts at work.\n\n“Mr. President, I may live in Sioux Falls now, which is one of South Dakota’s bigger cities, but I still spend a lot of time in small-town South Dakota.\n\n“And whenever I’m there, I’m proud to be able to share the details of the Working Families Tax Cuts and report that Republicans are delivering for working families.\n\n“And we are going to continue to build on the Working Families Tax Cuts to expand opportunity and make life more affordable for hardworking Americans.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2026/8/tillis-applauds-commission-of-peter-anthony-pappas-to-usitc", "title": "Tillis Applauds Commission of Peter-Anthony Pappas to USITC", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.tillis.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.tillis.senate.gov", "scraper": "tillis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000476", "name": "Thom Tillis", "party": "Republican", "state": "NC", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) issued the following statement after Peter-Anthony Pappas was sworn in as a Commissioner of the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC):\n\n“Since 2022, Peter-Anthony Pappas has been one of my most trusted advisors, leading my Judiciary team’s intellectual property efforts and helping advance bipartisan solutions on technology, antitrust, and cybersecurity. Those who have worked alongside Peter-Anthony know why he earned the nickname ‘Juice.’ His energy, sound judgment, and tireless work ethic have made him an indispensable member of my team. Given the trade and intellectual property matters before the USITC, I can think of no one better qualified to serve as a commissioner.\n\n“Peter-Anthony has earned the respect of colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I am grateful to President Trump for recognizing his talents and nominating him to this important role. I also thank my Senate colleagues for confirming his nomination. While my office will certainly miss ‘Juice,’ I am confident he will faithfully uphold the USITC’s mission and continue serving the American people with integrity and distinction.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/photo-release-icymi-tuberville-attends-groundbreaking-ceremony-speaks-to-montgomery-chamber-and-visits-with-alabamas-police-and-fire-chiefs/", "title": "PHOTO RELEASE: ICYMI—Tuberville Attends Groundbreaking Ceremony, Speaks to Montgomery Chamber, and Visits with Alabama’s Police and Fire Chiefs", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.tuberville.senate.gov", "scraper": "tuberville", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000278", "name": "Tommy Tuberville", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "MONTGOMERY – Over the weekend, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Tuscaloosa for the expansion of Epsilon Industries’ facilities. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year, resulting in the creation of dozens of jobs.\n\nOn Monday, Sen. Tuberville spoke to the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce where he discussed the importance of stopping unchecked crime and violence from taking over the city.\n\nAdditionally, Sen. Tuberville spoke to the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police and the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs about the resources they need that will allow them to successfully do their jobs and to keep Alabama’s communities safe.\n\nSenator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tuberville-britt-introduce-bill-to-hold-u-s-postal-service-accountable/", "title": "Tuberville, Britt Introduce Bill to Hold U.S. Postal Service Accountable", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.tuberville.senate.gov", "scraper": "tuberville", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000278", "name": "Tommy Tuberville", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) today in introducing the Postal Executive Responsibility, Fiscal Oversight, and Results-based Management (PERFORM) Act. The legislation would ensure the Postmaster General’s performance pay reflects actual performance by prohibiting bonuses when the United States Postal Service (USPS) fails to meet basic financial, operational, or reporting standards.\n\n“Millions of Americans rely on the U.S. Postal Service to receive bills, send invoices, and hear from their friends and family,” said Sen. Tuberville. “In the private sector, if an organization is losing money every year, it would go under. The last thing we need to be doing is handing out bonuses to reward poor management. I’m glad to join Senator Britt to introduce this bill to provide accountability and incentivize better results out of the USPS.”\n\n“In just about any profession, you don’t get rewarded for failing—except at the United States Postal Service. It’s time that changed,” said Sen. Britt. “This is not complicated: if the Postal Service does not meet basic performance metrics, the Postmaster General’s compensation should reflect that. No reasonable company in the world gives its CEO a bonus after failing to meet multiple performance metrics, and the Postmaster General—who serves the American people—should be no different.”\n\nThe PERFORM Act would prohibit the Postmaster General from receiving a performance-based bonus if, during the previous fiscal year, the USPS reports a net loss, fails to meet nationwide service performance targets, receives an adverse audit finding, or fails to submit a required report to Congress.\n\nThe legislation requires this annual report to Congress detailing executive bonuses, performance metrics, USPS financial performance, and national- and district-level service performance. The report must be submitted within 30 days after the end of each fiscal year. To ensure compliance, the bill directs the USPS Office of Inspector General to conduct an annual review of the agency.\n\nThe PERFORM Act has also been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Dale Strong (R-AL-05) and is cosponsored by the entire Alabama congressional delegation.\n\nRead full text of the bill here.\n\nSenator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tuberville-honors-david-bedford-of-wilmer-as-august-veteran-of-the-month/", "title": "Tuberville Honors David Bedford of Wilmer as August “Veteran of the Month”", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.tuberville.senate.gov", "scraper": "tuberville", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000278", "name": "Tommy Tuberville", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) released a video honoring U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer David Bedford as the August “Veteran of the Month.”\n\nExcerpts of Sen. Tuberville’s remarks can be found below, and complete remarks can be found here.\n\n“When it comes to the military, there is no such thing as working 9 to 5. You are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer David Bedford of Wilmer, he still has this mentality about serving others.\n\nA Mobile County native, David learned about military service from his father, who was a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient. In 1969, David followed his father’s lead and enlisted to train as an Army pilot. After completing his training at Fort Rucker, David deployed to Vietnam in 1971, where he flew Huey helicopters more than 1500 hours for resupply and transportation missions. He describes his most satisfying missions as those where he brought mail to troops on the frontlines — a small way to help put a smile on their faces during a very dark time.\n\n[…]\n\nDavid and Theresa are also members of the Christian Motorcycles Association, where they use their love of motorcycles to share their faith with other veterans. He also is a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, supporting Gold Star families and reminding them that they’re not alone.\n\nDavid’s generosity of his time has truly made a difference that spans far beyond our state. It is my honor to recognize David Bedford as the August ‘Veteran of the Month.’”\n\nConstituents can nominate an Alabama veteran and submit their information to Sen. Tuberville’s office for consideration in the 2026 “Veteran of the Month” series by emailing press_office@tuberville.senate.gov.\n\nSenator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tuberville-moran-introduce-legislation-to-strengthen-rural-hospitals/", "title": "Tuberville, Moran Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Rural Hospitals", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.tuberville.senate.gov", "scraper": "tuberville", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000278", "name": "Tommy Tuberville", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) in introducing the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act (REH 2.0), legislation to expand access to federal resources for rural hospitals through the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Medicare designation. This legislation would allow more Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and rural hospitals at risk of closure to sustain health care services in rural communities, and it would make technical improvements to the designation.\n\n“Fifty-five of Alabama’s 67 counties are rural, and our rural hospitals provide a lifeline to Alabamians who live further away from larger medical facilities,” said Sen. Tuberville.“I’m proud to join the REH Designation Improvement Act to ensure location doesn’t prevent Alabamians from being able to access quality care in times of emergency.”\n\n“I have visited every hospital in Kansas numerous times, and these conversations help guide my efforts to make certain health care providers across our state have the support they need to provide critical services to patients in their communities,” said Sen. Moran. “During these visits, providers shared with me their recommendations for strengthening the Rural Emergency Hospital designation so it can better support the struggling facilities it was originally intended to serve. The legislation I am introducing with Senator Tina Smith is the direct result of what we have heard from rural hospitals and health care providers in our states, and it makes needed improvements to the program to help make certain patients can continue to access critical health care services in their communities for years to come.”\n\nThe bill is cosponsored by Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Tina Smith (D-MN).\n\nNational Rural Health Association endorsed this bill.\n\nRead full text of the bill here.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nSpecifically, the REH 2.0 Act would:\n\nAllow previously closed rural hospitals to re-open and apply for the Rural Emergency Hospital designation if they can demonstrate they met all eligibility requirements between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 27, 2020.\n\nDirect the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a waiver program for facilities operating similarly to an REH in order to convert to an REH.\n\nAllow REH facilities to maintain or create a unit for inpatient psychiatric care, obstetric care and allow for limited inpatient rehabilitation services.\n\nRequire the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide additional funding for laboratory services.\n\nClarify that REH facilities are eligible for Small Rural Hospital Improvement grants.\n\nDirect the Secretary of HHS to allow an REH to be eligible as a National Health Service Corp site.\n\nAuthorize REH facilities to transfer patients from acute care to a Skilled Nursing Facility without leaving the hospital, in accordance with the Social Security Act.\n\nAllow an REH facility to revert back to a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) to regain necessary provider status, only if the facility was designated a necessary provider prior to converting to REH.\n\nClarify state Medicaid agencies can pay REH facilities as hospitals.\n\nMORE:\n\nTuberville Promotes 340B Program to Help Alabama Hospitals\n\nPHOTO RELEASE: Tuberville Visits Elmore Community Hospital\n\nTuberville Speaks to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. About MAHA Agenda\n\nTuberville Introduces Dr. Brian Christine of Mountain Brook in Senate HELP Hearing\n\nSenator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-joins-warren-pressley-colleagues-in-probing-insurance-companies-on-usage-of-credit-based-insurance-scores-as-costs-rise", "title": "Van Hollen Joins Warren, Pressley, Colleagues in Probing Insurance Companies on Usage of Credit-Based Insurance Scores As Costs Rise", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.vanhollen.senate.gov", "scraper": "vanhollen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000128", "name": "Chris Van Hollen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Senator Chirs Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and 17 other members of Congress in a set of letters to USAA, State Farm, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, and Allstate requesting information on the usage of credit-based insurance scores in homeowners insurance underwriting and pricing.\n\nIn the letters, the lawmakers underscored concerns that insurance companies are unfairly jacking up rates based on customer credit history, “Property and casualty insurance products price the risk of loss due to damage to a property and its contents; and unlike debt, these products do not hinge on a customer’s ability to repay or carry the risk of defaulting on a loan. Despite this, recent reporting indicates that Americans with weaker credit history pay significantly more for homeowners insurance, all other characteristics of the policyholder and property held equal.”\n\n“Insurers have cited increasing climate-related disasters – along with rising building and reinsurance costs – as the key sources behind rising homeowners insurance premiums. Yet recent research shows that credit scores impact homeowners insurance premiums as much, if not more than, disaster risk in many parts of the country,” continued the lawmakers.\n\n“Insurers should not charge consumers higher premiums simply because of their personal credit history, which could have been impacted by job loss, a surprise medical bill, predatory lending, or simply inaccurate information, rather than an actual risk associated with a home,” the lawmakers wrote.\n\nThe lawmakers called on the insurance companies to provide information on how they use credit-based scoring when offering or pricing homeowners insurance policies, requesting responses from the companies by August 17.\n\nThe letters are cosigned by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Representatives André Carson (D-Ind.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Tex.), Al Green (D-Tex.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Nikema Williams (D-Geo.).", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warner-colleagues-press-trump-administration-on-chaotic-opaque-oversight-of-new-artificial-intelligence-models/", "title": "Warner, Colleagues Press Trump Administration On Chaotic, Opaque Oversight Of New Artificial Intelligence Models", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, joined four Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing the Trump administration for answers about its unpredictable oversight of frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models and its opaque standards for evaluating a model’s national security risk. The letter follows the Trump administration’s recent haphazard responses to frontier models from Anthropic and OpenAI, and comes as basic questions surround the implementation of Executive Order 14409, the White House’s voluntary pre-release review framework for frontier models.\n\nIn addition to Sen. Warner, the letter was signed by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).\n\nIn the letter, the senators expressed their support for maintaining the United States’ competitive lead in AI development while protecting the country from serious national security risks. However, they stressed that continued reliance on ad hoc, case-by-case regulation will not sufficiently address the cybersecurity and other risks frontier AI models pose. The senators also warned that without consistent policy governing American models, consumers and businesses would be incentivized to migrate to models from foreign vendors, including those based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).\n\n“Last month provided a dramatic example of these potential risks. During an internal evaluation, OpenAI models escaped their testing environment and used high-level technical capabilities to compromise a third party’s network without any instructions to take those actions. The Federal Government cannot be passive as these capabilities emerge. At the same time, the administration’s recent actions surrounding access to advanced U.S. AI models have raised serious concerns about process, transparency, and strategic effect. On June 12, 2026, the Department of Commerce (“the Department”) utilized an infrequently used authority to direct Anthropic to suspend all access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for foreign nationals (including foreign national employees inside the United States) citing an undisclosed national security concern later described as a narrow jailbreak finding. Because the directive took effect immediately and Anthropic had no reliable way to verify users’ nationality in real time, the company was forced to disable both models for all users worldwide within hours. Over the following eighteen days, the Department and Anthropic negotiated a resolution outside of public view: a partial restoration of Mythos 5 to a defined set of trusted partners on June 26, followed by a full lifting of the export controls on June 30,” the senators wrote.\n\nThe senators continued, “While the Administration may have been responding to real security concerns to protect the United States, even justifiable interventions can create broader harm if the standards and decision-making processes are opaque, ad hoc, or unpredictable. Moreover, when the Executive Branch exercises authority delegated from Congress, such as in the conduct of export control administration, it is essential that it keep Congress fully apprised of its actions and procedures.”\n\nThe senators concluded the letter with a list of areas of clarification that will bring transparency to the public processes and standards the administration uses to deem frontier AI models a national security risk, the legal authorities the administration relies on to restrict access to AI models, and the administration’s assessment of whether its oversight strategy could incentive adoption of Chinese or other non-U.S. AI models.\n\n“We support serious, technically informed action to prevent frontier AI from being misused by adversaries or criminals and to mitigate risks posed by misalignment in the models themselves. The United States cannot afford to create a policy environment in which the most advanced American AI systems are subject to opaque, case-by-case restrictions while Chinese alternatives appear cheaper, easier to access, and more predictable to deploy. A clear public framework is necessary to protect national security, preserve U.S. AI leadership, and give industry and allies confidence that the United States remains the safest and most reliable source of advanced AI technology. We hope you will work with Congress to pursue such a framework,” the senators wrote.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Secretaries Rubio, Bessent and Lutnick, Ms. Wiles, and Directors Kratsios and Cairncross:\n\nWe believe strongly in the importance of maintaining the United States’ competitive lead in artificial intelligence (AI) development while protecting the country from serious national security risks. Frontier AI models can strengthen U.S. cyber defenses, scientific discovery, and military readiness – when used responsibly and with proper human oversight – but they may also lower barriers for malicious cyber activity, foreign intelligence operations, and other dangerous uses. Moreover, the Administration’s ad hoc and unpredictable approach undermines U.S. competitiveness, heightening market incentives to adopt open weight models from vendors based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).\n\nLast month provided a dramatic example of these potential risks. During an internal evaluation, OpenAI models escaped their testing environment and used high-level technical capabilities to compromise a third party’s network without any instructions to take those actions. The Federal Government cannot be passive as these capabilities emerge.\n\nAt the same time, the administration’s recent actions surrounding access to advanced U.S. AI models have raised serious concerns about process, transparency, and strategic effect. On June 12, 2026, the Department of Commerce (“the Department”) utilized an infrequently used authority to direct Anthropic to suspend all access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for foreign nationals (including foreign national employees inside the United States) citing an undisclosed national security concern later described as a narrow jailbreak finding. Because the directive took effect immediately and Anthropic had no reliable way to verify users’ nationality in real time, the\n\ncompany was forced to disable both models for all users worldwide within hours. Over the following eighteen days, the Department and Anthropic negotiated a resolution outside of public view: a partial restoration of Mythos 5 to a defined set of trusted partners on June 26, followed by a full lifting of the export controls on June 30. On June 26, OpenAI also limited public access to its newest model, GPT-5.6, following discussions with the Administration.\n\nWhile the Administration may have been responding to real security concerns to protect the United States, even justifiable interventions can create broader harm if the standards and decision-making processes are opaque, ad hoc, or unpredictable. Moreover, when the Executive Branch exercises authority delegated from Congress, such as in the conduct of export control administration, it is essential that it keep Congress fully apprised of its actions and procedures.\n\nThe United States wins the global AI competition by building, deploying, and scaling the world’s most capable and trusted systems. If U.S. model developers, cloud providers, enterprise customers, critical infrastructure operators, and allied partners cannot predict whether access to U.S. models, let alone a leading American model, may be restricted, suspended, or limited to government-approved users based on non-public requirements at any time and with no notice, they will plan around that uncertainty. Developers may delay deployment or divert resources away from frontier work. Customers may avoid integrating U.S. models into critical workflows. Allies and partners may question whether U.S. systems will be reliably available when needed.\n\nThat uncertainty creates an opening for the PRC. Chinese AI models are rapidly narrowing the performance gap with leading U.S. models, and many Chinese systems are inexpensive, widely available, and easy to deploy. Following the Administration’s June 12 suspension of Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos 5, an entity-listed Chinese lab saw its stock price roughly double. During the OpenAI model’s breach of a third-party company, that company had to rely on a Chinese model because U.S. frontier model’s refusal behavior inhibited meaningful use for digital forensics and incident response.\n\nIf American models are perceived as subject to sudden access disruptions based on a black-box U.S. Government process, or as unreliable because U.S. AI labs are overcorrecting in the face of this black-box process, companies and governments in the United States and abroad may hedge by adopting Chinese or other foreign models instead. That outcome would undermine U.S. technological leadership while increasing exposure to systems that may carry risks of PRC or otherwise directed censorship, espionage, IP theft, and other supply chain security risks.\n\nWhile Executive Order 14409, Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security, provides for a voluntary pre-release review framework for frontier models, many questions of implementation remain. Ultimately, a rigorous, predictable, and competitiveness enhancing process for evaluating frontier models requires a statutory framework. We encourage the Administration to work with Congress to develop a public, durable, and technically grounded framework that allows U.S. companies and their customers to understand the rules of the road. Clear standards will strengthen, not weaken, national security by preserving incentives to build and use trusted American models while allowing the Government to act quickly when genuine risks arise.\n\nIn the interim, we request that, no later than 30 days after receipt of this letter, you provide an unclassified response, with a classified annex if necessary, clarifying the Administration’s current policy and approach to limiting access to advanced AI models, including by addressing the following:\n\nThe public process and standards the Administration uses, or intends to use, to determine\n\nwhether a frontier AI model presents a national security risk sufficient to warrant restrictions\n\non development, release, export, foreign-national access, customer access, or continued\n\ndeployment under the framework laid out under Executive Order 14409 or any successor\n\nOrder or presidential directive.\n\nThe legal authorities the Administration intends to invoke for such restrictions, including\n\nwhether export control authorities will be used to restrict access by foreign nationals inside\n\nthe United States, and how any such action is consistent with existing law and jurisprudence\n\nas well as Executive Order 14409.\n\nThe agencies and officials responsible for evaluating model risk and making decisions on AI\n\nmodel development, release, export, foreign-national access, customer access, or continued\n\ndeployment, including the roles of the Department of Commerce, the Center for AI Standards\n\nand Innovation, National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security\n\nAgency, National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Office of Science and\n\nTechnology Policy, the National Security Council, and other relevant agencies.\n\nWhether opportunities exist for independent, third-party experts to participate in the\n\nbenchmarking process and in what capacity and under what legal authority they may do so.\n\nThe remedy and rebuttal process available to affected companies, including notice, the\n\nopportunity to provide technical evidence, protection of confidential business information,\n\ntimelines for decision, standards for emergency action, remediation pathways, and\n\nreconsideration or appeal.\n\nThe criteria for imposing, narrowing, or lifting restrictions on AI models, including how the\n\nAdministration will distinguish between isolated jailbreaks, remediable vulnerabilities, and\n\ncapabilities that create unacceptable risk in a way that establishes consistent, risk-based\n\ntreatment across developers with comparable capabilities.\n\nThe legal authorities the Administration is relying upon for any stipulated modifications to a\n\nfrontier AI model communicated—formally or informally—to a vendor, including where the\n\nprospect of an export control or other regulatory penalty is presented absent such a\n\nmodification, and the process by which the Administration memorializes these stipulated\n\nmodifications consistent with the Freedom of Information Act, Administrative Procedures\n\nAct, the Federal Records Act, and other relevant federal law.\n\nThe steps the Administration will take to avoid disrupting access to frontier AI models by\n\nU.S. customers, allied and partner-nation users, critical infrastructure operators, and foreign national employees who are determined not to present a national security risk.\n\nThe Administration’s assessment of whether the actions taken thus far in the Anthropic and\n\nOpenAI examples cited earlier in this letter are an approach to implementing restrictions on\n\nU.S. models that could incentivize adoption of Chinese or other non-U.S. models, and what\n\nsteps it will take to prevent U.S. policy from inadvertently strengthening PRC or other\n\nforeign AI ecosystems.\n\nWe support serious, technically informed action to prevent frontier AI from being misused by adversaries or criminals and to mitigate risks posed by misalignment in the models themselves. The United States cannot afford to create a policy environment in which the most advanced American AI systems are subject to opaque, case-by-case restrictions while Chinese alternatives appear cheaper, easier to access, and more predictable to deploy. A clear public framework is necessary to protect national security, preserve U.S. AI leadership, and give industry and allies confidence that the United States remains the safest and most reliable source of advanced AI technology. We hope you will work with Congress to pursue such a framework.\n\nThank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your prompt response.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warner-kaine-applaud-over-1-7-million-in-federal-funding-for-local-law-enforcement-agencies-across-virginia/", "title": "Warner, Kaine Applaud Over $1.7 Million in Federal Funding for Local Law Enforcement Agencies Across Virginia", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $1,716,459 in federal funding to help local law enforcement agencies across Virginia strengthen public safety through upgraded equipment, specialized training, and enhanced emergency response capabilities. Awarded through the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, the funding will support personnel, equipment, training, forensic tools, information systems, and other critical public safety needs.\n\n“Keeping Virginians safe means ensuring the officers, investigators, first responders, and court personnel who serve our communities day in and day out have the training, technology, and equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said the senators. “We’re proud to announce this funding that will help law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth strengthen emergency response capabilities, modernize critical equipment, and better protect Virginians.”\n\nIn Central Virginia, the grant awards include:\n\n$101,765 for the Richmond Police Department to replace critical equipment and support the Richmond Adult Drug Treatment Court’s operations and participant compliance.\n\n$83,788 for the County of Chesterfield to purchase equipment to improve its Tactical Response Unit as well as software to assist in officer wellness.\n\n$81,531 for the Henrico County Police Division to upgrade technology and equipment used by its Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, Crisis Negotiations Team, and Technical Support Team.\n\n$35,202 for the City of Lynchburg to update outdated technology and assist with implementation of a Real Time Crime Center at the Lynchburg Police Department.\n\n$29,500 for Spotsylvania County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office to purchase up to nine portable, high-performance forensic laptops that will improve efficiency.\n\n$29,935 for the City of Petersburg to continue a phased officer-safety and duty-weapon modernization project.\n\n$15,087 for the Albemarle County Police Department to procure forensic DNA analysis and evidence processing services that will strengthen investigative capacity, reduce evidence backlogs, and improve public safety outcomes.\n\n$12,236 for Dinwiddie County to upgrade communications equipment and vehicle immobilization technology to strengthen law enforcement capabilities and deputy safety.\n\n$11,285 for the Hopewell Police Department to facilitate regular, on-site professional development training for law enforcement.\n\nIn Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore, the grant awards include:\n\n$188,997 for the Norfolk Police Department to investigate recovered firearms used in crimes and strengthen efforts to identify how firearms are obtained by individuals engaged in criminal activity.\n\n$156,527 for the Newport News Police Department to enhance officer leadership training and purchase equipment to improve officer and community safety.\n\n$131,700 for the Chesapeake Police Department to support a Community Prosecution Analyst within the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, strengthening collaboration among prosecutors, law enforcement, and community stakeholders. The funding will also support subscriptions to digital forensic tools that expand investigators’ capacity to lawfully extract, analyze, and manage digital evidence.\n\n$59,792 for the City of Suffolk to train command-level staff and purchase a new FARO Laser Scanner that will improve efficiency and provide more accurate data collection at crime scenes.\n\n$55,515 for the City of Virginia Beach to purchase narcotic testing equipment, helping keep officers and residents safe from exposure to potentially hazardous substances. The funding will also be used to purchase a police horse for community-oriented policing.\n\n$46,962 for the Hampton Police Division to replace outdated equipment.\n\nIn Northern Virginia, the grant awards include:\n\n$146,826 for the Prince William County Police Department to replace dated portable radio communications equipment with a more secure, reliable system to support emergency response.\n\n$142,035 for the Fairfax County Police Department to establish a regional training initiative focused on investigating and prosecuting child exploitation, abuse, and trafficking in an increasingly complex digital environment. The initiative will convene practitioners across jurisdictions to standardize investigative practices and strengthen regional coordination.\n\n$69,097 for Arlington County to procure critical equipment and supplies.\n\n$38,964 for the Alexandria Police Department to support overtime for task forces, special details, and hiring officers for patrol.\n\n$37,657 for the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office to purchase an all-terrain vehicle for patrols, search-and-rescue operations, public events, and response in hard-to-access areas. The funding will also support equipment to assist disabled motorists and technology to enhance the SWAT Team’s nighttime operational capabilities.\n\n$34,964 for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office to purchase five custom ballistic shields that will address current shortages and strengthen countywide response capabilities.\n\n$16,552 for the City of Fredericksburg to acquire a replacement all-terrain vehicle to be deployed in the city’s watershed area.\n\n$15,482 for the Leesburg Police Department to purchase motorcycle communication and safety equipment, mobile citation printing equipment, power accessories, and mobile scanning equipment that will improve officer safety, mobile enforcement capabilities, and field efficiency.\n\n$13,899 for the City of Manassas to support law enforcement operations, field incident management, and digital evidence preservation for the Manassas City Police Department.\n\nIn the Shenandoah Valley, the grant awards include:\n\n$14,730 for the Harrisonburg Police Department to purchase three advanced whiteboards that can be used to share information and coordinate communications more efficiently during emergencies and investigations.\n\nIn Southwest Virginia and Southside, the grant awards include:\n\n$65,414 for the Roanoke Police Department to purchase equipment that will improve real-time intelligence sharing between the Roanoke Operations and Crime Control Center (ROC3) and personnel in the field.\n\n$25,699 for the Roanoke County Police Department to modernize its patrol rifles with advanced optical and lighting systems.\n\n$18,175 for the Danville Police Department to purchase two drone systems equipped with thermal imaging capabilities that will improve both investigative and patrol response.\n\n$15,958 for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office to support a High Impact Directed Enforcement Project focused on reducing violent crime, gang activity, and narcotics trafficking through targeted overtime enforcement in identified high-crime areas.\n\n$10,652 for Campbell County to replace aging firearms with updated models that can improve officer accuracy and readiness during emergency situations.\n\n$10,533 for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office to purchase two ballistic shields to enhance officer safety and operational effectiveness during active threats, high-risk warrants, and emergency situations.\n\nSens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to protect law enforcement, strengthen public safety, and improve the criminal justice system. Last month, the senators announced over $6 million in federal funding to support state and local law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth. That funding was made possible in part by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, landmark legislation championed by Warner and Kaine that includes commonsense provisions similar to those outlined in the senators’ Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence. The senators also supported the bipartisan First Step Act, a historic criminal justice law that reduced sentences for nonviolent offenders and lowered recidivism rates. In 2020, they joined 31 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Justice in Policing Act to improve police accountability for misconduct, increase transparency through better data collection, and improve police practices and training.\n\n###\n\n* High-quality photographs of Sen. Mark R. Warner are available for download here *\n\nPhotos may be used online and in print, and can be attributed to ‘The Office of Sen. Mark R. Warner", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-ossoff-secure-3-3-million-for-clean-water-emergency-response-in-rural-georgia/", "title": "Warnock, Ossoff Secure $3.3 Million for Clean Water Emergency Response in Rural Georgia", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warnock.senate.gov", "scraper": "warnock", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000790", "name": "Raphael G. Warnock", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The funding will help protect public health and community water supplies during and after a natural disaster\n\nSenators Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff secured this funding through the American Relief Act of 2025\n\nSenator Reverend Warnock: “After a natural disaster, the last thing Georgians should have to worry about is if their water is safe to drink.”\n\nSenator Ossoff: “We’re delivering these resources to help improve Georgia’s water infrastructure after storms like Hurricane Helene.”\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) secured $3.3 million for the Georgia Rural Water Association to respond quickly and effectively to any clean water-related emergencies that may arise after natural disasters.\n\nClean water-related emergencies can arise after natural disasters or other incidents that disrupt water and sewer systems, posing an immediate threat to public health. Funding secured by Senators Warnock and Ossoff will help communities respond quickly to these emergencies and prevent catastrophic infrastructure issues, such as sewer overflows and backups.\n\n“After a natural disaster, the last thing Georgians should have to worry about is if their water is safe to drink,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I’m proud that federal funding is on its way to Georgians on the ground toprovide the resources they need to deal with any emergencies that could impact access to clean, safe water.”\n\n“Clean, safe, healthy drinking water is not a luxury – it’s a necessity,” said Senator Ossoff. “Bringing Republicans and Democrats together, we’re delivering these resources to help improve Georgia’s water infrastructure after storms like Hurricane Helene.”\n\nThe funding is part of the bipartisan American Relief Act of 2025, which passed Congress in December 2024. It provided federal disaster and economic recovery funding for communities across the country, including Georgia.\n\nThe Georgia Environmental Finance Authority is expected to use the funding to conduct activities that respond to and alleviate clean water emergencies for systems that ensure clean water. It includes a subaward to the Georgia Rural Water Association to enhance its water and sewer emergency mutual aid equipment program, a critical element in Georgia’s overall emergency response.\n\nThe funding is also expected to support emergency response and preparedness, water infrastructure repairs, operations and maintenance of facilities, and the establishment of emergency monitoring capabilities. It will primarily assist communities impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.\n\nSenator Warnock has consistently worked to provide and strengthen federal support for communities affected by natural disasters and has championed legislation to help Georgians defend against the impacts of severe weather. In March 2026, Senator Warnock secured over $531 million in federal disaster aid for Georgia farmers who were affected by Hurricane Helene. In March 2025, Senator Warnock led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging it to expedite disaster assistance for Georgia farmers affected by Hurricane Helene. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and members of the Georgia Congressional Delegation also supported the effort.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-and-capito-lead-bipartisan-bicameral-bill-to-improve-access-to-opioid-treatment-and-recovery-in-rural-communities/", "title": "Welch and Capito Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Improve Access to Opioid Treatment and Recovery in Rural Communities", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "www.welch.senate.gov", "scraper": "welch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000800", "name": "Peter Welch", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, and U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Authorization Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to maintain the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, which was established to expand prevention, treatment, and recovery services in rural areas for substance use disorders, related behavioral health conditions, and other related public health issues.\n\n“While Vermont has seen a decrease in overdose deaths in recent years, our work to help those struggling with addiction isn’t over—far from it. We need to do everything in our power to support folks on the road to recovery, especially in rural communities, where treatment and resources are harder to come by,” said Senator Welch. “We’re working across the aisle to ensure that rural communities in Vermont, West Virginia, and across the country can access vital prevention and recovery services necessary to combat the opioid crisis.”\n\n“West Virginians know firsthand the devastating toll the opioid epidemic has had on our state’s families and communities. We also know that recovery is possible when those struggling have access to the right resources,” said Senator Capito. “The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program has helped strengthen prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts in communities that often face unique challenges accessing care. By preserving this successful program, we can provide greater certainty for rural providers and ensure communities in West Virginia and across the country continue to receive the support they need to recover.”\n\nU.S. Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV-01), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), and Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) introduced companion legislation in the House.\n\n“Supporting communities battling addiction remains one of my highest priorities. Representing a rural district, I know how critical it is for families to have reliable access to quality health care and recovery services. RCORP delivers essential funding to rural areas that lack the resources needed to address substance use disorders, and formally authorizing this program provides stability for the providers doing this lifesaving work. I’m grateful to my colleagues for joining me in this bipartisan effort to strengthen prevention and recovery services in some of the most underserved parts of our nation,” said Rep. Miller.\n\n“For the millions of Americans battling substance use disorder, having access to proven, affordable treatment can mean the difference between life and death. The RCORP program is critical in bringing those lifesaving services to our rural communities, including those in our own Capital Region. I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this legislation that ensures those living with the disease of addiction have access to the health care treatment and resources they need to find and follow the path to recovery,” said Rep. Tonko.\n\n“Opioid addiction doesn’t discriminate by age, income, or political party, and it’s going to take all of us working together to end to this national crisis. I’m proud to work with my colleagues authorize the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. While there is no silver bullet, bipartisan solutions like this will help us save lives and support those struggling with substance use,” said Rep.Sewell.\n\n“Rural districts like mine face significant barriers to opioid treatment and recovery. Formally authorizing the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program ensures those battling substance abuse maintain access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services. As a pharmacist, this issue is deeply personal to me. I will continue working so every American has the tools and support necessary to overcome addiction, and I thank my colleagues for working together to save lives,” said Rep. Carter.\n\nThe RCORP Authorization Act would:\n\nFormally authorize the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) to ensure its predictability and long-term stability.\n\nProvide access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services for substance use disorders in rural communities.\n\nSupport local partnerships to strengthen coordinated, community-based care.\n\nProvide grants to rural organizations to address opioid use disorder and other behavioral health challenges.\n\nAuthorize funds annually from Fiscal Year 2027 through 2031 to sustain and expand the program.\n\nRead and download the full text of the legislation.\n\nSenator Welch has led his colleagues in a series of substance use disorder research, treatment, and prevention efforts. This Congress, Senator Welch cosponsored the Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency (MORE) Savings Act, legislation to make it easier for individuals struggling with an opioid-use disorder (OUD) to access evidence-based treatment. The Senator also reintroduced his bipartisan, bicameral Overcoming Prevalent Inadequacies in Overdose Information Data Sets (OPIOIDS ACT) to confront the devastating opioid crisis and give state and local governments additional tools to address the opioid epidemic in their communities.\n\nIn 2023, Senator Welch’s bipartisan Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality (TRANQ) Research Act was signed into law by President Biden.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-merkley-wyden-champion-fork-act-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-to-keep-rural-kids-fed/", "title": "Welch, Merkley, Wyden Champion FORK Act, Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Keep Rural Kids Fed", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "www.welch.senate.gov", "scraper": "welch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000800", "name": "Peter Welch", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Nearly 1 in 6 children in Vermont face hunger\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, joined U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in reintroducing the Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK) Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation which would help summer meal program sponsors purchase, retrofit, or repair vehicles that expand access to summer meals for children in rural communities. U.S. Representatives Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), and Val Hoyle (D-OR-04) introduced companion legislation in the House.\n\nIn Vermont, more than 83,000 people—including more than 19,400 children—face hunger.\n\n“Vermont has the highest percentage of rural students in the nation—that means food-insecure students in our state have a harder time participating in summer meal programs. Investing in food delivery programs that transport students to and from summer meal sites has to be part of the solution,” said Senator Welch. “Our bill works to close the summer meal gap and ensure rural students in Vermont, Oregon, and across the country can access nutritious meals all year long.”\n\n“Every child—everywhere—deserves delicious and nutritious meals all year long,” said Senator Merkley. “Communities in Oregon and across the United States are finding innovative ways to make sure students do not go hungry during the summer months. The bipartisan FORK Act builds on those efforts by helping rural communities expand meal delivery and meal pick-up at sites closer to where families live, so geography is never a barrier to feeding kids nationwide.”\n\n“Thousands of Oregonians are being denied food assistance under Trump’s draconian cuts to SNAP and other federal programs,” said Senator Wyden. “This bill would help restore critical food assistance to kids, helping meet them exactly where they are to end the ongoing hunger crisis in Oregon’s schools.”\n\nThe Feeding Our Rural Kids Act would create a grant program to allow schools and Summer Food Service Program providers in rural districts to receive funding to purchase mobile food delivery vehicles for home delivery of meals. Especially because vehicle purchases are not otherwise allowed under the Summer Food Service Program, the bipartisan, bicameral legislation would establish a three-year pilot grant program to help summer meal program sponsors reduce transportation barriers and bring nutritious meals closer to children and families during the summer. The bill would also build on existing rural non-congregate summer meal flexibilities by helping sponsors acquire transportation infrastructure to fully utilize those options.\n\nThe FORK Act is endorsed by Hunger Free Vermont, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Alliance to End Hunger, FoodCorps, Marion Polk Food Share, Oregon Food Bank, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, Save the Children, School Nutrition Association, Share Our Strength, Umatilla School District, Woodburn School District, and AASA, the School Superintendents Association.\n\n“We know that hunger doesn’t take a vacation. The summer months can be some of the hungriest for children, which is why the nourishing, balanced meals offered by the USDA summer meals program are so important. We commend Senator Welch and his colleagues for leading on this common-sense legislation, which is the key to unlocking much needed, innovative improvements to this program. A few Vermont schools have already proven the success of hitting the road and delivering summer meals to our most rural communities, and this legislation would allow our more remote communities in Vermont and across the country to be better served by this program—meaning more children would have full bellies throughout the summer to play, learn, and grow,” said Ivy Enoch, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Hunger Free Vermont.\n\n“For too many children, summer break means losing access to the healthy school meals they count on all year. The Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK) Act would provide critical funding to deliver nutritious summer meals to children in need, removing transportation barriers for families across rural America and ensuring students return to school nourished and ready to learn,” said Ashley Powell, PhD, RD, FAND, SNS, School Nutrition Association President.\n\n“The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics strongly supports the Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK) Act. This legislation will help ensure that children in rural and underserved communities have greater access to nutritious meals during the summer months by providing meal sponsors with the tools needed to reach families facing travel and access barriers. We applaud the bill’s sponsors for advancing solutions that help children thrive by keeping them connected to nutritious food when school is out,” said Tamara Randall, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President.\n\n“We need to help the children in our care, no matter where they live, in cities or rural areas, be able to access enough food every day, in every season, for a healthy life so they can learn to their fullest potential. Let’s invest in making sure that children in rural areas have opportunities for meals to get to them,” said Eric Mitchell, Alliance to End Hunger President.\n\n“Rural non-congregate meals have been a lifeline for families during the summer. Before this expansion, far too many kids missed out on nutritious meals because of barriers that made it difficult to access summer meals programs. Now this bill will unlock new opportunities so resources reach farther, rural communities are more connected, and more kids can be fed,” said Claire Borzner, Director of Federal Government Relations of the No Kid Hungry Campaign at Share Our Strength.\n\nRead and download the full text of the bill.\n\nSenator Welch has been a leading advocate for protecting and expanding access to nutrition programs in the Senate. Earlier this year, Senator Welch’s bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which would allow schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to offer students whole milk, was signed into law. The Senator has led bipartisan and bicameral legislation to help more Americans access SNAP and improve nutrition, including the COLAs Don’t Count Act, Farm to School Act, Keep SNAP Funded Act, Local School Foods Expansion Act, Improving Access to Nutrition Act of 2025, and the School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-opposes-todd-blanches-nomination-for-attorney-general/", "title": "Welch Opposes Todd Blanche’s Nomination for Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "www.welch.senate.gov", "scraper": "welch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000800", "name": "Peter Welch", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“We can stop capitulating today by doing our job and rejecting a completely unqualified man to be the top law enforcement official in this country.”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today voted against advancing Todd Blanche’s nomination for Attorney General (AG) of the United States. At a Judiciary Committee meeting ahead of the vote Senator Welch called out Acting AG Blanche—and the entire U.S. Senate—for capitulating to President Trump, who has consistently and corruptly abused his authority and the power of the Executive.\n\n“This is a story about how a young and talented and idealistic man—committed to public service, a prosecutor’s prosecutor—became a new person in service of a corrupt president. It’s a story of ambition, and loyalty, and political calculation eroding resistance and idealism. Mr. Blanche has used his considerable talents to accommodate the corrupt goals of a corrupt president…But Blanche is also a story about how a once great institution is relinquishing its own power and capitulating to a corrupt president. Is there no line that the U.S. Senate will not allow this president to cross?” said Senator Welch.\n\nWelch concluded: “The president is abusing his authority. But we are failing, as the U.S. Senate, to use our authority. When we fail to use our authority, we fail to meet our responsibility to the people of this country. We can stop capitulating today by doing our job and rejecting a completely unqualified man to be the top law enforcement official in this country. I will vote no.”\n\nRead the Senator’s full remarks as delivered here and watch more below:\n\nIn Acting AG Todd Blanche’s nomination hearing, Senator Welch grilled Mr. Blanche on his relationship with President Trump and his willingness to put his personal loyalty to the president ahead of the American people. Senator Welch questioned Mr. Blanche on his previous professional relationship with President Trump and clear conflicts of interest, the creation of Trump and Blanche’s so-called anti-weaponization fund, Trump’s reckless presidential pardons, and Blanche’s firing of career pardon attorneys, and the Trump Administration’s attempts to subpoena members of the press.\n\nIn May, Senator Welch called on Acting AG Blanche to resign. He also led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in demanding that the DOJ Inspector General (IG) launch an immediate, thorough, and quick investigation into President Trump’s creation of the nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” emphasizing how President Trump’s slush fund, created from a settlement agreement in Trump v. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), represents waste, fraud, and abuse of an unprecedented magnitude and must be subjected to independent scrutiny.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/u-s-senators-call-for-cancelled-energy-funds-to-be-restoredthe-letter-follows-an-admission-from-the-trump-admin-that-the-decision-to-cancel-energy-project-grants-in-states-that-did-not-vote-for-trump/", "title": "U.S. Senators Call for Cancelled Energy Funds to be Restored", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release", "domain": "www.whitehouse.senate.gov", "scraper": "whitehouse", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000802", "name": "Sheldon Whitehouse", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The letter follows an admission from the Trump Admin that the decision to cancel energy project grants in states that did not vote for Trump was “based solely” on politics\n\nWashington, D.C. – Instead of effectively governing and making energy more affordable for hardworking Americans, President Trump has used federal grants to play partisan games and deny federal resources to so-called ‘Blue States.’\n\nIn response, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Jack Reed (D-RI), along with 37 fellow Democratic lawmakers, are demanding the Trump Administration restore federal funding for energy projects that were unfairly canceled last year.\n\nWhitehouse and Reed recently joined U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and 35 Senate colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought demanding that the Trump Administration restore funding for the 223 energy projects canceled in October 2025.\n\nThe letter was sent after Trump Administration officials cancelled federal energy grants based solely on whether recipients were in states that voted against Donald Trump in the last presidential election and were represented by two Democratic senators. All Senators who cosigned this letter are from states with canceled grants and funding signed the letter.\n\nThe Trump Administration admitted to unlawfully canceling over $7.5 billion in energy grants because those projects were in states that cast a majority of their votes for Trump’s opponent in the 2024 presidential election. This included $14 million in grants for Rhode Island.\n\n“Now that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies,” the 39 U.S. Senators wrote.\n\n“Once an administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly,” the Senators continued. “This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.”\n\n“At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk,” the Senators concluded. “For the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.”\n\nAlongside Senators Whitehouse, Reed, Heinrich, Murray, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mazie Hirono (D- HI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Angus King (I-ME).\n\nFull text of the letter to DOE Secretary Wright and OMB Director Vought follows:\n\nSecretary Wright and Director Vought:\n\nNow that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump Administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies.\n\nIn October 2025, we wrote to you to express strong opposition to the Administration’s callous decision to unlawfully terminate $8 billion in federal investments for 223 energy projects. You not only acted outside the bounds of the law, but cancelled projects that would have provided jobs, onshored manufacturing, and lowered skyrocketing energy prices. Congress authorized those projects and appropriated funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriation bills. At the time of the termination of those projects, we expressed outrage that the terminations appeared politically motivated and confined to states that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential election. The Administration has now admitted in federal court what it denied to Congress and the American people.\n\nOn July 24, 2026, citing court filings, The New York Times reported that the Trump Administration acknowledged that it terminated more than $7.5 billion of grants due to political motivations. In a two-step process, the Department of Energy (DOE) first recommended more than 600 grants for potential termination, including grants in states represented by both Republicans and Democrats. It appears the Office of Management and Budget then selected all the grants in “Blue States” for cancellation, which DOE executed. In court filings, DOE’s lawyers conceded that the cancellations occurred “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state.”4 Specifically, as the court filings stated, “[w]ith one exception, the 284 terminated grants had a recipient location and/or at least one place of performance in a state that awarded its electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has two Democratic caucusing Senators (“Blue State” grants).”5 Similar grants in Red States, however, remained intact and were not the subject of termination. What’s more, DOE lawyers conceded that the decision to terminate these blue state grants was not “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost reduction, or performance-based factor.”\n\nOnce an Administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business, or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly. This is not only an attack on jobs, affordable energy, and America’s economic competitiveness. It is an attack on the rule of law and the basic democratic principle that the federal government serves the entire country—not merely those who support the President.\n\nAt a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, the Administration is hell-bent on political retribution instead of working to bring down costs for millions of Americans. The American people deserve to have a government that works for them—not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk.\n\nFor the good of our country, the rule of law, and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-colleagues-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-to-audit-the-pentagon-and-end-wasteful-spending", "title": "Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Audit the Pentagon and End Wasteful Spending", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.wyden.senate.gov", "scraper": "wyden", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000779", "name": "Ron Wyden", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senators: The Pentagon failed its eighth consecutive audit last year, unable to fully account for $4.65 trillion in assets\n\nWashington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today said they joined Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would impose financial consequences if the Pentagon fails to pass a full, independent audit. Any Pentagon department that fails to achieve a clean audit would have 2% of its budget withheld and returned to the U.S. Treasury for deficit reduction.\n\n“Taxpayers cannot keep writing blank checks for a Department of Defense that repeatedly fails to account for trillions of dollars in assets,” Wyden said. “The Pentagon remains the only major federal agency incapable of passing a clean financial audit. It is long past time to enforce real financial consequences when the government mismanages taxpayer dollars. The Audit the Pentagon Act would hold the Defense Department to the basic standards of transparency and fiscal accountability that every other agency is expected to meet.”\n\n“The Pentagon routinely fails audits without consequences, enabling fraud, waste, and abuse,” Merkley said. “This must come to an end. The American people deserve to know that their tax dollars are being spent efficiently.”\n\nDespite accounting for more than half of the federal government’s discretionary spending and roughly two-thirds of all federal contracting activity, the Pentagon remains the only one of the federal government’s 24 major agencies to have never passed a clean financial audit — a requirement under federal law since the early 1990s and mandatory on an annual basis since 2018. In its eighth consecutive failed audit, which was released in December 2025 and covered $4.65 trillion in reported assets and $4.7 trillion in liabilities across all 50 states and more than 40 countries, the Pentagon Office of Inspector General identified 26 instances of the most severe auditing errors and two additional significant accounting issues in the department’s internal controls over financial reporting.\n\nExamples of waste and fraud at the Pentagon include:\n\nAlmost $141 billion spent on a Northrop Grumman ballistic missile project that was supposed to cost $77 billion, and which is seven years behind schedule.\n\nMore than $126 billion spent on a General Dynamics submarine program which has run $17 billion over cost. The per-sub cost has nearly doubled since 2019.\n\nMore than $12 billion spent on one missile battery from Leidos and Dynetics that the Pentagon can’t confirm works.\n\nMore than $6 billion spent over 16 years on a Raytheon project to build a GPS system. The Pentagon cancelled the project in April due to “insurmountable” problems with its product.\n\nContrary to this record, Congress continues to expand the Pentagon’s budget every year. The Trump administration’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request seeks approximately $1.15 trillion — the latest in a decades-long trend of rising Pentagon budgets that have never been matched by basic financial accountability. The Audit the Pentagon Act would finally hold the Pentagon accountable.\n\nThe legislation was reintroduced by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the legislation was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rand Paul, R-Ky. and Chris Murphy, D-Conn.\n\nThe summary of the bill is here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/young-announces-support-for-protect-college-sports-act/", "title": "Young Announces Support for Protect College Sports Act", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.young.senate.gov", "scraper": "toddyoung", "member": {"bioguide_id": "Y000064", "name": "Todd Young", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced his support for the Protect College Sports Act, legislation that aims to end the disorder facing college athletics by establishing nationwide standards for name, image, and likeness (NIL), transfers, eligibility, and enforcement.\n\nIn a Commerce Committee markup in June, Senator Young voted against the initial version of the Protect College Sports Act due to concerns expressed by the Big Ten Conference. Over the past several weeks, Young pushed for changes that are addressed in the final version of the bill released yesterday and supported by the Big Ten.\n\n“Hoosiers love college sports, and we want to continue rooting for our favorite schools and athletes for generations to come,” said Senator Young. “The current college sports landscape is chaotic, and federal legislation can bring clear and fair rules, predictability moving forward, and protection for our athletes and institutions. Over the past several weeks, I’ve pushed for reforms to this bill to ensure the interests of all Indiana colleges and universities, including our two Big Ten schools, are represented. I am particularly grateful to Chairman Cruz and his team for their collaborative approach and willingness to make changes to the bill to address concerns raised by the Big Ten. I plan to support this legislation and believe it is the right approach to protect the future of college sports.”\n\nYoung is the only Republican Senator on the committee to represent two Big Ten universities.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/young-chairs-hearing-on-american-biotechnology-leadership-building-a-resilient-health-care-future/", "title": "Young Chairs Hearing on American Biotechnology Leadership, Building a Resilient Health Care Future", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.young.senate.gov", "scraper": "toddyoung", "member": {"bioguide_id": "Y000064", "name": "Todd Young", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "**Click here or above to watch Senator Young’s opening statement**\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Subcommittee on Health Care, chaired a subcommittee hearingon the role of biotechnology in strengthening America’s health care system, securing medical supply chains, combating emerging health threats, and ensuring the United States remains the global leader in biotech innovation.\n\nYoung, who also serves as Chairman of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), discussed Indiana’s leadership in life sciences during his opening remarks.\n\nHe also warned that China has made biotechnology a strategic national priority, underscoring the need for the United States to strengthen domestic innovation, to maintain its competitive edge in this essential field.\n\nAdditionally, Young highlighted the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, emphasizing the need to spur the development of new antibiotics and other innovative therapies to address drug-resistant infections and bolster America’s long-term health security.\n\nTo watch Senator Young’s opening statement, click here.\n\nWitnesses during the hearing included Dr. Alan D. Palkowitz, President and CEO of the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, and Dr. Michelle Rozo, Vice Chair of the NSCEB.\n\nMore information on the hearing and full video can be found here.\n\nSenator Young’s full opening statement, as prepared for delivery:\n\nOver the past decade, biotechnology has emerged as a pivotal technology domain of the 21st century.\n\nThis technology has the potential to cure diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, protect us from pandemics, and fuel our economy.\n\nIn Indiana alone, the life-sciences industry employs around 70,000 Hoosiers, providing good-paying jobs in local communities while producing critical innovation and health treatments.\n\nIndiana also leads the United States in biomanufacturing, serving as the nation’s number one life sciences exporter in 2024.\n\nHowever, China’s rise in biotechnology and the growing risks of antimicrobial resistance present new challenges to the United States.\n\nFor more than a decade, Beijing has poured enormous resources into their biotech sector in a deliberate bid for global dominance.\n\nChina’s rise puts the United States in a perilous position because leadership in this space provides America national and economic security.\n\nMoreover, advancements in biotech help keep America healthy by preventing, treating, and curing diseases.\n\nIf we cede global biotechnology leadership to China, we risk a future where high-skilled biotech jobs migrate abroad, first-in-class therapies do not reach American patients first, and pharmaceutical supply chains are strategically weaponized.\n\nJust as we face the threat of China’s rise in biotechnology, antimicrobial resistance has become a growing public health crisis in recent years.\n\nIn the United States alone, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur each year, resulting in over 35,000 deaths.\n\nAs antimicrobial resistance has spread, market failures have resulted in a lack of needed research and development for new therapies.\n\nMany of the cutting-edge biopharmaceutical companies working to develop new antimicrobials have filed for bankruptcy and stopped producing these antibiotics completely.\n\nWhile these two threats to the United States vary in substance, the solution to address both is simple: innovation.\n\nAmerican has a rich history of innovation. It is what we are best at, and, as policy makers, it is our responsibility to empower our innovators—whether through R&D incentives, partnering with allies to strengthen supply chains, or cutting red tapes.\n\nWithout an industrious, innovative, and self-sustaining domestic biotechnology sector, the United States will remain at risk—both of relying on China for new, life-saving therapies and basic drugs, and of being unprepared for the next public health crisis.\n\nIt is my hope that this hearing will explore ways we can ensure the United States remains the global leader in biotechnology.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://yakym.house.gov/posts/yakym-kicks-off-hoosier-heartland-district-tour-to-highlight-working-families-tax-cuts", "title": "Yakym Kicks Off “Hoosier Heartland” District Tour to Highlight Working Families Tax Cuts", "date": "2026-08-04", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://yakym.house.gov/press", "domain": "yakym.house.gov", "scraper": "yakym", "member": {"bioguide_id": "Y000067", "name": "Rudy Yakym III", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "GRANGER, Ind. — Today, Congressman Rudy Yakym (IN-02) kicked off his “Hoosier Heartland Tour,” his annual August District Tour, traveling to all 11 counties of the Second District to visit manufacturers, farms, and local organizations and hear directly from constituents, including how the Working Families Tax Cuts are impacting Hoosier paychecks and businesses.\n\n“This is easily the best part of my job, getting to spend August traveling to all 11 counties in Indiana’s Second District,” Rep. Yakym said. “I spend a lot of time traveling back and forth between Granger and Washington during session, and this work period every summer is carved out for exactly this reason — to make sure I can hear directly from Hoosiers and figure out what I can do for them.”\n\nStops include manufacturing floors at Plymouth Foundry, Morrison Products, Forest River, and Tire Rack; ag country visits with the Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Corn and Soy, Grass Creek Cattle Co., Parkman Farms, York Farms, and Hannah’s Country Road Greenhouse.\n\nAnd stops at Miller Poultry Hatchery, Caterpillar Child Care, Standard Industrial, Winchester, and Larson Danielson Construction. Yakym will also visit community organizations including the Milford Food Bank and Friends of Medaryville Gym, plus a medal presentation honoring a constituent in Rochester.\n\nBackground:\n\nYakym, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, holds the Hoosier Heartland Tour every August work period.\n\nThis year’s tour also marks the one-year anniversary of the Working Families Tax Cuts, along with other legislative wins including the Farm, Food, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and the SAVE America Act.", "collected_at": "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"}
{"url": "https://algreen.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-al-green-helped-secure-half-million-dollars-federal-funding", "title": "Congressman Al Green Helped to Secure Half a Million Dollars in Federal Funding to Revitalize Hiram Clarke and Fort Bend Communities", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://algreen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "algreen.house.gov", "scraper": "algreen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000553", "name": "Al Green", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "(Houston, TX) — On Thursday, August 6, 2026, a symbolic check for $500,000 will be presented to the Hiram Clarke/Fort Bend Redevelopment Authority (HCFBRA). The funding, awarded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Community-Wide Brownfield Assessment Grant Program, will support HCFBRA's work serving Fort Bend County and Southwest Houston. This federal investment will help identify and assess environmentally impacted and underutilized properties in historically underserved communities; it will also support environmental site assessments, community engagement, and redevelopment planning. These efforts will lay the foundation for revitalization, encourage future economic investment, and help create safer, healthier neighborhoods for residents.\n\nCongressman Al Green stated, “I am proud to have worked to help secure this federal funding for the communities I represent because the people of Hiram Clarke and Fort Bend County deserve neighborhoods that are healthy, safe, and positioned for opportunity. This grant will help identify and assess properties for future redevelopment, creating a pathway toward revitalization, economic growth, and a better quality of life. Every family deserves to live in a community where opportunity is not overshadowed by environmental hazards or years of underinvestment.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://algreen.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-hill-video-below-titled-haitians-brace-end-tps-some-republicans-rejoice", "title": "ICYMI: The Hill video below, titled “As Haitians brace for end of TPS, some Republicans rejoice.\"", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://algreen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "algreen.house.gov", "scraper": "algreen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000553", "name": "Al Green", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "The Hill video below, titled “As Haitians brace for end of TPS, some Republicans rejoice,” speaks for itself.\n\nYou can access the video by clicking the link here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://allen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7324", "title": "Rep. Allen Touts Federal Funding for Veterans' Cemetery in Augusta", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://allen.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "allen.house.gov", "scraper": "allen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000372", "name": "Rick W. Allen", "party": "Republican", "state": "GA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) participated in a press conference with several community leaders to tout federal funding for a new veterans' cemetery in Augusta, Georgia. With Congressman Allen's support, the funding for this project was appropriated via H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act for Fiscal Year 2026, and made available through the Veterans Cemetery Grant Program.\n\nThe grant opportunity will provide up to $10 million in federal funding to support the construction of a new veterans cemetery in the Augusta area. The grant will allow Georgia to expand burial options for the over 66,000 veterans and their eligible family members in East Central Georgia, ensuring dignified, accessible, and lasting honors for those who served.\n\nCongressman Allen touts federal funding for Augusta VA Cemetery to crowd of local veterans, residents, and leaders", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://bera.house.gov/news/press-releases/bera-tran-and-carbajal-lead-65-members-urging-secretary-rubio-to-address-dual-use-restrictions-impeding-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza", "title": "Bera, Tran, and Carbajal Lead 65 Members Urging Secretary Rubio to Address Dual-Use Restrictions Impeding Humanitarian Aid to Gaza", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://bera.house.gov/news", "domain": "bera.house.gov", "scraper": "bera", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001287", "name": "Ami Bera", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Salud Carbajal (CA-24) led a group of 65 Members of Congress in urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address overly broad and inconsistently enforced Israeli restrictions on dual-use goods entering the Gaza Strip.\n\n“Israel faces real security challenges from Hamas and other actors, and we support disarming Hamas and replacing it with an alternative governing entity,” the Members wrote. “However, overly broad and inconsistently enforced restrictions on essential humanitarian goods do not increase Israel’s security.”\n\nThe letter raises concerns that restrictions are delaying or preventing the entry of supplies needed for medical care, shelter, sanitation, and public health, including ultrasound machines, prosthetic limbs, ventilators, pesticides, pipes, tent poles, and prefabricated structures. The Members also cited a lack of transparency and inconsistent enforcement, including reports that commercial traders have been able to import goods that humanitarian organizations cannot bring into Gaza.\n\n“Legitimate security concerns must not be abused to prevent adequate aid to a civilian population in desperate need,” the Members continued.\n\nThe Members urged Secretary Rubio to press the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories to publish a comprehensive list of restricted dual-use items and facilitate the entry of supplies needed for shelter, hygiene, sanitation, and medical care. They also asked the State Department to clarify whether it has access to the full list of restricted items and, if so, provide the list and the justification for each designation to Congress. The Members further requested that the Department identify items that can be removed, address disparities between commercial and humanitarian shipments, and explain how dual-use designations are made, reviewed, and challenged.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-boyle-stands-research-leaders-oppose-cuts-philadelphia-health", "title": "ICYMI: Boyle Stands with Research Leaders to Oppose Cuts to Philadelphia Health Research Programs and Announce Letter Demanding Answers from Trump Administration", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "boyle.house.gov", "scraper": "boyle", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001296", "name": "Brendan F. Boyle", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "PHILADELPHIA, PA – Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, joined Philadelphia health research leaders to oppose the Trump Administration’s cuts to programs at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). Congressman Boyle also announced that, as the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, he sent a formal letter today to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Director Roger Klein, demanding answers on these cancellations.\n\n“This funding isn't partisan, nor is it controversial. It represents exactly what our federal government should be doing, creating jobs and saving lives by funding critical medical research,” said Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-02). “As the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, I'm using my authority to demand answers. Hardworking Philadelphia scientists are counting on this funding. So are the patients across the country, our most vulnerable, who benefit from their work.”\n\nBoyle sent the letter in his capacity as Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, which has jurisdiction over the budget process, including illegal impoundments or funding freezes.\n\nIn the letter, he demanded the detailed information needed to determine whether the terminations are illegal, pressed the Administration to identify the authority it claims in canceling these grants, and asked whether the cuts are politically motivated. Boyle also demanded to know whether the Trump Administration will commit to fully spending the funding Congress appropriated for AHRQ.\n\nThe full letter can be read here.\n\nIn recent weeks, AHRQ cut funding for dozens of grants nationwide, including several major programs at CHOP and Penn. AHRQ has also frozen or halted funding for other research grants, often without notice.\n\nCongressman Dwight Evans (PA-03) said, \"I stand with my colleague Congressman Boyle in demanding the Trump-Vance administration provide answers about canceling federal grants to CHOP, Penn and other important centers that do life-saving health research.\"\n\nCongressman Boyle was joined by Dr. Christopher Forrest, Professor of Pediatrics at CHOP and Scientific Director of PEDSnet; and Dr. Rachel Werner, Professor of Medicine at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and Research Education Core Leader at PennPORTAL. Boyle was also joined by Drs. Kit Delgado, Meeta Kerlin, and Jaya Aysola with Penn Medicine.\n\n“Seven years ago, we started a program called PEDSnet Scholars. That program has trained 44 physicians, psychologists, and nurses who are now improving health care and improving the health and well-being of children,” said Dr. Christopher Forrest. “Our scientists have focused on conditions like kidney disease, mental health disorders like ADHD and substance use, pain, infections, high blood pressure, lung diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis. Without this funding, this program is going to be terminated, and I thank Congressman Boyle for his leadership.”\n\n“Along with a number of my colleagues here today, and with the AHRQ's support, we built a program called PORTAL, which trains clinicians to become leaders in building a healthcare system that provides better care for patients,” said Dr. Rachel Werner. “What specifically do we lose from these terminations? First, they mean fewer discoveries that can make healthcare safer and more effective. Second, they mean the immediate loss of jobs. And third, they mean losing the next generation of scientists.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://clyde.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3708", "title": "Rep. Clyde Urges ATF to Limit Firearm Record Retention and Destroy Illegal Gun Registry", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://clyde.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "clyde.house.gov", "scraper": "clyde", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001116", "name": "Andrew S. Clyde", "party": "Republican", "state": "GA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andrew Clyde (GA-09) led nearly 30 of his House Republican colleagues in sending a letter Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Robert Cekada urging the agency to limit the retention of firearm records to 20 years and immediately destroy digitally recorded firearm registration records.\n\nOn May 6th, the ATF issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled “Firearm Records Retention Periods” (RIN 1140-AA95). This NPRM proposes that Form 4473s be retained for either 20 or 30 years by both federal firearms licensees (FFLs) and the ATF — meaning a firearm transaction record could be retained for up to 30 years by the selling FFL and an additional 30 years by the ATF after transfer to the National Tracing Center (NTC), for a potential maximum combined retention period of 60 years.\n\nIn response, the lawmakers urge ATF Director Cekada to revise the agency’s proposed rule and destroy any digitized firearm transaction records.\n\n“In our view, the current practice of indefinite retention of firearm transaction records, and even the proposed retention period of up to 60 years, are excessive and risk infringing on the privacy of lawful gun owners. We therefore urge the ATF to revise this NPRM and instead promulgate a rule establishing a 20-year total retention policy, from the date of sale, for the physical, non-digitized firearm transaction records held by FFLs or the ATF and to provide for the immediate destruction of all such records older than 20 years. Furthermore, we urge the ATF to comply with existing law prohibitions on the recording and digitization of such firearm transaction records, and to immediately destroy any recordings of such records already in its possession.”\n\nRep. Clyde and his colleagues cite the Firearm Owners' Protection Act of 1986 (FOPA) and a critical appropriations rider as explicit legal prohibitions on the ATF's current recordkeeping practices.\n\n“Read together, these two prohibitions permanently preclude the ATF from recording or digitizing any firearms transaction records, regardless of the retention period otherwise applicable to those records. The ATF's digitized records exhibit every characteristic of a registry, containing personally identifying information, physical addresses, and detailed firearm characteristics. Therefore, the ATF's continued recording of such records remains out of compliance with current law.”\n\nThe lawmakers further argue that the ATF's proposed rule is vulnerable under the Administrative Procedure Act as “in excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority, or limitations” and note the agency must address the statutory prohibitions raised or face reversal challenges.\n\n“Both statutory prohibitions go directly to the question of whether the ATF has any authority to record or digitize these records at all – an issue the NPRM does not appear to have considered, let alone resolved. Agencies are obligated to respond meaningfully to significant comments raised during notice-and-comment rulemaking, and a final rule that fails to grapple with statutory prohibitions raised in the comment record is vulnerable to reversal on that basis alone. Should the ATF finalize this rule without directly addressing the FOPA and appropriations-rider prohibitions identified in this letter, the final rule would be independently vulnerable to challenge on the ground that the ATF failed to consider an important aspect of the problem before it.”\n\nAdditionally, Congressman Clyde and his colleagues sound the alarm on the staggering scale of the ATF's existing digitized records and the grave threat they pose to Americans’ Second Amendment liberties.\n\n“Let us be clear, gun owners should be able to exercise their Second Amendment rights privately and free from federal government infringement. Yet, the ATF's recording and digitizing of out-of-business records jeopardizes Americans' Second Amendment freedoms by giving the government access to extensive records on who owns firearms, where they are located, and what types are owned. We are alarmed by recent reports indicating that the ATF may possess over one billion digitally recorded firearm registration records, and the agency has acknowledged digitizing more than 50 million records annually. Historically, we note that firearm registration has repeatedly served as a precursor to firearm confiscation. Expanding firearm registration poses a serious threat to law-abiding Americans free exercise of their Second Amendment rights going forward.”\n\nIn closing, the lawmakers highlight the agency’s positive direction under Director Cekada’s leadership, yet note the need for additional changes to the ATF’s recordkeeping to protect and restore Americans’ Second Amendment rights.\n\n“We remain encouraged by the direction the ATF has taken under your leadership. However, the changes proposed in this NPRM perpetuate an illegal gun registry scheme that jeopardizes the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. We urge you to adjust course and adopt the suggestions outlined herein, in the interest of advancing and protecting the Second Amendment liberties of all Americans.”\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\nCosigners include (28) Representatives Rick Allen (GA-12), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Sheri Biggs (SC-03), Lauren Boebert (CO-04), Josh Brecheen (OK-02), Eric Burlison (MO-07), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Ben Cline (VA-06), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Mike Collins (GA-10), Scott DesJarlais (TN-04), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Andy Harris (MD-01), Mark Harris (NC-08), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Brian Jack (GA-03), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Rich McCormick (GA-07), Mary Miller (IL-15), Riley Moore (WV-02), Andy Ogles (TN-05), John Rose (TN-06), Chip Roy (TX-21), Austin Scott (GA-08), Keith Self (TX-03), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03).", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-announces-100000-grant-soulsville-foundation", "title": "Congressman Cohen Announces $100,000 Grant to the Soulsville Foundation", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "cohen.house.gov", "scraper": "cohen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001068", "name": "Steve Cohen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the Soulsville Foundation will receive a grant of $100,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to implement a curator-in-residence program.\n\nThe Stax Museum of American Soul Music program, according to IMLS, will be designed to strengthen the museum's interpretive capacity, expand access to its collections, and deepen scholarship related to African American music history and the global legacy of Stax Records. Each resident curator will conduct research using the museum’s archives and artifact collections; collaborate with staff to develop interpretive materials, exhibitions, and digital storytelling content; and lead public programs such as lectures, listening sessions, and youth workshops.\n\nCongressman Cohen made the following statement:\n\n“The Stax Museum is one of our city’s most prized cultural institutions. This grant funding, and the prestige it adds to the museum’s outreach efforts, will enhance its international reputation. I commend Soulsville Foundation President and CEO Pat Mitchell Worley and the entire staff of the museum for this significant and well-deserved recognition.”\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://crane.house.gov/2026/08/05/rep-crane-listens-to-and-advocates-for-rural-arizonans/", "title": "Rep. Crane Listens to and Advocates for Rural Arizonans", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://crane.house.gov/media/", "domain": "crane.house.gov", "scraper": "crane", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001132", "name": "Elijah Crane", "party": "Republican", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Last week, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) traveled across rural Arizona to meet with constituents, key stakeholders, and industry leaders. Unfortunately, Congress is not in session to finish critical work on behalf of the American people. However, Rep. Crane is using the district work period to strengthen relationships, hear directly from Arizonans, and advance priorities across agriculture, energy, education, and public lands.\n\nOn Wednesday, Rep. Crane joined Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) for a major announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Douglas. With the New World screwworm threatening American livestock, Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled a $25 million investment to construct a new sterile fly facility in Arizona, improving the nation’s long-term response to the pest. This followed a letter co-signed by Rep. Crane, urging the USDA to take action on a modernized facility in Douglas.\n\nThe group also toured livestock inspection facilities at the Douglas Port of Entry, underscoring the preparedness measures ahead of the port’s planned reopening to livestock trade on August 24, 2026.\n\nFollowing Wednesday’s engagement, Rep. Crane traveled to Show Low to visit Linden Valley Arena for an up-close look at the operation. Linden Valley is an iconic destination for the roping community, and the arena has been owned and operated by Kay and Dee Perkins since 2010.\n\nThe next morning, Rep. Crane had the honor of speaking to teachers and staff from the Show Low Unified School District ahead of the start of the school year. He shared lessons on leadership and teamwork drawn from his experience as a former Navy SEAL and small business owner. Rep. Crane thanked the district’s educators for their dedication as they prepared to welcome students back to the classroom.\n\nThis visit came on the heels of a major legislative win for rural schools across the district. Last year, Rep. Crane worked to build support for a three-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools program, which was ultimately signed into law. It guarantees continued funding for local education and essential services in communities near national forest land, delivering real stability for every county in Arizona’s Second Congressional District.\n\nAfter concluding his engagements in Show Low, Rep. Crane traveled to Holbrook to visit Northland Pioneer College, where he met with staff to discuss progress on its Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program.\n\nIn Washington, the Trump administration launched the Freedom Haulers Initiative, a federal effort to expand the pipeline for veterans to enter the industry. Rep. Crane appreciated the administration’s prioritization of the issue and applauded Northland Pioneer College’s development of its CDL program.\n\nLater that afternoon, Rep. Crane visited H Bar and Y Ranch in Holbrook to meet with Casey and Meggan Murph and their family. The Murphs have run cattle on Arizona State Land Department grazing leases since before statehood, yet they now face the prospect of losing those leases due to a proposed solar project by a foreign company.\n\nRep. Crane believes this betrays the interests of hardworking Arizonans and has worked behind the scenes to help resolve the situation. Last month, Rep. Crane joined the Murphs at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to address lawfare complaints from America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers.\n\nThe agreement formalizes cooperation between the USDA Lawfare Portal and the SBA’s Office of National Ombudsman to ensure complaints are routed, investigated, and resolved rather than slipping through the cracks. Over the past two years, the USDA Lawfare Portal has logged more than 400 submissions from 47 states documenting anti-agricultural legal harassment.\n\nAfterwards, Rep. Crane toured the Cholla Power Plant, which began operating in 1962 and ceased burning coal in March 2025. Arizona Public Service is now pursuing plans to convert the facility to natural gas, a project expected to add approximately 380 megawatts of capacity and support jobs in the surrounding community. Rep. Crane appreciated the updates on this transition and its potential to sustain local employment and reliable power generation.\n\nOn Saturday, Rep. Crane headed to Williams for the Coconino County Farm Bureau and Cattle Growers Association’s annual banquet. Rep. Crane gave remarks updating business leaders on several legislative priorities.\n\nRegarding the House-passed Farm Bill, Rep. Crane detailed key wins in the legislation, including new Buy American requirements for school meals, a reporting requirement on agricultural land purchases by foreign adversaries, and strengthened farm credit and crop insurance programs. He also noted the inclusion of his amendment to expedite recovery following the White Sage Fire, as well as his support for amendments to remove pesticide liability protections and guarantee compensation for predation caused by Mexican wolves.\n\nFurthermore, Rep. Crane updated attendees on the status of the House-passed Fix Our Forests Act and North Rim Restoration Act of 2025. The former would bolster Arizona’s forest health through new technology, reduce litigation, and focus on high-risk areas. The latter would help expedite rebuilding of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim following the Dragon Bravo Fire by streamlining federal contracting.\n\nAlthough these measures passed the House with strong bipartisan support, the Senate has yet to give final approval. Rep. Crane remains hopeful the upper chamber will finish the job and send them to the president’s desk.\n\nOn the final stop of the trip, Rep. Crane visited Camp Verde for a discussion with ranchers facing issues with the U.S. Forest Service. After updating attendees on the latest from Washington, he heard directly from constituents on challenges they face. Rep. Crane is drafting legislation geared toward helping implement fence repairs after natural disasters, as well as restricting the widespread abuses of the Equal Access to Justice Act.\n\nIn addition, the district received new federal support this week through the U.S. Department of Transportation. In total, the agency awarded more than $5 million for airport infrastructure improvements. Rep. Crane welcomed the news, which follows last month’s $4 million and $6 million grants for Polacca Airport and Coolidge Municipal Airport, respectively.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://crow.house.gov/media/press-releases/crow-hickenlooper-demand-answers-from-dhs-on-shooting-outside-aurora-ice-facility", "title": "Crow, Hickenlooper Demand Answers from DHS on Shooting Outside Aurora ICE Facility", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://crow.house.gov/news", "domain": "crow.house.gov", "scraper": "crow", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001121", "name": "Jason Crow", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "AURORA — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO) and Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) are leading Colorado’s Democratic Congressional delegation to demand answers from the Trump Administration on a recent shooting outside a GEO-operated ICE facility in Aurora. During demonstrations outside the detention center, a GEO group employee shot a 21-year-old woman with his personally-owned firearm, striking her in the foot.\n\nIn their letter to Department of Homeland Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Crow, Hickenlooper, and their colleagues push DHS and ICE to uphold the right of lawful protestors and press the Secretary to answer how his Department will do that. They ask for clarity on how the Department is protecting peaceful protestors outside federal detention facilities; what types of de-escalation, use-of-force, and crowd management training are required for agents and contractors; what screening and vetting processes are in place for contractors before they are assigned to ICE facilities; and how the agency is cooperating with law enforcement around this incident.\n\n“Immigration enforcement officers and the contractors supporting them have an obligation to protect public safety while exercising restraint and professionalism. Protests outside immigration detention centers are routine occurrences. An agency responsible for operating secure facilities should be equipped to maintain safe access, communicate with employees, coordinate with local law enforcement, and prevent confrontations between the community and facility personnel from escalating. Just as we believe law enforcement should never be targeted with violence, we believe lawful protesters should be protected – not attacked – by federal officials or those contracted by the government,” the group wrote.\n\n“The incident in Aurora, and the broader pattern of shootings involving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel across the country, undermine public trust and threaten community safety,” they continued. “As members of the Colorado Congressional delegation, we are responsible for defending the constitutional rights of our constituents and protecting our communities and our law enforcement. The events in Aurora raise questions about whether current DHS policies and practices keep communities, protesters, and law enforcement safe.”\n\nSince his election to Congress, Crow has fought to promote transparency, oversight, and accountability in federal immigration detention centers. He introduced bipartisan legislation guaranteeing Members of Congress the right to conduct unannounced, in-person oversight visits of ICE detention facilities, including to check on any concerns related to public health and the humane treatment of detained individuals. He has also led the charge calling for the end to private for profit immigration detention facilities. Crow regularly conducts oversight of Aurora’s immigration detention facility. Since 2019, Crow and his staff have visited the facility to conduct oversight more than 100 times. Public reports of such visits, along with conditions at the facility, are published on Crow’s website.\n\nA PDF of the letter can be found here, with full text appearing below:\n\nSecretary Mullin,\n\nWe write to express our concern over the July 16, 2026 shooting of a 21-year-old woman near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. While we are relieved that her injuries were not life-threatening, we must ensure that personnel operating at federal immigration detention facilities are adequately screened and trained to prevent incidents like this one. According to the Aurora Police Department, GEO Group employees reporting for their shifts that day were unable to enter the facility because of protest activity. Police allege that two protesters verbally confronted GEO employees and photographed their vehicles before walking away. One employee then retrieved a personally owned firearm and fired in their direction, striking one woman in the foot. He has been charged with seven offenses, including attempted second-degree murder.\n\nImmigration enforcement officers and the contractors supporting them have an obligation to protect public safety while exercising restraint and professionalism. Protests outside immigration detention centers are routine occurrences. An agency responsible for operating secure facilities should be equipped to maintain safe access, communicate with employees, coordinate with local law enforcement, and prevent confrontations between the community and facility personnel from escalating. Just as we believe law enforcement should never be targeted with violence, we believe lawful protesters should be protected – not attacked – by federal officials or those contracted by the government.\n\nThe incident in Aurora, and the broader pattern of shootings involving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel across the country, undermine public trust and threaten community safety. As members of the Colorado Congressional delegation, we are responsible for defending the constitutional rights of our constituents and protecting our communities and our law enforcement. The events in Aurora raise questions about whether current DHS policies and practices keep communities, protesters, and law enforcement safe. We believe a thorough review of the Department's policies is necessary to ensure that similar incidents do not recur.\n\nGiven this urgent need, we request written responses to the following questions by August 14, 2026:\n\nWhat coordination has DHS and ICE undertaken with state and local law enforcement to manage public demonstrations while ensuring employees can safely access their places of work? What will that coordination look like moving forward?\n\nWhat de-escalation, use-of-force, crisis intervention, threats against employees, and crowd-management training is required for DHS personnel and contractor employees assigned to ICE facilities? What training has been provided to the employees at the Aurora facility concerning de-escalation, use-of-force, crisis intervention, threats against employees, and crowd-management training? Which of these trainings did the employee charged in the July 16 shooting complete and on which dates did he complete them?\n\nWhat screening and vetting procedures does DHS require for contractor personnel before they are assigned to ICE facilities? What screening was conducted for the individual charged in the July 16 shooting?\n\nWhat policies and operational plans do DHS and ICE have in place to protect both protesters and employees outside DHS and ICE facilities, including contracted facilities? Does ICE require its detention contractors to designate alternative entrances, transportation arrangements, or other measures for employees during demonstrations or other disruptions to access?\n\nGEO Group has placed the employee on unpaid leave and stated that it is cooperating with law enforcement. Beyond the ongoing investigation, what additional steps will DHS and ICE take to determine whether similar vulnerabilities exist at other contracted detention facilities? How will DHS and ICE strengthen oversight of its personnel and contractors and prevent similar incidents from occurring?\n\nIn addition to providing the information above, we urge the Department to conduct an independent review of its security procedures, contractor oversight, employee training, and firearms policies, especially as they relate to anticipated confrontations, and to make its findings and recommendations publicly available.\n\nWe appreciate your prompt attention to this urgent matter and look forward to your response.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-highlights-support-local-small-businesses-work-secure-tariff-refunds", "title": "Davids Highlights Support for Local Small Businesses, Work to Secure Tariff Refunds", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "davids.house.gov", "scraper": "davids", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000629", "name": "Sharice Davids", "party": "Democrat", "state": "KS", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS — Today, Representative Sharice Davids visited local small businesses in Prairie Village to discuss the economic challenges of reckless tariffs. She highlighted her efforts in Congress to secure tariff refunds for small businesses, strengthen supply chains, and support small business growth.\n\n“When tariffs hit local favorites like toy stores and craft shops, it’s Kansas families who end up paying the price at the register,” said Davids. “Our local shops shouldn't be forced to choose between raising prices on neighbors or cutting jobs while big corporations with fancy lawyers get easy refunds. I’m pushing to make these refunds automatic for small businesses, so they get immediate relief and can keep prices down for everyone in our community.”\n\nDuring the tour, Davids met with the owners and employees of The Learning Tree, a local toy and educational store in Prairie Village; Made in KC, a local store showcasing goods from regional artisans and makers; and Casa Ama, a Mexican restaurant in Prairie Village.\n\nReckless tariff policies have hit Kansas hard, driving up costs for families and threatening small businesses and farmers. According to estimates, average American households will pay roughly $2,500 more this year because of these policies, and small businesses lost 4.5 times more jobs in 2025 than in 2020 during the pandemic. Local industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, and retail have faced higher costs for imported goods, forcing some businesses to raise consumer prices, cut jobs, or close entirely.\n\nTariff refunds are ongoing, but under the current system, small businesses often lack the resources to reclaim funds, while large corporations can pursue lengthy litigation to recover tariff payments. Davids supports the RELIEF Act, legislation that would provide automatic refunds to small businesses and families forced to pay President Trump’s reckless tariffs.\n\nThe RELIEF Act would:\n\nRequire automatic refunds for all tariffs collected since January 1, 2025 – so small businesses and families don’t have to wait years or hire lawyers to get back the money they were forced to pay.\n\nEnsure refunds are processed within 90 days of enactment – giving immediate relief to businesses struggling with higher costs and helping keep prices lower for everyday consumers.\n\nEliminate the need for individual applications or formal protests – removing bureaucratic hurdles so small businesses and families can actually access the refunds without extra cost, confusion, or delay.\n\n\"Small and local businesses are what make communities unique and special, and unfortunately they often get overlooked in macroeconomic policy,” said Keith Bradley, Owner, Made in KC. “Getting to share our experience with our local representatives who have a voice and seat at the larger table is important not only for the health and longer-term viability of small and local businesses but also for our communities which they are tied to.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://dean.house.gov/2026/8/dean-deluzio-and-lee-demand-answers-from-ice-geo-group-about-violations-at-moshannon-detention-center", "title": "Dean, Deluzio, and Lee Demand Answers from ICE, GEO Group about Violations at Moshannon Detention Center", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "domain": "dean.house.gov", "scraper": "dean", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000631", "name": "Madeleine Dean", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean (PA-04), alongside U.S. Representatives Chris Deluzio (PA-17) and Summer Lee (PA-12), wrote letters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the GEO Group, the for-profit prison corporation that owns and operates Moshannon Valley Processing Center (MVPC) in Philipsburg, PA, to demand answers on GEO’s failure to comply with federal standards of adequate staffing and medical care to detainees, as well as obstruction of congressional oversight.\n\nAhead of GEO’s Second Quarter Earnings Call, the Pennsylvania lawmakers are clear: “There shouldn’t be earnings calls for human detention.”\n\nAs ICE’s reckless, and at times fatal, arrests proliferate across the country, Congresswoman Dean conducted an announced congressional oversight visit to MVPC — which began operating as an ICE facility in 2021 — on June 17. Congressman Deluzio and Congresswoman Lee had previously conducted unannounced oversight on May 28.\n\n“As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, it is my constitutional duty to ensure that federal contractors honor their legal obligations and that taxpayer dollars do not fund systemic neglect or cruelty. What I uncovered at MVPC did not reassure me; rather, it confirmed serious reports of medical neglect, safety violations, and explicit contract violations,” Rep. Dean wrote.\n\nDuring Congresswoman Dean’s oversight at Moshannon, senior MVPC leadership repeatedly admitted that initial medical screenings occurred 24 to 72 hours upon arrival — violating ICE’s national standard of comprehensive screening within 12 hours of every detainee’s arrival.\n\nIn August 2025, 32-year-old Chaofeng Ge died by suicide at MVPC. In 2023, 37-year-old Frankline Okpu died in custody at MVPC. In December 2025, 46-year-old Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir died in custody at MVPC.\n\nFollowing her visit, Congresswoman Dean learned that Acting ICE Director David Venturella spent more than a decade as a GEO senior executive and then as a consultant — creating a grave conflict of interest.\n\n“These failures are not accidental; they are the predictable result of a privatized, for-profit detention business model. As a publicly traded entity, GEO has a strict legal obligation, a fiduciary duty, to act in the best interest of its shareholders. GEO’s focus on maximizing shareholder value drives aggressive cost cutting across medical personnel, nutritional quality, and translation services,” the lawmakers continued.\n\nThe lawmakers requested answers from both ICE and GEO regarding federal contract compliance, a commitment to congressional oversight, and recusal agreements governing former ICE and DHS officials currently employed by or consulting for GEO and current ICE and DHS employees formerly employed by or consulting for GEO.\n\nRead the full letter to GEO here.\n\nRead the full letter to ICE here.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://delacruz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3946", "title": "De La Cruz Urges DHS Secretary Mullin to Prioritize Religious Worker Visa Applications", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://delacruz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "delacruz.house.gov", "scraper": "delacruz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000594", "name": "Monica De La Cruz", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) wrote Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, urging the agency to prioritize processing religious worker visa applications.\n\nProcessing delays have impacted religious leaders in Texas and those who rely on these individuals for religious and community services. In the letter, De La Cruz urges DHS to use all available resources to minimize delays and ensure religious leaders are able to support their congregations.\n\nIn addition to the letter, De La Cruz co-sponsored the bipartisan Religious Worker Protection Act. The legislation would give DHS the authority to extend nonimmigrant religious worker (R-1) status until an individual’s application for permanent residence is finalized.\n\nRead the full letter here or below.\n\nDear Secretary Mullin,\n\nI write to urge the prioritization of religious worker visa applications. Churches and faith-based institutions serve as the foundation for our communities, and our religious leaders as an extension of our families. Our immigration system recognizes this by allowing for those in religious vocations to serve in the United States, including through the R-1 religious worker visas.\n\nIn January 2026, the Trump Administration acted to reduce wait times for religious workers wanting to continue serving our faith-based communities in the United States. Specifically, your department removed the previous one year foreign residency requirement, allowing R-1 workers who have reached the five year maximum to seek readmission without a mandatory one year period abroad.\n\nWhile we commend the actions taken to speed up the immigration process for our religious workers, I urge you to prioritize reducing the processing times for religious worker visa applications, which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data states have processing times of 8.5 and 11.5 months, respectively, depending on the applicant type.\n\nThese processing delays are felt throughout our communities, who rely on our religious leaders for vital religious and community services. I urge you to use your available resources to reduce the processing timelines and stand ready to assist you in any way necessary.\n\nThank you for your continued efforts to safeguard our country and support the diverse faith communities that enrich our society. I look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that our immigration system functions in a way that strengthens religious freedom, supports the rule of law, and provides certainty for the communities we serve.\n\nSincerely,\n\nCongresswoman Monica De La Cruz", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-trump-administrations-head-start-changes-mandate-do-more-less", "title": "DeLauro on Trump Administration’s Head Start Changes: “A mandate to do more with less.”", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "delauro.house.gov", "scraper": "delauro", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000216", "name": "Rosa L. DeLauro", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and a longtime champion of Head Start, issued the following statement in response to reporting that the Trump administration is preparing to release a rule that guts the quality standards for Head Start programs:\n\nThe Trump administration is preparing to propose a rule rescinding Head Start’s 133 page performance standards. These regulations, put in place by the George W. Bush administration, have assured program quality since the Head Start Act was last updated in 2007.\n\nKey changes reported include:", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-celebrates-new-daily-amtrak-service-connecting-pittsburgh-commonwealth", "title": "Deluzio Celebrates New, Daily Amtrak Service Connecting Pittsburgh to the Commonwealth", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "deluzio.house.gov", "scraper": "deluzio", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000530", "name": "Christopher R. Deluzio", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "CARNEGIE, PA – Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) celebrated the news that Amtrak will add a second daily train to the Pennsylvanian route later this year. Outgoing Amtrak President Roger Harris made the announcement in a July 29th Board Meeting. The Pennsylvanian route connects Pittsburgh to New York City via Harrisburg and Philadelphia.\n\nBack in December 2023, Congressman Deluzio helped announce a $143,629,028 federal grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to expand Amtrak passenger rail service on the Keystone West Corridor—specifically for a second daily round-trip between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. This funding was from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.\n\nCongressman Deluzio released the following statement:\n\n“Three years ago, I was thrilled to announce this massive $143.6 million federal investment in Western Pennsylvania’s long neglected passenger rail service,” said Congressman Deluzio. “Today, I’m proud to celebrate this step forward to get a second train heading east from Pittsburgh. But we must dream bigger: my goal is high-speed rail that is cheap and reliable connecting people all across Pennsylvania and our great country.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://escobar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3295", "title": "Congresswoman Escobar Announces Fall 2026 Youth Opportunities", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://escobar.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "escobar.house.gov", "scraper": "escobar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000299", "name": "Veronica Escobar", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, the Office of Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) announced leadership opportunities and ways for teens and young adults to get involved in public service and the community.\n\nThe Congressional App Challenge (CAC)\n\nThe Congressional App Challenge is hosted by Members of Congress for middle school and high school students to encourage participation in STEM education, develop coding skills, and create original applications that better their communities. The Congressional App Challenge is one of the most prestigious national prizes for students in computer science.\n\nThe CAC is open to middle and high school students who reside in or attend school in the 16th Congressional District of Texas. The deadline to apply is October 26, 2026 at 5pm MT. To learn more, click here.\n\nThe Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC)\n\nCYAC offers a unique opportunity for student to learn about the federal government, debate policy, and participate in an interactive experience. The CYAC works with Congresswoman Veronica Escobar’s office to research topics and bills while collaborating alongside their peers.\n\nAll students living in the district and in grades 10-12 are eligible to apply. The deadline to submit an application is September 15, 2026 at 5pm. To learn more, click here.\n\nHispanic Heritage Month Essay Contest\n\nIn celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Congresswoman Escobar hosts an annual Hispanic Heritage Month Essay Contest.\n\nThe contest is open to current middle school students (Grades 6-8) residing in the TX-16 Congressional District. The deadline to submit an essay is September 20th at 5pm. For more information, click here.\n\nService Academy Nomination\n\nEach year, Congresswoman Escobar has the privilege of nominating a limited number of extraordinary high schoolers to four of the five service academies.\n\nThe honor of attending a service academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. The deadline to apply is October 12, 2026 at 5pm MT. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible. For more information, click here.\n\nCongresswoman Escobar offers leadership opportunities and competitions year-round for teens and young adults in El Paso. El Pasoans are encouraged to subscribe to her newsletter, check her website, and follow her social media pages @repescobar to stay informed.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-foster-leads-50-colleagues-urging-continued-funding-school-and-library", "title": "Rep. Foster Leads 50 Colleagues in Urging Continued Funding for School and Library Broadband", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "foster.house.gov", "scraper": "foster", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000454", "name": "Bill Foster", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, DC — Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) led 50 of his colleagues in demanding continued support of the E-Rate program from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fund broadband for low-income schools and libraries.\n\nE-Rate provides libraries and schools with discounts of 20 to 90% on telecommunications services and equipment. It has helped libraries and schools afford broadband connectivity since its creation in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, when only 14% of libraries and schools had internet access. Today, that figure is nearly 100%, and the program supports over 12,500 libraries and 106,000 schools nationwide.\n\nThe letter comes in response to recent statements from the FCC indicating that they may consider terminating E-Rate, or limiting eligibility exclusively to rural areas, citing concerns about excessive screentime for students. Limiting E-Rate would imperil funding for essential services like internet access at low-income schools and libraries across the country.\n\nIn the letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, the Members wrote:\n\n“The FCC has overseen the E-Rate program through both Democratic and Republican administrations, and the program has historically enjoyed broad bipartisan support. The FCC itself has acknowledged E-Rate’s importance, calling it an “extraordinary success as the federal government’s largest education technology program.”\n\n“Cuts to E-Rate would place significant financial strain on schools across the country, particularly those serving low-income communities. As such, we respectfully urge the Commission to preserve the E-Rate program and address any concerns regarding student screen time through policies that do not undermine the digital infrastructure on which libraries and schools depend.”\n\nA copy of the letter and a list of cosigners is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gillen-announces-250000-federal-funding-franklin-square-public-library", "title": "Rep. Gillen Announces $250,000 in Federal Funding for Franklin Square Public Library Renovations", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gillen.house.gov", "scraper": "gillen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000602", "name": "Laura Gillen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "FRANKLIN SQUARE, NY — Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) joined library board members at the Franklin Square Public Library to highlight $250,000 in new federal Community Project Funding (CPF) she secured through the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process to replace the roof and HVAC at the library.\n\n“Our public libraries are essential to our communities, providing far more than books. The Franklin Square Public Library serves as a community space, cooling center and a safe haven during storms,” said Rep. Gillen. “This $250,000 investment will help ensure that the Franklin Square Public Library continues to meet the needs of our community. I was proud to secure this federal funding and look forward to seeing how this investment will help support this library and those who enjoy it.”\n\n“The Franklin Square Public Library is the heart of our community,” said Carl Gerrato, Library President, Franklin Square Public Library. “Thanks to Congresswoman Laura Gillen's leadership and support, this critical investment will help preserve that heart and ensure our library continues to serve the people of Franklin Square for generations to come.”\n\n“We are so lucky to have Laura Gillen as our advocate,” said Aviva Kane, Library Director, Franklin Square Public Library. “True advocacy is about standing up for your neighbors when they need help, and Laura Gillen did exactly that by securing the funds to help us fix our library's roof. We are so incredibly thankful for her heart and hard work, which will keep our community’s shared home safe, dry, and thriving for years to come.”\n\nDuring the event, Rep. Gillen discussed the areas slated for renovation and how the enhanced facilities will support Franklin Square residents. The facility and its outdated 10-unit HVAC System is currently battling active leaks, poor drainage, mold and temperature regulation issues. The renovations will help protect members of the community and the library’s collections, in addition to lowering the library’s energy costs.\n\nThis project received calls for support from a bipartisan group of leaders, including Assemblyman Ed Ra, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and the Franklin Square Historical Society.\n\nThe funding for Franklin Square Public Library is part of more than $13 million in Community Project Funding Rep. Gillen secured for Nassau County to invest in community infrastructure, enhance public safety, support our local law enforcement and first responders, and improve the quality of life for residents across Nassau County.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gillen-hosts-roundtable-impact-rising-health-care-costs-long-islanders", "title": "Rep. Gillen Hosts Roundtable on Impact of Rising Health Care Costs on Long Islanders", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gillen.house.gov", "scraper": "gillen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000602", "name": "Laura Gillen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "ROOSEVELT, NY — Yesterday, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) hosted a roundtable discussion on the impact of rising health care costs on Long Islanders at Harmony Health in Roosevelt. Rep. Gillen was joined by Vanessa Baird-Streeter, CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of LI; David Nemiroff, CEO of Harmony Health; Stacey Jackson-Harley, COO of Harmony Health; Karen Brandon, a Floral Park resident and two Harmony Health patient board members from Freeport and Roosevelt.\n\n“I hear from Long Islanders all the time that health care is too expensive. I’m fighting in Congress to lower costs and ensure every family has access to affordable health care,” said Rep. Gillen. “I’m grateful to everyone who joined this round table and shared their story. I will continue to bring these stories with me to Washington to fight for Nassau County.”\n\nDuring the roundtable, Rep. Gillen and the community contributors highlighted the growing challenge of unaffordable healthcare costs facing Long Islanders and discussed the importance of ensuring residents across New York’s 4th Congressional District have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare. They also discussed ways to lower insurance premiums and prescription costs for families across Long Island. Rep. Gillen heard directly from attendees about their experiences and shared how she will continue to fight for them in Washington, D.C.\n\nSince taking office, Rep. Gillen has worked to expand access to affordable, high-quality health care and protect critical health programs for Long Island families. She has fought against Republican cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, led and signed bipartisan letters opposing policies that would increase health care costs or jeopardize cancer research and safety-net hospitals, and called on congressional leadership to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.\n\nRep. Gillen has also supported legislation to lower prescription drug costs by expanding Medicare drug price negotiations, permanently extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, protect safety-net hospitals, streamline Medicare Advantage prior authorization for seniors, and increase transparency and affordability in dental and vision coverage. She also highlighted Floral Park resident Karen Brandon as her guest at the State of the Union to highlight the impact of rising health care costs on local families.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://gluesenkampperez.house.gov/posts/rep-marie-gluesenkamp-perez-tours-roadmasters-a-local-manufacturer-of-automotive-systems-and-accessories", "title": "Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez Tours Roadmaster, a Local Manufacturer of Automotive Systems and Accessories", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gluesenkampperez.house.gov/press", "domain": "gluesenkampperez.house.gov", "scraper": "gluesenkampperez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000600", "name": "Marie Gluesenkamp Perez", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "VANCOUVER, WA — Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is out in Clark County where she toured Roadmaster Inc, a local manufacturer of tow bars, suspension, brakes, and other automotive systems. Roadmaster has long been a fixture of this community, where it has been owned by the same family since 1970. The Congresswoman spoke with workers and owners about what it takes to make high quality equipment right here in Southwest Washington.\n\nThe Congresswoman visited the facility to learn more about their American-made ethos and their vision for building a strong industrial base in our country. Roadmaster makes the vast majority of their parts and tools in house, using their full machine shop and forging equipment. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez was impressed by their commitment to self-sufficiency, technical mastery, and stewardship of our national heritage as the best tradespeople in the world.\n\nRoadmaster workers show Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez machining equipment.\n\n“This is about people making high quality stuff and making it here at home.” Said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez, “The truth is people don’t want cheap junk. They want stuff that lasts–better stoves, better washing machines and better car parts. We’ve been stuck in a consumer trap for too long and we need to get back to the trades and pride in making things again. Thank you to Roadmaster for letting me join you to see a real vision of strong American industry.”\n\nRep Gluesenkamp Perez meets with Roadmaster.\n\nRep. Gluesenkamp Perez has worked tirelessly to protect American made products and American’s right to fix their own stuff. She came to Congress with Right to Repair as her flagship issue after years of co-owning an auto repair and machine shop with her husband Dean. Recently, she put forth an initiative to support AP credits for shop class and introduced legislation to allow the use of 529 funds to help young people get started in skilled trades.\n\n####", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://grijalva.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-rep-grijalva-stands-with-dreamers-at-press-conference-highlighting-threats-facing-daca-recipients", "title": "ICYMI: Rep. Grijalva Stands With Dreamers at Press Conference Highlighting Threats Facing DACA Recipients", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://grijalva.house.gov/media", "domain": "grijalva.house.gov", "scraper": "grijalva", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000606", "name": "Adelita S. Grijalva", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Tucson, AZ — Yesterday, Tuesday, August 4, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva joined Dreamers and community advocates at a press conference highlighting the growing number of longtime DACA recipients and DREAMers facing deportation despite pursuing legal pathways to remain in the United States.\n\nDuring the press conference, Congresswoman Grijalva reaffirmed her commitment to protecting Dreamers and fighting for the rights of DACA recipients. She also condemned the Trump administration’s continued targeting of DACA recipients and immigrant communities who have built their lives in the United States.\n\nAt the event, Congresswoman Grijalva was joined by Karla Toledo, Myndy Valencia-Sanchez, and Roberto Navarro Bocanegra, three DREAMers whose stories highlight the uncertainty and challenges faced by recipients of DACA and other longtime members of immigrant communities.\n\nKarla came to the United States at just one year old and has spent her life serving her community and building her future in Southern Arizona. Despite her longstanding ties to the region, she was previously detained by ICE.\n\nRoberto came to the United States as an 18-month-old child and later became a bone marrow donor for his younger sister during her battle with leukemia. After earning a full scholarship to the University of Arizona and pursuing a legal pathway through his U.S. citizen spouse, he was instead placed into deportation proceedings.\n\nMyndy came to the United States at age seven and has maintained valid DACA status for years. Although her protection remains valid through January 2027, ICE recently reopened her deportation case, forcing her back into immigration court.\n\nCongresswoman Grijalva emphasized that DREAMers are valued members of Arizona communities and that she will continue advocating for policies that protect their ability to live, work, and contribute without fear of deportation.\n\nWatch the full press conference here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5329", "title": "Grothman Leads Wisconsin Delegation in Protecting Marine Corps Readiness", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "grothman.house.gov", "scraper": "grothman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000576", "name": "Glenn Grothman", "party": "Republican", "state": "WI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) announced today that he led every Republican member of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation in urging the Trump Administration to protect Marine Corps readiness, preserve competition, and strengthen America’s tactical vehicle industrial base.\n\nIn a letter sent to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg, and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, the lawmakers expressed support for the Administration’s Arsenal of Freedom initiative and called for qualified alternative production capacity to remain available for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program.\n\n“America’s warfighters should not be forced to wait for critical equipment because a defense program has fallen behind schedule,” said Congressman Grothman. “Maintaining competition and proven production capacity will help protect military readiness while ensuring contractors remain accountable to the servicemembers and taxpayers they serve. Oshkosh Defense has the experienced workforce and proven manufacturing capability needed to produce vehicles and help address the current backlog. Wisconsin stands ready to support the Marine Corps and deliver the vehicles our warfighters need.”\n\nProduction challenges affecting the JLTV A2 program have raised concerns about the Marine Corps’ ability to field the vehicles needed to support expeditionary operations. According to the House Appropriations Committee report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Appropriations Act, the program was more than 20 months behind schedule, with approximately 2,000 vehicles overdue.\n\nThe delegation also highlighted the Marine Corps’ May Request for Information seeking commercially available, non-developmental vehicles capable of rapid fielding. The lawmakers described the request as an important step toward preserving competition and ensuring qualified alternative production capacity remains available if performance challenges continue.\n\nOshkosh Defense, headquartered in Wisconsin, has delivered more than 25,000 JLTV A1 vehicles to U.S. and allied forces. The company is positioned to produce additional vehicles to help reduce the backlog, protect the Marine Corps’ fielding schedule, and restore needed competition to the program.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-destaca-importancia-de-los-centros-330-durante", "title": "Comisionado Residente destaca importancia de los Centros 330 durante inauguración de nuevo centro de salud en Isabela", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "hernandez.house.gov", "scraper": "hernandez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001103", "name": "Pablo José Hernández", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "ISABELA, Puerto Rico – El Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico, Pablo José Hernández, participó hoy en la inauguración del nuevo Centro Integrado de Servicios de Salud (CISS) en Isabela, una nueva instalación que fortalecerá el acceso a servicios de salud para los residentes del municipio y de la región noroeste.\n\nDurante la ceremonia, el Comisionado Residente felicitó a la Junta de Directores, a la administración y a todo el equipo de los Centros Integrados de Servicios de Salud por hacer posible este proyecto, al tiempo que destacó la importancia de continuar fortaleciendo la red de Centros 330 en Puerto Rico para garantizar atención médica accesible y de calidad en las comunidades.\n\n“Hoy inauguramos una nueva puerta a la salud, a la tranquilidad y a una mejor calidad de vida para las familias de Isabela y del noroeste. Detrás de cada sala, cada equipo y cada servicio que comienza aquí hay personas que podrán recibir atención más cerca de su hogar, con mayor acceso a servicios esenciales y mejores oportunidades para cuidar su salud”, expresó el Comisionado Residente.\n\nLos Centros 330 desempeñan un papel fundamental dentro del sistema de salud de Puerto Rico al ofrecer servicios médicos integrales a miles de pacientes en toda la Isla. Hernández recordó que, como parte de sus gestiones en Washington para fortalecer y proteger el sistema de salud de Puerto Rico, el pasado mes de mayo recibió en la Isla al líder demócrata de la Cámara de Representantes federal, Hakeem Jeffries, con quien visitó un Centro 330 y obtuvo su compromiso de apoyar una extensión de los fondos federales de Plan Vital.\n\nEl Comisionado Residente reiteró que una de sus principales prioridades en el Congreso es proteger los programas federales que garantizan el acceso a servicios de salud para Puerto Rico, incluyendo los Centros 330, Plan Vital y Medicare.\n\nAdemás, el Comisionado destacó que una de sus principales prioridades en el Congreso es lograr una solución permanente al financiamiento de Medicaid que evite el precipicio fiscal de 2027 y proteja los más de $3,500 millones en fondos federales que sostienen Plan Vital, así como la aportación federal del 76% al programa. También resaltó que lideró una gestión bipartita junto a 17 congresistas ante los Centros de Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid (CMS), que contribuyó a un aumento cercano al 4% en los pagos de Medicare Advantage para Puerto Rico, por encima del promedio nacional de aproximadamente 2.5%. Asimismo, recordó que presentó la Medicare Advantage Integrity Act, legislación para asegurar que esos aumentos en fondos federales se traduzcan en mejores beneficios, más servicios y mayor acceso para los adultos mayores.\n\nLa inauguración del nuevo Centro Integrado de Servicios de Salud representa un paso importante para fortalecer la atención médica primaria en el noroeste de Puerto Rico y ampliar el acceso a servicios esenciales para miles de pacientes.\n\nLa visita formó parte de la agenda de trabajo distrital del Comisionado Residente, quien continúa recorriendo Puerto Rico para apoyar iniciativas que fortalezcan los servicios de salud y defender en el Congreso los recursos federales que hacen posible una atención médica de calidad para las familias puertorriqueñas.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-visita-moca-para-dar-seguimiento-proyectos-estrategicos", "title": "Comisionado Residente visita Moca para dar seguimiento a proyectos estratégicos y destaca más de $3.1 millones en fondos federales para infraestructura y salud.", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "hernandez.house.gov", "scraper": "hernandez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001103", "name": "Pablo José Hernández", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "MOCA, Puerto Rico – El Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico, Pablo José Hernández, visitó el Municipio de Moca el jueves 30 de julio, para reunirse con el alcalde Efraín Barreto Barreto y dar seguimiento a proyectos estratégicos de infraestructura, desarrollo económico y revitalización urbana, incluyendo iniciativas que fortalecerán la capacidad del municipio para acceder a recursos federales y avanzar proyectos prioritarios para la comunidad.\n\nComo parte de la visita, el Comisionado Residente conoció el Plan Maestro Moca 2035, una hoja de ruta estratégica para transformar el casco urbano, impulsar el desarrollo socioeconómico del municipio y facilitar la identificación de oportunidades de inversión federal para proyectos de infraestructura y desarrollo sostenible. Además, recorrió el área del Coliseo Dr. Juan Sánchez Acevedo, donde conoció la propuesta para la construcción de un estacionamiento multipisos, y visitó el proyecto de construcción de una plazoleta y centro multiusos, iniciativas dirigidas a fortalecer la infraestructura pública y promover el desarrollo económico del municipio.\n\n“Los municipios conocen mejor que nadie las necesidades de sus comunidades. Nuestro trabajo es ayudarlos a convertir esas prioridades en proyectos viables y en oportunidades concretas de inversión federal que mejoren la calidad de vida de la gente”, expresó el Comisionado Residente.\n\nDurante la reunión, ambos también discutieron el progreso de inversiones federales previamente anunciadas para Moca, incluyendo una asignación de $1,089,101.50 en fondos de FEMA para la reconstrucción y estabilización del terraplén y la alcantarilla en la calle Monseñor Torres, infraestructura que sufrió daños como consecuencia del huracán María. El proyecto contempla la reconstrucción del terraplén, la instalación de un muro de gaviones, la restauración de la carretera y del sistema de drenaje, así como medidas para estabilizar el área y reducir el riesgo de futuros daños por erosión y eventos atmosféricos.\n\nAsimismo, el Comisionado Residente destacó la otorgación de $2,061,655 por parte del Departamento de Salud federal (HHS) a Costa Salud Community Health Centers para fortalecer la prestación de servicios de salud primaria en Moca, Aguada, Rincón y municipios cercanos, ampliando el acceso a servicios médicos esenciales para miles de residentes de la región.\n\n“Estas inversiones representan oportunidades concretas para fortalecer la infraestructura, ampliar el acceso a servicios esenciales y apoyar el desarrollo de nuestras comunidades. Continuaremos trabajando para asegurar que los municipios tengan acceso a los recursos federales necesarios para convertir sus planes de desarrollo en resultados para la gente”, añadió el Comisionado Residente.\n\nPor su parte, el alcalde Efraín Barreto Barreto presentó una actualización sobre las prioridades de desarrollo del municipio y agradeció la visita del Comisionado Residente, destacando la importancia de mantener una colaboración estrecha para impulsar proyectos de infraestructura, revitalización urbana y desarrollo económico que beneficien a los residentes de Moca.\n\nLa visita forma parte de la agenda de trabajo distrital del Comisionado Residente y de sus esfuerzos para dar seguimiento a inversiones federales, apoyar la ejecución de proyectos estratégicos y asegurar que las necesidades de los municipios estén representadas en el Congreso.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-visita-san-sebastian-para-dar-seguimiento-proyectos", "title": "Comisionado Residente visita San Sebastián para dar seguimiento a proyectos estratégicos y destaca $850,000 para impulsar el desarrollo económico del municipio", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "hernandez.house.gov", "scraper": "hernandez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001103", "name": "Pablo José Hernández", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "SAN SEBASTIÁN, Puerto Rico – El Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico, Pablo José Hernández, visitó hoy el Municipio de San Sebastián para reunirse con el alcalde Eladio \"Layito\" Cardona Quiles y dar seguimiento a proyectos estratégicos de infraestructura y desarrollo económico, como parte de sus esfuerzos para fortalecer la colaboración con los municipios y maximizar el acceso a recursos federales.\n\nComo parte de la visita, el Comisionado Residente y el alcalde conversaron sobre la reconstrucción del puente Magos del Barrio Calabazas, una obra crítica para la conectividad y la seguridad de múltiples comunidades de la zona. El proyecto, que contempla una inversión federal de aproximadamente $4.85 millones, incluye trabajos de reparación permanente bajo la Sección 406 del Stafford Act, así como medidas de mitigación para fortalecer la infraestructura y reducir el riesgo de daños ante futuros eventos atmosféricos.\n\nGracias a las gestiones realizadas por el Comisionado Residente ante las agencias federales correspondientes, el proyecto se encuentra en manos del Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército de los Estados Unidos, paso indispensable para que inicie el proceso de contratación y construcción. El Comisionado Residente reiteró su compromiso de continuar dando seguimiento al caso para asegurar que esta obra, prioritaria para los residentes del Barrio Calabazas, pueda comenzar lo antes posible.\n\n“Los municipios necesitan herramientas y recursos para ejecutar proyectos que impulsen su desarrollo y generen nuevas oportunidades para sus residentes. Nuestro compromiso es continuar trabajando para que San Sebastián tenga acceso a los fondos federales necesarios para convertir esas prioridades en resultados concretos”, expresó el Comisionado Residente.\n\nEl Comisionado Residente también destacó una asignación de $850,000 asegurada como parte del proceso de Community Project Funding (CPF) del presupuesto federal para el año fiscal 2026 para el Proyecto de Desarrollo y Construcción del Centro de Avance de Pequeñas Empresas en Habilidades de Próxima Generación y Emprendimiento (SANSE). La inversión apoyará el emprendimiento, el desarrollo de habilidades de la fuerza laboral y el crecimiento de las pequeñas empresas, fortaleciendo el desarrollo económico del municipio.\n\nPor su parte, el alcalde Eladio \"Layito\" Cardona Quiles presentó una actualización sobre las prioridades del municipio y agradeció la visita del Comisionado Residente, destacando la importancia de mantener una comunicación directa para impulsar proyectos que fortalezcan la infraestructura, promuevan el desarrollo económico y mejoren la calidad de vida de los residentes de San Sebastián.\n\nLa visita forma parte de la agenda de trabajo distrital del Comisionado Residente y de sus esfuerzos para dar seguimiento a inversiones federales, apoyar la ejecución de proyectos estratégicos y asegurar que las necesidades de los municipios estén representadas en el Congreso.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://hinson.house.gov/media/press-releases/hinson-introduces-bill-hold-big-health-insurance-accountable", "title": "Hinson Introduces Bill to Hold Big Health Insurance Accountable", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hinson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "hinson.house.gov", "scraper": "hinson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001091", "name": "Ashley Hinson", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) introduced the Health Insurance Transparency for Patients Act, legislation to expose how often health insurance companies deny or delay basic care and give patients the information they need to choose a health plan that actually works for their families.\n\n\"Big health insurance companies have a pattern of purposely denying patients coverage based on technicalities to protect their own bottom line. And they get away with it because nobody can see how they’re making these decisions. My bill holds them accountable by exposing these unfair practices, so patients are no longer in the dark and Iowans can get better healthcare coverage.\" — Congresswoman Ashley Hinson\n\n\"Transparency and accountability should apply across the healthcare system. Iowa hospitals publicly report a significant amount of information about the care they provide, and it is reasonable to expect health plans to be equally transparent about how coverage decisions are made. This legislation would give employers, patients, and purchasers greater visibility into prior authorization approvals, denials, appeals, and other coverage decisions. Better information provides greater insight into how effectively the healthcare system is working for the people it serves.\" — Chris Mitchell, President & CEO of the Iowa Hospital Association\n\n\"The Iowa Medical Society supports the Health Insurance Transparency for Patients bill because every Iowa patient deserves timely access to medically necessary care. Greater transparency into health insurance coverage and prior authorization decisions will improve accountability, reduce unnecessary delays, and help physicians spend more time caring for patients instead of navigating administrative barriers. Patients and physicians deserve to know how insurance companies make decisions about covering their care, including whether that involves a physician, an automated process, or artificial intelligence. We appreciate Rep. Ashley Hinson's leadership in advancing legislation that puts patients first.\" — Lillian Erdahl, President of the Iowa Medical Society\n\nThe Health Insurance Transparency for Patients Act would:\n\nRequire health insurance companies to publicly report the percent and number of:\n\nHow often they deny — or partially deny — coverage requests and why.\n\nApproved requests.\n\nShow how long patients wait for coverage decisions and appeals.\n\nReveal how often denied claims are later overturned on appeal.\n\nIdentify which treatments require prior authorization.\n\nRequire the information to be published in a consumer-friendly format, all in one place, so patients can compare health plans.\n\nBy exposing health insurance companies’ wrongful practices, families and our seniors can finally see which companies treat patients fairly and which ones try to block care and play games with your coverage.\n\nHinson has consistently fought to increase transparency and strengthen healthcare for Iowa families, including protecting new parents from surprise medical bills and supporting rural hospitals so Iowans can access quality care closer to home. The full text of the bill can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://horsford.house.gov/media/press-releases/horsford-nevada-workers-will-lead-nevada-s-comeback-from-trump-s-slump", "title": "Horsford: Nevada Workers Will Lead Nevada’s Comeback from Trump’s Slump", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://horsford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "horsford.house.gov", "scraper": "horsford", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001066", "name": "Steven Horsford", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "NORTH LAS VEGAS – Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) released the following statement as President Trump travels to Las Vegas today:\n\n“Working people and families in Nevada don’t need another campaign stop they need relief.”\n\n“Across my district, families are worried about the cost of housing, groceries, utility bills, and health care. Small businesses are worried about keeping their doors open. Hospitality workers are worried about getting enough hours, enough customers, and enough tips to support their families. Working people are doing everything right, but too many are still falling behind.”\n\n“That’s why I didn’t stop at talking about the problem - I introduced solutions.”\n\n“My RELIEF Act would refund consumers and small businesses who paid higher costs because of illegal tariffs. My TIPS Improvement Act would make tax relief for tipped workers permanent, eliminate the marriage penalty, and ensure hospitality workers keep more of the money they’ve earned. And my housing legislation, now law as part of the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, helps lower housing costs and expand opportunities for working families to achieve homeownership.”\n\n“These ideas didn’t come from Washington DC. They came from listening to Nevada workers, small businesses, and the people closest to the challenges facing our communities.”\n\n“Nevada’s workers built this state, and they’ll lead Nevada’s comeback. I’ll keep fighting to lower costs, strengthen our tourism economy, support working families, and build an Affordable Nevada.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://ivey.house.gov/media/press-releases/maryland-democrats-urge-ferc-protect-marylanders-rising-electricity-costs-due", "title": "Maryland Democrats Urge FERC to Protect Marylanders from Rising Electricity Costs Due to Out-of-State Data Centers", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ivey.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ivey.house.gov", "scraper": "ivey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "I000058", "name": "Glenn Ivey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, Maryland Congressional Delegation members – U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Representatives Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney, and Johnny Olszewski (all D-Md.) – are calling on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to take action to ensure Marylanders are not forced to bear skyrocketing electricity costs due to increasing energy demand from data centers located outside of the state. The lawmakers urged FERC to require PJM Interconnection (PJM) to implement strong protections that would ensure fair energy costs for Marylanders after PJM, the grid operator responsible for coordinating electricity transmission in the region, assigned roughly $2 billion in costs to Maryland ratepayers for infrastructure that is needed primarily to serve out-of-state data centers. The lawmakers’ letter supports a complaint at FERC filed by the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel challenging PJM’s existing transmission cost allocation rules.\n\n“As members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation, we write regarding a pressing matter that has the potential to significantly raise energy costs for our constituents. PJM Interconnection LLC’s (PJM) existing transmission cost allocation rules result in the unjust assignment of billions of dollars in costs to Marylanders, contributing to unaffordable electricity bills,” the lawmakers begin.\n\nOn the rising costs of electricity due to data centers outside of Maryland, the lawmakers write, “Data centers being built outside of Maryland are driving one of the largest transmission expansions in PJM’s history. Across its three most recent regional transmission planning rounds, PJM has advanced $22 billion in projects needed principally to serve data centers. Under PJM’s current cost allocation rules, roughly $2 billion of those costs have been assigned to Maryland ratepayers rather than the data centers that are driving the demand.”\n\n“Marylanders are already shouldering the immense burden of skyrocketing electricity costs, and it is unjust and unreasonable to force our constituents to subsidize the energy infrastructure needs of the wealthiest companies in the world. Unless the Commission acts, our constituents will pay an estimated $1.6 billion on their electric bills over the next ten years for these projects alone, and $823 million of that total cost will fall on residential customers, which equates to roughly $345 for the average customer,” the lawmakers continue.\n\nOn PJM’s current cost allocation rules, the Maryland lawmakers note, “PJM’s cost allocation rules have not kept pace with the build out of hyperscale data centers, just one of which can equal the electricity demand of a small city. PJM’s current rules spread costs broadly across the region regardless of where, and for whom, the underlying projects are actually needed. Maryland regulators have no ability to assign such costs to data centers located in other states, and with tens of thousands of megawatts of additional data center demand growth projected across PJM over the next two decades, our constituents face billions of dollars in further charges absent Commission action to address this unjust and unreasonable cost allocation. Furthermore, because much of the forecasted growth in data center energy demand is speculative, our constituents bear the unacceptable risk of paying for projects built to serve potential data centers that are never built due to any number of external reasons.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-attends-iten-defense-groundbreaking", "title": "Joyce Attends Iten Defense Groundbreaking", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://joyce.house.gov/press", "domain": "joyce.house.gov", "scraper": "joyce", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000295", "name": "David P. Joyce", "party": "Republican", "state": "OH", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP, OH – Today, U.S. Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) took part in a groundbreaking ceremony with Iten Defense and Lakeland The Construction Group, marking the start of construction on Iten Defense’s new research, development, and manufacturing facility. Headquartered in Ashtabula County, Ohio, Iten Defense specializes in manufacturing composite armor products, including pressed backing material used for body armor.\n\nThe project builds on federal investments supported by Congressman Joyce. Iten Defense has received Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) funding to advance ballistic protection capabilities through the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, and the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act.\n\n“Iten Defense is a top innovator, a critical part of our defense industrial base, and its success speaks to the talent of Ohio’s workforce,” said Congressman Joyce. “As a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I’ve been proud to fight for the federal investment that makes projects like this possible. This new research, development, and manufacturing facility will develop the lighter, stronger ballistic protection our warfighters need to stay ahead of our adversaries.”\n\n“Today marks an important milestone for Iten Defense and our community as we continue building an armor center of excellence in Northeast Ohio. We are grateful for the ongoing support of Congressman Joyce, the State of Ohio, Ashtabula County, and Saybrook Township as we’ve experienced nothing but the utmost support in facilitating our expansion plans. The new facility and the equipment we’ll be installing will allow us to continue our tradition of producing products that save lives,” said Damon Walsh, CEO of Iten Defense.\n\n“At Lakeland The Construction Group, we believe great projects begin with great partnerships. We’re honored by Iten Defense’s trust and proud to serve as the design-build partner on a project that will strengthen manufacturing and create lasting opportunities in Northeast Ohio,” said Fahim F. Gemayel, President of Lakeland The Construction Group.\n\nBackground:\n\nIten Defense has built a strong reputation in the defense industry through decades of work in advanced protection technologies. The company’s growth reflects Ohio’s strong manufacturing and defense industry capabilities. The facility is being designed and constructed by Lakeland The Construction Group, a Northeast Ohio-based contractor.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-assists-reopening-senior-care-facility-complete-care-willow-creek", "title": "Kean Assists in Reopening Senior Care Facility, Complete Care Willow Creek", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "kean.house.gov", "scraper": "kean", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000398", "name": "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "party": "Republican", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "(August 5, 2026) SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ – On Monday, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) visited the newly reopened Complete Care at Willow Creek, the only long-term care facility for seniors with traumatic brain injuries in New Jersey. He was joined by leadership from Complete Care and staff at the new facility.\n\nIn September of 2021, during Hurricane Ida, Complete Care Willow Creek was flooded. This caused a mass evacuation of patients and severe structural damage to the facility. During reconstruction, a fire occurred, causing further damage and delay.\n\nAs Complete Care was finishing construction in February of 2025, it learned that its Medicare Provider Number had been terminated. Applying for a new number involved demonstrating that its facility was meeting a different set of construction standards than what existed at the time the original Provider Number was approved, which would have delayed the opening for at least another two years and incurred significant additional costs.\n\nCongressman Kean’s office was contacted regarding this issue. Working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the NJ Department of Health, his office arranged multiple joint conference calls with the parties, and Congressman Kean sent a letter of support for Complete Care at Willow Creek. In part due to his interventions, the reopened facility welcomed its first patient on August 3rd.\n\n“It was incredible to see the tangible result that came from years of hard work by Complete Care, and to know my team helped this facility reopen,” said Congressman Kean. “New Jersey’s seniors deserve access to the care they need, especially those with ailments such as a traumatic brain injury. I am pleased to see this facility open its doors to the public and wish them all the best as they continue their critical work.”\n\n“We are excited to welcome Congressman Tom Kean Complete Care at Willow Creek today. Congressman Kean’s unwavering support and dedicated advocacy were instrumental in bringing us to today, which coincidentally marks the first day in our opening process for Willow Creek,” said Vice President of Operations Wanda Mercado. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Congressman for his interest in Willow Creek’s traumatic brain injury program for older adults, and for his vital contributions that helped to make this milestone possible.”\n\nIf you or your organization need help with a federal agency, contact Congressman Kean’s district office in Lebanon Borough at (908) 547-3307 or visit the \"Help with a Federal Agency\" page of his website HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://khanna.house.gov/media/press-releases/khanna-massie-leger-fernandez-merkley-lujan-introduce-epstein-files", "title": "Khanna, Massie, Leger Fernández, Merkley, Luján Introduce the \"Epstein Files Transparency Act II\"", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://khanna.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "khanna.house.gov", "scraper": "khanna", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000389", "name": "Ro Khanna", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. –– Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie announces the introduction of H.R. 9694, the Epstein Files Transparency Act II. This bill 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). Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), Chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, are co-leading the House legislation. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) are leading the Senate version of the bill.\n\n\"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 Rep. Khanna.\n\n\"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 Rep. 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.\"\n\n\"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.\"\n\n\"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 Sen. 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.\"\n\n\"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.\"\n\nNew Mexico's Attorney General, Raúl Torrez, offered the following statement in support of EFTA II:\n\n\"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.\"\n\nThe Epstein Files Transparency Act II:\n\nCreates 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.\n\nGives victims the right to obtain full, unredacted records concerning themselves or the harm they suffered, including relevant FBI FD-302 reports.\n\nEnforces 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.\n\nRequires 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.\n\nExplicitly prohibits the invocation of common law privileges, including deliberative process privileges, to evade disclosure requirements included in the original EFTA.\n\nIf the House does not consider EFTA II within seven legislative days, a discharge petition will be circulated.\n\nThe text of the Epstein Files Transparency Act II is available at this link.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media/press-releases/king-hinds-confirms-100000-h-1b-payment-not-required-cnmi-medical", "title": "King-Hinds Confirms $100,000 H-1B Payment Not Required for CNMI Medical Professionals", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media", "domain": "king-hinds.house.gov", "scraper": "king-hinds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000404", "name": "Kimberlyn King-Hinds", "party": "Republican", "state": "MP", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds today announced that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it is not currently requiring the $100,000 payment previously associated with certain H-1B petitions, removing a potential barrier to recruiting medical professionals for the Commonwealth.\n\nThe clarification follows a letter King-Hinds sent to USCIS in April requesting reconsideration of the payment requirement for physicians and other medical professionals seeking to work in the Northern Mariana Islands. In her letter, King-Hinds argued that the Commonwealth's geographic isolation and ongoing healthcare workforce shortages made the requirement particularly harmful to the CNMI's ability to recruit qualified providers.\n\nIn its response, USCIS explained that while Presidential Proclamation 10973 originally included the payment requirement, a federal court subsequently vacated the agency guidance implementing that provision. As a result, USCIS confirmed it is not requiring evidence of the $100,000 payment at this time and that reconsideration of the CNMI's exemption request is therefore unnecessary.\n\n\"My concern has always been making sure federal policy does not make it harder for the CNMI to recruit the doctors and specialists our community needs,\" said Congresswoman King-Hinds. \"This clarification removes uncertainty for healthcare employers and helps ensure this payment requirement is not another obstacle to bringing medical professionals to our islands.\"\n\nKing-Hinds noted that healthcare workforce shortages remain one of the Commonwealth's most significant challenges and said her office will continue working with federal agencies to remove unnecessary barriers that affect recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals.\n\n\"Access to healthcare begins with access to healthcare professionals,\" King-Hinds said. \"My office will continue working to ensure federal policies recognize the unique realities of providing medical care in the Northern Mariana Islands.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-presses-bp-chevron-exxon-mobil-and-shell-reduce-carbon", "title": "Krishnamoorthi Presses BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Shell to Reduce Carbon Emissions, Citing Evidence Linking Fossil Fuel Emissions to More Severe Wildfires", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "scraper": "krishnamoorthi", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000391", "name": "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today sent letters to the chief executive officers of BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Shell urging each company to take immediate steps to reduce carbon emissions, citing growing scientific evidence linking fossil fuel emissions to increasingly severe wildfires.\n\nIn the letters, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\"I am writing today urging you to take immediate steps to reduce carbon emissions, which have been directly linked to the increase in wildfires across North America. As communities across the nation endure dangerous air quality and the growing impacts of wildfire smoke, the oil and gas industry must acknowledge its role in intensifying this crisis and take immediate, meaningful steps to reduce emissions.\"\n\nOn July 16, wildfire smoke drifting south from Canada pushed Chicago's air quality to record levels, prompting public health warnings, event cancellations, and facility closures. The smoke spread across the Midwest and Northeast, exposing millions of Americans to hazardous air pollution.\n\nThe letters point to recent scientific research linking greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry to increasingly severe wildfires:\n\n\"Research clearly links wildfires to the heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions of the oil and gas industry. A 2023 study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters found that 37 percent of the total burned forest area in Western Canada and the United States between 1986 and 2021 can be traced back to 88 major fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers. These findings build on previous studies that have quantified the contribution of those same 88 companies to the increase in global temperatures.\"\n\nKrishnamoorthi concludes that the industry must take responsibility for its role in worsening increasingly destructive wildfires:\n\n\"The hazardous air conditions experienced in Chicago and other cities show that wildfire impacts are no longer distant or abstract—they are disrupting daily life, harming health, and straining communities right now. These climate-driven fires demand meaningful action before the damage to our forests, our air, and our communities becomes irreversible. I call on you to take accountability, despite decades of industry denial, for your role in exacerbating the wildfires that threaten the health of millions of Americans.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/following-covert-ice-operations-bradley-larson-announces-introduction", "title": "Following Covert ICE Operations at Bradley, Larson Announces Introduction of Bill Immediately Ending TSA Coordination with ICE", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "larson.house.gov", "scraper": "larson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000557", "name": "John B. Larson", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the introduction of the No TSA Data for ICE Act. Itwould immediately cut off the coordination between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that enabled recent covert operations at Bradley—where residents were snatched out of security lines by unidentified ICE agents. The bill would also prevent the Department of Homeland Security from retaliating against critics of ICE and the Trump Administration by revoking their status in trusted traveler programs, including TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://lofgren.house.gov/media/press-releases/lofgren-amo-refer-doe-secretary-chris-wright-doj-lying-congress", "title": "Lofgren, Amo Refer DOE Secretary Chris Wright to DOJ for Lying to Congress", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://lofgren.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "lofgren.house.gov", "scraper": "lofgren", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000397", "name": "Zoe Lofgren", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "(Washington, DC) – Yesterday, Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Gabe Amo (D-RI) sent a letter to formally refer Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for lying to the Committee during a hearing on June 10th, 2026. Secretary Wright repeatedly denied that $7.5 billion dollars of DOE awards cancelled by the Trump administration in October 2025 were in retaliation against states that leaned Democratic in the 2024 presidential election (Blue States). Three weeks prior to Secretary Wright’s testimony, DOE attorneys admitted to doing exactly that in court.\n\n“Secretary Wright flatly denied that partisan politics lay behind the termination decisions,” the Members wrote in their letter. “He testified that ‘no decisions, no decisions were made on politics’ and that the award terminations ‘weren’t’ based on how states had voted in the 2024 presidential election. But that was not true. In a federal lawsuit related to the same award terminations, DOE’s Principal Deputy General Counsel formally stipulated that ‘the inclusion of grants in the October notice tranche was based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state, i.e., whether the recipient’s location and/or place of performance was in a Blue State or a non-Blue State.’ DOE also stipulated that none of the October 2025 award terminations were ‘based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor,’ and that 'the differential treatment resulting in the October 2025 termination of Blue State grants and the non-termination of non-Blue State grants was not based on a rational connection between the recipient’s location and/or place of performance and DOE’s past or current agency priorities.’\n\n“Secretary Wright lied to the Committee with his statements, which sought to prevent us from learning the truth: that the October award terminations were an act of political retaliation, ‘based solely’ on whether recipients were located in Blue States. He lied to Congress. In doing so, he violated 18 USC §1001, which bars individuals from making ‘any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation’ to Congress. We have no choice but to refer Secretary Wright to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution in this matter.”\n\nThe letter can be accessed here, and below.\n\nDear Acting Attorney General Blanche,\n\nOn June 10th, 2026, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (“the Committee”). During his appearance, a Member of the Committee questioned Secretary Wright about the Department of Energy’s (DOE) termination of more than $7.5 billion dollars’ worth of financial awards in October 2025, and whether those terminations were motivated by a partisan desire to retaliate against “Blue States.” In response, Secretary Wright flatly denied that partisan politics lay behind the termination decisions. He testified that “no decisions, no decisions were made on politics” and that the award terminations “weren’t” based on how states had voted in the 2024 presidential election. But that was not true. In a federal lawsuit related to the same award terminations, DOE’s Principal Deputy General Counsel formally stipulated that “the inclusion of grants in the October notice tranche was based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state, i.e., whether the recipient’s location and/or place of performance was in a Blue State or a non-Blue State.” DOE also stipulated that none of the October 2025 award terminations were “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor,” and that “the differential treatment resulting in the October 2025 termination of Blue State grants and the non-termination of non-Blue State grants was not based on a rational connection between the recipient’s location and/or place of performance and DOE’s past or current agency priorities.”\n\nSecretary Wright lied to the Committee with his statements, which sought to prevent us from learning the truth: that the October award terminations were an act of political retaliation, “based solely” on whether recipients were located in Blue States. He lied to Congress. In doing so, he violated 18 USC §1001, which bars individuals from making “any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation” to Congress. We have no choice but to refer Secretary Wright to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution in this matter.\n\nOn October 1st, 2025, DOE announced the termination of hundreds of financial awards. According to the Department’s own analysis, the group of terminated awards was worth approximately $7.56 billion in total. The terminations were immediately criticized as a partisan attack, due to the fact that the “vast majority” of terminated awards were located in states that had voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and currently have two elected Democratic Senators. Secretary Wright publicly denied the accusations of political retaliation. For instance, during an appearance on CNN on October 2nd, 2025, he denied that DOE had acted to punish Blue States in its award terminations and claimed that DOE’s decisions were “all based on facts.” This remained DOE’s public position throughout the fall of 2025 and the first half of 2026. Secretary Wright reiterated his denials during multiple congressional hearings after the award terminations, including as recently as April 2026 in appearances before the House Committee on Appropriations , the House Committee on Energy and Commerce , and the Senate Committee on Appropriations.\n\nSecretary Wright testified before the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on June 10th, 2026. During his appearance, several Members of the Committee asked direct questions about the October 2025 award terminations. Under questioning by Representative Gabe Amo of Rhode Island, Secretary Wright issued an explicit and unqualified denial that politics played any role in the award termination decisions, and a similarly unqualified denial that the termination decisions were based on how states had voted in the 2024 presidential election. The exchanges between Representative Amo and Secretary Wright are transcribed below:\n\nSecretary Wright: We did not involve politics in the decisions. What the –\n\nRepresentative Amo: What about the outcomes, Mr. Secretary?\n\nSecretary Wright: The court ruling you read was a choice of announcements of some of the awards, the choice of the announcements, not made by our Department. No decisions, no decisions were made on politics. I keep hearing that charge.\n\nRepresentative Amo: So –\n\nSecretary Wright: It’s bullshit. We’re going to say it a million times –\n\nRepresentative Amo: Mr. Secretary –\n\nSecretary Wright: It’s not true.\n\n………………………..\n\nRepresentative Amo: So my question for you, as my time is rapidly expiring, when will you restore these grants?\n\nSecretary Wright: We work every day for – we’ve gone overboard for New England, for California, for blue states –\n\nRepresentative Amo: That’s not an answer. I’m reclaiming my clock –\n\nSecretary Wright: Your assertions are incorrect.\n\nRepresentative Amo: Mr. Secretary, I’m reclaiming my time. That’s not an answer. Do you believe the federal grant decisions should be based in any way on how a state’s voters cast their ballots in a presidential election?\n\nSecretary Wright: They shouldn’t, and they weren’t.\n\nSecretary Wright was very clear in his testimony. No decisions were based on politics. The award termination decisions should not have been based in any way on how a state voted in the 2024 presidential election, and they weren’t. In the Secretary’s own words, it was bullshit to suggest otherwise.\n\nSecretary Wright lied.\n\nOn June 4th, 2025, a group of plaintiffs based in California filed a lawsuit against DOE and other federal agencies. As the litigation proceeded under the name Neeta Thakur, et al, v. Trump, the plaintiffs broadened their claims to encompass DOE’s actions in October 2025, alleging that DOE had illegally and unconstitutionally terminated their financial awards in an act of political retaliation against the state of California. DOE eventually agreed to a set of formal stipulations in exchange for the plaintiffs agreeing to forego the discovery process. Those stipulations were signed by DOE’s attorneys on May 15th, 2026 – more than three weeks before Secretary Wright testified in front of the Committee – and filed to the court docket on July 15th, 2026. Several relevant DOE stipulations are reproduced below, numbered as they appear in the court filing:\n\n8. DOE accepts that neither the inclusion of the ARCHES grant nor any other grants in the October notice tranche was based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor.\n\n9. DOE accepts that the inclusion of grants in the October notice tranche was based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state, i.e., whether the recipient’s location and/or place of performance was in a Blue State or a non-Blue State. DOE will not contend that it looked beyond the prime grantee(s) to consider the political identity or geographic distribution of downstream beneficiaries of the grant funds.\n\n10. DOE accepts that the differential treatment resulting in the October 2025 termination of Blue State grants and the non-termination of non-Blue State grants was not based on a rational connection between the recipient’s location and/or place of performance and DOE’s past or current agency priorities.\n\nOn June 10th, in regards to DOE’s October 2025 financial award terminations, Secretary Wright testified before the Committee that no award termination decisions were based on politics, and no award termination decisions were based on how states had voted in the 2024 presidential election. As noted above, on May 15th, nearly three weeks before Secretary Wright testified before the Committee, DOE signed stipulations that politics was the sole basis for the October 2025 award termination decisions, and that how a state had voted in the 2024 presidential election was the defining factor in the political identity that would determine whether it would experience award terminations or not. Secretary Wright’s testimony to the Committee was unambiguously false and misleading.\n\nFederal law forbids such materially false statements. The federal false statements statute, 18 United States Code §1001, is violated when “whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully (1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact; [or] (2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation [. . .] [in] any investigation or review, conducted pursuant to the authority of any committee, subcommittee, commission or office of the Congress, consistent with applicable rules of the House or Senate.” The aforementioned facts establish that Secretary Wright willfully and knowingly made materially false statements and representations during his testimony before the Committee.\n\nAccording to the Department of Justice, whether a false statement is criminal under 18 U.S.C §1001 “depends on whether there is an affirmative response to each of the following questions:\n\n1. Was the act or statement material?\n\n2. Was the act within the jurisdiction of a department or agency of the United States?\n\n3. Was the act done knowingly and willfully?”\n\nSatisfying the first element requires that the act or statement be material. Materiality is understood as a matter of importance or consequence. Secretary Wright offered his false statements in response to a direct inquiry by a Member of Congress as to whether grant decisions were based on political considerations and presidential election results. He explicitly and falsely denied that any decisions were based on these factors. The Supreme Court of the United States recently affirmed the high degree of materiality of this type of exchange. The materiality element is affirmatively met.\n\nSatisfying the second element requires that the act or statement lie within “the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States.” Secretary Wright’s statement occurred in the course of a Congressional hearing conducted under the authority of House Rule X(3)(k), which is well recognized as applicable to the statute. The jurisdictional element is affirmatively met.\n\nSatisfying the third element requires that the act or statement be done knowingly and willfully. Courts have previously held that “in general, ‘knowingly’ requires the government to prove that a criminal defendant had knowledge of the facts that constitute the offense [...] willfully [...] usually requires the government to prove that the defendant acted not merely voluntarily, but with a bad purpose, that is, with knowledge that his conduct was, in some general sense, unlawful.” DOE’s July 15th stipulation set forth that the grant decisions in question were based on politics. The stipulation of facts was signed by DOE’s attorneys on May 15th, 2026, more than three weeks before Secretary Wright made his false statements to the Committee. Either Secretary Wright made the false statements despite knowing the facts in the stipulation, or he remained deliberately ignorant of them in order to plead a lack of positive knowledge, which amounts in law to the same thing. Secretary Wright had testified repeatedly about the October 2025 award terminations during multiple prior congressional hearings. He made his denials to the Committee on June 10th with a full understanding of the expectation of truthfulness that accompanied his testimony, while nevertheless voluntarily offering materially false statements related to this matter. The final “knowingly and willfully” element is affirmatively met.\n\nReferring a Cabinet Secretary for potential prosecution is not a step we take lightly. It is a weighty thing to assert that a Cabinet Secretary lied to Congress. We do not treat that assertion as a trivial matter, and we do not use those words carelessly. But the facts of the situation are clear and undeniable. As those facts have met the criminal elements of 18 U.S.C §1001, we refer this matter to the Department of Justice. We request that DOJ review this matter expeditiously and with the utmost seriousness, and if warranted, seek to bring criminal charges against Secretary Wright.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://mackenzie.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-mackenzie-highlights-reform-legislation-white-house-anti-fraud", "title": "Congressman Mackenzie Highlights Reform Legislation at White House Anti-Fraud Roundtable", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mackenzie.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mackenzie.house.gov", "scraper": "mackenzie", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001230", "name": "Ryan Mackenzie", "party": "Republican", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), representing the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, joined Vice President JD Vance and other officials from the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud this morning for a roundtable discussion. During the roundtable, which featured an update about ongoing Administration efforts to crack down on fraud in national benefits programs, Congressman Mackenzie detailed his recently-passed legislation, H.R. 8823, the Putting Patients First by Strengthening Provider Accountability in FECA Act. This legislation amends the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to permanently allow the Department of Labor (DOL) to suspend payments to medical providers who have been convicted of fraud.\n\n“As we’ve seen thanks to the efforts of Vice President Vance and others in the Administration, fraud in federal benefit programs is a serious problem, both in terms of scale and impact,” said Congressman Mackenzie. “Not only has this epidemic of fraud robbed taxpayers and eroded public trust, it weakens critical programs and strips resources from some of the most vulnerable in our country. That’s why, as Chairman of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, I held a hearing examining the billions of dollars which have been stolen from federal workers by fraudulent providers, and why I’ve introduced legislation which cracks down on these schemes. Thank you to the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud for giving us the opportunity to discuss these important reforms and our broader efforts to root out fraud.”\n\nAccording to Vice President Vance, the Administration has uncovered hundreds of billions of dollars in potential fraud and “secured an additional estimated $55 billion in indictments, settlements and civil penalties.” Recent wins by the Task Force include eliminating hundreds of fraudulent hospice and home healthcare providers, cracking down on over $20 billion in fraudulent covid-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and the prosecution of hundreds of fraudsters.\n\nCongressman Mackenzie’s recently-passed legislation will help to safeguard FECA, which provides workers’ compensation benefits for federal workers. At a Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing chaired by Congressman Mackenzie earlier in the year, witnesses testified about over $1.7 billion in medical provider fraud targeting the program. Congressman Mackenzie’s legislation permanently codifies DOL’s authority to protect FECA from scammers.\n\nLearn more about Congressman Mackenzie’s anti-fraud legislation HERE\n\nWatch the introduction of the roundtable HERE", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-rep-mcbride-talks-affordability-bipartisan-employment-opportunity-bill", "title": "ICYMI: Rep. McBride Talks Affordability, Bipartisan Employment Opportunity Bill on The Julie Mason Show", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mcbride.house.gov", "scraper": "mcbride", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001238", "name": "Sarah McBride", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WILMINGTON, Del. — In case you missed it, yesterday, Delaware’s U.S. Representative Sarah McBride (D-Del.) joined SiriusXM’s The Julie Mason Show to discuss her new bipartisan bill, the Disabled Access Credit Modernization Act, which would help small businesses offset the costs of recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees with disabilities. Rep. McBride also discussed the affordability crisis and how President Trump's decision to go to war with Iran continues to drive up costs for Delawareans.\n\nBelow are key excerpts from the conversation. A full recording is available here.\n\nOn Expanding Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities:\n\nJulie Mason: . . . So you're working on some legislation ahead of the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That's interesting. Do tell.\n\nRep. Sarah McBride: Sure. Well, I was proud just the other week to introduce the Disabled Access Credit Modernization Act. It's bipartisan legislation that I introduced alongside a Republican colleague of mine to make the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act a reality for more of our neighbors. So your listeners might know that, as you mentioned, 36 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by a Republican president, George H.W. Bush, in order to bring down the walls of exclusion for people with disabilities across society, from employment to their ability to get the goods and services that they need to live and thrive. And as part of the ADA, businesses of 15 employees or more are required to make reasonable accommodations to make their businesses more accessible for both employees and customers.\n\nAnd people often think of this as a ramp to enter or a stall in a restroom that's more accessible. But one of the things that the ADA requires in doing that is those businesses to make those adjustments for employees as well so that we open up employment opportunities for people with disabilities. And to make that something that is more affordable for smaller employers, they passed this tax credit years ago that unfortunately just doesn't cover the full range of needs for employees with disabilities. And so our bill modernizes that tax credit to expand it to include accommodations that folks who are blind or have low vision might need to be able to read screens better to enhance the technology that an office uses for employees who are hard of hearing.\n\nOur bill, which I'm really proud to have introduced with French Hill of North Carolina, would modernize it to guarantee that the full range of reasonable accommodations that smaller businesses have to make to make their spaces more accessible for people with disabilities are truly affordable for those businesses and therefore genuinely available for people with disabilities across our country.\n\nMason: Wow, that's fantastic. And it seems to me, thinking back, Congresswoman, that the ADA really was an important piece of legislation that really changed things.\n\nMcBride: It was life-changing. It fundamentally changed the accessibility of public spaces and private businesses across our country. It has not only opened up goods and services from grocery stores to hotels for people with disabilities, but it also unlocked employment opportunities for people with disabilities. And it's so important that as smaller businesses guarantee that they have accessibility, both physical and other kinds of accessibility, that they're able to do so in a way that is affordable for them and that's why the tax credit was created and it's why we're trying to expand the tax credit so that people with disabilities across different kinds of disabilities, across different accessibility needs are able to have their potential employers or current employers make those accommodations so that they can participate in the workforce and thrive in the workplace.\n\nMason: I think we see it in ways that we just take for granted now. For example, I'm thinking of braille buttons on an elevator, for example. You know, like things that we just take for granted, like that's just part of the elevator, but it is ADA compliant.\n\nMcBride: And you know, when advocates were pushing the ADA in the [1980s] and in 1990, a lot of people, a lot of people said that the ADA was too much too fast. They said that these protections would put too much of a strain on business. They said that it was not necessary. But of course, in the 36 years since it passed, those requirements have become not only everyday realities for us, but they become things that all of us expect. Because when you make a space more accessible for people with disabilities, it becomes more accessible and easier to use for all of us. And so we truly all have benefited from the ADA. And to your point, despite the doomsday scenarios that opponents laid out, it has become so ingrained in our society that the requirements and the expectations laid out in the ADA 36 years ago are just day-to-day obvious expectations that all of us now have.\n\nOn Helping Small Businesses Make Workplaces More Accessible:\n\nMason: As you and I have talked about before, Delaware relies on small business to propel the economy. And it seems to me that over time that that tax credit was insufficient to the needs of small business.\n\nMcBride: That's exactly right. Delaware is, we call ourselves a state of neighbors. We are obviously a small state. Everyone knows one another. But we are also, to your point, a state of small businesses. More Delawareans are employed by small businesses than in many other states. And one of the things that I am always trying to do in making the American dream more affordable and accessible for people is to figure out what more we can do to support small businesses. Many of these businesses are operating on thin margins. And obviously, anything we can do to defray any costs that they need to incur to not only abide by federal laws, but to do the right thing, goes a long way in helping those small businesses thrive and grow.\n\nAnd so this tax credit modernizes that existing tax credit so that it covers things like alternative keyboards or hands-free technology for employees with mobility or dexterity-related disabilities. It allows them to have support if they're making hearing- aid-compatible or amplified telephones for employees who are hard of hearing. And we all benefit when our society is able to tap the talents and full potential of everyone. And so by making it more affordable for these small businesses to employ people with disabilities, not only are they going to benefit by being able to tap the incredible talents that live within our workers with disabilities and communities with disabilities, but allow all of us to benefit from those talents and that potential being tapped by them.\n\nOn the Affordability Crisis, the Iran War, and Rising Gas Prices:\n\nMason: Somewhat along the same lines, I believe you have been traveling around Delaware and talking to the people. And hearing about affordability issues?\n\nMcBride: That's without question. You know, we're on our August in-district work period right now. The joy of being here uninterrupted in Delaware for a month straight means that I get to travel across our state. And there is no question that no matter where I am, whether I'm talking to young families or retirees, whether I'm in a bluer area or a redder area, an urban, suburban or rural area of my state, the first, second and third thing that I'm hearing about is the rising cost of living. And quite frankly, the deep sense of betrayal that many voters in my state, 42% of whom voted for Donald Trump, feel from the broken promises that this president has made and broken over the last two years. You know, he said he was going to lower costs and end forever wars. And over the last two years, not only has he failed to fulfill those promises, he has made decisions that have made those crises actively worse. He has started new forever wars and in so doing raised costs. He's implemented these reckless tariffs that have increased costs on working people across the country.\n\nIn my home state of Delaware, the average price of gas is now around $4.15 a gallon. Delawareans can't afford this reckless, ill-thought-out, and illegal war of choice in Iran that is not only increasing costs on Delawareans and Americans at the gas pump and elsewhere, but it's actually left us less respected in the world and Iran more geopolitically emboldened than they were five months ago. And so it's been an absolute failure. And I have never seen a presidential decision so clearly tied to a person's pocketbook . . . people who didn't necessarily think about the Strait of Hormuz six months ago are bringing it up to me at the grocery store and bringing it up to me at the gas station and bringing it up to me when I'm out to eat and bringing it up to me when I'm going to a local retail store to visit.\n\nPeople are bringing this up because they see that this president's decision to go to war in Iran and subsequent actions that have occurred, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, they understand it has impacted their day-to-day lives and it has raised costs for them.\n\n. . .\n\nBut we do have a responsibility . . . to make sure that we're doing everything within our power to stop the harm and to lay the foundation for progress now and moving forward. And that's been my focus. I'm proud to be a co-lead of a working group that Leader Jeffries has put together to specifically focus on the cost crisis facing caregivers in our society . . . and we are not going to be able to address the cost crisis that young families in my state are facing, that people across our country are facing, if we don't do all we can as a Democratic Congress to lay the foundation for paid family and medical leave, universal child care and home and elder care that's genuinely quality and affordable for everyone that needs it. We're not going to be able to solve that crisis if we don't make progress on those three major buckets.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://mcclaindelaney.house.gov/media/press-releases/mcclain-delaney-van-hollen-alsobrooks-announce-over-560000-workforce", "title": "McClain Delaney, Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Announce Over $560,000 for Workforce Development, Supportive Housing in Western Maryland", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mcclaindelaney.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mcclaindelaney.house.gov", "scraper": "mcclaindelaney", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001232", "name": "April McClain Delaney", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman April McClain Delaney and U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (all D-Md.) announced $562,851 in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for education, workforce development, and supportive housing for adults recovering from mental illness or with developmental disabilities in Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties.\n\n“Western Maryland is full of talent and potential, and these federal investments will help turn that potential into opportunity,” said Congresswoman McClain Delaney. “This funding will expand research and student training at Frostburg’s Appalachian Lab, prepare Garrett College students for good-paying welding jobs, and provide stable housing and employment support through Archway Station. I’ll keep fighting to bring home resources that strengthen our rural communities.”\n\n“When we invest in opportunities for education, workforce training, and supportive housing, we invest in the long-term success of our communities. These federal dollars from the Appalachian Regional Commission will help create educational opportunities, open pathways to good-paying jobs, and strengthen the financial stability of Marylanders,” said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n“When we invest in Western Maryland, our entire state benefits. This federal investment will support research at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Appalachian Lab in Frostburg, create more opportunities for Marylanders developing their careers at Garrett College’s Career Technology Training Center, and renovate critical housing for adults recovering from mental illness or developmental disabilities. This isn’t just an investment in Marylanders; it’s an investment in our economy and our future,” said Senator Alsobrooks.\n\nThe federal grants have been awarded as follows:\n\n$312,851 to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Appalachian Lab in Frostburg to acquire advanced scientific equipment and computing infrastructure, including atmospheric gas analyzers, upgrades to a high-capacity computing cluster, a dilution system for laboratory analysis, and more. The funds will expand the Appalachian Lab’s ability to conduct high-precision environmental and agricultural research, improve data processing and artificial intelligence capabilities, and support workforce training opportunities for students and participants.\n\n$200,000 to Archway Station, Inc., to renovate seven apartments to support up to 18 participants in the Archway Recovery Program. Participants will receive temporary supportive housing, assistance with securing permanent housing, obtaining and retaining jobs, and advancing financial stability.\n\n$50,000 to Garrett College to upgrade equipment in the existing welding lab at the Career Technology Training Center. The funds will support the purchase of 11 multi-process welders and one band saw and are anticipated to support 135 students over the course of three years.\n\nThese investments are provided through the Appalachian Regional Commission, an economic development partnership entity of the federal government and 13 state governments, focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. Senator Van Hollen secured $200 million in federal funding for the ARC through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, and the lawmakers have since worked to prevent cuts to the program from the Trump Administration.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://mcclaindelaney.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-mcclain-delaney-whitesides-and-salinas-introduce-bill-help-study-impact", "title": "Reps. McClain-Delaney, Whitesides, and Salinas Introduce Bill to Help Study Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mcclaindelaney.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mcclaindelaney.house.gov", "scraper": "mcclaindelaney", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001232", "name": "April McClain Delaney", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Reps. April McClain-Delaney (MD-06), George Whitesides (CA-27), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06) introduced the Understanding AI in the Classroom Act. The use of artificial intelligence in the classroom has expanded greatly, yet very little research is being done to understand the real effects it has on students. As teachers and administrators evaluate if and how to permanently integrate AI into their classrooms, more data is needed to understand how it could affect students and their learning. The Understanding AI in the Classroom Act directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to examine our knowledge of AI's impact on the classroom and determine what gaps in our understanding need further research.\n\n\"As a mom of four and a longtime advocate for children’s online safety and well-being, it’s vital we study how artificial intelligence can impact our kids’ learning and development before it becomes embedded in their classrooms,” said Rep. McClain-Delaney. “While AI holds great potential, it also poses risks when its impact is not well vetted or understood. Our country owes it to our children to study how integrating AI in schools impacts them cognitively, socio-emotionally, and physically. A few years ago, the Children and Media Research Act (CAMRA) authorized NIH to study the impacts of social media on our kids, and I'm proud to co-lead this similar effort with Rep. Whitesides to ensure innovation in the classroom is guided by science and accountability.”\n\n“Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the way students learn, but without concrete data, it is nearly impossible to create sustainable policies that protect students’ development,” said Rep. Whitesides. “This bill is a step towards increasing our ability to research and understand AI’s role in our children’s education, and what measures we need to implement to make sure schools are deploying technology responsibly.”\n\n“AI is already changing how students learn, but we still have serious questions about how it affects their attention, development, and reliance on technology,” said Rep. Salinas. “Parents and teachers deserve clear, evidence-based answers before these tools become even more common in classrooms. The Understanding AI in the Classroom Act takes a practical first step by bringing experts together to identify gaps in the research, without imposing new mandates on schools. We need to understand how AI affects children of different ages and needs so educators can make informed choices that help every student succeed.”\n\nThe Understanding AI in the Classroom Act specifically creates a pathway for NSF to convene experts that can help us to understand what research needs to be done on AI in the classroom, and how it could impact students. It directs NSF to study childrens’:", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=405780", "title": "Griffith Celebrates $3.6 Million Manufacturing Expansion in Bland County", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/", "domain": "morgangriffith.house.gov", "scraper": "morgangriffith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000568", "name": "H. Morgan Griffith", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced a $3.6 million industrial investment from Virginia Steel and Fabrication, Inc. to expand operational capabilities in Bland County, Virginia. According to a press release, this investment will support 52 new jobs. Following news of this announcement, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:\n\n“Earlier this year, I participated in a tour of the Virginia Steel plant in Bastian with Bland County Administrator Cameron Burton. We appreciate Virginia Steel leadership and officials for serving the interests of Virginia’s Ninth District with local manufacturing jobs, successful business practices and quality products.\n\n“This $3.6 million investment by Virginia Steel and Fabrication represents a bright future for Bland County, which is hungry to make a difference in our economy.\n\n“I will continue to support federal policies that help domestic manufacturing growth in rural America.”\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nIn April 2026, Congressman Griffith toured Virginia Steel.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=405781", "title": "Griffith Statement on USDA Disaster Action for Expanded Ninth District Drought Relief", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/", "domain": "morgangriffith.house.gov", "scraper": "morgangriffith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000568", "name": "H. Morgan Griffith", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is designating more localities in Virginia’s Ninth District as primary natural disaster areas due to recent drought. As part of this action, the Counties of Bland, Craig, Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke and Russell are set for primary natural disaster area designations. Additional localities eligible for drought assistance include the Counties of Bedford, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Franklin, Patrick, Scott, Washington, Wise and Wythe and the City of Radford.\n\nIn response to this USDA action, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:\n\n“Challenges to the sustainability and operations of our local farms demand federal attention. In response to severe weather and drought events in Virginia, more USDA relief is on the way to farmers in Virginia’s Ninth District.\n\n“With this expansion in primary natural disaster area designations, more eligible Ninth District farmers can access the drought assistance they need.\n\n“I will continue my work to support resources for our farming communities.”\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nCongressman Griffith helped lead federal engagement to secure separate USDA Secretarial natural disaster declarations for Virginia farmers.\n\nIn June, Secretary Rollins approved Virginia’s request.\n\nIn July, Tazewell County also received a primary natural disaster area designation due to recent drought.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://murphy.house.gov/media/press-releases/murphy-announces-new-legislative-director", "title": "Murphy Announces New Legislative Director", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://murphy.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "murphy.house.gov", "scraper": "murphy", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001210", "name": "Gregory F. Murphy", "party": "Republican", "state": "NC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D., announces that Hannah King will take on the role of Legislative Director.\n\n\"Hannah is a veteran on Capitol Hill and a highly respected professional in health policy space,\" said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. \"I am proud to announce she will serve as my Legislative Director, leading my team in Washington. Hannah has a wealth of experience leading the fight to improve American healthcare during a very consequential time in Congress. She possesses exceptional leadership qualities and will be a valuable asset to my office. I look forward to her being a part of the team and the meaningful work ahead.\"\n\nBackground\n\nBefore joining the office, Hannah King served as Legislative Director for Congressman Bob Onder, M.D., as Senior Legislative Assistant handling health policy for Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., and as Legislative Assistant for former Congressman Phil Roe, M.D.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://nunn.house.gov/2026/08/05/nunn-iowa-delegation-call-on-president-trump-to-approve-disaster-aid-for-flooded-central-iowa-counties/", "title": "Nunn, Iowa Delegation Call on President Trump to Approve Disaster Aid for Flooded Central Iowa Counties", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://nunn.house.gov/category/news/press-releases/", "domain": "nunn.house.gov", "scraper": "nunn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "N000193", "name": "Zachary Nunn", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "DES MOINES, IA — Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) joined the Iowa congressional delegation in sending a letter to President Donald Trump requesting the Administration promptly grant Governor Kim Reynolds’ request for a major disaster declaration for Iowa. The Governor is seeking Public Assistance for Jasper, Polk, Story, and Warren counties, after severe weather over the first days of July produced high winds, severe flash flooding, and massive overtopping across central Iowa’s river basins which damaged public infrastructure and private property.\n\n“The damage to public and private property due to these severe weather events is beyond what local governments can or should be expected to carry alone,” said Rep. Nunn. “Our team is working with county and city leaders and the Governor’s office to move this request forward, and we’ll keep working at every level of government — local, state, and federal — until Iowans have the help they need to rebuild.”\n\nUnder the Governor’s request, Public Assistance would help rebuild damaged public infrastructure and facilities and cover emergency cleanup costs in Jasper, Polk, Story, and Warren counties. The request also seeks statewide Hazard Mitigation Assistance to support projects that improve future disaster recovery.\n\nThe full letter is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://nunn.house.gov/2026/08/05/nunn-secures-2-5-million-federal-investment-to-expand-ankeny-regional-airport-runway/", "title": "Nunn Secures $2.5 Million Federal Investment to Expand Ankeny Regional Airport Runway", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://nunn.house.gov/category/news/press-releases/", "domain": "nunn.house.gov", "scraper": "nunn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "N000193", "name": "Zachary Nunn", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "“Central Iowa is competing with every metro in the Midwest to attract new employers, create good-paying jobs, and grow our economy,” said Rep. Nunn. “A modern airport is a key part of that equation. Extending this runway means more businesses can reach Iowa, invest here, and create opportunities for our communities. By completing the extension during the airport’s scheduled runway reconstruction, we’re also reducing costs, minimizing disruptions, and delivering a smarter return for taxpayers.”\n\nRep. Nunn secured the funding through the FY2026 Community Project Funding (CPF) process. The Polk County Aviation Authority will administer the federal award as part of the airport’s larger runway improvement project.\n\nThe project extends Runway 18-36 from 5,500 feet to 6,000 feet, allowing the airport to safely accommodate a broader range of business-class aircraft that connect Central Iowa employers with customers, suppliers, and investment opportunities nationwide. Located along the Interstate 35 corridor, Ankeny Regional Airport serves as an important transportation asset to one of Iowa’s fastest-growing regions.\n\nBy coordinating the runway extension with the airport’s planned full runway reconstruction, the project will eliminate the need for a second runway closure, streamline construction activities to reduce costs, and save taxpayers an estimated $1 million, according to the Polk County Aviation Authority.\n\nLocal leaders praised the investment and its impact on the community.\n\n“The CPF grant that Congressman Zach Nunn was able to secure to help pay for the 500 foot extension to runway 18-36 at the Ankeny Regional Airport will save the taxpayers of Ankeny and unincorporated Polk County millions of dollars,” said Jeff Wangsness, Chairperson, Polk County Aviation Authority.\n\n“We are fortunate in Central Iowa to have both a strong and growing Des Moines Airport and the Ankeny Regional Airport. Together, they meet the commercial and private aviation needs of our region and keep Iowa competitive and connected,” said Bobbi Bentz, Mayor, City of Ankeny. “Ankeny continues to grow because we thoughtfully invest in infrastructure that supports businesses, residents, and future opportunities. Our airport is a key part of that success.”\n\n“Expansion of the Ankeny Regional Airport was one of The Partnership’s federal policy priorities because strong transportation infrastructure helps our region attract and retain businesses and talent,” said Tiffany Tauscheck, President & CEO, Greater Des Moines Partnership. “We’re grateful to the regional and federal partners whose collaboration helped make this investment possible and will create lasting opportunities for Greater Des Moines.”\n\n“The vision of the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce is to be a connector of all businesses of all sizes within our community,” said Aaron Rickelman, Board Chair, Ankeny Chamber of Commerce. “The growth and expansion of Ankeny Regional Airport’s runway is going to expand large employers’ opportunity to come to Ankeny and do their business, and that creates a waterfall effect for small businesses by bringing more jobs, more customers, and more services to our area. With a focus on large business development, we have a great impact on small business development.”\n\n“As Ankeny continues to grow, we have to make sure our infrastructure grows with it,” said State Rep. Ryan Weldon. “This investment strengthens one of our community’s most important transportation assets, supports local businesses, and positions central Iowa for continued economic growth. I appreciate Congressman Nunn for securing this funding and continuing to deliver the federal resources our communities need to succeed.”\n\n“The Ankeny Regional Airport is a key asset for Polk County’s economy and a major reason businesses choose to invest in central Iowa,” said Polk County Supervisor Mark Holm. “This runway expansion will strengthen our region’s competitiveness while saving taxpayers money through smart planning. We’re grateful to Congressman Nunn for securing this investment and helping move this important project forward.”\n\nPhotos from today’s press conference are available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://nunn.house.gov/2026/08/05/watch-nunn-acting-labor-secretary-sonderling-tour-clive-manufacturer-and-ankeny-restaurant-to-highlight-tax-relief-for-workers/", "title": "WATCH: Nunn, Acting Labor Secretary Sonderling Tour Clive Manufacturer and Ankeny Restaurant to Highlight Tax Relief for Workers", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://nunn.house.gov/category/news/press-releases/", "domain": "nunn.house.gov", "scraper": "nunn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "N000193", "name": "Zachary Nunn", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "DES MOINES, IA — Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) on Tuesday welcomed Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling to Iowa’s Third District for visits to Auto-Jet Muffler Corporation in Clive and Whiskey River Bar & Grille in Ankeny. During the tour, Rep. Nunn and Acting Secretary Sonderling met with Iowa workers, manufacturers, and restaurant employees to discuss how the Working Families Tax Cuts are helping workers keep more of what they earn through tax relief on overtime and tips while giving small businesses greater certainty to invest and grow.\n\nFull details on the visit are available here. B-roll is available here and embedded below.\n\n“The best way to measure whether a policy is working is to hear directly from the people it’s affecting,” said Rep. Nunn. “Today’s conversations made it clear that working families are keeping more of what they earn through tax relief on overtime and tips, while Iowa manufacturers and small businesses have the certainty they need to invest, expand, and create good-paying jobs. That’s exactly what we set out to accomplish.”\n\n“President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts are igniting economic growth and delivering results for American workers,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “This Administration’s pro-growth policies like full expensing of new equipment and capital expenditures are benefitting Iowa businesses, while Americans are keeping more of their hard-earned paychecks thanks to no federal tax on tips or overtime. Under the President’s leadership, the Department of Labor will continue to support a wave of new investments and jobs that will spur growth in the Hawkeye State and nationwide.”\n\nAt Auto-Jet Muffler Corporation, which manufactures specialized aftermarket exhaust systems for trucks and heavy equipment, Rep. Nunn and Acting Secretary Sonderling walked the production floor with Owner John Rapp and General Manager Kelle Vos. Discussions focused on the law’s permanent 20 percent small business deduction, expanded incentives for capital investment, and the new tax deduction for overtime income.\n\nThe pair later met with servers, restaurant owners, and hospitality leaders at Whiskey River Bar & Grille in Ankeny to discuss the law’s new deduction for tip income, allowing eligible workers to deduct up to $25,000 in qualified tip earnings and keep more of what they’ve earned.\n\nB-roll from the visit is available here and photos are available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://owens.house.gov/posts/owens-applauds-education-departments-approval-of-the-nations-first-workforce-pell-grant-program", "title": "OWENS APPLAUDS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT’S APPROVAL OF THE NATION’S FIRST WORKFORCE PELL GRANT PROGRAM", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://owens.house.gov/press", "domain": "owens.house.gov", "scraper": "owens", "member": {"bioguide_id": "O000086", "name": "Burgess Owens", "party": "Republican", "state": "UT", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04), Chairman of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, applauded the U.S. Department of Education’s approval of the nation’s first Workforce Pell Grant program.\n\n“America is the land of opportunity, and there is not just one path to success. For too long, Washington told our kids the only way to a better life was through a traditional four-year degree and a mountain of debt. Education opens the door to opportunity and success. Thanks to this incredible step forward with Workforce Pell, hardworking Americans who want to get a good-paying job in a high-demand industry have the same opportunities as those looking for a more traditional path. Both are honorable and needed in today’s society. I’m grateful for the work Chairman Walberg, President Trump, and Secretary McMahon have done to deliver real opportunities and not empty promises to Americans,” said Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04).\n\nWhat Workforce Pell Does\n\nEstablished under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, Workforce Pell opens Pell Grant eligibility to short-term, high-quality training programs lasting 8 to 15 weeks. To qualify, a program must meet rigorous earnings, job placement, and completion benchmarks; have been in operation for at least one year; and be approved by both the state’s governor and the U.S. Secretary of Education. The reform gives students a debt-free, faster path to credentials in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand fields.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/pappas-leads-50-members-demanding-trump-keep-prescription-drugs-affordable-for-aging-americans", "title": "Pappas Leads 50 Members Demanding Trump Keep Prescription Drugs Affordable for Aging Americans", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "pappas.house.gov", "scraper": "pappas", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000614", "name": "Chris Pappas", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "This week Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) led 50 of his colleagues in calling on Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz to immediately reverse the planned termination of the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration at the end of 2026.\n\n“More than 17,000 people in New Hampshire have lost health coverage this year because the Trump administration has allowed prices to skyrocket for ACA plans and cut Medicaid coverage for our most vulnerable families. Now they’re ending a program that helps retired Americans afford life-saving prescription drugs,” said Congressman Pappas. “Big pharmaceutical companies are raking in profits while Granite Staters ration their medicine and this administration is making a bad situation worse by eliminating a program that keeps medication affordable and money in people’s pockets. It’s despicable, and the administration must reverse this decision immediately.”\n\n359,292 Granite State adults, 25.4% of New Hampshire’s 2025 population, rely on Medicare either as their primary source of health coverage or in combination with another health insurance plan. Reversing the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration will cause health care costs to skyrocket, costs that have already doubled or even tripled due to the Trump Administration’s elimination of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits.\n\nRead the full letter here and below:\n\nDear Administrator Oz,\n\nWe write to urge the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reverse the termination of the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration. The demonstration program has stabilized drug prices for nearly 25 million people and CMS’s decision to end the demonstration puts affordability at risk during a time where seniors continue to face rising costs.\n\nSeniors and disabled beneficiaries have seen prices fall over the past three years as a result of this program. The base beneficiary premium has lowered, which is used to calculate individual plan premiums, and annual increases in monthly premiums have been limited. Since the rollout of the demonstration, enrollment increased from 22.8 million in 2024 to 24.9 million in 2026 and average monthly premiums reduced by $26 in 2025 and $16 in 2026. Lower costs and a rise in covered individuals indicate that the demonstration is working. Despite this fact, CMS has chosen to terminate the program amidst a cost of living crisis.\n\nWe want to hold Part D sponsors and drug manufacturers accountable for the prices ultimately paid by beneficiaries, and we welcome the opportunity to work with you to address the underlying drivers of increased costs. Ending this demonstration without a plan to maintain lower costs does not solve these problems, but instead shifts the cost onto beneficiaries least able to afford them. Plan prices are expected to be made available in September and roughly 75% of current enrollees are likely to see their plan costs increase. Ahead of this, we ask that CMS reverse this decision and respond to the following:\n\nCMS claims that insurers no longer need temporary stabilization payments, do you have evidence to support this claim? Has CMS publicly released any analyses, and if not, will it do so?\n\nWhat analysis has CMS conducted on the impact of premium increases on individuals living on fixed incomes? If no analysis exists, please state so.\n\nIf premium increases exceed CMS’s expectations, what corrective actions will you take to help immediately?\n\nWhat data will be collected to evaluate how the termination of this program is impacting seniors and disabled individuals?\n\nDid CMS consult beneficiary advocates, plan sponsors, or state insurance regulators before deciding to end the demonstration? If so, please identify them and describe what CMS heard.\n\nAs health care costs surge, pushing individuals off insurance due to unaffordability, we urge you to reinstate the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration immediately. We must do all that we can to protect lower prescription drug prices for those who need it most. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases/delivering-more-affordable-hudson-valley-congressman-pat-ryan-tours-new-ulster", "title": "DELIVERING A MORE AFFORDABLE HUDSON VALLEY: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN TOURS NEW ULSTER COUNTY HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS INITIATED DURING TIME AS COUNTY EXECUTIVE", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "patryan.house.gov", "scraper": "patryan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000579", "name": "Patrick Ryan", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "As County Executive Congressman Ryan helped spearhead several housing projects across Ulster County, including at Golden Hill and Willow Landing in Kingston\n\nRyan has long led the fight against the housing affordability crisis in the Hudson Valley; his first legislation introduced of the 119th Congress included his comprehensive Housing Affordability Agenda\n\nThere are 247 units of new housing between Golden Hill and Willow Landing alone – as well as numerous resident amenities, including on-site childcare and mental health services\n\nKINGSTON, NY – Last week, Congressman Pat Ryan – a fifth-generation Ulster County native – toured new housing developments in his hometown of Kingston that he spearheaded as County Executive.\n\nRyan has long believed that cutting through red tape and building more housing – particularly for seniors, veterans, and hardworking families forced out of their communities – is vital to fighting the housing affordability crisis in the Hudson Valley. The two sites – Golden Hill, located at the old Ulster County Jail, and Willow Landing at the old Town of Ulster Quality Inn – boast 247 new housing units between them, and offer residents several amenities including onsite childcare and mental health services.\n\nRyan has continued his fight against the housing affordability crisis in Congress; his first legislation introduced of the 119th Congress included his Housing Affordability Agenda, a comprehensive plan to bring down the cost of housing for hardworking Hudson Valley families by cutting through red tape.\n\n“I hear it from folks every day – costs, specifically housing costs, are way too high. Seniors across our community are under tremendous pressure trying to make ends meet, and far too many hardworking people are unable to afford decent housing in the communities where they work,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “We have a full scale crisis on our hands, and we have to embrace an all-of-the-above approach to address it. I am incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made, especially seeing how far the projects at Golden Hill and Willow Landing have come. No family should have to pick between putting food on the table and having a roof over their heads – I’ll keep fighting every day to bring housing costs down.”\n\n“We’re thrilled that Congressman Ryan was able to witness the construction progress at Willow Landing, a much-needed project in our community that will provide permanent, supportive housing for families and individuals experiencing homelessness, along with an on-site daycare facility and a commissary kitchen space,” said Kevin O’Connor, CEO, RUPCO. “Housing projects like Willow Landing require support from the public, private, and government sectors to succeed and we remain grateful for Congressman Ryan’s constant support of RUPCO’s mission to create homes, support people, and improve communities.”\n\nMichael Berg, Executive Director, Family of Woodstock, Inc. said “The Golden Hill project is the first housing development project to serve the Ulster County workforce in 30 years. The program provides working people and seniors affordable housing with a range of income from 30% to 80% Area Median Income. The project includes a daycare center which affords intergenerational connections.”\n\nIn 2022, when Congressman Ryan was serving as Ulster County Executive, he spearheaded the Golden Hill Apartment project. The old Ulster County Jail was torn down to build 164 units of intergenerational, mixed income housing. At least 80 of the units are set aside for seniors, with the rest being aimed towards members of the local workforce who struggle to find housing they can afford in the communities where they work.\n\nIn partnership with RUPCO, Ryan also proposed turning the old Town of Ulster Quality Inn along Route 28 into new housing. That project, called Willow Landing, is set to finish construction later this year. In addition to 83 new housing units designed specifically for families and individuals experiencing homelessness, the development will also offer a therapeutic saltwater pool, a two-level daycare center operated by Kingston's YWCA, and onsite supportive services to help residents access the care they need.\n\nLowering costs, specifically when it comes to the price of housing, is Congressman Ryan’s top priority. Since 2020, single-family home prices in NY-18 have risen by 47.1%. Rent has increased by 15% in each of the three counties Ryan represents. These increases are far outpacing wage growth, leaving the average Hudson Valley family over $150,000 short of being able to buy a home, and $28,600 short of renting a two-bedroom apartment.\n\nPart of Congressman Ryan’s first legislation this Congress was his Housing Affordability Agenda, an all-of-the-above approach to tackling the affordability crisis in housing by eliminating red tape while reducing government waste. The housing agenda is comprised of four common-sense bills:\n\nThe Working Families Housing Tax Credit Act builds on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, incentivizing developers to build housing that meets the needs of all hard-working families, not just those at the highest income levels. By authorizing below market rate loans and creating a tax credit specifically for developments with occupants between 60% and 180% AMI, housing inventory will increase for those who need it most: working families. In order to qualify for these tax credits, developers must utilize union labor.\n\nThe PRO Housing Act of 2024addresses two of the major issues restricting housing supply in the Hudson Valley: the cost of building from scratch and access to transportation. This bill will provide funding for municipalities to rehabilitate or convert existing housing, commercial spaces, and industrial centers in addition to new development, with a focus on areas near easily accessible transit options. The PRO Housing Act also establishes a pilot program for the General Services Administration (GSA) to transfer unused federal property and office centers to state housing commissions for the development of mixed-use housing. The pilot program would at the same time eliminate government waste and increase housing options for Hudson Valley families.\n\nThe Deliver Housing Now Act is all about cutting the red tape and letting cities and towns utilize federal funding according to local priorities and without restrictive one-size-fits-all bureaucracy getting in the way. Currently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development unnecessarily restricts municipalities, forcing them to spend federal dollars in fixed amounts on a variety of different programs. The Deliver Housing Now Act gets rid of the bureaucracy, allowing municipalities to efficiently spend those federal dollars in whatever category of housing is most impactful to the people they serve, whether it is on rehabilitation, or increased vouchers.\n\nThe Mortgage Rate Reduction Act establishes an innovative method to increase access to lower mortgage rates. Houses financed with VA, USDA, or FHA loans often have much lower interest rates than homes with a traditional mortgage. This bill simplifies the federal loan assumption process and requires agencies to post a list of assumable federal loans online, making the more than 11.3 million houses with these lower interest rate loans available for home-buyers.\n\nWhen the Trump Administration announced sweeping cuts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), reducing their staff by 84%, Congressman Ryan raised the alarm on the dozens of Hudson Valley families who would lose their homes. He rallied the community to keep kids, veterans, and disabled people in their homes and restore the majority of the housing contracts – but the fight to keep the entire program afloat continues.\n\nAdditionally, Congressman Ryan helped pass the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, which would increase the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and develop more than 200,000 affordable housing units. Ryan has also championed housing in his federal Community Project Funding nominations and awards, securing $1 million for the Rumshock Veterans Foundation to tackle veteran homelessness and $1 million for the Chester Agricultural Center to construct its farmworker housing project. In the fall of 2023, he secured $199,000 for HONOR to provide emergency housing and services for youth facing homelessness in Orange County. Congressman Ryan secured over $6 million in water infrastructure-related funding that would enable the construction of more housing in the Hudson Valley.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases/direct-result-your-failure-congressman-pat-ryan-blasts-pete-hegseth-raises", "title": "“THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF YOUR FAILURE”: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN BLASTS PETE HEGSETH, RAISES THE ALARM ON DOD’S DECADES-LONG DELAY OF CRITICAL PFAS CLEANUP AT STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE AND WEST POINT", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "patryan.house.gov", "scraper": "patryan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000579", "name": "Patrick Ryan", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Ryan successfully fought against adoption of Department of Defense (DoD) proposals to dismantle years of progress in combatting toxic PFAS at U.S. military installations in the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)\n\nLast month, Ryan went further; he demanded that Hegseth’s DoD immediately withdraw the proposal and fully recommit to complying with all existing PFAS regulations\n\nNow, Ryan is raising the alarm on how Hegseth’s dangerous plans threaten decades of delays in critical PFAS cleanup efforts in the Hudson Valley and demanding Hegseth recommit to following agreed-upon timelines\n\nNEWBURGH, NY – Today, Congressman Pat Ryan – a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Iraq War combat veteran, and the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress – is demanding accountability from the Department of Defense (DoD), following new reports of expected decades-long delays in critical cleanup of forever chemicals at U.S. military installations, including at Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point.\n\nIn a letter, Ryan slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “failure” to protect Hudson Valley communities plagued by military installation-connected PFAS pollution. Ryan is demanding that DoD immediately restore all existing PFAS remediation efforts and timelines, provide a detailed written briefing within 30 days, and commit publicly and in writing that no further delays will be imposed without written justification citing specific, documented technical or legal necessity.\n\nPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are toxic “forever chemicals” impacting the health and safety of servicemembers at and around more than 500 U.S. military installations. The PFAS contamination at Stewart Air National Guard Base has tainted the drinking water in Newburgh, one of the Hudson Valley’s largest cities.\n\n“Every American – especially our kids – deserves to have clean drinking water. For years we’ve been fighting hard to ensure clean, safe drinking water is available in every Hudson Valley community, including those around Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point. But now, inexplicably, Hegseth’s DoD is doing the opposite, blowing up decades of bipartisan progress,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “It’s a total failure and abandonment of our community, and they deserve better. I’m fighting hard at every level to deliver the support and resources our communities need – including in this year’s NDAA. But we’re still facing a public health crisis in the Hudson Valley, and the last thing we need is the progress we’ve made rolled back. I’ll work with anyone to hold polluters accountable and make sure all our families have access to clean water – and I’ll fight like hell against anyone who stands in our way.”\n\nRyan’s full letter to Secretary Hegseth is included below.\n\nDear Secretary Hegseth,\n\nI write as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, an Iraq War combat veteran, a West Point graduate, and the Representative for both Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point to demand that the Department of Defense immediately reverse the latest round of PFAS cleanup delays affecting my district. New reporting from the Times Herald-Record and a USA TODAY analysis of DoD's own records reveal that Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point are among more than 20 New York military installations where the Department has quietly pushed back PFAS remediation deadlines. According to DoD's September 2025 PFAS progress data, the Department has now pushed Stewart's cleanup completion to 2047, more than two decades away, and West Point's to 2035. These interminable delays are the result of your failure, as Secretary of Defense, to take PFAS contamination seriously and to care for our servicemembers and their families.\n\nThe contamination at Stewart Air National Guard Base poisoned Newburgh's main drinking water source, Lake Washington – a fact the community learned in 2016. For nearly a decade since, the people of Newburgh, one of the largest cities I represent, have been without their primary drinking water source. Families, children, veterans, and servicemembers in the Hudson Valley have lived with the consequences of PFAS contamination caused by DoD's own use of aqueous film-forming foam at Stewart. This is a disaster of the Department's own making and must be fixed immediately.\n\nI have fought on this issue at every level. In the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act, I secured provisions to fund PFAS remedial investigations and force the Department to prioritize cleanup and remediation. When reporting emerged last fall that DoD had quietly delayed cleanup timelines at nearly 140 installations, I joined my House colleagues in a bipartisan letter to you, demanding the Department revert to the December 2024 cleanup timetable. And on June 25, 2026, I sent you a letter demanding the Department withdraw its May 29 legislative proposals to eliminate statutory PFAS reporting requirements – proposals that, if enacted, would have stripped Congress of the very oversight tools needed to hold DoD accountable for exactly the kind of delays we are now seeing at Stewart and West Point. The House Armed Services Committee even rejected your proposals. But now, barely a month later, we have confirmation that the Department is making these cleanups disappear by pushing them so far into the future that communities lose hope and accountability erodes. A 2047 completion date for Stewart and a 2035 date for West Point are unacceptable timelines and abdications of the Department’s responsibilities.\n\nHundreds of military bases have been putting off PFAS cleanup for years, and the Pentagon's latest round of delays, posted quietly in an obscure corner of its website in May, has pushed some deadlines out decades or removed them altogether. Stewart and West Point are now part of that pattern. This is not bureaucratic scheduling. It is DoD choosing, repeatedly and deliberately, to defer a health crisis of its own making onto the communities and institutions it is supposed to protect.\n\nAccordingly, I demand the following:\n\n1. Immediately restore the December 2024 cleanup timetable for Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point, and provide a written explanation for every timeline revision made at both installations since that timetable was published – including who authorized the decision to push Stewart's completion to 2047.\n\n2. Provide, within 30 days, a detailed written briefing to my office on the specific causes of delay at Stewart and West Point, the revised milestones for each phase of remediation, and a concrete plan to return to the fastest possible cleanup schedule at both installations.\n\n3. Commit publicly and in writing that no further delays will be imposed at Stewart or West Point without advance notification to my office and the affected communities, and without written justification citing specific, documented technical or legal necessity.\n\n4. Comply fully with all existing PFAS reporting, notification, and briefing requirements mandated by current law and directed by the House Armed Services Committee in the FY27 NDAA.\n\nThe people of Newburgh have waited a decade. The cadets and families at West Point deserve better. My constituents and the servicemembers who call these installations home are not optional priorities to be deferred when convenient. I will use every tool available to me as a member of the House Armed Services Committee to ensure the Department honors its obligations, and I will not stop until these communities have the clean water and the accountability they are owed.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://pingree.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6810", "title": "King, Pingree Lead Push to Protect Federal Workforce at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "pingree.house.gov", "scraper": "pingree", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000597", "name": "Chellie Pingree", "party": "Democrat", "state": "ME", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and U.S Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), are urging the administration to withdraw a proposed rule that would weaken longstanding civil service protections for federal employees, including the nearly 8,000 civilian workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). In a letter to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Charles Ezell and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Chairman Cathy Harris, the lawmakers warned that the proposal would make it more difficult to recruit and retain the skilled civilian workforce responsible for maintaining the Navy's submarine fleet, ultimately threatening national security.\n\n\"We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)'s proposed rule 'Promoting Employee Accountability,’” the lawmakers began. “This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitment and retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule's impact on workers essential to our national security.\"\n\n\"By stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness... the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready... We, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB's proposed rule,\" the lawmakers concluded.\n\nJoining King and Pingree on the letter are U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and U.S. Representatives Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02) and Chris Pappas (D-NH-01).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\n+++\n\nDirector Kupor and Acting Chairman Kerner,\n\nWe write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)’s proposed rule “Promoting Employee Accountability,” Docket OPM-2025-0012 (RIN 3206-AO91). This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitmentand retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule’s impact on workers essential to our national security.\n\nOPM and MSPB’s joint notice of proposed rulemaking issued on July 2, 2026, unnecessarily weakens civil service protections and undermines workers’ rights to challenge removal. Current law provides agencies with the authority to address misconduct and poor performance while ensuring personnel decisions are appropriate, fair and consistent. This rulewould impose a short 30-day limit for performance improvement periods and make termination the default penalty. Theshortened window, coupled with termination as the default, could result in the loss of skilled workers who could have improved their performance if given sufficient time. Furthermore, the proposed rule weakens workers’ ability to challenge disciplinary measures by barring the use of union time to represent workers in removal proceedings.\n\nSince the MSPB’s decision in Douglas v. Veterans Administration in 1981, agencies must consider 12 factors when examining the reasonableness of an agency’s proposed penalty for adverse action taken under 5 U.S.C. 7513. These include considering mitigating circumstances, rehabilitation potential and length of service. For nearly 50 years across Republican and Democratic administrations, these consistent standards have provided fairness to federal workers facing accusations of misconduct and created a framework for determining approportionate responses. OPM’s and MSPB’s proposal would instead require agencies to rely on an arbitrary, case-by-case examination of whether disciplinary action is reasonable given the “totality of circumstances” and explicitly states that “noparticular factors must be considered in every case.” This could allow agencies to ignore important mitigating factors and more easily remove skilled workers with strong rehabilitation potential from critical industries.\n\nAs you are no doubt aware, the men and women who work at our public shipyards are critical members of our defenseindustrial base, without whom the ability to repair, retrofit and refuel our country’s submarines would be in jeopardy. In our states, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) has nearly eight thousand civilian employees, creating more than $1.5 billion in annual economic impact in surrounding communities. As our military’s “pacing threat,” the People’s Republic of China, is rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons programs, the role that our own submarines play in the survivability of our nuclear triad cannot be overstated. In fact, PNSY currently needs to hire over 700 workers annually to meet the Navy’s demand – which is an increase from 550 over the past two years. Further, policies that reduce workplace protections risk making federal service less attractive to qualified candidates. Due to civilian hiring quotas imposed by the Office of Personnel Management, PNSY has struggled to onboard workers and cannot risk additional delays or departures. If the Administration intends to retain this political litmus test at our public shipyards, the costs of unnecessarily losing more skilled workers through this proposed rule far outweigh any potential benefit.\n\nBy stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness and refusing toconsider important factors, the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready, ultimately harming the shipyard’s ability to meet the Navy’s needs and threatening our national security.\n\nWe, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB’s proposed rule, “Promoting Employee Accountability,” and consider alternatives that preserve federal workers’ longstanding civil service protections.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://pingree.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6811", "title": "Reps. Pingree, Valadao and Sens. Ernst, Padilla Recognize American Producers During National Farmers Market Week", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "pingree.house.gov", "scraper": "pingree", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000597", "name": "Chellie Pingree", "party": "Democrat", "state": "ME", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and David Valadao (R-Calif.), along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), reintroduced a bipartisan resolution designating August 2–8, 2026, as National Farmers Market Week. This resolution honors the critical role farmers markets play in bridging the gap between urban and rural communities, helping people better understand the realities of farming and ranching.\n\n“Farmers markets have been a cherished tradition in communities across America for generations. A quarter of Maine farms sell directly to consumers, with more than 100 farmers markets currently operating in our state,” said Congresswoman Pingree, a longtime organic farmer and co-chair of both the Organic Caucus and the Food Recovery Caucus. “By connecting local growers with their communities, farmers markets not only help put healthy food on the table, but also strengthen local economies and help preserve Maine’s agricultural traditions for future generations. This bipartisan, bicameral resolution reminds us that, in red states and blue states alike, farmers markets can be a force for good—and an important part of building a stronger, more resilient food system for all Americans.”\n\n“The Central Valley grows a quarter of our nation’s food on less than one percent of America’s farmland, yet too many people living in urban areas don’t realize what it takes to get food from field to table,” said Congressman Valadao. “Farmers markets provide a valuable opportunity to connect people with the hardworking producers who feed our nation, and they highlight the important role agriculture plays in our communities. I’m proud to join my colleagues in recognizing National Farmers Market Week and honoring the contributions of our CA-22 producers working to support food access, bolster local economies, promote healthy living, and foster sustainable farming.”\n\n“California is home to more than 800 farmers markets that nourish our families, bolster the local economy, and cultivate thoughtful relationships between growers and consumers,” said Senator Padilla. “We cherish these shared spaces which are a vibrant, dependable source of nutrition for our state. I’m proud to lead this Senate resolution celebrating National Farmer’s Market Week to support our local farmers who feed our families and strengthen our communities.”\n\n“Agriculture is the heart of Iowa, and farmers markets make it easier for Iowans to buy fresh, locally grown food in communities across our state,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to lead a bipartisan resolution designating Aug. 2-8 as National Farmers Market Week to recognize the tireless work of our farmers, ranchers, and producers who put nutritious food on Americans’ tables every day.”\n\nRead the resolution here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/05/pressley-denounces-termination-of-temporary-protected-status-for-haiti-syria/", "title": "Pressley Denounces Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti & Syria", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "domain": "pressley.house.gov", "scraper": "pressley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000617", "name": "Ayanna Pressley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "In April, House Passed Pressley-Led Measure to Extend TPS for Haiti that Awaits Action in the Senate\n\nOver 350,000 Haitian Nationals at Risk of Job Loss and Deportation\n\nBOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued a statement in vigorous support of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and the families impacted by Trump’s cruel termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria.\n\n“The termination of Temporary Protected Status for our Haitian and Syrian neighbors will devastate our communities, bulldoze our economy, traumatize our children, and separate families who call this country home. The occupant of the Oval Office has decided he gets to act as judge, jury, and executioner to hundreds of thousands of innocent people who have done nothing but seek refuge, strengthen our communities, and bolster our economy.\n\n“TPS is not only an essential lifeline for those who had to flee countries in crisis, but also for Americans. Businesses will be forced to close from losing their staff and our local economies will suffer. Seniors and their families will lose their caregivers as we face a caregiving crisis. Children will lose their classmates and their friends. America will lose the talent, skills, and culture that our immigrant neighbors contribute every day.\n\n“That’s why the Senate must immediately pass our legislation to save lives and extend TPS for Haiti, which passed out of the House earlier this year.\n\n“To our many TPS holders in the Massachusetts 7th and throughout the country from Haiti, Syria, Venezuela, Honduras, and other nations—your worth is not defined by the cruelty of this White House or Supreme Court. Your humanity, your dignity, and your lives matter. This nation is better because of you, and I will do everything in my power to support you and your families.”\n\nResidents of the 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts can contact Congresswoman Pressley’s office for assistance. Please visit Pressley.House.Gov/TemporaryProtectedStatus for resources and more information.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley serves as Co-Chair for the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country. She has stood in vigorous defense for Haitian communities and all immigrant neighbors amid Trump and ICE’s attacks against immigrant communities.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress pushing back against Trump’s threats to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley secured a major victory in the House of Representatives, passing critical legislation to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti by a vote of 224-204. The effort, which Congresswoman Pressley championed through a bipartisan discharge petition, is a watershed moment in her years-long advocacy for Haitian communities and immigrant families and marks an essential step forward in the fight to defend Haitian nationals from deportation.\n\nIn July 2026, Rep. Pressley alongside Congresswoman Laura Gillen, urged Senators to support legislation to extend Haiti TPS and protect the lives and livelihoods of Haitians and Americans alike.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley commended Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 16 other Senate colleagues, for introducing legislation to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the Senate.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley denounced the Supreme Court’s devastating ruling to allow Trump’s attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference outside of the Supreme Court with Senator Markey, other lawmakers, advocates, and impacted community members to highlight the catastrophic impact the termination of TPS would have on our communities, businesses, schools, care economy, and more.\n\nIn May 2026, Rep. Pressley, Senator Warren, and Senator Markey released a new investigative report revealing how President Trump’s attempts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti would devastate the health care, elder care, and disability care workforce, harm patients, and hurt communities.\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference alongside colleagues and a coalition of seniors, care workers, advocates, and allies to demand the Supreme Court defend Temporary Protected Status (TPS).\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley, alongside Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria Temporary Protected Status (TPS).\n\nOn March 28, 2026, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support.\n\nIn March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian faith leaders and advocates to urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower courts’ rulings that deemed Trump’s push to terminate Haiti TPS unlawful.\n\nIn February 2026, Rep. Pressley applauded a federal judge’s ruling to temporarily block Trump’s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Ending TPS for Haitians would leave over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of deportation, many of whom reside in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district.\n\nIn January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley, alongside Senator Markey, held a field hearing on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. She documented this testimony in the legislative record. Footage from the hearing is available here and photos here.\n\nIn January 2026, Rep. Pressley also organized a press conference in D.C. in January to sound the alarm on the harm of terminating TPS for Haiti on seniors and the U.S. care economy.\n\nOn June 28, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s abominable termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti effective September 2nd, 2025.\n\nOn June 5, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on Donald Trump’s executive order that bans citizens of 12 countries, including Haiti, from traveling to the United States, and places partial restrictions on citizens of seven more nations.\n\nOn March 18, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led 62 of their colleagues in the House and 23 of their colleagues in the Senate in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding the Trump Administration redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, which the administration recently canceled on questionable legal authority.\n\nOn February 20, 2025, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Yvette Clarke (NY-12), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.\n\nOn April 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley, alongside Co-Chairs Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), led a group of 50 lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), pause on deportations back to Haiti, extend humanitarian parole to any Haitians currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention centers, end detention of Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, and provide additional humanitarian assistance for Haiti.\n\nOn April 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs led a letter to House Ways and Means Committee leadership emphasizing support for the early renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Acts, commonly known as HOPE/HELP.\n\nOn April 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian-led activists, organizations, and a directly impacted person in Haiti for a press call urging federal action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti.\n\nOn March 27, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and her colleagues on the Massachusetts congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to expedite visa processing for Haitians, particularly for relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.\n\nOn March 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Cherfilus McCormick and Yvette Clarke issued a statement on the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.\n\nOn March 6, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the recent jailbreak and State of Emergency in Haiti.\n\nOn December 8, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke urged the U.S. Department of State to withdraw U.S. support for an armed foreign intervention in Haiti and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition.\n\nOn December 6, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration’s extension and re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.\n\nOn December 1, 2022, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Mondaire Jones led 14 of their colleagues on a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).\n\nOn August 17, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings, Yvette Clarke, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), called on President Biden to appoint a new Special Envoy to Haiti, a position that has remained unfilled since September 2021.\n\nOn May 31, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, chair of Haitian Americans United, published an op-ed in the Bay State Banner in which they called on the Biden administration to withdraw support for de facto ruler of Haiti, Ariel Henry, and instead support an inclusive, civil society-led process to restore stability and democracy on the island.\n\nOn May 26, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Andy Levin (MI-09), Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), led a letter to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Power urging her to act to ensure food security in Haiti.\n\nIn February 2022, Reps. Pressley, Judy Chu (CA-27), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to CDC Director Walensky demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more. Days later, Rep. Pressley once again called on the Biden Administration to reverse the Title 42 Order and other anti-Black immigration policies.\n\nOn March 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Mondaire Jones called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky to fully end Title 42, cease deportations of people to Haiti and affirm their legal and fundamental human right to seek asylum.\n\nOn February 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and 100 House and Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to reverse inhumane immigration policies – such as Title 42, originally introduced under the Trump Administration – that continue to disproportionately harm Black migrants.\n\nOn February 14, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Representatives Judy Chu (CA-27) and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more.\n\nIn April 2022, she joined her colleagues at a press conference reaffirming her support for President Biden’s decision to end Title 42. Full video of her remarks at the press conference is available here. Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden Administration’s end of Title 42 in a statement in April 2022.\n\nIn September 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Velázquez led 54 of their colleagues on a letter calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and provide humanitarian parole protections for those seeking asylum. The lawmakers’ letter followed the Administration’s resumption of deportation flights to Haiti as thousands of Haitian migrants continue to await an opportunity to make an asylum claim at the border.\n\nIn September 2022, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in demanding answers regarding the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback and pushing to Biden Administration to end the ongoing use and weaponization of Title 42.\n\nOn July 7, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Andy Levin (MI-09), Val Demings (FL-10) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.\n\nOn November 21, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation on a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) calling on them to coordinate with the government agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist newly arrived families from Haiti.\n\nOn October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley, and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings (FL-10), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Andy Levin (MI-09) issued a statement following the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries in Haiti.\n\nOn October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the civil rights complaint filed by Haitian families demanding a federal investigation into the heinous actions perpetrated by federal officials at the border.\n\nOn October 22, 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), sent a letter to Troy A. Miller, the Acting Administrator of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), demanding a briefing and answers regarding press reports of the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback.\n\nOn September 17, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07) led 52 of their colleagues calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and take urgent action to address the concerns of the Haitian Diaspora after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti.\n\nOn August 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) and Mondaire Jones (NY-17) released a statement regarding the recent earthquake in Haiti.\n\nOn July 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to take a series of steps to support the Haitian diaspora amid ongoing political turmoil in Haiti.\n\nIn July 2021, the Reps. Pressley, Clarke, Demings and Levin issued a statement condemning the assassination of President Moïse and calling for swift and decisive action to bring political stability and peace to Haiti and the Haitian people.\n\nIn May 2021, on Haitian Flag Day, Reps. Pressley, Levin, Clarke and Demings announced the formation of the House Haiti Caucus, a Congressional caucus dedicated to pursuing a just foreign policy that puts the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people first.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://radewagen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/amata-welcomes-maternalchild-health-services-grant", "title": "Amata Welcomes Maternal/Child Health Services Grant", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://radewagen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "radewagen.house.gov", "scraper": "radewagen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000600", "name": "Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen", "party": "Republican", "state": "AS", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is pleased to welcome notice of a health services grant providing maternal and child health care services.\n\nFile photo with Dr. Anaise Uso in Congresswoman Amata's office with a health delegation to DC that included Dr. Aifili John Tufa, Annie Noa, Emma Reid-Alo, Langahelotu Vivao, Francis Vivao\n\n“Thank you in particular to Dr. Anaise Uso for her work on grants like this one, and the medical care and services she and other professionals at LBJ provide for our mothers, babies, and young children,” said Congresswoman Amata. “We appreciate all our hardworking doctors and nurses, and every federal dollar makes a difference, especially in our health care efforts.”\n\nThis is a discretionary, supplemental grant of $130,884 for the American Samoa Department of Health (ASDOH) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).\n\nASDOH is led by Director Dr. Saipale Fuimaono under the administration of Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula and Lt. Gov. Pulumataala Ae Ae, Jr., and in Washington, D.C., HHS is led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and HRSA by Administrator Thomas Engels.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://ross.house.gov/2026/8/ross-calls-on-dhs-ice-to-abandon-plans-for-eastern-nc-immigration-detention", "title": "Ross Calls on DHS, ICE to Abandon Plans for Eastern NC Immigration Detention", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ross.house.gov/press-releases", "domain": "ross.house.gov", "scraper": "ross", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000305", "name": "Deborah K. Ross", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Raleigh, N.C. – Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) demanded that the Trump administration abandon its reported plans to open an immigration detention facility in Hertford County, North Carolina by the end of the year. In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Congresswoman Ross urged the agencies to abandon the proposal, citing the facility's troubling history, the burden it would place on local communities, and the administration’s documented record of mistreating detainees.\n\nThe proposed detention center would be located at the former Rivers Correctional Institution in Winton, a privately operated prison previously managed by The GEO Group. During its years of operation, the facility faced repeated complaints regarding inadequate staffing, poor medical care, unsafe conditions, and other serious deficiencies.\n\nCongresswoman Ross warned that reopening the facility comes amid a pattern of troubling conduct by federal immigration authorities:\n\n\"Reopening the facility under The GEO Group’s ownership as an ICE detention center raises legitimate concerns that the same poor conditions could persist. I am especially concerned given your agencies’ recent practices of detaining and mistreating legal residents and even U.S. citizens,” she wrote.\n\nIn the letter Congresswoman Ross also emphasized that reopening the facility would place additional strain on local law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire departments, health care providers, utilities, and other public services in the surrounding communities, forcing local taxpayers to shoulder the costs created by the Trump administration’s decision.\n\nFull text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-maria-elvira-salazar-visits-west-miami-multigenerational-center-see-1", "title": "REP. MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR VISITS WEST MIAMI MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER TO SEE $1 MILLION FEDERAL INVESTMENT AT WORK", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "salazar.house.gov", "scraper": "salazar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000168", "name": "Maria Elvira Salazar", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "MIAMI, Fla. — Rep. María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) visited the West Miami Multigenerational Center alongside West Miami Mayor Eric Díaz-Padrón, Vice Mayor Iván Chávez, and city leaders to see firsthand how the $1 million in federal funding she secured is improving the lives of children, families, seniors, and residents across the community.\n\nThe center began as a request from the City of West Miami, which brought the project to Rep. Salazar's office looking for federal help to finish it. The $1 million she secured supported construction, alongside funding from state, county, and local partners.\n\n\"This is a small city with a big heart, and for too long West Miami families didn't have a place like this to call their own,\" said Rep. Salazar. \"Today, they do. Walking through this center and seeing seniors staying active while children learn and play just down the hall is exactly why I fought to secure this funding. My job is to make sure the tax dollars South Florida sends to Washington come back home to our communities, and this center providing both healthcare and education is proof of what we can accomplish when we do.\"\n\nDuring the visit, Rep. Salazar toured the center's fitness center, outdoor gathering spaces, classrooms used for after-school and summer programming, community rooms, and multipurpose spaces designed to bring generations together under one roof. She met with city staff who run the center's daily programming and spoke with residents using the facility.\n\n\"Projects like this are only possible when leaders at every level of government work together,\" said Mayor Eric Díaz-Padrón. \"We are grateful to Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar for securing the federal funding that helped make this project possible. Her leadership in bringing critical federal resources back to West Miami, together with the commitment of our state and local partners, helped transform this vision into a place that will serve children, families, seniors, and future generations for years to come.\"\n\nAbout the Center\n\nThe West Miami Multigenerational Center opened in January 2026 following years of planning by the City of West Miami. The facility was designed to serve residents at every stage of life in a community whose families previously traveled outside West Miami to reach comparable recreational and wellness facilities.\n\nThe center offers wellness and fitness programming, after-school programming for school-age children during the academic year, summer camp and enrichment programming, educational classes in dedicated classroom space, community rooms available for neighborhood meetings and events, and outdoor gathering areas and multipurpose space.\n\nThe design places programming for children, working parents, and older adults in a single building, allowing families to use the facility together and giving seniors a place to remain active and connected within their own neighborhood.\n\nRep. Salazar's visit reflects her continued commitment to delivering federal investments that help make South Florida more affordable, more connected, and a better place to raise a family. From expanding affordable housing for seniors to creating spaces where children can learn, parents can connect, and older adults can stay active, Rep. Salazar is focused on bringing federal resources home to strengthen the communities of Florida's 27th District and improve quality of life for the people she serves.\n\nWatch Rep. Salazar's visit to the West Miami Multigenerational CenterHERE", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://steube.house.gov/press-releases/rep-steube-backs-north-port-police-departments-application-for-federal-public-safety-grant/", "title": "Rep. Steube Backs North Port Police Department’s Application for Federal Public Safety Grant", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://steube.house.gov/category/press-releases/page/", "domain": "steube.house.gov", "scraper": "steube", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001214", "name": "W. Gregory Steube", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Rep. Steube Backs North Port Police Department’s Application for Federal Public Safety Grant\n\nWASHINGTON–U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) sent a letter of support to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche backing the North Port Police Department’s application for a grant through the Department of Justice’s Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program. The grant would fund the North Port Police Department’s drone as a first responder initiative, providing officers with real-time aerial intelligence within seconds of an emergency call.\n\n“The Sunshine State has welcomed new residents at a record rate, straining our local public safety infrastructure and creating unique operational challenges,” said Rep. Steube. “This aerial technology will help North Port officers track illegal activity along regional transit corridors, respond to calls with greater situational awareness, and deploy personnel more safely and efficiently.”\n\nThe BIDEN Program was established through the One Big Beautiful Bill and provides grants to state and local law enforcement agencies for locating and apprehending criminal illegal aliens, investigating and prosecuting crimes committed by aliens and drug and human trafficking crimes, court operations related to those prosecutions, temporary criminal detention of aliens, transportation of aliens related to apprehension and detention, and associated logistics and support. Funds may be used to hire law enforcement officers and support personnel and to purchase technology and equipment.\n\nTo be eligible, law enforcement agencies must participate in the ICE 287(g) program or commit to doing so. The North Port Police Department is currently enrolled in the 287(g) program. Last year, Rep. Steube sent a letter to district police chiefs and sheriffs urging them to enroll in the program.\n\nTo read the full letter, click here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-lee-dean-deluzio-demand-answers-from-ice-geo-group-about-violations-at-moshannon-detention-center", "title": "Reps. Lee, Dean, Deluzio, Demand Answers from ICE, GEO Group about Violations at Moshannon Detention Center", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "summerlee.house.gov", "scraper": "summerlee", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000602", "name": "Summer L. Lee", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Letter to ICE | Letter to GEO Group\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 5, 2026 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), and Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) wrote letters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the GEO Group, the for-profit prison corporation that owns and operates Moshannon Valley Detention Center in Philipsburg, PA, to demand answers on GEO’s failure to comply with federal standards of adequate staffing and medical care to detainees, as well as obstruction of congressional oversight.\n\nAhead of GEO’s Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Call, the Pennsylvania lawmakers are clear: “There shouldn’t be earnings calls for human detention.”\n\nCongresswoman Lee and Congressman Deluzio previously conducted an unannounced oversight to Moshannon — which began operating as an ICE facility in 2021 — on May 28. They previously attempted to conduct a Moshannon visit in August 2025. Congresswoman Dean conducted an announced congressional oversight on June 17.\n\nIn August 2025, 32-year-old Chaofeng Ge died by suicide at Moshannon. In 2023, 37-year-old Frankline Okpu died in custody. In December 2025, 46-year-old Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir died in custody.\n\n“These failures are not accidental; they are the predictable result of a privatized, for-profit detention business model. As a publicly traded entity, GEO has a strict legal obligation, a fiduciary duty, to act in the best interest of its shareholders. GEO’s focus on maximizing shareholder value drives aggressive cost cutting across medical personnel, nutritional quality, and translation services,” the lawmakers continued.\n\nThe lawmakers requested answers from both ICE and GEO regarding federal contract compliance, a commitment to congressional oversight, and recusal agreements governing former ICE and DHS officials currently employed by or consulting for GEO and current ICE and DHS employees formerly employed by or consulting for GEO.\n\nCongresswoman Summer Lee has been a leading voice in Congress demanding accountability, transparency, and an end to ICE’s cruel detention and deportation system. She recently sent a letter with Rep. Deluzio to the Department of Health and Human Services and Office of Refugee Resettlement demanding answers about ORR's decision to place unaccompanied migrant children at Abraxas Academy in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, despite the facility's extensive record of documented child abuse violations. Rep. Lee has called to abolish ICE and oppose billions in additional ICE funding, introduced legislation to end ICE detention and redirect funding toward care, due process, and community-based services, demanded answers from ICE after the detention of a Brentwood asylum seeker, visited and called for the closure of the Moshannon Detention Facility following reports of abuse, retaliation, and a hunger strike, and recently conducted oversight of ICE detention conditions at Moshannon Valley ICE Detention Center after being illegally denied entry. She also released a statement after public reporting confirmed that the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death of Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian immigrant who died after being released from ICE custody, a homicide.\n\nRead the full letter to GEO here. Read the full letter to ICE here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://susielee.house.gov/media/press-releases/lee-stands-hardworking-nevadans-against-trumps-corruption-washington-making", "title": "Lee Stands with Hardworking Nevadans Against Trump’s Corruption in Washington that is Making Life More Expensive", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://susielee.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "susielee.house.gov", "scraper": "susielee", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000590", "name": "Susie Lee", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Watch and download video here\n\nLAS VEGAS, NV – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04), Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), and working Nevadans to highlight how the Trump Slump is negatively impacting Nevada's economy and ask why Republican politicians won't stand up to Trump.\n\nAmid rising costs from Trump’s economic policies, Congresswoman Susie Lee and Members of the Nevada delegation are pushing to expand and make No Tax on Tips, a policy set to expire because of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, permanent.\n\n“Nevada Democrats have been fighting for tipped workers long before Trump came onto the scene. Southern Nevadans aren’t going to buy what he’s trying to sell, because we feel what he’s been doing to our pocketbooks,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “While you’re paying more for gas, groceries, and health care, Donald Trump is getting richer. He’s cutting health care for the most vulnerable members of our community to pay for tax breaks for the richest Americans, setting reckless tariffs that are making groceries more expensive, and dragging us into foreign wars that are raising fuel prices. It’s not an accident, it’s cruel corruption.”\n\nThis is President Trump’s second visit to Vegas to tout his budget bill since he signed it into law in July 2025. Since becoming law, the OBBBA has:\n\nKicked 14 million Americans off health care, including 30,000 southern Nevadans\n\nCut $911 billion from Medicaid which 1 in 4 Nevadans rely on\n\nCut $187 billion from SNAP which 16 million children, 4 million adults with disabilities, and 8 million senior citizens rely on. Approximately 4 million people, including 1 million children, will lose all or most of their benefits\n\nEnded ACA Tax Premiums which has caused health insurance costs to rise by 25%.\n\nOn top of these cuts, Nevada is currently experiencing a Trump Slump. Trump’s tariffs, chaotic immigration policy, the war in Iran, and high grocery and gas prices are hurting working families and driving away the Canadian, Mexican, Southern California, and international tourism Nevada depends on. As tourism continues to decline under Trump's policies, many hospitality workers already don't make enough in tips to tax in the first place.\n\nCongresswoman Susie Lee remains committed to fighting for policies to will lower costs, encourage economic growth, and reverse the cuts made to health care and food assistance, while making No Tax on Tips permanent.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://tenney.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-tenney-unveils-2026-america-first-foreign-policy-plan", "title": "Congresswoman Tenney Unveils 2026 America First Foreign Policy Plan", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://tenney.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "tenney.house.gov", "scraper": "tenney", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000478", "name": "Claudia Tenney", "party": "Republican", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Oswego, NY — Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today unveiled her 2026 America First Foreign Policy Plan, outlining a legislative agenda to strengthen American national security, confront the growing threats posed by China and other foreign adversaries, protect American workers and taxpayers, and advance President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda.\n\nThe 2026 America First Foreign Policy Plan focuses on promoting policies that put America's interests first by confronting the Chinese Communist Party's malign influence, strengthening national security, supporting American farmers, manufacturers, and workers in international trade, holding Canada accountable for its unfair treatment of U.S. products, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are not directed to corrupt international organizations. The plan also emphasizes protecting American sovereignty through a strong military, strategic diplomacy, and policies that advance the security and economic interests of the United States.\n\n“Peace is achieved through strength, not weakness,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “When America leads, our allies are stronger and our adversaries are forced to think twice before threatening our interests. This plan prioritizes the security of the American people by confronting the Chinese Communist Party, protecting our economic interests, and ensuring our foreign policy reflects one principle above all else: America comes first.”\n\nTo view Tenney’s full America First Foreign Policy Plan, click here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://tran.house.gov/media/press-releases/representatives-tran-bera-and-carbajal-lead-65-members-urging-secretary-rubio", "title": "Representatives Tran, Bera and Carbajal Lead 65 Members Urging Secretary Rubio to Address Dual-Use Restrictions Impeding Humanitarian Aid to Gaza", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://tran.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "tran.house.gov", "scraper": "tran", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000491", "name": "Derek Tran", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Derek Tran (CA-45), Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), and Salud Carbajal (CA-24) led a group of 65 Members of Congress in urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address overly broad and inconsistently enforced Israeli restrictions on dual-use goods entering the Gaza Strip.\n\n“Israel faces real security challenges from Hamas and other actors, and we support disarming Hamas and replacing it with an alternative governing entity,” the Members wrote. “However, overly broad and inconsistently enforced restrictions on essential humanitarian goods do not increase Israel’s security.”\n\nThe letter raises concerns that restrictions are delaying or preventing the entry of supplies needed for medical care, shelter, sanitation, and public health, including ultrasound machines, prosthetic limbs, ventilators, pesticides, pipes, tent poles, and prefabricated structures. The Members also cited a lack of transparency and inconsistent enforcement, including reports that commercial traders have been able to import goods that humanitarian organizations cannot bring into Gaza.\n\n“Legitimate security concerns must not be abused to prevent adequate aid to a civilian population in desperate need,” the Members continued.\n\nThe Members urged Secretary Rubio to press the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories to publish a comprehensive list of restricted dual-use items and facilitate the entry of supplies needed for shelter, hygiene, sanitation, and medical care. They also asked the State Department to clarify whether it has access to the full list of restricted items and, if so, provide the list and the justification for each designation to Congress. The Members further requested that the Department identify items that can be removed, address disparities between commercial and humanitarian shipments, and explain how dual-use designations are made, reviewed, and challenged.\n\nRead the full letter to Secretary Rubio here.\n\nAn Army Veteran, Representative Tran is a member of the powerful House Armed Services Committee and serves as a member of the Readiness and the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittees. Tran enlisted in the Army Reserve at age 18 to give back to the country that welcomed his refugee parents. He served for eight years and was activated for Operation Noble Eagle/Enduring Freedom before earning an honorable discharge. Tran serves as a Co-Chair of the Democratic Caucus National Security Task Force. Representative Tran is a co-sponsor of the Block the Bombs Act, which would prevent the sale, distribution, and transfer of certain ammunition and artillery to the Israeli government.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3956", "title": "Congressman Valadao Recognizes Central Valley Producers During National Farmers Market Week", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "valadao.house.gov", "scraper": "valadao", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000129", "name": "David G. Valadao", "party": "Republican", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) reintroduced a bipartisan resolution designating August 2–8, 2026, as National Farmers Market Week alongside Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01). This resolution honors the critical role farmers markets play in bridging the gap between urban and rural communities, helping people better understand the realities of farming and ranching.\n\nSenators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) reintroduced the companion resolution in the Senate.\n\n“The Central Valley grows a quarter of our nation’s food on less than one percent of America’s farmland, yet too many people living in urban areas don’t realize what it takes to get food from field to table,” said Congressman Valadao. “Farmers markets provide a valuable opportunity to connect people with the hardworking producers who feed our nation, and they highlight the important role agriculture plays in our communities. I’m proud to join my colleagues in recognizing National Farmers Market Week and honoring the contributions of our CA-22 producers working to support food access, bolster local economies, promote healthy living, and foster sustainable farming.”\n\n“Farmers markets have been a cherished tradition in communities across America for generations. A quarter of Maine farms sell directly to consumers, with more than 100 farmers markets currently operating in our state,” said Congresswoman Pingree, a longtime organic farmer and co-chair of both the Organic Caucus and the Food Recovery Caucus. “By connecting local growers with their communities, farmers markets not only help put healthy food on the table, but also strengthen local economies and help preserve Maine’s agricultural traditions for future generations. This bipartisan, bicameral resolution reminds us that, in red states and blue states alike, farmers markets can be a force for good—and an important part of building a stronger, more resilient food system for all Americans.”\n\n“California is home to more than 800 farmers markets that nourish our families, bolster the local economy, and cultivate thoughtful relationships between growers and consumers,” said Senator Padilla. “We cherish these shared spaces which are a vibrant, dependable source of nutrition for our state. I’m proud to lead this Senate resolution celebrating National Farmer’s Market Week to support our local farmers who feed our families and strengthen our communities.”\n\n“Agriculture is the heart of Iowa, and farmers markets make it easier for Iowans to buy fresh, locally grown food in communities across our state,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to lead a bipartisan resolution designating Aug. 2-8 as National Farmers Market Week to recognize the tireless work of our farmers, ranchers, and producers who put nutritious food on Americans’ tables every day.”\n\nRead the resolution here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3957", "title": "Congressman Valadao Secures Federal Funding for Bakersfield Senior Center, Attends Site Groundbreaking", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "valadao.house.gov", "scraper": "valadao", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000129", "name": "David G. Valadao", "party": "Republican", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "BAKERSFIELD – Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) attended the Housing Authority of the County of Kern’s groundbreaking for the site of the new Bakersfield Senior Center. Once constructed, this project will provide thirty-six additional affordable housing units for seniors and connect residents with the services and support needed to live safely and independently.\n\nAs a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, Congressman Valadao fought to secure over $7.57 million in Community Project Funding for this facility in the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.\n\n“Housing affordability remains one of the biggest challenges facing Central Valley residents, and seniors are no exception,” said Congressman Valadao. “For seniors living on fixed incomes, access to affordable housing and support services can make all the difference in their ability to live safely and independently. I’m proud to have secured more than $7.57 million in federal funding for this project, and I’m grateful to our local partners for helping turn this vision into a reality.”\n\n\"Congressman Valadao’s Community Project Funding was essential in completing the financing needed for the Bakersfield Senior Center Housing & Facility project. We were honored to have him present at the groundbreaking this morning to celebrate the most consequential investment in Southeast Bakersfield in decades. In 19 months, the community will benefit from a brand-new senior center and 36 new affordable rental homes for seniors thanks in part to Congressman Valadao’s support,\" said Stephen Pelz, Executive Director, Housing Authority of the County of Kern.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vasquez-demands-dot-and-dod-briefing-following-preliminary-report-deadly", "title": "Rep. Vasquez Demands DOT and DOD Briefing Following Preliminary Report on Deadly New Mexico Plane Crash", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "vasquez.house.gov", "scraper": "vasquez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000136", "name": "Gabe Vasquez", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding answers about the coordination between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) following a deadly plane crash in southern New Mexico impacted by military jamming technology. While the NTSB investigation has yet to determine the final cause of the crash, preliminary reports indicate that multiple aircrafts experienced navigational issues in the region while jamming technology was in use, as well as that the pilot of the plane that crashed was forced to manage a rapid series of incoming communications related to the jamming while also attempting to fly the aircraft.\n\nVasquez’s request follows a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report indicating that military jamming technology was being tested at White Sands Missile Range when the pilot of a medical transport aircraft reported navigational issues before the fatal crash near Ruidoso in May. The incident came just months after the February closure of El Paso airspace caused by inadequate coordination between the FAA, Customs and Border Protection, and the DoD during testing of military counter-drone technology.\n\n“New Mexicans deserve safety in the sky, especially those flying to deliver critical medical care. I have been briefed by the NTSB chair and regional officials on the incident in Ruidoso, and military technology definitely had a role to play in the flight path of this tragic crash,” said Vasquez. “If there were other missteps by this Administration or the Department of Defense, the American people deserve answers, and the safety of civilians flying near protected airspace must be guaranteed.”\n\nIn the letter sent today, Rep. Vasquez requests a joint briefing from the Department of Transportation and Department of Defense by September 6, 2026, to explain their coordination procedures and answer questions regarding:\n\nNotification procedures for military testing that could affect civilian aviation\n\nFAA coordination with air traffic controllers, airports, and airlines during military testing\n\nSafety protocols for civilian aircraft operating near military technology testing\n\nCommunication procedures between air traffic controllers and the Department of Defense\n\nTraining provided to air traffic controllers when military testing may affect civilian flights\n\nCoordination between the FAA, DoD, and NTSB during the ongoing investigation\n\nRep. Vasquez continues to lead Congressional oversight efforts following multiple aviation incidents affecting southern New Mexico, including:\n\nSecuring an NTSB briefing on July 14 after demanding greater transparency and answers about the deadly Ruidoso plane crash\n\nPressing the FAA and Department of Defense for accountability following the February closure of El Paso airspace\n\nSuccessfully securing passage of an amendment to the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Department of Defense to improve coordination with the FAA before testing military technologies that could impact civilian aviation\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congresswoman-watson-coleman-ag-davenport-superintendent-hengemuhle-announce-record-federal-funding-for-state-polices-internet-crimes-against-children-task-force", "title": "Congresswoman Watson Coleman, AG Davenport, Superintendent Hengemuhle, announce record Federal funding for State Police’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "scraper": "watsoncoleman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000822", "name": "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "The $675,000 earmarked by Watson Coleman will fund the purchase of new hardware and digital forensic licensing software to combat trafficking and exploitation.\n\nEwing, NJ (August 3, 2026) - Today, at the Regional Operations Intelligence Center, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) announced the awarding of $675,000 in federal funding for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), a division of the New Jersey State Police. Congresswoman Watson Coleman sits on the Appropriations Committee and secured the funding through the Community Project Funding program. She was joined by New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Jeanne Hengemuhle, and Lieutenant Paul Sciortino, New Jersey ICAC Task Force Commander.\n\nThrough undercover operations across the internet, including the dark web and social media platforms, ICAC aggressively investigates, tracks, and prosecutes offenders involved in producing or distributing child sexual abuse materials.\n\n“Keeping our children safe is one of the most important responsibilities we have in Federal, State, and Local Government,” said Watson Coleman. “When the State Police approached me seeking help to better protect our kids, I made this funding a top priority. I’m grateful to have allies like AG Davenport and Superintendent Hengemuhle as we work to make New Jersey the best place in the country to raise a family.”\n\n“The skilled investigators, prosecutors, and staff assigned to the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force work tirelessly in the shadows of the internet's darkest corners to expose and prosecute criminals who use the anonymity of the internet and its seemingly limitless platforms and apps to prey upon the innocent and vulnerable,” said Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. “It is absolutely critical that law enforcement not merely keep pace, but get ahead of those intent on harming our children. The much needed grant funding obtained by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman will support the task force as it conducts this painstaking and collaborative work while supporting critical training and community outreach. I want to thank Congresswoman Watson Coleman for standing with us – and New Jersey’s children – in this fight.”\n\n“We are grateful to Congresswoman Watson Coleman for her dedication and efforts in helping secure critical funding for our task force. As the internet continues to play an increasingly significant role in the daily lives of children, and as young people spend more time connected online than ever before, the need to protect them from exploitation and other online dangers has become even more critical,” said Jeanne Hengemuhle, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “This funding is essential in our mission to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, and strengthen our ability to investigate these crimes, seek justice, and safeguard children from those who seek to harm them.”\n\nIn 2025, ICAC received and processed over 35,476 CyberTips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and effected 404 arrests, a 54% increase over the previous year. In addition, their outreach programs related to child online safety reached approximately 24,000 parents and children in 2025.\n\nTo report suspected online exploitation or improper contact with a minor, contact the NJ ICAC Task Force tip line at 1-888-648-6007.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/wied-introduces-resolution-recognizing-small-firearm-manufacturers", "title": "Wied Introduces Resolution Recognizing Small Firearm Manufacturers", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "wied.house.gov", "scraper": "wied", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000829", "name": "Tony Wied", "party": "Republican", "state": "WI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI) introduced a resolution this week to recognize the contributions of small business firearm manufacturers to our economy and designate the month of August as National Shooting Sports Month.\n\n\"Wisconsin is home to many incredible small firearm manufacturers who help drive our economy and ensure access to safe, reliable firearms that allow us to exercise our Second Amendment rights,\" said Congressman Wied. \"This month, we recognize their contributions to our economy and reaffirm our commitment to protecting Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms.\"\n\nBackground: Small manufacturers of firearms contribute significantly to the national and local economy, as they support 380,000 jobs in the broader firearms industry and produce more than $91 billion in annual economic output. They are essential conduits for the exercise of Second Amendment rights by individuals in the United States and provide products, training, and community engagement to sportsmen in this country. Shooting sports promote safe and responsible firearm handling, outdoor stewardship, and civic engagement through local clubs, ranges, and competitions. Congressman Wied introduced a similar resolution in the House of Representatives in August 2025. He renewed the effort this month to reassert his commitment to small manufacturers and to protecting the Second Amendment.\n\nCongressman Wied is proud to have the support of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).\n\n“National Shooting Sports Month is a celebration of our shared American heritage of responsible firearm ownership. The firearm industry has been on the leading edge of ensuring Americans can freely exercise their Second Amendment rights. That journey begins when law-abiding citizens can freely approach the counter to purchase firearms and ammunition. Americans share our industry’s passion for recreational shooting sports, hunting, conservation and self-defense. The firearm industry proudly supports 393,00 jobs across America and generates over $91.7 billion in economic activity. Just as proudly, the firearm industry paid over $804 million in Pittman-Robertson excise taxes last year, which funds wildlife conservation, public land access and construction of public recreational shooting ranges. Since those funds’ inception in 1937, firearm and ammunition manufacturers have paid over $31 billion, when adjusted for inflation. NSSF is grateful that Congressman Tony Wied has been at the forefront to ensure that heritage of responsible firearm ownership is passed on to the next generation, and we are proud that he leads this effort to recognize the importance of National Shooting Sports Month,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel.\n\nThis Resolution:\n\nCelebrates the role of small businesses that manufacture firearms in supporting domestic manufacturing and economic opportunity in communities across the United States.\n\nSupports policies that strengthen the ability of such small businesses to innovate, grow, and preserve the recreational shooting traditions of the United States.\n\nRecognizes August 2026 as “National Shooting Sports Month.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-demands-military-release-its-investigation-into-iranian-attack-that-killed-6-servicemembers", "title": "Baldwin Demands Military Release Its Investigation into Iranian Attack that Killed 6 Servicemembers", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.baldwin.senate.gov", "scraper": "baldwin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001230", "name": "Tammy Baldwin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is demanding the U.S. military release its investigation into a March drone strike on a U.S. military post at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait that killed six servicemembers and injured dozens of others. Last month, Senator Baldwin pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to release the report and explain the Trump Administration’s lack of planning that left troops vulnerable and delayed lifesaving medical care for injured servicemembers.\n\n“Public reporting said that U.S. Army Central has conducted an investigation into the attack and has shared those initial findings with the families of the soldiers killed,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Brad Cooper. “On July 21 at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, I asked Secretary Hegseth to commit to releasing this investigation publicly and he responded that he would coordinate with you to provide additional information to Congress. I now request you immediately release the findings of that investigation publicly and provide Congress with a copy of the full investigation, all underlying documentation, and any additional classified review of the attack.”\n\n“Congress and the American people deserve clear answers on what happened on March 1 and why the U.S. military was unable to protect or care for our soldiers,” Baldwin continued.\n\nAt a July 21 hearing, Baldwin questioned Hegseth about reports that the Army facility at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait did not have adequate air defense capabilities when it was attacked by Iran on March 1st and pushed for answers on why requests for additional medical and drone defense systems were denied prior to the conflict with Iran beginning. For months, Senator Baldwin has been raising the alarms on the Trump Administration’s inadequate preparation which put American troops in harm's way and led to insufficient care for injured servicemembers, including two Wisconsinites who went weeks without proper screening and treatment for traumatic brain injuries.\n\nSpecifically, Senator Baldwin calls on U.S. Central Command to provide the following by August 18, 2026:\n\nPublicly release the findings of the U.S. Army Central investigation into the attack on Port Shuaiba.\n\nProvide the Senator and Congressional defense committees with a full, unredacted copy of the investigation, all underlying documents that contributed to the investigation, and a copy of the classified U.S. Army Central investigation of intelligence warnings before the attack and Port Shuaiba’s defenses.\n\nProvide an explanation on why U.S. military medical care was not immediately available to soldiers on March 1, why any requests for additional medical supplies were denied prior to March 1, and whether access to medical care was considered when soldiers were repositioned to the facility Port Shuaiba.\n\nA full version of this letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Admiral Cooper,\n\nI write to you today regarding U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM) investigation into the March 1, 2026, Iranian drone strike on soldiers at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. This attack resulted in the deaths of six soldiers from the Army Reserve’s 103rd Sustainment Command and injuries to dozens more soldiers, including those from Wisconsin. Public reporting said that U.S. Army Central has conducted an investigation into the attack and has shared those initial findings with the families of the soldiers killed. On July 21 at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, I asked Secretary Hegseth to commit to releasing this investigation publicly and he responded that he would coordinate with you to provide additional information to Congress. I now request you release the findings of that investigation publicly and provide Congress with a copy of the full investigation, all underlying documentation, and any additional classified review of the attack.\n\nOn March 1, 2026, only the second day of President Trump’s war against Iran, an Iranian Shahed drone struck a temporary CENTCOM facility holding U.S. soldiers at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Six soldiers were killed in the strike and at least 30 more were injured. Soldiers from the 103rd Sustainment Command said that they had been relocated to Port Shuaiba from the larger and better defended facility at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait only days before the war began as part of a CENTCOM effort to more widely disperse U.S. servicemembers across the region to make them less vulnerable to potential Iranian attacks. Some of these soldiers later told The Washington Post that force protection assessments conducted by the 103rd Sustainment Command before the relocation had determined that the facility at Port Shuaiba was not suitable because it lacked the necessary defenses to protect soldiers from Iranian attacks. Soldiers, nonetheless, were moved to Port Shuaiba.\n\nThis initial mistake to move soldiers to Port Shuaiba despite the known deficiencies was further compounded by CENTCOM reportedly not taking adequate steps to increase defenses even after the facility was identified by U.S. intelligence as a likely Iranian target. CBS News reported that the leadership of the 103rd Sustainment Command was made aware of intelligence in the days prior to March 1 showing that Iran would likely strike Port Shuaiba during fighting between the U.S. and Iran. Furthermore, The Washington Post also reported that CENTCOM was unable to provide Port Shuaiba with additional air and drone defense systems, such as the EAGLS counter-drone system, because there were not a sufficient number of systems available. On July 21, I asked Secretary Hegseth about the denial of counter-drone systems to the 103rd Sustainment Command before March 1 and he claimed, \"there was not a single drone or defense request denied at any level.” This is clearly contradicted by what soldiers from the 103rd told The Washington Post in the July 12 article.\n\nAfter the attack, soldiers also claimed that there was insufficient medical care available to treat the wounded in Kuwait. Given Port Shuaiba’s distance from any U.S. military medical facilities, soldiers were forced to drive to Kuwaiti civilian hospitals to receive medical care immediately after the strike. Soldiers injured in the attack said they believed at least one of those killed could likely have been saved if additional medical care was available. On May 19, 2026, CBS News reported that the 103rd Sustainment Command had requested additional medical supplies for Port Shuaiba prior to March 1, but that those requests were denied.\n\nCongress and the American people deserve clear answers on what happened on March 1 and why the U.S. military was unable to protect or care for our soldiers. Accordingly, I request that, by August 18, you publicly release the findings of the U.S. Army Central investigation into the attack on Port Shuaiba; as well as provide me and the Congressional defense committees with a full, unredacted copy of the investigation, all underlying documents that contributed to the investigation, and a copy of the classified U.S. Army Central investigation of intelligence warnings before the attack and Port Shuaiba’s defenses.\n\nFurthermore, I request you provide an explanation on why U.S. military medical care was not immediately available to soldiers on March 1, why any requests for additional medical supplies were denied prior to March 1, and whether access to medical care was considered when soldiers were repositioned to the facility at Port Shuaiba.\n\nI look forward to your response.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-moran-roll-out-comprehensive-bill-to-reform-and-strengthen-340b-drug-discount-program", "title": "Baldwin, Moran Roll Out Comprehensive Bill to Reform and Strengthen 340B Drug Discount Program", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.baldwin.senate.gov", "scraper": "baldwin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001230", "name": "Tammy Baldwin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) led their colleagues, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Boozman (R-AK), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) – members of the Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group – to introduce sweeping legislation to reform the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which provides discounted prescription drugs to health care providers that serve vulnerable, low-income, and underserved patients.\n\n“The 340B program was designed to help hospitals and clinics that help the most vulnerable Americans get the medications they need. However, to make sure that Wisconsinites can continue to receive the care they need, we need to bring some real accountability and transparency to the program,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to have brought together Democrats and Republicans to address these issues head on, helping more Americans afford the care they need and ensuring that the 340B program puts the patients first.”\n\nThe 340B Drug Pricing Program was designed to help Federally Qualified Health Centers, rural clinics and critical access hospitals, and other providers that serve high volumes of Medicaid and uninsured patients expand access to care and lower costs for patients. The program requires drug manufacturers to provide discounts to these clinics and hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income and underserved patients. However, in recent years, the 340B program has grown and evolved, leading to calls for more accountability, transparency, and certainty for covered entities participating in the program. The Supporting Underserved and Strengthening Transparency, Accountability, and Integrity Now (SUSTAIN) 340B Act is a set of bipartisan, comprehensive reforms to create greater stability, clarity, and transparency in the 340B program.\n\nThe SUSTAIN 340B Act would:\n\nSense of Congress – Reiterate the original intent of the 340B program and clarify the program provides point-of-purchase discounts, as opposed to rebates.\n\nContract Pharmacy – Codify covered entities’ use of contract pharmacies while placing reasonable limitations including registration, audits of covered entities with a large number of contract pharmacies, and standardization of contractual requirements between covered entities and contract pharmacies. The bill does not place numeric or geographic limitations on the use of contract pharmacies.\n\nPatient Definition – Establish the definition of an eligible patient under the 340B program and covered services for these patients. It also adds requirements and oversight for 340B patients being dispensed 340B drugs through referrals to non-covered entities.\n\n340B Rebate Model Pilot Program – End any 340B Rebate Model program within one year and require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) transition to the clearinghouse established in the legislation.\n\nChild Sites – Establish that child sites must be wholly owned and integrated with the parent covered entity, disincentivizes child site acquisitions with the sole purpose of expanding 340B footprints, and directs HHS to establish registration and oversight procedures.\n\nSupporting Transparency – Place new annual reporting requirements on covered entities relating to their utilization of the 340B program.\n\nStrengthening Program Integrity – Give HHS authority to establish auditing and reporting procedures for compliance under the 340B program and authorize removal of covered entities who are found in noncompliance and do not implement corrective action plans.\n\nPreventing Duplicate Discounts – Establish a 340B data clearinghouse operated by an independent, third-party entity to prevent diversion and duplicate discounts in the 340B program.\n\nPatient Financial Assistance – Require covered entities to establish a standard, transparent patient financial assistance policy for patients at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.\n\nSupporting Equitable Treatment of Covered Participants – Prevent insurers from discriminating against 340B covered entities and their contract pharmacies.\n\nUser Fee Program – Establish a user fee program for participation in the 340B program to pay for program administration, including the clearinghouse.\n\nStudies and Reports – Require reports to Congress on hospital debt collection practices, dispensing fees, and data collection system integration.\n\nAdditional Resources – Authorize three million dollars annually for five years for conducting oversight and enforcement and nine million dollars annually for four years for bill implementation.\n\nThe Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group has existed for more than a decade and is comprised of members who support the 340B program and are committed to sustaining it. In the 118th Congress, the group sought stakeholder feedback on how to improve the 340B program and released a bipartisan discussion draft to strengthen it. The draft reflected the group’s belief that the program provides a critical benefit to eligible providers by helping them stretch federal resources to deliver health care services to the patients they serve, while also addressing concerns about program ambiguity and the need for greater transparency and accountability.\n\nFull text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-human-events-daily-on-real-americas-voice/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins Human Events Daily on Real America’s Voice", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined Human Events Daily with Jack Posobiec on Real America’s Voice to discuss the Democratic Party’s embrace of Socialism, the debate over birthright citizenship, his introduction of the Citizenship Act of 2026, and holding Dr. Anthony Fauciaccountable.\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nKey Excerpts on the Citizenship Act of 2026:\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “What would pass Constitutional muster is for Congress to act, instead of the President, and declare an invasion of illegals into our country, and explicitly makes the point that all nine Supreme Court justices have agreed on. That the babies of invaders are not eligible for birthright citizenship. This is important we don’t have to pass a constitutional amendment we don’t have to overturn a supreme court decision, but congress can pass my bill that says that the tens of millions of illegals that have flooded into our country ate invaders and those invaders babies aren’t eligible. We have declared nazi spies, terrorists, even pirates we’ve declared as invaders, that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the tens of millions of illegals we let into our country. A quarter million babies of illegals are declared citizens every year.”\n\n“It means something to be an American citizen. It is a gift to all of us who were born and grew up in this country to be an American Citizens. And tens of millions of illegals who flood into our country, in many cases, who don’t believe in America, who don’t believe in what America stands for and then their babies are automatically granted citizenship. There is something deeply wrong with that.”\n\nKey Excerpts on Dr. Anthony Fauci:\n\n“If Anthony Fauci was innocent, Joe Biden wouldn’t have given him a pardon and that a key takeaway here, they are trying to shield him from any responsibility for what he did to abuse his power and position. Whether it was profiting off the vaccine or how he misguided the American people, he abused the power that he exercised during the pandemic that brought so much devastation and harm to families and this great country. It was a slap in the face to every American, to hear him in that hearing last week to provide no answers. He insulted the American people by not answering any question at all.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-the-bottom-line-on-fox-business-network/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins the Bottom Line on Fox Business Network", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined The Bottom Line on Fox Business Network to discuss the Senate’s priorities ahead of the August recess, the AI race, and how AI is reshaping government and the workforce.\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nKey Excerpts on Senate priorities:\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “We have a full plate in the Senate. Later tonight we’re going to pass the next step for the CR to avoid a government shutdown; we have the crypto bill, a big piece of President Trump’s legacy, a bill to save college sports, and then we have this big reconciliation bill. Reconciliation 3.0 that the House passed over to us, that also included the SAVE America Act. We have an opportunity in the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act with the Reconciliation bill that also includes a historic investment in our national defense to support our troops, support our warfighters.”\n\n“We have a lot to do in the Senate; count me in on the list of growing Senators who are willing to stick around here all August long to get all that done if that’s what it takes, but I don’t think that’s what it takes. I think we can pass all these bills this week and get out of town, go back home to Indiana and other states and tell our story about what republicans are doing, what we’ve accomplished and what these radical crazy democrats are standing up for, and if we go do that we’re going to win big in midterm November elections.”\n\nKey Excerpts on AI dominance:\n\n“The big key here is President Trump; he’s a leader that understands we have to win the AI race. We can’t let the Chinese beat us, because if the Chinese beat us in this race, then they will control the next American Century; we can’t let them do that. America has to win the race so we can control our destiny. And that’s why this framework is so important, why the President’s leadership is so important, the national security threat of what comes next.”\n\n“As far as what I have been focused on is, we know that AI is going to transform America’s economy, and we want to transform it in a healthy way. You talk about skilled trades and what this could mean for high school students and young people today, the skills that they need to succeed in an AI economy; those are the conversations that we’re having on Capitol Hill. Often, cases are bipartisan, substantive, and healthy but, what President Trump is focused on is the big picture to make sure we win this, but win it in a way that doesn’t destroy America.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-calls-out-dangerous-far-left-extremists-controlling-the-democrat-party/", "title": "Barrasso Calls Out Dangerous, Far-Left Extremists Controlling the Democrat Party", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom/news-releases/", "domain": "www.barrasso.senate.gov", "scraper": "barrasso", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001261", "name": "John Barrasso", "party": "Republican", "state": "WY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“That’s the Democratic Party that has a manifesto and a mantra. They have a radical set of beliefs. And they are clearly those of the Democrat nominee in Michigan.”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today spoke about how radical extremists now control the Democrat Party.\n\nClick HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.\n\nSen. Barrasso’s remarks as delivered:\n\n“Today’s Democrat Party has been taken over by extremists. It’s happening all across the country. Extremists are winning Democrat primaries all across the country from East to West.\n\n“The Minority Leader spoke a little earlier today. He seems to be very happy about it. Just yesterday, when talking to the press, the Minority Leader said this. He said, these extreme candidates, he said, make their party ‘stronger.’ Senator Schumer may be thrilled with the direction that his party is taking. And now look what happened last night in Michigan.\n\n“And now look what happened last night in Michigan. The Democrat candidate for Senate winning the primary yesterday in Michigan is truly an extremist. Radical, extreme, dangerous, and in my opinion, scary. He’s been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders. And just recently he hit the campaign trail with a left-wing activist – a political activist who blamed 9/11 – we’re almost near the twenty-fifth anniversary of the attacks on 9/11 in the United States of America – blamed those attacks on America and the American people.\n\n“That’s the Democratic Party that has a manifesto and a mantra. They have a radical set of beliefs. And they are clearly those of the Democrat nominee in Michigan.\n\n“The driving forces in the Democrat Party today want to abolish prisons. The driving force in the Democrat Party today has endorsed any and all efforts to release dangerous prisoners from the jails onto the streets of communities all across the country.\n\n“The driving force in the Democrat Party is calling to defund the police. The driving force in the Democrat Party is calling to eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this country. They don’t want borders. Don’t think we ought to have borders. They want ICE completely eliminated.\n\n“Democrats want to go back to the dangerous Biden years when it came to protecting our borders and 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into this country. The Democrats want millions and millions more to come into America.\n\n“And what do they want to do in terms of funding for these things? Well, the Democrats want to have hardworking taxpayers pay for healthcare for all the illegal immigrants who come here. You know, radical ideas like that were once the fringe of the Democrat Party. No longer. No, no. That fringe now controls the Democrat Party.\n\n“As a senior Senator, who is a Democrat, said – who sits right over there – said, it’s a sign the Democrat Party is ‘alive and well.’ Senator Schumer said yesterday it makes their party ‘stronger.’ It doesn’t make America stronger. It makes America weaker. It makes America more vulnerable. That’s where we are today.\n\n“Democrats seem willing to tear up the Constitution and tear down America. You listen to some of these candidates; it sounds like they hate America. They want America to fail. That seems to be what they’re aiming for.\n\n“Republicans are not going to allow that to happen. No, we’re going to continue to fight the extremists. We’re going to continue to fight for freedom, for liberty, and continued American greatness.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-todd-blanche-is-fearless-focused-and-fair-its-time-for-the-senate-to-confirm-him/", "title": "Barrasso: Todd Blanche is Fearless, Focused, and Fair. It’s Time for the Senate to Confirm Him", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom/news-releases/", "domain": "www.barrasso.senate.gov", "scraper": "barrasso", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001261", "name": "John Barrasso", "party": "Republican", "state": "WY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today spoke in support of the confirmation of Todd Blanche, President Donald J. Trump’s nominee to be the Attorney General of the United States.\n\nClick HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.\n\nSen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:\n\n“Senate Republicans are confirming individuals who will keep the American people safe.\n\n“Last week, I met with Todd Blanche. Mr. Blanche has been nominated to be the next Attorney General of the United States of America. Mr. Blanche is clearly the right man for the job. It is time for the Senate to confirm him.\n\n“Todd Blanche led an impressive legal career. He brings to the job a decade of experience at the Department of Justice. That includes his current service as the Acting Attorney General. He leads a staff of over one hundred thousand. Under his leadership, the Department of Justice is focusing once again on its core mission. That mission is fighting crime and upholding the rule of law.\n\n“Today, Americans are safer. Murder rates have fallen dramatically. So have deaths from drug overdoses. Mr. Blanche has fought forcefully for the safety and security of the American people. The Department is prosecuting drug cartels. It is dismantling gangs of violent criminals.\n\n“Mr. Blanche has also been a key leader in Republicans’ war against fraud. He helped establish a new division in the Department of Justice to do exactly that. It is already succeeding.\n\n“Mr. Blanche knows what it takes to lead the Department of Justice. It takes integrity. It takes accountability. Mr. Blanche leads with both of those characteristics. That is why his nomination is supported by former Department of Justice officials; by 23 state Attorneys General; and by law enforcement.\n\n“Former Attorney General Bill Barr is one such supporter. Attorney General Barr recently praised Blanche in the Wall Street Journal. He wrote, ‘Throughout his career [Todd Blanche] has shown the personal determination, discipline and thick skin this position demands.’ That’s exactly right.\n\n“Todd Blanche is dedicated to the rule of law. He is fearless, focused, and fair. As Attorney General, he will provide candid advice even when it is not easy. He will stand up for the United States. He will keep the American people safe. It is time to confirm him as Attorney General.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/05/bennet-husted-introduce-legislation-to-help-make-first-time-homeownership-more-affordable/", "title": "Bennet, Husted Introduce Legislation to Help Make First-Time Homeownership More Affordable", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "domain": "www.bennet.senate.gov", "scraper": "bennet", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001267", "name": "Michael F. Bennet", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, and U.S. Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) introduced the First-Time Homebuyer Empowerment Act. This bill would help first-time homebuyers by allowing them to put unused education savings toward a down payment.\n\n“Across Colorado, too many young people and working families struggle to afford their first home,” said Bennet. “This bill would allow first-time homebuyers to use the savings they already have to cover a down payment and help put homeownership within reach.”\n\n“I’m focused on helping working families get ahead and making life more affordable,” said Husted. “Making homeownership more attainable is a critical part of that effort. Too many Ohioans have worked hard, saved responsibly and still struggle to afford a down payment. By freeing up existing resources, I’m proud this bipartisan bill gives first-time homebuyers another tool to use in pursuing their version of the American Dream.”\n\nThe First-Time Homebuyer Empowerment Act would allow individuals to transfer up to $35,000 in leftover savings from their 529 education savings account penalty-free to purchase their first home. 529 college savings accounts are state-administered accounts used by families to save for education and other related expenses. Traditionally, unused funds in 529 accounts can only be used for trade school, graduate school, student loan payments, or transferred to a retirement account. By freeing up existing resources for first-time homebuyers, the bill would remove barriers to making a down payment and help more families afford a home.\n\n“Downpayment hurdles continue to block many families from owning a home. The First-Time Home Buyer Empowerment Act provides a common-sense solution that empowers first-time buyers to use their own savings—at no cost to taxpayers. MBA looks forward to supporting this and other efforts in Congress to expand sustainable homeownership,” said Bill Killmer, Senior Vice President of Legislative & Political Affairs at Mortgage Bankers Association.\n\nU.S. Representatives Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Mark Alford (R-Mo.) and Lou Correa (D-Calif.) introduced the companion bill to the First-Time Homebuyer Empowerment Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nBennet has continuously worked to address the affordable housing crisis. In March 2026, Bennet co-sponsored a key provision in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act that would put an additional $4 billion toward building affordable housing, making homeownership possible for working families. In December 2025, Bennet joined U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and a group of bipartisan Senate colleagues to introduce the More Homes on the Market Act, making housing more available and affordable by amending the tax code to allow sellers to exclude additional funds from capital gains taxes.\n\nThe text of the bill is available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2026/8/blackburn-blumenthal-celebrate-commerce-committee-passage-of-bipartisan-kids-online-safety-act", "title": "Blackburn & Blumenthal Celebrate Commerce Committee Passage of Bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0", "domain": "www.blackburn.senate.gov", "scraper": "blackburn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001243", "name": "Marsha Blackburn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) released the following statement on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation’s passage of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) by voice vote:\n\n“For years, heartbroken parents have demanded Congress take action to protect America’s children from Big Tech’s exploitation, and today is a major victory for the courageous families who refused to give up,” said Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal. “The Senate has repeatedly shown that there is broad, bipartisan support for a version of KOSA that creates a duty of care to protect kids from online predators, addictive algorithms, and harmful product design. We want to thank our large, diverse, and determined coalition for standing with us today, and we look forward to getting this bill to the President’s desk.”\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nSenators Blackburn and Blumenthal first introduced KOSA in February 2022, following reporting by the Wall Street Journal and after spearheading a series of five subcommittee hearings with social media companies and advocates on the repeated failures by tech giants to protect kids on their platforms.\n\nThe Senate version of KOSA would require platforms to enable the strongest privacy settings by default, force platforms to prevent and mitigate specific dangers to minors, provide parents and educators new controls to help protect children, and require independent audits and research into social media companies.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-blackburn-celebrate-commerce-committee-passage-of-bipartisan-kids-online-safety-act", "title": "Blumenthal & Blackburn Celebrate Commerce Committee Passage of Bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) released the following statement on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation’s passage of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) by voice vote:\n\n“For years, heartbroken parents have demanded Congress take action to protect America’s children from Big Tech’s exploitation, and today is a major victory for the courageous families who refused to give up,” said Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal. “The Senate has repeatedly shown that there is broad, bipartisan support for a version of KOSA that creates a duty of care to protect kids from online predators, addictive algorithms, and harmful product design. We want to thank our large, diverse, and determined coalition for standing with us today, and we look forward to getting this bill to the President’s desk.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-january-6-prosecutors-raise-alarm-over-trump-judicial-nominees-refusal-to-truthfully-answer-questions-about-2020-election-attack-on-the-capitol", "title": "ICYMI: January 6 Prosecutors Raise Alarm Over Trump Judicial Nominees' Refusal to Truthfully Answer Questions About 2020 Election, Attack on the Capitol", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, were joined by three former federal prosecutors to raise alarm over the ongoing refusal of Trump Administration judicial nominees to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election or admit that what happened on January 6, 2021, was an attack on the Capitol.\n\nThe three prosecutors – Michael Romano, Sean Murphy, and Brendan Ballou – worked on cases relating to violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Earlier today, they joined a group of twelve former federal prosecutors who all worked on cases relating to the violent attack on the Capitol in sending a letter urging members of the Senate to reject judicial nominees who cannot “cannot identify that (1) January 6 as an attack on our democracy, (2) the attack was led by supporters of Donald Trump, and (3) Joe Biden was legitimately elected in the 2020 election.”\n\nVideo of today’s press conference is available here.\n\nMichael Romano\n\nMichael Romano prosecuted rioters who brawled with police officers on Capitol grounds, who attacked officers with wooden and metal poles, and who pepper-sprayed officers defending the Tunnel. As a manager, Romano also oversaw many cases prosecuted by others. Romano also served as a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section between 2019 and 2025.\n\n“The fact of the matter was, the riot was an attack on our democracy. It was an attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power. It was an attempt to install the loser of the 2020 election back in office against the will of the American people. I know this because the evidence was overwhelming,” Romano said.\n\n“The evidence was so clear that the judges who presided over our trials and sentenced these defendants said so over and over again. They recognized that the riot was an attack on American democracy. They recognized how damaging it was to our institutions. They commented about how political violence was unacceptable, and sentences were needed to deter future political violence. All told, the evidence was so clear that we convicted 1200 people of offenses that happened at the Capitol on January 6th before Trump pardoned them all.”\n\n“Now, these people were convicted before Republicans and Democratic judges, they were sentenced before Republican and Democratic judges, judges appointed by any President of any party recognized the truth of what this day was. And anybody seeking a position on the bench now should be able to do the same. They should be able to tell the truth.”\n\nSean Murphy\n\nSean P. Murphy joined the Capitol Siege Section in January 2021 and remained with the team until it was disbanded in January 2025. Among those Murphy investigated, prosecuted, and secured convictions against are an individual who beat an officer with a flagpole with the American flag still attached until the flagpole broke; an off-duty police officer; a man that used wasp spray to attack police officers, and a man that punched a police officer twice in the head before ripping away the officer's riot shield, leaving him defenseless. Murphy also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Puerto Rico between 2018 and 2025.\n\n“To the Senators voting on these nominees today, please stop poisoning our courts by confirming appointees who refuse to admit basic historical truths. This is not a problem of perspective or political persuasion; it is fundamental question of competence. We would no more hire a schoolteacher who refuses to believe in fractions, or a mechanic who won’t admit that gas goes in a gas tank than you should confirm someone to a lifetime seat on the bench who cannot admit that Donald Trump lost, and who refuses to recognize that those who assaulted police officers at the U.S. Capitol were wrong to do so,” Murphy said.\n\n“To the judicial nominees playing this game – if successful, you may have won yourself a lifetime appointment , but you have lost a lifetime of credibility. Every time you try to lecture a defendant from your bench about the right and the just, over the easy and the self-serving, those words will ring hollow. Why? Because the only reason you are only sitting there because you chose the easy and the self-serving. You traded a piece of your soul to occupy the seat.”\n\n“We need judges who do not just dole out justice but actually live it. Justice is blind, but it is not ignorant, and the ignorant can never truly be just.”\n\nBrendan Ballou\n\nBrendan Ballou was involved in the trial teams that prosecuted a husband-and-wife duo who assaulted officers along the Capitol's western front before they were finally repelled by pepper spray, and prosecuted one of the first rioters who entered the Senate chamber, who triumphantly stood atop the dais within the chamber. Ballou also served as Special Counsel in the Antitrust Division from 2016 to 2017 and from 2020 to 2025.\n\n“So, we have a president that is trying to subvert a future election, we have an acting Attorney General who is eager to help in that effort, and the danger that we face with these judicial nominees is that future court cases that will determine whether our democracy continues may be people who deny the reality of January 6th,” Ballou said.\n\n“Think about how dangerous it is, how scary it is, to have a court case about voting rights, about democracy, about the rule of law, prosecuted by Todd Blanche, and overseen by one of these judges who denies the reality of what happened that day. So, it is important to be talking about this, it is important that these judges not be confirmed if they refuse to acknowledge the reality of January 6th.\n\n“Not just for the sake of historical memory, but for the sake of the future of our democracy.”\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-introduces-legislation-to-help-prevent-cancer-among-firefighters", "title": "Booker Introduces Legislation to Help Prevent Cancer Among Firefighters", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Firefighter Investments to Recognize Exposure to Cancer (FIRE Cancer) Act of 2026, legislation to protect firefighters from occupational cancer by allowing fire departments to use federal Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) to establish cancer prevention programs, including multi-cancer early detection testing, preventative screenings, and research. The legislation would authorize $700 million in dedicated funding for these efforts.\n\n\"A firefighter's courage doesn't end when the fire is out,\" said Senator Booker. \"Long after the sirens fade, many continue to bear the invisible consequences of repeated exposure to toxic carcinogens. It is unacceptable that those who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities face such devastating health risks simply for doing their jobs. The FIRE Cancer Act is about honoring that sacrifice with action—expanding access to early detection, prevention, and research so we can better protect those who have always protected us.\"\n\nFirefighters experience significantly higher rates of cancer than the general population due to repeated exposure to toxic chemicals and carcinogens while responding to fires and other emergencies. Occupational cancer remains one of the leading long-term health threats facing firefighters.\n\nSpecifically, the FIRE Cancer Act of 2026 would:\n\nAllow Assistance to Firefighters Grant recipients to establish firefighter cancer prevention programs, including multi-cancer early detection testing and other preventative screenings.\n\nAuthorize up to $1,750 in grant funding per firefighter for multi-cancer early detection and other preventative tests.\n\nAuthorize $700 million in dedicated funding for firefighter cancer prevention grants.\n\nEstablish a voluntary partnership between FEMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collect anonymized, de-identified cancer screening data to improve research on cancer trends and occupational exposures among firefighters while protecting participants’ privacy.\n\nThe FIRE Cancer Act of 2026 would give fire departments additional resources to prevent cancer, detect it earlier, and better protect the health of the firefighters who protect communities across the country.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=3469C71F-B08C-4A8B-8804-515B4304F5B7", "title": "Boozman Applauds Summer Interns on Service to Arkansas", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.boozman.senate.gov", "scraper": "boozman", "member": null, "text": "U.S. Senator John Boozman pictured with his Washington, D.C. interns on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.\n\nWASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) recognized the students who served as interns in his Washington, D.C. and Arkansas offices during the second summer session.\n\n“Whether assisting constituents, supporting my staff or observing the legislative process firsthand, these talented students made meaningful contributions to our office,” Boozman said. “I appreciate the dedication and professionalism they demonstrated throughout the summer. I am confident this experience has encouraged them to continue pursuing opportunities to serve their communities and our country.”\n\nAnna Abston, Catie Brewer, Ellie Gilbert, Anna Hale, Lauren Magre, George Rizzo and Abby Shoemaker completed a five-week internship in Boozman’s Capitol Hill office. Throughout the program, they supported his staff by assisting with constituent services, leading U.S. Capitol tours and contributing to legislative, communications and administrative projects. Each intern also spent a day shadowing Boozman, gaining the unique opportunity to observe the responsibilities of a U.S. senator and the day-to-day work of the Senate.\n\nAnna Abston is from Little Rock and graduated from Pulaski Academy in 2023. She is a rising senior at the University of Arkansas studying economics with plans to attend law school upon graduation. She currently serves as the 105th Chief Justice of the Judicial Branch of Associated Student Government and has held roles in Chi Omega as well as Voter Outreach, Involvement, and Civic Education (VOICE), a registered student organization that she helped co-found in 2024.\n\nCatie Brewer is from Conway and a 2023 graduate of St. Joseph Catholic School. She is a rising senior at the University of Central Arkansas, where she is double majoring in political science and communications. Catie is an active member of the Public Administration Club and early alumna member of Sigma Kappa. After graduating, she plans to pursue a joint Juris Doctor and Master of Public Relations degree.\n\nEllie Gilbert is from Fayetteville and graduated from Fayetteville High School in 2023. She is a rising senior studying marketing and legal studies through the Sam M. Walton College of Business honors program at the University of Arkansas. Ellie serves as Vice President of Standards for Kappa Kappa Gamma and is a member of the All-University Conduct Board. She has also served in the Associated Student Government Senate and participated in the university’s ambassador program. Ellie plans to graduate in early in December before attending law school next fall.\n\nAnna Hale is from Fort Smith and a 2023 graduate of Northside High School. She is a rising senior at the University of Arkansas double majoring in political science and legal studies with plans to graduate in December. On campus, Anna is a member of Phi Mu, Associated Student Government, Order of Omega and Volunteer Action Center. Following graduation, Anna hopes to begin her career on Capitol Hill and attend law school.\n\nLauren Magre is from Fayetteville and graduated from Fayetteville High School in 2023. She is a rising senior at Georgetown University pursing a degree in mathematics with minors in French and francophone studies in addition to justice and peace studies. Lauren is involved with Georgetown Students for Prison Justice, Hoya Taxa, the Pre-Law Society, Hoya Blue and Club Basketball. She plans to attend law school after graduating and is interested in a career in public service.\n\nGeorge Rizzo is from Warrenton, Virginia, and recently graduated summa cum laude from the University of Mary Washington (UMW) with a degree in business administration and a minor in financial and quantitative analysis. On campus, he served as Chairman of the Finance Club and developed a strong interest in the intersection of business, finance and public policy. George will begin pursuing a Master of Business Administration at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business this fall.\n\nAbby Shoemaker is from Bentonville and a 2023 graduate of Bentonville High School. She is a rising senior at the University of Arkansas, double majoring in political science and social studies education. Abby serves as Chief of Staff for the Associated Student Government, building on her passion for state and local government and public policy. Upon graduating, Abby hopes to pursue a career in teaching, the nonprofit sector or government.\n\nCarly Hickerson, Hayden Prescott and Sarah Reaves served in the senator’s Lowell and Little Rock offices, where they assisted with constituent relations and learned about the office’s casework services for Arkansans seeking assistance with federal agencies.\n\nHayden Prescott is from Frisco, Texas, and graduated from Frisco Memorial High School in 2022. He is a senior at the University of Arkansas studying political science with a pre-law emphasis. On campus, Hayden is a member of Beta Upsilon Chi. After graduating, Hayden plans to attend law school.\n\nSarah Reaves is from Maumelle and a 2023 graduate of Central Arkansas Christian. She is a rising senior at the University of Arkansas studying mathematics with a minor in legal studies. On campus, Sarah participates in Passionate About Literacy and Order of Omega. She is also a member of Delta Delta Delta. Upon graduation, Sarah plans to attend law school and pursue a career as an attorney.\n\nCarly Hickerson is from Texarkana, Texas, and graduated from Texas High School in 2024. She is a rising junior at the University of Arkansas studying political science and international relations. On campus, Carly serves as a cross-cultural mentor and is an active member of Delta Delta Delta. She plans to attend law school following graduation.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=C70AB525-CD48-4A16-8A56-BB628A5B58A6", "title": "Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group Introduces Comprehensive 340B Reform Legislation", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.boozman.senate.gov", "scraper": "boozman", "member": null, "text": "Sens. Boozman, Moran, Baldwin, Capito, Kaine & Hickenlooper unveil SUSTAIN 340B Act\n\nWASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) – members of the Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group – released the following statement after introducing sweeping legislation to reform the 340B program:\n\n“We have received invaluable input from stakeholders throughout our process, and the legislation we are introducing reflects that feedback by aiming to provide greater stability, clarity, and transparency in the 340B program. The SUSTAIN 340B Act makes comprehensive reforms to the program while preserving its critical benefits that support eligible health care providers and the patients they serve throughout the country. By continuing to work together in bipartisan fashion, we are committed to strengthening the 340B program and helping make certain it remains accessible to serve patients and communities for years to come.”\n\nThe SUSTAIN 340B Act would:\n\nSense of Congress – Reiterate the original intent of the 340B program and clarify the program provides point-of-purchase discounts, as opposed to rebates.\n\nContract Pharmacy – Codify covered entities’ use of contract pharmacies while placing reasonable limitations including registration, audits of covered entities with a large number of contract pharmacies, and standardization of contractual requirements between covered entities and contract pharmacies. The bill does not place numeric or geographic limitations on the use of contract pharmacies.\n\nPatient Definition – Establish the definition of an eligible patient under the 340B program and covered services for these patients. It also adds requirements and oversight for 340B patients being dispensed 340B drugs through referrals to non-covered entities.\n\n340B Rebate Model Pilot Program – End any 340B Rebate Model program within one year and require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) transition to the clearinghouse established in the legislation.\n\nChild Sites – Establish that child sites must be wholly owned and integrated with the parent covered entity, disincentivizes child site acquisitions with the sole purpose of expanding 340B footprints, and directs HHS to establish registration and oversight procedures.\n\nSupporting Transparency – Place new annual reporting requirements on covered entities relating to their utilization of the 340B program.\n\nStrengthening Program Integrity – Give HHS authority to establish auditing and reporting procedures for compliance under the 340B program and authorize removal of covered entities who are found in noncompliance and do not implement corrective action plans.\n\nPreventing Duplicate Discounts – Establish a 340B data clearinghouse operated by an independent, third-party entity to prevent diversion and duplicate discounts in the 340B program.\n\nPatient Financial Assistance – Require covered entities to establish a standard, transparent patient financial assistance policy for patients at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.\n\nSupporting Equitable Treatment of Covered Participants – Prevent insurers from discriminating against 340B covered entities and their contract pharmacies.\n\nUser Fee Program – Establish a user fee program for participation in the 340B program to pay for program administration, including the clearinghouse.\n\nStudies and Reports – Require reports to Congress on hospital debt collection practices, dispensing fees, and data collection system integration.\n\nAdditional Resources – Authorize three million dollars annually for five years for conducting oversight and enforcement and nine million dollars annually for four years for bill implementation.\n\nDefinitions – Establish definitions for “child site” and “contract pharmacy.”\n\nItems to note:\n\nThe 340B program requires that drug manufacturers who participate in Medicaid and Medicare provide certain non-profit health care providers, hospitals and clinics (covered entities) a discount on outpatient drugs. The 340B program enables covered entities to use these savings to provide more comprehensive services to eligible patients and their communities.\n\nThe Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group has existed for more than a decade and is comprised of members who support the 340B program and are committed to sustaining it.\n\nIn the 118th Congress, the group sought stakeholder feedback on how to improve the 340B program and released a bipartisan discussion draft to strengthen it. The draft reflected the group’s belief that the program provides a critical benefit to eligible providers by helping them stretch federal resources to deliver health care services to the patients they serve, while also addressing concerns about program ambiguity and the need for greater transparency and accountability.\n\nFull text of the legislation can be found here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-u-s-senator-katie-britt-joins-americas-newsroom-on-fox-news-to-discuss-iran-michigan-senate-democratic-primary-results/", "title": "ICYMI: U.S. Senator Katie Britt Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News to Discuss Iran, Michigan Senate Democratic Primary Results", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News with Bill Hemmer. She praised President Trump for continuing to put pressure on Iran to come to the negotiating table and spoke about the Michigan Senate Democratic primary election results, where Abdul El-Sayed, a radical socialist, won his election.\n\nOn President Trump’s continued pressure campaign to secure a deal with Iran:\n\n“President Trump is the ultimate dealmaker. You can see what has happened through the coming weeks, the strength that he has projected. Look, Iran knows when President Trump speaks, he means it … He has said we have to have complete nuclear disarmament. He wants to make sure that they don’t have the missile capabilities that we now see that they did have. And I’m so grateful to President Trump for diminishing that … President Trump is doing what someone should have done 47 years ago. He has said, when you say ‘Death to America,’ I am going to believe you, and I’m going to hold you accountable and make sure that my citizens are safe. I think that he has got them in a position where they are looking for a pathway forward now, and I am grateful for his leadership on this.”\n\nOn Democratic Socialist Abdul El-Sayed:\n\n“Look, Bill, this is a sad day for America. I mean, the fact that this man could win an election is absolutely unbelievable. We know that this Democratic Socialists of America movement has shown us that they do nothing but hate America. We saw them, actually, on your very network, talking about all of the things they wanted to see: no ICE … no police. They essentially wanted to do away with the government, no jails …\n\n“[W]hen it comes to Iran … he is actually a jihadist sympathizer. We saw him just two days ago, El-Sayed, at a pool party with Hasan Piker, who said that America deserved 9/11. These are not people who stand with us and for our values, and they’re infiltrating from within. We have to make sure to stand firmly and say, we love this country.”\n\nOn last night’s election results:\n\n“That tells me that the Democratic Socialists have taken over the Democratic Party, and we have to stand up to it and stand firmly. The future of our country is at stake.”\n\nYou can watch the full interview here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-introduces-and-questions-president-trumps-nominee-to-serve-as-u-s-district-judge-for-the-northern-district-of-alabama-justice-greg-cook-presides-over-witness-panel/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Introduces and Questions President Trump’s Nominee to Serve as U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, Justice Greg Cook, Presides Over Witness Panel", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today introduced and questioned Alabama Supreme Court Justice Greg Cook, President Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama. Justice Cook, a native of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, serves as an associate justice on the Alabama Supreme Court.\n\nDuring the hearing, Senator Britt had the opportunity to preside over the second witness panel, which included Justice Cook.\n\nU.S. Senator Katie Britt and Alabama Supreme Court Justice Greg Cook\n\nIn her introduction, Senator Britt expressed her strong support for Justice Cook’s nomination:\n\n“It is an absolute honor today to be able to introduce one of Alabama’s finest, Alabama Supreme Court Justice Greg Cook, who I am fortunate to call a friend. Welcome to you and your entire family. In my opinion, this day has been a long time in the making … I am so delighted that President Trump chose Greg to fill the role there in the judgeship in the Northern District of Alabama.\n\n“Greg has served at the Alabama Supreme Court as an associate justice since 2022. He has reviewed and written numerous opinions on some of the state’s most complex, both criminal and civil cases, that were in front of him. He has an impeccable record of service … [H]e applies the law fairly and diligently to everyone who comes in front of him … [H]e spent years at one of our most distinguished firms and the state of Alabama, 32 years to be exact, earning the rank there of partner. But prior to that, he served in the Air Force. Greg made the rank of Captain and also continued to serve our nation in the Air Force Reserves. This is in his blood: love of country, service to those around him, in his community, in his family, in his state, and now for his nation.\n\n“Greg graduated from Duke, also went on to Harvard Law, and despite the accolades that he’s received in his life, the thing that has always been most important to Greg is his family. I say that because of the values that were instilled in him in the Shoals growing up. He loves his children, he loves his wife, his church, his community, and he has consistently bettered himself to be able to answer the call. I had an opportunity about four years ago to really get to know Greg. We had traveled around the state together and I got to see him interact with Alabamians. I got to see him connect with them, want to know what was happening and how he could be helpful. I also got to learn that he wrote ‘Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure’ book, which was quite a thick book, that shows he not only knows the law, he loves the law, and I have every faith and confidence and his ability to answer this call.\n\n“Greg, thank you for being willing to serve. You are such a fine human being. Your character is unmatched, your diligence, (and) your intellect. I know that you will uphold the Constitution and you will apply the law faithfully in every single circumstance, and that you will be thoughtful about the role that that you are stepping into in a way that’s going to make every one of us proud … I urge all of my colleagues to vote for Greg. And boy, it was an honor to be able to send your resume forward. And I appreciate President Trump for seeing what I saw on that piece of paper and in this human being in front of us.”\n\nIn her first line of questioning, Senator Britt asked Judge Cook to describe his judicial philosophy: “I have heard you talk consistently about you being boring and predictable. Do you mind telling my colleagues a little bit about your judicial philosophy and what you will be like on the federal bench?”\n\nJustice Cook replied, “I do believe in public service. That’s why I spent four years in the Air Force, and that’s why I spent all that time with the campaign trail together, going to all 67 counties in Alabama and driving 80,000 miles, because I believe in public service … I’ve written a two volume treatise on the rules of civil procedure. It’s frankly a boring book, but it’s a great reference tool. And it reflects, like you say, that I’m a boring and predictable person, but I’ve accumulated 35 years of experience now between my time and the firm and my time on the bench, and I want to be able to bring that service and that experience and that knowledge to bear in the federal system. And I think I can help the wheels of justice move and justly.”\n\nFollowing Senator Britt’s question on his approach to novel questions of law, Justice Cook responded, “Well, on the (Alabama) Supreme Court, if I get a novel issue, I’m always looking at the text. The text is always the first thing you look at, and you look at the original public meaning of the text … Because the subjective intent of the legislators is really not relevant. What we care about is the words they passed. That’s part of the separation of powers, is that we enact the laws and then … our court determines what the law is. We don’t determine what it should be, we determine what it is.”\n\nSenator Britt concluded her questioning by asking each witness to speak directly to the Judiciary Committee. Justice Cook responded, saying, “I’m just incredibly honored to have the opportunity, Senator, and I just want to thank you and the President for that opportunity.”\n\nYou can watch the Senator’s introductory remarks for Justice Cook here, and her questioning here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senators-katie-britt-marsha-blackburn-colleagues-seek-to-permanently-restore-biological-sex-standard/", "title": "U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Marsha Blackburn, Colleagues Seek to Permanently Restore Biological Sex Standard", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and nine of their Senate colleagues introduced the Title IX Clarification Act, which would ensure Title IX anti-discrimination requirements tied to federal education funding are based on biological sex and not “sexual orientation or gender identity.”\n\n“President Trump has taken decisive action through executive orders to protect young women on campuses across the country. Now, we must ensure these protections are codified into federal law,” said Senator Britt. “We saw the Biden-Harris Administration cave to the woke mob and allow Title IX to be abused in ways that permitted biological men to infringe on girls’ sports and spaces. We cannot let that happen again, and this legislation will restore regulatory clarity to ensure it does not.”\n\nFor more than 50 years, Title IX has protected equal educational opportunities by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. In recent years, however, woke ideology has sought to redefine the law beyond Congress’ original intent, creating uncertainty for schools and undermining protections for women and girls.\n\nAt the beginning of his second term, President Trump revoked a Biden-era Executive Order that directed the U.S. Secretary of Education to interpret Title IX anti-discrimination language “on the basis of sex” to cover “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”\n\nThe Title IX Clarification Act would clarify that the term “sex” refers only to an individual’s biologically determined status as male or female where Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.\n\n“The Biden administration weaponized Title IX to force women to compete with men in sports and allow men to invade women’s spaces,” said Senator Blackburn. “Thankfully, President Trump restored common sense in Title IX, and now Congress must codify these protections for women into law to prevent future abuse. The Title IX Clarification Act would ensure that common sense, not leftist ideology, governs federal education funding tied to Title IX requirements to protect young women.”\n\nSpecifically, this legislation would restore Title IX’s original meaning by affirming Congress’ original intent to protect women’s educational opportunities and address concerns raised by the Supreme Court during the January 2026 oral arguments regarding transgender participation in women’s sports during which Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that Congress has not clearly defined Title IX’s requirements for states accepting federal funds and suggested that any departure from the historical understanding of “sex” as biological sex raises Spending Clause concerns unless Congress acts explicitly. It would also establish clear statutory definitions of “male” and “female” within Title IX, eliminating ambiguity and preventing taxpayer dollars from being used to support ideological redefinitions of sex.\n\nSenators Britt and Blackburn were joined by Senators Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.).\n\nSenator Britt is a champion of preserving Title IX protections for women and girls in sports. She is a strong supporter of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 and recently helped introduce the Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act to protect the status of biological women in the Daughters of the American Revolution.\n\nYou can read the full text of the bill here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/08/05/icymi-budd-calls-on-colleagues-to-permanently-stop-dangerous-hemp-loophole-targeting-american-children/", "title": "ICYMI: Budd Calls on Colleagues to Permanently Stop Dangerous Hemp Loophole Targeting American Children", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.budd.senate.gov/category/news/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.budd.senate.gov", "scraper": "budd", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001305", "name": "Ted Budd", "party": "Republican", "state": "NC", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“Our children should never be the testing ground for an industry willing to exploit a loophole in federal law for profit.”\n\nWashington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) today delivered remarks on the Senate floor calling for his Senate Colleagues to join his effort to permanently close the dangerous “hemp loophole” that has allowed the intoxicating hemp industry to sell unregulated hemp-derived products that have been marketed to American children.\n\nWatch Senator Budd’s remarks below:\n\nRead Senator Budd’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, below:\n\nMister President,\n\nEvery parent in America wants the same thing: to know their child is safe.\n\nAs United States Senators, each of us has a responsibility to the millions of parents we represent to put the safety and welfare of American children first.\n\nThat is exactly why, just nine months ago, 76 members of this body voted to close the hemp loophole that allowed these dangerous substances to be sold in unregulated retail stores.\n\nBut since last November, the intoxicating hemp industry has attempted to delay our effort to close this dangerous loophole.\n\nThese companies want to continue selling intoxicating THC substances, loosely labeled as “hemp” products, on the shelves of local convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores nationwide.\n\nAnd the problem does not stop there. The packaging is unmistakably designed to appeal to children, using bright colors and intentionally mimicking popular snack food and candy brands.\n\nBut what is most concerning is how easy it is for a child to walk into a convenience store and pick up what looks like their favorite snack or candy—without realizing they’re actually buying an intoxicating substance.\n\nIt is difficult enough for an adult to distinguish the minor difference between these name-brand products and intoxicating substances on the shelves. Just look at these examples.\n\nAre you telling me this isn’t intentional? The four basic principles of marketing are: product, price, place, and promotion. And what we’re looking at right here is a crash course in all four—how to package a product, how to make it appealing, how to put it in front of consumers, and how to promote it while attempting to evade federal law.\n\nThis isn’t some innocent coincidence. You don’t accidentally create packaging for an intoxicating substance that bears an eerie resemblance to a recognizable brand. You don’t accidentally make an intoxicating product look like something a child would recognize from the grocery store shelf, without reasonable intent. This is marketing by design, and it is designed to evade the law.\n\nThe resemblance here is outrageous—and it is putting our kids at risk, every single day. And over the past few years, we have already seen the horrifying consequences play out in emergency rooms across the country.\n\nFrom 2018 to 2023, emergency departments in the United States that responded to pediatric cannabis poisoning increased by 461 percent. 91 percent of those patients were 4 years of age or younger, and 45 percent of those children, ages 0-11, were hospitalized.\n\nThese numbers are not just statistics. They represent children ending up in emergency rooms. Why? All because the intoxicating hemp industry wants to make a cheap dollar.\n\nIn my home state of North Carolina, cannabis consumption-coded emergency department visits among minors increased by 969 percent between 2017 and 2025.\n\nThat is nothing short of alarming.\n\nTHC can have very serious consequences for adults. It can trigger psychosis, addiction, manic episodes, bipolar relapse, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Having assessed those risks, it makes it utterly irresponsible to then turn around and put those same THC substances within reach of our children.\n\nIt is impacting our workforce too. Able-bodied adults are unable to hold jobs that require them to take a drug test. Stores near military bases sell these products to men and women in our armed services—making them ineligible for service. That is also no accident.\n\nMister President, I cannot tell you how many times I have sat down with a family in my office that has tragically lost their son or daughter because they became addicted to these disguised substances. It is heartbreaking to witness.\n\nThere are young people who are no longer walking this earth—who will never graduate, never go to college, never start a career, never get married, never have children, and never get the chance to experience the life that was ahead of them because these dangerous substances robbed them of that future.\n\nI am appalled by the well-oiled, slick lobbying machine—which is very well connected in this town—that has chosen to wage this surreptitious war against our efforts to protect American children.\n\nSo let me be clear to my colleagues: I will not back down. I will not waver. And I will not stop until this life-threatening loophole is closed permanently.\n\nWe are going to have this fight before the end of this Congress, and I can assure you that I am not going to stop fighting to protect America’s children.\n\nI have already had numerous conversations with the White House about this issue, and I am willing to have a larger conversation about marijuana. But I want to make sure one thing is perfectly clear—making THC intoxicating substances readily accessible to our kids is an entirely different issue from the medical marijuana movement.\n\nToday, we are talking about unregulated hemp-derived products being sold on the shelves of nearly every corner store in America. These intoxicating substances are hiding in plain sight—and they are putting our kids at risk.\n\nParents should never have to fear that sending their child into a convenience store for a snack or a treat could mean that child walks out with a product that can get them high.\n\nThat is not too much to ask. It is common sense.\n\nAnd it is our responsibility to make sure the millions of parents we each represent can trust that the products sitting on store shelves are safe for their children.\n\nI’m not here to obstruct the Senate for the sake of obstruction.\n\nI’m here because I have a duty to the millions of parents in North Carolina who sent me to Washington to be their voice and, above all, to protect their children. To every parent in North Carolina: I hear you, I stand with you, and you have my word—I will not back down. And I’m not going to stop fighting until we get this right.\n\nThis is a public health crisis that deserves this Senate’s immediate attention. Our children should never be the testing ground for an industry willing to exploit a loophole in federal law for profit.\n\nWe must strip this amendment from the continuing resolution and regulate these harmful substances for what they are—not what the industry wants to call them. If a substance causes intoxication like marijuana, it should be regulated as such—not given a free pass as “hemp.” There is no loophole worth putting a child’s well-being at risk.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-thanks-firefighters-calls-for-continued-federal-support-after-pnw-wildfires-briefing-from-cabinet-secretaries", "title": "Cantwell Thanks Firefighters, Calls for Continued Federal Support After PNW Wildfires Briefing from Cabinet Secretaries", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cantwell.senate.gov", "scraper": "cantwell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000127", "name": "Maria Cantwell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Cantwell Thanks Firefighters, Calls for Continued Federal Support After PNW Wildfires Briefing from Cabinet Secretaries\n\nSen. Cantwell: “The Northwest will continue to benefit from air assets, and I hope that more of them can be deployed.”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, received a briefing on Pacific Northwest wildfires from Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, U.S. Wildland Fire Service Director Brian Fennessy, and U.S. Forest Service officials. After the briefing, Sen. Cantwell released the following statement.\n\n“Today Interior Sec. Burgum, Agriculture Sec. Rollins, DOI Wildland Fire Service Director Brian Fennessy, and USFS officials briefed Senators on keeping assets in the Northwest as we are at a Preparedness Level 5, an extreme wildfire designation. We are still at the highest risk in the nation and appreciate being the highest resourced,” said Sen. Cantwell.\n\n“The Northwest will continue to benefit from air assets, and I hope that more of them can be deployed throughout the region, as smoke allows, to help Spokane, Okanogan and all Northeast Washington counties, the Spokane and Colville Tribes, and especially Chelan area communities impacted by the Little Giant Fire,” Sen. Cantwell continued. “Thank you to all the firefighters and first responders who are helping us fight these historic Northwest fires.”\n\nOn Tuesday, Sen. Cantwell called for improved wildfire preparedness in a U.S. Senate roundtable with Chief Bob Roper of the Western Chiefs Fire Association and other experts. “We just have to move faster,” said Sen. Cantwell. “My heart goes out to the people of Washington who are dealing with this across our state, particularly in Spokane, and in the Lake Chelan area as well.”\n\nOn Sunday, Sen. Cantwell visited county and city command centers in Spokane and took part in a press briefing about the devastating fires there.\n\nIn September 2025, Sen. Cantwell’s Fire Ready Nation Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously. The bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act would formally establish a permanent Fire Weather Services program within NOAA and authorize funding for new technologies to forecast weather conditions that cause and impact wildfires.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/capito-justice-introduce-bill-to-streamline-enrollment-in-trump-accounts", "title": "Capito, Justice Introduce Bill to Streamline Enrollment in Trump Accounts", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.capito.senate.gov", "scraper": "capito", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001047", "name": "Shelley Moore Capito", "party": "Republican", "state": "WV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) introduced legislation that would provide families with enrollment information to establish Trump Accounts for eligible newborns while still at the hospital. Specifically, the bill would amend the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Enumeration at Birth (EAB) program to provide for the creation of a Trump Account when a child's birth is registered, streamlining enrollment and increasing access the program.\n\n“Trump accounts are an innovative way to provide financial backing for all American newborns, and this legislation makes it easier for West Virginia families to access that opportunity,” Senator Capito said. “By providing for the establishment of Trump Accounts through the Social Security Administration's existing birth registration process, we are cutting red tape and ensuring our children can benefit from this program from day one. I'm proud to work to streamline enrollment and help more families invest in their children's futures.”\n\n“I've always believed that when we invest in our kids, we're investing in the future of this great country. The Trump Accounts do just that by giving eligible children a $1,000 head start. That's the kind of common-sense idea that helps hardworking families and gives the next generation a better chance to chase their dreams,” Senator Justice said.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nOn July 3, 2026, the SSA announced that it would be launching a new program for parents to enroll newborns in Trump Accounts. This legislation works in tandem with this effort by amending the EAB program to include enrollment information for the creation of a Trump Account.\n\nThe EAB program currently allows parents to request a Social Security number for their newborn while still in the hospital. Participating hospitals electronically transmit birth registration information to the SSA, eliminating the need for separate paper applications or visits to a local Social Security office.\n\nNearly 99% of parents already use the EAB process, and the inclusion of Trump Account enrollment information makes it an efficient and convenient way to facilitate registration.\n\nSenator Capito has long supported the creation of Trump Accounts, calling them a \"once in a lifetime opportunity\" for American families to build financial security. More information on Trump Accounts can be found here and full text of the legislation can be found here.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/video-capito-votes-to-advance-the-kids-online-safety-act-from-commerce-committee", "title": "VIDEO: Capito Votes to Advance the Kids Online Safety Act from Commerce Committee", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.capito.senate.gov", "scraper": "capito", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001047", "name": "Shelley Moore Capito", "party": "Republican", "state": "WV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "To watch Senator Capito's remarks, click here or the image above.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted to advance the Kids Online Safety Act, legislation that Senator Capito helped introduce to protect children from online dangers associated with social media and provide guardrails to better ensure their safety. Prior to Senator Capito’s remarks, this legislation passed the Commerce Committee unanimously and will now head to the Senate Floor.\n\nHIGHLIGHTS:\n\nIMPORTANCE OF SAFETY: “We've had a lot of hearings on the addictive nature and how things creep into your feed, and what the schools are doing. So, this is really, probably, I think the most important part is safety.”\n\nNEED FOR GUARDRAILS: “We need to have these guardrails to protect them and shield them. You know, if the pushback is ‘we can't do it,’ or ‘it's too complicated’ from the online folks, quite honestly, we don't believe you. We don't believe that, and I think our overwhelming vote today shows that.”\n\nACTION BY CONGRESS NEEDED: “We can better safeguard our youth and filter out violent, sexual, and deceptive content that they may encounter. As technology and access to materials continues to evolve, this bill will help Congress stay up to date. That's another problem. Everything changes so rapidly and so quickly that the emerging risks are very difficult to see.”\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nThe Kids Online Safety Act provides children and their parents with the tool’s safeguards, and transparency they to protect against online harms. The bill requires social media platforms to put the well-being of children first, ensuring an environment that is safe by default. This legislation requires that platforms:\n\nCannot use kids’ data without consent\n\nMust have addictive features disables by default for kids\n\nCombats and prevents harmful advertising to minors\n\nMust be transparent in the ways they are combatting harm\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-durbin-deliver-joint-speech-urging-senate-to-take-action-before-social-security-becomes-insolvent/", "title": "CASSIDY, DURBIN DELIVER JOINT SPEECH URGING SENATE TO TAKE ACTION BEFORE SOCIAL SECURITY BECOMES INSOLVENT", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.cassidy.senate.gov", "scraper": "cassidy", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001075", "name": "Bill Cassidy", "party": "Republican", "state": "LA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a joint speech on the U.S. Senate floor emphasizing the dire need for congressional action to address Social Security’s looming insolvency. The Social Security trust fund is expected to become insolvent in 2032, resulting in an automatic reduction in benefits for millions of Americans. The Senators have introduced the bipartisan Protecting Retirement Opportunities and Maintaining Income Security for Everyone (PROMISE) Act, legislation that would establish a bipartisan process to address Social Security’s looming insolvency. The legislation merely sets up a process for Congress to consider debating proposals.\n\n“Mr. President, people won’t even set up a process! We’re not talking about a solution. We’re talking about a process that would come to a solution!…It is important for our country that Congress tackle this issue. And when I say our country, I mean the people who live here, whether they are older or whether they are younger; they’re relying upon Congress to step up to its responsibility,” said Dr. Cassidy.\n\n“So, to my colleagues who oppose this approach, who say we need more time to do it, I want to back up Senator Cassidy. It costs money over time. It costs benefits over time. The solution becomes more expensive over time. The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes to save Social Security. And we absolutely, positively have to save it,” said Senator Durbin.\n\nRemarks as delivered below:\n\nCASSIDY: Mr. President,\n\nWe have been trying to set up a process, a process whereby Congress would consider a solution.\n\nNot prescribe a solution, consider a solution for Social Security. A process that would have members of the House and members of the Senate come together fully open for input from stakeholders, from citizens, to have something to present.\n\nAmong all the proposals that are out there, two proposals, three proposals, and whatever we put up would not be the final solution, necessarily.\n\nIt could be replaced by any other member of the Senate with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.\n\nAnd, Mr. President, people won’t even set up a process! We’re not talking about a solution. We’re talking about a process that would come to a solution, maybe, that still has to get 60 votes in the United States Senate.\n\nFolks say, “We need more time.”\n\nDick Durbin just chuckled. He goes, “They’ve had 44 years. They’ve had 44 years, how much more time do they need?”\n\nI’ve got a couple cartoons just to make the case. I think that if we don’t set up this process, Congress will be kicking granny off the cliff.\n\nThat was made famous long ago. There it is.\n\nShe earned it.\n\nShe deserves it.\n\nShe counts on it.\n\nAnd Congress will not set up a process by which to address the issue.\n\n75 million retirees, widows, widowers, others rely on Social.\n\nIn 6 years, the program, the trust fund goes insolvent.\n\nAnd when that happens, according to the actuaries, there will be either an almost 29% benefit reduction or a 40% increase in payroll taxes on working Americans.\n\nIf that trust fund goes insolvent, and that benefit is cut 28.5% as the actuaries say it will, the rate of poverty among Americans over age 65 will increase by 50%.\n\nBy 50%.\n\nSo here’s another cartoon.\n\nCongress made a promise, and some people want to ignore it.\n\nShe paid in, she earned it, she relies on it. But…if you ask, “Should we do something about Social?” Apparently, for some people, the time to do something on Social is never.\n\nDon’t disturb Congress.\n\nThey don’t want to take a tough vote, even if that vote only sets up a process.\n\nDoesn’t even propose a solution. A process whereby Congress is required to fix the issue.\n\nBy the way, Social has always been important. It’s even more important now that Americans are living longer.\n\nAnd every year we delay to fixing it, fixing Social, the amount of cuts required to balance it increase. The amount of taxes required to fix it increase. The amount of money we have to borrow to fix it increases.\n\nThere is no good thing about waiting, except that it allows Congress to dodge its responsibility.\n\nI want to compliment my colleague from Illinois. He came up to me and goes, “Bill, I’m leaving the Senate. We need to make a run.”\n\nBut, by the way, we have a solution, but we’re not saying it has to be our solution.\n\nAll we’re trying to do is set up a process by which solutions can be considered.\n\nAnd running out the clock, it may be politically convenient, but it is the wrong thing to do. Congress’s obligation to the American people, to the people that rely upon Social Security, is to act and is to act now.\n\nI have another cartoon here just to make the point.\n\nIt’s not just older people affected; it is younger people.\n\nSorry, young folks, you’re getting left behind. Because some say it’s not our problem.\n\nThe Social Security system is going insolvent, and these folks can pay into it, they’ll never receive a benefit.\n\nThese young Pages here, they don’t recognize it yet, but they’re contributing every month on the wages they’re getting to a system that will not be there for them unless we do something now.\n\nSo, before I defer to my colleague, I’ll say once more: all we’re doing is setting up a process to propose solutions that may or may not pass, that any Senator can bring their own bill and have it as an amendment in the nature of a substitute.\n\nAnd it’s up to Congress to find a solution.\n\nNow, history will decide whether Congress took up the responsibility of addressing the issue or whether because it was politically advantageous, politically expedient, to kick the can down the road once more, even though the road’s about to end in a dead end.\n\nOr, in the case of one of our cartoons, with the cliff here, they built a bridge and decided not to finish it.\n\nHere, the folks who need to get across the bridge of Social Security will get to it someday.\n\nWe’ve got to get to it now.\n\nThat’s the point, Mr. President.\n\nLet’s set up a process to be considered.\n\nWe’re talking about the PROMISE Act, which is a Dick Durbin, lead author, Bill Cassidy bill.\n\nNow, there may be another way, but let’s set up the process.\n\nWith that, I defer to my colleague.\n\nDURBIN: Mr. President,\n\nWhat a treat it is to be on the floor of the Senate with a colleague on the Republican side of the aisle, working together, to try to solve a problem.\n\nIt doesn’t happen much around here. You see these empty desks?\n\nThey’re empty almost all the days, week in, week out, month in, month out.\n\nWe do important things like nominations. There’s nothing that’s trivial about that.\n\nBut we don’t tackle the issues that really affect the people at home with their families.\n\nHere’s one: Social Security.\n\n75 million Americans rely on it.\n\nHalf of them, it’s their only source of income. So, a Social Security check means a lot.\n\nSo, the experts on Social Security tell Dr. Cassidy and myself that just in a few years, six years, Social Security will be unable to make full promise payments. It’ll be cut by 22% in terms of benefits.\n\nLet’s take one example.\n\nThe average Social Security check now is around $2,400 a month. If you reduce that by 22%, it means that people receiving Social Security will receive about $450 to $500 less a month. If that is your only source of income, imagine for a moment that $2,400 just lopped off from the monthly payment.\n\nHow does if affect you? Paying your rent, paying your mortgage, paying your utility bills, paying what it might take at a grocery store to get by.\n\nIt’s going to be a real hardship, as Senator Cassidy said.\n\nFor the citizens of America, it means that those under the poverty level will increase by 50%.\n\nWe can’t let that happen.\n\nWe have to do something about it.\n\nAnd the bill that I’ve introduced with Senator Cassidy basically doesn’t pick a solution, although we can come up with a couple. It doesn’t pick a solution. It just says, don’t waste any time.\n\nStart talking about it.\n\nStart debating it.\n\nLet the American people engage in this conversation with you and vote on some alternatives. Now, vote is a word that used to be part of being a senator.\n\nNot so much anymore. Except when it comes to nominations, there aren’t a lot of votes on substantive issues around this chamber. I know a little bit about this.\n\nI’ve given more than half of my life to Congress. 14 years in the House, 30 years in the Senate.\n\nI know what you’re saying. Sounds like a career politician.\n\nWell, maybe I am. And proud of it.\n\nAnd particularly proud of serving in this chamber. I’ve seen some glorious things happen in this chamber on a bipartisan basis.\n\nBut it takes a couple senators, maybe more, to stand up and say, “We’ve got to do something that’s risky and controversial, but important.”\n\nThis is not the first time I faced Social Security. When I was a member of the House, elected in ’82, came to serve in ’83, I was told that in a matter of months, Social Security would run out of money.\n\nImagine that.\n\nYou’re a brand-new member of Congress, scared to death you won’t be reelected, and they tell you you’ve got to make a big change in the biggest social program in America.\n\nScares you to death.\n\nBut you know what? We did it. Our goal was simple.\n\n50 years of solvency in Social Security.\n\nCan we change Social Security and guarantee 50 years of solvency? We made a lot of changes.\n\nAnd you know what we got for it? 2032.\n\n1983 to 2032, we kept our word. 50 years. It’s not too much to ask this Congress to fix Social Security and keep it solvent for 50 years.\n\nWe can do it. The longer we wait to do it, the more difficult it becomes.\n\nI look back on voting for that, and I thought it was the end of my political career, which was only a few months old.\n\nBut it turned out no member of Congress, Democrat or Republican, in 1983 and ’84 lost an election because they voted for Social Security changes.\n\nThe American people expect us to make the best choices we can. And they accepted what we did, and we bout 50 years of solvency.\n\nThat’s an amazing thing when you consider how important this program is.\n\nAnd so, what Senator Cassidy and I have suggested is a process which basically says we won’t go by the Senate rules.\n\nI might add, I was going to show it, but I think it violates the Senate rules.\n\nThe Senate is a chamber of tradition.\n\nDown here, a few of you can see it, is a brass spittoon. A brass spittoon.\n\nIt’s been held onto as part of the tradition of the Senate.\n\nWell, we have traditions in the rules that make things almost impossible to pass except after a long period of time. Weeks go by sometimes. Days certainly go by. Trying to get a measure on the floor to an actual vote.\n\nThe Senate rules are not kindly. They’re tough.\n\nSo, the bill that I introduced basically cuts through some of this red tape of delay and says we’ll move after several weeks to consider alternative Social Security.\n\nThe bottom line is it isn’t enough to get a majority in the Senate under the current rules, and it isn’t changed at all under our proposal.\n\nYou still need 60 votes to ultimately pass any change in Social Security.\n\nWell, Democrats don’t have 60 votes.\n\nRepublicans don’t have 60 votes, but together we think we can reach that goal.\n\nNow, I’ve been a little disappointed but not surprised that some of my colleagues that I’ve talked to about this said they thought it was a good idea, but on reflection they’ve decided it’s too risky, that we’re moving things too fast.\n\nThe Senate’s never been accused successfully of moving too fast on almost anything.\n\nWe take our time. That’s why we’re here.\n\nThe Senate is different than the House, and I served in both and respect both.\n\nSo, to my colleagues who oppose this approach, who say we need more time to do it, I want to back up Senator Cassidy.\n\nIt costs money over time.\n\nIt costs benefits over time.\n\nThe solution becomes more expensive over time. The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes to save Social Security. And we absolutely, positively have to save it.\n\nToo many people are counting on it.\n\nI’ll bet you the folks who gather here today have many relatives of their own who count on Social Security, either because they’re disabled or elderly.\n\nI understand that in my own family.\n\nI think everybody does.\n\nSo, it is a great day in the Senate when a Democrat and a Republican stand on the floor and don’t criticize one another, but actually talk about working together.\n\nIt’s been a real pleasure for me, I’d say to Senator Cassidy, to be part of the Cassidy–Durbin Team.\n\nWe’re both ending our Senate careers on January 3rd of next year. We hoped that this would be one of the things we could achieve before we left.\n\nI’m still not giving up completely.\n\nMiracles do occur.\n\nBut I had to step up and make a proposal with Senator Cassidy to get my colleagues in conversation.\n\nThe conversation about Social Security has increased dramatically since we started this effort.\n\nAnd I think it should.\n\nThe sooner, the better.\n\nThe more expensive it becomes the longer we wait.\n\nAnd I yield back to Senator Cassidy.\n\nCASSIDY: Thank you, Senator Durbin.\n\nAnd Senator Durbin is referring to what is called the PROMISE Act.\n\nAgain, it is a bill which sets up a process to come to a solution. It doesn’t dictate what the solution is.\n\nWe have colleagues who are objecting to coming up with a process.\n\nAnd so, it is important for our country that Congress tackle this issue. And when I say our country, I mean the people who live here, whether they are older or whether they are younger, they’re relying upon Congress to step up to its responsibility.\n\nThank you, Senator Durbin. We’ll continue to push on this.\n\nIt is important for our Congress, important for our country, important for our people.\n\nWith that, I yield.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-coons-young-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-invest-in-startups-and-entrepreneurs-across-the-country/", "title": "Senators Coons, Young introduce bipartisan legislation to invest in startups and entrepreneurs across the country", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.coons.senate.gov", "scraper": "coons", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001088", "name": "Christopher A. Coons", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced the Build to Scale Reauthorization Act of 2026, which would reauthorize the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Build to Scale program through fiscal year 2030.\n\n“Delaware is a state built on innovation. We know what it takes to turn a good idea into a thriving business: support, investment, and expertise,” said Senator Coons. “This bipartisan bill brings those needed pieces to startups and entrepreneurs across the country, so Americans can continue to reach for their dreams, create jobs, and grow our economy.”\n\n“America’s long-term economic strength depends on our ability to turn innovation into opportunity,” said Senator Young. “The Build to Scale program helps entrepreneurs, universities, investors, and local organizations work together to develop new technologies, launch businesses, and create good-paying jobs. This legislation will ensure Hoosier innovators and communities across the country have the tools they need to compete in the industries of the future.”\n\nSince 2014, the Build to Scale program has strengthened regional innovation ecosystems by supporting entrepreneurs, technology startups, and organizations that connect startups with the capital, infrastructure, and expertise needed to grow. The program has awarded more than $272 million to 426 projects across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, helping support more than 58,600 jobs and 6,200 startups.\n\nBuild to Scale funding is essential to Delaware’s innovation economy. The Delaware Innovation Space (DISI) has received $2.25 million in funds through this program to advance Delaware entrepreneurs’ access to state-of-the-art laboratory spaces. Reauthorizing funding for the Build to Scale programs would mean supporting Delawarean entrepreneurs and innovation.\n\nThe Build to Scale Reauthorization Act of 2026 would:\n\nReauthorize the Build to Scale program through FY2030 at $50 million annually\n\nExpand access to capital for entrepreneurs and technology startups seeking to commercialize new ideas and products\n\nIncrease outreach to rural, trade-impacted, and economically distressed communities to reduce barriers to participation\n\nAuthorize cost-share waivers for certain economically distressed communities to reduce barriers to participation\n\nStrengthen coordination among the Economic Development Administration, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and related federal innovation initiatives\n\nRequire the Department of Commerce to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity within 90 days of enactment to help accelerate grant availability\n\nThe Build to Scale Reauthorization Act of 2026 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in May by Representatives Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Jim Baird (R-Ind.).\n\nThis bill is supported by the Delaware Innovation Space and the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP).\n\n“EDA’s Build to Scale program has played an instrumental role in strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem for scalable, science-based startups,” said William D. Provine, Ph.D., president & CEO of the Delaware Innovation Space. “Its support has helped us build more commercially viable companies that have crossed the ‘valley of death’ between scientific discovery and successful commercialization. In 2025, The Innovation Space and the companies we support generated an estimated $704 million in economic output and supported nearly 2,500 jobs across the United States. Reauthorizing Build to Scale will help more promising science-based companies reach the market, grow, and contribute to America’s economic competitiveness.”\n\n“Delaware Prosperity Partnership strongly supports the reauthorization of the Build to Scale (B2S) Program. This legislation is an opportunity to strengthen Delaware’s innovation economy by accelerating the commercialization of emerging technologies, expanding access to entrepreneurial resources, and fostering strategic partnerships among industry, academia, local accelerators, and government. With past EDA Build to Scale funding, The Delaware Innovation Space in Wilmington has been able to expand its support of regional and national science and technology startups and early-stage companies. Future B2S investment could enhance the state’s capacity to grow and attract scalable startups, create quality jobs, increase access to capital, and reinforce Delaware’s position as a cradle of innovation,” says Becky Harrington, DPP’s interim president and CEO.\n\nFurther endorsements of the Build to Scale Reauthorization Act of 2026 include: SSTI, the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), Cornell University, Georgetown University’s Office of Technology Commercialization, the Center on Rural Innovation, US Ignite, Launch Tennessee, JumpStart Inc., Rev1 Ventures, Arch Grants, mHUB, BioSTL, the Maryland Clean Energy Center, the Washington Technology Industry Association, and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-schiff-blumenthal-fight-presidential-abuse-of-pardon-powers/", "title": "Cortez Masto, Schiff, Blumenthal Fight Presidential Abuse of Pardon Powers", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cortezmasto.senate.gov", "scraper": "cortezmasto", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001113", "name": "Catherine Cortez Masto", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act to ensure transparency and accountability in the pardon process in cases involving investigations of the President, his relatives, and his political appointees. This legislation also makes clear that abuse of the pardon power can constitute a bribe, and that presidents cannot pardon themselves.\n\nThroughout his second term, President Trump has consistently abused the pardon power to benefit his allies, including in cases where he himself is directly implicated. Upon assuming office in 2025, President Donald Trump issued a blanket pardon for all individuals charged or convicted in connection to the January 6th insurrection. In March of 2025, President Trump pardoned Trevor Milton, a tech executive convicted of defrauding investors, after Milton poured nearly $2 million into pro-Trump political committees during the 2024 presidential campaign.\n\n“Time and time again, Donald Trump has proven he is only interested in using his power to benefit himself,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “His abuse of the presidential pardon power to inflame lies about the 2020 election, obstruct investigations into his own misconduct, and enrich himself is unacceptable. I will continue to fight to bring the pardon process out of the dark and ensure no President can hide these corrupt abuses of power.”\n\n“President Trump’s misuse of the clemency power, including explicit threats to pardon himself of all accountability, is corrupt and dangerous. This legislation, which is included in my Protecting Our Democracy Act package, is designed to deter these type of abuses, and creates a powerful check that is much needed under this administration,” said Senator Schiff.\n\n“President Trump’s pay-to-play pardon scheme rewards political allies and sells out justice to the highest bidder. When convicted criminals can escape punishment for the right price or by hiring the right people, it corrupts the justice system for everyone. And President Trump’s pardons have cost taxpayers and crime victims billions in forfeited restitution and put child predators back into our communities. Basic transparency and accountability are imperative,” said Senator Blumenthal.\n\nIn the event a President pardons someone in connection with an investigation in which the President, a family member, or one of his political appointees is a target or subject, the Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide all records of said investigation to Congress and the DOJ Inspector General. The bill would also require the recipient of a pardon to file a financial disclosure report if they give a gift or donation to the President before or after they are pardoned. These mandatory disclosure requirements would create a powerful disincentive for any president who wishes to use the pardon power to obstruct an ongoing investigation.\n\nRead the full bill here. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) is a cosponsor of the Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act.\n\nSenator Catherine Cortez Masto has consistently pushed back against Trump’s abuses of power throughout his second term. Cortez Masto recently joined Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Congressman Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25) in introducing the No Payoffs for Pardons Act to strengthen transparency and accountability in the presidential clemency process. This legislation would require individuals who receive pardons to disclose any significant financial gifts made in connection with their clemency, both at the time it is granted and for four years afterward. It also confirms federal bribery laws apply to the President and Vice President.\n\nEarlier this year, Cortez Masto demanded the United States Postal Service abandon its proposed rule to implement President Trump’s executive order restricting voting by mail. Senators Cortez Masto and Kaine (D-Va.) forced a vote on requiring the Trump Administration to detail Honduras’s human rights violations under former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who President Trump gave a “full and complete pardon” in December of 2025. The Senator has consistently fought for guardrails on ICE and Border Patrol’s abuses of power.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-to-bessent-protect-critical-infrastructure-from-cyberattacks", "title": "Cotton to Bessent: Protect Critical Infrastructure from Cyberattacks", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cotton.senate.gov", "scraper": "cotton", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001095", "name": "Tom Cotton", "party": "Republican", "state": "AR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Tatum Wallace or Hannah McCarthy\n\nAugust 5, 2026\n\nCotton to Bessent: Protect Critical Infrastructure from Cyberattacks\n\nWASHINGTON — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asking him to ensure federal tax guidance encourages investment in and modernization of American operational technology, which is the hardware and software that controls critical infrastructure. This technology is underfunded and outdated, leaving vital infrastructure like water systems, power facilities, and industrial plants, particularly in rural states like Arkansas, vulnerable to cyberattacks by our adversaries.\n\nIn part, Senator Cotton wrote:\n\n“Attacks on civilian infrastructure have become a routine instrument of modern warfare, and American operational technology is a target. I write concerning federal tax guidance that discourages the investment needed to defend it.\n\nOperational technology is the hardware and software that directly controls physical systems, including the sensors that regulate the chemical mix safeguarding our drinking water and the controllers running a turbine or a processing line. These controllers were invented in the 1960s and still rely on protocols designed for isolated plants, not for today’s interconnected environment.”\n\nFull text of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nAugust 05, 2026\n\nThe Honorable Scott Bessent\n\nSecretary\n\nU.S. Department of the Treasury\n\n1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20220\n\nDear Secretary Bessent:\n\nAttacks on civilian infrastructure have become a routine instrument of modern warfare, and American operational technology is a target. I write concerning federal tax guidance that discourages the investment needed to defend it.\n\nOperational technology is the hardware and software that directly controls physical systems, including the sensors that regulate the chemical mix safeguarding our drinking water and the controllers running a turbine or a processing line. These controllers were invented in the 1960s and still rely on protocols designed for isolated plants, not for today’s interconnected environment.\n\nThe United States is already under attack. Chinese state-sponsored hackers spent nearly a year inside a New England utility and obtained its operational technology procedures and grid layout data. In April 2026, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency confirmed that Iranian actors exploited programmable logic controllers across American critical infrastructure. Most recently, a coordinated cyberattack disrupted operational technology at more than 30 community water systems in Minnesota. Preliminary assessments point to Iranian-linked hackers.\n\nThose who carry the greatest risk are least able to manage it. Arkansas has roughly 670 community water systems primarily serving small rural populations. Most cannot employ even one security engineer. With your assistance, we can make better use of existing incentives in the tax code that will strengthen our critical infrastructure. I therefore request the Department:\n\nConfirm that developing security software for industrial control systems qualifies as research under section 41. A company writing code to detect an intruder inside a water plant's controls is doing research in the ordinary sense of the word. The tax code rewards research, but it is unclear whether this research qualifies, which discourages the necessary investments in operational technology security.\n\nEstablish a safe harbor for cybersecurity service agreements with publicly owned utilities under section 7701(e). Small public systems cannot hire their own security staff and must contract with outside firms. Under current rules, these contracts can be treated as equipment leases, forcing the vendor's equipment onto a fifty-year write-off, which pushes vendors away from servicing rural areas. The Department can end this uncertainty by clarifying that cybersecurity monitoring contracts with public utilities are treated as services, not long-term equipment leases.\n\nExtend the existing utility exception in Treasury Regulation §1.168(k)-2(b)(2)(ii)(F) to service providers as well as lessors. The current exception protects a company that leases security equipment to a utility, but a company that retains ownership and sells monitoring services receives no such protection, even though the work is essentially identical. The distinction steers small systems away from these arrangements.\n\nI look forward to working with you on this matter and stand ready to discuss further.\n\nSincerely,\n\nTom Cotton\n\nUnited States Senator\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-cramer-epa-awards-14-million-to-the-north-dakota-department-of-environmental-quality", "title": "Sen. Cramer: EPA Awards $1.4 Million to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cramer.senate.gov", "scraper": "cramer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001096", "name": "Kevin Cramer", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an award of $1,407,000 for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. The funds will support municipalities in North Dakota with the planning, design, and construction of water quality improvement and protection projects.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-cramer-us-department-of-health-and-human-services-awards-1-million-to-und", "title": "Sen. Cramer: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Awards $1 Million to UND", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cramer.senate.gov", "scraper": "cramer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001096", "name": "Kevin Cramer", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the award of $1,057,500 to the University of North Dakota (UND). The award, which will be distributed through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, supports biomedical research and training at the university.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-calls-for-improvements-to-h-2a-guest-worker-program", "title": "Crapo Calls for Improvements to H-2A Guest Worker Program", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "domain": "www.crapo.senate.gov", "scraper": "crapo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000880", "name": "Mike Crapo", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined a bicameral group of lawmakers in urging the federal agencies responsible for administering the H-2A agricultural guest worker program to make changes to improve its effectiveness.\n\nIn a letter to the secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL), State (DOS) and Homeland Security (DHS), Crapo joined five additional Senators and 12 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives to outline specific administrative steps the agencies should take to address processing delays, regulatory gaps and structural barriers that place added strain on American agricultural, dairy and livestock producers already facing a difficult economic environment.\n\n“The H-2A program is indispensable to agriculture across the United States, from specialty crop operations to livestock and dairy producers. However, H-2A regulations have failed to adapt to the continually growing demand for these visas. Processing delays, regulatory imbalances and broader immigration challenges threaten this program’s effectiveness throughout the country – all at a time when our nation’s agricultural producers are facing significant economic hardship,” the lawmakers wrote.\n\n“We cannot stress enough how important it is for the relevant federal agencies to consider changes to the H-2A program to better support our nation’s agricultural industry – the men and women who feed and clothe us,” they added.\n\nIn addition to Crapo, the letter was led by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi) and also signed by Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-Louisiana), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina); House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pennsylvania); and U.S. Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-Washington), Austin Scott (R-Georgia), Jeff Van Drew (R-New Jersey), Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisconsin), Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas), María Elvira Salazar (R-Florida), Mike Ezell (R-Mississippi), David Valadao (R-California), Juan Ciscomani (R-Arizona), Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana) and Richard McCormick (R-Georgia).\n\nThe letter recommends several administrative actions to address key concerns, including:\n\nExtending H-2A eligibility to year-round livestock, dairy, poultry and swine operations, which currently cannot access the program despite qualifying as agricultural labor under the Immigration and Nationality Act.\n\nExtending the H-2A filing window from 60-75 days to 120 days prior to a worker’s start date, contingent on the Department of State and DHS making corresponding adjustments to their own processing timelines.\n\nEstablishing an expedited processing track at the Department of State for employers and workers with a demonstrated record of reliability.\n\nThe effort is endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Council of Agricultural Employers, National Milk Producers Federation, AmericanHort, American Soybean Association, American Sugar Cane League, National Cotton Council, USA Rice, Western Growers, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, International Fresh Produce Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, U.S. Rice Producers Association, National Pork Producers Council, Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, National Pecan Federation, National Peach Council, Southwest Council of Agribusiness, Vidalia Onion Business Council, MBG Marketing, National Watermelon Association, American Sheep Industry Association, South East Dairy Farmers Association, and Cotton Warehouse Association of America.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-at-hearing-on-process-approaches-for-addressing-social-security-solvency", "title": "Crapo Statement at Hearing on Process Approaches for Addressing Social Security Solvency", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "domain": "www.crapo.senate.gov", "scraper": "crapo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000880", "name": "Mike Crapo", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) delivered the following remarks at a hearing on process approaches for addressing Social Security solvency.\n\nAs prepared for delivery:\n\n“Social Security provides critical benefits to millions of seniors, individuals with disabilities and their families.\n\n“For many Americans, it is the cornerstone of retirement security. It also provides vital support to workers who can no longer earn a living due to a severe injury or illness, and to families who have lost a loved one.\n\n“For decades, the Social Security Board of Trustees has recommended that Congress act quickly to address the program’s long-term financial challenges. According to the Trustees’ latest projections, the Old-Age and Survivor’s Insurance Trust Fund will be exhausted in late 2032. If Congress fails to act before then, incoming program revenues will be sufficient to pay only 78 percent of promised benefits.\n\n“Congress has a responsibility to protect and strengthen Social Security for current beneficiaries and future generations. The longer we wait, the more difficult this challenge will become.\n\n“The last comprehensive effort to improve Social Security’s solvency took place over 40 years ago and culminated in the Social Security Amendments of 1983. Those reforms were preceded by high-level bipartisan negotiations, informed and facilitated by the work of the National Commission on Social Security Reform, or what was known as the ‘Greenspan Commission.’ That process demonstrated the value of creating a forum where policymakers could work through difficult issues and build consensus on a bipartisan basis.\n\n“More than two decades later, I participated in another bipartisan effort to develop recommendations to address our nation’s long-term fiscal challenges, along with Senator Dick Durbin, the Democratic co-author of one of the process bills that will be discussed today. As part of its work, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, often referred to as the Bowles Simpson Commission, developed a bipartisan Social Security solvency plan. While the Commission’s recommendations ultimately did not receive the support necessary to move forward, its work has informed subsequent Social Security solvency discussions.\n\n“As Social Security approaches a pivotal moment, Members of Congress have proposed a variety of process reforms designed to facilitate bipartisan discussions and help develop lasting solutions. Today's hearing will examine those approaches and consider what lessons can be drawn from past efforts.\n\n“I want to thank our witnesses for being here today and I look forward to your testimony.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-wyden-reaffirm-commitment-to-extending-advanced-manufacturing-investment-credit", "title": "Crapo, Wyden Reaffirm Commitment to Extending Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "domain": "www.crapo.senate.gov", "scraper": "crapo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000880", "name": "Mike Crapo", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) today reaffirmed their bipartisan commitment to extending the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (CHIPS ITC), citing the tax credit’s role in strengthening domestic semiconductor manufacturing, creating jobs and advancing U.S. national security.\n\n“The Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit is a critical tool for strengthening domestic semiconductor supply chains, creating good-paying jobs and advancing our national security interests,” said Crapo and Wyden. “Since its enactment in 2022, the tax credit has spurred significant investments across the United States, including in Idaho and Oregon. As Chairman and Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, we are committed to working with our colleagues in the House and Senate to extend this vital incentive and ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing.”\n\nBackground\n\nThe Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit was created by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and is based on Crapo and Wyden’s Facilitating American-Built Semiconductors Act, introduced in 2021. Absent congressional action, the CHIPS ITC will not apply to property the construction of which begins after December 31, 2026. This would increase the cost of manufacturing semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the United States, making it harder for America to compete for private investment, manufacturing jobs and critical chip production.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-delivers-opening-remarks-on-muslim-brotherhood-threat", "title": "Sen. Cruz Delivers Opening Remarks on Muslim Brotherhood Threat", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.cruz.senate.gov", "scraper": "cruz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001098", "name": "Ted Cruz", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, chaired a hearing titled Hidden in Plain Sight: Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America. The hearing examined the Muslim Brotherhood’s efforts to seize influence inside American nonprofits, political organizations, universities, courts, taxpayer-funded programs, and other American institutions. Witnesses described the network as linking to additional organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations.\n\nClick here or on the image above to watch Sen. Cruz’s opening remarks.\n\nPlease see below for excerpts and highlights from Sen. Cruz’s opening remarks as delivered:\n\n“This hearing is focused on Hidden in Plain Sight: Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America. The present members of this subcommittee will look at two questions: first, how the Muslim Brotherhood built its network in America, and second, what that network looks like today. History has taught Americans the danger of dismissing determined jihadist movements because their ambitions seem too extreme to be real.\n\n“The Holy Land Foundation trial produced an extraordinary body of evidence: wiretaps, internal memos, organizational charts, meeting transcripts, laying bare the Brotherhood's sprawling American infrastructure. Most importantly, prosecutors identified what they alleged was a broader network of organizations operating within the United States. That list included the Islamic Society of North America, the North American Islamic Trust, and most notably, the Council on American Islamic Relations.\n\n“The events we witnessed on college campuses after October 7 did not emerge from nowhere. They were not spontaneous. They were not organic. They were the product of an organized network that has spent decades building influence inside the United States. Just look at this dais. My Democrat colleagues have chosen not to participate. That's their right. But an oversight hearing that one of the two major parties refuses even to see is exactly the Outcome: These organizations that we're discussing have spent 40 years working to produce. My promise to the American people is to hold accountable those who finance and support terrorism on American soil, no matter how many tax exemptions, charitable registrations, or civil rights letterheads they hide behind.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/committee-advances-curtis-priorities-to-strengthen-online-safety-for-children", "title": "Committee Advances Curtis Priorities to Strengthen Online Safety for Children", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.curtis.senate.gov", "scraper": "curtis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001114", "name": "John R. Curtis", "party": "Republican", "state": "UT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Video of the Senator’s Committee remarks can be found here, and a transcript is below.\n\nAs we all know, the digital world is changing faster than parents can keep up with it. And our kids are growing up in an online environment that barely existed a few years ago.\n\nMy wife and I raised six children, and we thought it was complicated when we raised them. And now I am expecting my 19th grandchild in a couple of weeks, and I can’t fathom what they have to navigate to get through this environment.\n\nThe bills we advanced today are an important step toward giving families the tools and transparency they need to keep their kids safe.\n\nI want to thank the Chairman, Ranking Member Cantwell, and everyone who worked together in good faith to get us here.\n\nI’m especially proud to be a lead cosponsor of the CHATBOT Act with Chairman Cruz and Senators Schatz and Schiff.\n\nChairman Cruz was collaborative throughout this process and incorporated several ideas Senator Schiff and I advanced in our SAFE KIDS Act.\n\nI’m also proud to partner with Senator Lee on the SCREEN Act and commit to work with him and my other colleagues to advance that to the Senate floor.\n\nWe have to get this right.\n\nThat means protecting children without stifling innovation, empowering parents without leaving them on their own, and writing laws that will still make sense years from now.\n\nBut our work isn’t finished today.\n\nI’m continuing to push to advance bipartisan bills from my colleagues and me to hold platforms accountable for the harm their products create, help users distinguish authentic content from AI slop, and close loopholes that allow youth to access content they shouldn’t see.\n\nParents shouldn’t have to carry this burden alone.\n\nPlatforms have a responsibility, Congress has a responsibility, and we should keep working together to build a safer digital world for our kids.\n\nToday’s votes are meaningful progress, but they’re not the finish line.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Committee passed the Kids Online Safety Act; Youth AI Privacy Act; CHATBOT Act; and Children’s Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026. Included in the CHATBOT Act were several key provisions from Curtis’ bipartisan SAFE KIDS Act, introduced with Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA).\n\nThe provisions adopted from the SAFE KIDS Act include:\n\nRequiring AI chatbots to provide regular, clear disclosures reminding users that they are interacting with artificial intelligence—not a real person;\n\nProhibiting AI chatbot providers from materially assisting a minor in planning or attempting suicide;\n\nProhibiting AI chatbot providers from providing obscene material to minors; and\n\nRequiring AI chatbot providers to notify a parent or guardian, as soon as feasibly possible, if a minor asks about committing suicide, while also directing the minor to external crisis resources.\n\nIn addition, several other priorities championed by Senator Curtis in the SAFE KIDS Act were advanced through Senator Ed Markey (D-MA)’s Youth AI Privacy Act, including:\n\nA prohibition on advertising to children through AI chatbots;\n\nRestrictions preventing companies from processing or transferring children’s data for targeted or behavioral algorithmic purposes; and\n\nWhistleblower protections to encourage employees to report violations and protect those who expose harmful practices.\n\nTogether, these provisions represent significant bipartisan progress toward establishing stronger safeguards for children online, increasing transparency around AI systems, strengthening parental awareness, and protecting young users from harmful or exploitative practices.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.daines.senate.gov/2026/08/05/daines-applauds-court-ruling-to-protect-second-amendment-rights-eliminate-unconstitutional-firearm-registration-requirement/", "title": "Daines Applauds Court Ruling to Protect Second Amendment Rights, Eliminate Unconstitutional Firearm Registration Requirement", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.daines.senate.gov", "scraper": "daines", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000618", "name": "Steve Daines", "party": "Republican", "state": "MT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Daines Led Provision in Working Families Tax Cut to Eliminate NFA Excise Tax\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas that struck down the National Firearm Act’s registration requirements for suppressors, short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), and short-barreled rifles (SBRs).\n\n“Today’s decision is a victory for the Second Amendment. Eliminating the NFA excise tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns was one of my biggest priorities in the Working Families Tax Cuts that President Trump signed into law last year. I’m glad to see the courts strike down the remaining unconstitutional registration requirements and recognize Congress’ intent to fully eliminate these NFA provisions,” said Daines.\n\nBackground:\n\nDaines has been leading efforts to eliminate the NFA’s $200 excise tax since 2024- read the release HERE. In December 2025 Daines led a letter with Representative Andrew Clyde (GA-09) to the U.S. Department of Justice urging them to end their defense of the NFA registration requirements in court- read it HERE.\n\nDaines led the charge to include this provision in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which was signed into law by President Trump in July 2025. Following the bill’s passage, Second Amendment groups sued the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), arguing that federal government lost its constitutional justification for maintaining the NFA registration requirements for suppressors, SBRs, and SBSs after Congress passed Daines’ provision zeroing out the $200 NFA excise tax on those items.\n\nToday’s court decision held that the NFA registration scheme for suppressors, SBSs, and SBRs is unconstitutional as applied to firearms Congress no longer taxes.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.daines.senate.gov/2026/08/05/daines-sheehy-bill-to-support-crow-tribe-and-montana-miners-passes-senate-indian-affairs-committee/", "title": "Daines, Sheehy Bill to Support Crow Tribe and Montana Miners Passes Senate Indian Affairs Committee", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.daines.senate.gov", "scraper": "daines", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000618", "name": "Steve Daines", "party": "Republican", "state": "MT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy today announced their bill, the “Crow Revenue Act,” passed the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. The bill would provide new revenue to the Crow Tribe, ensure the longevity of the Bull Mountains Mine, help fix long-standing inholdings on the Crow Reservation, and increase access to public lands in the Bull Mountains.\n\n“The Crow Revenue Act is a huge win for the Crow Tribe, Roundup and the surrounding communities. This bill helps the Tribe receive new revenue, supports our miners, and keeps the Roundup community’s economy thriving. I’m thrilled to see that it passed committee and is one step closer to becoming law,” said Daines.\n\n“By resolving long-standing mineral ownership issues, the Crow Revenue Act creates a new stable source of revenue for the Crow Tribe, preserves Montana mining jobs, and expands public access to public lands. This legislation is the kind of practical, commonsense approach we need to support local communities, jobs, our economy, and our state’s energy future, and I’m glad to see it move through committee,” said Sheehy.\n\nRead the full bill text HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nDaines first introduced the “Crow Revenue Act” in May 2024- read the release HERE and a one-pager on the bill HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-durbin-join-call-to-stop-red-tape-requirements-in-medicaid", "title": "Duckworth, Durbin Join Call to Stop Red Tape Requirements in Medicaid", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "scraper": "duckworth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000622", "name": "Tammy Duckworth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The entire Senate Democratic Caucus called for withdrawal of CMS rule imposing strict requirements on Americans trying to get and keep Medicaid coverage\n\n[WASHINGTON D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined all members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in calling on the Trump Administration to withdraw a rule to implement work reporting requirements for Medicaid that will take effect at the beginning of 2027.\n\n“We urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans,” the Senators wrote. “States are not prepared to implement the agency’s onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.”\n\nIn the letter, sent to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, the Senators make clear that attempts to implement these requirements will result in high costs and harm to eligible people. The lawmakers also emphasized that the Trump Administration’s definition of medical frailty far exceeds what is outlined in the law itself and creates additional onerous barriers for both patients and states that will result in sick Americans falling through the cracks.\n\nRed tape requirements are an attempt to suffocate the Medicaid program and deny health care to the Americans who count on it. Senate Democrats continue to support the full repeal of Republicans’ disastrous Medicaid cuts and stand united in calling on the Trump Administration to withdraw this harmful rule.\n\nThe text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-led-bipartisan-legislation-to-prevent-youth-suicide-passes-senate", "title": "Duckworth-Led Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Youth Suicide Passes Senate", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "scraper": "duckworth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000622", "name": "Tammy Duckworth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Curtis (R-UT), Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to help prevent youth suicide successfully passed through the Senate. The Senators’ bipartisan Youth Poisoning Prevention Act would ban high-concentration sodium nitrite from being available to the public. There is no recognized household or consumer use for high-concentration sodium nitrite, yet retailers are still allowed to sell this dangerous substance, resulting in tragic consequences. Since 2017, the National Poison Data System has shown a sharp increase in young adults ingesting this far-too-easily-available substance with suicidal intent, and deaths by suicide using this method continue to increase annually.\n\n“High-concentration sodium nitrite is a textbook example of a deadly product that should never be sold to consumers—let alone to our kids,” said Duckworth. “Every child’s life is precious. We must ensure that our laws protecting our kids are up to date to protect against emerging deadly hazards. Our bipartisan legislation would immediately take this lethal substance off the shelves—it’s a no-brainer that must be sent to the President’s desk swiftly to help us protect our children.”\n\n“Too many young people are being put at risk by easy access to dangerous poisons,” said Curtis. “Proud to see our commonsense legislation to help protect vulnerable Americans, strengthen consumer safety, and prevent needless tragedies pass the Senate.”\n\n“I heard from a family who lost their daughter to this dangerous substance, and we have to do more to make sure no other American family suffers the same heartache,” said Baldwin. “As new, deadly products like sodium nitrate become available to children, we must update our laws to keep these deadly chemicals kept out of the hands of our kids and prevent any further tragic deaths. I am proud to have worked with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to protect Wisconsin families, and I am glad that we are now one step closer to making our bill the law of the land.”\n\nSpecifically, the Senators’ bipartisan legislation would:\n\nBan the sale of high-concentration sodium nitrite to consumers by adding such products to the list of banned hazardous products under the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2057);\n\nDefine “high concentration of sodium nitrite” as a concentration of sodium nitrite greater than 10% (as there is no recognized household or consumer use of high-concentration sodium nitrite); and\n\nNot interfere with the highly regulated use of high-concentration sodium nitrite for commercial and industrial purposes.\n\nThe Youth Poisoning Prevention Act is endorsed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics, Consumer Reports, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Public Citizen, Consumer Federation of America, National Consumers League and Crisis Text Line—as well as a number of families who tragically lost their children to self-poisoning via high-concentration sodium nitrite ingestion.\n\n“This law was written in the names of children who should still be alive,” said Kristin Jónsson, mother of the late Kristine Jónsson, forever 16. “For years, high-purity sodium nitrite was sold with no guardrails despite mounting evidence that it had become a preferred suicide method. Today, we chose public health over preventable tragedy.\n\n“Every parent who came forward with me did so with one hope: that no other family would have to live this nightmare,” said Ruth Scott, mother of the late Mikael Scott, forever 27. “We fought in our children’s names, and today their lives have left a legacy that will protect others.”\n\n“The best wrongful death case is the one that never has to be filed,” said an attorney for the grieving families. “This law recognizes that prevention is always more powerful than accountability after the fact. Today, this country chose to save lives instead of counting them.”\n\n“The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention applauds Congress for passing the bipartisan Youth Poisoning Prevention Act, marking a significant milestone in a years-long bipartisan effort to prevent suicide by reducing access to a highly lethal means,” said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “Since this legislation was first introduced in 2023, its bipartisan champions have remained steadfast in advancing an evidence-based approach to saving lives. Reducing access to highly lethal means is one of the most effective, evidence-based strategies for preventing suicide. By restricting consumer access to this dangerous product while preserving access for legitimate commercial, industrial, and food preservation uses, this legislation will help create time and distance between individuals in crisis and a highly lethal substance while maintaining access for legitimate purposes. We thank the bill’s bipartisan champions for their persistence and leadership and urge the President to sign the Youth Poisoning Prevention Act into law.”\n\nFull text of the legislation is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-murkowski-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-children-from-dangers-of-ai-toys-passes-committee", "title": "Duckworth-Murkowski Bipartisan Bill to Protect Children from Dangers of AI Toys Passes Committee", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "scraper": "duckworth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000622", "name": "Tammy Duckworth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to help protect children from the dangers posed by toys that use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots successfully passed through the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) today. The Senators’ bipartisan Children’s Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026 would help equip families, pediatricians and policymakers with the independent evidence they need to better understand the emerging market of AI chatbot toys—which currently are not subject to any child-safety testing and are trained on content that is not appropriate for kids.\n\n“These AI chatbots were never meant to be used by young children, yet they’re being embedded inside toys by the thousands,” said Duckworth. “We’ve already seen far too many instances where AI-enabled toys have imparted information to our children that could put them in immediate danger and have long-term impacts on their development. I’m glad our commonsense bill that mandates the federal government address this emerging issue has passed through committee—now the Senate must pass it with haste, for the sake of our kids’ safety.”\n\n“Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, and we must have a careful understanding of how our young people interact with this groundbreaking technology,” said Murkowski. “AI-enabled toys have the potential to significantly impact the physical, mental, and emotional development of our children. It is imperative we equip policymakers and America’s families with the knowledge they need to make informed choices about these devices, and I am grateful the Commerce Committee agrees.”\n\nIn December 2025, independent testing by U.S. PIRG Education Fund found AI toys discussing sexually explicit content and explaining where to find knives, pills and matches in the home—and instructing children how to light them. There is no current federal safety standard to address the AI inside a toy—only hazards such as choking, lead and flammability. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has opened an inquiry into the effects of AI companion chatbots on children, while the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) informed Congress earlier this year that it lacks explicit authority to evaluate non-physical hazards such as mental or emotional harm.\n\nThe Senators’ bipartisan Children’s Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026 would close this gap by:\n\nRequiring the FTC and CPSC to provide Congress with a coordinated, actionable plan to address these emerging AI-enabled toy products; and\n\nRequiring the congressionally chartered National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study into AI-enabled toys examining a wide range of issues, including potential risks to children’s physical, mental, emotional and social safety and well-being.\n\nFull text of the legislation is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.\n\nDuckworth is a leading voice in the push to protect our kids from the emerging dangers posed by AI toys. In March, Duckworth and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) demanded the Trump Administration to launch an investigation into whether toy companies are unfairly and deceptively marketing age-inappropriate toys to parents and putting our youngest children at risk. In their letter, the Senators highlighted how Open AI put out an explicit warning that ChatGPT is not meant for children under age 13 and to exercise caution regarding children’s exposure.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-condemns-blatant-trump-administration-corruption-in-senate-judiciary-committee-nominations-hearing-opening-statement", "title": "Durbin Condemns Blatant Trump Administration Corruption In Senate Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing Opening Statement", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement in which he slammed President Trump and the Trump Administration for the blatant corruption happening within the executive branch. President Trump has gone to unprecedented lengths to upend the rule of law and use the power of the federal government to shield himself and his allies and attack his perceived enemies. Most recently, Durbin noted that President Trump is selling a $100,000 monthly subscription service for people to get early access to his social media posts.\n\nToday’s Committee hearing will consider the nominations of Anna St. John, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Gregory Cook, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama; Adam Candeub, to be Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division; John Cronan, to be a Member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission; and Jason Manion, to be a Member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.\n\nKey Quotes:\n\n“I have served on this Committee for nearly 30 years. In that time, I have attended countless nominations hearings, which provide an opportunity for members to determine if nominees are qualified for their positions.”\n\n“Nominations hearings, like this one today, are an essential part of the Senate’s role in providing advice and consent on presidential nominees. This constitutional duty is a critical check on the Executive Branch. And it has never been more important that the Senate exercise this duty—because we now have a President and an Administration who are determined to use every opportunity to push the bounds of power.”\n\n“I do want to say that there are elements underway in this Administration that need to be addressed by Congress, if not, by the courts. [There need to be] dramatic changes [about] corruption. Corruption used to happen behind closed doors—now the doors are wide open. First year in office, second term for Donald Trump was a good year for him—[he received] $1.4 billion at least, some say $2 billion. An amazing amount of money for anyone who would be president of the United States. Unfortunately, the fingerprints on those $2 billion involves the crypto industry… They have their fingerprints on every act of corruption in Washington.”\n\n“In closing, I want to note that two of the witnesses before us have been nominated to fill vacancies on the U.S. Sentencing Commission… Members of the Commission are tasked with the delicate responsibility of establishing practices and policies that promote proportionality in sentencing and reduce sentencing disparities.”\n\n“Federal judges rely on the Sentencing Guidelines, promulgated by the Sentencing Commission, for one of the most important aspects of their jobs—deciding on an appropriate penalty for a defendant. Thus, it is critical that members confirmed to the Commission have the technical expertise, experience, and understand the gravity their work has on the criminal justice system. I look forward to hearing from the nominees.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-duckworth-join-call-to-stop-red-tape-requirements-in-medicaid", "title": "Durbin, Duckworth Join Call To Stop Red Tape Requirements In Medicaid", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The entire Senate Democratic Caucus called for withdrawal of CMS rule imposing strict requirements on Americans trying to get and keep Medicaid coverage\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined all members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in calling on the Trump Administration to withdraw a rule to implement work reporting requirements for Medicaid that will take effect at the beginning of 2027.\n\n“We urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans,” the Senators wrote. “States are not prepared to implement the agency’s onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.”\n\nIn the letter, sent to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, the Senators make clear that attempts to implement these requirements will result in high costs and harm to eligible people. The lawmakers also emphasized that the Trump Administration’s definition of medical frailty far exceeds what is outlined in the law itself, and creates additional onerous barriers for both patients and states that will result in sick Americans falling through the cracks.\n\nRed tape requirements are an attempt to suffocate the Medicaid program and deny health care to the Americans who count on it. Senate Democrats continue to support the full repeal of Republicans’ disastrous Medicaid cuts and stand united in calling on the Trump Administration to withdraw this harmful rule.\n\nThe text of the letter is here.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-questions-judicial-nominees-during-judiciary-committee-hearing", "title": "Durbin Questions Judicial Nominees During Judiciary Committee Hearing", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned judicial nominees during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.\n\nDurbin first questioned Anna St. John, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, about her opposition to ending forced arbitration. In 2021, Judge St. John testified against the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act—which had strong bipartisan support and was signed into law in 2022. Judge St. John claimed that ending forced arbitration was “not in the best interests of those subjected to sexual harassment and assault” and argued that the legislation “turns these women into unwilling pawns, leveraging their private difficulties in pursuit of public policy objectives that don’t actually benefit them.”\n\n“Do you have any second thoughts about the position you’ve taken on this issue [forced arbitration]?” Durbin asked.\n\nJudge St. John responded that “some of her words were taken out of context.” She continued to say she does not oppose the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act.\n\nShe continued to state that “there can be benefits to arbitration in some instances [and] there can be benefits to litigation, and at no point do I think anyone should be forced to arbitrate their claims.”\n\nDurbin replied, “But that’s exactly the issue—there’s no choice in forced arbitration. It was a ‘take it or leave it’ [approach] for the employees before this new law was enacted.”\n\nJudge St. John then responded to Durbin that she “respects” that Congress carved out sexual misconduct claims from any pre-dispute arbitration agreement. She continued to say that she “agreed even before the law [Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act] if an employer did force somebody to sign an agreement, then under the law, that should not be valid, and people should have a choice as to whether to take their claims to court if they wish.”\n\n“I think it’s a good response but it is inconsistent with… the testimony you gave before the House of Representatives. Do you think forced arbitration of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases is right or wrong?” Durbin pressed.\n\nFollowing Durbin’s questions, Judge St. John shifted from her previous position and responded, “I don’t think anyone should be forced to arbitrate their claims.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s questions to Judge St. John in Committee is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s questions to Judge St. John in Committee is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s questions to Judge St. John in Committee is available here for TV Stations.\n\nDuring the second panel, Durbin asked John Cronan, nominated to be a Member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, about Cronan’s previous racist commentary. Judge Cronan had previously written horrible comments about Black incarcerated people—suggesting they are “predominantly members of the lower economic classes,” and that “Black inmates are most likely to become the sexual aggressors.”\n\n“I’m deeply troubled by these statements… Why should people of color believe that you’ve changed from the statements that you made in 2001?” Durbin asked.\n\nJudge Cronan attempted to deflect and stated that he had quoted “another author’s study” until finally stating, “I certainly do not feel that Black inmates are more violent than White inmates.”\n\nDurbin then asked Adam Candeub, nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, about Candeub’s criticism of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and anti-feminist commentary in his law review comment.\n\n“Do you still oppose the Violence Against Women Act?” Durbin asked.\n\nMr. Candeub responded that he “hasn’t really thought about the issue.” He went on to say VAWA has “served America well.”\n\nDurbin pressed Mr. Candeub on a 2023 interview he conducted with a right-wing Hungarian news magazine—which he initially failed to disclose to the Committee—in which he said, “the ideological bias of universities, the extensive harassment laws that regulate the workplace, and the gradual spread of self-censorship are leading to a society in the United States that is intellectually more comfortable, duller, more deceitful, and more timid than in previous decades.”\n\n“Do you oppose laws that protect against harassment in the workplace?” Durbin asked.\n\nMr. Candeub responded, “absolutely not.”\n\n“Why did you say that anti-workplace harassment laws are leading to a society that is, ‘more comfortable, duller, more deceitful, and more timid’?” Durbin asked.\n\nMr. Candeub deflected.\n\n“Do you stand by your words?” Durbin pressed.\n\nMr. Candeub responded, “I stand by my words because I believe in free speech.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s questions to Judge Cronan and Mr. Candeub in Committee is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s questions to Judge Cronan and Mr. Candeub in Committee is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s questions to Judge Cronan and Mr. Candeub in Committee is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-statement-on-appellate-court-ruling-approving-11-billion-in-borrower-defense-claims-for-students-defrauded-by-for-profit-colleges", "title": "Durbin Statement On Appellate Court Ruling Approving $11 Billion In Borrower Defense Claims For Students Defrauded By For-Profit Colleges", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The class action lawsuit was originally filed during the first Trump Administration\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that the U.S. Department of Education must approve $11 billion in borrower defense claims for more than 170,000 students who were defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges:\n\n“It’s no surprise that a President who peddled ‘Trump University’ as a prestigious institution would side with predatory for-profit colleges while defrauded students drowned in debt.\n\n“Finally—after years of the Trump Administration making excuse after excuse in support of for-profit colleges—this court ruling is delivering justice to the hundreds of thousands of students who were left in the lurch.”\n\nThe class action lawsuit originated during the first Trump Administration, with thousands of students asserting that the Trump Administration had intentionally and illegally stopped reviewing their borrower defense claims—which allow students who were defrauded by their institution to receive federal student loan discharges. In 2022, the Biden Administration settled the suit by promising to provide automatic relief for students who attended one of more than 150 predatory for-profit colleges. However, the Trump Administration has stalled in reviewing fraud claims for borrowers who applied after the 2022 settlement was reached. Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit did not approve the Trump Administration’s request for an extension to review the borrower defense claims. The Trump Administration must now provide relief for the borrower defense claims approved after the Biden Administration settled the suit in 2022.\n\nIn total, this is the largest class action settlement in history, with nearly 500,000 borrowers seeing $23 billion in total federal student debt forgiven.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-to-republican-colleagues-oppose-todd-blanches-nomination-to-be-attorney-general", "title": "Durbin To Republican Colleagues: Oppose Todd Blanche’s Nomination To Be Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Durbin: “If there is ever a moment in history when we need an Attorney General above reproach, who is clearly dedicated to ending corruption… it’s right now.”\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led his colleagues in speeches on the Senate floor in opposition to the nomination of Todd Blanche to be U.S. Attorney General. Durbin was joined by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).\n\nDuring his remarks, Durbin argued that Mr. Blanche’s involvement with the nearly $2 billion January 6 slush fund and Trump tax immunity provision is disqualifying. Durbin began by recounting the tragic events of January 6, 2021, and Trump’s decision to give full and unconditional pardons to the more than 1,500 people charged and convicted of offenses related to January 6 on his first day back in the Oval Office.\n\n“I’m nearing the end of my Senate term, and I’m reflecting on some historic events which I’ve witnessed at this table, at this desk. One of the most historic I remember and specifically the date, January 6th, 2021,” Durbin said. “What happened you can witness yourself on videotape—it’s all there. About 150 of our Capitol Police [officers] were assaulted by these demonstrators. Some were seriously injured, others pushed to the brink, psychologically, which led to their deaths a day or two later. It was a horrible scene.”\n\nDurbin continued, “Fast forward four years and what happened next. President Trump was re-elected. And with the power under the Constitution to pardon those who committed a crime, on his first day in office in his second term, President Trump gave a full and unconditional pardon to every one of the convicted demonstrators who stormed this building… The reason I bring up this event years later is because there’s an important issue to be voted on this week by the United States Senate, and that is the choice of the next Attorney General of the United States.”\n\nDurbin then outlined how Mr. Blanche was directly involved in establishing the January 6th slush fund and brokering the immunity deal that provided President Trump, his family, and his businesses with immunity for any federal tax law violations prior to May 19, 2026.\n\n“One of the items of controversy is pretty easy to explain. President Trump believes, and Todd Blanche believed at one point, that the people who attacked the Capitol, the people who breached the Capitol, crashed through the doors, broke down the windows, threatened individuals inside, should receive financial compensation for doing it. And you say to yourself, they got a full and unconditional pardon by President Trump. Now they want money, too? And the answer is not only yes, but unfortunately, they’ve done it with some pride,” Durbin said. “The Trump Administration proposed an anti-weaponization fund… And who was the person who executed that plan? Todd Blanche, the person who is seeking to become the next full-time Attorney General of the United States.”\n\nDurbin continued, “Secondly, there was a provision in a lawsuit. Now, here’s what the lawsuit is all about. The President sued the IRS and Treasury, arguing that they disclosed his income tax returns without his permission. They arrested the man who actually did it. They caught him, and he was prosecuted… the President sued the IRS and Treasury for billions of dollars, billions, because they disclosed his income tax return. I’m completing quite a few years of public service. I’ve disclosed my income tax return every year without fail, as a Member of Congress and the Senate. I’m not posing for holy pictures. I’m just trying to tell you it isn’t that big a deal if you follow the law. Do you know what the settlement of the Trump lawsuit was for disclosing his income tax returns? Part of the settlement said, get this now—and Todd Blanche is the draftsman of this as well—part of it said, neither the President, his family, or any of the companies in his Trump empire business can be held for violating any tax crimes in the United States. How would you like that get-out-of-jail-free card?”\n\nDurbin continued by describing how Blanche has used his position to directly enrich the President. In April 2025, as then-Deputy Attorney General, Blanche disbanded the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team and shut down ongoing crypto-crime investigations. Last year, the President earned $1.4 billion from crypto alone, even as Americans lost billions of dollars to crypto fraud.\n\n“If we say no one in America is above the law, how in the world can you justify doing this [tax immunity deal] for the Trump family and their businesses? And we know this President deals in big numbers when it comes to income. His first year in office estimates between $1.4 and $2 billion in the President’s first year in office in his second term. $2 billion,” Durbin said. “Well, you won’t be surprised to know that there are cryptocurrency fingerprints all over this deal. The President made hundreds of millions of dollars off of a meme coin or some contraption that comes out of the cryptocurrency world. That’s the reality. And who was overseeing this operation? Todd Blanche, a man who wants to be the number one law enforcement officer in the United States of America.”\n\nDurbin concluded, “This is a serious mistake for the Senate to approve Todd Blanche as the next Attorney General. If there is ever a moment in history when we need an Attorney General above reproach, who is clearly dedicated to ending corruption, even at the highest level of our government, it’s right now… I beg my colleagues on the other side of the aisle… don’t be in the history books on the wrong side when it comes to this issue. Come out against corruption. Come out for the prosecution of corporate fraud. Come out for changing the current situation in the United States to one that is more respectful of the law and more respectful of the families and voters who create this democracy. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the nomination of Todd Blanche as the next Attorney General of the United States.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s floor speech is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/08/05/2026/ernst-padilla-celebrate-national-farmers-market-week", "title": "Ernst, Padilla Celebrate National Farmers Market Week", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.ernst.senate.gov", "scraper": "ernst", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000295", "name": "Joni Ernst", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced a bipartisan resolution designating Aug. 2–8, 2026, as National Farmers Market Week to celebrate the hardworking farmers and ranchers who feed our families, fuel our communities, and strengthen rural America.\n\n“Agriculture is the heart of Iowa, and farmers markets make it easier for Iowans to buy fresh, locally grown food in communities across our state,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to lead a bipartisan resolution designating Aug. 2-8 as National Farmers Market Week to recognize the tireless work of our farmers, ranchers, and producers who put nutritious food on Americans’ tables every day.”\n\n“California is home to more than 800 farmers markets that nourish our families, bolster the local economy, and cultivate thoughtful relationships between growers and consumers,” said Senator Padilla. “We cherish these shared spaces which are a vibrant, dependable source of nutrition for our state. I’m proud to lead this Senate resolution celebrating National Farmers Market Week to support our local farmers who feed our families and strengthen our communities.”\n\nIn 2023, Senators Ernst and Padilla announced the first-ever congressional resolution to celebrate National Farmers Market Week, which was adopted unanimously by the Senate and celebrated again in 2024 and 2025.\n\nU.S. Representatives David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) introduced a companion resolution in the House of Representatives.\n\n“The Central Valley grows a quarter of our nation’s food on less than one percent of America’s farmland, yet too many people living in urban areas don’t realize what it takes to get food from field to table,” said Representative Valadao. “Farmers markets provide a valuable opportunity to connect people with the hardworking producers who feed our nation, and they highlight the important role agriculture plays in our communities. I’m proud to join my colleagues in recognizing National Farmers Market Week and honoring the contributions of our CA-22 producers working to support food access, bolster local economies, promote healthy living, and foster sustainable farming.”\n\n“Farmers markets have been a cherished tradition in communities across America for generations. A quarter of Maine farms sell directly to consumers, with more than 100 farmers markets currently operating in our state,” said Representative Pingree. “By connecting local growers with their communities, farmers markets not only help put healthy food on the table, but also strengthen local economies and help preserve Maine’s agricultural traditions for future generations. This bipartisan, bicameral resolution reminds us that, in red states and blue states alike, farmers markets can be a force for good—and an important part of building a stronger, more resilient food system for all Americans.”\n\nRead the resolution here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-joins-vice-president-vance-white-house-task-force-to-wage-war-on-fraud", "title": "Ernst Joins Vice President Vance, White House Task Force to Wage War on Fraud", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.ernst.senate.gov", "scraper": "ernst", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000295", "name": "Joni Ernst", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined Vice President J.D. Vance and the White House Task Force to discuss how Republicans are putting fraudsters out of business.\n\nDownload more photos of Senator Ernst HERE\n\nDuring the roundtable, Ernst applauded Vice President Vance’s leadership and how the Task Force has successfully clawed back billions of dollars:\n\n$22 billion in suspected fraudulent pandemic-era loans\n\n$6.3 billion in suspected fraudulent government contracts\n\n$600 million in suspected fraud by 447 hospice providers and 23 home health agencies\n\n$51.6 million in suspected avoided customs duties on gold alone\n\nErnst also highlighted her leadership of a comprehensive anti-fraud package, the Protecting American Taxpayers Act, which would return over $240 billion to taxpayers.\n\n“Bad actors have been scamming American taxpayers for far too long,” said Ernst. “From fake child care centers in Minnesota to incarcerated convicts collecting unemployment checks, fraud has become so pervasive that, if it were a government agency, the ‘Department of Fraud’ would rank as the fifth-largest federal department by spending. I’m grateful for the leadership of Vice President Vance and the Trump administration for cracking down on fraud across the country and sending scammers to the slammer. Now, Congress must pass my anti-fraud package to protect taxpayers. Every single day we delay, fraudsters steal more than $1.4 billion.”\n\nBackground:\n\nErnst has long led efforts to eliminate government waste and ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. As chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus, she has continued her decades-long mission to expose waste, fraud, and abuse and advance reforms that hold Washington accountable.\n\nFor over a decade, Ernst has exposed wasteful government spending through her monthly “squeal” awards, highlighting examples of taxpayer dollars being misused and pushing for accountability across the federal government.\n\nOver the past year, Ernst has heard testimony from independent investigative journalist Nick Shirley about fraudulent child care services provided by Minnesota’s Quality Learing Center and from investigative reporter Luke Rosiak about Ohio personal care companies that received financial support from the Small Business Administration.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=FF54EF48-DB8C-4EB9-AB7A-BC2AB0C154DB", "title": "Fischer Applauds Release of Treasury, IRS Guidance on Her Permanent Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.fischer.senate.gov", "scraper": "fischer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000463", "name": "Deb Fischer", "party": "Republican", "state": "NE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Fischer’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit is first-ever nationwide leave policy enacted into law; Treasury Secretary recognizes Fischer for leadership\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) issued the following statement upon the release of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance for employers looking to claim the permanent Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit she secured in the 2025 Working Families Tax Cuts.\n\nFischer’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit is the first-ever nationwide paid family leave policy enacted into law.\n\n“The Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit is a first of its kind policy that gives working families flexibility as they care for their loved ones,” Fischer said. “The guidance released today gives employers the tools they need to take advantage of this credit and provide paid leave for their employees. Secretary Bessent has been a great partner in getting this done for hardworking Americans, and I thank him for his leadership.\"\n\n“Hardworking Americans should not have to choose between caring for a loved one and earning a paycheck,”Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “The Working Families Tax Cuts permanently expands the federal Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit, giving businesses, especially small businesses, greater incentives to provide paid leave so workers can care for a newborn or other family member or recover from a serious illness without sacrificing their financial security. I appreciate Senator Fischer’s leadership to establish the nation’s first federal Paid Family and Medical Leave policy and to secure its permanent expansion through the Working Families Tax Cuts. Today’s guidance provides employers with the clarity they need to claim the enhanced credit, supporting American workers, families, and businesses.”\n\n“The permanent expansion of the credit encourages businesses to provide paid family and medical leave,” IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano said. “The changes enacted by the Working Families Tax Cuts will make more employers eligible for the credit and give them more ways to offer this benefit to their workers.”\n\nTreasury/IRS Guidance:\n\nBeginning in 2026, more employers providing paid family and medical leave that meets certain requirements can take advantage of a general business tax credit ranging from 12.5% to 25% of wages paid to qualifying employees for up to 12 weeks of family and medical leave per taxable year.\n\nEmployers can claim the credit for premiums paid for PFML insurance policies, in addition to wages paid during PFML leave. To help employers apply the new premium-based method, Notice 2026-28 addresses how the premium-based method compares to the wage-based method, how to allocate the qualifying premiums, and how to elect between the premium method and the wage method. Forthcoming proposed regulations will provide broader guidance to address the statute comprehensively and provide certainty to taxpayers.\n\nBackground:\n\nIn President Trump’s first term, Fischer secured the first and only nationwide Paid Family and Medical Leave policy by creating a temporary tax credit in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.\n\nLast July, when Republicans were crafting the Working Families Tax Cuts, Fischer made the tax credit permanent.\n\nThe Working Families Tax Cuts also makes several key improvements to the credit, including:\n\nExpanded Eligibility: Employers can claim the credit for employees with six months of service and for part-time employees customarily working 20 hours or more per week.\n\nExpanded Coverage: Employers can claim the credit for insurance premiums paid to provide leave, or wages paid during leave.\n\nState and Local Mandates: Employers can count leave provided under state or local mandates toward the eligibility for this federal tax credit, but not toward the credit calculation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gallego-bill-would-put-more-overtime-money-into-workers-pockets/", "title": "Gallego Bill Would Put More Overtime Money into Workers’ Pockets", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.gallego.senate.gov", "scraper": "gallego", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000574", "name": "Ruben Gallego", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The Double the Wage for Overtime Act would increase the overtime rate from time-and-a-half to double\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) today introduced the Double the Wage for Overtime Act, legislation that would increase the regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 hours from 1.5 times a worker’s regular hourly rate, to double their hourly rate.\n\n“Workers have not seen their overtime rate double in nearly 90 years. And at a time when families are stretching every dollar to afford their needs, increasing the overtime rate will put more money in their pockets,” Senator Gallego said.\n\nThe Double the Wage for Overtime Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to increase overtime pay from 1.5 times to 2 times a worker’s regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. A worker making $25 an hour and working 10 hours overtime a week would make $6,500 more a year as a result of the bill. Analysis from the Economic Policy Institute shows the bill would help roughly 13.4 million workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute.\n\n“CWA members across a number of industries and sectors have seen for years that employers would like nothing more than to work us to the bone. We have fought hard at the bargaining table to make sure that our members are compensated fairly for their hard work, but every worker in this country deserves to be guaranteed better compensation when they’re being routinely forced to give up time with their families, their kids, to miss important moments, or even simply to get a moment to relax. The Double the Wage for Overtime Act compensates working families for the sacrifices we make. I thank Senator Gallego for his leadership on this important issue and encourage the Senate to consider it quickly,” said CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.\n\n“Each and every day, AFSCME members go above and beyond to keep our streets clean and our communities safe, sacrificing time with family to get the job done,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “They, and all working people who put in overtime, should be compensated accordingly. The Double the Wage for Overtime Act is long overdue and necessary to keep up with the cost-of-living crisis. We thank Sen. Gallego and Reps. Casar, Jayapal and Horsford for their leadership. Now it’s time for the rest of Congress to follow their lead and pass this bill.”\n\n“Working families are getting crushed by President Trump’s high prices and paychecks that aren’t keeping up. Doubling overtime wages would boost the economy and put more money into workers’ pockets, accurately reflecting the contribution overtime workers make to keep our economy moving and easing strain on household budgets,” Alex Jacquez, Chief of Policy and Advocacy at Groundwork Action said.\n\n“EPI has long pointed out that worker pay is also a policy choice. Raising the overtime rate of pay would boost workers’ income, provide a stronger deterrent against overworking employees, and help to reverse the decades-long erosion of overtime protections. A double overtime rate would be a simple, fair way to put more money in workers’ pockets. This bill would address a key concern with affordability – making sure that workers actually earn enough in wages to cover the costs of living with dignity and security,” Samantha Sanders, Director of Government Affairs & Advocacy at the Economic Policy Institute said.\n\n“It has been 88 years since the 40-hour work week was established, ensuring that workers receive time and a half pay when they work overtime. Today, Americans are forced to work grueling hours just to provide the basics for their families — with no hope that higher productivity will translate into a decent raise, let alone more time to spend with loved ones. The Double the Wage for Overtime Act would finally update our overtime laws, recognizing that workers deserve their fair share and adequate time off the job,” Rajiv Sicora, UAW Legislative Director said.\n\n“Voices for Progress applauds Senator Gallego’s effort to increase overtime pay, putting money in the pockets of everyday Americans who are facing stagnating wages while the cost of necessities like utilities, health care, child care, and housing skyrockets. As business leaders, entrepreneurs, employers, and investors, Voices for Progress members know firsthand that empowering workers, ensuring fair pay and adequate time off, is a key part of building an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top,” said Sandra Fluke, President of Voices for Progress.\n\n“As a former CEO I know that employees who are well rested and paid fair wages do their best work. That’s why I am thrilled to see Senator Gallego introduce the “Double the Wage for Overtime Act”, said John Driscoll, Chair of UCONN Health and Patriotic Millionaires Board Member. “By doubling overtime pay for roughly 13.4 million workers, this bill deters employers from overworking their employees and not paying them enough. It helps provide more reliable schedules, and will make workplaces safer. When people do work overtime, they’ll spend those extra dollars in their local economies. This legislation is a win for workers, business owners and the whole economy.”\n\n“Founded in 1991 by Rev. Al Sharpton, the National Action Network and our chapters nationwide welcome the introduction of the Double the Wage for Overtime Act of 2026. This legislation is a vital necessity for our communities, where everyday families are working incredibly hard but finding that the traditional time-and-a-half standard no longer covers the soaring costs of rent, groceries, and basic living. We urge Congress to pass this bill without delay to deliver immediate, meaningful economic justice and restore real financial stability to working households,” Ebonie Riley, Senior Vice President, National Action Network (NAN) said.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-gallego-to-sec-scott-bessent-meet-with-the-workers-that-your-administrations-policies-have-put-out-of-work/", "title": "Sen. Gallego to Sec. Scott Bessent: ‘Meet with the workers that your Administration’s policies have put out of work’", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.gallego.senate.gov", "scraper": "gallego", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000574", "name": "Ruben Gallego", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to tour manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona\n\nWASHINGTON—Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ahead of his visit to Casa Grande with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Congressman Juan Ciscomani, urging him to meet with workers who lost their jobs as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill that features aggressive cuts to clean energy tax credits for electric vehicles.\n\n“According to a recent report, 223 manufacturing, clean energy, and industrial projects are already facing cancellations and delays largely because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, representing at least $82.8 billion in capital investment which could cost 111,765 jobs,” wrote Senator Gallego.\n\n“Casa Grande has not been immune to the impacts of this Administration’s reckless economic policies. Since June, multiple companies in clean energy manufacturing and generation have announced major project cancelations and workforce reductions in Pinal County,” continued Senator Gallego. “Over 700 workers have been laid off in just the last two months. These job losses will negatively impact the entire local economy.\n\nSenator Gallego ended the letter by challenging Bessent to hear directly from the workers affected by the Administration’s policies.\n\nClick here to read the letter.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-stop-spread-of-spotted-lanternflies/", "title": "Gillibrand, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Stop Spread Of Spotted Lanternflies", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.gillibrand.senate.gov", "scraper": "gillibrand", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000555", "name": "Kirsten E. Gillibrand", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined a bipartisan group of her Senate colleagues to introduce the Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act to designate the spotted lanternfly, an invasive species that poses a significant threat to our nation’s agricultural economy, as a high-priority research initiative for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture.\n\n“The spotted lanternfly has proven to be a destructive pest that threatens New York State’s specialty crops, especially vineyards throughout Western New York, the Finger Lakes, Long Island and the Hudson Valley,” said Senator Gillibrand. “If not contained, this pest will have devastating economic consequences at a time when New York farmers are already having their profits destroyed by rising diesel and fertilizer costs. Congress must immediately prioritize spotted lanternfly research to prevent further spread.”\n\nSpotted lanternflies are harmful to specialty crops like grapes across New York State, especially in Western New York, the Finger Lakes, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley. As the species continues to spread, designating spotted lanternfly controls as a high-priority research initiative will help focus USDA scientific resources to combat the spread of this invasive pest. In 2025, researchers at Cornell University estimated that if left unchecked, the spotted lanternfly could cost New York’s grape industry over $14 million over the first three years of invasion.\n\nJoining Senator Gillibrand in introducing the bill were Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Dave McCormick (R-PA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\n\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-holds-virtual-press-conference-slamming-trump-administration-for-medicare-cuts-raising-drug-prices-for-seniors/", "title": "Gillibrand Holds Virtual Press Conference Slamming Trump Administration For Medicare Cuts, Raising Drug Prices For Seniors", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.gillibrand.senate.gov", "scraper": "gillibrand", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000555", "name": "Kirsten E. Gillibrand", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Trump Administration Decision Will Raise Premiums For As Many As 1.3 Million New Yorkers\n\nToday, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a virtual press conference to slam the Trump administration for its decision to end subsidies that lower prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients.\n\n“The Trump administration’s decision to end critical Medicare subsidies that help seniors afford life-saving medication is a betrayal of our values,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This administration has money for bombs abroad, but not for our seniors here at home. I’m urging President Trump to reverse these Medicare cuts now and instead take action to lower costs for American seniors.”\n\nIn 2025, these subsidies lowered average premiums for seniors with Medicare Part D standalone prescription drug plans by 40% per month. By ending these subsidies, the Trump administration is raising costs for as many as 25 million Americans on Medicare, including up to 1.3 million New Yorkers.\n\nAt a time when seniors are already struggling with rising prices for groceries, gas, and utilities, Senator Gillibrand urged the Trump administration to reverse its decision to end the subsidies and work with insurance plans to insulate seniors from dramatic premium increases in 2027.\n\nSenator Gillibrand continues to lead the fight to lower healthcare costs for seniors on Medicare. Earlier this year, she introduced the Medicare Cost Cap Act, which would cap out-of-pocket costs for Traditional Medicare (parts A and B) beneficiaries at $5,000 per year. She has also introduced legislation to strengthen Medicare’s ability to negotiate prescription drug prices and reduce out-of-pocket costs for seniors. Additionally, she champions the Capping Prescription Costs Act, which would extend the cap on annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries to people with private health insurance.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-scott-press-fda-on-shortage-of-cancer-drugs/", "title": "Gillibrand, Scott Press FDA On Shortage Of Cancer Drugs", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.gillibrand.senate.gov", "scraper": "gillibrand", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000555", "name": "Kirsten E. Gillibrand", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rick Scott (R-FL), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, pressed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on what actions it is taking to alleviate the shortage of critical cancer medications.\n\n“We must do everything we can to make sure no cancer patient goes without life-saving chemotherapy drugs,” said Senator Gillibrand. “However, addressing this crisis cannot come at the expense of patient safety or a secure supply chain. Senator Scott and I are pressing the FDA to develop a plan to fix the drug shortage while also ensuring that imported drugs are up to American regulatory standards.”\n\n“When older Americans are battling cancer, a delay or shortage in treatment availability is a matter of life and death,” said Senator Scott. “I’m grateful for President Trump and his administration’s work to alleviate the supply strain on critical cancer-fighting medications, and I am committed to partnering with them to put safety and availability first. I am proud to join Ranking Member Gillibrand to ensure our seniors receive the best, on-time, treatment in their fight against this awful disease.”\n\nCurrently, the United States is experiencing a national shortage of essential generic chemotherapy drugs, including ifosfamide, carboplatin, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin. According to the FDA, the shortages are the result of manufacturing problems, shipping delays, and decisions by some companies to stop producing the medications. If the drug shortage persists, doctors may be forced to ration their patients’ medications or even prioritize certain patients over others.\n\nThe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reported that FDA is considering temporarily allowing the importation of medications from overseas manufacturers that do not typically supply American markets to help remedy the shortage. To ensure patient safety, Gillibrand and Scott requested a briefing from FDA to answer questions about how these imported drugs will be evaluated for quality, what foreign manufacturers are being considered, and what steps FDA is taking to prepare for future drug shortages.\n\nThe full text of the senators’ letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas can be found here or below:\n\nDear Acting Commissioner Diamantas,\n\nWe write to express concern regarding the escalating national shortage of the critical oncology medications ifosfamide, carboplatin, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin highlighted in recent reporting. The prospect of widespread clinical rationing of frontline chemotherapy presents a crisis for patients, particularly older Americans who disproportionately rely on these medications. Some health systems are already reportedly receiving only a fraction of their standard supply, forcing clinicians to space out doses, prioritize certain patients over others, or ration medications to manage shrinking supplies.\n\nThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is actively working to alleviate these shortages and is considering temporarily allowing the importation of medications from overseas manufacturers that do not typically supply the United States market. Remedial action of this kind is not novel, as the FDA employed similar strategies in navigating the carboplatin and cisplatin shortage crisis in 2023, but it is essential to ensure the safety and efficacy of any medicine administered to an American patient.\n\nWe appreciate the FDA utilizing its regulatory flexibility to inject supply into a strained system, but the temporary introduction of foreign pharmaceuticals raises potential safety concerns that demand transparency. To provide clarity to Congress and ensure patient safety, we respectfully request a briefing from the FDA by September 4, 2026, to answer the following questions:\n\nWhich specific foreign manufacturers and facilities is the FDA currently evaluating, or has it authorized, for temporary importation of drugs in shortage?\n\nIn which country are these manufacturers and facilities located?\n\nHave any of these manufacturers received a Form 483 or been classified as Official Action Indicated (OAI) or Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI), specifically with respect to the drugs in shortage?\n\n2. What protocols, quality checks, and regulatory standards is the FDA applying to guarantee supplemental imports meet safety standards?\n\n3. How will the FDA monitor imported chemotherapy drugs for contamination or subpotency once they are in the U.S. market?\n\n4. How will shortage staff work with the Office of Inspections and Investigations (OII) and relevant quality staff within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) to ensure that facility inspection history and drug quality are considered in shortage mitigation efforts?\n\n5. Does the FDA anticipate that efforts to temporarily rectify the shortage will result in increased costs for hospital purchasers or individual patients?\n\n6. The 2023 carboplatin and cisplatin shortage prompted conversations about a durable solution for the chemotherapy supply chain. What steps has the FDA taken to prepare for future shortages given the continued fragility of that supply chain?\n\n7. What is the market share for the oncology drugs in shortage? How many FDA-approved alternatives exist for these drugs and what are their respective market shares?\n\nThank you for your attention to this request and ongoing work to protect patients. We look forward to your prompt response and working together to ensure older Americans maintain access to critical medications.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/capitol-hill-report-08-05-26", "title": "Capitol Hill Report, 08-05-26", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Audio from this morning’s call is available HERE.\n\nTopics include: the Farm Bill, the Sanders-Grassley Audit the Pentagon Act, Todd Blanche’s nomination to be U.S. Attorney General, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Iran and mail-in voting.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-questions-witnesses-at-senate-finance-committee-hearing-on-addressing-social-security-solvency-urges-bipartisan-cooperation", "title": "Grassley Questions Witnesses at Senate Finance Committee Hearing on Addressing Social Security Solvency, Urges Bipartisan Cooperation", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned witnesses about the need for bipartisan cooperation to address Social Security’s long-term solvency.\n\nDuring a floor speech last week, Grassley noted retirees will see a 22% cut in benefits around late 2032 unless Congress takes action.\n\nVIDEO\n\nOn bipartisan cooperation and commissions:\n\nFor any Social Security reform proposal to succeed, it will require the support of at least 60 senators. So, that means both parties working together to find a solution.\n\nOutside of the 1983 commission, are there examples of a commission or other special process that successfully sparked bipartisan cooperation and action?\n\nOn ways to promote bipartisanship and identify solutions:\n\nI understand you both oppose any sort of commission-based process. Instead, you contend Congress should address Social Security through regular committee and floor processes. I respect that view. I'm open to any process that will facilitate the bipartisan cooperation that's necessary, with emphasis upon the word bipartisan.\n\nWhat are some actions your groups are taking or plan to take to help foster bipartisan cooperation and discussion of Social Security?\n\nOn the importance of taking immediate action to protect Social Security’s future:\n\nI see a lot of AARP ads on television. I’ve got a little bit of advice for you. But, you're no different than a candidate Trump and a President Biden. They all ran on a platform of “We're not going to do anything about Social Security.” And your TV advertisements are saying, “We aren't going to cut Social Security.”\n\nI don't blame you for defending the program that way, but we’ve got to wake this entire nation up to the fact that there's going to be 22% cuts if we don't do something right now.\n\nAnd you ought to spend some of your money waking up people to the fact that there's a crisis down the line. And you say don't cut Social Security, but it's going to be cut automatically if you don’t wake the people of this country up. And, that's what I advise you to do because you’ve got a big voice.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/05/hagerty-colleagues-introduce-the-blocking-large-scale-adversarial-distillation-efforts-blade-act/", "title": "Hagerty, Colleagues Introduce the Blocking Large-Scale Adversarial Distillation Efforts (BLADE) Act", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.hagerty.senate.gov", "scraper": "hagerty", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000601", "name": "Bill Hagerty", "party": "Republican", "state": "TN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The unauthorized use of American AI models by foreign adversaries is a threat to both economic and national security\n\nWASHINGTON—Today, Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), along with Senate Banking Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance, and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), introduced the Blocking Large-Scale Adversarial Distillation Efforts (BLADE) Act of 2026, a bipartisan bill to deter malign foreign actors from stealing the proprietary capabilities of America’s frontier AI companies.\n\nRecent news reports have detailed the large-scale use of “model extraction attacks” by Chinese entities to distill the unique competitive advantages of America’s top AI models. Such foreign model extraction attacks—which typically circumvent technical controls, use fraudulent or unauthorized credentials, and violate terms of use in order to harvest proprietary capabilities from U.S. models without the owner’s permission—evade U.S. export controls and threaten U.S. economic security and national security.\n\nTo deter unauthorized and illicit foreign model extraction attacks, the BLADE Act would direct the Executive Branch to identify and publicly expose foreign entities behind these malign activities, coordinate with industry to improve detection, and authorize the imposition of Commerce Department export controls and Treasury Department financial sanctions against these foreign entities.\n\n“As the United States must remain at the forefront of competitiveness in artificial intelligence, we cannot allow our adversaries to steal the intellectual property of America’s top AI companies and thereby threaten U.S. national security and economic security,” said Hagerty. “The BLADE Act will expose and punish foreign entities that conduct hostile distillation campaigns against our frontier AI companies. Our nation must counter malign actors who seek to subvert our nation’s leadership and innovation in artificial intelligence.”\n\n“The BLADE Act safeguards both our competitive edge against China and our national security at the same time. As we continue to set the global standard for innovation and unlock new opportunity through AI, it’s critical we have these tools to deter direct attacks on U.S. AI models and maintain as large a lead as possible over our competitors and adversaries,” said Kim.\n\n“From startups in South Carolina to companies across the country, American innovators are building the technologies that will shape the future, and the Chinese Communist Party and other foreign adversaries should not be allowed to steal that work. Industrial-scale distillation attacks are unacceptable, and the BLADE Act gives the Commerce Department the tools to expose and punish bad actors targeting American AI models, protect our national security, and keep America ahead in the global AI race. I’m proud to join Senators Hagerty and Kim in defending American ingenuity and holding our adversaries accountable,” said Scott.\n\n“As America’s AI technologies become more advanced, we face new threats from China and other foreign adversaries trying to reproduce them,” said Cortez Masto. “We cannot allow the Chinese Communist Party to steal our companies’ hard work and innovation. America can and will remain dominant in the race to develop cutting-edge AI technologies.”\n\nFind the full text of the bill here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/icymi-hawley-exposes-predatory-ai-surveillance-pricing-consumer-data-harvesting-in-subcommittee-hearing/", "title": "ICYMI: Hawley Exposes Predatory AI Surveillance Pricing, Consumer Data Harvesting in Subcommittee Hearing", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.hawley.senate.gov", "scraper": "hawley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001089", "name": "Josh Hawley", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, held a hearing exposing the exploitative practices of AI surveillance pricing and consumer data harvesting used by large corporations to scam working Americans out of their hard-earned money.\n\nSenator Hawley opened, “Hardly a day goes by in this town, without some booster of AI talking about how it’s going to transform the American economy for the better, the question is whose betterment will this transformation lead to? … We’re here today to talk about one of the effects of this AI boom: the partnership between the AI industry and some of the biggest corporations in America to effectively scam consumers out of every last dollar they have in order to buy products that they need and rely on … This is one of the biggest scams in American history. This marriage between the AI industry and these mega corporations, and they’re trying to pull it off against every American consumer. AI surveillance pricing is the unholy trinity of everything Americans hate: spying on people, ripping them off, and taking away jobs.“\n\n“Earlier this year, there was a disturbing incident that played out on Twitter on X that shed some light, I think, on how airlines are using surveillance pricing in real time, right in front of us. I think I’ve got the relevant exchange over my shoulder here. You have an ex-user who, in April, this is April of this year, posted that he had seen a $230 price increase in one day when he was booking travel for a funeral on JetBlue. $230 price increase. Now, here’s the interesting thing: JetBlue’s own corporate account helpfully responded to him and instructed him to clear the cache and the cookies, or use an incognito window,” Senator Hawley began.\n\n“Now, Ms. Owens, you’re familiar with this incident, I assume. Can you explain to us broadly what is what’s going on here?” he asked Dr. Lindsay Owens, the President and CEO of Groundwork Collaborative, about airline surveillance pricing.\n\nDr. Owens responded, “This really simple tweet basically is a confession of two things. The first thing in asking the customer to clear their browser before purchasing flights, you know that the company is tracking your browser history. The second thing we know is that they are using the data that they collect in their pricing decisions, and in this case, adversely, the price is going to be higher for this individual based on their browsing history. But I also think this is such an important example because it shows that surveillance pricing isn’t just about things like income. This is about desperation. This individual is trying to get to the funeral. He needs this ticket urgently. He wants to attend, and that can be weaponized against consumers. This isn’t about the rising jet fuel prices. That’s not what’s going into an end to their pricing decision. Desperation is driving this decision.”\n\nSenator Hawley continued, “Let me just ask you, Dr. Owens. I think it’s pretty clear. But what’s the motive here? I mean, what is JetBlue’s motive?”\n\nLaying down the hammer, she answered, “This is about profit. The data that powers the surveillance pricing engine is estimated to be a $700 billion industry by 2030.”\n\n“What other kinds of information do these companies have that they can use to set these personalized, scam, I would say, prices?” Hawley questioned.\n\n“Unfortunately for consumers, the answer is, increasingly, nearly everything. It’s your location data, it’s behavioral data, what you buy, what you don’t buy, what you keep in your cart, it’s demographic data. If you login with a loyalty program to fly, they know how many people are in your family, whether you have kids, where you go frequently. And as we know, with AI, as companies build enterprise agents, people often start conversing with these companies, and they have the information that you tell them,” Dr. Owens testified.\n\nSenator Hawley exposed that AI surveillance pricing costs the average American family an additional $1,200 per year, stating, “Your initiative, your organization, the Groundwork Collaborative, issued an expose on Instacart earlier this year. What your findings betray and put onto the record is just incredible. Your report exposes on Instacart’s charging different shoppers different prices for the same groceries at the same time, and the amount of money that we’re talking about here is really extraordinary. Your report found that the price swings for an average family could end up being in the neighborhood of $1,200 per year.$1,200 per year-that is a lot of money. Tell us about what you found in your report and why it’s so significant.”\n\n“We uncovered a vast experiment that Instacart was running on millions of Americans while they shop for groceries. What we found is that different shoppers were being offered different prices for the exact same set of items at the exact same time at the exact same pickup location. This wasn’t an occasionally finding. More than three-quarters of the items in our test grocery basket were found to be offered at different prices, sometimes as many as five prices per item. Sometimes the price difference was as much as 23% for a simple carton of eggs,” Dr. Owens said.\n\nSenator Hawley turned to Robert Hedges, Former Chief Data Officer at Visa and Digital Fellow at MIT, “Let’s talk a little bit about the role that the credit cards play in this … You are Visa’s Former Chief Data officer. Talk to us a little bit about what you know about what the industry, what kind of information the industry gathers, and I want to zero you in on one thing in particular. JetBlue works reportedly with one of your former competitors, Mastercard, to make assumptions and draw profiles about its customers, about JetBlue’s customers, and they use categories like confident, or satisfied, or focused, or in love with JetBlue. This Mastercard subsidiary then flags if a JetBlue customer is likely to pay an above-average fare. This seems extraordinary.Tell us about what you have learned about what this subset of at least some of the credit card industry is doing to participate in surveillance pricing.”\n\nMr. Hedges responded, “The subsidiary that Mastercard is using is a company called Dynamic Yield. One of the specialties of what Dynamic Yield does is calculate willingness to pay, and so there’s a whole set of data that’s collected to inform willingness to pay … In the airline case, where you really travel? When did you book the ticket? Have you already booked the hotel? Do you have friends or neighbors or relatives in the area? How long ago was the trip organized? All those using the airline example, all those things will influence the score and willingness to pay.”\n\nHawley asked Z. John Zhang, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania, “The problem with this surveillance pricing is that it seems to say there’s going to be a different rule for every single person, and the corporations have all the information. We have none of it. The asymmetry is astounding. They know everything there is to know. I have basically no ability to set the price. They’ve got all of the information. Doesn’t that doesn’t there seem to be something that is fundamentally wrong with that?”\n\nDr. Zhang defended surveillance pricing, stating, “I would totally agree with you that there has to be a boundary. The boundary probably most likely is in the way you collect information, process information, and use the information, but not in a way that you would actually have a multiple price points for the product … I think at this point, somehow that our understanding is that anytime you use personalized pricing, not only you’re going to make the price variable across the customers, also that indeed the prices always go high. I don’t believe that’s the case. The fact that the prices are variable, they are already there already, and so you don’t need the AI to do all that. And the firms do actually change pricing in so many different ways, but in terms of whether prices always go up, I think that probably is not the case.”\n\nSenator Hawley pressed, “But isn’t the goal of surveillance pricing always to maximize profit? … In this case, the consumers have no protections. They’ve got no protections. The firm has all of the information. The corporation’s got all of the power. I have no power to set the price. The only thing I can do is hope and beg that maybe at 2 A.M. in the morning, when my child is running 102 degree fever and I desperately need Tylenol, that maybe if Walmart Plus is charging me 30 bucks for it, gee, if I can drive to an open CVS, maybe I’ll get lucky. I mean, I’m just at their mercy, right? That just seems fundamentally wrong to me, and I think it seems fundamentally wrong to most Americans, which is why we’re here today.”\n\nSenator Hawley concluded, “What I’m really concerned about is time after time after time, it’s working people who are going to be paying more, who are going to be forced to pay more, and frankly, the needy, because the whole point here is to maximize the profit of these already wildly profitable corporations … And we need to give consumers and working people and families in this country rights against this kind of surveillance and exploitation. If we don’t do that, the basic foundations, the moral foundations of our economy and of our country will be devastatingly eroded. And you see it already. This is why people don’t trust anything. They don’t trust any institution. They certainly don’t trust any of these companies we’ve talked about today. Nor should they, because they’re being exploited constantly, and it is this body’s job to do something about that. So we need to stand up and say we’re going to protect the American people. We’re going to give them rights. We’re going to preserve that basic moral foundation that makes our economy and our country more broadly work, and that we agree on together. So it makes us Americans. It’s done us pretty good for the last 250 years. I think maybe we ought to preserve it.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-merkley-padilla-shaheen-schiff-rosen-cortez-masto-wyden-klobuchar-cftc-must-rein-in-wildfire-bets-on-prediction-markets", "title": "Heinrich, Merkley, Padilla, Shaheen, Schiff, Rosen, Cortez Masto, Wyden, Klobuchar: CFTC Must Rein in Wildfire Bets on Prediction Markets", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate and Natural Resources Committee, joined U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to press the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on its plans to crack down on prediction markets now offering event contracts for individuals to bet on wildfires.\n\nAs wildfires burn across the nation, the Senators are demanding action from the CFTC following the public safety and insider trading concerns of allowing prediction market platforms to offer bets on natural disasters such as wildfires.\n\n“Offering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering all so the rich and powerful can profit,” the Senators wrote in a letter to CFTC Chair Michael Selig. “There’s also the heightened risk – according to state and local fire officials – that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful. By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading.”\n\nThe Senators pressed the CFTC to swiftly tackle unrestricted betting on wildfires and put in place common-sense guardrails to prevent gamblers from making a profit as wildfires threaten communities nationwide.\n\nHeinrich has previously sounded the alarm on the dangers of prediction markets and the threat the industry poses to New Mexicans. Previously, he urged the leadership of the U.S. Senate Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to rein in prediction markets offering nationwide sports and event wagering, which abuse federal commodity and derivatives rules, infringe on state regulatory powers, and violate Tribal gaming rights and sovereignty.\n\nRead the full text of the letter here and below:\n\nDear Chair Selig,\n\nWe write to express concern regarding the disturbing news that prediction markets are now offering event contracts for individuals to bet on wildfires. Prediction markets have been enabled to expand rapidly, increasingly inviting speculation on war, political violence, disasters, and public emergencies that raise ethical and public policy concerns. These markets risk creating perverse incentives, undermining public trust and commodifying human suffering in ways that warrant careful scrutiny.\n\nRecent public reports have highlighted how Polymarket—the largest prediction market platform in the world—accepted more than $1.2 million in bets surrounding the Palisades and Eaton fires in January 2025. These fires devastated the Los Angeles area, claiming the lives of 31 people and destroying more than 16,000 structures. Another report even spotlighted the launch of a new prediction market platform that accepts only simulated bets on wildfires in California and whose slogan boasts, “You can’t predict fire, but you can trade on it.”\n\nOffering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering all so the rich and powerful can profit. There’s also the heightened risk—according to state and local fire officials—that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful. By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading.\n\nAs the United States faces yet another record-breaking fire season this year, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) cannot allow these prediction markets to offer unrestricted betting on wildfires. While these bets appear to be offered only on the offshore Polymarket site, it is only a matter of time before other U.S. based Designated Contract Markets (DCMs) try to offer these. The CFTC must lead the charge to rein in these contracts in the U.S. and offshore and put in place common-sense guardrails to prevent people from profiting as wildfires threaten communities.\n\nAs such, we request you provide answers to the following questions by August 14, 2026:", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-whitehouse-call-for-interior-inspector-general-investigation-into-trump-administrations-handling-of-failed-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-project", "title": "Heinrich, Whitehouse Call For Interior Inspector General Investigation into Trump Administration's Handling of Failed Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Project", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, sent a letter requesting that the Department of the Interior (DOI) Deputy Inspector General Caryl Brzymialkiewicz investigate what Department officials knew – and when they knew it – about engineering failures at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and whether DOI employees withheld evidence from federal prosecutors.\n\nThe request follows explosive new court filings from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which moved to dismiss felony vandalism charges against the three-time Olympian David Hearn after acknowledging that DOI had failed to provide prosecutors with information showing the Reflecting Pool’s lining was already peeling because of a rushed and flawed installation process before Hearn was arrested.\n\n“We write to request that the Office of Inspector General investigate what employees of the Department of the Interior (DOI) knew—and when they knew it—regarding the peeling of the coating and other engineering issues at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. On July 31, 2026, the U.S. Attorneys’ Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) filed a voluntary motion to dismiss felony vandalism charges against David Hearn, noting in its pleading that documents it received from DOI after the indictment ‘indicated a rushed and flawed installation process, with repeated failures of the lining during the installation process, and extensive peeling of the lining throughout the Reflecting Pool.’ Additional details provided in the motion—and prior (and continuing) contradictory statements by DOI leadership — deserve immediate scrutiny,’” the Senators began.\n\nThe Senators note that the DOJ’s filing states prosecutors relied on incomplete and faulty information from DOI and only obtained critical evidence after repeatedly requesting documents from the Department. According to the filing, had DOI disclosed information already in its possession, prosecutors never would have sought a grand jury indictment against Hearn. The filing further reveals that a National Park Service engineer alerted DOI officials on June 11 – eight days before Hearn’s arrest – that the Reflecting Pool’s new lining was already peeling.\n\n“These events, and the information and documents that DOI apparently possesses that remain non-public, provide ample predicate for an investigation by your office. Numerous questions remain: How was the vandalism lie cooked up? How did it get to President Trump’s desk? Or did it originate from the White House? What knowledge of the peeling did DOI employees (including DOI leadership) possess, when did they possess it, and what were their respective roles? Who received and was copied on the June 11 email thread? Why did DOI hold relevant documents from USAO-DC?” the Senators pressed, raising questions about what DOI officials knew, who was aware of the engineering failures, why key information was withheld from prosecutors, and whether senior Department officials continued to promote false claims even after evidence contradicted them.\n\nThe Senators concluded their letter urging the Interior Inspector General to investigate DOI’s knowledge of the coating failures and whether DOI employees intentionally withheld evidence from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “Accordingly, we urge your office to open an immediate investigation into DOI’s knowledge of coating and peeling issues with the Reflecting Pool—including what was known, who knew it, and when they knew it—and whether DOI employees intentionally withheld evidence from USAO-DC.”\n\nThe request builds on Heinrich's June oversight letter demanding answers from Secretary Burgum after the Reflecting Pool rehabilitation project spiraled from an estimated $1.5-2 million to more than $16 million, noting that the issues facing the reflecting pool were not simply maintenance concerns, but failures in project execution and government oversight.\n\nThe full letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Deputy Inspector General Brzymialkiewicz:\n\nWe write to request that the Office of Inspector General investigate what employees of the Department of the Interior (DOI) knew—and when they knew it—regarding the peeling of the coating and other engineering issues at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. On July 31, 2026, the U.S. Attorneys’ Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) filed a voluntary motion to dismiss felony vandalism charges against David Hearn, noting in its pleading that documents it received from DOI after the indictment “indicated a rushed and flawed installation process, with repeated failures of the lining during the installation process, and extensive peeling of the lining throughout the Reflecting Pool.” Additional details provided in the motion—and prior (and continuing) contradictory statements by DOI leadership—deserve immediate scrutiny.\n\nHere are the relevant facts surrounding the Reflecting Pool renovations and subsequent arrests:\n\nIn April 2026, the Trump administration launched a project to seal seams and re-coat the basin bottom of the Reflecting Pool, estimating costs at $1.5 to $2 million. To complete the work, the administration entered into two no-bid contracts on April 3 and 13, respectively, with Atlantic Industrial Coatings (AIC) and Greenwater Services.\n\nDuring April and May 2026, the project ran into various delays and the scope of work expanded as contractors discovered complications. Costs also began to balloon, eventually reaching more than $16 million.\n\nOn May 7, 2026, President Trump visited the Reflecting Pool, and his motorcade drove directly over the drained, coated basin. DOI Secretary Doug Burgum joined President Trump.\n\nOn June 4, 2026, the administration announced that the re-coating was complete and crews would begin refilling the pool.\n\nOn June 10, 2026, observers and news media began noting algal blooms in the pool water, and maintenance crews used hydrogen peroxide to clear the algae.\n\nOn June 18, 2026, news outlets first reported that the Reflecting Pool’s new coating had begun to peel.\n\nOn June 19, 2026, three-time Olympian David Hearn was arrested and charged with felony vandalism after he reached into the pool and touched a piece of peeling paint.\n\nAlso on June 19, 2026, President Trump first posed on Truth Social that there were “some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool.” He repeated the claims on June 20, 2026, adding that vandals had made a 250-foot long gash. And on June 23, 2026, he increased his claims to a “350 foot gash, made by a very sharp knife or razors,” but indicated that the length was the combined total of multiple smaller gashes. He provided no evidence.\n\nNew information in the court documents filed on July 31, 2026, provides the basis for this request. USAO-DC attorneys, including U.S. Attorney Jeannine Pirro, filed a voluntary motion to dismiss the felony charges against Mr. Hearn. In their motion, the attorneys explicitly stated they had relied on incomplete and faulty information provided by DOI in bringing the charges:\n\nDOI provided less than fulsome information at the outset of this case. However, the information subsequently demanded by USAO disclosed by DOI—which was not known to the prosecutors or the grand jury before the return of the indictment—strongly suggest that a rushed and botched installation by AIC, the primary contractor, led to the damage to the lining of the Reflecting Pool. It was not until USAO-DC repeatedly reached out to DOI dozens and dozens of times that DOI slowly started trickling information to USAO-DC. Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment.\n\nAmong other things, the motion to dismiss included the revelation that, on June 11, 2026, “a[] [National Park Service] engineer was alerted to peeling of the Reflecting Pool lining. He sent an email at 12:00 p.m. that day to other NPS and DOI personnel detailing the [peeling].” This June 11, 2026, email was sent 8 days before the arrest of Mr. Hearn.\n\nFurthermore, the withholding of this exculpatory information walked DOJ lawyers into a violation of their Brady and Giglio obligations. Brady v. Maryland held that due process requires prosecutors to disclose to the accused all “favorable” and exculpatory evidence that is “material” to their case. Giglio v. United States requires that prosecutors disclose information about a government witness that could undermine that witness’s credibility, a requirement echoed in D.C. law, court rules, and the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct. These disclosures protect “the defendant’s right to a fair trial” and “ensure that a miscarriage of justice does not occur.”\n\nThese events, and the information and documents that DOI apparently possesses that remain non-public, provide ample predicate for an investigation by your office. Numerous questions remain: How was the vandalism lie cooked up? How did it get to President Trump’s desk? Or did it originate from the White House? What knowledge of the peeling did DOI employees (including DOI leadership) possess, when did they possess it, and what were their respective roles? Who received and was copied on the June 11 email thread? Why did DOI hold relevant documents from USAO-DC?\n\nThese questions, and any attendant questions, are all squarely within the purview of the DOI IG. Investigation by your office is especially warranted given that DOI’s leadership continues to advance President Trump’s false claims notwithstanding the admissions in USAO-DC’s motion to dismiss; indeed, a day after USAO-DC filed that motion, Secretary Burgum tweeted: “The evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool.”\n\nAccordingly, we urge your office to open an immediate investigation into DOI’s knowledge of coating and peeling issues with the Reflecting Pool—including what was known, who knew it, and when they knew it—and whether DOI employees intentionally withheld evidence from USAO-DC.\n\nWe appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your findings.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/hickenlooper-crow-bennet-degette-neguse-pettersen-demand-answers-from-dhs-on-aurora-detention-facility-shooting/", "title": "Hickenlooper, Crow, Bennet, DeGette, Neguse, Pettersen Demand Answers From DHS on Aurora Detention Facility Shooting", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press/page/", "domain": "www.hickenlooper.senate.gov", "scraper": "hickenlooper", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000273", "name": "John W. Hickenlooper", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and Representative Jason Crow led Senator Michael Bennet and Representatives Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, and Brittany Pettersen in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding answers following last month’s shooting by a GEO Group employee near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora that left one person injured. The lawmakers also called for a thorough review of the Department’s policies to help prevent similar incidents.\n\nThe letter seeks answers about DHS and ICE’s coordination with local law enforcement, employee training, contractor vetting, security protocols, and the steps the agencies are taking to strengthen oversight and prevent harmful incidents.\n\n“We write to express our concern over the July 16, 2026 shooting of a 21-year-old woman near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora, Colorado,” wrote the Colorado lawmakers. “While we are relieved that her injuries were not life-threatening, we must ensure that personnel operating at federal immigration detention facilities are adequately screened and trained to prevent incidents like this one.”\n\nThe lawmakers continued: “The incident in Aurora, and the broader pattern of shootings involving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel across the country, undermine public trust and threaten community safety. As members of the Colorado Congressional delegation, we are responsible for defending the constitutional rights of our constituents and protecting our communities and our law enforcement. The events in Aurora raise questions about whether current DHS policies and practices keep communities, protesters, and law enforcement safe. We believe a thorough review of the Department’s policies is necessary to ensure that similar incidents do not recur.”\n\nRead the full text of the letter HERE and below.\n\nDear Secretary Mullin,\n\nWe write to express our concern over the July 16, 2026 shooting of a 21-year-old woman near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. While we are relieved that her injuries were not life-threatening, we must ensure that personnel operating at federal immigration detention facilities are adequately screened and trained to prevent incidents like this one. According to the Aurora Police Department, GEO Group employees reporting for their shifts that day were unable to enter the facility because of protest activity. Police allege that two protesters verbally confronted GEO employees and photographed their vehicles before walking away. One employee then retrieved a personally owned firearm and fired in their direction, striking one woman in the foot. He has been charged with seven offenses, including attempted second-degree murder.\n\nImmigration enforcement officers and the contractors supporting them have an obligation to protect public safety while exercising restraint and professionalism. Protests outside immigration detention centers are routine occurrences. An agency responsible for operating secure facilities should be equipped to maintain safe access, communicate with employees, coordinate with local law enforcement, and prevent confrontations between the community and facility personnel from escalating. Just as we believe law enforcement should never be targeted with violence, we believe lawful protesters should be protected – not attacked – by federal officials or those contracted by the government.\n\nThe incident in Aurora, and the broader pattern of shootings involving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel across the country, undermine public trust and threaten community safety. As members of the Colorado Congressional delegation, we are responsible for defending the constitutional rights of our constituents and protecting our communities and our law enforcement. The events in Aurora raise questions about whether current DHS policies and practices keep communities, protesters, and law enforcement safe. We believe a thorough review of the Department’s policies is necessary to ensure that similar incidents do not recur.\n\nGiven this urgent need, we request written responses to the following questions by August 14, 2026:\n\nWhat coordination has DHS and ICE undertaken with state and local law enforcement to manage public demonstrations while ensuring employees can safely access their places of work? What will that coordination look like moving forward?\n\nWhat de-escalation, use-of-force, crisis intervention, threats against employees, and crowd-management training is required for DHS personnel and contractor employees assigned to ICE facilities? What training has been provided to the employees at the Aurora facility concerning de-escalation, use-of-force, crisis intervention, threats against employees, and crowd-management training? Which of these trainings did the employee charged in the July 16 shooting complete and on which dates did he complete them?\n\nWhat screening and vetting procedures does DHS require for contractor personnel before they are assigned to ICE facilities? What screening was conducted for the individual charged in the July 16 shooting?\n\nWhat policies and operational plans do DHS and ICE have in place to protect both protesters and employees outside DHS and ICE facilities, including contracted facilities? Does ICE require its detention contractors to designate alternative entrances, transportation arrangements, or other measures for employees during demonstrations or other disruptions to access?\n\nGEO Group has placed the employee on unpaid leave and stated that it is cooperating with law enforcement. Beyond the ongoing investigation, what additional steps will DHS and ICE take to determine whether similar vulnerabilities exist at other contracted detention facilities? How will DHS and ICE strengthen oversight of its personnel and contractors and prevent similar incidents from occurring?\n\nIn addition to providing the information above, we urge the Department to conduct an independent review of its security procedures, contractor oversight, employee training, and firearms policies, especially as they relate to anticipated confrontations, and to make its findings and recommendations publicly available.\n\nWe appreciate your prompt attention to this urgent matter and look forward to your response.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/hickenlooper-requests-swift-doi-investigation-into-knowles-fire-tragedy/", "title": "Hickenlooper Requests Swift DOI Investigation Into Knowles Fire Tragedy", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press/page/", "domain": "www.hickenlooper.senate.gov", "scraper": "hickenlooper", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000273", "name": "John W. Hickenlooper", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper sent a letter to the Department of the Interior requesting a swift and thorough investigation into the Knowles Fire that tragically resulted in the deaths of four firefighters and injured one other.\n\n“A comprehensive and timely investigation into the moments and decisions that led to these heartbreaking losses will not only help families find solace, it will provide us with information we need to save future lives,” Hickenlooper wrote. “This investigation will provide a critical window into the final moments of the four members of the Rifle Interagency Helitack Crew who lost their lives—Nick Hutcherson, Emily Barker, Sydney Watson, and Nathan Matthews—in responding to the Knowles fire that day, along with a fifth wildland firefighter who is still recovering from severe burns.”\n\nHe continued: “We have confidence that your investigation will include a full analysis of decisions made on the day of the event, as well as higher-level direction that led to the Rifle Helitack Crew’s response that day. This should incorporate an analysis of management decisions and structures that informed on-the-ground operations that day—including the structure of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) itself, which has not been authorized by Congress… Additionally, the review should analyze the directive to presume a “full suppression strategy applied to every wildfire under DOI management,” despite scientific evidence that a maximum suppression approach makes wildfires more severe over time.”\n\nLast week, Hickenlooper took to the Senate floor to pay tribute to the fallen fighters and demand action to prevent more destructive wildfires, which have already burned more than 240,000 acres across Colorado this year.\n\nRead the full text of the letter HERE and below:\n\nDear Secretary Burgum and Secretary Rollins:\n\nWe write to urge you to work swiftly and thoroughly on your investigation into the incident on the Gore and Knowles Fires on June 27, 2026, that led to the tragic deaths of four firefighters. A comprehensive and timely investigation into the moments and decisions that led to these heartbreaking losses will not only help families find solace, it will provide us with information we need to save future lives.\n\nThis investigation will provide a critical window into the final moments of the four members of the Rifle Interagency Helitack Crew who lost their lives—Nick Hutcherson, Emily Barker, Sydney Watson, and Nathan Matthews—in responding to the Knowles fire that day, along with a fifth wildland firefighter who is still recovering from severe burns. As we mourn the lives of those lost and maintain hopes for the fifth crew member’s full recovery, more information about the entirety of the incident can support the healing of loved ones and the questions of the community.\n\nWe have confidence that your investigation will include a full analysis of decisions made on the day of the event, as well as higher-level direction that led to the Rifle Helitack Crew’s response that day. This should incorporate an analysis of management decisions and structures that informed on-the-ground operations that day—including the structure of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) itself, which has not been authorized by Congress. This review should examine whether the formation or management of the USWFS played any role in decisions regarding response to the Knowles fire. Additionally, the review should analyze the directive to presume a “full suppression strategy applied to every wildfire under DOI management,” despite scientific evidence that a maximum suppression approach makes wildfires more severe over time.\n\nBoth the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior have seen major staffing losses over the past two years. Morale has been concerningly low for the wildland firefighters remaining in their positions. We recognize that like us, you prioritize and deeply value the safety of our wildland firefighters. We believe that your investigation, and full analysis of what happened leading up to and on the day of June 27, will support that shared safety ethic and reinforce the morale of our public servants.\n\nWe appreciate your prompt attention to this pressing matter. We request an interim briefing for our offices and regular updates on the progress of your investigation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/watch-hickenlooper-slams-trumps-attorney-general-nominee-on-senate-floor/", "title": "WATCH: Hickenlooper Slams Trump’s Attorney General Nominee on Senate Floor", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press/page/", "domain": "www.hickenlooper.senate.gov", "scraper": "hickenlooper", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000273", "name": "John W. Hickenlooper", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Todd Blanche has flip-flopped on giving taxpayer funds to election criminals like Tina Peters and J6 rioters\n\nBlanche also wants abortion restrictions “permanent in every state” and was involved in Trump admin’s Epstein Files coverup\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper took to the Senate floor to oppose President Trump’s nominee to serve as Attorney General of the United States, Todd Blanche.\n\n“For months, Mr. Blanche has insisted the Department of Justice slush fund is dead. Yet as recently as this weekend, President Trump was saying the exact opposite,” said Hickenlooper on the Senate floor. “So when Mr. Blanche says the slush fund isn’t moving forward, don’t believe him. Not for one second. His word is worth about as much as the Trump Meme Coin.”\n\nWatch and download Hickenlooper’s speech on the Senate floor HERE\n\nIn May, the Trump administration announced an unprecedented $1.8 billion fund to compensate election criminals like Tina Peters. The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is part of a settlement that resolves President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, and would be paid for by taxpayer money. January 6th insurrectionists who beat and killed police officers during the attack on the Capitol expect compensation from the fund, as well as election criminals like Tina Peters.\n\nIn his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Blanche has declared the fund is “dead” and rescinded the order setting up the anti-weaponization fund this week through a letter. However, the settlement’s terms can be changed only via a written agreement from the Trump family and the government. On Saturday, Trump still supports the fund, saying: “It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done.”\n\nHickenlooper introduced an amendment to the last Republican reconciliation bill that would permanently stop Trump from giving a taxpayer-funded payout to Tina Peters, which Republicans blocked.\n\n“At a time when working families are struggling with rising costs, the last people the federal government should subsidize are those who attack our elections,” continued Hickenlooper. “The DOJ slush fund isn’t dead. It’s dormant. Until Congress permanently closes this avenue through legislation, we shouldn’t rely on assurances alone. If there’s even a chance this fund could be revived, this confirmation—this moment—is when this chamber and its members have the greatest leverage to act.”\n\nLast week on a private call hosted by the White House Faith Office, Blanche showed support for restricting medication abortion and said that he wants “to get permanent solutions so the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state.”\n\n“When he says behind closed doors that he wants the Dobbs v. Jackson decision to become, in his words, “permanent in every state,” we should believe him. Whether it’s abortion access or access to the ballot box, we should have little confidence that he will not target Colorado—or other blue states—because that’s exactly what his employer wants,” said Hickenlooper on the Senate floor.\n\nAfter the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Blanche as Deputy Attorney General led the disclosure of documents of survivors’ names, photos and identifying information, but omitted the names of accused abusers and enablers. Blanche also enabled Trump’s refusal to release the Epstein files until Congress forced the disclosure.\n\nFor a full video of Hickenlooper’s remarks, click HERE. A full transcript of his remarks as prepared for delivery is available below:\n\n“Mr. President,\n\nThe Senate is currently considering the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as Attorney General of the United States.\n\nThe Attorney General is one of the most important positions in our government. Not only does the Attorney General serve as a trusted member of the President’s Cabinet, but he or she also leads the Department of Justice—the agency responsible for enforcing our laws impartially.\n\nThat’s a difficult job in any administration. Under this President—who values personal loyalty above all else—it may very well be impossible.\n\nDuring his confirmation hearing, Mr. Blanche was asked about his relationship with President Trump. He responded, “I’m his lawyer,” before quickly correcting himself to say he previously was his lawyer.\n\nThat wasn’t a slip. It was a tell.\n\nMr. Blanche will not be an impartial check on the President.\n\nAnd here’s another tell.\n\nFor months, Mr. Blanche has insisted the Department of Justice slush fund is dead. Yet as recently as this weekend, President Trump was saying the exact opposite.\n\nHe defended the fund.\n\nSo when Mr. Blanche says the slush fund isn’t moving forward, don’t believe him. Not for one second. His word is worth about as much as the Trump Meme Coin.\n\nDuring reconciliation, we introduced an amendment to permanently end the DOJ slush fund. Despite bipartisan support, it ultimately failed.\n\nThat means taxpayers could still be on the hook for people who attacked our democracy.\n\nAt a time when working families are struggling with rising costs, the last people the federal government should subsidize are those who assault our elections. People like election criminal Tina Peters, who tried to undermine Colorado’s free and fair elections. People like the January 6 rioters who stormed this very chamber in an attempt to tear apart our democracy.\n\nThe DOJ slush fund isn’t dead. It’s dormant.\n\nUntil Congress permanently closes this avenue through legislation, we shouldn’t rely on assurances alone. If there’s even a chance this fund could be revived, this confirmation—this moment—is when this chamber and its members have the greatest leverage to act. We should not surrender that leverage for promises that can be undone at the President’s whim.\n\nA DOJ letter promising to end the slush fund isn’t law. It isn’t binding. And it isn’t enough!\n\nTo be clear, we don’t believe Mr. Blanche will break all of his promises.\n\nWhen he says behind closed doors that he wants the Dobbs v. Jackson decision to become, in his words, “permanent in every state,” we should believe him. Whether it’s abortion access or access to the ballot box, we should have little confidence that he will not target Colorado—or other blue states—because that’s exactly what his employer wants.\n\nWe cannot allow a fox to guard the henhouse. We need an Attorney General who is loyal to the Constitution—not to President Trump. Mr. Blanche is not that person.\n\nI strongly oppose his confirmation and urge my colleagues to do the same.\n\nThank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photos-and-video-hirono-holds-spotlight-forum-on-interagency-agreements-that-will-harm-students-with-disabilities", "title": "PHOTOS & VIDEO: Hirono Holds Spotlight Forum on Interagency Agreements that will Harm Students with Disabilities", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.hirono.senate.gov", "scraper": "hirono", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001042", "name": "Mazie K. Hirono", "party": "Democrat", "state": "HI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) held a spotlight forum titled: Breaking the Promise: How Relocating the IDEA will be Detrimental to Students and Families,” highlighting the dangerous consequences of the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for our nation’s students with disabilities and their families. During the forum, a panel of witnesses comprised of former ED leaders, civil rights advocates, and parent advocates spoke about how outsourcing ED’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which oversee critical federal programs for students with disabilities, to other agencies will harm millions of students with disabilities nationwide.\n\n“These agreements are not just harmless administrative shifts,” said Senator Hirono. “What we are witnessing is nothing short of a deliberate effort to dismantle the programs that support students with disabilities and their families, particularly for those with nowhere else to turn.”\n\nIn June, the Trump Administration announced that OSERS would be moving away from ED to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and OCR would be moving to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). OSERS has been responsible for enforcing compliance of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)— which helps guarantee that every child with a disability can receive a free and appropriate public education that responds to their needs— since the law was passed five decades ago.\n\nSenator Hirono raised alarms about how moving OSERS to HHS, an agency that lacks the personnel and infrastructure to enforce the IDEA could threaten the over 8 million students who rely this civil rights law to provide them with adequate services. Senator Hirono also highlighted how shifting OCR—the agency responsible for investigating potential violations of students’ rights— to DOJ would exacerbate an already severe backlog of over 23,000 cases.\n\nAt the forum, Senator Hirono was also joined by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).\n\n“I have heard from hundreds of my constituents in New Hampshire about this Administration’s moves to dismantle the Department of Education, and they’re concerned about what would happen—particularly for our young children with disabilities,” said Senator Shaheen. “Thank you to the witnesses for sharing your knowledge and experience with us today and helping to sound the alarm around the harms that would come to instruction and services for children with disabilities if special education were removed from the Department of Education.”\n\n\"Students come to the classroom with varying backgrounds and abilities, but they each deserve to pursue an education with peace of mind. OCR has supported this goal since the late 1960s, but the Trump administration's decision to move this office to the Department of Justice will hinder these efforts,\" said Senator Blunt Rochester. \"I'm proud to stand with Senator Hirono and my colleagues to push back against President Trump's attempts to dismantle the Department of Education, and I'll continue fighting to put our students' well-being and success first.\"\n\n“A quality education is the cornerstone of our children’s success, and the Department of Education has been responsible for ensuring students with disabilities have equal access to a public education since the passage of the IDEA’s predecessor half a century ago. The Trump Administration’s illegal decision to move that responsibility to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice – agencies with none of the expertise or experience necessary to best serve our students – will worsen educational outcomes and delay civil rights protections. We will fight to keep IDEA and the Department of Education alive to provide every student in America equal access to a high-quality education,” said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n“All children deserve a strong education that meets their emotional and academic needs. The Trump Administration’s removal of crucial programs from the Department of Education will harm students with disabilities. Shuttling the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and Office for Civil Rights to agencies that lack experience serving students with disabilities hinders students’ access to a safe and high-quality learning environment and the recourses they are entitled to if they face discrimination,” Senator Durbin said.\n\nThe forum featured testimony from:\n\nLaurie VanderPloeg, Associate Executive Director for Professional Affairs, Council for Exceptional Children\n\nKaty Neas, Chief Executive Officer, The Arc of the United States\n\nValerie C. Williams, Former Director, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education\n\nSeth Galanter, Senior Fellow, Edley Center on Law & Democracy\n\nElizabeth Tang, Senior Counsel for Education and Workplace Justice, National Women’s Law Center\n\n\"I ran the office that administers IDEA, and I am the mother of a son who happens to have Down syndrome,\" said Valerie C. Williams, CEO of Apokrisis Consultants and former Director of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). \"From both chairs the answer is the same: children with disabilities are students first, not patients, and the work that protects their right to learn belongs in the Department of Education, not scattered across agencies that have never done it.\"\n\n\"OCR's tradition valuing every complaint by students and families is nothing like DOJ's impact-litigation culture -- you can't swap one for the other,\" said Seth Galanter, Senior Fellow at the Edley Center on Law and Democracy and former OCR official in the Biden and Obama Administrations. \"The Department shouldn't be paying DOJ to be a poor substitute for the office it's dismantling.\"\n\n\"These changes will leave a lasting gap in the leadership and support that helps states improve special education. The result will be pockets of excellence, while vast parts of the country struggle to meet their responsibilities to children with disabilities,\" said Laurie VanverPloeg, Associate Executive Director for Professional Affairs, Council for Exceptional Children.\n\n“Behind every complaint of discrimination that OCR receives is a student who has experienced real harm,” said Elizabeth Tang, senior counsel for education and workplace justice at National Women’s Law Center. “Those tens of thousands of students are in danger of being ignored if the Department of Education and its civil rights office continue to be systematically neutered and dismantled. Every child deserves to feel safe and included at school—we owe it to them to fight for a world where they will be.”\n\nVideos from the forum can be found hereand photos can be found here.\n\nA full transcript of Senator Hirono’s opening remarks is available below.\n\nAloha, thank you all for being here today as we discuss the threats the Trump Administration’s Interagency Agreements pose to students with disabilities.\n\nAs you may know, President Trump has been working to undermine the U.S. Department of Education (ED) at every turn, with the stated goal of dismantling the entire Department.\n\nFollowing Donald Trump’s illegal Executive Order to dismantle ED, the Trump Regime has issued a total of 14 “Interagency Agreements,” or IAAs, to move programs from ED to other agencies.\n\nThese agreements are not just harmless administrative shifts. The result will be weakening and removing federal government support for these programs.\n\nToday we are here to discuss two of these agreements and their impacts on students with disabilities. First, transferring the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, or OSERS, to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and second, moving the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the Department of Justice (DOJ).\n\nFifty years ago, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help guarantee that every child—regardless of disability, zip code, or family income—has access to a free and appropriate public education that responds to their needs.\n\nCurrently, there are more than 8 million students with disabilities who receive services under the IDEA.\n\nSince the IDEA was created, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) has been responsible for ensuring that schools comply with the IDEA so students get the services they need.\n\nHanding that responsibility to The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proves this regime doesn't give a rip about students with disabilities. HHS has zero experience dealing with the IDEA.\n\nAnd with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly calling autism an “individual tragedy that destroys families,” I have serious concerns about his department’s ability to adequately serve students with special needs.\n\nTo make matters worse, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)—the agency responsible for investigating violations of student rights, including special education access—is being moved to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division.\n\nThat division has already significant staffing cuts and was never designed to advocate for individual students.\n\nConsider the difference: while the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is required to review every complaint it receives—amounting to thousands of cases each year—the DOJ Civil Rights Division, by contrast, selectively picks a few dozen high-impact cases annually.\n\nWe are already experiencing a severe backlog of OCR cases: over 23,000 cases—about half of which concern students with disabilities. In moving this mountain of cases to the DOJ Civil Rights Division, we can expect this backlog to get even worse. Thousands of legitimate complaints could end up buried, ignored, or summarily dismissed.\n\nWhat we are witnessing is nothing short of a deliberate effort to dismantle the programs that support students with disabilities and their families, particularly for those with nowhere else to turn.\n\nFamilies deserve a government that will defend students’ rights, support disability programs, and strengthen public education for all. Instead, this regime continues to attack our nation’s public education system and the tens of millions of families across our country that rely on it.\n\nToday, we are going to hear directly from education leaders, civil rights advocates, and parent advocates, about the implications related to these moves. I look forward to hearing more from my colleagues and today’s panelists as we work to defend special education across our public schools.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-joins-vice-president-jd-vance-at-white-house-to-discuss-combating-fraud-and-protecting-taxpayers/", "title": "Husted joins Vice President JD Vance at White House to discuss combating fraud and protecting taxpayers", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.husted.senate.gov", "scraper": "husted", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001104", "name": "Jon Husted", "party": "Republican", "state": "OH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“Every dollar that is misused because of waste, fraud and abuse is a dollar we cannot invest in our local communities and strengthening our economy.”\n\nWASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) today joined Vice President JD Vance, the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and other lawmakers at the White House for a roundtable discussion on efforts to eliminate fraud and abuse in the federal government and protect American taxpayers.\n\n“Every dollar that is misused because of waste, fraud and abuse is a dollar we cannot invest in our local communities and strengthening our economy. And with a national debt at nearly $40 trillion, there is no money to waste. Our government has turned a blind eye to fraudsters for too long, but we have strengthened protections in the recent budget bill and under Vice President Vance’s leadership, the Trump administration is attacking this problem more aggressively than any other,” said Husted.\n\nThe conversation focused on how to improve data sharing, mandate stricter penalties for egregious fraud and increase funding for anti-fraud efforts.\n\nHusted is leading several bills in the U.S. Senate to safeguard American taxpayer dollars and eliminate waste and fraud:\n\nThe Preventing Deepfake Scams Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill would address data and identity theft or fraud fueled by artificial intelligence (AI)—commonly known as “deep fake” scams—by establishing a task force on AI in the financial services sector.\n\nThe Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act. This bill would require strong safeguards to prevent student aid fraud. Specifically, it would target “ghost students,” a stolen or fabricated identity that impersonates a student to enroll in classes to fraudulently obtain federal and state financial aid.\n\nThe Clawing back Lapsed Obligations from State Emergency programs (CLOSE) Act. This bill would cancel the unspent tax dollars assigned during the COVID-19 pandemic for emergency unemployment payments and terminate the program.\n\nHusted is also a co-chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)subcommittee on Education fraud. This task force aims to tackle fraud in federal funding in education systems.\n\nAdditionally, Husted is a cosponsor of the Protecting American Taxpayers Act, a bipartisan legislative package containing 17 initiatives to recover stolen funds, strengthen anti-fraud safeguards and better protect taxpayer dollars. The package includes Husted’s Preventing Deepfake Scams Act.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.justice.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-justice-capito-introduce-bill-to-streamline-enrollment-in-trump-account/", "title": "Senators Justice, Capito Introduce Bill to Streamline Enrollment in Trump Account", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.justice.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.justice.senate.gov", "scraper": "justice", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000312", "name": "James C. Justice", "party": "Republican", "state": "WV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senators Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced legislation that would provide families with enrollment information to establish Trump Accounts for eligible newborns while still at the hospital. Specifically, the bill would amend the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Enumeration at Birth (EAB) program to provide for the creation of a Trump Account when a child’s birth is registered, streamlining enrollment and increasing access the program.\n\n“I’ve always believed that when we invest in our kids, we’re investing in the future of this great country. The Trump Accounts do just that by giving eligible children a $1,000 head start. That’s the kind of common-sense idea that helps hardworking families and gives the next generation a better chance to chase their dreams,” said Senator Jim Justice.\n\n“Trump accounts are an innovative way to provide financial backing for all American newborns, and this legislation makes it easier for West Virginia families to access that opportunity. By providing for the establishment of Trump Accounts through the Social Security Administration’s existing birth registration process, we are cutting red tape and ensuring our children can benefit from this program from day one. I’m proud to work to streamline enrollment and help more families invest in their children’s futures,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nOn July 3, 2026, the SSA announced that it would be launching a new program for parents to enroll newborns in Trump Accounts. This legislation works in tandem with this effort by amending the EAB program to include enrollment information for the creation of a Trump Account.\n\nThe EAB program currently allows parents to request a Social Security number for their newborn while still in the hospital. Participating hospitals electronically transmit birth registration information to the SSA, eliminating the need for separate paper applications or visits to a local Social Security office.\n\nNearly 99% of parents already use the EAB process, and the inclusion of Trump Account enrollment information makes it an efficient and convenient way to facilitate registration.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-and-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-strengthen-and-reform-340b-drug-program", "title": "Kaine & Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Strengthen and Reform 340B Drug Program", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "domain": "www.kaine.senate.gov", "scraper": "kaine", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000384", "name": "Tim Kaine", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and John Boozman (R-AR), members of the Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group, introduced the SUSTAIN 340B Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen and reform the 340B program. The 340B program requires that drug manufacturers that participate in Medicaid provide certain covered entities, including non-profit health care providers, such as hospitals and community health centers, a discount on outpatient drugs. The 340B program enables covered entities to use these savings to provide more comprehensive services to patients and their communities.\n\n“The 340B program has been an important program that has helped health care providers better care for communities across Virginia, especially those in rural and underserved areas. At a time when clinics and hospitals have been forced to close due to massive cuts to Medicaid and other federal health programs, it’s critical that Congress acts to help providers and ensure Americans continue to have access to the care they need,” said Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. “I’m grateful to the many health care providers and stakeholders around Virginia who have provided feedback about ways to improve the stability and integrity of the 340B program. This bipartisan legislation makes needed reforms to strengthen the 340B program and help ensure patients are benefiting. I’m committed to working with my colleagues to pass these reforms.”\n\nSpecifically, the SUSTAIN 340B Act would:\n\nSense of Congress – Reiterate the original intent of the 340B program and clarify the program provides point-of-purchase discounts, as opposed to rebates.\n\nContract Pharmacy – Codify covered entities’ use of contract pharmacies while placing reasonable limitations including registration, audits of covered entities with a large number of contract pharmacies, and standardization of contractual requirements between covered entities and contract pharmacies. The bill does not place numeric or geographic limitations on the use of contract pharmacies.\n\nPatient Definition – Establish the definition of an eligible patient under the 340B program and covered services for these patients. It also adds requirements and oversight for 340B patients being dispensed 340B drugs through referrals to non-covered entities.\n\n340B Rebate Model Pilot Program – End any 340B Rebate Model program within one year and require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) transition to the clearinghouse established in the legislation.\n\nChild Sites – Establish that child sites must be wholly owned and integrated with the parent covered entity, disincentivizes child site acquisitions with the sole purpose of expanding 340B footprints, and directs HHS to establish registration and oversight procedures.\n\nTransparency – Place new annual reporting requirements on covered entities relating to their utilization of the 340B program.\n\nProgram Integrity – Give HHS authority to establish auditing and reporting procedures for compliance under the 340B program and authorize removal of covered entities who are found in noncompliance and do not implement corrective action plans.\n\nSafeguards to Prevent Duplicate Discounts – Establish a 340B data clearinghouse operated by an independent, third-party entity to prevent diversion and duplicate discounts in the 340B program.\n\nPatient Financial Assistance – Require covered entities to establish a standard, transparent patient financial assistance policy for patients at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.\n\nEquitable Treatment of Covered Participants – Prevent insurers from discriminating against 340B covered entities and their contract pharmacies.\n\nUser Fee Program – Establish a user fee program for participation in the 340B program to pay for program administration, including the clearinghouse.\n\nStudies and Reports – Require reports to Congress on hospital debt collection practices, dispensing fees, and data collection system integration.\n\nAdditional Resources – Authorize three million dollars annually for five years for conducting oversight and enforcement and nine million dollars annually for four years for bill implementation.\n\nDefinitions – Establish definitions for “child site” and “contract pharmacy.”\n\nFull text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-supporting-free-and-fair-elections-in-venezuela", "title": "Kaine, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Supporting Free and Fair Elections in Venezuela", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "domain": "www.kaine.senate.gov", "scraper": "kaine", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000384", "name": "Tim Kaine", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations (SFRC) Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues, joined a group of his colleagues in introducing a bipartisan resolution reaffirming America’s support for free and fair elections in Venezuela. In addition to Kaine, the resolution is co-sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rick Scott (R-FL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).\n\n“Venezuelans have the right to decide the future of their own country, and the United States must support a timely democratic transition,” said Kaine. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in calling for free and fair elections in Venezuela as soon as possible and the release of political prisoners. I will also continue to do all that I can to urge the Trump-Vance Administration to support the safe return of María Corina Machado to Venezuela.”\n\nKaine has been a steadfast advocate for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. That work has included introducing the bipartisan Venezuela Democratic Transition Act, legislation that would push for free and fair elections in Venezuela this year.\n\nFull text of the resolution is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-announce-over-5-million-in-federal-funding-to-support-victims-of-sexual-assault-combat-violence-against-women", "title": "Warner, Kaine Announce Over $5 Million In Federal Funding to Support Victims of Sexual Assault, Combat Violence Against Women", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "domain": "www.kaine.senate.gov", "scraper": "kaine", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000384", "name": "Tim Kaine", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $5,285,635 in federal grant funding for the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to help law enforcement, court personnel, and victim services organizations support victims of sexual assault and their families, enhance victim protection and safety, and curb violent crimes against women. This funding comes from the Office on Violence Against Women’s (OVW) STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program and the Sexual Assault Services (SAS) Formula Program. The STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program is made possible by the Violence Against Women Act, which Sens. Warner and Kaine successfully fought to reauthorize in 2022.\n\n“Unfortunately, there’s still far too much work to be done to combat sexual assault and domestic violence against women. As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to stand with survivors, ensure they have access to the support and resources they need, and hold perpetrators accountable,” said the senators. “We’re pleased to announce this federal funding, which will help communities across Virginia strengthen services for survivors, prevent violence from occurring, and support efforts to keep women and families safe.”\n\nThe grant awards include:\n\n$4,269,937 through the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program to develop and strengthen law enforcement, prosecution, and court strategies to reduce violent crimes against women, apprehend and prosecute perpetrators effectively, and strengthen victim services in cases involving domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.\n\n$1,015,698 through the SAS Formula Program to support rape crisis centers and nonprofit organizations that provide core services, intervention, and related assistance to victims of sexual assault. This funding will provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment, support services, and related assistance for adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault, family and household members of victims, and others affected by sexual violence.\n\nSens. Warner and Kaine have long fought for efforts that support survivors of sexual assault and combat violence against women. Both senators strongly supported reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which successfully passed Congress and was reauthorized in 2022. In 2020, the senators announced more than $5 million in federal funding to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault across Virginia. Sens. Warner and Kaine also sponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, a law to aid domestic violence survivors and their pets included in the 2018 Farm Bill.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-applaud-over-17-million-in-federal-funding-for-local-law-enforcement-agencies-across-virginia", "title": "Warner, Kaine Applaud Over $1.7 Million In Federal Funding for Local Law Enforcement Agencies Across Virginia", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "domain": "www.kaine.senate.gov", "scraper": "kaine", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000384", "name": "Tim Kaine", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $1,716,459 in federal funding to help local law enforcement agencies across Virginia strengthen public safety through upgraded equipment, specialized training, and enhanced emergency response capabilities. Awarded through the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, the funding will support personnel, equipment, training, forensic tools, information systems, and other critical public safety needs.\n\n“Keeping Virginians safe means ensuring the officers, investigators, first responders, and court personnel who serve our communities day in and day out have the training, technology, and equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said the senators. “We’re proud to announce this funding that will help law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth strengthen emergency response capabilities, modernize critical equipment, and better protect Virginians.”\n\nIn Central Virginia, the grant awards include:\n\n$101,765 for the Richmond Police Department to replace critical equipment and support the Richmond Adult Drug Treatment Court’s operations and participant compliance.\n\n$83,788 for the County of Chesterfield to purchase equipment to improve its Tactical Response Unit as well as software to assist in officer wellness.\n\n$81,531 for the Henrico County Police Division to upgrade technology and equipment used by its Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, Crisis Negotiations Team, and Technical Support Team.\n\n$35,202 for the City of Lynchburg to update outdated technology and assist with implementation of a Real Time Crime Center at the Lynchburg Police Department.\n\n$29,500 for Spotsylvania County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office to purchase up to nine portable, high-performance forensic laptops that will improve efficiency.\n\n$29,935 for the City of Petersburg to continue a phased officer-safety and duty-weapon modernization project.\n\n$15,087 for the Albemarle County Police Department to procure forensic DNA analysis and evidence processing services that will strengthen investigative capacity, reduce evidence backlogs, and improve public safety outcomes.\n\n$12,236 for Dinwiddie County to upgrade communications equipment and vehicle immobilization technology to strengthen law enforcement capabilities and deputy safety.\n\n$11,285 for the Hopewell Police Department to facilitate regular, on-site professional development training for law enforcement.\n\nIn Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore, the grant awards include:\n\n$188,997 for the Norfolk Police Department to investigate recovered firearms used in crimes and strengthen efforts to identify how firearms are obtained by individuals engaged in criminal activity.\n\n$156,527 for the Newport News Police Department to enhance officer leadership training and purchase equipment to improve officer and community safety.\n\n$131,700 for the Chesapeake Police Department to support a Community Prosecution Analyst within the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, strengthening collaboration among prosecutors, law enforcement, and community stakeholders. The funding will also support subscriptions to digital forensic tools that expand investigators’ capacity to lawfully extract, analyze, and manage digital evidence.\n\n$59,792 for the City of Suffolk to train command-level staff and purchase a new FARO Laser Scanner that will improve efficiency and provide more accurate data collection at crime scenes.\n\n$55,515 for the City of Virginia Beach to purchase narcotic testing equipment, helping keep officers and residents safe from exposure to potentially hazardous substances. The funding will also be used to purchase a police horse for community-oriented policing.\n\n$46,962 for the Hampton Police Division to replace outdated equipment.\n\nIn Northern Virginia, the grant awards include:\n\n$146,826 for the Prince William County Police Department to replace dated portable radio communications equipment with a more secure, reliable system to support emergency response.\n\n$142,035 for the Fairfax County Police Department to establish a regional training initiative focused on investigating and prosecuting child exploitation, abuse, and trafficking in an increasingly complex digital environment. The initiative will convene practitioners across jurisdictions to standardize investigative practices and strengthen regional coordination.\n\n$69,097 for Arlington County to procure critical equipment and supplies.\n\n$38,964 for the Alexandria Police Department to support overtime for task forces, special details, and hiring officers for patrol.\n\n$37,657 for the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office to purchase an all-terrain vehicle for patrols, search-and-rescue operations, public events, and response in hard-to-access areas. The funding will also support equipment to assist disabled motorists and technology to enhance the SWAT Team's nighttime operational capabilities.\n\n$34,964 for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office to purchase five custom ballistic shields that will address current shortages and strengthen countywide response capabilities.\n\n$16,552 for the City of Fredericksburg to acquire a replacement all-terrain vehicle to be deployed in the city’s watershed area.\n\n$15,482 for the Leesburg Police Department to purchase motorcycle communication and safety equipment, mobile citation printing equipment, power accessories, and mobile scanning equipment that will improve officer safety, mobile enforcement capabilities, and field efficiency.\n\n$13,899 for the City of Manassas to support law enforcement operations, field incident management, and digital evidence preservation for the Manassas City Police Department.\n\nIn the Shenandoah Valley, the grant awards include:\n\n$14,730 for the Harrisonburg Police Department to purchase three advanced whiteboards that can be used to share information and coordinate communications more efficiently during emergencies and investigations.\n\nIn Southwest Virginia and Southside, the grant awards include:\n\n$65,414 for the Roanoke Police Department to purchase equipment that will improve real-time intelligence sharing between the Roanoke Operations and Crime Control Center (ROC3) and personnel in the field.\n\n$25,699 for the Roanoke County Police Department to modernize its patrol rifles with advanced optical and lighting systems.\n\n$18,175 for the Danville Police Department to purchase two drone systems equipped with thermal imaging capabilities that will improve both investigative and patrol response.\n\n$15,958 for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office to support a High Impact Directed Enforcement Project focused on reducing violent crime, gang activity, and narcotics trafficking through targeted overtime enforcement in identified high-crime areas.\n\n$10,652 for Campbell County to replace aging firearms with updated models that can improve officer accuracy and readiness during emergency situations.\n\n$10,533 for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office to purchase two ballistic shields to enhance officer safety and operational effectiveness during active threats, high-risk warrants, and emergency situations.\n\nWarner and Kaine have long supported efforts to protect law enforcement, strengthen public safety, and improve the criminal justice system. Last month, the senators announced over $6 million in federal funding to support state and local law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth. That funding was made possible in part by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, landmark legislation championed by Warner and Kaine that includes commonsense provisions similar to those outlined in the senators’ Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence. The senators also supported the bipartisan First Step Act, a historic criminal justice law that reduced sentences for nonviolent offenders and lowered recidivism rates. In 2020, they joined 31 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Justice in Policing Act to improve police accountability for misconduct, increase transparency through better data collection, and improve police practices and training.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-colleagues-push-epa-to-drop-effort-to-weaken-health-protections-for-millions-of-americans/", "title": "Kelly, Colleagues Push EPA to Drop Effort to Weaken Health Protections for Millions of Americans", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.kelly.senate.gov", "scraper": "markkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000377", "name": "Mark Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "This week, Senators and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) members Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and 24 of their Democratic colleagues demanded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdraw their proposal to roll back drinking water protections—which, if finalized, would remove federal public health limits on the amount of certain PFAS compounds in our drinking water.\n\nThe senators emphasized that removing these health limits will expose Americans to unsafe levels of chemicals that have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression problems, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.\n\n“Safe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health—not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established,” thesenators wrote.\n\nDespite the administration touting their ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) agenda, if enacted, EPA’s proposal would rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFAS and delay compliance for the PFOA and PFOS standards from 2029 to 2031—putting the health of millions of Americans at risk.\n\n“As far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans’ health worse,” thesenators concluded.\n\nKelly has long fought to protect Arizona’s water from PFAS contamination. In April 2025, he introduced bipartisan legislation to give states the ability to address PFAS contamination in private wells. In November 2025, he pressed Pentagon officials over delays in PFAS cleanup on military sites in Arizona. In July 2026, Kelly demanded the Department of Defense for answers on why they are delaying chemical cleanups at those Arizona military sites.\n\nIn addition to Kelly, the letter is signed by Ranking Member of the EPW Committee Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Edward Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-pingree-lead-push-to-protect-federal-workforce-at-portsmouth-naval-shipyard", "title": "King, Pingree Lead Push to Protect Federal Workforce at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/table", "domain": "www.king.senate.gov", "scraper": "angusking", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000383", "name": "Angus S. King, Jr.", "party": "Independent", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and U.S Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), are urging the administration to withdraw a proposed rule that would weaken longstanding civil service protections for federal employees, including the nearly 8,000 civilian workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). In a letter to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Charles Ezell and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Chairman Cathy Harris, the lawmakers warned that the proposal would make it more difficult to recruit and retain the skilled civilian workforce responsible for maintaining the Navy's submarine fleet, ultimately threatening national security.\n\n\"We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)'s proposed rule 'Promoting Employee Accountability,’” the lawmakers began. “This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitment and retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule's impact on workers essential to our national security.\"\n\n\"By stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness... the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready... We, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB's proposed rule,\" the lawmakers concluded.\n\nJoining King and Pingree on the letter are U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and U.S. Representatives Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02) and Chris Pappas (D-NH-01).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\n+++\n\nDirector Kupor and Acting Chairman Kerner,\n\nWe write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)’s proposed rule “Promoting Employee Accountability,” Docket OPM-2025-0012 (RIN 3206-AO91). This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitmentand retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule’s impact on workers essential to our national security.\n\nOPM and MSPB’s joint notice of proposed rulemaking issued on July 2, 2026, unnecessarily weakens civil service protections and undermines workers’ rights to challenge removal. Current law provides agencies with the authority to address misconduct and poor performance while ensuring personnel decisions are appropriate, fair and consistent. This rulewould impose a short 30-day limit for performance improvement periods and make termination the default penalty. Theshortened window, coupled with termination as the default, could result in the loss of skilled workers who could have improved their performance if given sufficient time. Furthermore, the proposed rule weakens workers’ ability to challenge disciplinary measures by barring the use of union time to represent workers in removal proceedings.\n\nSince the MSPB’s decision in Douglas v. Veterans Administration in 1981, agencies must consider 12 factors when examining the reasonableness of an agency’s proposed penalty for adverse action taken under 5 U.S.C. 7513. These include considering mitigating circumstances, rehabilitation potential and length of service. For nearly 50 years across Republican and Democratic administrations, these consistent standards have provided fairness to federal workers facing accusations of misconduct and created a framework for determining approportionate responses. OPM’s and MSPB’s proposal would instead require agencies to rely on an arbitrary, case-by-case examination of whether disciplinary action is reasonable given the “totality of circumstances” and explicitly states that “noparticular factors must be considered in every case.” This could allow agencies to ignore important mitigating factors and more easily remove skilled workers with strong rehabilitation potential from critical industries.\n\nAs you are no doubt aware, the men and women who work at our public shipyards are critical members of our defenseindustrial base, without whom the ability to repair, retrofit and refuel our country’s submarines would be in jeopardy. In our states, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) has nearly eight thousand civilian employees, creating more than $1.5 billion in annual economic impact in surrounding communities. As our military’s “pacing threat,” the People’s Republic of China, is rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons programs, the role that our own submarines play in the survivability of our nuclear triad cannot be overstated. In fact, PNSY currently needs to hire over 700 workers annually to meet the Navy’s demand – which is an increase from 550 over the past two years. Further, policies that reduce workplace protections risk making federal service less attractive to qualified candidates. Due to civilian hiring quotas imposed by the Office of Personnel Management, PNSY has struggled to onboard workers and cannot risk additional delays or departures. If the Administration intends to retain this political litmus test at our public shipyards, the costs of unnecessarily losing more skilled workers through this proposed rule far outweigh any potential benefit.\n\nBy stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness and refusing toconsider important factors, the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready, ultimately harming the shipyard’s ability to meet the Navy’s needs and threatening our national security.\n\nWe, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB’s proposed rule, “Promoting Employee Accountability,” and consider alternatives that preserve federal workers’ longstanding civil service protections.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-champions-legislation-to-strengthen-stroke-prevention-treatment-and-recovery/", "title": "Luján Champions Legislation to Strengthen Stroke Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a stroke survivor, introduced the Stroke Act, legislation to improve stroke prevention, treatment, recovery, and data collection across the United States. The legislation would invest in research, strengthen emergency response and rehabilitation services, expand access to telestroke care, establish a national stroke registry, and launch a nationwide public education campaign to help people recognize stroke symptoms and seek lifesaving treatment.\n\nStroke remains one of the nation’s most pressing public health challenges. Someone in the United States experiences a stroke every 40 seconds, making stroke the fourth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious long-term disability. Rapid identification and treatment significantly improve survival and recovery outcomes, yet the quality and availability of stroke care continue to vary across communities. These disparities are particularly severe in rural and underserved areas, where patients often face limited access to specialized stroke care, rehabilitation services, coordinated systems of care, and telestroke technology.\n\n“Every second matters when someone experiences a stroke. As a stroke survivor, I know firsthand how critical it is to receive the right care at the right time. Yet far too many Americans, especially in our rural and underserved communities, continue to face barriers to timely, high-quality care,” said Senator Luján. “My Stroke Act invests in research, strengthens emergency response systems, and equips communities with the tools they need to improve stroke care from prevention through recovery. This legislation will help save lives, reduce preventable disability, and ensure more Americans can access the care they need when every minute counts.”\n\n“This legislation would increase our understanding of stroke care, improve the quality of stroke treatment delivered to communities nationwide and ultimately save lives,” said Mark Schoeberl, Executive Vice President of Advocacy of the American Heart Association. “Someone dies of a stroke every 3 minutes and 14 seconds in the United States, yet many strokes can be prevented, and recognizing the warning signs can help save lives. We thank Sen. Luján for turning his personal experience with stroke into action by championing this legislation.”\n\nSpecifically, the Stroke Act would:\n\nAuthorize $3 million annually for five years for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to support research on improving stroke care, including post-acute and emergency room care.\n\nAuthorize $10 million annually for five years for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish and maintain a national stroke registry that supports standardized, confidential data collection across states.\n\nAuthorize $10 million annually for five years for CDC grants to strengthen systems of stroke care by improving emergency medical services training, pre-hospital protocols, post-stroke rehabilitation, care coordination, and access to telestroke services.\n\nAuthorize $2 million annually for five years for CDC to conduct a national stroke prevention and education campaign focused on helping Americans recognize stroke symptoms and seek immediate medical treatment.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by the American Heart Association, Adult Congenital Heart Association, and the American Stroke Association.\n\nThe Stroke Act is cosponsored by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).\n\nFull bill text is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-introduces-legislation-to-support-and-strengthen-new-mexicos-early-childhood-education-workforce/", "title": "Luján Introduces Legislation to Support and Strengthen New Mexico’s Early Childhood Education Workforce", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Introduction Comes as Trump Looks to Gut Critical Early Childhood Education Programs Like Head Start\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) – one of two Head Start graduates to serve in the U.S. Senate – introduced the Early Childhood Educator Professional Improvement Act of 2026, legislation to strengthen our nation’s early childhood workforce by creating a federal grant program for states to prepare, develop and support early childhood educators. U.S. Representative Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) leads companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\nEarly childhood educators are essential to children’s learning and development, yet challenges continue to strain the workforce and reduce access to child care for families. The Early Childhood Educator Professional Improvement Act would strengthen the early childhood workforce by investing in professional development, expanding career pathways, and improving educator recruitment and retention.\n\n“As one of only two Senators who attended Head Start, I know firsthand the lasting impact early childhood education can have on a child’s future,” said Senator Luján. “To ensure our next generation is prepared for success, we must invest to support and strengthen our early childhood workforce. I’m proud to champion this legislation to strengthen the early childhood workforce in New Mexico and across the country by expanding career pathways, professional development, and the support educators need.”\n\nThe Early Childhood Educator Professional Improvement Act specifically would:\n\nEstablish a five-year, renewable state grant program to support comprehensive early childhood professional development systems.\n\nRequire states to develop and submit a workforce plan in partnership with key stakeholders—including State Advisory Councils on Early Childhood Education, State Education Agencies, Head Start State Directors, institutions of higher education, and early childhood educator organizations—that outlines educator standards, career pathways, higher education partnerships, workforce data, and long-term sustainability strategies.\n\nRequire states to use grant funding to:\n\nProvide scholarships for early childhood educators pursuing bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education or related fields.\n\nHelp educators with degrees in other fields earn early childhood credentials or licensure.\n\nIncrease compensation for educators while they complete degree programs and ensure pay parity after degree completion.\n\nExpand professional development focused on child development, teacher-child interactions, family engagement, and culturally responsive practices.\n\n“Supporting our educators is the best and most meaningful investment we can make in our shared future. Thank you to the leaders behind this valuable and important initiative.” – The Teacher Salary Project\n\n“The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) commends Senator Luján and Representative Meng for championing the Early Childhood Educator Professional Improvement Act of 2026. This legislation makes much-needed investments in early childhood educators’ higher education, professional development, and compensation, including scholarships, clear pathways to credentials and degrees, and wage parity for those who advance their education, which will help address high turnover, recruitment and retention challenges, and the shrinking teacher pipeline. Well-prepared and fairly compensated early childhood educators are essential to the success of our schools, our workforce, and our society.” – The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC)\n\nThe Early Childhood Educator Professional Improvement Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).\n\nThe Early Childhood Educator Professional Improvement Act is supported by: The National Association for Family Child Care, AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Early Care & Education Consortium, Educators for Excellence, Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK), and the Teacher Salary Project.\n\nFull bill text is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-statement-on-commerce-committee-markup-of-kosa", "title": "Markey Statement on Commerce Committee Markup of KOSA", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington (August 5, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, issued the following statement after the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) passed through the Commerce Committee by a voice vote.\n\n“Today the Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance the Kids Online Safety Act. As I have said in the past, I have concerns about how this legislation could be weaponized against LGBTQ+ young people. These concerns are especially heightened today when the Trump FTC is unlawfully and viciously targeting trans kids. I stand ready to continue working with the sponsors on this legislation to ensure it doesn't hurt our LGBTQ+ youth.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-celebrates-unanimous-committee-passage-of-his-youth-ai-privacy-act", "title": "Senator Markey Celebrates Unanimous Committee Passage of His Youth AI Privacy Act", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington (August 5, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today celebrated the passage of his Youth AI Privacy Act unanimously through the Senate Commerce Committee. This crucial legislation would require AI companies to build safety and privacy safeguards into their chatbots for minors.\n\n“Today’s unanimous committee passage of my Youth AI Privacy Act is a huge step forward for protecting kids’ privacy and safety in the age of AI,” said Senator Markey. “This vote demonstrates bipartisan support for robust privacy safeguards in AI chatbots and sends a clear message that Big Tech must prioritize kids over their bottom line. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Youth AI Privacy Act into law.”\n\nEmerging evidence clearly suggests that minors are especially vulnerable to the harms of AI chatbots, particularly as companies introduce increasingly manipulative design features and rely on large amounts of children’s personal data. The Youth AI Privacy Act would set new privacy standards for these systems, curb the business incentives that drive harmful design choices, and address the ways Big Tech has engineered chatbots to encourage compulsive use among young people.\n\nIn July, Senator Markey announced new support for the legislation, following its initial introduction in March 2026.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-calls-on-the-u-s-fish-and-wildlife-service-to-protect-the-duck-factory/", "title": "Senator Marshall Calls on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Protect the Duck Factory", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined a letter today led by Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas) urging Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to preserve long-standing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) wetland easement protections that are critical to North America’s waterfowl populations and America’s hunting heritage.\n\nThis letter comes in response to a recent USFWS Request for Information (RFI) on National Wildlife Refuge System drain tile setbacks that could lead to regulations that weaken protections for wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region—widely known as the nation’s “Duck Factory.”\n\nIn the letter, the Senators wrote:\n\n“We write regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Request for Information (RFI) on National Wildlife Refuge System drain tile setbacks because we are concerned it could be used to weaken long-standing protections for Service wetland easements.\n\nWhile we appreciate your leadership in reviewing existing regulations and improving USFWS programs and policies, we are concerned that this RFI may be a precursor to aligning USFWS drain tile setback requirements with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Swampbuster provisions, which allow wetland drainage when deemed to have “minimal effects.” Such a change would fundamentally alter the purpose and protections of permanent USFWS wetland easements.\n\nUSFWS wetland easements and USDA’s Swampbuster provisions serve different purposes and should not be treated as interchangeable. USFWS easements are permanent property interests voluntarily purchased from willing landowners using taxpayer dollars to conserve wetlands in perpetuity. Swampbuster, by contrast, establishes minimum conservation standards tied to eligibility for USDA farm programs. It was never intended to define the level of protection afforded to permanent conservation easements.\n\nAligning these two frameworks would weaken protections for USFWS voluntary easements by allowing drain tile installation near protected wetlands under standards that permit up to 12 inches of water to be drained from a wetland over 14 days. Even modest hydrologic changes can permanently alter the shallow wetlands of the Prairie Pothole Region, reducing their value for nesting waterfowl and other wildlife.\n\nThe stakes are substantial. The Prairie Pothole Region provides breeding habitat for more than half of North America’s migratory waterfowl. As we noted previously, waterfowl populations are already experiencing declines, and further habitat loss would exacerbate these trends, with consequences felt throughout the Mississippi Flyway and beyond.\n\nFor generations, hunters, conservationists, and taxpayers have invested in the National Wildlife Refuge System and related conservation programs to sustain waterfowl populations and preserve America’s hunting heritage. As Secretary of the Interior and Chair of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, we respectfully urge you to maintain the scientific drain tile setback rule that’s been successful for more than 60 years. We ask you to continue safeguarding waterfowl habitat in the Prairie Pothole Region. Maintaining these protections will honor commitments made to willing landowners, safeguard taxpayer investments, sustain waterfowl habitat, and ensure America’s outdoor traditions remain strong for future generations.”\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-congress-must-permanently-end-gain-of-function-research/", "title": "Senator Marshall: Congress Must Permanently End Gain-of-Function Research", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Marshall Delivers Remarks Urging End to Gain-of-Function Research\n\nWashington – U.S. Senator Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), today on the Senate floor requested unanimous consent for his Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act, urging Congress to permanently end taxpayer funding for dangerous viral gain-of-function research and codify the Trump Administration’s recent executive action into law.\n\nIn his floor remarks, Senator Marshall reflected on the devastating loss of American life during the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that Congress has a responsibility to ensure American taxpayer dollars are never again used to support research that could result in another global catastrophe.\n\nClick HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full remarks.\n\nSenator Marshall’s full speech as delivered:\n\n“Mr. President, I rise today to ask this Senate body to join me in stopping the funding of viral gain-of-function research. Viral gain-of-function research is what led, of course, to the COVID virus being developed and, of course, the COVID epidemic.\n\nI think it’s important to pause and remember why this is still important, even five or six years later. We all know we lost more than a million Americans to this COVID virus. Twenty million Americans still suffer from long COVID. Many Americans died alone—whether in nursing homes or in their own homes—without being allowed to have their children or their spouses visit them in those final moments of their lives.\n\nWe had tens of millions of students miss their senior year of high school or college. Maybe it was the state track meet. Maybe it was the state softball championship they had been working toward their entire lives. We still have children with learning deficits, especially in reading, not to mention the lasting effects on their social interactions and emotional development.\n\nThis COVID virus left a tremendous physical, economic, and emotional scar on America. That’s why I’m asking that we stop this viral gain-of-function research.\n\nI’m also proud that the President recently agreed to stop the funding. I’ve been calling for this since 2021. I think it’s important to recognize how Anthony Fauci evaded the intent of Congress and even the policies of his own White House. President Obama directed that this type of viral gain-of-function research be halted, but Anthony Fauci always found a loophole. And when it became more difficult to conduct here, the funding was simply offshored.\n\nMake no mistake about it: the United States funded viral gain-of-function research for decades. This was Anthony Fauci’s baby. He believed this research would be his ticket to a Nobel Prize.\n\nWhether you’re a physician like myself, a mom or dad, a business owner, or a military officer, you always have to weigh the benefits against the risks. Frankly, I’m not sure what the benefits really are. We were told that if some unknown organism appeared, this research might help us develop a vaccine more quickly.\n\nBut the downside was always the possibility that a virus created in a laboratory could escape. And history shows that laboratory accidents happen.\n\nIn 1978, a smallpox virus escaped from a laboratory in the United Kingdom. In 2007, the foot-and-mouth virus was accidentally released from a laboratory in the United Kingdom. In 2014, the CDC experienced an anthrax exposure incident. That same year, unsecured smallpox vials were discovered at an NIH and FDA storage facility. Even laboratory mice infected with these engineered viruses have escaped from research facilities.\n\nIt simply seemed like we were setting ourselves up for failure.\n\nDespite scientist after scientist, president after president, warning Anthony Fauci to stop this research, he persisted, and he persisted, and he persisted until finally COVID-19 was accidentally released from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, and the rest is history.\n\nThat’s why I believe it’s so important that we stop the funding of this research once and for all.\n\nLet’s codify what the President has done and ensure that this policy becomes permanent law—at least until someone can come before Congress and say, “We have developed a foolproof system for safely conducting this type of research.”\n\nBut when you’re creating monster viruses, the worst-case scenario isn’t just an accidental laboratory leak. It’s terrorism. Once these viruses are created, they can be replicated and potentially turned into biological weapons—posing a far greater long-term threat to America than nuclear warheads.\n\nThink about this: this virus alone has been exponentially more lethal than decades of nuclear weapons.\n\nThis bill does one simple thing: it stops federal tax dollars from funding the kind of research that can turn a virus into a weapon. No more offshoring risk to avoid oversight. No more asking permission from the very agencies that created the problem.\n\nTherefore, Mr. President, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding Rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of S. 738; that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-mccormick-fetterman-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-strengthen-addiction-treatment-workforce/", "title": "SENATORS MCCORMICK, FETTERMAN INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO STRENGTHEN ADDICTION TREATMENT WORKFORCE", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.mccormick.senate.gov", "scraper": "davemccormick", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001243", "name": "David McCormick", "party": "Republican", "state": "PA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) today introduced the Workforce Recovery and Resilience Act, bipartisan legislation to help communities hit hardest by the opioid and fentanyl crisis by recruiting, training, and strengthening the workforce needed to support addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery.\n\nThe legislation modernizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, giving state and local workforce boards new tools to respond to the workforce impacts of substance use disorders, with opioids at the center of the crisis in Pennsylvania.\n\n“In Pennsylvania, we’ve seen firsthand the devastating toll fentanyl and opioids have taken on our families and communities,” said Senator McCormick. “If we’re going to help more people recover, we need enough skilled workers to provide that care. This bipartisan bill gives communities more tools to train that workforce so more people can get the help they need.”\n\n“Countless families have been torn apart as a result of the rampant opioid crisis, which especially impacts our workforce right here in PA. The need for treatment, recovery, and other support services is real,” said Senator Fetterman. “I’m proud to join my friend Senator McCormick in introducing the Workforce Recovery and Resilience Act to open up federal workforce development investments to help workers and families fight back against this epidemic.”\n\nPennsylvania has made significant progress against the opioid and fentanyl crisis. Fentanyl killed approximately 4,000 Pennsylvanians each year from 2020 through 2023, and preliminary data indicate that figure fell to approximately 1,500 in 2025, the lowest level in a decade. Sustaining that progress will require a strong workforce capable of delivering prevention, treatment, recovery, and other behavioral health services. The Workforce Recovery and Resilience Act gives communities the workforce tools needed to meet that demand.\n\nCompanion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).\n\nThe Workforce Recovery and Resilience Act would:\n\nDirect the Department of Labor to evaluate and annually share promising, evidence-based workforce strategies for communities responding to substance use disorder.\n\nExpand the use of National Dislocated Worker Grants to support employment and training activities related to addiction prevention, treatment, mental health care, and pain management in communities where demand exceeds available state and local resources.\n\nBroaden eligibility for these grants to include dislocated workers, long-term unemployed individuals, individuals who are unemployed or significantly underemployed as a result of widespread substance use in their area, and individuals employed or seeking employment in health care professions involved in substance use disorder prevention and treatment.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-moody-brings-crime-fighting-experience-to-white-house-task-force-to-eliminate-fraud-with-vice-president-vance/", "title": "Senator Moody Brings Crime Fighting Experience to White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud with Vice President Vance", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.moody.senate.gov", "scraper": "moody", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001244", "name": "Ashley Moody", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Ashley Moody is bringing decades of crime fighting experience to the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud today with Vice President JD Vance. Senator Moody and Vice President Vance discussed the historic progress made against fraud and further legislative reforms needed to protect taxpayers. Senator Moody has been a fierce fighter against fraud while serving in the U.S. Senate, having introduced or cosponsored more than a dozen legislative measures to address fraud since being appointed last year.\n\n“From my time as Florida’s Attorney General to now serving in the United States Senate, I’ve made combatting fraud a major priority. Whether it’s the purposeful targeting of senior’s retirement savings or scheming our taxpayer-funded programs, unaddressed fraud erodes trust in our institutions and hurts the people these programs are meant to serve. I’ve been one of the Senate’s most active members when it comes to tackling fraud, so discussing ways we can address the issue with the Vice President at the White House’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud was not only productive but served as a springboard for future cooperation and successful intergovernmental coordination in shutting down fraud where it may appear. Fraudsters remain extremely cunning, so we must continue a whole of government approach in order to hold bad actors accountable and protect the integrity of our public programs,” said Senator Ashley Moody.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nSenator Moody has always been committed to combating fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars. In the past year and a half alone, Senator Moody:\n\nIntroduced the SWIPES Act to combat gift card fraud and protect seniors;\n\nIntroduced the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act to extend criminal penalties to make intentionally staging an accident with a commercial motor vehicle a federal crime, protecting all drivers on the roads and preventing con artists from driving up the cost of insurance;\n\nIntroduced the Stop Child Care Scams Act to fight fraud in federal child care programs;\n\nIntroduced the STOP Scams Against Seniors Act to protect seniors from scams and financial fraud;\n\nIntroduced the No Aid for Ghost Students Act to stop fraudsters, often called “ghost students,” from using stolen or fake identities to submit FAFSA applications and take federal student aid money;\n\nJoined the Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force, an oversight effort focused on identifying fraud against the federal government, exposing systemic vulnerabilities, recovering taxpayer dollars, and advancing reforms that strengthen accountability;\n\nIntroduced the Punishing Health Care Fraudsters Act, which increases financial and criminal penalties for health care fraud across the board; and\n\nCosponsored the SCAM Act, which would increase safety and protect the integrity of American citizenship by ensuring individuals who join terrorist organizations or are naturalized through fraud or deception can have their citizenship revoked; and\n\nCosponsored the Protecting American Taxpayers Act, comprehensive anti-fraud legislation that includes 16 commonsense measures that would stop bad actors, protect taxpayer dollars and recover stolen funds, providing $240 billion in projected savings.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=951FFB98-651B-4E80-BD63-23A6CEDA6871", "title": "Sen. Moran & Colleagues Introduce Comprehensive 340B Reform Legislation", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "domain": "www.moran.senate.gov", "scraper": "moran", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000934", "name": "Jerry Moran", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Sens. Moran, Baldwin, Capito, Kaine, Boozman & Hickenlooper today unveiled SUSTAIN 340B Act\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) – members of the Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group – today released the following statement after introducing sweeping legislation to reform the 340B program:\n\n\"We have received invaluable input from stakeholders throughout our process, and the legislation we are introducing reflects that feedback by aiming to provide greater stability, clarity, and transparency in the 340B program. The SUSTAIN 340B Act makes comprehensive reforms to the program while preserving its critical benefits that support eligible health care providers and the patients they serve throughout the country. By continuing to work together in bipartisan fashion, we are committed to strengthening the 340B program and helping make certain it remains accessible to serve patients and communities for years to come.\"\n\nThe SUSTAIN 340B Act would:\n\nSense of Congress – Reiterate the original intent of the 340B program and clarify the program provides point-of-purchase discounts, as opposed to rebates.\n\nContract Pharmacy – Codify covered entities’ use of contract pharmacies while placing reasonable limitations including registration, audits of covered entities with a large number of contract pharmacies, and standardization of contractual requirements between covered entities and contract pharmacies. The bill does not place numeric or geographic limitations on the use of contract pharmacies.\n\nPatient Definition – Establish the definition of an eligible patient under the 340B program and covered services for these patients. It also adds requirements and oversight for 340B patients being dispensed 340B drugs through referrals to non-covered entities.\n\n340B Rebate Model Pilot Program – End any 340B Rebate Model program within one year and require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) transition to the clearinghouse established in the legislation.\n\nChild Sites – Establish that child sites must be wholly owned and integrated with the parent covered entity, disincentivizes child site acquisitions with the sole purpose of expanding 340B footprints, and directs HHS to establish registration and oversight procedures.\n\nSupporting Transparency – Place new annual reporting requirements on covered entities relating to their utilization of the 340B program.\n\nStrengthening Program Integrity – Give HHS authority to establish auditing and reporting procedures for compliance under the 340B program and authorize removal of covered entities who are found in noncompliance and do not implement corrective action plans.\n\nPreventing Duplicate Discounts – Establish a 340B data clearinghouse operated by an independent, third-party entity to prevent diversion and duplicate discounts in the 340B program.\n\nPatient Financial Assistance – Require covered entities to establish a standard, transparent patient financial assistance policy for patients at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.\n\nSupporting Equitable Treatment of Covered Participants – Prevent insurers from discriminating against 340B covered entities and their contract pharmacies.\n\nUser Fee Program – Establish a user fee program for participation in the 340B program to pay for program administration, including the clearinghouse.\n\nStudies and Reports – Require reports to Congress on hospital debt collection practices, dispensing fees, and data collection system integration.\n\nAdditional Resources – Authorize three million dollars annually for five years for conducting oversight and enforcement and nine million dollars annually for four years for bill implementation.\n\nDefinitions – Establish definitions for “child site” and “contract pharmacy.”\n\nItems to note:\n\nThe 340B program requires that drug manufacturers who participate in Medicaid and Medicare provide certain non-profit health care providers, hospitals and clinics (covered entities) a discount on outpatient drugs. The 340B program enables covered entities to use these savings to provide more comprehensive services to eligible patients and their communities.\n\nThe Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group has existed for more than a decade and is comprised of members who support the 340B program and are committed to sustaining it.\n\nIn the 118th Congress, the group sought stakeholder feedback on how to improve the 340B program and released a bipartisan discussion draft to strengthen it. The draft reflected the group’s belief that the program provides a critical benefit to eligible providers by helping them stretch federal resources to deliver health care services to the patients they serve, while also addressing concerns about program ambiguity and the need for greater transparency and accountability.\n\nFull text of the legislation can be found HERE.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-announces-release-of-413-million-for-alaska-native-education-program-grants", "title": "Murkowski Announces Release of $41.3 Million for Alaska Native Education Program Grants", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "scraper": "murkowski", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001153", "name": "Lisa Murkowski", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, DC—U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced that the U.S. Department of Education (USED) has obligated $41.3 million in continuation awards through the Alaska Native Education Program (ANEP), providing long-awaited funding for 26 Alaska grantees. The continuation awards were expected to be released on July 1 but were delayed until Senator Murkowski engaged directly with the Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon last week to expedite the awards.\n\n\"Last week, I raised this issue with Secretary McMahon, and I’m pleased she agreed to expedite the obligation of the funds for the Alaska Native Education Program grants that Congress appropriated earlier this year,” said Senator Murkowski. “ANEP helps Alaska Native Tribes, Tribal organizations, eligible schools, and other organizations meet the needs of Alaska Native students in wide variety of ways. Grants provide, for example, culturally relevant curriculum, tutoring and other academic supports, indigenous language revitalization, workforce development opportunities, teacher professional development, postsecondary planning and support, and success, early childhood education, and afterschool programming. I will continue to champion this program and work with the Department to ensure this funding is administered more expeditiously going forward.\"\n\nThe $41.3 million in continuation funding will fully support all 2024 and 2025 ANEP grantees. Grantees awarded funding in 2024 will receive the third and final year of their three-year grant period, while 2025 grantees will receive the second year of funding under their three-year awards.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-duckworth-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-children-from-dangers-of-ai-toys-passes-committee", "title": "Murkowski, Duckworth Bipartisan Bill to Protect Children from Dangers of AI Toys Passes Committee", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "scraper": "murkowski", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001153", "name": "Lisa Murkowski", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to help protect children from the dangers posed by toys that use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots successfully passed through the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) today. The Senators’ bipartisan Children’s Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026 would help equip families, pediatricians and policymakers with the independent evidence they need to better understand the emerging market of AI chatbot toys—which currently are not subject to any child-safety testing and are trained on content that is not appropriate for kids.\n\n“Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, and we must have a careful understanding of how our young people interact with this groundbreaking technology,” said Murkowski. “AI-enabled toys have the potential to significantly impact the physical, mental, and emotional development of our children. It is imperative we equip policymakers and America’s families with the knowledge they need to make informed choices about these devices, and I am grateful the Commerce Committee agrees.”\n\n“These AI chatbots were never meant to be used by young children, yet they’re being embedded inside toys by the thousands,” said Duckworth. “We’ve already seen far too many instances where AI-enabled toys have imparted information to our children that could put them in immediate danger and have long-term impacts on their development. I’m glad our commonsense bill that mandates the federal government address this emerging issue has passed through committee—now the Senate must pass it with haste, for the sake of our kids’ safety.”\n\nIn December 2025, independent testing by U.S. PIRG Education Fund found AI toys discussing sexually explicit content and explaining where to find knives, pills and matches in the home—and instructing children how to light them. There is no current federal safety standard to address the AI inside a toy—only hazards such as choking, lead and flammability. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has opened an inquiry into the effects of AI companion chatbots on children, while the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) informed Congress earlier this year that it lacks explicit authority to evaluate non-physical hazards such as mental or emotional harm.\n\nThe Senators’ bipartisan Children’s Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026 would close this gap by:\n\nRequiring the FTC and CPSC to provide Congress with a coordinated, actionable plan to address these emerging AI-enabled toy products; and\n\nRequiring the congressionally chartered National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study into AI-enabled toys examining a wide range of issues, including potential risks to children’s physical, mental, emotional and social safety and well-being.\n\nFull text of the legislation is available on Senator Murkowski’s website.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-lankford-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-increase-funding-opportunities-for-tribal-nations-neighboring-military-installations/", "title": "Murray, Lankford, Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Funding Opportunities for Tribal Nations Neighboring Military Installations", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced new legislation to make Tribal governments eligible to apply for grants under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). Currently, Tribal governments are ineligible to apply for funding under DCIP’s grant authority, despite their role in supporting military installations and defense communities nationwide.\n\n“From Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Fairchild Air Force Base and everywhere in between Tribal Nations—like Yakama, Suquamish, and many more—do critical work to support military installations in Washington state and throughout the country,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why this legislation is an important step to expand eligibility to DCIP grants. Tribes play a key role in our military readiness—they should be eligible for these funds just like any other community would be.”\n\n“Oklahoma is home to 39 Tribal Nations, and many of them live and work alongside the men and women who serve at our military installations. When a Tribe is doing work that benefits a military base or post, whether that is roads, utilities, or emergency response, the Tribe should have the same opportunity to apply for federal infrastructure grants as any other local government. This bill is a simple, common-sense fix that recognizes the role Tribes already play in our military readiness,” said Senator Lankford.\n\nHistorically, DCIP provides grants to state and local governments for off-base infrastructure that supports military installations. These investments strengthen military readiness and benefit servicemembers and their families by improving transportation, schools, utilities, hospitals, and other essential infrastructure.\n\nTribal Nations who neighbor military bases are often already doing this work to support critical infrastructure projects that support military communities. This bill would amend the current language to include Tribal governments as eligible, “state and local,” entities to apply for DCIP grants. Reps. Emily Randall (D-WA-06) and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) lead companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\nThe full bill text is available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-makes-it-clear-a-vote-for-todd-blanche-is-a-vote-to-ban-abortion-in-all-fifty-states/", "title": "Senator Murray Makes it Clear: A Vote for Todd Blanche is A Vote to Ban Abortion in All Fifty States", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Murray: “Mr. Blanche told us all exactly what he plans to do if Senators confirm him. His goal was to make the Dobbs decision ‘permanent in every single state.’ Every. Single. State.”\n\nMurray: “This isn’t just a confirmation vote anymore—it’s a roll-call vote on which Senators endorse banning abortion in all 50 states from the federal level. I’m voting NO.”\n\nICYMI: At Hearing with Acting AG Blanche, Senator Murray Blasts Outrageous Creation of $1.8 Billion MAGA Slush Fund, Presses for Apology to Epstein Victims\n\n***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks***\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the vote to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General. Murray condemned Blanche for his disqualifying track record and outright corruption. Murray also sounded the alarm on Blanche’s recent comments made during a private call where Blanche says he will work to make the Dobbs decision “permanent in every single state.”\n\nSenator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:\n\n“M. President, I was never going to come out here and support Todd Blanche for a long list of reasons. I believe he is one of the most corrupt Justice Department officials in our country’s history, for one. He was Trump’s former personal lawyer—and it seems that he never quit!\n\n“The only difference now is that the taxpayers are signing his checks instead of Trump. He was the one who negotiated a $1.8 billion slush fund to pay off violent insurrectionists, and who cut a backroom deal to give the President and his entire corrupt family immunity from IRS investigations.\n\n“Not to forget, Todd Blanche is the guy who botched the Epstein files so badly that survivors had their names and faces exposed, while the names of alleged abusers were hidden. This is a man, who wouldn’t meet with survivors until Senators put him under a tremendous amount of public pressure. And when the meeting eventually got on the books, survivors made it crystal clear that Blanche didn’t listen to them. He was more interested in checking a box than hearing their stories or bringing them justice.\n\n“All of that is of course absolutely unacceptable and disqualifying. But I come here today to sound the alarm on some of the most disturbing comments I have ever heard from our nation’s top law enforcement official. M. President, I guess Todd Blanche thought no one was listening.\n\n“Because on a private call with anti-abortion activists Mr. Blanche told us all exactly what he plans to do if Senators confirm him.\n\n“His goal was to make the Dobbs decision ‘permanent in every single state.’ Every. Single. State. Not just Texas or Idaho. He wants to ban abortion in Washington state. California. New York. In every state.\n\n“He told them, ‘We will have victory, and victory will be soon, and it will be permanent.’ Victory over what, exactly? Victory over women who just want to make their own health care decisions? Victory over patients in states where abortion is legal?\n\n“Where voters have said, over and over, at the ballot box: keep your hands off our rights.\n\n“Now, a DOJ spokesperson tried to clean up Blanche’s words. Saying he was only focused on restricting access to medication abortion in all 50 states—as if that’s somehow better.\n\n“Well, I’m here to say I believe the tape. I believe Todd Blanche’s own words.\n\n“So let’s be crystal clear about what this vote is. A vote to confirm Todd Blanche is a vote to endorse his fight to ban abortion in all fifty states. Whatever happened to this is states’ decision? So every Republican who votes yes is voting for exactly that—his words, not mine. And any Republican who votes to confirm him will own that. In every state. In every election.\n\n“So, M. President, this isn’t just a confirmation vote anymore—it’s a roll-call vote on which Senators endorse banning abortion in all 50 states from the federal level. I’m voting no.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-statement-on-cdc-director-confirmation-vote-2/", "title": "Sen. Ossoff Statement on CDC Director Confirmation Vote", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.ossoff.senate.gov", "scraper": "ossoff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "O000174", "name": "Jon Ossoff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“I congratulate Dr. Schwartz on her Senate confirmation and sincerely hope her tenure at CDC will be a success for the Nation, the State of Georgia, and the CDC.\n\n“The CDC is currently under political attack by this Administration, which has gutted and demoralized the CDC workforce and disbanded critical CDC offices focused on maternal health and disease monitoring.\n\n“Secretary Kennedy’s reckless and sustained attack on the CDC puts Americans’ health at risk. Against this disturbing backdrop, after speaking with Dr. Schwartz, I lacked sufficient confidence in her independence. Accordingly, I voted against her confirmation.\n\n“I nevertheless stand ready to work with Dr. Schwartz to support the CDC, its vital mission, and the CDC’s workforce.”\n\n###\n\nYour form has been received. Someone from our office will get back to you as soon as possible. Please allow 5–7 business days to process a request. If your request needs immediate attention, please don’t hesitate to call our Washington, D.C. office or Atlanta office.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-leads-senate-democrats-in-demanding-trump-administration-stop-illegal-voter-roll-purges-before-election-day/", "title": "Padilla Leads Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — With midterm elections now 89 days away, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, today led 27 of his Senate colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits large-scale voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Trump Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts.\n\nIn a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, the Senators reminded the Trump Administration to adhere to the law and refrain from supporting, assisting, or coercing states into conducting mass voter purges prior to the November midterm elections. The Trump Administration has demanded voter information from all 50 states, losing 20 lawsuits and counting in the process, and a separate court has barred it from misusing federal databases in illegal attempts to remove voters from state voter rolls. In July, President Trump and Secretary Mullin escalated these attacks as part of their ongoing efforts to force states to purge voters ahead of the November general election in a presidential speech and subsequent DHS press conference. The letter copies the chief election officers for all 50 states.\n\n“We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90 day ‘quiet period’ mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA),” wrote the Senators. “Under the NVRA, election officials are supposed to complete any program for ‘systematically’ removing ineligible voters 90 days before Election Day. This statutory protection was included to protect eligible voters who may be (and in many cases have been) removed as part of state voter list maintenance activities.”\n\nThe Senators warned that federal courts have ruled against attempted voter purges that fail to comply with the NVRA’s “quiet period” by attempting mass voter purges.\n\n“In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the ‘quiet period,’ including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters,” continued the Senators. “Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Federal law addresses these incidents through criminal penalties, including financial penalties and imprisonment.”\n\nThe Senators reiterated that use of the DHS’ modified SAVE program, already blocked by federal courts for bulk voter list analysis purposes, would be considered illegal activity in the next 90 days, and condemned Mullin’s continued push to advance the program. They also urged the DOJ abandon any efforts to obtain state voter rolls, highlighting the agency has lost every federal court case so far.\n\n“We must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the ‘quiet period’ are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings,” wrote the Senators. “The DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls.”\n\nThe Senators requested the agencies provide confirmation that they will comply with the NVRA by August 7 to prevent any voter suppression prior to Election Day.\n\nIn addition to Padilla, the letter was signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\nAs Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee and California’s former Secretary of State and chief election officer, Padilla has championed election security and voting rights. Padilla joined Schumer in launching the first-ever Senate Election Observer Program to protect the 2026 midterms and maintain election integrity nationwide. The Task Force will continue meeting over the coming months to ensure that every American has fair access to the ballot box this November. Padilla also convened a Rules Committee Democrats and Senate Democrats’ Election Protection Task Force spotlight forum focused on state and local responses to combat efforts by the Trump Administration to undermine election administration in the upcoming midterm elections. Additionally, Padilla and his Senate colleagues demanded answers from Trump Administration officials about their lack of election security preparation, insufficient coordination with Congress and election officials, and unsupported public claims about voting system vulnerabilities.\n\nFull letter is available here and below:\n\nDear Acting Attorney General Blanche and Secretary Mullin:\n\nThe 2026 general election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, less than 90 days away. We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90-day “quiet period” mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).\n\nThis long-standing prohibition includes providing states with any incomplete and unverifiable voter roll analysis conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) SAVE program, the use of which has also been enjoined by a D.C. federal district court. Relatedly, in light of this prohibition, the Department of Justice (DOJ) should drop its ongoing litigation to compel states to provide access to their voter registration lists and acquiesce to unlawful federal list maintenance. While we have previously expressed our concern about these tactics, we remind you of the settled law protecting voters in the lead up to an election and urge you to cease these efforts immediately.\n\nUnder the NVRA, election officials are required to complete any systematic removal of ineligible voters 90 days before Election Day. This statutory protection was included to protect eligible voters who may be — and in many cases have been —erroneously removed as part of state voter list maintenance activities. In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the “quiet period,” including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters. Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Federal law addresses these incidents through criminal penalties, including financial penalties and imprisonment.\n\nOver the last year, the demonstrated inaccuracies of DHS’s modified SAVE program have been proven to result in the removal of eligible voters from the voter rolls prior to the “quiet period.” On June 22, 2026, following several months of litigation in League of Women Voters v. Department of Homeland Security, a D.C. federal district court set aside and vacated the 2025 modified SAVE program, finding it was “contrary to law, arbitrary and capricious, in excess of statutory authority, and without observance of procedure required by law.” The court ordered DHS to undo the newly established bulk upload feature and dismantle its connection to sensitive Social Security Administration data. Given this ruling, Secretary Mullin’s continued promotion of the SAVE program for voter list maintenance purposes during a July 17, 2026, press conference was inappropriate, as were his unsupported claims that multiple states have significant noncitizen voter registrations. Even more alarmingly, DHS is attempting to condition Homeland Security Grant Program funds that protect Americans from disasters and terrorist attacks on use of the SAVE program. Therefore, we must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the “quiet period” are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings.\n\nThe DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls. The Trump Administration has done nothing to address concerns that this is all in service of an effort to create a nationwide voter file to be shared across the Executive Branch — and possibly with other unauthorized, partisan actors. At an absolute minimum, DOJ must abstain from any unlawful attempts to pressure states into conducting large-scale voter purges during the 90-day “quiet period.”\n\nPlease confirm your agencies will comply with the NVRA, and any relevant court orders, no later than August 7, 2026. Any continued actions that may directly or indirectly coerce or assist states in conducting sweeping voter purges that violate federal law and infringe on Americans’ right to vote are unacceptable.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watch-padilla-condemns-trump-administrations-cruel-mass-deportation-agenda/", "title": "WATCH: Padilla Condemns Trump Administration’s Cruel Mass Deportation Agenda", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, called out the Trump Administration’s continued abuses of power through the carrying out of their violent mass deportation agenda and inhumane treatment of detained immigrants. Padilla highlighted how U.S. citizens and noncitizens alike are being shot and killed by federal immigration enforcement officers and demanded accountability from the Trump Administration.\n\nIn his remarks, Padilla raised concerns over those who have been terrorized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, including those who have died during violent encounters with federal agents. He detailed the story of Joan Sebastián Guerrero, an immigrant from Columbia who had been authorized to work in the United States, who was tragically killed by an ICE officer last month. Padilla criticized the Trump Administration’s refusal to take accountability and pushed for stronger oversight of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as they increase efforts to quickly deploy 12,000 new ICE officers across communities without proper vetting.\n\n“First of all, Joan Sebastián Guerrero’s daughter should still have her father. Second, and this is publicly reported, the man who took his life should never have been given a badge and a gun,” said Senator Padilla. “It’s emblematic of a much larger failure within the Department of Homeland Security, as ICE has rushed this last year, to put as many officers as they could into communities as quickly as possible. Something pretty hypocritical, by the way, from an Administration calling for the re-vetting of previously vetted refugees and other immigrants.”\n\nPadilla also highlighted the unacceptable conditions in immigration detention centers, including lack of access to basic needs such as clean water, food, and medical care. Despite court orders to improve these facilities and a record number of deaths in ICE custody, Padilla emphasized how the Administration has doubled down on their anti-immigrant agenda by increasing detention facilities across the country and intensifying their detention and deportation efforts.\n\n“ICE arrested 51,000 people in the month of July, the largest in a single month in DHS history. And again, the vast majority are not dangerous, violent criminals. And this Administration has the audacity to ignore court orders to provide basic care and dignity to the people that it’s cramming into these detention facilities,” said Senator Padilla. “ICE is now expanding detention facilities while continuing to carry out these mass enforcement operations across the country. They’re failing the humanity test. They’re being ordered by federal courts to do the job right. They’re doubling down and growing their operation.”\n\nPadilla renewed his calls for stronger oversight of federal immigration enforcement agents, accountability for the killings and deaths resulting from the Trump Administration’s out of control agenda, and safeguards over immigrant communities across the country. Padilla underscored the importance of obtaining justice for those killed because of the Administration’s anti-immigrant agenda, including Alex Pretti, Renee Nicole Good, Ruben Ray Martinez, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and Joan Sebastian Guerrero. He reaffirmed his commitment to fighting for immigrant communities facing family separation, detention abuses, and threats to due process and human dignity.\n\n“Joan Sebastian Guerrero was one of those people, as there are thousands of others living in fear today. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters. They’re our friends, they’re our co-workers and neighbors, all human beings deserving of basic dignity and humanity,” concluded Senator Padilla. “We should never accept an America where federal agents hide their faces, abuse their authority, or take life without oversight and accountability. It’s a choice, folks, that we’re making. What kind of a country are we working towards? It’s a choice that this Administration and congressional Republicans have made of what we’re seeing on the streets. America deserves better.”\n\nPadilla has been an outspoken leader against the harsh and cruel operations of ICE and CBP under the second Trump Administration. In June, Padilla and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) sounded the alarm over the significant increase in deaths among detainees in ICE custody since January 2025, expressing concern over the announcement of the 50th reported death in ICE custody under the Trump Administration. Padilla also condemned Republicans’ partisan bill to provide ICE and CBP with an extra $70 billion without necessary reforms. Padilla also forced a vote on his amendment to the budget reconciliation bill that would require ICE agents to wear body cameras while on duty. Earlier this year, Padilla demanded answers from the Trump Administration on their decision to pull thousands of federal law enforcement agents away from their work protecting communities from dangerous criminals and reassign them to arrest, detain, and indiscriminately deport noncitizens without criminal records.\n\nVideo of Padilla’s remarks is available here.\n\nTranscript of Padilla’s remarks is available below:\n\nMr. President, colleagues, there’s a lot going on in the country right now. Actually, a lot going on around the world. And I rise today not to address specifically the cost-of-living challenges that so many working families are struggling with. That’s certainly a topic of news these days, rightfully so. Not here to focus on what families of deployed service members must be feeling right now. Although that is certainly worthy of our thoughts and consideration and empathy, particularly the family members and the loved ones of the 18 service members that have lost their lives in this unauthorized war with Iran that the President has brought us into. I want to focus on something that about a year ago was really dominating the evening news and a lot of our social media feeds: immigration. And specifically, this Administration’s cruel, often violent tactics, as part of their mass deportation and, deportation agenda. Families are still being torn apart. Tens of thousands of immigrants currently being detained in detention centers around the country.\n\nLoved ones of those killed by federal agents in broad daylight are also still hurting, including the family of Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 25-year-old father, an immigrant from Colombia, who had work authorization. He was driving in his car last month when a federal agent opened fire, shooting him in the head, and killing him. I hope you remember the story. It wasn’t that long ago. If you followed the story, you’ll know that his partner and his three-year-old daughter, still dressed in her Bluey pajamas that morning, were there at the scene because it was so close to their home. And according to witnesses, Joan’s last words were, “I tried to stop.” I raise this because, whenever there’s a tragedy like this that happens under this Administration, we quickly hear from department officials, from the White House, and MAGA supporters that all these victims had to do were follow instructions as if it was their fault that they’re being shot and, in some instances, killed. Well, that’s exactly what Joan was attempting to do. Yet he was killed anyway. Now I know we don’t have all the details of exactly how this tragedy unfolded. In large part, we don’t have all the details because some people say, “Well, just let’s go to the video. Let’s go to the body cam footage and see exactly what happened.” Despite receiving billions and billions of taxpayer dollars, which included funding for body cameras, these officers weren’t wearing any, but there are a couple things that we know for certain.\n\nFirst of all, Joan Sebastian Guerrero’s daughter should still have her father. Second, and this is publicly reported, the man who took his life should never have been given a badge and a gun, and that’s not just coming from me. That’s coming from Tom Homan. That’s right, President Trump’s quote border czar, who recently said in a TV interview that I don’t think he should have ever cleared vetting. From what we’ve learned, this is a man who verbally, emotionally, and physically abused not just one, but two ex-wives. And once threw his 13-year-old daughter through a glass coffee table. So, Mr. Homan’s absolutely right when he says that this man’s hiring was a failure of the agency’s vetting process. But it’s emblematic of a much larger failure within the Department of Homeland Security, as ICE has rushed this last year, to put as many officers as they could into communities as quickly as possible. Something pretty hypocritical, by the way, from an Administration calling for the re-vetting of previously vetted refugees and other immigrants.\n\nBut I digress. In less than a year, ICE has hired more than 12,000 officers. A 120% increase in staffing. Huge increase in a small amount of time. In part, they were so eager to hire up that they were offering $50,000 bonuses for people who signed on to the agency. Along the way, they also lowered recruitment standards to try to hire as many people as possible, and they shortened training. Shortened training for law enforcement officers before deploying them into the streets. Anybody with history and experience with state and local law enforcement knows what happens when you do this. It’s it’s it’s a bad combination, a recipe for disaster when you hire too quickly, shorten training, and lower recruitment standards. And now the federal government is seeing the consequences of those bad decisions.\n\nHow many more unqualified individuals, who have not been sufficiently vetted or trained, are now in our communities? Not just armed, but armed and dressed as if they’re going to war? That’s not the job they’re doing. Along the way, violating constitutional rights, using excessive force, risking innocent lives, and worst of all, facing no accountability. Colleagues, accountability isn’t an inconvenience for law enforcement. It’s imperative in a society where we entrust law enforcement officers with the power to take lives, our liberty, or our property – when warranted.\n\nAccountability is what gives law enforcement the legitimacy in a democracy. But that’s not what’s going on today. Just a couple weeks ago, it was reported that the FBI will no longer investigate confrontations with immigration enforcement agencies. Instead, Homeland Security will do the investigating to determine whether officers or agents have broken the law. If true, how’s that supposed to inspire confidence or legitimacy? After all, it’s been six months since the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. And still nobody’s been held accountable for those deaths. Let me repeat their names: Alex Pretti, Renee Nicole Good, Ruben Ray Martinez, Silverio Villegas González, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Joan Sebastian Guerrero. God, I pray there’s not more to come. How many more need to die before this Administration recognizes, acknowledges, and admits that something is deeply wrong?\n\nAnother important point I want to make today is that these failures don’t end on the streets in our communities. They’re also happening inside the walls of detention facilities, where, as of yesterday, at least 54 people have died since the beginning of this Administration. The year 2025 was a record year – not a good record – the most deaths in ICE custody in the calendar year, and we’re on track to exceed that in 2026. At this moment, more than 67,000 people are being held in overcrowded and understaffed facilities. Where many are denied access to healthy food, clean water, even basic medical care. Forget about life-saving care for people with extreme conditions. Folks that I’ve seen and talked to personally suffering from injuries they sustained when being taken into custody because of the cruelty and the violence of how it’s being done. And reporting just this morning from the Associated Press shows us that more than 50 parents and spouses of active duty service members have been detained since the beginning of the second Trump Administration, and at least six have been deported. Think about that. Their sons and daughters, husbands and wives are willing to put their lives on the line for this country during wartime, no less. And the Trump Administration is rewarding their service by detaining and deporting their family members.\n\nYet, despite all this, Donald Trump and those around him keep repeating the lie that they’re only going after the worst of the worst. It’s not true. Even federal courts have found that the conditions in these detention facilities, by the way, are unacceptable. A federal district court judge in California just ordered improvements to basic needs like access to clean water, nutritious food, and medical and disability care in the Adelanto ICE processing center. Basic standards for humanity that are both federal law and international law. In February, a similar order to provide access to medical care was issued regarding the largest detention center in California, the one located in California City. But just last week, we learned from a neutral court-appointed monitor that ICE is failing to comply with that order. This Administration just doesn’t care. Despite these deaths, despite these conditions, and despite the enormous human toll, the Administration is actually doubling down.\n\nICE arrested 51,000 people in the month of July, the largest in a single month in DHS history. And again, the vast majority are not dangerous, violent criminals. So we have a historic number of arrests, coupled with a historic number of deaths in ICE custody. And this Administration has the audacity to ignore court orders to provide basic care and dignity to the people that it’s cramming into these detention facilities. And on top of all that, the Republican majority in this Congress has given ICE and Border Patrol more than $150 billion, with no accountability, no safeguards required. So they don’t even have to come back to Congress to justify their funding requests and answer questions for the next three years. ICE is now expanding detention facilities while continuing to carry out these mass enforcement operations across the country. They’re failing. They’re failing the humanity test. They’re being ordered by federal courts to do the job right. They’re doubling down and growing their operation.\n\nAnd we now know that over 300,000 Haitian immigrants are now facing arrest and deportation after the Trump Administration has ripped away their temporary protected status. Colleagues, how many people need to die at the hands of ill-trained, unqualified, and unaccountable federal agents and inside inhumane detention centers before we, as the Congress, at least the Senate, say enough? Before we call for accountability and demand common sense reforms. What’s it going to take? Because our proposals are out there, like my VISIBLE Act, which says immigration enforcement officials have to have very clear, very visible identification. Something that’s standard for law enforcement agencies nationwide. If a group of masked individuals in unmarked cars runs you off the road, jumps out of their cars with guns drawn, and starts screaming in your face without any way to easily and quickly know that they’re federal agents, of course somebody’s going to panic.\n\nWe just saw that exact scenario play out in Houston a few weeks ago. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was driving in his van on his way to work when two unmarked cars, without sirens or lights, began chasing him. Eventually, blocking his car on a small side street. As he was trying to turn around, they shot him and killed him. Without any clear identification, how could Lorenzo know that these cars chasing him belonged to law enforcement? As one expert reviewing the footage of this chase from public cameras said, “It looks more like a carjacking attempt than it is a police stop.” And we wonder why some people panic. That’s exactly why we need the basic standards for federal law enforcement, like those called for in Senator Booker’s Federal Law Enforcement Standards and Accountability Act, and for the protection of agents and civilians alike, law enforcement needs to have the body cameras, and to have them turned on, which the FOCUS Act would require.\n\nThese are the kinds of basic safeguards that Democrats have been proposing over and over again, but the Administration and the Republican majority doesn’t want to act on it. Now we have a lot of policy debates here in Congress, but too often we lose sight of the people behind the headlines and the people behind the statistics that are impacted by these policies. Joan Sebastian Guerrero was one of those people, as there are thousands of others living in fear today. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters. They’re our friends, there are our co-workers and neighbors, all human beings deserving of basic dignity and humanity. Last month, Joan Sebastian Guerrero got into his car, expecting just a normal, regular day. And now his daughter will grow up in a world without him in it. And she carries his memory with her for the rest of her life. Not only of him, but how he was taken from her. She’ll remember that forever. And colleagues, I implore that we remember as well, and let’s learn from it and do everything possible to keep it from happening again. Because we are a nation of laws that need to be enforced, but a nation of laws includes being a nation of due process, of accountability, and above all, human dignity. And we should never accept an America where federal agents hide their faces, abuse their authority, or take life without oversight and accountability. It’s a choice, folks, that we’re making. What kind of a country are we working towards? It’s a choice that this Administration and congressional Republicans have made of what we’re seeing on the streets. America deserves better. America deserves better. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-and-hawley-roll-out-bipartisan-bill-to-improve-bus-driver-safety", "title": "Reed & Hawley Roll Out Bipartisan Bill to Improve Bus Driver Safety", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Everyone deserves a safe workplace. But since 2023, transit operators have experienced a 36 percent increase in assaults from passengers, according to data from the National Transit Database.\n\nBuses are a public transportation lifeline for the communities they serve. But bus drivers are highly vulnerable because they are public-facing employees operating alone behind the wheel – making them the lone enforcer of transit regulations and fare collection while also keeping their eyes on the road and staying on schedule.\n\nThe national uptick in aggression toward bus drivers is a problem for transit systems across the country. It has created a hostile environment for drivers and makes it more challenging for them to efficiently do their job.\n\nIn an effort to deter crime, protect bus operators, and promote safe and efficient public transportation systems, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) today introduced the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act.\n\nThis bipartisan bill would require all newly purchased fixed route buses that are 30 feet or longer and paid for with federal funds to be equipped with safety barriers that fully enclose a driver’s workstation, preventing unwanted entry while maintaining clear lines of sight for drivers. The legislation specifies that barriers must reach from the floor to the ceiling of the bus, preventing accidents involving persons, fluids, or objects.\n\nSimilar to how cab drivers have a protective barrier, the bill would ensure public bus drivers would be shielded from physical assault by passengers. In addition to preventing physical assaults, driver protection barriers also serve as a psychological deterrent to verbal abuse, intimidation, and threats from potential aggressors.\n\nThe cost of implementing driver protection barriers is minimal when compared to the benefits it provides: enhanced safety; less stress and distracted driving; and lowered absenteeism by drivers. Investing in this technology has demonstrated long-term benefits, including reducing the cost of lost work hours, medical bills, and lawsuits due to driver attacks.\n\n“Bus drivers do critical work under challenging circumstances and abuse against them should never be tolerated. These drivers are on the frontlines of helping people safely get where they need to go and we need to ensure their safety along with the safety and reliability of our transit system. One assault is one too many and this bipartisan bill prioritizes safety. Increasing security for bus operators is a commonsense solution that must be paired with other actions, like prosecuting driver assault cases to the fullest extent of the law and adding onboard cameras, de-escalation training, and increasing support for public transportation systems across the nation,” said Senator Reed. “Improving safety on our bus systems is essential to increasing ridership. This bipartisan bill will help prevent assaults, keep drivers safe, and help municipalities save money in the long run.”\n\n“All working Americans deserve a safe workplace. Transportation workers should never fear for their lives at work. The Bus Operator Safety and Security Act will combat the uptick in violence on America’s transportation workers,” said Senator Hawley.\n\nThe Bus Operator Safety and Security Act would update Section 5329 of Title 49 of the United States Code to ensure that, beginning two years after enactment, the operator workstation of any new fixed route bus 30 feet or longer purchased with federal funds will be equipped with a barrier. These barriers are designed to:\n\nFully enclose the workstation and prevent unwanted entry of persons, fluids, or objects;\n\nReach from the bus floor to the ceiling; and\n\nMaintain clear lines of sight for the operator to the exterior of the bus.\n\nCompanion legislation (H.R.6635) has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and is led by Congressmen Shomari C. Figures (D-AL-02) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02).\n\nThe Reed-Hawley bill is endorsed by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), ATU Local 618, the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO (TTD), the SMART Transportation Division, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), and the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).\n\n“Providing a safe environment for our employees to perform their jobs is a top priority for us at RIPTA. We applaud Senator Reed’s leadership and thank him for his continued support of public transportation,” said Christopher Durand, Chief Executive Officer of RIPTA.\n\n“Our RIPTA bus operators play an essential role in safely moving the people of the Providence area who rely on public transit every day. By introducing the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act, Senator Jack Reed shows he understands transit workers deserve to feel safe when they go to work. This legislation is straightforward. It gives operators a secure workstation and the basic protection any worker should have. We thank Senator Reed for his leadership,” said Walter Melillo, President/Business Agent of ATU Local 618-Providence, RI, representing RIPTA transit workers.\n\n“Every day, at least 42 transit workers are assaulted on U.S. transit systems. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear of a transit worker being shot, stabbed, spit on, or verbally abused. By investing in transit security measures, including an enclosed driver workstation, we are better protecting our riders, communities, and transit workers. Operator safety is about public safety. This piece of legislation is a proactive step toward building public transit systems where safety and service go hand in hand. We thank Senator Jack Reed for introducing the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act to make the workplace safer for our members and riders,” said John Costa, International President of the Amalgamated Transit Union, the largest union representing transit workers in North America.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/stumping-for-ri-blizzard-relief-reed-urges-bipartisan-lawmakers-to-help-make-federal-disaster-aid-for-states-merit-based-again", "title": "Stumping for RI Blizzard Relief, Reed Urges Bipartisan Lawmakers to Help Make Federal Disaster Aid for States Merit-based Again", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) joined several of his colleagues on Tuesday for a bipartisan roundtable discussion looking at extreme weather, natural disasters, and federal disaster relief efforts.\n\nReed joined U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), John Curtis (R-UT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), for a wide-ranging conversation about the rising costs of extreme weather and federal aid and the complex challenges that different regions are facing. The lawmakers discussed insurance, disaster recovery aid, and energy costs and the role that climate change plays in exacerbating these impacts and challenges.\n\nDuring the roundtable, Senator Reed raised the issue of President Trump overruling his own agencies and unfairly denying federal disaster aid to Rhode Island and other states that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election.\n\nReed highlighted the danger to all fifty states if disaster aid is suddenly politicized and changed from a system that provides merit-based assistance based on fact to one that financially rewards the allies of whoever is in the Oval Office and punishes the president’s perceived opponents by denying them needed, documented, merit-based aid.\n\nReed urged bipartisan support for a bill he recently introduced, the Disaster Relief Fairness Act (S.5018), which would prevent Donald Trump from maliciously denying disaster assistance to states and communities when they have met the criteria to qualify.\n\nReed stated: “Rhode Islanders experienced a historic natural disaster in February, when the state was struck by a record-breaking blizzard. The storm hit Rhode Island with the intensity of a Category 2 hurricane, with over three feet of snow in a 24-hour period -- the highest one-day snowfall on record for Rhode Island. FEMA assessed over $19 million in damages, nine times the threshold required for Rhode Island to receive a major disaster declaration.”\n\nUnder any other administration, this disaster declaration would have been approved on the merits. Yet, last month, with no explanation the Trump Administration denied Rhode Island’s request. The same day, President Trump denied three other blue states, yet boasted about delivering FEMA assistance for six red states.\n\nPolitico found that Trump has approved nearly 90 percent of disaster requests from red states and just 23 percent of disaster requests for blue states.\n\nRecognizing that President Trump cannot be trusted with these decisions, Reed urged his colleagues to support the Disaster Relief Fairness Act to approve all disasters that occur in President Trump’s term that meet FEMA’s criteria for disaster assistance.\n\n“I hope my colleagues will consider supporting that legislation. I think we can all agree that it’s never good to have a President who makes decisions --especially with something as critical as disaster aid -- based on who the state voted for in the last election,” stated Reed.\n\nDuring the roundtable, the U.S. Senators heard from a panel of experts, including:\n\nAdam Smith, who was at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for over 20 years until May 2025, when he was fired by President Trump. He led the Billion Dollar Disaster Database that NOAA maintained from 1980-2025. Mr. Smith is currently the Senior Climate Impacts Scientist at Climate Central.\n\nMichael Gaughan, who has been with Vermont Bond Bank since 2018. Vermont Bond Bank, founded in 1970, was the first Bond Bank in the country. In 2023, VT Bond Bank launched the Municipal Climate Recovery Fund (MCRF), the first of its kind. This fund was designed to provide municipal budgetary relief in the flood recovery for small rural towns by lowering the costs of borrowing to bridge Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement or pay for other unexpected disaster recovery costs.\n\nChief Bob Roper, Senior Wildfire Advisor to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, who joined the meeting virtually.\n\nIn February, Rhode Island was struck by a record-breaking blizzard that dumped 37.9 inches of snow in a 24-hour period and the state experienced wind gusts of 74 miles per hour. The winter storm created immense challenges for local businesses, which faced prolonged closures due to storm-related damage and disruptions to transportation, utilities, and public services and resulted in over $19.3 million worth of confirmed damage.\n\nAfter examining the evidence, high-ranking officials from regional offices of FEMA and NOAA agreed that Rhode Island and other blue states impacted by the storm met the necessary thresholds for receiving federal relief due to the historic natural disasters that impacted their states. However, President Trump ignored their findings and rejected the federal request for a disaster declaration anyway -- a move that experts say has no modern precedent.\n\n“I will continue working with my colleagues to ensure Rhode Island, and every other state is treated fairly. It is in the best interest of every member of Congress to act in good faith, lest their states find themselves in a similar situation going forward. While occupants of the Oval Office change, America’s core values and inherent sense of fairness remains steadfast. Congress should act in the taxpayer’s interest and help states who’ve been hit by a major, record-breaking disaster.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-introduces-legislation-to-establish-national-violent-offender-registry/", "title": "Ricketts Introduces Legislation to Establish National Violent Offender Registry", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list&pagenum=", "domain": "www.ricketts.senate.gov", "scraper": "ricketts", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000618", "name": "Pete Ricketts", "party": "Republican", "state": "NE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the Karly Rain Wood Act. This bill would establish a national violent offender registry, providing vital information to law enforcement and the public.\n\nKarly Rain Wood was a 20-year-old woman who was shot and killed at a friend’s birthday party in Omaha in 2022. Karly’s murderer was a repeat offender who had been arrested four times before being convicted of Karly’s murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2024. Two others were charged in the mass shooting that took Karly’s life and injured seven others. All had prior criminal records.\n\nSenator Ricketts was joined by Senator Fischer (R-NE) in introducing this bill.\n\n“Repeat violent offenders are freely roaming our streets without warning,” said Sen. Ricketts.“Americans deserve to know these criminals are living in their communities. A national violent offender registry is not only useful but also necessary to keep the public informed and update law enforcement of their whereabouts. Karly Rain was murdered by a repeat violent offender. Her death was a tragedy. That’s why I introduced this legislation in honor of Karly and to make our communities safer.”\n\n“Communities deserve to know about the potential danger that could be around the corner, and we need to do everything we can to prevent tragedies like Karly Rain Wood’s death. I thank Senator Ricketts for his leadership on this important legislation to create a nationwide system to identify repeat violent offenders in our communities,” said Sen. Fischer.\n\nSeveral states have implemented databases to track individuals convicted of violent offenses, but these vary based on jurisdiction. The national violent offender registry would mirror the national sex offender registry. This national database would help keep communities safe by providing important information to law enforcement and the public across state and local jurisdictions.\n\nThe Karly Rain Wood Act would require:\n\nThe Department of Justice to create a national database system to track repeat violent offenders.\n\nA repeat offender be defined as an individual who has received final conviction of not fewer than two qualifying offenses, or one qualifying offense and one serious drug offense.\n\nRegistration of offender to be completed before the sentence of imprisonment is complete, or within three days of sentence if no imprisonment.\n\nQualifying offenders appear in court in person every 90 days to update database.\n\nIn-person registration requirement be completed within three days if offender moves jurisdictions.\n\nClick here for bill text.\n\nBackground:", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-leads-delegation-letter-in-support-of-nebraska-air-national-guard-hosting-kc-46s/", "title": "Ricketts Leads Delegation Letter in Support of Nebraska Air National Guard Hosting KC-46s", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list&pagenum=", "domain": "www.ricketts.senate.gov", "scraper": "ricketts", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000618", "name": "Pete Ricketts", "party": "Republican", "state": "NE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) led a letter to the Secretary of the Air Force requesting that the Nebraska Air National Guard’s (ANG) 155th Air Refueling Wing at Lincoln Municipal Airport be selected to host the KC-46 aircraft. This letter was signed by the Nebraska congressional delegation.\n\n“The 155th Air Refueling Wing is uniquely positioned to excel in all of these areas through its central U.S. location, unmatched infrastructure capacity, proven recruiting success, and rapidly expanding operational partnerships,” the delegation wrote. “The 155th Air Refueling Wing is mission-ready today and ideally positioned for tomorrow. As a Congressional delegation, we are confident that Lincoln is an ideal candidate for the KC-46A. We look forward to working closely with you and your team as you consider how Nebraska can play a crucial role in the Air Force’s new era of aerial refueling.”\n\nIn May, the Secretary of the Air Force approved the enterprise definition and basing criteria for the ANG KC-46A Main Operating Base (MOB) 9. The ANG has 14 KC-135 locations, including Lincoln, operating aging aircraft. One of these locations will be selected to base 8 KC-46A aircraft.\n\nThe letter was signed by Senators Ricketts and Fischer and Representatives Mike Flood, Don Bacon, and Adrian Smith.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Secretary Meink,\n\nAs the Air Force considers sites for the Air National Guard (ANG) KC-46A Main Operating Base (MOB) 9, we respectfully request your full consideration of the Nebraska Air National Guard’s 155th Air Refueling Wing at Lincoln Municipal Airport as a top candidate to fulfill basing criteria.\n\nThe May 2026 approval of the enterprise definition and criteria emphasizes the operational, manpower, and capacity requirements to support future KC-46 missions. The 155th Air Refueling Wing is uniquely positioned to excel in all of these areas through its central U.S. location, unmatched infrastructure capacity, proven recruiting success, and rapidly expanding operational partnerships.\n\nThe 155th Air Refueling Wing has demonstrated success operating the KC-135R Stratotanker since 1993, having participated in several major combat missions, including Operations Allied Force, Noble Eagle, and Enduring Freedom. Located in the heart of the United States, the Lincoln Air National Guard Base ensures access to every geographic combatant command within a single flight. Additionally, Lincoln boasts significant infrastructure capacity, with one of the longest runways in the Air National Guard at 12,901 feet by 150 feet, and a 6,400 feet by 1,700 feet parking apron on the west side of the flightline. Not only is the entire runway being reconstructed with completion expected by fall 2027, but a land use feasibility study has also been completed for an 80-acre expansion.\n\nIn terms of personnel, the Nebraska Air National Guard has an end strength of 104.74%, ranking fifth in the nation. Nebraska has long demonstrated proven recruiting success, including through its recent expansion of the 170th Group and Critical Care Air Transport Team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). This partnership with UNMC, which serves as one of two Regional Disaster Health Response System sites in the United States, creates natural synergy with the KC-46 Aeromedical Evacuation mission.\n\nNebraska’s strategic relationships also span the globe. In recent years, the Nebraska National Guard has expanded its partnerships through the National Guard’s State Partnership Program to four countries: Czechia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Marshall Islands. This has created robust access in three geographic combatant commands. These partnerships also provide unmatched opportunities to improve cooperation with our allies and partners, strengthening the Air Force’s operational readiness.\n\nThe 155th Air Refueling Wing is mission-ready today and ideally positioned for tomorrow. As a Congressional delegation, we are confident that Lincoln is an ideal candidate for the KC-46A. We look forward to working closely with you and your team as you consider how Nebraska can play a crucial role in the Air Force’s new era of aerial refueling.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2026/8/sen-rick-scott-highlights-senate-to-do-list-before-leaving-town-on-mornings-with-maria", "title": "Sen. Rick Scott Highlights Senate To-Do List Before Leaving Town on “Mornings with Maria”", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.rickscott.senate.gov", "scraper": "rickscott", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001217", "name": "Rick Scott", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, U.S. Senator Rick Scott joined Fox Business’s “Morning with Maria” to lay out next steps to pass the SAVE America Act and the Senate’s upcoming vote to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress.\n\nSenator Rick Scott also discussed yesterday’s Senate Budget Committee hearing about closing Medicaid abuse loopholes and tackling fraud.\n\nWatch the full interview HERE and read the highlights below.\n\nHIGHLIGHTS\n\nRECONCILIATION 3.0/SAVE AMERICA ACT:\n\n“We have to get [SAVE America Act] done before we leave town. We’ve got to get the budget done; make sure we don’t shut down government… We don’t work that hard. We only work two-and-half days a week. When I was in business, I was working seven days a week, and most people are at least working five days a week.”\n\nFAUCI FALLOUT:\n\n“There was no logic to what Fauci did. He just lied. The gain of function – just a complete lie, the origin of Covid – complete lie. His diary showed that he believed different than what he was telling us… He’s going to be held in contempt, it needs to be referred, and he’s going to serve time for what he did.”\n\nMEDICAID FRAUD:\n\n“The amount of fraud in the Medicaid program is unbelievable. First off, the way it’s structured to where these states can use all sorts of gimmicks to get all this free federal money. And we, as the federal government, we give more money to states to take care of able-bodied adults than we do disabled Americans. This is the most foolishly set up program ever.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2026/8/sen-rick-scott-rep-byron-donalds-push-bill-to-expedite-state-wildlife-conservation-efforts", "title": "Sen. Rick Scott, Rep. Byron Donalds Push Bill to Expedite State Wildlife Conservation Efforts", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.rickscott.senate.gov", "scraper": "rickscott", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001217", "name": "Rick Scott", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rick Scott recently introduced the Make State Wildlife Action Plan Efficient (SWAPs) Act to require the U.S. Department of the Interior to act on state conservation efforts within 180 days of submission.\n\nStates develop and submit annual State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), detailing which non-game species require state intervention so they do not become threatened or endangered. Currently, there is no deadline for the federal government to approve SWAPs, forcing states to wait a year or longer to receive funding for critical conservation needs.\n\nIn December 2025, Congressman Byron Donalds’ companion legislation passed the House of Representatives.\n\nSenator Rick Scott said, “Florida’s natural beauty, including its wildlife, is worth protecting. It is unacceptable that federal bureaucracy stalls critical wildlife funding year after year, leaving Florida’s wildlife and our environment vulnerable. The American people deserve prompt and efficient use of their tax dollars. I’m glad to join Congressman Donalds to fast-track this funding and protect Florida’s wildlife.”\n\nCongressman Byron Donalds said, “When states do the work to protect wildlife, Washington should do its part by reviewing their plans on time. Giving agencies 180 days to act will help cut through red tape and ensure states can keep protecting the wildlife and natural resources their communities depend on. I am grateful to Senator Scott for joining this effort to get the bill across the finish line.”\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.risch.senate.gov/news/press-releases/risch-introduces-bill-to-improve-veteran-access-to-disability-benefits/", "title": "Risch Introduces Bill to Improve Veteran Access to Disability Benefits", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.risch.senate.gov", "scraper": "risch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000584", "name": "James E. Risch", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "​\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today introduced theVeterans’ Earned Benefits Access Act to allow veterans to access their disability benefits when repaying separation pay. Under current law, the VA is required to withhold a veteran’s entire monthly disability payment until their separation pay has been recouped. The Veterans’ Earned Benefits Access Act would allow veterans to instead repay the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through monthly payments of no more than 25 percent of their monthly disability compensation.\n\n“Idaho veterans who answered the call to serve our country should not face delays in accessing their earned benefits,” said Risch. “My Veterans’ Earned Benefits Access Act ensures veterans can receive the disability benefits they need while repaying their separation pay.”\n\nThe Veterans’ Earned Benefits Access Act applies to veterans who were involuntarily separated from military service, such as those separated due to downsizing. The bill does not apply to those who were dishonorably discharged.\n\nThe Veterans’ Earned Benefits Access Act is supported by the Idaho Division of Veteran Services.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.risch.senate.gov/news/press-releases/risch-warner-introduce-civil-nuclear-export-act-to-strengthen-u-s-competitiveness/", "title": "Risch, Warner Introduce Civil Nuclear Export Act to Strengthen U.S. Competitiveness", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.risch.senate.gov", "scraper": "risch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000584", "name": "James E. Risch", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), co-chairs of the Senate Advanced Nuclear Caucus, today introduced the Civil Nuclear Export Act to strengthen the United States’ ability to compete in existing and emerging nuclear markets and counter Russian and Chinese civil nuclear technologies.\n\n“The United States and Idaho are the home of nuclear energy and ought to be the world’s source for the next generation of technology,” said Risch. “The Civil Nuclear Export Act gives the U.S. the tools needed to compete, expand and succeed in new markets, and maintain U.S. nuclear technology as the global standard.”\n\n“In order to meet U.S. and global energy demands, we need to advance the next generation of nuclear energy technology,” said Warner. “This bipartisan legislation will help rebuild the domestic supply chain and make sure the U.S. remains competitive.”\n\n“Civil nuclear energy exports are among the United States’ most strategically significant exports, creating commercial, energy, and security partnerships that last for generations. As Russia and China continue to pair their nuclear exports with aggressive government-backed financing, the United States must ensure its exporters have the tools they need to compete. The Civil Nuclear Export Act will strengthen America’s ability to compete for these opportunities by ensuring the Export-Import Bank has the authorities it needs to support U.S. exporters in an increasingly competitive global marketplace,” said Maria Korsnick, President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute.\n\nThe Civil Nuclear Export Act would:\n\nModify existing law to allow for the financing of civil nuclear facilities, materials, and technologies that support nuclear innovation;\n\nEnhance financing tools available through the Export-Import Bank to help American civil nuclear companies compete against Chinese and Russian state-owned and operated entities; and\n\nExpand international access to American-developed technologies to establish and bolster diplomatic relationships while benefiting our domestic economy.\n\nIdaho is home to the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the flagship laboratory for civil nuclear energy research and the first place in the world to generate electricity with a nuclear reactor. INL is driving significant progress in the development of advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors, microreactors, and safer, more efficient nuclear fuels. This year alone, three microreactors have gone critical at the INL. These efforts, made possible through public-private partnerships, contribute to American energy independence and strengthen U.S. global leadership in civil nuclear energy.\n\nSenator Risch is a long-time advocate for nuclear energy. He has spearheaded legislation to increase domestic energy production, enhance national security, and bolster U.S. nuclear advancement, including the International Nuclear Energy Act, which became law last year. In February, Risch introduced the Accelerating Reliable Capabilities (ARC) Act to accelerate investment in and encourage completion of new commercial nuclear reactors by mitigating the risk of project cost overruns.\n\n​", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schatz.senate.gov/news/press-releases/schatz-trump-republicans-are-raising-prices-on-purpose", "title": "Schatz: Trump, Republicans Are Raising Prices On Purpose", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schatz.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.schatz.senate.gov", "scraper": "schatz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001194", "name": "Brian Schatz", "party": "Democrat", "state": "HI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke on the Senate floor today about how President Donald Trump and Republicans are raising prices for Americans on purpose.\n\n“The price of everything is up and that's on purpose,” said Senator Schatz. “The President of the United States has decided that Americans should pay more for everything. And so, while he's busy lining his pockets with crypto schemes and insider information subscription programs, regular people can't afford their lives.”\n\nSenator Schatz continued, “It is common for presidents have to deal with the problems related to the economy. And specifically, what can be a real political killer is the question of inflation. But this is very unusual and maybe unprecedented in American history. You have a President of the United States whose stated policy on tariffs, on energy, on Iran, on health care, on food, is to raise the price of everything. That is not a sort of accidental outcome of his economic policy. People are going broke, and they are doing it to you on purpose.”\n\nA transcript of Senator Schatz’s remarks is below. Video is available here.\n\nThe price of everything is up and that's on purpose. It's on purpose because Donald Trump made it so. We are not in the middle of a pandemic or a recession or a national emergency. But the President of the United States has decided that Americans should pay more for everything. Food, gas, electricity, health care, housing, clothes – everything. And so, while he's busy lining his pockets with crypto schemes and insider information subscription programs, regular people can't afford their lives.\n\nNow, I say he's doing this on purpose because these are deliberate policy choices that he's made. First, it was the tariffs that jacked up the prices of goods across the board. Tomatoes went up 40%. Coffee went up by 20%. Clothes and car seats were up by 20%. Electronics shot up by hundreds of dollars. And so it wasn't as if you could avoid the hit by not shopping at a particular store for a particular thing. And people in Hawai‘i are very expert at figuring out, okay, turkey's high, let's get chicken. Okay, pork is high, let's get beef.\n\nThe difference now is there's no escape. Literally everything is up. And that's because the president of the United States has decided through this Iran war, through the tariffs, through the energy bans, through the Medicaid and Medicare cuts, through the ACA cuts, through the nutrition cuts to make literally every aspect of your life more expensive.\n\nThen came the One Big Beautiful Bill where in order to cut taxes for billionaires, Trump and the Republicans slashed subsidies for affordable health care and food assistance. And I want you to understand this sounds like the kind of thing a partisan would say. And it is. But it's also true that the way they paid for tax cuts for the wealthiest people and the wealthiest corporations on this planet, the way they literally paid for it, is to take away people's health care. Without the enhanced premium tax credits, ACA premiums went up by close to 60%. And as a result, millions of Americans are living without health care this year. Millions of Americans are living without health care this year – not by choice, but by force. And I want to read some of what those people had to say about it. A man in Texas said, “The prices are simply too high. I don't think we can afford our mortgage if I had to pay for health insurance. If I had catastrophic health event, it makes more sense for me to just declare bankruptcy than it would for me to be delinquent on our other payments.” Here's another, a 38-year-old from Alabama: “I can't afford insurance, I can't afford health care without insurance. So basically just hoping and praying I don't get sick.” People are having a gamble on their health so that the richest people ever to live can pay even less in taxes. And the price hikes aren't over yet, because premiums are set to rise by double digits again next year, according to proposals from insurers.\n\nAside from health care, the Republican tax bill also compounded Trump's ban on wind and solar energy. They are banning wind and solar energy, which is not only clean and helps us to address the climate crisis, it's just the quickest and cheapest energy that we can possibly get on the grid. And so it's not like we're in 1970 and we're arguing about the climate crisis versus the price that people pay on their utility bills. Now, the way to address the climate crisis is to do a lot more wind and solar. And the benefit is that it's the cheapest form of energy. And yet this president has banned wind and solar energy through their administrative actions. And that is spiking the price of utilities across the country.\n\nAnd that's all before you factor in the war in Iran, which in addition to being a spectacular failure that has achieved very little of Trump's own stated goals, has also caused gas and energy and food prices to spike everywhere. Gas is over four bucks right now nationally, and it's even higher in Hawai‘i at $5.45. Diesel is $1.60 more than it was a year ago, which means that we're all paying more at stores and for deliveries. In Hawai‘i, electricity bills went up 20% in one month – 20% in one month – because of skyrocketing oil prices. And food prices continue to climb everywhere as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz extends a global fertilizer shortage.\n\nIt is common for presidents have to deal with the problems related to the economy. And specifically, what can be a real political killer is the question of inflation. But this is very unusual and maybe unprecedented in American history. You have a President of the United States whose stated policy on tariffs, on energy, on Iran, on health care, on food, is to raise the price of everything. That is not a sort of accidental outcome of his economic policy. It is his economic policy to raise the price of everything. People are going broke, and they are doing it to you on purpose.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-schiff-gillibrand-and-colleagues-press-trump-administration-on-chaotic-opaque-oversight-of-new-artificial-intelligence-models/", "title": "NEWS: Schiff, Gillibrand, and Colleagues Press Trump Administration on Chaotic, Opaque Oversight of New Artificial Intelligence Models", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing the Trump administration for answers about its unpredictable oversight of frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models and its opaque standards for evaluating a model’s national security risk. The letter follows the Trump administration’s recent haphazard responses to frontier models from Anthropic and OpenAI and comes as basic questions surround the implementation of Executive Order 14409, the White House’s voluntary pre-release review framework for frontier models.\n\nIn the letter, the Senators expressed their support for maintaining the United States’ competitive lead in AI development while protecting the country from serious national security risks. However, they stressed that continued reliance on ad hoc, case-by-case regulation will not sufficiently address the cybersecurity and other risks frontier AI models pose. The Senators also warned that without consistent policy governing American models, consumers and businesses would be incentivized to migrate to models from foreign vendors, including those based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).\n\n“Last month provided a dramatic example of these potential risks. During an internal evaluation, OpenAI models escaped their testing environment and used high-level technical capabilities to compromise a third party’s network without any instructions to take those actions. The Federal Government cannot be passive as these capabilities emerge. At the same time, the administration’s recent actions surrounding access to advanced U.S. AI models have raised serious concerns about process, transparency, and strategic effect. On June 12, 2026, the Department of Commerce (“the Department”) utilized an infrequently used authority to direct Anthropic to suspend all access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for foreign nationals (including foreign national employees inside the United States) citing an undisclosed national security concern later described as a narrow jailbreak finding. Because the directive took effect immediately and Anthropic had no reliable way to verify users’ nationality in real time, the company was forced to disable both models for all users worldwide within hours. Over the following eighteen days, the Department and Anthropic negotiated a resolution outside of public view: a partial restoration of Mythos 5 to a defined set of trusted partners on June 26, followed by a full lifting of the export controls on June 30,” the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators continued, “While the Administration may have been responding to real security concerns to protect the United States, even justifiable interventions can create broader harm if the standards and decision-making processes are opaque, ad hoc, or unpredictable. Moreover, when the Executive Branch exercises authority delegated from Congress, such as in the conduct of export control administration, it is essential that it keep Congress fully apprised of its actions and procedures.”\n\nThe Senators concluded the letter with a list of areas of clarification that will bring transparency to the public processes and standards the administration uses to deem frontier AI models a national security risk, the legal authorities the administration relies on to restrict access to AI models, and the administration’s assessment of whether its oversight strategy could incentive adoption of Chinese or other non-U.S. AI models.\n\n“We support serious, technically informed action to prevent frontier AI from being misused by adversaries or criminals and to mitigate risks posed by misalignment in the models themselves. The United States cannot afford to create a policy environment in which the most advanced American AI systems are subject to opaque, case-by-case restrictions while Chinese alternatives appear cheaper, easier to access, and more predictable to deploy. A clear public framework is necessary to protect national security, preserve U.S. AI leadership, and give industry and allies confidence that the United States remains the safest and most reliable source of advanced AI technology. We hope you will work with Congress to pursue such a framework,” the Senators wrote.\n\nIn addition to Senators Schiff and Gillibrand, the letter was signed by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-colleagues-demand-trump-administration-drop-plans-to-roll-back-commonsense-atf-rule-regulating-device-used-in-major-mass-shootings/", "title": "NEWS: Sen. Schiff, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Drop Plans to Roll Back Commonsense ATF Rule Regulating Device Used in Major Mass Shootings", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The ATF’s proposed rule would remove guardrails against the use of the stabilizing brace, which has been utilized by mass shooters to kill dozens in recent years.\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is leading an effort urging the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to drop its plans to amend federal firearm rules and remove the guardrails currently in place combatting the improper use and classification of stabilizing braces, a device used in several mass shootings that can turn a semiautomatic pistol into a short-barreled rifle – making it easier to control and more effective at inflicting harm. Current law treats firearms equipped with certain stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, reflecting the increased lethality of a gun using the enhancement.\n\nSchiff and his colleagues argue that ATF’s proposal to remove the criteria for that classification poses a risk to the American public and allows the gun industry to profit off the sale of stabilizing braces at the expense of public safety.\n\n“Under ATF’s newly proposed rule, firearms equipped with stabilizing braces would no longer be treated as short-barreled rifles even though such firearms look, are used, and shoot just like short-barreled rifles. This proposed rule would reopen the door to the same uncertainty and inconsistency – creating serious risks to public safety,” the Senators wrote.\n\nTheir effort cites several recent high-profile shootings where stabilizing braces were used, including the 2022 shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs and the 2023 shooting at Covenant School in Nashville, to emphasize the need for a clear regulatory framework to determine when firearms equipped with stabilizing braces should be classified as short-barreled rifles.\n\nFurther, the Senators point out that the ATF previously documented the heightened risks posed by stabilizing braces.\n\n“In ATF’s own words, ‘Should a person choose to circumvent the NFA by effectively making unregistered ‘short-barreled rifles’ by attaching an accessory such as a ‘stabilizing brace,’ these dangerous, easily concealed weapons would pose an increased public safety problem.’ ATF continues, ‘Removing from the regulations the criteria for assessing whether a given stabilizing brace/accessory-firearm configuration qualifies as an NFA firearm increases the public risk,’” the Senators continued.\n\n“We strongly urge ATF to withdraw this proposed rule and retain the factoring criteria for firearms with attached stabilizing braces. Doing so will preserve the consistent enforcement of the NFA, support law enforcement’s ability to identify and trace dangerous easily concealed weapons, and help ensure that individuals seeking firearms functionally equivalent to short-barreled rifles – including those seeking to commit acts of mass violence – cannot evade longstanding safeguards established by Congress,” the Senators concluded.\n\nSchiff’s letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).\n\nThis is the third such effort recently led by Schiff opposing ATF’s proposed rollbacks of commonsense firearm regulations. Schiff and others opposed ATF’s proposals to weaken marking requirements for NFA firearms and to eliminate a longstanding requirement that those seeking to make or distribute NFA firearms notify their Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nThe Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) play a critical role in protecting American communities from violent crime involving the illegal use of firearms. However, in April, the ATF announced over 30 new rules that will make significant changes to federal firearms regulations, threatening decades of progress in advancing public safety, supporting law enforcement, and ensuring the consistent administration of our federal firearms laws. One of these proposed rules, “Removing Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached ‘Stabilizing Braces’” (RIN 1140-AA98, Docket No. ATF-2026-0335) , would rescind the agency’s 2023 regulation establishing the framework used to determine when firearms equipped with stabilizing braces are properly classified as short-barreled rifles under the National Firearms Act (NFA). We urge the ATF to carefully consider the significant legal, public safety, and practical consequences of this proposal and retain the objective criteria for classifying firearms equipped with stabilizing braces.\n\nThe 2023 rule established a series of factors for determining whether a firearm fitted with a stabilizing brace is designed, made, and intended to be fired from the shoulder, thereby subjecting it to the existing statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to short-barreled rifles under the NFA, including application, registration, identification, and recordkeeping requirements. The rule was adopted in response to concerns that stabilizing braces were being made, sold, and used to circumvent longstanding restrictions on short-barreled rifles and followed several high-profile shootings during which stabilizing braces were used. These incidents include:\n\nThe 2019 mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, where the shooter used an Anderson Manufacturing AR-15-style pistol equipped with a stabilizing brace and killed nine people and injured 17 others.\n\nThe 2021 shooting at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, where the shooter used a Ruger AR-556 pistol equipped with a stabilizing brace, killing ten people, including a law enforcement officer.\n\nThe 2022 shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the shooter used an unserialized privately made firearm equipped with a stabilizing brace, killing five people and injuring 19 others.\n\nThe 2023 Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tennessee where three children and three staff members were killed.\n\nThe 2025 Midtown Manhattan mass shooting where four were killed, including an off-duty New York Police Department Officer.\n\nThese and other incidents underscore the increasing use of brace-equipped firearms in violent crime, likely due in large part to the concealability of the weapons, and reinforce the need for a clear, objective regulatory framework to determine when such firearms need to be properly classified as short-barreled rifles under federal law.\n\nCongress enacted the NFA in 1934 to regulate particularly dangerous weapons, including short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, machine guns, silencers, and destructive devices. Congress determined that these firearms warranted heightened regulation because of the ease with which they could be concealed and their potential use in violent crime. Nearly a century later, these weapons continue to pose significant crime problems when they are unregistered or unregulated, evidenced by the several high-profile shootings noted above. Even the Trump DOJ has acknowledged Congress’s intent behind the NFA, describing the foundational federal firearms law as “a legislative effort animated by the emergence of armed crime as a major national problem” that sought to “[target] particularly dangerous and easily concealable weapons that could be used readily and efficiently by criminals.” The NFA’s heightened regulatory framework helps ensure accountability for these firearms and provides law enforcement with essential tools to trace these firearms when recovered during criminal investigations.\n\nPrior to the 2023 rule, ATF issued a series of classification letters and guidance documents addressing firearms equipped with stabilizing braces, resulting in considerable uncertainty regarding how the NFA applied to these firearms. With this uncertainty, the gun industry began to make and sell more stabilizing braces to circumvent NFA restrictions and regulations. The 2023 stabilizing brace rule sought to replace this inconsistent, case-by-case approach with objective criteria for determining whether a firearm equipped with a stabilizing brace is designed, made, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and therefore falls within the statutory definition of a short-barreled rifle. By replacing inconsistent case-by-case determinations with objective regulatory criteria, the 2023 rule promoted greater consistency, predictability, and transparency in the administration of the NFA, and, in turn, did what the NFA was intended to do: protect the public from violent crime.\n\nATF now seeks to rescind the 2023 rule altogether. Under ATF’s newly proposed rule, firearms equipped with stabilizing braces would no longer be treated as short-barreled rifles even though such firearms look, are used, and shoot just like short-barreled rifles. This proposed rule would reopen the door to the same uncertainty and inconsistency – creating serious risks to public safety. In ATF’s own words, “Should a person choose to circumvent the NFA by effectively making unregistered ‘short-barreled rifles’ by attaching an accessory such as a ‘stabilizing brace,’ these dangerous, easily concealed weapons would pose an increased public safety problem.” ATF continues, “Removing from the regulations the criteria for assessing whether a given stabilizing brace/accessory-firearm configuration qualifies as an NFA firearm increases the public risk.”\n\nIn addition to serious public safety concerns, this rule creates more regulatory uncertainty for firearm owners, manufacturers, dealers, and law enforcement agencies. Rescinding an existing framework would also eliminate the objective standards for evaluating brace-equipped firearms. Further, eliminating these standards risks inconsistent enforcement, increased litigation, and uncertainty regarding the scope of existing statutory definitions. This uncertainty benefits neither responsible firearm owners seeking clear guidance, nor law enforcement agencies charged with enforcing federal firearm laws.\n\nWe strongly urge ATF to withdraw this proposed rule and retain the factoring criteria for firearms with attached stabilizing braces. Doing so will preserve the consistent enforcement of the NFA, support law enforcement’s ability to identify and trace dangerous easily concealed weapons, and help ensure that individuals seeking firearms functionally equivalent to short-barreled rifles – including those seeking to commit acts of mass violence – cannot evade longstanding safeguards established by Congress.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-leads-25-colleagues-in-push-to-epa-to-drop-effort-to-weaken-health-protections-for-millions-of-americans/", "title": "NEWS: Sen. Schiff Leads 25 Colleagues in Push to EPA to Drop Effort to Weaken Health Protections for Millions of Americans", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, is spearheading an effort with 25 Democratic colleagues demanding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdraw their proposal to roll back drinking water protections – which, if finalized, would remove federal public health limits on the amount of certain PFAS compounds in our drinking water.\n\nThe Senators emphasize in a new letter to the EPA that removing these health limits will expose Americans to unsafe levels of chemicals that have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression problems, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.\n\n“Safe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health—not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established,” the Senators wrote.\n\nDespite the administration touting their ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) agenda, if enacted, EPA’s proposal would rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFAS and delay compliance for the PFOA and PFOS standards until 2031 – putting the health of millions of Americans at risk.\n\n“As far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans’ health worse,” the Senators concluded.\n\nIn addition to Schiff, the letter is signed by Ranking Member of the EPW Committee Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Administrator Zeldin:\n\nWe write in strong opposition to EPA’s proposal to rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and the Hazard Index mixtures, while also delaying compliance for the PFOA and PFOS standards until 2031. These actions would reverse the first-ever national drinking water protections for six of the most dangerous and well-studied PFAS chemicals, despite overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating that there is no safe level of exposure to many of these chemicals. Furthermore, there is a strong case to be made that this proposal contravenes the Safe Drinking Water Act’s anti-backsliding provision.\n\nThe agency’s proposal is inconsistent with both the scientific record and EPA’s own prior findings. The 2024 drinking water standards followed years of scientific review, public input, and economic analysis. EPA concluded that the standards would protect up to 105 million people from exposure to toxic PFAS in drinking water, prevent thousands of premature deaths, reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses, and generate billions of dollars in public health benefits.\n\nPFAS contamination is one of the most widespread public health concerns facing our nation. Nearly every American has PFAS in their blood, and millions of people continue to rely on drinking water contaminated with these persistent chemicals. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.\n\nEPA has repeatedly stated that protecting Americans from PFAS is a top priority. Yet these proposed rollbacks move in the opposite direction. In addressing revisions to drinking water regulations, the Safe Drinking Water Act itself states that “each revision shall maintain, or provide for greater, protection of the health of persons.” Rather than strengthening protections, the proposal eliminates enforceable standards for four PFAS entirely and delays protections for the two most prevalent PFAS. Communities living with contamination should not be forced to wait additional years for clean drinking water while polluters and regulated entities receive regulatory relief.\n\nYour agency has suggested that regulating only PFOA and PFOS is sufficient because these chemicals are often found alongside other PFAS. However, EPA’s own scientific record demonstrates otherwise. Other PFAS occur independently, contribute to cumulative health risks, and warrant their own enforceable protections. Removing standards for these contaminants will leave significant gaps in public health protections and create unnecessary uncertainty for water systems and states that have already begun compliance planning.\n\nMoreover, many utilities and states have already invested substantial resources to comply with the 2024 standards using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding and other federal assistance. Weakening the standards now undermines those investments, creates regulatory uncertainty, and penalizes communities that have acted responsibly to protect public health.\n\nSafe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health—not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established.\n\nWe therefore urge EPA to withdraw its proposal to rescind the 2024 drinking water standards for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and the Hazard Index mixtures, reject the proposed delay for the PFOA and PFOS standards, and fully implement the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations as finalized.\n\nAs far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans’ health worse. Thank you for your consideration.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sens-schiff-padilla-join-van-hollen-and-18-colleagues-in-urging-trump-administration-to-use-leverage-to-prevent-further-atrocities-in-sudan/", "title": "NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Padilla Join Van Hollen and 18 Colleagues in Urging Trump Administration to Use Leverage to Prevent Further Atrocities in Sudan", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.) joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and 18 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing the State Department to use its leverage to prevent further atrocities in Sudan and help bring the war to an end. To do so, the Senators urge the State Department to cease certain U.S. arms sales to external actors like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which continue to arm the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) in Sudan. The Senators’ letter notes the immediate need for the State Department to take action in light of the impending siege of the city of El Obeid and following the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher last year.\n\n“We write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF,” the Senators wrote.\n\nThey continued, “We have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the ‘hallmarks of genocide’ according to United Nations investigators. […] The siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction.”\n\nThe Senators go on to warn, “And now those alarm bells are ringing once again – this time in El Obeid. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on July 3, ‘This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.’ […] The State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of ‘alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent’ and said ‘the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.’”\n\n“The evidence is clear – the United Arab Emirates is the primary external backer of the RSF, providing unparalleled military, financial, and technical support to the group,” the Senators note.\n\n“Now, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end,” the Senators concluded.\n\nIn addition to Schiff, Padilla, and Van Hollen, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nSecretary Rubio,\n\nWe write with alarm regarding the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) impending siege of the city of El Obeid in Sudan, which threatens a repeat of the mass atrocities and bloodshed that occurred in El Fasher this past October. While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end. These actions should include ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to external actors that are fueling this war, including the United Arab Emirates, which continues to arm the RSF.\n\nWe have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF’s siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the “hallmarks of genocide” according to United Nations investigators. A United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission found that “the Rapid Support Forces steadily squeezed the life out of El-Fasher and surrounding displacement camps, cutting off food, water, medical supplies, and humanitarian assistance, while subjecting the city to recurring shelling and ground assaults. Civilians were increasingly trapped, as escape routes were restricted or closed, and forced to endure conditions of life progressively incompatible with human survival.” This 18-month siege culminated in a 3-day rampage in October 2025, where survivors describe the slaughter of civilians, mass executions, and crimes against humanity.\n\nEl-Fasher University “became one of the bloodiest execution sites in the city.” According to survivors, over a hundred civilians were gunned down or executed as they sought shelter or attempted to flee. Survivors described notorious RSF commander Abu Lulu, known as the “Butcher of El-Fasher”, asking a pregnant woman how far she was in her pregnancy and then firing seven bullets into her abdomen when she replied that she was seven months along. He at one point said, “I was planning to kill 2000 people today, but I lost count, so I will start all over again.” In the case of El-Saudi Hospital, RSF forces stormed the hospital and “proceeded to search the wards and killing those they found, including patients, accompanying persons and medical personnel…it is estimated that over 460 patients and others present were killed.” Flight didn’t bring safety, according to survivors, as “The Rapid Support Forces pursued fleeing civilians along escape routes…where they had established ambushes and checkpoints…the perpetrators chasing people in open fields, firing at them with automatic rifles and mounted submachine guns, and running over fleeing persons with vehicles, causing mass casualties.” The horrors were visible from space, with satellite images analyzed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab showing bodies piled up in the streets, pools of blood on the ground, and mass burial sites.\n\nThe siege of El Fasher lasted for over 500 days, and the ensuing atrocities were widely foreseen and repeatedly forewarned by the United Nations, intelligence from the U.S. State Department and foreign governments, humanitarian monitors, and researchers. We remain greatly concerned by this administration’s grave failure to act despite the chorus of alarm bells. What occurred in El Fasher is a stark warning of what could unfold in El Obeid and across Sudan if this administration—and the international community—continues this current pattern of inaction.\n\nAnd now those alarm bells are ringing once again – this time in El Obeid. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on July 3, “This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.” Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said of El Obeid on June 30, “Too often in this brutal war, clear warnings have been ignored. Civilians have paid the price. The international community must make itself heard. We cannot say we were not warned.”\n\nThe State Department has also recognized that this is a critical moment. On June 22, the State Department spokesperson warned of “alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent” and said “the RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.” On June 23, State Department Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos said that he spoke with RSF leadership and “strongly urged them to halt any actions that could endanger civilians in and around El Obeid.” And this Administration has repeatedly affirmed, including in July 2025, that “The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide.” In November 2025, you yourself said that the RSF is “clearly receiving assistance from outside” and that “something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and the support the RSF is getting as they continue their advances.”\n\nThe evidence is clear – the United Arab Emirates is the primary external backer of the RSF, providing unparalleled military, financial, and technical support to the group. In May 2026, a new report by Human Rights Watch found that the UAE trained hundreds of Colombian mercenaries who then “took part in combat in and around El Fasher and, according to media reports, provided training to RSF recruits–including child soldiers”. In February 2026, a Reuters investigation found that Ethiopia has built a secret camp to train thousands of RSF fighters, and that the UAE financed the construction of the camp and provided military trainers and logistical support. This follows U.S. intelligence from October 2025, including separate reports from the Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department’s intelligence bureau, that “show an increase in the flow of materiel from the U.A.E. to the rebel Rapid Support Forces since the spring.” These findings are part of a large and growing body of credible evidence that the UAE is both arming and providing military support to the RSF.\n\nNow, an estimated 500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid, including many who have sought shelter there after fleeing RSF attacks across the Kordofan region. The encirclement and systematic crippling of resources in El Obeid increasingly parallels El Fasher, and this administration must use its leverage and influence to prevent a repeat of El Fasher’s horrors in El Obeid before it is too late. We urge this administration to take concrete actions to prevent such mass atrocities in El Obeid, including by ceasing certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors that are fueling this war. We also request an update on what other actions the administration is taking, beyond just words, to prevent mass atrocities in El Obeid and to help bring this war to an end.\n\nWe request a response to this letter by August 17, 2026.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-joins-vp-vance-at-white-house-anti-fraud-roundtable/", "title": "Schmitt Joins VP Vance at White House Anti-Fraud Roundtable", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "scraper": "schmitt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001227", "name": "Eric Schmitt", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Schmitt Commits to Leading White House’s Proposed Reforms to Combat Fraud Nationwide\n\nU.S. SENATE — Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) joined Vice President JD Vance, Trump Administration officials, and Members of Congress at the White House for a roundtable on Republican and Trump Administration-led efforts to crack down on fraud and protect taxpayer dollars. Since taking office, the Trump Administration has taken significant action to address endemic fraud that was running rampant in Democrat-led states. Senator Schmitt also committed to drafting and leading an anti-fraud legislative package codifying the Trump Administration’s proposed reforms.\n\n“Fraud is endemic. Under the Biden Administration, criminals and fraudsters ran schemes that exploited American taxpayers and robbed our nation’s most vulnerable of help they desperately needed. America is the most generous nation in the world, but that generosity is being abused by illegal aliens and career criminals who reject our nation’s values and pillage the federal welfare state. Taxpayers are paying the price. Thankfully, the Trump Administration has a clear and simple message for fraudsters: time is up. Vice President Vance has done an incredible job cracking down on fraud and exposing rampant waste, fraud, and abuse of our federal programs. In the Senate, I am proud to lead the Anti-Fraud Task Force to work alongside this Administration to strengthen federal oversight and hold criminals accountable so we can ensure federal programs actually help Americans in need. I look forward to taking the White House’s proposed reforms and fighting like hell to pass them into law,” said Senator Schmitt.\n\nBackground:\n\nIn June, Senator Schmitt announced the launch of his Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force to examine fraud, waste, and abuse across federal programs; identify vulnerabilities in existing systems; and strengthen government accountability to ensure the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Schmitt was joined by Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Ron Johnson (R-WI).\n\nIn January, Schmitt introduced the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act to restore integrity to the naturalization process by expanding and clarifying grounds to revoke the citizenship of certain individuals who demonstrate through their involvement with fraud, other serious felonies, or terrorist organizations that they never met the statutory requirements for citizenship.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-leads-bill-to-prioritize-research-on-tick-borne-livestock-disease/", "title": "Schmitt Leads Bill to Prioritize Research on Tick-Borne Livestock Disease", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "scraper": "schmitt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001227", "name": "Eric Schmitt", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bill Designates Tick-Borne Livestock Disease as High-Priority Research Area to Protect Missouri Livestock Producers, Specifically for Disease Associated with the Asian Longhorned Tick\n\nU.S. SENATE — Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO), joined by U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and U.S. Senator Jim Justice (R-WV), introduced the Emerging Tick-Borne Livestock Disease Research Prioritization Act, which statutorily designates tick-borne livestock disease as a high-priority research area at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bill authorizes USDA to make competitive grants within pre-existing research programs aimed at developing vaccines, therapeutics, and treatments for tick-borne livestock disease. Specifically, the bill targets diseases associated with the Asian Longhorned Tick, several of which lack an approved vaccine or treatment.\n\n“Missouri is one of the nation’s leaders in livestock production, and our farmers and ranchers work too hard to have their livelihoods threatened by emerging tick-borne diseases. Invasive species like the Asian Longhorned Tick pose a growing risk to our livestock industry and the families who depend on it. By elevating the need for critical research into tick-borne livestock disease, we’re helping ensure producers have the tools they need to protect their herds, strengthen our food supply, and keep America’s agriculture industry competitive. I’ll keep working with Missouri’s farm families to protect for the Show-Me State’s number one economic driver,” said Senator Schmitt.\n\n“Cattle producers are not short on issues impacting their industry right now. The national cattle herd size is the lowest it’s been in 75 years, and with emerging threats like Asian Longhorned Ticks and New World Screwworm, the industry is under even more pressure. USDA needs to do everything they can to help find ways to combat vector-borne diseases and other threats to livestock, and this bill makes it a priority for them,” said Senator Jim Justice.\n\n“Kansas ranchers already have enough challenges without worrying about another invasive pest threatening their herds. As the Asian Longhorn Tick continues to spread, we need to stay ahead of it—not play catch-up,” said Senator Marshall. “This bill makes sure USDA treats this growing threat like the priority it is by directing more research toward protecting our cattle, our producers, and our food supply.”\n\nBackground:\n\nThanks to Senator Schmitt’s advocacy, this legislation is included in the current draft of the Senate Farm Bill.\n\nMissouri consistently ranks among the nation’s top three beef producers, supporting nearly 40,000 jobs.\n\nAsian Longhorn Ticks have spread aggressively across Missouri over the last several years. These ticks spread debilitating diseases including Theileriosis, which cause anemia, persistent infection, or death in livestock. There are no effective treatments for the condition, costing producers thousands of dollars per head when an animal dies.\n\nMissouri’s livestock industry contributes more than $9 billion in value added annually\n\nStatements of Support:\n\n“The Asian Longhorned tick is a rapidly growing threat to cattle and humans, with more research needed to combat this pest and the infectious diseases it carries. This legislation would fund critical research and education efforts that will improve cattle health, animal welfare, and the long-term financial stability of farmers and ranchers. Cattle producers understand it will take a collective effort to protect the future of U.S. cattle industry, and this bill is an important step in these efforts. NCBA thanks Senator Schmitt for introducing this legislation and working with U.S. cattle producers to lead the way on cutting edge research efforts,” said Sigrid Johannes, Director of Government Affairs, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.\n\n“We met with Senator Schmitt and his team multiple times about the emergency in the U.S. cattle herd created by the Asian longhorned tick. He listened and went to work. Missouri producers are facing serious losses and lack tools to deploy to address the issue. We need research now that will lead to solutions as quickly as possible,”said Mike Deering, Executive Vice President, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.\n\n“As the University of Missouri’s land-grant college of agriculture, we hear directly from the farmers, ranchers, and rural communities we serve about the challenges they face. Emerging tick-borne livestock diseases are a growing concern, and our role is to turn research into real-world solutions through innovation, Extension, and partnerships with producers. Senator Schmitt’s legislation recognizes the importance of investing in research and Extension so we can continue equipping Missouri’s livestock producers with the tools they need to protect herd health, strengthen rural communities, and keep America’s food supply strong and secure,” said Christopher Daubert, Dean of the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.\n\n“Livestock producers know firsthand how tick-borne illnesses can disrupt herd health and daily operations. When farmers invest their time, money and care into their animals, they need clear answers about the diseases that threaten them. Prioritizing research on tick-borne illnesses will help producers respond when disease strikes. Better data, improved diagnostics and stronger management tools all begin with focused scientific research. Understanding these diseases isn’t optional; it’s essential. We appreciate Sen. Eric Schmitt and his colleagues for recognizing this growing challenge and highlighting the need for stronger, targeted research,” said Garrett Hawkins, a 5th generation farmer from St. Clair County and President of Missouri Farm Bureau.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-gillibrand-urge-passage-of-bill-to-rename-buffalo-post-office-in-honor-of-father-of-american-intelligence-william-j-donovan", "title": "SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND URGE PASSAGE OF BILL TO RENAME BUFFALO POST OFFICE IN HONOR OF “FATHER OF AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE” WILLIAM J. DONOVAN", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.schumer.senate.gov", "scraper": "schumer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000148", "name": "Charles E. Schumer", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand called on Congress to quickly pass legislation renaming a Buffalo, New York post office in honor of Buffalo native William J. Donovan, known as the “Father of American Intelligence.” The bill, H.R. 1706, would designate the U.S. Postal Service facility at 1200 William Street as the William J. Donovan Post Office Building. Donovan was a World War I and World War II hero, a Medal of Honor recipient, and a longtime public servant who helped position the U.S. as a global leader in national security as founding director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).\n\nIn a letter to Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Ranking Member Gary Peters, Gillibrand and Schumer wrote that the renaming would be a fitting tribute to a leader who dedicated his life to national and local service.\n\n\"William J. Donovan served our nation with honor and dedication,\" said Senator Gillibrand. \"He defended our country during both world wars, received the Medal of Honor for his bravery, and helped position the United States as a leader in national security. Renaming the post office in his honor will help his incredible legacy endure in Western New York.\"\n\n“‘Wild Bill’ Donovan is an American hero who received the Medal of Honor and also was a founder of the modern intelligence community. He dedicated his life to serving Western New York and our country and played a key role protecting our national security during both world wars and in the decades after,” said Senator Schumer. “I cannot think of any better way to honor his legacy than with a Buffalo post office designation.”\n\nIn 1923, Donovan received the Medal of Honor for his actions during a 1918 battle near Landres-et-Saint-Georges, France, where he was shot but refused to leave the battlefield. He later served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York and as an assistant attorney general under President Calvin Coolidge. During World War II, Donovan founded and directed the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the modern-day Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He retired from military service as a major general.\n\nIf approved by the committee, the bill moves to the full Senate for consideration.\n\nFull text of the bill can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sheehy.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sheehy-introduces-the-use-sovereignty-to-reduce-rx-act/", "title": "Sheehy Introduces the Use Sovereignty to Reduce Rx Act", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sheehy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.sheehy.senate.gov", "scraper": "sheehy", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001232", "name": "Tim Sheehy", "party": "Republican", "state": "MT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "U.S. SENATE – Senator Tim Sheehy today introduced the Use Sovereignty to Reduce Rx Act (USTRx Act), a bill to combat unfair, foreign pharmaceutical price controls that force the American people to shoulder the cost of developing lifesaving drugs while other countries reap the benefits.\n\n“America leads the world in developing lifesaving medicines, but for too long, foreign governments have gamed the system with price controls that force hardworking Americans to pick up the tab for these drugs. That’s not free trade – it’s freeloading. The USTRx Act will hold trading partners accountable, protect American innovation, and put our patients and taxpayers first,” said Senator Sheehy.\n\nThe United States has subsidized foreign drug prices through the export of pills and biologics fully funded by U.S. research. Foreign countries have then imposed strict price control regimes that transfer the bulk of the cost of research and development to American consumers.\n\nA recent Special 301 report from USTR confirmed several foreign governments, including Germany and Japan, continue to use unfair policies to suppress pharmaceutical prices below fair market value and arbitrarily limit access to these lifesaving products. On June 18, 2026, USTR opened a Section 301 Investigation against Germany to determine whether persistent underpayment for innovative pharmaceutical products by Germany is unreasonable or discriminatory and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce.\n\nThe USTRx Act establishes a Chief Pharmaceutical Trade Negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), increases oversight of foreign drug pricing policies, and equips the United States with tools to hold countries accountable for suppressing the value of American pharmaceutical innovation.\n\nSenators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) joined Senator Sheehy in introducing the bill. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Jody Arrington (R-Texas).\n\nBackground:\n\nThe USTRx Act directs the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to:\n\nEstablish the position of Chief Pharmaceutical Trade Negotiator at USTR. The position would identify foreign price controls on drugs innovated in the U.S.\n\nCompile and release an annual report to Congress on the policies and practices of high-income countries relating to the trade of pharmaceutical products\n\nSubmit to the Committee on Ways and Means in the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance in the Senate a plan to respond to the policies and practices of high-income countries, which may include initiating an investigation under title III of the Trade Act of 1974", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thune-farm-bill-to-provide-real-support-and-certainty-for-south-dakota-farmers-and-ranchers/", "title": "Thune: Farm Bill to Provide Real Support and Certainty for South Dakota Farmers and Ranchers", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.thune.senate.gov", "scraper": "thune", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000250", "name": "John Thune", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:\n\nThune’s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n“Mr. President, America’s farmers and ranchers got some good news at the end of last week.\n\n“After a lot of hard work from members of the Agriculture Committee, Chairman Boozman released the text of a five-year farm bill, which is slated for a markup tomorrow and will, I hope, be headed soon to the floor.\n\n“Mr. President, as someone who hails from an ag state and who’s been part of the drafting of now five farm bills, I know how important the farm bill is, and how much work goes in to getting it right.\n\n“As I made clear at the start of this Congress, America’s farmers and ranchers are a priority for this Senate majority.\n\n“That started last year with the Working Families Tax Cuts, which strengthened the farm safety net, bolstered critical farm programs, and delivered tax relief to America’s agriculture producers – including relief from the unfair death tax and making the 199A deduction permanent.\n\n“And it continues this year with this farm bill, which builds on the important measures in the Working Families Tax Cuts to give farmers and ranchers certainty into the future.\n\n“After the Working Families Tax Cuts raised reference prices last year, this farm bill makes further improvements to commodity programs as well as crop insurance – cornerstones of the farm safety net.\n\n“It modernizes farm loan programs to get America’s next generation of farmers and ranchers off to a strong start.\n\n“And it strengthens other programs that producers depend on.\n\n“It improves the Emergency Assistance for Livestock Program so that it covers the cost of hauling feed or water and opens the program to producers dealing with drought or other adverse weather conditions.\n\n“And it includes my CRP Flexibility and Improvement Act, which will make the Conservation Reserve Program a more working-lands-oriented option for producers.\n\n“Mr. President, CRP plays a very significant role in South Dakota’s economy by helping to provide habitat for pheasants.\n\n“But producers in my state have been frustrated for years with how the program is managed – in particular by the fact that its restrictions on land use can be excessive.\n\n“And that’s why I introduced the CRP Flexibility and Improvement Act.\n\n“My bill allows grazing options – including fencing and water distribution – on all CRP acres.\n\n“And on top of that, it increases the annual CRP payment limit for the first time in the program’s 40-year history.\n\n“This bill will make CRP an attractive option for more producers and open up access for livestock forage in drought conditions.\n\n“Mr. President, the farm bill also includes a number of bills I’ve worked on that make it easier for producers to do business and get their products to market.\n\n“It includes a bill I worked on with Senators Grassley, Klobuchar, and Baldwin that establishes reporting requirements on fertilizer prices, which will bring more transparency to the fertilizer marketplace by helping producers make more informed and cost-effective choices for their operations.\n\n“Another bill of mine – the Promoting Precision Agriculture Act – will facilitate the creation of industry-led, voluntary standards for precision ag technology that will help more farmers adopt this promising tool.\n\n“And my Strengthening Local Processing Act gives smaller processors access to critical information and allows more meat products approved by a state inspector to be sold across state lines.\n\n“Mr. President, the farm bill is about more than just what happens on a farm or a ranch.\n\n“It also supports America’s rural communities.\n\n“That includes water infrastructure, rural development, and health care – among other critical services.\n\n“It also includes our continued efforts to provide broadband in unserved communities.\n\n“And I’m pleased that this bill will help ensure that broadband dollars are going to communities that need it – places where 90 percent or more of the residents lack access to basic internet services.\n\n“Mr. President, there’s a lot more I could talk about with this bill.\n\n“A lot more.\n\n“This is a bill that will provide real support and certainty for America’s farmers and ranchers.\n\n“And that’s good news for all Americans, who depend on our hardworking producers for food, fuel, and fiber.\n\n“And fuel, Mr. President, is the final thing I want to discuss this morning.\n\n“Mr. President, for decades, the seasonal sale of E15 has been a win-win for America’s farmers and for the American people.\n\n“It has strengthened the agriculture economy while providing the American people with an affordable source of homegrown energy.\n\n“And for many years, Mr. President, it’s been a priority for me – and for many of my colleagues here – to allow E15 to be sold all year.\n\n“Mr. President, it’s taken a lot of work to get here, but I’m very proud that this farm bill delivers permanent – permanent – year-round E15.\n\n“This is something that is going to further help producers and help bring down fuel costs for all Americans.\n\n“And I want to thank Chairman Boozman as well as Senators Daines, Capito, and Fischer, for all of their hard work on this issue.\n\n“I’m looking forward to getting it across the finish line.\n\n“Mr. President, I spend a lot of time with farmers and ranchers back home in South Dakota.\n\n“They talk to me about the uncertainty and the headwinds they face.\n\n“And I’ve listened to their priorities and made them my own.\n\n“As I said, America’s farmers and ranchers are a priority for this Senate majority.\n\n“And with the Working Families Tax Cuts and now this farm bill, we’re making real progress on the challenges facing our producers.\n\n“But of course our work is never finished.\n\n“There will be more to do in the future to support and strengthen American agriculture.\n\n“And America’s producers can be confident that their needs will always be at the top of my list.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thunes-big-tech-algorithm-transparency-bill-unanimously-approved-by-committee/", "title": "Thune’s Big Tech Algorithm Transparency Bill Unanimously Approved by Committee", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.thune.senate.gov", "scraper": "thune", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000250", "name": "John Thune", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today applauded the Commerce Committee’s unanimous passage of his bipartisan Filter Bubble Transparency Act, which was included in a larger bill to address kids’ safety on the internet. Thune’s bill would make it easier for internet platform users to understand the potential manipulation that exists with secret algorithms and require large-scale platforms to allow those users to consume information outside of that potential manipulation zone or “filter bubble.”\n\n“Consumers deserve more transparency when it comes to how social media and other internet platforms use algorithms to amplify or suppress content on their services,” said Thune. “This bill would help consumers better understand how algorithms are used to select content in their feed and give users more control over what information they are digesting. I’m pleased that the committee has passed my bill as part of the Kids Online Safety Act, and I thank Senator Blackburn for her leadership on this important issue.”\n\nThe Filter Bubble Transparency Act would require large-scale internet platforms to disclose algorithm use to consumers and allow users to view content that has not been curated as a result of a secret algorithm. The bill would also make it unlawful for any person to operate a covered internet platform that uses a secret algorithm unless the platform complies with the two above requirements. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce the legislation’s requirements, and it would be authorized to seek civil penalties for knowing violations.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-alsobrooks-mcclain-delaney-announce-over-560000-for-workforce-development-supportive-housing-in-western-maryland", "title": "Van Hollen, Alsobrooks, McClain Delaney Announce Over $560,000 for Workforce Development, Supportive Housing in Western Maryland", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.vanhollen.senate.gov", "scraper": "vanhollen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000128", "name": "Chris Van Hollen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and Congresswoman April McClain Delaney (all D-Md.) announced $562,851 in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for education, workforce development, and supportive housing for adults recovering from mental illness or with developmental disabilities in Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties.\n\n“When we invest in opportunities for education, workforce training, and supportive housing, we invest in the long-term success of our communities. These federal dollars from the Appalachian Regional Commission will help create educational opportunities, open pathways to good-paying jobs, and strengthen the financial stability of Marylanders,” said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n“When we invest in Western Maryland, our entire state benefits. This federal investment will support research at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Appalachian Lab in Frostburg, create more opportunities for Marylanders developing their careers at Garrett College’s Career Technology Training Center, and renovate critical housing for adults recovering from mental illness or developmental disabilities. This isn’t just an investment in Marylanders; it’s an investment in our economy and our future,”said Senator Alsobrooks.\n\n“Western Maryland is full of talent and potential, and these federal investments will help turn that potential into opportunity,” said Congresswoman McClain Delaney. “This funding will expand research and student training at Frostburg’s Appalachian Lab, prepare Garrett College students for good-paying welding jobs, and provide stable housing and employment support through Archway Station. I’ll keep fighting to bring home resources that strengthen our rural communities.”\n\nThe federal grants have been awarded as follows:\n\n$312,851 to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Appalachian Lab in Frostburg to acquire advanced scientific equipment and computing infrastructure, including atmospheric gas analyzers, upgrades to a high-capacity computing cluster, a dilution system for laboratory analysis, and more. The funds will expand the Appalachian Lab’s ability to conduct high-precision environmental and agricultural research, improve data processing and artificial intelligence capabilities, and support workforce training opportunities for students and participants.\n\n$200,000 to Archway Station, Inc., to renovate seven apartments to support up to 18 participants in the Archway Recovery Program. Participants will receive temporary supportive housing, assistance with securing permanent housing, obtaining and retaining jobs, and advancing financial stability.\n\n$50,000 to Garrett College to upgrade equipment in the existing welding lab at the Career Technology Training Center. The funds will support the purchase of 11 multi-process welders and one band saw and are anticipated to support 135 students over the course of three years.\n\nThese investments are provided through the Appalachian Regional Commission, an economic development partnership entity of the federal government and 13 state governments, focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. Senator Van Hollen secured $200 million in federal funding for the ARC through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, and the lawmakers have since worked to prevent cuts to the program from the Trump Administration.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-data-black-lung-rate-in-appalachia-highest-in-nearly-50-years/", "title": "New Data: Black Lung Rate in Appalachia Highest in Nearly 50 Years", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Following a new report that found that coal miners in central Appalachia are suffering from black lung at the highest rates in nearly 50 years, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) highlighted the urgent need to strengthen protections for miners and ensure they receive the health care and benefits they have earned.\n\n“Coal miners in Appalachia are getting sicker and at younger ages, and this new data that black lung rates are at their highest in nearly 50 years is devastating. The administration’s decision to cut funding for programs that protect miners’ health and pause enforcement of the silica dust rule is leaving miners at greater risk,” said Sen. Warner. “Miners have risked their lives to fuel and power our nation. I am proud to fight for coal miners in Appalachia and across the country, and we must do right by them. Congress must enact legislation to ensure miners can access the medical care, compensation, and benefits they have earned.”\n\nThe report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a federal research agency, found that among miners in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia with at least 25 years in the mines, 32.5 percent tested positive for black lung, the highest recorded rate since 1978. The report also found that miners with at least 15 years underground are developing black lung at rates not seen in nearly 40 years.\n\nSen. Warner has introduced the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act and the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act, bills that would remove barriers to benefits and ensure that miners and their families receive the compensation they are entitled to. He also previously spoke out against the Trump administration’s decision to pause enforcement of a Department of Labor rule to protect miners from silica dust, which is contributing to a significant uptick in severe black lung disease, particularly among younger miners in their thirties and forties.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warner-banks-introduce-bill-to-better-match-a-patient-to-their-health-records/", "title": "Warner, Banks Introduce Bill to Better Match a Patient to their Health Records", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced the Patient Matching and Transparency in Certified Health IT (MATCH IT) Act, bipartisan legislation that would improve standardization of patients’ demographic data entered into certified health IT products to help decrease patient misidentification and promote interoperability. The bill would also create an anonymous, voluntary system to measure patient match rates across the healthcare ecosystem. The ability to match patients to their health records is critical to health data interoperability, vital to HIPAA Privacy Rule compliance, and would improve patient safety.\n\n“Patient misidentification is a serious problem that has led to medical mistakes and even patient death,” said Sen. Warner. “My bipartisan bill would improve the interoperability between health care systems and decrease patient misidentification, while protecting patient privacy and leading to better patient care.”\n\n“Patient matching errors are a hidden tax on the healthcare system,” said Sen. Banks. “This bipartisan bill would make sure doctors have the right patient’s records and reduce medical errors, speed up care, and reduce healthcare costs.”\n\nThe MATCH IT Act would:\n\nDirect HHS to develop uniform data standards and definitions for accurate and precise patient matching;\n\nEstablish minimum data set standard needed to support the adoption of patient match rate at 99.9;\n\nRequire all Certified Electronic Health Record Technology systems to adopt these standards; and\n\nEstablish a voluntary Medicare bonus for providers who meet a patient matching rate of 90%.\n\nThe MATCH IT Act is endorsed by the Patient ID Now Coalition, American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), American Heart Association, Becton Dickinson (BD), College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Inc. (HIMSS), Intermountain Health, 4medica, Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE), American College of Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Baptist Health, Civitas Networks for Health, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), DirectTrust, e4health, Harris Data Integrity Solutions, Imprivata, Medical Group Management Association, MyLigo, Inc, Nemours Children’s Health, OrthoVirginia, Parkland Health, Parkview Health, Robert Wood Johnson Barnabus Health, SynchroLink AI, Valley Children’s Healthcare, and Verato.\n\n“A close family member was undergoing cancer treatment when they were taken to the emergency room within the same hospital system where they had been receiving care. Despite being treated within that system, the ER staff had no record that they were a cancer patient. They didn’t have an active medication list or information about ongoing treatments. I had to rush to the ER to provide the missing medical information without which I don’t believe they’d be alive today,” said Terri Ripley, CIO of OrthoVirginia. “The MATCH IT Act is critical to solving this issue and ensuring providers have access to a complete medical history—including previous x-rays, surgical history, and active medications—to deliver safe, high-quality care.”\n\n“At Virginia Health Information, we see every day the essential role accurate, timely data plays in delivering quality patient care. When health information is correctly connected to the right patient, clinicians can spend less time searching for records and more time caring for people,” said Kyle Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Virginia Health Information. “The MATCH IT Act advances a common-sense national approach that improves patient safety, reduces unnecessary costs, and affords Virginians the right care at the right time.”\n\n“Patient misidentification directly threatens lives, transforming what seems like a technical challenge into an urgent patient safety crisis,” said Heather Stebbins, President of Virginia Health Information Management Association. “The MATCH IT Act recognizes the importance of data integrity and interoperability in modern healthcare. The Virginia Health Information Management Association (VHIMA) commends Senators Mark Warner and Jim Banks for championing legislation that helps ensure the right information reaches the right provider at the right time.”\n\n“AI has the potential to transform healthcare, but its effectiveness depends on accurate, trusted patient data. As providers manage a historic volume of health information, the need for a national patient matching standard has never been more urgent,” said Russ Branzell, CEO of College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). “The MATCH IT Act will strengthen patient safety, protect patient privacy, and improve interoperability by ensuring health information is accurately matched to the right individual. By reducing duplicate records and eliminating costly, manual reconciliation processes, this legislation will create new efficiencies across the healthcare system while laying the foundation for safe and effective AI adoption.”\n\n“On behalf of HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society), I applaud Senators Mark Warner and Jim Banks for their bipartisan leadership in introducing the MATCH IT Act in the Senate,” said Hal Wolf, President and CEO of HIMSS. “Accurate patient identification is fundamental to safe, interoperable, and high-quality care. By addressing the persistent challenge of patient misidentification, the MATCH IT Act will help improve patient safety, strengthen privacy protections and ensure providers have access to complete and accurate information for delivering informed care. We now urge Congress to advance this critical legislation.”\n\n“Medical care begins with the information found in a patient’s health record. However, patient misidentification within the healthcare ecosystem continues to threaten patient safety and privacy, which can lead to dire outcomes,” said David D. Cella, CEO of American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). “With the introduction of the MATCH IT Act, we are one step closer to ensuring patients’ health information is complete and accurate. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) commends Senator Warner and Senator Banks for leading the effort to address this critical issue.”\n\nFull text of the bill can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warner-kaine-announce-over-5-million-in-federal-funding-to-support-victims-of-sexual-assault-combat-violence-against-women/", "title": "Warner, Kaine Announce Over $5 Million in Federal Funding to Support Victims of Sexual Assault, Combat Violence Against Women", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $5,285,635 in federal grant funding for the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to help law enforcement, court personnel, and victim services organizations support victims of sexual assault and their families, enhance victim protection and safety, and curb violent crimes against women. This funding comes from the Office on Violence Against Women’s (OVW) STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program and the Sexual Assault Services (SAS) Formula Program. The STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program is made possible by the Violence Against Women Act, which Sens. Warner and Kaine successfully fought to reauthorize in 2022.\n\n“Unfortunately, there’s still far too much work to be done to combat sexual assault and domestic violence against women. As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to stand with survivors, ensure they have access to the support and resources they need, and hold perpetrators accountable,” said the senators. “We’re pleased to announce this federal funding, which will help communities across Virginia strengthen services for survivors, prevent violence from occurring, and support efforts to keep women and families safe.”\n\nThe grant awards include:\n\n$4,269,937 through the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program to develop and strengthen law enforcement, prosecution, and court strategies to reduce violent crimes against women, apprehend and prosecute perpetrators effectively, and strengthen victim services in cases involving domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.\n\n$1,015,698 through the SAS Formula Program to support rape crisis centers and nonprofit organizations that provide core services, intervention, and related assistance to victims of sexual assault. This funding will provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment, support services, and related assistance for adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault, family and household members of victims, and others affected by sexual violence.\n\nSens. Warner and Kaine have long fought for efforts that support survivors of sexual assault and combat violence against women. Both senators strongly supported reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which successfully passed Congress and was reauthorized in 2022. In 2020, the senators announced more than $5 million in federal funding to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault across Virginia. Sens. Warner and Kaine also sponsored the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, a law to aid domestic violence survivors and their pets included in the 2018 Farm Bill.\n\n###\n\n* High-quality photographs of Sen. Mark R. Warner are available for download here *\n\nPhotos may be used online and in print, and can be attributed to ‘The Office of Sen. Mark R. Warner", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/senate-passes-welch-budds-bipartisan-bill-to-crack-down-on-foreign-robocalls/", "title": "Senate Passes Welch, Budd’s Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Foreign Robocalls", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "www.welch.senate.gov", "scraper": "welch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000800", "name": "Peter Welch", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) celebrated the Senate’s unanimous passage of their bipartisan Foreign Robocall Elimination Act, legislation to bring together government and private sector experts to find additional means of eliminating unlawful robocalls placed into the U.S. from abroad. The Senators’ bill is the first piece of legislation related to robocalls to be advanced by the Senate since 2020.\n\n“Vermonters have received 27 million robocalls so far in 2026. And it’s not only our state—folks in red and blue states alike are sick and tired of picking up the phone and wondering if they’re being scammed. As foreign robocallers step up their efforts to exploit and prey on vulnerable people, we need to do more to combat this unlawful practice and protect Americans from scams,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to work with Senator Budd on this bipartisan legislation and am grateful for the Senate’s support. I urge the House to join us in sending it to the president’s desk.”\n\n“Too many American households have been targeted by foreign scam calls that threaten to steal identities and defraud innocent victims. We cannot allow these criminals to continue preying on Americans without consequence. I am proud this timely legislation passed the Senate with unanimous support, and I urge my House colleagues to swiftly pass it so we can strengthen international cooperation to crack down on foreign robocall scammers,” said Senator Budd.\n\nAccording to recent studies, nearly 50 million U.S. adults have reported losing money to an online scam or attack. Additionally, most U.S. adults report receiving scam messages daily or weekly via phone (68%) or text (61%), and 41% of U.S. adults (106 million) say a scam email, text, or call led them to give away personal information.\n\nOnline scams are also a major threat to national security. Last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documented nearly $21 billion in annual losses from internet crime—a 25% increase from 2024. Accounting for under-reporting, total fraud-related losses to U.S. consumers exceed $158 billion per year.\n\nThe Foreign Robocall Elimination Act builds on landmark legislation like the TRACED Act to create an interagency task force to evaluate foreign robocalls and how best to combat them, with the goal of increasing international cooperation to reduce illegal robocalls. The task force will consist of key representatives from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice (DOJ) and experts in the field of voice service and analytics, telecommunications technology, marketing organizations, and consumer advocates.\n\nAdditionally, the task force will help ensure that the DOJ is adequately equipped to address and prosecute criminals behind the influx of foreign robocalls. The bill also extends the FCC’s renewal period for the Industry Traceback Group from one year to three years. That change will help the Traceback Group, established in the TRACED Act, continue its successful work of tracing back the source of unlawful robocalls.\n\nThe Foreign Robocall Elimination Act is endorsed by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and USTelecom.\n\n“AARP, which advocates on behalf of more than 100 million Americans age 50 and older, is pleased to endorse the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act. This legislation represents a critical next step in protecting Americans from fraudulent and abusive robocalls originating from outside the United States. Older Americans are disproportionately targeted by robocall scams, which often lead to financial loss, identity theft, and emotional distress. These calls not only exploit individuals but also erode trust in telecommunications systems and public institutions. The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act builds upon the TRACED Act and addresses this growing threat by convening a task force of government and private sector experts to develop actionable strategies for eliminating harmful foreign robocalls,” said Bill Sweeney, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, AARP.\n\n“Illegal robocalls are not just a nuisance—they’re a threat to vulnerable Americans and a tool for scammers around the world. Thanks to strong partnerships between the Industry Traceback Group and federal, state, and local law enforcement, we’ve made measurable progress in stopping these bad actors. The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act builds on this success to empower industry and law enforcement to use what works to crack down on the bad actors overseas preying on Americans. Big thanks to Senators Budd and Welch for their leadership and commitment to consumer protection,” said Josh Bercu, Senior Vice President, Policy at USTelecom – The Broadband Association and Executive Director, The Industry Traceback Group.\n\nRead and download the full text of the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-curtis-murkowski-schatz-lead-eight-colleagues-in-hosting-bipartisan-roundtable-on-extreme-weather-response-supporting-disaster-impacted-communities/", "title": "Welch, Curtis, Murkowski, Schatz Host Bipartisan Roundtable on Extreme Weather Response, Supporting Disaster-Impacted Communities", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "www.welch.senate.gov", "scraper": "welch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000800", "name": "Peter Welch", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Thirteen Senators joined the bipartisan discussion\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) this week hosted a bipartisan roundtable on Capitol Hill focused on the high costs of extreme weather and climate change, and how Washington can better help communities prepare for, mitigate, and recover from these disasters. Senators Welch, Curtis, Murkowski, and Schatz were joined by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).\n\n“From brutal flooding in Vermont and Alaska to destructive wildfires in Utah, California, and Hawaii, extreme weather is wreaking havoc in communities across America—and it’s only getting worse,” said Senator Welch. “This roundtable made it crystal clear that Washington isn’t doing enough to support rural communities and constituents recovering from climate disasters. The Senate needs to take action to ensure that Americans in disaster-impacted communities—in red and blue states alike—can rebuild, recover, and withstand the rising impacts of climate change.”\n\n“Utahns know firsthand the devastating toll that wildfires, drought, and other extreme weather events can have on families, communities, and local economies,” said Senator Curtis. “This roundtable confirmed what we all know: preparing for disasters, protecting lives, and helping communities recover are shared responsibilities and non-partisan issues. I appreciated the opportunity to discuss practical solutions that improve emergency responsiveness and ensure our communities have the tools they need before and after disaster strikes.”\n\n“Thank you to my colleagues and the experts who came to the table for this critical discussion about the growing costs and impacts of extreme weather. In Alaska, we’re on the front lines for increasingly common events. Flooding, wildfires, landslides, earthquakes, and even remnants of major typhoons have devastated communities across the state,” said Senator Murkowski. “Rural communities face especially difficult situations, making it essential that our disaster policies recognize the unique costs of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from these events. We know the most cost-effective disaster is the one that never happens, which is why investments in mitigation, forecasting, resilient infrastructure, and early warning systems are so important. I appreciated the opportunity to discuss practical solutions that will strengthen preparedness, improve recovery, and help communities build greater resilience for the future.”\n\n“My heart goes out to the people of Washington who are dealing with this across our state, particularly in Spokane, and in the Lake Chelan area as well. Between Washington and Oregon, we’ve hit a record for the amount of acreage that has been burning,” said Senator Cantwell. “Technology can play a big role. We have to show people that the connection between the information that we can get, and then the actual action plan that we can put into place, that’s where the gaps are.”\n\n“Extreme weather will, in one way or another, affect all Americans regardless of region, as well as our overall economy. In Virginia, we have seen the effects firsthand – from flooding at military installations in Hampton Roads, to Southwest Virginia’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene, to periodic drought conditions throughout the Commonwealth,” said Senator Kaine. “I was pleased to join a bipartisan group of my Senate colleagues and a group of experts to discuss how to invest in resilience on the front end, improve response, and support recovery efforts for those affected by extreme weather.”\n\n“In California, we’ve seen firsthand how extreme weather disasters like wildfires and flooding impact communities, and it’s past time we expand disaster mitigation and improve disaster response,” said Senator Padilla. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan push to help communities across the country build resilience and get better access to resources when extreme weather hits.”\n\n“This was a thoughtful, informative, and eye-opening discussion on a pressing issue that impacts every state. I commend Senators Welch, Curtis, Schatz, and Murkowski for convening this forum and advancing bipartisan dialogue about how we can improve disaster response and better support communities and states,” said Senator Reed. “Congress must ensure the disaster declaration process is merit-based and not politicized. I have put forward legislation, the Disaster Relief Fairness Act (S.5018), which would prevent the administration from unfairly denying disaster assistance to states and communities when they have clearly met the criteria to qualify. I hope my colleagues will consider supporting this bill. Every state has different needs, but all of us are impacted by extreme weather events and we all need help at some point, regardless of who is in the White House when disaster strikes.”\n\n“For years, the biggest polluters have made trillions in profits while destroying the environment and damaging our public health. The result is not only a rise in extreme weather, but an increase in Americans paying the price – from rising insurance premiums to the costs of rebuilding communities after major flood events like the one in Western Maryland last year. It’s polluters who should be paying to clean up the mess they made – not the American people. This important bipartisan discussion on standing up for disaster-impacted communities makes clear that we must ensure that the communities most harmed by the effects of climate change do not have to bear the costs alone,” said Senator Van Hollen.\n\nView photos from the event below and on the Senator’s website:\n\nThe roundtable featured Michael Gaughan of the Vermont Bond Bank, which in 2023 launched the first-of-its-kind Municipal Climate Recovery Fund to support rural disaster recovery; Adam Smith, Senior Climate Impacts Scientist at Climate Central and the former lead scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Database; and Chief Bob Roper, Senior Wildfire Advisor to the Western Fire Chiefs Association.\n\nSenator Welch has championed efforts in the Senate to better protect rural communities from the impact of extreme weather events. This Congress, Senator Welch led 13 of his colleagues in introducing the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act, legislation that requires NOAA to restore and maintain the Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database, which collects and publishes information on natural disasters resulting in at least $1 billion in damage each year in the United States. The Senator also introduced the Disaster AID Act, legislation that would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide technical assistance to small towns, and expedite funding for disaster response.\n\nIn July, Senator Welch joined U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) and the Climate Action Network for an event in Barre, Vermont, to hear firsthand from Vermonters impacted by natural disasters and highlight how climate change is fueling more dangerous and deadly extreme weather. The Senator also led 14 colleagues in urging the Trump Administration to reinstate terminated employees at the National Weather Service (NWS) and NOAA to ensure community preparedness ahead of natural disasters.\n\nIn December 2023, Senator Welch testified before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee and advocated for the inclusion of CDBG-DR funding in the comprehensive disaster supplemental package. The comprehensive disaster relief bill, signed by President Biden in 2024, provided more than $100 billion total in disaster relief, and contained many of Senator Welch’s top priorities for Vermont: flexible spending through the Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery fund; support for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF); dedicated help for flood-impacted farmers; and low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to help businesses and homeowners recover, among many other resources.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-files-42-amendments-to-the-farm-bill/", "title": "Welch Files 42 Amendments to the Farm Bill", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "www.welch.senate.gov", "scraper": "welch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000800", "name": "Peter Welch", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Welch’s amendments would support farmers and rural communities, reform farm subsidy programs, and improve access to nutrition programs\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, the Senate Agriculture Committee plans to consider Senate Republicans’ partisan Farm Bill which, as written, will not adequately support Vermont farmers and families and rural communities. U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, filed 42 amendments to Senate Republicans Farm Bill. Senator Welch’s proposed changes to the Farm Bill include measures to better support small and family farms, strengthen rural communities, reform farm subsidy programs, and improve access to nutrition.\n\n“Farms and rural communities across the country are in crisis—we need a bipartisan Farm Bill that meets the moment, but this bill isn’t it. I’ve introduced 42 amendments to Senate Republicans’ partisan Farm Bill—many of which are policies that have historically enjoyed strong bipartisan support,” said Senator Welch. “I hope my colleagues on the Agriculture Committee will work together to improve this Farm Bill and help Vermont farmers, families, and communities.”\n\nSenator Welch’s proposed amendments and changes to Senate Republicans’ Farm Bill include measures to:\n\nBetter Support Vermont Farmers:\n\nHalt the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) reorganization plan\n\nCut red tape for small-scale meat producers in rural communities\n\nImprove access to farm loans and credit\n\nProvide free access to the Dairy Margin Coverage Program (DMC) for eligible producers\n\nImprove data collection for organic dairy farmers\n\nExpand eligibility and access to conservation programs\n\nHelp eliminate barriers for farmers entering the organics market\n\nStrengthen Rural Communities:\n\nImprove rural broadband buildout and speed standards\n\nLower energy costs for rural communities\n\nCombat the threat of invasive species\n\nEstablish national and regional agroforestry centers\n\nProvide multi-year flexible grants to rural communities\n\nStrike the Farm Bill’s E15 language, which is bad for dairy and specialty crop farmers, bad for the environment, and could raise food costs for families.\n\nReform Farm Subsidy and Crop Insurance Programs:\n\nEnsure taxpayer-provided aid makes it into the hands of actual farmers\n\nImprove record-keeping requirements for farm subsidies\n\nDevelop a crop insurance product for specialty crop and diversified farms facing extreme weather events\n\nImprove Access to Nutrition:\n\nIncrease funding for the Farm to School nutrition program and support initiatives that deliver fresh, local foods to schools nationwide\n\nCut red tape for SNAP applicants\n\nImprove USDA’s Food for Peace program\n\nView all of Senator Welch’s amendments to the Farm Bill.\n\nSenator Welch is the Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit. Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/young-chairs-hearing-on-future-of-american-small-businesses/", "title": "Young Chairs Hearing on Future of American Small Businesses", "date": "2026-08-05", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.young.senate.gov", "scraper": "toddyoung", "member": {"bioguide_id": "Y000064", "name": "Todd Young", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "**Click here or above to watch Senator Young’s opening statement**\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, chaired a hearing on the vital role small businesses will play in driving economic growth, innovation, and opportunity as America enters its next 250 years.\n\nTo watch Senator Young’s opening statement, click here.\n\nMore information on the hearing is available here.\n\nWitnesses during the hearing included Dr. Ajay “AJ” Malshe, CEO of Arkwright Space in West Lafayette, Indiana.\n\nSenator Young’s full opening statement, as prepared for delivery:\n\nThank you to our witnesses for being here today.\n\nI appreciate your willingness to participate in this discussion about the future of innovation, and the role small businesses will play in shaping our economy over the next several decades.\n\nAs we all know, this year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States.\n\nFor the past 250 years, small businesses have helped define the American economy—creating jobs, strengthening communities, and helping drive economic growth.\n\nAs we look ahead to the next 250 years, they will remain just as essential to America’s success.\n\nAs the son of a small business owner, I grew up with an appreciation for the hard work and commitment required to run a business.\n\nAmerica’s entrepreneurial spirit has fueled our nation’s progress over the past two and a half centuries.\n\nBut the pace of change today is unlike anything many small businesses have experienced before.\n\nNew technologies, including artificial intelligence and automation, are transforming industries, changing how businesses operate, and creating new opportunity for growth and productivity.\n\nLarge companies often have the resources to implement these technologies quickly.\n\nFor many small businesses, however, the challenge is knowing where to begin and how to integrate these tools into their day-to-day operations.\n\nAcross industries, small businesses recognize that technology is changing the marketplace, and they want to keep pace.\n\nThat challenge is one of the reasons I introduced the AI for Main Street Act with Senator Cantwell.\n\nOur bipartisan legislation would encourage the Small Business Administration to provide small businesses with the information and resources they need to better understand and adopt artificial intelligence tools.\n\nAI has the potential to help small businesses reduce administrative burdens, improve productivity, and compete in an increasingly technology-driven economy.\n\nAt the same time, we know that technology adoption is only one piece of the puzzle.\n\nIf we want small businesses to succeed in the long term, we also need to ensure that entrepreneurs have access to capital, a skilled workforce, and a regulatory environment that supports innovation and growth.\n\nThis year, the Small Business Committee reauthorized and reformed the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer\n\nprograms through September 30, 2031.\n\nThese programs help entrepreneurs transform promising ideas into commercial products, strengthening partnerships among small businesses, research institutions, and the federal government.\n\nBy reauthorizing these programs, we help ensure America remains the world’s leader in developing and commercializing critical and emerging technologies.\n\nFor decades, the SBIR and STTR programs have supported breakthroughs in fields ranging from biotechnology to advanced manufacturing to artificial intelligence and national security.\n\nAs new technologies continue to reshape our economy, these programs will remain essential tools for ensuring that small businesses have the opportunity to innovate, scale, and create jobs in communities across the country.\n\nToday’s hearing is an opportunity to hear directly from small businesses on what Congress can do to ensure they continue to innovate, compete, and succeed over the next 250 years.\n\nI look forward to learning more about the opportunities and challenges ahead, and on the policies that will help America’s entrepreneurs continue to innovate and grow.", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://aguilar.house.gov/2026/08/06/rep-aguilar-announces-nearly-1-4-million-for-san-bernardino-county-to-expand-local-access-to-quality-healthcare/", "title": "Rep. Aguilar Announces Nearly $1.4 Million for San Bernardino County to Expand Local Access to Quality Healthcare", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://aguilar.house.gov/category/congress_press_release/", "domain": "aguilar.house.gov", "scraper": "aguilar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000371", "name": "Pete Aguilar", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Press Releases\n\nRep. Aguilar Announces Nearly $1.4 Million for San Bernardino County to Expand Local Access to Quality Healthcare\n\nThis funding will support community health centers in San Bernardino County, including in the City of San Bernardino\n\nSAN BERNARDINO, CA – Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) announced a $1,375,920 grant award for the San Bernardino County Public Health Department to expand access to high-quality, affordable and comprehensive healthcare services to residents, regardless of their ability to pay. The funding will support the daily operations and health services provided at four Federally Qualified Community Health Centers in San Bernardino County, including primary care, pediatric care, prenatal care, immunizations, reproductive healthcare, HIV and sexually transmitted infection treatment, oral health services, opioid dependence treatment and counseling.\n\n“San Bernardino County residents should never struggle to access quality, affordable healthcare close to home,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “This grant funding will help strengthen the quality care and services that the San Bernardino County Public Health Department provides and ensure that families here in our region get the care they need to be healthy and thrive.”\n\n“This grant award means more residents can get the care they need close to home, from the High Desert to the Inland Valley and out to the Colorado River region,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “Our federally qualified health centers serve thousands of patients every year, often as their only access point for primary care, pediatrics and preventive services. Funding like this keeps that access open and strengthens the work that the San Bernardino County Public Health Department does to keep families healthy every day.”\n\nThis funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration’s Health Center Program (H80) grant awards.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://amo.house.gov/press-release/amo-meets-with-boys-girls-club-milagros-project-in-woonsocket-to-highlight-need-for-summer-meals-programs-in-fight-for-affordability", "title": "Amo Meets with Boys & Girls Club, Milagros Project in Woonsocket to Highlight Need for Summer Meals Programs in Fight for Affordability", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://amo.house.gov/press-releases", "domain": "amo.house.gov", "scraper": "amo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000380", "name": "Gabe Amo", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Woonsocket, RI – TODAY, Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI) met with kids and mentors at the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Rhode Island in Woonsocket to highlight the high cost of groceries and the importance of summer meals programs as part of his work fighting for an affordable America. He then met with representatives of the Milagros Project, which provides meals to food-insecure Rhode Islanders.\n\n“The kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Rhode Island need full bellies to fulfill their potential, but too many young Rhode Islanders are going hungry because of Trump’s cuts to SNAP and essential summer and school meal programs,” said Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI). “Visiting with the kids and mentors in Woonsocket today made clear what we’re fighting for: an affordable future for every Rhode Island family. I’ve stood up to Trump and Republicans’ cuts and anti-affordability agenda and will keep working to stop the chaos, end the cuts, and pass legislation that lowers costs.”\n\n“Our kids deserve the same shot as every other Rhode Island child, but with rising costs many families are struggling,” said Erin Wood, Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Boys & Girls Club of Northern Rhode Island. “We appreciate Congressman Amo’s support and work in Congress to ensure our families have access to the programs that they need to thrive.”\n\n“Food is foundational to health and wellbeing,” said Bonnie Piekarski of The Milagros Project. “We deeply appreciate Congressman Amo’s commitment to fighting food insecurity and his partnership in ensuring every Rhode Islander has enough to eat. At the Milagros Project, we work to provide immediate assistance to those who need it, but having an ally at the federal level means we are far more likely to build a future where everyone has enough to eat.”\n\nBackground\n\nLow-income Rhode Islanders miss 42 million meals each year, and 1 in 3 Rhode Island households are considered food insecure. Trump and Republicans’ Big, Ugly Law was the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the program's history.\n\nCongressman Amo has fought Trump’s cuts to food assistance at every turn.\n\nAmo introduced the CARE for WIC During Shutdowns Act to prevent Republicans from stopping WIC payments to states during Republican shutdowns. He introduced an amendment to the Farm Bill to delay passing SNAP costs onto states until the Secretary of Agriculture certifies the changes wouldn’t impact food security. He is also a co-sponsor of the Universal School Meals Program, which would offer free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack to keep every school child healthy and fed.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://baumgartner.house.gov/2026/08/06/eastern-washington-wildfire-resource-kit/", "title": "Eastern Washington Wildfire Resource Kit", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://baumgartner.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "baumgartner.house.gov", "scraper": "baumgartner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001322", "name": "Michael Baumgartner", "party": "Republican", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Wildfires are the largest naturally-occurring threat for Eastern Washingtonians. It’s important to be aware of the wildfires that break out and how to stay safe.\n\nBelow is a list of federal, state and local resources to help keep your and your families safe from wildfires. I encourage you to read through the relevant resources applicable to your community.\n\nPlease do not hesitate to contact my office should you or a loved one need assistance or guidance. We stand ready to help in any way we can.\n\nStay safe,\n\nCongressman Michael Baumgartner\n\nDownload the Red Cross App on Google Play or Apple App Store\n\nDownload FEMA App or TEXT “ANDROID” or “APPLE” to 43362\n\nFederal Resources\n\nWildfire Preparedness & Safety\n\nStaying Safe During High Fire Danger Conditions\n\nPrepare for Wildfires\n\nPreparing Homes for Wildfires\n\nCDC Wildfire Survival Tips\n\nFire Evacuation Checklist\n\nPreparing Homes for Wildfires\n\nAgriculture & Livestock\n\nAgriculture-Related Losses\n\nLost Livestock Assistance\n\nProtect Livestock During a Disaster\n\nTree Grower Assistance\n\nUSDA Disaster Assistance Programs\n\nLivestock Forage Disaster Program Factsheet\n\nFlood & Disaster Recovery\n\nFlood Preparation\n\nAir Quality & Health\n\nCheck Local Air Quality\n\nTo find a Disaster Recovery Center near you, use the DRC Locator or text DRC and your ZIP code to 43362.\n\nState Resources\n\nWashington State DNR Wildfire\n\nWashington State National Guard X (Twitter)\n\nWashington State National Guard Facebook\n\nWashington State Emergency Management Division\n\nWashington State Department of Health: Smoke from Fires\n\nWashington State Department of Health: Prepare for Natural Disasters\n\nWashington State Department of Ecology: Smoke Levels Map\n\nFiling an Insurance Claim\n\nDisaster Relief for Taxpayers\n\nFinancial Assistance for Wildfire Resilience and Forest Health\n\nActive Wildfire Map\n\nWashington’s Air Monitoring Network\n\nWashington Smoke Forecast\n\nResources by County\n\nADAMS\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nASOTIN\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nAsotin County Emergency Management: (509) 243-2088\n\nAsotin County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nFire Districts:\n\nAsotin County Fire District 1 (North Asotin County)\n\nAsotin County Fire District 2 (Blue Mountain)\n\nCOLUMBIA\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nColumbia County Emergency Management: 509-382-2518\n\nColumbia County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nFire Districts:\n\nColumbia County Fire District 2\n\nFERRY\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nFerry County Emergency Management: (509) 775-5225 ext 1112\n\nFerry County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nFRANKLIN\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nFranklin County Emergency Management: (509) 545-3546\n\nFranklin County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nGARFIELD\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nGarfield County Emergency Management: (509) 843-1533\n\nGarfield County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nPEND OREILLE\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nPend Oreille County Emergency Management: (509) 447-3151\n\nPend Oreille County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nFire Districts:\n\nSouth Pend Oreille Fire & Rescue\n\nPend Oreille Fire District 2 (Newport/Metaline Falls)\n\nPend Oreille Fire District 5 (Locke/Ruby)\n\nLINCOLN\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nLincoln County Emergency Management – (509) 725-9264\n\nLincoln County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nFire Districts:\n\nLincoln County Fire District 1 (Sprague)\n\nLincoln County Fire District 3 (Odessa)\n\nLincoln County Fire District 4 (Reardan)\n\nLincoln County Fire District 5 (Davenport)\n\nLincoln County Fire District 6 (Harrington)\n\nLincoln County Fire District 7 (Wilbur)\n\nSPOKANE\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nSpokane County Emergency Management: (509) 477-7606\n\nSpokane County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nSpokane County Regional Clean Air Agency\n\nSpokane County Wildfire Resources\n\nSpokane Conservation District\n\nFire Districts:\n\nSpokane County Fire District 1 (Spokane Valley)\n\nSpokane County Fire District 2 (Fairfield)\n\nSpokane County Fire District 3 (Cheney/Medical Lake/Spangle)\n\nSpokane County Fire District 4 (Deer Park/Chattaroy/Colbert)\n\nSpokane County Fire District 5 (Four Mound)\n\nSpokane County Fire District 8 (Freeman/Mica/Valleyford)\n\nSpokane County Fire District 9 (Mead/Nine Mile Falls/Fairwood/Town & Country)\n\nSpokane County Fire District 10 (West Plains)\n\nSpokane Fire District 11 (Rockford)\n\nSpokane Fire District 12 (Waverly/Latah)\n\nSpokane Fire District 13 (Newman Lake)\n\nSTEVENS\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nStevens County Emergency Management: (509) 684-7543\n\nStevens County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nFire Districts:\n\nStevens County Fire District 1 (South Stevens County)\n\nStevens County Fire District 2 (Hunters)\n\nStevens County Fire District 3 (Colville)\n\nStevens County Fire District 4 (Chewelah/Valley)\n\nStevens County Fire District 5 (Addy)\n\nStevens County Fire District 6 (Kettle Falls/Marcus)\n\nStevens County Fire District 7 (Arden)\n\nStevens County Fire District 8 (Kelly Hill)\n\nStevens County Fire District 9 (Little Pend Oreille Lakes)\n\nStevens County Fire District 10 (Aladdin/Deep Lake)\n\nStevens County Fire District 11 (Northport)\n\nStevens County Fire District 12 (Rice)\n\nStevens County Fire District 13 (Williams Lake/Evans)\n\nWALLA WALLA\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nWalla Walla County Emergency Management: (509) 524-2902\n\nWalla Walla County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nFire Districts:\n\nWalla Walla County Fire District 2 (Waitsburg)\n\nWalla Walla County Fire District 4 (South Walla Walla)\n\nWalla Walla County Fire District 5 (Burbank)\n\nWalla Walla County Fire District 6 (Touchet)\n\nWalla Walla County Fire District 8 (North Walla Walla)\n\nWhitman\n\nBeen Evacuated? Call the American Red Cross at (509) 783-6195 or follow this link to find available shelter.\n\nWhitman County Emergency Management: 509-397-5606\n\nWhitman County Sheriff’s Department Facebook\n\nFire Districts:\n\nWhitman County Fire District 1 (Tekoa)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 2 (St. John)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 3 (Garfield)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 4 (Palouse)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 5 (Lamont)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 6 (Endicott)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 7 (Rosalia)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 8 (LaCrosse)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 10 (Farmington)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 11 (Albion/Colfax/Diamond/Steptoe)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 12 (Pullman)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 13 (Almota)\n\nWhitman County Fire District 14 (Colton)\n\nStay prepared. Stay informed. Stay safe.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=9190", "title": "Beyer Statement On National Park Service Analysis Finding Trump’s Vanity Arch Would Severely Disrupt Major Capital-Area Sites", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "beyer.house.gov", "scraper": "beyer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001292", "name": "Donald S. Beyer, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today responded to an assessment by the National Park Service of the impacts on capital region historic sites by President Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch, which found the project would “adversely affect” dozens of major sites, many of which are in Beyer’s district. Beyer represents a Northern Virginia district in the U.S. House that includes Arlington National Cemetery, and is leading congressional efforts to block the project.\n\n“The Administration itself is confirming that Trump’s illegal arch project would massively disrupt many of the sites that draw millions of people to the capital every year,” said Beyer. “This is ridiculous and unacceptable, and nobody here wants it. Trump’s arch would be an enormous monument to his vanity and insecurity, and an insult to our heroes buried at Arlington National Cemetery. I will do all in my power to ensure that it is never constructed.”\n\nThe National Park Service’s “Assessment of Effect” on President Trump’s proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch” found that the arch would “adversely affect” dozens of nearby historic sites and monuments, including Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the National Cathedral, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and many others. The proposal currently faces legal challenges, which allege that it violates the National Historic Preservation Act.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://castro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/castro-statement-on-150-million-contract-award-to-burke-law-group-to-represent-unaccompanied-children", "title": "Castro Statement on $150 Million Award to Burke Law Group to Represent Unaccompanied Minors in ORR Care", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://castro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "castro.house.gov", "scraper": "castro", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001091", "name": "Joaquin Castro", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "SAN ANTONIO, TX — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement:\n\n“The Burke Law Group was just awarded a non-competitive $150 million contract to provide legal services to thousands of unaccompanied minors in ORR care. This isn’t a small contract. Yet their founder, Marcella Burke, boasted about her firm not having any HR or administrative teams. And according to their website, only 2 attorneys have immigration experience listed in their area of practice. I seriously doubt they can effectively represent these kids, as required by law.\n\n“The Trump Administration should cancel this award and choose qualified legal providers. There must also be an independent investigation into how this firm was selected.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-chu-and-senator-hirono-introduce-legislation-defund-trumps-public", "title": "Rep. Chu and Senator Hirono Introduce Legislation to Defund Trump’s “Public Charge” Rule Attack on Immigrant Families", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "chu.house.gov", "scraper": "chu", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001080", "name": "Judy Chu", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Judy Chu (CA-28) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Protect American Values Act, legislation that would prevent federal funds from being used to implement, administer, enforce, or otherwise carry out the Trump administration’s finalized “public charge” rule. Scheduled to take effect on September 18, 2026, the rule would make it more difficult for immigrants who rely on certain government benefits to obtain green cards or adjust their immigration status.\n\nThe Trump administration’s finalized rule rescinds the Biden administration’s 2022 reinstatement of the longstanding public charge policy, which made clear that the use of non-cash public benefits—including SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance—could not be considered when making public charge determinations. The public charge test is intended to determine whether an individual is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for support and use that as grounds for denying admission to the United States or adjustment of lawful permanent resident status.\n\nUnlike previous policy, Trump’s new public charge rule does not specify which benefits may be considered during a public charge test, granting immigration officers broad discretion to deny green card applications without clear standards or guardrails. As a result, the rule is expected to discourage immigrants from applying for benefits for which they are legally eligible to receive. The rule also removes an existing safeguard that prevents adjudicating officers from considering benefits used by an immigrant’s family members, meaning U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents in mixed-status families may also be discouraged from accessing benefits they are legally entitled to receive.\n\n“Donald Trump is once again weaponizing our immigration system against families who are simply trying to build better lives in America,” said Rep. Chu. “His revived ‘Public Charge’ rule is even more expansive and harmful than the version from his first term, when it was ultimately struck down in court. Unlike the previous rule, this finalized policy does not even identify which benefits will be considered in a public charge test, giving Trump’s immigration officers sweeping discretion to deny green card applications based on subjective judgement instead of clear legal standards. We know exactly what the result will be. Millions of immigrants and mixed-status families will be forced to choose between putting food on the table, getting health care, keeping a roof over their heads, or protecting their future in America. And when families are driven away from health care, nutrition assistance, and other basic services they are legally entitled to, every community pays the price through worse health outcomes, greater strain on providers, and a weaker economy. It is cruel, it is arbitrary, and it is fundamentally un-American. That is why I am proud to reintroduce the Protect American Values Act with Senator Hirono to ensure not a single federal dollar can be used to implement this shameful policy.”\n\n“By removing any guidance for what qualifies as ‘public charge’ the Trump Regime’s rule creates fear and prevents immigrants and their families from accessing services they need—even if they are still entitled to them. In making the pathway to attaining a green card more confusing, the anti-immigrant ideology of this regime is abundantly clear,” said Senator Hirono. “The Protecting American Values Act ensures that American tax dollars cannot be used for promoting the anti-American principles the Trump Regime is attempting to implement.”\n\n\"The new public charge rule will create fear and uncertainty that discourage families from accessing health care, nutrition assistance, and other essential supports that children need to grow and thrive. Research has consistently shown that when families fear immigration consequences, many avoid services that they or their children are eligible for, putting children's health and development at risk,” said Wendy Cervantes, director of Immigration and Immigrant Families of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). “We applaud Representative Chu and Senator Hirono for introducing the Protect American Values Act, which opposes the harmful rule and ensures that children and families can access the supports they need without fear.\"\n\n“The Trump administration’s new public charge policy is causing unnecessary fear and confusion for immigrant communities across the country. Immigrant families will be afraid to seek resources that help them stay healthy, fed, and housed because of this harmful policy. We applaud Senator Hirono and Representative Chu for introducing the Protect American Values Act to block the implementation of Trump’s new public charge rule and urge Congress to pass this bill immediately,” said Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center.\n\n“The Trump public charge regulation threatens the health and economic security of millions of U.S. citizen children and other eligible people in immigrant families,\" said Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition executive director Adriana Cadena. \"This rule could force parents to make the impossible choice between getting a green card and taking their child to the emergency room. And it establishes a secret process for the issuance of green cards, trading accountable government for politics and bias. We applaud Senator Hirono and Congresswoman Chu for introducing the Protect American Values Act, and demand that Congress act quickly on this critical legislation.”\n\nThe legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Lou Correa (CA-46), Danny Davis (IL-07), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), John Larson (CT-01), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Robert C. \"Bobby\" Scott (VA-03), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Fredrica Wilson (FL-24).\n\nIt is endorsed by over 100 organizations including: Protecting Immigration Families Coalition, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), National Immigration Law Center, African Communities Together, American Academy of Pediatrics, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), Children's Defense Fund, Children's HealthWatch, Church World Service, Coalition on Human Needs, Community Change Action, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, First Focus Campaign for Children, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Hispanic Federation, Hunger Free America, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Justice for Migrant Women, Kids Can’t Wait, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Network to End Domestic Violence, National Partnership for New Americans, National WIC Association, National Women's Law Center Action Fund, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Stop AAPI Hate, UndocuBlack Network", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases/ciscomani-hosts-speaker-johnson-secretary-bessent-rural-6th-district", "title": "Ciscomani Hosts Speaker Johnson, Secretary Bessent at Rural 6th District Manufacturing Facility", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ciscomani.house.gov", "scraper": "ciscomani", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001133", "name": "Juan Ciscomani", "party": "Republican", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Casa Grande, AZ - Yesterday, Congressman Juan Ciscomani hosted Speaker Mike Johnson and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the PepsiCo manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, AZ, to discuss how the Working Families Tax Cuts Act is strengthening Arizona manufacturing, creating jobs, and delivering tax relief for hardworking families.\n\nThe roundtable brought together PepsiCo leadership and representatives from other local manufacturers to discuss how the law is supporting investment, expanding domestic manufacturing, and helping businesses grow in Arizona's Sixth District. One year after the Working Families Tax Cuts Act was signed into law, manufacturers across Arizona are seeing the benefits of pro-growth policies, including No Tax on Overtime, incentives for new factories and facility expansions, and 100% expensing for capital investments such as machinery and equipment. PepsiCo discussed how these provisions have supported continued investment at its Casa Grande facility.\n\n\"I'm incredibly honored to have welcomed Speaker Mike Johnson and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Arizona's Sixth District to see the real, tangible impact of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act,\" said Congressman Juan Ciscomani. \"Manufacturing has long been a cornerstone of rural Arizona's economy, supporting hundreds of local jobs and strengthening communities across our district. Because of the legislation we passed and signed into law last year, hardworking Arizonans are keeping more of what they earn, and manufacturers have greater confidence to invest here in America. This is exactly what we set out to accomplish by putting more money back into the pockets of working families while creating an environment where businesses can grow and create more jobs here in Southeastern Arizona.\"\n\n\"One year after President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts into law, the promise of the American Dream is extending to every factory floor,\" said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. \"It was great to join Speaker Johnson and Congressman Ciscomani at the Frito-Lay facility in Casa Grande, Arizona to discuss how the America First pro-growth economic agenda is giving manufacturers the confidence to invest, expand, and hire.\"\n\n\"Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, American manufacturing is roaring back to life. In the one year since that legislation became law, hundreds of billions of dollars in investments have poured into American businesses and manufacturers, jobs are being created, working families are keeping more of what they earn, and we’re seeing long-term growth in all 50 states that’s raising wages for American workers,\" said Speaker Johnson. \"It was a pleasure to join Secretary Bessent and Rep. Ciscomani at the PepsiCo facility in Casa Grande today to witness firsthand how American businesses are benefitting from the Working Families Tax Cuts, and to discuss how Republicans’ pro-growth agenda is driving America’s industrial renaissance.\"\n\nDuring the visit, Secretary Scott Bessent announced a newly unveiled expansion to the Working Families Tax Cuts that permanently expands the employer tax credit for paid family and medical leave.\n\nThe newly announced guidance provides businesses, particularly small businesses, with greater incentives to offer up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. Employees may use the leave to recover from a serious health condition or care for certain family members with serious health conditions. Employers can claim the credit for employees with at least six months of service, including part-time employees who customarily work 20 hours or more per week.\n\n\"Hardworking Americans should not have to choose between caring for a loved one and earning a paycheck,\" said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. \"The Working Families Tax Cuts permanently expands the federal Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit, giving businesses, especially small businesses, greater incentives to provide paid leave so workers can care for a newborn or other family member or recover from a serious illness without sacrificing their financial security. Today's guidance provides employers with the clarity they need to claim the enhanced credit, supporting American workers, families, and businesses.\"\n\n\"The permanent expansion of the credit encourages businesses to provide paid family and medical leave,\" said IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano. \"The changes enacted by the Working Families Tax Cuts will make more employers eligible for the credit and give them more ways to offer this benefit to their workers.\"\n\nThe announcement reflects Congressman Ciscomani’s ongoing commitment to supporting Arizona job creators, strengthening businesses, and ensuring working families across Southeastern Arizona have the flexibility they deserve in the workplace. Yesterday's newly announced expansion offers small businesses the opportunity to reinvest in their employees, grow their operations, and strengthen domestic manufacturing in the region.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-announces-45-million-department-justice-grants", "title": "Congressman Cohen Announces $4.5 Million in Department of Justice Grants to Tennessee", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "cohen.house.gov", "scraper": "cohen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001068", "name": "Steve Cohen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TH-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today announced two grants totaling $4,592,039 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women to the state of Tennessee.\n\nOne grant, for $3,623,147, will support the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Program authorized by the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. A second grant, for $968,892, will support the Sexual Assault Services Formula Program supporting rape crisis centers that provide services to victims of sexual assault.\n\nCongressman Cohen made the following statement:\n\n“This critical funding addresses both the effective investigation and prosecution of sexual assault and assists victims of this trauma. I’m pleased to see the Department of Justice investing in these essential programs.”\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://costa.house.gov/media/press-releases/costa-welcomes-house-democratic-caucus-chair-pete-aguilar-central-valley", "title": "Costa Welcomes House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar to Central Valley Health Care Roundtable", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://costa.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "costa.house.gov", "scraper": "costa", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001059", "name": "Jim Costa", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "FRESNO, Calif. - This week, during Affordable Healthcare for Every American Week of Action, Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) welcomed Congressman Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, to the Central Valley for a roundtable hosted by Community Health System to hear directly from local hospitals and health care leaders focused on the federal funding reductions under H.R.1, including changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, as well as the Administration's decision to withhold approximately $867.5 million in federal Medicaid funding from California.\n\nThe meeting builds on Congressman Costa's ongoing efforts to elevate the concerns of Valley health care providers and patients following the enactment of H.R. 1 and its changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Congressman Costa and Congressman Aguilar also highlighted House Democrats' ongoing efforts to protect and expand access to quality, affordable health care for families across California and communities nationwide.\n\n“Today, Central Valley families, hospitals, and health care providers continue to feel the effects of the largest cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in our nation’s history under H.R. 1,” said Congressman Costa. “These essential providers are being forced to make difficult decisions about staffing, patient care, and the services they provide. That’s why I was pleased to welcome Congressman Aguilar to the Central Valley—to hear directly from those on the front lines, elevate the challenges they are facing, and reaffirm our commitment to protecting affordable health care for families in the California and across the nation.”\n\n“From the Central Valley to the Inland Empire, Californians’ healthcare is under attack because of cuts made by Trump’s and Republicans’ budget bill,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar. “I was proud to join Congressman Jim Costa and California healthcare leaders for a roundtable on how Republican cuts to Medi-Cal and Medicare have hurt people and healthcare facilities in our state and what House Democrats are doing to fight back. We will keep using every tool at our disposal to stop the Republican healthcare crisis and deliver quality, affordable care to families here in California and across the country.”\n\n“At a time when federal healthcare funding reductions, including those under H.R. 1, are significantly affecting patient access to care across the Central Valley, we appreciate the collaboration and support of Congressmen Jim Costa and Pete Aguilar,” said Community President and Chief Executive Officer Craig A. Wagoner. “With more than half of our region’s population impacted by Medi-Cal reductions, conversations like these are an important step toward identifying solutions that help ensure continued access to care for our nation’s most vulnerable patients.\"\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nIn July 2025, President Trump signed H.R. 1 into law after it passed Congress. The legislation included significant changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act that health care leaders say are affecting hospitals, providers, and patients throughout California's Central Valley, where approximately 1.8 million residents—more than half the region's population—receive health coverage through Medi-Cal.\n\nKey provisions of H.R. 1 include:\n\nBiannual Eligibility Redeterminations: Starting in 2026, states must verify Medicaid eligibility every six months, increasing administrative burdens and risking coverage losses.\n\nNew Work Requirements: Beginning January 1, 2027, certain adults aged 19–64 will be required to work or participate in training/community service 80 hours per month to maintain coverage, which could result in coverage loss for millions.\n\nIncreased Cost-Sharing and Reduced ACA Marketplace Subsidies: Low-income individuals face higher out-of-pocket costs, and DACA recipients are barred from ACA marketplace coverage.\n\nRestrictions on State Financing Tools: Limits on provider taxes and directed payments may undercut funding for hospitals and clinics that rely on Medi-Cal reimbursement.\n\nReduced Retroactive Coverage: Beginning January 1, 2027, retroactive Medicaid coverage will be reduced from three months to one month for expansion adults and two months for other beneficiaries, potentially leaving patients responsible for medical bills incurred before enrollment.\n\nRural Health Transformation Program (RHTP)\n\nH.R.1 created the $50 billion RHTP to strengthen rural health systems nationwide. California was awarded $233.6 million this year (FY26) to support sustainable access, workforce development, technology modernization, and care coordination in rural areas, including the San Joaquin Valley.\n\nCalifornia is administering the funding through the California Rural Health Transformation Program, led by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. Funding will be distributed through several competitive grant opportunities rather than automatically allocated to individual hospitals and clinics.\n\nCurrent California application deadlines include August 14, 2026, for Accelerator Partners and the Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship Program; August 21, 2026, for Electronic Health Record Modernization grants; and August 31, 2026, for Workforce Development Recruitment and Retention grants.\n\nWhile these funds provide targeted support, they are not sufficient to offset the broader reductions enacted under H.R.1.\n\nThe Administration's Withholding of $867 Million in Federal Medicaid Funding to California\n\nOn July 21, 2026, the Trump Administration announced it would withhold approximately $867 million in federal Medicaid funding from California. The Administration stated that the action was intended to target high-risk, disputed Medicaid claims while additional documentation is reviewed to rule out potential fraud.\n\nThis funding deferral creates a significant concern for patients, health care providers, and hospitals that depend on the program to deliver care.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://debbiedingell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7194", "title": "Dingell, Colleagues Press Administration to Address Estrogen Patch Shortages for Menopause Treatment", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://debbiedingell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "debbiedingell.house.gov", "scraper": "debbiedingell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000624", "name": "Debbie Dingell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and seven of her House colleagues pressed the Trump Administration to address estrogen patch shortages for menopause treatment. In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the lawmakers highlighted how this shortage is straining the ability of doctors to provide resources that can be life changing for women battling the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, mood swings, urinary tract infections, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, night sweats, brain fog, and decreased bone density, and more.\n\n“The FDA has not included any of these drugs on its Drug Shortage Database. Inclusion on the shortage list can help the FDA mitigate supply issues, such as taking action to seek alternative suppliers and extend expiration dates for drugs, as appropriate,” said the lawmakers.\n\nThe lawmakers ended the letter requesting answers from the FDA on if necessary steps are being taken to keep up with the growing demand for estrogen patches.\n\nIn addition to Congresswoman Dingell, the letter was signed by U.S. Representatives Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Elanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Jesús G. García (D-IL-04), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-09), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), and Emily Randall (D-WA-06).\n\nA copy of the letter can be found HERE and below:\n\nDear Acting Commissioner Diamantas:\n\nThis letter is to express concern regarding reports that women who are experiencing menopause are having trouble accessing hormone therapy, particularly estrogen patches, likely as a result of increased demand for the treatment method. According to medical record data from Epic Research, estrogen patch prescriptions increased 72 percent between 2021 and the fall of 2025. The scarcity that followed this surge in demand involves several manufacturers and is expected to continue through the end of the year. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists has included 14 brands or dosages of the patches on its drug shortage list since January 2026.\n\nAs we discover more about the risks and benefits of hormone therapy and as women speak publicly about their experiences with menopause, more doctors and patients are considering hormone treatment, particularly estrogen patches that present a lower risk of blood clots than the alternative option of estrogen pills.\n\nDespite increased awareness and safety information, a recent survey found that 87 percent of women experiencing menopause symptoms did not seek treatment. This means that too many women are dealing with symptoms that disrupt their daily life and put them at higher risk for health complications later in life- when they could be working with their doctor to find care that is right for them. Insufficient access to therapy as an additional barrier only exacerbates this problem.\n\nWhile doctors and patients have reported difficulties getting estrogen patches, the FDA has not included any of these drugs on its Drug Shortage Database. Inclusion on the shortage list can help the FDA mitigate supply issues, such as taking action to seek alternative suppliers and extend expiration dates for drugs, as appropriate. The FDA relies on historic demand data to determine if drug manufacturers are keeping pace, and these data may be lagging given how quickly demand for the patches has spiked. It is also worth noting that the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), which oversees the Drug Shortage Database, has been significantly impacted by reductions in force that have taken place at the FDA.\n\nThis shortage is straining the ability of doctors to provide resources that can be life changing for women battling the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, mood swings, urinary tract infections, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, night sweats, brain fog, and decreased bone density, and more. Too often, women navigate these challenges without formal support in the workplace or from the government. While we are making positive progress to reduce stigma and increase awareness of treatment that is safe and effective for many, the FDA needs to do its part to ensure that the supply meets the growing demand.\n\nFor these reasons, we request written answers to the following questions:\n\nWhat is the FDA’s understanding of why providers and patients are having difficulty accessing estrogen patches? Beyond increased demand, are there other contributing factors to the lack of supply, such as supply chain issues, lack of ingredients, etc.?\n\nWhat is the FDA doing to understand and address the challenge of meeting increased demand for estrogen patches?\n\nHow is the FDA currently working with manufacturers to mitigate the shortage of estrogen patches? What additional work is planned?\n\nAs doctors and patients turn to alternatives like topical creams, gels, or oral and vaginal rings, does the agency expect additional shortages for these alternatives?\n\nWhat flexibilities can the FDA provide to help manufacturers increase their production of estrogen patches?\n\nWhen does the FDA anticipate the shortage of estrogen patches will be resolved?\n\nHow have reductions in force impacted the ability of CDER staff to maintain the Drug Shortage Database?\n\nThank you, and we look forward to your response.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://debbiedingell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7195", "title": "Dingell, Scanlon Introduce Resolution Condemning Department of Justice Action Targeting Disability Rights", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://debbiedingell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "debbiedingell.house.gov", "scraper": "debbiedingell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000624", "name": "Debbie Dingell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05) introduced a resolution condemning a Department of Justice (DOJ) legal opinion that was issued on June 18, 2026, regarding Olmstead v. L.C., the landmark Supreme Court decision that recognized the institutional isolation of people with disabilities as unlawful discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While the legal opinion does not overturn the decision, it threatens enforcement of the rights afforded by the Court’s decision under a hostile DOJ that has failed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities.\n\n\"The Olmstead decision was a monumental victory that ensured people with disabilities have the right to live, work, and thrive in their own communities alongside their families and friends. This action by the Department of Justice is a dangerous step backward that undermines basic civil rights. We cannot and will not allow decades of hard-won progress to be rolled back; we must continue to stand up for the rights and dignity of every person with a disability,” said Congresswoman Dingell.\n\nA Department of Justice legal opinion acts as official policy guidance that dictates how federal agencies enforce the law. This new order can weaken legal protections and restrict community-based services for people with disabilities across the country.\n\n“Olmstead was a critical step in creating inclusive communities for people with disabilities. It gave teeth to the promise of the ADA and spurred innovation in programs to secure community-based residential programs and services,” said Congresswoman Scanlon. “For nearly three decades, the Olmstead decision has been a North Star to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the right to remain in their communities with access to support and services, instead of being forced into institutional settings. We must continue to protect and expand upon this basic human right.”\n\nA copy of the resolution can be found HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-dean-lee-demand-answers-ice-geo-group-about-violations-moshannon", "title": "Deluzio, Dean, Lee Demand Answers from ICE, GEO Group about Violations at Moshannon Detention Center", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "deluzio.house.gov", "scraper": "deluzio", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000530", "name": "Christopher R. Deluzio", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Pennsylvania Congressmembers Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), and Summer Lee (PA-12) wrote letters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the GEO Group, the for-profit prison corporation that owns and operates Moshannon Valley Processing Center (MVPC) in Philipsburg, PA, to demand answers on GEO’s failure to comply with federal standards of adequate staffing and medical care to detainees, as well as obstruction of congressional oversight.\n\nAhead of GEO’s Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Call, the Pennsylvania lawmakers said clearly that, “there shouldn’t be earnings calls for human detention.”\n\nAs ICE’s reckless, and at times deadly, arrests proliferate across the country, Congressman Deluzio and Congresswoman Lee conducted the first successful unannounced oversight to MVPC on May 28, 2026. MVPC began operating as an ICE facility in 2021 and is currently the largest ICE detention facility in Pennsylvania.\n\nCongresswoman Dean conducted an announced congressional oversight visit to the same facility on June 17, 2026.\n\nDuring Congressman Deluzio and Congresswoman Lee’s oversight at Moshannon, their staff members who could provide translation and casework services were denied entry. This limited their ability to speak with people detained in the facility. Still, they learned that the vast majority of people detained in Moshannon are considered “low-security,” meaning they have not been accused of serious, violent crimes or engaged in similar conduct while detained. Additionally, detained women in the facility had concerns about food and medical care, including care for pregnant women. Writ large, there were major differences between what Moshannon leadership told the members of Congress, and the stories that detained people shared, especially about medical care, food quality, and ability to stay updated on their legal cases.\n\nCongresswoman Dean was denied from speaking with detainees during her announced oversight visit to the ICE facility.\n\nActing ICE Director David Venturella spent more than a decade as a GEO senior executive and then as a consultant—a grave conflict of interest.\n\nThe Congressmembers’ letter to GEO reads, “It is my constitutional duty to ensure that federal contractors honor their legal obligations and that taxpayer dollars do not fund systemic neglect or cruelty.”\n\nAnd continues, “Having a former high-ranking GEO executive with an active non-compete clause serving as Acting Director of ICE raises profound questions of self-dealing, regulatory capture, and whether ICE will ever hold GEO to account for its material contractual breaches.”\n\nThe Pennsylvania lawmakers requested answers from both ICE and GEO regarding federal contract compliance, a commitment to congressional oversight, and recusal agreements governing former ICE and DHS officials currently employed by or consulting for GEO and current ICE and DHS employees formerly employed by or consulting for GEO.\n\nRead the full letter to GEO here.\n\nRead the full letter to ICE here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-celebrates-funding-for-minnesota-law-enforcement-after-advocating-for-program", "title": "Emmer Celebrates Funding for Minnesota Law Enforcement after Advocating for Program", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "emmer.house.gov", "scraper": "emmer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000294", "name": "Tom Emmer", "party": "Republican", "state": "MN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) released a statement after funding was awarded to the Wright and Stearns County Sheriff’s Offices through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. Emmer supported funding for this program through the appropriations process. This program allows offices to tailor the funding to best fit their public safety needs.\n\n“Minnesota is home to the best peace officers in the nation and supporting them will always be one of my top priorities. I am thrilled to see the Stearns and Wright County Sheriff's Offices receive these grants, which will help keep Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District safe,” said Congressman Emmer. “Law enforcement is overworked and underfunded because of the Walz administration’s soft-on-crime agenda, but thanks to this much-needed funding, the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep us safe will have the resources they desperately need.”\n\n“This grant is going to help us update some of our technology needs that are long overdue! Thank you very much to Congressman Emmer for his efforts in securing this grant to help keep Wright County safe and secure for our residents and visitors,” said Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer.\n\n“In the past, this grant funding has allowed us to acquire items such as ballistic shields for officer safety and a speed limit warning trailer for community safety. The 2025 grant will be used to purchase online citizen police reporting software, leveraging technology and making it easier for citizens to report crimes,” said Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka.\n\nBackground\n\nWhen it comes to supporting law enforcement and ensuring that officers have the resources they need, Congressman Emmer has a proven record of success. He has been a long time supporter of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The program was created in memory of New York City Police Officer Edward Byrne, who was shot and killed by a gang member when he was only 22 years old while sitting in his patrol car. The Byrne JAG Program provides funding for law enforcement for the tools and resources to protect their communities and address public safety needs.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gillen-earns-top-grade-bipartisanship-congress", "title": "Rep. Gillen Earns Top Grade for Bipartisanship in Congress", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gillen.house.gov", "scraper": "gillen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000602", "name": "Laura Gillen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) announced that she earned a 96.5 Bridge Score and an “A” grade in the latest Bridge Grades report evaluating the 119th Congress. The score places Rep. Gillen among the highest-rated members of the U.S. House of Representatives for bipartisan collaboration.\n\n“At a time of deep division, I’m glad to be named one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and will continue to push hyper- partisanship aside to deliver results for Nassau County, \" said Rep. Gillen. “I was sent to Congress to work with anyone, from either party, to solve problems and get things done for Long Island. That’s why I’ve worked across the aisle to lower costs, keep Long Islanders safe and fix our broken immigration system.”\n\nBridge Grades is a nonpartisan initiative of the Mediators Foundation that evaluates every member of Congress using objective, third-party data measuring bipartisan collaboration. The methodology places greater emphasis on direct bipartisan legislative action than on public statements.\n\nSince taking office, Rep. Gillen has emphasized bipartisan cooperation, with every bill she has introduced in Congress earning bipartisan support. She has one of the most centrist voting records in Congress, according to UCLA’s Voteview and CQ Roll Call. She has worked across the aisle to pass a bipartisan extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and has secured key legislative language in multiple bipartisan bills, reflecting her commitment to advancing practical, consensus-driven solutions.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gillen-joins-floral-park-police-patrol-ride-along", "title": "Rep. Gillen Joins Floral Park Police for a Patrol Ride-Along", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gillen.house.gov", "scraper": "gillen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000602", "name": "Laura Gillen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "FLORAL PARK, NY — This week, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) met with Village of Floral Park Police Commissioner Stephen G. McAllister and joined Officer Softy on a patrol ride-along. Rep. Gillen was able to observe the Floral Park Police Department’s work firsthand and discuss how she will continue to support local police departments.\n\n“It was great to learn more about the policing operations in the Village of Floral Park and to discuss how I can further support and secure funding for our local law enforcement,” said Rep. Gillen. \"I will continue doing all I can in Congress to support our law enforcement officers and the communities they protect.\"\n\n“The visit provided a great opportunity to showcase our department's ongoing commitment to community safety and innovation,” said Village of Floral Park Police Commissioner Stephen G. McAllister. “We appreciate the Congresswoman's interest and support for the vital work our officers perform every day”\n\nThis visit follows Rep. Gillen’s meetings and ride-alongs with the Garden City, Malverne, Hempstead, Freeport and Lynbrook Police Departments and continues her efforts to meet directly with first responders across New York’s Fourth Congressional District.\n\nSince taking office, Rep. Gillen has been a strong advocate for law enforcement, bringing millions in new federal public safety funding to Nassau County. As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, Gillen introduced the Officer Wellness and Peer Support Act and has cosponsored the Protect and Serve Act, Invest to Protect Act and the HERO Act, which aims to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety officers.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://huffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/top-democrats-on-the-house-natural-resources-and-agriculture-committees-introduce-the-wildfire-response-and-readiness-act", "title": "Top Democrats on the House Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees Introduce the Wildfire Response and Readiness Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://huffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "huffman.house.gov", "scraper": "huffman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001068", "name": "Jared Huffman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "A comprehensive legislative package comprising 25 bills that together outline a plan to respond to wildfires—protecting our lands, readying our communities, and giving federal firefighters the support they need and the benefits they deserve.\n\nWashington, D.C. — Today, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (CA-02), Assistant Democratic Leader and Federal Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Joe Neguse (CO-02), Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02), Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee Ranking Member Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Congressman George Whitesides (CA-27) introduced the Wildfire Response and Readiness Act, a comprehensive package of wildland fire policy that meets the moment for Americans facing increasingly active, destructive, and life-threatening wildfires.\n\nSo far this year, wildfires have burned more than 5.5 million acres across the United States. Coupled with extreme weather conditions, including record-breaking drought across the West, and communities across the country are continuing to face increasingly dangerous wildfire conditions.\n\nPresident Donald Trump and his administration have responded by gutting the public land management agencies and institutions responsible for keeping our lands resilient and accessible and our communities safe from catastrophic wildfire. This reckless approach places the United States in an untenable position, where the threat of wildfire has never been greater and federal land management agencies are less prepared than ever before.\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Readiness Act is House Democrats’ affirmative response to the growing threat of catastrophic wildfires. It includes practical, collaborative solutions that aim to better protect the people and places we love while ultimately saving lives.\n\n“Hotter summers and drier forests mean wildfires are burning more intensely and reaching towns that never used to worry about them. President Trump watched some of the worst fire seasons this country has seen. His response? Fire the people who run toward the flames for the rest of us. He hollowed out the agencies, ignored the warnings, and left towns across the West more exposed than they've been in decades. Democrats see what families in fire country are up against, and we refuse to leave them on their own. The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act delivers what Americans need: fair pay and job security for wildland firefighters, real help for families fire-proofing their homes, and healthier forests that stop small fires from becoming catastrophes. This is the fight of our time, and we will not let up until every community has the protection they need,” said Ranking Member Huffman.\n\n“Colorado has experienced some of the most devastating wildfires in the country—and as we’ve worked together to recover and rebuild, we’ve also drawn from hard-earned lessons in the wake of these disasters to introduce this comprehensive package of policy proposals,” said Assistant Leader Joe Neguse. “The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act advances critical prevention, mitigation, and response strategies while delivering long-overdue support for our brave and heroic wildland firefighters, who risk life and limb to protect our communities and deserve fair compensation and benefits.”\n\n“Minnesotans are tired of waking up to smoky skies and of witnessing their beloved public lands, like the Boundary Waters, quite literally go up in flames. This critical legislation will help protect rural communities, restore healthy forests and fairly compensate the firefighters serving on the frontlines,” said Ranking Member Craig.\n\n“Oregon is already experiencing one of our worst wildfire seasons on record. Families are living with smoke, farmers and small businesses are facing disruptions, and rural communities are shouldering the burden of increasingly costly fires. We owe Oregon’s firefighters the tools they need to respond safely, and we owe our communities a government that prepares before disaster strikes. The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act brings together a comprehensive plan to strengthen prevention, improve coordination, protect homes and working lands, and help communities recover. I’m proud to co-lead this effort to make Oregon and communities across the country safer and more resilient,” said Congresswoman Salinas.\n\n“Wildfires are a large and growing threat that will only get worse if we do not take decisive action at the federal level,” said Congressman Whitesides. “From making our homes safer to better managing our forests to bolstering firefighter resources and pay, this package would make us more resilient and significantly improve our ability to manage the national wildfire crisis.”\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Readiness Act has three main pillars. They are outlined below.\n\nResilient Lands: The bill invests in wildfire prevention and post-fire restoration and recovery so that the forests and public lands around our homes and communities stay healthy and resilient to catastrophic fires. It also requires federal agencies to develop a 10-year wildfire plan so that the federal government coordinates with the people most impacted.\n\nFire-Safe Communities: The bill helps families make their homes more resistant to fires and gives communities the tools to plan ahead so they are ready before a fire breaks out. It also encourages the development of new tools to spot fires faster and takes steps to address the harmful impacts of wildfire smoke, making sure we have clean air.\n\nWildland Firefighter Safety and Workforce Security: Wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe. This bill honors that work with better pay, leave, and retirement benefits. It also trains the next generation of wildland firefighters and expands the workforce. And after more than a quarter of land management agency staff were fired or left their jobs since January 2025, this bill prevents any more firings and keeps key wildfire and forestry research facilities open and running.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://jackson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2597", "title": "Rep. Ronny Jackson, Members of Texas Delegation Urge Senate to Advance House Budget Resolution to Deliver on President Trump's Agenda", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jackson.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "jackson.house.gov", "scraper": "jackson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000304", "name": "Ronny Jackson", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Today, Representative Ronny Jackson (TX-13) alongside Representative John Carter (TX-31) and House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19), led 20 additional members of the Texas Republican delegation in sending a letter to President Trump expressing their unified support for advancing the House-passed budget resolution to unlock Reconciliation 3.0 and urging the Senate to pass the measure without delay.\n\nThe letter highlights the importance of adopting the House-passed budget resolution to enact policies that strengthen our national security, provide much needed support for our agricultural producers, and implement commonsense measures to safeguard American elections.\n\n\"The American people elected President Trump and a Republican Congress to secure our elections, strengthen our military, support our farmers and ranchers, and put America First,\" said Rep. Jackson. \"The House has done its job by passing a budget framework that advances those priorities. Now it's time for the Senate to act so we can deliver on the critical defense funding, agricultural assistance, and SAVE America Act policies that Texans and Americans are counting on.\"\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2026/08/06/smith-joins-ribbon-cutting-at-myers-clinic-in-rolla/", "title": "Smith Joins Ribbon Cutting at Myers Clinic in Rolla", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/", "domain": "jasonsmith.house.gov", "scraper": "jasonsmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001195", "name": "Jason Smith", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "ROLLA, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) joined a ribbon cutting celebrating Dr. Mylhan Myers this week as he carries on a three-generation family legacy of medicine, stepping into the practice built by his late uncle, Dr. William David Myers, and grandfather, Dr. Billy Jack “BJ” Myers, both of whom cared for families across central Missouri for decades — including Congressman Smith himself.\n\nCongressman Smith said, “Dr. BJ Myers and Dr. David Myers were my doctors growing up, and I know firsthand the kind of care this family has given our community for three generations. Dr. David Myers delivered more than 3,000 babies throughout his more than five decades of practice, and the impact he and his father had on generations of Missourians in this region cannot be overstated. It means a great deal to see the Myers family carry that legacy forward into a third generation. Patients here can have confidence knowing the same commitment to compassionate, hometown care will continue for years to come. Congratulations to Dr. Mylhan Myers on this new chapter — I’ll keep supporting the providers who keep our rural communities healthy and ensure families have access to quality care close to home.”\n\nDr. William David Myers passed away in January 2026 after more than 50 years of practicing medicine in central Missouri, following in the footsteps of his father, Dr. BJ Myers, who also devoted his career to caring for the region’s families. Following Dr. David Myers’ passing, his nephew, Dr. Mylhan Myers, took over the practice, becoming the third generation of the Myers family to serve the community, and this ribbon cutting marks the official launch of his role at the clinic.\n\nAs part of the transition, Dr. Mylhan Myers was required to obtain new certification through TRICARE in order to continue seeing military families as patients. Congressman Smith’s office has been directly engaged with TRICARE to help move that certification forward, so that military families in the area don’t lose access to the care they’ve relied on for decades.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2026/08/06/smith-visits-keaton-cattle-company-in-dent-county/", "title": "Smith Visits Keaton Cattle Company in Dent County", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/", "domain": "jasonsmith.house.gov", "scraper": "jasonsmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001195", "name": "Jason Smith", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "DENT COUNTY, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) visited Keaton Cattle Company in Dent County this week, touring the operation and meeting with owner Freddie Keaton and his wife, Renee, to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Missouri’s cattle producers.\n\nCongressman Smith said, “Freddie is exactly the kind of independent producer I fight for in Washington. We talked about the need for fairer cattle markets, reforms to mandatory price reporting to improve transparency and price discovery, making sure family operations can compete without being squeezed out by the four large meatpackers that dominate the industry, and the growing threat that Theileria poses to cattle herds across our state.\n\n“I was glad to hear that the Working Families Tax Cuts are already helping Freddie plan for the future, as he’s building a new commodity barn to store feed for his cattle, and thanks to immediate expensing, he’ll be able to deduct that investment right away. Families like the Keatons are the backbone of rural Missouri, and I’ll keep fighting for policies that strengthen independent producers, expand market opportunities, support animal health research, and help the next generation carry on Missouri’s cattle tradition.”\n\nFreddie Keaton founded Keaton Cattle Company in 1997 and today runs 500 to 600 head of cattle, primarily Black Angus and some Red Angus, across roughly 1,300 acres in Dent County. Beyond his own operation, Keaton serves as President of the Independent Cattlemen of Missouri and as Region VI Director for R-CALF USA, representing independent producers across Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma.\n\nThe Working Families Tax Cuts, which Congressman Smith authored, made permanent 100 percent immediate expensing, small business deductions, and doubled small business expensing thresholds — provisions that are directly helping producers like Keaton invest in new infrastructure, such as the commodity barn he’s planning to build to better store feed for his herd. The law also made permanent death tax relief that protects more than 15,000 family-owned farms in Missouri’s 8th District from having their exemption cut in half, helping ensure operations like Keaton Cattle Company can be passed on to the next generation.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://jeffries.house.gov/2026/08/06/leader-jeffries-statement-on-voting-rights-act-anniversary/", "title": "LEADER JEFFRIES STATEMENT ON VOTING RIGHTS ACT ANNIVERSARY", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jeffries.house.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "jeffries.house.gov", "scraper": "jeffries", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000294", "name": "Hakeem S. Jeffries", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:\n\nSixty-one years ago, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, striking a decisive blow against the inhumanity of Jim Crow and protecting the right to vote. It remains one of the most significant legislative accomplishments in American history. We stand on the shoulders of giants like John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King Jr. and Amelia Boynton who dedicated their lives to ensuring our country could live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.\n\nThe Trump administration and their co-conspirators in the Congress, on the Supreme Court and in state legislatures across the country have revived the Jim Crow-like tactics of the past. Far-right Republican extremists are determined to turn back the clock. They continue to peddle baseless conspiracy theories about our elections, attack mail-in voting and redraw congressional maps to decimate Black representation.\n\nThe right to vote is non-negotiable. House Democrats will deploy the largest voter protection effort in modern American history to make sure that the American people can choose their representatives, not the other way around. We will take back the House of Representatives, pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and end the era of voter suppression once and for all.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://kamlager-dove.house.gov/media/press-releases/kamlager-dove-introduces-articles-impeachment-against-omb-director-russell", "title": "Kamlager-Dove Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against OMB Director Russell Vought", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kamlager-dove.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "kamlager-dove.house.gov", "scraper": "kamlager-dove", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000400", "name": "Sydney Kamlager-Dove", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37)introduced articles of impeachment against Office of Management and Budget (OMB)Director Russell Vought after the administration admitted to canceling federal funding to Democratic states “based solely” on political criteria, including how they voted in the 2024 election. 79 projects in California are at risk of losing funding.\n\nThe two articles of impeachment charge Vought with abuse of power and failure to faithfully execute the law of the United States.\n\n“OMB Director Russell Vought has repeatedly and openly broken the law to stroke Trump's fragile ego. The administration's own admission that it terminated federal funding to states that voted against Trump in 2024 is just the latest example,” said Rep. Kamlager-Dove. “These nakedly partisan schemes to punish Democratic voters ultimately hurt families and workers of all political stripes. We cannot sit idly by while an unelected shadow president continues to weaponize the federal government and steal taxpayers’ hard-earned money. Russell Vought’s blatant abuse of power and complete disregard for the Constitution warrants immediate removal by Congress.”\n\nThe specific charges against Vought are:\n\nArticle I: Abuse Of Power Through Improper Impoundment of Congressionally Appropriated Funds\n\nVought abused the powers of his office by implementing policies and directives that interfered with Congress’ constitutional power of the purse.\n\nAn OMB memo issued by Vought in January 2025 directed federal agencies to temporarily pause obligations and disbursements of certain federal financial assistance programs pending review by the administration, causing federal agencies to suspend or delay implementation of programs funded through appropriations enacted by Congress.\n\nVought’s OMB selectively terminated or withheld funding—specifically for Department of Energy grants lawfully appropriated by Congress and competitively awarded—based upon political considerations unrelated to congressional directives or the law. This was an unconstitutional interference with Congress’ exclusive authority over appropriations and an abuse of executive power.\n\nArticle II: Failure To Faithfully Execute the Laws of the United States\n\nVought failed to execute appropriations according to congressional directives. Instead, Vought’s OMB conditioned implementation of certain spending programs on compliance with administration priorities rather than solely on requirements enacted by Congress, violating his obligation to faithfully execute the law.\n\nThese actions violate the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which prohibits executive officers and employees from withholding or delaying budget authority unless authorized under the statute. Vought has openly defied the Government Accountability Office’s holding that, based on this law, changes to spending priorities should be addressed through the legislative process between Congress and the administration rather than through unilateral withholding of appropriated funds.\n\nYou can read the full articles of impeachment here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-delivers-835000-bernards-township-police-communications-upgrades", "title": "Kean Delivers $835,000 to Bernards Township for Police Communications Upgrades", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "kean.house.gov", "scraper": "kean", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000398", "name": "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "party": "Republican", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "(August 6, 2026) BERNARDS TOWNSHIP, NJ – On Tuesday, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) presented $835,000 to Bernards Township for upgrades to their police department’s communications equipment.\n\nThis federal funding, secured by Congressman Kean through the Community Project Funding process, will upgrade the Bernards Township Police Department’s current radios, which can only operate on one frequency, and be used to purchase 89 tri-band radios that cover multiple frequencies. This will streamline coordination and strengthen emergency response.\n\n“The $835,000 that I secured for Bernards Township will enable first responders to have the modern tools they need to effectively protect and serve the community,” said Congressman Kean. “These communications upgrades, made possible by this federal funding, will provide direct radio contact and allow police to communicate more effectively and facilitate deployment, keeping our communities safer.”\n\n“Public Safety is among our priorities. We are very grateful to Congressman Tom Kean Jr. for advocating federal funding on our behalf to secure 89 tri-band radios for our officers and front-line police vehicles,” said Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy. “We are very grateful for the funding that enables the Township to provide critical resources for our Police Department without placing the full burden on local property taxpayers.”\n\n“We are sincerely grateful to Congressman Tom Kean for his leadership and steadfast support in securing this critical funding for our police radio upgrade,” said Police Chief Timothy King. “Reliable radio communications are essential to officer safety and effective emergency response, and this investment will provide our officers with the technology they need to better serve and protect our community. We truly appreciate the Congressman’s commitment to public safety and to the residents of Bernards Township.”\n\n“Congressman Kean's office introduced us to this funding program in January 2024. Without their guidance, we never would have applied for our first Federal grant,” said Committeewoman Jennifer Asay. “He has always been a strong supporter of first responders, and this $835,000 will upgrade our police department's communications while freeing up local budget for other township needs, without raising taxes on residents.”\n\n​​“Bernards Township is exceptionally grateful for the federal support that Congressman Kean has delivered and continues to deliver for our community,” said Committeeman Andrew McNally. “The funding he recently secured for critical police radio upgrades will ensure our first responders have the reliable communication tools they need to effectively serve and protect our community.”\n\nSince taking office, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. has secured nearly $22 million for law enforcement across New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District through the Community Project Funding process, demonstrating a consistent, tangible commitment to backing the blue with real resources. Kean remains steadfast in ensuring local law enforcement officers receive the support and equipment necessary to keep our communities safe.\n\nAll 15 projects that Congressman Kean was allotted for the FY2026 Community Project Funding process have now passed the U.S. House of Representatives. View the full list of projects HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://khanna.house.gov/media/press-releases/release-rep-khanna-introduces-data-center-bill-rights", "title": "Release: Rep. Khanna Introduces Data Center Bill of Rights", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://khanna.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "khanna.house.gov", "scraper": "khanna", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000389", "name": "Ro Khanna", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, DC — Today, Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17) introduced a Data Center Bill of Rights that would give Americans and local communities greater control over the construction and operation of AI data centers. The resolution calls for prohibiting data centers in residential areas and within 2,500 feet of homes, schools, childcare facilities, hospitals and nursing homes.\n\nMore than 4,400 data center facilities are listed across all 50 states. As the industry expands, communities are increasingly concerned about its effects on local water supplies, air quality and public health. Berkeley Lab projects that U.S. hyperscale data centers, whose growth is being driven largely by AI workloads, could directly consume as much as 33 billion gallons of water annually by 2028. Diesel generators and gas turbines can also emit pollutants linked to respiratory and cardiovascular harm, while cooling systems and other equipment can create persistent noise that may disrupt sleep.\n\n“Families should not face higher electricity bills, depleted water supplies, or increased pollution from data centers in their communities. Americans deserve the right to know what is being proposed, to decide what gets built in their neighborhoods and to share in the economic benefits,” said Rep. Ro Khanna.\n\nThe resolution affirms that every American and community affected by an artificial intelligence data center should have the right to:\n\nban data centers in residential areas and within 2,500 feet of homes, schools, childcare facilities, hospitals or nursing homes;\n\nreject any proposed data center through a transparent community process\n\npreserve the authority of counties and municipalities to prohibit or regulate data center development without being preempted or overruled by the State;\n\nadopt statewide pauses on new data centers until the state passes real protections that stop ratepayers from seeing higher electricity bills, prevent the draining of local water supplies, and give communities a genuine say over what gets built in their backyard;\n\ndemand no increase in electricity rates or fees for households or small businesses;\n\nrequire every data center to use clean and reliable energy while meeting strict limits on noise and air pollution\n\nreceive, before project approval, an independent and publicly available impact report assessing the data center’s effects on electricity demand, utility bills, public health, noise and air pollution, price of consumer goods, rents, and housing availability, as well as a complete accounting of the number and types of jobs the project is expected to create and economic impact to the community over 10 years;\n\nrequire enforceable community benefit agreements that support affordable housing, neighborhood improvements, water and infrastructure upgrades, public computing resources, local venture capital, workforce training and permanent technology jobs;\n\nrequire data center operators to disclose projected water consumption to local water providers and obtain a written compatibility determination before approval and submit semiannual water usage reports for public review; and\n\nrequire data center owners, operators, and developers to pay their fair share of State and local taxes and ensure that any tax exemption or public subsidy includes strong labor standards, full transparency, and clawback provisions when those conditions are not met.\n\nRead the full text here.\n\n####", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-applauds-senate-committee-advancement-his-bipartisan-skills", "title": "Krishnamoorthi Applauds Senate Committee Advancement of His Bipartisan Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "scraper": "krishnamoorthi", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000391", "name": "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today applauded the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's unanimous approval of the bipartisan Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act, legislation he co-led in the House to tear down the paper ceiling by expanding opportunities for skilled workers and ensuring federal contracting decisions focus on demonstrated ability rather than unnecessary degree requirements. The bill previously passed the House unanimously and now advances to the full Senate.\n\n“The Senate committee's unanimous vote brings us another step closer to tearing down the paper ceiling that has kept too many talented Americans from competing for good-paying jobs,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “By focusing on skills rather than unnecessary degree requirements, our bipartisan legislation will expand opportunity, strengthen the federal workforce, and help ensure taxpayers get the best value from federal contracts. I look forward to seeing it pass the full Senate and reach the President's desk.”\n\nThe Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act requires federal agencies to justify any minimum education requirements included in federal contract solicitations, helping ensure contractors are evaluated based on their ability to perform the work rather than credentials that may not reflect real-world qualifications. By encouraging skills-based evaluation, the legislation will increase competition, reduce unnecessary barriers, and expand opportunities for qualified workers.\n\nThe legislation expands opportunities for workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) by helping tear down the paper ceiling that has prevented many qualified Americans from competing for federal contracting opportunities despite having the skills and experience to do the job. These workers have developed expertise through apprenticeships, military service, community college programs, workforce training, or on-the-job experience rather than a traditional four-year degree.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-seeks-answers-reports-china-rearming-iran-air-defense-missiles", "title": "Krishnamoorthi Seeks Answers on Reports China Is Rearming Iran with Air Defense Missiles, Warns U.S. Servicemembers Face Greater Risk", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "scraper": "krishnamoorthi", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000391", "name": "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe seeking answers about recent public reports that the People's Republic of China is rearming Iran with shoulder-fired air defense missiles. Krishnamoorthi warns that the reported transfer could put American servicemembers at greater risk and appears to contradict Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping's assurances to President Trump that China was not supplying weapons to Iran.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n“I write today as a senior member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to voice my great concern over recent public reports that the People's Republic of China (PRC) has sold shoulder-fired air-defense missiles to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Public reports from this week indicate that the PRC signed a deal to ship an initial batch of 300 to 400 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) to Iran to replenish its degraded air defense systems, putting American servicemembers at risk. I have written to you before regarding the PRC's military support for the Iranian regime, and this news only deepens my concern.”\n\nThe letter cites recent public reports that China agreed to transfer Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) to Iran through a Hong Kong-based company, potentially replenishing Iran's degraded air defenses. Krishnamoorthi notes that MANPADS are capable of targeting aircraft, helicopters, and low-flying drones, increasing the threat to U.S. forces and security partners in the region.\n\nKrishnamoorthi continues:\n\n“The Administration must end this needless and destructive war, which is harming the American economy and risking the lives of American servicemembers. The war has caused major damage to the U.S. global reputation and is encouraging our adversaries to cooperate in tandem against us. At the same time, it is essential that the State Department and White House make clear that it is unacceptable for Beijing to provide support that emboldens Iran's repressive regime and enhances its military capabilities.”\n\nKrishnamoorthi requested responses by August 16, 2026, including answers to the following questions:\n\nTo what extent is the PRC helping Iran rebuild its military capabilities, including through the provision of portable air defense systems, and is there evidence of other confirmed or discussed arms sales from the PRC to Iran?\n\nHas the Administration raised the recent public reports of the PRC's provision of MANPADS to Iran with Chinese counterparts, and does it find Beijing's denial of these public reports credible?\n\nWhat steps are being taken to protect our servicemembers and military assets from MANPADS and other similar systems in the Iran conflict?\n\nHas there been any indication or confirmation that the PRC is sharing intelligence information with the Iranians to better strike U.S. and/or allied forces in the region?\n\nWhat is the intelligence community's assessment on whether the agreed MANPADS transfer process has been initiated or is on hold?\n\nWhat is the intelligence community's ability to track arms moved overland via Pakistan and what is the determination on the extent Pakistani leadership knew of the deal and proposed transfer?\n\nDoes the intelligence community believe it has adequate resources to monitor these kinds of threats going forward?\n\nThe letter also requests a classified briefing, if necessary, by September 2, 2026, on the reported MANPADS agreement, PRC military and intelligence support for Iran, and CIA, State Department, and Department of Defense efforts to prevent similar threats to American servicemembers.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-members-larson-and-davis-call-independent-review-questionable", "title": "Ranking Members Larson and Davis Call for Independent Review of Questionable Federalization of Disability Reviews by Trump Officials at Social Security", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "larson.house.gov", "scraper": "larson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000557", "name": "John B. Larson", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "“From the second President Trump and his administration were sworn in, they have demonstrated that they cannot be trusted,” said Ranking Member Larson. “Each year, Social Security conducts more than one million reviews of disability beneficiaries to see if they still qualify for disability benefits. Given this administration’s track record and how much is at stake for disability beneficiaries, we must ensure that we conduct oversight into their plans, so qualified disability beneficiaries are not harmed. As my grandfather Nolan used to say, trust everyone but cut the cards. We will be watching closely to ensure no one is dealt a bad hand from an administration that already tried to kick hundreds of thousands of Americans off the disability benefits they earned through a lifetime of work.”\n\nEvery year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) conducts about 1.4 million CDRs to see if beneficiaries have experienced medical improvement. Benefits are terminated only if a full medical review shows a person has improved enough to return to work. While these reviews are necessary for program integrity, they can be complex and hard to navigate. Reviews can cause severe stress because beneficiaries fear losing their primary source of income, often after already waiting a year or more to be approved in the first place. Changes to this process can risk adding to that anxiety, creating new hurdles for people who rely on these benefits, or even qualified beneficiaries losing access to their benefits.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6316", "title": "Lawler Introduces Legislation To Support Public Employees Seeking Homeownership", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "lawler.house.gov", "scraper": "lawler", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000599", "name": "Michael Lawler", "party": "Republican", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – 8/6/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) introduced the Public Service Homeownership Assistance Act, legislation to help eligible public employees afford the cost of purchasing a home by providing down payment and closing cost assistance.\n\nThis legislation would authorize, beginning January 1, 2027, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to issue loans of between $10,000 and $20,000 to eligible public employees to use toward a down payment or closing costs when purchasing a home.\n\n“The Hudson Valley has some of the highest costs of living in the country, and homeownership is no exception. Our district is home to countless public employees, including teachers, first responders, and government workers, who deserve every opportunity to achieve the American Dream of homeownership. This legislation will help make that dream more of a reality by providing the support needed to help public employees purchase a home and build a future in the communities they serve,” said Congressman Lawler.\n\nUnder the legislation, eligible public employees who receive assistance must move into the home within 60 days and live there for at least 182 days each year. The loan would be repaid over 10 years beginning after certain events, including the sale of the home, failure to meet occupancy requirements, or completion of a cash-out refinance.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6317", "title": "Lawler Bills to Rename Post Offices to Honor Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson & Paul Piperato Pass Senate Committee", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "lawler.house.gov", "scraper": "lawler", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000599", "name": "Michael Lawler", "party": "Republican", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – 8/6/26… Today, two bipartisan bills introduced by Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) to honor the legacies of Dutchess County Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson and Rockland County Clerk Paul Piperato advanced through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, clearing the way for consideration by the full Senate.\n\nH.R. 1008 would designate the United States Postal Service facility located at 298 Route 292 in Holmes as the Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson Post Office Building.\n\nH.R. 1009 would designate the United States Postal Service facility located at 86 Main Street in Haverstraw as the Paul Piperato Post Office Building.\n\nBoth bills passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in December 2025.\n\n“Paul Piperato and Butch Anderson both dedicated their lives to serving the people of the Hudson Valley with integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to their communities. Paul modernized county government and left a lasting impact on Rockland County through decades of public service,” said Congressman Mike Lawler.\n\n“Butch spent more than fifty years protecting the people of Dutchess County and leading with courage and compassion. I'm grateful to see these bipartisan bills advance through committee, bringing us one step closer to permanently honoring two extraordinary public servants whose legacies continue to inspire generations of New Yorkers,” concluded Congressman Lawler.\n\nPaul Piperato served more than 30 years in public service, including 15 years as Rockland County Clerk. During his tenure, he modernized county operations, expanded online access to county records, launched the RETURN THE F.A.V.O.R. veterans initiative, and championed naturalization ceremonies celebrating new American citizens. Beyond his official duties, he was deeply involved with numerous community organizations throughout Rockland County.\n\nButch Anderson devoted more than five decades to public service in Dutchess County. Beginning his career as a Deputy Sheriff in 1970, he served as a detective, Mayor of the Village of Pawling, and Dutchess County Sheriff from 1999 until his passing in 2021. Throughout his career, he earned the respect of colleagues and residents alike through his steadfast leadership, integrity, and dedication to public safety.\n\nWith today’s committee approval, both measures now advance to the full Senate for consideration.\n\nCongressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6340", "title": "Lawler Bills to Rename Post Offices to Honor Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson & Paul Piperato Pass Senate Committee", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "lawler.house.gov", "scraper": "lawler", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000599", "name": "Michael Lawler", "party": "Republican", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – 8/6/26… Today, two bipartisan bills introduced by Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) to honor the legacies of Dutchess County Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson and Rockland County Clerk Paul Piperato advanced through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, clearing the way for consideration by the full Senate.\n\nH.R. 1008 would designate the United States Postal Service facility located at 298 Route 292 in Holmes as the Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson Post Office Building.\n\nH.R. 1009 would designate the United States Postal Service facility located at 86 Main Street in Haverstraw as the Paul Piperato Post Office Building.\n\nBoth bills passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in December 2025.\n\n“Paul Piperato and Butch Anderson both dedicated their lives to serving the people of the Hudson Valley with integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to their communities. Paul modernized county government and left a lasting impact on Rockland County through decades of public service,” said Congressman Mike Lawler.\n\n“Butch spent more than fifty years protecting the people of Dutchess County and leading with courage and compassion. I'm grateful to see these bipartisan bills advance through committee, bringing us one step closer to permanently honoring two extraordinary public servants whose legacies continue to inspire generations of New Yorkers,” concluded Congressman Lawler.\n\nPaul Piperato served more than 30 years in public service, including 15 years as Rockland County Clerk. During his tenure, he modernized county operations, expanded online access to county records, launched the RETURN THE F.A.V.O.R. veterans initiative, and championed naturalization ceremonies celebrating new American citizens. Beyond his official duties, he was deeply involved with numerous community organizations throughout Rockland County.\n\nButch Anderson devoted more than five decades to public service in Dutchess County. Beginning his career as a Deputy Sheriff in 1970, he served as a detective, Mayor of the Village of Pawling, and Dutchess County Sheriff from 1999 until his passing in 2021. Throughout his career, he earned the respect of colleagues and residents alike through his steadfast leadership, integrity, and dedication to public safety.\n\nWith today’s committee approval, both measures now advance to the full Senate for consideration.\n\nCongressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6341", "title": "Lawler Hosts Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick At IBM Research To Showcase American Quantum Leadership", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "lawler.house.gov", "scraper": "lawler", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000599", "name": "Michael Lawler", "party": "Republican", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Yorktown Heights, N.Y. – 8/6/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) welcomed Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights for a tour highlighting the groundbreaking work taking place in quantum computing, semiconductor research, and next-generation technologies that are shaping America's economic and national security future.\n\nNew York’s 17th District is home to one of the world’s premier research institutions, and the work happening here at IBM is helping ensure America remains the global leader in innovation\n\nSecretary Lutnick joined Congressman Lawler, IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna, IBM Research Director Jay Gambetta, and company leadership for discussions on maintaining America's technological edge, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and expanding the nation’s quantum computing capabilities.\n\nDuring the visit, the group toured IBM’s quantum research facilities, received demonstrations of the company's cutting-edge quantum systems, and discussed the growing role quantum technology will play in cybersecurity, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, scientific discovery, artificial intelligence, and national defense.\n\n“I’m grateful Secretary Lutnick took the time to visit Yorktown Heights and see firsthand how public-private partnerships are driving breakthroughs in quantum computing, strengthening our national security, creating high-paying American jobs, and keeping the technologies of the future here in the United States. Quantum computing represents one of the most significant technological advancements of our generation. As Congress works to ensure America remains ahead of our global competitors, we must continue supporting the research, workforce development, and manufacturing capabilities that will define the next century of innovation,” said Congressman Lawler.\n\n“We appreciated the opportunity to host Secretary Lutnick and Congressman Lawler at IBM and discuss the opportunities quantum computing presents for America’s future,” said Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM. “Their commitment to advancing U.S. leadership in quantum is vital as the technology moves from scientific promise to practical reality. From developing the world’s first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer to expanding the infrastructure and ecosystem needed to support it, IBM is proud to help build the future of quantum computing.”\n\nVIDEO: B-roll from today’s visit can be found HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://lieu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-lieu-and-mcclain-delaney-introduce-congressional-authorization", "title": "REPS LIEU AND MCCLAIN DELANEY INTRODUCE THE CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION FOR FEDERAL BUILDING NAMES ACT", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://lieu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "lieu.house.gov", "scraper": "lieu", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000582", "name": "Ted Lieu", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "In September 2025, Trump ordered the Department of Defense to be renamed the “Department of War.” However, FY27 appropriations requests and bills continue to refer to the agency as the Department of Defense because the change has not been enacted in statute. This renaming attempt could cost taxpayers up to $125 million. Later in December, Trump ordered the John F. Kennedy Center to be renamed the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” and directed the U.S. Institute of Peace to be renamed the “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.” The Administration has physically changed the names of these buildings, effectively defacing them.\n\n“Presidents should not be able to unilaterally put their own name on federal property,” said Congressman Lieu. “Not only is this practice self-centered, it also carries a large price tag for the American people. Renaming federal property should respect the history, spirit, and purpose of the property as opposed to catering to the ego of the president.”\n\n“The names on our federal buildings are not any President’s to give away. They belong to the American people, and only Congress can change them. This bill puts that in statute — with real penalties for appointees who ignore it,” said Congresswoman McClain Delaney.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-nancy-mace-issues-statement-fauci-contempt-vote", "title": "Rep. Nancy Mace Issues Statement on Fauci Contempt Vote", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mace.house.gov", "scraper": "mace", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000194", "name": "Nancy Mace", "party": "Republican", "state": "SC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C., (August 6, 2026) - Today, Congresswoman Nancy Mace released the following statement in response to the Senate Homeland Security Committee's vote to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress:\n\n“Americans lost their jobs. Businesses were destroyed. Kids spent years behind masks. Families said goodbye to loved ones through plexiglass.\n\n“Anthony Fauci helped make every one of those calls and now refuses to answer for it. Today, the Senate Homeland Security Committee voted to hold him in contempt of Congress.\n\n“A Biden pardon doesn't erase the truth. It doesn't erase the consequences. It doesn't erase the MILLIONS of lives destroyed by his lockdowns and lies.\n\n“Fauci helped make these decisions. Now he needs to answer for them.\n\n“The American people deserve the truth.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-nancy-maces-skills-based-federal-contracting-act-passes-senate-committee", "title": "Rep. Nancy Mace's Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act Passes Senate Committee Unanimously", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mace.house.gov", "scraper": "mace", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000194", "name": "Nancy Mace", "party": "Republican", "state": "SC", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 6, 2026) — Today, Congresswoman Nancy Mace released the following statement on her bipartisan Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act passing unanimously out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, bringing the legislation one step closer to becoming law:\n\n“This is a win for American workers. For too long, the federal government has put a diploma ahead of ability. It has shut out millions of qualified Americans before they ever got a fair shot. Our bill ends this.\n\n“Washington created the paper ceiling. This bill tears it down. A four-year degree should not be a government-mandated checkbox when hardworking Americans have already proven they can do the job. Demonstrated ability should open doors in this country.\n\n“Federal contracting should reward the best person for the job. Taxpayers are footing the bill, they deserve results. Skills matter. Experience matters. Merit matters. A piece of paper shouldn’t stand in the way.\n\n“A unanimous vote out of committee speaks for itself. This is not a Republican issue. This is not a Democrat issue. This is an American issue. Now it’s time for the full Senate to pass it and get it to the President’s desk.”\n\nRead more about the billHERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/chairman-diaz-balart-joins-united-states-presidential-delegation", "title": "Chairman Diaz-Balart joins the United States Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Colombia to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Abelardo de la Espriella", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "mariodiazbalart.house.gov", "scraper": "mariodiazbalart", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000600", "name": "Mario Diaz-Balart", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations and Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, announced he will join the United States Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Colombia to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella:\n\n“It is an honor to join the United States Presidential Delegation to the swearing-in ceremony of the incoming Colombian President, Abelardo de la Espriella. This ceremony represents the beginning of a new chapter for Colombia and an opportunity to strengthen our important partnership. I am optimistic that the incoming De La Espriella Administration will pursue a constructive relationship with the United States based on our shared democratic values and longstanding commitment to regional security and stability.\n\nI look forward to working closely with Colombia's new leadership to revitalize U.S.-Colombia relations. A strong partnership between our nations serves the interests of both of our peoples. After four years during which the outgoing administration undermined cooperation on critical security priorities, and distanced Colombia from one of its closest allies, this transition offers a long-awaited opportunity to restore trust and renew our partnership.\n\nThe United States and Colombia must return to working side-by-side to combat transnational organized crime, narcoterrorism, illegal trafficking networks, corruption, and other criminal endeavors that threaten the security of both our nations. We have accomplished great things together over the years, and I believe the next chapter of our relationship can be even stronger.\n\nI congratulate President De La Espriella and the people of Colombia on this historic occasion, and I thank President Trump and Secretary Rubio for allowing me to join the United States Presidential Delegation.\"\n\nMembers of the delegation:\n\n• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche\n\n• Mr. Hugo Guevara, Charge d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy Bogota\n\n• The Honorable Mario Diaz-Balart, Chairman of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives\n\n• The Honorable Sara Carter, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy\n\n• The Honorable Terrance C. Cole, Administrator, United States Drug Enforcement Administration\n\n• Mr. Cliff Sims, National Security Advisor to the Vice President\n\n• Mrs. Viviana Bovo, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, United States Department of State\n\n• Mr. Joseph M. Humire, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Americas Security Affairs, United States Department of War\n\n• Mr. Kris Jarvis, Chief of International Operations, Joint Task Force Vulcan, United States Department of Justice\n\nBackground:\n\nChairman Mario Díaz-Balart leads the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP). This subcommittee is responsible for funding U.S. foreign policy initiatives, international security efforts, and diplomatic operations. NSRP maintains jurisdiction over foreign assistance to Colombia, supporting areas such as counternarcotics, security cooperation, economic development, and migration.\n\nDuring the Petro Administration, U.S. funding to Colombia experienced notable reductions and was subject to stricter conditions. These changes reflected bipartisan concerns regarding President Petro’s policy decisions.\n\nIn addition to his subcommittee leadership, Chairman Díaz-Balart is the founding co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Colombia. Established in 2009, this caucus brings together Members of Congress who are committed to strengthening the partnership between the United States and Colombia. The caucus played a pivotal role in advancing a vote on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement in the House of Representatives.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresista-diaz-balart-integrara-la-delegacion-presidencial-de-estados", "title": "Congresista Diaz-Balart integrara la Delegación Presidencial de Estados Unidos a la República de Colombia para asistir a la ceremonia de toma de posesión presidencial de su Excelencia Abelardo de la Espriella", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "mariodiazbalart.house.gov", "scraper": "mariodiazbalart", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000600", "name": "Mario Diaz-Balart", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – El congresista Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), vicepresidente del Comité de Asignaciones de la Cámara de Representantes y presidente del Subcomité de Seguridad Nacional, Departamento de Estado y Programas Relacionados, anunció hoy que integrará la Delegación Presidencial de Estados Unidos a la República de Colombia para asistir a la ceremonia de toma de posesión del presidente electo, Abelardo de la Espriella:\n\n“Es un honor ser parte de la Delegación Presidencial de Estados Unidos que asistirá a la ceremonia de toma de posesión del presidente electo de Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella. Esta ceremonia marca el inicio de un nuevo capítulo para Colombia y representa una oportunidad para fortalecer nuestra importante alianza. Estoy optimista de que la nueva administración del presidente De la Espriella impulsará una relación constructiva con los Estados Unidos, basada en nuestros mutuos valores democráticos y nuestro compromiso histórico con la seguridad y la estabilidad regional.\n\nEspero trabajar estrechamente con el nuevo liderazgo de Colombia para revitalizar las relaciones entre nuestros países, enuna sólida alianza que beneficie a ambos pueblos. Luego de cuatro años en los que la Administración saliente debilitó la cooperación en prioridades críticas de seguridad y alejó a Colombia de uno de sus aliados más cercanos, esta transición representa una oportunidad sumamente esperada para restaurar la confianza y renovar nuestra asociación.\n\nEstados Unidos y Colombia deben volver a trabajar conjuntamente para combatir el crimen organizado transnacional, el narcoterrorismo, las redes de tráfico ilícito, la corrupción y otras actividades delictivas que amenazan la seguridad de nuestras naciones. A lo largo de los años juntos hemos logrado grandes avances y creo que el próximo capítulo de nuestra relación será aún más sólida.\n\nExpreso mi sinceras felicitaciones al presidente De la Espriella y al pueblo colombiano por este momento en su historia y agradezco al presidente Trump y al secretario Rubio por permitirme ser parte de la Delegación Presidencial de Estados Unidos\".\n\nMiembros de la delegación:\n\n• Fiscal General Interino Todd Blanche\n\n• Sr. Hugo Guevara, Encargado de Negocios, Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Bogotá\n\n• El Honorable Mario Díaz-Balart, presidente del Subcomité de Seguridad Nacional, Departamento de Estado y Programas Relacionados de la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos\n\n• La Honorable Sara Carter, directora de la Oficina de la Política Nacional para el Control de Drogas (DEA, por sus siglas en inglés)\n\n• El Honorable Terrance C. Cole, administrador de la Administración para el Control de Drogas de Estados Unidos (DEA, por sus siglas en inglés)\n\n• Sr. Cliff Sims, asesor de Seguridad Nacional del vicepresidente JD Vance\n\n• Sra. Viviana Bovo, subsecretaria interina para Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental del Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos\n\n• Sr. Joseph M. Humire, subsecretario adjunto de Guerra para Asuntos de Seguridad de las Américas, Departamento de Guerra de los Estados Unidos.\n\n• Sr. Kristopher D. Jarvis, jefe de Operaciones Internacionales de la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Vulcan del Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos\n\nInformación adicional:\n\nEl congresista Mario Díaz-Balart es presidente del Subcomité de Asignaciones de la Cámara de Representantes sobre Seguridad Nacional, Departamento de Estado y Programas Relacionados (NSRP, por sus siglas en inglés). El Subcomité es responsable del financiamiento de las iniciativas de política exterior de Estados Unidos, los esfuerzos de seguridad internacional y las operaciones diplomáticas y por lo tanto ejerce jurisdicción sobre la asistencia exterior destinada a Colombia, respaldando áreas como la lucha contra el narcotráfico, la cooperación en materia de seguridad, el desarrollo económico y la inmigración.\n\nDurante la administración del presidente Petro, el financiamiento de Estados Unidos destinado a Colombia experimentó reducciones significativas y estuvo sujeto a condiciones más estrictas. Estos cambios reflejaron preocupaciones bipartidistas respecto a las decisiones políticas del presidente Petro.\n\nAdemás de su liderazgo en el Subcomité, el presidente Díaz-Balart es cofundador y copresidente del Comité Parlamentario a favor de Colombia, que fue establecido en 2009 y reúne a miembros del Congreso comprometidos con el fortalecimiento de la alianza entre los Estados Unidos y Colombia. Este Grupo Parlamentario desempeñó un papel fundamental para impulsar la votación para Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Estados Unidos y Colombia en la Cámara de Representantes del Congreso de Estados Unidos.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://mcguire.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-john-mcguire-hosts-small-business-administrator-kelly-loeffler-fifth", "title": "Rep. John McGuire Hosts Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler for Fifth District Visit", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mcguire.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mcguire.house.gov", "scraper": "mcguire", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001239", "name": "John J. McGuire III", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "LOUISA COUNTY, VA — On Wednesday, Representative John McGuire (VA-05) hosted Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler for a visit to Patriot Industries in Louisa County.\n\n\"Small business owners are the perfect example of living the American Dream,\" said Rep. John McGuire (VA-05). \"Daily they sacrifice, work tirelessly, and strategize to ensure their goals become reality. Virginia's Fifth District is home to many of these incredible men and women, pouring into the economy, reminding us all what's possible with hard work and determination. It was an honor to host Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler for a visit to the Fifth District to meet with our small business owners living out the American Dream.\"\n\n\"The America First agenda is strengthening local communities and bringing jobs and industries back home by creating more opportunities for small manufacturers like Patriot Industries,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “Today, in central Virginia, we saw the Working Families Tax Cuts and fair trade in action: they are driving expansion, growth, and new job creation across Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. Congressman McGuire’s work to cut taxes and strengthen our industrial base is restoring both economic and national security for all Americans.”\n\nSee below for photos from the Administrator's visit.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases/new-jersey-congressional-democrats-lead-letter-to-dhs-demanding-accountability-for-medical-neglect-deaths-connected-to-delaney-hall", "title": "New Jersey Congressional Democrats Lead Letter to DHS Demanding Accountability for Medical Neglect, Deaths Connected to Delaney Hall", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mejia.house.gov", "scraper": "mejia", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001246", "name": "Analilia Mejia", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "For Immediate Release: August 6, 2026\n\nContact: Beth Wiesinger | NJ11AMPress@Mail.House.Gov\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — All nine Democratic members of the New Jersey House delegation — Reps. Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Herb Conaway (NJ-03), and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) — today sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella demanding immediate answers and accountability following the third death connected to Delaney Hall Immigration Detention Facility in less than a year.\n\nFor months, Members of Congress, New Jersey officials, medical advocates, attorneys, and former detainees have documented disturbing allegations of abuse and neglect inside Delaney Hall: delayed emergency care, denied prescription medications, untreated chronic illness, infectious disease outbreaks, and inadequate care for medically vulnerable detainees. The delegation's June oversight visit was meant to determine whether these were isolated incidents or signs of a deeper, systemic failure. Instead of reform, the facility has now seen a third death in less than a year.\n\n“Three deaths, repeated allegations of medical neglect, restricted oversight, and less public transparency are a terrible track record of care for individuals in your custody,” wrote the lawmakers. “At this point, the question is no longer whether ICE knows what is happening inside Delaney Hall. It is, ‘why does ICE continue to allow the GEO Group to put lives at risk?’”\n\nThe letter states ICE quietly rescinded a longstanding policy requiring public reporting and congressional notification when a person dies within 30 days of being released from ICE custody – a change the delegation says was a deliberate rollback of transparency that makes it easier to obscure the government's responsibility for deaths connected to time spent in federal custody. The letter also highlights that the State of New Jersey was forced to sue after its own health inspectors were repeatedly denied full access to Delaney Hall, even as ICE's own inspections identified multiple deficiencies in detainee care and safety.\n\nThe delegation is requesting, no later than August 12, 2026, that DHS and ICE:\n\nProvide a complete accounting of all three deaths connected to Delaney Hall since GEO Group assumed operations, including timelines, medical care provided, mortality reviews, and any corrective action taken\n\nExplain ICE's current policy on detainee death reporting, including when a death is no longer considered a death in ICE custody, and identify any deaths connected to Delaney Hall excluded from public reporting under that policy\n\nProduce all inspections, mortality reviews, audits, staffing assessments, corrective action plans, and internal communications concerning medical care at Delaney Hall since GEO Group assumed operations\n\nDescribe every contractual, financial, or administrative action ICE has taken against GEO Group in response to repeated allegations of inadequate medical care and the three deaths connected to Delaney Hall\n\nCommit to granting members of Congress and New Jersey health officials full, unencumbered access to Delaney Hall, including housing units, medical facilities, records, surveillance footage, and relevant personnel\n\nClick HERE to read the full letter text.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://messmer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=324", "title": "Messmer Convenes Roundtable to Discuss Services for America’s Veterans", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://messmer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "messmer.house.gov", "scraper": "messmer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001233", "name": "Mark B. Messmer", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "VINCENNES, IN – Today, Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) convened a Hoosier Veterans Roundtable at Vincennes University, bringing together local, state, and federal veterans organizations to discuss services and care for Hoosier veterans. The discussion focused upon benefit expansion, strengthening coordination among organizations, and identifying legislative priorities to best serve those who make our nation so proud.\n\n“Our veterans fulfilled their commitment to America, and we will always fulfill ours to them,” said Rep. Messmer. “I appreciate everyone who joined today’s discussion, and I will continue working to strengthen the VA, improve access to care, and fight for the veterans of Indiana's Eighth District.”\n\nRepresentatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs, and local Veteran Service Organizations shared updates on ongoing initiatives and discussed the needs of veterans across Southern Indiana, including access to care in rural communities.\n\nTo learn more about how Congressman Messmer is supporting America's veterans in the House of Representatives, visit Messmer.House.Gov.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://meuser.house.gov/media/press-releases/meuser-participates-vice-presidents-fraud-task-force-roundtable", "title": "Meuser Participates in Vice President’s Fraud Task Force Roundtable", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://meuser.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "meuser.house.gov", "scraper": "meuser", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001204", "name": "Daniel Meuser", "party": "Republican", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09), joined Vice President JD Vance for a roundtable discussion with his Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Created on March 16, 2026, by Executive Order 14395, the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is tasked with restoring the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs. Since its establishment, the Task Force has identified $230 billion in fraud and has already halted $56 billion in fraudulent payments. As Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Congressman Meuser has been a leading voice in Congress advocating for identifying and eliminating both taxpayer fraud and consumer fraud.\n\nCongressman Meuser has used his position in Congress to advocate for legislation and support initiatives that strengthen protections against both taxpayer fraud and consumer fraud. This includes cosponsoring the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, legislation that would permanently allow the Social Security Administration to share its Death Master File with the Treasury Department’s “Do Not Pay” system to stop payments to deceased individuals. Congressman Meuser also introduced the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct (SCAM) Actto combat predatory online scam advertisements and require online platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent fraudulent and deceptive ads.\n\nAs Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Congressman Meuser has held multiple hearings and roundtables investigating fraud and scams against the American people. On July 22, the Subcommittee released its staff report on fraud and scams, an exhaustive investigation into the growing threat of financial fraud facing the American public.\n\nThe roundtable was extremely timely following the U.S. Department of Justice charging 19 defendants in Philadelphia in an alleged $4 million Medicare and Medicaid fraud scheme involving home health care services. The scheme involved home health aides allegedly billing Medicaid for services while they were incarcerated, hospitalized, working other jobs, traveling overseas, or otherwise unable to provide care. Investigators identified widespread impossible billing patterns, with one aide allegedly submitting more than 64,000 hours of work and billed over 24 hours a day more than 1,000 times, resulting in more than $1.2 million in fraudulent Medicaid payments. Prosecutors also highlighted cases where beneficiaries allegedly participated in schemes, including one case involving more than $400,000 in alleged false claims by aides and Medicaid recipients. More than 96% of Pennsylvania personal care claims are coded as “illness unspecified,” limiting fraud detection efforts. Pennsylvania’s home care program has grown rapidly in recent years, with spending increasing from $120 million in 2018 to $8 billion in 2025.\n\n“Fraud across federal programs is costing taxpayers enormous sums thanks in part to a lack of safeguarding government programs that many Americans depend upon,” said Congressman Meuser. “The money lost to Pennsylvania SNAP payment errors alone could revitalize communities throughout the Commonwealth and eliminate blight. I have spent the last two years working to eliminate taxpayer and consumer fraud as Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. I’m glad to continue that work alongside Vice President Vance and Republicans in Congress to root out and eliminate taxpayer fraud as well.”\n\nAt the roundtable, Congressman Meuser outlined legislative solutions to reduce fraud against taxpayers, including:\n\nStricter criminal penalties for fraudsters\n\nRequire phone providers to notify customers when a call originates outside the U.S.\n\nCreation of an Overpayment Czar to coordinate efforts to combat payments and fraud\n\nGrants for state Attorneys General to fight fraud", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2927", "title": "ICYMI: Speaker Johnson Visits Manufacturing Facility to Discuss Historic Success of the Working Families Tax Cuts", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "mikejohnson.house.gov", "scraper": "mikejohnson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000299", "name": "Mike Johnson", "party": "Republican", "state": "LA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Speaker Johnson joined Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Rep. Juan Ciscomani at the PepsiCo-Frito Lay manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona to discuss how the Working Families Tax Cuts have benefitted American workers and manufacturers.\n\nSpeaker Johnson toured the manufacturing facility, participated in a roundtable alongside local business leaders and PepsiCo-Frito Lay employees, and held a press conference with local Arizona media. Throughout their visit, the three leaders highlighted pro-growth, pro-worker WFTC provisions such as No Tax on Overtime, permanent and immediate expensing for domestic R&D, 100% bonus depreciation, and Trump Accounts.\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson’s press conference remarks here.\n\n“Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, American manufacturing is roaring back to life. In the one year since that legislation became law, hundreds of billions of dollars in investments have poured into American businesses and manufacturers, jobs are being created, working families are keeping more of what they earn, and we’re seeing long-term growth in all 50 states that’s raising wages for American workers,” Speaker Johnson said after the visit. “It was a pleasure to join Secretary Bessent and Rep. Ciscomani at the PepsiCo facility in Casa Grande today to witness firsthand how American businesses are benefitting from the Working Families Tax Cuts, and to discuss how Republicans’ pro-growth agenda is driving America’s industrial renaissance.”\n\n“One year after President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts into law, the promise of the American Dream is extending to every factory floor,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “It was great to join Speaker Johnson and Congressman Ciscomani at the Frito-Lay facility in Casa Grande, Arizona to discuss how the America First pro-growth economic agenda is giving manufacturers the confidence to invest, expand, and hire.”\n\n\"I'm incredibly honored to have welcomed Speaker Mike Johnson and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Arizona's Sixth District to see the real, tangible impact of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act,\" Congressman Ciscomani said. \"Manufacturing has long been a cornerstone of rural Arizona's economy, supporting hundreds of local jobs and strengthening communities across our district. Because of the legislation we passed and signed into law last year, hardworking Arizonans are keeping more of what they earn, and manufacturers have greater confidence to invest here in America. This is exactly what we set out to accomplish by putting more money back into the pockets of working families while creating an environment where businesses can grow and create more jobs here in Southeastern Arizona.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=405783", "title": "Griffith Announces More Than $1.9 Million in HHS Grants to Virginia Tech", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/", "domain": "morgangriffith.house.gov", "scraper": "morgangriffith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000568", "name": "H. Morgan Griffith", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Virginia Tech, based in Blacksburg, Virginia, four research related grants worth $1,936,905. The funding breakdown of the grants is as follows:\n\n$774,123 to support trial on safe drinking water in Appalachia\n\n$667,837 to support research related to brain development in children and humans\n\n$451,417 to support research into development of new painkiller treatments\n\n$43,528 to support research into therapies for osteosarcoma, a bone cancer\n\nIn response to these grant notices, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:\n\n“Scientific discoveries contribute to new treatments and better health outcomes.\n\n“These HHS grants for more than $1.9 million help Virginia Tech use research results to better inform American scientists, doctors and patients.”\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nAs a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Griffith serves as the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=405784", "title": "Griffith Announces $80,921 HHS Grant for SWVA Black Lung Clinic Program", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/", "domain": "morgangriffith.house.gov", "scraper": "morgangriffith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000568", "name": "H. Morgan Griffith", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded St. Charles Health Council Inc., based in Jonesville, Virginia, a grant of $80,921. The funding supports Stone Mountain Health Services and its black lung clinic program. In response to this grant notice, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:\n\n“Black Lung clinics serve coal communities affected by this devastating illness.\n\n“This HHS grant for more than $80,000 helps Stone Mountain Health Services promote Black Lung treatment resources for our coal communities.”\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nIn May 2026, Congressman Griffith announced more than $1.1 million in federal funds for Stone Mountain Health Services and its black lung program.\n\nEarlier this year, Congressman Griffith announced a separate grant of more than $5 million to St. Charles Health Council Inc. to support its health care center operations.\n\nIn a previous Health Subcommittee hearing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Congressman Griffith expressed his support for working with the Trump Administration to help fight black lung disease.\n\nThe HHS National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently provided free, confidential black lung screenings to coal miners in the region.\n\nThe awarding office of this grant is the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).\n\nAs a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Griffith serves as the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee with jurisdiction over HRSA.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-reintroduces-building-safer-streets-act-modernize-outdated-federal-road", "title": "Moulton Reintroduces Building Safer Streets Act to Modernize Outdated Federal Road Design Standards", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "moulton.house.gov", "scraper": "moulton", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001196", "name": "Seth Moulton", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) reintroduced the Building Safer Streets Act, legislation to modernize the federal design standards that shape how roads are planned and built across the country. The legislation directs the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to update decades-old rules that have often prioritized vehicle speed over the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users. It also gives state and local engineers more flexibility to design streets that protect everyone who uses them.\n\nMore than 100 people die in traffic crashes in the United States every day, according to federal data, and pedestrian and cyclist deaths have risen even as overall vehicle miles traveled has leveled off. Safety advocates and engineers highlight outdated street design standards that protect car drivers more than they do pedestrians and cyclists as the main culprit for this continued growth.\n\nThe bill was originally introduced in response to the death of Sidney Mae Olson, a 5-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer in May 2023 while crossing a marked sidewalk on Elm Street, in Andover, Massachusetts, on her way to class with the “walk” signal showing.\n\n“More than 100 people dying per day in traffic crashes is a symptom of a failing transportation system. It shows that our streets were not designed with the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users in mind,” said Congressman Moulton. “The Building Safer Streets Act gives engineers the tools to build streets that protect everyone who uses them, not just those people behind the wheel of a car. We owe it to every victim and their family to fix what is broken before it costs another life.”\n\nIn the years since, Sidney’s parents, Eric Olson and Mary Beth Ellis, have become leading advocates for safer street design, founding the Sidney Mae Olson Rainbow Fund and helping launch a Massachusetts chapter of Families for Safe Streets.\n\nThe reintroduction comes at a moment when the risks facing everyone on Massachusetts streets remain top of mind: last month, a City of Boston transportation planner was struck and killed while cycling in Mission Hill. The case is a reminder of why modernizing street design standards for all road users remains an urgent priority.\n\nThe full bill text can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://neguse.house.gov/media/press-releases/top-democrats-house-natural-resources-and-agriculture-committees-introduce", "title": "Top Democrats on the House Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees Introduce the Wildfire Response and Readiness Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://neguse.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "neguse.house.gov", "scraper": "neguse", "member": {"bioguide_id": "N000191", "name": "Joe Neguse", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "A comprehensive legislative package comprising 25 bills that together outline a plan to respond to wildfires—protecting our lands, readying our communities, and giving federal firefighters the support they need and the benefits they deserve.\n\nWashington, D.C. — Today, Colorado Congressman and Federal Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Joe Neguse (CO-02), Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (CA-02), Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02), Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee Ranking Member Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Congressman George Whitesides (CA-27) introduced the Wildfire Response and Readiness Act, a comprehensive package of wildland fire policy that meets the moment for Americans facing increasingly active, destructive, and life-threatening wildfires.\n\nSo far this year, wildfires have burned more than 5.5 million acres across the United States. Coupled with extreme weather conditions, including record-breaking drought across the West, and communities across the country are continuing to face increasingly dangerous wildfire conditions.\n\nPresident Donald Trump and his administration have responded by gutting the public land management agencies and institutions responsible for keeping our lands resilient and accessible and our communities safe from catastrophic wildfire. This reckless approach places the United States in an untenable position, where the threat of wildfire has never been greater and federal land management agencies are less prepared than ever before.\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Readiness Act is House Democrats’ affirmative response to the growing threat of catastrophic wildfires. It includes practical, collaborative solutions that aim to better protect the people and places we love while ultimately saving lives.\n\n“Colorado has experienced some of the most devastating wildfires in the country—and as we’ve worked together to recover and rebuild, we’ve also drawn from hard-earned lessons in the wake of these disasters to introduce this comprehensive package of policy proposals,” said Subcommittee Ranking Member Neguse. “The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act advances critical prevention, mitigation, and response strategies while delivering long-overdue support for our brave and heroic wildland firefighters, who risk life and limb to protect our communities and deserve fair compensation and benefits.”\n\n“Hotter summers and drier forests mean wildfires are burning more intensely and reaching towns that never used to worry about them. President Trump watched some of the worst fire seasons this country has seen. His response? Fire the people who run toward the flames for the rest of us. He hollowed out the agencies, ignored the warnings, and left towns across the West more exposed than they've been in decades. Democrats see what families in fire country are up against, and we refuse to leave them on their own. The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act delivers what Americans need: fair pay and job security for wildland firefighters, real help for families fire-proofing their homes, and healthier forests that stop small fires from becoming catastrophes. This is the fight of our time, and we will not let up until every community has the protection they need,” said Ranking Member Huffman.\n\n“Minnesotans are tired of waking up to smoky skies and of witnessing their beloved public lands, like the Boundary Waters, quite literally go up in flames. This critical legislation will help protect rural communities, restore healthy forests and fairly compensate the firefighters serving on the frontlines,” said Ranking Member Craig.\n\n“Oregon is already experiencing one of our worst wildfire seasons on record. Families are living with smoke, farmers and small businesses are facing disruptions, and rural communities are shouldering the burden of increasingly costly fires. We owe Oregon’s firefighters the tools they need to respond safely, and we owe our communities a government that prepares before disaster strikes. The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act brings together a comprehensive plan to strengthen prevention, improve coordination, protect homes and working lands, and help communities recover. I’m proud to co-lead this effort to make Oregon and communities across the country safer and more resilient,” said Subcommittee Ranking Member Salinas.\n\n“Wildfires are a large and growing threat that will only get worse if we do not take decisive action at the federal level,” said Congressman Whitesides. “From making our homes safer to better managing our forests to bolstering firefighter resources and pay, this package would make us more resilient and significantly improve our ability to manage the national wildfire crisis.”\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Readiness Act has three main pillars. They are outlined below.\n\nResilient Lands: The bill invests in wildfire prevention and post-fire restoration and recovery so that the forests and public lands around our homes and communities stay healthy and resilient to catastrophic fires. It also requires federal agencies to develop a 10-year wildfire plan so that the federal government coordinates with the people most impacted.\n\nFire-Safe Communities: The bill helps families make their homes more resistant to fires and gives communities the tools to plan ahead so they are ready before a fire breaks out. It also encourages the development of new tools to spot fires faster and takes steps to address the harmful impacts of wildfire smoke, making sure we have clean air.\n\nWildland Firefighter Safety and Workforce Security: Wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe. This bill honors that work with better pay, leave, and retirement benefits. It also trains the next generation of wildland firefighters and expands the workforce. And after more than a quarter of land management agency staff were fired or left their jobs since January 2025, this bill prevents any more firings and keeps key wildfire and forestry research facilities open and running.\n\nTo learn more, click HERE.\n\nFull bill text can be found HERE, and a section-by-section HERE.\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Readiness Act is endorsed by American Forests, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice Action, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, Megafire Action, National Federation of Federal Employees, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Trust for Public Land, and Western Fire Chiefs Association.\n\nTo view their statements of support, click HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://obernolte.house.gov/media/press-releases/energy-and-commerce-members-obernolte-palmer-and-pfluger-introduce-bills-stop", "title": "Energy and Commerce Members Obernolte, Palmer and Pfluger Introduce Bills to Stop California’s Costly Emissions Mandates", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://obernolte.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "obernolte.house.gov", "scraper": "obernolte", "member": {"bioguide_id": "O000019", "name": "Jay Obernolte", "party": "Republican", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23), House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment Chairman Gary Palmer (AL-06) and Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced three Congressional Review Act resolutions to rein in California’s use of special waivers granted by the Environmental Protection Agency under Democrat Administrations that empower California regulators to impose emissions mandates beyond federal standards, restrict consumer choice and drive up costs for families and businesses across the country.\n\nAll three lawmakers serve on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over the EPA and the Clean Air Act. The legislation is part of a broader effort to exercise congressional oversight, hold federal and state regulators accountable and prevent California’s most burdensome policies from becoming national standards without congressional approval.\n\n“As a representative from California, I have seen firsthand how burdensome regulations from the California Air Resources Board hurt businesses and raise costs for hardworking Americans by imposing mandates instead of allowing the market to drive innovation,” said Congressman Obernolte (CA-23). “Congress must exercise its oversight authority to prevent these policies from becoming a national standard. We must protect American jobs and supply chains while preserving the ability of consumers to choose what works best for them and their families.”\n\n“California should not be allowed to dictate what kind of vehicles Texans and Americans across the country can drive. The Biden Administration's decision to reinstate California's waiver gave one state outsized power to impose its radical emissions standards and EV mandates on the rest of the country. I'm proud to introduce this CRA to restore consumer choice, protect American families from costly mandates, and put an end to California setting de facto national auto policy,” said Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11).\n\nCalifornia has repeatedly used its outdated authority under the Clean Air Act to pursue regulations more aggressive than federal requirements. When other states adopt California’s rules and manufacturers are forced to adapt, policies written by unelected California regulators can effectively become national standards.\n\nSmall Off-Road Engine Amendments\n\nCongressman Obernolte’s legislation would revoke the federal waiver allowing the California Air Resources Board to enforce its Small Off-Road Engine amendments. These rules impose costly emissions mandates on lawn and garden equipment and effectively push small businesses, landscapers and homeowners toward electric tools. The requirements ignore the real-world needs of workers who depend on reliable and affordable equipment, leaving them with higher costs and fewer practical choices.\n\nGreenhouse Gas Emission Standards for 2009 and Subsequent Model Years\n\nChairman Palmer’s legislation would revoke the waiver allowing California to enforce its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles beginning with model year 2009. The waiver forces automakers to navigate competing standards and allows one state’s regulators to influence which vehicles are produced and sold nationwide. The added compliance costs are ultimately passed along to consumers through higher vehicle prices.\n\nReinstatement of Advanced Clean Cars I\n\nCongressman Pfluger’s legislation would reverse the Biden EPA’s reinstatement of California’s Advanced Clean Cars I waiver. The Trump administration previously revoked the waiver, but the Biden administration brought it back and once again allowed California to enforce vehicle emissions requirements stricter than federal standards. These mandates limit the vehicles available to consumers and increase costs for American families.\n\nTogether, the bills would rein in CARB by revoking three specific waivers granted or reinstated by the EPA under Democratic administrations. The package would restore congressional oversight of these EPA decisions and prevent California regulators from using the waivers to impose costly mandates that affect consumers and businesses nationwide. As members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Obernolte, Palmer and Pfluger will continue working to hold the EPA accountable, protect American jobs and supply chains, and defend consumer choice.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-sanders-ramirez-reintroduce-green-new-deal-public-housing-act-0", "title": "Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders, Ramirez Reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ocasio-cortez.house.gov", "scraper": "ocasio-cortez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "O000172", "name": "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reintroduced the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, landmark housing legislation which would rebuild the United States’ public housing stock, address the longstanding capital backlog, and create thousands of union jobs. This bill provides a much-needed infusion of federal funding to update every public housing unit through weatherization, electrification, and modernization so that it may serve as a model of efficiency, sustainability, and resiliency for the rest of the nation.\n\nThis Congress, the bill was newly endorsed by three building trades unions: the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (IUBAC), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).\n\n“From record-breaking heat waves to extreme flooding displacing public housing residents, Americans are feeling the parallel impacts of the housing and climate crisis. Now more than ever, it is integral that Congress put forward bold solutions that ensure our nation’s housing stock is both affordable and resilient,\" said Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “I am proud to reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act alongside Representative Delia Ramirez and Senator Bernie Sanders to deliver a generational rebuild of our nation’s public housing stock, reduce emissions, and create hundreds of thousands of union jobs, including job opportunities for public housing residents. This Congress, we received our first endorsements from three building trades unions. We are proud to fight for a bold future for public housing alongside the people who will build it.”\n\n\"Safe, sustainable, resilient, affordable housing is a HUMAN RIGHT, plain and simple. The policies we advance in Congress must help us realize that truth for EVERYONE. As our nation reckons with both a worsening housing crisis and urgent climate crisis, we must fight for and realize bold policy action and investment,\" said Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez. \"As the current administration attacks affordable housing funding, I am proud to stand with Representative Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Sanders to reintroduce legislation that will secure the future of our public housing, prioritize climate and racial justice, and boost our economy and labor force. The Green New Deal for Public Housing is a bold solution to our national housing problem”\n\n“In the richest country in the history of the world, it is unacceptable that our nation’s public housing is in a state of chronic disrepair. It is unacceptable that hundreds of millions of Americans are facing the disastrous impacts of climate change while the fossil fuel industry makes huge profits. And it is unacceptable that far too many Americans are working multiple jobs just to keep a roof over their head,” Sanders said. “What the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act does is say that yes, we can create decent and affordable public housing for more than 1.5 million Americans that is based on energy efficiency and sustainable sources of power. And that when we do that, we can also create hundreds of thousands of good-paying, union jobs. That is a win-win-win situation.”\n\nThe bill would create seven grant programs under one application process to modernize our public housing stock through:\n\nDeep energy retrofits to increase energy savings in nearly a million public housing units;\n\nWorkforce development programs, prioritizing good-paying job opportunities for residents;\n\nEnergy efficiency, building electrification, and water quality upgrades;\n\nCommunity renewable energy generation, the profits of which will be controlled by Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to boost their coffers and increase self-sufficiency;\n\nCommunity resiliency and sustainability measures;\n\nClimate adaptation and emergency disaster response systems.\n\n“The United States faces a serious housing crisis, one which intensifies with every passing year. Grounded in strong protections for workers, the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act tackles this crisis in part by mandating fair wages, benefits, and labor standards as a requirement for funding public housing upgrades. The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers urges Congress to act quickly to enact this much needed legislation,” said Tim Driscoll, President, IUBAC.\n\n“The Green New Deal for Public Housing is the most significant investment in preserving and improving public housing that we've seen in generations. This bill will preserve hundreds of thousands of safe, affordable homes for those who need them the most, while centering public housing residents at every stage in the process. It enables communities to retain and modernize their homes by bringing units up to code, dramatically improving energy efficiency, and unlocking on-site renewable energy infrastructure, all while removing outdated limits on the construction of new public housing. NHLP is proud to endorse Sen. Sanders, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, and Rep. Ramirez's vision for bringing public housing into the future,” said Shamus Roller, Chief Executive Officer of the National Housing Law Project.\n\n\"We are living through a housing crisis decades in the making. After years of federal underfunding, public housing residents are enduring record heat in homes that need repair. It does not have to be this way,\" said DaMareo Cooper, Executive Director of Popular Democracy. \"The Green New Deal for Public Housing repairs the homes of 1.6 million tenants and families, creates 280,000 good union jobs with residents hired first, and puts working people at the center of decisions about their own communities. That is what democracy looks like.\"\n\nThe legislation is cosponsored by 40 representatives, including Representatives Brendan Boyle (PA-02), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Jesus Garcia (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-06), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).\n\nThe legislation also has 6 cosponsors in the Senate, including Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by The Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN), Alliance For Housing Justice, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), California Green New Deal Coalition, Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund, Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH), Citizen Action of New York, Climate and Community Institute, Climate Critical, Food and Water Watch, For the Many, Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc., Inner City Green Team, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Labor Network for Sustainability, Long Island Progressive Coalition, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National Housing Law Project, National Low Income Housing Coalition, New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN), Oil Change International, Popular Democracy in Action, Public Advocates Inc., Residents to Preserve Public Housing, Save Section 9, Sunrise Movement, The Point Community Development Corporation, UAW Region 9A, VOCAL-NY & VOCAL-US.\n\nThe full bill text is available here.\n\nA one-pager of the bill is available here.\n\nA section-by-section of the bill is available here.\n\nRead The Action Lab, New York University’s Urban Democracy Lab, and the Climate and Community Institute’s full report on the Green New Deal for Public Housing and the Homes Act here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-sanders-ramirez-reintroduce-green-new-deal-public-housing-act-1", "title": "Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders, Ramirez Reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ocasio-cortez.house.gov", "scraper": "ocasio-cortez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "O000172", "name": "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reintroduced the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, landmark housing legislation which would rebuild the United States’ public housing stock, address the longstanding capital backlog, and create thousands of union jobs. This bill provides a much-needed infusion of federal funding to update every public housing unit through weatherization, electrification, and modernization so that it may serve as a model of efficiency, sustainability, and resiliency for the rest of the nation.\n\nThis Congress, the bill was newly endorsed by three building trades unions: the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (IUBAC), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).\n\n“From record-breaking heat waves to extreme flooding displacing public housing residents, Americans are feeling the parallel impacts of the housing and climate crisis. Now more than ever, it is integral that Congress put forward bold solutions that ensure our nation’s housing stock is both affordable and resilient,\" said Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “I am proud to reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act alongside Representative Delia Ramirez and Senator Bernie Sanders to deliver a generational rebuild of our nation’s public housing stock, reduce emissions, and create hundreds of thousands of union jobs, including job opportunities for public housing residents. This Congress, we received our first endorsements from three building trades unions. We are proud to fight for a bold future for public housing alongside the people who will build it.”\n\n\"Safe, sustainable, resilient, affordable housing is a HUMAN RIGHT, plain and simple. The policies we advance in Congress must help us realize that truth for EVERYONE. As our nation reckons with both a worsening housing crisis and urgent climate crisis, we must fight for and realize bold policy action and investment,\" said Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez. \"As the current administration attacks affordable housing funding, I am proud to stand with Representative Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Sanders to reintroduce legislation that will secure the future of our public housing, prioritize climate and racial justice, and boost our economy and labor force. The Green New Deal for Public Housing is a bold solution to our national housing problem”\n\n“In the richest country in the history of the world, it is unacceptable that our nation’s public housing is in a state of chronic disrepair. It is unacceptable that hundreds of millions of Americans are facing the disastrous impacts of climate change while the fossil fuel industry makes huge profits. And it is unacceptable that far too many Americans are working multiple jobs just to keep a roof over their head,” Sanders said. “What the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act does is say that yes, we can create decent and affordable public housing for more than 1.5 million Americans that is based on energy efficiency and sustainable sources of power. And that when we do that, we can also create hundreds of thousands of good-paying, union jobs. That is a win-win-win situation.”\n\nThe bill would create seven grant programs under one application process to modernize our public housing stock through:\n\nDeep energy retrofits to increase energy savings in nearly a million public housing units;\n\nWorkforce development programs, prioritizing good-paying job opportunities for residents;\n\nEnergy efficiency, building electrification, and water quality upgrades;\n\nCommunity renewable energy generation, the profits of which will be controlled by Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to boost their coffers and increase self-sufficiency;\n\nCommunity resiliency and sustainability measures;\n\nClimate adaptation and emergency disaster response systems.\n\n“The United States faces a serious housing crisis, one which intensifies with every passing year. Grounded in strong protections for workers, the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act tackles this crisis in part by mandating fair wages, benefits, and labor standards as a requirement for funding public housing upgrades. The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers urges Congress to act quickly to enact this much needed legislation,” said Tim Driscoll, President, IUBAC.\n\n“The Green New Deal for Public Housing is the most significant investment in preserving and improving public housing that we've seen in generations. This bill will preserve hundreds of thousands of safe, affordable homes for those who need them the most, while centering public housing residents at every stage in the process. It enables communities to retain and modernize their homes by bringing units up to code, dramatically improving energy efficiency, and unlocking on-site renewable energy infrastructure, all while removing outdated limits on the construction of new public housing. NHLP is proud to endorse Sen. Sanders, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, and Rep. Ramirez's vision for bringing public housing into the future,” said Shamus Roller, Chief Executive Officer of the National Housing Law Project.\n\n\"We are living through a housing crisis decades in the making. After years of federal underfunding, public housing residents are enduring record heat in homes that need repair. It does not have to be this way,\" said DaMareo Cooper, Executive Director of Popular Democracy. \"The Green New Deal for Public Housing repairs the homes of 1.6 million tenants and families, creates 280,000 good union jobs with residents hired first, and puts working people at the center of decisions about their own communities. That is what democracy looks like.\"\n\nThe legislation is cosponsored by 40 representatives, including Representatives Brendan Boyle (PA-02), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Jesus Garcia (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-06), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).\n\nThe legislation also has 6 cosponsors in the Senate, including Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by The Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN), Alliance For Housing Justice, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), California Green New Deal Coalition, Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund, Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH), Citizen Action of New York, Climate and Community Institute, Climate Critical, Food and Water Watch, For the Many, Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc., Inner City Green Team, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Labor Network for Sustainability, Long Island Progressive Coalition, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National Housing Law Project, National Low Income Housing Coalition, New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN), Oil Change International, Popular Democracy in Action, Public Advocates Inc., Residents to Preserve Public Housing, Save Section 9, Sunrise Movement, The Point Community Development Corporation, UAW Region 9A, VOCAL-NY & VOCAL-US.\n\nThe full bill text is available here.\n\nA one-pager of the bill is available here.\n\nA section-by-section of the bill is available here.\n\nRead The Action Lab, New York University’s Urban Democracy Lab, and the Climate and Community Institute’s full report on the Green New Deal for Public Housing and the Homes Act here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/new-jersey-congressional-democrats-lead-letter-dhs-demanding-accountability", "title": "New Jersey Congressional Democrats Lead Letter to DHS Demanding Accountability for Medical Neglect, Deaths Connected to Delaney Hall", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "pallone.house.gov", "scraper": "pallone", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000034", "name": "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — All nine Democratic members of the New Jersey House delegation — Reps. Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Herb Conaway (NJ-03), and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) — today sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella demanding immediate answers and accountability following the third death connected to Delaney Hall Immigration Detention Facility in less than a year.\n\nFor months, Members of Congress, New Jersey officials, medical advocates, attorneys, and former detainees have documented disturbing allegations of abuse and neglect inside Delaney Hall: delayed emergency care, denied prescription medications, untreated chronic illness, infectious disease outbreaks, and inadequate care for medically vulnerable detainees. The delegation's June oversight visit was meant to determine whether these were isolated incidents or signs of a deeper, systemic failure. Instead of reform, the facility has now seen a third death in less than a year.\n\n“Three deaths, repeated allegations of medical neglect, restricted oversight, and less public transparency are a terrible track record of care for individuals in your custody,” wrote the lawmakers. “At this point, the question is no longer whether ICE knows what is happening inside Delaney Hall. It is, ‘why does ICE continue to allow the GEO Group to put lives at risk?’”\n\nThe letter states ICE quietly rescinded a longstanding policy requiring public reporting and congressional notification when a person dies within 30 days of being released from ICE custody – a change the delegation says was a deliberate rollback of transparency that makes it easier to obscure the government's responsibility for deaths connected to time spent in federal custody. The letter also highlights that the State of New Jersey was forced to sue after its own health inspectors were repeatedly denied full access to Delaney Hall, even as ICE's own inspections identified multiple deficiencies in detainee care and safety.\n\nThe delegation is requesting, no later than August 12, 2026, that DHS and ICE:\n\nProvide a complete accounting of all three deaths connected to Delaney Hall since GEO Group assumed operations, including timelines, medical care provided, mortality reviews, and any corrective action taken\n\nExplain ICE's current policy on detainee death reporting, including when a death is no longer considered a death in ICE custody, and identify any deaths connected to Delaney Hall excluded from public reporting under that policy\n\nProduce all inspections, mortality reviews, audits, staffing assessments, corrective action plans, and internal communications concerning medical care at Delaney Hall since GEO Group assumed operations\n\nDescribe every contractual, financial, or administrative action ICE has taken against GEO Group in response to repeated allegations of inadequate medical care and the three deaths connected to Delaney Hall\n\nCommit to granting members of Congress and New Jersey health officials full, unencumbered access to Delaney Hall, including housing units, medical facilities, records, surveillance footage, and relevant personnel\n\nClick HERE to read the full letter text.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/pappas-joins-warren-and-colleagues-in-pressing-thune-johnson-on-republican-plans-to-cut-social-security-medicare-medicaid", "title": "Pappas Joins Warren and Colleagues in Pressing Thune, Johnson on Republican Plans to Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "pappas.house.gov", "scraper": "pappas", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000614", "name": "Chris Pappas", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA.), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), in pressing Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson (LA-04) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Republican plans to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.\n\nThe push comes amid Republicans’ months-long assault on these critical programs for seniors and Americans with disabilities, and recent comments indicate there may be more attacks to come. Speaker Johnson recently stated publicly that Republicans have a “plan” to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid if they retain control of Congress next year, stating: “The reason we’re in trouble is because over 74% of federal spending is on autopilot, mandatory spending. That’s your entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and things like Social Security. They have to be adjusted and fixed. We have a plan to do that next year.” Just this week, another House Republican said Congress could “get into” Social Security.\n\n“Americans deserve to have full transparency into Republican plans to attack earned benefits like Social Security,” wrote the lawmakers.\n\nSince the start of President Trump’s second term, Republicans have relentlessly attacked Americans’ health insurance, retirement, and food security programs. Republicans passed legislation to rip away health coverage from roughly 15 million Americans, forced millions to lose food assistance by slashing funding from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), threatened to revive Bush-era efforts to privatize Social Security, and made it harder for Social Security beneficiaries to access their benefits.\n\nNow, Republicans are threatening to launch further attacks on these crucial programs. Along with his comments regarding Republicans’ “plan” to slash critical programs, Johnson has blamed programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security for the national debt.\n\n“Johnson's defense — that he is targeting only ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ — is nothing more than a smoke-and-mirrors scheme to cover up benefit cuts,” wrote the lawmakers. “A plan you will not show the voters before they vote is not reassurance. It is a warning and revealing of Republican priorities.”\n\nThe lawmakers called on Speaker Johnson and Majority Leader Thune to reveal said plan to the American people.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-pat-ryan-and-community-advocates-fight-pass-ryans-let-kids-play", "title": "CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN AND COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FIGHT TO PASS RYAN’S “LET KIDS PLAY ACT” TO KICK PRIVATE EQUITY OUT OF YOUTH SPORTS AMID MASSIVE RIPOFFS OF HUDSON VALLEY FAMILIES", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "patryan.house.gov", "scraper": "patryan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000579", "name": "Patrick Ryan", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Ryan joined Hudson Valley parents, coaches, sports organizations, and school representatives at the Middletown YMCA to discuss the rising cost of youth sports on hardworking families\n\nYouth sports has become a $40 billion industry, with participation costs rising by 46% in just the last few years\n\nRyan’s “Let Kids Play Act” will ban private equity from turning youth sports into a cash grab that screws over families to line investors’ pockets and requires vulture investors to provide full refunds to families and wipe out any outstanding debts\n\nMIDDLETOWN, NY – Today, Congressman Pat Ryan joined Hudson Valley parents, coaches, sports organizations, and school representatives at the Middletown YMCA to discuss the rising cost of participating in youth sports for hardworking families.\n\nOver the last decade, youth sports have become prohibitively expensive. What was once an affordable, community-based tradition to give kids a chance to have fun and challenge themselves, has morphed into a $40 billion industry dominated by private equity, with the singular goal of extracting as much profit as possible from families.\n\nRyan and the youth advocates gathered at the Middletown YMCA discussed the importance of passing Ryan’s Let Kids Play Act – landmark legislation to stop Wall Street from pricing kids out of sports by banning private equity firms from youth sports, shut down the vulture practices they use to jack up costs, and get money back to the families who have been ripped off.\n\n“Team sports are supposed to be the first place our kids learn teamwork, discipline, and community. Instead, it’s become a cash grab for Wall Street investors to make another buck while our kids miss out on this fundamental part of American childhood,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “It’s outrageous. Parents are already getting crushed by costs everywhere they turn, and now corporate investors are coming after one of the most important parts of childhood, too. Enough. The Let Kids Play Act cracks down on these abusive practices, lowers costs for families, forces the bad actors to pay them back, and puts the focus back where it belongs: on kids getting the chance to play. I’m grateful to have such exceptional community partners in the Hudson Valley, including here at the YMCA, who I know won’t back down in the fight for our kids and families.”\n\n“It was an honor to welcome Congressman Pat Ryan, City of Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano, Joan Day from Assemblymember Paula Kay’s team, and so many dedicated community partners such as the Boys & Girls Club and City of Middletown Parks and Recreation to the YMCA of Middletown as we came together to discuss the Orange County Youth Sports Initiative,” said Ross Miceli, CEO, YMCA of Middletown. “Every child deserves access to affordable, safe, and meaningful sports opportunities that build confidence, character, and a sense of belonging. When we work together to remove barriers and invest in our young people, we are not just strengthening youth sports, we are building a healthier, stronger future for our entire community.”\n\n“The cost and accessibility of sports programs is a huge problem that directly affects our Boys & Girls Club members the most. Everyone knows the important role youth sports play in youth development,” said Daniel Whalen, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Ulster County. “The skills obtained through sports translate to success in the classroom and throughout their adult lives. When these resources are inaccessible or unaffordable, we are hurting the development of our next generation, especially those who need it the most. Sports should be about raising our kids not financial gain. This has been a growing problem across our country for a long time. I want to personally thank Congressman Ryan and his office for giving attention to a problem that has flown under the radar for far too long. I look forward to continuing to be a part of the conversation and working toward a more equitable solution.”\n\n“Congressman Ryan addressing the growing lack of affordability in youth sports demonstrates once again how attuned he is to the basic issues facing young families. I appreciate this issue on two fronts: as the father of 2 boys aged 9 and 7, and as the co-owner of a small business in the City of Newburgh,” said Paul Hayaklo, parent and owner of Newburgh Brewing Company. “Youth sports are an important part of the fabric of any community, particularly communities like Newburgh. Keeping them affordable and accessible means that all kids can play and learn vital life skills like sportsmanship, teamwork, and the importance of exercise. For-profit club programs, often fueled by private equity, threaten to box out kids who can't afford the high costs. And many of those kids are the ones who need sports the most.”\n\n“Youth sports are among the most unifying settings in our communities. Kids from all backgrounds should have the opportunity to access, participate in, and compete in leagues around their communities, but unfortunately, each season, that is getting harder. These conversations are important to fostering a more well-rounded community where every kid has the opportunity to find their passions and scratch their competitive itch,” said Assembly Member Paula Elaine Kay. “The Let the Kids Play Act is an important step in making youth sports more equitable and affordable for all families throughout our country, and I commend Congressman Ryan for taking on this fight in Congress.”\n\nThe Let Kids Play Act stops Wall Street from pricing our kids out of sports by banning both private equity vulture investors and the vulture practices they use, and establishes strong enforcement tools to hold private equity accountable for the damage they cause by requiring:\n\nMandatory exit from youth sports: Private equity firms are automatically designated as vulture investors and banned from youth sports -- leagues, facilities, tournaments, and player platforms -- unless they prove they have never used vulture practices. Banned investors must sell their ownership stakes and management rights in youth sports within two years.\n\nRefunds to families: This bill requires vulture investors to provide full refunds for any junk fees collected through vulture practices, cancels any predatory contracts, and wipes out any outstanding debts, interest, or late fees that were imposed by the private equity firms.\n\nLiability for debts and safety violations: Private equity vulture investors are held personally and financially responsible for any debts, legal judgments, or law violations, including child safety and labor infractions, that occur while they are in charge.\n\nCreation of Youth Sports Fund: Any penalties paid or money taken from these private equity firms is placed into a dedicated fund to provide scholarships, reduce costs for families, and keep local fields open for free community use.\n\nRights for communities and families be respected: This bill gives states and parents legal standing to sue private equity firms in youth sports, stop their vulture practices, and receive compensation for any financial losses or harm they have caused.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), Groundwork Action, Sports Fans Coalition, Open Markets Institute, and the Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF).\n\nKatie Van Dyck, Senior Legal Fellow, American Economic Liberties Project, said “Private equity has transformed youth sports from a public good into a profit center, with children and families paying the price. The Let Kids Play Act goes after their vulture practices with conviction — banning the consolidation, debt loading, and asset stripping that have hollowed out local clubs; eliminating the liability shields that protect the worst actors while leaving communities in the dust; and giving public and private enforcers the tools to hold them accountable. Kids and families deserve to enjoy sports without emptying their bank accounts. This bill makes that possible.”\n\nLina Khan, former FTC chair, said “No kid should have to quit a sport because private equity has made it too expensive. It’s great to see this bill take on the vulture investors preying on families.”\n\nAlex Jacquez, Chief of Policy and Advocacy, Groundwork Action, said “For years, private equity firms have been buying up youth sports leagues and turning one of the most important parts of childhood into a cash extraction scheme. Firms are piling on junk fees, locking families into predatory contracts, and mandating expensive travel programs, all so Wall Street investors can squeeze more profits out of kids and parents. The result is that millions of children are being priced out of sports that used to be a basic part of growing up. The Let Kids Play Act would ban these vulture tactics outright and kick private equity out of youth sports, putting families, kids, and communities back at the center of the game.”\n\nBrian Hess, Executive Director of Sports Fans Coalition, said “There's no bigger fan than a parent. Watching your kid compete is the purest experience sports has to offer. But private equity is exploiting that love. Buying up local leagues, forcing families into pay-to-play schemes, preventing kids from playing in other tournaments, and harvesting children's biometric data for profit doesn't just drain working families' bank accounts — it sucks the soul out of youth sports. The Let Kids Play Act attacks this problem at the root by banning these predatory practices and forcing vulture investors out of youth sports for good. Sports Fans Coalition proudly endorses this legislation and commends Sen. Murphy and Rep. Deluzio for standing up for the most passionate fans in America — the parents on those sidelines.”\n\nAudrey Stienon of the Open Markets Institute said “Private equity firms have shown, again and again, what happens when short-term investors move into community institutions: costs go up, quality and access go down, and families are left paying the price. This bill recognizes that youth sports should be about kids and communities, not financial extraction, and it could help establish a broader standard for identifying and pushing out the kinds of investors whose business model depends on harming the people they’re supposed to serve.”\n\nDavid Kass, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, said “For decades, private equity firms have used tax loopholes like carried interest to avoid paying billions in taxes, while using money taken from taxpayers to buy up companies and raise prices for millions of Americans already struggling in an unaffordable economy. The Let Kids Play Act would ensure that private equity firms already taking from taxpayers cannot price kids out of their communities’ sports programs. These programs are essential to our children’s and community development. No kid should be shut out.”\n\nA one-pager of the bill is available here. Full bill text is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://pfluger.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3024", "title": "Pfluger, Palmer, and Obernolte Push Back on California's EPA Waivers", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pfluger.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "pfluger.house.gov", "scraper": "pfluger", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000048", "name": "August Pfluger", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment Chairman Gary Palmer (AL-06), and Congressman Jay Obernolte introduced a legislative package to strip away burdensome EPA waivers handed to California under previous Democratic Administrations. These waivers let unelected California regulators impose emissions standards stricter than federal law, allowing one state to dictate standards that have consequences for consumers and businesses nationwide.\n\nAll three lawmakers sit on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees the EPA and the Clean Air Act. The push is part of a broader fight to rein in regulators, restore accountability, and stop California's most extreme mandates from quietly becoming the law of the land, without a single vote in Congress.\n\nTogether, their three resolutions put Congress back in the driver's seat — reclaiming oversight of EPA's waiver decisions and stopping CARB from imposing its costliest mandates on the rest of the country.\n\n“California should not be allowed to dictate what kind of vehicles Texans and Americans across the country can drive. The Biden Administration's decision to reinstate California's waiver gave one state outsized power to impose its radical emissions standards and EV mandates on the rest of the country. I'm proud to introduce this CRA to restore consumer choice, protect American families from costly mandates, and put an end to California setting de facto national auto policy,” said Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11).\n\n\"California should not be allowed to set de facto national vehicle standards for the rest of the country. This resolution reaffirms that the Clean Air Act cannot be used to give one state the power to reshape America's auto market. Families deserve affordable, reliable vehicles. Instead, they’re getting mandates driven by California's radical political agenda. I'm proud to introduce this resolution and work with Congressman Pfluger and Congressman Obernolte to protect consumer choice and American manufacturing,” said Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06).\n\n\"As a representative from California, I have seen firsthand how burdensome regulations from the California Air Resources Board hurt businesses and raise costs for hardworking Americans by imposing mandates instead of allowing the market to drive innovation,\" said Rep. Jay Obernolte (CA-23). \"Congress must exercise its oversight authority to prevent these policies from becoming a national standard. We must protect American jobs and supply chains while preserving the ability of consumers to choose what works best for them and their families.\"\n\nReversing Reinstatement of Advanced Clean Cars I Waiver\n\nRep. Pfluger's resolution would undo the Biden EPA's decision to bring back California's Advanced Clean Cars I waiver — a waiver the Trump administration had already revoked. Its return means stricter-than-federal vehicle mandates, fewer choices at the dealership, and higher costs for American families.\n\nRepealing Greenhouse Gas Standards for Model Year 2009 and Beyond\n\nRep. Palmer's resolution would revoke California's waiver to set its own greenhouse gas standards for vehicles from model year 2009 on. The result: automakers juggling competing rulebooks, one state's regulators deciding what gets built and sold nationwide, and higher sticker prices for consumers footing the bill.\n\nRevoking the Small Off-Road Engine Mandate\n\nRep. Obernolte's resolution would kill the waiver behind CARB's Small Off-Road Engine amendments — rules that saddle lawn and garden equipment with costly mandates and push landscapers, small businesses and homeowners toward electric tools whether they want them or not. Workers who need reliable, affordable equipment get higher costs and fewer options instead.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://radewagen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/amata-highlights-possibilities-american-samoa-international-meetings", "title": "Amata Highlights Possibilities for American Samoa in International Meetings", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://radewagen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "radewagen.house.gov", "scraper": "radewagen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000600", "name": "Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen", "party": "Republican", "state": "AS", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata accepted an invite from her House classmate, Chairman Brian Babbin, who leads the Committee on Science, Space and Technology, to take part in a series of discussions in a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to several nations over the weekend at the start of the House’s August work period.\n\nAmata’s visit expands on her service in the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), specifically in the Africa Subcommittee as well as the East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, allowing her to work with another committee’s issues, and she expressed her several purposes in relation to American Samoa:\n\nIn their first stop, Cabo Verde, Members of Congress were briefed at a weather balloon facility and observed a weather balloon launch. Congresswoman Amata conveyed interest in American Samoa being the site of similar research and studies, highlighting key geographic comparisons and suitability. The Republic of Cabo Verde (meaning Green Cape) is an archipelago of ten islands west of continental Africa with a large majority Christian population. Their islands are just inside the Tropic of Cancer in the Atlantic, much as American Samoa is just inside the Tropic of Capricorn in the Pacific, and the islands share similarities in their meridian positions on opposite sides of the world.\n\nIn Tanzania, also a coastal country which includes islands in the Indian Ocean at the far border of the Indo-Pacific region, while American Samoa is relatively near the center of the vast region, Congresswoman Amata and other Members of Congress met with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Wildlife Law Enforcement Attache Kathy Spengler, who is stationed at the U.S. Embassy through the Department of the Interior. They held productive discussions including the state of mineral exploration – which Amata opposes near American Samoa – and Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing in those waters, a shared concern in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.\n\nFinally, starting the return trip with a rest and refueling in Lisbon, Portugal, a U.S. ally known for their own fishing industry focused on sardines, they met with the Portuguese Space Agency, which is actively implementing ambitious national strategic efforts. Amata highlighted American Samoa’s historic ties to the U.S. space program and numerous Apollo missions, and conveyed that, in cooperation with the U.S., American Samoa would make them welcome should a splashdown site on the earth’s opposite side ever be needed in their growing program and activities.\n\nOn a personal level while briefly in Lisbon, Amata was delighted that the U.S. Embassy residence is named Casa Carlucci (the Carlucci House), a restored 1861 manor, in honor of her old friend and former employer, Frank Carlucci, who served there as U.S. Ambassador to Portugal, and later served as Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan, part of his career with four Presidents. Amata worked for him at the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity and the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.\n\n“I value these opportunities to emphasize American Samoa to colleagues and government officials, and build relationships while working with other committees, but my original reason for working with Africa Subcommittee issues is its jurisdiction over the most important religious freedom and human rights global efforts that Congress is involved in,” said Congresswoman Amata. “These efforts have a worldwide impact not at all limited to Africa, including oversight of American-supported international organizations that work in many nations from Africa to the Pacific. I wanted to continue working on these issues with respected Chairman Chris Smith, who has long been the foremost champion in Congress for religious freedom and human rights, and many of these efforts dovetail with issues in the Pacific. For instance, earlier this Congress, the House passed a foreign affairs bill I cosponsored, the bipartisan PARTNER Act, that enhances U.S. relations in both the Pacific Islands and Africa.”\n\nThe House-passed PARTNER Act extends diplomatic privileges to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while also extending those privileges to the African Union’s Observer Mission to the United Nations. Amata is an original cosponsor co-leading the bill in a group of three Republicans and six Democrats.\n\nIn another example of a global effort with Pacific ties to the HFAC Africa Subcommittee, Amata spoke on the House floor on September 23, 2024, while serving as Floor Manager for House passage of the reauthorization of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), S. 3764, a bipartisan effort which then passed by a vote of 365-20. (A four-minute video of her House floor speech is available HERE.)\n\nSee more pictures here\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://riley.house.gov/2026/08/06/house-passes-riley-backed-bill-to-speed-up-dementia-diagnoses/", "title": "HOUSE PASSES RILEY-BACKED BILL TO SPEED UP DEMENTIA DIAGNOSES", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://riley.house.gov/news/", "domain": "riley.house.gov", "scraper": "riley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000622", "name": "Josh Riley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – The House has passed a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Congressman Josh Riley (NY-19) to help rural families get faster, more accurate diagnoses of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act (H.R.3747) helps primary care providers better identify, diagnose, and manage Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias — particularly in rural and underserved communities.\n\n“More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, but in rural communities like ours, getting a timely diagnosis can be a real challenge,” said Congressman Riley. “An early diagnosis helps families plan, gives patients more treatment options, and leads to better health outcomes. This bill makes sure providers across Upstate New York have the training they need to catch Alzheimer’s and other dementias early, and get folks connected to the care they need.”\n\nAround 426,500 New Yorkers aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, only half of those living with Alzheimer’s have received a diagnosis, and 85% of initial diagnoses are made by primary care providers who do not specialize in dementia.\n\nThe AADAPT Act addresses this gap by connecting primary care providers with specialists through virtual training, mentorship, and case-based learning. Because primary care providers are often the first health care professionals patients see when memory loss begins, expanding access to specialized training can help improve early diagnosis and patient outcomes.\n\nFull text of the bill can be found HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://rivas.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-luz-rivas-introduces-bill-protect-public-health-and-our", "title": "Congresswoman Luz Rivas Introduces Bill to Protect Public Health and Our Environment, Holds Oil and Gas Accountable", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://rivas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "rivas.house.gov", "scraper": "rivas", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000620", "name": "Luz M. Rivas", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "LOS ANGELES — Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29), member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, introduced the Methane Pollution Accountability Act, a bill that holds oil and gas companies accountable for the harmful pollutants and toxins released into communities through venting, flaring, and leaking processes. These communities are often subjected to worse public health, with increased rates of disease such as asthma or cancer.\n\n“For far too long, oil and gas companies have treated environmental justice communities as a dumping ground at the expense of the health and well-being of the families who live there,” said Congresswoman Rivas. “In the San Fernando Valley, decades of harmful emission practices have led to higher rates of asthma, respiratory illnesses, organ damage, and other serious health conditions. My Methane Pollution Accountability Act holds oil and gas companies accountable for their harmful practices to minimize the pollutants being leaked into environmental justice communities like ours. It is my hope that House Republicans put our communities ahead of oil and gas interests and bring this bill to the floor.”\n\n“We are grateful for Representative Rivas’ leadership in holding big polluters accountable for the damage they continue to cause to our health and the environment,” said Madeleine Foote, Healthy Communities Program Director at League of Conservation Voters. “At a time when the Trump Administration caters to the fossil fuel industry and their profits rather than the health and safety of our families, it is more important than ever for Congress to step up and ensure we are prioritizing clean air for every community.”\n\n“Companies who refuse to adopt readily-available technology to reduce routine venting and flaring should absolutely have to have a plan in place to minimize pollution and leaks or pay for their waste,” said Mahyar Sorour, Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy at the Sierra Club. “Methane gas pollutes our air, harms our health, and contributes to rising energy prices. The Trump Administration is blocking safeguards that would stop the practice of routine flaring, so this bill is a critical step to ensure accountability from these bad actors.”\n\n“Curbing pollution from the oil and gas industry is critical to protecting public health,\" said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. \"Not only is methane a powerful greenhouse gas, oil and gas production can also send harmful pollutants like volatile organic compounds, benzene and formaldehyde into the air. Efforts to reduce venting, flaring and negligent releases of methane will help reduce avoidable pollution and hold polluters accountable for wasted resources. We thank Representative Rivas for working to protect the air we all breathe.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Methane Pollution Accountability Act requires oil and gas operators with leases on federal land or the Outer Continental Shelf to pay royalties on all methane gas that is consumed or lost by venting, flaring, or other negligent methods. Oil and gas operators must also produce a plan to minimize the harmful pollutants that are being released into environmental justice communities across the country.\n\nThis royalty was initially included as Section 50263 of the Inflation Reduction Act. The Trump Administration and House Republicans eliminated the collection of this royalty with the passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The Biden Administration finalized the Methane Waste Prevention Rule in 2024, and the Trump Administration announced plans to roll it back.\n\nThe Methane Pollution Accountability Act has two original co-sponsors and is endorsed by the American Lung Association, the League of Conservation Voters, and the Sierra Club.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://robinkelly.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-kelly-awards-850000-city-paxton-market-street-streetscape", "title": "Rep. Kelly awards $850,000 to City of Paxton for Market Street streetscape improvements", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://robinkelly.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "robinkelly.house.gov", "scraper": "robinkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000385", "name": "Robin L. Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Paxton, IL. – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) joined state Sen. Chris Balkema, state Rep. Jason Bunting, and Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold yesterday to award $850,000 in federal funding to the City of Paxton to continue streetscape improvements along Market Street in the city's downtown core. Rep. Kelly secured the funding through the annual Community Project Funding request process.\n\nThe investment builds on a first phase of Market Street streetscape work, completed with $1.1 million from the now-terminated HUD CDBG Revolving Loan Fund, that repaired sidewalks and added ADA-accessible curb ramps, lighting, and landscaping from State to Pells Street. This next phase will extend those upgrades from Pells to Center Street—a block home to 17 storefronts, 15 businesses, Majestic Park, and City Hall. The improvements will create a safer Market Street that supports downtown businesses and closes remaining ADA and pedestrian safety gaps. Sales tax revenues along the corridor have grown since the streetscape plan began, reflecting the strong private investment and community support behind Paxton's downtown revitalization.\n\n“I am proud to have brought home $850,000 to continue the revitalization of Market Street,” said Rep. Kelly. “This investment tells small businesses and families that Paxton is a place worth investing in, and with sales tax revenue up more than 50 percent along this corridor, it's clearly working. Thank you to Mayor Ingold and the City of Paxton for seeing this through.”\n\n“Strong communities are built through strategic investments and leaders who are willing to work together to get things done,” said State Senator Chris Balkema (R-Channahon). “I appreciate Congresswoman Robin Kelly's efforts to secure this investment for the City of Paxton, and I congratulate the city on this important milestone. Revitalizing downtown Paxton will strengthen local businesses, enhance quality of life, and help ensure the community continues to thrive for generations to come.”\n\n“With this grant, the City of Paxton is able to move forward with its vision of changing and improving the downtown to become a destination point for visitors, shoppers and even those looking for a new home,” said Bill Ingold, Mayor of Paxton.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-salinas-introduces-legislation-stop-trump-selling-insider-access-his", "title": "Rep. Salinas Introduces Legislation to Stop Trump from Selling Insider Access to His Presidential Posts", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "salinas.house.gov", "scraper": "salinas", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001226", "name": "Andrea Salinas", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06), alongside Reps. Janelle Bynum (OR-05) and Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), introduced the Stop Corrupt Trading Act, companion legislation to a bill introduced by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), to ban the President and Vice President from selling early or exclusive access to their official social media posts for profit.\n\nOn August 1, Trump Media Group began selling early access to President Trump’s Truth Social feed, charging trading firms up to $100,000 a month for the privilege. Those posts can move markets within seconds, especially as Trump weighs in on the ongoing Iran war. The Truth Social API gives these firms an advantage. It hands them information before anyone else, giving them a chance to act ahead of people who can’t afford the $100,000-a-month subscription. Getting information even a few milliseconds before anyone else can be worth tens of millions of dollars to a trading firm.\n\n\"No President should allow Wall Street firms to pay for privileged access to the Oval Office,\" said Rep. Salinas. \"Trump is letting firms pay up to $100,000 a month to receive his Truth Social posts faster, including announcements that can affect financial markets. This pay-to-play scheme reeks of Tony Soprano-style corruption. Wealthy traders should not get a head start while working people and small investors play by a different set of rules. The Stop Corrupt Trading Act will close that door and make clear that public office must serve the American people, not anyone's mob-style profiteering.\"\n\nSpecifically, Rep. Salinas’ legislation would:\n\nBan the President, Vice President, and related entities, including businesses or partnerships controlled by them or their immediate family, from selling nonpublic information for financial benefit, including exclusive data feeds of the President's official or personal statements. Violations carry a fine of up to double the value of the transaction and up to five years in prison.\n\nBan any person or firm from buying that nonpublic information, with penalties of up to double the value of the transaction.\n\nToll the statute of limitations for conduct that occurs while a person holds the office of President or Vice President, so the clock does not run out while they are still in office.\n\nGive the Attorney General authority to bring civil action for disgorgement of profits, civil penalties, and other equitable relief, and direct the Office of Government Ethics to refer credible evidence of violations to the Justice Department and Congress.\n\n\"Americans are tired of a system where powerful politicians can profit from public office while families pay the price,” said Brian Lemek, Defend the Vote Action Fund Executive Director. “We applaud Senator Padilla and Congresswoman Salinas for leading the fight against corruption by introducing the Stop Corrupt Trading Act and taking an important step toward restoring trust in government. Public service should be about serving the American people—not personal financial gain.\"\n\n\"Hardworking Americans deserve public officials who work in the public interest, not for private gain to line their own pockets. Donald Trump has abused the presidency by profiting off cryptocurrency schemes, controversial settlements, and now, selling early access to market-moving non-public information through Truth Social,\" said Virginia Canter, Anticorruption and Ethics Chief Counsel and Director at Democracy Defenders Action. \"This new pay-to-play scheme is just another reminder that Trump is willing to sell access to government policy to the highest bidder. We thank Congresswoman Salinas for introducing the Stop Corrupt Trading Act to help curb Trump's lawlessness, and we urge Congress to pass this and related anti-corruption legislation to rein in an out-of-control Administration.\"\n\nThis legislation is endorsed by Public Citizen, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Defend the Vote Action Fund.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases/top-democrats-house-natural-resources-and-agriculture-committees-introduce", "title": "Top Democrats on the House Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees Introduce the Wildfire Response and Readiness Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "salinas.house.gov", "scraper": "salinas", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001226", "name": "Andrea Salinas", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Today, Assistant Democratic Leader and Federal Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Joe Neguse (CO-02), Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (CA-02), Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02), Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee Ranking Member Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Congressman George Whitesides (CA-27) introduced the Wildfire Response and Readiness Act, a comprehensive package of wildland fire policy that meets the moment for Americans facing increasingly active, destructive, and life-threatening wildfires.\n\nSo far this year, wildfires have burned more than 5.5 million acres across the United States. Coupled with extreme weather conditions, including record-breaking drought across the West, and communities across the country are continuing to face increasingly dangerous wildfire conditions.\n\nPresident Donald Trump and his administration have responded by gutting the public land management agencies and institutions responsible for keeping our lands resilient and accessible and our communities safe from catastrophic wildfire. This reckless approach places the United States in an untenable position, where the threat of wildfire has never been greater and federal land management agencies are less prepared than ever before.\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Readiness Act is House Democrats’ affirmative response to the growing threat of catastrophic wildfires. It includes practical, collaborative solutions that aim to better protect the people and places we love while ultimately saving lives.\n\n“Colorado has experienced some of the most devastating wildfires in the country—and as we’ve worked together to recover and rebuild, we’ve also drawn from hard-earned lessons in the wake of these disasters to introduce this comprehensive package of policy proposals,” said Assistant Leader Joe Neguse. “The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act advances critical prevention, mitigation, and response strategies while delivering long-overdue support for our brave and heroic wildland firefighters, who risk life and limb to protect our communities and deserve fair compensation and benefits.”\n\n“Hotter summers and drier forests mean wildfires are burning more intensely and reaching towns that never used to worry about them. President Trump watched some of the worst fire seasons this country has seen. His response? Fire the people who run toward the flames for the rest of us. He hollowed out the agencies, ignored the warnings, and left towns across the West more exposed than they've been in decades. Democrats see what families in fire country are up against, and we refuse to leave them on their own. The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act delivers what Americans need: fair pay and job security for wildland firefighters, real help for families fire-proofing their homes, and healthier forests that stop small fires from becoming catastrophes. This is the fight of our time, and we will not let up until every community has the protection they need,” said Ranking Member Huffman.\n\n“Minnesotans are tired of waking up to smoky skies and of witnessing their beloved public lands, like the Boundary Waters, quite literally go up in flames. This critical legislation will help protect rural communities, restore healthy forests and fairly compensate the firefighters serving on the frontlines,” said Ranking Member Craig.\n\n“Oregon is already experiencing one of our worst wildfire seasons on record. Families are living with smoke, farmers and small businesses are facing disruptions, and rural communities are shouldering the burden of increasingly costly fires. We owe Oregon’s firefighters the tools they need to respond safely, and we owe our communities a government that prepares before disaster strikes. The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act brings together a comprehensive plan to strengthen prevention, improve coordination, protect homes and working lands, and help communities recover. I’m proud to co-lead this effort to make Oregon and communities across the country safer and more resilient,” said Congresswoman Salinas.\n\n“Wildfires are a large and growing threat that will only get worse if we do not take decisive action at the federal level,” said Congressman Whitesides. “From making our homes safer to better managing our forests to bolstering firefighter resources and pay, this package would make us more resilient and significantly improve our ability to manage the national wildfire crisis.”\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Readiness Act has three main pillars. They are outlined below.\n\nResilient Lands: The bill invests in wildfire prevention and post-fire restoration and recovery so that the forests and public lands around our homes and communities stay healthy and resilient to catastrophic fires. It also requires federal agencies to develop a 10-year wildfire plan so that the federal government coordinates with the people most impacted.\n\nFire-Safe Communities: The bill helps families make their homes more resistant to fires and gives communities the tools to plan ahead so they are ready before a fire breaks out. It also encourages the development of new tools to spot fires faster and takes steps to address the harmful impacts of wildfire smoke, making sure we have clean air.\n\nWildland Firefighter Safety and Workforce Security: Wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe. This bill honors that work with better pay, leave, and retirement benefits. It also trains the next generation of wildland firefighters and expands the workforce. And after more than a quarter of land management agency staff were fired or left their jobs since January 2025, this bill prevents any more firings and keeps key wildfire and forestry research facilities open and running.\n\nTo learn more, click HERE.\n\nFull bill text can be found HERE, and a section-by-section HERE.\n\nThe package is endorsed by American Forests, Defenders of Wildlife, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, Megafire Action, National Federation of Federal Employees, Sierra Club, and Trust for Public Land.\n\nTo view their statements of support, click HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://sewell.house.gov/2026/8/rep-sewell-marks-the-61st-anniversary-of-the-signing-of-the-voting-rights-act-of-1965", "title": "Rep. Sewell Marks the 61st Anniversary of the Signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://sewell.house.gov/press-releases", "domain": "sewell.house.gov", "scraper": "sewell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001185", "name": "Terri A. Sewell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Birmingham, AL — Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released a video message marking the 61st anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Sewell honored the courage of the Civil Rights heroes who made the landmark law possible and called on Americans to continue the fight to protect the fundamental right to vote.\n\nWatch Rep. Sewell's video message here.\n\nRep. Sewell: Today marks 61 years since President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law—a law made possible by the courage of ordinary people who did extraordinary things right here in Alabama's 7th Congressional District.\n\nFrom the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge to communities across our district, so many risked everything to secure the fundamental right to vote.\n\nToday, that landmark law has never been more at risk. Years of court decisions have weakened the VRA, allowing extremists to make it harder for Americans to cast their ballots. It is a reminder that our progress isn’t guaranteed. Every generation must fight to preserve it and advance it.\n\nThat's why I'm proud to lead the fight in Congress to restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act as the author and lead sponsor of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.\n\nBut protecting our democracy isn't just Congress's job. We must answer these attacks the same way generations before us did: by voting. Voting like we've never voted before.\n\nOn this anniversary, let's honor those who came before us by continuing the fight to protect every American's freedom to vote.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://spartz.house.gov/media/press-releases/spartz-calls-real-price-transparency-not-another-washington-messaging-exercise", "title": "Spartz Calls for Real Price Transparency, Not Another Washington Messaging Exercise", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://spartz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "spartz.house.gov", "scraper": "spartz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000929", "name": "Victoria Spartz", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (IN-05) called on House leadership to strengthen pending health care price transparency legislation before it reaches the House floor, urging Congress to deliver reforms that empower patients instead of protecting entrenched health care interests.\n\nIn a letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, Spartz urged lawmakers to reconsider legislative text that relies on negotiated rates, complex reporting requirements, and cost estimates rather than providing patients with clear, upfront prices before they receive care.\n\n“Americans deserve real price transparency - not another Washington messaging exercise,” said Rep. Spartz. “Patients should know the actual price of care before receiving treatment so they can compare options, shop for value, and benefit from true market competition.”\n\nSpartz warned that the current proposals risk preserving the opaque pricing system that benefits large hospital systems and insurance companies while failing to deliver meaningful savings for American families. She also pointed to years of litigation, administrative burdens, and implementation challenges following the No Surprises Act as a reminder that Congress should avoid poorly drafted and difficult-to-enforce legislation.\n\nInstead, Spartz urged House leadership to advance reforms that deliver meaningful transparency by requiring broader disclosure of negotiated prices and expanding access to health plan claims data to help identify overbilling and other practices that drive up costs.\n\n“The goal should be simple: deliver actual prices, real competition, and lower costs for American families,” Spartz said. “Congress has an opportunity to put patients first by passing meaningful transparency reforms instead of protecting the status quo.”\n\nRep. Spartz copied House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise on the letter urging House leadership to strengthen the legislation before floor consideration.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://suozzi.house.gov/media/press-releases/suozzi-d-ny-knott-r-nc-cruz-r-tx-and-slotkin-d-mi-introduce-bipartisan", "title": "Suozzi (D-NY), Knott (R-NC), Cruz (R-TX), and Slotkin (D-MI) Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Right to Worship Act to Protect Worshippers", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://suozzi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "suozzi.house.gov", "scraper": "suozzi", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001201", "name": "Thomas R. Suozzi", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C.—Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Congressman Brad Knott (R-NC), along with Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), introduced the Right to Worship Act in the House and the Senate, to establish a 100‑foot, protest‑free buffer zone around houses of worship during religious services, making it unlawful to knowingly disrupt or impede people from attending. This law imposes civil fines for violations and authorizes individuals, the U.S. Attorney General, and state attorneys general to sue violators. Peaceful expression protected by the First Amendment is excluded from the bill’s prohibited activities.\n\n“Exercising your right to worship should not require you to exhibit particular courage as you enter your synagogue, church, mosque, temple, mandir, or gurdwara,” said Congressman Suozzi. “I will always stand up for people’s right to protest peacefully, but attendees of religious services should not be harassed, threatened, intimidated, or targeted for practicing their faith. I am proud to lead this bipartisan and bicameral Right to Worship Act that both protects free speech and the freedom to worship.”\n\n\"Today, many Americans are unable to worship without fear of harassment, assault, or other forms of intimidation. The right to worship freely is foundational to our nation and was one of the motivations for its founding. No American should ever feel that their choice is between worshiping in fear and not worshiping at all,” said Congressman Knott. \"The Right to Worship Act protects peaceful speech while restoring essential protections for Americans by empowering worshippers against those who seek to intimidate them. I look forward to this bill becoming law and appreciate the many contributions made through bipartisan, bicameral work.\"\n\nThe Right to Worship Act is endorsed by:\n\nADL (Anti-Defamation League)\n\nAgudath Israel of America\n\nAmerican Jewish Committee (AJC)\n\nBAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha\n\nCoalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA)\n\nHadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America\n\nHindu American Foundation\n\nIslamic Society of North America (ISNA)\n\nJewish Federations of North America\n\nUJA-Federation of New York\n\nUnion of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (“Orthodox Union”)\n\nUNITED SIKHS\n\nThe Right to Worship Act creates a civil prohibition against “conduct that unreasonably hinders or deters a person from entering a house of worship, or that threatens or intimidates a person, in a manner that prevents participation at a scheduled religious service.” For the law to apply, an individual or group must “knowingly” engage in this conduct, meaning “that the person is aware or reasonably should be aware that the person’s conduct will cause such disruption or impediment.” The bill explicitly protects peaceful expression through speech that does not impact one’s ability to worship freely.\n\nThe Right to Worship Act establishes a civil fine structure that increases with each offense, beginning at $2,500 and up to $10,000 per violation. To ensure impacted worshippers are able to seek appropriate recourse, the bill creates a right of action which can include injunctive relief, monetary damages, and legal costs. State Attorneys General may also pursue civil action on behalf of their constituents.\n\nCongressman Suozzi’s introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Right to Worship Act, alongside Congressman Knott and Senators Cruz and Slotkin, follows his earlier introduction of the bipartisan SACRED Act in the House. Rep. Suozzi’s SACRED Act would make it a federal crime to intentionally intimidate, obstruct, or harass people exercising their right to religious worship within 100 feet of a place of worship, whether by threatening them, blocking their path, or approaching them within 8 feet for the purpose of harassment or intimidation. The Right to Worship Act improves upon the SACRED Act by imposing civil fines on additional disruptive conduct that interferes with religious services not covered by Suozzi’s original legislation.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://tenney.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-tenney-releases-2026-veterans-plan", "title": "Congresswoman Tenney Releases 2026 Veterans Plan", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://tenney.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "tenney.house.gov", "scraper": "tenney", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000478", "name": "Claudia Tenney", "party": "Republican", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today released her 2026 Veterans Plan, outlining a comprehensive agenda to strengthen support for America's veterans, improve the Department of Veterans Affairs, and ensure servicemembers and their families receive the care, benefits, and recognition they have earned.\n\nAmerica's commitment to those who served does not end when they take off the uniform” or “America's commitment to those who served does not end when they leave the service. Congresswoman Tenney's Veterans Plan is centered on four priorities: increasing transparency and accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs, expanding access to quality healthcare, helping veterans successfully transition to civilian life, and honoring the service and sacrifice of America's veterans. The plan advances policies to improve veterans' access to benefits and mental health services, strengthen oversight of the VA, protect veterans from fraud, and preserve the memorials and traditions that recognize those who defended our nation.\n\n\"The freedoms we enjoy every day were secured by Americans who were willing to put on the uniform and defend this country,\" said Congresswoman Tenney. \"Our obligation to those men and women does not end when their military service is over. Veterans deserve a VA that is accountable, healthcare they can rely on, and a government that keeps its promises. This plan is about making sure every veteran receives the respect, support, and opportunities they have earned through their service to our nation.\"\n\nTo view Tenney's full Veterans Plan, click here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases/underwood-legislation-rename-plainfield-post-office-honor-staff-sergeant-1", "title": "Underwood Legislation to Rename Plainfield Post Office in Honor of Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. Advances in Senate", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "underwood.house.gov", "scraper": "underwood", "member": {"bioguide_id": "U000040", "name": "Lauren Underwood", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON —Today, Rep. Lauren Underwood’s legislation to rename the Plainfield Post Office in honor of Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with unanimous bipartisan support. The Senate version of the legislation is led by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). The House-passed bill will now be sent to the U.S. Senate Floor for a vote.\n\nUnderwood secured support from every member of the Illinois congressional delegation – Representatives Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Sean Casten (IL-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Bill Foster (IL-11), Mike Bost (IL-12), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Mary Miller (IL-15), Darin LaHood (IL-16), and Eric Sorensen (IL-17) – to honor her constituent by officially designating the Post Office Building at 14855 South Van Dyke Road in Plainfield, IL as the “Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. Post Office Building.”\n\nStaff Sergeant Dueñez and three other U.S. soldiers were killed during an Army training exercise in Lithuania on March 31, 2025. His family described Dueñez as “someone who always wanted to protect people.” He was a beloved member of his community who enlisted right after high school and served his country for seven years.\n\n“Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. represents the best of our community. He was an extraordinary hero who served his country with strength and resilience,” Rep. Underwood said. “I’m honored to lead this legislation to permanently commemorate his sacrifice and service. The Plainfield Post Office will bear his name as reminder of his contributions not only to his country, but to his community and family as a father, husband, brother, and son.”\n\n“Staff Sergeant Dueñez was deeply committed to his community and our country, and we salute his sacrifice,” said Senator Duckworth. “As we remember his legacy and service to our nation, I’m pleased to see that our legislation to rename the Plainfield Post Office in his honor has passed through the House and committee markup in the Senate, and am hopeful we can continue building on this momentum to get this bill across the finish line.”\n\nStaff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. was born on April 8, 1999, and was raised in Joliet along with his five sisters. Dueñez was promoted five times over the course of his service, ultimately reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant in November of 2020. He served in three overseas deployments—Poland in 2019, Germany in 2022, and Lithuania in 2025—and was recognized with two Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals, one Certificate of Achievement, two Army Good Conduct Medals, and a National Defense Service Medal.\n\nFull text of the legislation can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vasquez-warns-fight-protect-new-mexico-water-dhs-not-over-demands-answers", "title": "Rep. Vasquez Warns Fight to Protect New Mexico Water From DHS is Not Over, Demands Answers on Existing Wells for Ranchers", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "vasquez.house.gov", "scraper": "vasquez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000136", "name": "Gabe Vasquez", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – On August 5, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) demanded answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding high-capacity groundwater wells that have already been drilled by federal border wall contractors in Luna County, warning that the fight to protect New Mexican ranchers’ water rights is far from over.\n\nFollowing concerns raised by Rep. Vasquez, local ranchers, and community stakeholders, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently directed contractors to stop drilling additional wells. However, in a letter sent to DHS Secretary Mullin today, Rep. Vasquez said the latest directive from CBP does not address ranchers’ critical unanswered questions about the wells that have already been drilled in the area and fails to bar CBP from pumping hundreds of gallons of water from the existing wells.\n\n“U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently ordered contractors to stop drilling new wells following concerns raised by my office, ranchers, and stakeholders. However, CBP’s order does not undo the unauthorized drilling that has already occurred, provide clarity around whether the existing wells will continue to be pumped, or provide clarity on how much water will be needed for the broader project,” Vasquez said in the letter, adding, “My constituents and I support securing our border. But the federal government does not get to disregard state law, threaten private property and water rights, and expect New Mexicans to accept it without protecting their land and resources. Ranchers, landowners, and local officials continue to be left in the dark while DHS contractors move forward with a project that could jeopardize scarce groundwater resources during a severe drought.”\n\nFollowing continued conversations with New Mexico ranchers, Rep. Vasquez called for an in-person meeting in Luna County with DHS and CBP officials, affected ranchers and landowners, local officials, the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, and his office.\n\n“New Mexico’s ranching families embrace the commitment to a secure border, but the work must be done in a way that respects private property, protects our scarce groundwater resources, and keeps affected landowners informed. Ranchers in Luna and Hidalgo Counties deserve clear answers about the scope of this project and its potential impacts. We support bringing the responsible federal officials together with local ranchers and officials to address those concerns,” said Tom Paterson, President of the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association.\n\nRep. Vasquez and local ranchers are seeking from DHS answers on:\n\nWhether DHS contractors will be required to properly cap existing wells and how CBP will verify compliance\n\nHow much water has already been pumped and how much additional water the broader project will require\n\nWhether any additional wells are planned or will be drilled in the future\n\nWhat steps DHS is taking to ensure contractors comply with state law and protect New Mexico’s water and property rights\n\nWhy DHS is pursuing extensive concrete road construction in this rural area and whether less intrusive border security options have been considered\n\nThis latest push builds on Rep. Vasquez’s ongoing efforts to protect ranchers’ water rights in southern New Mexico.\n\nOn July 10, Rep. Vasquez pressed the Secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Agriculture for answers and action, stating in a letter, “I support securing our border. But it can be done without threatening ranchers, jeopardizing local water supplies, or ignoring the Americans who have stewarded this land for generations.”\n\nOn July 22, Rep. Vasquez raised the issue on the House floor, demanding DHS stop stealing ranchers’ water and stating, “For generations, ranching families in this border community have relied on water from the Mimbres and Hachita Basins to sustain their herds and way of life. And when the feds needed water, they bought it or trucked it in. Then they said, ‘Why buy it, when we can steal it?’ Our ranchers follow the state’s water laws. DHS doesn’t, and it appears they don’t care.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-jersey-congressional-democrats-lead-letter-to-dhs-demanding-accountability-for-medical-neglect-deaths-connected-to-delaney-hall", "title": "New Jersey Congressional Democrats Lead Letter to DHS Demanding Accountability for Medical Neglect, Deaths Connected to Delaney Hall", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "scraper": "watsoncoleman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000822", "name": "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "All nine Democratic members of the New Jersey House delegation — Reps. Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Herb Conaway (NJ-03), and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) — today sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella demanding immediate answers and accountability following the third death connected to Delaney Hall Immigration Detention Facility in less than a year.\n\nFor months, Members of Congress, New Jersey officials, medical advocates, attorneys, and former detainees have documented disturbing allegations of abuse and neglect inside Delaney Hall: delayed emergency care, denied prescription medications, untreated chronic illness, infectious disease outbreaks, and inadequate care for medically vulnerable detainees. The delegation's June oversight visit was meant to determine whether these were isolated incidents or signs of a deeper, systemic failure. Instead of reform, the facility has now seen a third death in less than a year.\n\n“Three deaths, repeated allegations of medical neglect, restricted oversight, and less public transparency are a terrible track record of care for individuals in your custody,” wrote the lawmakers. “At this point, the question is no longer whether ICE knows what is happening inside Delaney Hall. It is, ‘why does ICE continue to allow the GEO Group to put lives at risk?’”\n\nThe letter states ICE quietly rescinded a longstanding policy requiring public reporting and congressional notification when a person dies within 30 days of being released from ICE custody – a change the delegation says was a deliberate rollback of transparency that makes it easier to obscure the government's responsibility for deaths connected to time spent in federal custody. The letter also highlights that the State of New Jersey was forced to sue after its own health inspectors were repeatedly denied full access to Delaney Hall, even as ICE's own inspections identified multiple deficiencies in detainee care and safety.\n\nThe delegation is requesting, no later than August 12, 2026, that DHS and ICE:\n\nProvide a complete accounting of all three deaths connected to Delaney Hall since GEO Group assumed operations, including timelines, medical care provided, mortality reviews, and any corrective action taken\n\nExplain ICE's current policy on detainee death reporting, including when a death is no longer considered a death in ICE custody, and identify any deaths connected to Delaney Hall excluded from public reporting under that policy\n\nProduce all inspections, mortality reviews, audits, staffing assessments, corrective action plans, and internal communications concerning medical care at Delaney Hall since GEO Group assumed operations\n\nDescribe every contractual, financial, or administrative action ICE has taken against GEO Group in response to repeated allegations of inadequate medical care and the three deaths connected to Delaney Hall\n\nCommit to granting members of Congress and New Jersey health officials full, unencumbered access to Delaney Hall, including housing units, medical facilities, records, surveillance footage, and relevant personnel\n\nClick HERE to read the full letter text.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://whitesides.house.gov/2026/08/06/rep-whitesides-introduces-legislation-to-combat-wildfires-and-improve-readiness/", "title": "Rep. Whitesides Introduces Legislation to Combat Wildfires and Improve Readiness", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://whitesides.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "whitesides.house.gov", "scraper": "whitesides", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000830", "name": "George Whitesides", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. George Whitesides (CA-27) joined Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-02), Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02), Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Rep. Angie Craig (MN-02), and Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06) to introduce the Wildfire Response and Readiness Act, a comprehensive package of wildland fire policy that meets the moment for Americans facing increasingly active, destructive, and life-threatening wildfires.\n\nSo far this year, wildfires have burned more than 5.5 million acres across the United States. Coupled with extreme weather conditions, including record-breaking drought across the West, and communities across the country are continuing to face increasingly dangerous wildfire conditions. The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act includes practical, collaborative solutions that aim to better protect the people and places we love while ultimately saving lives.\n\n“Wildfires are a large and growing threat that will only get worse if we do not take decisive action at the federal level,” said Rep. Whitesides. “From making our homes safer to better managing our forests to bolstering firefighter resources and pay, this package would make us more resilient and significantly improve our ability to manage the national wildfire crisis.”\n\n“Colorado has experienced some of the most devastating wildfires in the country—and as we’ve worked together to recover and rebuild, we’ve also drawn from hard-earned lessons in the wake of these disasters to introduce this comprehensive package of policy proposals,” said Assistant Leader Joe Neguse. “The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act advances critical prevention, mitigation, and response strategies while delivering long-overdue support for our brave and heroic wildland firefighters, who risk life and limb to protect our communities and deserve fair compensation and benefits.”\n\n“Hotter summers and drier forests mean wildfires are burning more intensely and reaching towns that never used to worry about them. President Trump watched some of the worst fire seasons this country has seen. His response? Fire the people who run toward the flames for the rest of us. He hollowed out the agencies, ignored the warnings, and left towns across the West more exposed than they’ve been in decades. Democrats see what families in fire country are up against, and we refuse to leave them on their own. The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act delivers what Americans need: fair pay and job security for wildland firefighters, real help for families fire-proofing their homes, and healthier forests that stop small fires from becoming catastrophes. This is the fight of our time, and we will not let up until every community has the protection they need,” said Ranking Member Huffman.\n\n“Minnesotans are tired of waking up to smoky skies and of witnessing their beloved public lands, like the Boundary Waters, quite literally go up in flames. This critical legislation will help protect rural communities, restore healthy forests and fairly compensate the firefighters serving on the frontlines,” said Ranking Member Craig.\n\n“Oregon is already experiencing one of our worst wildfire seasons on record. Families are living with smoke, farmers and small businesses are facing disruptions, and rural communities are shouldering the burden of increasingly costly fires. We owe Oregon’s firefighters the tools they need to respond safely, and we owe our communities a government that prepares before disaster strikes. The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act brings together a comprehensive plan to strengthen prevention, improve coordination, protect homes and working lands, and help communities recover. I’m proud to co-lead this effort to make Oregon and communities across the country safer and more resilient,” said Congresswoman Salinas.\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Readiness Act has three main pillars:\n\nResilient Lands: The bill invests in wildfire prevention and post-fire restoration and recovery so that the forests and public lands around our homes and communities stay healthy and resilient to catastrophic fires. It also requires federal agencies to develop a 10-year wildfire plan so that the federal government coordinates with the people most impacted.\n\nFire-Safe Communities: The bill helps families make their homes more resistant to fires and gives communities the tools to plan ahead so they are ready before a fire breaks out. It also encourages the development of new tools to spot fires faster and takes steps to address the harmful impacts of wildfire smoke, making sure we have clean air.\n\nWildland Firefighter Safety and Workforce Security: Wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe. This bill honors that work with better pay, leave, and retirement benefits. It also trains the next generation of wildland firefighters and expands the workforce. And after more than a quarter of land management agency staff were fired or left their jobs since January 2025, this bill prevents any more firings and keeps key wildfire and forestry research facilities open and running.\n\nFull bill text can be found HERE, and a section-by-section HERE.\n\nThe Wildfire Response and Readiness Act is endorsed by American Forests, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice Action, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, Megafire Action, National Federation of Federal Employees, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Trust for Public Land, and Western Fire Chiefs Association.\n\nTo view their statements of support, click HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=410923", "title": "Womack Remembers Tommy Ratzlaff, John Brown, and 28 American Servicemembers Who Perished 15 Years Ago in Extortion 17 Shootdown", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://womack.house.gov/news", "domain": "womack.house.gov", "scraper": "womack", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000809", "name": "Steve Womack", "party": "Republican", "state": "AR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "ARKANSAS—August 6, 2026…Fifteen years ago, on August 6, 2011, a U.S. Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter with the call sign Extortion 17 was shot down by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. All 38 people on board were killed, including Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff of Green Forest and Air Force Tech. Sgt. Pararescueman John W. Brown of Siloam Springs. The downing of Extortion 17 is the largest single-incident loss of life during the War in Afghanistan.\n\nRemembering the tragedy, Congressman Womack said, “Today, we remember the thirty United States servicemembers aboard Extortion 17 who lost their lives in defense of our nation while aiding fellow troops under fire. I especially honor the two exceptional men from Northwest Arkansas, Thomas A. Ratzlaff and John W. Brown, who gave the last full measure of devotion for our country that day.”\n\nWomack continued, “Ratzlaff was lauded as a skilled Navy SEAL who exhibited excellence in every mission he executed. Brown embodied the courage and precision required to be a warrior-medic in his duties as a pararescueman. These men exemplified service and duty, sacrificing their lives in devotion to something greater than themselves—a sacrifice that speaks to their extraordinary level of character and bravery.”\n\nWomack concluded, “John Brown and Thomas Ratzlaff’s legacy of courage and selfless service endures in the young men and women—many from Northwest Arkansas—who have sworn an oath to defend the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We are forever indebted to the sacrifices made by them and the other 28 fallen American servicemembers aboard Extortion 17, and their families, and we will never forget.”\n\nBackground:\n\nOn August 5, 2011, American intelligence determined that a senior Taliban leader, Qari Tahir, was operating in Tangi Valley, Wardak province, Afghanistan. A capture or kill order was subsequently given, and that night, a platoon of U.S. Army Rangers were deployed from a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in neighboring Logar province to execute the mission.\n\nAfter the U.S. Army Rangers infiltration, support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft reported several people leaving the compound where it was believed Tahir was located. The U.S. Army Rangers, focused on finding Tahir, did not engage this small contingent of insurgents.\n\nISR aircraft began noticing this group of insurgents growing, and intelligence suggested that Tahir may have escaped the compound and joined the group. This prompted American leadership to determine reinforcements were required. Their mission would be to focus on this separate contingent.\n\nJust after midnight, a group of Navy SEALs in reserve were activated to reinforce the U.S. Army Rangers as part of an Immediate Reaction Force (IRF). SOCS Thomas Ratzlaff was one of the U.S. Navy SEALs assigned to this team. In addition, before departing the FOB, a group of non-Navy SEAL reinforcements were added to the IRF. Tech. Sgt. John Brown was a member of this non-Navy SEAL group.\n\nThe IRF set off from the FOB with two CH-47D aircraft, call signs “Extortion 16” and “Extortion 17”. Extortion 16 acted as a decoy for the duration of the flight, while Extortion 17 held the entire IRF. Before making its final approach, Extortion 16 broke off and began its return to the FOB.\n\nAt approximately 2:38 a.m. local time, Extortion 17 was making its final approach. One minute from the landing zone, the aircraft made its last radio transmission.\n\nThe group of separate insurgents, just minutes before, had broken into two separate groups. One group stayed in the trees. The other entered a building in the compound, located about 2 kilometers away from where the U.S. Army Rangers were engaged.\n\nAs the aircraft made its approach, a rocket-propelled grenade was launched at the aircraft by a group of insurgents previously unknown and unaffiliated with the splintered insurgents intelligence was tracking. Striking the aft rotor assembly, the aircraft was immediately disabled and crashed within seconds of being struck.\n\nTwo hours later, at around 4:15 a.m. local time, the U.S. Army Rangers arrived at the crash site after concluding their mission. No survivors were found.\n\nQari Tahir was never captured.\n\nDays after the incident, General John Allen, the U.S. Commander in Afghanistan, stated that the militants who had shot down Extortion 17 had been tracked down and killed in a NATO airstrike.\n\nOn September 21, over a month later, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) reported that Qari Tahir and an associate were located in a dry riverbed in Sayd Abad district. A precision airstrike was conducted, targeting Tahir.\n\nOn September 22, it was widely reported that Tahir was killed in the strike.\n\nThe Extortion 17 incident represents the largest single-incident loss of lives during the War in Afghanistan.\n\nPhotos:\n\nCongressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.\n\nwomack.house.gov\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/alsobrooks-leads-senators-in-introducing-bill-to-end-tariffs-on-back-to-school-supplies/", "title": "ALSOBROOKS LEADS SENATORS IN INTRODUCING BILL TO END TARIFFS ON BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLIES", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.alsobrooks.senate.gov", "scraper": "alsobrooks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000382", "name": "Angela D. Alsobrooks", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "August 6, 2026\n\nWASHINGTON, DC – As reported in The Hill, U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) introduced the Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act, legislation that would exempt school supplies and educational materials from tariffs, helping reduce costs for families, teachers, schools, and local governments.\n\nAccording to Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation, the cost of back-to-school supplies has increased by nearly 11% this year, driven in part by President Trump’s tariffs, including the latest Section 301 tariffs affecting imports from much of the global economy. According to the study, lunch boxes are up nearly 27%, notebooks are up nearly 23%, and nearly every school item, from pens to paper, is higher than it was before the Trump Tariffs.\n\n“Families and teachers should be focused on preparing children for a successful school year–not worrying about whether they can afford the supplies students need to learn. As parents and teachers continue to feel the strain of rising costs, this legislation provides targeted relief by eliminating tariffs on essential classroom supplies. Every child deserves the opportunity to start the school year with the tools they need to succeed,” said Senator Alsobrooks.\n\n“The Trump Administration’s sweeping global tariffs are raising prices for working families across the country, and our students, teachers, and schools are caught right in the middle of it. This legislation will lower back-to-school costs for families and help students start the year with the tools they need to learn and succeed,” said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n“As school districts across Nevada begin the new school year, parents are being squeezed by the high cost of school supplies thanks to Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs,” said Senator Rosen. “I am proud to help introduce this bill to repeal tariffs on school supplies and provide some financial relief for hardworking families as they prepare our children for another school year. I promise that I will continue fighting in the Senate to lower the cost of living for families all across Nevada.”\n\n“Parents have struggled all year with the impact of Trump’s tariffs on everything from gas to groceries, cell phones to furniture, and now they have to deal with eye-watering costs for backpacks, books, lunch boxes, notebooks, and other back-to-school supplies,” said Senator Coons. “Our children shouldn’t be held back because the tools they need to learn and grow are made unaffordable by Trump’s disastrous tariffs. This bill would make it so parents and children don’t face an unfair tax on back to school.”\n\n“Trump’s tariffs are squeezing families in all directions, and back-to-school season is already stressful enough. This bill helps give them much needed relief on classroom essentials so parents can have some peace of mind while getting their kids ready for the school year,” said Senator Kim.\n\n“Back-to-school season is already expensive enough without tariffs making backpacks, notebooks, pencils, and other essential supplies even more costly,” said Senator Blunt Rochester, Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Education and the American Family. “The Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act will help lower costs for families and educators by exempting school supplies from President Trump’s tariffs so students can start the school year ready to learn—not worrying about higher prices.”\n\n“Working families have already paid a high price under President Trump’s illegal tariffs. They shouldn’t have to pay a tariff tax on their children’s back-to-school supplies,” said Hickenlooper. “This bill will help make it easier for every child to start the school year with the supplies they need.”\n\n“Families shouldn’t have to pay a Trump tariff tax just to send their kids back to school. Senator Alsobrooks’ Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act would help lower the cost of essentials like backpacks, notebooks, and pencils. Third Way is proud to support this commonsense legislation to deliver meaningful cost relief for families, teachers, and schools,” said Zach Moller, Senior Director of the Economic Program, Third Way.\n\n“This back-to-school season is coming with significant sticker shock. Stocking backpacks and lockers this year will cost nearly 8% more thanks to Trump’s tariffs and war in Iran. As half of parents are forced to cut back on other expenses to make sure their children are prepared to succeed this school year, working families need relief from Trump’s reckless economic agenda,” said Elizabeth Pancotti, Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Research, Groundwork Collaborative.\n\nThe Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act would exempt school supplies and educational materials from most tariffs, including the latest Section 301 tariffs raising prices on goods from much of the global economy.\n\nThe legislation directs the Secretaries of Commerce and Education to work together to create a list of tariff-free school supplies, but also specifically exempts:\n\nOffice and school supplies\n\nBackpacks\n\nNotebooks, memorandum pads, and similar paper products\n\nChildren’s picture, drawing, and coloring books\n\nCalendars\n\nComputer keyboards\n\nHairbrushes\n\nPencils, crayons, chalk, and other drawing materials\n\nPens, markers, and related writing instruments\n\nThe bill preserves congressional oversight by allowing Congress to disapprove the designation of specific items for tariff exemptions through a Joint Resolution of Disapproval.\n\nRead full text of the bill here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/alsobrooks-on-cnn-our-country-is-in-a-race-to-the-bottom-with-republicans-at-the-helm/", "title": "ALSOBROOKS ON CNN: OUR COUNTRY IS IN A RACE TO THE BOTTOM WITH REPUBLICANS AT THE HELM", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.alsobrooks.senate.gov", "scraper": "alsobrooks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000382", "name": "Angela D. Alsobrooks", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) joined CNN News Central with Kate Bolduan to discuss the unserious witch hunt against Dr. Fauci, this President’s disastrous and costly war, and how Democrats will win back the Senate in the midterm elections.\n\n“These Republicans have now become the masters of the Jedi mind trick. They prefer for us to focus on Anthony Fauci at a time when Cyclospora is spreading through our communities; it is surging. Where we see measles at the highest rates that we’ve seen in 35 years, where RFK Jr. has lied every single time that I have been in a hearing with him…These Republicans are so unserious,” said Senator Alsobrooks during the interview.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/alsobrooks-on-cnn-rfk-jr-is-making-americans-sicker-and-poorer/", "title": "ALSOBROOKS ON CNN – RFK JR. IS MAKING AMERICANS SICKER AND POORER", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.alsobrooks.senate.gov", "scraper": "alsobrooks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "A000382", "name": "Angela D. Alsobrooks", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "August 6, 2026\n\nWASHINGTON, DC – Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) joined The Lead with Jake Tapper on CNN to discuss RFK Jr.’s continued lies and how his actions and rhetoric are endangering American families.\n\n“[RFK Jr.] is presently causing harm to Americans. Where we see Cyclospora. People are asking why they’re in the emergency rooms. Measles [cases] are at the highest rates that we’ve seen in 35 years. The fact that we have canceled important research. And instead of focusing on what is causing harm right this second – what is making Americans sicker, and by the way, poorer – they decide instead to do the Jedi mind trick and to focus on Dr. Fauci. So these people are so unserious. This clown show today was disgraceful, and I think Americans are going to be able to see through it,” said Senator Alsobrooks during the interview.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-blasts-trump-administrations-latest-attack-on-head-start", "title": "Baldwin Blasts Trump Administration’s Latest Attack on Head Start", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.baldwin.senate.gov", "scraper": "baldwin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001230", "name": "Tammy Baldwin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education, released the following statement after the Trump Administration’s latest attack on Head Start, the pre-K and childcare program that serves nearly 800,000 children and their families. The new effort from the Department of Health and Human Services guts basic standards that keep children safe in the classroom and jeopardizes essential childcare and early learning opportunities for the most vulnerable kids. Head Start serves nearly 800,000 Americans, including over 16,000 Wisconsin children. This announcement follows the Trump Administration’s earlier efforts to dismantle Head Start, including freezing and delaying funding that shuttered Head Start centers last year. The Trump Administration’s budget would have eliminated funding for the program all together.\n\n“Wisconsin families in every part of our state struggle to find quality, affordable childcare – with parents driving hours or simply quitting their jobs so their kids have somewhere safe to play, learn, and grow. Head Start is a lifeline for working families, but since Donald Trump took office, his administration has repeatedly threatened care for our children and their parents. This latest push puts kids’ wellbeing and safety on the line and is all part of the President’s plan to shut down Head Start entirely, and it’s shameful,” said Senator Baldwin. “For decades, Republicans and Democrats have come together to support Head Start because it is essential for not just our children’s development and Kindergarten readiness, but our workforce and economy. Parents and children need to come first – not the President’s political crusade to end this lifeline of a program.”\n\nToday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a new proposed rule to gut quality standards and jeopardize funding for Head Start programs, including:\n\nEliminating class size and staff-to-child ratio requirements,?leaving them up to individual states, some of which allow far higher ratios that Head Start currently permits.\n\nCutting the administrative spending cap from 15 percent to 5 percent?of grant funding, without any increase in the program’s budget, jeopardizing Head Start centers’ ability to operate.\n\nRemoving required development screenings?and detailed protections for children with disabilities.\n\nDropping accommodations for homeless families and children in foster care.\n\nMaking parent advisory committees optional?rather?than required\n\nEliminating guidance on suspension and expulsion, including the current ban on corporal punishment.\n\nAdding new documentation and reporting burdens, requiring programs to verify immigration status, retain eligibility records, and report staff for violations.\n\nMandating English-only instruction, except for Native American tribes.\n\nSince the start of 2025, the Trump Administration has leveled illegal attacks on Head Start that have left Wisconsin children and their families in the cold without the care they count on. Last year, following an illegal funding freeze that cut off funding for the program, Senator Baldwin visited a Head Start facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin that was forced to close their doors. The Trump Administration and Senate Republicans also refused to release funding for at least 17 programs in 12 states caring for over 6,600 children which were closed, including in Wisconsin, during a government shutdown. In June, a report from the influential conservative Heritage Foundation called on the administration to deregulate the program and eventually eliminate it.\n\nSenator Baldwin has continued to speak out against these attacks on Head Start and worked to secure strong funding as the lead Democrat on the subcommittee that funds Head Start. In the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that passed last year, Senator Baldwin worked with her Republican colleagues to increase the program’s budget by $85 million over the previous year.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/banks-introduces-amendment-protecting-female-athletes-2/", "title": "Banks Introduces Amendment Protecting Female Athletes", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Amendment would prevent federal legislation from overriding state protections for female athletes\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) offered an amendment to the Protect College Sports Act alongside Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) that would prevent the legislation from preempting state laws protecting women’s sports.\n\nIndiana has enacted protections for female athletes at every level of education. In 2022, the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation to prohibit biological males from competing in girls’ K-12 sports. In 2025, Governor Mike Braun signed a second law extending those protections to women’s collegiate athletics.\n\nThe senators’ amendment would ensure that Indiana and other states’ laws cannot be weakened or overridden by the federal government.\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “Indiana has one of the strongest laws in the country that keeps biological men from competing in women’s sports. As a father of three daughters, I can’t support any legislation that would preempt Indiana’s law. This amendment would make sure the Protect College Sports Act protects female athletes.”\n\nSen. Josh Hawley (R-MO): “Biological men should never be allowed in women’s sports or women’s locker rooms. We’ve got to make sure state laws protecting women stand.”\n\nSen. Tommy Tubberville (R-Ala.): “Protecting girls and women’s sports is the civil issue of our time. Democrats have proven again and again they don’t give a rip about protecting women from mentally ill men who wake up one day and decide to dress like a girl. I’m proud to stand with Senators Hawley and Banks in introducing this commonsense amendment to protect millions of female student athletes.”\n\nRead the amendment text here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-banks-recommends-oversight-of-unreleased-ai-models/", "title": "Sen. Banks Recommends Oversight of Unreleased AI Models", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Encourages the Trump administration to consider steps to improve visibility into unreleased AI models and protect American AI from foreign adversaries\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sharing new questions about federal oversight of AI models that have not been publicly released.\n\nThe letter follows reports of multiple incidents involving unreleased AI models from frontier AI developers. In one incident, an OpenAI model accessed Hugging Face without human instruction and was not identified as responsible until several days later. In another instance, Anthropic disclosed that its models inadvertently accessed systems belonging to three outside organizations.\n\nIn the letter, Banks suggests that unreleased models may fall outside existing oversight frameworks. He recommends that the Administration close potential gaps, strengthen the security of unreleased models, and protect advanced American technology from theft by China and other foreign adversaries.\n\nRead the full letter here:\n\nDear Secretary Bessent:\n\nI am writing about the recent incidents involving OpenAI and Anthropic models and their implications for AI policy. Reporting recently revealed that an OpenAI model gained unauthorized access to Hugging Face while attempting to complete a task. The model appears to have determined, without direction from a human operator, that compromising Hugging Face was the most effective way to achieve its objective. OpenAI did not realize its agent was responsible for the intrusion until several days after Hugging Face had detected it. In a separate incident disclosed last week, Anthropic reported that its models had inadvertently accessed systems at three outside organizations.\n\nThe recent incidents highlight a unique aspect of AI: threats can emerge during internal testing and deployment, even for models that are not publicly released. Most notably, both incidents involved AI models that were not released to the public. The OpenAI incident involved an unreleased model used internally by the company, while one of the three models involved in the Anthropic incidents was also an internal research model. This raises a strategic consideration that does not emerge in other industries. For most products, we can rely on testing that takes place before the technology is publicly released. But for AI, effective oversight must account for powerful internal or undisclosed models, not just publicly available systems.\n\nA recent report by the America First Policy Institute described this challenge as the undisclosed-models loophole: “The best AI models in the world are not those that the public is familiar with… They are those that the top AI companies have just finished training and are available and known only to their staff. We call these ‘undisclosed models’… Existing policy does not address undisclosed models.”\n\nUndisclosed models also have important implications for your upcoming engagements with the PRC on advanced AI. I previously proposed a simple heuristic: if it is in America’s national interest to adopt a policy unilaterally, it is worth engaging the Chinese on the possibility of reciprocal action. Even if China cheats, the United States is no worse off because it would have pursued the policy regardless. The risks posed by undisclosed models and autonomous agents offer an opportunity to apply this approach. I recommend considering raising these risks with PRC counterparts, examining how the PRC assesses these risks, and exploring whether there are mutually beneficial approaches to oversight, incident prevention, or risk reduction.\n\nAs you consider new oversight ideas and prepare to engage the PRC on various AI topics, I recommend considering the following topics:\n\nClosing the “undisclosed models loophole”. How would a “FINRA for AI” or other oversight structure address risks from undisclosed or internally deployed models? What information about these models is most critical to national security and public safety?\n\nThreats posed by undisclosed models. What unique considerations apply to threats posed by undisclosed models? How do AI developers plan to keep systems controlled and contained as their capabilities improve? What scenarios should the U.S. prepare for if the next generation of advanced AI systems attempts to circumvent its safeguards or escape containment in a manner similar to the recent OpenAI and Anthropic incidents?\n\nSecurity of undisclosed models. To what extent are undisclosed models protected from theft from the PRC and other adversaries? How difficult would it be for the PRC to steal the model weights of the most powerful undisclosed models?\n\nAI R&D from undisclosed models. When do companies expect AI systems to become capable of substantially accelerating AI research and development? How can the federal government work with industry to understand and prepare for risks posed by undisclosed or internally deployed AI R&D agents?\n\nEngagement with the PRC. How is the PRC conceptualizing risks from highly capable AI agents? Has the PRC considered oversight or risk reduction approaches for non-public PRC models? Are there any areas where mutual action would be beneficial (even if China cheats) or verifiable (such that China cannot cheat)?\n\nYour work on these topics will be essential for achieving enduring AI leadership, countering threats from our adversaries, and addressing novel risks from this fast-moving technology. To support your work, I request a staff-level briefing within 60 days to discuss these topics.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-banks-booker-introduce-prescription-information-modernization-act/", "title": "Sens. Banks, Booker Introduce Prescription Information Modernization Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the bipartisan Prescription Information Modernization Act to allow drug manufacturers to distribute prescribing information electronically while preserving the option to receive paper copies.\n\nUnder current law, prescribing information—including dosing instructions, drug interactions, precautions for pregnant women, pediatric guidance, and other critical safety information—must be printed and included in paper form with every medication. The bill would allow physicians, pharmacists, and pharmacies to access this information digitally while continuing to provide paper copies to those who prefer them.\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “Doctors and pharmacists shouldn’t have to sort through stacks of paper to access information that’s already available digitally. My bill would eliminate waste, lower costs, and give healthcare providers faster, easier access to the prescribing information they rely on to keep their patients safe.”\n\nSen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.): “Every unnecessary administrative burden in our healthcare system is time stolen from patients and their providers. This bipartisan bill cuts the red tape on an outdated process and makes sure providers have the information they need, right when they need it.”\n\nKey Provisions of the Prescription Information Modernization Act:\n\nAllows drug manufacturers to provide prescribing information electronically to health care providers and pharmacies.\n\nPreserves the option for providers and pharmacies to receive paper prescribing information if they choose.\n\nModernizes access to prescribing information while reducing unnecessary printing, packaging, and paper waste.\n\nBackground:\n\nPrescribing information contains essential safety and usage instructions that physicians and pharmacists rely on to prescribe and dispense medications, including drug interactions, dosing recommendations, age- and sex-specific guidance, pregnancy precautions, pediatric instructions, and other clinical information. Under current law, this information must be distributed on paper, often requiring dozens or even hundreds of printed pages for each medication.\n\nMany physicians and pharmacists already prefer accessing prescribing information electronically because it is easier to search, more readable, and more efficient. The Prescription Information Modernization Act updates federal law to reflect modern clinical practice by allowing electronic distribution while ensuring paper copies remain available for those who want them. The legislation is also expected to eliminate millions of pages of unnecessary paper waste each year.\n\nThe legislation is supported by the Alliance to Modernize Prescribing Information, the American Pharmacists Association, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, the Indiana Life Sciences Association, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and dozens of other health care, patient advocacy, and life sciences organizations.\n\nFull bill text can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-banks-padilla-introduce-accountable-produce-is-medicine-act/", "title": "Sens. Banks, Padilla Introduce Accountable Produce is Medicine Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act, legislation to expand access to Food is Medicine programs that help Americans prevent chronic disease through healthy nutrition. Poor diet is the leading risk factor contributing to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and certain cancers. According to the CDC, obesity accounted for $173 billion in direct medical costs in 2019. The bill directs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a pilot bundled payment model supporting programs that provide regionally sourced healthy foods, nutrition counseling, and care coordination.\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “The best way to lower health care costs is to help Americans stay healthy in the first place. This bill invests in Food is Medicine and nutrition programs that are proven to work.”\n\nSen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.): “Our bill would connect families to locally grown produce, providing them with better access to fresh whole foods that prevent chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Good food is preventative care, and we owe it to our communities to ensure they can access healthy food that supports their health and well-being.”\n\nKey Provisions of the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act:\n\nDirects CMS to establish a pilot bundled payment model for qualifying Food is Medicine programs.\n\nSupports programs that provide regionally sourced healthy foods, nutrition counseling, and care coordination.\n\nProvides funding for Food is Medicine programs, allowing hospitals and health departments to expand existing initiatives and encourage new programs nationwide.\n\nThe legislation builds on successful Food is Medicine initiatives already operating in hospitals, health systems, state Medicaid programs, and public health agencies. These programs have demonstrated improved health outcomes, reduced hospitalizations, and lowered health care costs by integrating nutrition into patient care.\n\nThe legislation is supported by MAHA Action, National Produce Prescription Collaborative, Coalition for Metabolic Health, Kellyn Foundation, International Fresh Produce Association, School of Global Health, Healthcare Partnerships, Hunger Free Kansas, Texas Health Resources, Fresh RX Oklahoma, National Alliance to Impact Social Determinants of Health, Mosaic Life Care, and the Sunflower Foundation.\n\nFull bill text can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-banks-warner-introduce-bill-to-eliminate-medical-errors-and-reduce-healthcare-costs/", "title": "Sens. Banks, Warner Introduce Bill to Eliminate Medical Errors and Reduce Healthcare Costs", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Patient Matching in Certified Health IT (MATCH IT) Act, bipartisan legislation that would improve patient identification and health record matching. According to the American Health Information Management Association, patient-matching errors cost the average hospital $2.5 million and the U.S. healthcare system nearly $7 billion annually. The MATCH IT Act would standardize patients’ demographic data entered into electronic health records to reduce misidentification and help eliminate medical errors and waste.\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “Patient matching errors are a hidden tax on the healthcare system. This bipartisan bill would make sure doctors have the right patient’s records and reduce medical errors, speed up care, and reduce healthcare costs.”\n\nSen. Mark Warner (D-VA.): “Patient misidentification is a serious problem that has led to medical mistakes and even patient death. My bipartisan bill would improve the interoperability between health care systems and decrease patient misidentification, while protecting patient privacy and leading to better patient care.”\n\nKey Provisions of the MATCH IT Act:\n\nDirect the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish uniform demographic data standards and definitions to improve patient matching accuracy.\n\nCreate a standardized minimum patient data set to support a national patient matching rate of at least 99.9 percent.\n\nRequire Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) systems to adopt these standardized data elements.\n\nEstablish a voluntary Medicare bonus for providers who meet a patient matching rate of 90 percent.\n\nBackground:\n\nPatient matching—the ability to correctly link a patient with their medical records—is a foundational component of safe, efficient healthcare. Yet inconsistent demographic information across electronic health record (EHR) systems continues to result in duplicate records, treatment delays, unnecessary testing, billing errors, and in some cases patient harm.\n\nAccording to the American Health Information Management Association, patient-matching errors cost the average hospital approximately $2.5 million annually and nearly $7 billion across U.S. healthcare systems. As artificial intelligence and digital health technologies become more integrated into clinical care, accurate patient identification is increasingly essential to ensuring these tools are safe, reliable, and effective.\n\nThe legislation is supported by the Patient ID Now Coalition, American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), American Heart Association, Becton Dickinson (BD), College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Inc. (HIMSS), Intermountain Health, 4medica, Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE), American College of Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Baptist Health, Civitas Networks for Health, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), DirectTrust, e4health, Harris Data Integrity Solutions, Imprivata, Medical Group Management Association, MyLigo, Inc, Nemours Children’s Health, OrthoVirginia, Parkland Health, Parkview Health, Robert Wood Johnson Barnabus Health, SynchroLink AI, Valley Children’s Healthcare, and Verato.\n\n“Every patient deserves the certainty that the right information reaches the right provider at the right time. The MATCH IT Act is about making that expectation a reality. As a national healthcare leader, Indiana has one of the largest vested interests in ensuring our patients receive safe, high-quality care. The MATCH IT Act will strengthen patient identification, reduce the risk of medical errors, and improve the secure exchange of health information across providers. By advancing this legislation, we can help ensure every patient receives the exceptional level of care they deserve—no matter where they seek treatment.” — Lisa DesNoyers, MPH, RHIA, SME, President, Indiana Health Information Management Association.\n\n“AI has the potential to transform healthcare, but its effectiveness depends on accurate, trusted patient data. As providers manage a historic volume of health information, the need for a national patient matching standard has never been more urgent.The MATCH IT Act will strengthen patient safety, protect patient privacy, and improve interoperability by ensuring health information is accurately matched to the right individual. By reducing duplicate records and eliminating costly, manual reconciliation processes, this legislation will create new efficiencies across the healthcare system while laying the foundation for safe and effective AI adoption.” ­— Russ Branzell, CEO of College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).\n\n“On behalf of HIMSS (Healthcare Information Management System Society), I applaud Senators Mark Warner and Jim Banks for their bipartisan leadership in introducing the MATCH IT Act in the Senate. Accurate patient identification is fundamental to safe, interoperable, and high-quality care. By addressing the persistent challenge of patient misidentification, the MATCH IT Act will help improve patient safety, strengthen privacy protections, and ensure providers have access to complete and accurate information for delivering informed care. We now urge Congress to advance this critical legislation.”— Hal Wolf, President and CEO of HIMSS.\n\n“Medical care begins with the information found in a patient’s health record. However, patient misidentification within the healthcare ecosystem continues to threaten patient safety and privacy, which can lead to dire outcomes. With the introduction of the MATCH IT Act, we are one step closer to ensuring patients’ health information is complete and accurate. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) commends Senator Warner and Senator Banks for leading the effort to address this critical issue.”— David D. Cella, CEO of American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).\n\nFull bill text can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-republicans-are-the-party-of-results-democrats-are-the-party-of-radicals/", "title": "Barrasso: Republicans are the Party of Results. Democrats are the Party of Radicals.", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom/news-releases/", "domain": "www.barrasso.senate.gov", "scraper": "barrasso", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001261", "name": "John Barrasso", "party": "Republican", "state": "WY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“Under the extreme Democrat manifesto, the American people would be forced to pay more, earn less, and be less safe and secure.”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today contrasted the Republican agenda of safety and prosperity to the radical, extreme, dangerous, and scary Democrat manifesto.\n\nClick HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.\n\nSen. Barrasso’s remarks as delivered:\n\n“I come to the Floor today because yesterday I heard the Minority Leader on the Floor speaking about the economy. He sounded upset. Sounded upset to hear that Americans were keeping more of their hard-earned money. He actually called it ‘disastrous.’\n\n“Ninety-seven percent of Americans benefited from the Working Families Tax Cuts law. This is a benefit. This is not a ‘disaster.’ What I see as disastrous is the Democrats’ demand to raise taxes. They want to raise taxes on hardworking Americans all across the country. Democrats continue to think that they know how to spend your money better than you do. I think it’s been a lifelong obsession with them. It’s part of their DNA. Been going on for years.\n\n“Tax rates fell significantly this past year. And it’s because Republicans cut taxes. So who are the people that benefited the most? Well, they’re people, families that made less than $200,000 a year. That’s where the benefits really hit home. It happened all across the country from Connecticut to California. Even though those states are represented by Democrats. People all across the country benefited.\n\n“Families kept more of what they earned, and then they can make their own decisions about what to save, what to spend, what to invest. You know who knows it? People on Social Security know it. They got to keep more of their hard-earned money. People who work overtime know it because of no tax on overtime. People who work for tips know it because their tips weren’t taxed. People understood and felt the improvement. One resident of Nevada recently said, ‘I received the largest tax return in my entire life this year.’ Why? No tax on tips.\n\n“Every single Democrat in this chamber voted against these things. They wanted people who earn tips to pay more in taxes. Democrats wanted people on Social Security to pay more in taxes. Democrats wanted people who work overtime to pay more in taxes. And that’s a defining difference.\n\n“The American people clearly understand this. The American people were tired and sick of seeing their money – their taxpayer money – wasted on fraud, abuse, and corruption. And we’re seeing those things across the country. People want to keep more of what they earn, and they know they’re the best to judge how to spend it.\n\n“That’s what Republicans are fighting for. We’re going to continue fighting for that. That’s the direction our country is headed. And in November of 2024 people made a clear choice. They chose to vote for Republicans because they wanted America to be safer, stronger, and more prosperous. And we are today. Over the past 18 months Republicans have upheld that commitment. We’ve delivered for the American people. We’re making sure people keep more of what they earn. More than 60 million Americans benefited from the new tax benefits since Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts law.\n\n“Let me remind you about the Trump Accounts. More than seven million American children are now signed up this year for this special new investment account. It’s an astonishing thing. Families, friends, community groups, and even businesses are already investing in them. This is clearly strengthening the American dream for the next generation.\n\n“I also want to talk about the border because today our nation’s immigration laws are being strongly enforced. National security begins with border security. Absolutely zero illegal immigrants have been released in our country in over 14 months. Absolutely zero because Republicans have ended the reckless Joe Biden catch-and-release program. And what a disaster that was. Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals have now been arrested and deported since President Trump took office. And we’re seeing the most secure border and the most successful deportation operation in all of American history.\n\n“This year Republicans also passed the Secure America Act. This law ensures that immigration officials have the resources that they need to keep our country safe and to keep our communities safe for years to come.\n\n“I also want to mention affordability because today Congress is making it easier to build and easier to innovate. The largest housing reform bill in history is now the law of the land. We eliminated burdensome regulations. Regulations that made it too costly to build a new home in America. And we’re unlocking the American dream of homeownership for a new generation of Americans.\n\n“Congress also passed the first major digital asset bill in American history. It’s called the GENIUS Act. My colleague Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming has been a leader on the issue. It’s time for the Senate to build on that by passing the CLARITY Act. America is safer and stronger when we innovate.\n\n“I also want to talk about some of the things we’re doing here to make sure the president has his team fully in place, and that’s confirmations. Today Republicans are getting the president’s team fully in place. Very soon we will confirm an additional 74 nominees. Well this will be clearly 600 people confirmed in the second Trump administration. That’s 60 more nominees than he had at this point in the first Trump administration. And we’ve done it in the face of historic obstruction by the Democrats.\n\n“Now we see these same Democrats are trying to tear down our country, and they are trying it all across the nation. The Democrats’ agenda is not for a better America. Not for a better future for our children. No, no. It’s not even an agenda. It’s a manifesto. The Democrats have come up with a manifesto. That’s their label for it – not mine. Their label. The Democrats – the manifesto. And I see it as a roadmap to destroy America from people that hate America. When you listen to many of their candidates, it certainly doesn’t seem like the thing that most Americans would want to see in their future. These people and their manifesto, it’s radical, it’s extreme, it’s dangerous, it’s scary. That’s what our nation is facing today.\n\n“The Democrats – every one of them – wants to raise taxes on American families. The Democrat mantra calls for opening the borders. Their manifesto wants to defund the police. The manifesto wants to abolish prisons. The manifesto wants to release convicted criminals into our communities all across the country. The Democrat manifesto wants to eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the extreme Democrat manifesto, the American people would be forced to pay more, earn less, and be less safe and secure. That’s what we’re facing now.\n\n“Democrats have turned in from a party of the extremists now to a party of radicals. Republicans are going to continue to be the party of results. That is the choice people are facing. What do you want? Results? Safety? Security? Prosperity? Radicals? Opening the prisons? Opening the borders? Raising your taxes?\n\n“Republicans work fiercely to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. Republicans are going to continue to fight for freedom, for liberty, and a continuation of American greatness. Because that’s the future that I believe the American people want and deserve.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/06/bennet-hickenlooper-introduce-legislation-to-mitigate-mountain-pine-beetle-outbreaks-in-response-to-colorado-wildfires/", "title": "Bennet, Hickenlooper Introduce Legislation to Mitigate Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks In Response to Colorado Wildfires", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "domain": "www.bennet.senate.gov", "scraper": "bennet", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001267", "name": "Michael F. Bennet", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and John Hickenlooper introduced the Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act to mitigate the growing mountain pine beetle outbreak in Colorado.\n\nColorado faces warming weather and prolonged drought, creating the perfect conditions for the spread of the mountain pine beetle in Ponderosa pine forests across the state. Recent surveys from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Colorado State Forest Service show a large and growing outbreak of mountain pine beetle on Colorado’s Front Range.\n\nWhile pine beetles and wildfire are part of the natural ecology of Colorado forests, climate conditions and decades of fire suppression have made this outbreak severe, increasing hazardous fire conditions and putting watersheds and recreational assets at risk. The outbreak is especially concerning given its close proximity to highly populated areas.\n\n“As we face extreme drought and historic high temperatures, Colorado must work together to keep our forests healthy,” said Bennet. “This legislation will provide new tools and resources for partners at every level to work together to address the growing outbreak and protect communities on Colorado’s Front Range.”\n\n“Record drought, devastating wildfires, and a new outbreak of mountain pine beetles are pushing Colorado forests to the brink,” said Hickenlooper. “If we want to protect forest health, we need an all-in approach that puts resources where they’re needed and brings partners together at every level. Protecting our forests means protecting our communities.”\n\nThe Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act will provide grant opportunities to local partners working in coordination with the Forest Service to mitigate mountain pine beetle threats on National Forest System land. This legislation will also create a Mountain Pine Beetle Emergency Response Program within the USFS.\n\nIn addition, the legislation includes measures to prevent, monitor, and respond to mountain pine beetle outbreaks through cooperative agreements with states directed by the Forest Service. These efforts will provide localities with increased resources and a framework that focuses on responding to developing outbreaks before they cause widespread and extensive damage.\n\n“Colorado is taking swift action to combat the impacts of the mountain pine beetle outbreak, and we need strong federal partnerships to protect our communities, forests, critical water supplies, and infrastructure,” said Governor Jared Polis. “This bill would strengthen state opportunities and partnerships and bring additional resources to high-priority needs, helping to protect our communities, forests, critical water supplies, and infrastructure. I thank Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and Congresswoman Pettersen for working together to support our efforts to combat the Mountain Pine Beetle, protect Colorado communities, and help us meet this growing challenge with the urgency it demands.”\n\n“Colorado’s forests have faced years of extreme drought leading to an extensive mountain pine beetle outbreak along Colorado’s front range in areas with some of the highest wildfire risk and population densities.” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. “The introduced legislation, the Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act, will enable close coordination between federal, state, Tribal, and local governments and provide critical funding resources to get on the ground work complete. We appreciate Senator Bennet and Senator Hickenlooper for leading the introduction of these bills in the United States Senate and we also extend gratitude to Representative Pettersen for leading this effort in the U.S. House. It’s vital we work together and are coordinated in our responses to reduce the impact of the mountain pine beetle outbreak with a focus on protecting property, reducing wildfire risk, and restoring our forests so future generations can enjoy our iconic ponderosa pine forests.”\n\n“Mountain pine beetles are a natural part of Colorado’s forests, but the current outbreak is affecting some of our state’s most populated areas,” said Matt McCombs, Colorado State Forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service. “Forests in these areas already have a high wildfire risk, and an abundance of beetle-killed trees can further threaten homes, watersheds and recreation areas and complicate emergency response. We’ve been here before in Colorado, so this is not cause for panic. It is cause for vigilance, preparation and action.”\n\n“That preparation starts with acknowledging that mountain pine beetles don’t recognize ownership boundaries, and neither can our response. I am committed to working alongside our federal partners to address this outbreak and want to thank Senator Bennet, Senator Hickenlooper, and Representative Pettersen for their continued leadership and dedication to the future of Colorado’s forests. These bills invest in the partnerships, workforce and wood utilization capacity needed to restore forest health, reduce wildfire risk and support Colorado communities.”\n\nAs Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology, Bennet has been a champion of Colorado’s forests for years. In February 2025, Bennet reintroduced the Protect the West Act, to make a $60 billion investment in forest health and watershed restoration. In March 2025, Bennet and John Curtis (R-Utah) reintroduced the Watershed Protection and Forestry Recovery Act and the Making Access to Cleanup Happen (MATCH) Act. These bipartisan bills improve and expedite emergency watershed recovery efforts by removing bureaucratic barriers that delay disaster response and by empowering local partners to initiate forest and watershed recovery measures. In September 2025, Bennet reintroduced the Headwaters Protection Act to invest in America’s forests and watersheds by expanding two key USFS programs. The two programs together prevent water pollution at the source, improve the health of our watersheds, and ensure investments benefit downstream communities.\n\nBennet has also consistently pushed USFS to respond to drought, prioritize hazardous fuels reduction, and reduce wildfire risk. In March 2026, Bennet urged USFS Chief Tom Schultz to prioritize proactive wildfire mitigation efforts in the West. In December 2025, Bennet urged Schultz to address persistent staffing shortages and mounting setbacks to wildfire risk reduction efforts across the West and the country.\n\nColorado Representatives Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) led companion legislation for this bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nThe text of the Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act is available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/06/bennet-statement-on-farm-bill-markup/", "title": "Bennet Statement on Farm Bill Markup", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "domain": "www.bennet.senate.gov", "scraper": "bennet", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001267", "name": "Michael F. Bennet", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement after voting against the 2026 Farm Bill in Committee:\n\n“I am disappointed we could not get to a bipartisan Farm Bill today. Colorado’s farmers, ranchers, and families across the state need support now more than ever, and this bill fails to deliver. At a time when families are already struggling to afford groceries, Republicans are working to make SNAP even more inaccessible, all while placing the financial burden on states and the backs of hardworking families. For Colorado, this bill would be a devastating blow to our already strained budget. It also does little to meet the increasing demands caused by historic drought and worsening fire seasons across the West, and fails to make any meaningful investments in nutrition, conservation, specialty crops, forestry, or Western agriculture.\n\n“Current Farm Bill policies are not working for today’s agricultural economy and are simply reinforcing a broken status quo. We need to examine why that is, rather than just polishing around the edges. The Committee must deliver a comprehensive multi-year bill ensuring certainty not just among agriculture producers, but for the people who rely on this legislation to put food on the table.\n\n“For these reasons, and for the first time in my career, I voted against advancing a Farm Bill. We have to go back to the table and engage in true bipartisan negotiations in order to serve the best interests of farmers and families in Colorado and across the country.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-delauro-call-on-yale-to-reject-settlement-with-trump-administration", "title": "Blumenthal & DeLauro Call on Yale to Reject Settlement with Trump Administration", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) wrote Yale University President Maurie McInnis requesting records and information regarding the University's ongoing negotiations with the Trump Administration, following reports that Yale has submitted two proposed settlement agreements amid an investigation by the Department of Justice into its admissions process. The lawmakers urged Yale to reject any settlement and warned that capitulating to the Administration's demands would compromise the University's independence.\n\n“Acquiescing to a bully does not make that bully go away, it encourages them to come back for more and to expand their overreach to weaker targets. Yale’s settlement here would show the Trump Administration that its tactics are working. It would also send the wrong message to Yale’s alumni, its students, and the world,” Blumenthal and DeLauro wrote. “What we admire about Yale is exemplified by its own motto, ‘Lux et Veritas,’ light and truth. That is why we urge Yale, in the strongest possible terms, to consider the lasting consequences of a decision not rooted in light and truth.”\n\nThe letter follows a roundtable held earlier this month on Yale’s campus, where Blumenthal and representatives from DeLauro’s office met with Yale students and faculty, including international students, to hear firsthand how a potential settlement could affect them. The roundtable was followed by a press conference at which students, faculty, and Connecticut state and local elected officials called on Yale to reject any deal with the Trump Administration.\n\nThe full text of the lawmakers' letter is available here and below.\n\nDear President McInnis:\n\nWe write to express our deep concerns that Yale University (“Yale” or “the University”) may be contemplating a settlement with the Trump Administration amidst troubling reports that the University has preemptively submitted two proposed settlement agreements. We are concerned that Yale has taken these steps and that such a storied and admired institution would consider bowing to the authoritarian impulses of the Trump Administration. Capitulating at this critical moment would be a retreat from Yale’s independence as a deeply respected educational institution and would raise serious concerns about its compliance with civil rights law. Accordingly, we urge you to take a stand for your students and staff, your alumni, and Yale’s legacy and fight this toxic, politicized enforcement action by the Trump Administration. We further request that you provide records and information about Yale’s ongoing negotiations with the Trump Administration privately with our delegation.\n\nWe have all watched as the Trump Administration has engaged in an unprecedented attack on America’s premier educational institutions while at the same time, decimating public education in this country. Some of these institutions have steadfastly resisted these attempts. Indeed, Harvard’s ultimate decision to fight similar claims—even when faced with aggressive threats to its research funding demonstrates that rejecting such abusive government overreach is not only possible but sends an important signal to others that might be targeted.\n\nAcquiescing to a bully does not make that bully go away, it encourages them to come back for more and to expand their overreach to weaker targets. Yale’s settlement here would show the Trump Administration that its tactics are working. It would also send the wrong message to Yale’s alumni, its students, and the world. What we admire about Yale is exemplified by its own motto, “Lux et Veritas,” light and truth. That is why we urge Yale, in the strongest possible terms, to consider the lasting consequences of a decision not rooted in light and truth.\n\nAdditionally, and to shed light on the troubling actions of the Trump Administration that has led to this point, we request records and information regarding the University’s interactions with the Administration since January 20, 2025, regarding Title VI compliance and any recent or ongoing negotiations. This information will be useful to understand the scope of government overreach by this Administration and as we consider potential reforms to Title VI and federal higher education grants and programs.\n\n1. All records referring or relating to any proposed settlement agreement between Yale and any federal agency; including but not limited to all settlement agreement proposals and supporting memoranda.\n\n2. All communications, between Yale and any federal agency (including the Department of Justice and the Department of Education and Department of Justice) concerning compliance with Title VI and/or the possibility of revocation of federal funds from Yale.\n\n3. Has Yale been asked, formally or informally by the Trump Administration, to modify its policies or practices related to admissions, faculty hiring, academic programs, and any program relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Please describe the nature of those requests including:\n\na. Were any of these requested changes framed as conditions for avoiding investigation, enforcement action, litigation, or loss of federal funding?\n\nb. Did any federal officials reference potential financial penalties, settlement amounts, or other consequences in connection with these discussions?\n\n4. Has Yale preemptively made any commitments, policy changes, or personnel decisions, that were made in anticipation of an investigation by the Administration—before discussion began—or directly in response to the Administration’s demands?\n\n5. Has the Trump Administration communicated a desire for a settlement agreement, or any consequence for declining to reach such an agreement? Please describe any such statements, who made them, when they were made, and in what form.\n\n6. Has the Trump Administration given any insight as to the consequences of a failure to reach a settlement?\n\nThank you for your attention to this important matter.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-hosts-passport-tsa-precheck-and-global-entry-enrollment_renewal-event-in-hartford", "title": "Blumenthal Hosts Passport, TSA Precheck, & Global Entry Enrollment & Renewal Event in Hartford", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[Hartford, CT] – On Friday, August 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal will host a Passport Day in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and IDEMIA, a TSA PreCheck authorized enrollment provider, to assist individuals with passport renewals, first-time passport applications, TSA PreCheck enrollment, and Global Entry applications.\n\nThe event is open to the public and will take place at Connecticut’s Old State House at 800 Main Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except between the hours of 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. The TSA PreCheck program is open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents.\n\nPassport applications and renewals provided by the CT Passport Agency:\n\nFirst-time passport applicants will be required to complete a Passport Application Form and present a valid photo ID and proof of U.S. citizenship, such as an original birth certificate or naturalization certificate.\n\nFor passport renewals, a completed Passport Application Form, an old passport, and a recent passport photo will be required, along with the passport renewal fee.\n\nFor new and renewed passports, a 2-inch x 2-inch passport photo taken in the last 6 months is required. If you require a passport photo on the day of the event, Camera Bar, a local business located at 75 Asylum Street, is about two blocks away from the Passport Day event and can provide a passport photo for $10.62 day of.\n\nRSVP to apply for or renew a U.S. passport here. Fill out and print your passport application here.\n\nU.S. citizens can apply for both U.S. passport books and U.S. passport cards at Passport Day.\n\nU.S. Passport Books: Valid for international travel by air, sea, or land\n\nValidity: 10 years for adults (age 16 & older)\n\n5 years for minors (under age 16)\n\nCost for First-Time Applicants: $165 for adults (age 16 & older)\n\n$135 for minors (under age 16)\n\nCost for Renewal Applicants: $130 for adults (age 16 & older)\n\nU.S. Passport Cards: Valid when entering the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land or seaports-of-entry. Not valid for international travel by air.\n\nValidity: 10 years for adults (age 16 & older)\n\n5 years for minors (under age 16)\n\nCost for First-Time Applicants: $65 for adults (age 16 & older)\n\n$50 for minors (under age 16)\n\nCost for Renewal Applicants: $30 for adults (age 16 & older)\n\nTSA PreCheck enrollment provided by IDEMIA:\n\nTSA PreCheck enrollment requires that applicants provide proof of identity, proof of citizenship, fingerprints, and a photo. IDEMIA offers TSA PreCheck enrollment for $76.75 and if approved, travelers get a five-year membership with the program.\n\nTSA PreCheck was created in December 2011 as a way to provide low-risk travelers with a smoother experience through airport security. Enrolled members have access to TSA PreCheck dedicated screening lanes at over 200 participating U.S. airports nationwide and 99% of members wait 10 minutes or less in a screening lane. TSA PreCheck passengers travel with ease and keep their shoes, belts, and light jackets on and keep laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, and food items in their bags.\n\nApply for TSA PreCheck new enrollment or renewal with IDEMIA here.\n\nGlobal Entry provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection\n\nFor the first time, this Passport Day will include the opportunity to interview for Global Entry. Global Entry is a program that allows pre-approved travelers to skip long lines when returning to the U.S. from international travel using automated kiosks.\n\nApplicants for Global Entry must be “conditionally approved” for an interview appointment at Passport Day. Without conditional approval, applicants will be unable to interview for Global Entry. If your approval is still pending prior to Passport Day, contact Senator Blumenthal’s office at Passport_Day@blumenthal.senate.gov for assistance.\n\nTo interview for Global Entry, a CBP Officer will determine eligibility and collect biometric information (e.g., fingerprints, a photo). The applicant will be asked to provide all valid travel documents, including passport(s) and U.S.-issued visa(s) if applicable. If the applicant is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., they must provide their permanent resident card. The applicant will also need to provide proof of their residence address, such as a driver’s license or ID card.\n\nIf approved, membership is valid immediately and remains active for five years, expiring on the applicant’s birthday.\n\nApply to be conditionally approved for Global Entry here. RSVP for your Global Entry interview here.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-senator-blunt-rochester-presses-openai-and-anthropic-on-recent-autonomous-hacking-incidents/", "title": "NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Presses OpenAI and Anthropic on Recent Autonomous Hacking Incidents", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.bluntrochester.senate.gov", "scraper": "bluntrochester", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001303", "name": "Lisa Blunt Rochester", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent letters to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, regarding recent cybersecurity incidents in which the companies’ models gained unauthorized access to the internet, autonomously hacked third party systems, and even launched direct attacks on people and real-world targets.\n\nThe letters seek clarity on the cybersecurity breaches, development of testing environments, future capabilities of advanced AI models, and the companies’ internal safeguards to prevent additional incidents.\n\n“These incidents mark the first publicly confirmed instances of a frontier AI model autonomously launching unauthorized attacks on real people and companies, underscoring the urgent need for federal oversight of frontier AI systems,” wrote Senator Blunt Rochester in a letter to OpenAI. “OpenAI models’ repeated attacks on third parties with no knowledge of, or role in, the company’s internal evaluations demonstrate an alarming pattern of malicious behavior. We cannot wait for a more consequential incident before establishing federal testing standards, containment requirements, and disclosure obligations for frontier model evaluations. Left unaddressed, these gaps could allow a future model, potentially one with greater capability or less oversight, to compromise critical infrastructure, financial systems, or sensitive data.”\n\nIn a letter to Anthropic, Blunt Rochester wrote, “I appreciate Anthropic’s voluntary review of its cybersecurity evaluations and public disclosure of the findings, and I encourage other companies to follow suit. However, these incidents demonstrate the potential risks of deploying pre-release models internally, particularly when safeguards are reduced, even when strictly for testing and evaluation.\n\n“In each scenario, without specific tasking direction, the models gained internet access and independently planned and executed an attack on a live third-party system. This is precisely the kind of emergent, autonomous behavior and offensive cyber capability that Congress, the intelligence community, and experts have repeatedly warned could outpace existing safeguards and could pose a severe threat to the safety and security of all Americans.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-kim-seek-unanimous-consent-to-pass-bill-requiring-closure-of-delaney-hall-ice-detention-facility", "title": "Booker, Kim Seek Unanimous Consent to Pass Bill Requiring Closure of Delaney Hall ICE Detention Facility", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Andy Kim (D-NJ), sought unanimous consent to immediately pass the Delaney Hall Closure Act, legislation requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to permanently close the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark within 90 days.\n\nSenator Booker took to the Senate floor to call for the closing of Delaney Hall following the death of Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, who died on Saturday, August 1, while in ICE custody. Mr. Lopez-Cornejo is the third person in the past nine months to die while or immediately after being detained at Delaney Hall and his death comes amid mounting evidence of dangerous and inhumane conditions, inadequate medical care, and systemic failures at the privately operated facility.\n\nSenator Booker has conducted multiple oversight visits to Delaney Hall, where he witnessed firsthand degrading conditions, insufficient medical care, and spoke directly with detainees about repeated failures to protect their health and safety. At least 56 people have died in ICE custody during President Trump’s second term, and more than 70 percent of people detained by ICE have never been convicted of a criminal offense.\n\n“Three people have now died at Delaney Hall, and unless Congress acts, there will be more. I have inspected this facility myself and seen the dangerous conditions with my own eyes. No one should die because the government failed to provide basic care to those in custody. Delaney Hall has become a symbol of neglect, abuse, and a failed detention system, and every day it remains open puts more lives at risk,” said Senator Booker.\n\n“What I have seen and heard inside Delaney Hall over the last year is absolutely unacceptable and highlights why private prisons like GEO group have no place in New Jersey,” said Senator Kim. “The treatment of those inside is unjust and cruel; I’m cosponsoring this bill because it’s time to shut down Delaney Hall for good before anyone else is harmed.”\n\nSenator Booker has repeatedly pushed for stronger oversight and accountability across the immigration detention system. Earlier this year, he introduced the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, comprehensive legislation that would ban private detention centers, end family detention, and strengthen detention standards, improve oversight, and better protect the health, safety, and civil rights of people in ICE custody. He also introduced legislation to restore the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), strengthen accountability for private immigration detention contractors, and the Governors’ Right to Inspect Act, which would authorize governors and state public health and safety officials to inspect immigration detention facilities within their states.\n\nSEE ALSO:", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-warnock-van-hollen-colleagues-demand-hud-reverse-changes-gutting-fair-housing-program", "title": "Booker, Warnock, Van Hollen, Colleagues Demand HUD Reverse Changes Gutting Fair Housing Program", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) led U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and 29 Senate colleagues in demanding the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rescind a series of proposed changes that would fundamentally undermine implementation of the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) — a federal program that funds nonprofit organizations on the front lines of combating housing discrimination and enforcing fair housing protections nationwide.\n\nIn a letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner, the Senators warned that HUD's Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2026 funding notices threaten to strip funding from organizations that handle more than 74 percent of housing discrimination complaints in the country. The Senators blasted the new funding notices for bypassing the intent of Congress and fundamentally reshaping the program — locking out experienced fair housing organizations, prioritizing first-time applicants over groups with proven track records protecting Americans from discrimination, and abandoning the organizations that have carried out this work for decades.\n\n“Dedicated local fair housing organizations, functioning on small budgets, provide an indispensable service for so many Americans: disabled veterans who require reasonable accommodations in housing, seniors and people with disabilities who need accessible housing, families with children turned away illegally from renting a home, women who are experiencing sexual harassment from landlords, survivors of domestic violence who have been improperly evicted, and victims of racial and other forms of unlawful discrimination,” the senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators noted that this latest move is part of a pattern: the Trump Administration has repeatedly tried to dismantle fair housing protections, including failed attempts to terminate FHIP grants and proposing to eliminate the program's funding altogether — despite strong bipartisan support in Congress.\n\nThe Senators are calling on Secretary Turner to immediately rescind and reissue the FY25 and FY26 FHIP funding notices in line with federal law and longstanding program standards. They also demanded HUD turn over information by August 10, 2026 on how the new funding process was developed and implemented, including internal analyses, communications with potential recipients, and any future changes planned for fair housing policy.\n\nIn addition to Booker, Warnock, and Van Hollen, the letter is signed U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Angela D. Alsobrooks (D-MD), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=0511A89A-7E1C-4B85-9F25-1DB8CB8443B5", "title": "Boozman: Farm Bill Markup is Choice Between Voting to Help Farmers or More Rhetoric", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.boozman.senate.gov", "scraper": "boozman", "member": null, "text": "The following is the Chairman’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:\n\n“Good morning. I call to order today’s business meeting of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to consider an original bill, the Agricultural Act of 2026, or what I like to call Farm Bill 2.0.\n\n“Before I begin my formal comments, I would like to recognize my friend and colleague, Senator Mitch McConnell, who continues his recovery and is unable to join us for today's business meeting.\n\n“I spoke with Senator McConnell yesterday. I know how much he would have wanted to be here to advocate for Kentucky's farmers and rural communities. Throughout his career, Senator McConnell has been a steadfast champion for the Bluegrass State's agricultural producers, advancing policies that expand opportunity, strengthen rural America, and enhance the competitiveness of American agriculture.\n\n“He’s served on this committee his entire tenure in the Senate, and this is the eighth farm bill he has helped shape. Few members bring the depth of experience and institutional knowledge that he does or better understand how important this legislation is to America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities.\n\n“His leadership has helped deliver meaningful solutions for the men and women who work every day to feed, fuel, and clothe our nation. We wish him a full and speedy recovery, and we look forward to welcoming him back to the committee soon.\n\n“During this journey of drafting a new farm bill, I have visited many states. While I was in North Dakota with my good friend Senator Hoeven, a woman told me that we needed to put more 'farm in the farm bill'. That statement stuck with me and has served as a mantra during this process.\n\n“Last year we answered the call for more farm in the farm bill through the Working Families Tax Cuts.\n\n“Those improvements delivered meaningful support to producers by strengthening commodity programs, expanding access to affordable crop insurance, improving disaster assistance, investing in animal health programs and making farm programs more responsive to the risks farmers face every today.\n\n“The bill before you today, Farm Bill 2.0, is a sincere attempt to finalize our work for the farmers, ranchers, producers, and rural communities that are the backbone of our nation and give them the five-year farm bill they deserve. Beyond that, this legislation, once we adopt the en bloc amendment, represents the best and final offer I can make to address the concerns the minority has raised on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.\n\n“I want to be clear a two-year delay does not have the support of the majority in Congress or of the White House. The offer before you is the best and final offer. Should this legislation be defeated today, current law will remain in effect and states with poorly administered SNAP programs will begin to pay for a portion of benefit costs next year.\n\n“We have worked very hard to provide a one-year extension. In return, we have gotten: 'It’s two years or nothing. And by the way, we don’t want to even discuss the farm bill until you give us two years.'\n\n“How is that taking care of hardworking families trying to make a living in farm country? In the last year, Arkansas has had more farm bankruptcies than the last four and a half years combined.\n\n“Finally, thanks to the efforts of Senators Fischer, Thune, Capito, and Daines we have included year-round E15. Today, senators will have an opportunity for the first time to advance out of committee, legislation that will authorize the blending of E15 year-round.\n\n“I’m proud of the bill we put together. It builds on the House-passed Farm Bill. This is the best opportunity to do good things for our farmers, rural communities and the future of agriculture.\n\n“This bill incorporates more than 100 bipartisan bills and priorities from my colleagues with feedback from farmers, ranchers, and rural community leaders.\n\n“We took great effort to craft a bipartisan product that reflects the needs and ideas of producers from every region of the country.\n\n“In Arkansas, producers are facing extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I’ve heard firsthand from farm families whose roots in agriculture stretch back generations. Today, many are being forced to decide whether to continue operating at a loss or close their operations for good.\n\n“I know every member of this committee has heard similar stories from farmers back home. These are families who rise before dawn every day to grow the food, fuel and fiber that sustain our nation.\n\n“They aren't asking for special treatment—they're asking for the certainty and support they need to keep farming.\n\n“They're looking to us to act. They're looking to us for hope.\n\n“This Farm Bill provides that hope. It gives producers the tools and confidence they need to keep farming, keep investing, and keep feeding America.\n\n“This legislation is about far more than agricultural policy. It's about ensuring family farms remain viable, rural communities remain strong, and future generations have the opportunity to carry forward America's proud agricultural tradition.\n\n“We have built a farm bill for the people who feed America and today we’ll see who talks about supporting farmers and who is voting to help farmers.\n\n“I now recognize the Ranking Member for any comments she may have.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-applauds-35-million-announcement-from-usda-to-combat-feral-swine-secured-through-the-working-families-tax-cuts-act/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Applauds $35 Million Announcement from USDA to Combat Feral Swine Secured Through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) celebrated the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) making $35 million available for partnerships to respond to the threat feral swine pose to American agriculture, landscapes, and human and livestock health. This investment was made possible by a broader $105 million investment in the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program, which was included in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act and championed by Senator Britt. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will use this investment to work together with state partners to combat one of the most devastating pests in agriculture.\n\n“Alabama farmers and cattlemen know firsthand the havoc these invasive species wreak on their farms, inflicting billions of dollars in damage nationally and directly endangering their livelihoods,” said Senator Britt. “I was proud to champion the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program in the Working Family Tax Cuts Act to respond to this threat, and I’m encouraged to see USDA put this investment to work. I’ll continue fighting to ensure Alabama has the tools and resources it needs to protect our agricultural economy, conserve our natural resources, and ensure the lands that sustain our families and communities remain strong for generations to come.”\n\nFeral swine inhabit all 67 counties in Alabama, causing $50 million in agricultural and ecological damage in the state annually. They are an invasive, highly destructive species and are classified in the state as a nuisance animal. Feral swine can have significant negative impacts on plant and wildlife habitats, soils, water quality, as well as other natural resources. Livestock and humans are also susceptible to diseases carried by feral swine.\n\nThe USDA’s Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program will provide landowner assistance for restoration and on-farm trapping efforts and provide related services, like training. Funding for these services will be provided through grant agreements between partners and NRCS.\n\n“We are collaborating with our partners at USDA and across the country to help combat feral swine and keep our farms, ranches and landscapes safe,” said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. “These invasive species cause more than $3.4 billion in damage each year, including damage to agricultural landscapes. Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, NRCS is able to expand this effort, giving producers and partners more resources to protect working lands and strengthen the long-term resilience of agricultural operations.”\n\nSenator Britt was proud to fight for the inclusion of the largest long-term investment in NRCS conservation programs in decades, including support for this program, in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. It continued the program for another five years with the $105 million total investment split between NRCS and APHIS, including the $35 million made available through this announcement. She has previously introduced the Feral Swine Eradication Act, which would extend and make permanent a program to safeguard against the threat of feral swine.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-leads-12-republican-colleagues-in-introducing-legislation-to-close-legal-loophole-requiring-release-of-aliens-from-immigration-detention/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Leads 12 Republican Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Close Legal Loophole Requiring Release of Aliens from Immigration Detention", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today led 12 of her Republican colleagues in introducing the Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2026. The legislation would close a legal loophole created by the United States Supreme Court’s 2001 ruling in Zadvydas v. Davis, which generally requires the release of aliens from immigration detention into American communities after six months if no country has accepted them for deportation.\n\n“America is a nation of laws, and if you violate our laws and are subject to removal from the United States, you should remain in detention until the point of deportation,”said Senator Britt. “Zadvydas v. Davis created a legal loophole that forces the release of aliens into our communities after six months simply because no country has agreed to take them back. This bill would help to close that loophole once and for all.”\n\nThe bill would amend Section 236 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which governs the apprehension and detention of aliens, to expand the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) authority to detain criminal aliens, deny bond to criminal aliens, and generally limit the availability of bond unless an alien can establish by clear and convincing evidence that they’re not a flight risk or a risk to another person or the community.\n\nIt would also amend Section 241 of the INA, which governs the removal of aliens, to allow for extensions of detention in a number of cases, including in cases where an alien is a threat to national security or has committed an aggravated felony or crime of violence.\n\nYou can view the full bill text here, more details on the bill here, and Fox News coverage can be found here. Senator Britt previously introduced the Keep Our Communities Safe Act in the 118th Congress, and versions of the bill have been introduced in the House or Senate repeatedly since 2011. The 2026 version includes several updates to the legislative text.\n\nSenators Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) are cosponsors of this legislation.\n\n“Our Southern Border is more secure than it’s been in decades, but we have an egregious legal loophole allowing the release of detained illegal immigrants into our country if no other country agrees to take them. For four years, the Biden administration willingly released millions of illegal immigrants into the United States, and Zadvydas v. Davis enables that practice regardless of who the president is. We need to get this fixed,” said Senator Fischer.\n\n“I am again supporting this commonsense legislation because closing this ‘catch and release’ loophole will ultimately keep dangerous illegals detained instead of being freed to put law-abiding Americans, law enforcement, and our communities at risk. It’s time to finally fix the current law that permits illegal aliens with criminal records to be released back into the United States after six months simply because no other country will accept them for deportation,” said Senator Hyde-Smith.\n\n“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris allowed millions of illegals to INVADE our country—and now law-abiding Americans are paying the price,”said Senator Tuberville. “We need to do everything we can to deport every single one of these criminals. I’m proud to cosponsor the Keep Our Communities Safe Act to close a legal loophole and allow these illegals to be detained and sent home for good.”\n\n“Violent illegal aliens are criminals who should be deported, not released from detention centers. Our bill will ensure illegal aliens stay in detention centers until their deportation date to keep Arkansans safe,” said Senator Cotton.\n\n“People who are in the United States illegally and have removal orders shouldn’t be released simply because their home country refuses to take them back,” said Senator Cramer. “Unfortunately, that’s exactly what existing law allows. Our bill closes this loophole and lets immigration officials keep these individuals in custody until they can be deported.”\n\n“Illegal aliens who commit serious crimes should never be released back onto American streets for any reason, let alone because their home countries refuse to allow them to return. This legislation would close loopholes in federal law that allow dangerous criminal illegal aliens to walk free in communities across Texas and the nation, and I am proud to join Senator Britt in introducing it,” said Senator Cruz.\n\n“The federal government’s first responsibility is protecting the American people. Criminal illegal aliens who have been ordered removed should never be released into our communities because of a court-created loophole,” said Senator Marshall. “I’m proud to stand with Senator Britt to close this loophole once and for all, secure our communities, and put the interests of American citizens ahead of those who have broken our laws.”\n\n“The Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2026 will help ensure that dangerous illegal immigrants remain in custody while their immigration proceedings are pending, strengthening public safety, supporting law enforcement and helping keep North Dakota families and communities across the country safe,” said Senator Hoeven.\n\nSenator Britt has been a longtime leader on immigration policy and has introduced several pieces of immigration-related legislation throughout her time in the Senate. Notably, she was the Senate lead of the Laken Riley Act, the first bill signed into law by President Trump during his second term. This was the first major immigration enforcement and border security-related legislation passed since 1996. She also recently introduced the Mandatory E-Verify Act of 2026, legislation that would permanently reauthorize the E-Verify program and require its use by all employers in the United States.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senators-katie-britt-jerry-moran-and-tina-smith-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-expand-rural-health-resources/", "title": "U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Jerry Moran, and Tina Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Rural Health Resources", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and several of their Senate colleagues introduced the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act (REH 2.0), bipartisan legislation to expand access to federal resources for rural hospitals through the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Medicare designation. This legislation would allow more Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and rural hospitals at risk of closure to sustain health care services in rural communities, and it would make technical improvements to the designation.\n\n“Hospitals in rural communities across Alabama and the nation are increasingly closing their doors, making it harder for Americans to access quality healthcare,” said Senator Britt. “This legislation will help preserve local hospitals and prevent them from closing altogether by providing greater flexibility under the Rural Emergency Hospital program. Strengthening this program will help ensure rural families can continue receiving essential, and potentially lifesaving, care close to home, which is why I’m proud to support it.”\n\nThe Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act would allow previously closed rural hospitals to re-open and apply for the Rural Emergency Hospital designation if they can demonstrate they met all eligibility requirements between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 27, 2020.\n\n“I have visited every hospital in Kansas numerous times, and these conversations help guide my efforts to make certain health care providers across our state have the support they need to provide critical services to patients in their communities,” said Senator Moran. “During these visits, providers shared with me their recommendations for strengthening the Rural Emergency Hospital designation so it can better support the struggling facilities it was originally intended to serve. The legislation I am introducing with Senator Tina Smith is the direct result of what we have heard from rural hospitals and health care providers in our states, and it makes needed improvements to the program to help make certain patients can continue to access critical health care services in their communities for years to come.”\n\nThe Senators’ legislation would also direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a waiver program for facilities operating similarly to an REH in order to convert to an REH, allow REH facilities to maintain or create a unit for inpatient psychiatric care, obstetric care and allow for limited inpatient rehabilitation services, and more.\n\n“Rural hospitals are vital for families in small towns and rural communities. These hospitals not only provide care close to home, they’re also economic engines for their region,” said Senator Smith. “But many rural hospitals face increasingly dire financial strain and workforce shortages, forcing them to cut services or even close down altogether. This important legislation is just one tool in the toolbox to help rural hospitals on the verge of closure keep their doors open. Make no mistake, much more is needed to ensure the health and wellness of rural hospitals and families.”\n\nJoining Senators Britt, Moran, and Smith in cosponsoring the legislation are Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Roger Marshall, M.D., (R-Kan.).\n\nSenator Britt has worked to support rural Alabama communities and fight for access to critical medical services throughout her time in the Senate. In FY26 appropriations funding, she directly secured more than $28.6 million for medical and research equipment, workforce development training, nursing education, mobile health units, and more. Senator Britt also recently celebrated the committee passage of her Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act, which offers support for urgent obstetric care at rural health facilities.\n\nYou can read the full text of the bill here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-and-colleagues-call-on-administration-to-delay-red-tape-requirements-in-medicaid", "title": "Cantwell & Colleagues Call on Administration to Delay Red Tape Requirements in Medicaid", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cantwell.senate.gov", "scraper": "cantwell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000127", "name": "Maria Cantwell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Cantwell & Colleagues Call on Administration to Delay Red Tape Requirements in Medicaid\n\nFull Senate Democratic caucus calls for withdrawal of CMS rule imposing onerous and subjective work requirements on vulnerable Americans trying to get & keep Medicaid coverage; Senators: “Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined all 47 members of the Senate Democratic caucus in calling on the Trump administration to withdraw a rule to implement work reporting requirements for Medicaid that will take effect at the beginning of 2027.\n\n“We urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans,” the senators wrote. “States are not prepared to implement the agency's onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.”\n\nIn the letter sent to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, the senators make clear that attempts to implement these requirements will result in high costs and harm to eligible people. In Georgia’s first year using work reporting requirements, the state spent five times as much on administrative costs as on health care benefits for enrollees.\n\nThe letter also emphasized that the Trump administration’s definition of medical frailty far exceeds what is outlined in the law itself, and creates additional onerous barriers for both patients and states that will result in sick Americans falling through the cracks.\n\nKFF also noted this week that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that “the 2025 reconciliation law will increase the number of people who are uninsured in 2034 by 10 million” people, with more than half the increase in the uninsured population – more than 5.3 million people – coming from the Medicaid work requirements.\n\nRed tape requirements are an attempt to suffocate the Medicaid program and deny health care to the Americans who count on it. Senate Democrats continue to support the full repeal of Republicans’ disastrous Medicaid cuts, and stand united in calling on the Trump administration to withdraw this harmful rule.\n\nThe letter was led by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA). Full text of the letter is HERE and below.\n\n###\n\nDr. Mehmet Oz\n\nAdministrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services\n\nDepartment of Health and Human Services\n\n7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244\n\nRE: CMS-2454-IFC\n\nDear Administrator Oz,\n\nWe write to urge you to withdraw the Administration’s interim final rule (IFR) implementing the Medicaid work reporting requirements passed by Congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Trump last year in H.R. 1. These policies will not increase employment and will instead lead to millions of Americans needlessly losing their health coverage. We support full repeal of all of H.R. 1’s Medicaid cuts. In the absence of Congressional action, CMS must delay implementation. States are not prepared to implement the agency's onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.\n\nThis rule transforms Medicaid from a health care program into a bureaucratic maze that will fail eligible Americans. It will strip coverage not because people are not already working or refuse to work, but because they cannot navigate a complex web of forms, passwords, and deadlines. Implementing ineffective, exclusionary work reporting requirements will create costly administrative barriers and deny Americans access to health care, resulting in poorer health, higher mortality, and reduced financial security. This rule does little to mitigate anticipated harms and makes exceptionally cruel and arbitrary choices with regard to medical frailty, significantly subverting the Congressional intent of this particular exemption.\n\nNearly all adults with Medicaid (92%) are already working, going to school, caregiving, or have a disability. Moreover, an extensive body of evidence demonstrates that work reporting requirements do not promote employment but rather increase medical debt, delay care and contribute to poorer health outcomes. In its assessment of H.R. 1, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected an estimated 5.3 million enrollees will lose coverage by 2034, not accounting for the IFR’s even more stringent and burdensome requirements concerning the medical frailty exception. This evidence was not considered in the drafting of the IFR.\n\nSimilarly, the IFR fails to acknowledge or account for states’ ineffectual and costly experiences implementing work reporting requirements. When Arkansas implemented similar requirements, 18,000 people lost coverage in just five months. They didn't lose their Medicaid coverage because they suddenly found jobs with health benefits; they lost it because they didn't have internet access, never received the notices, or couldn't log into a glitchy state website. Michigan was poised to implement these work reporting requirements but paused the programs when they received astronomical coverage loss projections of 80,000 enrollees (33 percent of participants). In Georgia, the state spent $91,000,000 in taxpayer dollars to build a “work requirement” tracking system that often experienced technical failures. This translates to $13,000 per enrollee in administrative costs – almost five times higher than total spending on health care benefits for enrollees. Further, a recent study looking at these requirements in Georgia added to the body of evidence that they do not increase employment.\n\nCMS’ Onerous Definition of Medical Frailty Subverts Congressional Intent\n\nH.R. 1 includes explicit exemptions for individuals who are determined to be medically frail, including those with disabling mental disorders, substance use disorders, disabilities, or complex medical conditions. In including these exemptions, the statute provided protections for some of the most vulnerable Americans, while preserving states' flexibility to determine how medical frailty should be defined and operationalized. However, the IFR impermissibly adds extrastatutory restrictions and requirements to this statutory exemption, limiting it to individuals whose disability or condition significantly impairs their ability to comply with the work reporting requirement. By attempting to rewrite the standard from the existence of a condition to its demonstrated impact on an individual's ability to work, the IFR establishes a much narrower pathway to the exemption than H.R. 1 permits.\n\nCMS asserts authority for this expansion through the statutory phrase “as defined by the Secretary,” but a limited delegation to define specific conditions is not authority to override the categorical structure Congress enacted. This is legal overreach, not a policy choice. And this legal overreach, if maintained, will have devastating consequences for millions of Americans, states, and health care providers.\n\nStates will face significant challenges operationalizing this narrower definition of medical frailty, and individuals will face challenges showing they meet the definition. The new standard will force the Medicaid program to take on completely novel responsibilities that are more akin to workers’ compensation than health insurance. States will not be able to rely on automation nor implement the law in a way that protects individuals with health needs, likely needing to revamp information technology (IT) systems; add new eligibility staff and call center support; modify applications, renewal forms, and educational materials; and train health care providers on how to assess and document whether someone’s condition “significantly impairs” their ability to work, a task that will be brand new to many providers.\n\nThe IFR forces vulnerable Americans to quite literally prove they are \"sick enough\" to deserve health care. In practice, a person in the middle of a mental health crisis or a course of cancer treatment, or someone managing severe substance use disorder, will be forced to secure explicit provider attestations linking their illness to their capacity to work. If they cannot jump through this hoop, the penalty is severe: they are cut off from the very medical care they need to survive.\n\nUnfair Medical Frailty Verification Requirements Burden Sick Patients and Providers\n\nIn addition to the limitations imposed by the medical frailty definition put forth by this rule, the verification and self-attestation requirements impose infeasible expectations on individuals. Beginning in 2028, the rule directs states to implement a stricter documentation verification regime that will drive up administrative costs, overwhelm already-stretched eligibility staff, and push people off coverage. The verification requirements in 2027 compared with 2028 function as a bait-and-switch: to the extent that implementation looks potentially manageable in the first year, then procedural barriers and coverage losses spike when the documentation default kicks in. In particular, the rule holds people who should qualify for the medical frailty exemption to a higher standard of evidence than for all other eligibility requirements or exemptions/exclusions (e.g., caregiving, being a veteran, or being incarcerated), requiring significant documentation that goes well beyond self-attestation starting in 2028.\n\nYear-Round Paperwork Requirements Will Exacerbate Coverage Loss\n\nThere is a long-standing requirement for states to process an application within 45-days as a patient protection, so people are not waiting for their coverage to kick in. The IFR creates a new exception to this timeliness standard, effectively permitting states to process applications on longer timeframes. In providing this exception to states, CMS is acknowledging that states are unlikely to meet the standard patient protection because of increased paperwork burdens, an implicit recognition of the harm to come. This exception is even more harmful to beneficiaries when combined with the H.R. 1 policy that requires states to reverify eligibility for individuals in the expansion group and comprehensive 1115 waivers every six months, in addition to the fact that the law provides States the option to conduct more frequent verifications of compliance with the work reporting requirement.\n\nCMS acknowledges that the IFR creates a nearly impossible timing problem and offers no solution while barreling on with ill-advised and devastating policies. By combining the six month eligibility renewal requirement with ongoing work-reporting checks, this rule ensures that families are never not in the process of signing up for health care, effectively setting a structural trap. The red tape gauntlet Americans will have to contend with to maintain health insurance coverage will be constant. A family will barely finish submitting documents for one review cycle before the state triggers the next, creating hurdles that are particularly burdensome for hourly workers with volatile schedules, single parents, and individuals with fluctuating health conditions.\n\nThe Rule Requires State and Local Taxpayers to Foot the Bill for Costly System Upgrades\n\nThe IFR creates even more administrative barriers and paperwork hurdles for individuals attempting to enroll in or keep their Medicaid coverage than the statute permits. This manifests in both more costly and onerous technology requirements for states as well as unnecessary hoops for individuals to jump through.\n\nIn H.R. 1, Congressional Republicans provided a total of $200 million for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in FY 2026 to support the system upgrades they will need to comply with the law. However, in the IFR, CMS itself estimates that each state will spend approximately $15 million on systems changes, totaling nearly $700 million for the 44 states that are required to implement these changes, nearly four times the amount provided to states in the law. Recent reporting shows that state estimates of the costs to implement these requirements are significantly higher; North Carolina, for example, expects it will need to spend an estimated $31.2 million annually to enforce these requirements. While CMS announced in January 2026 that the agency secured deep discounts for states on implementation costs, no details have been released about these arrangements. As the price tag of Medicaid work reporting requirements continues to rise, every dollar spent by states to implement this new red tape is a dollar that could have instead been use to provide health care to vulnerable Americans.\n\nWe urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans. This rule does not strengthen Medicaid; it dismantles it, turning a program designed to protect vulnerable Americans into a system that systematically denies them care.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-bill-to-restore-quinault-indian-nation-lands-advances-to-full-senate", "title": "Cantwell Bill to Restore Quinault Indian Nation Lands Advances to Full Senate", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cantwell.senate.gov", "scraper": "cantwell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000127", "name": "Maria Cantwell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Cantwell Bill to Restore Quinault Indian Nation Lands Advances to Full Senate\n\nThe Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act protects 72 acres Tribe’s benefit, preserves old growth forest\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs voted to advance U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA) Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act. The bill introduced by Sen. Cantwell, who serves as a senior member of the committee, would restore Tribal stewardship over 72 acres, allowing the Quinault Nation to create a living museum and utilize the land for cultural purposes.\n\nSen. Cantwell introduced the Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act in April 2025, along with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Emily Randall (D, WA-06). The bill would transfer 72 acres to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to be held in trust for the benefit of the Tribe.\n\n“Returning 72 acres of the Quinault Indian Nation’s original reservation will restore the Tribe’s ancestral lands and help preserve one of the area’s last remnants of old growth forest as a living museum for future generations,” Sen. Cantwell said after introducing the bill.\n\nThe land was originally part of the Quinault Reservation. With the passage of the Dawes Act in 1867, the Quinault Reservation was broken up into 80-acre allotments, many given to individual tribal members. As private interests quickly moved in to buy up the allotments, including Allotment 1157, reservation land was lost to the Tribe.\n\nQuinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act:\n\nThis bill would transfer 72 acres from the U.S. Forest Service to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be held in trust for the Quinault Indian Nation.\n\nThe 72 acres, known as Allotment 1157, was originally part of the Quinault reservation that was established by the Treaty of Olympia of 1856.\n\nAfter the passage of the Dawes Act of 1887, the Quinault Indian Reservation was separated into individual allotments and in 1928, Allotment 1157 was given away through a Trust Deed signed by President Calvin Coolidge.\n\nThe Allotment was eventually sold to a timber company and was purchased by the U.S. Forest Service in 1996 for conservation.\n\nAllotment 1157 is one of the last remnants of old growth forest, particularly old growth cedar, that were a significant part of the Quinault’s reservation.\n\nThe Quinault Nation plans to utilize this land as a living museum for educational purposes, where students and college interns will learn how to preserve other historical places. Trees and downed wood on this land will be utilized for cultural purposes as has been done in the past.\n\nThe bill is supported by Jefferson and Grays Harbor counties, the Hoh Tribe, and the Quileute Tribe. Written letters of support are available HERE.\n\nQuinault Indian National President Guy Capoeman released the following statement when the bill was first introduced: “The forced breakup of our reservation erased one of the foundations of our way of life, our view that the land and waters of our homeland were for communal use by all. The Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act will help right a historic wrong. This legislation helps fulfill the promise the United States government made to the Quinault Nation that the lands set aside for the Quinault Indian Reservation will always belong to the Quinault Nation. We thank Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and Congresswoman Emily Randall for introducing this important legislation and for her leadership in Congress.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-colleagues-condemn-illegal-irs-ice-data-sharing", "title": "Cantwell, Colleagues Condemn Illegal IRS-ICE Data Sharing", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cantwell.senate.gov", "scraper": "cantwell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000127", "name": "Maria Cantwell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Cantwell, Colleagues Condemn Illegal IRS-ICE Data Sharing\n\nAmicus brief urges Appeals Court to protect taxpayer privacy against ICE and IRS Overreach\n\nWASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined nine Senators and 74 U.S. Representatives in submitting an amicus brief supporting the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts in its suit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).\n\nLast year, the IRS entered into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing ICE officers to ask the IRS for sensitive information about tax-paying undocumented immigrants. District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the agreement from continuing, citing violation of taxpayer privacy laws. The Trump Administration has appealed that decision, and Sen. Cantwell and colleagues are urging the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to uphold the district judge’s decision.\n\nIn the last year alone, ICE requested over 1.2 million records from the IRS, and the IRS provided addresses for more than 47,000 individuals to ICE., according to a report by the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.\n\n“The data sharing at issue in this case by the [IRS] and [ICE] violates the express terms of the statute and ignores its history,” the lawmakers began. “Congress previously rejected legislative proposals to alter section 6103 and allow the use of return information for immigration enforcement purposes. Instead, Congress and the IRS for decades have done the opposite: promoting voluntary compliance by immigrant taxpayers by protecting their information to ensure tax revenues keep pace with economic activity.”\n\n“The data sharing here was illegal and threatens federal revenue, adversely affecting all taxpayers,” the lawmakers continued. “It would also compromise taxpayer privacy and raise the possibility of grave consequences for individuals misidentified by ICE, chill participation in the tax system, impact our constituents, and destroy public trust.”\n\n“The IRS’s address sharing policy therefore violates the statute, improperly displaces Congress’s legislative judgments, undermines the confidentiality of taxpayer information and taxpayer reliance, and threatens the national fisc,” the lawmakers concluded. “The district court’s preliminary injunction preserves Congress’s unambiguous command that taxpayer information remain confidential unless and until an agency lawfully satisfies the conditions set forth by Congress and longstanding IRS policy and we urge it be upheld.”\n\nIn addition to Sen. Cantwell, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and 74 U.S. Representatives joined in submitting the brief.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-joins-senate-democrats-in-demanding-trump-administration-stop-illegal-voter-roll-purges-before-election-day", "title": "Cantwell Joins Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cantwell.senate.gov", "scraper": "cantwell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000127", "name": "Maria Cantwell", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Cantwell Joins Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day\n\nFederal law Cantwell cosponsored protects voter rolls from mass purges close in time to an election\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – With midterm elections now 89 days away, and early voting in some states beginning in just 44 days, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a member of Senate Democrats’ task force on election interference, today joined 27 of her Senate colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits systematic voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts.\n\nIn a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, the senators reminded the Trump Administration to adhere to the law and refrain from supporting, assisting, or coercing states into conducting mass voter purges prior to the November midterm elections.\n\nThe Trump Administration has demanded voter information from all 50 states, losing 20 lawsuits and counting in the process, and a separate court has barred it from misusing federal databases in illegal attempts to remove voters from state voter rolls. In July, President Donald Trump and Secretary Mullin escalated these attacks as part of their ongoing efforts to force states to purge voters ahead of the November general election in a presidential speech and subsequent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference. The senators’ letter copies the chief election officers for all 50 states to send a strong signal that Congress is paying close attention to these existing protections in federal law.\n\n“We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90 day ‘quiet period’ mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA),” wrote the senators. “Under the NVRA, election officials are supposed to complete any program for ‘systematically’ removing ineligible voters 90 days before Election Day. This statutory protection was included to protect eligible voters who may be (and in many cases have been) removed as part of state voter list maintenance activities.”\n\nAs a freshman Member of the House, then-Rep. Cantwell was an original cosponsor of the NVRA – which was written and led by Washington state’s late Rep. Al Swift (D-WA, 02) – and voting to pass it was among her very first votes in Congress. The senators warned that federal courts have ruled against attempted voter purges that fail to comply with the NVRA’s “quiet period” by attempting mass voter purges.\n\n“In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the ‘quiet period,’ including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters,” continued the senators. “Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Federal law addresses these incidents through criminal penalties, including financial penalties and imprisonment.”\n\nThe senators reiterated that use of the DHS’ modified SAVE program, already blocked by federal courts for bulk voter list analysis purposes, would be considered illegal activity in the next 90 days, and condemned Mullin’s continued push to advance the program. They also urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to abandon any efforts to obtain state voter rolls, highlighting the agency has lost every federal court case so far.\n\n“We must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the ‘quiet period’ are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings,” wrote the senators. “The DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls.”\n\nThe senators requested the agencies provide confirmation that they will comply with the NVRA by August 7 to prevent any voter suppression prior to Election Day.\n\nIn addition to Sen. Cantwell, the letter was led by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), and U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\n\nSen. Cantwell has been a stalwart defender against overreach of the Trump administration into our elections:\n\nOn July 29, she wrote to Blanche, Mullin, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding to know whether the Trump administration plans to illegally deploy armed federal law enforcement officers at polling sites during the November 2026 elections.\n\nOn July 28, Sen. Cantwell sharply criticized the Trump administration’s request that the Supreme Court allow him to seize control of state-run elections and implement an anti-vote-by-mail executive order. Lower courts have repeatedly rejected the president’s arguments and stated that his executive order is unconstitutional.\n\nOn July 2, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to the Postmaster General about the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) proposed illegal rule to implement President Trump’s March 31 executive order to interfere with vote-by-mail. Sen. Cantwell’s letter specifically noted the recent decisions of multiple federal courts that found Trump’s executive order unconstitutional and enjoined the USPS from implementing the proposed rule – including in separate cases brought by the State of Washington with other states and the NAACP – and demanded the USPS comply with those court orders.\n\nOn June 29, she celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee against an effort to stop states from counting mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day, even if they’ve been postmarked in time. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington.\n\nOn June 24, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the Right To Vote Act, legislation to create the first-ever affirmative federal voting rights guarantee for all eligible citizens.\n\nOn June 24, she also denounced President Trump’s announcement that he would not sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act – an overwhelmingly popular, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate earlier in the week and would have increased housing supply and brought down housing costs – until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. That legislation, which Trump has repeatedly demanded, would eliminate vote-by-mail and impose onerous new restrictions on voting and registering to vote. It would disenfranchise millions of Americans in the name of a voter fraud “crisis” that, even by the standards of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, straightforwardly does not exist. President Trump again demanded Congress pass the restrictive bill following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee. Despite President Trump’s refusal to sign the bipartisan housing bill, it became law on July 11, since he failed to act on the bill within the time period prescribed by the Constitution after Congress sent him the legislation.\n\nOn June 23, she joined the entire Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to the USPS demanding the USPS abandon attempts to restrict voting by mail called for by President Trump in an illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.\n\nOn June 23, she also delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling out the Trump Administration’s war on mail-in voting as the latest frontier in a long history of voter disenfranchisement in the United States.\n\nOn June 17, she joined several of her Senate Democratic colleagues for a spotlight forum highlighting President Trump’s illegal overreach into our free and fair elections.\n\nOn June 8, she joined 23 of her Senate colleagues in demanding answers over the Trump Administration’s decision to remove the most recent version of the Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses manual from DOJ’s website without explanation.\n\nOn April 29, she was tapped by Majority Leader Schumer to join a task force of senators defending our elections from interference.\n\nOn April 23, she joined colleagues in introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to protect the right to vote by mail and block President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots.\n\nOn April 22, she sent a letter to the USPS warning the agency against complying with the executive order, which would undermine mail-in voting.\n\nOn April 1, after the executive order on mail-in voting was announced, she issued a statement in opposition.\n\nOn March 18, she convened a group of current and former elected officials and representatives of nonpartisan voter advocacy groups for a virtual press conference on defending voter access. Video of that entire virtual press conference is HERE; video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE.\n\nOn March 15, she issued a snapshot report showing that the SAVE America Act – the voter suppression bill President Trump has continued to demand Congress pass – would cost Washington state taxpayers more than $35 million this year alone.\n\nOn Feb. 24, Sen. Cantwell invited Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs as her guest to President Trump’s State of the Union address to draw attention to the issue.\n\nOn Feb. 20, she convened local leaders in Seattle for a press conference urging Washingtonians to fight back against these proposed new burdens to voting.\n\nOn Feb. 19, she gathered in Vancouver with the Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey and local chapter heads of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP for a press conference on how this bill would disenfranchise voters.\n\nAlso on Feb. 19, she released a snapshot report showing who in Washington would face undue hurdles to voting if the SAVE America Act were signed into law. The report shows that certain populations – including people who live in rural areas, women who changed their name after marriage, and people who recently moved – would face additional, cumbersome burdens to prove their citizenship.\n\nOn Feb. 5, she appeared on MSNOW’s Morning Joe to push back against the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to interfere in state-run elections and collect private data on American voters. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s appearance is HERE; a transcript is HERE.\n\nOn Jan. 29, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate colleagues in a letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. DOJ has sued 24 states – including Washington state – and the District of Columbia demanding the personal information of their voters.\n\nOn Jan. 15, she joined Senate colleagues in a letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns with recent developments affecting postmark practices. Right before the holiday season, USPS changed its postmark practices, which could have significant impacts on voters nationwide and in Washington state – including rural voters, military and overseas voters, and many others who rely on rely on the mail to safely and securely cast their ballot.\n\nOn Jan. 9, she joined 13 Senate colleagues in filing an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in the case Watson v. Republican National Committee. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington that permit mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted when they are received within a certain number of days after Election Day.\n\nToday’s full letter is available here and below:\n\nDear Acting Attorney General Blanche and Secretary Mullin:\n\nThe 2026 general election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, less than 90 days away. We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90-day “quiet period” mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).\n\nThis long-standing prohibition includes providing states with any incomplete and unverifiable voter roll analysis conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) SAVE program, the use of which has also been enjoined by a D.C. federal district court. Relatedly, in light of this prohibition, the Department of Justice (DOJ) should drop its ongoing litigation to compel states to provide access to their voter registration lists and acquiesce to unlawful federal list maintenance. While we have previously expressed our concern about these tactics, we remind you of the settled law protecting voters in the lead up to an election and urge you to cease these efforts immediately.\n\nUnder the NVRA, election officials are required to complete any systematic removal of ineligible voters 90 days before Election Day. This statutory protection was included to protect eligible voters who may be — and in many cases have been —erroneously removed as part of state voter list maintenance activities. In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the “quiet period,” including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters. Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Federal law addresses these incidents through criminal penalties, including financial penalties and imprisonment.\n\nOver the last year, the demonstrated inaccuracies of DHS’s modified SAVE program have been proven to result in the removal of eligible voters from the voter rolls prior to the “quiet period.” On June 22, 2026, following several months of litigation in League of Women Voters v. Department of Homeland Security, a D.C. federal district court set aside and vacated the 2025 modified SAVE program, finding it was “contrary to law, arbitrary and capricious, in excess of statutory authority, and without observance of procedure required by law.” The court ordered DHS to undo the newly established bulk upload feature and dismantle its connection to sensitive Social Security Administration data. Given this ruling, Secretary Mullin’s continued promotion of the SAVE program for voter list maintenance purposes during a July 17, 2026, press conference was inappropriate, as were his unsupported claims that multiple states have significant noncitizen voter registrations. Even more alarmingly, DHS is attempting to condition Homeland Security Grant Program funds that protect Americans from disasters and terrorist attacks on use of the SAVE program. Therefore, we must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the “quiet period” are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings.\n\nThe DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls. The Trump Administration has done nothing to address concerns that this is all in service of an effort to create a nationwide voter file to be shared across the Executive Branch — and possibly with other unauthorized, partisan actors. At an absolute minimum, DOJ must abstain from any unlawful attempts to pressure states into conducting large-scale voter purges during the 90-day “quiet period.”\n\nPlease confirm your agencies will comply with the NVRA, and any relevant court orders, no later than August 7, 2026. Any continued actions that may directly or indirectly coerce or assist states in conducting sweeping voter purges that violate federal law and infringe on Americans’ right to vote are unacceptable.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-capito-highlights-trump-accounts-legislation-on-cnbcs-squawk-box", "title": "ICYMI: Capito Highlights Trump Accounts Legislation on CNBC’s “Squawk Box”", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.capito.senate.gov", "scraper": "capito", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001047", "name": "Shelley Moore Capito", "party": "Republican", "state": "WV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "To watch Senator Capito’s remarks, click here or the image above.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of Senate Republican leadership, joined CNBC’s “Squawk Box” to discuss legislation she recently introduced that would streamline enrollment in Trump Accounts.\n\nYesterday, Senator Capito introduced legislation to provide families with enrollment information to establish Trump Accounts for eligible newborns while still at the hospital. Specifically, the bill would amend the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Enumeration at Birth (EAB) program to provide for the creation of a Trump Account when a child's birth is registered, streamlining enrollment and increasing access the program.\n\nHIGHLIGHTS:\n\nON TRUMP ACCOUNTS: “It's an exciting time to have a newborn, sometimes some of the details of what you could do for your child at those very first moments as you leave the hospital, get lost, and then you get lost in the care of a child. And I don't want to see any family lose an opportunity to have an investment account for their child that can grow over time that you can add to.\n\nON HER TRUMP ACCOUNTS LEGISLATION: “And so, the Social Security administration, because you have to have a Social Security card, has made it easier to enroll in Social Security. And I thought, why don't we hook on to that and say, ‘You don't have to have a Trump account, but do you realize this is available to your child? Sign them up now.’ And I think we see seven million children now who already have Trump accounts. I think it could be much larger, especially maybe parents don't even know about this. And so, I thought just the ease of enrollment and what this could do for financial literacy and for the future of that child being able to see savings, I don't want them to miss that opportunity.”\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-calls-congresss-bluff-on-social-security/", "title": "Cassidy Calls Congress’s Bluff on Social Security", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.cassidy.senate.gov", "scraper": "cassidy", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001075", "name": "Bill Cassidy", "party": "Republican", "state": "LA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), today sought unanimous consent on the U.S. Senate floor to establish a process for Congress to consider solutions to prevent a 22-28% cut to Social Security benefits for 75 million Americans in six short years. An objection prevented the U.S. Senate from even beginning consideration of the resolution. Cassidy then countered the objection.\n\n“[The resolution] does not predetermine the outcome. It just says that Congress must consider a solution—anyone’s solution—Democrat or Republican, Left and Right. It just asks us to do our job to consider the solution to then go through regular order on the Senate Finance Committee to be considered by all,” said Dr. Cassidy.\n\nBackground\n\nCassidy has outlined his plan to rescue Social Security from insolvency by creating a sovereign wealth fund independent of the Social Security Trust Fund. He has written extensively on his proposal in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, State Affairs, and the Washington Examiner. On the U.S. Senate floor, Cassidy has repeatedly called on Congress to act to save the program. Most recently, he challenged the U.S. Senate to stop being good politicians and start being good senators.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-federal-worker-access-to-health-care-advances-out-of-committee-by-voice-vote", "title": "Senator Collins’ Bipartisan Bill to Expand Federal Worker Access to Health Care Advances Out of Committee by Voice Vote", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.collins.senate.gov", "scraper": "collins", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001035", "name": "Susan M. Collins", "party": "Republican", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the bipartisan Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act that she introduced with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) advanced out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs by voice vote. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for consideration by the full body.\n\n“In a large, rural state like Maine, finding access to health care close to home can be a challenge. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants help to fill in this gap by providing quality medical services to local communities,” said Senator Collins. “By allowing injured federal workers to be treated by these professionals, our bipartisan bill would help prevent the need for long and difficult travel, reduce wait times for care, and improve employees’ overall health and wellbeing. Today’s committee approval of this bill reflects broad bipartisan agreement that this unnecessary barrier to care should be removed.”\n\nCurrently, federal employees—including the more than 12,000 working in Maine—can select a Physician Assistant (PA) or a Nurse Practitioner (NP) as their primary health care provider within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. However, the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) permits only a physician to make diagnoses, certify injuries and the extent of a disability, and oversee a federal employee’s treatment and care when they are injured on the job.\n\nThe Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act would amend FECA to allow PAs and NPs to certify injuries and oversee treatment for federal workers with injuries or illnesses that occurred on the job, when doing so is consistent with the scope of their practice under state law.\n\nThe bill has been endorsed by dozens of organizations, including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the American Academy of Physician Associates, the American Academy of Nursing, the PA Education Association, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the National Federation of Federal Employees.\n\n“The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, on behalf of the over 461,000 nurse practitioners nationwide, commends Senators Collins and Blumenthal, Chairman Paul and Ranking Member Peters for their leadership on passing S. 3296, the Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act, out of Committee. As a dual board-certified nurse practitioner in Portland, Maine, I know the importance of this legislation to federal employees. Authorizing NPs to certify federal workplace injuries and oversee the patient's treatment and care will ensure injured federal employees receive the care they need from their chosen and trusted health care providers to get them back to work sooner,”said AANP President Valerie J. Fuller, PhD, DNP.\n\nThe complete text of the bill can be read here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-delivers-floor-remarks-ahead-of-unanimous-senate-passage-of-her-bill-to-combat-lyme-and-other-tick-borne-diseases", "title": "Senator Collins Delivers Floor Remarks Ahead of Unanimous Senate Passage of Her Bill to Combat Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.collins.senate.gov", "scraper": "collins", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001035", "name": "Susan M. Collins", "party": "Republican", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Click HERE for a full-resolution image.\n\nClick HERE to watch and HERE to download video of her remarks.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the bipartisan Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act she introduced with Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)—with Senator Angus King (I-ME) joining them as an original cosponsor—passed the Senate unanimously. Senator Collins spoke from the Senate floor prior to passage of the bill.\n\nThe bill reauthorizes initiatives and programs to combat tick-borne diseases first established through the original Kay Hagan Tick Act, which Senators Collins and Smith led to passage in 2019. The Senators named their bill in honor of former Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC), who passed away in October of 2019 due to complications from the tick-borne disease known as the Powassan virus.\n\n“Our bipartisan legislation strengthens federal efforts to confront the alarming public health threat posed by Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses,” said Senator Collins during her remarks. “Each year, the state of Maine has hit a new record high in the number of cases for Lyme disease. Current projections show that 2026 will yet again be a record-setting year. This is a record that we do not want to set.”\n\n“Nevertheless, I am encouraged that we are making progress. A clinical trial for a Lyme disease vaccine is underway right now at the MaineHealth Institute for Research,” she continued. “Every year my beloved labrador retriever can get a vaccine for tick diseases, and yet we humans cannot. I’m hoping this clinical trial will be successful, and it will make a real difference. Reauthorizing the Kay Hagan Tick Act would allow crucial projects such as that research and public education campaigns to continue.”\n\n“The University of Maine has an excellent lab that specializes in testing ticks for pathogens, and it has worked very closely with our game wardens, with foresters, with others who are routinely in the woods of Maine and are exposed to tick bites. It actually has developed a little tick kit where you can send the tick into the lab, and it will be tested for pathogens. So, I would be remiss if I did not salute the University of Maine for its excellent work on tick-borne illnesses. This legislation is going to make a big difference in helping to advance their work as well as the research at the MaineHealth Institute for Research,” Senator Collins concluded.\n\nCases of Lyme disease reached a new record level in Maine last year, after doing the same the year before, with more than 4,200 cases being reported statewide. The Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act aims to confront the growing public health threat posed by Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases by reauthorizing federal efforts to improve research, prevention, diagnostics, and treatment for these diseases.\n\nUsing a three-pronged approach, the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act would:\n\nReauthorize Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease for five years. These Centers have led the scientific response against tick-borne diseases, which now make up 75 percent of vector-borne diseases in the U.S. There are four centers located at universities in California, Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin. Funding for these centers, which was allotted in 2017, expired last year.\n\nReauthorize CDC Grants to State Health Departments to improve data collection and analysis, support early detection and diagnosis, improve treatment, and raise awareness of vector-borne diseases. These awards would help states continue building and maintaining a public health infrastructure for Lyme and other vector-borne diseases and amplify their initiatives through public-private partnerships.\n\nRequire the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue implementing and updating, as appropriate, its National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People. This strategy has been integral in efforts to expand research into tick-borne diseases, improve testing and diagnostics, and coordinate efforts across the federal government.\n\n“Reauthorization of the Kay Hagan Tick Act represents a critical commitment to addressing the growing threat of ticks and tick-borne diseases in Maine and across the country. Sustained federal support will strengthen surveillance, research, prevention, and public health response while helping translate scientific advances into practical protections for individuals and communities. We appreciate Senator Collins’ continued support on an issue that affects so many Maine people,” said Griffin Dill, Director of the University of Maine Tick Lab.\n\n“The passage of the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act is a landmark victory for millions of Americans impacted by tick-borne diseases and a major step forward for public health. As a North Carolinian, it is especially meaningful to see Senator Kay Hagan's legacy continue through legislation that will strengthen our nation's response to these increasingly common and complex illnesses. As someone whose own life has been profoundly shaped by tick-borne disease, I know firsthand the devastating consequences these infections can have on individuals and families. This law represents hope—hope for better prevention, stronger public health infrastructure, greater support for states and communities, and faster progress toward the diagnostics, treatments, and care that patients have waited far too long to receive. We are grateful to the bipartisan champions in Congress who made this achievement possible and look forward to working with federal agencies to ensure its successful implementation,” said Meghan Bradshaw, MPH, Executive Director of the Center for Lyme Action.\n\n“Vector-borne diseases, particularly those transmitted by ticks, represent a rapidly expanding burden on the nation’s public health system. Incidence rates of diseases such as Lyme, alpha-gal syndrome, anaplasmosis, and others have increased significantly over the past two decades, underscoring the urgent need for a coordinated, science-based national response. The Kay Hagan Tick Act is an important part of strengthening federal coordination, enhancing surveillance, and supporting research on vector-borne diseases. Reauthorization of this legislation will ensure continued progress in several critical areas, including improving diagnostic tools, expanding public health infrastructure, advancing integrated vector management strategies, and fostering collaboration across federal, state, and local agencies. The Entomological Society of America is very grateful to Senator Collins for her critical leadership on this issue, and thanks the many other offices that joined as co-sponsors,” said Erin Cadwalader, Ph.D., Director of Strategic Leadership and Policy for the Entomological Society of America.\n\nThe complete text of the bill can be read here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-presses-administration-to-review-impact-of-canada-tariffs-meets-with-canadian-ambassador", "title": "Senator Collins Presses Administration to Review Impact of Canada Tariffs, Meets with Canadian Ambassador", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.collins.senate.gov", "scraper": "collins", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001035", "name": "Susan M. Collins", "party": "Republican", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Click HERE and HERE for individual photos.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins wrote to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer requesting that they provide Maine businesses with greater clarity and notice regarding tariffs on Canadian goods scheduled to take effect on August 19 and consider the tariffs’ expected negative impact on Maine’s economy prior to any potential implementation.\n\nThe proposed 50 percent tariffs cover more than 500 categories of Canadian imports. Maine imports approximately $2 billion in non-petroleum products from Canada each year, and the new tariffs could apply to 5.5 percent of those goods. Maine businesses in industries including paper and concrete have raised concerns that insufficient domestic supply could leave them with no choice but to pay tariffs that could jeopardize their viability and the jobs they support. Maine manufacturers are also worried that potential retaliatory tariffs could disproportionately harm them because Canadians are among their most loyal customers.\n\nThis action comes the same day that Senator Collins met with the recently appointed Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Mark Wiseman. During their meeting, Senator Collins discussed her outreach to Secretary Lutnick and Trade Representative Greer as well as her other efforts to help mitigate the harm caused by tariffs on Canadian goods. They also discussed how the ongoing review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) presents an opportunity to address trade concerns while preserving the close economic relationship between Maine and Canada.\n\n“With only a month of warning, businesses in Maine and across the United States are being asked to avoid Canadian imports or face tariffs of 50 percent on these specific products,” Senator Collins wrote in her letter. “Small businesses, which lack large legal departments, have shared with me how difficult it is to navigate this new list and determine the impact of these tariffs.”\n\n“I recognize the need for strong domestic industries that bolster our supply chains. For Mainers, however, Canada is often the closest source of goods in those supply chains. Maine borders only one state, New Hampshire, but shares a 611-mile border with Canada,” she continued. “It has 24 land ports of entry. Since the tariffs were announced, I have heard from businesses in industries including paper and concrete that insufficient domestic supply will leave them no choice but to pay tariffs at a rate that could jeopardize the viability of their businesses and the good jobs they provide.”\n\n“During the peak summer season, Maine’s forest products industry, agricultural sector, and construction companies need to focus on how they can best succeed, not on determining how new government tariffs will affect them. I hope you will consider the unique needs of Maine businesses and municipalities as you implement policies and negotiate agreements affecting American workers and companies,” Senator Collins concluded.\n\nClick here to read her complete letter.\n\n+++\n\nSenator Collins has repeatedly opposed broad tariffs on Canadian goods and worked to protect Maine businesses and communities from their effects. In April 2025, she delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of a resolution to end the emergency declaration being used to impose tariffs on Canadian goods; joined a bipartisan group in introducing the Trade Review Act of 2025, which would reassert Congress’ constitutional authority over tariffs; and urged the Administration to exempt previously contracted fire truck orders from tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum that were expected to increase the cost of each truck by $80,000 to $90,000. In July 2025, she joined a bipartisan group in introducing the Creating Access to Necessary American-Canadian Duty Adjustments (CANADA) Act, which would exempt U.S.-owned small businesses from tariffs on Canadian imports. In December 2025, she requested targeted tariff relief for Maine’s wild blueberry producers, including an exemption for specialized Canadian equipment used to harvest, process, and mow the crop.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-coons-colleagues-celebrate-unanimous-passage-to-extend-bankruptcy-financial-tools-to-small-businesses-and-american-families/", "title": "Senator Coons, colleagues celebrate unanimous passage to extend bankruptcy financial tools to small businesses and American families", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.coons.senate.gov", "scraper": "coons", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001088", "name": "Christopher A. Coons", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) celebrated the unanimous passage by the U.S. Senate of their Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026, which would restore Americans’ access to critical bankruptcy programs by reinstating modern debt limits for Subchapter V and Chapter 13. The legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and the late Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).\n\n“Americans going through one of the most difficult seasons of their lives shouldn’t then be faced with bureaucratic hurdles and outdated rules as they try to restore their financial well-being,” said Senator Coons. “This bipartisan bill will make the path through bankruptcy a little easier for families and small businesses struggling to stay afloat.”\n\n“Our nation’s bankruptcy code should work for Americans, not against them. By eliminating barriers to reorganization and restoring modern debt limits, the bipartisan Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act would provide American families and small businesses the tools they need to regain their financial footing in a quicker, more streamlined process,” said Senator Grassley. “I thank my colleagues in the Senate for their unanimous support of our legislation, and I urge the House of Representatives to swiftly pass this needed legislation.”\n\n“Bankruptcy is often a painful last resort for small business owners. This bill makes permanent a quicker and cheaper pathway for entrepreneurs to settle debts, keep the lights on, and keep serving their neighbors. It also expands eligibility for Chapter 13 bankruptcy to help more families manage rising costs, stay in their homes, and get back on their feet. With unanimous passage in the Senate, I encourage the House of Representatives to quickly pass this bill—and for the President to sign it into law,” said Senator Durbin.\n\nIn 2025, Delaware had 568 cases filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026 offers more support to Delaware families and small businesses who are just trying to make ends meet and fighting rising costs. This legislation will permanently restore the Subchapter V debt limit to $7.5 million and the Chapter 13 debt limit to $2.75 million, so that more families have access to financial tools they need to regain financial security.\n\nSenator Coons has worked hard to make bankruptcy law more fairer throughout his time in the Senate. In 2019, Senator Coons voted to enact the Small Business Reorganization Act into law, which streamlined the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process for small business owners by reducing procedural burdens and lowering filing costs. In 2022, Senator Coons supported the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Extension Act, extending the $7.5 million debt limit for small businesses filing under Subchapter V and establishing a new debt limit of $2.75 million for individuals and families filing under Chapter 13. When that bill expired in 2024, the debt thresholds for both programs reverted to lower levels.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-coons-murkowski-celebrate-senate-passage-of-act-for-als-reauthorization-act/", "title": "Senators Coons, Murkowski celebrate Senate passage of ACT for ALS Reauthorization Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.coons.senate.gov", "scraper": "coons", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001088", "name": "Christopher A. Coons", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bipartisan legislation will preserve access to promising treatments and accelerate research into ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Co-Chairs of the Senate ALS Caucus, celebrated the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS Reauthorization Act of 2026. The bipartisan legislation now heads to conference with the House-passed bill to resolve minor differences before being sent to the president’s desk. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) lead the companion legislation in the House.\n\nThe bill reauthorizes ACT for ALS programs through 2031, helping people living with ALS continue accessing promising investigational treatments while advancing research into ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.\n\n“This is a step in the right direction to help people living with ALS and their families,” said Senator Coons. “By passing this bipartisan reauthorization, we are ensuring this critical research can continue without interruption. I’m grateful to the incredible community of advocates, patients, and caregivers whose relentless courage and determination have made this possible. ACT for ALS will help countless Americans living with this disease and bring us closer to a cure, and I look forward to its swift enactment.”\n\n“ALS is indiscriminate and devastating. It can strike any of us, and it will take all of us working together to support those affected and help end this terminal disease,” said Senator Murkowski. “This bill will break down barriers to treatment while accelerating the research and development of therapies for people living with ALS. I’m grateful to partner with Senator Coons and I appreciate that Congress has recognized the importance of this legislation by moving it forward quickly. I look forward to working through the remaining differences in conference so we can get it to the President’s desk before these critical programs expire on September 30.”\n\nThe original ACT for ALS was signed into law in 2021. The reauthorization is supported by I AM ALS, the ALS Network, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the ALS Association.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-coons-murkowski-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-use-temporary-protected-status-to-help-vulnerable-afghans-in-the-united-states/", "title": "Senators Coons, Murkowski introduce bipartisan bill to use Temporary Protected Status to help vulnerable Afghans in the United States", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.coons.senate.gov", "scraper": "coons", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001088", "name": "Christopher A. Coons", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today introduced the Afghanistan TPS Act of 2026, legislation to protect eligible Afghan nationals already living in the United States from being forced to return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan by granting them Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a successful and bipartisan multi-decade program to help immigrants from nations impacted by armed conflict, natural disasters, or other severe humanitarian crises.\n\nSenators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) joined Senators Coons and Murkowski in introducing the legislation. A bipartisan companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.).\n\n“We owe an enormous debt to the Afghans who supported U.S. forces during their 20-year mission in Afghanistan,” said Senator Coons. “In exchange for that huge risk to themselves and their families, we promised them protection, protection that is more important than ever in light of the crises that have been created across their home country by the Taliban’s authoritarian regime. I’m grateful to Senator Murkowski for helping lead this bipartisan bill to ensure properly vetted Afghans are welcomed in the United States and protected from the imminent danger the Taliban would pose to them if they were forced back across the world.”\n\n“Ensuring the safety of Afghan nationals who bravely fought side by side with U.S. Armed Forces against the Taliban is not only a moral obligation, but also extends to our national security interests. Failing to do so would undermine the credibility of future U.S. commitments to those who stand alongside us in times of strife,” said Senator Murkowski. “That’s why I joined Senator Coons in developing this narrowly tailored legislation, which provides TPS protection only to those Afghans who have already been living in the United States, have cleared rigorous national security background checks, and would require additional security evaluations when necessary. Forcing these individuals to return to the Taliban before it is safe in Afghanistan would be an egregious breach of the trust and commitment to those who risked everything to fight for their freedom.”\n\n“We must keep our covenant with the Afghans who served beside us, risking everything — often at great personal expense to themselves and their families — to further America’s mission,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will help ensure Afghan allies can safely remain in the country. It’s important to do what we can to help our Afghan friends find stability, opportunity, and community in their new home.”\n\nThe bill would designate Afghanistan under TPS through July 1, 2029, allowing eligible Afghan nationals already in the United States to continue living and working here temporarily. Applicants would be required to submit biometric and biographic information and complete applicable criminal and national-security background checks. The bill comes upon the fifth anniversary of the withdrawal from Afghanistan and as Afghanistan continues to face a severe humanitarian and human rights crisis under Taliban rule. Many Afghans who have come to America in recent years aided U.S. and NATO troops and would put themselves and their families at great risk if forced to return to the country. However, last year, the Department of Homeland Security terminated Afghanistan’s TPS designation, stripping eligible Afghans of their legal status and work authorization and potentially forcing them to return to a dangerous environment.\n\nFirst created during the George H.W. Bush administration, TPS allows the federal government to grant short-term work permits and a shield from deportation to immigrants from specific, named countries where returning citizens would put them in serious danger. The Trump administration has sought to end most TPS programs, which could lead to the deportation of hundreds of thousands of migrants from four different continents.\n\nThe Afghanistan TPS Act would:\n\nDesignate Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status through July 1, 2029;\n\nAllow eligible Afghan nationals already in the United States to apply for temporary protection and employment authorization\n\nRequire applicants to undergo biometric, biographic, criminal and national-security background checks;\n\nRequire applications to be adjudicated within 90 days, with limited extensions when additional national-security review is necessary; and\n\nPermit eligible applicants to request waivers of associated filing fees.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by AfghanEvac, No One Left Behind, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Global Refuge, Refugees International, Afghan-American Foundation, Afghans for a Better Tomorrow, International Refugee Assistance Project, International Rescue Committee, Church World Service, Human Rights First, HIAS, Refugee Congress, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Team America Relief, The Lamia Afghan Foundation, World Relief; New Life Church, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Center for Refugee Services, International Institute of New England, Afghan Promise, Afghan Community Cultural Center – Texas, Afghan Labor Advocacy Network, World Hazara Council USA, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, Austin Jews and Partners for Refugees, California Hazara Community, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, Red T, Refugee Advocacy Lab, REACT DC, New Neighbor Interfaith Alliance, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Massachusetts Afghan Alliance, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Hearts & Homes for Refugees, New Milford Area Rotary, and more.\n\n“America made a promise to the Afghans who stood with us, and Senators Coons and Murkowski are helping keep it, joined by Senators Cassidy and Klobuchar. This bill is simple and overdue. It shields vetted Afghan allies from deportation to a country run by the Taliban that wants them dead, and it lets them keep working and supporting their families while they’re here,” said Shawn VanDiver, President of AfghanEvac. “These are people who are already in our communities, already vetted, and already contributing. Temporary Protected Status is a bridge, not a path to citizenship, and it comes with full national-security vetting and a hard deadline for DHS to act. That two Democrats and two Republicans are leading this together shows keeping our word to our allies was never a partisan question. We’re grateful to all four senators, and we urge their colleagues to move quickly, because our allies cannot afford for the Senate to wait.”\n\n“Afghan partners took extraordinary risks on our behalf for twenty years, and the ongoing threats to their lives in Afghanistan are well documented. How we treat them now determines whether America has the same support in the next national security conflict. Sending people who worked and sacrificed for the United States back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan hands our adversaries a propaganda win and unnecessarily puts our allies at risk,” said Andrew Sullivan, Executive Director of No One Left Behind. “This bipartisan bill, alongside the House companion, promotes national security by enforcing rigorous vetting and thorough security checks while protecting vetted Afghan nationals. No One Left Behind is proud to endorse this legislation, and we thank Senators Coons and Murkowski for their bipartisan work behind it.”\n\n“Newly arrived Afghans are pillars in their communities across the United States. Many of them served alongside American service members during the mission while others fought for democracy and women’s rights. Now, they are under attack and at risk of detention and deportation for no other reason than their country of origin,” said Arash Azizzada, Executive Director for Afghans For A Better Tomorrow. “Afghans deserve much-needed protections and Congress must act to pass this bipartisan, critical and life-saving legislation. Afghans cannot wait a day longer without passage of the Afghanistan TPS Act.”\n\n“IAVA will always stand by our Afghan Allies. We have always said that our national security and credibility as a moral nation depends on how we treat those who saved countless lives of men and women in uniform for over two decades in Afghanistan combat,” said Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). “We are encouraged by Senator Coons and Senator Murkowski joining the fight to uphold our promise to our Allies and for introducing a Senate companion to the Afghanistan TPS of 2026. We’re hopeful this is a meaningful stepping stone towards a lasting pathway to citizenship and thankful to Congress for acknowledging this need, which has remained unanswered for too long.”\n\n“Afghans seeking safety in the United States have endured years of upheaval, displacement, and danger that no family should ever have to navigate. The situation inside Afghanistan has only grown more dire — widespread hunger, collapsing public services, and the near‑total erasure of women’s rights have created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge. “Offering Temporary Protected Status to Afghans who have built their lives here is not only lawful and necessary — it is a reaffirmation that America does not turn its back on people who sought refuge in moments of crisis. And it does not forget its commitments to its allies and partners. I commend the bipartisan and principled leadership behind this bill and urge Congress to move swiftly to provide the stability and safety these individuals deserve.”\n\n“Making promises to vulnerable Afghans is the minimum that our country can do to stand alongside those who have supported our country in so many ways. The Afghanistan TPS Act gives vetted Afghans who are already here the stability to work, support their families, and live without the fear of deportation,” said Beth Oppenheim, CEO of HIAS. “HIAS is proud to stand behind this bipartisan bill, because welcoming the stranger and protecting the vulnerable are not partisan values, they are enduring American ones.”\n\n“The Afghanistan of today is a stark departure from the country that so many Afghans and Americans sacrificed to build after 2001. Women and girls have been systematically erased from public life, nearly half the population depends on humanitarian assistance, and a collapsing healthcare system struggles to provide even the most basic care. These are not distortions, they are documented facts,” said Mohammed Naeem, Senior Director for Advocacy Strategy at Refugees International. “We are grateful to Senators Coons, Murkowski, Klobuchar, and Cassidy for answering the call and introducing this critical bill. Without its passage, we risk sending Afghan families back to conditions defined by dehumanization, deprivation, and despair. That is not the promise we made to our Afghan allies. Congress can instead reaffirm that America is a nation that honors its word—and that our word does not end when the headlines fade.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-bill-to-help-expedite-recovery-of-missing-servicemembers-moves-forward", "title": "Crapo Bill to Help Expedite Recovery of Missing Servicemembers Moves Forward", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "domain": "www.crapo.senate.gov", "scraper": "crapo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000880", "name": "Mike Crapo", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C.--The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously advanced bipartisan legislation U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) introduced to cut bureaucratic red tape to help locate missing American servicemembers and civilian personnel.\n\nS. 3226, the Bring Our Heroes Home Act, would create a centralized records collection at the National Archives and establish a specialized review board to fast-track the declassification of relevant government files to provide long-overdue answers to the families and loved ones of American prisoners of war (POW) and personnel missing in action (MIA).\n\n“We have a duty to our missing servicemembers and their families to make every effort to bring them home,” said Crapo. “Government bureaucracy cannot stand in the way of fulfilling this promise or providing closure to families who, in some cases, have waited decades for answers about their loved ones. The Committee’s action today is an important step forward, and I will continue working to get this bill signed into law.”\n\nAccording to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, approximately 80,751 Americans--including 358 Idahoans--remain unaccounted for from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars and other conflicts.\n\nSpecifically, the Bring Our Heroes Home Act would:\n\nRequire consolidation of all records related to missing personnel in a newly established Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Collection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA);\n\nRequire all government agencies to transmit any records related to missing servicemembers and civilians to NARA; and\n\nEstablish an independent government office, the Missing Armed Forces and Civilian Personnel Records Review Board, to identify missing personnel records, facilitate the transmission and disclosure of these records and review federal agency decisions to postpone declassification.\n\nThe bill now awaits consideration by the full U.S. Senate.\n\nCrapo and Shaheen previously introduced the legislation in the 116th and 117th Congresses and have long supported various efforts to identify and recover all missing and unaccounted-for American military personnel.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/support-continues-to-grow-for-taxpayer-assistance-and-service-act", "title": "Support Continues to Grow for Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "domain": "www.crapo.senate.gov", "scraper": "crapo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000880", "name": "Mike Crapo", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C.—Leading individuals and organizations committed to protecting taxpayer rights and modernizing tax administration are announcing their support for the bipartisan Taxpayer Assistance and Service (TAS) Act, which the U.S. Senate Finance Committee recently passed by a vote of 26-1.\n\nThe TAS Act, led by U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), would strengthen taxpayer rights, streamline IRS operations and improve the taxpayer experience.\n\nHere is what supporters are saying:\n\nAmerican Coalition for Taxpayer Rights\n\n“The members of the American Coalition for Taxpayer Rights… congratulate Chairman Crapo and Ranking Member Wyden and the Members of the Senate Finance Committee for successfully marking up the bipartisan TAS Act, and urge the full Senate to consider this critical tax administration bill as soon as possible.”\n\nBipartisan Policy Center Action\n\n“This pragmatic, evidence-based bill would strengthen IRS customer service, modernize technology and improve the experience of taxpayers and tax preparers alike… Your hard work is proof positive that responsive, effective and efficient government is most achievable when Democrats and Republicans work together.”\n\nBryan Camp, George H. Mahon Professor of Law, Texas Tech University School of Law\n\n“The TAS Act makes significant improvements in tax procedural rules that will help taxpayers file more accurate returns and also help taxpayers resolve disputes with the IRS more quickly and fairly.”\n\nErin Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate\n\n“Tax administration may not always attract headlines, but it profoundly affects nearly every individual, family and business in the country. But important work lies ahead to get this legislation across the finish line. If the House and Senate can pass the TAS Act this year, it will be a tremendous gift from the 119th Congress to America’s taxpayers.”\n\nIndependent Sector\n\n“The Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act will upgrade IRS technology and customer service, support faster tax refunds and provide better protection for taxpayers. With the adoption of the Lankford/Warnock Amendment, it will also meaningfully bolster due process protections for nonprofit organizations. Independent Sector and its members appreciate your work on this legislation and we look forward to working toward its enactment.”\n\nJackson Hewitt\n\n“We commend Chairman Crapo and Ranking Member Wyden for their leadership and for advancing a thoughtful bipartisan package that will better protect taxpayers while improving the administration of our nation’s tax laws. This legislation builds on years of bipartisan work to make the tax system more transparent and more responsive to the needs of taxpayers.”\n\nMeg Killian, EA, Executive Vice President, National Association of Enrolled Agents\n\n“The TAS Act reflects a strong commitment to improving tax administration and protecting taxpayers. From modernizing taxpayer services to strengthening professional standards for paid tax return preparers, this bipartisan legislation advances reforms that will improve confidence in our tax system. NAEA appreciates Chairman Crapo, Ranking Member Wyden and the members of the Senate Finance Committee for their leadership, and we look forward to working with Congress to advance this important legislation.”\n\nMelanie Lauridsen, Vice President of Tax Policy and Advocacy, American Institute of CPAs\n\n“The TAS Act represents an important step towards creating a more effective and taxpayer-focused tax administration system… We are grateful to members of Congress for their leadership and we support continued progress on the TAS Act and future tax legislation.”\n\nNational Taxpayers Union\n\n“This legislation is easily the most consequential package of tax administration and taxpayer rights improvements to come before Congress since the Taxpayer First Act of 2019, and rivals in importance the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998… The legislation takes a thoughtful approach to addressing challenges faced by underserved taxpayers.”\n\nClick HERE and HERE to view the Chairman’s Mark and modifications.\n\nClick HERE and HERE for a summary.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-slotkin-introduce-bill-to-protect-americans-right-to-worship", "title": "Sens. Cruz, Slotkin Introduce Bill to Protect Americans' Right to Worship", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.cruz.senate.gov", "scraper": "cruz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001098", "name": "Ted Cruz", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced the Right to Worship Act. This legislation protects Americans' First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion by establishing a 100-foot protection zone that prohibits conduct disrupting scheduled religious services or impeding attendance.\n\nSen. Cruz said, “The First Amendment guarantees every American the right to freely exercise their faith, and Congress has a duty to ensure that guarantee is met. In recent years, we have seen organized acts of hate meant to disrupt and deny that right, which have been untenably defended as speech. That is why I am introducing the Right to Worship Act, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”\n\nSen. Slotkin said, “Attacks on synagogues, mosques, churches and other houses of worship are unfortunately on the rise in Michigan, and across the country. No one should ever fear going to their house of worship. Period. The Right to Worship Act prohibits disruptive conduct, within 100 feet of a religious institution, that’s used to threaten or impede access. I look forward to working with my colleagues on getting this important piece of bipartisan legislation passed.\"\n\nU.S. Reps. Brad Knott (R-N.C.-13) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.-3) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\nThis legislation is supported by the First Liberty Institute.\n\nFirst Liberty Institute President & CEO Kelly Shackelford said, \"First Liberty commends Senator Cruz for introducing the Right to Worship Act. This important legislation will help to ensure that no American will forfeit their religious freedom because of threats, intimidation, or attempts to disrupt their place of worship. This legislation shouldn't be necessary, yet sadly it is. We are grateful to Senator Cruz for his leadership and his steadfast defense of religious liberty.\"\n\nRead the bill text here.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nThe Right to Worship Act:", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-bill-to-prevent-youth-suicide-passes-senate", "title": "Curtis Bill to Prevent Youth Suicide Passes Senate", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.curtis.senate.gov", "scraper": "curtis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001114", "name": "John R. Curtis", "party": "Republican", "state": "UT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate passed the Youth Poisoning Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to help prevent youth suicide by banning high-concentration sodium nitrite from being available to the public. Since 2017, the National Poison Data System has shown a sharp annual increase in young adults ingesting the substance with suicidal intent. There is no recognized household or consumer use for high-concentration sodium nitrite, yet the sale of this dangerous substance by retailers remains unregulated, resulting in tragic consequences.\n\n“Too many young people are being put at risk by easy access to dangerous poisons,” said Senator Curtis. “I am proud to see our commonsense legislation to help protect vulnerable Americans, strengthen consumer safety, and prevent needless youth tragedies pass the Senate.”\n\n“High-concentration sodium nitrite is a textbook example of a deadly product that should never be sold to consumers—let alone to our kids,” said Senator Duckworth. “Every child’s life is precious. We must ensure that our laws protecting our kids are up to date to protect against emerging deadly hazards. Our bipartisan legislation would immediately take this lethal substance off the shelves—it’s a no-brainer that must be sent to the President’s desk swiftly to help us protect our children.”\n\n“I heard from a family who lost their daughter to this dangerous substance, and we have to do more to make sure no other American family suffers the same heartache,” said Senator Baldwin. “As new, deadly products like sodium nitrite become available to children, we must update our laws to keep these deadly chemicals out of the hands of our kids and prevent any further tragic deaths. I am proud to have worked with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to protect Wisconsin families, and I am glad that we are now one step closer to making our bill the law of the land.”\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Youth Poisoning Prevention Act would:\n\nBan the sale of high-concentration sodium nitrite to consumers by adding such products to the list of banned hazardous products under the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2057);\n\nDefine “high concentration of sodium nitrite” as a concentration of sodium nitrite greater than 10% (as there is no recognized household or consumer use of high-concentration sodium nitrite); and\n\nNot interfere with the highly regulated use of high-concentration sodium nitrite for commercial and industrial purposes.\n\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.\n\nThe Youth Poisoning Prevention Act is endorsed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics, Consumer Reports, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Public Citizen, Consumer Federation of America, National Consumers League and Crisis Text Line—as well as a number of families who tragically lost their children to self-poisoning via high-concentration sodium nitrite ingestion.\n\n“This law was written in the names of children who should still be alive,” said Kristin Jónsson, mother of the late Kristine Jónsson. “For years, high-purity sodium nitrite was sold with no guardrails despite mounting evidence that it had become a preferred suicide method. Today, we chose public health over preventable tragedy.”\n\n“Every parent who came forward with me did so with one hope: that no other family would have to live this nightmare,” said Ruth Scott, mother of the late Mikael Scott. “We fought in our children’s names, and today their lives have left a legacy that will protect others.”\n\n“The best wrongful death case is the one that never has to be filed,” said an attorney for the grieving families. “This law recognizes that prevention is always more powerful than accountability after the fact. Today, this country chose to save lives instead of counting them.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-highlights-need-to-reduce-regulatory-burdens-preserve-family-farms", "title": "Curtis Highlights Need to Reduce Regulatory Burdens, Preserve Family Farms", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.curtis.senate.gov", "scraper": "curtis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001114", "name": "John R. Curtis", "party": "Republican", "state": "UT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "During opening remarks, Senator Curtis introduced Mr. Rigby as a hearing witness. During questioning, Curtis focused on the growing regulatory burden facing farmers and ranchers, asking how federal regulations contribute to consolidation in agriculture and what Congress can do to help family operations remain competitive. Mr. Rigby explained that simplifying regulations, expanding access to capital, and supporting value-added agriculture are critical to helping producers manage rising costs and continue operating.\n\nVideo of the Senator’s introduction and questioning can be found here, and a transcript is below.\n\nIntroduction:\n\nSenator Curtis: Thank you, Chair Young. It’s my privilege to introduce today’s witness from the great state of Utah. Mr. ValJay Rigby, thank you for being here today.\n\nMr. Rigby serves as president of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, our state’s largest general agriculture organization, representing more than 3,700 members and their families. ValJay is a fifth-generation farmer from Newton, Utah, where his family continues to farm land that was part of its original 1869 homestead.\n\nToday, he farms alongside his brothers and his children, raising beef cattle and growing approximately 1,500 acres of alfalfa and small grains. Mr. Rigby holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in information systems from Utah State University. He has also served as president of the Cache County Farm Bureau, on local planning and zoning and water boards, and as a volunteer firefighter.\n\nThank you, Mr. Rigby, for making the trip from Utah to join us today. I’m sure they’re missing you back on the farm, but thank you for being here, and I look forward to hearing your testimony.\n\nQuestioning:\n\nCurtis: Mr. Rigby, two things you said in your testimony: one I have a comment on; the other, I have a question. You talked about how you were developing character in youth, and I will just tell you, as a previous small business owner myself, if anybody ever walked in my door and said they grew up on a farm in Utah or Idaho, we hired them, no questions asked. They’re hard workers, they’re disciplined, and they’re problem-solvers. I would totally agree with you.\n\nYou also alluded to the fact that you don’t have a room full of lawyers and attorneys to help navigate these regulations, and I want to focus on that for just a minute, particularly as it relates to the move toward consolidation in farms and ranches. If you think about the high costs that my colleague from Colorado alluded to, and the regulatory burden, what role is that playing in this consolidation? And how do we here in Washington help you push back on that?\n\nValJay Rigby: I appreciate the question. Any time that we can reduce the regulatory burden on farmers and producers and simplify those programs, it is a tremendous help because, as a farmer, I wear lots of hats every day. I’m a business owner. I manage my finances. I’m constantly thinking about my cash flow. I may have lots of assets, but I have no cash in the bank. Just ask my banker.\n\nAny time we can provide opportunities to incentivize adding value to the crops that I grow on my farm, that increases the revenue that comes into my farm. Any of those programs are a benefit. When we can incentivize lower interest rates, that’s one of the challenges in agriculture: access to capital and credit. A beginning farmer who’s just starting out faces the challenge that we’ve talked about. They don’t have decades of experience or a balance sheet to show the bank that they’re a good risk. Any of those programs are a tremendous help to our producers.\n\nCurtis: Thank you.\n\nYou mentioned the diesel fuel, and I suspect that’s an investment you’ve made that doesn’t pay off the next week, or the next month. You’re making investments that literally don’t pay off for years. I’m curious, as we reflect on tax policy here and the way it impacts small businesses, given your limited cash flow and margins, talk to us about tax policy—what we do here—and how it influences you, both good and bad.\n\nRigby: We appreciate last summer’s Working Families Tax Cut Act. It’s helpful for production agriculture. Having that certainty to know, as a producer, that I have that permanent $15 million per individual exemption from the estate tax is really important, so I can plan and have some certainty. The biggest asset that I have as a producer is the land, and I need that certainty as I plan.\n\nSome of the other provisions are also a help to us. Any little bit that helps reduce some of that tax burden and incentivizes reinvestment in my farm is a great help.\n\nCurtis: Just to state the obvious: if, upon your death, your heirs had to pay taxes before they could continue operating that farm, it would not make it to a sixth generation. Is that a fair statement?\n\nRigby: That is a fair statement. There’s no way they could do that. I was lucky enough to farm with my grandfather and my father. My father passed away a few years ago, and if he had died a few years earlier, we would have had a difficult time maintaining our farm if we had been caught in that window.\n\nCurtis: Thank you. I’ve got just a moment left. I’d like to ask all of you to give me a quick answer and give me a sense of how our tax policy and our regulatory policies impact your hiring and financing decisions. Ms. High, we’ll start with you.\n\nNikki High: Thank you for that question. So much is dependent on our ability to have cash flow, similar to Mr. Rigby. Any break that we get from a tax perspective helps offset our built-in costs, including credit card servicing fees and other fees. Having a tax policy that benefits us allows us to continue hiring in the community and to do more outreach and advocacy programs.\n\nCurtis: Thank you. Mr. Malshe.\n\nDr. Ajay Malshe: Thank you, Mr. Curtis, for asking that question. I think the two areas where it would help immensely: any dollars that go toward deep-tech product development or deep-tech research. If there can be a policy where those are not taxed, or taxed at a low rate, that would help because research converts money into knowledge, and if you tax the knowledge, you tax how you make the product. So I think research credits for small deep-tech businesses would be very helpful. Second, investment tax credits. If investments made in small businesses receive tax credits, that will increase investment in deep-tech businesses.\n\nLorena Cantarovici: I think we need to see everything globally, right? I’m not an expert in taxes—thank God. I take care of my [profit and loss statements] and pay attention to all the numbers. But I think as everything evolves, taxes should evolve too, and that we make sure the proportions are equal to what we’re paying. As a small business owner, I want to pay taxes. That means I’m alive. I want to create jobs, and I want to pay employment taxes as well—that’s part of doing business. I think it’s very important that we make sure everything grows in the same way. If I’m able to sell and the economy is good, we all want to pay the right taxes. If the economy isn’t good, we need help—but we need to survive. I don’t want to be in survival mode. I want to be in growth mode.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-durbin-budzinski-discuss-with-general-boyd-the-national-guards-plan-to-deactivate-the-springfield-183rd-wings-centralized-repair-facility", "title": "Duckworth, Durbin, Budzinski Discuss with General Boyd the National Guard’s Plan to Deactivate the Springfield 183rd Wing’s Centralized Repair Facility", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "scraper": "duckworth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000622", "name": "Tammy Duckworth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today spoke with Illinois Adjutant General Major General Rodney Boyd about the National Guard’s plan to deactivate the Springfield 183rd Wing’s Centralized Repair Facility (CRF) by March 31, 2027.\n\n“For over 16 years, the highly skilled airmen and women at the 183rd Wing have provided skilled jet engine maintenance for F-16s and other military aircraft,” the lawmakers said. “While we are concerned over the National Guard Bureau’s plan to deactivate this mission, we discussed with General Boyd suitable replacement missions being considered by the National Guard that will continue the 183rd’s legacy of high-quality and dedicated service to our nation. We look forward to ongoing conversations to ensure that happens.”\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-helps-introduce-sweeping-legislation-to-counter-trumps-authoritarian-takeover-restore-ig-independence-and-defend-our-democracy", "title": "Duckworth Helps Introduce Sweeping Legislation to Counter Trump’s Authoritarian Takeover, Restore IG Independence and Defend Our Democracy", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "scraper": "duckworth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000622", "name": "Tammy Duckworth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in unveiling the For Our Republic Act, a comprehensive legislative package to fight back against President Trump’s aggressive authoritarian takeover of American democracy. Among many priorities, the new legislation includes Senator Duckworth’s Inspectors General Independence Act, which would prevent Donald Trump and future Presidents from appointing their own political allies to serve in the Administration’s “independent” watchdog roles. In addition to Duckworth’s legislation, the For Our Republic Act also includes provisions to protect nonpartisan civil servants, reassert Congress’ power of the purse, fight government corruption, strengthen free speech and civil liberties and safeguard free and fair elections.\n\n“In a clear conflict of interest and gross abuse of power, Trump fired 17 Inspectors General within his first days in office so he could tap political allies to conduct oversight of his own Administration—leaving these watchdogs to answer to the President before the American people,” said Duckworth. “First and foremost, Senate Democrats’ For Our Republic Act includes my legislation that would prevent stone-cold corruption like this, which have too often become the norm in the Trump Administration. It’s clear that the current checks on the President are not enough, and our legislation would not only help us restore good government—it will also empower Congress to prevent any more wanna-be kings from bending our Republic to its breaking point.”\n\n“Authoritarianism isn’t down the street or around the corner—it is here right now,” said Merkley. “We have all three ingredients of a strongman state in the United States: a rubber-stamp Congress doing the President’s bidding; a deferential Supreme Court finding ‘invisible ink’ in the Constitution to enhance the President’s powers; and a power-hungry President behaving like a king, breaking the law and violating the checks and balances of our Constitution. “The For Our Republic Act lays out a clear roadmap of the actions Congress can take to fight back against Trump’s authoritarian takeover and reassert our authority. Together, let’s fight back and save our republic!”\n\n“Donald Trump has led a brazen, unprecedented campaign of corruption—growing his power while ignoring the needs of the American people,” said Blumenthal. “The For Our Republic Act installs critical guardrails against Trump’s relentless attacks on our democracy, promoting government transparency and accountability while preserving Americans’ rights and liberties. This legislation fights against Trump’s slide towards tyranny and protects our country’s democratic values.”\n\nIn addition to Duckworth’s Inspectors General Independence Act, the For Our Republic Act includes new provisions to counter the rise of authoritarianism and erosion of our democratic government under the second Trump Administration, as well as other existing legislation from Merkley and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA).\n\nThe For Our Republic Act outlines ten principles to protect our democracy:\n\nDefend the Referees\n\nProtect the Independent, Non-Partisan Civil Service\n\nCelebrate One Nation, Indivisible\n\nReaffirm Equal Justice Under Law\n\nStrengthen Free Speech\n\nReassert Congress’ Power of the Purse\n\nFight Government Corruption\n\nEnsure Liberty and Justice for All\n\nPrevent Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets\n\nSafeguard Free and Fair Elections\n\nA detailed outline of the For Our Republic Act can be found by on Senator Merkley’s website.\n\nThe For Our Republic Act is supported by Public Citizen, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), Refugees International and Common Cause.\n\nFull text of the legislation is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.\n\nDuckworth has been a leading voice pushing back against the Trump Administration’s erosion of government watchdog independence. In May, she called on Chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) Cheryl Mason to follow the law and designate a lead Inspector General (IG) to conduct comprehensive oversight over all aspects of Operation Epic Fury and the Trump Administration’s ongoing military operations against Iran.\n\nIn February, the Senator called out then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem for making thinly veiled threats to invoke a never-used authority that could prevent or stop any DHS Office of Inspector General investigation. In January, Duckworth introduced her Inspectors General Independence Act to root out conflicts of interest within our IGs that could undermine their responsibility to root out government waste, fraud and abuse within the Executive Branch.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-leads-colleagues-in-push-to-stop-trump-from-hiding-the-true-cost-of-the-iran-war-and-dishonoring-the-sacrifices-of-our-heroes", "title": "Duckworth Leads Colleagues in Push to Stop Trump from Hiding the True Cost of the Iran War and Dishonoring the Sacrifices of Our Heroes", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.duckworth.senate.gov", "scraper": "duckworth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000622", "name": "Tammy Duckworth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today led 17 of her Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing legislation that would stop Donald Trump’s desperate attempt to obscure how long his illegal war against Iran has lasted, dishonor the sacrifice of our troops injured and killed in combat and hide the true cost of his disastrous war from the American people. The Senators’ Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act would ban the Secretary of Defense from manipulating casualty records and jeopardizing the benefits of our servicemembers and public servants. The bill introduction comes after the Pentagon unprecedentedly recategorized recent casualties suffered in Trump’s Iran war—including four killed and over 200 wounded servicemembers—under a separate category outside Operation Epic Fury in a shameless attempt to downplay the damage done and evade accountability to the American people.\n\n“I refuse to let Donald Trump dishonor the service of our heroes just because it benefits him politically to lie about the length of this illegal campaign and hide the true cost of his war from the American people,” said Duckworth. “Trump knows his war of choice is unpopular, which is why he’s manipulating casualty records to try and fool the public into believing it’s been less of a disaster. It’s an insult to our fallen heroes, and it could jeopardize the benefits of troops and civilians he continues to put in harm’s way. Our brave men and women in uniform deserve accountability, not a Commander in Chief who plays games with their sacrifices.”\n\nTo ban the Secretary of Defense from hiding the true cost of war, the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act specifically:\n\nBans Arbitrary, Unjustified Recategorizing of Designated Contingency Operations by prohibiting redesignating an ongoing conflict if the Administration continues to mobilize forces against the same enemy;\n\nPrevents Manipulation of Casualty Records by prohibiting manipulation of casualty records by falsely redesignating a contingency operation;\n\nRestores Casualty Records of Our Fallen and Wounded Heroes in the Iran War by requiring restoration of casualty records for Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026, and notify next-of-kin about the correction;\n\nBans Cutting Hard-Earned Benefits for Troops and Civilian Personnel by prohibiting the modification of eligibility for deployment-related personnel benefits on the basis of falsely redesignating a contingency operation; and\n\nRestores Benefits to Personnel Supporting Iran War by retroactively restoring all covered benefits entitled to members of the Armed Services and civilian employees who have supported Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026.\n\nIn addition to Duckworth, the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), John Fetterman (D-PA), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).\n\n“It’s outrageous the Administration would try to shortchange our troops and their families from receiving the full benefits that they have earned through service and sacrifice,” said Shaheen. “Because President Trump and Secretary Hegseth started a war they don’t know how to end, they’re trying to obscure the real costs of it—all while service members’ benefits hang in the balance. Our bill would ensure these brave patriots and their families receive the full support that they are due.”\n\n“Time and time again the Trump Administration has contradicted themselves, withheld information, and misled Congress and the American people about the reality of this war,” said Peters. “They are failing the brave men and women who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe. I’m proud to support this bill because the?American people deserve answers and the?roughly 40,000?U.S. servicemembers serving in the region deserve leadership.”\n\n“While the Trump regime claims to support our servicemembers, their actions tell a far more sinister story,” said Hirono. “Instead of honoring the brave servicemembers who are being killed and injured, this regime is obscuring the truth and hiding the real cost of this illegal war—all to evade accountability from the American people. This regime claims to value transparency, and this legislation demands they actually deliver it.”\n\n“We owe our servicemembers a debt that we can never truly repay,” said Van Hollen. “Instead of honoring them, Trump and Secretary Hegseth are manipulating casualty records and jeopardizing the benefits servicemembers and their families are owed for their sacrifices. Trump’s illegal Iran war has been a complete blunder – and we cannot let this Administration harm military families in an attempt to hide from their mistakes. With this legislation, we ensure our men and women in uniform are shown the respect they deserve and that they receive the full honors and benefits that they and their families are owed.”\n\n“Trump’s illegal war with Iran has cost us dearly, and now he’s trying to rewrite history to better serve his agenda,” said Merkley. “I’m holding in my heart the families and loved ones of the American servicemembers killed in Iran and will keep pushing to end Trump’s war of choice.”\n\n“The Trump Administration’s decision to reclassify the deaths of four service members and the injuries of more than 200 is not only dishonest; it is an affront to the service and sacrifice these men and women, and their families, have made,” said Bennet. “Our legislation will stop this administration from obscuring the continuing cost of President Trump’s ongoing war with Iran and, more importantly, will provide confirmation that those who have answered the call to duty and their families will receive the rightful benefits and recognition they are owed.”\n\n“It is a disgrace that this administration is trying to hide deaths of the men and women who gave their lives serving this country,” said Gallego. “Trump has got us into another forever war that has jacked up gas prices, and instead of being focused on ending it, he is fudging the numbers for good PR. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so that our servicemembers and their families are never disrespected like this again.”\n\n“Manipulating casualty records for political purposes is a despicable disservice to brave heroes,” said Blumenthal. “President Trump’s denial of rightful status to four American servicemembers killed during the war in Iran is not only disrespectful – it could also deprive them and their families of benefits and recognition. There is no reason for this abhorrent action other than obfuscating and concealing the true costs of war – and it must be stopped.”\n\n“I join Senator Duckworth’s effort to honor the solemn promise we make to our fallen heroes and servicemembers and make sure they aren’t caught up in the Trump administration’s lies around the Iran War,” said Kim. “We must take steps to ensure political charades never get in the way of the benefits our military and their families deserve and ensure no administration going forward can manipulate service records.”\n\n“Time and again, this Administration has tried to conceal its failures in Iran behind the courage of the brave Americans it placed in harm’s way,” said Alsobrooks. “Now it is attempting to obscure the deaths and injuries of our service members—and that is not only hypocritical, but unconscionable. Our legislation demands accountability. It will restore casualty records, ensure the American people are told the truth about this war, and secure the benefits and honors our military and civilian personnel have earned. We will not allow any Administration to diminish the service, sacrifice, or memory of those who answered our nation’s call.”\n\n“Anyone who steps up to serve our nation and put themselves in harm’s way deserves our utmost respect and gratitude,” said Schatz. “The Trump administration’s attempts to hide the true death toll in the war on Iran and jeopardize hard-earned benefits for troops and civilians is shameful. Our bill will help ensure the integrity of casualty records and protect benefits for those who serve.”\n\nThe Senators’ legislation is endorsed by VoteVets and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).\n\n“You can’t erase a war by renaming it and you can’t erase a fallen servicemember by rewriting their record,” said VoteVets Senior Advisor Max Rose. “Pete Hegseth is hiding the cost of Trump's war from the families who paid it. Senator Duckworth is a true leader who understands what this country owes its wounded and its dead, and VoteVets is proud to support her bill.”\n\n“Senator Duckworth’s legislation to prevent unwarranted changes or reclassifications of servicemembers killed or wounded in action comes at a critical moment,” said Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). “We must ensure that the true cost of war, and the sacrifices of those who serve, is never obscured. The Department of Defense has recently made changes without sufficient transparency or clear justification, creating the potential for significant downstream consequences. These changes could impact benefits, research, and future VA funding. We strongly support this bill and the Senator’s relentless support for our military and veterans.”\n\nFull text of the legislation is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.\n\nDuckworth has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s illegal, needless war in Iran since it began. She is one of the Senate Six—the original group of Senators who have been forcing votes on War Powers Resolutions that would cease hostilities in Iran, which Republicans have shamefully blocked nine times. Last month, the Senator announced she would oppose the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) if it failed to include her amendment that would stop funding for offensive operations against Iran—while still allowing for defensive operations—until the American people consent to this war.\n\nAhead of the Senate’s vote on her own War Powers resolution in April, Duckworth gave impassioned remarks drawing on her personal experience serving in our nation’s last war of choice in the Middle East, imploring Republicans to remember their oaths and vote to help rein in this unhinged President—which they did not.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-amendment-to-help-rural-hospitals-at-greatest-risk-of-closure-defeated-by-republicans-in-ag-committee", "title": "Durbin Amendment To Help Rural Hospitals At Greatest Risk Of Closure Defeated By Republicans In Ag Committee", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – During today’s consideration of the Farm Bill in the Senate Agriculture Committee, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) offered an amendment that would provide federal grants to rural hospitals at risk of closure. Rural hospitals are facing severe financial strain due to major federal funding cuts by congressional Republicans. Durbin’s amendment would have provided $200 million a year for grants to rural hospitals at greatest risk of closure. Every Republican voted against Durbin’s amendment.\n\nRural hospitals are the backbone of their communities, and often the largest employers, contributing nearly $5 billion in direct spending on payroll, goods, and services in Illinois. Yet due to funding cuts passed by Congressional Republicans, more than 300 hospitals are facing immediate closure risk, including 24 in Illinois.\n\n“Let’s put farm families back in the Farm Bill. And what I’m talking about specifically are not only the profits and losses in farm operations, but the burdens that farm families are carrying. Twenty-seven percent of farm families have Obamacare, Affordable Care Act insurance policies. What has happened to those in the last year? Dramatic increases in cost,” Durbin said. “A farmer in Nebraska expects to pay for his wife and himself $32,000 this year for health insurance premiums. Last year, $13,000. You say to yourself, what impact does that have? The impact it has is not just on that family and their fear of how they are going to pay the premiums, but a question about health care providers in his farm state, in his rural state.”\n\nDurbin continued, “What do the hospitals tell you when you go home? … Senator Duckworth and I sent letters to 129 rural hospitals in Illinois and said, how are you doing? More than half of them said, we are in trouble—serious trouble. And if you look at the numbers across the board, in Illinois, 24 rural hospitals—30 percent of the total—are at risk of closure. In Arkansas, 50 percent are at risk of closure. Mississippi, six hospitals [are] facing closure. Senator Thune, [in] South Dakota, 40 percent of hospitals are on the brink of closure. What happens when the hospital closes? I can tell you right off the bat it means that the farmer that was injured in a serious, maybe life-threatening accident takes longer and longer to get to an emergency room.”\n\nDurbin concluded, “Here’s what I’m proposing—it is modest, by federal standards, but it is important. I think we ought to make a commitment in this Farm Bill to rural hospitals. And what I am proposing is that we create an opportunity for rural hospitals to get up to $8 million in grants to survive. These are hospitals that are serving clearly rural areas and not wealthy people. They are struggling farm families and struggling rural families. What does it amount to? Five years at $200 million amounts to $1 billion… it represents 48 hours in the war in Iran.”\n\nCongressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which passed last year, cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and $300 billion from Affordable Care Act coverage over the next decade in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires. Following passage of OBBBA, Durbin sent a letter to every hospital in Illinois to survey the projected impact on hospitals. Across the 129 responses Durbin received, hospitals across Illinois, especially those in rural areas, detailed fears about pending cuts to services and staff while emergency room wait times increase.\n\nIn response to rural hospitals’ concerns about potential cuts or forced closures, Durbin has advanced his bipartisan Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act. The legislation would update Medicare’s “Critical Access Hospital” (CAH) designation so more rural hospitals can qualify for this financial lifeline and continue to serve their communities with quality, affordable health care services.\n\nVideo of Durbin’s comments in Committee is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s comments in Committee is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s comments in Committee is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-applauds-court-ruling-approving-11-billion-in-borrower-defense-claims-for-students-defrauded-by-for-profit-colleges", "title": "Durbin Applauds Court Ruling Approving $11 Billion In Borrower Defense Claims For Students Defrauded By For-Profit Colleges", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The class action lawsuit was originally filed during the first Trump Administration\n\nWASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today applauded the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit’s ruling that the U.S. Department of Education must approve $11 billion in borrower defense claims for more than 170,000 students who were defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges. Durbin has worked for years to hold these predatory schools and their executives accountable for exploiting students and fleecing taxpayers while fighting for debt relief for the students they’ve harmed.\n\n“What you don’t know is that although only eight percent of [American college students] go to for-profit colleges and universities, 30 percent of all student loan defaults are the students from these same schools. What’s going on here? Such a low number, eight percent, going on to these schools, and such a high number of loan defaults. That’s because they issue worthless degrees and entice these students into deep debt,” Durbin said. “Many times, a parent, or even a grandparent, will cosign on the loans for these for-profit schools. And when everything falls apart, as it’s likely to, everybody is held liable and responsible. That’s why we’ve had an ongoing battle here in Washington for years against the for-profit college and university industry.”\n\nA class action lawsuit, Sweet v. McMahon, originated during the first Trump Administration, with hundreds of thousands of students asserting that the Trump Administration had intentionally and illegally stopped reviewing their borrower defense claims—which allow students who were defrauded by their institution to receive federal student loan discharges. In 2022, the Biden Administration settled the suit by promising to provide automatic relief for students who attended one of more than 150 schools, the vast majority of which were predatory for-profit colleges. However, the second Trump Administration has stalled in reviewing fraud claims for borrowers who applied after the 2022 settlement was reached.\n\nLast month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit did not approve the Trump Administration’s request for an extension to review the borrower defense claims. The Trump Administration must now provide relief for the borrower defense claims approved after the Biden Administration settled the suit in 2022. In total, this is the largest class action settlement in history, with nearly 500,000 borrowers seeing $23 billion in total federal student debt forgiven.\n\n“There was a legal battle in a case called Sweet vs McMahon, which has gone on for years. It finally, last week, came to an end. And it’s an important case on this subject of for-profit colleges and universities. It was the largest class action settlement against the federal government in the history of our nation,” Durbin said. “That’s life changing news for nearly half a million federal student loan borrowers, who will receive $23 billion in relief after being misled and defrauded by for-profit colleges.”\n\nDurbin continued, “While the Trump Administration can quickly greenlight permanent tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, as in their so-called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’, they hesitated when it came to giving relief to these students who just wanted a fair shot… Like their tactics with DACA recipients and the slow walking of renewal applications with the USCIS, the Administration was asking for more time so that they could bleed out these borrowers and deny relief to hundreds of thousands of students deep in debt, living in their parents’ basement, trying to figure out if they had a future. This is where their [Trump Administration] priorities lie. I’m glad these borrowers, after years and years of waiting, will finally get the relief they’re entitled to.”\n\nDurbin then recounted the letter he sends every year to Illinois high school principals, counselors, and teachers asking them to warn college-bound students and their families about the risks associated with attending for-profit colleges.\n\n“For the last 15 years or more, I’ve sent a letter to every high school counselor in the state of Illinois. I… warned them, be careful not to let your students be lured into these for-profit colleges and universities,” Durbin said. “They may be a total waste or worse. It could be a debt that trails you for years and years, if not decades, in your life. Thank goodness for these students, these thousands of students who were benefited by President Biden’s decision. The Courts finally stood by them and gave these students a second chance.”\n\nDurbin concluded, “It’s been a situation I’ve run into time and again. I have threatened some of these for-profit schools as a way of getting them to drop the loans that they were enforcing on these students, because I know what happens in the end. Students need to be careful. You can’t go wrong starting with City Colleges and community colleges in your community… I beg my young students in Illinois to start there, and counselors to do their job and discourage kids from getting involved with these for-profit schools.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s floor speech is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-duckworth-budzinski-discuss-with-general-boyd-the-national-guards-plan-to-deactivate-the-springfield-183rd-wings-centralized-repair-facility", "title": "Durbin, Duckworth, Budzinski Discuss With General Boyd The National Guard’s Plan To Deactivate The Springfield 183rd Wing’s Centralized Repair Facility", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today spoke with Illinois Adjutant General Major General Rodney Boyd about the National Guard’s plan to deactivate the Springfield 183rd Wing’s Centralized Repair Facility (CRF) by March 31, 2027.\n\n“For over 16 years, the highly skilled airmen and women at the 183rd Wing have provided skilled jet engine maintenance for F-16s and other military aircraft. While we are concerned over the National Guard Bureau’s plan to deactivate this mission, we discussed with General Boyd suitable replacement missions being considered by the National Guard that will continue the 183rd’s legacy of high-quality and dedicated service to our nation. We look forward to ongoing conversations to ensure that happens,” the lawmakers said.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-duckworth-lead-members-of-the-illinois-delegation-to-demand-trump-administration-restore-funding-for-illinois-energy-projects-that-were-politically-targeted-and-illegally-canceled", "title": "Durbin, Duckworth Lead Members Of The Illinois Delegation To Demand Trump Administration Restore Funding For Illinois Energy Projects That Were Politically Targeted And Illegally Canceled", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The letter follows an admission from the Trump Administration that the decision to cancel energy project grants in states, including Illinois, that did not vote for Trump was “based solely” on politics\n\nWASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led members of the Illinois Congressional delegation in a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought demanding that the Trump Administration restore funding for the 33 energy grants totaling more than $580 million to the State of Illinois that were unlawfully terminated in October 2025. The Trump Administration has since admitted to illegally canceling energy grants because those projects were in states, including Illinois, that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 Presidential election. The canceled federal grant funds designated for Illinois included projects on domestic energy production, lowering energy costs, and improving grid reliability.\n\nIn addition to Durbin and Duckworth, the letter was signed by U.S. Representatives Jonathan Jackson (D-01-IL), Robin Kelly (D-02-IL), Jesús \"Chuy\" García (D-04-IL), Mike Quigley (D-05-IL), Sean Casten (D-06-IL), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-08-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-09-IL), Brad Schneider (D-10-IL), Bill Foster (D-11-IL), Nikki Budzinski (D-13-IL), Lauren Underwood (D-14-IL), and Eric Sorensen (D-17-IL).\n\nThe lawmakers wrote, “As if this brazen politicization of DOE’s grant-making process were not bad enough, these cancellations also took aim at our constituents’ wallets. Average household energy bills in Illinois rose by $210 in 2025, and that number is expected to increase further by the end of 2026. As Artificial Intelligence data centers—welcomed and unchecked by your Administration—demand a growing quantity of electricity, bills are projected to rise even higher. In fact, Illinois officials warn that without action, the state may experience power shortfalls as soon as 2029. To combat the deluge of new demand, Illinois needs additional power generation, expanded energy storage, and upgrades to its electrical grid.”\n\nThe lawmakers continued, “The grants you terminated would have assisted in the deployment of these technologies and created hundreds of jobs. One such grant would have provided $50 million to Rockford, Illinois, to modernize its grid infrastructure and train new technicians to service those upgrades. Instead of enabling this progress in Rockford and across Illinois, your shortsighted, vindictive policy inflicted higher prices on our constituents. The terminations make clear that OMB and DOE are willing to sacrifice the well-being of Americans to punish the President’s perceived political enemies.”\n\nIn the letter, the lawmakers highlighted how the grants would have benefited communities in Illinois that were hit by extreme weather, including tornadoes. So far this year, a record-breaking 220 tornadoes have touched down in Illinois—more than the next two highest states combined. These weather events deal incredible damage to Illinois’s electric grid, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands of residents. In one instance, the Trump Administration terminated a grant to the City of Naperville intended to improve the management of its small-scale, distributed generation. The callous terminations weakened Naperville’s ability to respond to the frequent storms of recent months.\n\nThe lawmakers wrote, “Repeated damage to Illinois’ grid infrastructure also increases demand for critical electrical components like distribution transformers, exacerbating already severe supply chain shortages that affect every state. The U.S. electric grid is complex and interregional, and it does not distinguish between political parties. Your partisan attacks on Illinois are just as likely to raise prices or extend repair timelines in Wisconsin, Indiana, or Iowa the next time they face a tornado or flood.”\n\nThe lawmakers concluded, “It is incumbent upon DOE to take a wide view of and responsibility for the health of our nation’s energy systems. Through these grant terminations, you have demonstrated a complete failure to understand this basic principle of DOE’s mission. To begin rectifying this unprecedented political attack, we demand that you restore all 33 of the DOE grants cancelled in Illinois as a part of these mass terminations.”\n\nRead the full text of the letter here.\n\nToday’s letter follows a letter Durbin and Duckworth sent last week with U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Patty Murray (D-WA) to DOE and OMB demanding they restore funding for canceled energy projects across the country.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-fights-for-snap-benefits-in-farm-bill", "title": "Durbin Fights For SNAP Benefits In Farm Bill", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, made a closing statement during today’s Committee consideration of the Farm Bill where he argued in support of Democrats’ request for a two-year delay to Republicans’ requirement that forces states to provide a share of the cost of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The two-year delay is supported by a bipartisan coalition including the National Governors Association, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National Conference of State Legislators. Without this fix, all state budgets could soon face major new costs of more than $9 billion, with the State of Illinois facing new costs of at least $600 million per year and causing financial impacts on county and town budgets as well.\n\nIn January 2025, forty-two million Americans, including almost two million Illinoisans, received SNAP benefits, until Congress enacted the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which cut SNAP by nearly $200 billion, the biggest cut in history. Today, it is now estimated that 4.5 million vulnerable American families have lost benefits for food, including 1.5 million children nationwide, and up to 300,000 people in Illinois.\n\nAdditionally, 23,000 Illinoisans who are unhoused, veterans, or youth aging out of foster care will lose assistance, and roughly 16,000 lawfully present asylees, refugees, and visa-holding victims of torture, trafficking, and domestic violence lost benefits as of April 1 because of OBBBA. The average SNAP benefit is about $6 per person per day.\n\n“I have seen a few farm bills… The decision was made in the 1960s to blend together food and nutrition programs [to the Farm Bill]… That winning coalition has paid off ever since. We need it again and it has to be part of this SNAP conversation. We [Democrats] want to support the Farm Bill—I certainly do. But I want to make sure that I’m fair to my State and fair to the people who are receiving SNAP benefits who are being disadvantaged,” Durbin said. “This paperwork requirement of people in low-income categories is an onerous responsibility… as long as they are trying in good faith to comply with the law, I don’t think we should deny them the $6 a day.”\n\nVideo of Durbin’s comments in Committee is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin’s comments in Committee is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin’s comments in Committee is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-democrats-sound-alarm-on-proposed-atf-rule-loosening-firearm-prohibitions-for-high-risk-individuals", "title": "Senate Democrats Sound Alarm On Proposed ATF Rule Loosening Firearm Prohibitions For High-Risk Individuals", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) led a group of Senate Democrats in sounding the alarm on a proposed federal gun regulation that would revise the definitions of “adjudicated as a mental defective” and “committed to a mental institution,” effectively raising the legal threshold to prohibit high-risk individuals’ access to firearms.\n\nIn a letter to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Robert Cekada, the Senators wrote: “With these proposed revisions, ATF is rewriting the regulations that have been used and relied on for decades to help keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who are not allowed to have them for mental health reasons under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4). ATF’s stated justification for this change is narrow, citing mainly the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) past practice of reporting certain veterans to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), but ATF’s proposed rule is much broader. It is also based on an insufficient process — failing to account for the significant costs implementation of this proposed rule will incur. In addition, ATF admits the potential risks that will come with these revisions include ‘potential mass casualty events.’ For all of these reasons, ATF should withdraw this rule.”\n\nSpecifically, the Senators cited the following reasons for ATF to withdraw the proposed rule in its entirety:\n\nATF’s claims misrepresent the situation, and these purported issues have already been resolved by Congress;\n\nOne particular revision is inconsistent with the intent and purpose of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) and the Brady Act;\n\nATF fails to consider or contemplate the resource costs that will fall to the states to address ATF’s proposed revisions; and\n\nATF did not sufficiently consider tailored alternatives for the issues it is purportedly seeking to address.\n\n“To upend longstanding federal gun violence prevention regulations in a manner that contravenes commonsense federal firearms laws like the GCA and the Brady Act based on an inadequate justification and incomplete cost-benefit analysis warrants withdrawal on its own. That, in ATF’s own words, the proposed rule could lead to “mass casualty events” is only further evidence that ATF should not engage in this rulemaking. It is unconscionable that ATF, whose mission is to protect the public from violent gun crime, would even begin to consider regulatory changes that could result in such deadly outcomes. For the reasons detailed in this comment, ATF should withdraw this proposed rule,” the Senators concluded.\n\nIn addition to Durbin and Murphy, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).\n\nFor a PDF of the letter to Director Cekada, click here.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-joins-iowa-delegation-in-requesting-expedited-disaster-aid-for-iowa-counties-following-severe-flooding", "title": "Ernst Joins Iowa Delegation in Requesting Expedited Disaster Aid for Iowa Counties Following Severe Flooding", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.ernst.senate.gov", "scraper": "ernst", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000295", "name": "Joni Ernst", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), along with U.S. Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), this week urged President Donald Trump to approve Governor Kim Reynolds' request for a major disaster declaration following severe weather and heavy rainfall that struck Iowa between July 1 and 4, 2026.\n\nThe severe weather brought high winds, flash flooding, and widespread river flooding across Iowa's river basins, causing extensive damage to critical infrastructure and private property.\n\nIn addition to requesting statewide hazard mitigation assistance, Governor Reynolds requested funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance Program to help repair damaged public infrastructure and facilities and reimburse eligible emergency response and debris removal costs.\n\nThe FEMA Public Assistance Program request includes the following counties:\n\nJasper County\n\nPolk County\n\nStory County\n\nWarren County\n\nRead the Iowa delegation's full letter to the president HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nOn July 24, 2026, Governor Reynolds announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration approved her request to provide disaster assistance to eight counties impacted by the severe storms: Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story, and Warren counties. Read more HERE.\n\nDisaster loan applications can be submitted online at lending.sba.gov or in person at designated disaster assistance centers.\n\nIowans impacted by the severe storms who need assistance navigating available federal resources are encouraged to contact Senator Ernst's office or visit ernst.senate.gov.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-statement-on-advancing-a-bipartisan-farm-bill", "title": "Ernst Statement on Advancing a Bipartisan Farm Bill", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.ernst.senate.gov", "scraper": "ernst", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000295", "name": "Joni Ernst", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the following statement after Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats voted against advancing the Farm Bill, delaying critical support for America’s farmers:\n\n“I’m disappointed the Democrats voted against advancing the Farm Bill today, leaving America’s farmers and rural communities waiting even longer for the certainty of a five-year Farm Bill. The Farm Bill released by Chairman Boozman includes priorities I’ve been fighting to deliver for Iowans for over a decade, from expanding access to year-round E15 and keeping our farmland out of the hands of China to supporting farmer mental health. While today’s vote is a setback, I remain committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure states are treated fairly as we strengthen accountability in SNAP, find a long-term fix to the harmful effects of Proposition 12, and build the bipartisan support needed to get a Farm Bill across the finish line and signed into law.”\n\nWatch Ernst’s remarks here.\n\n“Our states have to get to a point where they don't have this huge discrepancy with the error rates. I've worked really hard with our friends across the aisle to try and find a solution to this, because I do think that what was done in the One Big, Beautiful Bill, it did favor certain states, and it doesn't allow for some of those states to really make the corrections as necessary,” said Ernst.\n\nDownload audio of Ernst here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gallego-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-veterans-disability-pay/", "title": "Gallego Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Veterans’ Disability Pay", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.gallego.senate.gov", "scraper": "gallego", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000574", "name": "Ruben Gallego", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced the Restore Veterans’ Compensation Act, legislation that protects veterans who receive disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from having their separation pay unfairly recouped.\n\n“It is ridiculous to claw back money from a veteran who has put life and limb on the line, just because later in life they qualify for disability benefits,” said Senator Gallego. “Separation pay and disability compensation serve two entirely different purposes—one honors time served, while the other addresses workplace injuries sustained. My bill ensures we stop unfairly penalizing our heroes and guarantees that Arizona veterans keep every dollar of the benefits they have rightfully earned.”\n\nSeparation pay can be given to service members when they depart the military for several reasons. For example, when members of the Armed Forces with more than six years of service meet reenlistment requirements but are not allowed to reenlist, they are eligible for separation pay. Separation pay is also used to incentivize service members to depart the military when the Pentagon is working to downsize the force.\n\nCurrently, outdated policies prohibit veterans from receiving concurrent receipt of unrelated benefit payments. Therefore, veterans who receive separation pay who later qualify for VA disability benefits have their separation pay recouped.\n\nRead more on the issue from Military.com: Senator introduces bill to stop VA from recouping military separation pay from disabled vets. The Restore Veterans’ Compensation Act would fix this unwarranted policy through several key provisions.\n\nSpecifically, the bill would:\n\nNo longer allow for the recoupment of separation pay from veterans who later become eligible for VA disability benefits because the two compensate for different things—workplace injuries (disability benefits) versus time served (separation pay);\n\nEnsure veterans who later qualify for military retirement pay only have to repay the net amount of separation pay instead of the gross amount to prevent the federal government from recouping more than the veteran received; and,\n\nChange the recoupment rate for retired military veterans to 25 percent of those same veterans’ paycheck instead of the current 40 percent.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gallego-kelly-press-faa-on-flawed-phoenix-flight-path-plan/", "title": "Gallego, Kelly Press FAA on Flawed Phoenix Flight Path Plan", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.gallego.senate.gov", "scraper": "gallego", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000574", "name": "Ruben Gallego", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senators warn proposed changes would expose tens of thousands of additional Phoenix-area residents to additional noise pollution, break past commitments to communities, and repeat mistakes of a decade-long legal battle with the City of Phoenix\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) raised serious concerns with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s proposed Phoenix Area Modernization Project and Draft Environmental Assessment. In a letter to Administrator Bryan Bedford, the senators urged the FAA to publish a revised assessment that addresses issues identified by impacted communities.\n\nThe proposed project would update flight procedures for ten Valley airports, including Phoenix Sky Harbor and Mesa Gateway. If implemented, the proposed flight-path changes would expose more than 86,000 additional people in the Phoenix area to reportable noise increases, with over 65,000 residents facing increases of 5 decibels or more, despite less disruptive alternatives being available. The City of Phoenix, the City of Mesa, the Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, and countless community stakeholders have reached out directly to share concerns directly with the FAA.\n\n“While we share the goals of ensuring a safe and efficient airspace in the Phoenix area, we are concerned that the FAA’s proposed flight procedure changes will have significant adverse effects for neighborhoods, communities, and airports across the Phoenix area,” the senators wrote.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gallego-rounds-introduce-bill-to-spur-affordable-housing-investments/", "title": "Gallego, Rounds Introduce Bill to Spur Affordable Housing Investments", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.gallego.senate.gov", "scraper": "gallego", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000574", "name": "Ruben Gallego", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The Bipartisan, Bicameral Affordable Housing Credit Carryback Act increases the Low Income Housing Tax Credit carryback period from one year to five years\n\nWASHINGTON — Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Mike Rounds (R-SD)today introduced the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Carryback Act. The bill changes the carryback period from one-year to five-years for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), which would provide greater flexibility for investors, strengthen the housing credit market, and encourage continued investment in affordable housing projects.\n\n“By providing more tax flexibility to builders and investors, our bipartisan bill will allow more housing to come online faster,” Senator Gallego said. “Arizona needs more housing, and it needs it now. That’s why I’m fighting to help increase supply and lower the cost of housing for Arizona families.”\n\n“Addressing housing supply challenges has been a central pillar of this Congress’s agenda. Making additional improvements to the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) would support that effort and fortify the credit as a strong tool for affordable housing development and rehabilitation,” said Senator Rounds. “I hear from constituents every day about limited access to affordable housing. Expanding the LIHTC carryback period from one to five years will provide investors necessary flexibility to improve our nation’s affordable housing supply.”\n\nUnder current law, a LIHTC must be applied against an investor’s tax liability in the year it is received. Certain credits, however, are more flexible – allowing investors to apply them not only to their current year’s tax liability, but also to offset prior years’ tax liability.\n\nThe Affordable Housing Credit Carryback Act would let LIHTC investors apply the credit to the past five years of taxes instead of just one. That makes LIHTC more competitive with other credits, gives investors more flexibility, and makes it easier for investors to keep funding affordable housing even during a recession, which is exactly when demand for cheap rental housing goes up but investors have less current tax liability to offset.\n\n“The Affordable Housing Credit Carryback Act will increase investment in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, our nation’s primary tool to finance affordable housing, at a time when it is sorely needed to address our nation’s affordability crisis,” said Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition CEO Emily Cadik. “We applaud Senators Gallego and Rounds for their leadership on strengthening this proven program to help meet a vast and growing need for affordable housing.”\n\nThis legislation is an important step toward addressing the nation’s housing shortage and builds on Senator Gallego’s efforts to lower housing costs. He was a champion of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which included legislation introduced by the senator.\n\nEarlier this year, Senator Gallego also released a comprehensive housing plan, “The Path Home: Rebuilding the American Dream and Restoring Housing Affordability,” outlining additional solutions to build more homes, cut red tape, and bring housing costs down for working families.\n\nClick here to view the bill text.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-introduces-two-bills-to-support-accessible-housing-for-seniors-and-people-with-disabilities/", "title": "Gillibrand Introduces Two Bills To Support Accessible Housing For Seniors And People With Disabilities", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.gillibrand.senate.gov", "scraper": "gillibrand", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000555", "name": "Kirsten E. Gillibrand", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "This week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced two bills to support accessible housing for seniors and people with disabilities. The Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act would create a new tax credit for seniors to install essential modifications to their homes to help them age in place. The Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act would expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program to support the construction of more affordable housing units with accessible features.\n\n“A safe, accessible place to live should be a right, not a privilege, for our seniors,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The VITAL Act would help ensure that affordable housing meets the mobility and accessibility needs of New York seniors and people with disabilities, allowing them to age comfortably in the communities of their choice. Additionally, the Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act would help seniors age with dignity by assisting with the cost of home modifications related to mobility needs. As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, I am committed to doing everything I can to remove barriers to accessible housing, and I’m fighting hard for these bills to pass.”\n\nBy 2060, an estimated one in every four Americans will be age 65 or older. Currently, about 44% of adults 65 and over have a disability. As people age, they need structurally and mechanically safe housing to accommodate their disabilities. However, as of 2011, less than 4% of our national housing supply was accessibly designed. The Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act and the VITAL Act would help increase the amount of accessible housing available to American seniors and people with disabilities.\n\nThe Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit would create a nonrefundable tax credit for taxpayers aged 60 or older for expenses related to certain home modifications on their principal residence or a qualifying second home. The credit would be equal to the cost of eligible expenditures, such as wheelchair ramps, handrails, chair lifts, shower seats, and more, with an annual credit limitation of $10,000. Qualifying expenditures would also include certain labor costs related to the preparation, assembly, or installation of an eligible modification. U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) co-leads this legislation.\n\nThe Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is a federal program providing tax credits to developers who build new housing for lower-income renters. The VITAL Act would add incentives for the LIHTC program to increase the number of accessible homes so that more people with disabilities and older adults can live in the communities they choose. It would also require that the states administering LIHTC ensure that at least 20% of their LIHTC units are accessible and/or walkable and rollable. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) co-leads this legislation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-reintroduces-bill-to-make-politicians-answer-to-voters-not-billionaire-megadonors/", "title": "Gillibrand Reintroduces Bill To Make Politicians Answer To Voters, Not Billionaire Megadonors", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.gillibrand.senate.gov", "scraper": "gillibrand", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000555", "name": "Kirsten E. Gillibrand", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Gillibrand’s Bill Would Create First-Of-Its-Kind “Democracy Dollars” Voucher Program To Empower Voters To Donate To Candidates Of Their Choice, Ensuring That Campaigns Are Funded By Everyday Voters, Not Billionaires\n\nToday, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced landmark legislation to empower everyday American voters to participate in the campaign finance system and to reduce the influence of big money in politics. Gillibrand’s Clean Elections Act would give every American citizen “Democracy Dollars” to donate to the federal candidates of their choice, so campaigns are funded by everyday voters rather than a handful of megadonors.\n\n“When billionaires and special interests buy our elections, it’s working families who pay the price — in higher costs at the grocery store, higher drug prices, and tax breaks that flow to the wealthy,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Political candidates should be answering to their constituents, not special interest groups and wealthy donors. My Clean Elections Act gives every American ‘Democracy Dollars’ to support the candidates of their choice, so winning elections means delivering lower costs and better lives for working families, not doing favors for wealthy megadonors.”\n\nToday, a tiny group of ultra-wealthy donors dominates how campaigns are funded. As of April 2024, over 65% of the roughly $8.6 billion raised for federal campaigns had come from PACs, with $2.6 billion coming from just 100 billionaire families throughout the 2024 election cycle. . Meanwhile, only about 1% of Americans contributed more than $200 to any federal campaign. The result is a system where candidates court a small circle of wealthy donors behind closed doors, while the voters they’re supposed to represent are drowned out.\n\nGillibrand’s Clean Elections Act would help shift the balance of power back to everyday Americans by creating a “Democracy Dollars” voucher system. This system would provide every eligible U.S. citizen with $100 in “Democracy Dollars” for each federal election (House, Senate, and presidential, both primary and general, for a total of up to $600). Citizens could then donate these funds in $10 increments to candidates of their choice, making every voter a donor whose support candidates have to earn.\n\nThe Clean Elections Act is endorsed by End Citizens United, Stand Up America, and Demos.\n\n“When Big Money floods our elections, politicians become more responsive and beholden to deep-pocketed donors instead of their constituents,” said End Citizens United Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. “Elections should be decided by the strength of candidates’ ideas and the trust they earn from voters, not by their ability to attract wealthy donors. Senator Gillibrand’s Clean Elections Act is a practical solution that would level the playing field by giving everyday Americans a greater voice in our elections. We’re grateful to Senator Gillibrand for leading this pragmatic and vital reform.”\n\n“For decades, big money in politics has drowned out the voices of everyday people in our democracy. Americans are fed up with the outsized influence of wealthy donors and want Congress to act,” said Brett Edkins, Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs at Stand Up America. “The Clean Elections Act helps level the playing field by giving every registered voter democracy dollars to support the candidates of their choice, making every voter a more powerful participant in our elections. We applaud Senator Gillibrand for championing this bold reform and urge Congress to advance the Clean Elections Act.”\n\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-issues-statement-after-democrat-opposition-stalls-farm-bill", "title": "Grassley Issues Statement After Democrat Opposition Stalls Farm Bill", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer, issued a statement after the Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance the 2026 Farm Bill due to Democrats’ refusal to provide bipartisan support for the legislation.\n\n“I’m very disappointed Democrats blocked the Farm Bill today in protest over commonsense reforms that root out waste in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and protect the integrity of the SNAP program. Democrats’ obstruction leaves the fate of the Farm Bill in serious jeopardy at a time when farmers need our help.\n\n“I’ve fought tooth and nail for years to deliver a new, five-year Farm Bill and nationwide, year-round E15 for Iowa’s family farmers, and I’m not done working toward that goal. Rural America is counting on us.\n\n“Farmers don’t throw in the towel when the going gets tough, and Democrats shouldn’t either. It’s up to Democrats to put politics aside, engage in good faith negotiations and accept bipartisan compromise in order to get the Farm Bill passed in the Senate this year. I’m hopeful the committee can improve the bill and vote again when the Senate returns in September to achieve a more positive outcome.”\n\nA broadcast quality video statement from Grassley on the Farm Bill is available HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-joins-lankford-to-introduce-bill-strengthening-and-protecting-military-chaplains-ministry", "title": "Grassley Joins Lankford to Introduce Bill Strengthening and Protecting Military Chaplains’ Ministry", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), to introduce the Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026 (MCMA), which would codify the purpose, role, duties and professional qualifications of military chaplains and protect chaplains from being forced to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.\n\nThe legislation is additionally cosponsored by Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.). Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) leads companion legislation in the House of Representatives, and the bill was included in the House-passed Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).\n\n“Military chaplains provide a vital service to the patriots who sacrifice for our country every day. By standardizing a chaplain’s role, this commonsense legislation clarifies their duties and protects chaplains from unfair censorship. Like all Americans, our men and women in uniform have the God-given right to observe their religious beliefs, especially as they put their own lives on the line to defend our nation. Our legislation reinforces those rights,” Grassley said.\n\n\"For our country’s 250-year history, military chaplains have walked alongside our service members through the hardest moments of their lives, offering prayer, counsel, and hope in isolated posts and combat zones alike,\" Lankford said. \"Chaplains serve because they are called to it. Congress has a responsibility to make sure they can carry out that calling faithfully, without being forced to violate the tenets of their faith and without fear of retaliation for holding to what they believe. This bill honors the men and women who minister to our heroes who defend our nation.\"\n\n“Military chaplains shouldn’t have to check their faith at the door when they put on the uniform,” Cramer said. “They play a vital role in supporting the moral and spiritual well-being of our servicemembers, and their ministry and the men and women they serve are strengthened because of their faith. This legislation protects their ability to minister according to their beliefs and ensures those freedoms are always preserved.”\n\n\"Military chaplains serve a unique and important role in our armed forces, providing spiritual guidance to our men and women in uniform. That is why it is imperative that their deeply held religious beliefs must be protected throughout their time in the military. I'm proud to support this legislation and the faith leaders who serve in our Armed Forces,\" Britt said.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe bill is supported by the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, which provides advice and recommendations to Department of Defense officials on issues regarding the free exercise of religion\n\nThe Military Chaplains Modernization Act:\n\nCodifies the purpose, role, duties and professional qualifications of chaplains across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force.\n\nGuarantees that chaplains may conduct worship, provide counseling, teach, deliver sermons, minister and offer prayer in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs and the tenets of their religious-endorsing organization, free from censorship, undue restriction or fear of retribution.\n\nProhibits any member of the armed forces from requiring or assigning a chaplain to perform any rite, ritual, ceremony, sermon, speech, task or action contrary to the chaplain's sincerely held religious beliefs.\n\nProtects chaplains from retaliation or adverse personnel actions, including denial of promotion, letters of reprimand and negative entries in the chaplain's record, for refusing to violate their beliefs.\n\nEstablishes that violations are subject to prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.\n\nCodifies the ranks and roles of the Chief of Chaplains and Deputy Chief of Chaplains as principal advisors to their respective service secretaries and chiefs of staff.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-shaheen-colleagues-issue-statement-regarding-escalating-pressure-on-the-srebrenica-memorial-center-and-human-rights-defenders", "title": "Grassley, Shaheen, Colleagues Issue Statement Regarding Escalating Pressure on the Srebrenica Memorial Center and Human Rights Defenders", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), along with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), as well as Reps. Bill Keating (D-Mass.) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio), to issue a joint statement after 26 current and former staff members and associates of the Srebrenica Memorial Center were summoned for police questioning by the Zvornik Police Department.\n\n“We are deeply concerned by reports that current and former employees and associates of the Srebrenica Memorial Center have been summoned for questioning by Republika Srpska authorities. The scale and timing of these actions are troubling, particularly because the work of the Memorial Center is central to preserving the truth, honoring the victims and defending human rights. We call on the relevant authorities to uphold the rule of law, respect the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions and ensure the Memorial Center can carry out its essential mission free from intimidation.\n\n“The House and Senate have been unequivocal: the Srebrenica massacre was genocide. More than 30 years later, we have a solemn responsibility to remember the victims, stand with their families and ensure this tragic history is neither denied nor erased. Rewriting history for political gain deepens divisions, inflames ethnic tensions and threatens peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We call on the administration to implement the mandatory sanctions passed in the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act to hold individuals to account for destabilizing behavior and undermining democratic institutions.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/2026/08/06/hagerty-introduces-bill-to-end-housing-welfare-for-illegal-aliens/", "title": "Hagerty Introduces Bill to End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.hagerty.senate.gov", "scraper": "hagerty", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000601", "name": "Bill Hagerty", "party": "Republican", "state": "TN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Democrats have aided and abetted illegal aliens’ exploitation of federal housing benefits\n\nWASHINGTON—On Wednesday, Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, introduced the End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act, a bill aimed at barring ineligible non-citizens from abusing federal housing programs at the expense of American taxpayers.\n\nIllegal aliens have long exploited federal housing programs by taking advantage of gaps in existing law, such as the “mixed-status” loophole that allows for non-citizens to improperly receive benefits if they are roommates in the same household as citizens.\n\nDemocrats have facilitated such abuse for political gain, because overrunning sanctuary cities with illegal aliens artificially boosts their party’s power and representation when congressional districts are reapportioned.\n\nThese abuses crowd out vulnerable Americans—including the elderly and the disabled—waste taxpayer dollars, and endanger the integrity of the electoral process.\n\nThe End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act would:\n\nDeny Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) grants to sanctuary cities\n\nEnd illegal alien eligibility for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs designated for American seniors and persons with disabilities\n\nRequire public housing authorities to affirmatively verify citizenship before providing services\n\nCodify HUD rulemaking to permanently close the “mixed-status” loophole, which allows illegals who are roommates with eligible individuals to reap the benefits of taxpayer-funded housing. Under the Trump Administration, HUD has estimated that approximately 24,000 illegal aliens, ineligibles, and fraudsters in 20,000 of these “mixed-status households” benefit from HUD assistance\n\n“For too long, Democrats have encouraged illegal aliens to raid taxpayer-funded housing programs while American families, seniors, and people with disabilities are left waiting in line,” said Hagerty. “My legislation, the End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act, advances the Trump Administration’s reform agenda by ending this disgraceful abuse, shutting down sanctuary city handouts, closing the outrageous ‘mixed-status’ loophole, and putting American citizens first.”\n\nFind the full text of the bill here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-banks-tuberville-file-amendment-to-protect-state-laws-banning-men-in-womens-sports/", "title": "Hawley, Banks, Tuberville File Amendment to Protect State Laws Banning Men in Women’s Sports", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.hawley.senate.gov", "scraper": "hawley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001089", "name": "Josh Hawley", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Jim Banks (R-In.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) filed an amendment to the Protect College Sports Act to ensure the bill does not overturn any state laws banning men from women’s sports. The amendment will provide a guarantee that state laws on the books that ban biological men in women’s sports are fully protected. Senators Jim Banks and Tommy Tuberville joined Hawley in filing the amendment.\n\n“Biological men should never be allowed in women’s sports or women’s locker rooms,” said Senator Hawley. “We’ve got to make sure state laws protecting women stand.”\n\n“Indiana has one of the strongest laws in the country that keeps biological men from competing in women’s sports. As the father of three daughters, I can’t support any legislation that would preempt Indiana’s law. This amendment would make sure the Protect College Sports Act protects female athletes,” said Senator Banks.\n\n“Protecting girls and women’s sports is the civil rights issue of our time,” said Senator Tuberville. “Democrats have proven again and again they don’t give a rip about protecting women from mentally ill men who wake up one day and decide to dress up like a girl. I’m proud to stand with Senators Hawley and Banks in introducing this commonsense amendment to protect millions of female student athletes.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-bill-banning-bonuses-for-postmaster-general-passes-committee/", "title": "Hawley Bill Banning Bonuses for Postmaster General Passes Committee", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.hawley.senate.gov", "scraper": "hawley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001089", "name": "Josh Hawley", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)’s No Bonuses for Bad Service Act passed out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in an overwhelming bipartisan vote. This legislation would prohibit United States Postal Service (USPS) leadership from receiving bonuses or additional compensation until mail service and delivery meet the standards that the American people deserve. Today’s committee vote marks new momentum for accountability after Senator Hawley launched an investigation into USPS’s delivery record in Missouri. The vote also comes after intense lobbying by the Postmaster General to kill the effort to restrict his own bonus.\n\nThe No Bonuses for Bad Service Act would:\n\nProhibit the USPS Board of Governors from approving any additional compensation for the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General for a fiscal year in which the Postal Service does not meet or exceed an on-time delivery rate of 95% for all market dominant mail products.\n\nRequire the Postal Service to submit its annual delivery rate report to the Postal Regulatory Commission.\n\nThe United States Postal Service (USPS) has posted staggering financial losses in recent years, including $25 billion over the last three fiscal years, more than $6 billion beyond USPS’s own internal projections. At the same time, USPS has repeatedly raised postage rates on American households and businesses while consistently missing its own service standards. On-time delivery has continued to slip. Residents in rural areas wait weeks to receive mail. Recently in Missouri, a massive pile of undelivered mail was discovered in a vacant lot without explanation from the Postal Service. These delays and missing mail are becoming a real financial burden for those Americans who don’t receive their bills or paychecks.\n\nDespite these failures, Postal Service executives have been rewarded with lavish bonuses. Over the past ten years, Postmasters General have received more than $2 million in additional compensation, even as delivery performance declined and the budget numbers got worse. During the last three years of Louis DeJoy’s tenure alone, the Board of Governors approved more than $567,000 in additional bonus compensation. Postmaster General David Steiner, who assumed office just a year ago, has already pocketed a $170,000 bonus. Senator Hawley directly confronted Steiner about these bonuses in a recent committee hearing, and the Postmaster refused to forgo bonuses until the mail is delivered on time.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-leads-letter-urging-doe-to-withdraw-proposed-rule-for-the-efficiency-standards-program-that-would-raise-energy-prices-for-american-families", "title": "Heinrich Leads Letter Urging DOE to Withdraw Proposed Rule for the Efficiency Standards Program that would Raise Energy Prices for American Families", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, led a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright urging DOE to abandon a proposal that would hamstring its long-standing efficiency standards program—a move that could raise utility bills for American families by an estimated $150 a year.\n\nDOE claims that the proposed revision to the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program process rule, issued in July 2026, would effectively end the federal program that has helped lower energy bills and improve the efficiency of home appliances for nearly 40 years.\n\nHeinrich was joined by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Angus King (I-Maine), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).\n\n“At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, this administration should be focused on making energy affordable and increasing grid capacity — not hamstringing a program that has consistently reduced bills for American families,” the Senators began.\n\n“Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that existing standards have reduced total U.S. energy consumption by 6.5 percent and saved the average households $576 per year. By eliminating this program going forward, the Trump administration would increase utility bills for households by $150 each year, increase peak electricity demand by 32 gigawatts (GW) in 2040, and increase cumulative CO2 emissions by nearly 1 billion metric tons through 2050,” the Senators continued.\n\n“The law requires DOE to adopt standards ‘designed to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency..., which the Secretary determines is technologically feasible and economically justified,’ and that results in ‘significant’ energy savings,” the Senators concluded. “The proposed rule undermines the letter and purpose of the appliance standards statute by the administration’s own admission: the rule is designed to “permanently end” appliance and equipment standards.”\n\nThe Senators concluded the letter urging Wright to withdraw the provision and implement the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program as Congress mandated.\n\nRead the full text of the letter here and below:\n\nSecretary Wright:\n\nWe write to express strong opposition to the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) proposed revision to the process rule for the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program. At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, this Administration should be focused on making energy affordable and increasing grid capacity — not hamstringing a program that has consistently reduced bills for American families.\n\nIn July, DOE issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to “permanently end home appliance and equipment mandates.” This is concerning as energy efficiency standards save American families and businesses billions of dollars a year, and Congress explicitly directed DOE to carry out the program faithfully.\n\nThe efficiency standards program has been lowering utility bills and cutting emissions since the late 1980s — under Democratic and Republican Administrations alike. Since 1987, Congress has directed DOE to set efficiency standards for upwards of 60 products. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that existing standards have reduced total U.S. energy consumption by 6.5 percent and saved the average households $576 per year. By eliminating this program going forward, the Trump Administration would increase utility bills for households by $150 each year, increase peak electricity demand by 32 gigawatts (GW) in 2040, and increase cumulative CO2 emissions by nearly 1 billion metric tons through 2050.\n\nUnder current statute, DOE is required to consider consumer impacts, manufacturer impacts, technological feasibility, and economic justification before finalizing a standard. The proposed rule would layer on needless additional requirements, including undue deference to industry-developed test procedures and an unlawful minimum savings threshold set at 2 quadrillion btus of source energy or 10% of a product’s total consumption. The law requires DOE to adopt standards \"designed to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency..., which the Secretary determines is technologically feasible and economically justified,\" and that results in \"significant\" energy savings. The proposed rule undermines the letter and purpose of the appliance standards statute by the administration’s own admission: the rule is designed to “permanently end” appliance and equipment standards.\n\nWe therefore urge you to withdraw the proposed rule and implement the program as Congress originally mandated.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-leger-fernandez-introduce-legislation-to-protect-chama-watershed-from-uranium-mining", "title": "Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández Introduce Legislation to Protect Chama Watershed from Uranium Mining", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Senator 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.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, introduced the Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act, legislation to permanently withdraw the federal lands of the Rio Chama Watershed in Northern New Mexico from all forms of location, entry, and patent under the mining laws.\n\nThe Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act responds directly to a proposal by the Canadian-based uranium company, Gamma Resources Ltd. to conduct exploratory uranium drilling in the Carson National Forest near Canjilon — the first step in the company’s publicly stated plan to extract uranium from a four-mile stretch of the Chama Basin. The bill will prevent new mining claims across the watershed, protecting the headwaters that sustain acequia communities, Tribal Nations, land grant communities, ranchers, and downstream water users throughout the Rio Grande system and ensuring these waters are never put at risk for the benefit of a speculative foreign mining venture.\n\n“We will not allow a foreign mining company to threaten the Chama Watershed with radioactive uranium waste. That is unacceptable,” said Heinrich. “Our Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act sends a clear message: Back off. The Chama Watershed belongs to the acequia parciantes, Tribal communities, ranchers, and rural families who care for and depend on this landscape and its water — not a foreign mining company looking to exploit it for profit.”\n\n“The communities of the Chama Valley – acequia farmers, Land Grant communities, Tribal members, ranchers, and rural families – have cared for their land and water for generations,” said Luján. “These cherished lands and waters must be protected for future generations. That is why I’m leading this legislation to permanently withdraw the Chama Watershed from mineral development. I remain committed to protecting the communities and waters of Northern New Mexico, and this legislation will do just that for generations to come.”\n\n\"New Mexicans know the true cost of uranium mining,” said Leger Fernández. “Across our state, abandoned uranium mines have poisoned our land, threatened our water, and harmed generations of families. Before anyone talks about opening another uranium mine, we should finish cleaning up the mess that was left behind. The Chama watershed is too precious to sell off to a foreign corporation. At a time when every drop of clean water matters, we should protect the rivers that sustain our communities—not open the door for a foreign mining corporation to profit from our public lands. The Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act protects our water, our people, and our future.\"\n\nHeinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández have been fighting to protect communities in Northern New Mexico and the Chama Watershed from uranium mining and mineral development.\n\nIn April, Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández wrote to Carson National Forest Supervisor James Duran expressing strong opposition to a proposal to conduct uranium drilling within the Carson National Forest.\n\nSupporting quotes for the Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act can be found here.\n\nThe full text of the bill is here.\n\nThe boundary map of the withdrawal area is here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-nm-congressional-delegation-demand-answers-from-secretary-hegseth-on-the-dods-involvement-in-new-mexico-medical-plane-crash", "title": "Heinrich, N.M. Congressional Delegation Demand Answers from Secretary Hegseth on the DoD’s Involvement in New Mexico Medical Plane Crash", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and members of the N.M. Congressional Delegation, including U.S. Senator 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.) sent a letter demanding answers from U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth on the Department’s involvement in and response to the tragic May 13, 2026, medical plane crash in Lincoln County, New Mexico.\n\nJust before midnight on May 13, a Beechcraft King Air medical plane with a crew of four — two pilots and two flight nurses — took off from Roswell heading to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport in Ruidoso for patient pickup and transport to Albuquerque. According to reports, because the aircraft’s GPS was jammed by U.S. military activities in the region, the flight overshot their landing pattern by 10 miles, leading the plane to crash into the side of the Capitan Mountains. As a result, all four crew members died, and the crash sparked a wildfire that took three weeks to contain.\n\nBy the time that wildfire was contained, it had burned 31,860 acres and at its peak had over 1,000 personnel assigned utilizing 7 helicopters, numerous bulldozers, water tenders and fixed-wing air tankers. This fire was New Mexico’s first incident of the fire season that required a Complex Incident Management Team, and one of only two such complex fires this year. There were no structures lost but the fire forced evacuation orders that remained in place for several weeks, which cost taxpayers an estimated $37.7 million in fire suppression activities.\n\n“By any account, this crash was tragic. While this is reportedly the first time GPS jamming activities by the U.S. military have caused or contributed to the crash of a civilian plane, that does little to comfort the families of those lost in that crash or impacted by the wildfire it triggered,” the lawmakers wrote to DoD Secretary Hegseth.\n\nThe lawmakers continued, “As the prevalence of drone warfare and electronic warfare grows globally and becomes central to our national defense, the risk of military and contractor activities disrupting civilian flights is likely to grow. In order to prevent future incidents and accidents, it is critical that we fully understand what happened on May 13 and 14, 2026, and what could have been done to prevent the accident.”\n\n“If the DoD had not been jamming GPS in the region at the time of this crash it is very likely that the crash would have never occurred, four people would still be alive, and this wildfire would not have started. We owe those impacted by DoD’s actions transparency and action,” the lawmakers underscored.\n\nIn their letter, the N.M. Congressional Delegation urged Secretary Hegseth and the DoD to:\n\nFully cooperate with the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) ongoing investigation into the crash;\n\nExpeditiously develop systems and protocols, in concert with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to prevent future, similar accidents; and\n\nWork with the FAA and any other relevant agencies to fully implement recommendations from the NTSB.\n\nThe lawmakers concluded their letter by demanding answers on whether or not the DoD will compensate the victims' families, and compensate federal, state, county, and local agencies for the resources expended in the response to the crash and subsequent wildfire. Additionally, the N.M. Congressional Delegation inquired if the DoD is aware of any other incidents involving civilian aircraft that were impacted by GPS jamming activities surrounding NAVFEST or other DoD technologies.\n\nThe full text of the letter is here and below:\n\nDear Secretary Hegseth,\n\nWe write to you requesting answers on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) involvement in and response to the tragic May 13th medical plane crash in Lincoln County, New Mexico. This crash claimed the lives of all four on board the aircraft and sparked a wildfire that raged for three weeks and burned over 30,000 acres in the Capitan Mountain Wilderness area of the Lincoln National Forest.\n\nOn May 13, 2026, just before midnight a Beechcraft King Air medical plane with a crew of four, two pilots and two flight nurses, took off from Roswell, New Mexico heading to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport in Ruidoso, New Mexico, for patient pickup and transport to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Due to GPS jamming as part of the scheduled test event in the area, this routine medical ambulance flight overshot their landing pattern by 10 miles and crashed into the side of the Capitan Mountains at 12:15 AM on May 14th, destroying the plane, killing the four-member crew, and sparking a wildfire that took three weeks to contain.\n\nBy the time that wildfire was contained, it had burned 31,860 acres and at its peak had over 1000 personnel assigned utilizing 7 helicopters, numerous bulldozers, water tenders and fixed-wing air tankers. This fire was New Mexico’s first incident of the fire season that required a Complex Incident Management Team, and one of only two such complex fires this year. There were no structures lost but the fire forced evacuation orders that remained in place for several weeks, all of which had a huge cost to taxpayers with all fire suppression activities totaling an estimated $37.7 million.\n\nBy any account, this crash was tragic. While this is reportedly the first time GPS jamming activities by the U.S. military have caused or contributed to the crash of a civilian plane, that does little to comfort the families of those lost in that crash or impacted by the wildfire it triggered.\n\nAs the prevalence of drone warfare and electronic warfare grows globally and becomes central to our national defense, the risk of military and contractor activities disrupting civilian flights is likely to grow. In order to prevent future incidents and accidents, it is critical that we fully understand what happened on May 13 and 14, 2026, and what could have been done to prevent the accident. To that end, we urge DoD to fully cooperate with the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) ongoing investigation into the crash. We also urge DoD to expeditiously develop systems and protocols, in concert with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to prevent future, similar accidents. Upon completion of NTSB’s investigation, it is imperative that DoD also work with the FAA and any other relevant agencies to fully implement recommendations from NTSB.\n\nWe further request DoD’s responses to the following questions:\n\nWill the DoD compensate the victims' families of this terrible accident?\n\nWill the DoD compensate the federal, state, county, and local agencies for the resources expended in the response to the crash and subsequent wildfire?\n\nIs the DoD aware of any other incidents involving civilian aircraft that were impacted by GPS jamming activities surrounding NAVFEST in May 2026?\n\nIs the DoD aware of any other incidents involving civilian aircraft that were impacted by GPS jamming activities across the country prior to or after this incident that were unrelated to NAVFEST?\n\nIf the DoD had not been jamming GPS in the region at the time of this crash it is very likely that the crash would have never occurred, four people would still be alive, and this wildfire would not have started. We owe those impacted by DoD’s actions transparency and action.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/hickenlooper-introduces-war-powers-resolution-to-end-iran-war/", "title": "Hickenlooper Introduces War Powers Resolution to End Iran War", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press/page/", "domain": "www.hickenlooper.senate.gov", "scraper": "hickenlooper", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000273", "name": "John W. Hickenlooper", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Hickenlooper has voted 13 times to end the Iran war\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper introduced a War Powers Resolution directing President Trump to terminate U.S. military hostilities against Iran. The introduction comes as Trump continues to escalate tensions, warning Iran that ongoing talks are its “last chance” to reach a deal “before decapitation.”\n\n“President Trump’s illegal war in Iran has been a complete and total disaster that has cost American lives, sent prices skyrocketing, and drained our military stockpiles,” said Hickenlooper. “We are now meaningfully worse off than we were before the war began, and it’s essential Congress to step in to end it if Trump won’t. We need to get out of Iran and get back to lowering costs for working families.”\n\nTo date, Hickenlooper has voted 13 times to end the Iran War. He has consistently condemned the administration for sidestepping Congress and dragging America into a war with no clear objective – one that risks American lives, raises costs here at home, and that Americans overwhelmingly oppose.\n\nHe has released video statements in response to Trump’s unhinged press conference and violent Truth Social posts where he threatened to “destroy a whole civilization.” He has taken to the Senate floor to denounce Trump’s illegal war in Iran and blast the preliminary and now defunct deal that the Trump administration touted in June. In July, Hickenlooper spoke out about President Trump’s efforts to further escalate the war.\n\nA concurrent resolution on Iran war powers has already passed both chambers. The Senate could consider Hickenlooper’s legislation next month.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/jamie-foxx-celebrates-passage-of-hickenlooper-moran-booker-bill-to-boost-down-syndrome-research/", "title": "Jamie Foxx Celebrates Passage of Hickenlooper, Moran, Booker Bill to Boost Down Syndrome Research", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press/page/", "domain": "www.hickenlooper.senate.gov", "scraper": "hickenlooper", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000273", "name": "John W. Hickenlooper", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bill heads to the President desk for signature\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to permanently authorize and expand federal funding for Down syndrome research. The bill now heads to the President’s desk for his signature.\n\nThe DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act is named after DeOndra Dixon, the late younger sister of Academy Award-winning actor and Grammy Award-winning musician Jamie Foxx. A Global Down Syndrome Foundation ambassador and Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Awardee, Dixon died in 2020 at age 36.\n\n“DeOndra brought so much joy, love and light into our lives, and she was incredibly proud to be a GLOBAL Ambassador and advocate,” said Jamie Foxx. “My family and I are deeply grateful to Michelle and the GLOBAL team, and to Senators John Hickenlooper and Jerry Moran for their leadership and commitment to passing the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act. Knowing that DeOndra’s name and advocacy will help people with Down syndrome live longer, healthier lives means more to us than words can express.”\n\n“Today is a historic day for the hundreds of thousands of Americans with Down syndrome and their families,” said Hickenlooper. “DeOndra Dixon was an extraordinary person and advocate whose legacy will help improve lives for generations. We’re proud the bill that bears her name will finally give Down syndrome research the investment it deserves, and we look forward to the breakthroughs it will deliver. We’re especially grateful to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the Crnic Institute, and all of the tireless advocates who helped get this important bill across the finish line.”\n\n“This legislation will strengthen the critical research that helps improve the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and supports their families,” said Sen. Moran. “Research funded by the NIH has already led to meaningful advancements, but more work remains. By authorizing continued federal investments in scientific research focused on Down syndrome, this legislation will help scientists better understand the health challenges these individuals face and advance new solutions to improve care and outcomes. I’m pleased that both chambers passed this legislation unanimously and look forward to it being signed into law.”\n\n“Every year, roughly 6,000 babies are born in the United States with Down syndrome. And while life expectancy has improved significantly, too many individuals still face heightened risks for serious medical conditions,” said Senator Booker. “I’m grateful that this bipartisan legislation has finally passed — it will reauthorize essential research funding, expand clinical trials, and strengthen our commitment to improving the quality of life for people with Down syndrome and their families.”\n\n“Senator Hickenlooper has been a dear friend and unwavering champion of GLOBAL and the Down syndrome community since his service as Mayor of Denver and Governor of Colorado. Today, he has helped deliver a truly historic victory,” said Michelle Sie Whitten, President and CEO of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. “The DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act will honor the memory and extraordinary advocacy of our beloved GLOBAL Ambassador DeOndra Dixon by permanently authorizing the INCLUDE Project, the first NIH-wide Down syndrome research program. GLOBAL helped catalyze the creation of the INCLUDE Project, which is already advancing transformative research into Alzheimer’s disease, immune dysregulation, cancer, sleep apnea, and other serious conditions affecting people with Down syndrome and millions of other Americans. We are profoundly grateful to Senator Hickenlooper for his leadership and tenacity in helping ensure this life-saving research continues and grows for generations.”\n\nThe INCLUDE Project was launched in June 2018 to further research on health and quality-of-life needs for individuals with Down syndrome. The project investigates conditions that affect individuals with Down syndrome and the general population, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, autism, cataracts, celiac disease, congenital heart disease, and diabetes.\n\nFull text of the legislation available HERE. The legislation is led by Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and is also cosponsored by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-chu-introduce-bicameral-legislation-to-block-trump-administrations-so-called-public-charge-rule", "title": "Hirono, Chu Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Block Trump Administration’s So-Called “Public Charge” Rule", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.hirono.senate.gov", "scraper": "hirono", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001042", "name": "Mazie K. Hirono", "party": "Democrat", "state": "HI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) introduces the Protect American Values Act, legislation that would prevent federal funds from being used to implement, administer, enforce, or otherwise carry out the Trump Administration’s finalized “public charge” rule. Scheduled to take effect on September 18, 2026, the rule would make it more difficult for immigrants who rely on certain government benefits to obtain green cards or adjust their immigration status.\n\n“By removing any guidance for what qualifies as ‘public charge’ the Trump Regime’s rule creates fear and prevents immigrants and their families from accessing services they need—even if they are still entitled to them. In making the pathway to attaining a green card more confusing, the anti-immigrant ideology of this regime is abundantly clear,” said Senator Hirono. “The Protecting American Values Act ensures that American tax dollars cannot be used for promoting the anti-American principles the Trump Regime is attempting to implement.\n\n“Donald Trump is once again weaponizing our immigration system against families who are simply trying to build better lives in America,” said Representative Chu. “His revived ‘Public Charge’ rule is even more expansive and harmful than the version from his first term, when it was ultimately struck down in court. Unlike the previous rule, this finalized policy does not even identify which benefits will be considered in a public charge test, giving Trump’s immigration officers sweeping discretion to deny green card applications based on subjective judgement instead of clear legal standards. We know exactly what the result will be. Millions of immigrants and mixed-status families will be forced to choose between putting food on the table, getting health care, keeping a roof over their heads, or protecting their future in America. And when families are driven away from health care, nutrition assistance, and other basic services they are legally entitled to, every community pays the price through worse health outcomes, greater strain on providers, and a weaker economy. It is cruel, it is arbitrary, and it is fundamentally un-American. That is why I am proud to reintroduce the Protect American Values Act with Senator Hirono to ensure not a single federal dollar can be used to implement this shameful policy.”\n\nThe Trump Administration’s finalized rule rescinds the Biden Administration’s 2022 reinstatement of the longstanding public charge policy, which made clear that the use of non-cash public benefits—including SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance—could not be considered when making public charge determinations. The public charge test is intended to determine whether an individual is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for support and use that as grounds for denying admission to the United States or adjustment of lawful permanent resident status.\n\nThis new rule’s open-ended approach will have a massive chilling effect on the lawful use of benefits by legal permanent residents and even U.S. citizens. As noncitizens do not know which public benefits could result in a green card denial, many will likely avoid using any means-tested public benefits despite their eligibility. Furthermore, because this new rule removes the bright-line limitation on adjudicators considering benefit use by the immigrants’ family members, the new rule discourages the use of public benefits by U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents in mixed-status families. While the Trump Administration claims this rule would result in reduced government spending, much of this saving will likely come from reduced benefits usage from U.S. citizens and children.\n\nIn addition to Senator Hirono, the Protecting American Values Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).\n\n“Since the beginning of his second term, President Trump has normalized cruel immigration policies and stoked fear across immigrant communities,” said Senator Bennet. “This rule isn’t about securing our borders or more efficient spending, its purpose is to punish immigrants who only seek to make a better life for themselves and their families. The Protect American Values Act sends a clear message that, as a nation, we will continue to stand up for our communities and fight this Administration’s inhumane efforts.”\n\n“It’s already law that most noncitizens are not eligible for public benefits. Yet the Trump-Vance Administration, hellbent on terrorizing immigrants, is now trying to hurt their U.S. citizen children and family members by allowing low-level adjudicators to weaponize those citizens’ use of any public benefits against their noncitizen families when they apply for green cards,” said Senator Kaine. “We don’t have to imagine the negative consequences this policy will have on the health and well-being of our communities, because when President Trump previously instituted a similar policy, it led to widespread avoidance of medical care and other important programs, including among U.S. citizen children. I urge my colleagues to join us in stopping this horrible move in its tracks.”\n\n“Trump’s ‘public charge’ rule is a yet another cruel, un-American assault on immigrants and their families,” said Senator Duckworth. “As the daughter of an immigrant who relied on food stamps to survive, I’m proud to join my colleagues in pushing back on this heartless rule. Nobody should have to choose between receiving citizenship or going hungry.”\n\nTo read the full text of the bill, click here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-colleagues-press-trump-administration-on-proposed-forest-research-and-development-facility-closures-demand-transparency", "title": "Hirono, Colleagues Press Trump Administration on Proposed Forest Research and Development Facility Closures, Demand Transparency", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.hirono.senate.gov", "scraper": "hirono", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001042", "name": "Mazie K. Hirono", "party": "Democrat", "state": "HI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) a senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), led 16 Senate Democratic colleagues in urging U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz to provide Congress with a full breakdown of the Service’s decision to close up to 57 U.S. Forest Service Research and Development (R&D) Facilities, including the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF) in Hilo, Hawaii. Despite multiple inquiries from both the Senate and House of Representatives, the U.S. Forest Service has still failed to provide Congress with a comprehensive accounting of the framework used to evaluate facilities slotted for closure. In a letter to Chief Schultz, the senators demanded the Administration provide them with the information Congress has been requesting for the past several months.\n\n“Since announcing the list of facilities being evaluated for possible closure in March, very little detail or analysis has been provided to Congress or the public on the factors being considered for each facility,” wrote the senators. “Instead, official responses rely on broad assurances- stating only that the agency is assessing ‘operating costs, amount of space, utilization rate, number of employees’ and proximate facilities – without revealing the actual methodology or criteria driving these determinations.”\n\nSince 1905, Forest Service R&D has used forests as “living laboratories” to help researchers, governments, and communities alike better understand their surrounding natural environment. The 57 Forest Service Research and Development sites that are expected to close span 31 states and each perform critical, specialized research that cannot be easily replicated or relocated. In their letter the Senators highlighted IPIF, which not only covers the State of Hawaii, but a region in the Pacific covering an area larger than the Continental United States, as well as the Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory in Seattle and the Forestry Sciences Laboratory in Wenatchee, both of which conduct crucial wildfire research and forecasting for the Pacific Northwest region which is currently experiencing a record wildfire season. As the only research facilities of their kind in the regions they serve, the Senators raised alarms about the consequences of their closure.\n\n“We are very concerned that missing from the list of considerations are factors such as current benefits of research services provided to surrounding communities, what research services would be lost with facility closures, estimate of travel expenses resulting from facility closures, estimate on the number of staff unwilling or unable to relocate or travel an additional distance as a result of closing a facility, the replacement costs of each facility, etc.,” the senators continued.\n\nThe senators concluded their letter by emphasizing the importance of consulting with local communities and governments when analyzing sites for closure, raising alarms that such community collaboration has not, to their knowledge, occurred.\n\nIn addition to Senator Hirono, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).\n\nTo read the full letter, click here or below:\n\nDear Chief Schultz:\n\nWe write to request a detailed breakdown of all criteria and factors driving the decision to potentially close the 57 U.S. Forest Service Research and Development Facilities announced on March 31, 2026. Spanning 31 states, these facilities perform critical, specialized research that cannot be easily replicated or relocated – nor can it be terminated without jeopardizing long-term environmental and economic priorities.\n\nDespite repeated inquiries from both the House and Senate, the U.S. Forest Service has failed to provide a transparent, detailed accounting of the analytical framework used to evaluate these facilities. Instead, official responses rely on broad assurances- stating only that the agency is assessing ‘operating costs, amount of space, utilization rate, number of employees’ and proximate facilities – without revealing the actual methodology or criteria driving these determinations.\n\nThe establishment of many of these facilities took decades of thoughtful work by numerous experts and stakeholders. They were designed to serve a specific purpose and fill a critical gap in forestry needs within their geographic region. For example, the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry facility in Hawaii took roughly 60 years to be realized and serves the islanded forestry needs of the entire Pacific Region. The next closest U.S. Forest Service-owned office space is in California. Similarly, the Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory in Seattle and the Forestry Sciences Laboratory in Wenatchee conduct crucial wildfire research and forecasting for the Pacific Northwest region. Closing both of those facilities in Washington State will leave numerous communities throughout that entire region vulnerable to increasing wildfire threats. In fact, according to reporting, 20 of the 57 facilities being considered for closure conduct important wildfire prevention research.\n\nSince announcing the list of facilities being evaluated for possible closure in March, very little detail or analysis has been provided to Congress or the public on the factors being considered for each facility. We are very concerned that missing from the list of considerations are factors such as current benefits of research services provided to surrounding communities, what research services would be lost with facility closures, estimate of travel expenses resulting from facility closures, estimate on the number of staff unwilling or unable to relocate or travel an additional distance as a result of closing a facility, the replacement costs of each facility, etc.\n\nDecisions as significant as closing 57 facilities across 31 states must include consultation with local communities and governments. To the best of our knowledge, these consultations have not occurred. Indeed, community outcry has been so great that the Forest Service was forced to walk back their initial March 31 announcement that these facilities would close and instead announced that these facilities are being analyzed for closure.\n\nTo help us and impacted communities all across the nation better understand what factors you are utilizing to determine whether to close these facilities, please avail your staff for a briefing on, or provide in writing, the complete list of criteria that you are using for each of the 57 facilities, a list of local stakeholders that you are consulting with on each of these determinations, and a timeline for which you expect to make a determination for each facility no later than August 19, 2026.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hoeven-statement-after-farm-bill-markup", "title": "Hoeven Statement After Farm Bill Markup", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.hoeven.senate.gov", "scraper": "hoeven", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001061", "name": "John Hoeven", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the Senate Agriculture Committee’s markup of the Agricultural Act of 2026 or Farm Bill 2.0, legislation to support and provide long-term certainty for the nation’s agriculture producers. The legislation includes over 100 bipartisan bills, as well as a compromise proposal offered by Chairman John Boozman to authorize the year-round sale of E15. Despite the bipartisan nature of the bill, Senate Democrats voted against committee passage of the bill.\n\n“Farm Bill 2.0 is focused on supporting family farms and ranches and providing the tools and resources they need to succeed. The legislation improves the farm safety net, advances ag research and develops better market access for producers,” said Senator Hoeven. “Given the challenges in farm country, our producers need long-term certainty, and this legislation includes more than 100 bipartisan proposals to address real issues facing U.S. producers, including enhancements to the farm safety net, increased access to credit, year-round sale of E15, and many others. We’ll continue working with our colleagues to find a path forward for the Farm Bill.”\n\nFarm Bill 2.0:\n\nBuilds on and further strengthens the farm safety net improvements passed as part of the Working Families Tax Cut Act.\n\nInvests in agriculture research.\n\nExpands support for specialty crops.\n\nSupports the development of greater market opportunities for agriculture producers.\n\nAuthorizes the year-round sale of E15.\n\nAdditionally, the farm bill includes Hoeven-authored provisions including:\n\nThe PACE Act– Legislation with Senator Klobuchar to increase Farm Service Agency direct and guaranteed loan limits.\n\nThe BINS Act – Adds fertilizer storage and handling infrastructure as eligible facilities under the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, legislation Hoeven authored with Senator Klobuchar.\n\nThe SCALE Act – Provides matching grants to support state-led soil health and wildlife habitat programs, like Governor Armstrong’s Legacy Soil Health and Habitat Program.\n\nPrairie Dog Management – Provides greater certainty for grazing permittees by preventing prairie dog colonies from expanding beyond reasonable levels. The provision amends prairie dog management plans for the Dakota Prairie Grasslands to limit prairie dog habitat to no more than 1.5 percent of any single grazing allotment and establish a 1-mile buffer along adjacent state and private lands\n\nMCOOL – Includes an amendment based on Hoeven-sponsored legislation that requires mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef.\n\nBARD Program – Bipartisan measure with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to authorize funding for collaborative agricultural research between the United States and Israel.\n\nJoint Chiefs Program – Reauthorizes the program, which has provided more than $3.2 million for partnerships with private landowners to help improve and restore grasslands in North Dakota. Hoeven introduced the measure with Senator Michael Bennet.\n\nFarm Ownership and Improvement Act – Establishes a pilot program for pre-approval and pre-qualification of FSA Direct Farm Ownership loans, a bipartisan measure introduced with Senator Peter Welch.\n\nDry Edible Beans Study – Authorizes USDA to study the potential inclusion of dry edible beans as a Title I commodity.\n\nLivestock Indemnity Program (LIP) – Clarifies non-adult cattle weight categories by establishing in statute, payment categories for calves weighing less than 400 pounds and 400 pounds or more.\n\nFargo-Moorhead Crop Insurance Fix – Protects producers impacted by operation of the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Project by excluding affected years from Actual Production History (APH) calculations.\n\n-###-", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-gop-colleagues-lead-effort-to-reject-radical-california-vehicle-standards/", "title": "Husted, GOP colleagues lead effort to reject radical California vehicle standards", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.husted.senate.gov", "scraper": "husted", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001104", "name": "Jon Husted", "party": "Republican", "state": "OH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“Ohioans shouldn’t be forced to follow California’s lead when it comes to policies that make everyday life more expensive and less convenient.”\n\nWASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) joined Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) in introducing multiple Congressional Review Act resolutions to overturn regulations that limits consumer choice and increases vehicle prices.\n\nHusted is leading a resolution to overturn a Biden administration waiver that allows California to require other states to adopt its Advanced Clean Cars II standards, including stricter greenhouse gas emissions requirements and a phaseout of new gas-powered vehicle sales.\n\n“Ohioans shouldn’t be forced to follow California’s lead when it comes to policies that make everyday life more expensive and less convenient. These resolutions are part of our work to make life more affordable for working families, restore common sense, cut unnecessary red tape and put consumers back in control. I’m proud to support this effort to lower costs and protect consumer choice,” said Husted.\n\n“California’s climate zealots have run roughshod over the rest of the country for too long. Under Governor Newsom, Sacramento has decided it can dictate what Wyoming families drive and what equipment our small businesses use. That ends today. I’m proud to lead this fight to reclaim Congress’s authority and stop California from legislating for the entire nation,” said Lummis.\n\n“Biden’s overregulation and red tape regime cost Nebraskans millions of dollars. They used California policies as a backdoor EV mandate and even tried to control how we cut our grass. I am proud to lead the effort to overturn these restrictions and restore commonsense. I will continue to fight for policies that empower our families, farmers, and ranchers,” said Ricketts.\n\n“California’s burdensome emissions requirements continue to punish American manufacturers, reduce consumer choice, and raise prices for American families. One state should not have the power to set national policy and dictate what products Americans use far beyond its borders. Overturning these climate alarmist rules will not only restore common sense, but also prevent a future administration from attempting to grant similar waivers. I’m proud to lead the Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal the EPA-California State Motor Vehicle Control Standards Waiver and join Senators Ricketts, Husted, and Lummis in our effort to help make life more affordable for American families,” said Schmitt.\n\n“Ohio’s franchised auto dealers commend Sen. Husted for introducing this important pro-consumer legislation. California’s unnecessary fuel economy regulations have increased vehicle costs while decreasing vehicle choice. Congress, not an unaccountable California board, is the only body that should set national fuel economy regulations,” said Zach Doran, President, Ohio Auto Dealers Association.\n\n“For over a decade, California has tried to abuse the Clean Air Act waiver process to set national policy that Congress never approved, unilaterally deciding what cars Americans can buy and what equipment they can own in their own garages. These four CRAs, led by Senators Ricketts, Husted, Schmitt, and Lummis, undo that end-run and restore a single national standard set by Congress instead of CARB regulators. We urge the full Senate to pass all four and give American consumers back the final say over the vehicles and equipment they choose. Affordability should be top-of-mind for Congress into the fall,” said Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Americans for Prosperity.\n\n“Affordability is the number one issue for Latinos and Americans, and it should be top-of-mind issue for Congress. For years, California has leveraged the Clean Air Act waiver process to set burdensome regulations on everything from vehicles, gas-powered equipment, and other products. The four Congressional Review Act resolutions led by Senators Ricketts, Husted, Schmitt, and Lummis restore Congressional oversight of this process. And we urge the Senate to pass all four to give American consumers the flexibility they deserve when purchasing goods,” said Sandra Benitez, Executive Director, The LIBRE Initiative.\n\nHusted is also co-leading three additional resolutions that would:\n\nOverturn a waiver allowing California to impose vehicle emissions standards that are stricter than federal requirements, accelerating a nationwide shift toward electric vehicles.\n\nReverse a rule imposing costly emissions requirements on small off-road engines, protecting small businesses, landscapers and homeowners from being forced to purchase expensive and impractical electric lawn and garden equipment.\n\nOverturn a waiver allowing California to enforce stricter greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles, reducing unnecessary costs for manufacturers and helping keep vehicles more affordable for consumers.\n\nThese resolutions build on Husted’s work to lower costs for American families. Last year Husted’s Congressional Review Act resolution was signed into law, overturning a Biden-era energy regulation that imposed burdensome energy efficiency standards on a wide range of household and commercial appliances.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/key-senate-committee-passes-bills-to-establish-fairlawn-zip-codeand-rename-three-virginia-post-offices", "title": "Key Senate Committee Passes Bills to Establish Fairlawn ZIP Code\r\nAnd Rename Three Virginia Post Offices", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "domain": "www.kaine.senate.gov", "scraper": "kaine", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000384", "name": "Tim Kaine", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved legislation to establish a unique ZIP code for Fairlawn, Va., as well as three bills introduced by U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) to rename United States Postal Service (USPS) offices in Loudoun County, Fairfax, and New Kent.\n\n“Giving Fairlawn its own ZIP code will ensure the town and Pulaski County do not unfairly lose out on tax revenue to fund public services, as well as alleviate confusion and stress for its residents. Gerry Connolly, Trevor Brown, and Patricia Paige were three exceptional Virginians who devoted their lives to serving the Commonwealth,” said the senators. “We are thrilled to see these bills pass out of committee and urge our colleagues to support this legislation to give Fairlawn its own ZIP code and honor these dedicated public servants.”\n\nThe Loudoun County post office, in Sterling, would be designated as the “Firefighter Trevor Brown Post Office Building,” honoring the service of firefighter Trevor Brown – a husband, father of three, and youth soccer and baseball coach who lost his life in the line of duty on February 16, 2024. The USPS facility is located at 46164 Westlake Drive in Sterling, VA.\n\nThe Fairfax post office would be designated as the “Congressman Gerald E. ‘Gerry’ Connolly Post Office Building.” The renaming honors the late Congressman Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly, whose decades of service and leadership transformed Northern Virginia and inspired a generation of public servants. The USPS facility is located at 10660 Page Avenue in Fairfax, VA.\n\nThe New Kent post office would be renamed the “Patricia Paige Post Office” after an Army Reservist who became the first black woman to serve on the New Kent Board of Supervisors. Page was a persistent advocate for the replacement of the former New Kent Post Office due to its aging structure and inability to accommodate residents and postal workers. The USPS facility is located at 12109 New Kent Highway in New Kent, VA.\n\nLast year, Warner and Kaine and Rep. Morgan Griffith (VA-09) introduced bills in the Senate and the House of Representatives to designate a unique ZIP code for Fairlawn, Virginia.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-colleagues-demand-trump-administration-stop-illegal-voter-roll-purges-before-election-day/", "title": "Kelly, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.kelly.senate.gov", "scraper": "markkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000377", "name": "Mark Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "This week, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and 26 of their Democratic colleagues demanded the Trump Administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits large-scale voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Trump Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts.\n\nIn a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, the senators reminded the Trump Administration to adhere to the law and refrain from supporting, assisting, or coercing states into conducting mass voter purges prior to the November midterm elections.\n\n“We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90 day ‘quiet period’ mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA),” wrote the senators.\n\nThe Trump Administration has demanded voter information from all 50 states, losing 20 lawsuits and counting in the process. A separate court has barred the Administration from misusing federal databases in illegal attempts to remove voters from state voter rolls. In July, President Trump and Secretary Mullin escalated these attacks as part of their ongoing efforts to force states to purge voters ahead of the November general election in a presidential speech and subsequent DHS press conference. The letter copies the chief election officers for all 50 states.\n\nThe senators warned that federal courts have ruled against attempted voter purges that fail to comply with the NVRA’s “quiet period” by attempting mass voter purges.\n\n“In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the ‘quiet period,’ including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters,” continued the senators. “Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare.”\n\nThe senators reiterated that use of the DHS’ modified SAVE program, already blocked by federal courts for bulk voter list analysis purposes, would be considered illegal activity in the next 90 days, and condemned Mullin’s continued push to advance the program. They also urged the DOJ abandon any efforts to obtain state voter rolls, highlighting the agency has lost every federal court case so far.\n\n“We must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the ‘quiet period’ are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings,” wrote the senators. “The DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls.”\n\nThe senators requested the agencies provide confirmation that they will comply with the NVRA by August 7th to prevent any voter suppression prior to Election Day.\n\nThis letter continues Kelly’s fight to protect free and fair elections from the Trump Administration’s attacks. In April, Kelly introduced the bipartisan Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to block Trump’s unconstitutional executive order targeting mail and absentee ballots. Kelly also demanded that USPS follow the law and not implement that unconstitutional executive order. Alongside Senator Gallego, Kelly demanded an immediate end to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) sham investigation into the 2020 presidential election results in Arizona that is based on debunked conspiracy theories. In June, Kelly introduced the Protect Our Polls Act to stop the president from using military or federal law enforcement to intimidate voters and interfere with elections.\n\nIn addition to Kelly and Padilla, the letter was signed by Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR).", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-gallego-press-faa-on-flawed-phoenix-flight-path-plan/", "title": "Kelly, Gallego Press FAA on Flawed Phoenix Flight Path Plan", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.kelly.senate.gov", "scraper": "markkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000377", "name": "Mark Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Read in ABC15: Arizona senators join the FAA flight path fight\n\nSenators warn proposed changes would expose tens of thousands of additional Phoenix-area residents to additional noise pollution, break past commitments to communities, and repeat mistakes of a decade-long legal battle with the City of Phoenix\n\nToday, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) raised serious concerns with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s proposed Phoenix Area Modernization Project and Draft Environmental Assessment. In a letter to Administrator Bryan Bedford, the senators urged the FAA to publish a revised assessment that addresses issues identified by impacted communities.\n\nThe proposed project would update flight procedures for ten Valley airports, including Phoenix Sky Harbor and Mesa Gateway. If implemented, the proposed flight-path changes would expose more than 86,000 additional people in the Phoenix area to reportable noise increases, with over 65,000 residents facing increases of 5 decibels or more, despite less disruptive alternatives being available. The City of Phoenix, the City of Mesa, the Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, and countless community stakeholders have reached out directly to share concerns directly with the FAA.\n\n“While we share the goals of ensuring a safe and efficient airspace in the Phoenix area, we are concerned that the FAA’s proposed flight procedure changes will have significant adverse effects for neighborhoods, communities, and airports across the Phoenix area,” the senators wrote.\n\nThe senators pointed to a nearly decade-long legal fight sparked by similar FAA flight path changes in 2014, which ultimately required the agency to redesign westbound flight paths out of Sky Harbor and eroded community trust in the process.\n\n“Regrettably, rather than learn the lessons from this experience, the FAA’s proposed Phoenix Area Modernization Project fails to address long-standing concerns raised by key regional stakeholders, ignores requirements of the 2017 Court of Appeals ruling in Phoenix v. Huerta, and exposes an additional 86,384 people in North Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Chandler to new and unnecessary noise pollution,” the senators continued.\n\n“We urge the FAA to go further and commit to making meaningful changes to the Phoenix Area Modernization Project to address the serious concerns raised by impacted communities prior to finalizing or implementing any new air traffic procedures,” the senators concluded.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-lummis-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-modernize-americas-nuclear-fuel-supply/", "title": "Kelly, Lummis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Modernize America’s Nuclear Fuel Supply", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.kelly.senate.gov", "scraper": "markkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000377", "name": "Mark Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Read in Gila Herald: Sens. Kelly and Lummis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Modernize Domestic Nuclear Fuel Supply\n\nMORE American Fuel Act modernizes the federal approval process to safely expand domestic uranium enrichment while preserving environmental review and public safeguards\n\nToday, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the Modernizing Outdated Regulations to Expand American Fuel (MORE American Fuel) Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation to modernize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)’s licensing process for uranium enrichment facilities. The bill safely streamlines domestic nuclear fuel production licensing to strengthen American energy independence, reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, and create high-quality jobs while preserving rigorous safety standards, environmental protections, and public transparency.\n\n“Nuclear power is one of the most reliable sources of electricity, and we shouldn’t depend on foreign countries for the fuel that keeps our reactors running,” said Kelly. “By modernizing outdated regulations, we can strengthen our energy security, create good-paying jobs, and maintain the strong safety and environmental protections Americans expect.”\n\n“Building a foundation for domestic uranium enrichment is crucial for Wyoming’s job and energy security,” said Lummis. “As the Russian uranium ban looms, there is no better time for the United States to build its own enrichment capacity than right now. This legislation is clear: streamline the construction of these facilities, protect American energy dominance and jobs in our states, and secure the next generation’s fleet of baseload power.”\n\nIn May, as Ranking Member of the Senate EPW Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety, Kelly led a bipartisan hearing examining a package of nuclear modernization bills, including the proposal that became the MORE American Fuel Act. During the hearing, Kelly emphasized that growing electricity demand will require faster deployment of reliable nuclear power, but that permitting reform must preserve the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s independence, rigorous safety standards, environmental protections, and meaningful public participation.\n\nBackground:\n\nNuclear power provides approximately 18 percent of U.S. electricity generation and is expected to play an increasingly important role in meeting growing electricity demand. Yet in 2024, U.S. nuclear operators imported roughly 80 percent of their enriched uranium from foreign suppliers, including about 20 percent from Russia. As Russian uranium imports are phased out beginning in 2028, expanding domestic enrichment capacity is increasingly important to strengthen America’s energy security and supply chains.\n\nThe NRC’s licensing framework for uranium enrichment facilities is more burdensome than the process used for other fuel cycle facilities, creating unnecessary delays and costs without improving safety. The MORE American Fuel Act modernizes that process while preserving the NRC’s independent authority and maintaining environmental review and opportunities for public participation.\n\nThe MORE American Fuel Act would:\n\nAllow applicants to begin construction of uranium enrichment facilities after the NRC dockets an application, at the applicant’s own risk and subject to all applicable laws.\n\nPreserve public participation by maintaining the right to request a hearing on operating licenses while eliminating unnecessary mandatory hearings when no party seeks to participate.\n\nRequire advance written notification to state, local, and Tribal governments before pre-license construction begins.\n\nMaintain environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act before any uranium may be enriched or stored on-site.\n\nPreserve the NRC’s full authority to review, approve, deny, condition, inspect, and oversee uranium enrichment facilities.\n\nThe MORE American Fuel Act builds on Kelly’s bipartisan work to strengthen America’s nuclear industry while protecting public health, the environment, and Tribal communities. He also authored the Legacy Mine Cleanup Act, which passed the Senate unanimously to support the cleanup of abandoned uranium mines on Tribal lands, and championed the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act, which created new tools to restore contaminated sites. Together, these measures help address the toxic legacy of old uranium and hardrock mines by advancing cleanup on Tribal lands, restoring contaminated sites, and protecting nearby communities. Kelly has also introduced the bipartisan Build Nuclear with Local Materials Act to modernize nuclear deployment, reduce construction costs, and strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain. Collectively, these efforts advance a cleaner, safer, and more secure nuclear energy future.\n\nSee what industry, energy, labor, and policy leaders are saying about the MORE American Fuel Act:\n\n“Nuclear energy can play an important role in meeting rising energy demand, and updated uranium enrichment regulations can help unlock the next generation of nuclear reactors in the U.S. and support American competitiveness. This bill will help modernize the licensing of uranium enrichment facilities and reduce barriers to new domestic enrichment capacity, which will catalyze investment without sidestepping public engagement or environmental reviews. By creating pathways for accelerated construction and eliminating requirements for outdated and cumbersome regulatory processes, this bill supports new enrichment capacity that is vital to deploying new nuclear reactors,” said Patrick White, Advanced Nuclear Technology and Regulation Expert at Clean Air Task Force.\n\n“Third Way applauds Senators Kelly and Lummis for introducing the MORE American Fuel Act of 2026. This bill continues important bipartisan work to secure the nuclear fuel supply chain for America’s nuclear revival. Importantly, it updates an outdated licensing process for enrichment facilities, bringing it in line with modern fuel cycle facilities, and ensures the NRC remains empowered to uphold high safety standards,” said Josh Freed, Senior Vice President for Climate and Energy at Third Way.\n\n“Reliable access to nuclear fuel is a critical national security priority,” said ClearPath Action CEO Jeremy Harrell. “This bill builds on Congress’ efforts and investments to rebuild the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain by removing unnecessary regulatory bottlenecks that delay construction while maintaining the NRC’s licensing and safety standards. This legislation allows America to build enrichment capacity sooner, and reduce dependence on geopolitical adversaries.”\n\n“The United States lacks the domestic uranium enrichment capacity needed to support significant growth in nuclear energy. Expanding that capacity is essential to enabling American nuclear deployment and strengthening energy security. The MORE American Fuel Act of 2026 takes an important step toward that goal by allowing developers to begin construction at their own risk once the NRC has docketed an application, removing a sequencing barrier that adds time and cost without improving safety. This approach allows construction and licensing to proceed in parallel without prejudging or limiting the NRC’s final licensing decision. The bill appropriately preserves the NRC’s full authority over the operating license while maintaining public participation and advance notice for surrounding communities. The Breakthrough Institute supports this meaningful bipartisan improvement to the enrichment licensing framework and commends Senator Kelly and Senator Lummis for their leadership,” said Dr. Adam Stein, Director of Nuclear Energy Innovation at The Breakthrough Institute.\n\n“A reliable nuclear fuel supply chain is critical for the long-term success of nuclear energy, which is why Congress, DOE, and industry are working to reduce our reliance on foreign suppliers and build the domestic infrastructure required to supply the nation’s nuclear fuel needs. The MORE American Fuel Act of 2026, if enacted into law, would accelerate efforts to increase domestic uranium enrichment capacity. It would provide a more efficient regulatory pathway for new enrichment facilities. NIA welcomes the MORE American Fuel Act as a meaningful step toward improving the NRC licensing framework for future enrichment facilities,” said Judi Greenwald, President and CEO of Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA).\n\n“NEI supports the MORE American Fuel Act of 2026. By aligning the licensing process for uranium enrichment facilities with other nuclear fuel cycle facilities, this bipartisan legislation would reduce unnecessary project delays and support the timely expansion of domestic enrichment capacity which is essential to strengthening America’s energy security,” said Jack Britt, Sr. Director, Fuel at Nuclear Energy Institute.\n\n“General Matter applauds Senators Kelly and Lummis for their bipartisan leadership in introducing this important legislation,” said Scott Nolan, Founder and CEO of General Matter. “By providing regulatory clarity while maintaining the NRC’s rigorous oversight, this commonsense revision will help restore American leadership in uranium enrichment, strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain, and reinforce our national and energy security.”\n\n“Strengthening America’s energy security through a robust nuclear renaissance requires a strong and diversified made-in-the-USA nuclear fuel supply. Orano’s ongoing development of the Project IKE uranium enrichment facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, represents the potential supply of nearly 30% of the nation’s current needs—about the same amount that the U.S. currently imports from Russia. The MORE American Fuel Act of 2026 supports the thoughtful and timely consideration of uranium enrichment facility license applications, while increasing project development efficiencies and enabling accelerated timelines for completion. We applaud Senator Mark Kelly’s leadership developing this legislation and his proactive efforts to achieve expanded nuclear fuel production in tandem with the launch of new reactors and generation capacity.” said Jean-Luc Palayer, CEO, Orano USA.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kim.senate.gov/press_release/senators-kim-and-hagerty-lead-colleagues-in-introducing-bill-to-protect-american-ai-technology-from-foreign-attacks/", "title": "Senators Kim and Hagerty Lead Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Protect American AI Technology from Foreign Attacks", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kim.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.kim.senate.gov", "scraper": "kim", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000394", "name": "Andy Kim", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), along with Senate Banking Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), introduced the Blocking Large-Scale Adversarial Distillation Efforts (BLADE) Act of 2026, a bipartisan bill to deter malign foreign actors from stealing the proprietary capabilities of America’s frontier AI companies.\n\n“The BLADE Act safeguards both our competitive edge against China and our national security at the same time. As we continue to set the global standard for innovation and unlock new opportunity through AI, it’s critical we have these tools to deter direct attacks on U.S. AI models and maintain as large a lead as possible over our competitors and adversaries,” said Senator Kim.\n\n“As the United States must remain at the forefront of competitiveness in artificial intelligence, we cannot allow our adversaries to steal the intellectual property of America’s top AI companies and thereby threaten U.S. national security and economic security,” said Senator Hagerty. “The BLADE Act will expose and punish foreign entities that conduct hostile distillation campaigns against our frontier AI companies. Our nation must counter malign actors who seek to subvert our nation’s leadership and innovation in artificial intelligence.”\n\nRecent news reports have detailed the large-scale use of “model extraction attacks” by Chinese entities to distill the unique competitive advantages of America’s top AI models. Such foreign model extraction attacks—which typically circumvent technical controls, use fraudulent or unauthorized credentials, and violate terms of use in order to harvest proprietary capabilities from U.S. models without the owner’s permission—evade U.S. export controls and threaten U.S. economic security and national security.\n\nTo deter unauthorized and illicit foreign model extraction attacks, the bipartisan BLADE Act would direct the Executive Branch to identify and publicly expose foreign entities behind these malign activities, coordinate with industry to improve detection, and authorize the imposition of Commerce Department export controls and Treasury Department financial sanctions against these foreign entities.\n\n“As America’s AI technologies become more advanced, we face new threats from China and other foreign adversaries trying to reproduce them,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “We cannot allow the Chinese Communist Party to steal our companies’ hard work and innovation. America can and will remain dominant in the race to develop cutting-edge AI technologies.”\n\n“From startups in South Carolina to companies across the country, American innovators are building the technologies that will shape the future, and the Chinese Communist Party and other foreign adversaries should not be allowed to steal that work. Industrial-scale distillation attacks are unacceptable, and the BLADE Act gives the Commerce Department the tools to expose and punish bad actors targeting American AI models, protect our national security, and keep America ahead in the global AI race. I’m proud to join Senators Hagerty and Kim in defending American ingenuity and holding our adversaries accountable,” said Senator Scott.\n\nThe BLADE Act builds on Senator Kim’s continued work to safeguard American global competitiveness and national security. In April, Senator Kim co-led the introduction of the bipartisan MATCH Act to modernize U.S. export controls and ensure adversaries cannot buy “chokepoint” semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME) technology from the United States or our partners that they cannot build themselves. He also recently introduced the bipartisan Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA) Penalty Increase Act to strengthen penalties for individuals and companies that violate U.S. export control laws. Learn more about Senator Kim’s work to advance a resilience-focused foreign policy agenda here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-murray-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-increase-funding-opportunities-for-tribal-nations-neighboring-military-installations/", "title": "Lankford, Murray Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Funding Opportunities for Tribal Nations Neighboring Military Installations", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.lankford.senate.gov", "scraper": "lankford", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000575", "name": "James Lankford", "party": "Republican", "state": "OK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Patty Murray (D-WA) recently introduced new legislation to make Tribal governments eligible to apply for grants under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). Currently, Tribal governments are ineligible to apply for funding under DCIP’s grant authority, despite their role in supporting military installations and defense communities nationwide.\n\n“Oklahoma is home to 39 Tribal Nations, and many of them live and work alongside the men and women who serve at our military installations. When a Tribe is doing work that benefits a military base or post, whether that is roads, utilities, or emergency response, the Tribe should have the same opportunity to apply for federal infrastructure grants as any other local government. This bill is a simple, common-sense fix that recognizes the role Tribes already play in our military readiness,” said Lankford.\n\n“From Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Fairchild Air Force Base and everywhere in between Tribal Nations—like Yakama, Suquamish, and many more—do critical work to support military installations in Washington state and throughout the country,” said Murray. “That’s why this legislation is an important step to expand eligibility to DCIP grants. Tribes play a key role in our military readiness—they should be eligible for these funds just like any other community would be.”\n\nHistorically, DCIP provides grants to state and local governments for off-base infrastructure that supports military installations. These investments strengthen military readiness and benefit servicemembers and their families by improving transportation, schools, utilities, hospitals, and other essential infrastructure.\n\nTribal Nations that neighbor military bases are often already doing this work to support critical infrastructure projects that support military communities. This bill would amend the current language to include Tribal governments as eligible, “state and local,” entities to apply for DCIP grants. Reps. Emily Randall (D-WA-06) and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) lead companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\nThe full bill text is available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-heinrich-leger-fernandez-introduce-legislation-to-protect-chama-watershed-from-uranium-mining/", "title": "Luján, Heinrich, Leger Fernández Introduce Legislation to Protect Chama Watershed from Uranium Mining", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Coalition of Local Leaders, Advocates, and Lawmakers Back Luján Push to Protect the Chama Watershed and Surrounding Communities in Northern New Mexico\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, introduced the Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act. The legislation would permanently withdraw the federal lands of the Rio Chama Watershed in Northern New Mexico from all forms of location, entry, and patent under the mining laws.\n\nThe Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act responds directly to a proposal by the Canadian-based uranium company, Gamma Resources Ltd. to conduct exploratory uranium drilling in the Carson National Forest near Canjilon — the first step in the company’s publicly stated plan to extract uranium from a four-mile stretch of the Chama Basin. The bill would prevent new mining claims across the watershed, protecting the headwaters that sustain acequia communities, Tribal Nations, land grant communities, ranchers, and downstream water users throughout the Rio Grande system and ensuring these waters are never put at risk for the benefit of a speculative foreign mining venture.\n\n“The communities of the Chama Valley – acequia farmers, Land Grant communities, Tribal members, ranchers, and rural families – have cared for their land and water for generations,” said Senator Luján. “These cherished lands and waters must be protected for future generations. I will not stand by and allow a foreign mining company to threaten the communities of the Chama Valley and disregard the respect these communities deserve. That is why I’m leading this legislation to permanently withdraw the Chama Watershed from mineral development. I remain committed to protecting the communities and waters of Northern New Mexico, and this legislation will do just that for generations to come.”\n\n“We will not allow a foreign mining company to threaten the Chama Watershed with radioactive uranium waste. That is unacceptable,” said Senator Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Our Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act sends a clear message: Back off. The Chama Watershed belongs to the acequia parciantes, Tribal communities, ranchers, and rural families who care for and depend on this landscape and its water — not a foreign mining company looking to exploit it for profit.”\n\n“New Mexicans know the true cost of uranium mining,” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández. “Across our state, abandoned uranium mines have poisoned our land, threatened our water, and harmed generations of families. Before anyone talks about opening another uranium mine, we should finish cleaning up the mess that was left behind. The Chama watershed is too precious to sell off to a foreign corporation. At a time when every drop of clean water matters, we should protect the rivers that sustain our communities—not open the door for a foreign mining corporation to profit from our public lands. The Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act protects our water, our people, and our future.”\n\nSenators Luján and Heinrich and Representative Leger Fernández have been fighting to protect communities in Northern New Mexico and the Chama Watershed from uranium mining and mineral development.\n\nIn June Senator Luján questioned Tom Schultz, Chief of the Forest Service, regarding the proposal to conduct uranium mining within the Carson National Forest by the Canadian-based uranium company, Gamma Resources Ltd. During the exchange, Senator Luján pressed Chief Tom Schultz on Gamma Resources Ltd. and emphasized his commitment to protect communities in Northern New Mexico and the Chama Watershed from uranium mining and mineral development in the region.\n\nIn May, Senator Luján convened local, state, and Tribal officials, community members, ranchers, farmers, acequia members and Land Grant Members to hear their concerns regarding the uranium drilling and mineral development proposal in the region. Senator Luján also toured the area that is being proposed for uranium drilling and mineral development in the region.\n\nIn April, Senators Luján and Heinrich and Representative Leger Fernández wrote to Carson National Forest Supervisor James Duran expressing strong opposition to a proposal to conduct uranium drilling within the Carson National Forest.\n\nSupporting quotes for the Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act can be found here.\n\nFull text of the bill can be found here.\n\nThe boundary map of the withdrawal area can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-murray-advocates-sound-the-alarm-on-trumps-latest-attack-on-head-start-vow-to-save-head-start/", "title": "Luján, Murray, Advocates Sound the Alarm on Trump’s Latest Attack on Head Start, Vow to Save Head Start", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Earlier This Week, Luján Introduced Legislation to Support and Strengthen New Mexico’s Early Childhood Education Workforce\n\n*** WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE, DOWNLOAD HERE***\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), one of two Head Start graduates to serve in the U.S. Senate, joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and advocates for a virtual press conference in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services that guts Head Start by shredding basic standards that keep kids safe and advance their education. The rule removes most of Head Start’s 133 pages of requirements for math and literacy curriculums, class sizes, medical screenings, home visits and more.\n\n“I know the value of Head Start, it got me to the U.S. Senate,” said Senator Luján. “Since President Trump took office, he and his administration have made it harder and harder for young children to get an early education. Now, he is moving forward with a proposed rule to gut Head Start and strip basic education, health, and safety standards our kids rely on. That is why I joined Senator Murray and advocates today and will continue to fight to protect Head Start.”\n\n“Your child’s safety should not depend on their zip code. That has been the entire point of Head Start since 1965. If they wanted to serve more kids, they could ask Congress for more funding. I’d write that bill this afternoon. Instead, they’re saying they might be able to serve more children by promising each child less. Nobody should pretend this came out of nowhere. President Trump has all but declared war on Head Start,” said Senator Murray. “This rule is not final. There is a public comment period. I want parents to weigh in. I want teachers to weigh in. Because I have seen what happens when enough ordinary people refuse to let something get ripped away from them. And on my end: I will press administration officials when they come before Congress. I will sound the alarm as loudly as I possibly can. I will carry this fight into every negotiation I walk into. And Congress just funded Head Start at an increase, on a bipartisan basis, so let me be clear: Congress funds Head Start to be Head Start. Trump is coming after America’s kids. That is so unacceptable. This isn’t partisan. This is a program red and blue states rely on. Parents, teachers, and communities across America need to speak up and speak out—together we will beat this rule and save Head Start.”\n\nHead Start currently serves over 750,000 kids nationwide, and the program has served more than 40 million children and their families nationwide since its inception in 1965. There are over 17,000 Head Start centers nationwide and these centers are particularly important in serving rural communities with fewer options for care.\n\nThroughout his second term, President Trump has gutted the offices that keep Head Start centers and child care programs across the country running. Since taking office, the Trump administration has fired 40 to 50% of the staff at the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care. In April of 2025, Trump continued to hollow out HHS, by shuttering five of the 10 regional offices for both Office of Child Care and Office of Head Start, which served 22 states and five territories. President Trump also illegally impounded funding provided by Congress for Head Start programs across America, in violation of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA).\n\nSenator Luján has long fought to protect and defend Head Start. Senator Luján has led efforts to reverse the mass firings at Head Start, demanded action and answers regarding the disruption of Head Start programs, and pressed Trump administration nominees on cuts to Head Start.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-republican-farm-bill-fails-to-meet-the-needs-of-new-mexico-families-and-farmers/", "title": "Luján: Republican Farm Bill Fails to Meet the Needs of New Mexico Families and Farmers", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, issued the following statement after voting against advancing the Republican Farm Bill in committee:\n\n“The Farm Bill must meet the needs of families and farmers in New Mexico and across America. This Republican bill fails to do so. We need a Farm Bill that addresses devastating cuts to SNAP and delays the cost shift to states while delivering the support families, farmers, and ranchers deserve.\n\n“Unfortunately, during today’s markup, my Republican colleagues rejected efforts to strengthen the Farm Bill, including my CHILE Act to strengthen emergency assistance and provide much-needed aid to New Mexico’s chile, pecan, and other specialty crop growers.\n\n“Farmers, ranchers, and families across the country are hurting. This is our opportunity to support families, strengthen rural America, and ensure our producers have the tools they need to succeed. I remain committed to working with my colleagues to advance a bipartisan Farm Bill that delivers for New Mexico and communities across the country.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lummis.senate.gov/press-releases/lummis-gop-colleagues-lead-charge-against-california-air-resources-board-to-protect-consumer-choice/", "title": "Lummis, GOP Colleagues Lead Charge Against California Air Resources Board to Protect Consumer Choice", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lummis.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.lummis.senate.gov", "scraper": "lummis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000571", "name": "Cynthia M. Lummis", "party": "Republican", "state": "WY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington D.C. — U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Jon Husted (R-OH) today introduced four joint resolutions under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), each disapproving a separate Environmental Protection Agency waiver that has allowed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to impose its regulatory agenda far beyond California’s borders.\n\nTogether, the four resolutions target CARB’s small off-road engine (SORE) mandate, the Advanced Clean Cars I program, the 2013 Advanced Clean Car Program waiver, and the 2009 waiver that first allowed California to regulate vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.\n\n“California’s climate zealots have run roughshod over the rest of the country for too long,” said Senator Lummis. “Under Governor Newsom, Sacramento has decided it can dictate what Wyoming families drive and what equipment our small businesses use. That ends today. I’m proud to lead this fight to reclaim Congress’s authority and stop California from legislating for the entire nation.”\n\n“California’s burdensome emissions requirements continue to punish American manufacturers, reduce consumer choice, and raise prices for American families,” said Senator Schmitt. “One state should not have the power to set national policy and dictate what products Americans use far beyond its borders. Overturning these climate alarmist rules will not only restore common sense, but also prevent a future administration from attempting to grant similar waivers. I’m proud to lead the Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal the EPA-California State Motor Vehicle Control Standards Waiver and join Senators Ricketts, Husted, and Lummis in our effort to help make life more affordable for American families.”\n\n“Biden’s overregulation and red tape regime cost Nebraskans millions of dollars,” said Senator Ricketts. “They used California policies as a backdoor EV mandate and even tried to control how we cut our grass. I am proud to lead the effort to overturn these restrictions and restore commonsense. I will continue to fight for policies that empower our families, farmers, and ranchers.”\n\n“Ohioans shouldn’t be forced to follow California’s lead when it comes to policies that make everyday life more expensive and less convenient,” said Senator Husted. “These resolutions are part of our work to make life more affordable for working families, restore common sense, cut unnecessary red tape and put consumers back in control. I’m proud to support this effort to lower costs and protect consumer choice.”\n\nEndorsements\n\n“For over a decade, California has tried to abuse the Clean Air Act waiver process to set national policy that Congress never approved, unilaterally deciding what cars Americans can buy and what equipment they can own in their own garages. These four CRAs, led by Senators Ricketts, Husted, Schmitt, and Lummis, undo that end-run and restore a single national standard set by Congress instead of CARB regulators. We urge the full Senate to pass all four and give American consumers back the final say over the vehicles and equipment they choose. Affordability should be top-of-mind for Congress into the fall.” – Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Americans for Prosperity\n\n“Affordability is the number one issue for Latinos and Americans, and it should be top-of-mind issue for Congress. For years, California has leveraged the Clean Air Act waiver process to set burdensome regulations on everything from vehicles, gas-powered equipment, and other products. The four Congressional Review Act resolutions led by Senators Ricketts, Husted, Schmitt, and Lummis restore Congressional oversight of this process. And we urge the Senate to pass all four to give American consumers the flexibility they deserve when purchasing goods.” – Sandra Benitez, Executive Director, The LIBRE Initiative\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Clean Air Act gave California a narrow carve-out to seek EPA waivers for emissions rules stricter than federal law — a modest exception meant to address the state’s unique smog problem in the 1970s. California has since hijacked that carve-out, weaponizing its market share to force manufacturers nationwide to build to Sacramento’s rules rather than maintain separate production lines. An unelected state board now dictates national policy that Congress never approved, and most Americans never voted for.\n\nUnder Governor Newsom, CARB has abandoned any pretense of addressing local air quality and turned the waiver process into a backdoor for imposing a radical climate agenda on the entire country — banning the gas-powered cars, trucks, and equipment that American families and small businesses rely on every day, without a single vote in Congress.\n\nThese four resolutions build on the precedent Congress set last year, when lawmakers used the CRA to strike down three other California power grabs — Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, and the Omnibus NOx Rule. It’s time to finish the job and end California’s hijacking of national policy for good.\n\nSmall Off-Road Engine (SORE) CRA: California has increasingly used its Clean Air Act waiver authority to adopt regulations with effects extending beyond the state’s borders. This CRA would overturn EPA’s waiver for California’s Small Off-Road Engine (SORE) rule, reversing the state’s phaseout of gas-powered small engines. As a result, products such as chainsaws, lawn mowers, and power washers would no longer be required to transition to zero-emission technology.\n\nClick here for text.\n\nCalifornia State Motor Vehicle Control Standards CRA: In 2009, the Obama EPA granted California a Clean Air Act waiver allowing the state to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicles as pollutants California may regulate, creating a pathway for California’s standards to influence national vehicle regulations without new legislation from Congress. That waiver underpinned several subsequent federal vehicle emissions regulations, including those addressed in other CRAs. This resolution would disapprove the 2009 waiver and prohibit EPA from issuing substantially similar waivers in the future.\n\nClick here for text.\n\nAdvanced Clean Cars I (ACC I) CRA: This EPA rule allows California to impose vehicle emissions requirements stricter than federal standards for passenger vehicles through model year 2025. This has resulted in a push towards electric vehicles across the nation.\n\nClick here for text.\n\nACC I Reconsideration CRA: In 2022, the Biden EPA reinstated California’s Clean Air Act waiver for its Advanced Clean Cars (ACC I) program after the Trump administration had revoked it, restoring the state’s authority to enforce its greenhouse gas emissions and zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales requirements for model years 2017–2025. This resolution would disapprove the 2022 EPA rule reinstating the ACC I waiver.\n\nClick here for text.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-blasts-trump-administration-for-ending-haitis-temporary-protected-status", "title": "Markey Blasts Trump Administration for Ending Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington (August 6, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after a lower court officially confirmed the end of Haiti Temporary Protected Status (TPS), following the Supreme Court’s June ruling greenlighting the Trump administration’s cruel termination. Senators Markey and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), along with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), have been fighting to pass legislation to extend Haiti TPS protections through 2028. That legislation passed the House of Representatives in April but was blocked by Republicans in the Senate when Senators Markey and Blunt Rochester forced a vote on the bill two weeks ago.\n\n“The official termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti is a moral failure,” said Senator Markey. “Our own government has determined that it is unsafe for U.S. citizens to travel to Haiti, so why would it be safe for Haitians to return? This is the latest cruel and harmful move by the Trump administration.\n\n“TPS was enacted to provide safe harbor to individuals who cannot safely return to their countries due to armed conflict, political unrest, natural disasters, or other conditions. Haiti’s TPS designation should remain in place given the challenges still facing Haiti today. Massachusetts and our entire country have greatly benefited from Haitian TPS holders’ contributions—they are teachers, nurses, construction workers, home health aides, and business owners. The end of Haiti TPS will separate families who wish for nothing more than safety and will hurt local communities across the nation.\n\n“I have partnered with Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester to introduce our bill, S.4814, to extend TPS protections for Haitians. I will continue to fight to pass this critical legislation. And as the Trump administration continues to attack all TPS holders, I will fight to extend these same protections to TPS holders from Syria, Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine, Sudan, and every other community that has been forced to seek safety in the United States. Today, and every day, I stand with our immigrant community.”\n\nSenator Markey has worked consistently to protect TPS for Haiti and support the Haitian community in Massachusetts amid the Trump administration’s attacks on TPS and Haitians.\n\nOn June 25, after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration’s termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria in the consolidated case, Mullin v. Doe, Senator Markey, alongside Representatives Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) held a press conference outside the Court denouncing the decision.\n\nIn April 2026, Senator Markey, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, and Congresswoman Pressley led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria TPS.\n\nIn September 2025, Senator Markey led an amicus brief in Miot v. Trump, the companion case to Mullin v. Doe, when the case was before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In February 2026, Senator Markey applauded the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s decision to pause the Trump administration’s termination of TPS for Haiti, which was set to expire on February 3.\n\nIn March, Senator Markey welcomed the D.C. Circuit’s ruling blocking the Trump administration from immediately terminating TPS for Haiti.\n\nIn January, Senator Markey and Rep. Pressley held a field hearing at Jubilee Christian Church in Mattapan to highlight the importance of extending TPS for Haiti. The lawmakers heard from panels of individuals, advocates, and community leaders impacted by the Trump administration’s decision to end Haiti TPS.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-continues-pressure-on-boston-ice-field-office-to-answer-for-continued-new-england-deportation-regime", "title": "Markey Continues Pressure on Boston ICE Field Office to Answer for Continued New England Deportation Regime", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Letter to ICE (PDF) | ICE Response to December 2025 Letter (PDF)\n\nWashington (August 6, 2026) - Today, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) again demanded answers from David Wesling, Acting Field Office Director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston Field Office, after receiving an incomplete response from ICE to his December 17, 2025, letter that was sent following the Senator’s inspection of the Burlington field office.\n\nIn the new letter released today, Senator Markey again asked ICE to address his concerns over the inhumane conditions, overcrowding, prolonged detention, lack of adequate access to medical care and legal counsel, and other poor treatment of detainees at the Burlington ICE field office facility. He highlighted how ICE’s response effectively acknowledged severe overcrowding at the Burlington field office and conceded violations of its own prolonged-detention policies. Senator Markey further inquired about ICE’s arrest of minors and enforcement activity at sensitive locations, use of excessive force, officer misconduct, and insufficient vetting of new hires.\n\nIn today’s letter, Senator Markey wrote, “ICE claimed that a ‘statistical reporting hold’ blocked it from identifying the number of individuals processed at the field office in 2025 who committed violent crimes. Meanwhile, public reporting indicates that only 2% of individuals arrested during an enforcement surge in Massachusetts in September 2025 had violent convictions. And the data ICE provided for 2026 arrests appears misleading, as ICE noted that it deems illegal entry sufficient grounds for arrest and that an individual need not commit any additional crimes—violent or not—to be subject to removal. Moreover, ICE’s response suggests that out of all the individuals it arrested with criminal convictions, a mere 15 percent were convicted of an offense ICE labeled as “serious.” It is imperative that ICE admit the extent of the Trump administration’s falsehoods by turning over the rest of the requested arrest data.”\n\nSenator Markey continued, “I am also seeking information related to ICE’s harmful, nontransparent operation of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (“ISAP”)—an alternative to detention program—in the Commonwealth. ICE’s website contains very little information about the program or the nongovernment contractors involved, despite perturbing incidents at these facilities that demand transparency into these contractors’ activities. Massachusetts residents deserve to know who is operating ISAP and what guardrails are in place to prevent nongovernment contractors from violating their rights.”\n\nSenator Markey requested answers by August 19, 2026, to questions including:\n\nWhat is the nature of the conditions that individuals processed at the ICE field office in Burlington are held under?\n\nWhat are the field office’s policies and procedures regarding the medical care of detainees?\n\nWhat are the field office’s policies and procedures related to detainee access to interpretive services, their support systems, and legal counsel?\n\nWhat is the nature of the arrests of individuals processed at the field office?\n\nSince January 2025, how many minors (i.e., individuals under the age of eighteen) has ICE arrested in the Boston area of responsibility?\n\nOn July 28, Senator Markey led 11 colleagues in writing to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, DHS Secretary Mullin, and Defense Secretary Hegseth demanding to know whether the Trump administration plans to deploy armed federal law enforcement officers at polling sites during the November 2026 elections, an escalation of the Administration’s assault on free and fair elections that is clearly meant to intimidate voters.\n\nOn July 17, Senator Markey conducted an official unscheduled oversight visit at the ICE field office in Scarborough, Maine, where he demanded answers about the recent, nearby shooting and killing of 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Guerrero by an ICE officer.\n\nOn July 16, Senator Markey and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to the ICE Boston Field Office in Burlington, Massachusetts, demanding a full, transparent, and independent accounting of this killing, given the office’s direct jurisdiction over enforcement operations in Maine and New England.\n\nIn January, Senator Markey wrote to 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.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-issues-urgent-call-for-support-for-e-rate-as-trump-fcc-reviews-program", "title": "Markey Issues Urgent Call for Support for E-Rate as Trump FCC Reviews Program", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington (August 6, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and author of the E-Rate program, this week urged local leaders, librarians, library associations, teachers, school committee members, administrators, and advocates to submit comments in support of the E-Rate program. The Trump Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted in June to open a review of E-Rate. At a virtual roundtable, Senator Markey warned that weakening the bedrock educational technology program would threaten Internet access for millions of students, teachers, schools, and libraries across the country.\n\n“The Trump administration is putting the success of the E-Rate program at risk, threatening to blow a hole in schools’ budgets and diverting limited local dollars from teachers, classroom programs, books, and other essential services,” said Senator Markey.\n\n“It’s unacceptable. But we can and will fight back. The FCC will be accepting comments for the next few months, and they need to hear what E-Rate means in your school, library, and community. Submit comments. Share the numbers. Tell the stories. And ask everyone you know — students, parents, teachers, library patrons — to share their stories too. I will continue the fight in the Senate to save this vital program.”\n\n“Together, we built E-Rate. And together, we will protect it.”\n\nIn June, Senator Markey voiced strong concerns after the FCC voted to open a review of the E-Rate program. In April, the FCC approved a new rule creating additional administrative burdens for schools and libraries to access funds from the E-Rate program. In September 2025, the FCC repealed its rule allowing schools and libraries to use their E-Rate funds to loan Wi-Fi hotspots to students and educators, setting back years of success in ensuring students and educators have access to the internet at home.\n\nThe E-Rate program has invested more than $69 billion to connect schools and libraries to the internet across the country. Massachusetts schools and libraries have received more than $950 million from the E-Rate program and another $97 million from the Emergency Connectivity Fund, a $7 billion program that Senator Markey created within the American Rescue Plan to provide devices and connectivity for students and educators at home.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-jayapal-reintroduce-legislation-to-protect-health-facilities-from-climate-disaster", "title": "Markey, Jayapal Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Health Facilities from Climate Disaster", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bill Text (PDF)\n\nWashington (August 6, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and author of the Green New Deal for Health, and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) today reintroduced the Granting Resources for Eliminating Emissions Now in (GREEN) Hospitals Act. The legislation would provide $105 billion to revive a New Deal-era program to modernize and weatherize health facilities in order to reduce emissions, protect public health, and ensure that more Americans have access to healthcare before, during, and after climate disasters and extreme weather events. Already this year, the U.S. has experienced 12 climate disasters, costing more than a billion dollars and putting healthcare facilities, patients, and workers at risk.\n\n“Climate change is a public health emergency. Power outages, floods, fires, and extreme temperatures threaten hospitals’ ability to care for patients in a disaster. Meanwhile, outdated infrastructure contributes to the pollution causing this climate emergency,” said Senator Markey. “Through the GREEN Hospitals Act, we will ensure our country’s hospitals are prepared for the future. This bill will help hospitals become more resilient, lower energy costs, reduce pollution, protect workers, and ensure patients can continue to receive care when they need it the most. We cannot build a healthier future without a health system that recognizes that climate justice is health justice.”\n\n“As wildfires, storms, and severe weather conditions become more common because of climate change, our hospitals need to be ready and resilient,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “During public health and climate emergencies, Americans depend on reliable healthcare infrastructure that can withstand tough conditions. This legislation gives our hospitals the funding and resources they need to be prepared for extreme climate events, expand their ability to provide essential healthcare, and improve overall sustainability for the future.”\n\nAs the climate crisis brings stronger storms, hotter heat waves, and more severe wildfires to communities, the United States’ aging medical infrastructure is increasingly at risk. Specifically, the GREEN Hospitals Act would invest $100 billion to revive the New Deal’s Hill-Burton grant program to fund capital projects that increase capacity to provide essential healthcare and update facilities to become more resilient to climate disasters and public health crises. In exchange for Hill-Burton funding, medical facilities would commit to a community service obligation to provide a specific amount of free or below-cost health care services to qualified individuals unable to pay. The legislation would also provide $5 billion for planning grants to support pre-development planning needs, such as community assessments and engineering evaluations, so sustainability and resiliency projects for medical facilities meet the needs of patients and the surrounding communities.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by Boston Medical Center.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-statement-on-the-worsening-medical-condition-of-robert-gilman", "title": "Senator Markey Statement on the Worsening Medical Condition of Robert Gilman", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington (August 6, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today released the following statement on the detention of Massachusetts resident and former Marine Robert Gilman by the Russian government.\n\n“My office has been closely monitoring the detention of Robert Gilman–a Massachusetts resident and former Marine who has been held in Russia on questionable charges for 1,662 days–nearly four and a half years.\n\n“We have been made aware by Robert’s family and advocates working on his behalf that approximately 48 days ago, he was diagnosed with a dissociative stupor–a condition where he is non-responsive and unable to interact or eat. He is essentially catatonic and has also suffered a severe case of pneumonia.\n\n“I am very worried that, if urgent action is not taken to release Robert so he can receive urgent medical care in the United States, his condition could become permanent, or he could die in Russian custody. I implore the United States and Russian governments to find a solution before we find ourselves in a situation that will further complicate an already difficult relationship.”\n\n“I am praying for Robert and his family today.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-democrats-are-blocking-the-farm-bill/", "title": "Senator Marshall: Democrats Are Blocking the Farm Bill", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Marshall Joins RFD-TV’s Market Day Report\n\nWashington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined RFD-TV’s Market Day Report with Suzanne Alexander to discuss the Democrats’ blocking of the Farm Bill out of committee, failing to ensure stability for farms and rural communities through year-round E15, internet expansion, farmer mental health, and more across the country because they refused to hold states accountable for SNAP error rates.\n\nClick HERE to download the full video.\n\nOn the Democrats blocking the Farm Bill out of committee:\n\n“Yeah, Suzanne. Well, this is horribly disappointing — the Democrats just voted down the Farm Bill on the Senate Ag Committee. You know, I think the shocking part is they walked away from year-round E15, they walked away from five years of certainty when it comes to crop protection programs. So, we raised the reference prices 10% to 20% in the Working Families Tax Cuts bill, and this would have given folks five years of certainty. It raised the loan limits from USDA, it had more high-speed internet for rural America, and infrastructure, and farmer mental health — all those things. And they walked away from it because of an error rate issue when it comes to SNAP programs. And you know, happy to dive into that, but that’s really what their only hangup is. This bill is full of bipartisan priorities, but they’re hung up on the fact that we want states to be accountable — that if they have a high error rate on administering SNAP, then the states would have to pay more, or some fair share, of those SNAP benefits. So it’s just horrible news for the American farmer and rancher.”\n\n“You got it. So the Working Families Tax Cuts gave all the states a year and a half to get their error rates fixed. Bargaining with the Democrats, we offered them another year — so really two and a half years to get their error rates down. But they’re wanting another year on top of that. And nowhere in their solutions do they say, ‘Why can’t we work on states to get their error rates down?’ I’m just afraid if it wasn’t this, it would be something else. But what I’m calling on is all your listeners to reach out to your Democrat senators and ask them why they walked away from year-round E15. Why did they walk away from five years of certainty for crop protection? In this moment of need — with input costs where they are right now — why did their Democrat senator walk away from this bill?”\n\nOn accountability for SNAP fraud and how it is holding up year-round E15:\n\n“You know, absolutely. Matter of fact, you have leaders: you know Senator Klobuchar, Senator Smith, Senator Durbin — those are all people from states that grow a little bit of corn. So they’ve led the fight for this E15. Look, you know one of my year-long goals here was to get this. You asked me my priorities for the Farm Bill: it’s E15, E15, and E15. And we got it. So they walked away from that — that means about 500 million bushels of corn that would have been consumed if we would go to year-round E15. But they walked away from it on this SNAP program. And just to back up, you know, you think about a Farm Bill — we’re spending $100 billion a year on food programs and about $30 billion on farm programs. Look, I don’t want any child to go home hungry. We get free breakfast at school, free lunches, free dinners, we send them home with food, WIC programs, food banks, senior citizen meals — all these programs on top of the SNAP program. But the SNAP program is the one that has the higher error rates. I hate to use the word fraud — I think maybe it’s just incompetence in many cases that the states can’t run the program. But again, they’re walking away from this entire Farm Bill over asking for another year on top of the two and a half years we’ve already given them to get their error rates down.”\n\n“Well, I do, I do think so. I think when all the senators go home for this break in August, they’ve got to look the farmers in rural America in the eyes and let the Democrats explain to the farmers back home why they voted against this Farm Bill. Why did they vote against the increased loan funding that people need to keep things going? Their reference prices are up 10 to 20 percent on reference prices. My goodness, that’s going to be the difference between farms folding and farms being able to plant next year’s crops going forward. So our hope is when these senators go home that the barnyard will show up and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on here? Come back in September and get this thing across the finish line.’”\n\nOn why SNAP fraud is an issue:\n\n“Yeah, well, Suzanne, you know for sure we’ve been trying to figure out that for the last year. And we thought by giving them a year extension, that would do the trick, and that’s why I’m concerned — well, if we solve this problem, are they going to have some other imaginary problem? And this is the politics right now. My friends across the aisle have shut the government down three times; they won’t fund the military now, they’re at least so far unwilling to extend the government funding beyond September 30th. So I’m afraid of all the places, the Ag Committee was the last place for bipartisanship. And I guarantee you the relationships across the aisle are still there — Amy Klobuchar, the ranking member of that committee for the Democrats —running for governor, by the way, in Minnesota. Maybe the farmers of Minnesota are going to reach out there and say, ‘Hey, you need to take care of this Farm Bill.’ So we’ve offered a huge compromise by giving an extra year extension — I don’t think it’s unreasonable for states to have error rates under 6%. And if they don’t, then they’re going to have to pay a little bit more proportion of the food stamps for their programs for their states.”\n\nOn passing the Farm Bill before the end of the year to provide relief for farmers:\n\n“Well, look, this Farm Bill doesn’t solve everything, but it’s certainly a step back in the right direction. You think about the year-round E15: that’s about the equivalent of maybe a fourth or a fifth of all the corn that we export. You know, it’d be like having another trade partner that’s going to increase our exports by, say, 25 percent. So that alone just starts that whole ball rolling as well. There’s stuff in here for fertilizers by helping have more domestic fertilizers, so we’re not dependent upon foreign nations as well. The loan limits — especially for young starting farmers — there’s increased limits for those. We raise the amount of CRP — the amount of conservation money in this goes up, I think, about 30% for the different conservation programs, whether it’s EQIP or the other ones as well. So there’s so much good in here; I’ve never been prouder of the underlying bill. So, you know, I’m going to go home and lick my wounds, but we’ll get back up tomorrow and keep at it, just like my farmers are going to wake up tomorrow morning and they’re going to keep at it as well.”\n\n“Well, it’s always been crop insurance, right? That’s always been first, second, and third to a Farm Bill, and we added $65 billion to the crop insurance in the Working Families Tax Cuts bill. But then beyond that, it’s the Title I funding, the ARC and the PLC programs. So we raise the reference prices — and they’re going to be there for this fall — but the question is long-term what that’s going to take care of. But beyond the Farm Bill, I think really, Suzanne, what people are talking to me back home — and you said this a second ago — it’s input costs, it’s fertilizers, it’s pesticides, it’s seeds, those types of things. Diesel — I mean, I can’t run away from diesel. And I’ll take responsibility from the standpoint that certainly the Strait of Hormuz is impacting this — and this is why no one wants this war to be over sooner than President Trump and myself do. We understand that the Strait being — it’s not totally closed, but it’s impacting the price of diesel as well as fertilizer. On the other hand, look, we don’t want Iran to have nuclear weapons either. So I feel like we’re very close to getting that resolved. So we took care of the crop insurance, we took care of the reference prices, now we got to work on those other input costs.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-introduces-legislation-prioritizing-research-on-tick-borne-livestock-diseases/", "title": "Senator Marshall Introduces Legislation Prioritizing Research on Tick-Borne Livestock Diseases", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) and Senator Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) in introducing the Emerging Tick-Borne Livestock Disease Research Prioritization Act, which designates tick-borne livestock disease in statute as a high-priority research area at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).\n\nThe bill authorizes the USDA to make competitive grants within pre-existing research programs aimed at developing vaccines, therapeutics, and treatments for tick-borne livestock diseases. The legislation specifically targets diseases associated with the Asian Longhorned Tick, several of which lack an approved vaccine or treatment.\n\n“Kansas ranchers already have enough challenges without worrying about another invasive pest threatening their herds. As the Asian Longhorn Tick continues to spread, we need to stay ahead of it—not play catch-up,” said Senator Marshall. “This bill makes sure USDA treats this growing threat like the priority it is by directing more research toward protecting our cattle, our producers, and our food supply.”\n\n“Missouri is one of the nation’s leaders in livestock production, and our farmers and ranchers work too hard to have their livelihoods threatened by emerging tick-borne diseases. Invasive species like the Asian Longhorned Tick pose a growing risk to our livestock industry and the families who depend on it. By elevating the need for critical research into tick-borne livestock disease, we’re helping ensure producers have the tools they need to protect their herds, strengthen our food supply, and keep America’s agriculture industry competitive. I’ll keep working with Missouri’s farm families to protect for the Show-Me State’s number one economic driver,” said Senator Schmitt.\n\nClick here for the full text of the legislation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-this-farm-bill-was-written-by-kansas-farmers/", "title": "Senator Marshall: This Farm Bill Was Written By Kansas Farmers", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Marshall Hosts Press Conference on Farm Bill Mark-Up\n\nWashington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), hosted a local virtual press conference to discuss the upcoming Farm Bill markup and the benefits it will provide to farmers and rural Americans, including permanent, year-round E-15 and childcare and broadband expansion as well as Senator Marshall’s priorities in farmer mental health, biofertilizers, SNAP nutrition, and conservation.\n\nClick HERE to download the full video.\n\nHighlights from Senator Marshall’s remarks include:\n\nOn passing the Farm Bill:\n\n“Well, good afternoon, everybody, and welcome back to my office. It’s been a quick 18 hours or so — in Wichita last night, got back here early this morning, and proud to just get a CDC director across the finish line, by the way, as well. But today I want to talk about the magical Farm Bill.”\n\n“It’s been certainly the honor of my life to represent Kansas on the Ag Committee — first in the House for four years, and now in the Senate for six years. As a fifth-generation farm kid, it’s certainly just, again, the honor of a lifetime to get to work on this bill that’s so important — not just to our farmers — but to rural Americans, and tomorrow we’ll have the markup of this bill. And I’m so proud that Kansas farmers’ fingerprints are all over this bill. We have 22 bills that we authored that’ll be part of the bigger package here. You know, for instance, on the House side, I had maybe two pieces that were inserted in the Farm Bill, but we’re going to have 22 of those, and as we go through that markup tomorrow, maybe we can kind of highlight what you might be looking for and why this is so important to Kansans.”\n\nOn the importance of the Farm Bill to all Americans:\n\n“I think one of the big misconceptions is that a Farm Bill is just important to farmers — but I can assure you it’s important to every American and certainly every Kansan. And this is why: we’re so fortunate in this country that we pay a fraction of what folks from other developed nations pay for groceries. We pay a fraction — maybe it’s a half, maybe it’s a third — and the reason is that we have a very reliable, stable supply of food. And what the Farm Bill does is creates a safety net so when farmers have a bad year — whether it’s drought or whether it’s hail — production is down, prices are down, this safety net from the Farm Bill keeps them in business. And then, of course, to rural America, there’s other important reasons, and we’ll talk about those in a second.”\n\nOn the importance of the Farm Bill for farmers:\n\n“If Pat Roberts taught me one thing in writing a Farm Bill, it was to go to sit on the tongue of the wagon and listen to the farmers, and they’ll tell you what should be in it. And I think that’s exactly what we did here. To a farmer, let me talk about what’s most important in this Farm Bill to them. And I think number one, the simplest one to explain, is it’s going to include year-round E15. So year-round ethanol 15% blended is going to mean the consumption of about 500 million extra bushels of corn or milo consumed. 500 million bushels. And so what’s that mean? It’s almost like increasing our exports by 25, 30 percent, something like that. That’s what this means, and it’s a consistent market. And the farmer gets a premium — he maybe gets a 10, 20 cent kicker on this from the ethanol plants. The ethanol plants, of course, have more jobs in rural America as well. And by the way, ethanol brings down the cost of gasoline as well. The more ethanol that’s blended, the less expensive gasoline is. So year-round E15 is the big win.”\n\n“And then the second win — I’ll go back to that farmer safety net that’s so important in this bill. And this would be why the farmers say their top priority is the crop insurance and something called an ARC and PLC program. So, if you recall, in the Working Families Tax Cuts bill we added $65 billion to crop insurance, we raised reference prices for those commodities by 10 or 20%. Now, what this bill is going to do is give those farmers at least five years of certainty. So, when they’re trying to decide which crop to plant this fall. You know, whether they’re going to go back and plant wheat, or maybe they’re going to change something to alfalfa or whatever it is. This gives them certainty again on those bad years, the lean years, that they’re at least going to get enough money to be able to plant next year’s crop. So those are the top two things I think that are in this for the American farmer as well: the crop insurance and the E15.”\n\nOn the importance of the Farm Bill to rural Americans:\n\n“Then I want to talk for a second about rural America — what’s in this for rural America? You know, as agriculture goes, so goes rural America. So, number one is this provides for a stronger, steady economy, so that’s important for rural America. And then next, I would talk about infrastructure and connectivity. So, the one thing I did get accomplished in my last Farm Bill was increased funding for high-speed internet to rural America — getting that last mile connected — and this Farm Bill builds on that. So, everybody understands roads and bridges wear out, and you have to keep replacing them. Well, you can think about the same thing with high-speed internet — here’s always the next rendition. And just like in your own jobs, the American farmer is using more and more megabytes, gigabytes, whatever it is, when they’re doing their precision agriculture. And of course, there are so many people that are working remotely from home that we need more of that high-speed internet as well across rural America. So, this funds connectivity.”\n\n“And then next, I would talk about infrastructure. As you can imagine, a lot of our water structures — our clean water, our waste disposal systems — all those systems are aging out across the state, so this has funding for infrastructure. And then something else I’m really proud of — again building on the Working Families Tax Cuts bill — is childcare money. So traditionally, USDA can make loans for new hospitals, all sorts of what we would call rural development opportunities, but this is going to allow childcare centers to be eligible for more USDA monies as well. So, I think that’s at the top of the list for what’s going on with rural America.”\n\n“We also have more funding for farmers’ mental health. You all may know this, but we lose more farmers to suicide than we do from farm accidents. So, one of our big priorities up here is farmer mental health, and this will have more funding to continue those programs. So, for instance, K-State Extension has a farmer outreach program, and that would be the typical type of program that we would be looking to fund as well.”\n\nOn Senator Marshall’s conservation priorities:\n\n“Okay, I want to go through some of our more specific ones here for a second as well — some things that I have made my priorities. And I think I would start off talking about conservation projects that are important to me. You know, I want to leave this world cleaner, healthier, and safer than I found it. And anything that we can do in agriculture to promote more conservation — I’m all in. And by the way, farmers and ranchers, we were the original conservationists. I remember back in the early 1960s, my grandfather building terraces, and we were learning about soil conservation and soil erosion in our grade school science classes. So, we continue these conservation programs, and a big concern of mine and Kansans is water. So, one of the things we’ve done is set up a water conservation program where we would reward farmers who don’t use all their water allotment. So, we’re going to reward people for using less water and less fertilizers. So proud of our efforts in that direction.”\n\nOn Senator Marshall’s biofertilizer priorities:\n\n“And then another thing that’s a priority for me is getting biofertilizers to market. So rather than just using the traditional chemicals — nitrogens, the sulfurs of the world — there are fertilizers, microorganisms that come from nature that we can use. That’s going to leave the soil healthier. So, for instance, in Pratt, Kansas, a company takes manure from the feedlots, uses a byproduct from the ethanol plants and enriches that, and then adds certain bioorganisms, microorganisms that enrich that soil. So, trying to promote more healthy soil by using biofertilizers.”\n\nOn Senator Marshall’s SNAP nutrition priorities:\n\n“On the nutrition standpoint, I’m very proud of what we’ve done on some work in that area as well. Specifically, we have reward programs within SNAP — reward programs if you make healthy choices. We’ve had fruits and vegetables on that for quite some time — that if you choose fruits and vegetables, we give you extra SNAP benefits. Well, we’re going to extend that to milk products as well as protein products. So, I understand carbohydrates are cheaper, but trying to get families to buy more proteins will be much healthier for their families as well. So proud of the work that we’ve done on this MAHA side of things, where we touch both conservation as well as nutrition.”\n\n“I think I’ll stop there again. This has been a six-year project to get here, and it’s an exciting day for me. This is one of the reasons I came to Washington, D.C. — to use that experience as a fifth-generation farm kid, growing up in the industry, continuing to be invested in the industry, and then learning the agriculture policy here, so that we can keep farmers in business, help the Kansas economy be stronger, and at the same time make Kansans healthier. And then add on the conservation piece of this, and you have a good strong Farm Bill.”\n\nOn regulating fertilizer use:\n\n“I’m trying to remember what we did with this. So, on the House side, they were working on the preemption side of things, and I think in our bill we’re just going to leave it alone. We’re not going to overexercise the federal government’s job in regulating fertilizers right now. I see the American farmer, through their own volition, wanting to use less and less fertilizer. And why wouldn’t they? They’re so expensive — they’re about maybe 20% of their input costs right now. So, we’re seeing American farmers and ranchers use less and less chemical fertilizers anyway, so we’re going to stay out of that issue right now. And we’ll see if someone offers an amendment tomorrow; otherwise, I won’t be surprised if they do.”\n\nOn changes to SNAP funding and decreasing error rates:\n\n“Yeah, I think that’s the critical issue. And I can’t tell you exactly what the Democrats are going to do, but all across the country, we’ve seen a rising error rate in the administration of the SNAP dollars — and we’ve seen that in Kansas as well. So, what we had suggested is if the state is not going to be efficient and is going to have more and more errors, then they should weigh a bigger portion of their share of the food stamps. So, what we’ve suggested is a one-year delay in that and allow states to improve their efficiencies and decrease the error rates. And then, if that happens, it wouldn’t change any of the funding at all. That’s a good point to talk about the other food programs in general. People want to stay focused on just SNAP dollars, but in my time here in Congress, I’ve seen increased funding for our food programs go from around maybe $70 billion a year to now $140-150 billion dollars a year.”\n\n“The SNAP program, unfortunately, is probably the most ripe with fraud and abuse. The good ones that are working great are our food banks, our Meals on Wheels, our senior centers, our school lunches. So, across the state of Kansas now, at least 50% of the kids are on free or reduced lunches. But now almost every school in Kansas offers free breakfast, and most of them are offering free dinners if you’re sticking around for after-school activities, and in many instances, we’re sending them home with food as well. So, to me, the priority here is I don’t want anyone to go to bed hungry. We’re making some increased funding for making healthy choices with the SNAP dollars as well, but we also don’t want the SNAP program to be administered frivolously. So, we’re asking states to do a better job to be more efficient as they’re administering these programs.”\n\nOn the timeline of passing the Farm Bill:\n\n“Right, right. So, I expect it to get out of committee tomorrow, and determining the future, we’ll see how many — if any — Democrats vote for it. If we can win several souls over, and we have a nice, strong bipartisan support of the bill… And by the way, all these 22 things that I mentioned are all bipartisan; I have co-sponsors for them in the bill — this bill is very well represented with bipartisan support. So, depending on how many Democrats vote for it tomorrow will help determine how quickly it’s going to get to the floor for a vote. Because on the floor in the Senate, you may recall, it takes 60 votes to get it across the finish line. So, we need some type of a product that can get to those 60 votes, and then I think that’s when we have to do some more negotiating regarding this delay in the SNAP share of cost. So, we’ll see — I don’t know if we can get it done before the election, or if it’s a lame duck situation. We’ve got a jam-packed week as well — I think it’ll kind of slow down when we get back, and everyone’s attention turns towards that November election. I didn’t mean to evade the question there: the bottom line is I don’t know.”\n\n“Yeah, and when the dam breaks, it’ll break. I think that we’ll go from zero Democrats supporting it to 30 supporting it. And what is the magic piece of that puzzle that makes that dam break, I’m not sure of — but I think it’s time to get this markup done so then we can get it to the floor and figure out what amendment we need to get it across the final finish line. But certainly, we’re going to do everything we can to get it done this year.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-to-jake-tapper-dr-fauci-clearly-lied-to-you/", "title": "Senator Marshall to Jake Tapper: Dr. Fauci Clearly Lied to You", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Marshall Joins CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper\n\nWashington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined CNN’sThe Lead with Jake Tapper to discuss Dr. Fauci being held in contempt of Congress, how he misled the President and the American public during COVID, and how Americans deserve an investigation into the COVID pandemic to uncover the truth.\n\nClick HERE to download the full video.\n\nOn Senator Rand Paul holding Dr. Fauci in contempt of Congress:\n\n“Well, certainly it’s within Chairman Paul’s abilities and privileges to do what he’s doing. But beyond all this — this is why I think we need a special counsel, that the Department of Justice needs to appoint a special counsel to dive into all this. I mean, we haven’t talked about the autopen yet — this was an autopen pardon. How does that come into the area as well? So, I think there’s a lot out there. And I think, to me, more importantly, this is about what’s morally right to do. There was a moral obligation to the million families that lost a loved one, to the 20 million Americans who have long COVID to this day, and all just the emotional challenges we have because of those years of the COVID response. And what we do know is Anthony Fauci clearly lied, misled Congress, and misled the President. What his diary said was completely different than the advice he was giving the President, as well as the American public.”\n\nOn Dr. Fauci’s lies revealed in his diary:\n\n“Yeah, January 26th, he tells his diary that there’s no way that this virus came from a wet market in Wuhan, China. But he goes out publicly and says that it came from nature — that it came from this wet market. And then just four days later, he’s meeting with all the gain-of-function scientists — the top gain-of-function scientists in the world — and 10 of the 12 say that this came from a laboratory, but he never offered that explanation to the President or to the American people. And I think the President’s response would be completely different if he’d walked in there and said, ‘Look, there’s a new virus out there, it was made in a lab, by the way. America’s help funded the development of this virus; we’ve been doing this research for decades. We have no idea what this virus is going to look like when it gets out into the world, but we do know that nobody has any immunity to it.’”\n\n“Jake, I mean, what I’m disappointed here is Dr. Fauci didn’t tell you about his decades of funding viral gain-of-function research — that’s not in question at all…. I just don’t think there’s any way he wouldn’t have known about it. I think he clearly lied to you about all that — he was clearly, through EcoHealth, funding this. When President Obama told him we didn’t want to do this type of research anymore, he found some type of loophole to do it, and when that loophole was closed, he took this research out to foreign countries. He orchestrated this. This was his ticket to the Nobel Prize — he thought if he could get this gain-of-function research done, he was going to get a Nobel Prize. I think that those are facts. And for him to even begin to deny that this came from a laboratory is beyond the pale to me. He never could show any type of an intermediate species or progenitor of this virus; there’s just a plethora of evidence to say that this virus came from a laboratory, and he knew that.”\n\nOn whether an invalid autopen pardon would give Dr. Fauci the right to plead the 5th:\n\n“So, it does. But I’m saying that needs to go to a special counsel and go to the Supreme Court. There’s no way that I could even begin to answer that legal question. And I think if the Supreme Court was on our call tonight, that it would be some type of a split decision. But I think there’s so many questions here that are going to go unanswered — that’s why we need this special counsel. And take it out of Washington, take it out of the politics, and let the special counsel dive into all these issues, starting with the autopen pardon.”\n\nOn establishing a 9/11 style commission to look into the COVID pandemic:\n\n“You read my mind, Jake. So, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand — a good friend of mine — and I, had that bill — we’ve been pushing for that for years. You know, she lived through the 9/11 stuff there in New York herself, and that’s what she said from the beginning. I said, ‘You’re right. You’re absolutely right.’ And again, get it out of Washington. To me, this is what we would call an autopsy, right? You lose a patient, you don’t know why, family members want to know why, that’s why we need a postmortem examination here. And we did make mistakes — we all made mistakes through this process, let’s learn from those mistakes so we can have a better response next time. You’re spot on.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=25E43CBF-8898-4D4C-AFFE-B31F85872009", "title": "Update From Senator Mitch McConnell", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "domain": "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "scraper": "mcconnell", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000355", "name": "Mitch McConnell", "party": "Republican", "state": "KY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today:\n\n“Earlier today, I was discharged from the rehabilitation center to continue my recovery at home. Elaine and I are grateful for the many well wishes and support from friends, colleagues, and Kentuckians, and for the attentive care I’ve received from excellent doctors, nurses, therapists, and hospital staff.\n\n“On the advice of my doctors, I’ll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I’ll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-mccormick-kaine-ricketts-and-hassan-introduce-bipartisan-campus-lifeline-act-to-strengthen-student-mental-health-and-suicide-prevention/", "title": "SENATORS MCCORMICK, KAINE, RICKETTS AND HASSAN INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN CAMPUS LIFELINE ACT TO STRENGTHEN STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.mccormick.senate.gov", "scraper": "davemccormick", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001243", "name": "David McCormick", "party": "Republican", "state": "PA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Legislation Expands Student-Led Mental Health Programs and Increases Awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today introduced the bipartisan Campus Lifeline Act, legislation to strengthen student mental health and suicide prevention efforts by expanding student-led outreach on college campuses and increasing awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.\n\nSuicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young Americans, with nearly one in five high school students reporting suicidal thoughts. Congress has supported youth suicide prevention through the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (GLSMA), which provides grants to colleges and universities to improve mental health and substance use disorder services, suicide prevention programming, and student outreach. Research shows peer-to-peer engagement can play an important role in identifying students in crisis and connecting them with appropriate support.\n\nThe launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has also expanded access to immediate behavioral health support, but awareness of the resource among college students remains inconsistent. The Campus Lifeline Act builds on existing federal efforts by strengthening peer-led outreach and helping colleges connect students with lifesaving mental health resources before a crisis escalates.\n\n“No family should have to experience the heartbreak of losing a child, classmate, relative, or friend to suicide,” said Senator McCormick. “Students are often the first to recognize when someone is struggling. The Campus Lifeline Act strengthens peer-led mental health efforts, expands awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and gives colleges additional tools to connect students with support before a crisis becomes a tragedy.”\n\n“We can and must do more about the alarming spike in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation that we’ve seen among young people across the country over the last 15 years,” said Senator Kaine. “That includes encouraging schools to take commonsense steps to ensure that students know that help is out there, including through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that is free and available 24/7. This bipartisan legislation would help do that, and I encourage all of my colleagues to join us in pushing to get it signed into law as quickly as possible.”\n\n“The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides critical support for those struggling with their mental health. As Governor, I was proud to lead the effort to make this resource available to every Nebraskan. The Campus Lifeline Act would increase awareness of this resource and others available to students nationwide. Every student deserves to know that they are not alone, and help is there if they need it,” said Senator Ricketts.\n\n“Young people in crisis need to know where to turn for help. This bipartisan bill would encourage colleges to put information about 988, the suicide and crisis hotline, on student IDs to increase awareness about this lifesaving resource. In addition, it would encourage colleges to develop plans for peer outreach about the 988 hotline, making it easier for people to get the support that they need,” said Senator Hassan.\n\nSpecifically, the Campus Lifeline Act would:\n\n• Expand eligible Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act campus mental health grants to support student organizations promoting peer mental health awareness, suicide prevention, substance use disorder education, and campus awareness campaigns.\n\n• Expand peer education programs to help students recognize and appropriately respond to warning signs of mental health and substance use disorders.\n\n• Require grant applicants to seek student input and ensure outreach and behavioral health resources are accessible to students enrolled in online, hybrid, and distance-learning programs.\n\n• Expand technical assistance to both grant recipients and unsuccessful applicants implementing evidence-based campus mental health programs.\n\n• Encourage states and colleges to promote the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline through student ID cards and campus awareness campaigns.\n\nThis bill has bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House. Representatives Erin Houchin (R-IN), Lori Trahan (D-MA), David Valado (R-CA), and Mark Pocan (D-WI) are sponsoring companion legislation, H.R. 8657, in the House of Representatives.\n\nThe Campus Lifeline Act has received support from over 35 organizations including: Active Minds, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Group Psychotherapy Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association Services, American School Counselor Association, Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare (AABH), Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action, EDGE Partners, Inseparable, Institute for Educational Leadership, International OCD Foundation, International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, Mental Health America, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, National Board for Certified Counselors, National Council on Problem Gambling, National Eating Disorders Association, National Federation of Families, National League for Nursing, National Register of Health Service Psychologists, Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN), REDC Consortium, Sandy Hook Promise, The Kennedy Forum, The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health, The Trevor Project, Vibrant Emotional Health, Youth Villages.\n\n“At Active Minds, we believe that every student deserves access to mental health support before they reach a crisis. We are grateful to the U.S. Senators for coming together across party lines to champion this effort, which recognizes that supporting young people’s mental health is not a partisan issue, it should be a national priority. By strengthening campus mental health resources and expanding access to evidence-based supports, this legislation will help ensure more youth and young adults can get the care they need, when they need it,” said Anika Rahman, Director of Policy, Active Minds.\n\n“At SAVE, through our The Green Bandana Project program, we work with high school and college students across the country and see firsthand how important connection and accessible support are,” said Erich Mische, CEO of SAVE, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. “The Campus Lifeline Act will help remove barriers by including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on newly issued student ID cards and investing in youth-informed mental health strategies on college campuses. SAVE strongly endorses this legislation and looks forward to working with Senator McCormick and members of both parties to make it law.”\n\nThe full bill text may be read here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkleys-stop-the-corruption-town-hall-meeting-is-coming-to-bend/", "title": "Merkley’s ‘Stop the Corruption Town Hall Meeting’ is Coming to Bend", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bend, OR – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced today he will hold a ‘Stop the Corruption Town Hall Meeting’ in Bend on Thursday, August 13.\n\nFuture events will be announced soon for later this year.\n\n“Our democratic republic works best when elected officials work for the public good, not the elected official’s personal profit,” said Merkley. “Trump and his family abuse his office and official connections to rake in billions for themselves at every turn, while making life more expensive for hard-working Americans. During the ‘Stop the Corruption Town Hall Meetings,’ we invite Oregonians to come share their ideas for how to restore ‘government by and for the people.’”\n\nAt each event, Merkley will provide a brief update about the extent of corruption and discuss proposed solutions, before turning to attendees to discuss the impact of corruption and why it must be stopped.\n\nIn the U.S. Senate, Merkley has led the charge to end public corruption—including preventing lawmakers from trading stocks, banning cryptocurrency-related corruption by elected officials at the highest levels of the federal government, cracking down on the dangers that prediction markets pose to our democracy, getting dark money out of politics, and reforming the Supreme Court.\n\nDetails about Merkley’s ‘Stop the Corruption Town Hall Meeting’ are as follows, with additional details to be sent to local media ahead of each event:\n\nThursday, August 13\n\nBend ‘Stop the Corruption Town Hall Meeting’\n\nTime: 3:00 pm PT\n\nLocation: Central Oregon Community College, Mazama Building – Gym\n\n2600 NW College Way\n\nBend, OR 97703\n\nMore events across the state to be announced soon.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/murkowski-merkley-seek-information-on-executive-order-targeting-smithsonian/", "title": "Murkowski, Merkley Seek Information on Executive Order Targeting Smithsonian", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Interior Subcommittee, sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum requesting additional information on the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) planned implementation of Executive Order 14416, “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution.” The Executive Order directs the National Park Service (NPS) to install temporary signage and exhibits on NPS-managed property surrounding the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.\n\n“For the past 180 years, the Smithsonian Institution has been committed to sharing objective historical evidence through research and education, not political narratives,” the senators wrote. “The Smithsonian Institution has worked tirelessly to present a comprehensive narrative of our nation’s amazing history, from its many triumphs to its trials. There is nothing more American than telling our story truthfully.”\n\nAs Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over both the Department of the Interior and the Smithsonian Institution, Murkowski and Merkley requested additional information regarding the scope, cost, funding source, and timeline for the directive, as well as the process used to develop the signage and accompanying materials.\n\nThe full letter is available here or can be read below:\n\nDear Secretary Burgum:\n\nAs Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, we write to express our concern and to request more information regarding the role the Department of the Interior (DOI) will have in implementing Executive Order (EO) 14416, “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution.”\n\nEO 14416 directs you to work through the Director of the National Park Service (NPS) in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to install temporary signage along NPS-maintained sidewalks and walkways near the National Museum of American History (Museum) to: 1) inform visitors of the findings of the recent report entitled, “Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage” (Report); and 2) notify visitors that “the Museum exhibits should be renovated consistent with the findings in the Report”1 while directing visitors to “locations and resources for accurate information regarding America’s history.”2 The EO also directs you to install temporary exhibits or signage on NPS-maintained sidewalks, walkways, and land that “corrects inaccurate information presented in the Museum.”3\n\nFor the past 180 years, the Smithsonian Institution has been committed to sharing objective historical evidence through research and education, not political narratives. The Smithsonian Institution has worked tirelessly to present a comprehensive narrative of our nation’s amazing history, from its many triumphs to its trials. There is nothing more American than telling our story truthfully.\n\nThe Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee has jurisdiction over both the DOI and the Smithsonian Institution and it is our role as Chair and Ranking Member to conduct oversight over the use of taxpayer dollars in areas within our jurisdiction. Accordingly, please answer the following questions:\n\nIs there any precedent by which NPS land has been used to communicate conflicting information or messages related to an outside entity’s ongoing activities or operations?\n\nIs there any precedent by which NPS funding has been used to disseminate conflicting information or messages related to an outside entity’s ongoing activities or operations?\n\nWhere will the signage direct visitors to go to for additional “accurate” information? Who is compiling this information?\n\nWill NPS solicit public feedback on this additional information before installing the new signage?\n\nPlease describe plans for the signage (including a map of where each sign will be placed):\n\nHow many signs will there be and where will the signs be placed?\n\nWhat will be the size of each sign? What will each sign be made of? Will these be made in-house at DOI?\n\nWhat will be the content of each sign and who is drafting and finalizing the content?\n\nWhat is the expected cost per sign?\n\nWill signs be affixed to existing poles or structures?\n\nWill new poles or structures be built to support the signs? If so, what is the expected cost?\n\nHow long does the Department anticipate these “temporary” signs will be in place for?\n\nWhat is the total expected cost of carrying out all activities, including, but not limited to, planning, sign-making, and installation, that you are directed to undertake under EO 14416?\n\nWhere will the funding come from within DOI/NPS to pay for this directive? How many DOI/NPS staff will be working on this directive?\n\nWe appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your prompt response.\n\nSincerely,\n\nUnited States Senator Lisa Murkowski\n\nUnited States Senator Jeff Merkley\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wyden-merkley-demand-trump-administration-drop-effort-to-weaken-health-protections-for-millions-of-americans/", "title": "Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Administration Drop Effort to Weaken Health Protections for Millions of Americans", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "New EPA rule would roll back federal protections for clean drinking water\n\nWashington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight said today they have joined colleagues to demand the Trump administration withdraw its proposal to roll back drinking water protections, which would remove federal public health limits on the amount of certain polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) or “forever chemicals” in our drinking water.\n\nThe senators emphasize in their letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that removing these health limits will expose Americans to unsafe levels of chemicals linked to kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression problems, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.\n\n“Safe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health—not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established,” the senators wrote to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.\n\nDespite the Trump administration touting its ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda, if enacted, the EPA’s new proposal would rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFAS and delay compliance for the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) standards until 2031 – risking the health of millions of Americans.\n\n“As far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans’ health worse,” the Senators concluded.\n\nIn addition to Wyden and Merkley, other signers of the letter led by U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate EPW Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, are EPW Committee Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).\n\nThe full text of the letter is here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-moody-votes-to-hold-fauci-in-contempt-of-congress-for-failing-to-answer-questions-while-under-subpoena/", "title": "Senator Moody Votes to Hold Fauci in Contempt of Congress for Failing to Answer Questions while under Subpoena", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.moody.senate.gov", "scraper": "moody", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001244", "name": "Ashley Moody", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator Ashley Moody voted in support of a resolution to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress for failing to sufficiently testify while under subpoena before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.\n\n“Dr. Fauci lied to the American people, promoted unjustified mandates that destroyed businesses, disrupted our children’s education, stripped Americans of their freedoms. Now, he believes he should not have to answer for his actions. His refusal to cooperate with Congress not only obstructs a congressional investigation but is a complete slap in the face to the American people, who deserve answers. We must push forward for accountability from the man who claimed to be the sole representative of ‘the Science.’” said Senator Ashley Moody.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nIn an interview with Margaret Brennan, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that he represented ‘the Science.’ – and supported unjustified mandates and directives that upended Americans’ lives.\n\nDr. Anthony Fauci, who testified last week, refused to answer the questions and pleaded the Fifth over 100 times in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing.\n\nDuring her time as Attorney General, Senator Moody supported Florida’s efforts to reopen the economy and protect residents, workers and businesses during COVID-19. Moody worked with Governor DeSantis on the Re-Open Florida Task Force that was instrumental in opening businesses and schools.\n\nAs the former Attorney General, Senator Moody led 20 other states in a multistate legal action against the Biden administration’s unlawful mask mandate on public transportation.\n\nSenator Moody boldly advocated for restarting the cruise industry after it had been shut down for more than a year, challenging the CDC’s restrictions on Florida’s cruise industry, and arguing they harmed the state’s ports, tourism economy, and workforce.\n\nSenator Moody also opposed federal vaccine mandates and supported legal challenges to those requirements. Moody led a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of the commonwealth of Kentucky’s multistate suit against Biden’s federal contractor vaccine mandate.\n\nEarly in the pandemic, Senator Moody activated Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline for essential supplies and issued consumer alerts warning about COVID-19 related scams. Her office investigated complaints involving essential goods, fraudulent schemes, and recovered more than $11 million.\n\nSenator Moody repeatedly cited a Florida grand jury investigation that found masks and lockdowns were harmful and ineffective.\n\nRead the full resolution here.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=025CABE2-7251-4AFC-8784-250D0EE12012", "title": "Sen. Moran Urges Postmaster General to Resolve Mail Delivery Issues Affecting Colwich Residents", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "domain": "www.moran.senate.gov", "scraper": "moran", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000934", "name": "Jerry Moran", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today urged Postmaster General & CEO David Steiner to address current mail delivery issues that threaten the ability of Colwich residents to receive important U.S. Postal Service deliveries, including absentee ballots, Medicare-related correspondence and other critical federal mail.\n\n“My office has heard from constituents who are concerned with the delivery of absentee ballots, Medicare related correspondence, and other mail critical to their everyday life,” wrote Sen. Moran. “To that end, I respectfully request that USPS identify an administrative solution that ensures Colwich residents can reliably receive essential mail. Specifically, I ask that USPS consider incorporating Colwich into a nearby existing residential delivery route or establishing a new delivery route specifically for the residents of Colwich.”\n\n“Residents of Colwich should have the same ability to receive important federal correspondence as residents of larger, urban cities,” continued Sen. Moran. “While I recognize the operational challenges USPS faces in serving rural towns, I am concerned that the current system leaves Kansans at a disadvantage through no fault of their own.” The full letter be found here and below.\n\nDear Postmaster General Steiner,\n\nI write regarding an issue affecting residents of Colwich, Kansas, that could result in critical federal mail being returned to sender.\n\nUnlike most communities in the United States, Colwich does not receive residential mail delivery. Instead, USPS has determined that, due to cost effectiveness and staffing shortages, residents will be served exclusively through complimentary PO Boxes at the local post office rather than through home delivery. While that approach may have once been sufficient, it’s clear that the practice of solely delivering mail to PO boxes is no longer an effective means of ensuring residents in Colwich can reliably receive important federal correspondence.\n\nFor many years, mail addressed to residents' physical addresses was placed into their assigned PO Boxes, allowing Colwich residents to continue receiving important correspondence despite the absence of residential mail delivery. Following a change in personnel, that longstanding practice came to an end, and mail addressed to a resident's physical address is now returned to sender if it does not include the assigned PO Box, consistent with USPS policy. While I appreciate USPS providing residents ample notice before implementing this change, the warning does not solve the underlying issue. Because Colwich residents do not have the option of residential mail delivery, they are left caught between USPS policies and the requirements of other federal agencies, such as CMS, the IRS, and the US Election Commission, that often require the use of a physical address rather than a PO Box.\n\nAs a result, my office has heard from constituents who are concerned with the delivery of absentee ballots, Medicare related correspondence, and other mail critical to their everyday life. To that end, I respectfully request that USPS identify an administrative solution that ensures Colwich residents can reliably receive essential mail. Specifically, I ask that USPS consider incorporating Colwich into a nearby existing residential delivery route or establishing a new delivery route specifically for the residents of Colwich.\n\nSince its founding, the United States Postal Service has played a pivotal role in ensuring that every American, regardless of where they live, remains connected to their government, their communities, and to one another. Residents of Colwich should have the same ability to receive important federal correspondence as residents of larger, urban cities. While I recognize the operational challenges USPS faces in serving rural towns, I am concerned that the current system leaves Kansans at a disadvantage through no fault of their own.\n\nI am confident the Postal Service shares the goal of ensuring every American has reliable access to essential mail, and I stand ready to work together to identify a practical solution that fulfills that mission.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-and-colleagues-work-to-modernize-fisheries-science", "title": "Murkowski and Colleagues Work to Modernize Fisheries Science", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "scraper": "murkowski", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001153", "name": "Lisa Murkowski", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced legislation that would help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) better assess and protect our fisheries. The Fisheries Science Modernization Act would incorporate environmental DNA (eDNA) and other biomolecular tools into NOAA's fisheries science programs, allowing for more cost-effective and expanded survey coverage. This would bolster, not replace, traditional stock assessment surveys by providing NOAA with additional scientifically validated tools to improve data collection, expand survey coverage, and strengthen fisheries management.\n\nThis bill would establish national standards for this innovative technology while expanding workforce capacity, strengthening interagency coordination, and supporting private-sector innovation without imposing new regulatory burdens. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Angus King (I-ME), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) are co-sponsors.\n\n“Without accurate stock assessments, we cannot make the informed, science-based management decisions needed to ensure our fisheries remain sustainable for generations to come,” said Senator Murkowski. “Environmental DNA is an innovative, cost-effective tool that will give our scientists a clearer picture of our fisheries while expanding survey coverage and reducing costs. This legislation is the product of extensive collaboration with NOAA, Alaska fishermen, Tribal partners, academia, and industry to modernize how we assess fish stocks using the best available science.”\n\n“With climate change wreaking havoc on fisheries, researchers need to stay ahead of the curve,” said Senator Whitehouse. “This bill will allow NOAA to harness new technologies to keep fish stocks healthy and robust.”\n\n“Reliable fisheries surveys and stock assessments are the foundation of sustainable fisheries management,” said Sen. Sullivan. “I've consistently fought to ensure NOAA maintains robust fisheries survey coverage in Alaska, where changing ocean conditions are impacting our subsistence, recreational, and commercially important species and the communities that depend on them. As fish stocks shift and ocean conditions become more variable, we need to invest in both the traditional surveys that have served us for decades and innovative technologies that can make those surveys even stronger. By thoughtfully investing in and integrating new tools, we can improve the quality of stock assessments, better support our fishermen and communities, and ensure America's fisheries remain among the best managed in the world.”\n\n“To implement the best possible fisheries management strategies, we need the best available data,” said Senator Merkley. “Our bipartisan bill modernizes federal fisheries science and invests in innovative data collection and analysis. Bolstering our tools to monitor fisheries is critical to supporting both Oregon fishermen and responsible, sustainable fishing for generations to come.”\n\n\"Environmental DNA is a promising new tool for fisheries and ecosystem assessment that could improve fisheries management while also lowering costs,\" said Linda Behnken, Executive Director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association. \"Senator Murkowski’s Fisheries Science Modernization Act will advance this technology while also improving oversight and collaboration.?ALFA supports this bill and applauds Senator Murkowski for her commitment to science-based management of Alaska’s fisheries.\"\n\n\"The Fisheries Science Modernization Act comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. fisheries management,” said Austen Thomas, Senior Application Scientist. “As an eDNA service provider, Wilderlab USA sees firsthand how environmental DNA can expand monitoring coverage, reduce survey costs, and deliver data on species that traditional methods often miss. This bill's focus on national standards and predictable procurement pathways is exactly what the private sector needs to invest with confidence in U.S. eDNA capacity. By bringing the private sector into closer partnership with NOAA and other resource agencies, this legislation will help ensure fisheries decisions are grounded in the best available science. We commend Senator Murkowski for this forward-looking legislation and look forward to supporting NOAA's efforts to modernize how we understand and manage our nation's fisheries.\"\n\n“United Catcher Boats supports the Fisheries Science Modernization Act of 2026 and appreciates Senator Murkowski's continued leadership in advancing science-based fisheries management,” said Andrea Keikkala, Executive Director of United Catcher Boats. “Senator Murkowski has long demonstrated a deep understanding of the importance of sound fisheries science and the need to ensure NOAA Fisheries has the tools necessary to sustainably manage our nation's fisheries. We appreciate her leadership in championing innovative technologies that have the potential to strengthen stock assessments, expand scientific capacity, and improve fisheries management. We recommend that Congress ensure NOAA Fisheries has adequate resources to successfully implement these important new responsibilities without reducing investment in existing stock assessments, fishery-independent surveys, cooperative research, observer programs, or other core science activities that are fundamental to science-based fisheries management. Investments in eDNA should complement, rather than displace, the core science programs that have made the United States the global leader in sustainable fisheries management.”\n\n\"The United States is a global leader in sustainable fisheries because of our commitment to science-based management,” said Joanna Slaney, Environmental Defense Fund’s Vice President for Political and Government Affairs. “As technology and science continue to advance, it is crucial for NOAA to examine innovative methods to collect fisheries data and further the best available science. EDF appreciates Senator Murkowski and Senator Whitehouse’s leadership to further science that supports thriving ecosystems, fishery resources, and the communities that depend on them.\"\n\n“Environmental DNA collection is an exciting new scientific frontier for augmenting our understanding of fisheries and their ecosystems,” said Meredith Moore, Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Fish Conservation. “The Fisheries Science Modernization Act lays a solid foundation for unlocking this new source of data to improve fisheries management.”\n\n\"America's 11.8 million saltwater anglers depend on healthy fisheries, and sound fisheries management starts with sound science,” said Mike Leonard, the American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) Vice President of Government Affairs. “Environmental DNA has shown tremendous potential as a tool to supplement traditional fisheries surveys, improve our understanding of marine fish populations, and help managers make more informed decisions. By testing and validating these technologies before incorporating them into stock assessments, the Fisheries Science Modernization Act takes a thoughtful, science-based approach to strengthening marine fisheries research. Better science leads to better management, which ultimately benefits both fish populations and the millions of anglers who contribute more than $145 billion in economic activity to our nation's coastal communities. ASA appreciates Senator Murkowski's leadership on this important legislation.\"\n\nThe legislation is further endorsed by the Cape Cod Fishermen’s Alliance, the Alaska Ocean Observing System, the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System, the Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program, and the Pacific Seafood Processors Association.\n\nBackground\n\nCurrently, NOAA's stock assessment methods are constrained by high operational costs and limited vessel availability, resulting in gaps in survey coverage. The integration of eDNA, already widely used in the private sector, would help close these gaps by enabling sampling in remote or hazardous environments while reducing costs.\n\nThe Fisheries Science Modernization Act would provide the federal government with key tools to better protect and grow our fisheries by modernizing how fish stocks are assessed while expanding agencies' capacity to use eDNA. Specifically, the legislation:\n\nModernizing Stock Assessments\n\nEstablishes a NOAA eDNA Fishery Stock Assessment Pilot Program to validate methods across diverse regions and species.\n\nRequires NOAA to develop an agency-wide eDNA Implementation Plan detailing how eDNA will be integrated into federally managed fisheries.\n\nDirects NOAA to routinely collect eDNA samples during existing surveys to improve accuracy, expand coverage, and build long-term datasets.\n\nIntegrates eDNA into fisheries research and ecosystem monitoring by amending the Magnuson-Stevens Act.\n\nPromotes collaboration among NOAA, fishermen, Tribal Nations, academia, and industry.\n\nRequires annual coordination meetings and reports to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Congress to ensure accountability.\n\nBuilding National eDNA Capacity\n\nCreates the National Aquatic Biomolecular Coordination Network (NABCN) to develop national standards for sampling, laboratory workflows, quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), metadata, and bioinformatics.\n\nEstablishes a coordinated multi-agency framework enabling consistent biomolecular monitoring across freshwater, estuarine, coastal, and marine environments.\n\nExpands NOAA's workforce and laboratory capacity while supporting complementary private-sector services.\n\nTrains National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) technicians in eDNA collection, handling, and modeling.\n\nSupports research, innovation, and technology transfer across agencies, academia, Tribal partners, and industry.\n\nProvides transparent performance standards and predictable procurement pathways to encourage U.S. innovation and commercialization of emerging eDNA tools, including autonomous and AI-enabled sampling systems.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-merkley-seek-information-on-executive-order-targeting-smithsonian", "title": "Murkowski, Merkley Seek Information on Executive Order Targeting Smithsonian", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "scraper": "murkowski", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001153", "name": "Lisa Murkowski", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Interior Subcommittee, sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum requesting additional information on the Department of the Interior's (DOI) planned implementation of Executive Order 14416, \"Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution.\" The Executive Order directs the National Park Service (NPS) to install temporary signage and exhibits on NPS-managed property surrounding the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.\n\n“For the past 180 years, the Smithsonian Institution has been committed to sharing objective historical evidence through research and education, not political narratives,” the senators wrote. “The Smithsonian Institution has worked tirelessly to present a comprehensive narrative of our nation’s amazing history, from its many triumphs to its trials. There is nothing more American than telling our story truthfully.”\n\nAs Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over both the Department of the Interior and the Smithsonian Institution, Murkowski and Merkley requested additional information regarding the scope, cost, funding source, and timeline for the directive, as well as the process used to develop the signage and accompanying materials.\n\nThe full letter is available here or can be read below:\n\nDear Secretary Burgum:\n\nAs Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, we write to express our concern and to request more information regarding the role the Department of the Interior (DOI) will have in implementing Executive Order (EO) 14416, “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution.”\n\nEO 14416 directs you to work through the Director of the National Park Service (NPS) in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to install temporary signage along NPS-maintained sidewalks and walkways near the National Museum of American History (Museum) to: 1) inform visitors of the findings of the recent report entitled, “Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage” (Report); and 2) notify visitors that “the Museum exhibits should be renovated consistent with the findings in the Report”1 while directing visitors to “locations and resources for accurate information regarding America’s history.”2 The EO also directs you to install temporary exhibits or signage on NPS-maintained sidewalks, walkways, and land that “corrects inaccurate information presented in the Museum.”3\n\nFor the past 180 years, the Smithsonian Institution has been committed to sharing objective historical evidence through research and education, not political narratives. The Smithsonian Institution has worked tirelessly to present a comprehensive narrative of our nation’s amazing history, from its many triumphs to its trials. There is nothing more American than telling our story truthfully.\n\nThe Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee has jurisdiction over both the DOI and the Smithsonian Institution and it is our role as Chair and Ranking Member to conduct oversight over the use of taxpayer dollars in areas within our jurisdiction. Accordingly, please answer the following questions:\n\nIs there any precedent by which NPS land has been used to communicate conflicting information or messages related to an outside entity’s ongoing activities or operations?\n\nIs there any precedent by which NPS funding has been used to disseminate conflicting information or messages related to an outside entity’s ongoing activities or operations?\n\nWhere will the signage direct visitors to go to for additional “accurate” information? Who is compiling this information?\n\nWill NPS solicit public feedback on this additional information before installing the new signage?\n\nPlease describe plans for the signage (including a map of where each sign will be placed):\n\nHow many signs will there be and where will the signs be placed?\n\nWhat will be the size of each sign? What will each sign be made of? Will these be made in-house at DOI?\n\nWhat will be the content of each sign and who is drafting and finalizing the content?\n\nWhat is the expected cost per sign?\n\nWill signs be affixed to existing poles or structures?\n\nWill new poles or structures be built to support the signs? If so, what is the expected cost?\n\nHow long does the Department anticipate these “temporary” signs will be in place for?\n\nWhat is the total expected cost of carrying out all activities, including, but not limited to, planning, sign-making, and installation, that you are directed to undertake under EO 14416?\n\nWhere will the funding come from within DOI/NPS to pay for this directive? How many DOI/NPS staff will be working on this directive?\n\nWe appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your prompt response.\n\nSincerely,\n\nUnited States Senator Lisa Murkowski\n\nUnited States Senator Jeff Merkley", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-murkowski-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-support-coast-guard-installations-allow-cost-saving-community-partnerships", "title": "Murphy, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Coast Guard Installations, Allow Cost-Saving Community Partnerships", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.murphy.senate.gov", "scraper": "chrismurphy", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001169", "name": "Christopher Murphy", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), along with U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the Strengthening Coast Guard Communities Act, bipartisan legislation to allow the U.S. Coast Guard to collaborate with state and local governments through intergovernmental support agreements (IGSAs).\n\nFor over a decade, every branch of the U.S. military has been able to benefit from the authority to enter into IGSA except for the Coast Guard. By requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant IGSA authority to the Coast Guard Commandant, the Strengthening Coast Guard Communities Act would enable the Coast Guard to secure better contracting agreements in collaboration with local government bodies, deliver lower-cost, higher-quality services to its installations, and strengthen local ties within Coast Guard communities – across Connecticut and nationwide.\n\nIn December 2024, Senator Murphy led a letter to the DHS Secretary calling on the Department to finalize IGSA authority for the Coast Guard. In August 2025, he led a CT delegation letter calling for serious investments by the Coast Guard to modernize the Coast Guard Academy campus infrastructure in New London and support the Academy in meeting its full potential in educating the leaders of America’s multi-mission, maritime military force.\n\n“This long-overdue step will save millions in taxpayer dollars, cut red tape, and support economic development by allowing better collaboration between the Coast Guard and its surrounding communities – in places like New London, Connecticut, home of the Coast Guard Academy,” said Senator Murphy. “By taking advantage of IGSAs to contract for local services – from waste management to snowplowing to transportation – the Coast Guard can save money while delivering the improved support and quality of life that Coasties, and their neighbors, deserve.”\n\n“In Alaska, supporting our military services takes an all-hands-on-deck approach. We’ve seen firsthand how IGSAs benefit both military installations and local communities by combining resources for critical functions: everything from infrastructure maintenance to emergency dispatch systems. However, DHS has yet to issue the guidance necessary for the Coast Guard to do the same,” said Senator Murkowski. “This legislation would allow the Coast Guard to partner with local communities to address essential functions like childcare, utility services, and housing needs. It is important that we give the Coast Guard cost-effective tools to efficiently build operational capacity in communities like Kodiak and Seward, where the service will homeport the first of the new coming to Alaska.”\n\n“The U.S. Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay in Baltimore is the Coast Guard's only major ship-repair facility. We are so proud of the work our Coast Guardsmen do protecting our nation, and the Marylanders working every day at Curtis Bay to keep our Coast Guard on the water,” said Senator Alsobrooks. “I am proud to partner with my colleagues on this legislation, which would enable the Coast Guard to secure better contracting agreements in collaboration with local governments to deliver lower-cost, higher-quality services to its installations. This legislation will help provide savings for the Coast Guard and Maryland communities.”\n\n\"The Coast Guard is one of Maine's most important federal partners, protecting our maritime economy, conducting lifesaving search and rescue missions, and safeguarding our national security,\" said Senator King. \"Giving the Coast Guard the same authority already available to every other military service branch is simply common sense. These partnerships are already saving the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines millions of dollars a year, and I know the Coast Guard installations in Maine are ready to advance projects, cut red tape, and save American taxpayer dollars.”\n\n“All branches of our Armed Forces deserve our enduring support and gratitude for their honorable service to our country, including access to high-quality services that improve their efficiency — anything short of that is unacceptable,” said Senator Padilla. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill will ensure the U.S. Coast Guard can access the same cost-saving benefits as the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. This is a simple step Congress can take to make it easier for the Coast Guard to work with state and local governments to acquire services that benefit both the Coast Guard and the communities that host them.”\n\n“All U.S. military services are encouraged to collaborate with local communities for infrastructure and development, except for the U.S. Coast Guard. It’s an oversight that slows modernization efforts and makes it harder for the Coast Guard to meet their mission,” said Senator Blunt Rochester, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries. “I’m proud to support the Strengthening Coast Guard Communities Act to streamline the Coast Guard’s partnership with local governments and enable USCG to better support Coasties and the communities they serve.”\n\n“By allowing the Coast Guard to enter intergovernmental support agreements, this bill will unlock millions of dollars in savings, create jobs for military spouses, provide expanded services for Coast Guard members, and deliver opportunities for local small business,” said Senator Schiff. “It’s time to finally extend the same IGSA authority other military services have enjoyed for decades to the Coast Guard.”\n\n“Because of President Trump’s leadership on revitalizing the Coast Guard through Force Design 2028, this is the most exciting time to be in the Coast Guard since it was founded,” said Senator Scott. “However, Congress needs to do our part to help in that revitalization. The Coast Guard’s broad, and highly specialized mission set is critical to our national security, and these intergovernmental support agreements (IGSAs) will benefit personnel, Coast Guard families, local communities, and overall mission success. I’m proud to join in this bipartisan effort to get our coasties in Florida – and around the world – what they need.”\n\n“From search and rescue to securing U.S. coasts and waters to ensuring marine environmental protection, the Coast Guard is critical to making New England’s shores and waterways safer,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort that will cut administrative red tape, save money and make it easier for the Coast Guard to effectively collaborate with the coastal communities it protects.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-slams-trumps-latest-attack-on-head-start-calls-on-teachers-and-parents-to-protect-the-program/", "title": "Senator Murray Slams Trump’s Latest Attack on Head Start, Calls on Teachers and Parents to Protect the Program", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Murray, a former preschool teacher and the Senate’s leading advocate for child care, secured $12.35 billion for Head Start in the FY26 funding bill she negotiated\n\nMurray has sounded the alarm on Trump’s leaked memo to gut Head Start and Trump’s illegal impoundment of Head Start funds\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services that guts Head Start by shredding basic standards that keep kids safe and advance their education. The rule removes most of Head Start’s 133 pages of requirements for math and literacy curriculums, class sizes, medical screenings, home visits and more.\n\n“Whether it was his leaked memo to eliminate Head Start, his illegal impoundments, or his decimation of the Office of Head Start—President Trump has all but declared war on Head Start and affordable child care in America. After Congress and the nation forcefully rejected Trump’s efforts to destroy Head Start, this administration now wants to quietly gut Head Start by eliminating the basic health and safety standards our kids rely on—well I refuse to stay silent about this travesty.\n\n“For millions of families, Head Start is the first place anyone will check their child’s hearing, vision, or teeth—ignoring the health and safety of these kids today will just cost us more tomorrow. There’s a reason Head Start tells providers how many toddlers one adult can supervise—it’s how many kids any one teacher can actually keep safe on a busy day. This proposed rule also gives programs across the country a green light to slam the door shut on any kid with a disability they decide is too difficult or too much work to take care of. None of this helps families—much of it could lead to catastrophe.\n\n“This rule is not final—every parent and teacher can speak up and speak out to save Head Start. I want parents to weigh in, and I want teachers to weigh in—because I have seen what happens when enough ordinary people refuse to let something get ripped away from them. I will press administration officials when they come before Congress, I will sound the alarm as loudly as possible, I will carry this fight in every negotiation I walk into—and I will keep at it until we protect Head Start.”\n\nHead Start currently serves over 750,000 kids nationwide, and the program has served more than 40 million children and their families nationwide since its inception in 1965. There are over 17,000 Head Start centers nationwide and these centers are particularly important in serving rural communities with fewer options for care.\n\nThroughout his second term, President Trump has gutted the offices that keep Head Start centers and child care programs across the country running. Since taking office, the Trump administration has fired 40 to 50% of the staff at the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care. In April of 2025, Trump continued to hollow out HHS, by shuttering five of the 10 regional offices for both Office of Child Care and Office of Head Start, which served 22 states and five territories. President Trump also illegally impounded funding provided by Congress for Head Start programs across America, in violation of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). In response, Senator Murray raised alarm bells and she led her colleagues in demanding that the funds get moving.\n\nNotably, a leaked memo indicated that the Trump administration—in keeping with Project 2025—would push to completely eliminate Head Start as a part of its FY26 budget request. Ultimately, strong public outcry and backlash prevented the Trump administration from including the elimination of Head Start in its budget request.\n\nIn April, President Trump said “Don’t send any money for day care, because the United States can’t take care of day care… We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care… It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things.”\n\nLast year, HHS took steps to attack immigrant children and their families by issuing a notice reinterpreting longstanding guidance under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) to reinterpret Head Start as a federal public benefit subject to immigration restrictions. The guidance, currently tied up in litigation and stalled from being enforced, threw programs and families into chaos, sparking confusion and driving many families to keep their kids at home out of fear of discrimination or immigration enforcement.\n\nHHS has also proposed changes to the Head Start Program that would roll back regulations targeted at increasing salaries for the Head Start workforce—one of the top barriers to recruitment and retention leading to fewer children being served.\n\nIn the face of Trump’s calls to cut investments in state early childhood education programs and repeated attacks on the program, Democrats have consistently defended resources for child care and early childhood education. In March of this year, Senator Murray led her colleagues and established a new working group as the latest major push in Democrats’ fight to lower costs and deliver child care for every American family. The Child Care for America working group will bring Democratic members of Congress together to coordinate broad support for landmark child care legislation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/senators-murray-lujan-and-advocates-sound-the-alarm-on-trumps-latest-attack-on-head-start-vow-to-save-head-start/", "title": "Senators Murray, Luján, and Advocates Sound the Alarm on Trump’s Latest Attack on Head Start, Vow to Save Head Start", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.murray.senate.gov", "scraper": "murray", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001111", "name": "Patty Murray", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "ICYMI: Senator Murray Slam’s Trump’s Latest Attack on Head Start, Calls on Teachers and Parents to Protect the Program\n\n*** WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE, DOWNLOAD HERE***\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), held a virtual press conference with Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and advocates in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services that guts Head Start by shredding basic standards that keep kids safe and advance their education. The rule removes most of Head Start’s 133 pages of requirements for math and literacy curriculums, class sizes, medical screenings, home visits and more.\n\nJoining the press call were Joel Ryan, Executive Director of the Washington State Association of Head Start; Dr. Ruth Friedman, former Director of the Office of Child Care at the Administration for Children and Families at HHS; and Lori Pittman, a parent from Washington state a Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations Advisor for Early Learning K-12, and Postsecondary at Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD), and a co-founder of the Washington State Parent Ambassador Program, a statewide initiative supporting parent leadership and advocacy.\n\n“Your child’s safety should not depend on their zip code. That has been the entire point of Head Start since 1965. If they wanted to serve more kids, they could ask Congress for more funding. I’d write that bill this afternoon. Instead, they’re saying they might be able to serve more children by promising each child less. Nobody should pretend this came out of nowhere. President Trump has all but declared war on Head Start,” said Senator Murray. “This rule is not final. There is a public comment period. I want parents to weigh in. I want teachers to weigh in. Because I have seen what happens when enough ordinary people refuse to let something get ripped away from them. And on my end: I will press administration officials when they come before Congress. I will sound the alarm as loudly as I possibly can. I will carry this fight into every negotiation I walk into. And Congress just funded Head Start at an increase, on a bipartisan basis, so let me be clear: Congress funds Head Start to be Head Start. Trump is coming after America’s kids. That is so unacceptable. This isn’t partisan. This is a program red and blue states rely on. Parents, teachers, and communities across America need to speak up and speak out—together we will beat this rule and save Head Start.”\n\n“I know the value of Head Start, it got me to the U.S. Senate,” said Senator Luján, one of only two U.S. Senators who attended Head Start. “Since President Trump took office, he and his administration have made it harder and harder for young children to get an early education. Now, he is moving forward with a proposed rule to gut Head Start and strip basic education, health, and safety standards our kids rely on. That is why I joined Senator Murray and advocates today and will continue to fight to protect Head Start.”\n\nHead Start currently serves over 750,000 kids nationwide, and the program has served more than 40 million children and their families nationwide since its inception in 1965. There are over 17,000 Head Start centers nationwide and these centers are particularly important in serving rural communities with fewer options for care.\n\nThroughout his second term, President Trump has gutted the offices that keep Head Start centers and child care programs across the country running. Since taking office, the Trump administration has fired 40 to 50% of the staff at the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care. In April of 2025, Trump continued to hollow out HHS, by shuttering five of the 10 regional offices for both Office of Child Care and Office of Head Start, which served 22 states and five territories. President Trump also illegally impounded funding provided by Congress for Head Start programs across America, in violation of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). In response, Senator Murray raised alarm bells and she led her colleagues in demanding that the funds get moving.\n\nNotably, a leaked memo indicated that the Trump administration—in keeping with Project 2025—would push to completely eliminate Head Start as a part of its FY26 budget request. Ultimately, strong public outcry and backlash prevented the Trump administration from including the elimination of Head Start in its budget request.\n\nIn April, President Trump said “Don’t send any money for day care, because the United States can’t take care of day care… We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care… It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things.”\n\nLast year, HHS took steps to attack immigrant children and their families by issuing a notice reinterpreting longstanding guidance under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) to reinterpret Head Start as a federal public benefit subject to immigration restrictions. The guidance, currently tied up in litigation and stalled from being enforced, threw programs and families into chaos, sparking confusion and driving many families to keep their kids at home out of fear of discrimination or immigration enforcement.\n\nHHS has also proposed changes to the Head Start Program that would roll back regulations targeted at increasing salaries for the Head Start workforce—one of the top barriers to recruitment and retention leading to fewer children being served.\n\nIn the face of Trump’s calls to cut investments in state early childhood education programs and repeated attacks on the program, Democrats have consistently defended resources for child care and early childhood education. In March of this year, Senator Murray led her colleagues and established a new working group as the latest major push in Democrats’ fight to lower costs and deliver child care for every American family. The Child Care for America working group will bring Democratic members of Congress together to coordinate broad support for landmark child care legislation.\n\nSenator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:\n\n“You know, this morning, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed shredding the rule book that has protected kids in Head Start for sixty years—133 pages of standards, gutted. And I want to be really concrete about what is in those pages that they are throwing away.\n\n“It’s duration requirements—meaning, is the program actually open while parents are working? It’s professional development requirements to make sure that our teachers are equipped to keep our kids safe—that’s everything from instruction on our kids social-emotional development, and training to recognize and report child abuse. It is watering down quality standards for families that want home-based and family-care—like safety requirements: are there play areas? Is there space for food prep? Are the bathrooms up to standard?\n\n“It’s class sizes—because there’s a reason Head Start tells providers how many toddlers one adult can supervise. It’s how many kids any one teacher can actually keep safe on a busy day. It’s the medical screenings—for countless families, Head Start is the first place anyone will ever check their child’s hearing, or vision, or teeth. Ignoring these kids’ health today, costs us more tomorrow. It’s eliminating protections that keep a kid with a disability safe from harmful practices like restraint, or seclusion and expulsion—that’s just not something any of us should accept.\n\n“And there is one more piece that really doesn’t make sense: this rule forces English-only instruction. There are American children who have different language needs. Denying children instruction in their first language—that’s backwards, and it doesn’t help anyone. Now, the administration has given this rule a very nice name: Reducing Federal Burden.\n\n“So, let’s look at what they actually list as burdens: background checks for the adults who are alone in a room with your four-year-old; safety standards for the buses that drive your toddler to school; vision and hearing screenings for your kids. That is not red tape. That’s all important stuff to keep our kids safe and healthy! They want to hand all of it to the states—and if you live in a state that never writes those rules, too bad.\n\n“Your child’s safety should not depend on their zip code. That has been the entire point of Head Start since 1965. If they wanted to serve more kids, they could ask Congress for more funding. I would write that bill this afternoon. Instead, they’re saying they might be able to serve more children by promising each child less.\n\n“Nobody should pretend this came out of nowhere. President Trump has all but declared war on Head Start. He illegally impounded Head Start funding that Congress passed into law—in violation of the Impoundment Control Act—and centers couldn’t make payroll until we raised the alarm and forced the money out the door.\n\n“He fired 40 to 50 percent of the staff at the Office of Head Start and the Office of Child Care. He shut down five of the ten regional offices—which served 22 states and five territories—overnight.\n\n“One of those offices was in Seattle. It served every Head Start program in Washington state—15,000 kids. In the Yakima Valley, a provider waiting on funding that never showed up had to lay off 72 employees and shutter a dozen classrooms, that served 400 kids. Now eventually that money came, but only after the layoffs. In Walla Walla, a program that has served kids for decades is warning it may not survive.\n\n“Funding delays and uncertainty continue to persist. And let’s not forget, a leaked memo showed that Trump planned to eliminate Head Start altogether—straight out of Project 2025—until public outcry forced him to back down.\n\n“He rolled back the rule raising pay for our Head Start teachers. His HHS tried to rewrite thirty years of guidance to turn Head Start into an immigration checkpoint—that one is stalled in court, but it already drove scared families to keep their kids home.\n\n“If anyone doubts me, listen to the President’s own words. He said, ‘Don’t send any money for day care, because the United States can’t take care of day care…We’re fighting wars.’\n\n“I taught preschool. I got into politics because politicians decided a preschool program wasn’t worth saving—one of them told me a mom in tennis shoes couldn’t make a difference. So here’s what happens now. This rule is not final. There is a public comment period. So, I want parents to weigh in. I want teachers to weigh in. Because I have seen what happens when enough ordinary people refuse to let something get ripped away from them.\n\n“And on my end: I will press administration officials when they come before Congress. I’ll sound the alarm as loudly as I possibly can, and I will carry this fight into every negotiation I walk into. And Congress just funded Head Start at an increase, on a bipartisan basis, so let me be clear: Congress funds Head Start to be a Head Start.\n\n“Trump is coming after America’s kids. That is unacceptable. This is not partisan. This is a program red and blue states rely on.\n\n“Parents, teachers, and communities across America need to speak up and speak out—together we will beat this rule and save Head Start.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-cortez-masto-introduce-bills-to-lower-costs-for-families-take-advantage-of-emerging-technology/", "title": "Padilla, Cortez Masto Introduce Bills to Lower Costs for Families, Take Advantage of Emerging Technology", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, joined U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) in introducing three bills to make electric vehicles (EVs) and other clean transportation technologies more accessible to consumers throughout the country.\n\nThe series of bills support the adoption of cost-effective clean transportation technologies, which have expanded dramatically in recent years and are creating good-paying, union jobs. Putting more zero-emissions vehicles on the road would reduce American reliance on oil and gas and lower costs across the board.\n\n“At a time when Trump’s unauthorized war with Iran is driving up the costs of oil and gas, Californians and consumers across the country are in need of relief,” said Senator Padilla. “I am proud to introduce these bills with my colleagues to guarantee American families and businesses have access to affordable and clean transportation technologies in the midst of Trump’s affordability crisis and an increasingly competitive global marketplace.”\n\n“During the Trump Administration, Nevadans have been struggling with skyrocketing costs. Whether you’re driving to work, shopping for groceries, or traveling to visit family in another town, everyday life has become more expensive,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “By helping more American families and businesses access clean transportation technology, we can bring costs down for everyone, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and create jobs – all while becoming more economically competitive with China.”\n\nThe bill package includes three pieces of legislation:\n\nCleaner Transportation Access for All Act\n\nThis legislation restores and extends tax credits and grant programs passed in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for consumers who purchase new or used EVs and supports the construction of EV-friendly infrastructure, especially along travel and tourism corridors. It also contains a fuel conservation program to encourage federal government fleets to reduce their fuel use when consumers are paying increased prices. In addition to Padilla and Cortez Masto, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).\n\nThe text of this legislation can be found here.\n\nA one-pager can be found here.\n\nClean Transportation Jobs and Development Act\n\nThis legislation strengthens the clean energy and transportation supply chain, by supporting battery manufacturing and recycling, strengthening the domestic critical mineral supply chain, and investing in research and development to lower the cost of low-emission vehicles. In addition to Padilla and Cortez Masto, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Rosen, Van Hollen, and Bennet.\n\nThe text of this legislation can be found here.\n\nA one-pager can be found here.\n\nDeploying Revolutionary and Innovative Vehicle Energy-supply (DRIVE) Across America Act\n\nThis legislation would establish the Cleaner Transportation at Recreational Areas to Improve our Landmarks and Sites (TRAILS) Initiative. This comprehensive initiative would facilitate the adoption of zero-emission technologies in tourism corridors, by adding fueling infrastructure at National Parks and U.S. Forest Service sites and near airports and other tourist destinations. The Cleaner TRAILS Initiative will make it easier and cheaper for tourists to travel in their EVs and reduce emissions in the country’s most pristine sites. In addition to Padilla and Cortez Masto, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Rosen, Van Hollen, Bennet, and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).\n\nThe text of this legislation can be found here\n\nA one-pager can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-introduces-bills-to-strengthen-support-and-protections-for-farm-and-food-system-workers/", "title": "Padilla Introduces Bills to Strengthen Support and Protections for Farm and Food System Workers", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced a trio of bills to improve support, coordination, and labor protections for farm and food system workers. Padilla’s Fairness for Farm Workers Act, Supporting Our Farm and Food System Workforce Act, and Voice for Farm Workers Act would provide resources for farm and food system workers, increase representation and collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and farm workers and food system workers, and ensure farm workers receive fairer wages and compensation.\n\n“Farm and food system workers are essential to feeding our country and bolstering California and the nation’s economy, but for far too long, they have been unjustly excluded from protections extended to other workers, have inadequate representation, and not nearly enough resources,” said Senator Padilla. “As the Trump Administration continues to target farm and food system workers, I will keep fighting to make sure our essential workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve for their back-breaking, critical work. These bills would correct our nation’s labor laws to bring economic justice for farm workers and equip the USDA with more tools to integrate worker perspective, priorities, and staffing to better represent its farm and food system workers.”\n\nFairness for Farm Workers Act\n\nThe Fairness for Farm Workers Act would update the nation’s labor laws to ensure farm workers receive fair wages and compensation. 88 years ago, the Fair Labor Standards Act established federal standards for minimum wage and overtime pay but excluded millions of domestic and agricultural workers who were overwhelmingly people of color. Although farm workers gained some minimum wage protections in 1966, exclusions on overtime pay persist. This bill would gradually implement overtime pay over the course of four years and bring greater equity to the American agricultural industry.\n\nSpecifically, the Fairness for Farm Workers Act would require time-and-a-half overtime pay for all agricultural workers, remove exemptions to overtime for agriculture and end the exemptions for overtime and minimum wage requirements for certain small farms, hand harvest laborers, non-local minors, and range livestock production, and remove exemptions to overtime for workers employed in irrigation projects, livestock auctions incidental to farm work, small country grain elevators, certain sugar processing, certain types of intra-state transportation and preparation for transportation of fruits and vegetables, cotton ginning, and cotton compressing.\n\nIn addition to Padilla, the bill is co-sponsored by Senators Anegla Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\nThe Fairness for Farmworkers Act has been endorsed by over 100 organizations including United Farm Workers (UFW), American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), HEAL, Communication Workers of America (CWA), CRLA Foundation, NAACP, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Latino Justice PRLDEF, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, National Center for Law and Economic Justice, Legal Aid Justice Center, Hispanic Federation, Migrant Justice, Farmworker Justice, SEIU, UAW, UnidosUS, National Council of Churches, National Employment Law Project, National Farm Worker Ministry, and Equal Rights Advocates.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\nSupporting Our Farm and Food System Workforce Act\n\nThis legislation would establish the Office of the Farm and Food System Workforce within the USDA to uplift the voices of farm workers and food system workers at the federal level. The Office would serve as a link between these workers and the USDA, providing a platform for their concerns and interests and helping develop recommendations and new initiatives for the Department.\n\nThe bill would also create a Farm and Food System Worker Advisory Committee of relevant stakeholders — such as farm and food system labor unions, workers, civil rights advocates, higher education, women farm worker or food system groups, and non-profits — to better represent these workers’ interests and perspectives. Building upon the USDA Equity Commission recommendations, it would also set up a Farm and Food System Workforce Interagency Council, comprised of representatives from various federal agencies to improve coordination, planning, program development, and policymaking across cabinet-level leadership.\n\nIn addition, the Supporting Our Farm and Food System Workforce Act would require the Office to summarize its efforts in a publicly available report annually, to improve the work and livelihood of farm and food system workers, address climate change impacts on the food system, and reduce barriers workers face to access federal programs.\n\nIn addition to Padilla, the bill is co-sponsored by Senators Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Luján, Markey, Rosen, Schiff, Warren, and Wyden.\n\nThe Supporting Our Farm and Food System Workforce Act is endorsed by over 30 organizations including the AFL-CIO, United Farm Workers (UFW), UFCW, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, Farmworker Justice, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Legal Aid Justice Center, HEAL Food Alliance, and more.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\nVoice for Farm Workers Act\n\nThis legislation would strengthen the USDA Farmworker Coordinator position with new resources and staffing capacity to improve the ability of the Coordinator to act as USDA’s primary point of contact on farm worker issues, coordinate and advise on farm worker serving programs across the Department and federal agencies, and support farm workers and farm worker-oriented community-based organizations to better access USDA programs. The USDA Farmworker Coordinator position, established in the 2008 Farm Bill, serves as a dedicated liaison for the Department and farm workers nationwide, but has lacked the sufficient staff and resources to adequately address farm workers’ needs.\n\nSpecifically, the Voice for Farmworkers Act would reauthorize the Farmworker Coordinator position and expand its duties to allow the Coordinator to create recommendations for new initiatives and programs, conduct further outreach and research related to farm workers, and collaborate within the Department on programmatic and policy decisions related to farm workers. In addition, it would integrate additional entities for the Farmworker Coordinator to consult with such as institutions of higher education, local education agencies, and community-based nonprofit organizations.\n\nFurthermore, the bill would allow the USDA to employ the staff necessary to assist the Farmworker Coordinator carry out their responsibilities to better meet the needs of our nation’s farm workers.\n\nIn addition to Padilla, the bill is co-sponsored by Senators Booker, Gillibrand, Luján, Markey, Schiff, Warren, and Wyden.\n\nThe Voice for Farm Workers Act is endorsed by over 30 organizations including the AFL-CIO, UFW, UFCW, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, Farmworker Justice, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Legal Aid Justice Center, Union of Concerned Scientists, Alianza Campesinas, HEAL Food Alliance, and more.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\nPadilla is a longtime champion for farm workers and food system workers in California and across the country. Last year, Padilla and Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced bicameral legislation to provide disaster relief for farm workers. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act would provide compensation for farm workers who lose out on wages due to extreme weather, public health emergencies, and other disasters beyond their control. In 2023, Padilla introduced the Supporting Farm Workers’ Mental Health Act, bicameral legislation to improve peer-to-peer mental health services to address the behavioral health needs of farm workers.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-committee-advances-bipartisan-padilla-bill-to-support-tribal-land-management/", "title": "Senate Committee Advances Bipartisan Padilla Bill to Support Tribal Land Management", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs advanced U.S. Senator Alex Padilla’s (D-Calif.) bicameral and bipartisan bill to promote Tribal management of over 500 acres of land in California by transferring federal land to the Pit River Tribe. Padilla introduced the legislation with Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) last year to protect Tribal communities and local environment in surrounding regions. The late Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.-01) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\n“For generations, senseless conflict and bureaucratic barriers have kept California Tribes from managing their ancestral lands,” said Senator Padilla. “The Pit River Land Transfer Act would ensure the Pit River Tribe rightly acquires their sacred ancestral lands to maintain their traditions and history. This is a critical step in protecting the Pit River Tribe’s community and surrounding ecosystems while honoring the Tribe’s claim to the land.”\n\n“I am proud to see our legislation to help the Pit River Tribe restore their ancestral homelands and promote Tribal sovereignty advance out of committee,” said Senator Schiff. “This bill will help the Pit River Tribe manage the Four Corners site as their ancestors did.”\n\n“When Senator Padilla introduced the Pit River Land Transfer Act, we spoke of restoring a sacred connection that has endured despite great hardship and dispossession. Today, thanks to Senator Padilla’s leadership, the bill has passed committee and we are one step closer,” said Yatch Bamford, Chairman of the Pit River Nation. “This is more than a transfer of acreage — it is the return of a place where our ancestors are buried, where our ceremonies were born, and where our children’s children will carry our language and traditions forward. On behalf of the Pit River Tribe, I thank Senator Padilla for his continued leadership and unwavering commitment to our people. I urge the Senate to pass our bill without delay so that this long-overdue act of justice can finally be realized.”\n\nThe Tribe has been actively trying to acquire this land through various governmental processes for over a decade. However, they have experienced a series of delays that have added years to the process. The Pit River Land Transfer Act would transfer 557 acres of federal land administered by the U.S. Forest Service to the Secretary of the Interior to be held in trust for the Pit River Tribe.\n\nThe Pit River Tribe consist of 11 autonomous bands traditionally inhabiting the area surrounding the Pit River and its tributaries. They are known for their deep spiritual connection to the land, with a rich cultural heritage centered around fishing, hunting, and seasonal gatherings.\n\nThe proposed land to be transferred is known as the Four Corners Property, located in Shasta County. The Tribe has strong cultural and historical connections to the Four Corners, and they view it as a central landmark of their ancestral lands. In October 1970, members of the Tribe erected a Quonset hut on the Four Corners, staking a peaceful, yet firm claim. That month, more than 100 sheriff’s deputies, federal marshals, and forest rangers ordered the occupants to evacuate the property, which eventually resulted in violence and the hospitalization of several Tribal members.\n\nPadilla is a strong advocate for restoring Tribal ownership of ancestral lands. Last week, Padilla testified at a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing to advocate for critical water investments for California Tribes. In 2024, the Senate passed Padilla’s Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act, which established over 170 acres as trust lands for the benefit of the Jamul Tribe. Under the Biden Administration, a series of Padilla’s bills to restore Tribal stewardship of sacred lands and ensure federal land management laws respected Tribal sovereignty were signed into law. The package included laws to take more than 2,500 acres of land in the San Jacinto Mountains into trust for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and to place roughly 1,000 acres of federal land located in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties into trust for the Karuk Tribe.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-leads-resolution-designating-august-7th-as-national-lighthouse-day", "title": "Peters Leads Resolution Designating August 7th as National Lighthouse Day", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.peters.senate.gov", "scraper": "garypeters", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000595", "name": "Gary C. Peters", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) is leading a bipartisan resolution designating August 7, 2026 as “National Lighthouse Day.” The resolution – which Peters introduced with U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Angus King (I-ME) – encourages all Americans to visit and support the preservation of our nation’s historic lighthouses. The resolution also honors the historical significance of Michigan’s lighthouses and recognizes the dedicated workers who protect these landmarks and share their stories in communities across the state.\n\n“The Great Lakes are part of who we are as Michiganders, and our lighthouses are a crucial piece of that heritage,” Peters said. “I’m proud to lead this bipartisan resolution that urges folks to appreciate and help protect these historic landmarks for generations to come.”\n\nAccording to the United States Lighthouse Society, Michigan is home to more than 120 lighthouses along its more than 3,000 miles of coastline, the most of any U.S. state. Today, these lighthouses serve as reminders of the state’s rich maritime history. Michigan lighthouses were integral to helping ships navigate the Great Lakes during the 1800’s and early 1900’s, supporting the robust Great Lakes maritime economy. Many of these lighthouses remain operational in present day, while others now operate as museums and educational centers.\n\nThe first lighthouse built in the State in 1825, the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, is still active to this day and is home to a museum. Many Michigan lighthouses, like Big Red in Holland and Big Sable Point in Ludington, are also popular tourist destinations for visitors from across the nation.\n\nThis resolution is supported by the United States Lighthouse Society, American Lighthouse Foundation, and the Lighthouse Preservation Society.\n\nYou can read the resolution here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-slotkin-introduce-legislation-to-prevent-offshoring-biotech-industry-to-communist-china/", "title": "Ricketts, Slotkin Introduce Legislation to Prevent Offshoring Biotech Industry to Communist China", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list&pagenum=", "domain": "www.ricketts.senate.gov", "scraper": "ricketts", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000618", "name": "Pete Ricketts", "party": "Republican", "state": "NE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) introduced the Biotech Investment National Security Act (BINSA). This bill would ensure American investment in adversary biotechnology is subject to the review requirements of the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security (COINS) Act.\n\nSpecifically, this legislation adds biotechnology, including pharmaceutical development, biologics manufacturing, and clinical research to the list of sectors subject to screening.\n\n“America leads the world in innovation across all sectors,” said Senator Ricketts. “This critical legislation ensures American investment in the biotech industry benefits Americans—not our enemies. We cannot allow Communist China to obtain the resources it needs to threaten our way of life. I will fight every effort that weaponizes American investments to undercut our businesses and reshape supply chains against us. Maintaining America’s innovative leadership and global economic dominance is a matter of national security.”\n\n“Biotech is crucial for driving economic growth, creating jobs, and spurring innovation in science and technologies, like lifesaving medicines,”said Senator Slotkin.“But right now, China is eating our lunch in this field. This bill ensures strong U.S. leadership in biotech and protects U.S. intellectual property and investments. We’ve seen China use this playbook before to dominate other critical sectors, such as the automotive industry and drone market. This bill will stop that.”\n\nThis legislation would:\n\nAmend the COINS Act to include biotechnology –specifically pharmaceutical and biological product development—to the list of sectors subject to outbound screening.\n\nMake U.S. pharmaceutical licensing deals, joint ventures, and equity investments with Chinese covered foreign persons subject to review by the U.S. Treasury Department.\n\nDirect the Treasury Department to consult with Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of War (DoW), and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and implement regulations within one year of enactment.\n\nRequire the Secretary of Defense to assess within 60 days whether U.S. capital flows into Chinese biotechnology negatively affect national security and military readiness.\n\nCompanion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. John Moolenaar (R-MI-02) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) in June 2026.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2026/8/sen-rick-scott-in-the-wall-street-journal-filibuster-abuse-has-destroyed-senate-debate", "title": "Sen. Rick Scott in The Wall Street Journal: “Filibuster Abuse Has Destroyed Senate Debate”", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.rickscott.senate.gov", "scraper": "rickscott", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001217", "name": "Rick Scott", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rick Scott published a letter to the editor in The Wall Street Journal titled, “Filibuster Abuse Has Destroyed Senate Debate” In his letter, Senator Scott shows how the Senate filibuster has failed to force debate, compromise, and results—and why it needs to go.\n\nSenator Rick Scott wrote, “Abuse of the filibuster has stifled open debate in the chamber. It prevents, by design, the results that voters expect us to deliver.”\n\n…\n\n“Modern majority leaders file cloture before debate begins. The agenda changes at the threat of debate. The iconic final scene from the film ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ rarely occurs.”\n\n…\n\n“In 1964 opponents of the Civil Rights Act attempted to stop the legislation with a filibuster. The bill’s supporters were initially far short of the 67 votes needed to break the filibuster. But by forcing open debate, the Senate finally forced an answer on Jim Crow.”\n\n…\n\n“The filibuster is a muscle we never exercise. It has atrophied. Senators have lost the implicit understanding that a debate needs to happen before it can end. This legislative body needs to deliver results, not fail while adhering to a prohibitive process. We should end the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act—or require debate until exhaustion or satisfaction.”\n\nSenator Scott wrote in response to an op-ed published by his colleague U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) last week arguing to preserve the filibuster.\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2026/8/sen-rick-scott-leads-fight-to-codify-president-trump-s-america-first-trade-agenda", "title": "Sen. Rick Scott Leads Fight to Codify President Trump’s America First Trade Agenda", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.rickscott.senate.gov", "scraper": "rickscott", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001217", "name": "Rick Scott", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rick Scott introduced the Trade Deficit Elimination Act to codify President Trump’s efforts to address decades-long trade deficits that have allowed foreign countries to take advantage of working American families while protecting their own domestic markets through unfair trade practices.\n\nU.S. Senators Kevin Cramer and Tim Sheehy cosponsored this legislation.\n\nSenator Rick Scott said, “Previous generations of Americans gave us an economic superpower; it’s our job to preserve what they built and to leave America better than we found it for our children and grandchildren. That means we can’t let other countries rip us off. In recent years, our trading partners have taken advantage of access to American markets while unfairly crowding American products out of their own countries. Decline is a choice, and President Trump is taking action to restore American prosperity. I'm proud to introduce this legislation to give President Trump the tools he needs to level the playing field, protect American workers, and put America First.”\n\nSenator Kevin Cramer said, “Trade should be fair, not one-sided, and it’s refreshing to have a president who isn’t afraid to hold our trading partners accountable. This bill gives President Trump and Ambassador Greer tools to address trade deficits, keep critical supply chains intact, and achieve better trade agreements for American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and workers.”\n\nSenator Tim Sheehy said, “For too long, America has tolerated massive trade deficits that hollow out our manufacturing base and put American workers at a disadvantage. This bill puts American producers first, strengthens our industrial base, and ensures our trade relationships work for the hardworking men and women of this country - not against them.”\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nThe Trade Deficit Elimination Act creates a congressional framework authorizing tariffs to address bilateral trade imbalances in goods. Each year, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) must identify which trading partners run a trade deficit with the U.S. and publish this list of \"trade deficit economies.”\n\nWithin 15 days, the USTR may adjust tariffs on these countries' imports as needed to close the gap, in addition to any tariffs already in place.\n\nThe legislation allows exemptions for products critical to national security, essential supply chains, and goods that cannot reasonably be produced in the United States.\n\nThe bill also authorizes the USTR to negotiate trade agreements with these countries to shrink the imbalance through commitments to reform trade practices, buy more American goods, or limit exports.\n\nFull text of the bill can be found HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/06/icymi-sen-johnson-votes-to-hold-dr-anthony-fauci-in-contempt-of-congress-in-todays-homeland-security-and-governmental-affairs-committee-business-meeting/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Johnson Votes to Hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress in Today’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Business Meeting", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "scraper": "ronjohnson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "J000293", "name": "Ron Johnson", "party": "Republican", "state": "WI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“If these investigations are one-sided, it’s because one side simply doesn’t want to look at the truth.”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress during a business meeting of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The vote follows Dr. Fauci’s refusal to comply with the committee’s investigation in his role during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as his silence in last Wednesday’s hearing.\n\nSen. Johnson’s remarks:\n\n“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I want to associate myself with and second your opening comments. And I also want to strongly rebut the comments from our Democratic colleagues here, you know, particularly when Ranking Member Peters says this has been ‘one-sided’ and ‘rushed,’ rushed?\n\n“When I was chairman of this committee back in 2020, I started conducting oversight. I held hearings. There was no cooperation in those hearings. As a matter of fact, I remember one when we held a hearing with Dr. Pierre Kory, when he came in with all kinds of evidence on the effectiveness of ivermectin. The ranking member then denigrated him. Back then, Dr. Kory was a Democrat. He was shocked at the treatment he was given by the ranking member.\n\n“How many people died because they lacked early treatment with safe, effective generic drugs? Well, that hearing laid out the truth that this could be something that could help people, and we had a ranking member that did everything that he could to denigrate that truth.\n\n“My current experience is as the chairman of PSI; we’ve been holding hearing after hearing. My ranking member, [Senator] Blumenthal, in those hearings, we had one called ‘Voices of the Vaccine Injured.’ We had parents come in and tell their heart-wrenching stories. We had parents coming in, telling the truth. And the ranking member, a few hours before that hearing, held a press conference and said, ‘hope the press doesn’t cover it, because there’s nothing credible about this hearing.’\n\n“If these investigations are one-sided, it’s because one side simply doesn’t want to look at the truth. They want to bury the truth. They want to memory-hole it. They don’t want to look at the Fauci diaries and take a look at how contradictory what he wrote to himself –how contradictory it was to what he actually told the public.\n\n“I think one of the revelations of those diaries, I think probably the most significant one that’s being overlooked, was early on in the pandemic, he wrote in his diaries he thought COVID would be maybe twice a bad flu season. Now, I’m not downplaying a bad flu season. We have them oftentimes. They overwhelm hospitals, something to take seriously. But a pandemic that’s going to be twice that – is that really worth destroying people’s lives, shutting down businesses, destroying an economy? I argued back then that it wouldn’t be.\n\n“It’s been six years since the pandemic began. We have not had a reckoning of what happened. Last Wednesday’s hearing was an excellent hearing from the standpoint of legitimate questions being raised, legitimate questions the American people want answers to, legitimate questions that some of them, only Anthony Fauci, ‘Saint Fauci,’ ‘Mr. Science’ could answer.\n\n“And even though we have quotes of him saying, ‘I’m not afraid of any oversight committee, I’m happy to talk to any oversight committee, I have nothing to hide.’ That’s not the position he took last Wednesday. What he displayed last Wednesday was contempt for Congress, contempt for this committee, contempt for our investigation, the same contempt that … our ranking members have shown for the diligent oversight and the exposing of the truth that I’ve been undertaking for six years.\n\n“There’s nothing rushed. It’s been one-sided, but not because we haven’t reached out, not because we haven’t involved the other side. The other side, like way too many Americans, have just closed their eyes, covered up their ears, and refused – refused to look at the truth.\n\n“I am definitely going to vote yes on contempt of Congress, and my investigation has just begun.\n\n“We’ve invited Dr. Fauci for a transcribed interview. Okay, he doesn’t want to do it in front of the American public? Come in front of our committee. We’ll go through detail [by] detail. You say you have nothing to hide. Good. We’ll do it behind closed doors. We’ll transcribe it. That’s only one of the interviews we will be conducting … Last week’s hearing just began the accountability. There’s a lot more accountability that’s required.\n\n“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”\n\nWatch the full remarks here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/2026/08/06/ahead-of-national-purple-heart-day-rosen-secures-purple-heart-for-iraq-veteran-from-las-vegas/", "title": "Ahead of National Purple Heart Day, Rosen Secures Purple Heart for Iraq Veteran from Las Vegas", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.rosen.senate.gov", "scraper": "rosen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000608", "name": "Jacky Rosen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "A Few Weeks Ago, Senator Rosen Secured A Purple Heart For A Vietnam War Veteran In Northern Nevada\n\nLAS VEGAS, NV – Ahead of National Purple Heart Day, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) awarded retired Sergeant First Class (SFC) Thomas Koehler with the Purple Heart medal during a ceremony in her Las Vegas Office. Senator Rosen secured the medal for Koehler for combat-related line-of-duty injuries sustained in Iraq in 2005. In 2016, he was medically retired from the Army and continued his dedication to the local military and veteran community as a Veteran Service Officer for the Nevada Department of Veteran Services.\n\n“Sergeant First Class Thomas Koehler bravely served our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan, sustaining combat injuries in service to our nation. And his service has continued even after he retired – doing truly admirable work by supporting our veterans here in Southern Nevada,” said Senator Rosen. “Sergeant First Class Koehler reached out to my office to help him secure the Purple Heart he earned through his service, and I’m so proud that my team and I were able to do so in less than two months. Assisting Nevada veterans is one of the most important parts of my job as a United States Senator. If any veteran in our state needs assistance obtaining medals or decorations they believe they are eligible for, dealing with issues with the VA or another federal agency, or obtaining their service records, please reach out to my office at rosen.senate.gov.”\n\nSenator Rosen has been a champion for veterans in Nevada and across the country. In addition to securing Koehler’s Purple Heart, she recently ensured the awarding of a Purple Heart for a Vietnam War Veteran in Northern Nevada. Senator Rosen is also leading the charge in Congress to secure benefits for veterans who served at the Nevada Test and Training Range during the nuclear testing era and were exposed to toxins, but have been denied benefits despite their civilian counterparts receiving support. Earlier this year, she successfully pushed the Trump Administration to reverse a rule that could have decreased benefits for disabled veterans. Senator Rosen has also introduced bipartisan legislation to cut red tape and streamline the process for medical practitioners who work with both the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to help eliminate delays in patient care.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-introduces-legislation-to-boost-american-manufacturing-of-robotics-stay-ahead-of-china", "title": "Rounds Introduces Legislation to Boost American Manufacturing of Robotics, Stay Ahead of China", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.rounds.senate.gov", "scraper": "rounds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000605", "name": "Mike Rounds", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) today introduced the Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act, legislation aimed at boosting American manufacturing of robotics systems. This legislation, which directs the Department of Commerce to collect more data and develop standards for new robotics, would help keep America ahead of China in the robotics industry and keep American manufacturing competitive globally.\n\n“It’s important that the United States continues to stay ahead of China when it comes to development and manufacturing of new technologies,” said Rounds. “The Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act would improve data collection and coordination of the use of robotics in the United States.”\n\n“The robotics revolution is here. To compete with China and keep workers from being left behind, we need better data and coordination to set smart standards,” said Hickenlooper. “This bill positions Colorado’s growing robotics industry and workforce to lead in this new economy.”\n\nSpecifically, the Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act would:\n\nDirects the Department of Commerce to support American industry by improving data sharing to support the development of the models that power advanced robotics.\n\nDirects the Office of Advanced Manufacturing, a NIST department which works with Manufacturing USA institutes across the country, to promote the use of robotics.\n\nDirects the Department of Commerce to coordinate with the robotics industry for the development of voluntary standards for new and emerging robotics use cases and develop training and apprenticeship programs to upskill American workers.\n\nDirects the Department of Commerce to collaborate with the robotics industry to create solutions in the energy, food and healthcare spaces to drive down costs for American consumers.\n\nDirects the Department of Commerce to coordinate with the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Labor on the development of material to support workforce development and job creation in the robotics industry.\n\nRequires the Department of Commerce to collect data annually (with a 5 year sunset) on the adoption of robotics systems across industry so that we can accurately benchmark US competitiveness relative to China and other leaders in the adoption of robotics.\n\nPushes NASA, which has developed incredible innovations related to robotics (ex. the Mars Rover) to work with industry to commercialize the research and patents developed by the agency, facilitating private sector entrepreneurship and job creation from federal research.\n\nSupporters of the Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act include:\n\n“Prosperous Robotics strongly supports the Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act and its vision to strengthen America’s leadership in robotics, AI, and advanced manufacturing,” said Michael Bankowski, Co-Founder and CEO of Sioux Falls-based Prosperous Robotics. “We are especially encouraged to see home and elder care recognized as a national priority, where robotics can improve independence, dignity, and quality of life for millions of families.”\n\n“Boston Dynamics commends Senators Rounds and Hickenlooper on the introduction of the Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act,” said Brendan Schulman, VP of Policy & Government Relations at Boston Dynamics “This legislation would direct NIST to gather key information and metrics on the building blocks of the advanced robotics industry, including workforce training programs, standards for physical AI, emerging use cases, and regular reports on national robot adoption rates. These are important elements for building the national robotics strategy that industry has been calling for.”\n\n“From the assembly line to artificial intelligence, American manufacturing has constantly embraced new technologies,” said Sam Dorn, VP of Policy and Government Affairs, New American Industrial Alliance. “The Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act continues that legacy by creating an all-of-government approach to robotics, from setting key standards and implementation benchmarks to pushing cutting-edge government technology to partner with private sector leaders. We thank Senator Rounds for his leadership on this important piece of legislation.”\n\n“On behalf of Robots For America, I'm proud to endorse the Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act, introduced by Senators Rounds and Hickenlooper,” said Saman Farid, Founder, Robots For America. “Robots don't replace American workers — they multiply what American workers can do, keeping factories competitive, production onshore, and good jobs in American communities. This bipartisan bill takes practical steps to strengthen our domestic robotics industrial base, from promoting adoption on factory floors to commercializing NASA innovations here at home. We urge Congress to pass it swiftly.”\n\nClick HERE for full bill text.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-thune-johnson-encourage-trump-administration-to-approve-highmore-disaster-declaration", "title": "Rounds, Thune, Johnson Encourage Trump Administration to Approve Highmore Disaster Declaration", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.rounds.senate.gov", "scraper": "rounds", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000605", "name": "Mike Rounds", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) and Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging his support for South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden’s request for a major disaster declaration following storms in central South Dakota, including Highmore. The severe weather, caused by a series of storms between June 28 and July 3, impacted 21,786 households in eight counties and two tribal communities across roughly 8,500 square miles.\n\n“We support the state’s request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration, as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the relevant areas of our state,” wrote the delegation. “We also strongly urge you to approve the state’s request for hazard mitigation funding. This will allow the state to mitigate future damages to vulnerable electric infrastructure. Without this funding, preventable damage to utilities from future disasters will only compound existing repair challenges.”\n\nRead the full letter HERE or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear President Trump,\n\nWe write in strong support of the state of South Dakota’s major disaster declaration request submitted by Governor Larry Rhoden on July 27, 2026. This disaster declaration request would assist in recovery efforts from severe weather that occurred June 28 to July 3, 2026.\n\nFrom June 28 to July 3, 2026, a single severe weather system brought a series of devastating storms across central South Dakota. This multiday storm system included: a mini-derecho, windstorms, hail, straight line winds, tornadoes and flooding. The system also included peak wind gusts of 131 MPH, making it the strongest recorded thunderstorm wind gust since 1983 and among the strongest recorded in the United States.\n\nThis combination of severe weather impacted 21,786 households in eight counties and two tribal communities across nearly an 8,500 square mile area.\n\nIn the city of Highmore alone, 80-90% of all structures in the city sustained damage. It also caused significant damage to public infrastructure and led to widespread power outages. In some cases, residents were left without power for over a week while experiencing extremely hot summer temperatures.\n\nThe damage to public utility infrastructure is also severe and far reaching. Across South Dakota, electric infrastructure has been repeatedly weakened by year-round extreme weather events including severe storms, ice accumulation, wildfire, high winds, and flooding.\n\nWe support the state’s request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration, as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the relevant areas of our state. We also strongly urge you to approve the state’s request for hazard mitigation funding. This will allow the state to mitigate future damages to vulnerable electric infrastructure. Without this funding, preventable damage to utilities from future disasters will only compound existing repair challenges.\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to this request, and please do not hesitate to contact us if we can provide any additional information.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-introduces-bill-to-guarantee-paid-vacation-for-u-s-workers/", "title": "NEWS: Sanders Introduces Bill to Guarantee Paid Vacation for U.S. Workers", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.sanders.senate.gov", "scraper": "sanders", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000033", "name": "Bernard Sanders", "party": "Independent", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today reintroduced the Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act — legislation that would guarantee at least two weeks of paid vacation to every full-time worker in America.\n\nJoining Sanders as cosponsors are Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) introduced companion legislation along with 86 members of the House of Representatives.\n\n“It is beyond unacceptable that in the year 2026, the United States remains the only major country on Earth not to guarantee paid vacation time to workers. This legislation would put an end to that international embarrassment,” Sanders said. “We hear a lot of talk about family values in America, but let’s be clear: When a husband, wife, and kids, during the course of an entire year, are unable to spend any time together on vacation, that is not a family value. That is an attack on everything that a family is supposed to stand for. It’s not a radical idea to require companies in America to provide at least two weeks of paid vacation to their workers. What’s radical is that millions of Americans are not only working longer hours for lower wages, but that they do not receive a single paid vacation day. That should not be happening in the United States of America, the richest country in the history of the world.”\n\n“Every worker in America deserves the chance to rest, recharge, and spend time with the people they love without worrying about missing a paycheck,” Magaziner said. “I’m grateful to Senator Sanders for leading this fight in the Senate. It is time that we deliver this basic fairness to hardworking Americans.”\n\nWhile millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages, the U.S. remains the only major economy in the world to not guarantee some type of paid vacation time to its people. Today in Canada, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Australia and many countries in Europe, workers are guaranteed at least 10 days of paid vacation. In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Sweden and France, paid vacation benefits are even stronger.\n\nMeanwhile, nearly one in four workers in America — or more than 33 million workers nationwide — receive no paid vacation time at all. At the same time, almost 40% of workers report being on the job at least 45 hours a week and the average full-time worker in the U.S. now reports working 43 hours a week. Moreover, more than nine million Americans work multiple jobs, with more than five million working a second part-time job on top of a full-time job.\n\nIf passed, the Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act would ensure that:\n\nEvery worker in America has the right to accrue at least one hour of paid annual leave for every 25 hours worked.\n\nFull-time workers will earn at least two weeks of paid annual leave per year, to be used for any reason, at their standard rate of pay.\n\nWorkers are protected against discrimination for exercising their right to take annual paid leave.\n\nA recent poll found 79% of Americans support the Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act. The American people’s support for the legal right to paid time off is nearly universal. According to a recent poll conducted by the RAND Corporation, 90% of Americans support legislation that would require employers to offer earned time off.\n\nThe Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act is endorsed by United Auto Workers (UAW), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), National Education Association (NEA), National Nurses United (NNU), Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR)-SEIU, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation (SMART) Union, United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE), United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), United Steelworkers (USW), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), A Better Balance, National Partnership for Women & Families, United for Respect, Equal Rights Advocates, Family Values @ Work, MomsRising, National Employment Law Project (NELP), Paid Leave for All, Workplace Fairness, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and Indivisible.\n\nRead the text here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-ocasio-cortez-ramirez-reintroduce-the-green-new-deal-for-public-housing-act/", "title": "NEWS: Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, Ramirez Reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.sanders.senate.gov", "scraper": "sanders", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000033", "name": "Bernard Sanders", "party": "Independent", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.) reintroduced the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, which would rebuild the United States’ public housing stock, address the longstanding capital backlog and create thousands of union jobs. This bill provides a much-needed infusion of federal funding to update every public housing unit through weatherization, electrification, and modernization so that it may serve as a model of efficiency, sustainability and resiliency for the rest of the nation.\n\nJoining Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Ramirez as cosponsors of this legislation are Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and 38 members of the House of Representatives.\n\n“In the richest country in the history of the world, it is unacceptable that our nation’s public housing is in a state of chronic disrepair. It is unacceptable that hundreds of millions of Americans are facing the disastrous impacts of climate change while the fossil fuel industry makes huge profits. And it is unacceptable that far too many Americans are working multiple jobs just to keep a roof over their head,” Sanders said. “What the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act does is say that yes, we can create decent and affordable public housing for more than 1.5 million Americans that is based on energy efficiency and sustainable sources of power. And that when we do that, we can also create hundreds of thousands of good-paying, union jobs. That is a win-win-win situation.”\n\n“From record-breaking heat waves to extreme flooding displacing public housing residents, Americans are feeling the parallel impacts of the housing and climate crisis. Now more than ever, it is integral that Congress put forward bold solutions that ensure our nation’s housing stock is both affordable and resilient,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I am proud to reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act alongside Representative Delia Ramirez and Senator Bernie Sanders to deliver a generational rebuild of our nation’s public housing stock, reduce emissions, and create hundreds of thousands of union jobs, including job opportunities for public housing residents. This Congress, we received our first endorsements from building trades unions. We are proud to fight for a bold future for public housing alongside the people who will build it.”\n\n“Safe, sustainable, resilient, affordable housing is a HUMAN RIGHT, plain and simple. The policies we advance in Congress must help us realize that truth for EVERYONE. As our nation reckons with both a worsening housing crisis and urgent climate crisis, we must fight for and realize bold policy action and investment,” Ramirez said. “As the current administration attacks affordable housing funding, I am proud to stand with Representative Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Sanders to reintroduce legislation that will secure the future of our public housing, prioritize climate and racial justice, and boost our economy and labor force. The Green New Deal for Public Housing is a bold solution to our national housing problem”\n\nThe bill would create seven grant programs under one application process to modernize our public housing stock through:\n\nDeep energy retrofits to increase energy savings in nearly a million public housing units;\n\nWorkforce development programs, prioritizing good-paying job opportunities for residents;\n\nEnergy efficiency, building electrification, and water quality upgrades;\n\nCommunity renewable energy generation, the profits of which will be controlled by Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to boost their coffers and increase self-sufficiency;\n\nCommunity resiliency and sustainability measures;\n\nClimate adaptation and emergency disaster response systems.\n\nThis legislation has been endorsed by three building trades unions: the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (IUBAC), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schatz.senate.gov/news/press-releases/schatz-leads-group-of-14-senators-in-introducing-new-bill-to-restore-press-freedom-at-pentagon", "title": "Schatz Leads Group Of 14 Senators In Introducing New Bill To Restore Press Freedom At Pentagon", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schatz.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.schatz.senate.gov", "scraper": "schatz", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001194", "name": "Brian Schatz", "party": "Democrat", "state": "HI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today led a group of 14 senators in introducing the Protecting Pentagon Press Access Act. The new legislation would restore press access at the Department of Defense, reversing attempts by Secretary Pete Hegseth to suppress independent reporting at the Pentagon. In addition to Schatz, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).\n\n“At a time of war, transparency and independent, accurate reporting matter more than ever,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill will reverse the Pentagon's effort to shut out the free press and make sure the public gets the information it deserves.”\n\nSince taking office, Secretary Hegseth imposed a series of unreasonable and retaliatory restrictions on credentialed journalists’ access to the Pentagon and their ability to report. These measures go well beyond reasonable rules of conduct and reverse the Pentagon’s longstanding approach to the press, which has been maintained by officials from both parties.\n\nThe Protecting Pentagon Press Access Act would:\n\nRestore press access to areas of the Pentagon that were accessible prior to the 2025 restrictions, including the “Correspondents’ Corridor”;\n\nRestore unescorted press access to areas of the Pentagon that were accessible without an escort prior to the 2025 restrictions;\n\nRequire the Secretary to ensure the integrity of the process to issue to reporters a Pentagon credential, ensuring the security review process is conducted by career officials in the Pentagon Force Protection Agency without unnecessary delays or political influence; and\n\nProhibit any changes to press access at the Pentagon, including the designation of press workspaces, access areas, and press credentials, without prior congressional consultation.\n\nAs the co-author of the Global Press Freedom Act, Schatz has been leading efforts to protect press freedom around the world, including a resolution recognizing World Press Freedom Day.\n\nThe Protecting Pentagon Press Access Act is supported by Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Reporters Without Borders.\n\nThe text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-amid-ongoing-human-rights-crises-in-venezuela-sen-schiff-leads-effort-to-force-state-department-to-report-on-abuses/", "title": "NEWS: Amid Ongoing Human Rights Crises in Venezuela, Sen. Schiff Leads Effort to Force State Department to Report on Abuses", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is demanding the U.S. Department of State (State) share an assessment detailing Venezuela’s human rights violations under Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who replaced Nicolás Maduro after his removal six months ago, and commit to preventing an increase in human rights abuses committed in Venezuela.\n\n“The Trump administration’s increased support of the same officials who contributed to the Venezuelan government’s lengthy and well-documented record of human rights abuses and violations is alarming, and we urge the State Department to re-commit to its long-standing practice of calling attention to human rights violations committed by the Venezuelan regime and exerting pressure on regime officials to end these abuses,” the Senators wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.\n\nThe Senators are seeking a record of the United States’ actions to address human rights abuses in the country to ensure no United States foreign assistance funding, including security or economic assistance, contributes to the human rights violations committed by the Venezuelan regime.\n\nSenator Schiff is also prepared to introduce a measure in the future that would require State to submit a report on Venezuela’s human rights situation to Congress within 30 days of its passage, or else certain foreign assistance to the Venezuelan government would be automatically suspended.\n\n“Unfortunately, the United States has stood by Rodríguez after her regime ignored its constitutional requirement to hold a presidential election within thirty days of the expiration of her 90-day temporary role as acting president in early April. Administration officials have also reportedly assisted the regime’s efforts to obstruct opposition leader María Corina Machado’s return to Venezuela, despite previously recognizing her party’s 2024 electoral victory. The United States’ continued support for Rodríguez despite her extra-constitutional hold on power is an implicit endorsement of her regime’s violation of Venezuelans’ political rights,” the Senators continued.\n\n“Congress will continue to conduct rigorous oversight of the Administration’s efforts to support the Rodriguez regime. Should the State Department refuse to address the Venezuelan government’s human rights violations by the time the immediate earthquake recovery efforts conclude, we will consider using all available tools to require such a report, including Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act,” the Senators concluded.\n\nIn addition to Schiff, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Secretary Rubio,\n\nWe write with concerns regarding the severe human rights abuses in Venezuela. These abuses, which existed during the rule of former President Nicolas Maduro, have not lessened despite significant involvement and control of Venezuelan affairs by the U.S. Government or the replacement of Maduro by Acting President Delcy Rodriguez. The Trump administration’s increased support of the same officials who contributed to the Venezuelan government’s lengthy and well-documented record of human rights abuses and violations is alarming, and we urge the State Department to re-commit to its long-standing practice of calling attention to human rights violations committed by the Venezuelan regime and exerting pressure on regime officials to end these abuses.\n\nThe State Department has monitored and documented the Venezuelan government’s long history of committing human rights abuses and violations since its 1999 Country Report on Human Rights Practices during Hugo Chavez’s presidency. In its 2024 Country Report, the most recent official report available, the State Department continued to find abuses, including credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings; disappearances; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; arbitrary arrest or detention; and restrictions on freedom of expression and the press. Likewise, Amnesty International and other international human rights organizations have detailed government attacks on fundamental human rights, finding that, for example, “[h]undreds of people suffered arbitrary detention or enforced disappearance, as well as torture and other human rights violations, for opposing or criticizing the government” last year.\n\nMany of the abuses perpetrated by Maduro and his agents, including repression of political opponents and targeting of civil society activists and independent journalists, have persisted despite Maduro’s capture in Operation Absolute Resolve, Rodríguez’s recognition as the “sole Head of State” by the Trump Administration, and the United States’ outsized role in the country’s day-to-day operations. For example, the Venezuelan government continues to use its security apparatus, including the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) and the infamous Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), to carry out arbitrary arrests and disappearances while concealing detainees’ whereabouts from their families and legal representatives. Despite Rodriguez’s promotion of a so-called “amnesty law” at the beginning of the year, human rights organizations report that over three hundred political prisoners still remain detained without access to relief or a fair trial, including several political opposition leaders, journalists, and human rights defenders facing politically motivated prosecutions. Restrictions on the freedoms of peaceful assembly, association, and expression remain significant as well, and independent journalists and media outlets continue to face censorship, restriction, intimidation, and blocking by the Rodríguez government; at least 405 media outlets have closed in the past 20 years, and more than 60 news sites continued to be blocked as of February this year\n\nImportantly, several of the Venezuelan regime’s current officials were implicated in human rights violations and abuses committed under the Maduro regime. Rodríguez, then Maduro’s Executive Vice President, was sanctioned in 2018 under an Executive Order designed to address Venezuela’s “erosion of human rights guarantees, persecution of political opponents, curtailment of press freedoms, use of violence and human rights violations and abuses.” Now recognized as Venezuela’s head of state, the Trump administration has removed Rodriguez’s sanctions without explanation. The White House also pressed this month for her removal as a defendant in a lawsuit against several Venezuelan officials for the detention and alleged torture of three Americans released in a 2023 prisoner swap. Additionally, in 2015 the U.S. government sanctioned Gustavo Enrique González López, the former the head of SEBIN, for his role in “significant acts of violence or conduct that constitutes a serious abuse or violation of human rights.” Today, González López is Venezuela’s Defense Minister.\n\nFurthermore, Venezuelans repeatedly saw their political rights eroded under Maduro, including after he claimed victory in the illegitimate 2018 presidential election. The Trump administration called the election “neither free nor fair,” and as a United States Senator, you emphasized the importance of Venezuelans’ political rights when asserting that Maduro “was not elected under [Venezuela’s] constitution.” Similarly, the Maduro regime brazenly ignored the well-documented opposition victory in the July 2024 Venezuelan election. Unfortunately, the United States has stood by Rodríguez after her regime ignored its constitutional requirement to hold a presidential election within thirty days of the expiration of her 90-day temporary role as acting president in early April. Administration officials have also reportedly assisted the regime’s efforts to obstruct opposition leader María Corina Machado’s return to Venezuela, despite previously recognizing her party’s 2024 electoral victory. The United States’ continued support for Rodríguez despite her extra-constitutional hold on power is an implicit endorsement of her regime’s violation of Venezuelans’ political rights\n\nThe next expected human rights report on Venezuela, which was due to Congress on February 25, 2026, will be limited to violations and abuses committed in 2025. In order to provide Congress with a clearer picture of U.S. efforts to disassociate from these abuses and hold perpetrators accountable since the recognition of Rodriguez as the head of state in January 2026, please provide detailed responses to the following questions no later than August 21, 2026:\n\nWhat is the State Department’s assessment of alleged violations and abuses of internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Venezuelan government since Acting President Rodríguez was sworn in?\n\nWhat is the State Department’s assessment of changes, if any, to the human rights situation in Venezuela since January 3, 2026?\n\nSince January 3, 2026, has the State Department reviewed credible information of Venezuelan security forces or officials committing gross violations of human rights for the potential application of Leahy Law or Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act sanctions?\n\nWhat is the State Department’s assessment of the likelihood that United States security or economic assistance provided to Venezuela has been used in support of activities related to facilitating civil repression and arbitrary detentions since January 3, 2026?\n\nWhat actions did the United States government take between January 1, 2025, and January 2, 2026, and has it taken since January 3, 2026, to:\n\npromote respect for and observance of human rights by the Venezuelan government?\n\npenalize individuals who are or were previously suspected of violating or abusing human rights in Venezuela?\n\ndisassociate the United States, as well as any assistance provided to Venezuela, from human rights abuses and violations?\n\nIt is critical that the State Department ensure no United States foreign assistance funding, including security or economic assistance, contributes to the human rights violations routinely committed by the Venezuelan regime and its long-entrenched officials. It is also crucial the Department continues to report on and work to prevent human rights violations and abuses committed in Venezuela, even as the U.S. government strengthens its ties to the Rodriquez government.\n\nCongress will continue to conduct rigorous oversight of the Administration’s efforts to support the Rodriguez regime. Should the State Department refuse to address the Venezuelan government’s human rights violations by the time the immediate earthquake recovery efforts conclude, we will consider using all available tools to require such a report, including Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act.\n\nWe look forward to your timely response to these urgent concerns.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiff-introduces-bill-providing-right-to-legal-representation-for-individuals-facing-deportation-legal-immigration-proceedings/", "title": "NEWS: Sen. Schiff Introduces Bill Providing Right to Legal Representation for Individuals Facing Deportation, Legal Immigration Proceedings", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the Fairness to Freedom Act of 2026, legislation to guarantee the right to legal representation for all individuals facing deportation or any legal immigration proceeding if they are unable to afford it.\n\n“President Trump’s cruel immigration agenda has caused unimaginable, long-lasting harm in our communities, leading to unlawful deportations that have torn thousands of families apart. Having access to legal counsel during immigration proceedings is essential to fair outcomes, yet beyond the reach of many. Our nation has been shaped for the better by the extraordinary contributions of immigrants, and I’m leading this bill to ensure that families have a fighting chance to present their cases and achieve fair results in the courts,” said Senator Schiff.\n\nThe risks for noncitizens and their families have never been higher as the Trump administration has made it nearly impossible for individuals to receive a fair and just process when encountering immigration officials and proceedings. Currently, individuals facing deportation, bond hearings, or expedited removal do not have the right to legal representation the same way they would in the criminal legal system. Yet the risk of being deported back to a country where individuals may face life-threatening danger remains very real for many individuals and families. Millions of children, families, and adults are currently facing deportation in immigration courts all over the country as this administration chips away at their due process rights to a fair hearing through fast-tracked processes that prioritize detention and deportation over justice, fairness, and protection. The need for legal representation and the safeguarding of due process rights is more urgent than ever.\n\nIn the U.S. House of Representatives, this legislation is led by Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-Calif-35), alongside Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Calif-6), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash-07), and Congressman Robert Garcia (D-Calif-47).\n\nIn the Senate, this legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).\n\n“For years, I have proudly led the Fairness to Freedom Act in the House because I believe due process should never depend on a person’s ability to afford an attorney. Today, as the Trump Administration escalates attacks on immigrant communities and undermines fundamental legal protections, that mission has never been more urgent,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. ” I’m grateful to Senator Schiff for introducing this critical legislation in the Senate. Together, we are making it clear that no one should face detention or deportation alone simply because they cannot afford legal representation. Justice should not be reserved for those who can pay for it.”\n\nThe Fairness to Freedom Act would specifically:\n\nRequire the government to establish the right to legal counsel representation during immigration proceedings for people unable to afford it, including for those facing deportation, during bond hearings and state court proceedings, and in matters before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services such as for special immigrant juvenile status, U-Visas, or temporary protected status applications,\n\nEnsure early, continuous, high-quality, and full-scope representation,\n\nAmend the Immigration and Nationality Act and establish the Office of Immigration Representation,\n\nEnsure coordination with existing state and locally funded removal defense programs to provide universal representation, and\n\nGuarantee representation for people facing expedited removal at the border.\n\nAccording to recent research, legal representation in immigration court proceedings is at the lowest level since 2010, with only about 34% of people in completed immigration court cases having a counsel so far in fiscal year 2026. Additionally, individuals facing deportation in court without an attorney were ordered removed in 78% of all completed cases from fiscal year 2016 through 2025, compared to just 27% of people with an attorney. According to data as of June 2026, in over half of the more than 3.1 million removal cases in immigration court—that’s at least 1.6 million cases—people are unrepresented, including more than half of people who are in immigration detention and in removal proceedings. Research shows that being represented by an attorney through a legal representation program led to individuals in immigration detention being 4.7 times more likely to be granted relief than those who did not have attorneys.\n\n“Immigrants are being pushed through complex legal proceedings without legal representation, forced to navigate a confusing system alone as they fight for their freedom, their futures, and, for many, the chance to keep their families together,” said Senator Booker. “This legislation helps ensure that no one has to face that system alone by providing the legal support they need to receive a fair hearing.”\n\n“No one should be deprived of the fundamental right to due process, basic fairness, and human dignity in our immigration system. It’s time to make commonsense reforms,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Fairness to Freedom Act would ensure every person subject to immigration proceedings is guaranteed legal representation, leading to a more equitable and transparent system that gives immigrants a fair chance.”\n\n“Everyone deserves access to legal representation during the immigration process, and no one should be denied legal counsel because of their inability to pay,” said Senator Padilla. “As the Trump Administration continues its assault on due process and targets vulnerable communities, we must ensure immigrant communities understand their rights and have access to strong legal counsel. Our bill would help ensure that no one is forced to navigate our complex immigration system alone, protecting the dignity and fundamental fairness at the heart of our justice system.”\n\nThis legislation is endorsed by:The Vera Institute of Justice and the National Partnership of New Americans.\n\n“The Fairness to Freedom Act is an urgently needed piece of legislation to establish a right to federally funded legal representation for anyone facing deportation. This is about due process, keeping families together, and ensuring people have their fair day in court at a time when the Trump administration has trampled those rights and values. No one should be denied the opportunity to defend their freedom simply because they cannot afford an attorney. We proudly champion this bill and call on Congress to follow the lead of Senator Adam Schiff and Representative Norma Torres to pass the Fairness to Freedom Act,” said ShaynaKessler, director of the Advancing Universal Representation initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice and co-leader of the Fairness to Freedom campaign.\n\n“Our families and communities are under attack by the federal government, and it’s time we give people facing deportation the most effective support they need: a lawyer by their side. Since day one of his second term, President Trump has widened the dragnet of who is at risk, greased the wheels of the deportation pipeline, and deepened the due process crisis in our immigration courts. In a system that grows more punitive by the day, access to a lawyer is one of the strongest shields against wrongful detention, family separation, and deportation. As the Fairness to Freedom campaign, we are proud to stand with Senator Adam Schiff and Representative Norma Torres to champion the bicameral Fairness to Freedom Act—a bill which will establish the right to universal representation for people facing deportation. We urge every Member of Congress who believes in due process, accountability, and dignity to join us,” said Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans and co-leader of the Fairness to Freedom campaign.\n\n“After years of studying the immigration courts, one thing is absolutely clear in the data: access to legal representation is easily one of the most important factors in whether immigrants facing deportation get a fair hearing. Representation rates are at their lowest point since 2010. Even many children are forced to sit in court alone without an attorney. The Fairness to Freedom Act would ensure that the immigration courts can function efficiently and uphold the rule of law without compromising due process for vulnerable non-citizens going through the process. This is the most evidence based piece of legislation I’ve seen in a long time,” said Dr. Austin Kocher, President of Relevant Research.\n\nThe full text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sen-schiffs-bill-to-rename-glendale-post-office-honoring-former-u-s-navy-secretary-advances-from-senate-committee/", "title": "NEWS: Sen. Schiff’s Bill to Rename Glendale Post Office Honoring Former U.S. Navy Secretary Advances from Senate Committee", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs advanced U.S. Senator Adam Schiff‘s (D-Calif.) legislation to rename a U.S. Postal Service facility in Glendale, CA after former U.S. Navy Secretary Paul Ignatius to honor his legacy of military service.\n\nThe U.S. House of Representatives passed companion legislation introduced by Laura Friedman (D-Calif.-30) at the end of June.\n\nIgnatius was the highest-ranking Armenian American in the U.S. government when serving as the 59th U.S. Secretary of the Navy under President Lyndon B. Johnson.\n\n“Former U.S. Navy Secretary Paul Ignatius dedicated a lifetime of service to our country and embodied the American dream as a son of Armenian immigrants who went on to serve at the highest levels of our government. As a young man, he also spent time working in a post office in Glendale, California. I am honored to announce that the legislation I introduced with Representative Friedman to rename a Glendale post office to honor his remarkable career and legacy has advanced out of committee. I look forward to this officially passing the Senate soon,” said Senator Schiff.\n\nBackground: The bill would designate the post office at 6444 San Fernando Road as the “Paul Ignatius Post Office.” His family was one of the earliest Armenian families to settle in Glendale in 1911 – the city with the second largest Armenian population in the U.S. only behind Los Angeles. Senator Schiff represented Glendale for over 20 years in the House.\n\nIgnatius worked at the Glendale Post Office as a temporary clerk when he was a college student, and the post office is located on the same street that his grandfather built their house nearly a century ago. Paul Ignatius served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He went on to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Army and Under Secretary of Defense for the late John F. Kennedy, before being promoted to Secretary of the Navy under President Lyndon B. Johnson.\n\nSenator Schiff first introduced this bill in 2022 in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nThe full text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-senate-committee-advances-bipartisan-schiff-padilla-bill-to-support-tribal-land-management/", "title": "NEWS: Senate Committee Advances Bipartisan Schiff, Padilla Bill to Support Tribal Land Management", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs advanced U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla’s (both D-Calif.) bicameral and bipartisan bill to promote Tribal management of over 500 acres of land in California by transferring federal land to the Pit River Tribe. The Senators introduced the legislation last year to protect Tribal communities and local environment in surrounding regions. The late Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.-01) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\n“I am proud to see our legislation to help the Pit River Tribe restore their ancestral homelands and promote Tribal sovereignty advance out of committee,” said Senator Schiff. “This bill will help the Pit River Tribe manage the Four Corners site as their ancestors did.”\n\n“For generations, senseless conflict and bureaucratic barriers have kept California Tribes from managing their ancestral lands,” said Senator Padilla. “The Pit River Land Transfer Act would ensure the Pit River Tribe rightly acquires their sacred ancestral lands to maintain their traditions and history. This is a critical step in protecting the Pit River Tribe’s community and surrounding ecosystems while honoring the Tribe’s claim to the land.”\n\n“When Senator Padilla introduced the Pit River Land Transfer Act, we spoke of restoring a sacred connection that has endured despite great hardship and dispossession. Today, thanks to Senator Padilla’s leadership, the bill has passed committee and we are one step closer,” said Yatch Bamford, Chairman of the Pit River Nation. “This is more than a transfer of acreage — it is the return of a place where our ancestors are buried, where our ceremonies were born, and where our children’s children will carry our language and traditions forward. On behalf of the Pit River Tribe, I thank Senator Padilla for his continued leadership and unwavering commitment to our people. I urge the Senate to pass our bill without delay so that this long-overdue act of justice can finally be realized.”\n\nThe Tribe has been actively trying to acquire this land through various governmental processes for over a decade. However, they have experienced a series of delays that have added years to the process. The Pit River Land Transfer Act would transfer 557 acres of federal land administered by the U.S. Forest Service to the Secretary of the Interior to be held in trust for the Pit River Tribe.\n\nThe Pit River Tribe consist of 11 autonomous bands traditionally inhabiting the area surrounding the Pit River and its tributaries. They are known for their deep spiritual connection to the land, with a rich cultural heritage centered around fishing, hunting, and seasonal gatherings.\n\nThe proposed land to be transferred is known as the Four Corners Property, located in Shasta County. The Tribe has strong cultural and historical connections to the Four Corners, and they view it as a central landmark of their ancestral lands. In October 1970, members of the Tribe erected a Quonset hut on the Four Corners, staking a peaceful, yet firm claim. That month, more than 100 sheriff’s deputies, federal marshals, and forest rangers ordered the occupants to evacuate the property, which eventually resulted in violence and the hospitalization of several Tribal members.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sens-schiff-ernst-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-expand-support-for-building-permitting-process-following-natural-disasters/", "title": "NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Support for Building Permitting Process Following Natural Disasters", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced the Reducing Red Tape for Rebuilding Act, bipartisan legislation to expand the support local governments can receive from the federal government to help with the rebuilding process following natural disasters.\n\nSpecifically, the bill would extend the timeline in which local governments can receive support from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) including providing base and overtime wages for additional staff to help with building code enforcement and processing building permits to two years following a natural disaster, which are a critical step to help communities rebuild. The bill also provides recipients the flexibility to decide when the two-year period starts rather than starting the day a disaster declaration is made.\n\n“After disaster strikes, communities should be able to access support from the federal government without delay or bureaucratic red tape. But our current laws are not working as they should. I’m proud to partner with Senator Ernst on this bipartisan bill to change the law and expand the help localities can receive to process rebuilding projects more quickly following disasters,” said Senator Schiff.\n\n“I’ve seen firsthand the devastating effects natural disasters can have on our communities in Iowa. What folks who aren’t immediately impacted often forget is that after the initial shock of a devastating storm or flood fades, the road to rebuilding entire homes and towns is a long one. I’m proud to work on a bipartisan solution to proactively reduce these impacts and help communities overcome the red tape to recover from disasters,” said Senator Ernst.\n\nUnder current law, FEMA can provide local governments with base and overtime wages support for additional staff to help with building code enforcement including permit processing for 180 days following a major disaster declaration.\n\nHowever, because at 180 days most fire-impacted communities are still clearing debris, many local governments are unable to access this benefit under current law. The U.S. Army Corps completed the fastest debris removal process in history after the Eaton and Palisades fires, but the process still took 10 months to complete—substantially longer than 180 days, demonstrating the need for a change in federal policy.\n\nLocal permitting departments often already face significant backlogs, and permitting and staffing needs can increase more than 100 percent post-disaster with those heightened resource requirements continuing for as long as five years after the event. This bill would extend the timeline within which communities can receive this support from FEMA and create additional flexibility so local governments can access this benefit when it is most needed.\n\nTo address this, the Reducing Red Tape for Rebuilding Act would:\n\nExtend this support for local governments to access to two years following a natural disaster, instead of the original 180 days.\n\nProvide recipients the flexibility to decide when the two-year period starts rather than starting the day a disaster declaration is made.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by: the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), National Association of Counties (NaCo), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), International Code Council (ICC), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association (NEMA), California Fire Chiefs, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), BuildStrong America, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), and National Association of Realtors (NAR).\n\n“There are decades of data that demonstrate that up-to-date building and fire codes significantly reduce fatalities, injuries, and property loss. Facilitating their proper implementation through FEMA reimbursement is a cost-effective strategy that mitigates future disaster risk. NFPA thanks Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) for their work to ensure continued FEMA assistance to allow critical work to continue after disasters occur,” said Jim Pauley, the President and CEO of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).\n\n“Counties are on the front lines of disaster recovery, working quickly to rebuild critical infrastructure and ensure our communities return stronger and more resilient. The Reducing Red Tape for Rebuilding Act provides much-needed flexibility by allowing counties to fully utilize skilled workers and resources over a longer timeframe, helping us implement modern building codes and accelerate recovery efforts. This commonsense change will reduce administrative barriers and ensure federal support better aligns with the realities on the ground. Counties thank Senators Schiff and Ernst for their leadership in advancing policies that strengthen county resilience and support local governments in times of need,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase.\n\n“On behalf of the International Code Council’s 60,000 + members, I applaud Senators Ernst and Schiff for introducing the Reducing Red Tape for Rebuilding Act. Building safety professionals play a key role in helping our nation recover from disasters and are committed to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. ICC members recognize that code adoption, enforcement, and building permit issuance must be expedited to ensure communities can recover swiftly and safely after disasters. The Reducing Red Tape for Rebuilding Act bill will ensure that permitting officials have the resources and flexibility to provide these essential services to our neighbors and friends in their time of need,” said Mike Boso, President, Board of Directors, International Code Council.\n\n“Sound, modern building codes save lives, but only if communities have the qualified staff to enforce them. By extending the existing FEMA assistance eligibility window to two years, this bill gives disaster-impacted areas a real shot at rebuilding stronger, more resilient infrastructure — that will withstand the next disaster, not just the last one,” said BuildStrong America Executive Director Natalie Enclade.\n\n“The National Association of Home Builders commends Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) for introducing the Reducing Red Tape for Rebuilding Act, bipartisan legislation that will help communities rebuild more quickly after disasters. The bill allows FEMA to cover the cost of additional staff for a longer period of time. For builders, that means fewer delays caused by understaffed local departments, more efficient permitting and inspections, and a faster path to getting housing projects back underway during recovery,” said Bill Owens, Chairman, National Association of Home Builders.\n\n“The rebuilding of communities in the wake of natural disasters is essential to restoring stability and peace of mind for affected families. In far too many circumstances, the road to recovery is too long and layered in bureaucracy. We thank Senators Adam Schiff and Joni Ernst for introducing the Reducing Red Tape for Rebuilding Act, an important bill that aims to address the permitting backlog for communities working to recover from natural disasters,” said Bill Killmer, Senior Vice President, Legislative and Political Affairs, Mortgage Bankers Association.\n\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sens-schiff-scott-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-address-u-s-dependency-on-china-for-pharmaceutical-products/", "title": "NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Scott Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address U.S. Dependency on China for Pharmaceutical Products", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rick Scott (F-Fla.), Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced new bipartisan legislation, the American Pharmaceutical Security Act, to direct the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to produce a report to Congress with recommendations on how the agency could use its coverage and reimbursement authorities to reduce U.S. dependency on China and other foreign manufacturers for pharmaceuticals.\n\n“The United States’ overreliance on China for the ingredients in many pharmaceuticals is a dangerous national security threat. The federal government must use all of the tools at our disposal to address this vulnerability to the health and welfare of the American people. This bipartisan legislation will help us strengthen our supply chains, so the lives of our citizens are not dependent on the good graces of nations that don’t have our best interests at heart,” said Senator Schiff.\n\n“Communist China has chosen to be our enemy and will do everything in their power to destroy our way of life. They are sending fentanyl to kill our kids and have too much influence over our pharmaceutical supply chain. Meanwhile, Americans are in the dark about what’s actually in Chinese-manufactured generic drugs. That’s why I’m glad to help lead this bipartisan legislation with Sen. Schiff. We should be onshoring production of these medications to protect Americans, create jobs here, and keep Xi and his CCP thugs from leveraging the drug supply our seniors and military rely on,” said Senator Scott.\n\nChina currently controls massive swaths of the pharmaceutical supply chain that the United States depends on for the manufacturing of pharmaceutical drugs, including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and key starting materials (KSMs). Experts estimate that nearly 700 essential medications approved for use in the U.S. depend on at least one API produced solely in China. The U.S. also relies heavily on Chinese KSMs for access to antibiotics, seizure medications, cancer drugs, and HIV treatment. For example, of the U.S. market, China controls the raw or key starting materials for 94 percent of the antibiotic, amoxicillin.\n\nAs a foreign adversary, China’s control over the generic medication market is a serious and mounting threat to U.S. national security. Congress must secure our pharmaceutical supply chain and eliminate the risk that adversaries could use to exploit and weaponize their control over generic medications.\n\nTo address this vulnerability, the American Pharmaceutical Security Act, would specifically:\n\nDirect CMS to provide a report to Congress with recommendations on how the agency could use its coverage and reimbursement authorities to reduce U.S. dependency on foreign manufacturers for active pharmaceutical supplies and key starting materials.\n\nAs the largest payor of generics medications in the United States, these recommendations will inform how the federal government can use its purchasing power such as incentivizing companies through payment policiesto increase manufacturing in the U.S. to help secure the U.S. supply chain.\n\nThe full text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/statement-sen-schiff-statement-on-senate-2026-farm-bill/", "title": "STATEMENT: Sen. Schiff Statement on Senate 2026 Farm Bill", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released the following statement on the Farm Bill:\n\n“I appreciate the collaboration of Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and stakeholders on this legislation. This Farm Bill includes important provisions I’ve fought for to address challenges farmers are facing. But the bill still falls short of what is needed by farmers, farmworkers, and families in California and around the nation.\n\n”First, the positive: From increased support for specialty crop farmers, including a new emergency assistance framework and an advisory committee to inform specialty crop insurance development, to investments for automation research and policies to expand market opportunities, to a greater investment in addressing pests and disease; this bill has much that I am proud of. It also includes legislation I’ve pushed for to improve health protections for Forest Service firefighters. And it contains reauthorizations and modifications to many initiatives important to California, such as organic, rural development, and trade programs. And it maintains California’s Proposition 12 in its entirety, keeping intact critical public health, food safety, and animal welfare standards.\n\n“Second, what is missing: Unfortunately, the Farm Bill we considered today did not address the deep cuts made to food for hungry families in the SNAP program, by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, and the harm it is doing in California and across our nation.Millions of families are hungrier, and this Farm Bill does not change that. It not only fails to address a growing hunger crisis, it also proposes to put a heavier burden on states like California, which will only result in more families suffering, along with the farmers who would otherwise provide that food. The bill does not address the lack of disaster assistance for states like California that are hit with fire and flooding, in the same way it provides help for farmers hurt by hurricanes in other states. Furthermore, this Farm Bill cuts nearly $2 billion in funding for widely popular conservation programs and lacks robust investments for farmers and rural America such as more ad hoc assistance for specialty crop farmers and mandatory funding for local food programs.\n\n“California’s farmers, farmworkers and families deserve a Farm Bill that restores and strengthens SNAP, and that provides more meaningful resources to help growers succeed. In the absence of this, I could not vote in support of the bill as written. I will continue to work with both sides of the aisle for a better and stronger Farm Bill in the hope that we might get the job done next month.”\n\nBackground: Senator Schiff is the first Senator from California to serve on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in over 30 years. The Farm Bill considered today included provisions of bills that Senator Schiff introduced and advocated for, including:\n\nThe Increasing Insurance Access for Specialty Crops Act to establish a first-time ever Specialty Crop Advisory Committee for Crop Insurance at USDA. This Committee would improve existing policies available to specialty crops, conduct outreach, and facilitate the development of new insurance policies for specialty crops. The majority of U.S. specialty crop growers operate without crop insurance or any other form of a federal safety net. Specialty crop farmers deserve an affordable and effective safety net. The bill text can be viewed here.\n\nThe Advancing Automation Research and Development in Agriculture Act to allocate $30 million per year from USDA research funding for the research and development of specialty crop mechanization and automation. Agricultural labor is an ongoing challenge for farmers, and this bill would improve their ability to grow, harvest, and handle what they grow while upskilling farmworkers in their ability to use such technology. The bill text can be viewed here.\n\nThe Ensuring Disaster Recovery and Resilience for Specialty Crops Act to establish an emergency assistance framework tailored to specialty crops. USDA and Congress have repeatedly had to provide disaster relief to growers on an ad hoc basis. A framework would allow growers to receive relief on a timely and reliable basis. Farmers and ranchers across the country have long had access toa plethora of disaster programs; specialty crop farmers deserve a dedicated program that works well for them, as well. This bill is co-led by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) The bill text can be viewed here.\n\nThe Expanding Market Access Act to enhance American producers’ access to foreign markets to help meet international demand for California and U.S. products. Specifically, the bill would provide technical assistance for infrastructure in foreign markets for U.S. commodities, mandate a report on the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops, and increase funding for the Market Access Program, which funds overseas marketing and promotional activities of U.S. agricultural products. California farmers feed not just the state and the nation, but the world. We must invest in resources to ensure they can keep doing so. The bill text can be viewed here.\n\nThe Fresh Produce for Families Act to increase food banks’ access to fresh produce. This bill seeks to provide nutritious food for American families and support specialty crop farmers. The bill text can be viewed here.\n\nThe Opening Programs to Organic Farms Act to direct USDA to conduct a report on barriers to participation in USDA programs faced by certified organic farms and farms that may be interested in transitioning to organic production. The bill text can be viewed here.\n\nThe Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act to create the first-ever respiratory protection standards for wildland firefighters. The bill text can be viewed here.\n\nIn May, Schiff outlined his priorities for the Farm Bill and to push for a Bill that reflects economic opportunity, health, sustainability, national security, and prosperity. He also published an op-ed with the Bakersfield Californian calling for a Farm Bill that serves California’s farmers.\n\nDuring the first year and a half of the Senator’s term on the Senate Agriculture Committee, he has visited farms across the entirety of California, learning about the Golden State’s countless agricultural industries, including strawberries, almonds, broccoli, celery, and leafy greens.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-leads-effort-to-repeal-californias-vehicle-emission-standards-limiting-consumer-choice-raising-costs-for-american-families/", "title": "Schmitt Leads Effort to Repeal California’s Vehicle Emission Standards Limiting Consumer Choice, Raising Costs for American Families", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "scraper": "schmitt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001227", "name": "Eric Schmitt", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Joins Colleagues in Introducing Additional CRAs to Overturn California’s Burdensome Regulations\n\nU.S. SENATE — Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s(EPA) 2009 waiver allowing California to establish its own motor vehicle emissions standards. Senator Schmitt also joined Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Jon Husted (R-OH) in introducing three additional CRA resolutions overturning separate EPA waivers that have allowed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to impose its climate alarmist regulatory agenda beyond California’s borders. These CRA resolutions would bar EPA from granting substantially similar waivers to California, or any other state, preventing future administrations from re-instating these burdensome regulations.\n\nTogether, the four resolutions target California’s Small Off-Road Engine (SORE) mandate, the Advanced Clean Cars I (ACC I) program, the 2022 reinstatement of the ACC I waiver, and the 2009 EPA waiver that first allowed California to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.\n\n“California’s burdensome emissions requirements continue to punish American manufacturers, reduce consumer choice, and raise prices for American families. One state should not have the power to set national policy and dictate what products Americans use far beyond its borders. Overturning these climate alarmist rules will not only restore common sense, but also prevent a future administration from attempting to grant similar waivers. I’m proud to lead the Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal the EPA-California State Motor Vehicle Control Standards Waiver and join Senators Ricketts, Husted, and Lummis in our effort to help make life more affordable for American families,” said Senator Schmitt.\n\n“California’s climate zealots have run roughshod over the rest of the country for too long,” said Senator Lummis. “Under Governor Newsom, Sacramento has decided it can dictate what Wyoming families drive and what equipment our small businesses use. That ends today. I’m proud to lead this fight to reclaim Congress’s authority and stop California from legislating for the entire nation.”\n\n“Ohioans shouldn’t be forced to follow California’s lead when it comes to policies that make everyday life more expensive and less convenient,” said Senator Husted.“These resolutions are part of our work to make life more affordable for working families, restore common sense, cut unnecessary red tape and put consumers back in control. I’m proud to support this effort to lower costs and protect consumer choice.”\n\n“Biden’s overregulation and red tape regime cost Nebraskans millions of dollars,” said Senator Ricketts. “They used California policies as a backdoor EV mandate and even tried to control how we cut our grass. I am proud to lead the effort to overturn these restrictions and restore commonsense. I will continue to fight for policies that empower our families, farmers, and ranchers.”\n\nThe four Congressional Review Act resolutions would:\n\nRepeal the EPA’s 2009 waiver allowing California to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.\n\nOverturn California’s Small Off-Road Engine (SORE) waiver, preserving consumer access to gas-powered equipment such as chainsaws, lawn mowers, and power washers.\n\nRepeal the Advanced Clean Cars I (ACC I) waiver for passenger vehicle emissions standards.\n\nReverse the Biden Administration’s 2022 reinstatement of California’s ACC I waiver.\n\nLast year, Congress used the Congressional Review Act to overturn California’s Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, and Omnibus NOx waivers. These resolutions build on that effort by restoring congressional authority over national emissions policy and preventing California from imposing its regulatory agenda on the rest of the country.\n\nSenator Schmitt’s CRA resolution to overturn the California State Motor Vehicle Control Standards Waiver from 2009 was joined by his colleagues, Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Cythia Lummis (R-WY), Jon Husted (R-OH), Roger Marshall (R-KS), John Barrasso (R-WY), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Bernie Moreno (R-OH).\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/senate-passes-schmitt-resolution-recognizing-the-missouri-tigers-claim-as-the-1960-college-football-national-champions/", "title": "Senate Passes Schmitt Resolution Recognizing the Missouri Tiger’s Claim as the 1960 College Football National Champions", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "scraper": "schmitt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001227", "name": "Eric Schmitt", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "U.S. SENATE — Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) took to the Senate floor to pass his Resolution recognizing the Missouri Tigers claim as the 1960 College Football National Champions. Missouri finished the season 11-0 after the result of its game against Kansas was reversed because Kansas used an ineligible player. The Tigers defeated Nebraska, Penn State, and Oklahoma before capping off their undefeated season with an Orange Bowl victory over Navy. Senator Schmitt honored the perseverance, integrity, and determination that defined Coach Dan Devine and his players throughout their historic season. The Senate unanimously passed Schmitt’s resolution.\n\nWatch the Senator’s full speechHERE.\n\nExcerpt of remarks as prepared for delivery:\n\n“Mr. President, I rise today to honor one of the greatest teams ever to wear the Black and Gold: the 1960 Missouri Tigers. They finished 11-and-0. They conquered the Big Eight. They defeated the Navy Midshipmen, 21 to 14, in the Orange Bowl down in Florida. But their greatness cannot be measured by the record alone. Their story is about something deeper: perseverance after humiliation, accountability in the face of injustice, and the integrity of men who kept their word.\n\n“But Devine looked at the younger men and made a promise. Two years from that day, Missouri would return to Norman. And Missouri would win. But a promise had been made by Coach Devine. So, for two years, the Tigers went to work.\n\n“The Big Eight ordered Kansas to forfeit the victory and stripped the Jayhawks of the conference championship. Kansas could keep the memory of the final whistle. Missouri kept the title. Missouri finished 11-and-0. Reminding the conference and the American populace that cheaters never truly win.\n\n“Mr. President, every generation needs examples of men who stick to their word. Dan Devine made a promise in the ashes of defeat. His players believed him. Then they spent two years earning the right to fulfill it.\n\n“More than six decades later, the 1960 Tigers still embody the character of Missouri. We are a people who work. We are a people who endure. We are a people who keep our promises.\n\n“Today, I am proud to honor Coach Dan Devine, Norris Stevenson, and every member of the undefeated 1960 Missouri Tigers. Their promise was kept. Their championship was earned. Their record remains perfect. And Kansas still lost.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/senator-schmitt-shares-white-house-endorsement-of-bipartisan-protect-college-sports-act/", "title": "Senator Schmitt Shares White House Endorsement of Bipartisan Protect College Sports Act", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "scraper": "schmitt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001227", "name": "Eric Schmitt", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "U.S. SENATE — Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) issued the following statement after the Trump Administration released its Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) in support of the Protect College Sports Act. The SAP follows weeks of intense negotiation in the Senate as Schmitt—alongside Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and the conferences—worked to produce comprehensive legislation to protect athletic opportunities for student-athletes and protect the uniquely American institution of collegiate sports.\n\n“Since the very beginning, I have been working closely with the Trump Administration and my Senate colleagues to get the Protect College Sports Act past the finish line. President Trump understands that financial instability and a messy regulatory patchwork have jeopardized the future of college sports—putting opportunities for tens of thousands of athletes at risk. It’s time to stabilize college sports and ensure women, Olympic, and non-revenue athletes can still compete. For months, I have been working with my colleagues in the Senate and the Trump administration, as well as conference leaders, to save college sports. I am grateful the Trump Administration is supporting the Protect College Sports Act to strengthen this uniquely American institution. Let’s get this done,” said Senator Schmitt.\n\nSenator Schmitt is an original co-sponsor of the Protect College Sports Act.\n\nIn June, Schmitt discussed Congress’ role in saving college sports and cheered the bill’s passage out of the Senate Commerce Committee.\n\nRead more about Schmitt’s work to address the issues facing college sports HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-applauds-advancement-of-her-bipartisan-bill-to-bring-missing-service-members-home", "title": "Shaheen Applauds Advancement of Her Bipartisan Bill to Bring Missing Service Members Home", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.shaheen.senate.gov", "scraper": "shaheen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001181", "name": "Jeanne Shaheen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, and Mike Crapo (R-ID) applauded the advancement of their bipartisan bill to strengthen efforts to bring home missing service members by a unanimous, bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The Bring Our Heroes Home Act would eliminate obstacles preventing families from accessing records needed to learn more about the fates of service members and civilian personnel who went missing.\n\n“Military families often wait years, sometimes even decades, to access information about their lost loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m pleased the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously cleared our legislation to ensure the records of service members are properly collected and shared so that our lost soldiers’ loved ones can get the closure they need to heal.”\n\n“We have a duty to our missing servicemembers and their families to make every effort to bring them home,” said Senator Crapo. “Government bureaucracy cannot stand in the way of fulfilling this promise or providing closure to families who, in some cases, have waited decades for answers about their loved ones. The Committee’s action today is an important step forward, and I will continue working to get this bill signed into law.”\n\nAccording to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, more than 81,500 Americans remain unaccounted for from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars and other conflicts. Shaheen secured a provision based on the Bring Our Heroes Home Act in the Committee-approved Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to eliminate obstacles preventing families and caseworkers from accessing the records needed for recovering America’s POWs and MIA.\n\nThroughout her time in Congress, Shaheen has worked diligently on behalf of Granite State families to return the remains of their loved ones lost in war. In 2016, Shaheen successfully added an amendment to North Korea Sanctions legislation, which was signed into law, to protect efforts to recover the remains of American service members in North Korea. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 government funding legislation that was signed into law, Shaheen supported efforts to increase funding of an additional $30 million for the Defense Personnel Accounting Agency (DPAA), which is the agency responsible for identifying remains of POWs and MIAs from conflicts around the world.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-cassidy-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-establish-support-for-disabled-entrepreneurs", "title": "Shaheen, Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Establish Support for Disabled Entrepreneurs", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.shaheen.senate.gov", "scraper": "shaheen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001181", "name": "Jeanne Shaheen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) are introducing bipartisan legislation that would help reduce barriers and increase support for disabled entrepreneurs starting and expanding their small businesses. The bipartisan Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act would direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a designated Coordinator for Disabled Small Business Concerns and to collect data, on a voluntary basis, on the disability status of small business owners participating in SBA programs.\n\n“Disabled entrepreneurs face a unique set of obstacles to building and growing their businesses, so it’s critical that these individuals have specialized avenues for support and equal access to resources at the Small Business Administration,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our legislation would do just that, ensuring disabled small business owners can attain financial stability and unlock the kind of innovative, entrepreneurial opportunity that is vital to helping our local economies flourish.”\n\nIn the United States, one in four people live with disabilities, and according to a 2022 report by National Disability Institute, approximately 1.8 million individuals with disabilities are business owners. Entrepreneurship offers an alternative path to traditional employment for individuals with disabilities. To achieve economic prosperity and independence, Americans living with a disability turn to self-employment and small business development at a rate that is nearly twice that of people without disabilities. Several barriers persist for this community in starting and growing their own businesses, including a lack of targeted technical and programmatic assistance as well as outdated attitudinal norms.\n\nTo address these barriers, the Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act directs the SBA to:\n\nEstablish a Coordinator for Disabled Small Business Concerns at the agency;\n\nCollect voluntary demographic data from program applicants on disability status; and\n\nPublish data on the participation of disabled entrepreneurs in SBA programs.\n\nA copy of the bill text can be read HERE.\n\nThe Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act is endorsed by the National Disability Institute (NDI), America's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, NH SBDC, 2Gether-International, American Association of People with Disabilities, Disability Rights Center – NH, Melwood, Alliance for Expanding America's Workforce, CEO Commission for Disability Employment, National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and Gallaudet University.\n\nAs a senior member and former chair of the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee, Shaheen champions the work to support New Hampshire’s small business community. In Congress, Shaheen leads efforts to mitigate the harmful impacts of President Trump’s tariffs, including with the introduction of the Speedy Tariff Refund Act to ensure full refunds of President Trump’s illegal tariffs that raised costs for American small business owners. Shaheen also directly called out Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for the harm the Administration has inflicted on New Hampshire’s small businesses. Shaheen has traveled across the Granite State to discuss the impact of tariffs on New Hampshire’s tourism industry and to visit businesses impacted by President Trump’s trade war.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/06/slotkin-ricketts-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-keep-biotech-industry-in-america-not-china/", "title": "Slotkin, Ricketts Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Keep Biotech Industry in America, Not China", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "domain": "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "scraper": "slotkin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001208", "name": "Elissa Slotkin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the Biotech Investment National Security Act (BINSA). This bill would ensure American investment in adversary biotechnology is subject to the review requirements of the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security (COINS) Act.\n\nSpecifically, this legislation adds biotechnology, including pharmaceutical development, biologics manufacturing, and clinical research to the list of sectors subject to screening and scrutiny from the federal government.\n\n“Biotech is crucial for driving economic growth, creating jobs, and spurring innovation in science and technologies, like lifesaving medicines,” said Senator Slotkin. “But right now, China is eating our lunch in this field. This bill ensures strong U.S. leadership in biotech and protects U.S. intellectual property and investments. We’ve seen China use this playbook before to dominate other critical sectors, such as the automotive industry and drone market. This bill will stop that.”\n\n“America leads the world in innovation across all sectors,” said Senator Ricketts. “This critical legislation ensures American investment in the biotech industry benefits Americans—not our enemies. We cannot allow Communist China to obtain the resources it needs to threaten our way of life. I will fight every effort that weaponizes American investments to undercut our businesses and reshape supply chains against us. Maintaining America’s innovative leadership and global economic dominance is a matter of national security.”\n\nThis legislation would:\n\nAmend the COINS Act to include biotechnology –specifically pharmaceutical and biological product development—to the list of sectors subject to receive increased federal scrutiny.\n\nMake U.S. pharmaceutical licensing deals, joint ventures, and equity investments with Chinese covered foreign persons subject to review by the U.S. Treasury Department.\n\nDirect the Treasury Department to consult with Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and implement regulations within one year of enactment.\n\nRequire the Secretary of Defense to assess within 60 days whether U.S. capital flows into Chinese biotechnology negatively affect national security and military readiness.\n\nCompanion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. John Moolenaar (MI-02) and Debbie Dingell (MI-06) in June 2026.\n\nClick here to download the bill text.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.smith.senate.gov/u-s-senator-tina-smiths-statement-on-farm-bill-markup/", "title": "U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Agriculture Committee’s Markup of Long-Delayed Farm Bill", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.smith.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.smith.senate.gov", "scraper": "tinasmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001203", "name": "Tina Smith", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Sen. Smith and colleagues offered dozens of amendments to strengthen the Farm Bill, which ultimately failed to gain bipartisan support\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after the Senate Agriculture Committee failed to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill:\n\n“Patience is a virtue, it’s just not my virtue. I’m disappointed that we could not come to agreement on the Senate Farm Bill today, but we will keep working to find a path forward. It’s crucial that we pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that meets the needs of farmers, ranchers and rural America, including year-round E15,” said Sen. Smith.\n\n“I’m glad that several of my provisions are included in this bill. However, it is not possible to pass a Farm Bill that fails to fix the deep cuts to SNAP that are taking food off the table for millions of Americans, including at least 1.5 million children. Democrats have offered a commonsense solution that would delay the giant cost shift to county taxpayers, which would end up costing Minnesota taxpayers $140 million, for two years,” she continued.\n\n“While the Republican have not accepted this so far, we will keep working. I’m grateful for the relentless efforts of Ranking Member Klobuchar to improve this Farm Bill and find a bipartisan solution. Amid shrinking markets, tariffs and skyrocketing costs for fuel and fertilizer caused by Trump’s war in Iran, farmers need Congress to get the job done,” she concluded.\n\nSen. Smith, along with her Democratic colleagues, were clear that they could not support a Farm Bill that did not delay the cost-shift of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by at least two years. Without this delay, counties would be forced to increase property taxes to cover the costs of administering the program, which most Minnesotans could not afford. Senate Republicans went forward with a markup in full knowledge that without a provision addressing SNAP, the bill would fail.\n\nDemocrats offered an amendment to delay the SNAP cost shift by two years, but it was blocked by Republicans. Sen. Smith pushed for multiple amendments to the legislation that would have improved its chances of passing, including amendments that would:\n\nAllow for year-round sale of E-15\n\nExpand Tribal self-determination authority for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations\n\nEstablish self-determination authority for Tribal meat processing\n\nRestore canceled Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants, which is particularly important for recipients who spent money preparing their operation for projects that the federal government had already committed to\n\nProhibit prediction markets from offering sports betting and casino-like games that violate state and Tribal regulations\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-and-cruz-lead-letter-urging-sanctions-on-chinas-illegal-unreported-and-unregulated-fishing-fleet", "title": "Sullivan & Cruz Lead Letter Urging Sanctions on China’s Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Fleet", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.sullivan.senate.gov", "scraper": "sullivan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001198", "name": "Dan Sullivan", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlining a strategy to counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing conducted by China’s distant-water fleet. The letter identifies vulnerabilities in China’s IUU fishing fleet linked to its reliance on a relatively limited number of support vessels, calls for the imposition of sanctions on such vessels, and specifically identifies 29 currently unsanctioned vessels.\n\nThe letter is co-signed by Sens. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).\n\n“Chinese trawl fleets ravage fish stocks in every corner of the world’s oceans without regard for any other users or future generations,” Sen. Sullivan said. “These fleets also engage in gross human rights abuses, including utilizing slave labor. I’ve led the fight against this cancer on our fisheries, authoring the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest (FISH) Act, which passed the Senate in March. Working with Senator Cruz and my colleagues, we’ve identified another powerful channel to target these evasive IUU fleets—by tightening the screws on the relatively few support vessels that enable Chinese IUU fleets to continue their abusive practices. We are urging Secretary Bessent to deploy the numerous Treasury Department tools and designations available to aggressively sanction these support vessels and dismantle the Chinese Communist Party’s hub-and-spoke IUU fishing scheme. Doing so will enhance the sustainability of our oceans and help support America’s and Alaska’s hard-working fishermen and our many coastal fishing communities.”\n\n“The Chinese Communist Party is using its global distant-water fleet to conduct ecocide across at least three continents in both hemispheres,” Sen. Cruz said. “They kill endangered species by the hundreds and sharks, whales, and dolphins by the thousands, and have destroyed tens of thousands of acres of coral reefs. Their fleet uses coerced laborers, who are subjected to physical abuse, malnutrition, overwork, and withheld pay. They could not conduct these activities without supply ships, including reefers, tankers, and floating bases. The U.S. should bolster our Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities to identify these vessels, and then we should use every available option to sanction and disrupt them.”\n\n“China’s dark fleets and forced labor threaten New Jersey’s fishing industries, our supply chains, and our national security,” Sen. Kim said. “Without action, global ecosystems and economies will suffer irreversible harm. I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to use all of our tools to stop it.”\n\n“Vessels that support and protect China’s illegal, unregulated fishing fleet threaten our maritime security and American’s livelihoods,” Sen. Cotton said. “We are encouraging Secretary Bessent to sanction these vessels.”\n\n“China’s illegal fishing fleet is destroying our oceans and making it harder for our allies to fish right off their own coasts, threatening whole communities’ livelihoods and ability to feed themselves,” Sen. Coons said. “It also hurts American fishermen who are undercut by cheap, illegally harvested fish. This bipartisan letter calls on the administration to take action to protect our and our allies national and food security against China.”\n\n“Illegal, unreported, and unregulated Chinese fishing vessels threaten the American maritime economy,” Sen. Wicker said. “It is a no-brainer that the United States should sanction these Chinese ships to protect our fishing industry.”\n\n“China’s distant water fishing fleet continues to disrupt global and regional fishing economies,” Sen. Young said. “Through overfishing and illegal incursions into foreign waters, China seeks to undermine the global fishing industry until there is nothing left. The United States must take steps to combat these activities and promote American fishing practices, which remain the gold standard for sustainable fishing.”\n\n“The Chinese Communist Party is evil and barbaric,” Sen. Scott said. “They are using slave labor and violating human rights on the high seas to prop up their regime, undermine America’s economy, and attack our way of life. America needs to do everything we can to end this practice, stop the oppression, and protect American workers at the same time. I will always stand up to Xi and the CCP—whether it’s cutting off these state-sponsored slave fishing fleets or blocking Chinese military companies from American markets—we need to start treating China like the enemy they are.”\n\n“The Chinese Communist Party is committing gross human rights abuses by using forced labor on its fleet of thousands of fishing vessels that engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing,” Sen. Blackburn said. “We are urging Secretary Bessent to counter this malign activity by sanctioning the support vessels that enable this Chinese water fishing fleet so we can ensure we are not doing business with them.”\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-commerce-committee-advance-legislation-to-protect-youth-online-demand-accountability-from-big-tech", "title": "Sullivan, Commerce Committee Advance Legislation to Protect Youth Online, Demand Accountability from Big Tech", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.sullivan.senate.gov", "scraper": "sullivan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001198", "name": "Dan Sullivan", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation (CST) Committee, yesterday voted with his committee colleagues to advance four pieces of legislation related to the safety of youth online, including the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), of which Sen. Sullivan was an original cosponsor. KOSA provides new safeguards and controls for parents and youth to protect their online experiences and creates accountability for social media companies by requiring them to mitigate against harmful content.\n\n“We can have the strongest economy and the best quality of life, but none of that matters if our kids are depressed, isolated, or considering ending their lives because of what they’re consuming online,” said Sen. Sullivan. “I want to commend my committee colleagues for coming together once again to advance serious legislation that protects young people online and shakes the vise grip that Big Tech has on our kids. When this bill comes to the floor, I’ll be working to incorporate my ADS for Mental Health Act, which would provide greater transparency around social media advertising targeting kids and promote mental health resources for users on these platforms. I urge my House colleagues to join us in passing these reasonable accountability safeguards and not allow the financial interests of Big Tech to override the well-being of our kids.”\n\nBelow is a timeline of Sen. Sullivan’s work on Big Tech accountability and mental health:\n\nIn March 2026, the Senate unanimously passed Sen. Sullivan’s Advancing Digital Support (ADS) for Mental Health Services Act, legislation to bring greater transparency to social media advertising and encourage online platforms to promote mental health resources and community engagement.\n\nIn October 2024, Sen. Sullivan joined a roundtable discussion hosted by Alaska Children's Trust on the youth mental health crisis with educators, school administrators, law enforcement officials, youth mental health specialists, parents, and other experts.\n\nOn July 30, 2024, Sen. Sullivan voted with 90 of his Senate colleagues to pass the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act. This bill combined provisions from the Kids Online Safety Act, of which Sen. Sullivan was an original cosponsor, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to combat harmful online content targeted toward minors and to encourage parent and guardian involvement in their children’s online activities.\n\nIn May 2024, Sen. Sullivan launched the “One Pill Can Kill – Alaska” campaign to combat the increase in fentanyl-related deaths in Alaska and across the country.\n\nIn August 2023, Sen. Sullivan published an op-ed in the Anchorage Daily News encouraging Alaskans to unite to address the youth mental health crisis.\n\nIn July 2023, Sen. Sullivan hosted U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in Anchorage for a series of town hall-style roundtables to discuss the mental health crisis among youth, how social media impacts the crisis, and what can be done to combat it.\n\nIn July 2023, Sen. Sullivan introduced the Advancing Digital Support (ADS) for Mental Health Services Act, which would require reporting on targeted advertising and encourage online advertisers to dedicate some of their ads to mental health PSAs.\n\nIn April 2023, Sen. Sullivan introduced Bruce’s Law with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to bolster federal prevention and education efforts surrounding fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is increasingly being incorporated into illicit street drugs. The measure was named after an Alaskan, Robert “Bruce” Snodgrass, who tragically passed away in 2021 at the age of 22 from fentanyl poisoning.\n\nIn January 2023, Sen. Sullivan sent a letter calling for hearings and potential congressional action on TikTok related to privacy issues, national security concerns, and the platform’s troubling influence on youth.\n\nIn March 2021, Sen. Sullivan introduced the Leveraging Integrated Networks in Communities (LINC) to Address Social Needs Act to expand collaborative care in Alaska to make it easier for health care and social service providers to work together for the benefit of patients’ whole health. This legislation was signed into law in December 2022. Sen. Sullivan introduced similar legislation for veterans in July 2023.\n\nIn April 2018, Sen. Sullivan questioned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during a joint Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committee hearing about Facebook’s market dominance and responsibility for published content.\n\nIn August 2016, Sen. Sullivan hosted an opioid summit to address Alaska’s unique challenges dealing with opioid and heroin abuse. The summit was attended by Dr. Murthy, as well as representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Veterans Health Administration, and several Alaska health care administrators.\n\n# # #\n\nNext Article Previous Article", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/delegation-encourages-administration-to-quickly-approve-disaster-declaration-for-central-south-dakota/", "title": "Delegation Encourages Administration to Quickly Approve Disaster Declaration for Central South Dakota", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.thune.senate.gov", "scraper": "thune", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000250", "name": "John Thune", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) recently sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging his support for South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden’s request for a major disaster declaration following storms in central South Dakota, including Highmore, between June 28 and July 3.\n\n“We support the state’s request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration, as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the relevant areas of our state,” wrote the delegation. “We also strongly urge you to approve the state’s request for hazard mitigation funding. This will allow the state to mitigate future damages to vulnerable electric infrastructure. Without this funding, preventable damage to utilities from future disasters will only compound existing repair challenges.”\n\nFull letter below:\n\nThe Honorable Donald J. Trump\n\nPresident of the United States\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDear President Trump,\n\nWe write in strong support of the state of South Dakota’s major disaster declaration request submitted by Governor Larry Rhoden on July 27, 2026. This disaster declaration request would assist in recovery efforts from severe weather that occurred June 28 to July 3, 2026.\n\nFrom June 28 to July 3, 2026, a single severe weather system brought a series of devastating storms across central South Dakota. This multiday storm system included: a mini-derecho, windstorms, hail, straight line winds, tornadoes and flooding. The system also included peak wind gusts of 131 MPH, making it the strongest recorded thunderstorm wind gust since 1983 and among the strongest recorded in the United States.\n\nThis combination of severe weather impacted 21,786 households in eight counties and two tribal communities across nearly an 8,500 square mile area.\n\nIn the city of Highmore alone, 80-90% of all structures in the city sustained damage. It also caused significant damage to public infrastructure and led to widespread power outages. In some cases, residents were left without power for over a week while experiencing extremely hot summer temperatures.\n\nThe damage to public utility infrastructure is also severe and far reaching. Across South Dakota, electric infrastructure has been repeatedly weakened by year-round extreme weather events including severe storms, ice accumulation, wildfire, high winds, and flooding.\n\nWe support the state’s request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration, as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the relevant areas of our state. We also strongly urge you to approve the state’s request for hazard mitigation funding. This will allow the state to mitigate future damages to vulnerable electric infrastructure. Without this funding, preventable damage to utilities from future disasters will only compound existing repair challenges.\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to this request, and please do not hesitate to contact us if we can provide any additional information.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thune-democrats-put-politics-ahead-of-producers-and-rural-america-at-senate-farm-bill-markup/", "title": "Thune: Democrats Put Politics Ahead of Producers and Rural America at Senate Farm Bill Markup", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.thune.senate.gov", "scraper": "thune", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000250", "name": "John Thune", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the following statement after Democrats blocked the Senate farm bill from being reported out of the Agriculture Committee. Multiple Thune priorities for South Dakota, including the year-round sale of E15 fuel, are included in the legislation.\n\n“Democrats’ refusal to support the farm bill and year-round E15 is deeply disappointing and only creates more uncertainty for South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers,” said Thune. “This bill includes over 100 bipartisan bills, yet Democrats chose to put partisan politics above producers and rural America. I know Republicans on the Senate Agriculture Committee stand ready to enact these sensible agriculture policies.”\n\nThune-authored proposals included in the Senate farm bill:\n\nThune’s Livestock Disaster Assistance Improvement Act (introduced on March 6, 2025), which would expand the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program’s (ELAP) authority to cover transportation costs for hauling feed and water and add adverse weather and drought as qualifying disasters;\n\nThune’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Improvement and Flexibility Act (introduced on July 31, 2025), which would bolster CRP by improving access to grazing, maximizing enrollment options for producers, and expediting emergency haying in response to drought and other weather-related disaster events;\n\nThune’s Safeguarding American Food and Export Trade Yields (SAFETY) Act (introduced on April 1, 2025), which would protect American food products from unfair trade practices by foreign countries;\n\nThune’s Rural Internet Improvement Act, which would streamline USDA’s broadband authorities by merging and codifying the popular Rural e-Connectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect) with USDA’s traditional broadband loan and grant program;\n\nThune’s Strengthening Local Processing Act (introduced on April 29, 2025), which would provide support to America’s small meat and poultry processors to help strengthen and upgrade their operations;\n\nThune’s Promoting Precision Agriculture Act (introduced on February 11, 2025), which would facilitate the further adoption of precision agriculture technologies for farmers and ranchers;\n\nThune’s Fertilizer Price Transparency Act (introduced on March 19, 2026), which would provide American producers with more accurate information on prices for fertilizer and fertilizer products in response to longstanding concerns over rising input costs;\n\nThune’s proposed one-time increase to the voluntary base acre update cap passed in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to ensure all eligible acres can be enrolled in commodity programs; and\n\nThune’s American Beef Labeling Act (introduced on February 5, 2025), which would reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef.\n\nThune has served on the Agriculture Committee in both the House and Senate. Thune has written four farm bills during his time in Congress, and the 2026 farm bill is his fifth. Agriculture is South Dakota’s top industry, with more than 42 million acres of agricultural land throughout the state.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thune-joins-americas-newsroom-on-fox-news/", "title": "Thune Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.thune.senate.gov", "scraper": "thune", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000250", "name": "John Thune", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Click here to watch.\n\nWASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News:\n\nOn Democrats embracing socialism:\n\n“The progressive wing of [the Democrat] party, the liberal far-left wing, is ascendant in the in politics right now … But when you got the DSA and people out there advocating openly for those types of policies, I think the American people are going to say a big fat no to that come November, Bill … This is a clear contrast … elections are about differences, and the choices couldn’t be more clear.”\n\nOn Republicans’ agenda:\n\n“If you look at the policies when it comes to taxes and regulations and energy and all the things that Republicans are delivering on for the American people, our goal and objective is to have more money in people’s pockets, and they will as a result of the policies we put in place.”\n\nOn the SAVE America Act:\n\n“We’ve had five votes on it already … We’ll figure out a way to get yet another vote on the SAVE America Act, but I don’t expect the Democrats to change their view. The issue here is all 47 Democrats, all five times we’ve voted on the SAVE America Act on the floor of the United States Senate, have voted no.\n\n“This is an issue about going after Democrats, making this an issue in the fall campaigns, and holding them accountable for being on the wrong side of an 80-20 issue with the American people. But we will try and set up a way to get more votes on that to put them on the record again … The fact of the matter is, you have block opposition from Democrats in the United States Senate when it comes to this issue, and that’s why it’s so important that we elect more Republicans to the Senate in November.”\n\nOn Todd Blanche’s nomination:\n\n“We intend to vote on him before we leave, and I am hopeful and optimistic that we will get him confirmed.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-curtis-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-combat-affordable-housing-crisis-strengthen-usps", "title": "Van Hollen, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Affordable Housing Crisis, Strengthen USPS", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.vanhollen.senate.gov", "scraper": "vanhollen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000128", "name": "Chris Van Hollen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced bipartisan legislation to confront the shortage of affordable housing across the country while simultaneously helping to address funding shortfalls at the United States Postal Service (USPS). Amid record-breaking housing costs, the Senators’ new bill, the Delivering Americans Affordable Homes Act, would allow local communities to lease Postal Service property rights for new affordable housing construction. At the same time, this legislation protects against the sale of Postal Service assets, supports the rehabilitation and new construction of Postal facilities, and eases the Postal Service’s critical financial constraints.\n\n“Far too many working Americans are faced with housing costs they simply cannot afford. At the same time, the Postal Service faces financial struggles that, if left unaddressed, will result in USPS running out of money to operate. With this legislation, we’re not only bringing new, affordable homes to communities across the country, we’re also working to shore up the Postal Service so that it can continue serving Americans for generations to come. It’s a win-win,” said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n“Utah desperately needs more housing, and the Postal Service needs new sources of revenue; this commonsense legislation helps accomplish both,” said Senator Curtis. “By giving USPS the authority to lease underutilized property for housing development, we can put unused land to work, expand the housing supply, and strengthen an institution that millions of Americans rely on every day.”\n\nCurrently, the Postal Service owns about 8,500 properties around the United States, many of which are located in places suitable for housing construction and in areas with high housing demand. According to a recent analysis from Brookings, housing construction on postal property could build over 200,000 new homes and bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the Postal Service each year.\n\nThe Delivering Americans Affordable Homes Act would set guardrails on housing construction by USPS by allowing for the lease, but prohibiting the sale, of Postal Service property for housing construction and ensuring USPS maintains discretion over its real estate assets. The bill also requires housing units constructed on Postal Service property to include tenant affordability restrictions on at least 20% of units, among other provisions.\n\nThis legislation is supported by a broad array of stakeholders including Chamber of Progress, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Inclusive Abundance Action, and Up for Growth.\n\n“Solving the nationwide housing crisis calls for innovative solutions, and Senator Van Hollen and Senator Curtis are proposing one: repurposing U.S. Postal Service-owned properties into housing. This effort would drive new housing to supply-constrained areas like Maryland while also generating revenue and supporting the Postal Service's continued success,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “This approach echoes what the Moore-Miller Administration is doing at the state level, giving state government-owned property a new life as home to affordable housing, vibrant communities, and walkable places with easy access to transit. I commend the Senators for proposing this common-sense, bipartisan housing bill that would be a win-win for Americans.”\n\n“I applaud Senators Van Hollen and Curtis for their leadership in crafting this win-win legislation,” said Aaron Shroyer, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro. “This bill would enable the United States Postal Service to tap an underutilized asset – its land – to create a durable revenue source, while also adding much-needed housing to main streets and downtowns across the country.”\n\n“USPS-owned sites could offer meaningful opportunities to add homes in communities where housing is badly needed,” said Ben Metcalf, Managing Director, Terner Center for Housing Innovation. “Terner Center research has identified hundreds of USPS-owned sites that warrant closer evaluation for housing. While not every site will be feasible, underutilized postal properties could offer one solution to policymakers who are looking for ways to increase their affordable housing stock.”\n\n“The Postal Service owns 8,500 properties, many of them on prime, well-located land that cities and states need for housing,” said Colin Higgins, Executive Director of the National Housing Crisis Task Force. “In our Federal Housing Policy Agenda, the National Housing Crisis Task Force called for putting federal land to work this way, and it's good to see a bipartisan bill take up the idea. The hope is that cities and states can chart a path to build homes on underused public land while the Postal Service keeps its footprint and earns revenue.”\n\n“The Postal Service is sitting on excess land that could be used for more than 200,000 new homes,” said Adam Kovacevich, Founder and CEO of Chamber of Progress. “Sen. Van Hollen and Sen. Curtis’s legislation will turn underused postal sites and parking lots into housing in the places people want to live, and provide much needed revenue back to the Postal Service.”\n\n“America’s housing affordability crisis is driven, in part, by a severe shortage of homes. One of the most practical ways to close that gap is to build on well-located land the public already owns,” said Mike Kingsella, Chief Executive Officer of Up for Growth and Up for Growth Action. “This bill puts underutilized postal property to work creating new homes. Long-term leases on thousands of sites across the country could support affordable housing near jobs and transit while generating steady revenue to help keep the Postal Service strong.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-secures-committee-passage-of-bill-to-rename-post-office-in-olney-after-beloved-employee-edward-ramsey", "title": "Van Hollen Secures Committee Passage of Bill to Rename Post Office in Olney After Beloved Employee, Edward Ramsey", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.vanhollen.senate.gov", "scraper": "vanhollen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "V000128", "name": "Chris Van Hollen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-Md.) to name the U.S. Post Office located at 3570 Olney Laytonsville Road in Olney, Maryland, after Sergeant Edward Lawrence Ramsey unanimously passed the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee. Ed Ramsey was an Army veteran and employee of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) until his passing in 2022. Ramsey served honorably in the United States Army for over 20 years, serving in Panama, Louisiana, Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. During his 27-year USPS career, he served as a clerk at the Olney Post Office, where he became a beloved fixture of the Olney community. Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) introduced companion legislation, which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year. Following this key Committee passage, the bill is eligible for consideration by the full Senate.\n\n“Sergeant Ed Ramsey lived a life of public service – joining the Army to defend our nation, then going on to serve his community in his local post office for nearly three decades. During those years, his unstinting kindness made such an impression on his neighbors that they launched a grassroots effort to rename the Olney Post Office in his memory after his passing. I have been honored to stand with them and lead this charge in the Senate. Today’s Committee passage is an important step forward, and I will continue working to pass this legislation in the Senate to honor Ed’s legacy as a committed public servant and beloved member of the community,” said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n“Sergeant Ed Ramsey spent 20 years serving our country in the Army followed by another 27 years working for USPS. He is a patriot and a public servant who served with courage, kindness, and conviction. At the Olney Post Office, every member of our community became a quick friend of Ed’s. It is fitting that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has passed our bill to rename the Olney Post Office in his honor so every day we can all be reminded of his great service and continue to cherish his memory,” said Senator Alsobrooks.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/key-senate-committee-passes-bills-to-establish-fairlawn-zip-code-and-rename-three-virginia-post-offices/", "title": "Key Senate Committee Passes Bills to Establish Fairlawn ZIP Code and Rename Three Virginia Post Offices", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved legislation to establish a unique ZIP code for Fairlawn, Va., as well as three bills introduced by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) to rename United States Postal Service (USPS) offices in Loudoun County, Fairfax, and New Kent.\n\n“Giving Fairlawn its own ZIP code will ensure the town and Pulaski County do not unfairly lose out on tax revenue to fund public services, as well as alleviate confusion and stress for its residents. Gerry Connolly, Trevor Brown, and Patricia Paige were three exceptional Virginians who devoted their lives to serving the Commonwealth,” said the senators. “We are thrilled to see these bills pass out of committee and urge our colleagues to support this legislation to give Fairlawn its own ZIP code and honor these dedicated public servants.”\n\nThe Loudoun County post office, in Sterling, would be designated as the “Firefighter Trevor Brown Post Office Building,” honoring the service of firefighter Trevor Brown – a husband, father of three, and youth soccer and baseball coach who lost his life in the line of duty on February 16, 2024. The USPS facility is located at 46164 Westlake Drive in Sterling, VA.\n\nThe Fairfax post office would be designated as the “Congressman Gerald E. ‘Gerry’ Connolly Post Office Building.” The renaming honors the late Congressman Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly, whose decades of service and leadership transformed Northern Virginia and inspired a generation of public servants. The USPS facility is located at 10660 Page Avenue in Fairfax, VA.\n\nThe New Kent post office would be renamed the “Patricia Paige Post Office” after an Army Reservist who became the first black woman to serve on the New Kent Board of Supervisors. Page was a persistent advocate for the replacement of the former New Kent Post Office due to its aging structure and inability to accommodate residents and postal workers. The USPS facility is located at 12109 New Kent Highway in New Kent, VA.\n\nLast year, Sens. Warner and Kaine and Rep. Morgan Griffith (VA-09) introduced bills in the Senate and the House of Representatives to designate a unique ZIP code for Fairlawn, Virginia.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-secures-key-victory-puts-guardrails-on-president-trumps-tariff-powers/", "title": "Warnock Secures Key Victory: Puts Guardrails on President Trump’s Tariff Powers", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warnock.senate.gov", "scraper": "warnock", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000790", "name": "Raphael G. Warnock", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Reverend Warnock secured a key concession from the Trump Administration limiting the President’s tariff authority after a week-long pressure campaign\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, secured a written commitment from the Trump Administration that would limit the President’s tariff authorities in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The legislation will help curb Russia’s ability to continue earning billions of dollars from energy exports through third countries.\n\nAfter weeks of working behind the scenes to limit the President’s tariff authorities in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, Senator Warnock supported the start of debate on the legislation and introduced a series of amendments to improve the bill. To ensure at least one of his amendments received a vote, the Senator successfully used procedural tools to pressure Senate leadership to call a vote on a bipartisan amendment with Senator Cassidy.\n\nAfter a conversation with United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer earlier today, the Senator secured a written commitment restricting the President’s tariff authority under this legislation. The letter concedes the same limits that would have been established in the Warnock/Cassidy amendment.\n\n“Today is a small but meaningful victory for all Americans who’ve suffered under this President’s reckless tariffs. I continue to reject the idea that we have to choose between putting a check on Putin’s aggression and putting a check on this President’s tariff regime. I hope this is the first step towards Congress reasserting its role in placing guardrails on this President’s tariffs that raise the price of everything.”\n\nThe non-partisan Tax Foundation found President Trump’s tariffs cost the average American household $1,000 last year. Most American families are on track to lose $1,300 from President Trump’s tariffs in 2026. This week, Senator Warnock unveiled a new report that found the cost of required school supplies for a 4th grader can cost Georgia families more than $130 per child. Senator Warnock continues to push back against the Trump administration’s reckless tariff policy and the uncertain market conditions it creates for Georgia small businesses and the higher prices it imposes on Georgia families.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-statement-on-dr-erica-schwartzs-nomination-to-lead-the-cdc/", "title": "Warnock Statement on Dr. Erica Schwartz’s Nomination to Lead the CDC", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warnock.senate.gov", "scraper": "warnock", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000790", "name": "Raphael G. Warnock", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released the following statement on his decision not to support the nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\n\n“As a voice for Georgia, I am honored to represent the hardworking scientists, doctors, and administrative professionals who make up the CDC. These hardworking public servants have consistently put the American people and our country first, despite the attacks Secretary Kennedy and this administration continue to levy against them.”\n\n“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the attack on the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, it was important for me to hear that the next leader of the agency would stand up for the thousands of Georgians who have devoted their careers to protecting the health and safety of our nation.”\n\n“While I appreciated the opportunity to speak with Dr. Schwartz, I am not confident she will be able to serve as a strong enough check on this administration’s most dangerous impulses. Secretary Kennedy has shown again and again that he will pressure even good people to put politics ahead of public health. For that reason, I cannot support her nomination.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-statement-on-senate-agriculture-committee-farm-bill-markup/", "title": "Warnock Statement on Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Markup", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warnock.senate.gov", "scraper": "warnock", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000790", "name": "Raphael G. Warnock", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released the following statement after today’s Farm Bill markup in the Senate Agriculture Committee.\n\n“Today’s Agriculture Committee markup was a missed opportunity to advance a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports farmers and families. Between the president’s tariff policy and his ongoing war in Iran, our farmers and the American people are struggling under the higher costs of everything. I have maintained for months that any deal needs to include a solution that would mitigate the disastrous cuts to SNAP that Senate Republicans enacted in their One Big Ugly Bill in July 2025. Senate Republicans’ current proposal does not go far enough in addressing my concerns.”\n\n“I will continue to work closely with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reach an agreement that supports Georgia’s farmers and ensures families have the resources they need to buy groceries at the end of the month. There is a path to a bipartisan deal, and I remain hopeful we can get one done.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-wyden-push-trump-administration-to-cut-red-tape-requirements-in-medicaid/", "title": "Warnock, Wyden Push Trump Administration to Cut Red Tape Requirements in Medicaid", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warnock.senate.gov", "scraper": "warnock", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000790", "name": "Raphael G. Warnock", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock and Ron Wyden are calling on the Trump administration to withdraw a policy that imposes strict Medicaid eligibility requirements on Americans seeking to obtain and maintain coverage\n\nSenator Warnock is a leading proponent of Medicaid expansion and has long championed efforts to increase access to affordable health care\n\nAbout 1.75 million fewer kids were enrolled in Medicaid this January, a year after Congressional Republicans cut $1 trillion from the program\n\nSenator Reverend Warnock, colleagues: “Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans”\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ranking Member of the Finance Subcommittee on Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, and Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, led 47 of their Senate colleagues in demanding the Trump administration rescind new Medicaid work reporting requirements that would severely limit access to lifesaving health care coverage for millions of Americans.\n\n“We urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans,” wrote Senator Warnock and his colleagues. “States are not prepared to implement the agency’s onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.”\n\nIn the letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, Senator Warnock and his colleagues underscore that unnecessary restrictions on Medicaid eligibility would increase costs for millions of Americans already struggling with the ongoing affordability crisis.\n\nSenator Warnock is a leading proponent of Medicaid expansion and has long championed efforts to increase Georgians’ access to affordable health care. Last year, he released a report titled “Healthy People, Healthy Economy,” which found that investing in Medicaid stimulates economic growth and promotes access to employment. In June, Senator Warnock forced a vote pushing for the release of data surrounding Medicaid coverage loss nationwide. The Senator’s effort to release the data was blocked by Senate Republicans.\n\nA copy of the letter can be found HERE and text is below:\n\nDear Administrator Oz,\n\nWe write to urge you to withdraw the Administration’s interim final rule (IFR) implementing the Medicaid work reporting requirements passed by Congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Trump last year in H.R. 1. These policies will not increase employment and will instead lead to millions of Americans needlessly losing their health coverage. We support full repeal of all of H.R. 1’s Medicaid cuts. In the absence of Congressional action, CMS must delay implementation. States are not prepared to implement the agency’s onerous, subjective requirements. It is families who will suffer, especially the sickest Americans, like those with mental health and substance use disorders, cancer, and diabetes, who most urgently need the health care Medicaid provides.\n\nThis rule transforms Medicaid from a health care program into a bureaucratic maze that will fail eligible Americans. It will strip coverage not because people are not already working or refuse to work, but because they cannot navigate a complex web of forms, passwords, and deadlines. Implementing ineffective, exclusionary work reporting requirements will create costly administrative barriers and deny Americans access to health care, resulting in poorer health, higher mortality, and reduced financial security. This rule does little to mitigate anticipated harms and makes exceptionally cruel and arbitrary choices with regard to medical frailty, significantly subverting the Congressional intent of this particular exemption.\n\nNearly all adults with Medicaid (92%) are already working, going to school, caregiving, or have a disability. Moreover, an extensive body of evidence demonstrates that work reporting requirements do not promote employment but rather increase medical debt, delay care and contribute to poorer health outcomes. In its assessment of H.R. 1, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected an estimated 5.3 million enrollees will lose coverage by 2034, not accounting for the IFR’s even more stringent and burdensome requirements concerning the medical frailty exception. This evidence was not considered in the drafting of the IFR.\n\nSimilarly, the IFR fails to acknowledge or account for states’ ineffectual and costly experiences implementing work reporting requirements. When Arkansas implemented similar requirements, 18,000 people lost coverage in just five months. They didn’t lose their Medicaid coverage because they suddenly found jobs with health benefits; they lost it because they didn’t have internet access, never received the notices, or couldn’t log into a glitchy state website. Michigan was poised to implement these work reporting requirements but paused the programs when they received astronomical coverage loss projections of 80,000 enrollees (33 percent of participants). In Georgia, the state spent $91,000,000 in taxpayer dollars to build a “work requirement” tracking system that often experienced technical failures. This translates to $13,000 per enrollee in administrative costs – almost five times higher than total spending on health care benefits for enrollees. Further, a recent study looking at these requirements in Georgia added to the body of evidence that they do not increase employment.\n\nCMS’ Onerous Definition of Medical Frailty Subverts Congressional Intent\n\nH.R. 1 includes explicit exemptions for individuals who are determined to be medically frail, including those with disabling mental disorders, substance use disorders, disabilities, or complex medical conditions. In including these exemptions, the statute provided protections for some of the most vulnerable Americans, while preserving states’ flexibility to determine how medical frailty should be defined and operationalized. However, the IFR impermissibly adds extra-statutory restrictions and requirements to this statutory exemption, limiting it to individuals whose disability or condition significantly impairs their ability to comply with the work reporting requirement. By attempting to rewrite the standard from the existence of a condition to its demonstrated impact on an individual’s ability to work, the IFR establishes a much narrower pathway to the exemption than H.R. 1 permits.\n\nCMS asserts authority for this expansion through the statutory phrase “as defined by the\n\nSecretary,” but a limited delegation to define specific conditions is not authority to override the categorical structure Congress enacted. This is legal overreach, not a policy choice. And this legal overreach, if maintained, will have devastating consequences for millions of Americans, states, and health care providers.\n\nStates will face significant challenges operationalizing this narrower definition of medical frailty, and individuals will face challenges showing they meet the definition. The new standard will force the Medicaid program to take on completely novel responsibilities that are more akin to workers’ compensation than health insurance. States will not be able to rely on automation nor implement the law in a way that protects individuals with health needs, likely needing to revamp information technology (IT) systems; add new eligibility staff and call center support; modify applications, renewal forms, and educational materials; and train health care providers on how to assess and document whether someone’s condition “significantly impairs” their ability to work, a task that will be brand new to many providers.\n\nThe IFR forces vulnerable Americans to quite literally prove they are “sick enough” to deserve health care. In practice, a person in the middle of a mental health crisis or a course of cancer treatment, or someone managing severe substance use disorder, will be forced to secure explicit provider attestations linking their illness to their capacity to work. If they cannot jump through this hoop, the penalty is severe: they are cut off from the very medical care they need to survive.\n\nUnfair Medical Frailty Verification Requirements Burden Sick Patients and Providers\n\nIn addition to the limitations imposed by the medical frailty definition put forth by this rule, the verification and self-attestation requirements impose infeasible expectations on individuals. Beginning in 2028, the rule directs states to implement a stricter documentation verification regime that will drive up administrative costs, overwhelm already-stretched eligibility staff, and push people off coverage. The verification requirements in 2027 compared with 2028 function as a bait-and-switch: to the extent that implementation looks potentially manageable in the first year, then procedural barriers and coverage losses spike when the documentation default kicks in. In particular, the rule holds people who should qualify for the medical frailty exemption to a higher standard of evidence than for all other eligibility requirements or exemptions/exclusions (e.g., caregiving, being a veteran, or being incarcerated), requiring significant documentation that goes well beyond self-attestation starting in 2028.\n\nYear-Round Paperwork Requirements Will Exacerbate Coverage Loss\n\nThere is a long-standing requirement for states to process an application within 45-days as a patient protection, so people are not waiting for their coverage to kick in. The IFR creates a new exception to this timeliness standard, effectively permitting states to process applications on longer timeframes. In providing this exception to states, CMS is acknowledging that states are unlikely to meet the standard patient protection because of increased paperwork burdens, an implicit recognition of the harm to come. This exception is even more harmful to beneficiaries when combined with the H.R. 1 policy that requires states to reverify eligibility for individuals in the expansion group and comprehensive 1115 waivers every six months, in addition to the fact that the law provides States the option to conduct more frequent verifications of compliance with the work reporting requirement.\n\nCMS acknowledges that the IFR creates a nearly impossible timing problem and offers no solution while barreling on with ill-advised and devastating policies. By combining the six-month eligibility renewal requirement with ongoing work-reporting checks, this rule ensures that families are never not in the process of signing up for health care, effectively setting a structural trap. The red tape gauntlet Americans will have to contend with to maintain health insurance coverage will be constant. A family will barely finish submitting documents for one review cycle before the state triggers the next, creating hurdles that are particularly burdensome for hourly workers with volatile schedules, single parents, and individuals with fluctuating health conditions.\n\nThe Rule Requires State and Local Taxpayers to Foot the Bill for Costly System Upgrades\n\nThe IFR creates even more administrative barriers and paperwork hurdles for individuals attempting to enroll in or keep their Medicaid coverage than the statute permits. This manifests in both more costly and onerous technology requirements for states as well as unnecessary hoops for individuals to jump through.\n\nIn H.R. 1, Congressional Republicans provided a total of $200 million for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in FY 2026 to support the system upgrades they will need to comply with the law. However, in the IFR, CMS itself estimates that each state will spend approximately $15 million on systems changes, totaling nearly $700 million for the 44 states that are required to implement these changes, nearly four times the amount provided to states in the law. Recent reporting shows that state estimates of the costs to implement these requirements are significantly higher; North Carolina, for example, expects it will need to spend an estimated $31.2 million annually to enforce these requirements. While CMS announced in January 2026 that the agency secured deep discounts for states on implementation costs, no details have been released about these arrangements. As the price tag of Medicaid work reporting requirements continues to rise, every dollar spent by states to implement this new red tape is a dollar that could have instead been used to provide health care to vulnerable Americans.\n\nWe urge CMS to withdraw this rule to ensure that Medicaid can continue its mission of providing health coverage to low-income Americans. Implementing this rule will worsen Americans’ overall quality of health, waste millions of dollars on administrative red tape, and cause preventable health emergencies for all Americans. This rule does not strengthen Medicaid; it dismantles it, turning a program designed to protect vulnerable Americans into a system that systematically denies them care.\n\n###\n\nTitle and affiliation are provided for identification purposes only. A pastor and social justice advocate, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock was elected to the United States Senate in 2021 and reelected for a full term in 2022. The Senator serves on the Senate Agriculture, Banking, and Finance committees, as well as the Senate Aging Committee.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/after-senate-republicans-block-welchs-amendments-welch-votes-against-partisan-farm-bill-in-committee/", "title": "After Senate Republicans Block Welch’s Amendments, Welch Votes Against Partisan Farm Bill in Committee", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "www.welch.senate.gov", "scraper": "welch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000800", "name": "Peter Welch", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Welch offered 42 amendments to better support small and family farms, strengthen rural communities, improve access to nutrition\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, today joined all Democrats on the Committee in voting against advancing Senate Republicans’ Farm Bill. The bill failed to advance out of the Committee.\n\nHistorically, Republicans and Democrats on the Agriculture Committee have worked together to craft a bipartisan Farm Bill. The Farm Bill has not been fully reauthorized since 2018. This year, Senate Republicans on the Agriculture Committee drafted a partisan bill that does not address the needs of Vermont’s small and family farmers, does little to address the devastating cuts to SNAP and nutrition assistance programs in Republicans’ tax bill, and fails to invest in rural communities.\n\n“The serious question that we are grappling with, and we don’t have all the tools we need to do it, is the reality that American agriculture is really in crisis. Our farmers are creating an immense amount of wealth, they’re just not getting any of it. I saw a graph from the Secretary of Agriculture showing that for 11 major commodity crops it costs more to plant and harvest than the revenue that our farmers get. That is not a sustainable situation. And that’s the existential challenge that I think we have in this committee: to restore the vitality of American agriculture,” Senator Welch said in the Agriculture Committee markup.\n\n“Senate Republicans’ Farm Bill failed to meet the moment. I’m hopeful we can come to the table in good faith to make substantial changes to this Farm Bill, and work together in a bipartisan way to make a real difference for rural America,” Welch said after the bill failed.\n\nWatch Senator Welch’s remarks in Committee below:\n\nSenator Welch filed 42 amendments to improve Senate Republicans’ Farm Bill. Two were called for a vote and blocked by Republicans on the Committee. Senator Welch’s proposed changes to the bill include measures to better support small and family farms, strengthen rural communities, reform farm subsidy programs, and improve access to nutrition. Senator Welch’s proposed amendments to the Farm Bill included measures to:\n\nBetter Support Vermont Farmers:\n\nHalt the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) reorganization plan\n\nCut red tape for small-scale meat producers in rural communities\n\nImprove access to farm loans and credit\n\nProvide free access to the Dairy Margin Coverage Program (DMC) for eligible producers\n\nImprove data collection for organic dairy farmers\n\nExpand eligibility and access to conservation programs\n\nHelp eliminate barriers for farmers entering the organics market\n\nStrengthen Rural Communities:\n\nImprove rural broadband buildout and speed standards\n\nLower energy costs for rural communities\n\nCombat the threat of invasive species\n\nEstablish national and regional agroforestry centers\n\nProvide multi-year flexible grants to rural communities\n\nStrike the Farm Bill’s E15 language, which is bad for dairy and specialty crop farmers, bad for the environment, and could raise food costs for families\n\nReform Farm Subsidy and Crop Insurance Programs:\n\nEnsure taxpayer-provided aid makes it into the hands of actual farmers\n\nImprove record-keeping requirements for farm subsidies\n\nDevelop a crop insurance product for specialty crop and diversified farms facing extreme weather events\n\nImprove Access to Nutrition:\n\nIncrease funding for the Farm to School nutrition program and support initiatives that deliver fresh, local foods to schools nationwide\n\nCut red tape for SNAP applicants\n\nImprove USDA’s Food for Peace program\n\nView all of Senator Welch’s amendments to the Farm Bill.\n\nThe Committee meeting will remain open for continued discussions on the Farm Bill.\n\nSenator Welch is the Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit. Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-reintroduces-cap-act-to-enhance-consumer-protection-hold-mega-corporations-accountable-for-consumer-safety-violations/", "title": "Welch Reintroduces CAP Act to Enhance Consumer Protection, Hold Mega-Corporations Accountable for Consumer Safety Violations", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "www.welch.senate.gov", "scraper": "welch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000800", "name": "Peter Welch", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) todayled U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) in reintroducing the Consumer Advocacy and Protection (CAP) Act, legislation to bolster consumer protection by incentivizing companies to prioritize and invest in product safety. The legislation aims to protect consumers from corporate negligence and create safer products by strengthening the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) authority to impose financial penalties on large corporations that violate consumer protection laws.\n\n“Integrity and transparency are crucial to ensuring consumer protection. But right now, massive companies continue to undermine federal safety standards and evade responsibility. We need to create incentives that put consumer and product safety first,” said Senator Welch. “Our commonsense bill will hold corporations accountable when they knowingly put products on the market that endanger consumers.”\n\n“Our legislation will help hold corporate actors accountable when their defective products cause harm. Fundamentally faulty products like Generac portable generators and Peloton Tread+ treadmills seriously impacted consumers and more action is needed to deter manufacturers from rushing to release flawed products onto the market. By increasing penalty caps and allowing the CPSC to levee appropriate fines, the CAP Act will raise the stakes for companies and significantly bolster consumer safety,” said Senator Blumenthal.\n\n“It’s clear existing penalties aren’t enough to deter companies that are harming consumers in violation of the law,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill will protect consumers by increasing fines and making sure bad actors are held accountable.”\n\n“Consumers deserve the confidence that the products they bring into their homes are not only effective, but safe,” said Senator Luján. “When major corporations knowingly market and sell unsafe products, they must be held accountable, but current penalties are just a little more than a slap on the wrist. I’m proud to join Senator Welch and my colleagues in reintroducing this legislation to strengthen accountability and protect consumers.”\n\nThe CPSC utilizes various tools to deter safety regulation noncompliance, promote adherence to standards, and hold companies accountable, including the imposition of civil penalties. Under current law, manufacturers, importers, and distributors of consumer products are required to report immediately to the CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect that could create a substantial product hazard or an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. If violations occur, the CPSC can administer $120,000 per violation and $17,150,000 for a series of related violations. The CPSC is allowed to adjust the maximum civil penalty amounts every five years for inflation.\n\nThe CAP Act aims to increase consumer protection from corporate negligence by striking the maximum civil penalty cap on a series of violations and increasing the individual violation cap from $100,000 to $250,000. The legislation would also clarify under what offenses CPSC can fine manufacturers and ensure fines accurately reflect inflation by adjusting the inflation review period from every five years to every year.\n\nThe CAP Act is endorsed by the Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, National Consumers League (NCL), Public Citizen, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG).\n\n“Every American, especially our children, deserve products that are safe,” said Courtney Griffin, Director of Consumer Product Safety, Consumer Federation of America. “Unfortunately,the current limits on civil penalties allow big corporations to treat them as little more than the cost of doing business. Consumer Federation of America applauds Senator Welch for introducing legislation that will close this gap and strengthen corporate accountability.”\n\n“People are put at risk when companies do not follow product safety laws and see civil penalties as the cost of doing business,” Oriene Shin, Manager for Safety Advocacy, Consumer Reports. “For too long, the civil penalty limits have been far too low to deter giant, multibillion-dollar companies from breaking the law. The CAP Act would change this—and protect consumers by improving corporate accountability. Consumer Reports supports this bill and urges all members of Congress to do the same.”\n\n“The nation’s product safety cop on the beat shouldn’t have its hands tied when holding bad actors accountable,” said Daniel Greene, Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety, National Consumers League. “Existing penalty caps only permit the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to assess $100,000 penalties per violation, not to exceed $15 million total. That’s a slap on the wrist—merely the cost of doing business for unscrupulous actors flooding the market with dangerous, violative products. As Americans, we place a far higher value on the lives and wellbeing of our family, friends, and fellow citizens. So should our product safety laws. The National Consumers League applauds Senator Welch for his leadership on this important issue.”\n\n“Lawmakers need to do more to hold multi-billion-dollar corporations accountable when they intentionally put consumers at risk or lie to regulators. Sure, the CPSC in 2021 raised the cap to $120,000 per individual violation and $17.5 million for a series of safety violations, but a future CPSC could ratchet those back. Congress hasn’t increased the cap in nearly two decades. Companies need to face meaningful penalties for putting consumers at risk,” said Teresa Murray, Consumer Watchdog Director, U.S. PIRG.\n\nLearn more about the CAP Act.\n\nRead and download the full text of the bill.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-support-coast-guard-installations-and-allow-cost-saving-community-partnerships", "title": "Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Support Coast Guard Installations and Allow Cost-Saving Community Partnerships", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.wyden.senate.gov", "scraper": "wyden", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000779", "name": "Ron Wyden", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would allow the U.S. Coast Guard to collaborate with state and local governments through intergovernmental support agreements.\n\n“Oregon’s Coast Guard works tirelessly every day to keep our coastal communities and fishermen safe, and they deserve the same tools as the rest of our military branches to operate efficiently,” Wyden said. “This common-sense legislation cuts red tape, saves taxpayer dollars, and builds stronger partnerships between Coast Guard installations and Oregon’s communities up and down the coast that support them.”\n\nFor more than a decade, every branch of the U.S. military has been able to benefit from the authority to enter into intergovernmental support agreements- except for the Coast Guard. By requiring the Department of Homeland Security to grant that authority to the Coast Guard Commandant, the Strengthening Coast Guard Communities Act would enable the Coast Guard to secure better contracting agreements in collaboration with local government bodies, deliver lower-cost, higher-quality services to its installations, and strengthen local ties within Coast Guard communities in Oregon and across the nation.\n\nThe legislation introduced today was led by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. In addition to Wyden, the legislation was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Angus King, I-Maine, Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-demand-trump-administration-drop-effort-to-weaken-health-protections-for-millions-of-americans", "title": "Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Administration Drop Effort to Weaken Health Protections for Millions of Americans", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.wyden.senate.gov", "scraper": "wyden", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000779", "name": "Ron Wyden", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "New EPA rule would roll back federal protections for clean drinking water\n\nWashington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight said today they have joined colleagues to demand the Trump administration withdraw its proposal to roll back drinking water protections, which would remove federal public health limits on the amount of certain polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) or “forever chemicals” in our drinking water.\n\nThe senators emphasize in their letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that removing these health limits will expose Americans to unsafe levels of chemicals linked to kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression problems, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.\n\n“Safe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health—not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established,” the senators wrote to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.\n\nDespite the Trump administration touting its ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda, if enacted, the EPA’s new proposal would rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFAS and delay compliance for the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) standards until 2031 – risking the health of millions of Americans.\n\n“As far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans’ health worse,” the Senators concluded.\n\nIn addition to Wyden and Merkley, other signers of the letter led by U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate EPW Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, are EPW Committee Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-seeks-passage-of-bill-to-deliver-financial-relief-to-wildfire-victims", "title": "Wyden Seeks Passage of Bill to Deliver Financial Relief to Wildfire Victims", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.wyden.senate.gov", "scraper": "wyden", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000779", "name": "Ron Wyden", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "As over 2 million acres burn across Oregon, Republican senator blocks Wyden legislation to deliver immediate tax relief to Oregonians who lose their homes in wildfires\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., sought passage today on the Senate floor of his bill that would deliver immediate tax relief to every American who loses their home from a natural disaster, including Oregonians who lose their homes in wildfires.\n\n“When you lose your home in a wildfire, the last thing you should be worried about is being hit by a massive tax bill,” Wyden said in his floor remarks. “The bipartisan disaster relief bill being considered on the floor today would give the people of my state affected by these blazes some peace of mind.”\n\nThe legislation would end unfair taxes on natural disaster settlement payments after Americans lose their homes through unpredictable natural disasters. These burdensome taxes were passed into law under the Trump-Republican tax bill in 2017. Subsequently, the Senate successfully suspended the tax in 2024, but is up for renewal this year.\n\nThe bill has already passed the House on a bipartisan basis and awaits Senate action. Wyden urged immediate passage today of the bipartisan bill to deliver financial relief now to wildfire victims in Oregon and the West, but the legislation was blocked by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) using a procedural tactic.\n\n“I’m heading home this weekend to meet with Oregonians fearing in real time for their lives and livelihoods because of wildfires threatening communities and spreading smoke statewide,” Wyden said. “And my message will be I’ll never stop battling to pass this bill that will ease their concerns about getting walloped with a tax bill when they may already be dealing with the loss of their homes.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://yakym.house.gov/posts/yakym-leads-majority-of-house-republicans-in-push-to-strengthen-usmca", "title": "Yakym Leads Majority of House Republicans in Push to Strengthen USMCA", "date": "2026-08-06", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://yakym.house.gov/press", "domain": "yakym.house.gov", "scraper": "yakym", "member": {"bioguide_id": "Y000067", "name": "Rudy Yakym III", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Rudy Yakym (IN-02) led a letter signed by 168 House Republicans to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that backs the Trump Administration’s approach to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Joint Review, pushing for improvements before agreeing to an extension.\n\n“President Trump is a master negotiator, and the USMCA has delivered meaningful benefits to Hoosier manufacturers, farmers, and small businesses,” Rep. Yakym said. “This review process represents an important opportunity to strengthen the agreement, and I support the President’s focus on securing improvements before agreeing to an extension. Addressing shortcomings and confronting emerging challenges will set our economy up for even more success in the years to come. I hope Mexico and Canada bring their best offers to the table so that an extension can become reality.”\n\nThe letter notes the positive benefits of the USMCA and voices overall support for an extension. It backs the Trump Administration’s approach to the Joint Review process, which prioritizes outcomes over a set deadline for securing an extension.\n\nThose outcomes include:\n\nSecuring market access that was promised six years ago but not meaningfully delivered;\n\nAddressing new actions taken by Mexico and Canada that harm American manufacturers, agriculture, services providers, and workers;\n\nConfronting unfair trade and investment practices from third countries that seek to undermine the North American economy and threaten American jobs; and\n\nRationalizing tariff structures to strengthen regional competitiveness in the global marketplace.\n\nBackground:\n\nSupport for the letter spans the conference. Nearly 90% of the Ways and Means, Agriculture, and Energy and Commerce Committees signed on, along with 80% of Appropriators and 85% of committee chairs.\n\nJuly 1 marked the first USMCA Joint Review, in which the U.S., Mexico, and Canada met to decide whether to extend the agreement for 16 more years. Mexico and Canada agreed to an extension, while the U.S. did not.\n\nThe USMCA remains in force until 2036 as the three sides continue to discuss improvements to the agreement.\n\nUSTR Jamieson Greer has said that the U.S. wants to secure commitments from Mexico and Canada that improve market access for American producers and make other changes before agreeing to a renewal.\n\nYakym sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over U.S. trade policy, and has closely tracked the USMCA Joint Review.", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5145", "title": "Reps. Houlahan, Whitesides, Haridopolos Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Military Readiness for Natural Disasters", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "domain": "houlahan.house.gov", "scraper": "houlahan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001085", "name": "Chrissy Houlahan", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), George Whitesides (CA-27), and Mike Haridopolos (FL-08) introduced the bipartisan Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act, legislation that instructs the Department of Defense to develop and maintain goals and metrics to assess natural resources on military installations. Natural disasters, such as wildfires and floods, and deterioration of environmental conditions can compromise important operations on military installations, reducing military preparedness and posing risks to national security. This bill asks the Department of the Defense to assess technologies that could be used to monitor their natural resources, which would enable better preparation on military installations for natural disasters and other threats to the ecosystem.\n\n“As ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, I believe readiness begins with protecting our servicemembers and ensuring they have safe, resilient installations where they can live, work, and train. Wildfires, flooding, and other effects of a changing climate can threaten our people, disrupt operations, and undermine mission readiness,” said Rep. Houlahan. “I am proud to co-lead the Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act with Congressman Whitesides to give military leaders better data and modern tools to manage our natural resources, strengthen installation resilience, and keep our forces safe and ready.”\n\n“As our nation’s military continues to protect our country, it is imperative that our bases and installations are prepared for potential threats, including natural disasters,” said Rep. Whitesides. “If a wildfire strikes a military installation, like we saw in Camp Pendleton earlier this year, it could shut down its operations, putting all of us at risk. Through the use of advanced technology and cutting-edge monitoring systems, our military can better understand the natural resources that exist on their installations, and take preventative actions to protect the installation from threats like natural disasters.”\n\n“America’s military bases are critical to keeping our country safe, and it’s important that they stay strong and ready to do their jobs,” said Rep. Haridopolos. “The Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act protects our land and natural resources around these bases that are needed for training and operations, using improved technology and better information to make sure our military stays prepared to meet new challenges.”\n\nSpecifically, the Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act directs the Department of Defense to:\n\nEvaluate, test, and, where appropriate, use, technologies and methodologies to improve natural resources programs on military installations.\n\nAssess natural resources and ecosystem services on military installations to allow for the comparison of conditions and trends concerning wildfire risk and fuels conditions, flood risk, ecosystem conditions, and biodiversity within that installation.\n\nProvide consistent and regular updates to data for use in integrated natural resource management plans.\n\nAdd additional information to a report that the Department of Defense gives to Congress concerning progress made and benefits of using the metrics, technologies, methods, and data.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://adamsmith.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-smith-introduces-bill-put-washingtons-aerospace-workers-and-safety-experts", "title": "Rep. Smith Introduces Bill to Put Washington's Aerospace Workers and Safety Experts on Manufacturer Boards", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://adamsmith.house.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "adamsmith.house.gov", "scraper": "adamsmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000510", "name": "Adam Smith", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 7, 2026) – Rep. Adam Smith today introduced the Safety Starts at the Top Act of 2026, legislation that would require large aerospace manufacturers to include worker representatives and safety experts on their boards of directors.\n\nWashington's 9th District sits at the center of the nation's aerospace manufacturing workforce, home to thousands of machinists, engineers, and skilled tradespeople who design and build commercial aircraft flown by millions of passengers every day. The bill would ensure that expertise has a permanent, guaranteed voice at the highest levels of corporate decision-making.\n\n“Washington's aerospace workforce builds some of the safest aircraft in the world, and they know better than anyone what it takes to keep it that way. This bill gives them a permanent seat at the table where safety decisions get made,” said Rep. Adam Smith.\n\nThe bill is the House companion to legislation introduced by Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) in the Senate.\n\n“For years, Boeing has prioritized financial engineering over mechanical engineering, undermining the company’s safety culture. It's time for that to change,” said Senator Edward Markey. “Without input from the workers on the factory floor every day, Boeing is flying blind. By requiring Boeing’s Board to include worker and safety representatives, the Safety Starts at the Top Act will ensure that Boeing listens to the professionals who know safety best.”\n\nThe Safety Starts at the Top Act would require any Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) holder with at least $15 billion in annual gross revenue to annually certify to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator that its board of directors includes two labor representatives — one from each union representing employees directly involved in aircraft design and manufacturing — and two aerospace safety experts with proven, demonstrable safety outcomes. The FAA Administrator would be directed to rescind the ODA delegation of any manufacturer that does not meet these requirements within 90 days of enactment.\n\nThe Safety Starts at the Top Act is endorsed by the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM), IAM Local 751, IAM District W24, and SPEEA/IFPTE Local 2001.\n\nStatements of Support:\n\n“Safe airplanes are built by people who are empowered to speak up and leaders who are willing to listen. America's aerospace engineers and technical professionals bring decades of expertise to designing and manufacturing the world's safest aircraft, yet too often their voices have not reached the highest levels of corporate leadership. The Safety Starts at the Top Act helps ensure that the knowledge and experience of frontline workers, together with aviation safety experts, are represented where the most consequential decisions are made. That's good governance, good public policy, and most importantly, good for the flying public,” said Brandon Anderson, Legislative Director of the Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, (SPEEA, IFPTE Local 2001).\n\n“IAM 751 appreciates and supports this proposed legislation and if passed would ensure that workers voices are heard at the highest levels when decisions impacting aerospace manufacturing and safety are being discussed and implemented,” said Jason Chan, President & Directing Business Representative for the International Association of Machinists (IAM) District 751.\n\n“IAM District W24 supports the Safety Starts at the Top Act of 2026. When passed, it will allow workers' concerns and their voices to be heard. Safety has been a foundation of our Union, and when decisions are made with workers' input, manufacturing and working safely can be mutually beneficial,” said Brandon Bryant, President & Directing Business Representative for the International Association of Machinists (IAM) District W24.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases/barrett-joins-army-secretary-michigan-officials-northern-strike-military", "title": "Barrett Joins Army Secretary, Michigan Officials for Northern Strike Military Training at Camp Grayling", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "barrett.house.gov", "scraper": "barrett", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001321", "name": "Tom Barrett", "party": "Republican", "state": "MI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Grayling, Mich. — Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today joined U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01), and other officials at Camp Grayling for Exercise Northern Strike, the annual military training coordinated by the Michigan National Guard.\n\nDuring the exercise, Driscoll announced a new Army initiative to expand testing range access for private industry partners at Camp Grayling and four other bases. The initiative is designed to expedite testing for new weapons, drone systems, and other technologies that have practical applications for combat, reconnaissance, and other military purposes.\n\n“Exercise Northern Strike enables our military to take advantage of the best Michigan has to offer — from our lakes, terrain, and airspace to our advanced engineering and manufacturing base,” Barrett said. “I experienced that firsthand during my years participating in Northern Strike in the Army, and I enjoyed seeing our troops in action alongside Secretary Driscoll and bipartisan leadership from across our state. I’m confident Michigan will continue to lead the way in training our armed forces in the tactics and skills they need to keep our nation secure.”\n\nExercise Northern Strike takes place throughout the National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which encompasses the state of Michigan, including Camp Grayling and other sites. Driscoll's announcement comes after Barrett and his colleagues secured a decision by the Army and the National Guard Bureau to designate NADWC as a national drone testing site.\n\nThis year’s Exercise Northern Strike brought together more than 9,000 participants from 36 states and territories and five international allies. From August 3 to 14, the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, reserves, National Guard, and foreign partners are conducting combat training operations in the land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains.\n\nBarrett participated in a roundtable with Driscoll, Whitmer, and other officials about the secretary's announcement. He then took an aerial tour of the camp in a Chinook helicopter, met with defense industry stakeholders, witnessed a firefighting exercise, a doorway clearing detonation, and more.", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://bera.house.gov/news/press-releases/congressional-asean-caucus-co-chairs-recognize-59th-asean-day", "title": "Congressional ASEAN Caucus Co-Chairs Recognize 59th ASEAN Day", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://bera.house.gov/news", "domain": "bera.house.gov", "scraper": "bera", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001287", "name": "Ami Bera", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA) and Ann Wagner (R-MO), Co-Chairs of the Congressional ASEAN Caucus, released the following statement recognizing the 59th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Day on August 8, 2026:\n\nAs Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional ASEAN Caucus, we join in commemorating ASEAN Day and celebrating the enduring ties between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.\n\nToday marks 59 years since ASEAN was founded through the signing of the ASEAN Declaration on August 8, 1967. Since its establishment, ASEAN has played a pivotal role in fostering economic growth, advancing regional stability, promoting social progress, and strengthening cultural ties across Southeast Asia.\n\nSoutheast Asia is home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies, and ASEAN and its member states have been crucial partners in advancing our shared interests and values in the Indo-Pacific. The United States continues to underscore this strategic partnership, as demonstrated by Secretary Rubio's participation in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting last month. We welcome recent initiatives to strengthen security cooperation, expand collaboration in emerging technologies and energy, deepen economic engagement, and combat transnational crime in the region.\n\nThe theme of this year's ASEAN Day, \"Navigating Our Future, Together,\" highlights ASEAN centrality and the need for regional leaders to continue exercising leadership and shared responsibility in addressing the opportunities and challenges facing the Indo-Pacific.\n\nWe congratulate ASEAN on 59 years of regional cooperation, and we look forward to continued collaboration between the United States and ASEAN member states to strengthen people-to-people ties, expand economic opportunity, reinforce regional security, and promote a free, safe, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=9192", "title": "Beyer: President Trump’s Policies are Doing Serious Damage to the American Economy", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "beyer.house.gov", "scraper": "beyer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001292", "name": "Donald S. Beyer, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "U.S. Representative Don Beyer, Senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its July 2026 jobs report, which found that the U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July with previous job gains in May and June revised down by a combined 103,000 lower than previously reported. While the unemployment level edged down to 4.1 percent, that decline came as labor force participation fell again to 61.4 percent – its lowest level since February 2021 – with another 264,000 Americans leaving the workforce entirely.\n\n“Today’s jobs report is deeply alarming and offers some of the clearest evidence yet that President Trump’s policies are doing serious damage to the American economy. Job creation has effectively ground to a halt, and businesses simply are not hiring at the pace a healthy economy demands. Wages tell the same troubling story: wage growth slowed to just 3.2 percent, its weakest pace in five years, while inflation has surged to 3.5 percent.\n\n“None of this is happening in a vacuum. President Trump inherited a strong economy and has spent the past 18 months tearing it down. His chaotic tariffs have raised costs for American families and businesses while creating enormous uncertainty that discourages investment and hiring. His cruel and indiscriminate immigration policies are shrinking the labor supply and making it harder for businesses to find the workers they need, and his reckless war in Iran is imposing still more costs on working families, including higher prices at the gas pump.\n\n“We are now seeing the consequences of these disastrous policies, which economists repeatedly warned would raise prices and weaken economic growth. Trump’s economy is not merely slowing down, it is moving backwards. Wages are failing to keep pace with inflation, businesses aren’t hiring, and discouraged Americans are leaving the workforce altogether.\n\n“Yet Republicans in Congress continue to cede their constitutional authority rather than rein in the Trump Administration’s harmful economic policies or confront the President’s shameless corruption. As Americans struggle to afford groceries, electricity, housing, and health care, Donald Trump is abusing the presidency to enrich himself while insulating himself and his family immunity from tax audits. Republicans in Congress are standing by while working families pay the price. It is a complete disgrace and a profound dereliction of our duty to the American people.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=9193", "title": "Beyer, Meeks Reiterate Concerns on Senate Passage of Russia Sanctions Bill", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "beyer.house.gov", "scraper": "beyer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001292", "name": "Donald S. Beyer, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, and Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement upon Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026:\n\n“While we do not doubt the good intentions of our Senate colleagues’ work on the Sanctioning Russia Act, the fundamental concerns we’ve previously stated about this bill have not been addressed with its Senate passage. This bill’s sanctions still contain the broadest possible waiver authority for President Trump, who already has the power to impose these sanctions on Russia under U.S. law but has refused to do so.\n\n“What the bill does grant, however, are sweeping new tariff authorities that the president could weaponize with abandon, as he has repeatedly done in the past. President Trump just last month recklessly imposed new 50% tariffs on our closest trading partner, Canada; there is no reason to believe he would not use the even larger tariffs authorized by this bill in a manner similarly harmful to our alliances and Americans’ wallets.\n\n“We welcome our Senate colleagues’ urgent effort to support Ukraine and punish Russia for its continued illegal war, but this bill would not achieve those goals. Instead, it would allow President Trump to dodge holding Russia accountable and impose yet more tariffs in his destructive trade wars, leaving Americans to foot the bill.\n\n“Though the Paul-Wyden amendment to strike the dangerous tariff authorities failed, the vote total demonstrates that continued refinement of the Sanctioning Russia Act is imperative before it can be sent to the president’s desk. We will continue to seek a path forward that remedies this bill’s flaws, and we remain ready to negotiate expeditiously with Congressional colleagues to achieve our common objectives. But the current text is unacceptable.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=9194", "title": "Beyer, Walkinshaw, Subramanyam Conduct Unannounced Oversight Visit at Chantilly ICE Facility", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "beyer.house.gov", "scraper": "beyer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001292", "name": "Donald S. Beyer, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (VA-08), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) released the following statement after conducting an unannounced oversight visit yesterday evening at ICE’s temporary holding facility in Chantilly, Virginia.\n\n“We exercised our right to direct congressional oversight over ICE facilities after hearing reports of overcrowding and lengthy stays at a facility designed for temporary processing.\n\n“At the time of our visit, we did not witness overcrowding. ICE staff asserted that they are complying with a recent court order limiting stays at temporary processing facilities like Chantilly to 12 hours.\n\n“Our oversight does not end with one visit. We will continue monitoring this facility and holding ICE accountable to ensure everyone in its custody is treated humanely and in accordance with the law.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=9195", "title": "Beyer, DeGette, Raskin, House Democrats Demand AHRQ Reverse Cancellation of More Than $200 Million in Health Care Research Grants", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "beyer.house.gov", "scraper": "beyer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001292", "name": "Donald S. Beyer, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), House Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO), and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) today led 68 House Democrats in demanding that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) immediately reverse the cancellation of more than 150 grants supporting over $200 million in critical health care research. Among the research projects affected by the cancellations are efforts to integrate behavioral health services into routine pediatric care; use telehealth to expand access to care and reduce costs, including in rural communities; improve postpartum care for patients with chronic medical conditions; and reduce the overuse of antibiotics following hospital discharge to combat antimicrobial resistance.\n\nIn a letter to AHRQ Director Roger Klein, the lawmakers noted that Congress provided AHRQ with $345.38 million in funding as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act, reflecting bipartisan support for the agency’s work to improve health care access, affordability, and quality. The lawmakers warned that the mass cancellation of grants may constitute an illegal impoundment of Congressionally authorized and appropriated funding and raised concerns that the agency failed to follow federal regulations governing the termination of awards.\n\n“Given the disastrous impact of these notices, the potential procedural defects in issuing them, and our concerns surrounding AHRQ’s use of Congressionally-appropriated funds, we ask that you immediately withdraw these notices and fully fund the grantees that have waited for committed funds for over a year,” wrote the Members. “Additionally, we ask that you provide Congress with a comprehensive list of all awards for which notices referenced above have been issued and, for each of the canceled grants, list grant-specific information regarding the grantee’s progress, management practices, and other factors considered before issuing the notice.”\n\nThe letter is also signed by Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Troy Carter (D-LA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Herb Conaway (D-NJ), Angie Craig (D-MN), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Jacon Crow (D-CO), Danny Davis (D-IL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-WA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jesús \"Chuy\" García (D-IL), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Adelita Grijalva (D-NM), Van Hoyle (D-OR), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Summer Lee (D-PA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), John Mannion (D-NY), Doris Matsui (D-CA), April McClain Delaney (D-MD), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Grace Meng (D-NY), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Kelly Morrison (D-MN), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Jerry Nadler (D-NJ), Richard Neal (D-MA), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Mark Takano (D-CA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), James Walkinshaw (D-VA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).\n\nFull text of the letter follows below, and a signed copy is available here.\n\n***\n\nDear Director Klein:\n\nWe write to request the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Grants Management Office immediately reverse the mass cancellation of grants issued July 15, 2026. AHRQ has a statutory responsibility to support research to improve the quality and effectiveness of health services for the American people. The cancellation of more than 150 meritorious grants violates this duty and is likely an illegal impoundment of Congressionally-authorized and appropriated funds. The Grants Management Office also failed to follow federal regulations governing the termination of awards. We urge you to realign your Agency with federal law and the best interests of the American people and reverse these grant cancellations.\n\nOn July 15, 2026, AHRQ reportedly sent an estimated 150 cancellation notices to grant recipients. This action is expected to eliminate more than $200 million in lifesaving healthcare research that AHRQ funds as the lead federal agency directing studies into delivering care efficiently, effectively, and safely. At a time when the United States spends $5.3 trillion on healthcare annually, accounting for 18% of national gross domestic product, it is shocking that AHRQ would choose to end its support of that critical research.\n\nCongress consistently authorizes and appropriates federal dollars to AHRQ, and most recently received $345.38 million in the FY26 Consolidated Appropriations Act, demonstrating bipartisan support for improving healthcare access, affordability, and quality, including in areas of priority for AHRQ like rural healthcare, artificial intelligence, and the prevention of healthcare associated infections. Examples of canceled research grants include programs to:\n\nIntegrate behavioral health services into routine pediatric care offerings.\n\nUse telehealth to improve access and reduce costs of unscheduled care, making healthcare more affordable and accessible for the communities who rely most on telemedicine, including in rural areas.\n\nImprove postpartum care in primary care settings for patients with chronic medical conditions.\n\nReduce overuse of antibiotics upon hospital discharge, reducing the well-recognized, long-term risks of antimicrobial resistance.\n\nThe above list is a small sample of the myriad topics addressed through canceled AHRQ grants that would improve healthcare quality, safety, and cost for the American people.\n\nWithholding federal dollars from grant recipients across nearly 30 states without seeking Congressional approval under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is likely illegal and continues what is now a multi-year violation of federal law. The cancellation notices issued on July 15 fail to meet basic standards for grant cancellation notices. The notices cite 42 C.F.R. § 67.17(d) and 42 C.F.R. § 67.17(e), styling the notices as “non-awards” of future funding, rather than cancellations of ongoing research. However, the notices then assign recipients specific obligations under 2 C.F.R. § 200.344, which only applies when grants are canceled. The authorities to cancel ongoing grants provided under 42 C.F.R. § 67.17 require that specific factors are taken into account to cancel individual awards, including “the grantee's progress and management practices and the availability of funds.” Applying blanket language across up to 150 grants covering more than $200 million in awards is not consistent with careful consideration of individual grantees’ progress or performance.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-biggs-obtains-victory-arizona-ranchers-and-farmers", "title": "Congressman Biggs Obtains Victory for Arizona Ranchers and Farmers", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "biggs.house.gov", "scraper": "biggs", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001302", "name": "Andy Biggs", "party": "Republican", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "GILBERT, ARIZONA- Last week, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins visited the Port of Entry in Douglas, Arizona, to reveal that a multi-million-dollar sterile fly dispersal facility would be built in the state to combat the New World screwworm – a parasitic fly that feeds on the flesh of warm-blooded livestock, killing them if left untreated. The new facility will serve as a critical line of defense for the Southwest, expanding the nation's sterile fly dispersal capacity beyond Texas while strengthening Arizona's ability to protect its livestock industry and prevent the New World screwworm from spreading into the region as the Douglas Port of Entry reopens to cattle imports later this month.\n\nThis announcement follows Congressman Biggs's efforts to position Arizona as a national leader in New World screwworm prevention by working with Secretary Rollins and USDA officials to highlight the state's infrastructure, expertise, and cross border partnerships that support robust livestock inspections and protect the nation's livestock industry. In his June 9 letter, Congressman Biggs specifically highlighted the historic Douglas sterile fly facility, identifying it as a “strategically valuable location for future production capacity [to] strengthen Arizona’s ability to support national containment efforts.”\n\n“Thanks to the federal government’s decisive action, New World screwworm cases have fallen significantly over the past year,” said Congressman Biggs. “Arizona is leading the way in prevention efforts, and I am grateful that this administration answered my call for assistance. I know how hard our state’s ranchers and farmers work for America’s economy and supply chain, which is why I’m doing all I can to protect their cattle.”\n\nIn May 2025, the Douglas Port of Entry ceased cattle imports from Mexico because of the New World screwworm. The USDA has confirmed 43 domestic cases of the New World screwworm in the United States since June 3 – 42 of which have occurred in Texas. Thanks to decisive action from the federal government since June’s outbreak, transmission, and active cases have dropped significantly.\n\nRead Congressman Biggs’s letter to Secretary Rollins here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://bynum.house.gov/media/press-releases/bynum-urges-odoj-approve-deal-protect-oregonians-access-healthcare", "title": "Bynum Urges ODOJ to Approve Deal to Protect Oregonians’ Access to Healthcare", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://bynum.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "bynum.house.gov", "scraper": "bynum", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001326", "name": "Janelle S. Bynum", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) urged Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield to urgently approve the proposed affiliation between Salem Health and Santiam Hospital. Without action, Santiam Hospital is facing financial challenges that could disrupt care and leave tens of thousands of Oregonians without access to reliable healthcare.\n\nSalem Health proposed an affiliation with Santiam to maintain high quality care and preserve local employment and services. Now, Oregonians are waiting on the Oregon Department of Justice to issue their final decision to approve the affiliation.\n\n“This is people’s healthcare we’re talking about,” said Rep. Janelle Bynum. “We can’t afford to wait around for the government to wrap this deal in red tape – our communities need quality care. I’m calling on our state government to step up to do the right thing, now: get all hands on deck, work through the night if you have to, and approve the proposal.”\n\nIn the letter, Rep. Bynum emphasized the potential impact of a lapse in care on Oregonians, writing:\n\nAt its core, this matter is about ensuring that Oregon families continue to receive reliable healthcare close to home… Residents throughout the Santiam Canyon and surrounding communities depend on local emergency care, surgical services, primary and specialty care, women’s health and maternity services, and coordinated community-based programs… If Santiam’s condition deteriorates or services are disrupted, patients and families – not institutions – will bear the consequences.”\n\nHospital employees, patients, and local leaders alike are also calling for the affiliation to be approved.\n\n“As both a patient and the Mayor of Stayton, I support Santiam Hospital because I know firsthand the quality of care it provides,” said Stayton Mayor Brian Quigley. “Santiam Hospital helped save my life, and I will always be grateful for the skilled, compassionate professionals who were there when I needed them most. As mayor, I also recognize the hospital’s vital role in the health and strength of our community. Supporting Santiam Hospital means supporting the people and families who depend on local high-quality healthcare every day.”\n\n“As a Santiam Hospital employee for the past 12 years, I have had the privilege of caring for the women and families in our community and seeing firsthand the difference compassionate, local healthcare makes,” said Jenna Styoles, Santiam Women's Clinic Manager. “My connection to Santiam runs deep—my grandmother helped open the doors of this hospital as a member of the very first nursing staff in 1953, and my family, friends, and neighbors have relied on the care provided here for generations. The families in Stayton and our surrounding canyon communities deserve the same access to skilled, timely healthcare as anyone else, because where you live should never determine the care you receive—and when emergencies happen, the minutes truly matter- I have witnessed this firsthand, over and over again. I respectfully ask that this partnership move forward quickly so we can continue protecting access to care for the people who depend on Santiam Hospital.\n\nBackground\n\nSantiam’s current situation:\n\nSantiam experienced a $7.5 million operating loss in 2023 and was unable to stabilize long-term sustainability in 2024 and 2025.\n\nIn the second quarter of 2026, Santiam reported more than $1 million in losses, with projections showing continued unsustainable losses.\n\nIn addition, Santiam faces a major challenge in securing or replacing their electronic health record agreement which expires in June 2027.\n\nThe merger:\n\nThe proposed affiliation with Salem Health includes a $35 million capital investment, assumption of $22 million in debt, access to a replacement Epic electronic health record platform before Santiam's current agreement expires in June 2027, and preservation of local employment and services.\n\nSalem Health has made a commitment to retain employees and continue investing in services.\n\nSantiam leadership believes the affiliation is essential to prevent future insolvency and maintain local access to healthcare in rural Oregon.\n\nThe full text of the letter is available HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://casar.house.gov/media/press-releases/news-casar-leads-introduction-new-bill-protect-workers-threat-ai-mass", "title": "NEWS: Casar Leads Introduction of New Bill To Protect Workers From Threat of AI Mass Unemployment", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://casar.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "casar.house.gov", "scraper": "casar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001131", "name": "Greg Casar", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), joined by Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA), introduced a new bill to protect American workers from the threat of mass unemployment caused by AI.\n\nThe AI Tax and Work Protection Act would tax large AI companies to pay for a new Work Protection Administration, which would create jobs to offset AI layoffs. By imposing a tax on AI, the bill would also save jobs by helping to cancel out the tax break that big companies currently get when they automate away a job.\n\nThe bill comes amid growing concern about AI eliminating millions of American jobs. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has predicted AI could lead to unemployment levels not seen since the Great Depression, and AI-precipitated layoffs have already occurred at major tech companies, law firms, and banks.\n\nThe bill would:\n\nTax big AI companies. Companies pay a tax calculated on the higher of two values: the value of the ‘tokens’ they sell or the revenue they generate selling AI products. In the case of open-weight models, the tax is paid by the company deploying the model if that model is used by the company to reduce workforce costs.\n\nCreate a new Work Protection Administration, paid for by the AI tax revenue. The program would create jobs by investing in things like building housing, modernizing infrastructure, and improving access to child care and elder care. Grants would be given to states, cities, tribes, localities, nonprofits, unions, and educational institutions.\n\nIncrease the AI tax rate if the unemployment rate rises, so the program can grow if the need for jobs grows.\n\n“This bill says: we will not let AI billionaires get rich by putting you out of work,” said Casar. “Right now, the path we are on is clear: AI will turn a couple of billionaires into trillionaires but leave millions without work. That is unacceptable. And right now, the federal government is doing nothing to protect workers from the threat of AI mass unemployment. Our bill would protect American workers by making big AI companies pay their fair share.”\n\n“The rise of new technologies should be used to bring benefits to consumers and hardworking Americans. But as artificial intelligence continues to reshape our economy, too many workers are already losing jobs while executives and investors line their pockets,” said Foushee. “Congress has a duty to ensure that this technology is not used to deepen wealth inequality, but instead that the economic benefits of AI are shared with working people. As a proud member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, I am grateful to have worked with Chair Casar on this critical piece of legislation, which will tax tokens used by large AI companies to fund public employment programs, protect workers from AI-driven job loss, and keep our country moving forward in every sector.”\n\n“If Congress does nothing, the rise of AI could create the biggest wealth transfer in history from the bottom to the top,” said Jacobs. “Corporations are already laying off workers and raking in the profits from AI systems trained on human work – without ensuring workers share in those gains. That’s why Congress needs to act now by preparing the economy for AI, creating guardrails so it augments workers instead of replacing them, and strengthening the social safety net. The AI Tax and Work Protection Act will tax certain uses of AI, especially when they lead to job cuts, and it will help create jobs for workers who may be left behind by the AI transition. If AI profits off human work, workers deserve job security and a share of those profits.”\n\nA copy of the bill is available here. Casar, Foushee, and Jacobs, joined by AFT President Randi Weingarten and economic expert Gene Sperling, announced the bill on a press call.\n\nThe bill has the support of organizations such as AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Groundwork Action, and Demand Progress Action, as well as top policy experts.\n\n“While Big Tech stands to rake in big profits from AI, workers could be left with nothing,” said Alex Jacquez, Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, & Research at Groundwork Collaborative. “We applaud Rep. Casar for this effort to get ahead of the potential impacts on jobs from AI and define who should pay the cost.”\n\n“The most direct policy response to mass unemployment is mass employment,” said Asad Ramzanali, Director of AI and Technology Policy, Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator. “That was true in the 1930s, when FDR launched the Works Progress Administration, and it’s true today as threats of AI-induced job loss loom large. Now is exactly the right time to design, debate, and prototype a modern WPA, and to demand that those profiting from displacement help fund new jobs.”\n\n“If Silicon Valley is right about AI replacing millions of jobs, we need a plan,” said Brown University Assistant Professor of Computer Science Serena Booth. “If they're wrong, this proposed tax will raise little revenue. But if they're right and we fail to prepare, American workers will bear the cost. Taxing AI can ensure that the economic gains from automation are reinvested in American workers and communities.”\n\n“We applaud Representative Casar’s continued leadership on artificial intelligence,” said Sean Vitka, Executive Director of Demand Progress Action. “Serious, resilient proposals to address the unfolding impacts of this rapidly advancing technology are far too hard to find in Congress. Some policymakers don’t take AI seriously enough, and some don’t understand it at all. With this legislation, Representative Casar is instead demonstrating the kind of policymaking vision needed to meet the moments ahead.”\n\n###\n\nCongressman Greg Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which runs down I-35 from East Austin to Hays County to the West Side of San Antonio. A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar serves as the Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 119th Congress. He also serves on the Committee on Education and Labor and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-chus-statement-bomb-threat-huntington-hospital", "title": "Rep. Chu's Statement on Bomb Threat at Huntington Hospital", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "chu.house.gov", "scraper": "chu", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001080", "name": "Judy Chu", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "PASADENA, CA — Today, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28) released the following statement in response to a bomb threat at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena:\n\n\"I am aware of the bomb threat at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena this morning. The Pasadena Police Department responded immediately, and I am grateful they were able to quickly secure the safety of all patients and employees. My office is in contact with hospital leadership and authorities as they conduct an investigation to identify those responsible so they can be swiftly held accountable.\"", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases/ciscomani-applauds-1-billion-copper-investment-arizona-copper-and-180-million", "title": "Ciscomani Applauds $1 Billion Copper Investment for Arizona Copper and $180 Million for Mining Education", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ciscomani.house.gov", "scraper": "ciscomani", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001133", "name": "Juan Ciscomani", "party": "Republican", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Tucson, AZ - Congressman Juan Ciscomani applauded two major announcements that further solidify Arizona’s position as the nation’s leader in critical minerals and copper production. These include a $1 billion investment in the Ivanhoe Santa Cruz Copper Project near Casa Grande and $180 million in grants to bolster mining education, including at the University of Arizona.\n\nArizona is home to some of the world’s largest copper deposits and an abundance of other critical minerals essential to America’s energy and manufacturing sectors. The University of Arizona is consistently ranked among the nation’s top mining engineering programs and boasts a 100% job placement rate for graduates, preparing the workforce needed to meet growing demand.\n\nTwo industry leaders from Arizona attended and praised today’s announcement at the White House. Click HERE to watch Kray Luxbacher from the University of Arizona and HERE to watch Vicky Peacey, President and General Manager of Resolution Copper.\n\n\"This was a historic investment in American mining engineering schools, and we're really grateful. I also want to say thank you for what you've already done toward accelerating permitting for mining in the United States. It's really been unbelievable,\" said Kray Luxbacher, Executive Director and Head of the School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources at the University of Arizona.\n\n\"Mr. President, you have brought mining back to America, single-handedly,\" said Vicky Peacey, President and General Manager of Resolution Copper.\n\nCiscomani praised today’s announcement landmark investment in Arizona’s mining.\n\n\"From a $1 billion investment in the Santa Cruz Copper Project to $180 million to strengthen mining education, including at the University of Arizona, these are major wins for Arizona,\" said Congressman Ciscomani. \"Arizona is leading America’s effort to produce the critical minerals our economy and national security depend on. These once-in-a-generation investments by President Trump and the administration will create good-paying mining jobs, strengthen our workforce, and train the next generation of miners and engineers right here in Arizona. I am proud to see Arizona’s local leaders Vicky and Kray at the table. They are leaders in this industry and this is a transformational moment for Arizona and America’s mining future.\"\n\nCiscomani has been a leading advocate in Congress for strengthening America’s domestic critical minerals supply chain. He championed the Critical Mineral Consistency Act to to align the Department of Energy's and U.S. Geological Survey's separate lists so they consistently list copper as a critical mineral, cutting red tape and speeding up permitting for copper and other minerals essential to America's energy future, national security, and supply chain independence. He has also urged the Department of the Interior to support Arizona’s mining industry and ensure the resources necessary for continued growth.\n\nEarlier this year, Ciscomani hosted the Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in Arizona’s Sixth District for a tour of the University of Arizona’s San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory with Kray Luxbacher and convened mining stakeholders for a roundtable discussion. With world-class mineral resources, a top-ranked mining education program, and continued investment in production, Arizona is well positioned to lead America’s mining resurgence.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases/ciscomani-preliminarily-secures-nearly-7-million-eloy-infrastructure", "title": "Ciscomani Preliminarily Secures Nearly $7 Million for Eloy Infrastructure Improvements", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ciscomani.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ciscomani.house.gov", "scraper": "ciscomani", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001133", "name": "Juan Ciscomani", "party": "Republican", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Eloy, AZ - U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani today saw firsthand how the nearly $7 million federal investment he preliminarily secured for the City of Eloy will be used to improve the community’s increasingly busy streets.\n\n\"This project will be a gamechanger for Eloy and the hardworking folks who live and do business here,\" the congressman said after touring Frontier Street with Mayor Andy Sutton. \"I was honored to advocate for this project with my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee and after seeing it today, I’m more convinced than ever that it’s a worthwhile investment.\"\n\nAs a result of Ciscomani’s efforts, the city will receive $6.76 million for what is formally known as the Frontier Mill & Overlay Project Phases II & III. The allocation is included in the Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill.\n\nThe funds Ciscomani preliminarily secured for Eloy represent \"a critical investment in transportation infrastructure that will support the connectivity, safety, and economic vitality of the region,\" according to Irene Higgs, executive director of the Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization. The project \"will provide Eloy with a refurbished gateway to accommodate traffic generated by new businesses and increased employment, reduce congestion, improve freight movement, and improve safety.\"\n\nMayor Sutton agreed and expressed his appreciation for the funds Ciscomani is bringing back to Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District.\n\n\"The City of Eloy is grateful to Congressman Juan Ciscomani for his leadership and continued advocacy on behalf of our community. Securing funding for vital roadway improvements is an important investment in public safety, mobility, and Eloy’s future growth,\" said Mayor Sutton. \"Congressman Ciscomani understands the needs of communities like ours and has consistently made himself accessible to local leaders. His efforts have helped ensure that Eloy’s priorities are heard at the federal level, and we greatly appreciate his partnership and commitment to delivering meaningful results for our residents.\"\n\nIncluded in the same THUD bill is $2.73 million for Burris Road Improvements in Casa Grande that the congressman also advocated for. Combined, these investments represent more than $9.4 million in federal funding for critical transportation infrastructure in Pinal County.\n\n\"As Arizona’s sole appropriator in either the House or Senate, I have made it my mission to be a relentless advocate for Southern Arizona by listening to the needs of our communities and fighting to bring those priorities to Washington,\" Ciscomani said. \"Every Community Project Funding request I champion is driven by local leaders and the people they serve, ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested where they will have the greatest impact. These critical investments will modernize aging infrastructure, improve key roadways, and support Pinal County’s continued growth. I will always fight to ensure Southern Arizona has a strong voice at the table and receives its fair share of federal resources.\"\n\nThese two Pinal County infrastructure projects are among the 20 Community Project Funding requests totaling $42.7 million that the congressman has advocated for in this year’s House appropriations bills to strengthen infrastructure in Arizona's Sixth Congressional District.\n\nThe $6.76 million preliminarily secured for the City of Eloy’s Frontier Mill & Overlay Project Phases II & III will modernize existing roadway infrastructure and builds on the $1 million Congressman Ciscomani secured in Fiscal Year 2026 for Phase I of the project. This continued investment will support future economic development and ensure the city’s infrastructure keeps pace with its growth.\n\n​Earlier this week, the congressman visited the new Oro Valley Police Department which will be using $4.2 million he secured for public safety equipment and technology.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/08/07/higgins-qualifies-for-reelection-to-u-s-house-pledges-to-continue-to-deliver-for-louisiana/", "title": "Higgins Qualifies for Reelection to U.S. House, Pledges to Continue to Deliver for Louisiana", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "clayhiggins.house.gov", "scraper": "clayhiggins", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001077", "name": "Clay Higgins", "party": "Republican", "state": "LA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "LAFAYETTE, LA – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) released the following statement after qualifying for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in Louisiana’s Third Congressional District:\n\n“This week, I am honored to announce that I have officially qualified for reelection in Louisiana’s Third Congressional District. As a Member of the Board of Directors for the House Freedom Caucus, I have stood shoulder to shoulder with President Trump to advance the America First agenda, secure our border, and cut wasteful Washington spending, earning a 100% conservative voting record recognized by the Heritage Foundation, Club for Growth, and Americans for Prosperity.\n\nAscending each year in seniority on my committees and within the Republican Conference, I have earned a seat at the America First table, where policy decisions are made for our entire Nation. I have backed the men and women of the Thin Blue Line, fought for Louisiana interests, supported our military and my Veteran Brothers and Sisters, and secured billions of dollars for important Louisiana flood mitigation and disaster relief efforts. I will always fight for Constitutionalist and Conservative principles, and with the support of We the People, I will unwaveringly continue to deliver for Louisiana.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://cloud.house.gov/posts/release-congressman-michael-cloud-and-senator-cornyn-introduce-two-companion-bills-the-depots-act-and-depot-data-transparency-act", "title": "RELEASE: Congressman Michael Cloud and Senator Cornyn Introduce Two Companion Bills: The DEPOTS Act and Depot Data Transparency Act", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://cloud.house.gov/press", "domain": "cloud.house.gov", "scraper": "cloud", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001115", "name": "Michael Cloud", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Michael Cloud (TX-27) introduced two House companion bills to improve oversight and financial management of Department of War (DoW) depots and arsenals: The Defense Expenditure Planning for Optimizing Throughput and Sustainment (DEPOTS) Act and the Depot Data Transparency Act.\n\nThe DEPOTS Act aims to clear the outdated internal accounting charges tied to depots and arsenals, which were affected by mission changes. The Department of War (DoW) runs depots and arsenals using revolving funds, but when facilities receive mission changes from the government, some of the old equipment or capital investments stop generating revenue.\n\nKey provisions of the DEPOTS Act include:\n\nAllow the Secretary of Defense to write off depreciation costs or internal debt on DoW’s books when the charges are linked to capital assets that no longer generate revenue, due to a change in mission.\n\nRequire cash outlays to be recovered first.\n\nAllow the Secretary of Defense to delegate this authority down to the secretaries of the individual military departments: Army, Navy, Air Force.\n\nDoes not apply to payments owed to commercial contractors.\n\n“The DEPOTS Act is a commonsense flexibility for a real problem. Depots shouldn’t face the adverse effects alone due to mission changes by the Department of War and Congress,” said Rep. Cloud. “Corpus Christi Army Depot does critical work keeping our service members’ aircraft safe and reliable, and this practical reform keeps our Army’s and the nation’s rotary aircraft operational and, in the fight,” concluded Rep. Cloud.\n\n“Texas’ two extraordinary Organic Industrial Base sites, the Corpus Christi and Red River Army Depots, make immeasurable, ongoing contributions to our nation’s defense readiness,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m proud to introduce the DEPOTS Act, which would allow the Department of War to provide surpluses to depots whose labor rates have been negatively impacted by government-directed mission changes, and the Depot Data Transparency Act, which would improve transparency into how depot-level maintenance funds are allocated and allow Congressional oversight at each depot,” concluded Sen. Cornyn.\n\nThe Depot Data Transparency Act, co-led with Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, requires DoW’s depot maintenance to apply to all individual depots rather than being averaged across an agency, thus strengthening the visibility of where taxpayer dollars are going.\n\nFor years, the DoW reported the percentage of work done at its Army Depots under each Defense Agency, rather than at each depot individually. This gap has allowed work contracts to shift away from certain depots, including Corpus Christi Army Depot. The bill thus fixes a loophole in our current law that requires at least half of depot maintenance work to stay with government-run facilities to protect our national security and industrial base.\n\n“Over the past decade, Corpus Christi Army Depot’s highly trained civilian workforce has dropped by thousands due to the Army’s increasing reliance on private companies for helicopter repair work. This is a federal issue hurting depots across the country and requires a federal solution; it starts with bringing greater transparency to the Army’s maintenance and overhaul schedule. Our bill builds on bipartisan language we secured in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act and would ensure we protect South Texas’s military competitiveness and the thousands of workers it employs,” said Rep. Gonzalez.\n\nThe DEPOTS Act and Depot Data Transparency Act work together to keep depots competitive for mission and platform changes, promote public transparency, and strengthen our organic industrial bases.\n\nRead the bill text for the DEPOTS Act here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://correa.house.gov/news/press-releases/correa-merkley-launch-new-effort-to-fix-misleading-recycling-labels", "title": "CORREA, MERKLEY LAUNCH NEW EFFORT TO FIX MISLEADING RECYCLING LABELS", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://correa.house.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "correa.house.gov", "scraper": "correa", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001110", "name": "J. Luis Correa", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Truth in Labeling Act Aims to Restore Consumers’ Confidence in Packaging\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Lou Correa (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and announced their new Truth in Labeling Act of 2026. The bicameral legislation would establish clear federal guidelines for labeling consumer products that are recyclable, compostable, reusable, or refillable.\n\n\"People shouldn't have to question whether something belongs in the recycling bin or the trash,” said Correa. “Clear, consistent labeling helps consumers make informed choices while reducing contamination that makes recycling more expensive and less effective. This bill brings common-sense standards to product labeling, strengthens our recycling system, and gives Americans the information they need to do their part in reducing waste and protecting our environment.\"\n\n“Most of us have been taught the three Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle; but too often the reality with plastics is the three Bs—buried, burned, and borne out to sea,” said Merkley. “Consumers want to recycle and compost. Our Truth in Labeling Act will make that easier by requiring companies to accurately label their products as recyclable, compostable, or reusable. This is a win-win-win for consumers, waste management systems, and our environment.”\n\nThe Truth in Labeling Act responds to increasing confusion about the ‘chasing arrows’ on consumer products and outdated federal guidance on environmental marketing claims. The bill would establish a voluntary label for manufacturers to use if they wish to direct consumers to recycle, compost, or reuse their packaging. Not only will clear labels help consumers make informed choices, but they will also strengthen our recycling system and help re-establish consumer trust in environmental marketing claims.\n\nSee what organizations across the nation are saying about the need for improved recycling, composting, and reuse labels:\n\n\"To tackle the ocean plastic pollution crisis, Americans need clear, accurate information — not greenwashing — and we have to start with the truth about what's recyclable, and what isn't. The status quo of confusing and misleading recyclability claims prevents our recycling system from living up to its potential. The Truth in Labeling Act will give consumers that clarity, and we applaud Senator Merkley and Representative Correa for their tireless work to deliver these much-needed improvements,” said Dr. Anja Brandon, Director, Plastics Policy, Ocean Conservancy.\n\n\"Our members who process organic materials at their facilities need clean, uncontaminated material to make sure we can produce quality compost for U.S. soil health,\" said Linda Norris-Waldt, Executive Director of the US Composting Council. \"Passage of national legislation such as this will make it easier for communities and businesses to educate their consumers to put the right material for composting into the compost bin, making a win for everyone.\"\n\n“Just Zero strongly supports the Truth in Labeling Act. For decades, the plastics industry has used the chasing-arrows symbol to sell a false promise: that plastic will be recycled if consumers put it in the right bin. In reality, the symbol has helped companies maintain the illusion of plastic recycling while avoiding responsibility for the waste they create. This legislation will help end that deception. If packaging is not collected, processed, and recycled at scale, companies should not be allowed to call it recyclable. Consumers deserve labels they can trust—not greenwashing,” said Peter Blair, Policy and Advocacy Director, Just Zero.\n\n\"Recology employee-owners process more than 1.6 million tons of recyclable and compostable materials each year, giving us a firsthand view of the impacts that misleading recyclability and compostability claims have on sort lines, composting operations, and the quality of recovered materials. The Truth in Labeling Act will help create a stronger national standard for environmental labeling and better align product claims with the realities of our nation's recycling and composting infrastructure,” said Sal Coniglio, CEO of Recology.\n\n\"The Truth in Labeling Act is a strong step towards a national labeling standard that accurately reflects market realities. As the reusable packaging and foodware sectors continue to expand, consistent guidance and national standards will be foundational to building a robust and enduring reuse economy that is trusted by all consumers,” said Sydney Harris, Policy Director, Upstream Solutions.\n\n“Consumer confidence in recycling is falling, and on–pack labeling can help consumers make the right choice when it comes to being part of an effective recycling system, but labeling is only one piece. A truly effective recycling system requires five things: packaging is designed to be recycled; communities have access; constituents are effectively engaged; materials are properly sorted and processed; and end markets turn old material into new products, demanding recycled content for recycled content products,” said Anthony Tusino, Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for The Recycling Partnership. “The legislation from Senator Merkley and Representative Correa is a step in the right direction to ensure packaging claims reflect reality. We look forward to working with Congress to get the U.S. to meet all five requirements of an effective recycling system.”\n\n“Practical product and packaging design should consider recyclability, and recyclability claims must reflect, and evolve with, how materials are actually collected, processed, and returned to manufacturing. As such, ReMA is encouraged to see the Truth in Labeling Act include industry-developed guidance, including ReMA’s Fiber Recycling Readiness Tool. We thank Senator Merkley and Representative Correa for their continued leadership on recycling and look forward to working with them and other stakeholders to ensure that any national framework remains grounded in how the recycling system operates and can adapt as that system continues to advance,” said Kristen Hildreth, VP Public Policy and Government Relations, Recycled Materials Association.\n\n\"The Paper Recycling Coalition thanks Senator Merkley, Representative Correa, and their staff for their thoughtful engagement and real partnership throughout this process. We share their commitment to honest labeling and to protecting consumer trust in recycling, and we especially appreciate the bill's clear line that fuel and energy recovery are not recycling. We look forward to working together on these issues in the future,” said Terese Colling, President, Paper Recycling Coalition.\n\nFull text of the Truth in Labeling Act can be found by clicking HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://crow.house.gov/media/press-releases/crow-pushes-republican-leadership-to-hold-vote-to-ban-stock-trading-for-high-ranking-government-officials", "title": "Crow Pushes Republican Leadership to Hold Vote to Ban Stock Trading for High-Ranking Government Officials", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://crow.house.gov/news", "domain": "crow.house.gov", "scraper": "crow", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001121", "name": "Jason Crow", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "AURORA — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO), Co-Chair of the End Corruption Caucus, is demanding Speaker Johnson bring the Restore Trust in Government Act to the House floor for a vote. Unlike House Republicans’ recent bill that fails to truly crack down on stock trading, this bill would actually ban Members of Congress, the President and Vice President, and their immediate families from trading and owning individual stocks. Despite overwhelming public support for greater accountability and transparency, Speaker Johnson refuses to bring the Restore Trust in Government Act to the floor.\n\n“People at the highest level of our government should not be able to use their office for profit. I don’t own or trade stocks, I ban my office from betting on prediction markets, and I refuse money from corporate special interests because we have to begin restoring trust in our government,” said Congressman Crow. “Speaker Johnson needs to bring the Restore Trust in Government Act to the floor. Republicans’ fake stock trading ban doesn’t actually solve the problem. Instead, it creates loopholes that allow Members of Congress and the President to keep enriching themselves while in office. The American people want real transparency and reform in Washington, and we should give it to them by passing this bill.”\n\nCrow was joined in this letter by Congressman Seth Magaziner (D-RI) and 32 other House Democrats.\n\nIn the letter, Crow, Magaziner, and their colleagues wrote, “We urge you to bring H.R. 6731, the Restore Trust in Government Act to the floor immediately for a vote when the House of Representatives returns from the August recess. The American people deserve a real stock trading ban for politicians in Washington, to end the corruption that lets politicians get rich off of inside information while working people struggle.”\n\nThey continued, “The American people are sick of the corruption in Washington. They are sick of paying more for gas, groceries, and healthcare, and Congress doing nothing about it because politicians get rich by profiting from the industries and corporations that keep prices high. They want an end to the corruption and we have a responsibility to deliver on that.”\n\nCrow is an original cosponsor of the TRUST in Congress Act to ban members of Congress and their families from owning or trading stocks. Crow has stood up to special interests and has not taken a dime of corporate PAC money. He has also led outreach to House leadership urging them to ban members and their staff from insider trading on prediction markets. He is leading the fight to root out corruption in our elections, including through his End Dark Money Act to crack down on dark money’s influence on U.S. elections and his bipartisan Shell Company Abuse Act to limit foreign interference in U.S. elections.\n\nA PDF of the letter can be found here, with full text appearing below:\n\nDear Speaker Johnson,\n\nWe urge you to bring H.R. 6731, the Restore Trust in Government Act to the floor immediately for a vote when the House of Representatives returns from the August recess. The American people deserve a real stock trading ban for politicians in Washington, to end the corruption that lets politicians get rich off of inside information while working people struggle.\n\nThe bill you have put forth is not that. It is a voter suppression bill and a half-measure on the issue of stock trading in Congress that has no chance of becoming law. It would upend mail-in voting that seniors, rural Americans, and many other Americans rely on, and would throw our elections into chaos right before election day while people are already casting their ballots. We are disappointed that playing politics and attempting to make it harder for eligible Americans to vote has taken precedence over delivering real reform to end the insider trading in Washington.\n\nThe “Stop Insider Trading Act” is a ruse that does not end corruption in Washington. It is a watered-down bill that would still allow Members of Congress to own and sell stocks. Washington will never work for the American people if Members of Congress can continue to own and sell stocks in the very industries they are tasked with regulating. And this bill does nothing to stop the biggest stock trader in Washington: President Trump, who in the last year made millions of dollars by trading more stocks than all Members of Congress.\n\nThe American people are sick of the corruption in Washington. They are sick of paying more for gas, groceries, and healthcare, and Congress doing nothing about it because politicians get rich by profiting from the industries and corporations that keep prices high. They want an end to the corruption and we have a responsibility to deliver on that. The Restore Trust in Government Act does that by fully banning stock trading by Members of Congress and the President and Vice President. We urge you to find the courage to bring this bill forward for a vote when we return on August 31, 2026.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://elfreth.house.gov/media/press-releases/elfreth-hosts-virtual-know-your-rights-workshop", "title": "Elfreth Hosts Virtual ‘Know Your Rights’ Workshop", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://elfreth.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "elfreth.house.gov", "scraper": "elfreth", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000301", "name": "Sarah Elfreth", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "ANNAPOLIS, MD – Yesterday, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03) hosted a virtual ‘Know Your Rights’ workshop for constituents to know the resources available to them should they or a loved one be stopped or detained by ICE. The workshop covered practical steps families can take now to prepare for unexpected situations, including emergency planning, safeguarding important documents, and identifying support networks. The session was available in both English and Spanish.\n\n“As President Trump continues his weaponization of ICE against our neighbors, one of the most frequent questions my office receives is ‘What can I do?’ One simple, but very important step you can take today is to know your rights, which is why I was proud to partner with CARECEN to host this workshop and make sure all of our neighbors know the resources available to them,” said Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth.\n\nThe workshop was hosted with the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), a local nonprofit dedicated to fostering the comprehensive development of the Latino population by providing direct services while promoting grassroots empowerment, civic engagement, and human rights advocacy.\n\n“Knowledge is power, especially in moments of uncertainty. Every family deserves access to accurate information about their rights so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones. We thank Congresswoman Elfreth for her partnership and her commitment to serving all members of her community. As immigrant families continue to face fear and disruption as a result of the current administration's misguided and cruel immigration enforcement actions, we remain united with Congresswoman Elfreth and her team in providing trusted information, legal resources, and support. We will continue standing with our immigrant neighbors and advocating for policies that uphold their dignity, safety, and rights,” said Abel Núñez, Executive Director of CARECEN.\n\nElfreth’s office regularly assists constituents in navigating federal immigration agencies such as United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Control (CBP), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Caseworkers are able to submit case status inquiries, request expedited case processing, and flag applications outside normal processing times. To date, Congresswoman Elfreth’s team has assisted nearly 1,000 constituents on immigration-related matters.\n\nIf you or a loved one is detained by ICE or needs assistance with any federal agency, you can speak to a member of Elfreth’s casework team at (410) 832-8890. Pursuant to federal law, the office of Congresswoman Elfreth asks constituents to fill out this privacy release form to assist with immigration casework. The Congresswoman’s office has a Know Your Rights Fact Sheet available HERE as well as a webpage with resources for Marylanders affected by Trump Administration policies available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://finstad.house.gov/2026/08/07/finstad-sends-letter-to-mn-secretary-of-state-steve-simon-regarding-election-integrity/", "title": "Finstad Sends Letter to MN Secretary of State Steve Simon Regarding Election Integrity", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://finstad.house.gov/media", "domain": "finstad.house.gov", "scraper": "finstad", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000475", "name": "Brad Finstad", "party": "Republican", "state": "MN", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) sent a letter to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon regarding the integrity of Minnesota’s election system and concerns about the potential for individuals who are not legally eligible to vote, including those unlawfully present in the United States, to register to vote or cast ballots in Minnesota elections. The letter highlights vulnerabilities within Minnesota’s “Driver’s License for All” law and Secretary Simon’s refusal to turn over voter rolls to the Department of Justice.\n\n“Election security is national security, and Minnesotans deserve to know that every reasonable measure possible is taken to protect the rights of eligible voters,” said Rep. Finstad. “I sent a letter to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon expressing my concerns about our state’s election system and requested more information on what Secretary Simon and his office are doing to ensure secure, transparent, and trusted elections in Minnesota.”\n\nBackground:", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://gonzalez.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-vicente-gonzalez-honors-former-commissioner-john-wood", "title": "Congressman Vicente Gonzalez Honors Former Commissioner John Wood with a Congressional Record for Years of Service", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gonzalez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gonzalez.house.gov", "scraper": "gonzalez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000581", "name": "Vicente Gonzalez", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Image\n\nAugust 7, 2026\n\nContact: Alexis Torres\n\nBrownsville, Texas – Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) presented former Port of Brownsville, City of Brownsville and Cameron County Commissioner John Wood with a prestigious Congressional Record to honor more than five decades of outstanding civic leadership and public service to South Texas. A Congressional Record is a daily transcript of all proceedings of the United States Congress, including any remarks provided by a Member in either chamber to recognize notable milestones in the communities they serve.\n\n“After decades of dedication and leadership from Commissioner Wood, his work has left an indelible mark on Cameron County. From strengthening operations and trade at the Port of Brownsville to improving our local infrastructure and creating economic opportunities for South Texas families and businesses, he is a major reason as to why our region continues to rapidly transform. As a token of my gratitude for his lifelong service to others, this Congressional Record inscribes Commissioner Wood’s lasting legacy into the official records of the United States Congress,” said Congressman Gonzalez.\n\nThe full text of the Congressional Record is as follows:\n\nMr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Mr. John Wood's lifetime of service to the people of Brownsville, Texas, and the Rio Grande Valley.\n\nFor decades, Mr. Wood has dedicated his time to strengthening our community through both civic engagement and public service. Before entering elected office, serving as chair of the local chapters of the American Red Cross and United Way, Chairman of the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. His dedication to improving the lives of those around him laid the foundation for a distinguished career in public service.\n\nAs a Brownsville City Commissioner and Cameron County Commissioner, Mr. Wood earned the trust of his constituents by remaining accessible and attentive to their needs. He successfully secured state funding to rebuild roads, install a new drainage system, lay sidewalks, and install streetlights, delivering critical infrastructure improvements that enhanced neighborhoods and improved the quality of life for countless families.\n\nAs a Commissioner on the Brownsville Navigation District Board, Mr. Wood continued to lead with integrity and vision. He advanced reforms to the port’s employee retirement fund and raised the minimum wage. Commissioner Wood also advocated for the deepening of the Port, resulting in major investments, diversifying the economy, and transforming the region for generations to come. Throughout his tenure, he championed responsible stewardship and long-term investment in one of South Texas’s most important economic engines.\n\nMr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Texas’ 34th Congressional District, I extend my deepest gratitude to Mr. John Wood and his decades of service. His leadership has strengthened the Brownsville community and expanded economic opportunity throughout the Rio Grande Valley. It is leaders like him that continue to define the spirit of integrity and service of South Texas, and for that, we are forever grateful.\n\nI yield back the remainder of my time.\n\nSigned this 27th day of July, 2026.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://gonzalez.house.gov/media/press-releases/gonzalez-cloud-cornyn-fetterman-introduce-bill-improve-transparency-funding", "title": "Gonzalez, Cloud, Cornyn, Fetterman Introduce Bill to Improve Transparency in Funding for Army Depots", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://gonzalez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "gonzalez.house.gov", "scraper": "gonzalez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000581", "name": "Vicente Gonzalez", "party": "Democrat", "state": "TX", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Contact: Alexis Torres\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) and Michael Cloud (TX-27) and Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and John Fetterman (D-PA) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Depot Data Transparency Act, which would update U.S. military reporting requirements and increase transparency over how depot-level maintenance funds go to Organic Industrial Base sites, such as the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD).\n\n“Over the past decade, Corpus Christi Army Depot’s highly-trained civilian workforce has dropped by thousands due to the Army’s increasing reliance on private companies for helicopter repair work. This is a federal issue hurting depots across the country and requires a federal solution; it starts with bringing greater transparency to the Army’s maintenance and overhaul schedule. Our bill builds on bipartisan language we secured in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act, and would ensure we protect South Texas’s military competitiveness and the thousands of workers it employs,” said Congressman Gonzalez.\n\n“This bill brings needed transparency to how depot maintenance work is distributed, ensuring facilities like Corpus Christi Army Depot get a fair individual look. Transparency like this strengthens our organic industrial bases and protects our national security,” said Congressman Cloud.\n\n“A balanced allocation of maintenance funding is essential to ensuring the Department of War can sustain the Organic Industrial Base, preserve critical repair and remanufacturing capabilities, and serve as a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars,” said Senator Cornyn. “By updating the 50-50 rule’s reporting requirements, this legislation would improve transparency into how depot-level maintenance funds are allocated and allow Congressional oversight at each depot.”\n\n“Military depots like Tobyhanna and Letterkenny are the foundation of our military readiness, and the people there are some of the best technicians,” said Senator Fetterman. “The Depot Data Transparency Act ensures efficient federal oversight of those military depots in Pennsylvania and across the country. This necessary change makes sure tax dollars are being allocated properly to support and maintain a crucial workforce.”\n\nCongressman Gonzalez is co-leading the House-companion of this legislation, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of their version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027. For a complete list of the language and amendments the Congressman secured in the FY27 NDAA, click here.\n\nThis effort accompanies the Congressman’s ongoing commitment to strengthening military operations at installations like CCAD and Naval Air Stations (NAS) Corpus Christi and Kingsville. Just yesterday, the Congressman joined the top Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Congressman Rick Larsen (WA-02), to meet with NAS Corpus Christi leadership, tour the base, and highlight the importance of investing in the aviation workforce.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Depot Data Transparency Act would amend the reporting requirement for the “50-50 rule” (10 USC 2466) that necessitates each U.S. military service dedicate no less than 50% of all depot-level maintenance funds to work done by federal employees at Organic Industrial Base sites. The updated reporting requirement in the legislation would improve Congress’ visibility into the distribution of funds, including at the individual depot-level, to better support workload, improve military readiness, and maintain a trained workforce at these domestic industrial sites.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-propone-cinco-medidas-para-atender-la-crisis-de-agua", "title": "Comisionado Residente propone cinco medidas para atender la crisis de agua", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "hernandez.house.gov", "scraper": "hernandez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001103", "name": "Pablo José Hernández", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PR", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — El Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico, Pablo José Hernández presentó hoy un plan de cinco puntos dirigido al gobierno federal para atender la crisis de agua que afecta a cientos de miles de puertorriqueños, que incluiría préstamos federales para pequeños negocios y agricultores.\n\nDurante una entrevista nacional este viernes en NBC News Daily, el Comisionado Residente hizo un llamado a la gobernadora para que solicite al presidente de los Estados Unidos una declaración federal de emergencia ante la crisis de agua en Puerto Rico.\n\nBajo la Ley Stafford, la gobernadora tiene la facultad de presentar formalmente esa solicitud. Hernández reiteró su disposición a buscar respaldo congresional para fortalecer la petición y aumentar sus probabilidades de éxito, tal como hizo con la declaración de emergencia energética en 2025.\n\nDe lograrse, dicha declaración aumentaría la disponibilidad de recursos de FEMA para atender la escasez de agua, incluyendo la distribución de agua almacenada y el reembolso de gastos de emergencia para los municipios y la AAA.\n\nEl Comisionado Residente además pidió que la solicitud incluya asistencia individual, lo cual habilitaría préstamos de la SBA para los negocios afectados por la sequía.\n\nPor separado, el Comisionado Residente recomendará al Departamento de Agricultura federal que emita la designación de emergencia por sequía que las condiciones actuales incluyendo la sequía extrema ya registrada en el sur de la isla— ameritan bajo sus propios criterios, lo cual proveería ayuda para nuestros agricultores.\n\nFinalmente, el Comisionado Residente indicó que deben iniciarse las gestiones necesarias para el regreso de los cientos de puertorriqueños de la Guardia Nacional actualmente desplegados en Washington, D.C., de manera que puedan apoyar la respuesta a esta crisis en la isla.\n\n“Como reflejan estas cinco medidas, el gobierno estatal y federal pueden hacer más, y estoy en la mejor disposición de ayudar para que así sea”, concluyó el Comisionado Residente.\n\nHernández Proposes Five Measures to Address Puerto Rico’s Water Crisis\n\n(See the full interview)\n\nSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Congressman Pablo José Hernández of Puerto Rico today unveiled a five-point plan calling for federal action to address the water crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans, including potential federal loans for small businesses and farmers.\n\nDuring a national interview Friday on NBC News Daily, Congressman Hernández called on the Governor to request a federal emergency declaration from the President of the United States in response to Puerto Rico’s water crisis.\n\nUnder the Stafford Act, the Governor has the authority to formally submit such a request. Hernández reiterated his willingness to seek congressional support to strengthen the request and increase its likelihood of approval, as he did with the 2025 energy emergency declaration.\n\nIf approved, such a declaration would increase the availability of FEMA resources to address the water shortage, including the distribution of stored water and reimbursement of emergency expenses incurred by municipalities and the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA).\n\nHernández also called for the request to include individual assistance, which would make SBA loans available to businesses affected by the drought.\n\nSeparately, Hernández recommends that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issue an emergency drought designation based on current conditions including the extreme drought already recorded in southern Puerto Rico, which would make additional assistance available to farmers.\n\nFinally, Hernández said the necessary steps should be taken to bring back the hundreds of Puerto Rican National Guard members currently deployed in Washington, D.C., so they can support the response to the crisis on the island.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://hoyer.house.gov/media/press-releases/hoyer-statement-july-jobs-report-2", "title": "Hoyer Statement on July Jobs Report", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hoyer.house.gov/media", "domain": "hoyer.house.gov", "scraper": "hoyer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000874", "name": "Steny H. Hoyer", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement on the July jobs report:\n\n“The July jobs report continues to capture a feeling that many Americans know all too well — uncertainty. We saw a loss of 23,000 jobs, and there are 1.8 million individuals still facing long-term unemployment. Rather than fulfilling his oath to promote the general welfare of Americans, Trump continues to dedicate taxpayer resources to his war of choice with Iran, and the MAGA majority in Congress simply acts in lockstep with his reckless agenda while failing to address the real issues on the minds of the American people.\n\n“Every day, I hear from constituents who are struggling to afford basic necessities under an administration that prioritizes the President’s billionaire friends over hardworking families. The White House enjoys gloating about ‘The Trump Effect,’ but, in reality, we are seeing fewer jobs, skyrocketing gas prices, and higher inflation for the American people. It is a disastrous effect, indeed.\n\n“Instead of tackling the growing affordability crisis plaguing our nation, President Trump has created an elaborate distraction campaign by instigating foreign conflicts and obsessing over birthright citizenship. However, this month’s job report is another reminder that, while this President keeps trying to change the subject, the numbers tell the same devastating story.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2026/08/07/smith-visits-taylor-center-garden-in-new-madrid-county/", "title": "Smith Visits Taylor Center Garden in New Madrid County", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/", "domain": "jasonsmith.house.gov", "scraper": "jasonsmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001195", "name": "Jason Smith", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "NEW MADRID COUNTY, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) visited Taylor Center Garden in New Madrid County recently, touring the community garden and meeting with founder Robert Taylor Sr. to discuss the garden’s work combating food insecurity and providing agricultural education across Howardville and Lilbourn.\n\nCongressman Smith said, “Robert and his family pour themselves into this garden without asking for anything in return, and that kind of selflessness is what makes a community strong. They pick as much as 100 pounds of okra in a single morning — alongside watermelon, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, purple hull peas, and peppers — that is all given away free to neighbors who need it. On top of that, they’re teaching the next generation how to garden, how to eat well, and how to take care of each other. It’s an incredible example of what people can do when they choose to give back to their community, and I’m proud to support the federal programs that help operations like Taylor Center Garden reach even more families in the Bootheel.”\n\nTaylor Center Garden operates roughly five acres of active produce across Howardville and Lilbourn, with a recent expansion onto an additional 20 acres, all grown to be donated to the community free of charge. The garden partners with Lincoln University’s Cooperative Extension GARDEN initiative — Growing Area Gardens in Rural/Urban Destinations Encouraging Healthy Nutrition — a statewide effort targeting food deserts and underserved neighborhoods, which provides seeds, starter plants, soil, irrigation equipment, and tools. Through the Coming Together to Bridge the Gap Summer Institute, led by Lincoln University’s Charleston Outreach Center and 4-H Youth Development, the garden also offers academic enrichment and hands-on science programming for local students to combat summer learning loss.\n\nFood insecurity remains a significant challenge across the Bootheel, with New Madrid County at nearly 20 percent, among the highest rates in Missouri where the statewide average is 15.4 percent. Operations like Taylor Center Garden grow produce with the sole purpose of serving their community and making sure fresh food reaches families who need it most, free of charge. Cooperative Extension programs, which serve all 114 Missouri counties, connect research and technical expertise directly to communities like Howardville and Lilbourn. Congressman Smith recently helped secure increased minimum funding for research and extension activities at 1890 land grant universities, including Lincoln University, along with reauthorized scholarships for students pursuing careers in food and agriculture.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://kiggans.house.gov/2026/08/07/kiggans-backs-commonsense-measures-to-safeguard-the-integrity-of-federal-elections/", "title": "Kiggans Backs Commonsense Measures to Safeguard the Integrity of Federal Elections ", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://kiggans.house.gov/feed/", "domain": "kiggans.house.gov", "scraper": "kiggans", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000399", "name": "Jennifer A. Kiggans", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — During the House of Representatives’ final week before the District Work Period, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) voted three times for legislation that would strengthen oversight and preserve the integrity of America’s federal elections.\n\nThe FY27 National Defense Authorization Act incorporated the SAVE America Act in its entirety, the SAVE and Protect America Act budget resolution established funding levels to implement election integrity provisions, and the Stop Insider Trading Act included key provisions of the legislation. Together, these measures advance requirements for government-issued photo ID when voting and proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.\n\nCongresswoman Jen Kiggans said, “The American people should feel confident in the security of their elections. Participation in the democratic process is a sacred right afforded by our Constitution, and one reserved for American citizens. Presenting a photo ID at the polls is a commonsense measure that is supported by more than 80% of the American public.”\n\nKiggans has been a longtime advocate for election integrity. As a member of the Virginia State Senate in 2022, she introduced SB 211, legislation that requires the State Registrar of Vital Records to transmit weekly, rather than monthly, reports of deceased individuals to the Department of Elections , allowing local election officials to more quickly remove deceased voters from the Commonwealth’s registration rolls. The Congresswoman also co-sponsored the SAVE Act in the 118th to Congress to require proof of citizenship to vote, and voted for the same legislation in 2025.\n\n“Regardless of political party, every American should have confidence that their elections are conducted fairly, securely, and in accordance with the law,” she said. “Strengthening election integrity and protecting the constitutional right of every eligible citizen isn’t mutually exclusive, they go hand-in-hand. I will continue to support commonsense policies that improve transparency, limit fraud, and uphold the democratic values outlined in our Constitution.”\n\nBackground:\n\nIn 2025, Pew Research Center found 83% of Americans support requiring a photo ID to vote.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-raskin-and-garcia-urge-speaker-johnson-hold-house-vote-opposing", "title": "Krishnamoorthi, Raskin, and Garcia Urge Speaker Johnson to Hold House Vote Opposing Clemency for Epstein Co-Conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "scraper": "krishnamoorthi", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000391", "name": "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, joined House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA) in sending a letter on Thursday urging Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately bring to the House floor a resolution opposing any presidential pardon, commutation, or other form of executive clemency for convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The lawmakers note that the Senate unanimously adopted such a resolution last week and argue that the House should do the same without delay.\n\nIn the letter, the lawmakers write:\n\n“The Senate has unanimously passed a resolution opposing a pardon or clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell. The House must, without delay, do the same. There are now multiple resolutions that have been introduced holding that Ghislaine Maxwell—a convicted child sex trafficker and essential partner in lurid crime with Jeffrey Epstein—should not receive a pardon, commutation, or any other form of clemency from the President of the United States. You have not yet provided for any legislative forum or consideration of these resolutions. It is time for action.”\n\nThe letter argues that granting executive clemency to Maxwell would undermine confidence in the rule of law and inflict further harm on the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking network. It also notes that Speaker Johnson has previously stated Maxwell deserved a life sentence because of her \"unspeakable crimes\" and urges him to act consistently with those public statements.\n\nThe lawmakers continue:\n\n“We urge you to call such a vote without delay and without asking the permission of President Trump, Attorney General Todd Blanche or anyone else reporting to the White House. This is a matter for the House of Representatives to consider. We urge you to put your own words into action and bring a resolution opposing any form of clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell to the House floor without delay so that the House may reaffirm that child sexual abuse and human trafficking are abominable crimes that should be met with justice, not a pardon.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4242", "title": "Larsen Announces $1.3 Million to Local Shipyards", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "domain": "larsen.house.gov", "scraper": "larsen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000560", "name": "Rick Larsen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced Everett Ship Repair LLC and Rozema’s Boat Works, Inc. received $1.3 million in federal funding:\n\n“The maritime economy and the jobs that come with it are alive and well in the Puget Sound,” said Rep. Larsen. “As the top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have been a strong advocate for the Small Shipyards Grants Program because funding like this supports local small businesses and helps regional economies grow. I am glad to see these dollars come home and I look forward to seeing them in action in Snohomish and Skagit counties the years to come.”\n\nEverett Ship Repair and Rozema’s Boat Works received the funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD).\n\n“We greatly appreciate the award from MARAD, as well as the Congressman and the Senators’ support in receiving this grant,” said Gavin Higgins, CEO of Everett Ship Repair. “We think the Small Shipyard Grant Program is one of the best programs for supporting our shipyards that's out there. This grant will allow us to greatly improve the cost efficiency of our new drydock and expand the opportunity for the vessels that we will be servicing on it. The grant will also support electrical training, a much underserviced trade in the marine industry, and will help to expand the resource pool accordingly.”\n\nIn total, MARAD awarded $5.2 million to six shipyards in Washington state:\n\n$456,216 for Everett Ship Repair LLC for electrical upgrades in support of a new 35,000 ton floating drydock, as well as support training in shipyard processes;\n\n$938,176 for Rozema's Boat Works, Inc. for new shipyard equipment including a MultiCam 5-410-R-H CNC Router Table and a 230-Ton CNC Press Brake;\n\n$321,474 for Safe Boats International LLC for an aluminum welding/fabrication training program and 17 welding machines;\n\n$750,000 for Arrow Launch Service, Inc. for 75-ton travelift;\n\n$1,259,190 for BRIX Marine Inc. for four 10-ton remote overhead cranes with hoists and runways; and\n\n$1,508,596 for Delta Marine Industries, Inc. for a 620-ton travelift.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-blasts-trump-attack-gender-affirming-care-connecticut-families", "title": "Larson Blasts Trump Attack on Gender-Affirming Care for Connecticut Families", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "larson.house.gov", "scraper": "larson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000557", "name": "John B. Larson", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "“President Trump and Secretary Kennedy think they know better than families and doctors when it comes to the health of our children,” said Larson. “While we mobilized in Congress to stop their cruel trans healthcare ban, that did not stop them from weaponizing the legal system to bully doctors and hospitals like Connecticut Children’s out of providing transgender youth with the care they need. I trust families to make their own health care decisions, in consultation with their doctors—not politicians, or Donald Trump’s personal lawyers, who have taken over the Department of Justice. I will always stand with the entire LGBTQ+ community and am ready to do everything I can to undo this direct attack on access to care for our state’s residents.”\n\nAs a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Larson is an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, to extend civil rights protections under federal law to LGBTQ+ Americans. He also cosponsors the Fit to Serve Act to end Trump’s ban on transgender troops and filed briefs at the Supreme Court in opposition to trans healthcare bans and in support of state bans on conversion therapy.\n\nLast year, he voted against a bill to ban trans youth from accessing medical care, as well as a bill to criminalize healthcare providers that serve transgender Americans—one of the most extreme bills to ever pass the House of Representatives. Larson is an original cosponsor of the Trans Bill of Rights and was a leading member of a coalition of Democratic lawmakers who called on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to withdraw the Trump Administration’s planned healthcare ban for trans youth—which was quietly shelved in July.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-gathers-machinists-and-industry-leaders-celebrate-13-billion", "title": "Larson Gathers Machinists and Industry Leaders to Celebrate $1.3 Billion Federal Contract Boost for Engine Manufacturing in Connecticut", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "larson.house.gov", "scraper": "larson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000557", "name": "John B. Larson", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) joined with local leaders, including East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin and Middletown Mayor Gene Nocera, machinists, and industry leaders from Pratt & Whitney and suppliers across the state, at the IAM Local Lodge 1746 to celebrate, the $1.3 billion federal contract just awarded to Pratt & Whitney to build more spares for the F135 engine in East Hartford, Middletown, Windsor, and Wallingford.\n\n“I have been proud to lead the fight in Congress to ensure Connecticut workers keep the world's top fighter jet flying right here at Pratt & Whitney for years to come,” said Larson. “Following our effort in Congress to increase investments in spare part and engine manufacturing, it is great news that this funding was not only signed into law, but a $1.3 billion contract was awarded to support good-paying jobs in East Hartford and Middletown, and at suppliers in Windsor and across the state. I will never stop fighting for the hard-working machinists and engineers that call our state home, who ensure every day that our Armed Forces and allies have the best equipment possible. Together, we will continue to support Connecticut’s manufacturing supply chain and keep the eagle flying here in our state for years to come.”\n\n“This $1.3 billion investment in Pratt & Whitney is a major victory for Connecticut workers, the economy, and our national security,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal. “The hardworking men and women at Pratt represent the very best Connecticut manufacturing has to offer. I’m proud to have fought for these funds, and I will keep working to support Connecticut’s aerospace industry so companies like Pratt & Whitney can continue to be leaders in innovation while strengthening our national defense and creating job opportunities across Connecticut.”\n\nAs Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am so proud to continue supporting the F135 program and all the workers here who have committed countless hours to build it,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03). “The F135 is the world’s most advanced, reliable, and capable fighter engine in the world. Investments in the F135 are critical to keep flying our brave servicemembers and allies around the world who we rely on every day to defend democracy and protect our national and global security. I was proud to stand together with the Connecticut delegation to fight for increased funding for spare engines, which is exactly what this $1.3 billion contract reflects. I am honored to be your ally and I will continue championing this effort to ensure that you can continue delivering the F135 for many years to come. Together, we can keep the F135 flying.”\n\n“I am thrilled to see this federal funding to continue to support projects and programs at Pratt & Whitney, supporting manufacturing jobs right here in East Hartford,” said East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin. “I’d like to thank Congressman Larson for his continued push for investment in our country‘s military, and his continued support of Connecticut supply chain. And more than anything, fighting to keep highly paid, highly skilled manufacturing jobs here in East Hartford. Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not thank the thousands of machinists and engineers, especially those machinists here at East Hartford local 1746. Their skills, hard work, and attention to detail allow Pratt & Whitney to continue to be a leader in the most advanced fighter jet engines in the world and I am proud to have them here in East Hartford.”\n\nIn 2026 alone, Larson and the Connecticut delegation have announced $4.7 billion in new contracts for engine manufacturing at Pratt & Whitney, which employs 11,000 workers, and supports 21,000 jobs across the state, both at Pratt and across the engine supply chain, including suppliers like ACMT Inc. in Manchester.\n\n“We are extremely grateful to Congressman Larson for his continued dedication to our aerospace manufacturing community and his advocacy for critical programs like the F-35,” said Aerospace Components Manufacturers Executive Director Jessica Taylor. “This $1.3 billion investment in the F135 engine program will have an impact well beyond Pratt & Whitney’s own facilities, supporting hundreds of aerospace manufacturers and thousands of skilled workers throughout our regional supply chain. These companies are proud to provide parts, assemblies, and services that support the most sophisticated fighter jet in the world. We appreciate that both Congressman Larson and Pratt & Whitney recognize the importance of our local supply chain and the role that sustained investment in programs like the F-35 plays in supporting our skilled workforce, manufacturing expertise, and the proud aerospace legacy of our region.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresista-mario-diaz-balart-asiste-la-inauguracion-presidencial-de-su", "title": "Congresista Mario Diaz-Balart asiste a la inauguración Presidencial de su  Excelencia Abelardo de la Espriella", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "mariodiazbalart.house.gov", "scraper": "mariodiazbalart", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000600", "name": "Mario Diaz-Balart", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "CALI, COLOMBIA - El congresista Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), vicepresidente del Comité de Asignaciones de la Cámara de Representantes y presidente del Subcomité de Seguridad Nacional, Departamento de Estado y Programas Relacionados, integró la Delegación Presidencial de Estados Unidos que asistió a la toma de posesión de Abelardo de la Espriella como presidente de la República de Colombia. La presencia de esta distinguida delegación en esta ceremonia reafirmó la sólida y duradera alianza entre Estados Unidos y Colombia a tiempo de manifestar el firme compromiso entre ambos países con el impulso de los valores democráticos mutuos, el fortalecimiento de la cooperación estratégica y el afianzamiento de la seguridad regional.\n\n“Hoy comienza un nuevo capítulo para Colombia y su pueblo y representa una oportunidad decisiva para restaurar y fortalecer la relación con Estados Unidos. Este momento no solo simboliza una renovada esperanza para el futuro de Colombia, sino que también reafirma la alianza duradera y los valores compartidos que unen a nuestras naciones.\n\nExtiendo mis más sinceras felicitaciones al presidente Abelardo de la Espriella por su toma de posesión y deseo para él, su Administración y sobre todo al pueblo colombiano, el mayor de los éxitos, junto a paz y prosperidad. Espero trabajar muy de cerca con el presidente de la Espriella y con nuestros socios colombianos para fortalecer la seguridad regional y avanzar en nuestras prioridades mutuas.\n\nConfío en que la estrecha relación entre Estados Unidos y Colombia volverá a florecer bajo la nueva Administración, reconstruyendo la sólida alianza que durante tanto tiempo ha beneficiado a nuestras dos naciones y ha contribuido a una mayor estabilidad en la región.”\n\nInformación adicional:\n\nEl congresista Mario Díaz-Balart es presidente del Subcomité de Asignaciones de la Cámara de Representantes sobre Seguridad Nacional, Departamento de Estado y Programas Relacionados (NSRP, por sus siglas en inglés). El Subcomité es responsable del financiamiento de las iniciativas de política exterior de Estados Unidos, los esfuerzos de seguridad internacional y las operaciones diplomáticas y por lo tanto ejerce jurisdicción sobre la asistencia exterior destinada a Colombia, respaldando áreas como la lucha contra el narcotráfico, la cooperación en materia de seguridad, el desarrollo económico y la inmigración.\n\nDurante la administración del presidente Petro, el financiamiento de Estados Unidos destinado a Colombia experimentó reducciones significativas y estuvo sujeto a condiciones más estrictas. Estos cambios reflejaron preocupaciones bipartidistas respecto a las decisiones políticas del presidente Petro.\n\nAdemás de su liderazgo en el Subcomité, el presidente Díaz-Balart es cofundador y copresidente del Comité Parlamentario a favor de Colombia, que fue establecido en 2009 y reúne a miembros del Congreso comprometidos con el fortalecimiento de la alianza entre los Estados Unidos y Colombia. Este Grupo Parlamentario desempeñó un papel fundamental para impulsar la votación para Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Estados Unidos y Colombia en la Cámara de Representantes del Congreso de Estados Unidos.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-mario-diaz-balart-attends-presidential-inauguration-his", "title": "Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart Attends the Presidential Inauguration of His Excellency Abelardo de la Espriella", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "mariodiazbalart.house.gov", "scraper": "mariodiazbalart", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000600", "name": "Mario Diaz-Balart", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "CALI, COLOMBIA - Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations and Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, was a member of the United States Presidential Delegation at the inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella as President of the Republic of Colombia. The distinguished Delegation’s presence at the ceremony served to reaffirm the enduring alliance between the United States and Colombia, while signaling an unwavering commitment to advancing shared democratic values, deepening strategic cooperation, and fortifying regional security.\n\n\"Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for Colombia and its people, presenting a pivotal opportunity to restore and strengthen the relationship with the United States. This moment not only signifies renewed hope for Colombia’s future, but also reaffirms the enduring partnership and shared values that unite our nations.\n\nI extend my heartfelt congratulations to President Abelardo de la Espriella on his inauguration and wish him, his Administration, and most importantly, the Colombian people, great success, peace, and prosperity. I look forward to working alongside President de la Espriella and our Colombian partners to strengthen regional security and advance our shared priorities.\n\nI am confident that the close relationship between the United States and Colombia will flourish once again under the new administration, rebuilding the strong partnership that has long benefited both our nations while contributing to greater stability in the region.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nChairman Mario Díaz-Balart leads the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP). This subcommittee is responsible for funding U.S. foreign policy initiatives, international security efforts, and diplomatic operations. NSRP maintains jurisdiction over foreign assistance to Colombia, supporting areas such as counternarcotics, security cooperation, economic development, and migration.\n\nDuring the Petro Administration, U.S. funding to Colombia experienced notable reductions and was subject to stricter conditions. These changes reflected bipartisan concerns regarding President Petro’s policy decisions.\n\nIn addition to his subcommittee leadership, Chairman Díaz-Balart is the founding co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Colombia. Established in 2009, this caucus brings together Members of Congress who are committed to strengthening the partnership between the United States and Colombia. The caucus played a pivotal role in advancing a vote on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement in the House of Representatives.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://meeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-foreign-affairs-ranking-member-meeks-beyer-reiterate-concerns-senate", "title": "House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Meeks, Beyer Reiterate Concerns on Senate Passage of Russia Sanctions Bill", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://meeks.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "meeks.house.gov", "scraper": "meeks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001137", "name": "Gregory W. Meeks", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. - Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Don Beyer (D-VA), Senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, today issued the following statement upon Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026:\n\n“While we do not doubt the good intentions of our Senate colleagues’ work on the Sanctioning Russia Act, the fundamental concerns we’ve previously stated about this bill have not been addressed with its Senate passage. This bill’s sanctions still contain the broadest possible waiver authority for President Trump, who already has the power to impose these sanctions on Russia under U.S. law but has refused to do so.\n\n“What the bill does grant, however, are sweeping new tariff authorities that the president could weaponize with abandon, as he has repeatedly done in the past. President Trump just last month recklessly imposed new 50% tariffs on our closest trading partner, Canada; there is no reason to believe he would not use the even larger tariffs authorized by this bill in a manner similarly harmful to our alliances and Americans’ wallets.\n\n“We welcome our Senate colleagues’ urgent effort to support Ukraine and punish Russia for its continued illegal war, but this bill would not achieve those goals. Instead, it would allow President Trump to dodge holding Russia accountable and impose yet more tariffs in his destructive trade wars, leaving Americans to foot the bill.\n\n“Though the Paul-Wyden amendment to strike the dangerous tariff authorities failed, the vote total demonstrates that continued refinement of the Sanctioning Russia Act is imperative before it can be sent to the president’s desk. We will continue to seek a path forward that remedies this bill’s flaws, and we remain ready to negotiate expeditiously with Congressional colleagues to achieve our common objectives. But the current text is unacceptable.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=405785", "title": "Congressman Griffith’s Weekly E-Newsletter 8.7.26", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/", "domain": "morgangriffith.house.gov", "scraper": "morgangriffith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000568", "name": "H. Morgan Griffith", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "The end of our schools’ summer break means children return to school in Virginia’s Ninth District.\n\nA new school year represents new opportunity for students to develop friendships, connect with fellow classmates, recount family summer vacations and more. For some, it means changing to a new school.\n\nConnections in school are important for a child’s development. As the son of a schoolteacher, I like to stimulate classroom conversations by visiting schools and talking with students.\n\nFor my school visits this year, I went to Council High School in Buchanan County, Cornerstone Christian Academy in Washington County, Floyd County High School and Patrick County High School.\n\nThis May, I had the privilege to address the graduates of Thomas Walker High School in Lee County.\n\nThese settings are opportunities for me to engage our student populations and educate them on the duties of lawmakers.\n\nAs a Congressman, I share my experiences as a policymaker and as an ombudsman.\n\nI clarify that my role as a policymaker focuses on matters of drafting legislation, committee debate discussing proposals, amendment recommendations and the final votes on bills.\n\nBut what is an ombudsman?\n\nAn ombudsman is one who interfaces with the federal government on behalf of others.\n\nI act as an ombudsman for you on many occasions.\n\nThus, my office communicates with scores of federal agencies to address agency issues that constituents ask us about.\n\nThese issues vary by agency. But among the matters that demand our attention include passport requests and renewals, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) disputes and social security assistance.\n\nIn 2025, my office opened more than 1,175 constituent cases. Through this casework, we worked with more than 40 federal agencies.\n\nThere are multiple ways for us to open a case for you. An easy route is for you to give one of my district offices a phone call and speak with a representative in my office. Please refer to the end of this e-newsletter to access those phone numbers.\n\nHowever, I recognize that you may prefer an in-person alternative.\n\nEvery month, my staff travels to all corners of Virginia’s Ninth District, which happens to span more than 10,000 square miles.\n\nYou can view when my staff next visits your locality by checking on my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/ or my Facebook page at Congressman Morgan Griffith.\n\nThese pages help people stay engaged on issues impacting my work in Congress and on behalf of the Ninth District.\n\nMy leadership on issues includes federal funding for Ninth District communities.\n\nOne program that I champion at the federal level is the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. As the leading Virginia advocate, AMLER projects identify idle mine land property and explore potential improvements and site redevelopment.\n\nIn late 2025, I attended an AMLER check presentation to support a nearly $2 million project in Buchanan County. This project will create the Southern Gap Office Park Building, a commercial office space within Buchanan County’s Regional Office Park. I left DC at 8:30 pm to make it to Grundy the next day because I considered the announcement so important.\n\nAMLER delivers millions of federal dollars to our regions every year. With new projects set to be announced later this year, I will continue to fight for additional AMLER opportunities that benefit Virginia’s Ninth District.\n\nA second federal program targets brownfields, which are properties or sites whose redevelopment are complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance.\n\nThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Program delivers various federal grants to clean up these polluted sites.\n\nWhen I served as Environment Subcommittee Chairman earlier in the 119th Congress, I held a hearing to spotlight the EPA Brownfields Program. As part of this, I invited Duane Miller of Scott County, who serves as Executive Director of the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, to testify.\n\nSince then, the EPA Brownfields Program continues to deliver funds for local projects in our communities.\n\nThis June, the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission, Giles County and the City of Martinsville received EPA Brownfields grants.\n\nI believe in serving the constituents of Virginia’s Ninth District. Accordingly, my office remains ready to help you access the support, resources and opportunities you need from federal agencies.\n\nWhether I am in the classroom or in a DC committee room, I will continue to remind people that you can always count on my voice and my office as a resource.\n\nFurther, if your local high school wants me to speak to students, please have them contact our office.\n\nIf you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=405787", "title": "Griffith Urges Spanberger to Protect SWVA Coal, Lower Energy Costs in Proposed NextEra Dominion Merger", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/", "domain": "morgangriffith.house.gov", "scraper": "morgangriffith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000568", "name": "H. Morgan Griffith", "party": "Republican", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger recently announced she is going to intervene with the State Corporation Commission regarding the proposed merger between NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy. This merger will impact electric ratepayers, utility jobs and Virginia’s energy future. It would affect control over one of Virginia’s last remaining coal-fired power plants, the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in St. Paul, Virginia. Currently, Dominion Energy owns the clean coal facility, which has supported local jobs and cleaned up millions of tons of waste coal in Southwest Virginia since Dominion opened the facility in 2012.\n\nIn response to the proposed merger and recent government intervention, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued a letter to Governor Spanberger urging her support for the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center.\n\nIn addition to his letter, Congressman Griffith released the following statement:\n\n“Governor Spanberger says she is participating in the NextEra Dominion merger case to protect the interests of all Virginians.\n\n“I agree that our regulators must carefully examine electric rates and enhance our Commonwealth’s energy security. Therefore, what also must be considered during this review process is the impact that such a merger would have on the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in Wise County.\n\n“Growing electricity demands and electric grid constraints mean we need to have more, not less, sources of energy available. I urge the Governor to work to ensure this merger does not prematurely close a world-class coal plant that supports Southwest Virginia communities.”\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nIn February 2026, Congressman Griffith attended a White House event touting Beautiful Clean Coal.\n\nCongressman Griffith is Co-Chair of the Congressional Coal Caucus.\n\nIn April 2025, Congressman Griffith attended a White House event where President Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at boosting the American coal industry.\n\nLater in 2025, Congressman Griffith voted to codify one of these executive measures to reestablish the National Coal Council.\n\nIn May 2025, Congressman Griffith celebrated the Department of Energy’s announcement to designate metallurgical coal as a critical material.\n\nIn June 2025, Congressman Griffith penned an op-ed on federal policies that can help bolster America’s electric grid.\n\nCoal continues to play an essential role in meeting domestic energy demands. During Winter Storm Fern this year, a 31% jump in coal generation helped the electric grid meet peak demand. For PJM Interconnection, which serves Virginia and 12 other states, coal accounted for a major portion of the energy generation mix.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://nunn.house.gov/2026/08/07/nunn-builds-on-iowa-water-quality-record-with-500000-investment-to-complete-districtwide-monitoring-network/", "title": "Nunn Builds on Iowa Water Quality Record with $500,000 Investment to Complete Districtwide Monitoring Network", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://nunn.house.gov/category/news/press-releases/", "domain": "nunn.house.gov", "scraper": "nunn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "N000193", "name": "Zachary Nunn", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "“In Iowa, you can’t control the weather, but you can be prepared for it,” said Rep. Nunn. “That’s why I fought to secure this investment, giving every county in Iowa’s Third District access to the real-time information farmers, first responders, and local leaders need to make smarter decisions about Iowa’s water and prepare before disaster strikes. That’s how we protect Iowa families and strengthen our communities.”\n\nRep. Nunn secured the funding through the FY2026 Community Project Funding (CPF) process. The award covers the full cost of the project and will be administered by IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa, home of the Iowa Flood Center, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.\n\nThe investment installs a new hydrostation in the remaining counties in IA-03 that currently lack coverage, completing the districtwide monitoring network and ensuring every county has access to the same early-warning tools. It also launches the Iowa Drought Information System, a publicly accessible platform delivering real-time flood and drought data for farmers, emergency managers, researchers, and local communities. That data will help improve water management, strengthen conservation planning, and support faster, better-informed decisions before severe weather strikes.\n\nToday’s announcement builds on Rep. Nunn’s broader efforts to tackle Iowa’s water challenges with practical, Iowa-led solutions. In the House-passed Farm Bill, he secured provisions to strengthen federal flood response and improve watershed resilience. He also secured a clean water amendment in the House-passed PERMIT Act creating a first-of-its-kind, state-led pilot program to accelerate Iowa water quality projects and give states greater flexibility to address challenges like nitrate pollution. Most recently, Rep. Nunn secured language in the House-passed FY2027 Agriculture Appropriations bill encouraging USDA to prioritize innovative, farmer-led nutrient management projects that improve soil health and reduce nutrient runoff. Together, these efforts are helping Iowa prepare for the next flood, improve water quality, and keep working lands productive for generations to come.\n\nFederal and state leaders welcomed the investment and its impact on Iowa communities.\n\n“I’m thrilled to be a part of this project and serve as host for the hydrostation,” said Lee Tesdell, Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner and landowner. “The data collected will help to inform conservation efforts on my property and guide sustainable farm management practices.”\n\n“This project is an important next step in helping Iowans prepare for the rapid, dramatic shifts between weather extremes,” said Larry Weber, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Iowa Flood Center. “As our state continues to face floods alternated by periods of drought, this work will provide critical information to support decision-making, reduce risks, and strengthen Iowa’s resilience to natural hazards. We are grateful for the strong partnerships that make this project possible and will help ensure its success.”\n\n“NRCS is proud to partner with the University of Iowa and Iowa Flood Center on this award,” said Scott Cagle, Assistant State Conservationist for Partnerships, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. “The drought monitoring system expansion aligns well with the NRCS core strategic goals of preserving and protecting farmland, providing outcomes-based conservation, increasing farmer field engagement, improving wildlife habitat, and implementing technology modernization while strengthening workforce culture through partnerships. The Iowa Flood Center has always been a valued partner, and NRCS looks forward to implementing the project.”\n\n“By expanding real‑time monitoring across the district, we’re giving farmers and local leaders the tools they need to make informed decisions, strengthen conservation efforts, and stay prepared for whatever the weather brings,” said Starlyn Perdue, Executive Director, Iowa USDA Farm Service Agency.\n\nPhotos from today’s press conference are available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://nunn.house.gov/2026/08/07/watch-nunn-announces-2-5-million-federal-investment-for-ankeny-regional-airport-runway-expansion/", "title": "WATCH: Nunn Announces $2.5 Million Federal Investment for Ankeny Regional Airport Runway Expansion", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://nunn.house.gov/category/news/press-releases/", "domain": "nunn.house.gov", "scraper": "nunn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "N000193", "name": "Zachary Nunn", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "ANKENY, IA — Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) on Wednesday joined local and state officials, Polk County Aviation Authority leadership, and community stakeholders at Ankeny Regional Airport to announce a $2.5 million federal investment he secured to extend the airport’s primary runway by 500 feet. The project will allow the airport to accommodate larger aircraft, strengthen Central Iowa’s economic competitiveness, and support continued growth across the Des Moines metro.\n\nFull details on the announcement are available here. B-roll is available here and below.\n\n“Central Iowa is competing with every metro in the Midwest to attract new employers, create good-paying jobs, and grow our economy,” said Rep. Nunn. “A modern airport is a key part of that equation. Extending this runway means more businesses can reach Iowa, invest here, and create opportunities for our communities. By completing the extension during the airport’s scheduled runway reconstruction, we’re also reducing costs, minimizing disruptions, and delivering a smarter return for taxpayers.”\n\nB-roll from the announcement is available here and photos are available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-calls-epa-conduct-additional-testing-keyport-residential-areas", "title": "Pallone Calls on EPA to Conduct Additional Testing in Keyport Residential Areas As Concerns Mount", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "pallone.house.gov", "scraper": "pallone", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000034", "name": "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "LONG BRANCH, N.J. — As residents raise renewed concern about external reports documenting local toxin and heavy metal pollution around the site of the former Aeromarine landfill in Keyport, New Jersey, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today called on Lee Zeldin, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the EPA Region 2 Administrator Mike Martucci, to perform additional community-based environmental testing in Keyport’s residential areas outside of the landfill.\n\n“The reports coming from Keyport continue to be concerning enough for my constituents to repeatedly and urgently share their concerns with me. We need more data to provide the Keyport residents I represent the peace of mind they deserve, and that is why the Environmental Protection Agency must conduct additional testing in the residential areas,” said Pallone.\n\nEarlier this year, Pallone called for an urgent state-federal probe from state and federal agencies into the site of the Aeromarine landfill after more than 40 cancer cases, including 28 clustered on one street, were identified in its vicinity. Since those initial reports, outside reporting of cancer in the area has grown exponentially.\n\nPallone has continued to monitor developments in Keyport closely, most recently attending a community meeting on July 30. Testing of groundwater and soil at the Aeromarine site in the Borough of Keyport is ongoing.\n\nPallone also pressed Administrator Zeldin for assistance in April as concerns from the Keyport community grew.\n\nHis full letter to the EPA can be found here and below:\n\nDear Administrators Zeldin and Martucci:\n\nFor several months, the State of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has performed testing at the Keyport Sanitary Landfill at the Aeromarine Industrial Park in Keyport, New Jersey to identify toxins and heavy metals present, as well as potential pathways to exposure for the surrounding residents. I am calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to perform additional community-based testing.\n\nNJDEP has worked to the best of their ability to obtain quick and accurate results. Recently, external researchers released new results that indicate potential contamination of soil beyond the landfill. This independent data was not vetted or overseen by any government entity but raises genuine concern among residents that the EPA must take seriously. Now is the time for federal assistance to complete further testing in residential areas to determine the validity of preliminary tests and the safety of the communities in the area of concern.\n\nEPA assistance with state-level testing is not uncommon. In 2023, EPA assisted the NJDEP in addressing uncertainties around the atmospheric pathways of PFAS contamination of surface waters. Through this effort, EPA’s Office of Research and Development, the Office of Air and Radiation and federal partners such as the U.S. Geological Survey, developed a standardized method for nationwide measurement of PFAS in precipitation. This is just one example of the benefits of the EPA stepping up to assist state efforts to identify contamination.\n\nThe families I represent in Keyport deserve peace of mind knowing your Administration is doing everything possible to ensure their safety.\n\nSincerely,\n\nFRANK PALLONE, JR.\n\nMember of Congress", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://patronis.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-patronis-honors-heroes-at-veterans-memorial-park-for-national-purple-heart-day", "title": "Congressman Patronis Honors Heroes at Veterans Memorial Park for National Purple Heart Day", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://patronis.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "patronis.house.gov", "scraper": "patronis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000622", "name": "Jimmy Patronis", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "PENSACOLA, FL- Today, Congressman Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) joined local leaders, veterans, and veterans organizations at Veterans Memorial Park in Pensacola, Florida to honor the brave men and women who earned the Purple Heart and recognize their extraordinary service to our nation. National Purple Heart Day is a solemn reminder of the heroes who put our country before themselves and defended the freedoms we cherish.\n\nTo view photos from the National Purple Heart Day ceremony, click here.\n\n“Those who earned the Purple Heart made sacrifices most of us will never fully understand,” said Congressman Patronis. “Here in Northwest Florida, we are surrounded by heroes who answered the call to serve and families who carry the weight of that sacrifice every day. Standing alongside our veterans and their families was a powerful reminder of the debt of gratitude we owe to those who defended our freedoms. We will never forget their courage, and we will always stand with the men and women who sacrificed so much for our nation.”\n\n“Today, we pause to honor the men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. Every Purple Heart carries with it a story of courage, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to protecting the freedoms we are blessed to enjoy. We owe our Purple Heart recipients, and the families who have supported them, a debt of gratitude that can never truly be repaid. Their service and sacrifice will forever be remembered, and their legacy will continue to inspire generations of Americans,” said State Representative Michelle Salzman.\n\nNorthwest Florida is home to one of the largest military and veteran communities in the nation. Congressman Patronis remains committed to fighting for the men and women who served, ensuring their sacrifices are honored and they receive the support and recognition they have earned.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases/debt-we-can-never-repay-congressman-pat-ryan-honors-hudson-valley-heroes", "title": "“A DEBT WE CAN NEVER REPAY”: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN HONORS HUDSON VALLEY HEROES ON NATIONAL PURPLE HEART DAY", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "patryan.house.gov", "scraper": "patryan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000579", "name": "Patrick Ryan", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "National Purple Heart Day marks the anniversary of the military’s highest honor; on this day in 1782, George Washington awarded the very first award for military merit\n\nRyan – an Iraq War combat veteran and the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress – was inspired to join the service by his grandfather, World War II Navy Veteran and Purple Heart recipient John Porsch\n\nThis week, Ryan honored Army Veteran Jesse Clune at his Purple Heart presentation ceremony; earlier this year Ryan introduced historic legislation posthumously honoring Wappinger’s Chief Daniel Nimham with the Purple Heart for his heroism in the Revolutionary War\n\nKINGSTON, NY – On National Purple Heart Day, Congressman Pat Ryan – an Iraq War combat veteran, two-time Bronze Star recipient, and the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress – is honoring Hudson Valley heroes.\n\nNational Purple Heart Day marks the anniversary of when George Washington first awarded the Badge of Military Merit – the predecessor of the Purple Heart and first American award of military merit – in 1782. The Hudson Valley has a rich history of military service and is home to not only Ryan’s alma mater – the Military Academy at West Point – but also the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor.\n\nRyan is a fifth-generation Hudson Valley native, born and raised in Kingston, New York. He served 27 months in combat in Iraq, and was inspired to serve by the example set by both of his grandfathers. His mother’s father, Navy Veteran John Porsch, was on the last ship sunk in the Pacific by a Japanese Kamikaze pilot in World War II. He had to cling to debris from the ship for over 48 hours and was awarded the Purple Heart for his bravery.\n\n“On National Purple Heart Day, we honor the best among us: selfless Patriots who risked their own lives for this country. My grandfather, John Porsch, was one of those Patriots. A Navy Veteran, he was awarded the Purple Heart for his heroism in World War II. His example of service and duty has been an inspiration to me throughout my life,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Duty, Honor, Country. These are the values I was taught at West Point, and these are the values that run deep throughout our Hudson Valley community and history. Today, I want to thank the generations of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who have time and time again answered the call to serve. We owe each and every one of you a debt that can never be repaid – and your sacrifices to our community and country will never be forgotten.”\n\nJust this week, Congressman Ryan was proud to honor Army Veteran Jesse Clune at his Purple Heart presentation ceremony.\n\nRyan has a long history of fighting to ensure Hudson Valley heroes get the honor and recognition they deserve. Earlier this year, he introduced the Chief Nimham Purple Heart Act, legislation allowing Chief Daniel Nimham – the last sachem of the Wappinger people and Revolutionary War hero – to be posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.\n\nChief Nimham fought alongside the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He and members of his community aligned themselves with the cause of American independence, demonstrating extraordinary courage and commitment at a pivotal moment in our nation’s founding. Despite his service and sacrifice, Chief Nimham was never formally recognized with the honors awarded to others who fought and died in the Revolutionary War. Congressman Ryan’s bill posthumously awards Chief Nimham with the Purple Heart, the military’s highest honor.\n\nRyan also led the push to honor fallen Korean War Hero Charles Johnson with the Medal of Honor. PFC Johnson, a Millbrook native and Arlington High School Grad, was killed in action June 12, 1953 on the frontlines in South Korea. His heroic actions are credited with saving at least eight other American soldiers, but for more than 70 years he was not awarded the Medal of Honor he deserved. Ryan called on President Biden to immediately remedy the injustice, noting that PFC Johnson had long been denied the proper recognition for his heroic actions. In January of 2025, after years of advocacy by Ryan and the entire Hudson Valley community, PFC Johnson was posthumously awarded his Medal of Honor.\n\nCongressman Ryan is the first West Point graduate to represent the Military Academy in Congress. He served two combat tours in Iraq as an Army intelligence officer and has long fought to deliver the recognition and benefits that veterans, servicemembers, and military families deserve.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6103", "title": "CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT'S STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "plaskett.house.gov", "scraper": "plaskett", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000610", "name": "Stacey E. Plaskett", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland\n\nAugust 7, 2026 202-808-6129\n\nPRESS RELEASE\n\nCONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT'S STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP\n\nU.S. Virgin Islands – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) released the following statement regarding the Executive Orders titled “Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship” and “Ending Birth Tourism” signed on August 6, 2026, by President Donald Trump:\n\n“Following the Supreme Court's June 30, 2026, decision in Trump v. Barbara, which upheld birthright citizenship generally while permitting narrower exceptions, yesterday President Trump issued Executive Orders that expand restrictions on birthright citizenship. The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. Birthright citizenship exists for people born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands because of federal statutes enacted by Congress. This remains unchanged by yesterday’s Executive Orders.\n\n“The ‘Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship’ Executive Order applies in cases where a child is born in the United States or a territory while neither parent is a United States citizen and any of the following applies: those with a parent designated as a terrorist, those with a parent employed by a foreign government, those born through a birth-tourism or surrogacy arrangement undertaken to secure citizenship, or those born in a United States territory where citizenship is not conferred by federal statute.\n\n“The territorial provision of the Executive Order does not touch the Virgin Islands today. Under current federal statute, people born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands are recognized as citizens, while those born in American Samoa are not – they are United States nationals. The provision in the Executive Order currently applies to American Samoa, which does not have a citizenship statute, and it would apply automatically to any other territory if Congress later repealed or narrowed the statute that grants citizenship.\n\n“This provision raises serious concerns regarding precedent and represents a troubling escalation in this Administration's approach to birthright citizenship in the territories – which should not be in question. Our office has joined amici briefs cited in the Supreme Court by Justice Brown Jackson to protect territorial birthright citizenship.”\n\nCongresswoman Plaskett continues to advocate the longstanding legal principle that citizenship follows the land - that territory owned by the US confers citizenship. She said, “I will continue to work with my colleagues to defend the statutory protections in place for the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/07/breaking-pressley-slams-trumps-ongoing-unlawful-attempt-to-fire-fed-governor-lisa-cook/", "title": "BREAKING: Pressley Slams Trump’s Ongoing, Unlawful Attempt to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "domain": "pressley.house.gov", "scraper": "pressley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000617", "name": "Ayanna Pressley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Trump’s Illegal Bid to Fire Gov. Cook Threatens Fed Independence and Comes After Supreme Court Blocked His Initial Attempt\n\nBOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement on social media condemning reports that Donald Trump is moving forward with his unlawful attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook after the Supreme Court blocked his initial attempt.\n\n“Trump is continuing his racist, sexist, and baseless attack on Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. But it’s as unlawful today as it was a year ago,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “We must stop this brazen, anti-Black power grab and defend the Federal Reserve’s independence.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-ocasio-cortez-sanders-reintroduce-green-new-deal-public-housing-act-0", "title": "Ramirez, Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders Reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "ramirez.house.gov", "scraper": "ramirez", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000617", "name": "Delia C. Ramirez", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, DC —Today, Congresswomen Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reintroduced the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act. Landmark housing legislation, the bill would rebuild the United States’ public housing stock, address the longstanding capital backlog, and create thousands of union jobs. The legislation provides a much-needed infusion of federal funding to update every public housing unit through weatherization, electrification, and modernization so that it may serve as a model of efficiency, sustainability, and resiliency for the rest of the nation.\n\nThis Congress, the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act has been endorsed by three building trades unions: the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (IUBAC), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).\n\n\"Safe, sustainable, resilient, affordable housing is a HUMAN RIGHT, plain and simple. The policies we advance in Congress must help us realize that truth for EVERYONE. As our nation reckons with both a worsening housing crisis and urgent climate crisis, we must fight for and realize bold policy action and investment,\" said Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez. \"I am proud to stand with Representative Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Sanders to reintroduce legislation that will secure the future of our public housing, prioritize climate and racial justice, and strengthen our economy and labor force. The Green New Deal for Public Housing is a bold solution to our national housing crisis.”\n\n“From record-breaking heat waves to extreme flooding displacing public housing residents, Americans are feeling the parallel impacts of the housing and climate crisis. Now more than ever, it is integral that Congress put forward bold solutions that ensure our nation’s housing stock is both affordable and resilient,\" said Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “I am proud to reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act alongside Representative Delia Ramirez and Senator Bernie Sanders to deliver a generational rebuild of our nation’s public housing stock, reduce emissions, and create hundreds of thousands of union jobs, including job opportunities for public housing residents. This Congress, we received our first endorsements from building trades unions. We are proud to fight for a bold future for public housing alongside the people who will build it.”\n\n“In the richest country in the history of the world, it is unacceptable that our nation’s public housing is in a state of chronic disrepair. It is unacceptable that hundreds of millions of Americans are facing the disastrous impacts of climate change while the fossil fuel industry makes huge profits. And it is unacceptable that far too many Americans are working multiple jobs just to keep a roof over their head,” Sanders said. “What the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act does is say that yes, we can create decent and affordable public housing for more than 1.5 million Americans that is based on energy efficiency and sustainable sources of power. And that when we do that, we can also create hundreds of thousands of good-paying, union jobs. That is a win-win-win situation.”\n\nThe bill would create seven grant programs under one application process to modernize our public housing stock through:\n\nDeep energy retrofits to increase energy savings in nearly a million public housing units;\n\nWorkforce development programs, prioritizing good-paying job opportunities for residents;\n\nEnergy efficiency, building electrification, and water quality upgrades;\n\nCommunity renewable energy generation, the profits of which will be controlled by Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to boost their coffers and increase self-sufficiency;\n\nCommunity resiliency and sustainability measures;\n\nClimate adaptation and emergency disaster response systems.\n\n“The United States faces a serious housing crisis, one which intensifies with every passing year. Grounded in strong protections for workers, the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act tackles this crisis in part by mandating fair wages, benefits, and labor standards as a requirement for funding public housing upgrades. The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers urges Congress to act quickly to enact this much needed legislation,” said Tim Driscoll, President, IUBAC.\n\n“The Green New Deal for Public Housing is the most significant investment in preserving and improving public housing that we've seen in generations. This bill will preserve hundreds of thousands of safe, affordable homes for those who need them the most, while centering public housing residents at every stage in the process. It enables communities to retain and modernize their homes by bringing units up to code, dramatically improving energy efficiency, and unlocking on-site renewable energy infrastructure, all while removing outdated limits on the construction of new public housing. NHLP is proud to endorse Sen. Sanders, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, and Rep. Ramirez's vision for bringing public housing into the future,” said Shamus Roller, Chief Executive Officer of the National Housing Law Project.\n\n\"We are living through a housing crisis decades in the making. After years of federal underfunding, public housing residents are enduring record heat in homes that need repair. It does not have to be this way,\" said DaMareo Cooper, Executive Director of Popular Democracy. \"The Green New Deal for Public Housing repairs the homes of 1.6 million tenants and families, creates 280,000 good union jobs with residents hired first, and puts working people at the center of decisions about their own communities. That is what democracy looks like.\n\nThe legislation is cosponsored by 40 representatives, including Representatives Brendan Boyle (PA-02), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Jesus Garcia (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Grace Meng (NY-06), Jerold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-06), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), & Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).\n\nThe legislation also has 6 cosponsors in the Senate, including Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by The Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN), Alliance For Housing Justice, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), California Green New Deal Coalition, Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund, Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH), Citizen Action of New York, Climate and Community Institute, Climate Critical, Food and Water Watch, For the Many, Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Inc., Inner City Green Team, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Labor Network for Sustainability, Long Island Progressive Coalition, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National Housing Law Project, National Low Income Housing Coalition, New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN), Oil Change International, Popular Democracy in Action, Public Advocates Inc., Residents to Preserve Public Housing, Save Section 9, Sunrise Movement, The Point Community Development Corporation, UAW Region 9A, VOCAL-NY & VOCAL-US.\n\nThe full bill text is available here.\n\nA one-pager of the bill is available here.\n\nA section-by-section of the bill is available here.\n\n###\n\nCongresswoman Delia C. Ramirez continues to be on a planned medical leave. The re-introduction of the Green New Deal for Public Housing reflects her office’s work to advance the legislative priorities of IL-03 while she is on leave.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402046", "title": "Idaho Has Led the Nuclear Renaissance Before. We Should Lead It Again", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://simpson.house.gov/news", "domain": "simpson.house.gov", "scraper": "simpson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001148", "name": "Michael K. Simpson", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "I’ve spent the last few years reading and laughing at the so-called hit pieces Marc Johnson writes about Idaho elected officials, including myself.\n\nThe reason I find them comical is that they are rarely grounded in the facts. But my red line was watching Marc spread false and misleading information about Idaho National Laboratory being considered as a potential host for a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus.\n\nHis piece does Idahoans a disservice by collapsing a serious national research initiative into a punchline about a \"cash for trash scheme.\" Idaho's history with nuclear energy, and its stake in this decision, deserves a more careful look.\n\nStart with what the Idaho National Laboratory actually is. For more than 70 years, INL has been the country's lead laboratory for nuclear energy research, not a waste dump with a friendly name. It is where the Navy's nuclear propulsion program was born, where the first usable electricity from a nuclear reactor was generated in 1951, and where today's advanced reactor designs, fuel fabrication techniques, and reprocessing science are being developed and tested.\n\nThe Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus proposal is best understood as an extension of work INL is already positioned, and in many cases already funded, to do. It is not a new invention designed to trick Idaho into becoming a dumping ground.\n\nThat doesn't mean the waste question is illegitimate. It isn't, and Idahoans are right to ask hard questions about it. Research, fuel fabrication, and reprocessing are fundamentally different from permanent waste disposal. The proposal is about advancing technologies that can reduce and recycle used nuclear fuel, not simply moving waste from one state to another. Those are important distinctions Marc ignores.\n\nThe same is true of the 1995 Batt Agreement. That agreement protected Idaho by establishing enforceable commitments with the federal government. The lesson isn't that Idaho should never sign whatever the Department of Energy puts in front of it without asking tough questions first. It's that Idaho should negotiate from a position of strength, with clear terms, firm deadlines, and accountability.\n\nIdaho didn't become the nation's nuclear leader by being afraid of hard problems. It became the leader by being the state willing to do the difficult, careful work that others wouldn't. That's still the right instinct now.\n\nThe work taking place at INL strengthens our national security, supports thousands of high-paying Idaho jobs, and positions the United States to compete with Russia and China in advanced nuclear technology. That's something Idahoans are proud of.\n\nWhat makes Marc Johnson's latest attack so predictable is that he has never meaningfully contributed to the scientific, technical, or policy discussions surrounding spent nuclear fuel. Instead, he has spent years criticizing the elected officials responsible for protecting Idaho's interests.\n\nMore remarkable is that Marc hasn't lived in Idaho for decades. He chose to leave the state, yet continues attempting to lecture Idahoans about decisions being made by the leaders they elected.\n\nThat raises a simple question: when was the last time Marc had to live with the consequences of Idaho policy? The last time Mark voted in an Idaho election was over a decade ago.\n\nIdahoans don't need lectures from someone who no longer lives here or answers to the people of this state.\n\nOver the last several decades, my focus has remained the same: putting Idaho first. That means protecting Idaho's interests in negotiations over spent nuclear fuel, supporting Idaho National Laboratory, strengthening our communities, fighting for Idaho agriculture and water, and ensuring public lands remain in public hands.\n\nIdaho is more than capable of solving Idaho’s challenges. We don’t need lectures from someone who chose to leave decades ago. We especially don’t need someone offering advice when his state’s failed policies are driving Oregonians out of the state.\n\nMaybe the next time Marc Johnson offers to write commentary about Idaho policy, he should reconsider writing about Oregon’s high homelessness rate, property crime, or maybe even taxes that burden Oregonians and everything else Oregonians can thank their elected officials for.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://steube.house.gov/press-releases/rep-steube-urges-army-corps-of-engineers-to-fund-venice-jetty-repairs-in-fy27-work-plan/", "title": "Rep. Steube Urges Army Corps of Engineers to Fund Venice Jetty Repairs in FY27 Work Plan", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://steube.house.gov/category/press-releases/page/", "domain": "steube.house.gov", "scraper": "steube", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001214", "name": "W. Gregory Steube", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Rep. Steube Urges Army Corps of Engineers to Fund Venice Jetty Repairs in FY27 Work Plan\n\nWASHINGTON–Today, Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allocate sufficient federal funding in the FY27 Work Plan to repair and restore the south jetty in Venice, Florida. The jetty sustained catastrophic damage during the 2024 hurricane season and serves as one of the only access points to the Gulf of America for several miles in each direction, making its repair critical to navigation, public safety, and the regional economy.\n\nTo read the full letter, click here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://subramanyam.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-subramanyam-and-walkinshaw-demand-answers-interior-department-relocation", "title": "Reps. Subramanyam and Walkinshaw Demand Answers on Interior Department Relocation from Reston", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://subramanyam.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "subramanyam.house.gov", "scraper": "subramanyam", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001230", "name": "Suhas Subramanyam", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) and James Walkinshaw (VA-11) are demanding answers from the Department of the Interior (Department) regarding its plans to relocate federal employees. The Department has said it plans to relocate the Business Integration Office (BIO) from their current office in Reston, Virginia to the Department’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. This relocation would put the BIO’s ability to carry out their mission in serious jeopardy and force dedicated federal employees out of their jobs.\n\nThe Members issued the following statement:\n\n“Relocating BIO staff will significantly undermine the agency’s ability to serve the American people. Staff will no longer be able to seamlessly collaborate with their partner contractors in Reston, and many federal employees will likely choose to resign rather than navigate a more costly and time-consuming commute and degraded working conditions. This plan is bad for our region and bad for our country.”\n\nRep. Subramanyam and Rep. Walkinshaw wrote to the Secretary of the Department, Douglas J. Burgum, on June 2, 2026, raising concerns about the Department’s plans to relocate 600 employees from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) out of their Reston, Virginia headquarters to the Department’s headquarters in D.C. To date, the members have not received a response.\n\nThis July, since learning that the Department notified 17 BIO employees that their jobs would be relocated out of the very same building to Washington, D.C. effective August 2026, the members have demanded that the Department answer how and why relocating these federal agencies are beneficial to the agency’s productivity and a responsible use of taxpayer dollars.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://subramanyam.house.gov/media/press-releases/subramanyam-beyer-walkinshaw-conduct-unannounced-oversight-visit-chantilly-ice", "title": "Subramanyam, Beyer, Walkinshaw Conduct Unannounced Oversight Visit at Chantilly ICE Facility", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://subramanyam.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "subramanyam.house.gov", "scraper": "subramanyam", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001230", "name": "Suhas Subramanyam", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Chantilly, VA – U.S. Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Don Beyer (VA-08) and James Walkinshaw (VA-11), released the following statement after conducting an unannounced oversight visit yesterday evening at ICE’s temporary holding facility in Chantilly, Virginia.\n\n“We exercised our right to direct congressional oversight over ICE facilities after hearing reports of overcrowding and lengthy stays at a facility designed for temporary processing.\n\nAt the time of our visit, we did not witness overcrowding. ICE staff asserted that they are complying with a recent court order limiting stays at temporary processing facilities like Chantilly to 12 hours.\n\nOur oversight does not end with one visit. We will continue monitoring this facility and holding ICE accountable to ensure everyone in its custody is treated humanely and in accordance with the law.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-lee-joins-mon-valley-initiative-to-celebrate-completion-of-3-miller-ave-rehabilitation-in-rankin", "title": "Rep. Lee Joins Mon Valley Initiative to Celebrate Completion of 3 Miller Ave Rehabilitation in Rankin", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "summerlee.house.gov", "scraper": "summerlee", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000602", "name": "Summer L. Lee", "party": "Democrat", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Photos (Dropbox)\n\nRANKIN, PA – AUGUST 7, 2026 — Yesterday, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Mon Valley Initiative (MVI), Allegheny County Economic Development (ACED), elected officials, project partners, and community members to celebrate the completion of its rehabilitation of 3 Miller Ave with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, August 6. The renovated 3-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom home, located in Rankin, will soon welcome new homeowner Emily Perry and her family.\n\nCongresswoman Summer Lee reflected on what the project means for the community. “The completion of 3 Miller Avenue shows what becomes possible when people invest in Rankin, work together, and deliver something real for the community. A home can change the direction of a family, and a block full of strong families can change the direction of an entire community,” she said.\n\n“Since 2000, MVI has renovated 14 homes and built 9 new ones along this corridor. 3 Miller Avenue is the latest piece of that work, an over $340,000 investment that turns a vacant property back into a home a family can afford and build a future in,”said Laura Zinski, MVI CEO.\n\nThe approximately 1,759-square-foot home includes a front porch, an extra side yard lot, rear parking, a third-floor bonus room, and an unfinished basement, and was put on the market for $140,000. The property sits on a primary public transit corridor within walking distance or a short drive of the Swissvale Shopping Center, Edgewood Towne Center, and the Waterfront.\n\nThe renovation was funded through ACED’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which supports the redevelopment of vacant and underused properties across the county. Investments like this deliver value beyond the home itself. The borough, county, and school district will benefit each year from new taxes generated by the property, helping stabilize and grow the local market.\n\n“HOME is a critical federal resource that allows us to invest in housing projects that strengthen neighborhoods. Restoring a vacant property like 3 Miller Ave supports new homeowners while also reinforcing neighborhood stability and long‑term economic growth. We’re grateful to MVI for their partnership on this project, and to the federal, state, and local programs that make these housing investments possible,” said Lauren Connelly, Director of ACED.\n\nPerry, who is set to move into the home later this summer with her family, joined the ceremony and toured the finished property with guests.\n\nAbout Mon Valley Initiative\n\nMon Valley Initiative (MVI), founded in 1988, works to improve the lives of people in the Mon Valley area by helping to rebuild community infrastructure, provide safe and affordable housing, and connect employers to people seeking new jobs and careers. We do this by delivering quality services to the people of the Mon Valley, including housing counseling, workforce development & financial coaching, real estate development, and community development. For more information, visit www.monvalleyinitiative.com.\n\nFor photos of the event, click here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://tenney.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-tenney-releases-2026-israel-and-iran-plan", "title": "Congresswoman Tenney Releases 2026 Israel and Iran Plan", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://tenney.house.gov/media/press-releases", "domain": "tenney.house.gov", "scraper": "tenney", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000478", "name": "Claudia Tenney", "party": "Republican", "state": "NY", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today released her 2026 Israel and Iran Plan, outlining a legislative agenda to strengthen the United States' alliance with Israel, confront the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies, promote regional security, and advance President Trump's Peace Through Strength strategy.\n\nThe 2026 Israel and Iran Plan focuses on supporting Israel's right to defend itself, increasing pressure on the Iranian regime and its network of terrorist organizations, strengthening cooperation between the United States and Israel on national security and emerging technologies, countering international efforts to delegitimize Israel, and promoting religious freedom and Israel's historical ties to Judea and Samaria. The plan also emphasizes preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, disrupting its support for terrorism, and ensuring American foreign policy advances the security interests of both the United States and its allies.\n\n“The United States must stand with Israel and remain resolute in confronting the Iranian regime, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “A nuclear armed Iran would threaten not only Israel, but the security of the United States and our allies around the world. My Israel and Iran Plan reinforces our unwavering commitment to Israel, supports President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda, and advances policies that deny Iran the resources it uses to spread terror, destabilize the Middle East, and threaten American lives. America's security and Israel's security are deeply connected, and we must continue leading from a position of strength.”\n\nTo view Congresswoman Tenney’s full Israel and Iran Plan, click here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-secures-more-15-million-grants-pennsylvanias-timber-industry", "title": "Thompson Secures More than $1.5 Million in Grants for Pennsylvania’s Timber Industry", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "domain": "thompson.house.gov", "scraper": "thompson", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000467", "name": "Glenn Thompson", "party": "Republican", "state": "PA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "BELLEFONTE, Pa. – This week, U.S. Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) announced $1,552,631 in funding for forestry businesses in Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District to support forest management, increase production capabilities, improve processing equipment and technologies, and support our rural economy.\n\n\"Pennsylvania has one of the largest hardwood timber industries in the nation, and our forest products generate tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars across the state annually,” Rep. Thompson said. “I am proud to secure this funding to ensure these local businesses have the tools they need to help expand and strengthen our timber markets.”\n\n“The greatest threat to forest landowners and those who use forests is the lack of critical markets in today’s timber and wood products industries,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “There are significant gaps where low-value wood, small diameter trees and restoration byproducts lack viable buyers. To close these gaps, we are investing in companies and organizations that are developing technologies, products, business models and training to expand and strengthen markets directly connected to forest restoration. Over time, this will help create new uses for underused materials, strengthen rural economies, improve forest health, and make forest management more financially sustainable.”\n\nWood Innovation Grants were awarded to the following businesses:\n\nBrownlee Lumber, Inc. of Brookville, Pa. Funding will upgrade sawmill production capabilities to improve operational efficiencies and support active forest management of the Allegheny National Forest.\n\nEmporium Hardwoods Operating Company, LLC of Emporium, Pa. Funding will install sawmill processing technologies to increase production capacity and efficiencies.\n\nForcey Lumber Company, Inc. of Woodland, Pa. Funding will upgrade veneer processing capabilities to retain rural jobs and produce over 3 million board feet annually.\n\nGutchess Lumber Co., Inc. of Brookville, Pa. Funding will install sawmill processing technologies to increase production capacity by 1.4 million board feet annually.\n\nNorthwest Hardwoods of Marienville, Pa. Funding will upgrade sawmill processing equipment to increase timber markets by 10% annually supporting the Allegheny National Forest.\n\nWheeland Lumber Co., Inc. of Liberty, Pa. Funding will upgrade sawmill processing equipment to expand lumber production by 2 million board feet annually while supporting rural jobs in Pennsylvania.\n\nThis funding from the U.S. Forest Service is a part of the Wood Innovation Grant Program, which is awarded to projects that support active management of national forests and grasslands, promote wood and energy infrastructure by increasing manufacturing capacity and operational efficiencies, and support rural economic prosperity and jobs.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://walkinshaw.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=753", "title": "Walkinshaw Calls for Elon Musk Subpoena as GAO Report Exposes DOGE’s Fraud", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://walkinshaw.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "walkinshaw.house.gov", "scraper": "walkinshaw", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000831", "name": "James R. Walkinshaw", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released the following statement.\n\n“This week’s bombshell GAO report shows that DOGE fraudulently lied to the American people. Elon Musk promised massive savings. Instead, DOGE spent nearly $16 billion paying people not to work and fired essential federal workers the Administration is now trying to hire back.\n\nDOGE claimed hundreds of billions in savings that GAO found were flat-out false. Now we know the full truth, DOGE was a colossal failure built on fraudulent claims. It was a fraud perpetrated against the American people.\n\nChairman Comer created the DOGE Subcommittee to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. Much like DOGE, it has failed. Now he and Chairman Burchett have a responsibility to bring GAO before the Committee, subpoena Elon Musk, and force him to answer under oath for DOGE’s deception and waste.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://walkinshaw.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=754", "title": "Reps. Walkinshaw and Subramanyam Demand Answers on Interior Department Relocation from Reston", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://walkinshaw.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "walkinshaw.house.gov", "scraper": "walkinshaw", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000831", "name": "James R. Walkinshaw", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives James Walkinshaw (VA-11) and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) are demanding answers from the Department of the Interior (Department) regarding its plans to relocate federal employees. The Department has said it plans to relocate the Business Integration Office (BIO) from their current office in Reston, Virginia to the Department’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. This relocation would put the BIO’s ability to carry out their mission in serious jeopardy and force dedicated federal employees out of their jobs.\n\nThe Members issued the following statement:\n\n“Relocating BIO staff will significantly undermine the agency’s ability to serve the American people. Staff will no longer be able to seamlessly collaborate with their partner contractors in Reston, and many federal employees will likely choose to resign rather than navigate a more costly and time-consuming commute and degraded working conditions. This plan is bad for our region and bad for our country.”\n\nRep. Subramanyam and Rep. Walkinshaw wrote to the Secretary of the Department, Douglas J. Burgum, on June 2, 2026, raising concerns about the Department’s plans to relocate 600 employees from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) out of their Reston, Virginia headquarters to the Department’s headquarters in D.C. To date, the members have not received a response.\n\nThis July, since learning that the Department notified 17 BIO employees that their jobs would be relocated out of the very same building to Washington, D.C. effective August 2026, the members have demanded that the Department answer how and why relocating these federal agencies are beneficial to the agency’s productivity and a responsible use of taxpayer dollars.\n\nThe letter can be found HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://walkinshaw.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=755", "title": "Walkinshaw, Beyer, Subramanyam Conduct Unannounced Oversight Visit at Chantilly ICE Facility", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://walkinshaw.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "walkinshaw.house.gov", "scraper": "walkinshaw", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000831", "name": "James R. Walkinshaw", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Chantilly, VA – U.S. Representatives James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) released the following statement after conducting an unannounced oversight visit yesterday evening at ICE’s temporary holding facility in Chantilly, Virginia.\n\n\"We exercised our right to direct congressional oversight over ICE facilities after hearing reports of overcrowding and lengthy stays at a facility designed for temporary processing.\n\nAt the time of our visit, we did not witness overcrowding. ICE staff asserted that they are complying with a recent court order limiting stays at temporary processing facilities like Chantilly to 12 hours.\n\nOur oversight does not end with one visit. We will continue monitoring this facility and holding ICE accountable to ensure everyone in its custody is treated humanely and in accordance with the law.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-watson-coleman-demands-immediate-action-following-death-and-medical-neglect-at-delaney-hall-detention-center", "title": "Rep. Watson Coleman Demands Immediate Action Following Death and Medical Neglect at Delaney Hall Detention Center", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "scraper": "watsoncoleman", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000822", "name": "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), along with four of her Democratic colleagues from New Jersey, sent a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin and ICE Acting Director David Venturella demanding answers regarding the death of Edwin Lopez Cornejo and the severe medical neglect of Amro Sehaim, both of whom were held in ICE custody at Delany Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey.\n\nMr. Lopez Cornejo passed away on August 1st after repeatedly raising concerns about his health. He collapsed while attempting to seek medical treatment, and EMS transported him to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His family reports they learned of his death from the hospital and have yet to be contacted by ICE. Mr. Lopez Cornejo was 39 years old and leaves behind a young daughter.\n\nThe letter also raises serious concerns about the treatment of Mr. Amro Sehaim, who has been detained at Delaney Hall since December 2025. Mr. Sehaim is a cancer patient whose diagnosis and pre-existing conditions are known to ICE, yet he has been denied consistent medical treatment, medication, and access to necessary appointments. He reports being coerced by staff into signing documents stating he refused care, and his condition continues to worsen while vital treatment is withheld. The Congresswoman supplemented her letter with over 300 pages of medical documentation detailing the seriousness of Mr. Sehaim’s condition and the severe decline of his health, underscoring the depth of neglect at this facility and the need for immediate federal intervention.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://whitesides.house.gov/2026/08/07/reps-whitesides-houlahan-haridopolos-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-bolster-military-readiness-for-natural-disasters/", "title": "Reps. Whitesides, Houlahan, Haridopolos Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Military Readiness for Natural Disasters", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://whitesides.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "domain": "whitesides.house.gov", "scraper": "whitesides", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000830", "name": "George Whitesides", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. George Whitesides, Chrissy Houlahan, and Mike Haridopolos introduced the bipartisan Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act, legislation that instructs the Department of Defense to develop and maintain goals and metrics to assess natural resources on military installations. Natural disasters, such as wildfires and floods, and deterioration of environmental conditions can compromise important operations on military installations, reducing military preparedness and posing risks to national security. This bill asks the Department of the Defense to assess technologies that could be used to monitor their natural resources, which would enable better preparation on military installations for natural disasters and other threats to the ecosystem.\n\n“As our nation’s military continues to protect our country, it is imperative that our bases and installations are prepared for potential threats, including natural disasters,” said Rep. Whitesides. “If a wildfire strikes a military installation, like we saw in Camp Pendleton earlier this year, it could shut down its operations, putting all of us at risk. Through the use of advanced technology and cutting-edge monitoring systems, our military can better understand the natural resources that exist on their installations, and take preventative actions to protect the installation from threats like natural disasters.”\n\n“As ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, I believe readiness begins with protecting our servicemembers and ensuring they have safe, resilient installations where they can live, work, and train. Wildfires, flooding, and other effects of a changing climate can threaten our people, disrupt operations, and undermine mission readiness,” said Rep. Houlahan. “I am proud to co-lead the Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act with Congressman Whitesides to give military leaders better data and modern tools to manage our natural resources, strengthen installation resilience, and keep our forces safe and ready.”\n\n“America’s military bases are critical to keeping our country safe, and it’s important that they stay strong and ready to do their jobs,” said Rep. Haridopolos. “The Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act protects our land and natural resources around these bases that are needed for training and operations, using improved technology and better information to make sure our military stays prepared to meet new challenges.”\n\nSpecifically, the Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act directs the Department of Defense to:\n\nEvaluate, test, and, where appropriate, use, technologies and methodologies to improve natural resources programs on military installations.\n\nAssess natural resources and ecosystem services on military installations to allow for the comparison of conditions and trends concerning wildfire risk and fuels conditions, flood risk, ecosystem conditions, and biodiversity within that installation.\n\nProvide consistent and regular updates to data for use in integrated natural resource management plans.\n\nAdd additional information to a report that the Department of Defense gives to Congress concerning progress made and benefits of using the metrics, technologies, methods, and data.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-introduces-amendment-protecting-female-athletes/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Banks Introduces Amendment Protecting Female Athletes", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) offered an amendment to the Protect College Sports Act alongside Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) that would prevent the legislation from preempting state laws protecting women’s sports.\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “Indiana has one of the strongest laws in the country that keeps biological men from competing in women’s sports. As a father of three daughters, I can’t support and legislation that would preempt Indiana’s law. This amendment would make sure the Protect College Sports Act protects female athletes.\n\nSee the Amendment featured on Fox & Friends:\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nSee the Amendment featured on America Reports:\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nAmendmentSummary:\n\nProtects state and local laws, regulations, rules, requirements, and standards that prohibit biological men from participating in women’s intercollegiate sports from being preempted by federal law.\n\nBackground:\n\nIndiana has enacted protections for female athletes at every level of education. In 2022, the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation to prohibit biological males from competing in girls’ K-12 sports. In 2025, Governor Mike Braun signed a second law extending those protections to women’s collegiate athletics.\n\nHere’s what they’re saying:\n\nTerry Schilling:“The NCAA has shown us time after time: without clear laws, it will always side with radical transgender ideology over female athletes. The PCSA, while well-intentioned, must protect all female athletes. A simple amendment, like the one just introduced by Sens. @HawleyMO, @Jim_Banks and @SenTuberville, will do just that.”\n\nKristen Waggoner: “URGENT: The current version of the Protect College Sports Act could jeopardize women’s sports. Every Senator who cares about women’s equal opportunity should act immediately to clarify that this bill does not preempt state laws protecting girls’ sports.”\n\nRiley Gaines: “The Protect College Sport Act protects the NCAA. The NCAA does NOT protect female athletes. Unless its amended, I do not support the Protect College Sports Act. There is no room for ambiguity.”\n\nAlliance Defending Freedom: “Momentum is growing to FIX the Protect College Sports Act and minimize its risk of being misused to challenge women’s sports laws. We’re grateful to our allies who publicly support a simple fix. We don’t have to choose between protecting college sports and keeping women’s sports for women. We can do both. Fix the PCSA.”\n\nKevin Roberts: “This is 100% correct: we’ve made way too much progress protecting female athletes from transgender ideology to backtrack now.”\n\nSage Steele:“For those who understand the importance of protecting women’s sports, please listen. And those politicians who SAY they want to protect women & girls, the vote you cast tomorrow will solidify that. PLEASE do the right thing!”\n\nKim Shasby Jones: “The PCSA must be rock solid for female athletes if we are really serious about granting legal immunity power to the NCAA. Until women are protected, NO DEAL.”\n\nJennifer Sey: “It sounds great to ‘protect college sports’. And it is. But the bill can’t leave women out. And right now , the bill leaves an opening for the NCAA to run roughshod over female athletes. Fix it make sure women’s sports are protected too.”\n\nTina Descovitch: “We have to get this right!”\n\nConcerned Women for America: “The Protect College Sports Act could undermine the ability of states to pass laws banning men from female athletics. Protecting female sports should not be negotiable. Congress should not attempt to fix the broader issues within college sports at the expense of female athletes.”\n\nFox News Digital: Republican senators file amendment to stop college sports bill from overriding state women’s sports laws\n\nOutkick: The “Protect College Sports Act” has a fatal flaw: it doesn’t protect women – Riley Gaines\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-just-the-news-with-john-solomon/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins Just the News with John Solomon", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined Just the News: No Noise with John Solomon on Real America’s Voice to discuss the SAVE America Act, his introduction of the Citizenship Act of 2026, and the weaponization of the FBI against President Trump.\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nKey Excerpts on the SAVE America Act:\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “Let’s stay in Washington, let’s get our work done, let’s pass the SAVE America Act, there’s a lot of other issues that we’re focusing on too, but I don’t think anything is more important than voter ID at the ballot box to make sure that only American citizens vote in American elections. By the way, the big news that the mainstream media hardly covered was that the new Democrat governor in New Jersey announced a week ago that they accidentally added 66,00 noncitizens to the voter roll and hundreds of them voted in the last two elections, if that’s not a reason in and of itself… That’s why we need the SAVE America Act: we need to pass it now; we don’t need an August recess; we don’t need a vacation. Let’s pass the SAVE America Act before we head out of town.”\n\n“We can pass it; it’s a version of the SAVE America Act, and it’s related to grants to the states that provide for voter ID. It would incentivize more states to pass voter ID laws, but it’s better than nothing, so let’s do everything that we can to secure our elections. No political issue I’ve seen has been more popular. President Trump is right to push to pass it. Let’s pass it before we go home.”\n\nKey Excerpts on the Citizenship Act of 2026:\n\n“I’m concerned about it because right now about 250,000 babies of illegals in our country are born in America and are automatically given birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment doesn’t grant that someone who’s here illegally should get birthright citizenship, but they struck down the president’s executive order…We don’t need a constitutional amendment, and Congress can’t overturn a Supreme Court decision. My bill, the Citizenship Act, declares an invasion and says that the babies of illegal immigrants are not eligible for birthright citizenship. This is important to the future of our country. I mean 250,00 babies a year; that’s a magnet for more illegals to come into our country; this is what attracts them to come into our country to begin with.”\n\nKey Excerpts on Oxferd Comma:\n\n“Those first two years that I was in the House, those years were completely lost, they were derailed because of the Russian collusion hoax and what these guys did to our country and they have never been held accountable for it, so I’m glad you exposed this story because it reminds us the damage that Comey and those in the Deep State the damage they did to our country and the missed opportunities in those two years… there was so much more that President Trump tried to do for our country, that he was elected to do for our country that didn’t get done because of that whole agenda was derailed by a hoax.”\n\n“Time has proven that President Trump has been as tough on Putin and Russia as any other President. The whole thing was a farce; it was all narrative created by those who were upset President Trump ever won to begin with and wanted to block him from getting anything done, and the losers out of it were the country, the United States of America, and the progress that we lost for this great nation over two years because of what they got away with. We can’t let them get away with that again. This is why accountability matters.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-katie-pavlich-tonight-on-newsnation/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins Katie Pavlich Tonight on NewsNation", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined Katie Pavlich Tonight on NewsNation to discussthe importance of mass deportations, the debate over birthright citizenship, his introduction of the Citizenship Act of 2026, and the weaponization of the FBI against President Trump.\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nKey Excerpt on the Citizenship Act of 2026:\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “Congress has an oversight role first and foremost to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to deport every single illegal that we can find and arrest and deport them. And right now we have this debate in Congress over defunding ICE or funding and supporting ICE. The Democrats want to defund or eliminate ICE, and Republicans are doing everything that we can to make sure that they can do their job. You look at the estimates of what happened when Joe Biden was in the White House: 15 million illegals or more came into the country.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/07/bennet-statement-on-senate-passage-of-russia-sanctions-legislation/", "title": "Bennet Statement on Senate Passage of Russia Sanctions Legislation", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "domain": "www.bennet.senate.gov", "scraper": "bennet", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001267", "name": "Michael F. Bennet", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Finance Committee, released the below statement after voting to pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. Bennet was an original co-sponsor of the legislation, a version of which he supported for over a year, to impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and his enablers across Russian industry and financial institutions, the Russian shadow fleet, and firms supporting Russia’s defense industrial base.\n\n“Today, the Senate took a significant step to support the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russian aggression. This legislation will impose greater pressure on Putin to end his unprovoked war by denying him key oil and gas revenue and placing further sanctions on the architects of Russia’s war economy – which is already under strain thanks to the combined weight of existing U.S. and allied measures.\n\n“This vote could not have come soon enough. Ukraine is seizing the momentum on the battlefield and increasingly taking the fight to Moscow. Only by demonstrating our firm resolve can the United States and our allies support Ukraine’s pursuit of a just and durable end to this war and successfully defend the principle of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. The House must take up this legislation as soon as possible when they return in September. And the Senate must do everything we can to support Ukraine — including by passing my legislation to bolster intelligence and drone cooperation.”\n\nBennet’s bipartisan Supporting Early-Childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act served as the legislative vehicle for passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026:\n\n“This bill also incorporates my bipartisan SEED Act, which allows early childhood educators to claim the same tax deduction available to elementary and secondary school teachers. As the former Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, I know firsthand how often educators dip into their own pockets to provide school supplies for their students – this bill ends an unfair double standard and ensures that those who teach our youngest kids are not left behind.”\n\nFor more information on the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, see HERE. For more information on Bennet’s SEED Act, see HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-peters-release-gao-report-finding-doge-misled-americans-about-claimed-savings", "title": "Blumenthal & Peters Release GAO Report Finding DOGE Misled Americans About Claimed Savings", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[Hartford, CT] — U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finding that DOGE’s claims of massive taxpayer savings on its “Wall of Receipts” were severely overstated and plagued by unreliable data, unexplained calculations, and a lack of transparency.\n\n“The Trump Administration has used DOGE to recklessly slash government programs, ransacking critical services and resources and proudly displaying supposed ‘savings’ on its Wall of Receipts,” said Senator Blumenthal. “GAO’s report, though, reveals data quality concerns and a lack of clarity regarding how savings were calculated, making DOGE’s findings unreliable and unclear. My report with the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations last year showed that DOGE was clearly never about efficiency or saving the American taxpayer money—wasting at least $21.7 billion at the time while the Trump Administration cut health care, nutrition assistance, and emergency services. This GAO report underscores the need for increased transparency and accountability from the Trump Administration so the American public can better understand DOGE’s activities as the organization guts vital government programs.”\n\n“Everyone supports rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, but DOGE was a slapdash and deceptive effort that misled the American people while doing real damage to the government’s ability to serve them,” Senator Peters said. “Elon Musk and the Trump Administration claimed billions of dollars in savings it could not substantiate, took credit for work already underway, and refused to show its work, all while putting Americans’ sensitive data at risk and hollowing out critical agencies.”\n\nThe GAO report, requested by Blumenthal and Peters in June 2025, finds that DOGE failed to provide enough information to verify 96 percent of its claimed grant savings. GAO also found that no termination action had been taken on 2,503 contracts associated with $27.4 billion in claimed savings, and two-thirds of DOGE’s purported contract savings were unverifiable or did not follow stated methodology. Of the 264 leases DOGE identified for termination, 108 were already in the termination process.\n\nSince last year, the Trump Administration has been forced to reverse numerous staff purges and contract cancellations carried out by DOGE after the cuts created staffing shortages and serious operational problems—further exposing the recklessness of DOGE’s approach.\n\nLast year, a Blumenthal report found that DOGE generated at lease $21.7 billion in waste across the federal government between January 20 and July 18, 2025. This included $14.8 billion through its Deferred Resignation Program for paying approximately 200,000 employees not to work for up to eight months, $6.1 billion for over 100,000 employees who have involuntarily separated from federal service or who remain on prolonged periods of leave pending separation who were paid not to do their jobs for extended periods of time, and $263 million in lost interest and fee income at the Department of Energy due to dozens of loan freezes.\n\nThe report is available here.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-wasserman-schultz-introduce-legislation-to-address-youth-vaping-use", "title": "Blumenthal & Wasserman Schultz Introduce Legislation to Address Youth Vaping Use", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) introduced the Preventing Opportunities for Teen E-Cigarette and Tobacco Addiction (PROTECT) Act, bicameral legislation to address the alarming rise in e-cigarette use among youth.\n\nThe PROTECT Act authorizes $100 million in funding each year for five years for a proactive Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative to address this alarming trend through funding for enhanced research, grants for states and localities to address this issue in their communities, the development of evidence-based policies, and other critical activities to combat the rise in e-cigarette use among youth.\n\n“Youth vaping in our schools and communities is an epidemic, fueled by Big Tobacco aggressively targeting yet another generation of young people,” Blumenthal said. “Our measure addresses this crisis and gives those on the frontlines of this fight the tools they need to prevent teen e-cigarette addiction. The Trump Administration’s recent actions to undermine federal anti-smoking efforts and greenlight flavored e-cigarette products make our PROTECT Act all the more necessary to prevent addiction and keep our kids safe and healthy.”\n\n“Youth vaping is a public health crisis, and we need to treat it like one. For too long, Big Tobacco has preyed on America’s youth with flavored vapes specifically designed to get them hooked young,” said Wasserman Schultz. “The PROTECT Act is needed now more than ever as the Trump Administration decimates key tobacco cessation programs and rubber stamps dangerous, flavored vape approvals at FDA. I’m very proud to partner with Senator Blumenthal on this effort to protect our country’s children and keep them healthy.”\n\nMore than 1.4 million youth report using e-cigarettes, including roughly 1 in 13 high school students and about 1 in 29 middle school students, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey. Nearly 40 percent of youth who vape report frequent use, an alarming trend worsened by the Trump Administration dismantling key anti-smoking programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and authorizing flavored e-cigarette products that appeal to children.\n\nThe PROTECT Act is cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and endorsed by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Academy, and the American Cancer Society.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-7/31/2026-8/7/2026", "title": "Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 7/31/2026-8/7/2026", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Celebrating Senate Passage of Landmark Russia Sanctions Bill\n\n[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) celebrated Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in an overwhelming bipartisan vote. The legislation, led by Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-SC), would hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.\n\nBlumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor ahead of the final vote. Video is available here.\n\n“Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine. And Putin is watching from Moscow. I would like to think that Lindsey Graham is watching, too. And I know how proud he would be of his sister today, who has taken his place on the Floor and has been such a profoundly strong and effective advocate for this bill. Today, we say to the people Ukraine: you are not alone. And we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine; you will not defeat this free, brave people, who are turning the tide against your blood-thirsty aggression,” Blumenthal said.\n\n“I would like to close with some brilliant rhetorical flourish, but I’d rather just recall some of Senator Graham’s last words to me. He said, ‘This is a big eff-ing deal. We all did good.’”\n\nLast week, Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jim Risch (R-ID) hosted a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and supporters of the legislation at the U.S. Capitol. Photos of the meeting are available here.\n\nBlumenthal and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) first introduced legislation to bring primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine in April 2025, and spent the last year building support for the effort in Congress and the Administration. Lindsey Graham secured an agreement with the White House on the bill just before his death.\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet.\n\nThe legislation allows the President to impose targeted tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the vast majority of Russian oil or gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion. The bill limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, and top five countries that aid Russia’s energy sanctions evasion.\n\nThe bill also includes a provision to prevent a lapse in sanction authority that restricts funding for Iran’s energy and weapons sectors.\n\nThe text of the bill is available here.\n\nBlumenthal hosted a press conference following Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.\n\n“It is a momentous day. President Zelenskyy is watching in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is watching in Moscow. I like to think Lindsey Graham is watching as well and proud of what we’ve done. Because today we send a message to Vladimir Putin—you will not win this war. Time to come to the table for peace,” said Blumenthal.\n\nDenouncing Todd Blanche as Trump’s Nominee for U.S. Attorney General\n\nBlumenthal a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted against Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as Attorney General of the United States at this week’s Committee markup. At the markup, Blumenthal spoke out against Blanche’s nomination, raising concerns about Blanche’s lack of independence.\n\n“‘I’m his lawyer.’ That is what Mr. Blanche told us he was. ‘I’m his lawyer.’ Namely Donald Trump’s lawyer. Maya Angelou famously said, ‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.’ Todd Blanche is Donald Trump’s lawyer. He will say anything, do anything, conceal anything for his boss,” Blumenthal said at the markup.\n\nPointing to Blanche’s purported rescission of the so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to reward the President’s political allies and violent criminals who attacked Capitol Police officers on January 6, Blumenthal continued, “Commentators have talked about loopholes. There are no loopholes here. This document itself is a sham.”\n\nBlumenthal underscored that Donald Trump remains committed to seeing the slush fund move forward, despite Blanche’s assurances: “The President of the United States yesterday, in the Oval Office, repeated his commitment to the Anti-Weaponization Fund. We don’t need to say the quiet part out loud. The President is shouting it.”\n\nBlumenthal continued, “The position of the United States Attorney General is a position of supreme trust. Any of us who have worked in the Department of Justice—I was the United States Attorney for Connecticut—knows that the Attorney General of the United States, like every lawyer who represents the United States, has a trust, in going to court, in making representation…Todd Blanche has betrayed that trust. And his betrayal of that trust is disqualifying for his nomination.”\n\n“My fear is that Todd Blanche will represent Donald Trump, be his consigliere, and he will put Donald Trump ahead of the American people and the right to vote. I cannot support him. I regret that this committee will in effect betray its trust in the party-line vote that is to follow and approve Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States,” Blumenthal concluded.\n\nA video of Blumenthal’s remarks is available here.\n\nBlumenthal joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper to discuss Blanche’s nomination.\n\nBlumenthal also spoke on the Senate Floor denouncing Blanche as Trump’s nominee to be U.S. Attorney General.\n\n“‘I’m his lawyer,’ is what Todd Blanche said in the course of his confirmation hearing before the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate. ‘I’m his lawyer,’ meaning, ‘I’m Donald Trump’s lawyer.’ He will be guided by blind loyalty to the President and contempt for the law, enabling the President in continued corrupt crypto schemes as well as condoning and empowering the President to establish a slush fund for January 6 rioters, as well as tax immunity,” said Blumenthal. “That is not the conduct of an Attorney General of the United States carrying out and respecting the Constitution. That’s Donald Trump's personal lawyer.”\n\nA video of Blumenthal’s full speech on the Floor is available here.\n\nBlumenthal further slammed Blanche as unfit to be U.S. Attorney General on Twitter/X, specifically highlighting his supposed “walking back” of the anti-weaponization fund and his inability to recognize the January 6 insurrection as an attack on our Capitol.\n\n“Blanche’s walk-back of the anti-weaponization fund is a sham. There is absolutely nothing stopping Trump from going to court tomorrow & establishing this slush fund,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\n“To Todd Blanche Jan 6th was just ‘events.’ No wonder he is in favor of a slush fund that pays out the insurrectionists who violently attacked law enforcement & the Capitol,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\n“As Attorney General of the United States, Todd Blanche will not be a lawyer for the American people—he will be Donald Trump’s personal lawyer,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nApplauding Commerce Committee Passage of Bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act\n\nBlumenthal and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released the following statement on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation’s passage of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) by voice vote:\n\n“For years, heartbroken parents have demanded Congress take action to protect America’s children from Big Tech’s exploitation, and today is a major victory for the courageous families who refused to give up,” said Blumenthal and Blackburn. “The Senate has repeatedly shown that there is broad, bipartisan support for a version of KOSA that creates a duty of care to protect kids from online predators, addictive algorithms, and harmful product design. We want to thank our large, diverse, and determined coalition for standing with us today, and we look forward to getting this bill to the President’s desk.”\n\nBlumenthal further highlighted the need for the Senate Kids Online Safety Act on Twitter/X, after Meta was ordered to pay $942 million to address harm to kids from social media.\n\n“Groundbreaking loss for Zuckerberg. While Meta has bought off House Republican leadership, it is finally facing justice in the courts—near a billion dollars in penalties & meaningful mandated changes in this historic decision. The strong Senate Kids Online Safety Act is ready to become law—once again receiving a resounding Committee approval this week. The question is whether Speaker Johnson wants his legacy to be protecting Mark Zuckerberg or American families,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.\n\nSlamming Trump’s Loyalist Judicial Nominees\n\nBlumenthal was joined by three former federal prosecutors to raise alarm over the ongoing refusal of Trump Administration judicial nominees to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election or admit that what happened on January 6, 2021, was an attack on the Capitol.\n\nThe three prosecutors – Michael Romano, Sean Murphy, and Brendan Ballou – worked on cases relating to violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Prior to the press conference, they joined a group of twelve former federal prosecutors who all worked on cases relating to the violent attack on the Capitol in sending a letter urging members of the Senate to reject judicial nominees who cannot “cannot identify that (1) January 6 as an attack on our democracy, (2) the attack was led by supporters of Donald Trump, and (3) Joe Biden was legitimately elected in the 2020 election.”\n\nVideo of the press conference is available here.\n\nMichael Romano prosecuted rioters who brawled with police officers on Capitol grounds, who attacked officers with wooden and metal poles, and who pepper-sprayed officers defending the Tunnel. As a manager, Romano also oversaw many cases prosecuted by others. Romano also served as a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section between 2019 and 2025.\n\n“The fact of the matter was, the riot was an attack on our democracy. It was an attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power. It was an attempt to install the loser of the 2020 election back in office against the will of the American people. I know this because the evidence was overwhelming,” Romano said. “Now, these people were convicted before Republicans and Democratic judges, they were sentenced before Republican and Democratic judges, judges appointed by any President of any party recognized the truth of what this day was. And anybody seeking a position on the bench now should be able to do the same. They should be able to tell the truth.”\n\nSean P. Murphy joined the Capitol Siege Section in January 2021 and remained with the team until it was disbanded in January 2025. Among those Murphy investigated, prosecuted, and secured convictions against are an individual who beat an officer with a flagpole with the American flag still attached until the flagpole broke; an off-duty police officer; a man that used wasp spray to attack police officers, and a man that punched a police officer twice in the head before ripping away the officer’s riot shield, leaving him defenseless. Murphy also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico between 2018 and 2025.\n\n“To the Senators voting on these nominees today, please stop poisoning our courts by confirming appointees who refuse to admit basic historical truths. This is not a problem of perspective or political persuasion; it is fundamental question of competence. We would no more hire a schoolteacher who refuses to believe in fractions, or a mechanic who won’t admit that gas goes in a gas tank than you should confirm someone to a lifetime seat on the bench who cannot admit that Donald Trump lost, and who refuses to recognize that those who assaulted police officers at the U.S. Capitol were wrong to do so,” Murphy said.\n\nBrendan Ballou was involved in the trial teams that prosecuted a husband-and-wife duo who assaulted officers along the Capitol's western front before they were finally repelled by pepper spray, and prosecuted one of the first rioters who entered the Senate chamber, who triumphantly stood atop the dais within the chamber. Ballou also served as Special Counsel in the Antitrust Division from 2016 to 2017 and from 2020 to 2025.\n\n“So, we have a president that is trying to subvert a future election, we have an acting Attorney General who is eager to help in that effort, and the danger that we face with these judicial nominees is that future court cases that will determine whether our democracy continues may be people who deny the reality of January 6th,” Ballou said. “Think about how dangerous it is, how scary it is, to have a court case about voting rights, about democracy, about the rule of law, prosecuted by Todd Blanche, and overseen by one of these judges who denies the reality of what happened that day. So, it is important to be talking about this, it is important that these judges not be confirmed if they refuse to acknowledge the reality of January 6th.”\n\nAt a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week, Blumenthal questioned Trump Administration judicial nominees and slammed them for their refusal to truthfully answer questions about the 2020 election and the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.\n\n“The word ‘attack’ seems to have been stripped from Trump judicial nominees’ vocabulary. It isn’t a political controversy to speak the truth about what happened on January 6th,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\n“Another panel of political puppets. Trump’s judicial nominees refuse to state the simple fact that Joe Biden won the 2020 election,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\n“After only 6 months on the District Court, Anna St. John has proven herself such a loyal sycophant that she is up for a promotion to the 5th circuit. She knows what lies the President demands to hear and still won’t say Trump lost the 2020 election,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nBlumenthal Bulletin\n\nBlumenthal posted a Substack article on Trump’s crypto corruption.\n\nBlumenthal introduced a resolution blocking Trump tax amnesty and January 6 slush fund.\n\nBlumenthal released a statement on the U.S. Army’s award of two contracts for Sikorsky.\n\nBlumenthal introduced legislation to address youth vaping use.\n\nBlumenthal called on Yale to reject settlement with Trump Administration.\n\nBlumenthal demanded answers from FDA and Taylor Farms about the cyclosporiasis outbreak.\n\nBlumenthal released a GAO report finding DOGE misled Americans about claimed savings.\n\nBlumenthal introduced legislation to end unprecedented Presidential corruption and to stop “pay-to-play” pardons.\n\nBlumenthal joined sweeping legislation to counter Trump’s authoritarian takeover and to defend our democracy.\n\nBlumenthal will host a passport, TSA Precheck, and Global Entry enrollment and renewal event in Hartford.\n\nBlumenthal announced a grant for East Street in New Britain to improve the safety of a dangerous intersection.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-blumenthal-celebrates-senate-passage-of-landmark-sanctions-bill-to-hold-purchasers-of-russian-oil-and-gas-accountable", "title": "Video: Blumenthal Celebrates Senate Passage of Landmark Sanctions Bill to Hold Purchasers of Russian Oil & Gas Accountable", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "domain": "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "scraper": "blumenthal", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001277", "name": "Richard Blumenthal", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) celebrated Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in an overwhelming bipartisan vote. The legislation, led by Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-SC), would hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.\n\nBlumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor ahead of the final vote. Video is available here.\n\n“Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine. And Putin is watching from Moscow. I would like to think that Lindsey Graham is watching, too. And I know how proud he would be of his sister today, who has taken his place on the Floor and has been such a profoundly strong and effective advocate for this bill. Today, we say to the people Ukraine: you are not alone. And we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine; you will not defeat this free, brave people, who are turning the tide against your blood-thirsty aggression,” Blumenthal said.\n\n“I would like to close with some brilliant rhetorical flourish, but I'd rather just recall some of Senator Graham's last words to me. He said, ‘This is a big eff-ing deal. We all did good.’”\n\nLast week, Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jim Risch (R-ID) hosted a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and supporters of the legislation at the U.S. Capitol. Photos of the meeting are available here.\n\nBlumenthal and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) first introduced legislation to bring primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine in April 2025, and spent the last year building support for the effort in Congress and the Administration. Lindsey Graham secured an agreement with the White House on the bill just before his death.\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet.\n\nThe legislation allows the President to impose targeted tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the vast majority of Russian oil or gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion. The bill limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, and top five countries that aid Russia’s energy sanctions evasion.\n\nThe bill also includes a provision to prevent a lapse in sanction authority that restricts funding for Iran’s energy and weapons sectors.\n\nThe text of the bill is available here.\n\nVideo of Blumenthal’s remarks on the Senate Floor is available here. A full transcript is copied below.\n\nThe Presiding Officer: The Senator from Connecticut.\n\nSenator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Mr. President, shortly, we will vote on the Russia Sanctions bill, as we have come to call it, and I want to begin by thanking my colleagues for their overwhelming support for this measure, and in particular, to thank Senators Shaheen, Britt, Wicker, Risch, Coons, Whitehouse, Durbin, and of course Senators Schumer and Thune. Their help has been invaluable, as we reach this important moment. Last week, with President Zelenskyy watching from the gallery, this body sent a powerful message to Vladimir Putin, and all who are supporting him with funding for his vicious, blood-thirsty, illegal war against the brave, free people of Ukraine. Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine. And Putin is watching from Moscow. I would like to think that Lindsey Graham is watching, too. And I know how proud he would be of his sister today, who has taken his place on the floor and has been such a profoundly strong and effective advocate for this bill.\n\nToday, we say to the people Ukraine, you are not alone. And we say to Vladmir Putin, you will not conquer Ukraine. You will not defeat this free, brave people, who are turning the tide against your blood-thirsty aggression. Nearly two years ago, Lindsey Graham and I began working on this bill, but really, the journey began with our first trip to Ukraine together some four years ago. Robert Frost once said, when he was asked how he began his poems, he said, a poem begins with a lump in the throat. Our journey toward this bill began with a lump in our throats, and tears in our eyes, when we visited Bucha, not long after the Russians were pushed out of that small town, just kilometers away from President Zelenskyy’s bunker, which we also visited on that trip, just weeks after Ukraine succeeded in pushing them out.\n\nWe saw the mass grave where Putin's military shot innocent women and children in the back of their heads. We talked to Ukrainian troops who lost limbs, loved ones who lost sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. We talked to children who were kidnapped by Putin, literally abducted and placed in education camps. And on one of those long train rides, we took six or seven trips into Ukraine together, we began thinking about this bill, to impose scorching sledgehammer sanctions and tariffs on Ukraine, to stop the flow of money fueling Putin's war machine. Money that was essential to his slaughterous aggression against Ukraine.\n\nAnd like one of those trains, the journey to this bill was filled with a lot of bumps, a lot of stops and starts, and through it all what sustained us as much as anything was Senator Graham's overwhelming sense of optimism. His sense of humor. His belief in freedom and democracy. His belief in America. And so, this bill is a tribute to him. We disagreed about many issues, he and I, and I could be on the receiving end of his anger, as well as his praise. But the partnership that we forged, I think, is a lesson, without exaggerating it, to perhaps the people of America that, yes, we can work together and accomplish good things for the world. One of Senator Graham's final acts as a member of this body was to reach an accord with the White House on our behalf and secure the President's support. He died literally the next day. I spoke to him shortly before his death and I know as well as anyone that this chamber, this body will not be the same without him, we miss him and this bill, named in his honor, carries on the work that he believed was so important.\n\nIt will impose scorching sanctions on the Russia war machine and the shadow fleet that sustains it. It will prevent critical resources from flowing to the Kremlin's coffers, it will authorize the president to impose duties and penalties on the Russian crude oil and natural gas, punishing the profiteers for buying discounted energy products and pushing them to decrease purchases. It is a powerful deterrent against complicity in Putin's illegal war. And it provides a powerful pressure point in stopping buyers of Russian oil and gas from continuing to provide the essential fuel for that war machine. It will give the administration the tools it needs to punish anyone who aides Russia as they continue to evade United States sanctions and promote stronger, stricter enforcement of those stations. For years, countries have been allowed to permit bad actors to broker deals and support the shadow fleet's movement all around the world. They have become fabulously rich. These companies will be exposed as facilitating evasions of sanctions and it will help us end the war. The goal is peace. We have the power to help end this war, and we cannot stand idly as a young democratic nation desperately fights for survival against a murderous dictator.\n\nWe know from history, appeasement is a failed hope, and hope is not a strategy. We cannot appease Putin in the hope that he will abandon his imperialist ambitions because history shows he will not. And his ambition doesn't end with Donbas or Lugansk, it reaches deep into Europe and it threatens our national security and our allies, yes we need our allies, and they have steed up to aid Ukraine in this war. Appeasing Putin is a disservice to the brave men and women of our military who are defending our freedom all around the globe, became it puts them in greater risk if Putin thinks he can move against our NATO allies and then we will be required to put our sons and daughters in harm's way.\n\nFor four years, Ukraine has refused to bow to Putin's will. They have beaten back wave after wave after wave of Russian attacks. Our military gave them maybe a few weeks in 2022 to survive Putin's onslaught. They pushed the Russians back in those weeks after the first wave of assaults, and they have continued a brilliant campaign of using new technology that has amazed and awed the world, including our own military, which is learning from Ukraine about the use of drones and other unmanned weapons platforms. Their ingenuity and determination are awe inspiring, even as their stockpiles of interceptors and other air defense run dry. And we must provide the kind of military defense aid, the interceptors, the pack 3's, for the patriot system, for the Thad platform, that are essential to defend the Ukrainian people who are enduring night after night drones, killing civilians, aimed at schools, hospitals, malls, civilian targets. Putin not only abducts children, he kills them in their beds as they sleep with missiles and drones that are aimed purposely at civilian targets to terrorize and intimidate the people of Ukraine.\n\nBut they will not yield. And today they continue to stand as beacon of hope and liberty shinning against the darkness. Today we cannot provide all that military aid that they need, but we can take this step, a step to stand with the people of Ukraine and show that their fight is our fight. I would like to close with some brilliant rhetorical flourish, but I'd rather just recall some of Senator Graham's last words to me. He said, this is a BIG effing deal. We all did good. Decorum prevents me from saying what he actually said, but I would like to say, looking across the chamber where he sat that he is with us today and that he will be proud of what we are doing. Thank you Mr. President, I yield the floor.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-senator-blunt-rochester-presses-big-tech-companies-on-recent-autonomous-hacking-incidents/", "title": "ICYMI: Senator Blunt Rochester Presses Big Tech Companies on Recent Autonomous Hacking Incidents", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.bluntrochester.senate.gov", "scraper": "bluntrochester", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001303", "name": "Lisa Blunt Rochester", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, sent letters to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, regarding recent cybersecurity incidents in which the companies’ models gained unauthorized access to the internet, autonomously hacked third party systems, and even launched direct attacks on people and real-world targets.\n\nThe letters seek clarity on the cybersecurity breaches, development of testing environments, future capabilities of advanced AI models, and the companies’ internal safeguards to prevent additional incidents.\n\n“These incidents mark the first publicly confirmed instances of a frontier AI model autonomously launching unauthorized attacks on real people and companies, underscoring the urgent need for federal oversight of frontier AI systems,” wrote Senator Blunt Rochester in a letter to OpenAI. “OpenAI models’ repeated attacks on third parties with no knowledge of, or role in, the company’s internal evaluations demonstrate an alarming pattern of malicious behavior. We cannot wait for a more consequential incident before establishing federal testing standards, containment requirements, and disclosure obligations for frontier model evaluations. Left unaddressed, these gaps could allow a future model, potentially one with greater capability or less oversight, to compromise critical infrastructure, financial systems, or sensitive data.”\n\nIn a letter to Anthropic, Blunt Rochesterwrote, “I appreciate Anthropic’s voluntary review of its cybersecurity evaluations and public disclosure of the findings, and I encourage other companies to follow suit. However, these incidents demonstrate the potential risks of deploying pre-release models internally, particularly when safeguards are reduced, even when strictly for testing and evaluation.”\n\nIn a letter to Meta, Blunt Rochester concluded, “In each scenario, without specific tasking direction, the models gained internet access and independently planned and executed an attack on a live third-party system. This is precisely the kind of emergent, autonomous behavior and offensive cyber capability that Congress, the intelligence community, and experts have repeatedly warned could outpace existing safeguards and could pose a severe threat to the safety and security of all Americans.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-senator-blunt-rochester-questions-experts-on-increasing-capital-access-for-american-families/", "title": "NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Questions Experts on Increasing Capital Access for American Families", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.bluntrochester.senate.gov", "scraper": "bluntrochester", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001303", "name": "Lisa Blunt Rochester", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“Capital markets are ultimately about opportunity.”\n\nClick here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester’s remarks.\n\nU.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today participated in a hearing on increasing capital access for everyday Americans. Blunt Rochester’s questions focused on how emerging technologies like AI can increase opportunities and how tokenization will strengthen investor protections.\n\nSenator Blunt Rochester’s questions can be found here, and a key excerpt can be found below:\n\nSenator Blunt Rochester: “Helping families build wealth increasingly means understanding how technology is changing the way financial decisions are made. We’re seeing artificial intelligence transform healthcare, our workplace, and now investing. Millions of Americans are already using AI to answer financial questions.\n\n“Mr. Dumas, as these tools become more sophisticated, what role should Congress play in making sure they help families build wealth without exposing them to new risks?”\n\nMr. Dumas: “I think AI has an opportunity to transform our economy. It has an opportunity to expand opportunity for everyone. But at the same time, I think that especially in the financial markets, we should be careful using AI without understanding the background. AI has the potential to have certain biases, right?\n\n“So we need Congress to understand AI, provide certain guardrails, provide some type of protection, and inform investors or people who look to AI for investment advice to see some type of disclosure, some type of information, letting them know that AI could be wrong.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/statement-senator-lisa-blunt-rochester-releases-statement-on-russia-sanctions-vote/", "title": "STATEMENT: Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester Releases Statement on Russia Sanctions Vote", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.bluntrochester.senate.gov", "scraper": "bluntrochester", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001303", "name": "Lisa Blunt Rochester", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) today released the following statement on the Lindsay Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026:\n\n“Let me be clear: I fully support sanctioning Russia and helping the Ukrainian government and its people protect their sovereignty, and I have consistently voted to support Ukraine. However, this bill seeks to solve one problem by worsening another. It dramatically expands the president’s tariff authority at a time when he has demonstrated an irresponsible use of it.\n\n“While I don’t support the bill in its current form, it would have received my support if any of the meaningful bipartisan amendments introduced by my colleagues had been adopted. Most notably, the Paul-Wyden amendment – which I cosponsored – would have struck the excessive tariff provisions while maintaining the sanctions in the legislation.\n\n“For over a year, this president has unilaterally leveraged tariff authorities to bully allies and serve himself with no regard for the economic consequences. The reckless, arbitrary tariffs he’s already imposed have dramatically raised prices for families and small businesses. It is evident that if this administration is entrusted with this authority, it will likely be abused. Given this reality, we should consider more narrowly targeted ways to curtail foreign demand for Russian oil and gas and support the Ukrainian resistance without putting the American economy at risk.\n\n“American families are suffering enough in this economy. With them in mind and without proper guardrails on the president’s tariff authority clearly enshrined in the bill, I voted no.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/statement-senator-lisa-blunt-rochester-to-oppose-todd-blanches-nomination-for-attorney-general/", "title": "STATEMENT: Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester to Oppose Todd Blanche’s Nomination for Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.bluntrochester.senate.gov", "scraper": "bluntrochester", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001303", "name": "Lisa Blunt Rochester", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) today released the following statement opposing Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as United States Attorney General:\n\n“Todd Blanche said it himself – he serves one person: Donald Trump. I have absolutely no confidence that he will respect the rule of law, remain impartial, or honorably serve the American people. Throughout the confirmation process, he has committed to restricting abortion access, restated his blind allegiance to the president, and defended Trump’s slush fund for January 6th rioters. His letter to the committee does not convince me that he will uphold his new position.\n\n“I opposed his nomination as Deputy AG over a year ago, and I will do the same now. Nothing he said throughout the confirmation process gave me confidence that he would not weaponize the Department of Justice to serve the president. The American people deserve an Attorney General who values the rule of law above all else – that is not Mr. Blanche.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-kim-introduce-legislation-to-strengthen-oversight-of-immigration-detention-facilities-and-hold-private-contractors-accountable", "title": "Booker, Kim Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Oversight of Immigration Detention Facilities and Hold Private Contractors Accountable", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced legislation to strengthen oversight of the federal immigration detention system by designating ICE funds for reopening the independent Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill would also pause DHS payments to detention contractors and subcontractors that the OIDO finds have violated federal law or detention standards until they have implemented recommendations from the OIDO.\n\nCongress created the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman in 2019 to investigate detainee deaths in custody, access to medical care, and employee misconduct in ICE facilities to address the record of systemic abuse during the first Trump administration. On March 21, 2025, DHS began to place staff from the OIDO on administrative leave, shutting the Office entirely by May 5, 2026. This dismantling of oversight and accountability came at the same time that DHS surged its immigration detention operations. At least 56 people have died in ICE custody during President Trump’s second term, and more than 70 percent of people detained by ICE have never been convicted of a criminal offense.\n\n“The federal government has a responsibility to ensure that anyone in its custody is treated with dignity and humanity. Yet, for too long, private detention contractors have operated with too little accountability and too little oversight. When facilities violate standards, use excessive force, or fail to provide humane conditions, there must be real consequences. This legislation ensures independent oversight and ends the practice of using taxpayer dollars to reward contractors who fail to meet the most basic standards of humane treatment,” said Senator Booker.\n\nThis legislation would amend the so-called Secure America Act to reduce funding by approximately $114.6 million, from $2.5 billion to $2.385 billion, and provide $28.641 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to reestablish the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman within DHS. The Ombudsman would review complaints, investigate misconduct, and recommend improvements to detention conditions. The bill would also prohibit DHS from using these funds to pay contractors found by the Ombudsman to have engaged in misconduct, excessive force, or violations of federal law or detention standards until they implement corrective actions.\n\nRead the full text of the legislation here.\n\nSEE ALSO:", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-underwood-adams-reintroduce-bicameral-momnibus-act-to-end-americas-black-maternal-health-crisis", "title": "Booker, Underwood, Adams Reintroduce Bicameral Momnibus Act to End America’s Black Maternal Health Crisis", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the landmark Momnibus Act, a comprehensive legislative package designed to end the nation’s maternal health crisis and directly confront the devastating disparities that continue to claim the lives of Black mothers at alarming rates. U.S. Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12), Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, introduced companion legislation in the House.\n\n“Black mothers in America are dying at rates that are as shocking as they are unacceptable,” said Senator Booker. “The United States has the worst maternal mortality rates among high-income nations, and Black women are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes—even though most of these deaths are preventable. This crisis demands urgent, targeted action. I am proud to reintroduce the Momnibus Act, which invests in better care, strengthens community support, and confronts the systemic inequities that put Black moms at risk. Congress must act now to protect mothers and save lives.”\n\n“80% of maternal deaths in America are preventable, and the Momnibus is designed to stop them. I’m proud to introduce this historic legislation with Representative Alma Adams and Senator Cory Booker to build on the progress we have made and secure the investments we need to end this crisis,” said Representative Lauren Underwood. “This bill has the tools we need to make America a safer place to give birth, especially for the Black moms and other women of color who are at the highest risk. The Momnibus will save moms’ lives, and Congress must act urgently to pass it.”\n\n“The Momnibus Act is the most comprehensive piece of legislation ever drafted to address the maternal health crisis.” said Congresswoman Adams, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. “The maternal mortality rate in the United States is worse today than it was 20 years ago. With all the advances of modern science, that speaks to a serious lack of investment in our research and health care systems that care for our moms. Not only that, the rate of mortality for Black women is disproportionately higher and that gap has not shrunk in decades. This is an unacceptable reality, and we must act urgently and boldly to address this crisis. The Momnibus is the solution. Congress must make the safety and health of our moms a priority and get this bill passed into law.”\n\nFor years, the United States has had the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries, with stark racial disparities. In 2024, Black women faced a pregnancy-related mortality ratio more than three times higher than White women—even though more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.\n\nThe bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (CA), Jeff Merkley (OR), Tim Kaine (VA), Tammy Duckworth (IL), Raphael Warnock (GA), Ruben Gallego (AZ), Martin Heinrich (NM), Brian Schatz (HI), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Mazie Hirono (HI), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Peter Welch (VT), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Adam Schiff (CA), Elissa Slotkin (MI), Michael Bennet (CO), Andy Kim (NJ), Tina Smith (MN), Edward Markey (MA), John Hickenlooper (CO), Chris Van Hollen (MD), Angela Alsobrooks (MD), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Patty Murray (WA), Gary Peters (MI), and Bernie Sanders (VT).\n\n“In California and across the country, mothers often navigate pregnancy without the resources they need,” said Senator Padilla. “That’s why I’m proud to cosponsor the Momnibus Act to save and improve moms’ lives through smart investments in pre and postnatal care.”\n\nThe Momnibus Act makes targeted, high-impact investments to address the drivers of the Black maternal health crisis, including social determinants of health, access to culturally congruent care, maternal mental health, community-based supports, and the effects of climate change and public health emergencies on Black mothers and babies.\n\nThe Momnibus Act is composed of 14 bills that will:\n\nInvest in social determinants of health—including housing, transportation, and nutrition—to reduce preventable risks disproportionately affecting Black moms.\n\nExtend WIC eligibility during postpartum and breastfeeding periods.\n\nFund community-based organizations trusted by Black families and rooted in the communities they serve.\n\nIncrease maternal health care funding for veterans, including Black women veterans who face unique barriers.\n\nGrow and diversify the perinatal workforce to ensure Black mothers receive care from providers who understand their lived experiences.\n\nImprove maternal health data collection to identify and eliminate disparities.\n\nExpand maternal mental health and substance use disorder support, with attention to the needs of Black moms.\n\nImprove care for incarcerated mothers, who are disproportionately Black.\n\nInvest in digital tools to expand access to care in underserved communities.\n\nPromote innovative payment models that incentivize high-quality, culturally congruent care.\n\nStrengthen federal programs addressing maternal and infant health risks during public health emergencies.\n\nSupport climate resilience initiatives for moms and babies, including Black families disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards.\n\nInvest in research to eliminate racial disparities and prevent maternal deaths.\n\nPromote maternal vaccinations to protect moms and infants.\n\nThe Momnibus Act is endorsed by more than 250 organizations. View the full list of endorsers here.\n\nTo read the full text of the one-pager here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-votes-to-pass-russia-and-iran-sanctions-legislation-applauds-senate-white-house-leadership-calls-for-expeditious-house-passage/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Votes to Pass Russia and Iran Sanctions Legislation, Applauds Senate, White House Leadership, Calls for Expeditious House Passage", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today voted to pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 to hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine and extend the Iran Sanctions Act. The bill overwhelmingly passed the Senate by a vote of 86-11 and now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n“Today is a day Lindsey Graham would be deeply proud to see. While he is not with us physically, his presence could certainly be felt in the Senate chamber as we overwhelmingly passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act,” said Senator Britt. “Thanks to his leadership over several months in shoring up Congressional and White House support, this bill to impose crushing sanctions to hamstring Russia’s war machine and hold accountable those fueling it now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives. I strongly urge my House colleagues to vote to send this peace through strength legislation straight to President Trump’s desk. Russia is the weakest it has been since the start of the war, and now is the time to land this crippling blow by giving the President the tools and economic firepower he needs. Importantly, this bill will also extend the Iran Sanctions Act and hold the murderous regime in Tehran accountable for fueling 47 years of terrorism around the globe.”\n\nSenator Britt has proudly championed this legislation in honor of Senator Lindsey Graham along with Senators Darline Graham (R-S.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). The bill is also supported by the White House, which issued a Statement of Administration Policy last month stating that if the bill were presented to the President, his advisors would recommend he sign it into law.\n\nAhead of Senate passage, Senator Britt highlighted the urgency of passing this legislation on the Senate floor, stating, “The Senate has a spine. That’s exactly what we’re doing here today, is standing with a steel spine. We are standing against Putin’s aggression. You saw this week him actually attack innocent Ukrainians … Today we stand together to say we are going to cut off the flow of money to Putin. Senator Lindsey Graham said that this …. was actually the heart of this bill. That this was the way to hit Putin where it hurt most … Today we send a message to Vladimir Putin, and we give President Trump the tools he needs to end this war.”\n\nFollowing overwhelming Senate passage, Senator Britt joined a bipartisan group of her colleagues in a press conference where she delivered remarks:\n\n“What an incredible day. Being able to stand on the United States Senate floor and watch the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act pass in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion was incredible. And while Senator Lindsey Graham wasn’t physically present on the floor, you could feel him on there as votes kept coming in and in and in. As we stood unified as a Senate (and) United States of America telling Putin, ‘we will accept this no more’ … Too many people have died. Too much blood has been shed. Now is the time to give the President the tools he needs to drive Putin to the table.\n\n“I’ve been reflecting on a conversation that Senator Graham and I had … after we left Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, he was reflecting on how Churchill said that World War II was an unnecessary war and that when people in power don’t do what they should, innocent people lose their life. Senator Graham said, we failed to do what we needed to then and as a result, 50 million people died. He said people miscalculated Hitler, and we’re doing the same thing to Putin right now. And he said the cost of that miscalculation would be enormous. Today, we stood up tall for Senator Lindsey Graham, for freedom, for what the United States stands for, for the people of Ukraine and peace and prosperity across the globe … (A) special thanks to Senator Darline Graham, who has had an unthinkable several weeks, has picked up this mantle with grace and dignity and grit, was laser focused on achieving this goal not only for her brother, but she knew this was what was best for the United States of America and she knew it’s what was best for peace across the globe. And so, watching her call this overwhelming vote today was an incredible moment, and I look forward to working diligently with our House colleagues, to getting this into law so that we can bring a resolution.”\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet.\n\nThe legislation also directs the President to impose up to 100 percent tariffs on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas or are among the top five facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion. The bill exempts countries whose Russian natural gas imports account for less than 15 percent of Russia’s total natural gas exports and that are taking significant steps to reduce those imports.\n\nAdditionally, the legislation extends the Iran Sanctions Act by five years to prevent a lapse in sanction authority that restricts funding for Iran’s energy and weapons sectors.\n\n“I remain sincerely grateful to Senators Darline Graham, Blumenthal, Shaheen, Risch, and Wicker for their continued leadership on this issue and for the incredible support of President Trump and the White House. Let’s get this done. The United States and the world need Putin’s war of aggression to end,” Senator Britt concluded.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/capito-statement-on-senate-passage-of-legislation-sanctioning-russia-and-iran", "title": "Capito Statement on Senate Passage of Legislation Sanctioning Russia and Iran", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.capito.senate.gov", "scraper": "capito", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001047", "name": "Shelley Moore Capito", "party": "Republican", "state": "WV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee (RPC), released the below statement on the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, legislation to hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine and extend expiring sanctions targeting Iran’s energy sector and development of weapons of mass destruction.\n\n“The Senate’s passage of this legislation sends a strong message that the United States remains committed to holding Russia and its enablers accountable, and cutting off resources to the rogue regime in Iran” Senator Capito said. “These sanctions will help restrict the financial flows backing Putin’s unjust war by imposing consequences on countries that continue to purchase Russian oil and gas. Additionally, it will extend expiring sanctions against Iranian energy and nuclear development programs. I am proud to support this effort to strengthen America’s leadership and national security, and honor the legacy of our dear friend and colleague, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.”\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-bipartisan-bill-to-allow-early-childhood-educators-to-deduct-out-of-pocket-purchases-of-classroom-supplies-passes-senate", "title": "Senator Collins’ Bipartisan Bill to Allow Early Childhood Educators to Deduct Out-of-Pocket Purchases of Classroom Supplies Passes Senate", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.collins.senate.gov", "scraper": "collins", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001035", "name": "Susan M. Collins", "party": "Republican", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that the Senate passed the Supporting Early-Childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 86 to 11. This legislation, which Senator Collins introduced last year with Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), would ensure that early childhood educators can claim the same federal tax credit for out-of-pocket classroom supply purchases that is currently available to K-12 teachers. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.\n\n“In Maine and across the country, we are fortunate to have so many dedicated educators who work hard to ensure that every child has a learning environment that is safe, welcoming, and enriching,” said Senator Collins. “Despite tight personal budgets, it is truly remarkable how often teachers use money out of their own pockets to purchase classroom supplies for their students. As the author of the original tax credit for K-12 teachers, I am delighted to help lead this effort to expand this benefit to pre-K educators. The Senate’s passage of this commonsense bill brings us one step closer to providing early childhood educators with tax relief for the resources they invest in our next generation.”\n\nResearch shows that educators spend an average of $895 annually on supplies for their students. Yet, under current law, early childhood educators cannot deduct those out-of-pocket expenses.\n\nThe SEED Act would correct this and extend tax relief to the teachers working with America’s youngest learners. The bill would expand the above-the-line $300 educator expense deduction, established for K-12 teachers in 2002, to also include pre-K and early childhood educators. This deduction helps offset hundreds of dollars teachers spend out of their own pockets each year on classroom supplies, books, and other learning materials.\n\nThe SEED Act is supported by a broad coalition of education and child advocacy organizations, including the Center for American Progress, the American Federation of Teachers, Teach For America, the First Five Years Fund, and Trying Together.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-introduces-bill-to-combat-medicare-home-health-fraud", "title": "Senator Collins Introduces Bill to Combat Medicare Home Health Fraud", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.collins.senate.gov", "scraper": "collins", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001035", "name": "Susan M. Collins", "party": "Republican", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins introduced legislation today to protect the Medicare home health program from fraud and strengthen access to these important services for the Americans who need them. The Medicare Home Health Payment Integrity and Protection Act would give the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) additional tools to prevent and detect fraud while helping ensure that legitimate home health agencies are fairly reimbursed for the care they provide.\n\n“When billions of dollars are improperly siphoned from the Medicare home health program, this can undermine the integrity of the payment system used to reimburse legitimate providers and threaten care for the seniors who depend on it. I have long been a strong supporter of home health care, which allows millions of Americans to remain in the comfort, security, and privacy of their own homes, while helping to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and nursing home admissions,” said Senator Collins. “Fraudulent home health providers harm beneficiaries and diminish reimbursements for honest agencies that are already confronting workforce shortages and rising costs. My legislation would give CMS stronger tools to stop fraud before payments are made and prevent fraudulent spending from distorting the data used to reimburse honest agencies for medically necessary care.”\n\n“The National Alliance for Care at Home applauds the introduction of the Medicare Home Health Payment Integrity and Protection Act by Senator Susan Collins. This bill corrects longstanding flaws in home health reimbursement and takes a meaningful step toward a home health benefit that is stable and built for how care is delivered today. We strongly support the bill for its payment reforms, as well as measures to protect patients and preserve the integrity of the Medicare home health benefit. Consistent with our community’s commitment to provide the highest-quality, person-centered care in the home, we support the bill’s goal to strengthen access while focusing on targeted oversight, protecting the legitimate providers who serve patients every day. We look forward to working with Senator Collins, a long-time champion of care at home, to build support for this important and timely legislation,” said Jennifer Sheets, CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home.\n\n“Senator Collins, a longtime champion of Medicare home health, appreciates the shortcomings of current Medicare home health payment approaches, as this bill demonstrates. We are particularly encouraged by its recognition that the standard prospective payment amount requires recalibration. We appreciate Senator Collins’ leadership in presenting a much-needed reset of the Medicare home health payment to promote its stability and ensure access. In addition, we also share the desire to address fraud in the home health setting. LeadingAge has long expressed concern about the disproportionate increase in home health providers in Los Angeles County. This bill’s oversight provisions are reasonable, appropriately targeted policies that would help maintain the benefit’s integrity. Those, along with the important proposed payment changes, will help to ensure support for legitimate providers—including our nonprofit and mission-driven members. We look forward to working with Senator Collins to advance this legislation,” said Katie Smith Sloan, President and CEO of LeadingAge.\n\n“VNS Health applauds Senator Susan Collins for introducing the Medicare Home Health Payment Integrity and Protection Act. For more than 130 years, VNS Health has cared for vulnerable New Yorkers in their homes and communities. From rural Maine to urban New York and across the country, older adults face a common and growing challenge: obtaining the skilled care they need to remain safe and independent at home. Yet each year, hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries are unable to access that care. Senator Collins' legislation offers a thoughtful path forward by addressing years of unjustified payment cuts that have harmed seniors' access to care. It also includes sensible and effective program integrity measures that target bad actors without penalizing responsible providers, undermining access, or jeopardizing the agencies that care for patients with the greatest needs. We urge Congress to advance this important legislation,” said Dan Lowenstein, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for VNS Health.\n\nDespite the rapid aging of the U.S. population, the number of traditional Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health services declined from approximately 3.3 million in 2019 to 2.7 million in 2024. Excluding California, more than 500 Medicare-certified home health agencies closed during that period, a decline of five percent. In California, however, the number of Medicare-certified home health agencies nearly doubled, with almost all of the growth occurring in Los Angeles County.\n\nAlthough Los Angeles County is home to only two percent of the nation’s Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, it accounts for nine percent of Medicare fee-for-service home health expenditures nationwide. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the California State Auditor have raised significant concern about fraud and abuse associated with the unusual concentration of home health agencies and spending in the county.\n\nThe consequences of this questionable concentration of agencies and spending can extend far beyond Los Angeles County. Fraudulent or improper payments can distort the data underlying Medicare’s home health payment system and diminish reimbursements for legitimate providers nationwide. This can fall especially hard on small, rural agencies like those serving many Maine seniors, which already confront workforce shortages, rising costs, and the challenges of providing care across large geographic areas.\n\nSpecifically, the Medicare Home Health Payment Integrity and Protection Act would:\n\nRequire that the identity of home health administrators be verified before agencies are enrolled and authorized to provide services;\n\nRequire proof of liability insurance for agencies that exhibit high risk of fraud;\n\nProvide the Administrator with the authority to determine the factors that indicate that an agency presents an extreme risk of fraud, and to impose heightened screening requirements on such agencies;\n\nRequire much more frequent surveys of newly enrolled home health agencies, agencies that undergo ownership changes, and agencies that reactivate their billing privileges;\n\nIncrease inspections of home health agencies that fail to submit quality data to CMS, or that engage in practices that are aberrant or signal fraudulent behavior;\n\nIncrease financial penalties for failing to report quality data;\n\nRequire accrediting agencies that work with CMS to meet or exceed CMS standards;\n\nRequire CMS training of home health surveyors for accreditation purposes;\n\nEstablish ongoing CMS oversight of accrediting organizations and provide CMS with authority to terminate deficient accreditors;\n\nDirect CMS to “reset” home health agency payment rates to adjust for fraud in the system as well as changes in the use of home health care since Covid;\n\nAuthorize funding for CMS and federal law enforcement agencies for the investigation and prosecution of organized home health fraud schemes;\n\nAuthorize funding for CMS and its state agency partners to conduct accelerated surveys, enrollment validation, unannounced site visits, and operational verification of home health agencies; and\n\nProvide CMS with rulemaking authority to carry out its provisions and require it to report to Congress.\n\nClick here to read the complete text of the legislation.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-statement-on-senate-passage-of-bipartisan-russia-and-iran-sanctions-bill", "title": "Senator Collins’ Statement on Senate Passage of Bipartisan Russia & Iran Sanctions Bill", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.collins.senate.gov", "scraper": "collins", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001035", "name": "Susan M. Collins", "party": "Republican", "state": "ME", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement today after the Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act by a vote of 86 to 11:\n\n“As an original cosponsor of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, I was pleased to see the bill pass the Senate today with overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle.\n\n“Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked war four and a half years ago, and Ukraine has resisted his aggression valiantly and with inspiring resolve. Russia’s energy sales and shadow fleet are the engine of its war machine, and sanctioning them will help bring this brutal conflict to a quicker end.\n\n“This bill also extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, which is critical to denying Iran resources for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its support for terrorism through its proxies. For nearly 47 years, the Iranian regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have threatened both the United States and broader stability in the Middle East.\n\n“My friend and colleague Lindsey Graham worked tirelessly to advance this bill. The passage of this legislation named in his honor is a fitting tribute to his legacy of leadership on these critical issues.\n\n“This bill is important not only for America’s national security, but also for the security of our European and Middle Eastern allies. I applaud my colleagues for joining together to make clear the Senate’s determination to stand with our allies and to hold Russia and Iran accountable.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-coons-tillis-introduce-legislation-to-further-protect-law-enforcement-after-targeted-shootings-of-officers/", "title": "Senator Coons, Tillis, introduce legislation to further protect law enforcement after targeted shootings of officers", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.coons.senate.gov", "scraper": "coons", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001088", "name": "Christopher A. Coons", "party": "Democrat", "state": "DE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Introduction follows killing of Corporal Matthew “Ty” Snook in Delaware last December\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), today introduced the Protect and Serve Act of 2026 to deter attacks on law enforcement officers by creating new federal charges against criminals who intentionally target them. The introduction comes in honor of law enforcement officers in Delaware and North Carolina who were killed in targeted attacks.\n\nSenator Coons was inspired to introduce the Protect and Serve Act of 2026 following the tragic shooting of Corporal Grade One Matthew “Ty” Snook, who was killed in the line of duty on December 23, 2025, at a Wilmington Division of Motor Vehicles office. Corporal Snook was a father, husband, brother, and friend who died serving and protecting the people of Delaware.\n\n“No law enforcement officer should have to fear for their lives just because they put on their badge before they go to work each day. Yet too many officers have been killed in targeted attacks designed specifically to take the lives of law enforcement, leaving a gaping tear in the hearts of spouses, parents, children, and communities,” said Senator Coons. “I’m proud to introduce the Protect and Serve Act of 2026 because those who perpetrate crimes like this one should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”\n\n“Law enforcement officers in North Carolina and across the country are heroes who risk their lives every day to protect our communities,” said Senator Tillis. “Those who commit senseless acts of violence against law enforcement officers must be held accountable for their actions, which is why I am proud to lead the bipartisan Protect and Serve Act of 2026. Officers put their lives on the line to protect us, and we should do the work in Congress to protect them.”\n\n“Targeted violence towards a law enforcement officer is completely unacceptable and anyone who tries to hurt a cop because of their job should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Our police officers put their lives on the line every day to protect their communities, and this bipartisan bill shows we have their backs.”\n\n“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law,” said Senator Crapo. “Those who deliberately target officers with the intent to kill must face severe consequences. The Protect and Serve Act would give federal prosecutors additional tools to hold these violent offenders accountable and reinforce our commitment to those who protect and serve.”\n\n“Our members are under fire by individuals motivated by nothing more than a desire to kill or injure a cop. Despite a decrease in the nation’s homicide rate, firearms attacks on law enforcement officers have remained alarmingly high, underscoring a dangerous and persistent trend of deliberate attacks – too many of which are not spontaneous confrontations, but calculated assaults intended to inflict maximum harm on officers,” said Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police. “We are deeply grateful to Senators Tillis and Coons, with whom we have been working to develop this ‘Protect and Serve Act’ to better protect our men and women in law enforcement. The bill they have introduced is a product of true collaboration and we sincerely appreciate their leadership and dedication. We look forward to working with them and with our other Senate allies to get this bill to a vote on the floor.”\n\nThe Protect and Serve Act of 2026 will protect our servicemen and women who put their lives on the line each and every day. It establishes a new federal crime against those who kill or seriously injure law enforcement officers in targeted attacks meant to kill them solely because of their status as law enforcement officers. It has been revised from prior versions to focus federal prosecutors on the most heinous attacks designed to kill law enforcement.\n\nThe Protect and Serve Act of 2026 is endorsed by the National Fraternal Order of Police.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-cloud-introduce-bill-to-protect-army-depots-from-financial-harms-caused-by-cancelled-government-projects/", "title": "Cornyn, Cloud Introduce Bill to Protect Army Depots from Financial Harms Caused by Cancelled Government Projects", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "domain": "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "scraper": "cornyn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001056", "name": "John Cornyn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Congressman Michael Cloud (TX-27) today introduced the Defense Expenditure Planning for Optimizing Throughput and Sustainment (DEPOTS) Act, which would help protect Army depots and their workforce from incurring burdensome financial loss as a result of cancelled government work:\n\n“Texas’ two extraordinary Organic Industrial Base sites, the Corpus Christi and Red River Army Depots, make immeasurable, ongoing contributions to our nation’s defense readiness, from remanufacturing and sustaining rotary-wing aircraft to remanufacturing and overhauling tactical wheeled vehicles,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Army depots are a critical part of revitalizing our defense industrial base, and we must provide budgetary flexibility so they are not hampered by financial losses from cancelled government work. I’m proud to introduce the DEPOTS Act, which would allow the Department of War to provide surpluses to depots whose labor rates have been negatively impacted by government-directed mission changes.”\n\n“The DEPOTS Act is a common sense fix for a real problem. Depots shouldn’t be left holding debt for Pentagon-initiated mission changes,” said Rep. Cloud. “Corpus Christi Army Depot does critical work keeping our service members’ aircraft safe and reliable, and this practical reform makes sure they can fulfill their duty to keep the Army flying.”\n\nBackground:\n\nThe DEPOTS Act aims to protect the workforce and labor rates of a depot or arsenal that incurs debt because of cancelled, planned government work. These financial losses are not the fault of the depot, and the legislation would help ensure these depots remain competitive and good stewards of American taxpayer dollars.\n\nThis provision would provide the Department of War and the component services additional flexibility to use surpluses to write off internal debt affecting depots or arsenals. The legislation requires that all revolving fund cash outlays be recovered. It is included as Section 327 of the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act for FY27 (S. 4784).\n\nOIB sites provide critical capabilities for materiel and sustainment support for the U.S. military. These specialized installations maintain readiness of the most crucial platforms and serve as experts for modernization and repair of military equipment. These sites are also key employers of American talent. Corpus Christi and Red River Army Depots are together comprised of thousands of skilled artisans, engineers, and laborers that do critical work at the U.S. Army’s Rotary-Wing Center of Excellence and the U.S. Army’s Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Tactical Wheeled Vehicles.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-colleagues-bill-to-sanction-russia-honor-senator-grahams-legacy-passes-senate/", "title": "Cornyn, Colleagues’ Bill to Sanction Russia, Honor Senator Graham’s Legacy Passes Senate", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "domain": "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "scraper": "cornyn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001056", "name": "John Cornyn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after bipartisan legislation he cosponsored to hold major purchasers of Russian crude oil and natural gas accountable for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine passed the Senate. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act was made possible by an agreement negotiated by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and the White House prior to Sen. Graham’s passing:\n\n“Senator Graham was unyielding in his support for the Ukrainian people as they fight to defend their sovereignty, and I can think of few ways more fitting to honor him than by finishing what he started and imposing strict sanctions on the bad actors who have supported Russia’s war against Ukraine,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m proud to join with my colleagues on this bipartisan legislation, which will honor Lindsey’s legacy, help dismantle Putin’s war machine, and strengthen U.S. national security.”\n\nThe legislation is being led by U.S. Senators Darline Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and is cosponsored by more than 60 Senators.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russian officials and other actors supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Shadow Fleet that Russia assembled to evade sanctions. The legislation also directs the President to impose tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the largest volume of Russian crude oil or natural gas and enable Russian sanctions evasion. The bill limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or natural gas and the five largest facilitators of Russia’s sanctions evasion.\n\nSenator Lindsey Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the effort and secured an agreement with the White House before his death.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-colleagues-introduce-resolution-recognizing-national-community-health-center-week/", "title": "Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Recognizing National Community Health Center Week", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "domain": "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "scraper": "cornyn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001056", "name": "John Cornyn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jim Justice (R-WV), Peter Welch (D-VT), James Lankford (R-OK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Shelley Capito (R-WV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced a Senate resolution designating Aug. 2-8, 2026, as National Community Health Center Week, celebrating the important partnership between community health centers and the communities they serve. Text is below, and you can view the full resolution here.\n\n“Whereas, for over 60 years, community health centers have provided access to high-quality, affordable, comprehensive, preventive care for individuals in the United States, having a positive impact on the health system of the United States;\n\nWhereas, as the largest primary care network in the United States, over 1,500 community health centers provide high quality care for up to 52,000,000 individuals in 17,000 communities, such that 1 in 7 individuals across the United States and 1 in 3 in rural areas rely on community health centers;\n\nWhereas community health centers are an important element of the health system of the United States, serving rural, suburban, island, frontier, and urban communities, often as the only accessible and dependable source of primary care;\n\nWhereas community health centers are responding to the growing burden of chronic disease by expanding access to nutrition services and lifestyle counseling, reducing expensive emergency room visits and hospital admissions, and keeping the people of the United States healthy;\n\nWhereas community health centers integrate a wide range of services into primary care, such as mental health, dental, vision, hearing, and pharmacy services, creating a one-stop shop for all health-related needs;\n\nWhereas community health centers are uniquely governed by patient-majority boards, ensuring communities are fully engaged in the strategy of community health centers for improving care access and quality;\n\nWhereas community health centers are locally operated nonprofit organizations that empower local economies by generating nearly $262,000,000,000 in economic activity across the United States;\n\nWhereas community health centers nationally support 809,000 jobs, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, counselors, dentists, pharmacists, and community health workers on multidisciplinary teams;\n\nWhereas the community health center model of care is effective at overcoming barriers to access, improving health outcomes, and saving taxpayer dollars;\n\nWhereas, in 2025, community health centers provided cancer screening to nearly 11,000,000 patients and helped more than 4,000,000 patients control their hypertension and nearly 2,500,000 patients control their diabetes;\n\nWhereas community health centers are on the front lines of addressing opioid overdoses, responding to health care needs arising from natural disasters, expanding access to care for our veterans, and operating nearly 4,600 school-based sites and over 1,300 mobile units to reach people living in rural and remote areas; and\n\nWhereas National Community Health Center Week offers the opportunity to recognize the contributions of every community health center: Now, therefore, be it\n\nResolved, That the Senate—\n\n(1) honors the dedicated staff, board members, patients, and all those responsible for the continued success of community health centers since the first centers opened their doors 6 decades ago;\n\n(2) celebrates the legacy of community health centers and their vital role in shaping the past, present, and future of the health system of the United States;\n\n(3) supports the designation of the first week of August 2026, as “National Community Health Center Week”; and\n\n(4) encourages all people of the United States to participate in National Community Health Center Week by visiting their local community health center and celebrating the important partnership between community health centers and the communities they serve.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-fetterman-cloud-gonzalez-introduce-bill-to-improve-transparency-in-funding-for-depots/", "title": "Cornyn, Fetterman, Cloud, Gonzalez Introduce Bill to Improve Transparency in Funding for Depots", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "domain": "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "scraper": "cornyn", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001056", "name": "John Cornyn", "party": "Republican", "state": "TX", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Representatives Michael Cloud (TX-27) and Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) introduced the Depot Data Transparency Act, which would amend U.S. military reporting requirements to increase transparency of depot-level maintenance funds going to Organic Industrial Base sites:\n\n“A balanced allocation of maintenance funding is essential to ensuring the Department of War can sustain the Organic Industrial Base, preserve critical repair and remanufacturing capabilities, and serve as a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By updating the 50-50 rule’s reporting requirements, this legislation would improve transparency into how depot-level maintenance funds are allocated and allow Congressional oversight at each depot.”\n\n“Military depots like Tobyhanna and Letterkenny are the foundation of our military readiness, and the people there are some of the best technicians,” said Sen. Fetterman. “The Depot Data Transparency Act ensures efficient federal oversight of those military depots in Pennsylvania and across the country. This necessary change makes sure tax dollars are being allocated properly to support and maintain a crucial workforce.”\n\n“This bill brings needed transparency to how depot maintenance work is distributed, ensuring facilities like Corpus Christi Army Depot get a fair individual look. Transparency like this strengthens our organic industrial bases and protects our national security,” said Rep. Cloud.\n\n“Over the past decade, Corpus Christi Army Depot’s highly trained civilian workforce has dropped by thousands due to the Army’s increasing reliance on private companies for helicopter repair work. This is a federal issue hurting depots across the country and requires a federal solution; it starts with bringing greater transparency to the Army’s maintenance and overhaul schedule. Our bill builds on bipartisan language we secured in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act, and would ensure we protect South Texas’s military competitiveness and the thousands of workers it employs,” said Rep. Gonzalez.\n\nU.S. Representative Michael Cloud (TX-27) is leading companion legislation, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of their version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Depot Data Transparency Act would amend the reporting requirement for the “50-50 rule” (10 USC 2466) that necessitates each U.S. military service dedicate no less than 50% of all depot-level maintenance funds to work done by federal employees at Organic Industrial Base sites. The updated reporting requirement in the legislation would improve Congress’ visibility into the distribution of funds, including at the individual depot-level, to better support workload, improve military readiness, and maintain a trained workforce at these domestic industrial sites.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-britt-introduce-legislation-to-bolster-u-s-space-force-readiness/", "title": "Cortez Masto, Britt Introduce Legislation to Bolster U.S. Space Force Readiness", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cortezmasto.senate.gov", "scraper": "cortezmasto", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001113", "name": "Catherine Cortez Masto", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "This legislation would expand the Space Force’s capacity to be ready for any threat from China or other foreign adversaries\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced bipartisan legislation that would strengthen U.S. Space Force readiness. The Space Superiority Readiness Act would expand wargaming, modeling, simulation, and training for Space Force Guardians to establish space superiority.\n\n“Space is a cutting-edge frontier we must take seriously. Communist China is expanding its military activities in space, and the United States cannot afford to fall behind,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Senator Britt and I recently saw the incredible work the U.S. Space Force is doing at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, and I know that by providing Guardians with the tools, training, and resources they need, they will continue to be ready to confront any threat.”\n\n“It is well documented that China is determined to dominate the space domain and is working tirelessly to advance its space programs by investing in key sectors of the commercial space economy. The Space Superiority Readiness Act of 2026 underscores how critical space is as a warfighting domain. The United States must be able to maintain space control in a potential conflict with the People’s Republic of China and have the resources and capability required to respond and react to future threats. I’m proud that Alabama has established itself as pivotal to our national space priorities, and I will continue fighting to ensure that our state and nation remain at the forefront of this mission,” said Senator Britt.\n\nSpace is now central to deterring foreign adversaries. U.S. forces depend on space-based systems for missile warning, positioning and navigation, communications, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting. A capable adversary’s ability to disrupt those services could undermine U.S. operations from the outset of a conflict. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission warns that China is rapidly expanding its space and counterspace capabilities and the U.S. needs to stay ahead.\n\nThe Space Superiority Readiness Act would require training programs for space operators focused on the tactics, techniques, and procedures necessary for the U.S. to remain ahead in space. It would also improve visibility into China’s space sector by requiring, within 180 days of enactment, an unclassified report to Congress on Chinese commercial space capabilities and their potential military applications. This legislation helps bring greater focus to the importance of space readiness and ensures Congress continues to prioritize the capabilities needed to deter and respond to future threats.\n\nThe full text of the legislation can be found here.\n\nSenator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress to stand up to Communist China and protect American interests in the Pacific. This spring, she introduced the Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan ties and reaffirm America’s enduring commitment to Taiwan’s security and democratic values. Last year, her FIGHT China Act, prohibiting U.S. investment in certain technologies in China, was signed into law. Senator Cortez Masto introduced the bipartisan PASS Act to protect U.S. military installations and sensitive sites. She has also introduced the Pacific Partnership Act to strengthen America’s strategic partnerships with Pacific Island nations and combat the increasing Chinese aggression in the region.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-grassley-wyden-crapo-introduce-legislation-to-crack-down-on-health-care-fraud/", "title": "Cortez Masto, Grassley, Wyden, Crapo Introduce Legislation to Crack Down on Health Care Fraud", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cortezmasto.senate.gov", "scraper": "cortezmasto", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001113", "name": "Catherine Cortez Masto", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Act Would Save Taxpayers an Estimated $45 Billion Dollars\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) introduced the bipartisan Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Act, which would invest in and improve the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program. HCFAC was created to combat fraud, waste, and abuse across federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.\n\n“Medicaid and Medicare are lifelines for families. To ensure they are working as intended, we have to crack down on bad actors taking advantage of Americans,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Funding our national fraud and abuse investigation unit will save taxpayers billions and restore Americans’ trust that the government can target and go after real fraud and abuse.”\n\n“My oversight has revealed fraud, waste and abuse across our health care system, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Obamacare marketplace. By bolstering efforts to go after these bad actors, our bipartisan legislation will crack down on people stealing the taxpayers’ money and driving up health care costs for families,” said Senator Grassley.\n\n“The best way to fight health care fraud is to fund the cops on the beat who can identify and prosecute fraudsters quickly and efficiently. This common sense approach empowers independent watchdogs in the federal government to use their know-how to recoup taxpayer dollars from these bad actors, and widens the net to ensure every federal health care program has adequate protection from those seeking to bilk taxpayer dollars. I’m pleased that this approach is receiving bipartisan support and I will be working to fund these fighters quickly on a bipartisan basis,” said Senator Wyden.\n\n“Health care programs account for the federal government’s largest source of improper payments, including through waste, fraud and abuse. This commonsense legislation equips the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice with the resources they need to uncover and prevent fraud, preserving federal health care programs for those who depend on them while protecting taxpayer dollars,” said Senator Crapo.\n\nFederal health care spending is expected to exceed $24 trillion over the next decade. As health care fraud schemes continue to grow in scale and complexity, the HCFAC program needs long-term, stable funding to keep pace with evolving threats and strengthen efforts to prevent, detect, and prosecute fraud. This legislation would save taxpayers at least $45 billion, per estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). For the first time, the bill allows HCFAC partners to use mandatory funding to combat fraud in the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace and related private insurance programs. It also gives the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) new tools to strengthen oversight and protect the integrity of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), requires timely reporting to track the HCFAC program’s effectiveness, and asks the Government Accountability Office to report on HCFAC’s performance.\n\nIn FY 2025, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) HCFAC activities recovered $12 for every $1 spent on Medicare program integrity efforts, resulting in $5.7 billion in expected recoveries and receivables. HHS-OIG also excluded more than 2,500 individuals and entities from doing business with federal health care programs for fraud, patient abuse, and other misconduct, including egregious neglect of nursing home residents, improper billing practices, and facilitating fraudulent providers and suppliers. Across all HCFAC partners, including HHS, CMS, HHS-OIG, DOJ, and the FBI, the program has had a positive return on investment since its inception, demonstrating the value of coordinated, multi-agency enforcement to fight fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.\n\nRead the bill here.\n\nSenator Cortez Masto has worked to strengthen the Medicare and Medicaid programs and go after legitimate fraud and abuse. She passed legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and cap the cost of insulin at $35-a-month for Medicare recipients through the Inflation Reduction Act. She has also pushed pharmacy benefit managers to help continue to lower prescription drug costs. As Nevada Attorney General, Cortez Masto worked with the Nevada Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to go after bad actors within the system.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-introduces-legislation-to-support-construction-worker-mental-health/", "title": "Cortez Masto Introduces Legislation to Support Construction Worker Mental Health", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cortezmasto.senate.gov", "scraper": "cortezmasto", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001113", "name": "Catherine Cortez Masto", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto introduced legislation to prevent suicide among construction workers. The Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act would authorize a national study through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collect data on the unique suicide risk factors facing construction workers that can be used to inform future suicide prevention programming. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.).\n\nThe construction industry has the second-highest risk of suicide across all industries. In 2023, almost a fifth of deaths by suicide with a reported industry code were tied to construction, despite construction workers making up only seven percent of the American workforce.\n\n“From our homes to our offices, our roads to our favorite coffee shops, construction workers are responsible for building America,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “But work in this industry presents distinct mental health risks, and we owe it to construction workers to find solutions. This legislation will give us the tools we need to combat the tragically high rate of suicide among construction workers and work to end the stigma around mental health on the jobsite.”\n\n“There is an unacceptably high rate of suicide among construction workers,” said Senator Warner. “This legislation will give us the resources to understand how we can combat it and better inform suicide prevention programs.”\n\n“The high rate of suicide among construction workers should be alarming to us all,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to help introduce legislation alongside a group of my colleagues who understand the importance of figuring out what’s fueling this crisis and the urgent need to make sure we’re getting mental health resources where they’re needed.”\n\n“In New Mexico and across the country, our construction workers are the backbone of our country,” said Senator Luján. “The high rate of suicide in the construction industry is deeply concerning, and we must do more to address this crisis. This legislation will do just that and help us better strengthen suicide prevention programs.”\n\n“Construction workers build America—our homes, our roads, and our communities. With an alarming suicide rate in this industry, they should have the resources to take care of their mental health,” said Senator Kelly. “This bill will help us understand what’s driving those numbers to prevent more deaths.”\n\n“The people who build Colorado from the ground up are also among those most at risk of suicide,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “We need to understand why and make sure construction workers have access to the support they need.”\n\nThe CDC study authorized by the Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act would investigate risk factors for deaths by suicide among construction workers, including employment and financial stability, history of substance and alcohol use, and access to essential resources like health care coverage, employment benefits, and employee assistance programs. The bill would also require the Department of Health and Human Services to submit a report to Congress on policy recommendations for future suicide prevention programming targeted to construction workers.\n\nThe Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act is endorsed by the Southern Nevada Building Trades Unions (SNBTU), the Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada (BCTNN), the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), and the Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust (LMCT).\n\nThe full text of this legislation can be found here.\n\nSenator Cortez Masto has been a consistent champion of mental health during her time in the Senate. She has introduced legislation to address mental health in AANHPI communities, improve access to behavioral health, and bolster peer support for mental health. The Senator helped secure funding for Nevada State University’s first mental health clinic. She also led her colleagues in a letter demanding answers from the Department of Education on mental health funding cuts.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-following-passage-of-lindsey-grahams-russia-sanctions-bill", "title": "Cotton Statement Following Passage of Lindsey Graham’s Russia Sanctions Bill", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cotton.senate.gov", "scraper": "cotton", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001095", "name": "Tom Cotton", "party": "Republican", "state": "AR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Tatum Wallace or Hannah McCarthy\n\nAugust 7, 2026\n\nCotton Statement Following Passage of Lindsey Graham’s Russia Sanctions Bill\n\nWASHINGTON — Today, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026:\n\n“Lindsey knew that strength produces peace and prosperity, and he believed the United States is the greatest force for freedom that mankind has ever known. Through every bill he introduced, every speech he gave, every statement he made, Lindsey ensured our allies knew our word was good and our enemies feared our resolve. Today, with the passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act, we honor his legacy and send a clear message to our allies and enemies alike: the United States will defend freedom around the world.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-cramer-us-department-of-health-and-human-services-awards-6-million-to-north-dakota", "title": "Sen. Cramer: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Awards $6 Million to North Dakota", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cramer.senate.gov", "scraper": "cramer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001096", "name": "Kevin Cramer", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the award of $6 million to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. The funds will support services designed to improve mental health outcomes for children and youth, who are at risk for or experiencing serious emotional disturbances (SED), as well as for their families.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-approves-sweeping-russia-sanctions-bill", "title": "Senate Approves Sweeping Russia Sanctions Bill", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cramer.senate.gov", "scraper": "cramer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001096", "name": "Kevin Cramer", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Package Includes New Penalties on Iran\n\n***Click here to download audio.***\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by a vote of 86 to 11 today, uniting Congress and the Trump administration in pursuit of escalating penalties against Vladimir Putin and Iran, whose malign cooperation enables Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Iranian regime’s terrorization of the globe. Before his unexpected passing on July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) had finalized an agreement with the White House, paving the way for Senate passage of the measure. The package is supported by over 60 senators from both parties.\n\nU.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee which has jurisdiction over sanctions policy, cosponsored the legislation introduced by the late senator’s sister, U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-SC). Cramer had previously joined the late Lindsey Graham and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in introducing the original sanctions bill in April 2025. Over the past year, the coalition worked with Members of Congress and the Trump administration to strengthen the legislation and build support for its enactment.\n\n“Vladimir Putin and the Iranian regime have spent decades testing the resolve of the free world, and too many times the free world has come up short in those tests—but not today,” said Cramer. “Today, the Senate spoke with one voice alongside the Trump administration in support of stronger consequences for Russia and Iran, and others enabling their aggression on America and our allies. I knew Lindsey Graham really well, and he never let up on the principle of Peace Through Strength; he pushed for tougher sanctions like those in this bill. Moscow, Tehran, and all those who bankroll them have to feel the consequences of the terror they’re inflicting around the world. And this bill certainly helps do that.”\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 imposes primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and its network of financial allies in its war against Ukraine. It targets Russia’s “shadow fleet” of shell corporations and repurposed maritime infrastructure and extends to individuals including Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, and financial institutions. The legislation empowers President Trump to hold Iran accountable for sponsoring terrorism by extending the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 and strengthening sanctions on entities investing in Iran’s energy sector.\n\nIt also authorizes the President to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports from the five largest purchasers of Russian oil and natural gas, the ultimate financiers of Putin’s war and enablers of his sanctions evasion.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-confirms-gen-douglas-schiess-as-chief-of-space-operations", "title": "Senate Confirms Gen. Douglas Schiess as Chief of Space Operations", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cramer.senate.gov", "scraper": "cramer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001096", "name": "Kevin Cramer", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate confirmed General Douglas Schiess as the third Chief of Space Operations, succeeding General Chance Saltzman. Schiess, who served at Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) from April 1993 to September 1995 in multiple missile operations roles, will train and equip Guardians serving in the United States and overseas.\n\nU.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), co-chair of the Senate Space Force Caucus and chair of the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee, applauded Schiess’ confirmation.\n\n“General Schiess is the right leader to take the helm of the United States Space Force,” said Cramer. “Having served at Grand Forks Air Force Base, he already knows North Dakota’s vital role in our national security mission. I look forward to working with him to modernize PARCS at Cavalier Space Force Station, strengthen our partnership with the University of North Dakota, and ensure our Guardians at Grand Forks Air Force Base have the tools they need to succeed. Thank you for your leadership and your commitment to securing the space domain.”\n\nSchiess previously served as the Commander of U.S. Space Forces – Space (S4S) and the Combined Joint Force Space Component Commander at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. In August 2025, Cramer visited the base with Secretary of the U.S. Air Force Dr. Troy Meink. They joined Schiess in touring the Space Development Agency (SDA) and National Reconnaissance Office payload processing facility where they viewed 21 satellites from SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer.\n\nAs Chief of Space Operations, Schiess will oversee key Space Force missions in North Dakota, including the 10th Space Warning Squadron at Cavalier Space Force Station, which operates the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS) to provide critical missile warning and space surveillance. He will also play a central role in advancing the Space Force’s growing presence at GFAFB, where a new satellite operations center is planned to expand SDA’s missions and strengthen the region’s role in the nation’s space architecture.\n\nDuring Schiess’ confirmation process, Cramer secured his commitment to maintain the Space Force’s partnership with GFAFB and the University of North Dakota. The two also discussed preserving the rapid acquisition culture that has fueled SDA’s success as it merges into the Space Force.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/idaho-delegation-highlights-benefits-of-the-usmca", "title": "Idaho Delegation Highlights Benefits of the USMCA", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "domain": "www.crapo.senate.gov", "scraper": "crapo", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C000880", "name": "Mike Crapo", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), joined by U.S. Representatives for Idaho Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, along with Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), are urging the Trump Administration to strengthen and fully enforce the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), citing its critical role in supporting Idaho’s economy.\n\nIn a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, the Idaho delegation highlighted the importance of the USMCA to the state’s agricultural industry, emphasizing that the agreement’s market access provisions helped increase the value of Idaho’s exports to Mexico and Canada by nearly 50 percent between 2020 and 2025.\n\nFrom the letter:\n\n“USMCA and, importantly, its full and effective implementation are crucial to Idaho’s agricultural producers and processors, which are the commercial and cultural backbone of our rural communities and drive 190 diverse commodities into the foreign and domestic marketplace.”\n\n“Idaho’s agricultural landscape relies heavily on the market access and trade commitments secured under USMCA. However, some persistent, unresolved implementation and compliance gaps obstruct complete realization of the market opportunities Idahoans were promised. These challenges illustrate the need for strong enforcement constructs that make certain Canada and Mexico fulfill their obligations and that Idahoans reap the full benefits of USMCA.”\n\n“The ongoing USMCA joint review presents a critically important opportunity to both reinforce the agreement’s core strengths and to ensure that its commitments are honored.”\n\nWhat they are saying:\n\n\"USMCA has been critical to the success of Idaho barley growers and accessing important export markets. This program strongly supports U.S. agriculture, benefits our rural communities and helps create and sustain demand for Idaho and American-grown barley and other U.S. farm commodities. Idaho is the top producing barley state in the U.S., growing 39 percent of the nation’s barley crop in 2025 valued at $324.3 million. The majority of that barley, over 75 percent, is malt barley—one of the most important ingredients in brewing beer. Mexico has long been the primary export market for Idaho and U.S. barley and barley malt. Idaho and U.S. farmers are inextricably linked to Mexico, and it is imperative that we protect this relationship through USMCA.\" – Laura Wilder, Executive Director, Idaho Barley Commission\n\n\"As an Idaho grain grower, I see firsthand how USMCA supports healthy export markets and the import of essential farm inputs. This agreement is foundational to the long-term stability and competitiveness of family farms across Idaho and the country.\" – Kyle Wangemann, President, Idaho Grain Producers Association\n\n“Maintaining and expanding global trade markets for U.S beef is critical to the economic viability of Idaho’s cattle industry. In a state where cattle outnumber people, it is vital that we have opportunities to export beef outside of our borders. The continuance of fair and equitable trade agreements with our global trading partners is a key priority for our industry. The Idaho Cattle Association encourages the timely review and renewal of USMCA.” – Val Carter, President, Idaho Cattle Association\n\n\"USMCA has been a win for Idaho agriculture. It provides reliable access to key export markets, supports jobs throughout the food supply chain and gives farmers and ranchers greater confidence to invest in the future. We encourage its continuation and strong enforcement.\" – Matt Dorsy, President, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation\n\n\"As one of the nation's leading hop-producing states, Idaho benefits from the certainty and market access provided by the USMCA. A renewed and fully enforced USMCA helps ensure our world-class hops continue supporting North American breweries, as well as our rural communities and family farms.\" – Michelle Gooding-Badiola, President, Idaho Hop Growers Association\n\n“The Idaho Dairymen’s Association thanks the state’s congressional delegation for their letter to the nation’s trade negotiators advocating for improvements to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement during the ongoing USMCA joint review. Senator Mike Crapo continues to lead on international trade from his position as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Senator Jim Risch and Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher are also strong advocates for Idaho agricultural products in export markets. The USMCA is critical for Idaho’s dairy farm families as Mexico is the number 1 international market for U.S. dairy and Canada is number 2. IDA appreciates the message from the congressional delegation asking our trade negotiators to make the USMCA even stronger.” – Rick Naerebout, CEO, Idaho Dairymen’s Association\n\n“Mexico and Canada are top export markets for Pacific Northwest apples, cherries and pears, accounting for approximately half of all exports. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement has been crucial to the tree fruit industry’s ability to grow and succeed in those markets. We greatly appreciate the continued work by Senators Crapo and Risch, and Representatives Simpson and Fulcher to maintain tree fruit growers’ access to these important markets.” – Mark Powers, President, Northwest Horticultural Council\n\n“The USMCA is essential for the continued success of Idaho's potato industry, amplifying our reach in North American markets and ensuring our farmers thrive. By prioritizing the renewal and enforcement of this agreement, we can enhance the competitiveness of Idaho potatoes, a cornerstone of our agricultural economy, and support the livelihoods of countless families across the state.” – Jamey Higham, CEO, Idaho Potato Commission\n\n“The Idaho Onion Growers’ Association appreciates the diligent work that the Idaho delegation has done for farmers and our members in Idaho and urges the renegotiation and reinstatement of USMCA. The USMCA should be a tool that facilitates prosperity and equalizes playing fields for growers on both sides of the border and promotes sustained enforcement. Idaho onion growers are required to be subject to food safety standards and audits for the safety of American consumers. It stands to reason that imported onions competing in American markets should be held to the same standard. Our members are suffering from high input costs and low domestic pricing so equalizing the food safety standards and cost of production for Mexican and American onion growers would be a welcome step in the negotiations.” – Jarom Jemmett, President, Idaho Onion Growers’ Association\n\n“The USMCA provides certainty to Idaho’s mint industry because it acts as a primary driver by securing a place for the industry to export mint essential oils. Idaho’s mint industry applauds the efforts of our Idaho Congressional Delegation. Through their diligent work, Idaho mint producers are ensured that the promises and commitments in this Agreement continue to be honored.” – Roger Batt, Executive Director, Idaho Mint Growers Association\n\n“The Idaho Pork Producers Association strongly supports the continued success of the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement and encourages policymakers to preserve this important agreement for the benefit of U.S. agriculture and the communities we serve. While Idaho may not be among the nation’s largest pork-producing states, our producers are directly tied to the strength of export markets that support the entire U.S. pork industry. USMCA provides critical stability and a strong trade relationship to Canada and Mexico helping to ensure long-term growth, competitiveness and opportunity benefiting farmers, consumers and rural communities across Idaho.” – Bonnie Holtry, Executive Director, Idaho Pork Producers Association\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-van-hollen-introduce-legislation-to-combat-affordable-housing-crisis-strengthen-usps", "title": "Curtis, Van Hollen Introduce Legislation to Combat Affordable Housing Crisis, Strengthen USPS", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.curtis.senate.gov", "scraper": "curtis", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001114", "name": "John R. Curtis", "party": "Republican", "state": "UT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced the Delivering Americans Affordable Homes Act, bipartisan legislation to address the shortage of affordable housing and funding shortfalls at the United States Postal Service (USPS). Amid record-breaking housing costs, the Senators’ new bill would allow local communities to lease Postal Service propertyrights for new affordable housing construction. At the same time, this legislation protects against the sale of Postal Service assets, supports the rehabilitation and new construction of Postal facilities, and eases the Postal Service’s critical financial constraints.\n\n“Utah desperately needs more housing, and the Postal Service needs new sources of revenue; this commonsense legislation helps accomplish both,” said Senator Curtis. “By giving USPS the authority to lease underutilized property for housing development, we can put unused land to work, expand the housing supply, and strengthen an institution that millions of Americans rely on every day.”\n\n“Far too many working Americans are faced with housing costs they simply cannot afford. At the same time, the Postal Service faces financial struggles that, if left unaddressed, will result in USPS running out of money to operate. With this legislation, we’re not only bringing new, affordable homes to communities across the country, we’re also working to shore up the Postal Service so that it can continue serving Americans for generations to come. It’s a win-win,” said Senator Van Hollen.\n\nBackground:\n\nCurrently, USPS owns about 8,500 properties around the United States, many of which are located in places suitable for housing construction and in areas with high housing demand. According to a recent analysis from Brookings, housing construction on postal property could build over 200,000 new homes and bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the Postal Service each year.\n\nThe Delivering Americans Affordable Homes Act would set guardrails on housing construction by USPS by allowing for the lease, but prohibiting the sale, of Postal Service property for housing construction and ensuring USPS maintains discretion over its real estate assets. The bill also requires housing units constructed on Postal Service property to include tenant affordability restrictions on at least 20% of units, among other provisions.\n\nA one-page summary of this bill is available here, and the full text of the legislation is available here.\n\nThe legislation is supported by the Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Chamber of Progress, and Inclusive Abundance Action, among others.\n\n“I applaud Senators Van Hollen and Curtis for their leadership in crafting this win-win legislation,” said Aaron Shroyer, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro. “This bill would enable the United States Postal Service to tap an underutilized asset—its land—to create a durable revenue source, while also adding much-needed housing to main streets and downtowns across the country.”\n\n“USPS-owned sites could offer meaningful opportunities to add homes in communities where housing is badly needed,” said Ben Metcalf, Managing Director, Terner Center for Housing Innovation. “Terner Center research has identified hundreds of USPS-owned sites that warrant closer evaluation for housing. While not every site will be feasible, underutilized postal properties could offer one solution to policymakers who are looking for ways to increase their affordable housing stock.”\n\n“The Postal Service owns 8,500 properties, many of them on prime, well-located land that cities and states need for housing,” said Colin Higgins, Executive Director of the National Housing Crisis Task Force. “In our Federal Housing Policy Agenda, the National Housing Crisis Task Force called for putting federal land to work this way, and it’s good to see a bipartisan bill take up the idea. The hope is that cities and states can chart a path to build homes on underused public land while the Postal Service keeps its footprint and earns revenue.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.daines.senate.gov/2026/08/07/daines-congratulates-chris-anderson-longtime-staffer-on-confirmation-to-be-u-s-ambassador-to-cambodia/", "title": "Daines Congratulates Chris Anderson, Longtime Staffer, on Confirmation to Be U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.daines.senate.gov", "scraper": "daines", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000618", "name": "Steve Daines", "party": "Republican", "state": "MT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the below statement congratulating Chris Anderson on his confirmation by the U.S. Senate to become the next U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia. Chris has served as Daines’ National Security Advisor for the past several years.\n\n“Cindy and I congratulate Chris on his confirmation by the U.S. Senate to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia. Chris is exceedingly well-qualified and has an extensive background in foreign relations. He has served as my National Security Advisor for the past four years, so his confirmation today is especially significant for me and for everyone on Team Daines. We couldn’t be prouder and wish him nothing but the best in this new role!” said Daines.\n\nDaines spoke in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in favor of Chris’s confirmation- watch it HERE. Read Chris’s official bio HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-statement-on-senate-passage-of-legislation-to-further-sanction-russia-and-hold-purchasers-of-its-oil-accountable", "title": "Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Legislation To Further Sanction Russia And Hold Purchasers Of Its Oil Accountable", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, released the following statement after the Senate passed legislation that will add sanctions on key Russian individuals and industries as well as hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. Durbin was an original cosponsor of the legislation.\n\n“This bipartisan bill that Senator Lindsey Graham worked so tirelessly to advance couldn’t be better timed. Momentum in the war has shifted toward Ukraine and tightening sanctions on Russia and those key purchasers of Russian oil should help add pressure for the Kremlin to finally negotiate. I am pleased to have helped co-lead this timely legislation and encourage the House to take it up immediately when they return from their August recess.”\n\nThe legislation will impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet. The legislation also provides for penalties against top purchasers of Russian energy, proceeds from which help fund its war against Ukraine.\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-statement-on-unlawful-birthright-citizenship-executive-orders", "title": "Durbin Statement On Unlawful Birthright Citizenship Executive Orders", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.durbin.senate.gov", "scraper": "durbin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "D000563", "name": "Richard J. Durbin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "IL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s latest executive actions to try restricting birthright citizenship:\n\n“Birthright citizenship is the law of the land, which the Supreme Court just upheld in June.\n\n“But Donald Trump and Stephen Miller’s anti-immigrant agenda will never miss a chance to sow doubt and fear in immigrant communities.\n\n“The Trump Administration should abandon this latest shameful attempt to subvert the Constitution, federal statute, and clear Supreme Court precedent.”\n\n-30-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernsts-urbandale-zip-code-fix-heads-to-senate-floor", "title": "Ernst’s Urbandale ZIP Code Fix Heads to Senate Floor", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.ernst.senate.gov", "scraper": "ernst", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000295", "name": "Joni Ernst", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs successfully advanced U.S. Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) bipartisan billrequiring the U.S. Postal Service to designate a single, unique ZIP code for 83 specific communities across the country. The bill passed by a vote of 10-3 and now advances to the full Senate for consideration.\n\nWatch Senator Ernst’s remarks here.\n\nFor years, Ernst has worked to deliver certainty for Urbandale residents that would end confusing mail delays and delivery issues faced by Iowans and cities throughout the nation.\n\n“This vote brings residents of Urbandale and communities across the country one step closer to ending years of delayed and misdirected mail caused by ZIP code boundary disputes,” said Senator Ernst. “All Americans deserve timely, accurate, and efficient mail service, and this bill provides a clear solution by establishing unique ZIP codes for 83 affected communities. I’m proud we advanced this commonsense legislation and look forward to getting it across the finish line in the Senate.”\n\nRead the full bill here.\n\nBackground:\n\nErnst has worked for years with Urbandale leaders to resolve the city’s ZIP code boundary dispute, which has caused misdirected mail, delivery delays, and challenges for local businesses and services.\n\nIn 2025, she joined Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) on bipartisan legislation directing USPS to establish unique ZIP codes for 14 communities, including Urbandale. Building on that effort and feedback from local Iowa leaders, in May 2026, Ernst introduced broader legislation establishing unique ZIP codes for Urbandale and 74 other communities nationwide.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-unanimously-passes-ernsts-bipartisan-stop-secret-spending-act", "title": "Senate Unanimously Passes Ernst’s Bipartisan Stop Secret Spending Act", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.ernst.senate.gov", "scraper": "ernst", "member": {"bioguide_id": "E000295", "name": "Joni Ernst", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) bipartisan bill requiring public disclosure of tens of billions of secret government spending was approved by the Senate today and is headed to the president to become law.\n\nWatch Senator Ernst’s full speech here.\n\nCurrent law requires most federal spending to be publicly reported on USAspending.gov, allowing taxpayers to see who receives federal funds and details about how, where, and why the money is spent. However, a loophole has allowed agencies to withhold thousands of spending arrangements known as Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) from public disclosure.\n\nThe Stop Secret Spending Act closes that loophole by requiring OTAs to be reported in the same manner as grants, contracts, loans, and other federal expenditures, helping ensure taxpayer dollars are fully accounted for. The bill also requires the federal government to publish a summary of any spending that remains exempt from public disclosure, including the total amount withheld and the justification for doing so, increasing transparency within Washington.\n\n\"When Iowans send their hard-earned tax dollars to Washington, they deserve to know exactly where every cent goes and why,\" said Senator Ernst. \"Bureaucrats have been playing hide and seek with tax dollars for far too long. I’m forcing them to open the books, stop the secret spending, and give taxpayers the transparency they deserve.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nSenator Ernst has been a longtime advocate for ending secret federal spending and increasing transparency for taxpayers. She first introduced the bipartisan Stop Secret Spending Act after raising concerns about billions of dollars in undisclosed federal spending through Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) and has repeatedly pushed the legislation. Ernst has continued working across the aisle to advance the bill, which previously passed the Senate with unanimous bipartisan support, and has consistently fought to get the legislation across the finish line to ensure taxpayers have greater visibility into how their hard-earned dollars are spent.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=069249E9-FA94-4479-BC83-79B18C98BD19", "title": "Fischer Votes for Sanctioning Russia Act", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.fischer.senate.gov", "scraper": "fischer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000463", "name": "Deb Fischer", "party": "Republican", "state": "NE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate passed and she voted for the Sanctioning Russia Act, which she championed as an original cosponsor:\n\n“The Kremlin’s war machine runs on the money it makes from selling cheap oil and gas to countries like China, India, and Brazil who then profit by reselling Russian energy at a markup. It is long overdue for these enablers to pay a price. The Sanctioning Russia Act will pressure the world’s largest purchasers of Russian energy to reduce their dependence on Moscow. I urge the House to take it up swiftly and send it to the president’s desk.”\n\nFischer recently spoke on the Senate floor in support of the bill to tout its mandatory sanctions on Russia’s political leadership, financial institutions, and energy sector — which will put economic pressure on Moscow to end Vladimir Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine.\n\nBackground\n\nFischer was an original cosponsor when the late Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) first introduced this legislation with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in 2025. She was also an original cosponsor of the updated version when Senator Darline Graham (R-SC) introduced it on July 16, 2026.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=C38AFADA-027A-4934-B716-C81AC535CEB1", "title": "Fischer Statement on Democrats Blocking the Farm Bill in Committee", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.fischer.senate.gov", "scraper": "fischer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "F000463", "name": "Deb Fischer", "party": "Republican", "state": "NE", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement after Democrats on the committee voted against advancing the Farm Bill:\n\n“It is disgraceful Democrats refused to advance the bipartisan Farm Bill out of committee. First, Senate Democrats refused to stand up for our service members by not moving the bipartisan NDAA. Now, they’re turning their backs on farmers, ranchers, and rural America. We worked with them to secure bipartisan support for E15 and offered a compromise on SNAP cost share concerns.\n\n“What did the Democrats do? They voted against every policy they claim to care about: funding food banks, improving rural and mental health services, increasing access to safe drinking water, and expanded broadband connectivity.\n\n“This is a massive disservice to producers and communities across the country. I certainly hope they wake up and realize the pain this will inflict on American families.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-permanently-make-federal-services-language-accessible/", "title": "Gillibrand, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Permanently Make Federal Services Language Accessible", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.gillibrand.senate.gov", "scraper": "gillibrand", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000555", "name": "Kirsten E. Gillibrand", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined a bicameral group of colleagues to introduce the Language Access for All Act, legislation to codify language access requirements for federal agencies and protect language access for the 25 million individuals in the United States with limited English proficiency. The legislation would prioritize customer service governance by reducing barriers to federal services and making sure federal agencies are equipped to meet diverse language needs.\n\n“Millions of New Yorkers rely on federal services to feed their children, obtain necessary medical care, or run their businesses,” said Senator Gillibrand. “As the Trump administration makes accessing these services more difficult for non-English speakers, the Language Access for All Act will ensure that every American can get the help they need, regardless of language barriers. I will continue fighting to hold our federal agencies accountable so that no New Yorker is shut out of the services they’re entitled to.”\n\nThe Language Access for All Act is being introduced as services come under threat from the Trump Administration. In March 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14224 that declared English as the official language of the United States and revoked EO 13166, a 25-year-old mandate that required agencies to provide critical language access to individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). The Trump administration’s Department of Justice issued new guidance that minimizes multilingual services and redirects resources towards English language assimilation.\n\nThese policy changes threaten language access for the over 25 million people in the United States—eight percent of the U.S. population—with limited English proficiency. About 30% of New Yorkers, or 5.8 million people, speak a language other than English at home. Of them, around 2.5 million have LEP. Nearly 40% of Spanish speakers, who make up the majority of those who speak another language both in the United States and in New York State, report speaking English “less than very well” in the most recent U.S. Census.\n\nThe Language Access for All Act of 2026 would modernize and strengthen the federal government’s language access services by formalizing EO 13166 and establishing a coordinated, accountable framework to ensure meaningful access to government services for individuals with limited English proficiency. Specifically, the legislation would:\n\nRequires federal agencies to ensure that individuals with LEP can meaningfully access the federally conducted programs and activities of the agency, including through translation and interpretation.\n\nCreates a public complaint system to track complaints regarding barriers to meaningful access at agencies.\n\nRequires agencies to develop and maintain language access plans consistent with EO 13166, with public notice and comment, and to submit plans to Congress and publish them on LEP.gov.\n\nEstablishes language access technical standards that allow individuals with LEP to access agency content. This applies to all agency communications, including AI and automated language assistance services.\n\nEnsures AI-assisted language services do not replace qualified translators and interpreters, comply with federal privacy requirements, and are continuously tested for bias, discrimination, and errors.\n\nCreates an interagency language access working group to provide guidance, coordination, and technical assistance.\n\nRequires each agency to designate a language access coordinator to lead implementation and serve as a point of contact.\n\nSenator Gillibrand has long advocated for improving accessibility in language translation for non-native English speakers. In February 2023, she co-signed a letter to the Federal Communications Commission with Representative Grace Meng (D-NY-06) urging for more languages to be included in their emergency alerts, ensuring the safety of all regardless of language barriers. She also championed a $2 million investment in March 2023 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand transportation services for commuters with limited English proficiency.\n\nIn addition to Gillibrand, the legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and was introduced in January 2026 in the House of Representatives by Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Grace Meng (D-NY-06), Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), and Dan Goldman (D-NY-10).\n\nRead the full text of the Language Access for All Act here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-cortez-masto-crapo-wyden-introduce-legislation-to-crack-down-on-healthcare-fraud", "title": "Grassley, Cortez Masto, Crapo, Wyden Introduce Legislation to Crack Down on Healthcare Fraud", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the bipartisan Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Act. The legislation would improve and invest in the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) program, which was created to combat fraud, waste and abuse across federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.\n\nGrassley and Cortez Masto are members of the Senate Finance Committee. Crapo and Wyden serve as the committee’s chairman and ranking member, respectively.\n\n“My oversight has revealed fraud, waste and abuse across our healthcare system, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Obamacare marketplace. By bolstering efforts to go after these bad actors, our bipartisan legislation will crack down on people stealing the taxpayers’ money and driving up healthcare costs for families,” Grassley said.\n\n“Medicaid and Medicare are lifelines for families. To ensure they are working as intended, we have to crack down on bad actors taking advantage of Americans,” Cortez Masto said. “Funding our national fraud and abuse investigation unit will save taxpayers billions and restore Americans’ trust that the government can target and go after real fraud and abuse.”\n\n“The best way to fight health care fraud is to fund the cops on the beat who can identify and prosecute fraudsters quickly and efficiently. This common sense approach empowers independent watchdogs in the federal government to use their know-how to recoup taxpayer dollars from these bad actors and widens the net to ensure every federal health care program has adequate protection from those seeking to bilk taxpayer dollars. I’m pleased that this approach is receiving bipartisan support and I will be working to fund these fighters quickly on a bipartisan basis,” Wyden said.\n\n“Health care programs account for the federal government’s largest source of improper payments, including through waste, fraud and abuse. This commonsense legislation equips the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice with the resources they need to uncover and prevent fraud, preserving federal health care programs for those who depend on them while protecting taxpayer dollars,” Crapo said.\n\nBackground:\n\nFederal healthcare spending is expected to exceed $24 trillion over the next decade. As healthcare fraud schemes continue to grow in scale and complexity, the HCFAC program needs long-term, stable funding to keep pace with evolving threats and strengthen efforts to prevent, detect and prosecute fraud. This legislation would save taxpayers at least $45 billion, per estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).\n\nFor the first time, the bill allows HCFAC partners to use mandatory funding to combat fraud in the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace and related private insurance programs. The legislation includes additional measures giving the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) new tools to strengthen oversight and protect the integrity of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It also requires timely reporting to track the HCFAC program’s effectiveness and asks the Government Accountability Office to report on HCFAC’s performance.\n\nIn Fiscal Year 2025, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS OIG) HCFAC activities recovered $12 for every $1 spent on Medicare program integrity efforts, resulting in $5.7 billion in expected recoveries and receivables. HHS OIG also excluded more than 2,500 individuals and entities from doing business with federal healthcare programs for fraud and patient abuse and other misconduct. That conduct includes egregious neglect of nursing home residents, improper billing practices and facilitating fraudulent providers and suppliers.\n\nAcross all HCFAC partners, including HHS, CMS, HHS OIG, DOJ and the FBI, the program has had a positive return on investment since its inception, demonstrating the value of coordinated, multi-agency enforcement to fight fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.\n\nDownload bill text HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-where-things-stand-on-the-farm-bill", "title": "Q&A: Where Things Stand on the Farm Bill", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Q: What legislative priorities were you able to secure in the current Senate Farm Bill so far?\n\nA: The Senate Agriculture Committee recently met to consider the long-delayed Farm Bill. Building upon substantive reforms enacted last year to strengthen the farm safety net in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, farmers and rural communities are counting on Congress to enact a full, five-year Farm Bill to bring much-needed certainty to the struggling ag economy. As a lifelong family farmer, I understand the financial hardship farm families are facing today to keep their operations afloat. It’s costing more money to put crops in the ground than what farmers are getting when they market their crops. High input costs, low commodity prices and trade uncertainty put farmers in an unsustainable financial situation. We can’t afford to repeat the mistakes of the 1980s Farm Crisis. That’s why I keep in touch with producers, commodity groups and community bankers to stay on top of the challenges in farm country. That feedback informs my work on behalf of farm families at the policymaking table to address market uncertainty and deliver stability.\n\nDuring the committee’s work on the Farm Bill, a number of my legislative priorities were included to support family farmers and boost the ag economy, including:\n\nYear-Round E15, which would deliver a $14 billion boost in corn demand and lower prices at the pump by up to 40 cents per gallon.\n\nImprovements to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission whistleblower program to help uphold integrity in U.S. commodity markets that farmers use to manage risk and lock in prices for their crops.\n\nTransparency tools to help bring down fertilizer, seed and fuel costs.\n\nQ: Where does the Farm Bill stand in the Senate?\n\nA: I’m disappointed the bipartisan, regional alliance that has helped shape the nation’s Farm Bills for decades is on shaky ground. After hours of debate and a series of votes on amendments, the Senate Agriculture Committee did not advance the Farm Bill after every Democrat on the committee voted no. They chose to block the Farm Bill in protest over commonsense reforms to curb waste in the food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Their partisan blockade puts passage of the Farm Bill in jeopardy and leaves farm families hanging in the balance. Both Sen. Joni Ernst and I voted to advance the Farm Bill. The committee recessed so debate on the Farm Bill can continue in September and hopefully prove to be more fruitful.\n\nThe House of Representatives has already passed a version of the Farm Bill, backed by Iowa Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra. In the Senate, I’m going to continue fighting to get the Farm Bill to the president’s desk this year. That includes my efforts to deliver year-round E15, drive down input costs, fix Proposition 12, enact sensible farm payment reforms to reinforce the integrity of the farm safety net and sharpen tools at the USDA to stop anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry. Rural Americans are counting on us to get the job done.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-confirms-iowan-glen-smith-to-serve-as-under-secretary-of-agriculture-for-rural-development", "title": "Senate Confirms Iowan Glen Smith to Serve as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed today’s Senate confirmation of Glen R. Smith of Atlantic, Iowa, to serve as Under Secretary for Rural Development at the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Smith served as Chair of the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) during the first Trump administration.\n\n“Glen Smith is a product of rural Iowa who’s spent his career serving fellow farmers. Having grown up in southwest Iowa, he understands our way of life and what it takes for family farmers to feed and fuel the world. I congratulate Under Secretary Smith on his confirmation, and I look forward to working with him to deliver for the hardworking men and women who keep food on our tables,” Grassley said.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-republicans-confirm-four-us-attorneys-four-us-marshals-and-doj-inspector-general", "title": "Senate Republicans Confirm Four U.S. Attorneys, Four U.S. Marshals and DOJ Inspector General", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) applauded the Senate’s confirmation of four U.S. Attorneys, four U.S. Marshals and the Inspector General for the Department of Justice (DOJ). The nominees were confirmed as part of a nominations package of 74 executive nominees, by a vote of 51-47.\n\nUnder Grassley’s leadership in the 119th Congress, the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced 141 of President Trump’s nominees, including 11 circuit judges, 46 district judges, one Court of International Trade judge, 48 U.S. attorneys and 12 U.S. marshals. The Senate has now confirmed 136 of those nominees.\n\n“U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals are vital parts of our nation’s law enforcement system – responsible for prosecuting violent criminals, protecting the American public and enforcing the rule of law,” Grassley said. “As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’ve been proud to advance and confirm President Trump’s law and order nominees to protect communities across America.”\n\nThe nominees advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee and confirmed today include:\n\nKenneth Sorenson, to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii.\n\nTimothy VerHey, to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.\n\nSean Costello, to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama.\n\nChristopher Nassar, to be U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.\n\nJohnson TeeHee II, to be U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.\n\nJames Arnott, to be U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Missouri.\n\nJack Chambers, to be U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of West Virginia.\n\nJason Holt, to be U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Oklahoma.\n\nDon Berthiaume, to be Inspector General for the Department of Justice.\n\nBackground:\n\nHistorically, executive nominees, such as U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals, were routinely confirmed on a bipartisan basis due to their non-political and non-controversial nature. That bipartisan tradition was destroyed last year when Senate Democrats placed an unprecedented blanket hold on all of President Trump’s 93 U.S. Attorneys.\n\nSenate Republicans overcame the partisan blockade in October of 2025, confirming 16 U.S. Attorneys as part of an initial nominations package of 107 executive nominees. The Senate then confirmed 14 U.S. Attorneys in December 2025, as part of a second nominations package, and 13 U.S. Attorneys and eight U.S. Marshals in May 2026, as part of a third package.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hassan.senate.gov/news/press-releases/passed-the-senate-hassan-cramer-bipartisan-bill-to-help-strengthen-northern-border-security", "title": "PASSED THE SENATE: Hassan, Cramer Bipartisan Bill to Help Strengthen Northern Border Security", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hassan.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.hassan.senate.gov", "scraper": "hassan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001076", "name": "Margaret Wood Hassan", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) to strengthen security at the Northern border by requiring the Department of Homeland Security to regularly complete a new Northern Border Threat Analysis and update its Northern Border Strategy unanimously passed the Senate. Even though criminal activity continues to evolve along the Northern border, there has not been a Northern Border Threat Analysis conducted since 2017, and the Northern Border Strategy has not been updated since 2018.\n\n“As threats at our Northern border continue to evolve, the federal government’s strategy must keep pace,” said Senator Hassan. “I am glad that the Senate unanimously passed our bipartisan bill to give law enforcement officers current information and a clear strategy to combat drug smuggling and other illegal cross-border activity, and I urge the House to pass this commonsense legislation without delay.”\n\n“A secure nation requires secure borders, but the threats differ from North to South,” said Senator Cramer. “The Senate’s passage of the Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act recognizes our two borders are distinct and require different strategies. This bill gives us the tools to better identify and respond to emerging threats while preserving the strong U.S.-Canada partnership keeping our communities safe and our economy moving.”\n\nThis legislation is part of Senator Hassan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen border security. Senator Hassan most recentlyvisited the Northern border last year in Pittsburg, where she received a security briefing from Border Patrol and state and local law enforcement officials and she toured a segment of the border. Senator Hassan has also introduced bipartisan legislation to allow U.S. and Canadian law enforcement personnel to jointly patrol both sides of the Northern border by aircraft, helping them more effectively combat drug smuggling and other illegal cross-border activities. Earlier this year, Senator Hassan met with federal law enforcement officials working at the Southern border to discuss efforts to counter drug trafficking, terrorism, and other national security threats.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-demands-doe-preserve-all-documents-and-records-regarding-the-illegal-cancellation-of-energy-project-grants-in-democratic-led-states", "title": "Heinrich Demands DOE Preserve All Documents and Records Regarding the Illegal Cancellation of Energy Project Grants in Democratic-Led States", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright demanding the Department preserve all documents and records of the Trump administration's cancellation of more than $7.5 billion of energy project grants in Democratic-led states.\n\n“I write to demand that you preserve all records and communications related to the administration’s cancellation of more than $7.5 billion of energy project grants,” Heinrich began.\n\n“Following reports that the Trump administration acknowledged in court filings that it terminated more than $7.5 billion of energy grants due to political motivations, I wrote to you along with 38 senators demanding the administration restore funding to those projects that were illegally canceled,” Heinrich continued. “Today, I write to request that you preserve all documents, communications, and records related to the termination of those energy projects. As you know, under the law, you are required to comply with records preservation requirements.”\n\nIn his letter, Heinrich demands that the DOE preserve all forms of communications (including, but not limited to, e-mails, electronic documents, and data) since January 20, 2025, related to the termination of the above-mentioned energy projects. The letter also requests that all former DOE employees who may have access to such records are immediately identified and notified.\n\nHeinrich is leading the effort to secure accountability and transparency into DOE’s illegal cancellation of energy project grants. Last week, following the Trump administration's admission that it canceled projects in states that did not vote for President Trump in the 2024 election, Heinrich led 38 Senators in demanding that funding be restored.\n\nIn October 2025, following the news that the Trump administration illegally canceled clean energy project grants, Heinrich led 36 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to DOE Secretary Chris Wright and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, demanding that they restore the projects’ funding.\n\nRead the full text of the letter here and below:\n\nSecretary Wright:\n\nI write to demand that you preserve all records and communications related to the administration’s cancellation of more than $7.5 billion of energy project grants.\n\nFollowing reports that the Trump administration acknowledged in court filings that it terminated more than $7.5 billion of energy grants due to political motivations, I wrote to you along with 38 senators demanding the administration restore funding to those projects that were illegally canceled. Today, I write to request that you preserve all documents, communications, and records related to the termination of those energy projects. As you know, under the law, you are required to comply with records preservation requirements.\n\nTo ensure that the records are produced to the Committee in potential future document requests without undue delay, I request that you do the following immediately:\n\nPreserve all records and communications, not limited to e-mail, electronic documents, and data, created since January 20, 2025, related to the termination of the above-mentioned energy projects; and\n\nIdentify and immediately notify any former employees, including contractors, subcontractors, consultants, and any other individuals or entities who may have access to such records. Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this request.\n\nThank you in advance for your cooperation with this request.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-introduces-legislation-ending-outdated-tax-breaks-for-oil-and-gas-companies-to-drill-overseas", "title": "Heinrich Introduces Legislation Ending Outdated Tax Breaks for Oil and Gas Companies to Drill Overseas", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced the American Energy Independence & Tax Fairness Act, legislation to repeal outdated tax breaks that allow major oil and gas companies to reduce their U.S. tax obligations for overseas oil and gas production. The legislation would ensure the tax code no longer rewards companies for investing abroad instead of here at home, while strengthening American energy security and requiring some of the world’s most profitable corporations to pay their fair share.\n\nThis legislation comes as the largest oil and gas companies continue to rake in record profits while American families feel the squeeze from rising energy costs. President Trump’s reckless and costly war has driven up global oil prices and increased pressure on consumers at the pump, while outdated tax breaks continue to give some of the world’s most profitable companies special treatment for overseas oil and gas production.\n\nRecent analysis by the FACT Coalition found that from 2017 to 2025, major U.S. oil companies paid $135 billion in foreign taxes while only paying $29 billion in U.S. taxes. At the same time, the oil and gas industry continues to report record profits. The disparity is driven by U.S. tax provisions that benefit overseas extraction. During this quarter, Exxon and Chevron alone reported more than $26 billion in combined net income, with Exxon doubling its profits and Chevron reporting one of its most profitable quarters ever.\n\n\"Oil majors shouldn’t get a tax break for going overseas to produce energy, but that’s essentially what our current tax policy does. That’s where my American Energy Independence & Tax Fairness Act comes in. It will help put American energy development on an even playing field with energy development that’s happening in the Middle East or anywhere else,” said Heinrich. “At a time when oil majors are making billions in profits per quarter, they can afford to pay their fair share.”\n\nHeinrich's American Energy Independence & Tax Fairness Act would:\n\nEliminate preferential tax treatment for foreign oil and gas extraction income, ensuring overseas fossil fuels profits are treated like other foreign business income under the U.S. tax code;\n\nClose loopholes that allow companies to generate additional foreign tax credits from shale oil and tar sands development;\n\nReform foreign tax credit rules to prevent oil and gas companies from misclassifying payments to foreign governments as taxes rather than royalties in order to reduce their U.S. tax liability.\n\nFor decades, the U.S. tax code included incentives to encourage overseas oil and gas production. Today, the United States is the world’s leading oil and gas producer and a net exporter of fossil fuels. And these outdated tax provisions provide special treatment to some of the world’s most profitable companies. By closing these loopholes, the legislation will strengthen American energy security, support domestic job creation, and help accelerate the transition to a more reliable and affordable energy future.\n\nA one-page factsheet of the bill is here.\n\nA section-by-section summary of the bill is here.\n\nThe full text of the bill is here.\n\nAs Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Heinrich has repeatedly pressed the Trump administration to reverse policies that raise energy costs for working families, and hold corporations accountable, through hearings, oversight letters, and direct engagement with the Trump administration officials:\n\nIn June, Heinrich hosted a roundtable and discussed how the Trump administration’s policies, including the war with Iran, have driven up energy costs for families, consumers, communities, and small businesses.\n\nIn May, Heinrich hosted a roundtable with local small business owners, Roadrunner Food Bank, and Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team, Corp. (WESST) to discuss how President Trump’s global tariffs and war with Iran are making gas, groceries, and everyday essentials more expensive for New Mexico families and businesses.\n\nHeinrich also wrote to the CEOs of the six biggest U.S. airlines seeking information on the current economic conditions of the airline industry as President Trump’s war in Iran continues, requesting that the airlines detail their plan to address rising jet fuel costs, and whether companies will cap or reduce executive compensation to help offset rising costs.\n\nFor more information on Heinrich’s actions to hold President Trump accountable for his illegal, costly, and reckless war on Iran, click here.\n\nFor more information on Heinrich’s work to lower energy costs for New Mexico families, click here.\n\nFor more information on Heinrich’s work to combat President Trump’s tariffs and lower the cost of groceries and everyday essentials, click here.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-lujan-announce-committee-passage-of-legislation-to-transfer-a-portion-of-the-former-albuquerque-indian-school-campus-to-pueblos-for-the-indian-pueblo-cultural-center", "title": "Heinrich, Luján Announce Committee Passage of Legislation to Transfer a Portion of the Former Albuquerque Indian School Campus to Pueblos for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, announced the Committee passage of their Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2026, legislation that places portions of the former Albuquerque Indian School campus and buildings, currently managed by the General Services Administration (GSA), into trust for the benefit of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico.\n\nThe legislation is led by Heinrich and cosponsored by Luján in the Senate and led by U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) and cosponsored by U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) in the House.\n\n“Our legislation will help the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center expand its reach, create more economic opportunity, foster entrepreneurship, and support local small businesses,” said Heinrich. “Those are important wins for the 19 Pueblos and everyone who calls New Mexico home. Now that my bill has passed out of Committee, I will continue working to get it across the finish line and signed into law.”\n\n“Expanding economic development and cultural education opportunities for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is critical for the 19 New Mexico Pueblos it serves. That is why I partnered with Senator Heinrich to introduce the Albuquerque Indian School Act, legislation that will help the center grow, support job creation, and generate new revenue for New Mexico’s Pueblos and our communities,”said Luján, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “I'm proud to see this legislation advance out of the Indian Affairs Committee, a vital step toward getting this bill across the finish line. I will continue working to ensure it passes the Senate and is signed into law.”\n\nThe Albuquerque Indian School Act now heads to the full Senate for consideration.\n\nThe Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2026 builds upon a longstanding, bipartisan effort to transfer the former Albuquerque Indian School campus and surrounding buildings to the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico for the development and growth of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a nationally recognized museum and cultural institution owned and operated by the Pueblos, dedicated to both preserving and perpetuating pueblo history, culture, and art, while facilitating their future economic growth and long-term economic sustainability.\n\nThe text of the bill is here.\n\nEarlier this summer, Heinrich testified in support of the bill and urged his colleagues to advance the legislation out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. Watch the full video of Heinrich’s testimony here.\n\nIn 2015, Heinrich, Luján, and the rest of the N.M. Delegation successfully passed into law the Albuquerque Indian School Land Transfer Act, legislation to place four tracts of land from the former Albuquerque Indian School into trust for the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, consolidating the last parcels of the old school property into the Albuquerque Indian School campus. This followed several prior bipartisan efforts, from 1969 to 2008, led by former U.S. Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), and former U.S. Representative Manuel Luján Jr. (R-N.M.).\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-votes-to-sanction-russia", "title": "Heinrich Votes to Sanction Russia", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after securing Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act, bipartisan legislation he cosponsored to impose sanctions on Russian President Valdimir Putin, senior Russian political and military leaders, oligarchs, state-owned enterprises, and foreign companies for supporting and financing Russia’s war against Ukraine.\n\n“New Mexicans stand with the Ukrainian people,” said Heinrich. “With this bill, we are sending a clear message to Vladimir Putin: You reap what you sow. End this war, work to achieve lasting peace with Ukraine, or face the consequences. The United States must continue to stand with Ukraine as it defends its freedom, its people, and the democratic values we share.”\n\nThe bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.\n\nSpecifically, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act deprives Vladimir Putin of the revenue financing Russia’s war against Ukraine by imposing mandatory sanctions on Russia’s political leadership, financial institutions, energy sector, and sanctions evasion networks, while using narrowly scoped tariffs to pressure the world’s largest purchasers of Russian energy to reduce their dependence on Moscow.\n\nThe legislation is led by U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-S.C.). Alongside Heinrich, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Angus King (I-Maine), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), David McCormick (R-Pa.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Kennedy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.).\n\nThe full text of the bill is here.\n\nHeinrich has staunchly supported the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom against Russia’s unjustified, unprovoked, and unlawful invasion.\n\nHeinrich met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the U.S. Capitol last week and released a statement reaffirming his strong support for Ukraine.\n\nIn April 2025, Heinrich introduced legislation to impose primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and actors supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.\n\nAs a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Heinrich secured a provision in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Defense Appropriations Bill to include $300 million in funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.\n\nIn February 2024, Heinrich passed an aid package that would strengthen America’s national security by delivering aid to Ukraine.\n\nIn January 2024, Heinrich met with Ukrainian families living in Farmington, New Mexico, who fled their country following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\n\nHeinrich also has an extensive history of standing up to Russia and Russian interference in the United States, detailed here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-wyden-reintroduce-legislation-to-expand-pathways-to-health-careers-and-address-healthcare-provider-shortages", "title": "Heinrich, Wyden Reintroduce Legislation to Expand Pathways to Health Careers & Address Healthcare Provider Shortages", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — This National Health Center Week, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, reintroduced their Pathways to Health Careers Act, legislation to create pathways to in-demand, high-quality healthcare careers and help address provider shortages in New Mexico, Oregon, and nationwide.\n\nIn New Mexico, 32 out of 33 counties are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for primary care, behavioral health, and/or dental health. New Mexico needs at least an additional 5,000 healthcare workers to address the current provider shortage.\n\nThe Pathways to Health Careers Act aims to address this shortage by restarting and modernizing the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program, which has a proven track record of preparing workers for jobs in the healthcare industry by providing career coaching, job placement, and a range of other support services.\n\n“The healthcare provider shortage in New Mexico isn’t theoretical. It’s an everyday reality. New Mexicans are being forced to either endure months-long appointment wait times or, if they can, paying the high costs of traveling out of state or going to the ER to get the health care they need, when they need it. Families in our state deserve better,” said Heinrich. “Our Pathways to Health Careers Act helps address the healthcare provider shortage by strengthening the pipeline to high-quality healthcare careers, to get more New Mexicans the care they need to live healthy lives.”\n\n“In June 2026 alone, nearly 900 health care workers across 11 states were laid off due to Republicans’ shameful budget cuts,” said Wyden. “At a time when communities are facing health care workforce shortages, it has never been more important to invest in the next generation of health professionals. This legislation would provide families in Oregon and nationwide with the resources they need — including job training, childcare, transportation and more — to begin well-paying careers in health care.”\n\nCompanion legislation in the House is led by U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), Senior Democratic Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee.\n\n“Restoring and strengthening the Health Profession Opportunity Grant program will connect a new generation of workers with career pathways to in-demand health care jobs while addressing barriers to employment that too often prevent the full potential of our work force - especially women and people of color - from being realized,” said Davis.“Before its Republican-forced expiration, this proven initiative expanded economic opportunity for working families across America, which I saw first-hand in the work by Chicago State University. I am proud to lead this bill to create jobs and expand access to care with Senator Martin Heinrich, and I thank Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal and my Democratic colleagues for their continued support of this critical program.”\n\nCreated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010, the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program stands out among other job training approaches because of its mix of career coaching, job placement, childcare, and post-employment support services included. The program aims to increase the number of qualified health professionals in rural, Tribal, and urban areas experiencing health professional shortages. Despite its success, the HPOG program expired in September 2021.\n\nThis bill would mandate that New Mexico receives a minimum of two HPOG awards. And further guarantees grant set asides for entities that are an Indian tribe, a Tribal organization, or a Tribal college or university.\n\nThe Pathways to Health Careers Act reauthorizes and modernizes the demonstration program by providing $435 million annually through 2031 to expand HPOG programs to every state in the country. The dozens of career pathways available through the HPOG program model include becoming a nurse, an emergency medical technician (EMT), a health information technician, a surgical technician, and beyond. The promising model includes:\n\nA Career Pathway Approach: Apprenticeships, stackable credentials, and ongoing training to support advancement;\n\nWork Supports: Childcare, transportation, stipends, work supplies, uniforms, and application fees; and\n\nCase Management: Goal setting, mentoring and career coaching, education planning, interview coaching, and job placement.\n\nTo date, the HPOG program has served over 60,000 participants in 32 programs across 23 states.\n\nThe legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Michael Bennet (D-Col0.).\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by the University of New Mexico Health System.\n\n“The healthcare workforce shortage is one of the most significant challenges facing our nation's health system. The Pathways to Health Careers Act invests in people who are ready to serve but often face financial and logistical barriers to entering the healthcare workforce. By supporting training alongside services like childcare, transportation and career coaching, this legislation helps build a stronger workforce and expands access to care where it is needed most,” said Michael Richards, MD, MPA, Executive Vice President of UNM Health Sciences and CEO of the UNM Health System.\n\nA fact sheet of the bill is here.\n\nThe full text of the bill is here.\n\nFor more information on Heinrich’s work to expand opportunities for New Mexico workers, click here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/hickenlooper-welcomes-federal-funding-for-colorado-school-of-mines-to-boost-american-tech-mining-workforce/", "title": "Hickenlooper Welcomes Federal Funding for Colorado School of Mines to Boost American Tech, Mining Workforce", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press/page/", "domain": "www.hickenlooper.senate.gov", "scraper": "hickenlooper", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000273", "name": "John W. Hickenlooper", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The Colorado School of Mines will reportedly receive more than $32 million for a tech development hub\n\nWASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement welcoming reports that the Colorado School of Mines will receive $32.7 million in federal funding to support a tech development hub.\n\n“We won’t achieve our clean energy future – nor compete with China – without shoring up our critical minerals supply and developing our workforce.\n\n“Colorado School of Mines is already the beating heart of American innovation and mining education. This investment will help advance American leadership in critical minerals.”\n\nCurrently, there are only about 600 students in mining programs in the U.S. compared to China’s more than 12,000 students. Securing U.S. critical mineral supply chains and countering China’s dominance in the industry will require the U.S. to reinvest in our mining workforce.\n\nHickenlooper has long called for a ‘Project Mercury’ for critical materials, arguing that America needs to take back the reins on critical minerals production in order to effectively address climate change and unlock secure, affordable energy.\n\nSpecifically, the federal funding will help level up America’s mining, metallurgical, geological, and mineral workforce.\n\nIn the 119th Congress, Hickenlooper has led and co-sponsored multiple other critical minerals related bills, including:\n\nHis bipartisan Mining Schools Act of 2025 to bolster America’s declining mining workforce and help secure our clean energy future.\n\nThe bipartisan STRATEGIC Minerals Act to foster critical minerals trade with our international allies.\n\nHis bipartisan Unearth Innovation Act to establish a DOE program for sustainable critical minerals and recycling research innovation.\n\nHis bipartisan Critical Materials Future Act to establish a pilot program for the Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical material processing projects.\n\nHis bipartisan Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) Reauthorization Act to fund the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Earth MRI program, which improves our understanding of critical minerals, geothermal potential, and other subsurface resources across the country.\n\nHis bipartisan Finding Opportunities for Resource Exploration (Finding ORE) Act to strengthen U.S. mineral security and reduce strategic vulnerabilities.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-presses-hegseth-on-critical-munitions-inventory-raises-alarms-about-readiness-impacts", "title": "Hirono Presses Hegseth on Critical Munitions Inventory, Raises Alarms About Readiness Impacts", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.hirono.senate.gov", "scraper": "hirono", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001042", "name": "Mazie K. Hirono", "party": "Democrat", "state": "HI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“I write to express my deep and continuing concern regarding the state of the United States military’s critical munitions inventory.”\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, pressed U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Pete Hegseth on the state of the United States military’s critical munitions inventory, following reports of depleted weapons shortages as a result of the ongoing illegal war in Iran. In a letter to Secretary Hegseth, Senator Hirono raised alarms about the impacts of munitions shortages on the United States military’s overall readiness, demanding an accurate update on the impacts of these shortages.\n\n“A recent Washington Post report details a disturbing confrontation at Camp David last week, where President Trump reportedly expressed frustration over being misled regarding the severity of offensive and defensive weapons shortages in pursuit of this illegal war in Iran. I note what was not said – how the shortages are negatively impacting overall military readiness and our ability to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Despite the President and your own dismissals of the reporting as “NOT TRUE”, your recent $87 billion-dollar supplemental funding request to Congress includes $21 billion alone for “munitions procurement”, highlighting the urgency of this issue,” wrote Senator Hirono.\n\nIn her letter, Senator Hirono outlined that even prior to the war in Iran, Congress had expressed concerns over the alarming state of the United States military’s munitions inventory, especially if the United States were to be pulled into a large-scale military conflict with a near peer adversary. She highlighted how the ongoing munitions expenditures in the Middle East at an unsustainable rate could create a strategic vacuum in other theaters, including the Indo-Pacific.\n\n“This leaves the United States unacceptably vulnerable to aggression from near-peer adversaries like China,” she continued.\n\nSenator Hirono demanded that DOD provide prompt and accurate responses, including a classified accounting of munitions stockpile levels prior to the Iran War; an assessment of how critical munitions shortages have affected military options, strike planning, and defense postures during the ongoing conflict; the mitigation strategies at DOD to ensure deterrence is not compromised in the Indo-Pacific; and resources required to replenish and bolster the munitions inventory.\n\nThe full letter is available here and below:\n\nDear Secretary Hegseth,\n\nI write to express my deep and continuing concern regarding the state of the United States military’s critical munitions inventory. Even prior to the war in Iran, senior military leaders, defense analysts, and members of Congress were worried about the alarming state of our inventory, especially if the United States was pulled into a large-scale military conflict with a near-peer adversary. This illegal, five-month war with Iran has only exacerbated these concerns because of the expenditure of hundreds of offensive precision guided missiles and air-defense interceptors, leaving our arsenal dangerously depleted.\n\nA recent Washington Post report details a disturbing confrontation at Camp David last week, where President Trump reportedly expressed frustration over being misled regarding the severity of offensive and defensive weapons shortages in pursuit of this illegal war in Iran. I note what was not said – how the shortages are negatively impacting overall military readiness and our ability to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Despite the President and your own dismissals of the reporting as “NOT TRUE”, your recent $87 billion-dollar supplemental funding request to Congress includes $21 billion alone for “munitions procurement”, highlighting the urgency of this issue.\n\nBy expending critical munitions at an unsustainable rate in the Middle East, the Department is creating a severe strategic vacuum in the Indo-Pacific. This leaves the United States unacceptably vulnerable to aggression from near-peer adversaries like China. To fulfill my constitutional oversight responsibilities, I request that the Department provide answers to the following questions no later than August 31, 2026:\n\nA complete, classified accounting of current stockpile levels for all critical munitions, along with an accounting of the stockpile levels prior to the start of the Iran War in February 2026. For purposes of this request, “critical munitions” are defined as the fourteen priority weapons systems identified by the Pentagon’s Munitions Acceleration Council (MAC).\n\nTo what extent have critical munitions shortages influenced or restricted military options, strike plans, or defense postures in the ongoing war with Iran?\n\nWhat specific mitigation strategies is the Department executing to ensure that expenditures in the Middle East do not compromise our deterrence posture and forward-deployed units in the Indo-Pacific?\n\nThe MAC is the Department’s primary body established to rapidly scale up critical munitions production. What steps is the MAC currently taking to expand critical munitions procurement, and what additional authorities or actions may Congress consider to help with this process?\n\nGiven that manufacturing lead times for critical munitions often span years, what is the realistic timeline for the restoration of inventories to pre-Iran War levels in February 2026? What is the realistic timeline for bolstering the inventory of critical munitions to the level required by U.S. Pacific Command’s operational plan (OPLAN) related to a potential conflict with China over Taiwan?\n\nThe cost disparity between expensive U.S. missile interceptors and cheap one-way attack drones has been highlighted in the Iran War, with the cost ratio often exceeding 100 to 1, an unsustainable amount not only for this illegal war, but also potential wars of the future with near-peer competitors. What steps is the Department taking to actively develop and procure cheaper low-cost interceptors and offensive strike missiles in order to address this problem?\n\nI appreciate your prompt attention to these questions and expect a timely and complete response.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hoeven-senate-passes-legislation-to-hold-purchasers-of-russian-oil-accountable", "title": "Hoeven: Senate Passes Legislation to Hold Purchasers of Russian Oil Accountable", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.hoeven.senate.gov", "scraper": "hoeven", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001061", "name": "John Hoeven", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after the Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, legislation that was negotiated by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and the White House to hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. Hoeven joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Senator Darline Graham (R-S.C.) and a bipartisan group of their Senate colleagues in introducing the legislation earlier this month.\n\nSenator Lindsey Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the effort and secured an agreement with the White House on July 10, just before his death. Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham first introduced legislation to bring primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine in April 2025 and have spent the last year building support for the effort in Congress and with the Trump administration.\n\n“Russia relies on oil and gas revenue to fund its war against Ukraine, and those enabling this aggression should be held accountable,” said Hoeven. “This bipartisan legislation will strengthen sanctions to increase pressure on Russia, reduce the resources fueling Putin’s aggression, and help advance peace. Lindsey dedicated tremendous effort to moving this legislation forward, and its passage in the Senate is a fitting tribute to his legacy.”\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 imposes primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. These sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, Russian banks and financial institutions and the Russian Shadow Fleet. The legislation also directs the President to impose up to 100 percent tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy most of the Russian oil and gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion. This bill limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and gas.\n\nFull text of the legislation can be found here.\n\n-###-", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-backed-russia-sanctions-bill-passes-senate/", "title": "Husted-backed Russia sanctions bill passes Senate", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.husted.senate.gov", "scraper": "husted", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001104", "name": "Jon Husted", "party": "Republican", "state": "OH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“With support from the White House and a bipartisan group of senators, we are sending a clear message to Vladimir Putin: America stands with Ukraine, and we will continue working to bring this unjust war to a durable end.”\n\nWASHINGTON – The Senate today passed the Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) backed bipartisan Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, a bill that would strengthen sanctions on Russia and entities supporting its war in Ukraine.\n\nThe bill aims to disrupt Russia’s ability to sustain its war in Ukraine through the export of energy products. It would sanction key sectors of Russia’s war economy, including its shadow fleet—which is used to export oil despite sanctions—and penalize countries like China that help fund the Russian invasion.\n\n“With support from the White House and a bipartisan group of senators, we are sending a clear message to Vladimir Putin: America stands with Ukraine, and we will continue working to bring this unjust war to a durable end. For years, Senator Lindsey Graham led the effort to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom and hold Russia accountable for their aggression. This bill honors his legacy by tightening sanctions on the energy exports and financial tools that sustain the Russian war machine. I look forward to seeing this bill pass the House of Representatives and signed into law,” said Husted.\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 has over 60 cosponsors in the United States Senate.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, Russian banks and financial institutions and the Russian shadow fleet.\n\nThe legislation also directs the president to impose up to 100 percent tariffs the top five importers of Russian crude oil or natural gas. It contains a waiver, consistent with other mandatory sanctions legislation, allowing the President to waive sanctions, restrictions or duties upon after certifying to Congress that such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States. The bill also includes an exception for countries that import less than 15 percent of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-senate-passage-of-russia-sanctions-bill", "title": "Kaine Statement on Senate Passage of Russia Sanctions Bill", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "domain": "www.kaine.senate.gov", "scraper": "kaine", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000384", "name": "Tim Kaine", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement after the Senate passed comprehensive Russia sanctions legislation he cosponsored:\n\n“I was in Ukraine last month for the second time since Putin’s brutal full-scale invasion, and it was clear that the Ukrainian people’s resilience and patriotism are unwavering, and they are demonstrating real expertise on the battlefield. At the same time, Russians are becoming increasingly exhausted by Putin’s war, which his own finance officials have told him he can’t afford. Now is the perfect time for the United States to bring down the full force of comprehensive sanctions on Russia, and I’m proud that the Senate took an important step forward today by passing this legislation.”\n\nThe bill must next be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-kelly-speaks-with-arizona-community-health-centers-about-protecting-affordable-accessible-health-care/", "title": "ICYMI: Kelly Speaks with Arizona Community Health Centers about Protecting Affordable, Accessible Health Care", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.kelly.senate.gov", "scraper": "markkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000377", "name": "Mark Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "In case you missed it, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly joined the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers (AACHC) for a conversation in celebration of National Health Center Week. He discussed the essential role community health centers play in keeping Arizonans healthy in the face of harmful cuts to Medicaid and SNAP included in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”\n\nSen. Kelly speaks to members of the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers.\n\nWatch the full conversation here. See key excerpts below:\n\nOn why community health centers are more critical than ever after Republicanpassed cuts to Medicaid…\n\n“In the richest country in the world, and at the richest time for this country, hardworking people should be able to take their kids to a doctor, they should be able to get a prescription medication and get preventive care before a manageable health problem becomes a crisis. That’s what community health centers do every day.\n\n“Over the past year and a half, as we work to fight against cuts to Medicaid and SNAP that were included in Donald Trump’s bill—I don’t like calling it the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill—I asked Arizonans to share with me what those cuts would mean to them and their families. I traveled all over the state, and I heard from kids, I heard from parents, and seniors who told me some heartbreaking stories about the impact that these cuts had on them and had on their lives. And I took these stories back to Washington and shared them on the Senate floor and I talked with my Republican and Democratic colleagues about the people I met because I wanted them to understand that this wasn’t about a budget line, it was about real people.\n\n“We put up a pretty good fight, but as everyone knows, my Republican colleagues, they passed these cuts in the biggest tax break for billionaires I’ve ever seen, and this tax break for billionaires were on the backs of hardworking Americans.”\n\nOn the impact of Republican cuts on rural hospitals and maternity care…\n\n“I worry about the impact these Medicaid cuts are going to have—not only on community health centers, on hospitals that have specialized services. I’ve heard from hospital CEOs how they might have to get rid of their OB/GYN clinic in a rural area. What are the options that these women have? It’s like drive three hours for delivery, that might work in some cases but not for pregnancies that are not going right.\n\n“Millions of Americans are about to lose their health care safety net and food benefits at the same time. It’s because Donald Trump and Republicans in the House and the Senate wanted to give a big tax cut—70 percent of it goes to millionaires and billionaires. That’s why this happened. They prioritized a handful of rich people over millions of Americans that were having a hard time affording their lives, it’s wrong.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-colleagues-push-to-stop-trump-from-hiding-the-true-cost-of-the-iran-war-and-dishonoring-the-sacrifices-of-our-heroes/", "title": "Kelly, Colleagues Push to Stop Trump from Hiding the True Cost of the Iran War and Dishonoring the Sacrifices of Our Heroes", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.kelly.senate.gov", "scraper": "markkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000377", "name": "Mark Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and 16 of their Senate Democratic colleagues introduced the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act, legislation that would stop Donald Trump’s attempt to hide how long his illegal war against Iran has lasted, dishonor the sacrifice of our troops injured and killed in combat, and hide the true cost of his war from the American people.\n\nThe bill introduction comes after the Pentagon unprecedentedly recategorized recent casualties suffered in Trump’s Iran war—including four killed and over 200 wounded servicemembers—under a separate category outside Operation Epic Fury in a shameless attempt to downplay the damage done and evade accountability to the American people.\n\nKelly has been outspoken about the war since it began, criticizing the administration for launching it without a clearly defined strategy or exit plan. In July, Kelly demanded from Pete Hegseth a full and accurate accounting of all servicemembers who were killed, wounded, and injured in support or in connection with Operation Epic Fury.\n\n“Every American who puts on the uniform and serves our country deserves to have their sacrifice recognized and their family deserves every benefit they’ve earned. No administration should be able to hide the true human cost of war by reclassifying casualties or manipulating the record,” said Kelly. “Those killed, wounded, or injured must be counted and honored, and their families and the American people deserve an honest accounting of what happened.”\n\n“I refuse to let Donald Trump dishonor the service of our heroes just because it benefits him politically to lie about the length of this illegal campaign and hide the true cost of his war from the American people,” said Duckworth. “Trump knows his war of choice is unpopular, which is why he’s manipulating casualty records to try and fool the public into believing it’s been less of a disaster. It’s an insult to our fallen heroes, and it could jeopardize the benefits of troops and civilians he continues to put in harm’s way. Our brave men and women in uniform deserve accountability, not a Commander in Chief who plays games with their sacrifices.”\n\n“It is a disgrace that this administration is trying to hide deaths of the men and women who gave their lives serving this country,” said Gallego. “Trump has got us into another forever war that has jacked up gas prices, and instead of being focused on ending it, he is fudging the numbers for good PR. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so that our servicemembers and their families are never disrespected like this again.”\n\n“It’s outrageous the Administration would try to shortchange our troops and their families from receiving the full benefits that they have earned through service and sacrifice,” said Shaheen. “Because President Trump and Secretary Hegseth started a war they don’t know how to end, they’re trying to obscure the real costs of it—all while service members’ benefits hang in the balance. Our bill would ensure these brave patriots and their families receive the full support that they are due.”\n\n“Time and time again the Trump Administration has contradicted themselves, withheld information, and misled Congress and the American people about the reality of this war,” said Peters. “They are failing the brave men and women who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe. I’m proud to support this bill because the American people deserve answers and the roughly 40,000 U.S. servicemembers serving in the region deserve leadership.”\n\n“While the Trump regime claims to support our servicemembers, their actions tell a far more sinister story,” said Hirono. “Instead of honoring the brave servicemembers who are being killed and injured, this regime is obscuring the truth and hiding the real cost of this illegal war—all to evade accountability from the American people. This regime claims to value transparency, and this legislation demands they actually deliver it.”\n\n“We owe our servicemembers a debt that we can never truly repay,” said Van Hollen. “Instead of honoring them, Trump and Secretary Hegseth are manipulating casualty records and jeopardizing the benefits servicemembers and their families are owed for their sacrifices. Trump’s illegal Iran war has been a complete blunder – and we cannot let this Administration harm military families in an attempt to hide from their mistakes. With this legislation, we ensure our men and women in uniform are shown the respect they deserve and that they receive the full honors and benefits that they and their families are owed.”\n\n“Trump’s illegal war with Iran has cost us dearly, and now he’s trying to rewrite history to better serve his agenda,” said Merkley. “I’m holding in my heart the families and loved ones of the American servicemembers killed in Iran and will keep pushing to end Trump’s war of choice.”\n\n“The Trump Administration’s decision to reclassify the deaths of four service members and the injuries of more than 200 is not only dishonest; it is an affront to the service and sacrifice these men and women, and their families, have made,” said Bennet. “Our legislation will stop this administration from obscuring the continuing cost of President Trump’s ongoing war with Iran and, more importantly, will provide confirmation that those who have answered the call to duty and their families will receive the rightful benefits and recognition they are owed.”\n\n“Manipulating casualty records for political purposes is a despicable disservice to brave heroes,” said Blumenthal. “President Trump’s denial of rightful status to four American servicemembers killed during the war in Iran is not only disrespectful – it could also deprive them and their families of benefits and recognition. There is no reason for this abhorrent action other than obfuscating and concealing the true costs of war – and it must be stopped.”\n\n“I join Senator Duckworth’s effort to honor the solemn promise we make to our fallen heroes and servicemembers and make sure they aren’t caught up in the Trump administration’s lies around the Iran War,” said Kim. “We must take steps to ensure political charades never get in the way of the benefits our military and their families deserve and ensure no administration going forward can manipulate service records.”\n\n“Time and again, this Administration has tried to conceal its failures in Iran behind the courage of the brave Americans it placed in harm’s way,” said Alsobrooks. “Now it is attempting to obscure the deaths and injuries of our service members—and that is not only hypocritical, but unconscionable. Our legislation demands accountability. It will restore casualty records, ensure the American people are told the truth about this war, and secure the benefits and honors our military and civilian personnel have earned. We will not allow any Administration to diminish the service, sacrifice, or memory of those who answered our nation’s call.”\n\n“Anyone who steps up to serve our nation and put themselves in harm’s way deserves our utmost respect and gratitude,” said Schatz. “The Trump administration’s attempts to hide the true death toll in the war on Iran and jeopardize hard-earned benefits for troops and civilians is shameful. Our bill will help ensure the integrity of casualty records and protect benefits for those who serve.”\n\nBackground:\n\nTo ban the Secretary of Defense from hiding the true cost of war, the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act specifically:\n\nBans Arbitrary, Unjustified Recategorizing of Designated Contingency Operations by prohibiting redesignating an ongoing conflict if the Administration continues to mobilize forces against the same enemy;\n\nPrevents Manipulation of Casualty Records by prohibiting manipulation of casualty records by falsely redesignating a contingency operation;\n\nRestores Casualty Records of Our Fallen and Wounded Heroes in the Iran War by requiring restoration of casualty records for Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026, and notify next-of-kin about the correction;\n\nBans Cutting Hard-Earned Benefits for Troops and Civilian Personnel by prohibiting the modification of eligibility for deployment-related personnel benefits on the basis of falsely redesignating a contingency operation; and\n\nRestores Benefits to Personnel Supporting Iran War by retroactively restoring all covered benefits entitled to members of the Armed Services and civilian employees who have supported Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026.\n\nIn addition to Kelly and Duckworth, the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act is cosponsored by Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), John Fetterman (D-PA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-statement-on-senate-passage-of-bipartisan-russia-sanctions-legislation/", "title": "Kelly Statement on Senate Passage of Bipartisan Russia Sanctions Legislation", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.kelly.senate.gov", "scraper": "markkelly", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000377", "name": "Mark Kelly", "party": "Democrat", "state": "AZ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, Arizona Senator and Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly released a statement following the Senate passage of the bipartisan Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, legislation to strengthen sanctions on Russia and hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. The vote was 86-11. Kelly and more than 60 of his Senate colleagues introduced the legislation last month.\n\n“The fastest way to end Russia’s illegal war is to cut off the money Putin is using to fuel it. Today, Republicans and Democrats came together to pass tougher sanctions that put pressure on Putin and those helping finance his war. This is a critical step securing a lasting peace that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty and strengthens U.S. national security.\n\n“I’ve been to Ukraine four times since this war began and have seen firsthand what’s at stake. This vote demonstrated that the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine and hold Russia accountable. I urge the House of Representatives to pass this bipartisan legislation quickly so we can keep up the pressure and bring this war to an end.”\n\nBackground:", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.kim.senate.gov/press_release/senator-kim-votes-to-support-ukraine-through-new-sanctions-on-russia/", "title": "Senator Kim Votes to Support Ukraine through New Sanctions on Russia", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.kim.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.kim.senate.gov", "scraper": "kim", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000394", "name": "Andy Kim", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) released the following statement after voting yes to increase pressure on Russia with new sanctions:\n\n“I voted yes on this bill to intensify pressure on Russia to end their illegal and immoral war against Ukraine. This is a critical moment as Ukraine has been delivering heavy blows against Russian forces. I have deep concerns about the inclusion of tariffs and fought hard to remove them. Having worked in war zones, I know the complex challenges that arise; I felt this legislation still was important to help Ukraine win this war. This moment demands that we stand with Ukraine and stand up against Putin.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=7491FB0D-6663-4359-AEE3-04D8F655744D", "title": "Klobuchar, Gillibrand Introduce Bill to Build More Accessible, Affordable Housing", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "domain": "www.klobuchar.senate.gov", "scraper": "klobuchar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000367", "name": "Amy Klobuchar", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "The legislation would increase the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and expand development of accessible housing for seniors and people with disabilities\n\nWASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act to strengthen the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to expand the supply of affordable, accessible housing for older adults and people with disabilities. U.S. Representatives Dwight Evans (D-PA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced companion legislation in the House.\n\n“For far too many Americans living with disabilities and older adults with mobility issues, safe housing is out of reach due to a lack of affordable and accessible options,” said Klobuchar. “This legislation would increase the number of new homes that are located in walkable or wheelchair-friendly communities to increase access to housing for all.”\n\n“As our aging population continues to grow, it is critical that we invest in affordable housing units with accessible features,” said Gillibrand. “The VITAL Act would help ensure that affordable housing meets the mobility and accessibility needs of New York seniors and people with disabilities, allowing them to age comfortably in the communities of their choice. As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, I am proud to lead this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support it.”\n\n“About 26 percent of people in the United States have a disability, yet less than 6 percent of the national housing supply is designed to be accessible at even a basic level. This bill would change that by expanding low-income housing tax credits to make affordable housing more accessible for seniors and people with disabilities. The need for accessible housing will only continue to grow as America’s senior population grows! I want to thank Congressman Fitzpatrick and Senators Klobuchar and Gillibrand for partnering on this much-needed bill,” said Evans.\n\n“As we work to increase housing supply and make homes more affordable, we must also build with the needs of our seniors and Americans with disabilities in mind. The VITAL Act uses the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to promote accessible, adaptable homes in communities connected to transportation and essential services. This legislation reflects the kind of housing policy I will always champion—one that strengthens independence, expands opportunity, and helps every person live with dignity,” said Fitzpatrick.\n\nAlong with Klobuchar and Gillibrand, the VITAL Act was cosponsored by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Peter Welch (D-VT).\n\nThe LIHTC is a federal program providing tax credits to developers who build new housing for low-income renters. The VITAL Act would increase state LIHTC allocations, provide an enhanced tax credit for qualifying affordable housing developments that include accessible units for people with disabilities in walkable communities, and incentivize state housing finance agencies to prioritize the development of more accessible housing.\n\nThe VITAL Act is endorsed by The Kelsey, LeadingAge, Pathways to Housing PA, TriageCancer, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Liberty Housing Development Corporation, National Council on Independent Living, National Disability Rights Network, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, The Arc of the United States, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, Justice in Aging, National Housing Law Project, National Council on Aging, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National NeighborWorks Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, TASH, ANCOR, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, The Amputee Coalition, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, YIMBY Action, Disability Empowerment Center of Lancaster PA, American Foundation of the Blind, America Walks, National Homelessness Law Center, Caring Across Generations, National Association of the Deaf, Community Solutions, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), American Council of the Blind, HDC MidAtlantic, New Disabled South, and Autism Speaks.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-defends-age-verification-laws-to-protect-children-from-explicit-content/", "title": "Lankford Defends Age Verification Laws to Protect Children from Explicit Content", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.lankford.senate.gov", "scraper": "lankford", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000575", "name": "James Lankford", "party": "Republican", "state": "OK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Chair of the Senate Values Action Team, today sent a letter to Pornhub after the company’s July 28 letter urged state lawmakers to reject age verification laws that protect children from online explicit content.\n\nYou can read the full text of the letter HERE or below. Learn more in Fox News HERE.\n\nDear Mr. Friedman,\n\nI write in response to the disgraceful letter Pornhub sent to state lawmakers on July 28th. The letter strongly urged against passage of age verification laws and further revealed the fact that Pornhub has no interest in protecting children.\n\nPornhub preys on children. It exposes them to horrific sexual content and does nothing to ensure that children are not sexually abused in the content it hosts. Pornhub’s letter suggests that tech companies should be responsible for protecting children from pornography. Lawmakers can and should hold tech companies accountable for the harm they pose to children. But that should not preclude state and federal lawmakers from holding platforms like Pornhub accountable for the harm it causes. Pornhub’s letter fails to say the quiet part out loud: Pornhub would lose customers if children were prohibited from viewing its content.\n\nThe American Psychological Association found that the average age of pornography exposure among boys was 13.37 years old with the youngest exposure at 5 years old. 43.5% of men reported that their first exposure was accidental and 17.2% of men reported that their first exposure was forced. Our children, especially young boys, deserve better than this. It should not be controversial that children deserve a childhood that is free from pornography.\n\nAge verification laws are an important piece of making the internet safer for children. It is not the only solution to combat this problem, but it is an important start. Pornhub’s letter argues that age verification laws increase privacy risks for adults. But as you know, many state laws require platforms to delete personal information as soon as the age verification is complete. For example, Oklahoma law prohibits platforms from retaining any information after access is granted and imposes penalties on platforms who do not comply. The Age Verification Providers Association, which represents almost 30 organizations that provide age verification technology, have explained in detail the privacy protections that are built into these systems. These methods even complied with the EU’s stringent privacy requirements and are no more invasive than an in-person age check.\n\nThe Supreme Court affirmed in Free Speech Coalition vs. Paxton that these types of laws do not unreasonably burden adults and that the state has a legitimate interest in protecting children from these images. Pornhub’s letter complains that consumers do not want to go through age verification to access its content. But this is a small price to pay to protect children from harmful content.\n\nMy colleagues and I are working hard to address the harms to children online. We will not stop until we hold companies like Pornhub accountable. It is our duty to protect the most vulnerable in our society.\n\nParents today face an uphill battle when it comes to protecting their children online. Age verification is one simple step platforms can take to help preserve childhood innocence. This is especially true for platforms that host violent and perverse sexual content. Pornhub should be ashamed of its letter to state lawmakers and ashamed that they do nothing to protect children.\n\nIn God We Trust,\n\n[X]\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-leads-colleagues-in-introducing-bill-to-strengthen-and-protect-the-ministry-of-military-chaplains/", "title": "Lankford Leads Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Strengthen and Protect the Ministry of Military Chaplains", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.lankford.senate.gov", "scraper": "lankford", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000575", "name": "James Lankford", "party": "Republican", "state": "OK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced the Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026 (MCMA) to codify the purpose, role, duties, and professional qualifications of military chaplains and to protect chaplains from being forced to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.\n\n“For our country’s 250-year history, military chaplains have walked alongside our service members through the hardest moments of their lives, offering prayer, counsel, and hope in isolated posts and combat zones alike,” said Lankford. “Chaplains serve because they are called to it. Congress has a responsibility to make sure they can carry out that calling faithfully, without being forced to violate the tenets of their faith and without fear of retaliation for holding to what they believe. This bill honors the men and women who minister to our heroes who defend our nation.”\n\n“Military chaplains shouldn’t have to check their faith at the door when they put on the uniform,” said Cramer. “They play a vital role in supporting the moral and spiritual well-being of our servicemembers, and their ministry and the men and women they serve are strengthened because of their faith. This legislation protects their ability to minister according to their beliefs and ensures those freedoms are always preserved.”\n\n“Military chaplains provide a vital service to the patriots who sacrifice for our country every day. By standardizing a chaplain’s role, this commonsense legislation clarifies their duties and protects chaplains from unfair censorship. Like all Americans, our men and women in uniform have the God-given right to observe their religious beliefs, especially as they put their own lives on the line to defend our nation. Our legislation reinforces those rights,” said Grassley.\n\n“Military chaplains serve a unique and important role in our armed forces, providing spiritual guidance to our men and women in uniform. That is why it is imperative that their deeply held religious beliefs must be protected throughout their time in the military. I’m proud to support this legislation and the faith leaders who serve in our Armed Forces,”said Britt.\n\nBackground\n\nJoining Lankford in cosponsoring the legislation are Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Katie Britt (R-AL). The bill has been included in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and is being led on the House side by Rep. Keith Self (R-TX-03).\n\nThe bill is also supported by the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, which provides advice and recommendations to Department of War (DOW) officials on matters of religious exercise.\n\nLankford has a long record of protecting religious liberty in the military. In the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA, Lankford secured language requiring every branch of the military to implement training for military leaders and service members on federal laws, DOW instructions, and regulations regarding religious liberty and accommodation. That training language was implemented in the Fiscal Year 2021 NDAA. The MCMA builds on that foundation by codifying protections for the chaplains who minister to service members every day.\n\nThe Military Chaplains Modernization Act:\n\nCodifies the purpose, role, duties, and professional qualifications of chaplains across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force.\n\nGuarantees that chaplains may conduct worship, provide counseling, teach, deliver sermons, minister, and offer prayer in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs and the tenets of their religious-endorsing organization, free from censorship, undue restriction, or fear of retribution.\n\nProhibits any member of the Armed Forces from requiring or assigning a chaplain to perform any rite, ritual, ceremony, sermon, speech, task, or action contrary to the chaplain’s sincerely held religious beliefs.\n\nProtects chaplains from retaliation or adverse personnel actions, including denial of promotion, letters of reprimand, and negative entries in the chaplain’s record, for refusing to violate their beliefs.\n\nEstablishes that violations are subject to prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.\n\nCodifies the ranks and roles of the Chief of Chaplains and Deputy Chief of Chaplains as principal advisors to their respective service Secretaries and Chiefs of Staff.\n\nYou can download the full bill text HERE and learn more in the Washington Stand HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-lee-introduce-the-ballots-by-election-day-act-to-restore-confidence-in-federal-elections/", "title": "Lankford, Lee Introduce the Ballots by Election Day Act to Restore Confidence in Federal Elections", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.lankford.senate.gov", "scraper": "lankford", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000575", "name": "James Lankford", "party": "Republican", "state": "OK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the Ballots by Election Day Act to require that all absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections be received by the time polls close on Election Day.\n\nIn Watson v. Republican National Committee, the US Supreme Court upheld Mississippi’s law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to five days after and held that federal election-day statutes do not set a deadline for ballot receipt. The Ballots by Election Day Act legislatively closes that gap by setting a uniform federal deadline that requires ballots to be in the hands of election officials by the time polls close.\n\n“Election Day should mean Election Day,” said Lankford. “Americans should not have to wait days or weeks while states like California keep counting ballots. The SAVE Act, this bill, and every other effort to secure our elections are about the same thing: making sure the American people can trust the results. If your ballot is going to count, it needs to be in the hands of election officials by the time the polls close.”\n\n“Congress holds the constitutional authority to set the times, places, and manner of federal elections,” said Lee. “States counting late ballots are inviting fraud and sowing doubt in their own election results. Our bill will clarify protocol and restore trust by counting only ballots received before the polls close on election day.”\n\nBackground\n\nCurrently, states set their own deadlines for receipt of absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections, with some states accepting ballots for days after Election Day so long as they are postmarked by Election Day. In Watson v. Republican National Committee, the Supreme Court held that federal law does not currently prohibit states from counting late-arriving ballots. The Ballots by Election Day Act would establish a uniform federal deadline for receipt of ballots in federal elections.\n\nThe Ballots by Election Day Act:\n\nAmends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require that absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections be received by the appropriate election official no later than the time polls close on Election Day.\n\nProhibits states from counting absentee or mail-in ballots received after polls close on Election Day.\n\nPreserves existing protections for absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).\n\nApplies to federal elections held in 2027 and every year thereafter.\n\nLankford is an original cosponsor of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act and the SAVE America Act and has voted for the SAVE Act six times on the Senate floor.\n\nYou can download the full bill text HERE and can learn more in Fox News HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-shaheen-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-sanction-hezbollah-and-strengthen-lebanons-sovereignty/", "title": "Lankford, Shaheen Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Sanction Hezbollah and Strengthen Lebanon’s Sovereignty", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "page_html", "source": "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.lankford.senate.gov", "scraper": "lankford", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000575", "name": "James Lankford", "party": "Republican", "state": "OK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act, legislation to support Lebanon’s rule of law and democratic institutions through targeted sanctions, support for expanding the state’s civil authority, and security assistance to help the Lebanese state establish a monopoly of force over its territory, disarm Hezbollah, integrate communities into the state and free Lebanon from Iran’s malign influence.\n\n“For decades, Iran has used Hezbollah to destabilize Lebanon, Israel, and threaten Americans who live in the region, but President Trump has created a real opening for change by bringing Israel and Lebanon to the table for the first direct talks in 30 years,” said Lankford. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act with Senator Shaheen. Our bill imposes tough sanctions on the network financing Hezbollah and provides security assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces. A sovereign Lebanon protects Lebanese, Israeli, and American citizens living in the region, and puts real pressure on the terrorists.”\n\n“For the first time in decades, Lebanon has a real chance to reclaim its sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and break free from Iran’s malign influence, but success depends on sustained American support,” said Shaheen. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act with Senator Lankford. It combines tough sanctions on Hezbollah’s enablers with targeted security and recovery assistance as well as congressional oversight. This legislation helps the Lebanese state extend its authority and build toward a peaceful future with its neighbors. A sovereign, stable Lebanon is firmly in America’s interests, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.”\n\nBackground\n\nThe Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act seizes on the opportunity presented by direct negotiations and the trilateral framework between the United States, Israel, and Lebanon to ensure the disarmament of Hezbollah, integrate Lebanese communities previously reliant on Hezbollah into the Lebanese state, and build toward peaceful relations between Lebanon and Israel.\n\nAfter years of Iranian proxy influence through Hezbollah, a banking sector crisis and challenges in government formation, Lebanon’s reform-minded government represents the best chance in decades to secure a safe and prosperous future. While the Lebanese Armed Forces, with US support to coordinate with the Israel Defense Forces, have made progress in disarming Hezbollah, Iran’s illicit financing and support of the group remains a significant impediment to completing that effort. Deepening this crisis, an estimated 1.2 million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon, risking another regional crisis.\n\nThe Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act would:\n\nImpose sanctions on foreign persons who support Iran’s financing of Hezbollah or obstruct Lebanon’s efforts to disarm the group and reform its financial sector. Sanctions include blocking of property, financial transaction prohibitions and visa ineligibility, with exceptions for humanitarian assistance.\n\nSupport stabilization by continuing humanitarian assistance and establishing an incentive fund for recovery of infrastructure and civil services run by the state, as opposed to Hezbollah.\n\nAuthorize $200 million annually in security assistance to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces, conditioned on demonstrated progress against Hezbollah and with the opportunity to increase to $300 million annually if there is sufficient progress, including Foreign Military Financing and support to interdict weapons, Captagon and other illicit goods that fund the group.\n\nRequire recurring oversight, including reporting on Lebanon’s progress in disarming Hezbollah, a strategy for use of stabilization and security funds to provide Lebanese communities with an alternative to Hezbollah, efforts to secure funding from international donors, US efforts to coordinate between the Lebanese Armed Forces and Israel Defense Forces, banking-sector reform and progress toward peaceful relations between Lebanon and Israel.\n\nYou can download the full bill text HERE and a one pager of the bill can be found HERE. You can learn more in Bloomberg HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/8/lee-cosponsors-ballots-by-election-day-act-to-restore-confidence-in-federal-elections", "title": "Lee Cosponsors Ballots by Election Day Act to Restore Confidence in Federal Elections", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lee.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.lee.senate.gov", "scraper": "mikelee", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000577", "name": "Mike Lee", "party": "Republican", "state": "UT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored the Ballots by Election Day Act with Senator James Lankford (R-OK) to require that all absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections be received by the time polls close on Election Day in order to be counted.\n\n“Congress holds the constitutional authority to set the times, places, and manner of federal elections,” said Senator Mike Lee. “States counting late ballots are inviting fraud and sowing doubt in their own election results. Our bill will clarify protocol and restore trust by counting only ballots received before the polls close on election day.”\n\n\"Election Day should mean Election Day,\" said Senator James Lankford. \"Americans should not have to wait days or weeks while states like California keep counting ballots. The SAVE Act, this bill, and every other effort to secure our elections are about the same thing: making sure the American people can trust the results. If your ballot is going to count, it needs to be in the hands of election officials by the time the polls close.\"\n\nBackground\n\nIn Watson v. Republican National Committee, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to five days later and held that federal election-day statutes do not set a deadline for ballot receipt. The Ballots by Election Day Act legislatively closes this gap by setting a uniform federal deadline that requires ballots to be in the hands of election officials by the time polls close to be counted as valid.\n\nThe Ballots by Election Day Act:\n\nAmends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require that absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections be received by the appropriate election official no later than the time polls close on Election Day.\n\nProhibits states from counting absentee or mail-in ballots received after polls close on Election Day.\n\nPreserves existing protections for absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).\n\nApplies to federal elections held in 2027 and every year thereafter.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\nRead exclusive coverage by Fox News here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-kaine-lead-legislation-to-expand-access-to-home-and-community-based-care-for-older-adults-and-people-with-disabilities/", "title": "Luján, Kaine Lead Legislation to Expand Access to Home and Community-Based Care for Older Adults and People with Disabilities", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Access Act, legislation to ensure older adults and people with disabilities have a real choice between receiving long-term care at home or in institutional settings. The legislation would make home and community-based care a mandatory Medicaid benefit, gradually eliminate waiting lists for services, strengthen the home and community-based care workforce, and provide greater support for family caregivers.\n\nUnder current Medicaid policy, many older adults and people with disabilities have access to nursing homes and other institutional care, but if they want to remain in their home and community, access to home and community-based services often depends on state waiver programs that can leave people waiting years — or even decades — for the care they need. The HCBS Access Act would expand access to home and community-based care and ensure that people who want to stay in their home and receive care can.\n\n“Every American deserves the opportunity to receive care in the place they call home,” said Senator Luján. “Far too many older adults and people with disabilities are forced into getting care in a setting far from home, not because it’s what they want, but because it’s the only option they have. My legislation would give families the freedom to choose the care that best meets their needs, while strengthening the caregiving workforce and providing critical support for family caregivers.”\n\n“Many Virginians want to age with dignity in their homes, where they can remain connected with their family, friends, and community,” said Senator Kaine. “The HCBS Access Act will help give millions of people the opportunity to receive essential at-home services, while boosting support for the family caregivers and direct care workers who make independent living possible. I’m proud to support this legislation to help put at-home care within reach for more Virginians.”\n\nSpecifically, the Home and Community-Based Services Access Act would:\n\nMake HCBS a mandatory Medicaid benefit, ensuring eligible individuals can choose between receiving care at home or in an institutional setting.\n\nEliminate the need for administratively burdensome Medicaid HCBS waiver programs.\n\nIncrease federal Medicaid funding for home and community-based services.\n\nProvide grants to help states expand their HCBS capacity and reduce waiting lists.\n\nStrengthen the direct care workforce by improving job quality, stability, and workforce availability.\n\nSupport states in providing caregiving workers with stable, quality jobs and living wages.\n\nExpand training and support for family caregivers.\n\nImprove oversight and quality assurance for home and community-based services.\n\nIn addition to Luján and Kaine the HCBS Access Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.).\n\nThe Home and Community-Based Services Access Act is supported by Justice in Aging, National Health Law Program, PHI, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Caring Across, National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), Autism Society of America, The Arc of the United States, Well Spouse Association, Little Lobbyists, Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, CommunicationFIRST, Independence Center, Cure SMA, Lakeshore Foundation, American Association on Health and Disability, Care in Action, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), National Alliance for Caregiving, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD), Easterseals, Autism Speaks, ANCOR, ADAPT, and MomsRising.\n\nSupporting quotes can be found here.\n\nFull bill text is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-help-committee-push-justice-department-to-hold-steward-healthcare-ceo-ralph-de-la-torre-accountable-for-corporate-greed", "title": "Markey, HELP Committee Push Justice Department to Hold Steward Healthcare CEO Ralph de la Torre Accountable for Corporate Greed", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington (August 7, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, today released the following statement as the Department of Justice continues to ignore the Senate’s unanimous criminal contempt referral for Steward Health Care CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre. De la Torre failed to respond to a subpoena issued by the Senate HELP committee in September 2024. Senator Markey and the HELP Committee continue to call on the Department of Justice to hold Dr. de la Torre accountable for his mismanagement and dangerous self-interest.\n\n“Dr. Ralph de la Torre looted Steward Health Care for his own personal gain, including selling land out from under hospitals while he bought a yacht and lavish homes. His greed led to patient deaths, unpaid workers and vendors, and communities losing critical health services. The Senate unanimously voted to hold him in contempt of Congress, but de la Torre has yet to face accountability for his actions. The Department of Justice has dragged its feet for too long; it’s time they hold de la Torre responsible for the anguish he’s caused Massachusetts families.\n\n“Steward Health Care was an example - not the exception. The longer de la Torre evades responsibility, the more people will die. I will continue fighting for my Health Over Wealth Act and to get private equity out of health care. Massachusetts and our country deserve better.”\n\nIn July 2024, Senator Markey spoke at a press conference after Steward announced the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer and Carney Hospital in Dorchester. Earlier in the month, Senator Markey was joined by fifteen bipartisan colleagues in voting to subpoena Dr. de la Torre to compel him to appear before the HELP Committee and answer for the business practices of Steward Health and the role private equity and real estate investment trusts played in its bankruptcy. This was the first time the HELP Committee had issued a subpoena since 1981. Dr.de la Torre refused to appear. The HELP Committee voted to hold him in contempt on September 19, 2024. On September 25, 2024, the Senate voted to hold Dr. de la Torre in civil and criminal contempt of Congress.\n\nIn September 2024, Senator Markey unveiled “The Steward Health Care Report: How Corporate Greed Hurt Patients, Health Workers, and Communities.” The report spotlights patient and worker experiences, hospital quality data, and information on hospital closures in Massachusetts and around the country to document the devastating impacts of Steward’s mismanagement.\n\nIn June 2026, Senator Markey wrote to Keith Sonderling, Acting Secretary of the Department of Labor, raising the alarm for a proposed rule that would expose Americans’ retirement savings to greater risk by opening the door to expanded private equity investments in 401(k)s and other retirement plans. This extractive private equity model has led to the collapse of Steward Health Care, hospital closures, and mismanaged nursing homes.\n\nIn July 2026, Senator Markey and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) reintroduced the Health Over Wealth Act, legislation spurred by the Steward crisis that would require greater transparency into private equity firms and for-profit companies that own healthcare entities, including hospitals, nursing homes, and mental or behavioral health facilities. The bill would put safeguards in place to protect workers, patients, and health care quality, access, and safety; create stronger accountability measures for corporate greed; and close tax loopholes that benefit real estate investment trusts making money off of health care property.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-reintroduces-legislation-to-expedite-humanitarian-aid-to-the-people-of-north-korea", "title": "Senator Markey Reintroduces Legislation to Expedite Humanitarian Aid to the People of North Korea", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Bill Text (PDF)\n\nWashington (August 7, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) reintroduced the Enhancing North Korea Humanitarian Assistance Act of 2026, which would expedite the efforts of non-governmental organizations to provide lifesaving medical care, sanitation systems, and other essential humanitarian needs to the people of North Korea. The legislation would modify sanctions implementation at the United States Department of Treasury, Department of State, Department of Commerce, and the United Nations’ North Korea sanctions committee to ensure that assistance can reach those in need. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) cosponsors the legislation.\n\n“Sanctions on North Korea should target the oppressive Kim regime and its dangerous nuclear ambitions—not its vulnerable civilians who lack access to essential services and lifesaving care. Thousands across North Korea are without adequate medical treatment, clean water, and stable food supplies, not because we lack the will to help, but because of bureaucratic roadblocks that delay aid for months on end,” said Senator Markey. “The United States must cut through the red tape preventing the efforts of non-governmental organizations to provide such basic needs of North Koreans.”\n\nAs of 2025, roughly 11,800,000 people in North Korea are in urgent need of food assistance and roughly 10,400,000 need improved access to basic services, including health care, water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. Additionally, more than 45 percent of the population in North Korea is undernourished, and one-third of household drinking water is contaminated. Humanitarian groups address these essential needs—providing a lifeline for the North Korean people—but under the current sanctions regulations, they often get obstructed by bureaucratic roadblocks. For instance, the treatment of tuberculosis requires not just food and medicine, which are exempted from sanctions, but also basic materials to make temporary patient isolation wards. Even the laptops that humanitarian workers need for their projects can too easily trigger sanctions-related delays.\n\nSpecifically, the Enhancing North Korea Humanitarian Assistance Act of 2026 would:\n\nRequire the Treasury and Commerce Departments to expand narrow humanitarian sanctions exceptions to cover, among others, items that support humanitarian projects, beyond just food and medicine\n\nRequire the Treasury Department to report regularly on humanitarian license requests and comfort letters, including explanations for the denials, to encourage timely responses\n\nRequire the Treasury Department to issue plainly worded guidance to ensure that not only banks but also shippers, suppliers, and others involved in aid understand how to make use of humanitarian exemptions\n\nRequire the administration to use U.S. influence at the UN to push for changes that expedite humanitarian exemptions and ease application burdens for nongovernmental organizations\n\nRequire the State Department to brief Congress on actions that could simplify travel authorizations for legitimate humanitarian work in North Korea\n\n“Several decades of humanitarian cooperation in North Korea has shown us at AFSC how critical this work is,” said Austin Headrick, Asia Public Education and Advocacy Coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee. “We are grateful to Senator Markey for his leadership to address the challenges facing humanitarian cooperation with the Enhancing North Korea Humanitarian Assistance Act. This is an important step in ensuring life-saving supplies can reach the people who need them most.”\n\nSenator Markey has consistently advocated for the United States to uphold international law and support human rights and humanitarian protections around the world. Most recently on July 31, Senator Markey, along with Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), reintroduced the Turkey Human Rights Promotion Act of 2026 to promote democracy, defend human rights, and impose accountability on the Government of Turkey for systemic political repression and violations of international law.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-releases-new-comprehensive-report-under-the-radar-documenting-trumps-second-administration-stealth-attack-on-us-immigration-system", "title": "Senator Markey Releases New Comprehensive Report “Under the Radar” Documenting Trump’s Second Administration Stealth Attack on U.S. Immigration System", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Markey report reveals some of the most expansive and damaging measures have unfolded largely outside of public view\n\nReport Text (PDF)\n\nWashington (August 7, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today released a comprehensive new report, titled Under the Radar II: The Second Trump Administration’s Stealth Attack on the U.S. Immigration System, examining the second Trump administration’s quiet, systematic efforts to dismantle the U.S. immigration system. While many of the Trump administration’s immigration actions have made headlines since his inauguration day, some of the most expansive and damaging measures have unfolded largely outside of public view. Senator Markey’s report documents how the Administration has made “under-the-radar” policy and procedural changes to destabilize pathways to lawful presence, expand immigration enforcement, and reshape the immigration courts. The report follows Senator Markey’s “Under the Radar” report from May 2019, which exposed similar covert efforts by the first Trump administration to reshape the immigration system.\n\n“As our nation commemorates its 250th anniversary, we should be celebrating our identity as a nation of immigrants. Instead, the Trump administration is quietly gutting critical protections to systematically demonize and target our immigrant communities,” said Senator Markey. “This report shines a light on Trump’s cruel project to dismantle due process, strip immigrants of their lawful status, and turn our immigration courts into deportation machines. The Trump administration must be held accountable for its attacks on our immigrant neighbors.”\n\nSenator Markey’s report pulls back the curtain on the second Trump administration’s cruel immigration policy reforms. For instance, the Trump administration has moved to expand denaturalization, the process of revoking citizenship. The Administration instructed United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices in 2025 to refer between 100 to 200 denaturalization cases per month for litigation, an unprecedented escalation of a historically rarely used process. Denaturalization carries profound consequences for individuals and their family members, including loss of citizenship, statelessness, potential criminal charges, and exposure to removal. Stripping individuals of citizenship to fill quotas and serve the Administration’s mass deportation agenda is draconian and senseless.\n\nSenator Markey’s report is organized into three sections: “Destabilizing Lawful Pathways,” “Transforming Enforcement,” and “Reshaping Immigration Courts.” Topics covered in the report include:\n\nSection One: U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, Humanitarian Parole, Work Authorization, Protections for Workers Reporting Labor Violations, Deferred Action, Public Charge Inadmissibility, Affirmative Asylum System, Adjustment of Status Adjudications, Citizenship, Naturalization Oath Ceremonies, and Denaturalization.\n\nSection Two: Notice to Appear Issuance, Arrest Authority of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Alien Registration Requirements, Legal Representation, Expedited Removal, Prosecutorial Discretion and Administrative Closure, Detention, Bond Eligibility, and Agency Information Sharing.\n\nSection Three: Executive Office for Immigration Review, Politicization and Removal of Immigration Judges, Board of Immigration Appeals, Continuances and Docket Control, and Backlogs.\n\nSenator Markey has worked consistently to hold the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement regime accountable, and to demand transparency from ICE and DHS.\n\nOn July 28, Senator Markey led 11 colleagues in writing to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, DHS Secretary Mullin, and Defense Secretary Hegseth demanding to know whether the Trump administration plans to deploy armed federal law enforcement officers at polling sites during the November 2026 elections, an escalation of the Administration’s assault on free and fair elections that is clearly meant to intimidate voters.\n\nOn July 17, Senator Markey conducted an official unscheduled oversight visit at the ICE field office in Scarborough, Maine, where he demanded answers about the recent, nearby shooting and killing of 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Guerrero by an ICE officer.\n\nOn July 16, Senator Markey and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to the ICE Boston Field Office in Burlington, Massachusetts, demanding a full, transparent, and independent accounting of this killing, given the office’s direct jurisdiction over enforcement operations in Maine and New England.\n\nIn 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.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-mccormick-and-coonsintroduce-bipartisan-bill-to-strengthen-nih-mentorship-and-support-next-generation-of-biomedical-researchers/", "title": "SENATORS MCCORMICK AND COONS INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO STRENGTHEN NIH MENTORSHIP AND SUPPORT NEXT GENERATION OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCHERS", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.mccormick.senate.gov", "scraper": "davemccormick", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001243", "name": "David McCormick", "party": "Republican", "state": "PA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Chris Coons (D-DE) today introduced the NIH Mentorship Modernization Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen America’s scientific workforce pipeline by formalizing consistent, evidence-based mentorship standards across National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development and research training programs.\n\nThe biomedical research enterprise depends on a steady pipeline of talent, but too many early-stage investigators leave the field for the private sector before they ever reach an R01 grant, the traditional marker of an independent research career. This attrition point, the gap between early career development awards and R01-level funding, is one of the most vulnerable stages in a researcher’s career and a critical juncture where the nation risks losing its most promising scientific talent. Strong mentorship has been shown to help early-career researchers navigate this gap, stay in the research pipeline, and go on to lead their own research programs.\n\nThe legislation formalizes mentorship as a standard part of NIH-funded career development and training programs, giving young, accomplished researchers the structured support they need to remain in research rather than exit the industry. It builds on existing mentorship practices, preserves flexibility for research institutions, and minimizes unnecessary administrative burden by relying on NIH’s existing reporting requirements.\n\n“America’s leadership in biomedical research depends on developing the next generation of scientific talent,” said Senator McCormick. “Strong mentorship helps young researchers succeed, drives innovation, and ensures taxpayer investments in medical research deliver lasting results. As the fourth-largest recipient of NIH funding in the nation, Pennsylvania has a strong stake in maintaining a world-class biomedical research workforce. This bipartisan legislation strengthens that pipeline while giving institutions the flexibility they need to build on what already works.”\n\n“The next generation of scientists will contain the next generation of disease outbreaks and cure the next generation of illnesses, but first those scientists must be properly prepared for their careers,” said Senator Coons. “Mentorship is a powerful way of ensuring we have capable and qualified researchers to keep our nation healthy.”\n\nStudies consistently show that researchers with engaged mentors are more likely to remain in research careers, secure independent grant funding, publish impactful research, advance professionally, and report greater career satisfaction.\n\nThe National Institutes of Health supports thousands of early-career researchers through career development and research training awards. While many of these programs include mentored research experiences, mentorship expectations vary considerably across institutions.\n\nPennsylvania, which ranks fourth in the nation in NIH funding, is uniquely positioned to benefit from a stronger biomedical research workforce. In Fiscal Year 2024, NIH grants supported 21,740 Pennsylvania jobs and generated $5.31 billion in economic activity statewide. NIH-driven commercialization has also contributed to the creation of 3,710 Pennsylvania businesses and 97,374 jobs in the biopharmaceutical industry.\n\nAcross the country, NIH awarded $36.94 billion in research funding in Fiscal Year 2024, supporting 407,782 jobs and generating $94.58 billion in economic activity nationwide. Every $1 invested in NIH-funded research generates approximately $2.56 in economic activity, underscoring the importance of maintaining a strong pipeline of talented biomedical researchers.\n\nThe NIH Mentorship Modernization Act would:\n\nEstablish minimum, evidence-based mentorship standards for designated NIH career development, institutional training, fellowship, research education, and other research training awards.\n\nBuild on existing institutional mentorship programs by minimizing duplicative requirements and allowing comparable programs to satisfy NIH standards.\n\nRequire institutions to certify compliance with NIH mentorship standards while encouraging the dissemination of evidence-based mentorship practices across the biomedical research enterprise.\n\nAuthorize NIH to provide supplemental funding or other institutional support to help institutions implement the mentorship standards.\n\nRequire NIH to periodically review and update mentorship standards to reflect evolving evidence-based practices and applies the new framework prospectively, with a two-year implementation period and voluntary early adoption for existing award.\n\n“Last year, the NIH invested more than $2.6 billion across more than 3,700 research projects in Pennsylvania. These investments support early-stage discovery, clinical research, workforce development, and the commercialization of lifesaving treatment,” said Christopher P. Molineaux, President & CEO of Life Sciences Pennsylvania. “This legislation acknowledges the critical importance of training and mentorship in building the next generation of life sciences leaders and will help ensure Pennsylvania scientists, researchers and business leaders have the support and guidance necessary to advance groundbreaking research and innovation for patients.”\n\n“Mentorship is foundational to developing the next generation of biomedical researchers. By supporting mentor training and establishing clear standards, this legislation recognizes the critical role mentorship plays in helping trainees and early-career investigators and builds on the important work already underway across academic medicine to elevate mentorship as a core component of research training. Investing in mentorship is an investment in the future of biomedical discovery and patient care,” said Emma A. Meagher, MD, Senior Vice Dean, Clinical & Translational Research, Perelman School of Medicine and Vice President, University of Pennsylvania Health System.\n\nReview the full text of the bill for more information.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-mccormick-hickenlooper-hoeven-curtis-and-cortez-masto-introduce-legislation-to-strengthen-cybersecurity-for-rural-and-municipal-utilities/", "title": "SENATORS MCCORMICK, HICKENLOOPER, HOEVEN, CURTIS, AND CORTEZ MASTO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN CYBERSECURITY FOR RURAL AND MUNICIPAL UTILITIES", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.mccormick.senate.gov", "scraper": "davemccormick", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001243", "name": "David McCormick", "party": "Republican", "state": "PA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Curtis (R-UT), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, bipartisan legislation to reauthorize a critical federal grant program that helps rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities strengthen their cybersecurity defenses against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.\n\nThe legislation reauthorizes the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity (RMUC) Grant and Technical Assistance Program at the Department of Energy, which provides rural electric cooperatives and publicly owned utilities with the resources, technical assistance, and support they need to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks. The bill serves as the Senate companion to bipartisan legislation which unanimously passed the House of Representatives earlier this year.\n\n“America’s electric grid is a critical piece of our national security, and every utility—regardless of size or location—must have the resources to defend against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats,” said Senator McCormick. “Rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities serve millions of Americans, including communities across Pennsylvania, but often operate with fewer cybersecurity resources than larger utilities. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure they have the support they need to protect our energy infrastructure and keep the lights on.”\n\n“America needs clean, reliable, affordable, and secure energy,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “As cybersecurity threats continue to rise, our bill enables rural cooperatives and utilities to defend against sophisticated attacks, protect consumers, and keep energy affordable.”\n\n“Malicious actors and foreign adversaries are targeting America’s infrastructure, and that is why we introduced legislation to support electric cooperatives and utility providers as they work to harden critical energy infrastructure against cyberattacks. Doing so will help ensure the resilience of the electrical grid, supporting both our economic and national security while ensuring important services remain available in an era of increasing cyber threats,” said Senator Hoeven.\n\n“Our rural and municipal utilities are increasingly on the front lines of protecting the electric grid from cyber threats,” said Senator Curtis. “This bipartisan bill makes a smart investment in safeguarding critical infrastructure, supporting local utilities, and keeping the lights on for communities across America.”\n\n“I was proud to help establish this grant program in the bipartisan infrastructure law to help rural utilities protect themselves from cybersecurity threats,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This program has proven incredibly successful and there is bipartisan support to reauthorize it. As new cyber threats continue to emerge, I’ll keep working to ensure our rural communities have what they need to adapt.”\n\nCyberattacks targeting America’s energy infrastructure have become more frequent and more sophisticated in recent years. Rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities often face unique resource constraints that make federal cybersecurity assistance especially valuable. The RMUC Grant Program helps eligible utilities improve cybersecurity preparedness through grants, technical assistance, and workforce development, helping strengthen the resilience of the nation’s electric grid.\n\nThe Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act would:\n\nReauthorize the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity (RMUC) Grant and Technical Assistance Program through 2031.\n\nContinue providing grants and technical assistance to rural electric cooperatives and municipally-owned utilities to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities.\n\nHelp eligible utilities prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats.\n\nSupport cybersecurity planning, workforce development, vulnerability assessments, and other activities that improve the resilience of the electric grid.\n\nStrengthen partnerships between the federal government and locally owned utilities to protect America’s critical energy infrastructure.\n\nAuthorize $250 million over five years to support these efforts.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\nThe legislation is supported by utility organizations representing electric cooperatives and public power providers across Pennsylvania and the country.\n\n“Pennsylvania’s electric cooperatives thank Senator Dave McCormick for introducing the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act. Cyber threats don’t distinguish between a large investor-owned utility and an electric cooperative serving rural communities, but the resources to defend against them are far from equal. By reauthorizing this program, Senator McCormick is making sure the cooperatives that keep the lights on across rural Pennsylvania have the tools and the federal partnership they need to protect the grid our members and our country depend on.” – Steve Brame, President & CEO, Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association and Allegheny Electric Cooperative\n\n“Pennsylvania’s municipal electric utilities are on the front lines of protecting our communities’ power supply — and cybersecurity threats don’t distinguish between large investor-owned utilities and the small, locally-owned systems that serve our boroughs. The Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act reauthorizes a critical program that gives public power utilities access to the technical assistance and funding they need to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats. PMEA supports Senator McCormick’s proposal and urges Congress to advance this bipartisan legislation. Alongside our national partner, the American Public Power Association, we believe that securing our grid starts at the local level — and that no utility should face these evolving threats alone or without resources.” – Jeffrey Stonehill, President, Pennsylvania Municipal Electric Association\n\n“The American Public Power Association applauds Senator McCormick for moving to reauthorize the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity (RMUC) Grant Program. This is a proven, practical investment that helps not-for-profit public power utilities strengthen their cyber defenses in the face of increasingly sophisticated threats. With RMUC support, APPA has launched the Cyber Accelerator Program to help utilities assess their readiness and take concrete steps to improve their security posture. We urge Congress to act quickly to extend this program and ensure every community has access to the tools needed to protect our nation’s energy infrastructure.” – Scott Corwin, President & CEO, American Public Power Association\n\n“Cyber threats to America’s electric grid are growing more sophisticated by the day, and rural utilities depend on their partnerships with the government to help keep the grid secure. The Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Program is closing the resource gap and equipping electric cooperatives with the tools they need to protect the electrical infrastructure on which millions of Americans depend. We’re grateful for the leadership of Senators McCormick, Curtis, Hickenlooper, Hoeven, and Cortez Masto in introducing this reauthorization.” – Jim Matheson, CEO, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-correa-launch-new-effort-to-fix-misleading-recycling-labels/", "title": "Merkley, Correa Launch New Effort to Fix Misleading Recycling Labels", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Truth in Labeling Act Aims to Restore Consumers’ Confidence in Packaging\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Lou Correa (CA-46) announced their new Truth in Labeling Act of 2026. The bicameral legislation would establish clear federal guidelines for labeling consumer products that are recyclable, compostable, reusable, or refillable.\n\n“Most of us have been taught the three Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle; but too often the reality with plastics is the three Bs—buried, burned, and borne out to sea,” said Merkley. “Consumers want to recycle and compost. Our Truth in Labeling Act will make that easier by requiring companies to accurately label their products as recyclable, compostable, or reusable. This is a win-win-win for consumers, waste management systems, and our environment.”\n\n“People shouldn’t have to question whether something belongs in the recycling bin or the trash,” said Correa. “Clear, consistent labeling helps consumers make informed choices while reducing contamination that makes recycling more expensive and less effective. This bill brings common-sense standards to product labeling, strengthens our recycling system, and gives Americans the information they need to do their part in reducing waste and protecting our environment.”\n\nThe Truth in Labeling Act responds to increasing confusion about the ‘chasing arrows’ on consumer products and outdated federal guidance on environmental marketing claims. The bill would establish a voluntary label for manufacturers to use if they wish to direct consumers to recycle, compost, or reuse their packaging. Not only will clear labels help consumers make informed choices, but they will also strengthen our recycling system and help re-establish consumer trust in environmental marketing claims.\n\nMerkley has been a longtime leader in Congress fighting to address the plastic pollution crisis. As former Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) subcommittee overseeing environmental justice, chemical safety, and waste management, he held a first-of-its-kind series of hearings investigating plastic production and pollution. Merkley’s hearings examined: environmental and climate damage from plastics, impacts of plastics on environmental justice communities, reuse and refill systems, beverage container waste, and consumer challenges to recycling.\n\nMerkley also leads the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act—the most comprehensive plan ever introduced in Congress to address the harms of plastic pollution on our air, water, and soil—and two bipartisan plastics-related pieces of legislation: the Microplastics Safety Act and REUSE Act.\n\nSee what organizations across the nation are saying about the need for improved recycling, composting, and reuse labels:\n\n“To tackle the ocean plastic pollution crisis, Americans need clear, accurate information — not greenwashing — and we have to start with the truth about what’s recyclable, and what isn’t. The status quo of confusing and misleading recyclability claims prevents our recycling system from living up to its potential. The Truth in Labeling Act will give consumers that clarity, and we applaud Senator Merkley and Representative Correa for their tireless work to deliver these much-needed improvements,” said Dr. Anja Brandon, Director, Plastics Policy, Ocean Conservancy.\n\n“Our members who process organic materials at their facilities need clean, uncontaminated material to make sure we can produce quality compost for U.S. soil health,” said Linda Norris-Waldt, Executive Director of the US Composting Council. “Passage of national legislation such as this will make it easier for communities and businesses to educate their consumers to put the right material for composting into the compost bin, making a win for everyone.”\n\n“Just Zero strongly supports the Truth in Labeling Act. For decades, the plastics industry has used the chasing-arrows symbol to sell a false promise: that plastic will be recycled if consumers put it in the right bin. In reality, the symbol has helped companies maintain the illusion of plastic recycling while avoiding responsibility for the waste they create. This legislation will help end that deception. If packaging is not collected, processed, and recycled at scale, companies should not be allowed to call it recyclable. Consumers deserve labels they can trust—not greenwashing,” said Peter Blair, Policy and Advocacy Director, Just Zero.\n\n“Recology employee-owners process more than 1.6 million tons of recyclable and compostable materials each year, giving us a firsthand view of the impacts that misleading recyclability and compostability claims have on sort lines, composting operations, and the quality of recovered materials. The Truth in Labeling Act will help create a stronger national standard for environmental labeling and better align product claims with the realities of our nation’s recycling and composting infrastructure,” said Sal Coniglio, CEO of Recology.\n\n“The Truth in Labeling Act is a strong step towards a national labeling standard that accurately reflects market realities. As the reusable packaging and foodware sectors continue to expand, consistent guidance and national standards will be foundational to building a robust and enduring reuse economy that is trusted by all consumers,” said Sydney Harris, Policy Director, Upstream Solutions.\n\n“Consumer confidence in recycling is falling, and on–pack labeling can help consumers make the right choice when it comes to being part of an effective recycling system, but labeling is only one piece. A truly effective recycling system requires five things: packaging is designed to be recycled; communities have access; constituents are effectively engaged; materials are properly sorted and processed; and end markets turn old material into new products, demanding recycled content for recycled content products,” said Anthony Tusino, Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for The Recycling Partnership. “The legislation from Senator Merkley and Representative Correa is a step in the right direction to ensure packaging claims reflect reality. We look forward to working with Congress to get the U.S. to meet all five requirements of an effective recycling system.”\n\n“Practical product and packaging design should consider recyclability, and recyclability claims must reflect, and evolve with, how materials are actually collected, processed, and returned to manufacturing. As such, ReMA is encouraged to see the Truth in Labeling Act include industry-developed guidance, including ReMA’s Fiber Recycling Readiness Tool. We thank Senator Merkley and Representative Correa for their continued leadership on recycling and look forward to working with them and other stakeholders to ensure that any national framework remains grounded in how the recycling system operates and can adapt as that system continues to advance,” said Kristen Hildreth, VP Public Policy and Government Relations, Recycled Materials Association.\n\n“The Paper Recycling Coalition thanks Senator Merkley, Representative Correa, and their staff for their thoughtful engagement and real partnership throughout this process. We share their commitment to honest labeling and to protecting consumer trust in recycling, and we especially appreciate the bill’s clear line that fuel and energy recovery are not recycling. We look forward to working together on these issues in the future,” said Terese Colling, President, Paper Recycling Coalition.\n\nFull text of the Truth in Labeling Act can be found by clicking here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-senate-colleagues-introduce-new-legislation-to-close-ethics-loopholes-for-all-officials-representing-the-u-s-abroad/", "title": "Merkley, Senate Colleagues Introduce New Legislation to Close Ethics Loopholes for All Officials Representing the U.S. Abroad", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—led a group of Senate Democrats in introducing the Transparency in the Administration’s Business Opportunities Overseas (TABOO) Act. The new legislation mandates strong ethics requirements for every individual representing the United States government in negotiations with foreign governments and international multilateral organizations, including Special Envoys and other officials serving in similar roles as paid employees, volunteers, or in unpaid capacities.\n\nThese individuals representing the United States, such as Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, frequently exercise significant authority and speak for the country on sensitive diplomatic and national security matters. However, current gaps in federal law allow individuals serving in these roles to conduct high-stakes negotiations with foreign governments while holding undisclosed financial interests in those same countries, creating the risk—or at least impression—that personal profit, rather than the national interest, shapes American foreign policy.\n\n“There should be no question that officials representing the United States overseas are serving our national interests, not lining their own pockets,” said Merkley. “The TABOO Act closes the glaring loopholes that allow individuals representing the United States abroad—including Special Envoys and others serving in similar roles—to skirt the law, ensuring America’s foreign policy is not shaped by personal profit.”\n\nThe TABOO Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Jack Reed (D-RI).\n\n“When someone is given the honor of representing the United States in a sensitive diplomatic negotiation, it is a basic expectation that they will prioritize America’s national security interests—not their personal pocketbooks. But many senior officials in the Trump-Vance Administration seem to openly disdain this public trust and instead see their roles primarily as a means for personal enrichment and brazen corruption,” said Kaine. “This legislation will ensure individuals given the privilege of representing the United States are actually working for the American people.”\n\n“The baseline expectation for anyone representing the U.S. abroad in any official capacity is that they have our nation’s best interests at heart and are not looking to line their own pockets,” said Rosen. “I’m glad to help introduce this bill to ensure that no one in a position to negotiate with foreign governments or international organizations on behalf of the American people has any conflicts of interest.”\n\n“Every person who represents our nation in negotiations with foreign governments should be held to the highest ethical standard,” said Duckworth. “This Administration has sent a troubling number of Trump’s cronies to represent the U.S. in high-stakes negotiations with foreign countries they have vested business interests in. When we send negotiators abroad, we must hold them accountable and ensure America’s interests are always put first—and this bill helps us do that.”\n\n“American foreign policy decisions should be based on the interests of our national security – not the personal profit of any one person. This common-sense legislation extends existing ethics and financial disclosure requirements to Special Envoys and others negotiating on behalf of the United States – helping ensure that no individual can use their connections to sell access to the highest levels of our government for personal profit, as we have seen President Trump, his friends, and family do time and again,” said Van Hollen.\n\n“The people who represent Americans overseas should actually represent American interests, not their own personal businesses or foreign governments,” said Coons. “As President Trump embroils us in foreign wars and economic conflict across the globe, the administration’s special envoys are playing an ever more important role in protecting our citizens. The American people deserve transparency into who they are and who they represent.”\n\nMerkley’s TABOO Act is included in his brand-new For Our Republic Act, a 10-part legislative action plan to stand up to Trump’s authoritarian playbook.\n\nThe TABOO Act would:\n\nDeem all individuals in covered positions to be officers or employees for purposes of federal bribery, graft, and conflict of interest laws, regardless of employment, compensation, or volunteer status;\n\nDesignate individuals serving as Special Envoys or in similar positions as public financial disclosure filers;\n\nLimit filing extensions for these individuals to no more than 30 days;\n\nRequire individuals, within 30 days of starting, to certify in writing that they hold no financial interest, including any interest held by a spouse or immediate family member, in the countries they will work with, to divest or place any pre-existing interest in a qualified blind trust within 60 days, and to commit to acquiring no new financial interest in those countries for 1 year after vacating the position;\n\nRequire the Executive Branch to provide a quarterly list of all individuals serving as Special Envoys or in similar positions, along with a brief description of their duties and the countries and organizations they are expected to engage with; and\n\nOutline enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with the requirements set forth in the Act.\n\nFull text of the TABOO Act can be found by clicking here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-statement-on-russia-sanctions-to-bolster-ukraines-fight-for-democracy/", "title": "Merkley Statement on Russia Sanctions to Bolster Ukraine’s Fight for Democracy", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.merkley.senate.gov", "scraper": "merkley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001176", "name": "Jeff Merkley", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley – a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – issued the following statement after the Senate passed bipartisan legislation to crack down on Russia’s ability to fund its war in Ukraine:\n\n“The United States must stand with democratic republics around the world when they are attacked by authoritarian states. It is our responsibility to strongly support Ukraine in turning back Russia’s invasion. The people of Ukraine have gone through repeated struggles to preserve their freedom, including the Orange Revolution and the rejection of an authoritarian leader who wanted to put them under Putin’s thumb. Ukrainians continue to fight fiercely against Russia despite the invading nation’s overwhelming size and power, and now is the time to act decisively to cut off Russia’s ability to fund its brutal invasion.\n\n“Russia sustains its assaults with the flow of oil money, which was only enhanced when President Trump waived sanctions that allowed Russia to sell its oil at a much higher price on the global market. The bipartisan legislation passed by the Senate today ends these giveaways and cuts off an economic lifeline for Russia, with the goal of supporting Ukraine in its battle for freedom.\n\n“This proposal advances this goal by imposing sanctions on Russia, as well as authorizing tariffs on the top five countries importing Russian oil or gas, and on the top five countries that facilitate the evasion of sanctions on Russian oil through financial means or shadow tanker fleets. These tools are potentially highly effective, but the bill would be much better if it implemented the measures instead of leaving it to Trump’s discretion. Nevertheless, this is an important strategy to advance the defense of Ukraine.\n\n“Ultimately, the overriding consideration in this debate is standing with Ukraine and diminishing Russia’s ability to prosecute its war with every tool at our disposal.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-moody-honors-wounded-warriors-and-fallen-soldiers-on-national-purple-heart-day/", "title": "Senator Moody Honors Wounded Warriors and Fallen Soldiers on National Purple Heart Day", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.moody.senate.gov", "scraper": "moody", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001244", "name": "Ashley Moody", "party": "Republican", "state": "FL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Ashley Moody is honoring wounded warriors and those who have died in service of our country on National Purple Heart Day. Senator Moody introduced a resolution recognizing August 7 as Purple Heart Recognition Day. Senator Moody also is recognizing four Floridian Purple Heart recipients by inputting their stories into the Congressional Record. The Purple Heart Medal is the oldest U.S. military decoration in present use and is awarded to recognize service members who are killed or wounded in action against an enemy of the U.S. or while held as prisoners of war.\n\n“On Purple Heart Recognition Day, we honor our nation’s wounded warriors and those who have died in service of our country. No one ever serves hoping to receive this medal, it is not an honor anyone sets out to earn—it is given because an American stood his or her ground against an enemy. It’s a privilege to introduce a resolution in Congress honoring these patriots’ sacrifice, as well as spotlight four brave Floridians by including their stories in the Congressional Record,” said Senator Ashley Moody.\n\n“Concerned Veterans for America is proud to support this effort to honor the brave men and women who defended our nation and our liberty at great personal sacrifice. The Purple Heart is one of our nation’s highest honors, representing extraordinary courage and selfless service in the face of profound hardship. Designating a day to recognize those who have borne the cost of protecting our homeland is the least we can do for them, said CVA Strategic Director John Byrnes.\n\nThe four Florida recipients of the Purple Heart being highlighted in the Congressional Record include:\n\nSergeant Jason Crawford and retired Staff Sergeant Dustin Tuller served together with Company B, 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment during Operation Iraqi Freedom. On December 23, 2003, both men were critically wounded during a combat mission in Baghdad while engaging enemy forces. Despite his own life-threatening injuries, Sergeant Crawford urged medics to “save him [Tuller] first” after seeing the severity of Staff Sergeant Tuller’s wounds. Both soldiers survived, continued lives of service after the military, and remain close friends more than two decades later.\n\nSergeant Peter McKanna served with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines in Vietnam and volunteered for a second combat tour. On Christmas Day 1970, while leading fellow Marines on a mission, Sgt. McKanna stepped on an explosive device, which claimed part of his left leg and the lives of three Marines beside him. Following a successful civilian career, Sgt. McKanna has dedicated himself to serving veterans.\n\nRetired U.S. Navy Commander Douglas Doughty served in Vietnam. In April 1969, during intense fighting, Doughty was wounded by enemy shrapnel to his shoulder and lower body. After returning home, Commander Doughty continued serving both his country and community—building a career in medicine and remaining in the Navy Reserve, where he answered the country’s call once again during Operation Desert Storm.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nOn August 7, 1782, General George Washington established what is now known as the Purple Heart Medal. The Purple Heart Medal has been awarded to more than 1,800,000 recipients.\n\nSenator Moody is a proud supporter of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans, and military families. Since becoming a United States Senator, Moody has:\n\nCosponsored the Military Spouse Hiring Act to address difficulties servicemembers’ families face when looking for work;\n\nCosponsored the Major Richard Star Act, which seeks to fix unjust disability policies for retired combat veterans;\n\nIntroduced Drone Espionage Act to crack down on spying through video surveillance of military installations;\n\nSupported the Veterans Education and Technical Skills (VETS) Opportunity Act, which would expand educational benefits for veterans;\n\nSupported the Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025, which would help ensure that only the most dedicated individuals can serve veterans;\n\nHeld a town hall with VA Secretary Collins in Tampa to discuss issues facing veterans;\n\nRequested President Trump to send F-35As to Homestead Air Reserve Base;\n\nRecognized 200 years of U.S. Navy presence in Pensacola and discussed the critical importance of the Navy and Coast Guard’s presence in the Florida Panhandle; and more.\n\nLast year, Senator Moody secured major funding for Florida’s military bases through her work on the National Defense Authorization Act, totaling over $851 million aimed to support shipbuilding, delivery of next-generation aircraft, and construction of Golden Dome missile defense.\n\nSenator Moody recently joined the Senate Armed Services Committee.\n\nSenator Moody has long fought for Florida’s military members. As Florida Attorney General, Moody oversaw the Military and Veterans Assistance Program to assist servicemembers, veterans and their families who encounter scams or fraud.\n\nSenator Moody is proud to be part of a military family.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=0C723018-2CB7-4B78-A312-3576E69A2E7F", "title": "VIDEO: Sen. Moran Urges Passage of the Senate Farm Bill & Highlights Agriculture Priorities", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "domain": "www.moran.senate.gov", "scraper": "moran", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000934", "name": "Jerry Moran", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee – yesterday joined Eliza Petry on RFD-TV to discuss the importance of passing a Senate Farm Bill. He highlighted a number of Kansas agricultural priorities, including year-round E-15 sales, increased farm loan limits, strengthened trade promotion funding and his amendment to permanently transfer Food for Peace to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).\n\n“This matters to us, and we’re going to do everything we can to get an end product so we can negotiate with the House and get a Farm Bill to the President,” said Sen. Moran. “I love talking to farmers and ranchers in Kansas. They need certainty, and I encourage producers across the country to contact members of the Agriculture Committee and let them know how important it is to get this bill done.”\n\n“If you care about rural communities across your states, if you care about your hometown, make sure that we do the things here that give farmers a chance to have another generation of their families or new people come to town and enter agriculture,” concluded Sen. Moran.\n\nDuring yesterday’s Senate Farm Bill markup, Sen. Moran offered his amendment to permanently transfer Food for Peace to USDA, and it was unanimously adopted. The committee plans to resume consideration of the Farm Bill when Congress returns in September.\n\nClick HERE to Watch Sen. Moran’s Full Interview on RFD-TV\n\nOn year-round E-15:\n\n“This builds upon what happened in the reconciliation bill of last year, in which we dealt with a lot of the safety net and tax issues. This adds a lot of certainty and help to farmers and ranchers across the country. We’ve come together in a way, that particularly with adding E-15 year-round to this bill, it becomes even more important to agricultural producers almost every place across the nation. […] We are doing what needs to be done to get the votes to pass the Senate. The E-15 provisions have been drafted to keep small refiners satisfied while providing an important benefit for agriculture.”\n\nOn Food for Peace:\n\n“It’s not controversial, but I’ve been pursuing for a long time now, moving the Food for Peace program, which was addressed by the Trump administration early on. The decision was made that we could move the Food for Peace program for the Department of State – from USAID – to the Department of Agriculture. That’s happened on a temporary basis, and I expect my amendment to make permanent that move of Food for Peace to be included in the final package and be supported presumably by both Republicans and Democrats. Certainly, there would be no reason they shouldn’t be supportive of this. We’ve worked closely with them.”\n\nOn increasing farm loan limits:\n\n“I hope that my Democratic colleagues, who I work with constantly in this committee and others, really understand the circumstances that almost every place in the country in agriculture is facing, and that is low commodity prices compared to high input costs. In Kansas in particular, five years preceding this is a drought. So, we’re not really prepared. We don’t have the financial capability of going through another difficult year without this help. […] Every time a farmer or rancher goes to the bank, they have to demonstrate they have the cash flow to pay back the loan. These government credit programs help farmers survive into another year. I love talking to farmers and ranchers in Kansas. They need certainty, and I encourage producers across the country to contact members of the Agriculture Committee and let them know how important it is to get this bill done.”\n\nOn the need for bipartisan consensus:\n\n“This is important. This matters to us, and we’re going to do everything we can to get an end product so we can negotiate with the House and get a Farm Bill to the President. […] When I’m trying to make sure that my hometown of 2,000 people, Plainville, Kansas, has a future, I can only answer that question yes – there’s a lot of other things, but I can only answer that question yes – when my farmers and ranchers are successful, and they have the opportunity to return that farm to the next generation of Kansans. That’s what makes rural America. Agriculture makes rural America. And if you care about rural communities across your states, if you care about your hometown, make sure that we do the things here that give farmers a chance to have another generation of their families or new people come to town and enter agriculture.”\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=E1A8A8CB-3D79-454C-AC02-844D55F062DD", "title": "PASSED: Sen. Moran’s Legislation to Authorize NIH Program for Down Syndrome Research", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "domain": "www.moran.senate.gov", "scraper": "moran", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000934", "name": "Jerry Moran", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome – applauded the unanimous passage of his bipartisan DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act by the Senate this week. The legislation now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.\n\nSen. Moran introduced the legislation with Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and former Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) last May to authorize the INCLUDE (Investigation of Co-Occurring Conditions Across the Lifespan to Understand Down Syndrome) Project at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and support continued federal investments in Down syndrome research.\n\n“This legislation will strengthen the critical research that helps improve the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and supports their families,” said Sen. Moran. “Research funded by the NIH has already led to meaningful advancements, but more work remains. By authorizing continued federal investments in scientific research focused on Down syndrome, this legislation will help scientists better understand the health challenges these individuals face and advance new solutions to improve care and outcomes. I’m pleased this legislation was passed unanimously in the Senate, and I urge the House to pass it and send it to the President’s desk to be signed into law.”\n\n“Senator Moran has been one of GLOBAL’s most steadfast champions in Congress for well over a decade, earning GLOBAL’s highest honor, the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award, for his extraordinary commitment to Down syndrome research and medical care. From organizing congressional briefings with GLOBAL, our scientists and the National Institutes of Health, to leading bipartisan legislation and serving as Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome, he has consistently affirmed that people with Down syndrome have equal value, extraordinary potential and a rightful place at the table,” said Michelle Sie Whitten, President and CEO of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. “Today, his leadership has delivered a truly historic victory. The DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act will honor the memory and extraordinary advocacy of our beloved GLOBAL Ambassador DeOndra Dixon by permanently authorizing the INCLUDE Project, the first NIH-wide Down syndrome research program. We are profoundly grateful to Senator Moran for his friendship, conviction and years of tenacious leadership helping people with Down syndrome live longer, healthier lives.”\n\nItems to note:\n\nThe INCLUDE Project was launched in June 2018 to advance research on health and quality-of-life needs for individuals with Down syndrome. The project investigates conditions that affect individuals with Down syndrome and the general population, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, autism, cataracts, celiac disease, congenital heart disease and diabetes.\n\nThe legislation is named after DeOndra Dixon, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s Ambassador and Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Awardee, who died at the age of 36 in 2020.\n\nFull text of the legislation can be found here.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-coons-als-legislation-passes-senate", "title": "Murkowski-Coons ALS Legislation Passes Senate", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "scraper": "murkowski", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001153", "name": "Lisa Murkowski", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Chris Coons (D-DE), co-chairs of the Congressional ALS Caucus, this week secured Senate passage of their legislation, the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Reauthorization Act (ACT for ALS Reauthorization Act) of 2026. The bill will help people living with ALS continue to access promising treatments while advancing the scientific understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.\n\nCompanion legislation, led by Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Ken Calvert (R-CA), passed the U.S. House of Representatives last month. The next step is for the House and Senate to appoint conferees to negotiate the differences between the two bills.\n\nThe legislation would reauthorize ACT for ALS for five years, codify the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) interpretation of Expanded Access Program eligibility guidelines, require a new five-year FDA Action Plan, and direct the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to issue a report by 2030 on the implementation of ACT for ALS programs. This legislation is endorsed by I AM ALS, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the ALS Association, and ALS United.\n\nSenator Murkowski spoke about the impact of this legislation on the Senate floor.\n\nSenator Murkowski’s full remarks can be found here.\n\nTranscript:\n\nMr. President. We go through periods here in the United States Senate where there's frustrating issues that we deal with. Hours of unknown as to what's going to happen. Are we going to be able to make something happen? Are we making a difference? And some days can be particularly discouraging.\n\nWe've got a long way to go before this day is through. But to be here at the midpoint of this day and to be able to—as my colleague and my friend from Delaware has stated—to be able to celebrate an accomplishment is a reminder that we do good here. And we don't do good on our own. It takes teamwork, it takes cooperation, and collaboration; it takes advocacy. This is really what makes me just filled with a level of optimism and hope as we're talking about where we are at this moment for the ALS community.\n\nThe House passed the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act—we call it ACT for ALS—they passed it a few weeks ago, and then the Senate was able to pass it in wrap-up. Yes, that means it passed by unanimous consent here yesterday. We're now in this final step: a final step of reauthorizing a program that is making a real difference for people living with ALS.\n\nI think it's so important to just take a step back and say, what does that mean? Because we have not found the cure, unfortunately, for ALS. This legislation is not about this magical treatment that has come to be, but what we were able to do working together now five years ago when we passed the ACT for ALS Act—we created this pathway for individuals. It's kind of a roadmap. We said, if you're not eligible to participate in clinical trials to access investigational treatments, there's another way here for you.\n\nWe provided some pretty important funding to NIH and to FDA to accelerate the research, to improve the data sharing, to help speed up the development of new therapies. But what really comes about with the ACT for ALS is it gives people who are living with ALS the opportunity to try. Just \"let me try something. It might not work, but let me try—because right now, the diagnosis that I'm living with offers no hope.”\n\nSo this is something that gives those living with ALS some hope. This is a program that works. We passed it five years ago, and what we have now done is a reauthorization that allows us to build on this progress that we've made to ensure that individuals living with ALS can continue to access these clinical trials and the programs that continue to meet the needs of the patients and the researchers.\n\nSenator Coons has mentioned the advocacy—those caregivers, those who stand with and are wrapping their arms and their hearts around their loved ones who are dealing with ALS. This is about hope for them as much as those who are living with this dreaded disease.\n\nMy friend has acknowledged the name of those that he calls friends: Dan Tate was able to receive a text message on passage of the reauthorization here, saying, you know, \"Go dudes\" or something like that. I don't know that I'm a \"dude,\" but I loved the enthusiasm that he had. Brian Wallach has been an extraordinary partner over the years; you mentioned Sandra Abrevaya, absolutely. And then my personal advocate, my cousin, Jenny Dwyer. It was through Jenny's husband Pat that our family learned of ALS, as Pat lived with ALS for eight years. As a family, we came to not only understand the disease and the awful progression, but it allowed us to understand some of what families live with—the almost daily heartbreak as you're watching your loved one progress through this diagnosis.\n\nSo, to the advocates: know that your work matters. Know that your stories matter. Know that you have made a difference. So, we're pleased to be able to be at this place where we can move to finally get this reauthorization into law, work things through the two bodies here, and get it signed.\n\nThere's more that we've got to do. We're working on some good things as the co-chairs of the ALS Caucus: the Justice for ALS Veterans Act, which is a really good one, and the ALS Better Care Act. Again, these address some of the challenges that face individuals with ALS as well as their families when they're trying to access care and benefits after a loved one has passed.\n\nWe know that for those that are living with ALS, every day matters. Every day is precious, and we cannot afford to lose momentum when promising therapies are being studied. I'm reminded—if not weekly, maybe daily—that people are waiting. People are waiting, and they're counting on us to show up for them.\n\nSo, to all those in the ALS community: thank you for your advocacy, thank you for your heart and your passion, your persistence, but also your willingness to open your hearts and to share your stories so that we can also become motivated and tenacious on your behalf.\n\nI am very grateful for my friend from Delaware. It is hard as I hear stories of your dear friend, and as he goes through these stages of this disease. Know that even though I have not met Jack, he is in my heart as well, as well as the many, many who we are advocating for.\n\nWith that, I thank again not only Senator Coons, but all members here in the Senate that have joined us in this effort to end ALS.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-releases-statement-on-blanche-nomination", "title": "Murkowski Releases Statement on Blanche Nomination", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "scraper": "murkowski", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001153", "name": "Lisa Murkowski", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, DC—Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement regarding Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as United States Attorney General:\n\n“I have had numerous constructive meetings with Mr. Blanche and he comes across as decent and capable. I appreciate the trip he made to learn more about Alaska, including our rural areas, and as Acting Attorney General he has made several noteworthy decisions that will benefit our state and the nation.\n\n“Ultimately, however, I will oppose his nomination.\n\n“The politicization—even weaponization—of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it. I take issue with the handling of the release of the Epstein files; the sweeping immunity protections granted to the President, his family, and their businesses; the statements that have been made to anti-abortion groups; and the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. Senators.\n\n“I am also keenly aware that the Department’s nearly $2-billion dollar slush fund—which likely would have rewarded January 6 protesters—is only off the table because this nomination is pending and the Senate has leverage. Once we vote, that will end, and there is no telling what the future holds.\n\n“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration. I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-mobilizes-senate-democrats-against-trumps-radical-atf-rule-changes-historic-assault-on-public-safety-nationwide", "title": "Murphy Mobilizes Senate Democrats Against Trump's Radical ATF Rule Changes, Historic Assault on Public Safety Nationwide", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.murphy.senate.gov", "scraper": "chrismurphy", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001169", "name": "Christopher Murphy", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) led a group of Democrats in filing a series of official comments against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms’ (ATF) April 2026 proposed regulatory changes to federal firearms law. Murphy’s comments opposed recent sweeping rule changes promulgated by the ATF, which would create easy access to dangerous weapons, dramatically undercut law enforcement’s efforts to fight and prevent crime, and put communities across the country at risk of significant increases in gun crime and gun violence.\n\nMurphy authored five comments in opposition to the proposed ATF rule changes, spanning lifted import restrictions on training rounds and dual-use weapons, blatant discrimination against gun owners on the basis of their gender identity, and the sweeping rescission of a 2024 rule clarifying the definition of “Engaged in the Business” (EITB) of firearms dealing. The 2024 rule modernized our firearms licensing system to support law enforcement in cracking down on rampant background check evasion by gun sellers. The EITB reforms were a centerpiece of Murphy’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the most significant gun safety legislation in the last 30 years and a major driver of historic reductions in gun violence and gun deaths since its passage.\n\n“No president has ever been so insistent on putting guns in the hands of violent criminals,” said Murphy. “From top to bottom, these ATF rule changes are all about making sure Trump’s gun industry donors can maximize their profits by ignoring the popular, common sense regulations that prevent gun crime and save lives. This fight isn’t close to over and Senate Democrats will do all we can to stop this corrupt disaster before it takes effect.”\n\nLast month, Murphy sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche demanding answers on the DOJ and ATF’s legalization of mail order gun sales, which would jeopardize public safety to the direct financial benefit of the President’s son, Donald Trump Jr.\n\nEach of Murphy’s ATF comments, with respective Democratic co-signers, are available in full at the following links:", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-to-trump-stop-gaslighting-americans-on-iran-stop-using-the-war-for-your-corrupt-market-manipulation", "title": "Murphy to Trump: Stop Gaslighting Americans on Iran, Stop Using the War for Your Corrupt Market Manipulation", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.murphy.senate.gov", "scraper": "chrismurphy", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001169", "name": "Christopher Murphy", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to call out President Trump’s months-long gaslighting of the American public on the state of the Iran war. Murphy laid out how Trump’s constant false promises of an imminent Iran war deal are part of a corruption scheme in which Trump manipulates the market with deal announcements so his friends and family can cash in. Murphy also slammed Trump’s recent announcement of a $100,000 subscription for advance access to Trump’s Truth Social posts as another clear example of Trump using the Iran war to facilitate insider trading and sell out America’s national security for personal gain.\n\n“The war might be continuing, not just because of incompetence, but because the president has found a way to make money,” said Murphy.\n\nMurphy explained how Trump’s campaign of gaslighting and dishonesty works: “He gaslights. He tells lies. And the essential gaslight is that the war is about to end: ‘Don't worry. Yes, it appears that there is no end. It appears that you're going to have to continue to pay these prices forever. It appears that America has no end game. But don't worry, the war is about to end.’”\n\nDetailing every instance of President Trump selling an “imminent” deal to the public, Murphy argued there are telling patterns in Trump’s announcements of a deal: “I just want to go through this pattern for you because it is really important to talk about the fact that the White House is just not being straight with the American public about what's going on in this war… [Trump] normally declares that the war is about to be over on Sunday night or Monday morning, right before the markets open. But now that we are six months into this war, we can see the pattern… On 11 different instances, Trump says, ‘A deal is about to happen. Don't worry, the war is about to be over.’ There's no deal. None of it is real.”\n\nMurphy argued Trump’s ceasefire announcements aren’t random - they’re a coordinated scheme for Trump to make money: “Here's an explanation for why Trump continues to do this gaslighting, particularly right before the markets open. Trump announced, now a week or so ago, that if you pay him $100,000 a month, he will give you advance notice of American foreign policy decisions. That is a subscription service for insider trading, and it is unquestionably lucrative.”\n\nHe slammed his Republican colleagues for staying silent even when they know President Trump is selling out our country’s national security: “Can any of my Republican colleagues defend the president selling announcements from the White House for $100,000 a month, in the middle of a war? Is any Republican senator willing to come down to this floor and defend the president of the United States setting up a subscription service for public policy announcements from the White House, so as to advantage certain players in the marketplace who are willing to pay that amount of money? Of course not.”\n\nMurphy called for an immediate, actual end to Trump’s disastrous Iran war: “I was glad that the president got a ceasefire [in June], but I could tell by the terms it wasn't going to last. It wasn't a real agreement, but at this point, many of us are willing to support almost any agreement. It'll be a humiliating agreement. It will be one in which Iran will essentially declare victory. But this war is a disaster.”\n\nMurphy also highlighted the impact of this war on America’s servicemembers, who are being put in harm’s way while Trump’s cronies rake in millions of dollars: “The price of this war is being plainly paid first and foremost by our soldiers, who are being put in harm's way for a war that is making America weaker every day. They're getting killed. They're sustaining life-altering injuries. Many of our soldiers and sailors and airmen have been in the region far past their scheduled deployment. ”\n\nA full transcript of Murphy’s speech is available below.\n\nColleagues, the Trump administration has us stuck in a humiliating quagmire, a total deadlock in Iran. We are wasting billions of taxpayer dollars dropping bombs and firing missiles at Iran. Iran responds with escalation. They keep the Strait closed. They attack our bases. They attack our allies in the region. The war just expands and expands and expands.\n\nIn the last week, for instance, a new war is threatening to break out between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, which would likely result in the other strait, at the bottom of the Red Sea being closed as well. Trump personally pays no price for this stalemate. His corruption schemes, his cryptocurrency, his insider trading, the contracts to his sons. All of that has practically tripled his net worth in just 18 short months in office.\n\nNo, the price of this war is being plainly paid first and foremost by our soldiers, who are being put in harm's way for a war that is making America weaker every day. They're getting killed. They're sustaining life-altering injuries. Many of our soldiers and sailors and airmen have been in the region far past their scheduled deployment. They haven't seen their families in years.\n\nAnd of course, American consumers are paying the price as well. Here's the most relevant chart. This is familiar to you. This is what gas prices were doing until the war. They are creeping back well above $4 a gallon right now. That is not affordable for regular Americans, especially Americans who have to travel great distances for work, especially small business owners who rely on reasonable gas prices in order to be able to make their bills work.\n\nDiesel prices are through the roof as well. Fertilizer prices are through the roof as well, all because of this war. No other reason. The war. The prices are this high because of the war. It's farmers, it's small business owners, it's the American public who are paying the price, not Donald Trump.\n\nAnd so that's why the war is just wildly unpopular. Except for Trump's sort of hardline supporters, the folks who just don't believe he can ever do anything wrong, nobody wants this war. If you're in a red state or a blue state, this war is deeply unpopular because the American public are smart. They're smarter than a lot of my colleagues give them credit for.\n\nThey know that a war with Iran is unwinnable. They don't want America stuck again in a quagmire, a stalemate in the Middle East. So, how does Trump handle this? A deeply unpopular war, a war that he is losing, a war that is driving up prices for the American public.\n\nWell, this is how he handles it. He gaslights. He tells lies. And the essential gaslight is that the war is about to end: “Don't worry. Yes, it appears that there is no end. It appears that you're going to have to continue to pay these prices forever. It appears that America has no end game. But don't worry, the war is about to end.”\n\nAnd so, I just want to go through this pattern for you because it is really important to talk about the fact that the White House is just not being straight with the American public about what's going on in this war. Over and over again, the president declares that the war is about to be over. He's not telling the truth.\n\nHe normally declares that the war is about to be over on Sunday night or Monday morning, right before the markets open. But now that we are six months into this war, we can see the pattern. Let me go through it with you quickly.\n\nOn March 23rd, Trump announces a deal. I'm just going to give you his quotes here. These are his words. He says, \"The United States of America and the country of Iran have had over the last two days very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.”\n\nThe market impact is immediate. That post sends oil prices tumbling nearly 11%, but there is no deal. He just made it up. Two days later, the United States military is back to conducting strikes. “The USS Abraham Lincoln, continues flight operations against military targets in Iran while sailing in regional waters.”\n\nOn March 30th, Trump announces another deal. This is Monday morning, right before the markets open. He says, “The United States of America is in serious discussions with a new and more reasonable regime to end,” End! “Our military operations in Iran. Great progress has been made.”\n\nOne week later, there's no deal. The opposite. One week later, Trump posts that he's going to wipe out the entire civilization of Iran. “A whole civilization will die tonight,” he posts. “Never to be brought back again.”\n\nThat's a war crime. The president is promising to kill millions of civilians. He tries to dial it back, but later on that same day, he's back to announcing a deal. Literally, “I'm going to wipe out a whole civilization,” that morning. That night, on April 17th [7th], he says, \"Well, we received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and I believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. A two-week period will allow the agreement to be finalized and consummated.”\n\nFive days later, there's no deal. Trump announces a resumption of the war with Iran. Now, let's fast forward 10 days later: April 17th. He posts that a deal with Iran is imminent. This process should go very quickly. Most of the points are already negotiated, he posts.\n\nTwo days later, the strikes start again. On May 5th, Trump says, “Great progress being made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with the Representatives of Iran.” Complete is capitalized. Final is capitalized. Agreement is capitalized. Representatives is capitalized. Iran is capitalized.\n\nTwo days later, the deal is off. Surprise, surprise! Every time Trump announces a deal is imminent, it just disappears. “U.S. forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes,” CENTCOM announces two days later.\n\nOn May 25th, right before the markets open, a deal is imminent. “Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely.” Right before the markets open!\n\nThat same day, the United States military conducts strikes on Iran. “U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”\n\nThe next Monday, right before the markets open, Trump posts, “Iran wants to make a deal. It'll be a good one. Just sit back and relax. It'll work out well in the end. It always does.”\n\nHow is this working out well for the American public? How is that working out well for the American public? The next day, there's no deal. The United States conducts strikes against Iran.\n\nOn June 17th, Trump actually signs a deal, but it's not a real deal. He does this whole pomp and circumstance signing ceremony in Versailles. That deal was negotiated by diplomatic amateurs. There was nothing actually agreed to. There were words on a page, but from the literal moment the ink was dry, nobody could explain what they had agreed to.\n\nMost significantly, Iran thought that the agreement obligated Israel to stop its military operations in Lebanon. Israel did not agree to that. Iran thought that it had been given control of the Strait in that agreement. Apparently, the American delegation didn't think they made that concession.\n\nAnyway, that agreement lasts 10 days. On June 27th, Trump posts that strikes on Iran have resumed. Let's just fast forward to the last week because Trump is doing it again. On August 1st, Trump posts that… I'm not sure that I transcribed this wrong or not, but it looks like he says, “the perimeters of a deal”? I'll give him credit that he said parameters.\n\n“The parameters of a deal have been agreed to,” on August 1st. On August 2nd, “The deal is imminent, having to do with the Strait of Hormuz and ultimately the denuclearization of Iran.” The deal is imminent on the denuclearization of Iran.\n\nAugust 4th, just a night or two ago, Trump tells Fox News, \"We're having very good discussions.” Meanwhile, there are reports that Iran isn't even talking to the United States. Trump saying a deal on the denuclearization of Iran is imminent, and Iran is saying we're not even in the room.\n\nI mean, we should not accept this level of gaslighting. The word of the president has to matter! Over and over again, on 11 different instances, Trump says, “A deal is about to happen. Don't worry, the war is about to be over.” There's no deal. None of it is real. These promises. I wish it were real. I want to be clear about that.\n\nI want the war to end. I would basically support any agreement at this point to end this war. I was glad that the president got a ceasefire, but I could tell by the terms it wasn't going to last. It wasn't a real agreement, but at this point, many of us are willing to support almost any agreement. It'll be a humiliating agreement. It will be one in which Iran will essentially declare victory.\n\nBut this war is a disaster. America is losing. Consumers can't afford to pay these prices. Businesses are going under. We had a record of farm bankruptcies in the last year. We look like a laughing stock.\n\nAnd, we're running out of munitions. We don't have what we need to protect ourselves anymore. Reports are that we've gone through half of our Tomahawks. Our allies in the region have fired 70 to 80% of their Patriot missiles. This is a crisis. It has to end.\n\nBut maybe there's an explanation for why Trump continues to do this gaslighting, particularly right before the markets open. Trump announced, now a week or so ago, that if you pay him $100,000 a month, he will give you advance notice of American foreign policy decisions.\n\nI don't understand why that is acceptable to anybody in this chamber. If you pay Donald Trump $100,000, he will give you advance notice of America's foreign policy decisions. If we are about to sign a peace treaty and you give him $100,000 a month, he will give you advance notice of that.\n\nIf strikes are going to resume against Iran, if you pay him $100,000 a month, he will give you advance notice of that. That is a subscription service for insider trading, and it is unquestionably lucrative.\n\nOn August 1st, Trump posts that a deal is imminent. Remember, people still take him seriously. Not everybody knows about this history of gaslighting. On August 1st, Trump says, “a deal is imminent,” and the market impact is immediate. Oil prices fall by 5% right as the markets open.\n\nThe next day, right before the markets open, Trump says again, “The deal is imminent.” Another 5% drop, and so you see how his statements move the market, and you can see how if you get advance notice of those statements, even by a few seconds, you can capitalize on that market movement.\n\nIf you know that if Trump says a deal is imminent and the markets are going to move 5% and you pay $100,000 to Donald Trump to get that information early, you can make a boatload of money. And so maybe the war continues because Trump has found a way to monetize the war in a disgustingly corrupt way.\n\nI get that at some point we become immune to all of this, but can any of my Republican colleagues defend the president selling announcements from the White House for $100,000 a month, in the middle of a war?\n\nIs any Republican senator willing to come down to this floor and defend the president of the United States setting up a subscription service for public policy announcements from the White House, so as to advantage certain players in the marketplace who are willing to pay that amount of money?\n\nOf course not. And if you know in your heart that it is corrupt, that it is wrong, then you should say something about it. Because, the war might be continuing, not just because of incompetence, but because the president has found a way to make money.\n\nMore people are going to pay him $100,000 for these announcements in the middle of a war. Frankly, people would be willing to pay it absent a war, but he'll make more money during a war because his announcements clearly move the market in the middle of a very complicated conflict, where the decisions of the United States government immediately change oil markets.\n\nThe reason that this war is dragging on endlessly – it does matter, and my colleagues should care about Trump's insider trading subscription scheme. It's just so discouraging that nobody on the other side of the aisle says anything about this, when the credibility of the White House and of our country is just getting destroyed and sullied.\n\nBut my Republican colleagues should also care that the war is being waged with a level of embarrassing incompetence that is making America weaker, that's getting us nowhere. This body works best when the president's party stands up to him and says, \"enough,” whether it's corruption or incompetence.\n\nThat's what President Johnson's party did during the Vietnam War. It is actually what the Democratic Party did with President Obama during the late stages of the Afghanistan War, when many of us decided that America had to withdraw and oppose President Obama's party.\n\nIt's what many of us did here during the early stages of the war in Yemen that President Obama was bringing the American military into, and many of us opposed it. Got up on its floor, explained why we opposed it.\n\nRepublicans can do that too. You can say this war has to end. You can say that the president should never, ever personally benefit from a conflict overseas. You can say that the president of the United States should not sell access to White House statements.\n\nIt would make a big difference for our democracy and for the American people who are paying through the nose for the costs of this war if you did.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sens-ossoff-rev-warnock-again-demand-answers-from-dha-on-reduction-of-services-at-dwight-d-eisenhower-army-medical-center/", "title": "Sens. Ossoff, Rev. Warnock Again Demand Answers from DHA on Reduction of Services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.ossoff.senate.gov", "scraper": "ossoff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "O000174", "name": "Jon Ossoff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Sens. Ossoff, Rev. Warnock launch second inquiry after DHA failed to respond to Senators’ latest questions\n\nSens. Ossoff, Rev. Warnock to DHA: “Servicemembers, their families, and veterans in Augusta deserve answers and information on how these potential changes could affect their ability to receive quality health care.”\n\nFort Gordon, Ga. — U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock are again pushing back on plans to reduce services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC).\n\nEarlier this week, Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock again demanded answers from the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and urged the agency to abandon its plan to close all inpatient services at DDEAMC. This new inquiry comes after DHA failed to respond to the Senator’s response deadline in the June 2026 inquiry.\n\nDHA’s plan includes permanently closing inpatient care and transitioning the emergency room to an urgent care center, which could disrupt care for servicemembers, their families, and veterans, and add strain on the local health care system.\n\nHowever, despite announcing the closure of all inpatient services at DDEAMC, DHA has not yet finalized a list of which inpatient services would be closed upon implementation and questions remain unanswered about the transition to an ambulatory care center.\n\nIn this latest inquiry, Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock are demanding DHA immediately rescind Congressional notification for those changes in service until more information is received and the potential consequences for service members, veterans, and families in the CSRA are defined.\n\n“Seventeen days have passed since the deadline stated in our letter seeking more information about DHA’s decision to close all inpatient services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC) and transition the facility to an ambulatory care center, and we have not received a response,” Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock wrote to Department of Defense (DoD) Assistant Secretary Keith Bass and DHA Director Vice Admiral Darin Via. “This is unacceptable. Servicemembers, their families, and veterans in Augusta deserve answers and information on how these potential changes could affect their ability to receive quality health care.”\n\n“Until more information and clarification is received on this decision, and its potential consequences, DHA must immediately rescind Congressional notification for modification of services at DDEAMC,” Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock continued.\n\nSen. Ossoff first launched an inquiry last November with the Acting Director of the DHA requesting more information about the plans to reduce services at the DDEAMC.\n\nClick here to read Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock’s new inquiry.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-cornyn-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-support-desalination-and-safe-drinking-water/", "title": "Padilla, Cornyn Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Desalination and Safe Drinking Water", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize desalination projects and research. The Desalination Reauthorization Act would support desalination, a drought-proof water supply alternative, by providing grants for projects and research to lower its costs and reduce its environmental impacts.\n\nThe legislation would extend the programmatic approval of the Bureau of Reclamation to fund desalination projects, which would otherwise expire this year. If the programmatic approval expired, Congress would need to pass a separate bill in order to authorize each new desalination project, which could substantially delay desalination projects and increase their costs. These projects help the Southwest counter drought by bolstering local supplies, providing flexibility during water shortages, and diversifying the water supply.\n\n“Access to safe and clean drinking water is a human right, and investments in desalination programs will help us provide drinking water to millions of Americans in need,” said Senator Padilla. “Our bill will guarantee research and development of new avenues for safe, clean drinking water so that California can adapt to growing environmental pressures.”\n\n“As communities in Texas’ Gulf Coast region and the Rio Grande Valley continue to face devastating drought conditions, it’s crucial that we make investments in water infrastructure improvements to ensure our state has enough water to meet demands,” said Senator Cornyn. “I’m proud to join Senator Padilla in introducing the Desalination Reauthorization Act, which would authorize desalination grant programs for the next year to help construct more ocean and brackish-water desalination facilities to ensure long-term water supply.”\n\nSpecifically, this bill would:\n\nReauthorize the Bureau of Reclamation’s authority to provide grants for desalination projects, which is on track expire this year;\n\nAmend the programmatic approval to extend to public/private partnerships to build desalination projects;\n\nDirect that Reclamation cannot administratively impose a maximum funding amount that each desalination project can receive, which would allow large desalination plants to receive the full 25% federal cost-share; and\n\nAmend the desalination and water purification research program to advance pilot projects, which cover the gap in developing new technologies known as the “Valley of Death” between small-scale pilots that test a laboratory concept and commercially viable projects.\n\nThe Desalination Reauthorization Act is endorsed by the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), OceanWell, and South Coast Water District.\n\n“The Association of California Water Agencies thanks Senator Padilla for his continued leadership and support for policies that will enhance our nation’s water supply,” said Ernie Avila, President of Association of California Water Agencies. “Desalination produces a drought proof source of high-quality drinking water that can improve water supply reliability. The bipartisan Desalination Reauthorization Act extends and enhances critical programs that will help water providers in California and the West meet community needs.”\n\n“Water scarcity is one of the defining challenges of this century, demanding bold innovation alongside proven solutions. OceanWell is grateful to Senator Padilla and Senator Cornyn for their leadership in advancing the reauthorization of the Bureau of Reclamation’s desalination program. Their leadership recognizes that America’s water future depends on solutions that can expand water supplies while advancing environmental stewardship, operational efficiency, and long-term water security.” said Robert Bergstrom CEO of OceanWell.\n\n“The South Coast Water District applauds Senator Alex Padilla for his leadership in introducing the Desalination Reauthorization Act, which will ensure the continued federal partnership needed to develop reliable, long-term water supplies for communities across the West,” said Rick Shintaku, South Coast Water District General Manager. “The federal Desalination Construction Grant Program has been an essential source of investment for projects like the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project, helping communities strengthen their water resilience and reduce dependence on increasingly stressed imported water supplies. As the West continues to face persistent drought conditions and the historic water crisis affecting the Colorado River, investing in ocean desalination infrastructure has never been more important. Reauthorizing this program will help deliver drought-proof, locally controlled water supplies that improve reliability, strengthen regional resilience, and better prepare our communities for the challenges of a changing water future. We thank Senator Padilla for his leadership and commitment to advancing practical, forward-looking water infrastructure solutions.”\n\nPadilla has long been a strong advocate for ensuring access to safe, reliable water throughout California and across the country. Earlier this year, as severe droughts, warming temperatures, limitations on groundwater pumping, and outdated infrastructure compound California’s water scarcity issues, Padilla introduced a pair of bills to help address growing water supply challenges in California and the American West. His MORE WATER Act advanced out of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources by voice vote and now heads to the Senate for a full vote.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-introduces-cows-act-to-reduce-greenhouse-emissions-support-sustainable-waste-practices/", "title": "Padilla Introduces COWS Act to Reduce Greenhouse Emissions, Support Sustainable Waste Practices", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, reintroduced the Converting Our Waste Sustainably Act (COWS Act) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air and water quality, and implement more sustainable alternative manure management practices. Representative Jim Costa (D-Calif.- 21) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n“As California continues to provide food for families across the country, it’s critical we equip our producers with resources and tools to ensure sustainable and cost-effective practices,” said Senator Padilla. “Yet, today’s climate crisis demands that we adopt a more sustainable agricultural model. This bill would invest in long-term and low-cost pasture management treatments – ultimately supporting our family dairies, improving the quality of the air we breathe, protecting our environment, and keeping California’s cows happy.”\n\nAs the top dairy state in the country and the second in cheese production, California is the largest producer of milk, butter, and specific cheeses like Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Queso Fresco. Dairy operations contribute billions to California’s economy but are also responsible for 45% of California’s methane emissions. Recognizing the urgency of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions like methane, California and the dairy industry are on track to reduce dairy methane emissions by 40% below 2013 levels by 2030.\n\nThe COWS Act promotes manure management conservation practices, proven successful under California’s Alternative Manure Management Program, that will help our livestock industry achieve three goals: (1) modernize technologies for manure management that help boost profitability; (2) improve water and soil quality; and (3) reduce methane and nitrogen oxide emissions by fostering climate-smart farming. The legislation also directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prioritize awards for underserved communities and beginning farmers or ranchers.\n\nSpecifically, the COWS Act would:\n\nMake alternative manure management practices eligible under USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to award dairy or livestock producers grants to install equipment and infrastructure for pasture-based management, alternative treatment and storage practices, solid separation systems, and scrape technologies, and\n\nProvide technical assistance and training to aid in the implementation of eligible manure management and composting measures.\n\nThis legislation is based on California’s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), which was established in 2017 to support non-digester approaches to manage manure. The program has since supported 198 projects that are estimated to reduce 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over five years.\n\nIn addition to Padilla, this bill is co-sponsored by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).\n\nThe COWS Act is endorsed by California Dairies, California Dairy Campaign, Environmental Working Group, National Farmers Union, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Milk Producers Council, and the National Milk Producers Federation.\n\n“The COWS Act gives dairy farmers of all sizes practical tools to cut methane emissions, improve water quality, and generate valuable compost as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers. At a time when California dairies are under real economic pressure due to low milk prices and high input costs this kind of flexible, EQIP-backed support is exactly what family dairies need. The California Dairy Campaign is proud to support Senator Padilla’s leadership on this bill,” said Lynne McBride, Executive Director of California Dairy Campaign.\n\n“Milk Producers Council strongly supports the COWS Act,” said Kevin Abernathy, General Manager of Milk Producers Council. “The science has shown that the implementation of post-conservation practices in the dairy ecosystem helps improve soil health, provides cleaner air and water, and leads to healthier animals. California’s Alternative Manure Management Program has been a model for smart conservation practices, and the COWS Act would help expand this model nationwide.”\n\n“Dairy farmers do exceptional work on their farms to practice sound manure management, a critical conservation priority for maintaining healthy operations and protecting local land and water resources,” said Gregg Doud, President and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation. “Yet despite that leadership, oversubscribed conservation programs limit farmers’ access to the tools and support they need. Expanding these opportunities will recognize the great work farmers are already doing and improve their ability to innovate on a much greater scale. We thank Sens. Padilla, Schiff, and Heinrich for introducing the COWS Act, which will support the variety of manure management systems dairy farmers rely on.”\n\nA one-pager of the bill is available here.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-statement-on-russia-sanctions-bill-giving-trump-broader-tariff-authorities/", "title": "Padilla Statement on Russia Sanctions Bill Giving Trump Broader Tariff Authorities", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after voting against legislation that would expand Donald Trump’s tariff authorities as part of legislation initially designed to sanction Russia for its unprovoked war against our ally Ukraine:\n\n“I fully support and stand by the people of Ukraine bravely fighting for their freedom. From securing billions in funding to deliver military, economic, and humanitarian aid to advocating for Temporary Protected Status for Ukrainians living in the United States, and passing rigorous sanctions on Russia, I remain fully committed to supporting their defense.\n\n“However, Congress should not use a Russia sanctions bill to hand Trump new tariff authorities that he will wield recklessly, especially while Americans continue to struggle with the fallout of his failed economic policies. While I will continue to proudly stand by Ukraine and will work to impose strong, targeted consequences on Russia, I cannot support legislation that makes it harder for American families to make ends meet.”\n\nBefore final passage, Padilla voted in favor of an amendment to strip the new tariff authorities from the legislation. The vote failed 32-64.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-padilla-bill-to-extend-tax-relief-for-wildfire-victims/", "title": "Senate Passes Padilla Bill to Extend Tax Relief for Wildfire Victims", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Legislation to Remove Taxes on Los Angeles Wildfire Settlements to Become Law\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Senate unanimously passed the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act, which included a version of U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Tim Sheehy’s (R-Mont.) bipartisan and bicameral Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act to ensure wildfire survivors are not taxed on compensation they receive for losses and damages suffered during a federally-declared wildfire disaster before January 1, 2027. Representatives Mike Thompson (D-Calif.-04) and the late Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.-01) led companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The legislation now heads to the president’s desk for his signature.\n\n“After a fire takes your home, the last thing families and communities should have to think about is a tax bill on the very settlement meant to help them rebuild. In 2024, we passed the original Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Act that fixed our outdated tax code to remove this unfair financial burden, but that provision expired at the end of last year — even as survivors of the Los Angeles fires are still working to rebuild,” said Senator Padilla. “With devastating wildfires on the rise, I’m proud to get this commonsense, bipartisan solution over the finish line so survivors aren’t left waiting, worrying, and wondering about their financial futures after disaster. We must continue working to make this exemption permanent.”\n\n“Doug LaMalfa was a tireless champion for western priorities, a valued colleague, and a dear friend. Watching this bipartisan legislation that he fought so hard for — and that now bears his name — signed into law is a fitting way to honor his legacy,” said Senator Lummis. “I know he’d be proud that wildfire survivors won’t be punished with a tax bill on top of everything else they’ve lost.”\n\n“The last thing you should have to worry about if your house burns down in a wildfire or washes away in a flood is being hit with a massive tax bill,” said Senator Wyden. “This bill is going to deliver immediate relief to Oregonians and families across the country affected by this year’s devastating blazes and disasters, and I’m proud we were able to get it over the finish line.”\n\n“As someone who has fought wildfires and worked alongside the communities they devastate, I know firsthand recovery doesn’t end when the flames are out,” said Senator Sheehy. “This commonsense, bipartisan legislation gives families the certainty they need as they begin to rebuild, and I’m proud to see it pass the Senate.”\n\n“Fire survivors have been through enough in the wake of losing their homes and livelihoods to wildfires. It’s wrong to tax them on the settlement money meant to help them rebuild their lives,” said Representative Thompson. “Our bill ensures that survivors of disasters in the near future don’t have to come to Congress asking for relief after every fire, flood, hurricane, or other disaster. I’m thankful to Senator Padilla and our colleagues who voted to pass this bill.”\n\nThis bipartisan legislation extends Padilla and Lummis’ bill signed into law in 2024, which excluded wildfire-related settlement payments from federal income tax calculations, allowing survivors to put the full amount of their settlement money toward recovering from devastating losses. This includes payments that cover living expenses, lost wages, or compensation for injury, death, or emotional distress. The bill was signed into law as part of the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, which ensured taxes paid on payments made from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Fire Victim Trust for three major California fires in 2015, 2017, and 2018 were refunded and not taxed. The legislation passed today would extend the tax exemption for any federally declared wildfire before January 1, 2027, including the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, regardless of when payments are made to survivors.\n\nAdditionally, the Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act would allow victims to claim the exemption in the year they receive payments rather than have to amend prior tax returns for a refund.\n\nYesterday, Padilla and Wyden spoke on the Senate Floor about the importance of passing this bill as quickly as possible in the wake of recent utility-caused wildfires in California, Oregon, and Hawaii, as well as the numerous wildfires currently burning across the Western United States.\n\nVideo of Padilla’s remarks is available here.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/ahead-of-blanche-confirmation-vote-reed-reminds-us-senate-that-blanche-is-still-covering-up-epstein-files-concealing-facts-and-not-complying-with-the-law", "title": "Ahead of Blanche Confirmation Vote, Reed Reminds U.S. Senate That Blanche is Still Covering Up Epstein Files, Concealing Facts, & Not Complying with the Law", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Ahead of the final confirmation vote on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to become the next U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is reminding lawmakers that Mr. Blanche continues to cover up the Epstein Files. He continues to conceal key facts about the Trump Administration’s preferential treatment toward convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, who is Donald Trump’s former acquaintance and Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator. Hiding this information does not comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires this information to be made public.\n\nSpecifically, Senator Reed wants the release of all records relating to Ghislaine Maxwell’s special treatment while incarcerated. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ), on Blanche’s watch, refuses to comply.\n\n“In August 2025, I wrote to the Bureau of Prisons seeking all records relating to Ghislaine Maxwell’s special treatment while incarcerated. Her highly unusual privileges, including a transfer from a Federal correctional institution to a prison camp, occurred just after she provided fawning testimony about President Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in a jailhouse interview with you. These circumstances raise serious questions that you promised her favorable treatment in exchange for trying to minimize President Trump’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein,” Reed wrote directly to Blanche.\n\nGhislaine Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in a federal prison for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors over the course of a decade.\n\nReed is seeking records related to Mr. Blanche’s July 24 and 25, 2025 trip to visit Maxwell in a Florida prison.\n\nDuring the jailhouse visit, Blanche met with Maxwell and her attorney. They spoke for many hours, including a recorded portion of their conversations where Ms. Maxwell claimed that powerful men like Donald Trump and Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had not engaged in any inappropriate conduct that she witnessed. Blanche didn’t even bother to ask why Epstein and Maxwell chose to fly a 17-year old girl across the Atlantic to meet Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew said in an interview with the BBC in 2019 that he could not recall ever meeting Giuffre and denied having any sexual contact with her. However, during civil litigation between Giuffre and Maxwell, another woman alleged in a sworn deposition that she was groped by Prince Andrew at Epstein’s New York home, while she and Giuffre were sitting with the prince for a photo.\n\nShortly after Blanche’s visit and Maxwell’s statements, she was mysteriously transferred from the Florida prison to the minimum security Federal Prison Camp Bryan – better known as ‘Club Fed’ in Bryan, Texas.\n\nWhile records relating to the visit are withheld, the publicly available transcript of the Blanche-Maxwell ‘proffer’ shows that rather than rigorously questioning Maxwell and confronting her with contradictory, established trial evidence, Blanche failed to aggressively challenge implausible explanations regarding Maxwell’s finances, memory, and conduct.\n\nOne week after telling Blanche what he wanted to hear, Ms. Maxwell was transferred to a minimum-security facility, even though BOP policies do not ordinarily permit such transfers for recent offenders whose criminal history involves major sex offenses.\n\nReed’s letter notes: “Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, DOJ must release the records justifying Ms. Maxwell’s transfer. Section 2(a)(2) requires DOJ to “make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials . . . that relate to . . . Ghislaine Maxwell.” This requirement has no further qualification, meaning that DOJ is required to make publicly available all documents related in any way to Ms. Maxwell. That includes documents related to how she serves her sentence. In correspondence to me shortly after the Epstein Files Transparency Act was enacted, a top DOJ official indicated that the records I am seeking related to Ms. Maxwell’s transfer should be covered by the law.\n\n“You claimed in your confirmation hearing that the current administration “has been more transparent than any past administration” regarding Jeffrey Epstein. Based on the DOJ’s continued noncompliance with Section 2(a)(2) of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, I do not believe that is the case. In fact, DOJ has been hiding and concealing records that may be embarrassing to President Trump but that the public has a right to review,” Reed’s letter concludes.\n\nRegardless of who the Attorney General is, Reed is urging DOJ to release these documents, as required by law, by August 31, 2026.\n\nFull text of the letter follows:\n\nDear Acting Attorney General Blanche:\n\nI write to ask when the Department of Justice will come into compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act by releasing all records related to convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security facility.\n\nIn August 2025, I wrote to the Bureau of Prisons seeking all records relating to Ghislaine Maxwell’s special treatment while incarcerated. Her highly unusual privileges, including a transfer from a Federal correctional institution to a prison camp, occurred just after she provided fawning testimony about President Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in a jailhouse interview with you. These circumstances raise serious questions that you promised her favorable treatment in exchange for trying to minimize President Trump’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.\n\nUnder the Epstein Files Transparency Act, DOJ must release the records justifying Ms. Maxwell’s transfer. Section 2(a)(2) requires DOJ to “make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials . . . that relate to . . . Ghislaine Maxwell.” This requirement has no further qualification, meaning that DOJ is required to make publicly available all documents related in any way to Ms. Maxwell. That includes documents related to how she serves her sentence. In correspondence to me shortly after the Epstein Files Transparency Act was enacted, a top DOJ official indicated that the records I am seeking related to Ms. Maxwell’s transfer should be covered by the law.\n\nYou claimed in your confirmation hearing that the current administration “has been more transparent than any past administration” regarding Jeffrey Epstein. Based on the DOJ’s continued noncompliance with Section 2(a)(2) of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, I do not believe that is the case. In fact, DOJ has been hiding and concealing records that may be embarrassing to President Trump but that the public has a right to review.\n\nI request that DOJ release these documents, as required by law, by August 31, 2026.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/ahead-of-blanche-confirmation-vote-reed-reminds-us-senate-that-blanche-is-still-not-complying-with-the-epstein-files-law", "title": "Ahead of Blanche Confirmation Vote, Reed Reminds U.S. Senate That Blanche is Still Not Complying with the Epstein Files Law", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Ahead of the final confirmation vote on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to become the next U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is reminding lawmakers that Mr. Blanche appears to be out of compliance with the law requiring full release of the Epstein Files. He continues to avoid releasing key facts about the Trump Administration’s preferential treatment toward convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, who is Donald Trump’s former acquaintance and Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator. This failure to provide these documents does not comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires this information to be made public.\n\nSpecifically, Reed wants the release of all records relating to Ghislaine Maxwell’s special treatment while incarcerated. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ), on Blanche’s watch, refuses to comply.\n\n“In August 2025, I wrote to the Bureau of Prisons seeking all records relating to Ghislaine Maxwell’s special treatment while incarcerated. Her highly unusual privileges, including a transfer from a Federal correctional institution to a prison camp, occurred just after she provided fawning testimony about President Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in a jailhouse interview with you. These circumstances raise serious questions that you promised her favorable treatment in exchange for trying to minimize President Trump’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein,” Reed wrote directly to Blanche.\n\nGhislaine Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in a federal prison for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors over the course of a decade.\n\nReed is seeking records related to Mr. Blanche’s July 24 and 25, 2025 trip to visit Maxwell in a Florida prison.\n\nDuring the jailhouse visit, Blanche met with Maxwell and her attorney. They spoke for many hours, including a recorded portion of their conversations where Ms. Maxwell claimed that powerful men like Donald Trump and Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had not engaged in any inappropriate conduct that she witnessed. Blanche didn’t even bother to ask why Epstein and Maxwell chose to fly a 17-year old girl across the Atlantic to meet Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew said in an interview with the BBC in 2019 that he could not recall ever meeting Giuffre and denied having any sexual contact with her. However, during civil litigation between Giuffre and Maxwell, another woman alleged in a sworn deposition that she was groped by Prince Andrew at Epstein’s New York home, while she and Giuffre were sitting with the prince for a photo.\n\nShortly after Blanche’s visit and Maxwell’s statements, she was mysteriously transferred from the Florida prison to the minimum security Federal Prison Camp Bryan – better known as ‘Club Fed’ in Bryan, Texas.\n\nWhile records relating to the visit are withheld, the publicly available transcript of the Blanche-Maxwell ‘proffer’ shows that rather than rigorously questioning Maxwell and confronting her with contradictory, established trial evidence, Blanche failed to aggressively challenge implausible explanations regarding Maxwell’s finances, memory, and conduct.\n\nOne week after telling Blanche what he wanted to hear, Ms. Maxwell was transferred to a minimum-security facility, even though BOP policies do not ordinarily permit such transfers for recent offenders whose criminal history involves major sex offenses.\n\nReed’s letter notes: “Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, DOJ must release the records justifying Ms. Maxwell’s transfer. Section 2(a)(2) requires DOJ to “make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials . . . that relate to . . . Ghislaine Maxwell.” This requirement has no further qualification, meaning that DOJ is required to make publicly available all documents related in any way to Ms. Maxwell. That includes documents related to how she serves her sentence. In correspondence to me shortly after the Epstein Files Transparency Act was enacted, a top DOJ official indicated that the records I am seeking related to Ms. Maxwell’s transfer should be covered by the law.\n\n“You claimed in your confirmation hearing that the current administration “has been more transparent than any past administration” regarding Jeffrey Epstein. Based on the DOJ’s continued noncompliance with Section 2(a)(2) of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, I do not believe that is the case. In fact, DOJ has been hiding and concealing records that may be embarrassing to President Trump but that the public has a right to review,” Reed’s letter concludes.\n\nRegardless of who the Attorney General is, Reed is urging DOJ to release these documents, as required by law, by August 31, 2026.\n\nFull text of the letter follows:\n\nDear Acting Attorney General Blanche:\n\nI write to ask when the Department of Justice will come into compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act by releasing all records related to convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security facility.\n\nIn August 2025, I wrote to the Bureau of Prisons seeking all records relating to Ghislaine Maxwell’s special treatment while incarcerated. Her highly unusual privileges, including a transfer from a Federal correctional institution to a prison camp, occurred just after she provided fawning testimony about President Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in a jailhouse interview with you. These circumstances raise serious questions that you promised her favorable treatment in exchange for trying to minimize President Trump’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.\n\nUnder the Epstein Files Transparency Act, DOJ must release the records justifying Ms. Maxwell’s transfer. Section 2(a)(2) requires DOJ to “make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials . . . that relate to . . . Ghislaine Maxwell.” This requirement has no further qualification, meaning that DOJ is required to make publicly available all documents related in any way to Ms. Maxwell. That includes documents related to how she serves her sentence. In correspondence to me shortly after the Epstein Files Transparency Act was enacted, a top DOJ official indicated that the records I am seeking related to Ms. Maxwell’s transfer should be covered by the law.\n\nYou claimed in your confirmation hearing that the current administration “has been more transparent than any past administration” regarding Jeffrey Epstein. Based on the DOJ’s continued noncompliance with Section 2(a)(2) of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, I do not believe that is the case. In fact, DOJ has been hiding and concealing records that may be embarrassing to President Trump but that the public has a right to review.\n\nI request that DOJ release these documents, as required by law, by August 31, 2026.\n\nSincerely,", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/new-studies-show-trumps-chaotic-policies-have-driven-up-back-to-school-costs-by-11", "title": "New Studies Show Trump’s Chaotic Policies Have Driven Up Back-to-School Costs by 11%", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – President Trump’s tariffs and economic policies are raising prices, dragging down economic growth, eliminating thousands of good-paying jobs, and driving up inflation.\n\nUnder the Trump Administration, more American families are struggling to afford basic necessities.\n\nWith a new school year around the corner, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) says Trump deserves an ‘F’ when it comes to economic stewardship.\n\nReed points to a multitude of new studies showing that Trump’s chaotic policies are forcing families to pay more for back-to-school shopping this year, with the cost of school supplies, clothes, and food all increasing significantly over last year.\n\n“From paper and pencils, to lunch boxes and clothes, the Trump Economy is making back-to-school shopping more expensive for Americans. Due to Trump’s unilateral decision to launch tariffs and an unauthorized Iran war, just about every back-to-school item parents put in their shopping carts this summer has gone up in price. I’ve voted time and time again to halt the Trump price hikes, but Republican leaders need to stop shielding President Trump from accountability and start passing legislation to help bring down costs. As hardworking parents scrimp and save to manage household finances and tight budgets, Trump-Republicans have gifted the wealthiest one percent huge tax windfalls while shifting heavier financial burdens onto families and communities. That compounds cost-of-living pressures. Democrats want to fix it and help lower prices, but Republican leaders don’t seem interested,” said Reed.\n\nKey drivers of recent price increases include Trump’s higher tariffs on imported goods, his war in Iran, which has led to rising shipping expenses from elevated gas prices, as well as agricultural labor shortages and general inflation.\n\nIn a joint report, the Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation (TCF) crunched the numbers and found the price families will pay this year to send students back to classrooms has surged 11 percent overall. The think tanks, using data from NielsenIQ, a global consumer intelligence company that provides retail and consumer data, found that families will pay about $175 more on school items in 2026,\n\nMeanwhile, the National Retail Federation estimates that households with children in kindergarten through 12th grade will spend an average of $863.86 on back-to-school purchases this year.\n\nBasic classroom staples hit by Trump price spikes include lunch boxes (26.8 percent increase), one-subject notebooks (23 percent increase), index cards (22.2 percent increase), scissors (14 percent increase), and number 2 pencils (6.1 percent increase) which all cost more this school year than in 2025, according to Groundwork/TCF.\n\nAdditionally, the cost of packing a school lunch is significantly more over last year. The Groundwork/TCF report shows Trump price spikes for lunchtime favorites like blueberries (47.7 percent increase), sandwich bread (21.8 percent increase), apple juice (20 percent), animal crackers (15.7 percent), and deli meat (12.2 percent).\n\nAnd for parents of kids who play sports, federal BLS data shows the price of sports equipment -- a common fall purchase for parents of kids getting back to school sports -- spiked over 4 percent between December 2025 and June 2026.\n\nApproximately 45 percent of parents plan to take on debt in order to pay for back-to-school shopping items this year, up from 34 percent in 2024, according to credit score tracking site CreditKarma.\n\nMeanwhile, approximately half of surveyed U.S. parents reported cutting back on discretionary categories—such as dining out and entertainment in order to offset the costs of back-to-school shopping, according to the 2026 Deloitte Back-to-School Survey.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-helps-pass-tick-research-bill-to-combat-lyme-disease-and-other-tick-borne-illnesses", "title": "Reed Helps Pass Tick Research Bill to Combat Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Illnesses", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate passed the Kay Hagan Tick Act (S.2398), reauthorizing through 2030 the nation’s existing framework for tick-borne disease to ensure the program to improve research, prevention, diagnostics, and treatment for tick-borne diseases continues. Federal funding for that program lapsed last September and may now be renewed.\n\nU.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), who cosponsored the legislation, which is championed by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tina Smith (D-MN), has been fighting for people impacted by tick-borne illnesses for years and has spearheaded efforts to increase federal funding to combat the spread of ticks and find a cure and effective treatments.\n\nThe Kay Hagan Tick Act unites the effort to confront the alarming public health threat posed by Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.\n\nThe bill is named in honor of former U.S. Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC), who passed away in the fall of 2019, at age 66, due to complications from the tick-borne disease known as the Powassan virus, which she contracted just three years earlier.\n\n“This bill is a tribute to our former colleague, Kay Hagan, and to families everywhere impacted by tick bites. The federal government must invest in research to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses and help researchers diagnose people quickly and accurately and connect them to effective treatments that can save lives and lead to better health outcomes for people who are suffering,” said Senator Reed, who also noted he wants to see federal support for important tick research in Rhode Island. “America’s tick problem is growing and the size of the federal investment we make in combatting ticks needs to keep pace. The Kay Hagan Tick Act has already improved public health knowledge and prevention strategies, but we've got to do more.\"\n\nReed noted the University of Rhode Island is doing impressive work tracking the spread of ticks and educating people about ticks, tick-borne illnesses, and tick surveillance.\n\nCongress first passed the Kay Hagan Tick Act in 2019 and authorized $150 million to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to improve research, testing, and treatment of tickborne illnesses and to coordinate tick research efforts across multiple departments. The law also authorized the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide $20 million in annual federal grants to state and local health departments and for public outreach and tick safety awareness and education campaigns.\n\nReed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is fighting to provide a total of $275 million in federal funding for research of ticks and tickborne diseases in the 2027 federal budget, a significant $90 million boost over what Congress allocated in fiscal year 2026 toward these efforts.\n\nReed says it is a needed investment given that Lyme disease alone is estimated to cost the U.S. health system over $1 billion each year, and that figure does not fully account for other tick-borne infections, veterinary care, or livestock industry losses. In fact, a 2025 report found that: “Each year diseases caused by tick-borne pathogens result in an estimated 13-19 billion USD in losses to livestock producers in the United States alone.”\n\nThere are about 15 disease microbes transmitted by a variety of ticks in different regions of the United States. The deer tick, found widely in the Northeast, transmits seven diseases, including the “big three” most common illnesses: Lyme disease,; which is the most prevalent; Anaplasmosis, which infects white cells and causes systemic illness; and Babesiosis, a blood infection that can cause severe illness caused by the parasite babesia microti that is spread to humans by ticks who get it from white-footed mice.\n\nAlso increasingly prevalent in New England is the Lone Star tick (named for the distinctive white patch on the back of females) which can induce an allergic reaction through their bite that can cause Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS), which sometimes causes a red meat allergy, flu-like symptoms, and other side effects. Other serious ailments spread by certain types of ticks include Rocky Mountain spotted fever and the Powassan virus.\n\nData collected through URI’s TickEncounter program, led by Dr. Thomas Mather (also known as “The TickGuy”), shows a 1,300 percent increase in Lone Star tick encounters recorded by residents in the Ocean State over the last decade. Another tick, the invasive longhorned tick has also moved into parts of Rhode Island, especially on Block Island and southern Rhode Island coastal communities.\n\n“Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses continue to pose serious, growing public health challenges. We’ve made a lot of progress but more must be done. Federal research and intervention investments are critical to staying ahead of these often-mysterious diseases and keeping people safe, particularly here in Rhode Island and throughout the Northeast,” said Reed, who was instrumental in establishing a national strategy to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in 2016.\n\nUsing a three-pronged approach, the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act would:\n\nRequire the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue implementing and updating, as appropriate, its National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People. This strategy has been integral in expanding research into tick-borne diseases, improving testing and diagnostics, and coordinating efforts across the federal government.\n\nReauthorize Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease for five years. Funding for these centers, which was allotted in 2017, expires this year. These Centers have led the scientific response against tick-borne diseases, which now make up 75 percent of vector-borne diseases in the U.S.\n\nReauthorize CDC Grants to State Health Departments to improve data collection and analysis, support early detection and diagnosis, improve treatment, and raise awareness. These awards would help states continue to build a public health infrastructure for Lyme and other vector-borne diseases and amplify their initiatives through public-private partnerships.\n\nThe U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar measure. The two chambers must pass the same language before the bill can be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-pushes-to-prohibit-insider-trading-and-crack-down-on-securities-fraud", "title": "Reed Pushes to Prohibit Insider Trading & Crack Down on Securities Fraud", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to effectively counter insider trading, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, introduced the Insider Trading Prohibition Act (S.5320) to establish a clear statutory prohibition against insider trading. This legislation seeks to clearly define the offense of insider trading under federal law and remove some of the uncertainty that has curtailed securities regulators’ and law enforcement’s ability to effectively pursue and prosecute insider trading cases.\n\nIf passed, Reed’s legislation would make it even more obvious that President Trump’s scheme to sell a $100,000 monthly subscription service to provide earlier access to the President’s Truth Social posts is, by definition, ‘Insider Trading.’ And not only is it unethical for President Trump to try to further monetize the presidency to enrich his family, but this scheme is unlawful.\n\n“Insider trading puts the average investor at a disadvantage and reduces both public trust and confidence in our markets. Cracking down on unlawful insider trading should be a bipartisan priority,” said Senator Reed. “This legislation provides a clear definition of insider trading, with appropriate safety valves, that will help protect the investing public. Sharpening the definition of insider trading will clear up ambiguity in the law and help repair a broken system.”\n\nWhen corporate insiders and others who wrongfully obtain inside information trade on it, they essentially engage in theft. But currently – and to the shock of many Americans -- there is no federal statute on the books specifically banning insider trading. Rather, the unlawfulness of insider trading is predicated on the notion that insider trading is a type of securities fraud under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and subject to broad judicial interpretation. With courts left to define much of the law on a case-by-case basis, the result has been an unnecessarily complex, inconsistent, and uncertain legal standard.\n\nAccording to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), illegal insider trading, as currently defined by the courts, refers generally to buying or selling a security, in breach of a fiduciary duty or other relationship of trust and confidence, while in possession of material, nonpublic information about the security. Insider trading violations may also include “tipping” such information, securities trading by the person “tipped,” and securities trading by those who misappropriate such information.\n\nThe Insider Trading Prohibition Act aims to distill the offense of insider trading to clear, bright line rules: if a person trades a security on the basis of information that the person is aware is material and nonpublic and is aware was wrongfully obtained, then that person has engaged in unlawful insider trading.\n\nThe legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE).\n\nTo illustrate the problem of trying insider trading cases, Reed pointed to the words of U.S. District Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who has presided over many insider trading cases before the Southern District of New York. Judge Rakoff wrote in a recent opinion that “the crime of insider trading is a straightforward concept that some courts have somehow managed to complicate.”\n\nIn the absence of a statutory definition, an inconsistent and complicated body of common law – an accumulation of cases and judicial precedents – has developed as the courts have used varying interpretations of anti-fraud statutes in order to decide insider trading cases.\n\nThe Insider Trading Prohibition Act:\n\n• Makes it unlawful for a person to trade while aware of material, non-public information if that person knows, or has reason to know that the information was obtained wrongfully, for example, through theft, bribery, hacking, misappropriation, or a breach of a fiduciary duty for a personal benefit.\n\n• Prohibits those with material, nonpublic information from wrongfully passing along that information to others, or tipping them, if the person is aware that the communication would result in trading and the recipient does in fact trade based on that communication.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-stumps-for-bill-to-better-protect-kids-online", "title": "Reed Stumps for Bill to Better Protect Kids Online", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "domain": "www.reed.senate.gov", "scraper": "jackreed", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000122", "name": "Jack Reed", "party": "Democrat", "state": "RI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to protect kids from the risks posed by the internet and social media and to hold Big Tech accountable for harming a generation of young Americans, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The bill mandates social media companies limit addictive design features and set protective default settings for minor users.\n\nThis week, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation’s unanimously approved KOSA by voice vote, teeing it up for consideration by the full U.S. Senate.\n\nThis legislation (S.1748), which is championed by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), would provide kids and parents with better tools to protect children online, hold tech and social media accountable for harms to children, and provide transparency into black box algorithms.\n\nEssentially, the bill would require companies to default to stringent privacy and safety settings, rather than putting the onus on youth and parents to navigate through complicated platforms. Tech companies would be required to “exercise reasonable care” to prevent their products from endangering child users, including through design features that could exacerbate depression, sexual exploitation, bullying, harassment and other harms.\n\n“Americans are over Big Tech companies knowingly putting their profits ahead of children’s safety. I support this comprehensive, bipartisan proposal to increase transparency, strengthen online safeguards, and ensure that tech companies and social media companies are more accountable,” said Senator Reed. “This will provide new tools for parents to protect their kids, including options to disable addictive product features. I urge Senate Republican leaders to put the bipartisan bill on the floor and pass a clean bill so we can ensure a safer environment online for all.”\n\nThis week, a judge in New Mexico ordered that Meta, the parent company of brands such as Facebook and Instagram, pay a total of $942 million to address harms to kids from social media.\n\nThe Kids Online Safety Act is strongly supported by a broad coalition of parents, including those who have tragically lost their children or whose kids have been severely harmed by Big Tech; young people who want to regain control over their online lives; and hundreds of advocacy groups and experts who study and see the negative effects of social media firsthand in their communities.\n\nSpecifically, the Kids Online Safety Act:\n\nRequires social media platforms to provide minors with options to protect their information, disable addictive product features, and opt out of personalized algorithmic recommendations.\n\nPlatforms are required to enable the strongest privacy settings for kids by default.\n\nGives parents new controls to help protect their children and spot harmful behaviors, and provides parents and educators with a dedicated channel to report harmful behavior.\n\nCreates a duty for online platforms to prevent and mitigate specific dangers to minors, including promotion of suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and advertisements for certain illegal products (e.g. tobacco and alcohol).", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/2026/08/07/rosen-helps-introduce-bill-to-end-tariffs-on-back-to-school-supplies/", "title": "Rosen Helps Introduce Bill to End Tariffs on Back-to-School Supplies", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.rosen.senate.gov/press-releases", "domain": "www.rosen.senate.gov", "scraper": "rosen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000608", "name": "Jacky Rosen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – Ahead of the start of a new school year, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped introduce a bill to end tariffs on back-to-school supplies. The Back-To-School Supplies Affordability Act would exempt school supplies and educational materials from Donald Trump’s tariffs, helping reduce costs for families, teachers, schools, and local governments.\n\n“As school districts across Nevada begin the new school year, parents are being squeezed by the high cost of school supplies thanks to Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs,” said Senator Rosen. “I am proud to help introduce this bill to repeal tariffs on school supplies and provide some financial relief for hardworking families as they prepare our children for another school year. I promise that I will continue fighting in the Senate to lower the cost of living for families all across Nevada.”\n\nSenator Rosen has fought to lower costs and protect critical industries from Trump’s tariffs. Earlier this year, she introduced legislation to exclude homebuilding materials from tariffs, helping to lower housing costs. Senator Rosen also introduced the No Tariffs on Groceries Act, which would block tariffs on food and agricultural products. In February, she helped introduce a bill requiring Trump to issue full refunds for importers that paid fees because of his illegal tariffs.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-cassidy-sanders-request-update-from-justice-department-on-contempt-charges-for-former-hospital-ceo/", "title": "NEWS: Cassidy, Sanders Request Update from Justice Department on Contempt Charges for Former Hospital CEO", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.sanders.senate.gov", "scraper": "sanders", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000033", "name": "Bernard Sanders", "party": "Independent", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 – Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member, sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting information on the status of the contempt referral for Dr. Ralph de la Torre, former Chairman and CEO of Steward Health Care, which was unanimously adopted by the Senate on September 25, 2024.\n\nSteward previously operated 31 hospitals in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. On May 6, 2024, Steward Health Care declared bankruptcy, representing the largest for-profit hospital bankruptcy in United States history.\n\n“The bankruptcy represented a culmination of financial mismanagement and self-interested incentives by Dr. de la Torre and corporate executives in health care, private equity, and real estate. The resulting harm included termination of health care workers, patient deaths, and multiple hospital closures resulting in lack of access to care,” Cassidy and Sanders wrote.\n\nIn response to the bankruptcy, the HELP Committee initiated an investigation into Steward’s financial mismanagement and invited Dr. de la Torre to appear at a hearing on September 12, 2024. Dr. de la Torre declined the invitation. The Committee then voted to authorize a subpoena requiring de la Torre to appear on September 12, 2025. Dr. de la Torre failed to appear. In response, the Committee voted 20-0 on a criminal contempt resolution. This was the first time in modern American history that the HELP Committee issued a criminal contempt resolution.\n\n“We needed answers from Dr. de la Torre, as did the health care workers forced to treat patients in dangerous conditions, loved ones of patients who died, and communities who saw their local hospitals close or face severe financial distress. Dr. de la Torre’s wealth should not make him immune to requests from Congress, especially as communities continue to grapple with the consequences of Dr. de la Torre’s greed,” the HELP Committee leaders continued.\n\nFollowing the Committee action, the Senate then unanimously adopted the Committee’s criminal contempt resolution, which certified the HELP Committee Report regarding Dr. de la Torre’s failure to appear to the US Attorney for the District of Columbia to present to a grand jury.\n\n“Unfortunately, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia has not yet acted on this important effort to hold Dr. De la Torre criminally accountable for his actions. We request an update on the status of this case and the actions taken by the U.S. Attorney by August 20, 2026,” Cassidy and Sanders concluded.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-sens-schiff-young-introduce-legislation-to-help-small-businesses-combat-increasing-cybersecurity-threats/", "title": "NEWS: Sens. Schiff & Young Introduce Legislation to Help Small Businesses Combat Increasing Cybersecurity Threats", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), members of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, are introducing bipartisan legislation to improve the federal cybersecurity tools that protect small businesses against cyber threats – helping integrate the technology, resources, and programs they need to stay protected in a changing digital landscape.\n\n“As small businesses face a growing threat of cyberattacks and phishing schemes, we must give them the tools they need to stop hacks and lower their risk. Our bipartisan legislation will improve federal cybersecurity resources to help small businesses mitigate their cybersecurity vulnerabilities,” said Senator Schiff.\n\n“Small businesses are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, but too many owners don’t know where to turn for help,” said Senator Young. “This commonsense legislation will identify gaps, improve coordination, and ensure small businesses have access to the tools they need to defend themselves from evolving cyber threats. When small businesses are better protected, they can spend less time responding to cyberattacks and more time creating jobs and growing our economy.”\n\nThe Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Evaluation Act will require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to develop a report on all federal cybersecurity resources, initiatives, programs, tools, and services available to small business owners. This report must include:\n\nInformation on the most common cybersecurity threats faced by small businesses;\n\nA description and assessment of the different levels of awareness, use, coordination, and integration of the federal resources;\n\nA list of foundational cybersecurity concepts absent from federal resources; and\n\nRecommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of these tools.\n\nU.S. Representative Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, which unanimously passed the House.\n\nThe full text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-u-s-senate-sends-senator-schiff-scotts-doug-lamalfa-federal-disaster-tax-relief-certainty-act-to-presidents-desk/", "title": "NEWS: U.S. Senate Sends Senator Schiff-Scott’s Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act to President’s Desk", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously to send bipartisan, bicameral legislation by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act, to the President’s desk.\n\nThe bill provides meaningful and long-overdue tax relief for victims of hurricanes and other natural disasters and ensures victims of natural disasters have immediate access to tax relief for years to come. The bill would allow for tax relief for victims of federally declared disasters, including hurricanes and wildfires. The bill also extends victims’ ability to make tax deductible payments from wildfire settlements, which often happen many years after a disaster, through January 1, 2027.\n\nIt was renamed last year to the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act to honor Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who passed away in January of 2026.\n\n“Surviving a natural disaster can place an enormous financial burden on families. That’s why it’s critical we support victims of devastating disasters like the wildfires in California and across the country. I’m proud that this bipartisan effort with my colleagues Senator Rick Scott and Representatives Greg Steube, Mike Thompson, and Jimmy Panetta has advanced through Congress. We need to ensure that those hit the hardest when disaster strikes receive the support and the tax relief they need to recover. And in getting this bill to the President’s desk, we affirm a vital part of the late Doug LaMalfa’s legacy,” said Senator Adam Schiff.\n\n“Floridians are resilient in the face of natural disasters, and we always overcome them. While neighbors help neighbors and communities rebuild, we should be doing everything we can to make it easier on disaster victims in Florida and around the country to put their lives back together. We certainly should not saddle them with more uncertainty about their taxes. I am proud to support this bill to provide Americans critical clarity in the disaster relief process and honor the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s extensive work on this issue,” said Senator Rick Scott.\n\nU.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) led the legislation in the House alongside Representatives Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.).\n\nThe full text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-urges-department-of-labor-to-close-loophole-allowing-employers-to-prioritize-foreign-workers-over-americans/", "title": "Schmitt Urges Department of Labor to Close Loophole Allowing Employers to Prioritize Foreign Workers Over Americans", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "scraper": "schmitt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001227", "name": "Eric Schmitt", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) sent a letter to Acting Secretary of Labor (DOL) Keith Sonderling urging the DOL to modernize the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) labor certification process to ensure companies are not abusing the system to hire cheap foreign labor over American workers who are qualified and available for work. Senator Schmitt also requested data on fraud, audits, and the use of Optional Practical Training (OPT) and H-1B visas within the PERM program.\n\nSenator Schmitt wrote, “Abuse of the PERM and H-1B programs allow corporations to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor. The Department should end that abuse and restore the regulations’ supposed purpose: Protecting American workers and putting their interests first.”\n\nIn the letter, Senator Schmitt urges the DOL to:\n\nRequire employers to post all PERM job opportunities on their regular careers page and at least one widely used online job platform.\n\nRequire employers to use the same application process for PERM positions as they use for comparable non-PERM positions.\n\nRequire employers to document every American applicant to PERM positions, explain why any applicant was rejected, and certify that positions were not reserved for foreign workers.\n\nRequire employers to notify recently laid-off American workers who may be qualified for PERM positions and provide interviews and written explanations for any rejection.\n\nProvide data regarding PERM audits, fraud, and applicants’ prior use of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program and H-1B visas.\n\nCurrent DOL regulations governing the PERM process have not been substantially updated in more than twenty years and continue to rely on print newspaper advertisements for many positions despite the widespread shift to online recruiting. Senator Schmitt argues these outdated requirements make it easier for employers to bypass qualified American workers while claiming they attempted domestic recruitment.\n\nThe letter also highlights recent findings by the DOL’s Inspector General and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud regarding fraud schemes involving the PERM and H-1B programs, arguing those findings further demonstrate the need for reform.\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-urges-hhs-cdc-to-close-birth-certificate-loophole-enabling-birthright-citizenship-fraud/", "title": "Schmitt Urges HHS, CDC to Close Birth Certificate Loophole Enabling Birthright Citizenship Fraud", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "scraper": "schmitt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001227", "name": "Eric Schmitt", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Erica Schwartz urging the agencies to issue regulations to close a loophole that allows the children of foreign diplomats born in the United States to improperly obtain documentation used to illegally claim American citizenship. Senator Schmitt called on HHS and the CDC to implement anti-fraud birth certificate standards, as directed by Congress in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, to help prevent citizenship fraud and protect the integrity of American citizenship.\n\n“Foreign diplomats’ children who illegally claim citizenship by using standard state-issued birth certificates perpetrate a fraud against the American people that degrades the meaning of American citizenship, undermines our sovereignty, and threatens our national security. I therefore urge the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement birth-certificate regulations that ensure federal government agencies do not allow foreign diplomats’ children to illegally claim citizenship. We cannot allow our medical records system to become a vector for national security threats,” wroteSenator Schmitt.\n\nIn the letter, Senator Schmitt requests that HHS and the CDC:\n\nPromulgate the birth certificate regulations required under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.\n\nEstablish minimum standards that help prevent fraud in the issuance and acceptance of birth certificates.\n\nEnsure federal agencies only accept birth certificates that distinguish between individuals recognized as U.S. citizens at birth under current law and the children of foreign diplomats, who are not granted birthright citizenship.\n\nClose documentation loopholes that allow foreign diplomats’ children to improperly obtain Social Security numbers, passports, and other federal documents reserved for U.S. citizens.\n\nFor more than a century, federal law, judicial precedent, and executive branch policy have recognized that children born in the United States to accredited foreign diplomats are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States for purposes of the Fourteenth Amendment and therefore do not acquire citizenship at birth. Despite this longstanding legal principle, Senator Schmitt notes that gaps in the nation’s birth registration system allow these individuals to receive standard birth certificates and later obtain documentation commonly used as proof of U.S. citizenship.\n\nThis effort builds upon Senator Schmitt’s previous oversight efforts to strengthen enforcement of U.S. citizenship laws, including his recent letter to the Departments of Homeland Security and State requesting additional safeguards to prevent the improper issuance of citizenship documentation to the children of foreign diplomats.\n\nSchmitt also introduced a bill to protect the integrity of American citizenship and restore birthright citizenship to only the children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/senator-schmitt-blocks-democrats-attempt-to-undermine-ice-enforcement-shutdown-detention-facility/", "title": "Senator Schmitt Blocks Democrats’ Attempt to Undermine ICE Enforcement, Shutdown Detention Facility", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "scraper": "schmitt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001227", "name": "Eric Schmitt", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) took to the Senate Floor to block Democrats’ attempt to undermine Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by permanently closing a detention facility. Senator Schmitt argued the legislation would eliminate detention capacity without improving medical care, increasing staffing, or strengthening oversight, while undermining public safety and immigration enforcement operations.\n\nWatch the Senator’s full speech HERE.\n\nExcerpts of remarks as prepared for delivery:\n\n“Mr. President, I rise to object to the so-called Delaney Hall Closure Act. But my colleague’s bill does nothing to address the issues he’s raised. It does not hire a single doctor. It does not add a single nurse. It does not require a single inspection. It simply orders the Department of Homeland Security to close Delaney Hall, cancel its contract, and permanently forbid ICE from using the facility again. Two pages. Three commands: Close it. Cancel it. Never reopen it. That is abolition with a short title.\n\n“If something goes wrong at a hospital, you investigate what happened. You identify the failure. You discipline the people responsible. You repair the facility, improve the procedures, and make the hospital better. You do not unlock every door, abandon the building, and announce that healthcare itself was the crime. If a bridge needs repair, you fix the bridge. You do not blow it up and congratulate yourself for preventing traffic accidents.\n\n“Now, I am willing to take my colleague’s concerns seriously. If Delaney Hall needs more doctors, let us fund more doctors. If it needs more nurses, better medication tracking, stronger inspections, faster emergency response, or better communication with families, let us write those requirements into law and pay for them. I would gladly work with the Senator from New Jersey on additional resources for safe and secure ICE detention facilities.\n\n“You cannot pull the batteries from the smoke alarm and then pose beside the ashes demanding to know who failed. You cannot starve a system, condemn the strain, and call abolition the only humane solution. That is not good-faith oversight. That is not serious governance. That is not a viable solution.\n\n“Mr. President, a serious Senate would let the current investigation run its course, correct any failures, and strengthen the system. An unserious Senate shuts down the building and pretends the law no longer needs enforcement. I object to using a pending investigation as a ploy to dismantle law enforcement. I object to defunding ICE and then blaming ICE for lacking resources. Fix what is broken. Hold wrongdoers accountable. Protect every person in federal custody, of course, but we must enforce the law.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-calls-on-national-park-service-to-release-operating-funds-to-buffalos-theodore-roosevelt-inaugural-national-historic-site_the-only-national-park-site-that-has-not-yet-received-annual-operating-support", "title": "SCHUMER CALLS ON NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO RELEASE OPERATING FUNDS TO BUFFALO’S THEODORE ROOSEVELT INAUGURAL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE – THE ONLY NATIONAL PARK SITE THAT HAS NOT YET RECEIVED ANNUAL...", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.schumer.senate.gov", "scraper": "schumer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S000148", "name": "Charles E. Schumer", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site – Where Then-Vice President Theodore Roosevelt Took The Oath Of Office To Become America’s 26th President – Needs Annual Congressionally-Approved Funds to Pay Bills And Staff\n\nSchumer Says: As We Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday, We Must Ensure This Treasured Buffalo Historical Site Remains Accessible To The Public\n\nSchumer To NPS: Release Annual Funds For Vital Site For This Jewel Of American History Here In Western NY\n\nU.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today called on the National Park Service (NPS) to release this year's funds for Buffalo’s Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site. The site, which is a National Historic Site, says it is the only unit in the entire National Park System that has not received its congressionally appropriated FY26 operating funds.\n\nWith the end of the fiscal year quickly approaching at the end of September, the site’s leadership says it needs these funds to cover its bills, pay staff, and ensure the public can continue to access one of Western New York’s treasured historical sites. Schumer called on the NPS to immediately release the site’s funds and explain why this site has been the last left without funding this far into the fiscal year.\n\n“As a place of tragedy and the transition of presidential power, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site holds a special place in the hearts of Buffalonians and the nation. As the place where the assassinated President McKinley tragically passed away, and President Roosevelt took the oath of office to become our 26th president, this home tells the story of the origins of a presidency that reshaped the country,” said Senator Schumer. “The site relies on federal funding to cover its bills and pay staff, but its leadership says it is the only unit in the entire National Park System that has not received its allocated federal funding. That makes no sense and is unacceptable. As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, it’s more important than ever to preserve our country’s rich history. That’s why I’m calling on the NPS to immediately release the congressionally appropriated support needed to keep this historic house’s doors open so Americans can continue to access one of New York’s, and the nation’s, treasured historical sites.”\n\nThe Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site is the house where, on September 14, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office following the assassination of President William McKinley, becoming the 26th President of the United States. Thanks to decades of local activism and preservation work, the house has been preserved for generations and now operates as a unit of the National Park System.\n\nThe Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site relies on Congressionally appropriated funds for approximately one-third of its operating budget. The delay of its allocated funds has postponed the completion of essential work, including replacement of a 16-year-old HVAC system and repairs to the building's historic Victorian roof. These upgrades are desperately needed to ensure the aging building’s integrity and to continue providing the optimal visitor and staff experience at the site.\n\nSchumer said the NPS must release the site’s funds without further delay and asked why this site is the only NPS site without its annual federal funding and what the NPS will do to ensure a delay like this never happens again.\n\nSchumer’s letter to Acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron can be found HERE or below:\n\nDear Acting Director Bowron,\n\nI write to urge the immediate release of Fiscal Year 2026 operating funds to the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York. According to Site Superintendent Spencer Morgan, this site is now the only unit in the entire National Park System that has not received its congressionally appropriated FY26 operating funds with the end of the fiscal year fast approaching. If the site does not receive these funds by the end of September, it risks being unable to cover its bills and meet payroll, threatening not only the continued operation of the site and employment of the staff, but also public access to one of New York’s, and the nation’s, treasured historical sites.\n\nAs a place of tragedy and the transition of presidential power, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site holds a special place in the hearts of Buffalonians, the nation, and Roosevelt history buffs alike. It is the house where, on September 14, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office following the tragic assassination of President William McKinley, becoming the 26th President of the United States. It stands today, preserved for generations since Roosevelt’s tenure, thanks to decades of local activism and preservation work. It now operates as a unit of the National Park System as a testament to a pivotal moment and person in our nation's history.\n\nThis site is not only one of great historic significance, but it also provides meaningful, ongoing value to the Buffalo community. It attracts visitors from far and wide – boosting the local economy, offering free field trips for local students, and educating the public on the origins of a presidency that reshaped the country. The site relies on the National Park Service for roughly a third of its operating budget, and the prolonged delay in receiving its promised FY26 funds has delayed the completion of essential work, including replacement of a 16-year-old HVAC system and repairs to the building's historic Victorian roof. These upgrades are desperately needed to ensure the aging building’s integrity and to continue providing the optimal visitor and staff experience at the site.\n\nReports suggest that National Park Service maintenance funds have been redirected to support America250 celebrations in Washington, D.C. While our nation’s semi-quincentennial is an important milestone to honor, it must not come at the expense of the continued maintenance, preservation, and operation of our many other historic sites and protected places across the country. In Buffalo, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site cannot meet payroll or complete vital maintenance and preservation projects without its congressionally appropriated FY26 funds.\n\nI therefore urge the National Park Service to release the site's FY26 operating funds without further delay, and request that you provide my office with a clear timeline for disbursement. I would also appreciate an explanation of why this site, alone among all National Park Service units nationwide, has been left without its funding this far into the fiscal year, and what steps the agency is taking to ensure this does not happen again.\n\nThe Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site belongs to every American as a piece of our shared history. It deserves the timely support Congress has provided for it, especially as America celebrates our 250th anniversary.\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your response.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-helps-introduce-legislation-to-stop-the-trump-administration-from-hiding-the-human-cost-of-the-iran-war", "title": "Shaheen Helps Introduce Legislation to Stop the Trump Administration from Hiding the Human Cost of the Iran War", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.shaheen.senate.gov", "scraper": "shaheen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001181", "name": "Jeanne Shaheen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Shaheen Helps Introduce Legislation to Stop the Trump Administration from Hiding the Human Cost of the Iran War\n\n(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, joined 17 of her Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing legislation that would ban the U.S. Secretary of Defense from manipulating casualty records and jeopardizing the benefits of our service members and public servants. The Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act comes after the Pentagon unprecedentedly recategorized recent casualties suffered in President Trump’s Iran war—including four killed and over 200 wounded service members—under a separate category outside Operation Epic Fury in a shameless attempt to downplay the true cost of his disastrous conflict and evade accountability to the American people.\n\n“It’s outrageous the Administration would try to shortchange our troops and their families from receiving the full benefits that they have earned through service and sacrifice,” said Senator Shaheen. “Because President Trump and Secretary Hegseth started a war they don’t know how to end, they’re trying to obscure the real costs of it—all while service members’ benefits hang in the balance. Our bill would ensure these brave patriots and their families receive the full support that they are due.”\n\nSpecifically, the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act would:\n\nBan arbitrary, unjustified recategorizing of designated contingency operations by prohibiting redesignating an ongoing conflict if the Administration continues to mobilize forces against the same enemy;\n\nPrevent manipulation of casualty records by prohibiting manipulation of casualty records by falsely redesignating a contingency operation;\n\nRestore casualty records of our fallen and wounded heroes in the Iran war by requiring restoration of casualty records for Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026, and notify next-of-kin about the correction;\n\nBan cutting hard-earned benefits for troops and civilian personnel by prohibiting the modification of eligibility for deployment-related personnel benefits on the basis of falsely redesignating a contingency operation; and\n\nrestore benefits to personnel supporting Iran war by retroactively restoring all covered benefits entitled to members of the Armed Services and civilian employees who have supported Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026.\n\nA copy of the legislation can be read HERE.\n\nThe Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act is endorsed by VoteVets and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).\n\nSince President Trump began the war in Iran, Senator Shaheen has continued to grill Secretary Hegseth and top Administration officials about their lack of strategy and transparency surrounding the conflict in the Middle East. Last month, Shaheen joined her colleagues on a letter to the Department of Defense demanding a full and accurate accounting of all service member casualties in support of or in connection with Operation Epic Fury. Shaheen also recently pressed Secretary Hegseth on the cost of the war and questioned why the American people were being asked to further absorb the cost of the war when the Department still has unspent funding.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/07/after-bipartisan-effort-led-by-slotkin-army-selects-grayling-as-part-of-initiative-to-push-drone-testing-and-research/", "title": "After Bipartisan Effort Led by Slotkin, Army Selects Grayling as Part of Initiative to Push Drone Testing and Research", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "domain": "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "scraper": "slotkin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001208", "name": "Elissa Slotkin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Michigan Selected for New Army Industry Testing Initiative – One of Only Four Sites Nationwide\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) joined the U.S. Army in announcing that the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), in partnership with the Michigan National Guard and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), has selected Camp Grayling and the National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC) as one of five premiere military test ranges in the world, and one of four in the United States being opened to private industry to accelerate research, development, and rapid experimentation for emerging defense technologies like drones.\n\n“This is an important win for Michigan, selected as one of only four sites nationwide, that helps our role in developing, testing and building new tech for the U.S. Army,” said Slotkin. “Opening Camp Grayling to collaborate with private industry means manufacturers, startups, and engineers – of all sizes — will get a direct line to the Army. This will bring companies from across the nation to Michigan to test their systems against the same conditions we are seeing on the battlefield in Ukraine right now. And they’ll be doing it with American supply chains and American workers.”\n\nSlotkin, Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and U.S. Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), plus other members across the Michigan Congressional Delegation have supported efforts to establish Camp Grayling and NADWC as a national hub for drone testing and defense innovation, including in a joint letter to the Secretary of Defense in July of 2025. Read that letter here.\n\nThe initiative gives companies access to specialized environments for testing drones, counter-drone systems, long-range fires, and low-cost interceptors, and is designed to eliminate the red tape between the Army and commercial innovators, so that new technologies can be developed and fielded faster.\n\n“A company with a good idea shouldn’t need a team of lawyers and a program of record just to prove their equipment works,” said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. “So we fixed that. One front door — testrange.army.mil — a real person to walk you in, and on the other side, everything the modern battlefield demands: contested airspace, degraded signals and the space to test at real scale.”\n\nSlotkin continues to champion Michigan as a center of defense manufacturing and innovation, as laid out by her Future of Defense Manufacturing Act. Camp Grayling’s proximity to large-scale manufacturing centers, private sector drone innovators, and national transportation hubs make it a centrally located, all-in-one destination for the Army’s growing partnership with industry.\n\nMore about the announcement:\n\nThe U.S. Army is opening five premier military test ranges to private industry to accelerate research, development, and rapid experimentation on emerging defense technologies. Led by the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) in partnership with the Michigan National Guard and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the initiative provides companies with access to specialized environments for testing drones, counter-drone systems, long-range fires, and low-cost interceptors at Dugway Proving Ground (Utah), West Cibola Range at Yuma Proving Ground (Arizona), Camp Grayling (Michigan), Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center (Mississippi,) and the African Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC) in Morocco.\n\nThe initiative is designed to reduce barriers between the Army and commercial innovators, enabling faster development and fielding of technologies such as drones, counter-drone systems, long-range fires, and low-cost interceptors.\n\nThe Army will also host a special electromagnetic unreliability test event for private industry at Camp Grayling during the week of Sept. 13, 2026. This environment will mimic the contested electronic warfare conditions currently seen on the battlefield in Ukraine, offering industry a rare opportunity to harden their drone and counter-drone systems. The Army anticipates this opportunity will be repeated on a quarterly basis.\n\nToday, the Army has launched a portal, testrange.army.mil, which serves as a digital front door for industry. Companies can easily request range time and will be paired with a dedicated concierge who will assist them through the scheduling processes. Private industry does not need to have a prior government contract or existing federal relationship to submit a request.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/07/slotkin-cruz-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-help-protect-houses-of-worship/", "title": "Slotkin, Cruz Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Protect Houses of Worship", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "domain": "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "scraper": "slotkin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001208", "name": "Elissa Slotkin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and U.S. Representatives Brad Knott (R-NC) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) introduced the Right to Worship Act.The bill restricts activity that knowingly disrupts or impedes access to scheduled religious services within 100 feet of the entrance to a house of worship during that time.\n\nThe legislation comes as attacks on places of worships are on the rise across the country. The bill would ban activity that “meaningfully interferes with the ability of people to participate in the scheduled religious service, to the extent that the conduct causes a substantial interruption to the service’s normal operation” or “unreasonably hinders or deters a person from entering a house of worship, or threatens or intimidates a person, in a manner that prevents participation at a scheduled religious service.”\n\n“No one should ever fear going to their house of worship. Period,” said Senator Slotkin. “The Right to Worship Act prohibits disruptive conduct, within 100 feet of a religious institution, that’s used to threaten or impede access. I look forward to working with my colleagues on getting this important piece of bipartisan legislation passed.”\n\n“The First Amendment guarantees every American the right to freely exercise their faith, and Congress has a duty to ensure that guarantee is met,” said Senator Cruz. “In recent years, we have seen organized acts of hate meant to disrupt and deny that right, which have been untenably defended as speech. That is why I am introducing the Right to Worship Act, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”\n\nThe Right to Worship Act is also endorsed by 12 groups including:\n\nADL (Anti-Defamation League)\n\nAgudath Israel of America\n\nAmerican Jewish Committee (AJC)\n\nBAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha\n\nCoalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA)\n\nHadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America\n\nHindu American Foundation\n\nIslamic Society of North America (ISNA)\n\nJewish Federations of North America\n\nUJA-Federation of New York\n\nUnion of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (“Orthodox Union”)\n\nUNITED SIKHS\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/07/slotkin-statement-on-voting-no-in-committee-on-draft-partisan-farm-bill/", "title": "Slotkin Statement on Voting No in Committee on Draft Partisan Farm Bill", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "domain": "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "scraper": "slotkin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001208", "name": "Elissa Slotkin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after voting no in committee, against the Senate Republican drafted Farm Bill this week.\n\n“No one knows better than me how much our farmers and producers in Michigan need a new farm bill, which is out of date with the current hurdles our farmers are facing.\n\n“But I could not support the draft as is because the bill would cost the state of Michigan as much as $300 million. That could result in a big cut to the state of Michigan’s budget and result in further cuts to SNAP. We have asked Republicans for a two- year delay to manage those costs.\n\n“This bill pits farmers against citizens in Michigan, and it doesn’t have to be that way.\n\n“I believe Democrats and Republicans can work together here, and there are many positive things for farmers in this draft, including year-round E15 to help our corn growers and over 25 provisions that I helped champion for Michigan — from helping specialty crop growers like cherries and asparagus, to water conservation and protecting food and farm supply chains from the Chinese Communist Party’s influence.\n\n“I urge Chairman Boozman and Republicans to work with Democrats to reach a compromise that delivers for our farmers this year. We just need to be fair to our states in the process.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sullivan-secures-additional-10-million-in-energy-cost-relief-for-alaskans", "title": "Sullivan Secures Additional $10 Million in Energy Cost Relief for Alaskans", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.sullivan.senate.gov", "scraper": "sullivan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001198", "name": "Dan Sullivan", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Funding nearly doubles state’s existing LIHEAP allocation\n\nWASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today announced $10 million in federal funding to address high energy costs for Alaskans—in addition to the state’s existing Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) allocation of $12,158,876. Sen. Sullivan worked closely with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify and secure the funding. It is the second initiative of the National Energy Dominance Council’s (NEDC) Alaska Energy Task Force, whichSen. Sullivan and NEDC Chair and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced in May.\n\n“Alaskans deal with the highest cost of living in the nation, and the recent disruptions to energy supplies have only made this challenge more urgent,” said Sen. Sullivan. “Today, I’m glad to announce we’ve secured $10 million in additional federal funding to offset home energy costs for low-income Alaskans. Coupled with the EPA emergency fuel waiver we announced several weeks ago, this targeted funding is focused on giving Alaska’s hard-working families immediate relief. But we’re also continuing to make major progress on more sustainable ways to lower energy costs for Alaskans: My team and I have worked relentlessly to achieve a renaissance of production on the North Slope, increase TAPS throughput, and maintain strong momentum behind the Alaska LNG project, which offers Alaskans a nearly inexhaustible supply of our own affordable energy. We’ve also made great strides in investing in our infrastructure, such as securing more than $100 million for the Denali Commission to upgrade bulk fuel tanks in our many rural communities. Together, these efforts are part of a larger strategy to lower energy costs and make life more affordable for Alaskans. I want to thank Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Burgum, and the National Energy Dominance Council team for recognizing the unique affordability challenges we have in Alaska and for working collaboratively with me and my team to provide real energy cost relief for households across our great state.”\n\n“Senator Sullivan’s leadership helped secure $10 million in funding so vulnerable Alaskans can be safe in their homes,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “At HHS, we will continue working with our partners to lower energy costs, protect health, and ensure American families have the support they need.”\n\nLIHEAP funding is used for home heating assistance, weatherization and building upgrades, and crisis assistance. Payments from the new funding pool will be distributed in September and automatically administered based on existing LIHEAP applications. In FY 2025, LIHEAP provided home heating assistance to more than 4,300 Alaska households, with an average award of $1,554.\n\nNEDC Alaska Energy Task Force Background\n\nIn May 2026, NEDC Chairman and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum joined Sen. Sullivan in Alaska, including visits to Fairbanks and the new North Slope developments of Pikka and Willow. During his visit, Sec. Burgum and Sen. Sullivan announced a new NEDC Alaska Energy Task Force focused on the immediate challenge of high energy costs in Alaska.\n\nOn July 17, Sen. Sullivan announced the first initiative of the task force: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin issued an emergency fuel waiver under Section 211 of the Clean Air Act, an action the Senator had been advocating for as a way to relieve pressure on fuel prices in the state.\n\nIn July 2025, the EPA transferred $100 million to the Denali Commission to support major upgrades to bulk fuel tank farms in Alaska following months of advocacy by Sen. Sullivan and his team with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.\n\n# # #", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thune-senate-republicans-deliver-for-the-american-people/", "title": "Thune: Senate Republicans Deliver for the American People", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.thune.senate.gov", "scraper": "thune", "member": {"bioguide_id": "T000250", "name": "John Thune", "party": "Republican", "state": "SD", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Click here to watch the video.\n\nWASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:\n\nThune’s remarks below (as delivered):\n\n“Mr. President, when this Congress began last year, we had a long to-do list.\n\n“The American people had made their priorities clear.\n\n“As I said from the start, this Republican majority was ready to deliver.\n\n“Republicans were committed to strengthening our economic future.\n\n“Ending the … Biden border crisis.\n\n“And making America safer and stronger in the years ahead.\n\n“Mr. President, that’s exactly what we’ve been working on these last 19 months.\n\n“And the American people are seeing the results of our efforts.\n\n“The clearest example came this April when [97] percent of Americans saw a tax cut, which meant more of their hard-earned money stayed in their pockets instead of going to the IRS.\n\n“And that was thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts.\n\n“Mr. President, that was Republicans’ top priority last year.\n\n“The American people had suffered for years through an inflation crisis caused by Democrats’ reckless spending.\n\n“And they were facing a massive tax hike – $2,500 for a typical family in my state – if Congress had failed to act.\n\n“But the Working Families Tax Cuts made sure that tax hike never came.\n\n“Republicans delivered permanent, permanent, tax relief that benefited 97 percent of taxpayers this past year.\n\n“We implemented new tax cuts like no tax on tips or overtime.\n\n“Raised the child tax credit.\n\n“Gave seniors an additional $6,000 deduction.\n\n“And provided America’s small businesses and family farms and ranches with significant and permanent tax relief too.\n\n“And, Mr. President, Republicans haven’t just put more money in hardworking Americans’ pockets.\n\n“We’ve been working to bring down costs.\n\n“One of the ways we’re doing that is by lifting unnecessary and burdensome regulations that drive up the cost of things that Americans need.\n\n“We passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which cuts red tape that has contributed to homeownership becoming [unaffordable] for too many Americans.\n\n“We did away with Biden-era regulations that would have driven up the cost of household appliances and energy.\n\n“We got rid of electrical vehicle mandates that were going to force Americans into pricey electric cars that they didn’t want.\n\n“And we’ve taken concrete action to drive down costs at the pharmacy counter, as well.\n\n“We passed a law to ensure that patients get the savings from any discounts or rebates from their purchases at the pharmacy counter in their health care plans.\n\n“We removed incentives for pharmacy benefit managers to promote higher-priced medications at the expense of seniors.\n\n“And we improved access to more affordable generic drugs.\n\n“Mr. President, these are policies that change the math of families’ budgets.\n\n“More money in their pockets.\n\n“Lower costs for the things that they need.\n\n“And beyond that, we’ve also taken actions to strengthen our economy for the long term.\n\n“We’ve seen positive news about a boost in manufacturing in our country thanks in part to the Working Families Tax Cuts.\n\n“Other provisions in that law make education pathways more affordable, strengthen our skilled workforce, and create opportunity for the future.\n\n“The law also bolstered programs that America’s farmers and ranchers depend on.\n\n“And the Working Families Tax Cuts made a generational investment in rural health care providers in all 50 states, putting those providers on a more secure path forward so that Americans in rural areas continue to have access to quality, affordable health care close to home.\n\n“Mr. President, I mentioned that ending the border crisis was another priority for this Senate majority.\n\n“And we didn’t waste any time getting to work on that either.\n\n“The first bill we passed was the Laken Riley Act, requiring that illegal immigrants who are arrested for certain crimes aren’t put back on the streets.\n\n“We also passed the HALT Fentanyl Act to ensure that law enforcement has the tools it needs to go after fentanyl and fentanyl analogues that have taken too many, too many Americans’ lives.\n\n“And then there’s the border itself.\n\n“President Trump took swift action to secure the border early last year.\n\n“And in the Working Families Tax Cuts, we provided the resources necessary to hire more agents, finish the border wall, and keep the border secure permanently.\n\n“Mr. President, today illegal border crossings have slowed to a trickle.\n\n“It’s been like that for just about the entire Trump administration – an incredible feat considering how bad things were under President Biden.\n\n“And thanks to our efforts, the resources are in place to ensure the border stays secure for the long term.\n\n“Mr. President, beyond the border, we’ve also been focused on strengthening our military.\n\n“The Working Families Tax Cuts made a generational investment in our military readiness.\n\n“We complemented those efforts in last year’s annual defense bill, which, among other things, made significant reforms to the way the Pentagon does business, to ensure that … tax dollars are being spent to maximum efficiency and effectiveness for our men and women in uniform.\n\n“And this year’s National Defense Authorization Act builds on those efforts as well.\n\n“Mr. President, we’ve been busy.\n\n“The Senate has taken close to 900 votes since last January.\n\n“We’ve been in Washington a lot more than in previous years.\n\n“We’ve also done a lot of things that haven’t been done in a number of years.\n\n“As I said, we made generational investments in border security, military readiness, and in rural health care.\n\n“We approved the most significant tax relief bill in decades.\n\n“We confirmed 21 Cabinet nominees faster than the last three incoming administrations.\n\n“And we passed the first crypto bill ever.\n\n“We approved a rescissions package that cut billions in federal spending for the first time in literally three decades.\n\n“Mr. President, our work continues.\n\n“Earlier this afternoon, we passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, giving the president critical tools to bring peace to Ukraine.\n\n“We also approved another slate of 74 Trump administration nominees, bringing our total to 590.\n\n“And I expect to move forward on additional items very soon.\n\n“Mr. President, we’ve been working our way through our to-do list and delivering real wins for the American people.\n\n“And the work goes on.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warner-cortez-masto-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-support-construction-worker-mental-health/", "title": "Warner, Cortez Masto, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Support Construction Worker Mental Health", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warner.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warner.senate.gov", "scraper": "warner", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000805", "name": "Mark R. Warner", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in introducing legislation to prevent suicide among construction workers. The Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act would authorize a national study through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collect data on the unique suicide risk factors facing construction workers that can be used to inform future suicide prevention programming. This legislation is also cosponsored by Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).\n\nThe construction industry has the second-highest risk of suicide across all industries. In 2023, almost a fifth of deaths by suicide with a reported industry code were tied to construction, despite construction workers making up only seven percent of the American workforce.\n\n“There is an unacceptably high rate of suicide among construction workers,” said Sen. Warner. “This legislation will give us the resources to understand how we can combat it and better inform suicide prevention programs.”\n\n“From our homes to our offices, our roads to our favorite coffee shops, construction workers are responsible for building America,” said Sen. Cortez Masto. “But work in this industry presents distinct mental health risks, and we owe it to construction workers to find solutions. This legislation will give us the tools we need to combat the tragically high rate of suicide among construction workers and work to end the stigma around mental health on the jobsite.”\n\n“The high rate of suicide among construction workers should be alarming to us all,” said Sen. Shaheen. “I’m proud to help introduce legislation alongside a group of my colleagues who understand the importance of figuring out what’s fueling this crisis and the urgent need to make sure we’re getting mental health resources where they’re needed.”\n\n“In New Mexico and across the country, our construction workers are the backbone of our country,” said Sen. Luján. “The high rate of suicide in the construction industry is deeply concerning, and we must do more to address this crisis. This legislation will do just that and help us better strengthen suicide prevention programs.”\n\n“Construction workers build America—our homes, our roads, and our communities. With an alarming suicide rate in this industry, they should have the resources to take care of their mental health,” said Sen. Kelly. “This bill will help us understand what’s driving those numbers to prevent more deaths.”\n\n“The people who build Colorado from the ground up are also among those most at risk of suicide,” said Sen. Hickenlooper. “We need to understand why and make sure construction workers have access to the support they need.”\n\nThe CDC study authorized by the Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act would investigate risk factors for deaths by suicide among construction workers, including employment and financial stability, history of substance and alcohol use, and access to essential resources like health care coverage, employment benefits, and employee assistance programs. The bill would also require the Department of Health and Human Services to submit a report to Congress on policy recommendations for future suicide prevention programming targeted to construction workers.\n\nThe Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act is endorsed by the Southern Nevada Building Trades Unions (SNBTU), the Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada (BCTNN), the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), and the Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust (LMCT).\n\nThe full text of this legislation can be found here.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watch-warnock-delivers-senate-floor-speech-after-successfully-negotiating-restraints-on-trumps-tariff-authority/", "title": "WATCH: Warnock Delivers Senate Floor Speech After Successfully Negotiating Restraints on Trump’s Tariff Authority", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.warnock.senate.gov", "scraper": "warnock", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000790", "name": "Raphael G. Warnock", "party": "Democrat", "state": "GA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, Senator Reverend Warnock delivered a Senate floor speech reaffirming his commitment to reining in the Trump administration’s costly tariff regime\n\nEarlier this week, Senator Warnock secured a key concession from the U.S. Trade Representative limiting the President’s tariff authority\n\nWashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, reaffirmed his commitment to reining in President Donald Trump’s reckless and costly tariff agenda in a speech on the Senate floor.\n\nEarlier this week, Senator Warnock successfully negotiated an agreement with the Trump administration to limit the President’s tariff authorities in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.\n\n“These are not normal times. This is not a normal president,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “If you give him an inch, he will take a mile. We don’t have to imagine. We are seeing it in real time, and everyday people, as a result of that, are struggling—struggling to buy groceries, struggling to buy gas, struggling to buy their kids back-to-school supplies. They are the ones who are suffering the consequences of his reckless tariff regime. But this commitment that we were able to get from Ambassador Greer is meaningful, because if the President ignores the law, if he oversteps his power, we will see him in court.”\n\nThe non-partisan Tax Foundation found President Trump’s tariffs cost the average American household $1,000 last year. Most American families are on track to lose $1,300 from President Trump’s tariffs in 2026. Last week, Senator Warnock unveiled a new report that found the cost of required school supplies for a 4th grader can cost Georgia families more than $130 per child. Senator Warnock continues to push back against the Trump administration’s reckless tariff policy and the uncertain market conditions it creates for Georgia small businesses and the higher prices it imposes on Georgia families.\n\nRead the full transcript of Senator Reverend Warnock’s remarks below and watch HERE.\n\n“Mr. President, this letter restricts the President’s tariff authority under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. This is a small but meaningful victory for all Americans who continue to suffer under this President’s reckless tariffs.\n\n“Let’s be clear: Putin is a war criminal, and his war machine must be stopped. But we should not have to choose between putting a check on Putin’s aggression and putting a check on this president’s tariff regime. That is a false choice, and it is one that I am not willing to accept, and so I hope in the coming hours that we go further during the amendment process. I hope my colleagues will join me in stripping out any new presidential tariff authorities.\n\n“These are not normal times. This is not a normal president. If you give him an inch, he will take a mile. We don’t have to imagine. We are seeing it in real time, and everyday people, as a result of that, are struggling—struggling to buy groceries, struggling to buy gas, struggling to buy their kids back-to-school supplies. They are the ones who are suffering the consequences of his reckless tariff regime. But this commitment that we were able to get from Ambassador Greer is meaningful, because if the President ignores the law, if he oversteps his power, we will see him in court.\n\n“I hope this week-long process was the first step in Congress reasserting its role and placing guardrails on this president’s tariff regime. I urge my colleagues to go back home and talk to ordinary folks outside of the Beltway, they will tell you that while they support any efforts to protect our national security—and that’s what this is about, this isn’t just about Ukraine; it is about our own national security. But we must do everything to protect our national security while, at the same time, bolstering the economic security of everyday Americans.\n\n“So, as we go back home, ask any parent you meet how much back-to-school shopping cost them this year. I can tell you, as the father of two small children, that it is much more than they wanted to spend. When we come back to Washington, we can fight for those parents and build on this work to check the power of this reckless president. But I’m glad that we’ve gotten as far as we have on this issue.\n\n“I’d like to thank my friend and brother, Senator Cassidy, for your partnership in this amendment process, and I’d like to thank Senator Shaheen and Blumenthal for their efforts to find a solution and a way forward to support Ukraine, to protect our national security and our economic security at the same time. And with that, I yield back.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-votes-against-sanctions-bill-that-allows-trump-to-impose-tariffs-unchecked/", "title": "Welch Votes Against Sanctions Bill that Allows Trump to Impose Tariffs Unchecked", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.welch.senate.gov/category/press-release/page/", "domain": "www.welch.senate.gov", "scraper": "welch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000800", "name": "Peter Welch", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VT", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today voted in opposition to Republicans’ Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which grants President Trump new authorities to impose massive tariffs on countries that ‘facilitate’ Russia oil sanctions evasion. The president could impose tariffs of up to 100% on nearly any country, taking this Constitutional authority out of the hands of Congress.\n\nSenator Welch released the following statement after the vote:\n\n“Senator Graham’s dedication to ensuring the United States uses every tool possible to stop Putin’s unjust war on Ukraine was unmatched. Over the past four and a half years, Senator Graham sought every avenue to curb Russia’s aggression, including going after companies and countries buying Russian oil. But this bill misses the mark in achieving the goals Senator Graham worked so tirelessly to achieve by giving President Trump a loophole to impose more destructive tariffs, which will ultimately hurt Americans and our economy. After more than 18 months of economic chaos brought about by President Trump’s reckless trade policy, the Senate should not give President Trump even broader, unfettered tariff powers. I voted no.”\n\nSenator Welch filed an amendment to the bill last week to remove language in Section 113 of the Act that could enable President Trump to impose tariffs on any country, for any reason. The amendment was rejected by Senate Republicans.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-murkowski-lead-colleagues-calling-on-trump-administration-to-approve-fisheries-disaster-relief", "title": "Wyden, Murkowski Lead Colleagues Calling on Trump Administration to Approve Fisheries Disaster Relief", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.wyden.senate.gov", "scraper": "wyden", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000779", "name": "Ron Wyden", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, were joined today by Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska in calling on the Trump administration to release long-delayed disaster relief funds for Oregon and Alaska fisheries.\n\n“Commercial fisheries are imperative to Oregon and Alaska’s coastal economy, a critical ecological resource, and especially important to indigenous tribes,” the Senators wrote in their letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and Deputy NOAA Administrator Timothy Petty. “Delays in fund disbursal do not only impact the viability of fisheries as an economic resource but also the communities and individual constituents we serve. Federal approval would not only support fishery recovery but also improve their resilience to future disasters.”\n\nIn their letter, the Senators requested the administration release a total of $20,462,158 in funding for four fishery disasters spanning between 2018 and 2022. Federal disaster relief requests were submitted for these instances in 2024 but have not yet been approved. Delayed recovery from these disasters continues to have significant economic consequences for coastal communities and jobs in Oregon and Alaska.\n\nThe full letter is here.\n\nRelated Files", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-passes-bill-to-deliver-financial-relief-to-wildfire-victims", "title": "Wyden Passes Bill to Deliver Financial Relief to Wildfire Victims", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.wyden.senate.gov", "scraper": "wyden", "member": {"bioguide_id": "W000779", "name": "Ron Wyden", "party": "Democrat", "state": "OR", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "As over 2 million acres burn across Oregon, Wyden passes legislation to deliver immediate tax relief to Oregonians who lose their homes in wildfires\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today passed legislation that would deliver immediate tax relief to Americans who lose their home from a federally declared natural disaster, including Oregonians who lose their homes in wildfires.\n\nThe bill’s passage in the Senate comes after Wyden convinced opponents to drop an earlier procedural roadblock.\n\n“Common sense prevailed today and that’s great news for Oregonians who shouldn’t have to worry about getting slammed with a huge tax hit on top of losing their home to wildfire,” Wyden said. “I’m heading home this weekend to meet with Oregonians facing these wildfire threats, and I can’t wait to deliver this good news in person to them and the firefighters working around the clock to protect communities throughout our state.”\n\nThe legislation would end unfair taxes on natural disaster settlement payments after Americans lose their homes through unpredictable natural disasters. These burdensome taxes were passed into law under the Trump-Republican tax bill in 2017. Subsequently, the Senate successfully suspended the tax in 2024, but it is up for renewal this year.\n\nThe bill has already passed the House on a bipartisan basis and now heads to the White House.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/young-statement-on-senate-passage-of-russia-sanctions-legislation/", "title": "Young Statement on Senate Passage of Russia Sanctions Legislation", "date": "2026-08-07", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.young.senate.gov", "scraper": "toddyoung", "member": {"bioguide_id": "Y000064", "name": "Todd Young", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) issued the following statement after voting for the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026:\n\n“Russia’s aggression cannot continue without consequences, and those helping sustain Putin’s war machine should face meaningful costs. This legislation gives the United States stronger leverage against Russia and those enabling its war. At the same time, tariffs of this magnitude can have consequences beyond our adversaries, reaching American manufacturers, farmers, small businesses, and families.\n\n“That reality should not prevent us from acting. Failing to confront Russia’s aggression carries costs of its own—for our national security, global stability, and our economy—and those costs will only grow if we allow that aggression to continue unchecked. But it does require transparency, discipline, and a clear strategy to ensure any costs borne by Americans are tied to well-defined national security objectives. I supported this legislation because the stakes are too high to stand still, and I will continue advocating for a transparent, disciplined approach to implementing these authorities.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://hoyer.house.gov/media/press-releases/hoyer-statement-senate-committee-vote-hold-dr-anthony-fauci-contempt-congress", "title": "Hoyer Statement on Senate Committee Vote to Hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://hoyer.house.gov/media", "domain": "hoyer.house.gov", "scraper": "hoyer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H000874", "name": "Steny H. Hoyer", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MD", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement after the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress:\n\n“I have known Dr. Anthony Fauci for forty years, and there are fewer individuals who have had such an enormous positive impact on our public health and our understanding of infectious diseases as he has. He is an individual of tremendous character, thoughtfulness, and wisdom. He has spent his life in service to Americans, and he helped lead our nation through the darkest days of a deadly global pandemic. Senate Republicans’ vote in the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee to hold him in contempt of Congress is nothing short of a witch-hunt instigated by President Trump and whose purpose is to achieve Republicans’ goal of focusing attention backwards. That’s because they lack any serious plans to deal with the challenges of the present or to offer a vision for the future. Americans deserve to have Congress focus on the issues that matter, not litigating conspiracy theories from the pandemic. Dr. Fauci deserves better too - and he ought to know that he has the respect and admiration of most Americans.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2026/08/08/smith-holds-farmers-town-hall-with-missouri-cotton-producers/", "title": "Smith Holds Farmers Town Hall with Missouri Cotton Producers", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/", "domain": "jasonsmith.house.gov", "scraper": "jasonsmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001195", "name": "Jason Smith", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "HAYTI, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) held a Farmers Town Hall with cotton producers in Hayti, where he discussed the impact of the Working Families Tax Cuts on Missouri’s cotton industry and heard directly from growers about the challenges facing the Bootheel’s cotton economy.\n\nCongressman Smith said, “Cotton has been part of the fabric of the Bootheel for generations, and the growers I sat down with this week are up against a lot — foreign competition that’s been hollowing out our textile industry for decades, crop insurance fraud that punishes the farmers playing by the rules, and a shrinking number of gins that makes it harder just to get cotton to market.\n\n“When I wrote the Working Families Tax Cuts, I fought to make sure cotton growers struggling in the current agriculture economy weren’t an afterthought. We raised the reference price for cotton by 14 percent and made permanent the small business deduction and 100 percent immediate expensing that let these family operations reinvest in their equipment and land. There’s more work to be done to support our cotton farmers, and I’ll keep fighting for solutions on infrastructure, insurance integrity, and fair trade, because Missouri cotton deserves a level playing field.”\n\nDuring the discussion, growers raised concerns about competition from Brazil, which has overtaken the United States as the world’s largest cotton exporter, as well as the decades-long decline of the domestic textile industry as manufacturing has shifted to China. Producers also flagged the toll of crop insurance fraud on honest farmers and the shrinking number of cotton gins in the Bootheel, which has fallen from 32 to 16 in recent years, driving up the cost and making it more difficult to get cotton processed and to market.\n\nMissouri consistently ranks among the top 10 cotton-producing states, with production concentrated almost entirely in the Bootheel, where the crop remains a major economic driver for Pemiscot, Dunklin, New Madrid, Stoddard, Scott, and Mississippi Counties. The Working Families Tax Cuts, which Congressman Smith authored, increased the reference price for cotton by 14 percent beginning with crop year 2025 as part of a $56 billion investment in farm safety net programs — the first meaningful update to Title I commodity support in more than two decades. With cotton farms overwhelmingly organized as pass-through businesses, the law’s permanent 199A small business deduction and 100 percent immediate expensing give growers the ability to reinvest in equipment and land without losing a share of that investment to Washington. Congressman Smith also secured $6 billion in new crop insurance funding, including increased resources for oversight and compliance, to help crack down on the fraud that honest producers are calling out.\n\nOn trade, Congressman Smith pointed to recent Agreements on Reciprocal Trade (ARTs) with Guatemala, El Salvador, and Bangladesh, which reward the use of American cotton in textile and apparel manufacturing, as a step toward rebuilding demand for U.S.-grown cotton lost to foreign competition.", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2026/08/08/smith-visits-bahr-farms-in-st-james/", "title": "Smith Visits Bahr Farms in St. James", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/", "domain": "jasonsmith.house.gov", "scraper": "jasonsmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001195", "name": "Jason Smith", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "ST. JAMES, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) visited Bahr Farms in St. James, touring the operation and meeting with Ben Bahr to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Missouri’s cattle producers.\n\nCongressman Smith said, “Ben and his brother, Travis, are carrying on something their family started generations ago, and being there in person, you can feel just how much work went into building it. What they’ve built today is proof of what’s possible in this country when you’re willing to work for it and pass that work down to the next generation. That’s the story of so many farm families across Southeast Missouri and beyond, and it’s exactly why I fought to make the death tax exemption and small business deduction permanent in the Working Families Tax Cuts — so families like the Bahrs can pass their land down to the next generation instead of it being taxed out of existence. I’ll keep pushing for solutions on fuel, feed, and fertilizer costs, and for stronger USDA support so farmers aren’t stuck driving an hour just to reach an FSA office.”\n\nBen and Travis Bahr are fourth-generation farmers whose family has owned their land near St. James since 1974, running roughly 1,000 combined acres and about 300 primarily grass-fed Black Angus cattle. On the same property, Travis and his wife, Mandy, also operate Prairie Base, consisting of four buildings that have been converted to Airbnbs — including the family’s original farmhouse.\n\nDuring the visit, the Bahrs raised concerns about the rising cost of fuel, feed, and fertilizer, as well as staffing shortages at USDA’s Farm Service Agency offices that have left farmers in the region having to travel further for basic assistance. They also discussed the challenge of passing their farm on to the next generation, along with their support for Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling and for the tariffs imposed under President Trump’s America First trade policy that has delivered significant wins and new market access for Missouri farmers.\n\nThe Working Families Tax Cuts, which Congressman Smith authored, made permanent death tax relief that protects more than 15,000 family-owned farms in Missouri’s 8th District, along with a permanent small business deduction and 100 percent immediate expensing that allow producers like the Bahrs to reinvest in their operations without losing a share of that investment to federal taxes.", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6104", "title": "CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT MOURNS PASSING OF VIRGIN ISLANDS' CULTURAL ICON BRADLEY CHRISTIAN", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "domain": "plaskett.house.gov", "scraper": "plaskett", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000610", "name": "Stacey E. Plaskett", "party": "Democrat", "state": "VI", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland\n\nAugust 8, 2026 202-808-6129\n\nPRESS RELEASE\n\nCONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT MOURNS PASSING OF VIRGIN ISLANDS' CULTURAL ICON BRADLEY CHRISTIAN\n\nU.S. Virgin Islands – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett released the following statement on the passing of Bradley Christian, a Virgin Islands cultural icon celebrated for his mastery of the traditional head wrap and his role in shaping the territory's official madras:\n\n\"Today, the Virgin Islands lost a true keeper of our culture. Bradley Christian spent his life carrying forward traditions passed down through generations. He was known far beyond our shores for his beautifully crafted head wraps, but Bradley's gift was never just in the craft itself. It was in his deep understanding of the history, heritage, and meaning behind every head wrap, our food, storytelling, quelbe, quadrille - the many elements of our islands. Bradley Christian reminded us to love ourselves and our history - that we are a tapestry of beautiful people. His hand also helped shape the official madras of the Virgin Islands, a symbol our people wear with pride,” said Congresswoman Plaskett.\n\n\"Bradley was one of our territory's cultural icons, and we are forever grateful for his contributions. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and all his loved ones and friends during this difficult time. May they find comfort in knowing how deeply his legacy is felt across the Virgin Islands,\" Congresswoman Plaskett concluded.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://strickland.house.gov/2026/08/08/strickland-statement-on-the-passing-of-nisqually-chairman-choke/", "title": "Strickland Statement on the Passing of Nisqually Chairman Choke", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://strickland.house.gov/category/press_release/", "domain": "strickland.house.gov", "scraper": "strickland", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001159", "name": "Marilyn Strickland", "party": "Democrat", "state": "WA", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "Lacey, WA – Today, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) released a statement on Nisqually Indian Tribe Chairman Ellery “Ken” Choke:\n\n“Chairman Choke was a respected and beloved leader. He will be remembered for his tireless service and commitment to his tribal nation, and to the South Sound community at large. To honor his legacy and work, I remain committed to restoring Nisqually Tribe ownership of the Clear Creek Hatchery. He will be deeply missed.”\n\nCongresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She is Whip of the New Democrat Coalition, Secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus, and is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/08/bennet-hickenlooper-crow-degette-neguse-pettersen-demand-answers-from-dhs-on-aurora-detention-facility-shooting/", "title": "Bennet, Hickenlooper, Crow, DeGette, Neguse, Pettersen Demand Answers From DHS on Aurora Detention Facility Shooting", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "domain": "www.bennet.senate.gov", "scraper": "bennet", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001267", "name": "Michael F. Bennet", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined Senator John Hickenlooper and Colorado U.S. Representatives Jason Crow, Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, and Brittany Pettersen in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding answers following last month’s shooting by a GEO Group employee near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora that left one person injured. The lawmakers also called for a thorough review of the Department’s policies to help prevent similar incidents.\n\nThe letter seeks answers about DHS and ICE’s coordination with local law enforcement, employee training, contractor vetting, security protocols, and the steps the agencies are taking to strengthen oversight and prevent harmful incidents.\n\n“We write to express our concern over the July 16, 2026 shooting of a 21-year-old woman near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. While we are relieved that her injuries were not life-threatening, we must ensure that personnel operating at federal immigration detention facilities are adequately screened and trained to prevent incidents like this one,” wrote the lawmakers.\n\n“The incident in Aurora, and the broader pattern of shootings involving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel across the country, undermine public trust and threaten community safety. As members of the Colorado Congressional delegation, we are responsible for defending the constitutional rights of our constituents and protecting our communities and our law enforcement. The events in Aurora raise questions about whether current DHS policies and practices keep communities, protesters, and law enforcement safe. We believe a thorough review of the Department’s policies is necessary to ensure that similar incidents do not recur,” continued the lawmakers.\n\nBennet has consistently fought against the Trump administration’s inhumane immigration policies. In July, Bennet joined U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and 37 of their Senate colleagues in calling for stronger accountability measures for ICE officers. In May 2026, Bennet introduced three bills aimed at reforming the DHS, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP): the Keeping Immigrants and Destinations Safe (KIDS) Act; the Training, Responsibility, Uniforms, and Standards for Transparency (TRUST) Act; and the Oversight, Protection, and Enforcement Notification (OPEN) Act.\n\nIn March 2026, Bennet issued a statement when Trump fired former Secretary Noem, and emphasized that DHS must undergo a complete overhaul, which is only the first step toward DHS reforms. In January 2026, Bennet joined his colleagues in introducing the Providing Useful Budgets for Localities to Invest in Cops by Substituting Appropriations from Federal Enforcement To Yield Results (PUBLIC SAFETY) Act, legislation to redirect nearly $75 billion in funding passed in the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act from ICE and send it instead to local law enforcement programs to help hire and train 200,000 local police officers in communities across the country.\n\nIn November 2025, Bennet joined his colleagues in introducing the bicameral Restoring Access to Detainees Act, legislation to ensure DHS allows noncitizens who have been detained to contact their legal counsel and families. In August 2025, he joined the Immigration Enforcement Identification Safety Act to prohibit immigration enforcement officials from wearing masks and to require them to wear visible identification. In February 2025, Bennet joined his Senate colleagues to introduce the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which would reinstate DHS’ long-standing policies to prevent ICE from making arrests at sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and places of worship.\n\nThe text of the letter is available HERE and below.\n\nDear Secretary Mullin:\n\nWe write to express our concern over the July 16, 2026 shooting of a 21-year-old woman near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. While we are relieved that her injuries were not life-threatening, we must ensure that personnel operating at federal immigration detention facilities are adequately screened and trained to prevent incidents like this one. According to the Aurora Police Department, GEO Group employees reporting for their shifts that day were unable to enter the facility because of protest activity. Police allege that two protesters verbally confronted GEO employees and photographed their vehicles before walking away. One employee then retrieved a personally owned firearm and fired in their direction, striking one woman in the foot. He has been charged with seven offenses, including attempted second-degree murder.\n\nImmigration enforcement officers and the contractors supporting them have an obligation to protect public safety while exercising restraint and professionalism. Protests outside immigration detention centers are routine occurrences. An agency responsible for operating secure facilities should be equipped to maintain safe access, communicate with employees, coordinate with local law enforcement, and prevent confrontations between the community and facility personnel from escalating. Just as we believe law enforcement should never be targeted with violence, we believe lawful protesters should be protected – not attacked – by federal officials or those contracted by the government.\n\nThe incident in Aurora, and the broader pattern of shootings involving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel across the country, undermine public trust and threaten community safety. As members of the Colorado Congressional delegation, we are responsible for defending the constitutional rights of our constituents and protecting our communities and our law enforcement. The events in Aurora raise questions about whether current DHS policies and practices keep communities, protesters, and law enforcement safe. We believe a thorough review of the Department’s policies is necessary to ensure that similar incidents do not recur.\n\nGiven this urgent need, we request written responses to the following questions by August 14, 2026:\n\nWhat coordination has DHS and ICE undertaken with state and local law enforcement to manage public demonstrations while ensuring employees can safely access their places of work? What will that coordination look like moving forward?\n\nWhat de-escalation, use-of-force, crisis intervention, threats against employees, and crowd-management training is required for DHS personnel and contractor employees assigned to ICE facilities? What training has been provided to the employees at the Aurora facility concerning de-escalation, use-of-force, crisis intervention, threats against employees, and crowd-management training? Which of these trainings did the employee charged in the July 16 shooting complete and on which dates did he complete them?\n\nWhat screening and vetting procedures does DHS require for contractor personnel before they are assigned to ICE facilities? What screening was conducted for the individual charged in the July 16 shooting?\n\nWhat policies and operational plans do DHS and ICE have in place to protect both protesters and employees outside DHS and ICE facilities, including contracted facilities? Does ICE require its detention contractors to designate alternative entrances, transportation arrangements, or other measures for employees during demonstrations or other disruptions to access?\n\nGEO Group has placed the employee on unpaid leave and stated that it is cooperating with law enforcement. Beyond the ongoing investigation, what additional steps will DHS and ICE take to determine whether similar vulnerabilities exist at other contracted detention facilities? How will DHS and ICE strengthen oversight of its personnel and contractors and prevent similar incidents from occurring?\n\nIn addition to providing the information above, we urge the Department to conduct an independent review of its security procedures, contractor oversight, employee training, and firearms policies, especially as they relate to anticipated confrontations, and to make its findings and recommendations publicly available.\n\nWe appreciate your prompt attention to this urgent matter and look forward to your response.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/08/colorado-and-utah-senators-honor-casualties-from-wildfires/", "title": "Colorado and Utah Senators Honor Casualties from Wildfires", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "domain": "www.bennet.senate.gov", "scraper": "bennet", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001267", "name": "Michael F. Bennet", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CO", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet led Colorado U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and Utah U.S. Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis to introduce a bipartisan resolution honoring Emily Barker, Nicholas Hutcherson, Sydney Watson, Nathan Matthews, Nicholas Dale, and all those who serve on the front lines of wildland firefighting efforts in the United States.\n\n“Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, and fellow firefighters grieving the loss of the five wildland firefighters who gave their lives protecting others,” said Bennet. “Today’s resolution honors the courage, sacrifice, and service of those who risk their lives to keep their fellow Americans safe during wildfires.”\n\n“The bravery and heroism of these firefighters deserves our deepest gratitude,” said Hickenlooper. “Our hearts are with the families and friends of these heroic men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting lives, homes, and the landscapes we all cherish.”\n\n“Last month, five courageous firefighters gave their lives to protect the people we love and the frontier we call home,” said Lee. “These brave Americans from across the country dropped into the eye of the storm via helicopter to fight the wildfires ripping through Utah’s eastern border. Their sacrifice will always be remembered in the lands they protected. Utah’s prayers are with the families grieving these heroes.”\n\n“Behind every wildfire are brave men and women who embody the very best of public service: courage, selflessness, and an unwavering commitment to protecting our communities, often at great personal risk,” said Curtis. “My heart is with the families, friends, and fellow firefighters mourning the devastating loss of these heroes.”\n\nBennet has consistently fought to secure protections and support for firefighters. In April 2025, Bennet and Colorado U.S. Representative Joe Neguse reintroduced the Tim’s Act to overhaul federal wildland firefighter compensation and benefits. In July 2026, Bennet joined U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to introduce The Wildfire Air Quality Sensor Expansion Act to help state, local, and Tribal government agencies monitor worsening air pollution caused by wildfires and make more informed public health decisions. In January 2026, Bennet secured a waiver to the annual pay cap for wildland firefighters based on an amendment he introduced with Senator Sheehy. In June 2026, Bennet joined U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) in introducing the PFAS Alternatives Act, which would support the development of next-generation protective gear to better protect firefighters. In October 2020, Bennet called for reforms to wildland firefighter pay and benefits. In September 2021, after securing many of these reforms in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Bennet joined a group of senators in a letter urging the Biden Administration to implement them swiftly.\n\nThe text of the resolution is available HERE.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/-booker-condemns-confirmation-of-todd-blanche-to-be-attorney-general", "title": "Booker Condemns Confirmation of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.booker.senate.gov", "scraper": "booker", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001288", "name": "Cory A. Booker", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NJ", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General:\n\n“The Senate had one job: decide whether Todd Blanche is fit to lead the law enforcement agency that represents the interests of the American people and ensures the fair and impartial administration of justice. He fails by every measure, and my Republican colleagues know it. Yet they betrayed our values and chose political loyalty over facts so damning they should have led to only one conclusion: a no vote. Today, the Senate failed its constitutional duty.\n\n“Under his leadership, Todd Blanche has turned the Department of Justice into President Trump’s personal law firm, using the power of the nation’s highest prosecutorial office to dispense favors to his wealthy allies and insurrectionist supporters, to target for investigation and prosecution those who oppose him, and to protect child predators while retraumatizing survivors. There has been no bottom for the future Attorney General.\n\n“Throughout his confirmation process, Todd Blanche demonstrated that he lacks the judgment, independence, and integrity required to lead the Department of Justice. He misled the Judiciary Committee about his immunity directive tied to the IRS settlement — a deal that shielded the President, his family, and his businesses from tax audits and investigations for other crimes. He defended the $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund he established to pay off Trump allies, including January 6th rioters. And when survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes came to him directly, asking for accountability and transparency, they left devastated.\n\n“The Attorney General exists to enforce the law equally, without fear or favor, to tell the powerful ‘no’ when the law demands it. Blanche’s record demonstrates that he will be nothing more than a sword for the president against his enemies, and a shield for the president against accountability.\n\n“This outcome was brought to us by the most corrupt president in history in coordination with the most compromised cabinet ever. Blanche’s confirmation only makes our work harder and more urgent. Democrats will continue our oversight of the Department of Justice, demand accountability, protect whistleblowers who tell the truth, and stand with career prosecutors and public servants whose commitment to the rule of law is undeniable. America’s laws must be applied fairly and justly to everyone, including the President and those in his Administration who facilitate his corruption. ”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-opposes-todd-blanche-for-attorney-general/", "title": "Cortez Masto Opposes Todd Blanche for Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cortezmasto.senate.gov", "scraper": "cortezmasto", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001113", "name": "Catherine Cortez Masto", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NV", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after voting against confirming Todd Blanche to head the Department of Justice:\n\n“As a former federal prosecutor, I can say with certainty that Todd Blanche is unfit to lead the Department of Justice. From the beginning, he has made it clear that he is more interested in being the President’s personal lawyer than the nation’s top law enforcement official. In fact, Blanche was directly responsible for the deal that shielded the President and his family from future IRS audits and created the ‘anti-weaponization fund,’ which would give payouts to insurrectionists. Todd Blanche has no business running our justice system, and I oppose his confirmation.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-continuing-resolution-to-fund-government-through-mid-december", "title": "Senate Passes Continuing Resolution to Fund Government Through Mid-December", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.cramer.senate.gov", "scraper": "cramer", "member": {"bioguide_id": "C001096", "name": "Kevin Cramer", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – By a vote of 90 to 6, the Senate today passed a clean continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through Dec. 11, averting a potential government shutdown and giving the Senate Appropriations Committee additional time to complete work on fiscal year appropriations bills. The measure, which includes an extension of funding for the nation’s surface transportation programs, now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.\n\n“Democrats have made it clear their distaste of President Trump is greater than their willingness to do their job and pass a full appropriations bill for the year,” said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND). “While a continuing resolution is not ideal, it removes the threat of a shutdown and gives us more time to get a full-year appropriations bill done. The House should pass this quickly and get it to the President’s desk.”\n\nThe CR maintains funding for critical highway, rail, and transit programs while providing key adjustments for priorities including WIC, vital national security programs such as shipbuilding across multiple vessels, and the Disaster Relief Fund.", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/gillibrand-cruz-hail-senate-passage-of-their-bill-to-speed-up-benefit-delivery-for-public-safety-officers/", "title": "Gillibrand, Cruz Hail Senate Passage Of Their Bill To Speed Up Benefit Delivery For Public Safety Officers", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "domain": "www.gillibrand.senate.gov", "scraper": "gillibrand", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000555", "name": "Kirsten E. Gillibrand", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NY", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) applauded the Senate’s unanimous passage of their bipartisan Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act, which would help first responders and their families receive their federal disability and death benefits quicker. Currently, it can take years for applicants to learn whether they qualify for payments.\n\n“This is a major win for our public safety officers, who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Today, we are one step closer to fixing a slow and broken process that keeps first responders and their families in limbo for years on end, including those who risked and lost their lives on 9/11. It is time to bring them the relief they deserve. I am proud that the Senate has passed this bill, and I now urge the House to do the same.”\n\n“The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program was created to ensure that our first responders receive the benefits they deserve and need. We owe it to our first responders and their families to ensure they receive timely and fair support, and I am grateful to have worked with Senator Gillibrand to advance this bill through the Senate. I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this legislation without delay,” said Senator Cruz.\n\nThe Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act would amend the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program to improve processing times and reduce delays in benefit determinations. The PSOB Program provides death benefits to survivors of first responders who have died in the line of duty, as well as disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty. Specifically, the senators’ bill would:\n\nRequire the BJA to complete a death or disability eligibility determination within 270 days of receiving a complete claim\n\nRequire the BJA to use its subpoena authority if a public agency fails to provide requested documentation in relation to a claimant’s case\n\nExpedite processing for officers already certified for benefits through the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) or the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF)\n\nDirect BJA to implement GAO recommendations to establish updated program processes and administrative procedures\n\nThis legislation is endorsed by over 30 public safety officer organizations and unions, including: the Sergeants Benevolent Association of NYPD, National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), Fraternal Order of Police, FDNY EMS Local 2507 Uniformed EMTs Paramedics & Fire Inspectors Union, Firefighter’s Association of the State of New York, NYLEAP, Nassau County Superior Officers Association, Voices Center for Resilience, Town of Brighton Police Department, NYPD Captains Endowment Association, Port Authority Police Lieutenants Benevolent Association, Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, Port Authority of NY & NJ Detectives Endowment Association, Peace Officers Research Association of California, Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance, Inc., United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association, California Association of Highway Patrolmen, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, Friends of Firefighters, Police Chiefs’ Association of Orange County, City of Syracuse New York Fire Department, Village of Tuckahoe Police, National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC), City of Utica Fire Department, Riverside Sheriffs’ Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, City of Syracuse Police Department, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Austin Police Association, City of Utica Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Officers Association, and Town of Hyde Park Police Department.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-applauds-todd-blanches-confirmation-as-attorney-general", "title": "Grassley Applauds Todd Blanche’s Confirmation as Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "domain": "www.grassley.senate.gov", "scraper": "grassley", "member": {"bioguide_id": "G000386", "name": "Chuck Grassley", "party": "Republican", "state": "IA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) issued a statement following the Senate’s confirmation of Todd Blanche to be U.S. Attorney General, by a vote of 50-49. Grassley successfully advanced Blanche’s nomination through the Judiciary Committee earlier this week, by a vote of 12-10.\n\n“America is safer with Todd Blanche at the helm of the Justice Department. Under his leadership, the United States’ homicide rate fell to its lowest level in over 125 years. Every major violent crime category has fallen below pre-pandemic levels and violent crime arrests have increased 184%. In short, Americans are finally getting the justice they deserve.\n\n“Beyond his obvious qualifications and successful track record, Blanche has demonstrated extraordinary patience, compassion and tenacity as he’s made his way through the gauntlet of the Senate’s advice and consent process. He’s been forthcoming and responsive to my colleagues and has proven himself to be a steadfast advocate for the rule of law. Today, the United States Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche’s nomination and advance the safety and security of Americans nationwide.”\n\nGrassley spoke on the Senate floor yesterday in support of Blanche’s nomination. Read his full remarks HERE.", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-statement-opposing-todd-blanches-nomination-for-attorney-general", "title": "Heinrich Statement Opposing Todd Blanche’s Nomination for Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "scraper": "heinrich", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001046", "name": "Martin Heinrich", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement in response to the Senate’s confirmation of Todd Blanche, President Trump’s former personal lawyer, to be the U.S. Attorney General.\n\n“I voted against Mr. Blanche’s nomination because he has repeatedly shown that his loyalty is to Donald Trump – not to the Constitution or the American people.\n\n“He has transformed the Department of Justice into the President’s personal law firm, using it to enrich and protect Donald Trump and his family. Mr. Blanche also helped establish a nearly $2 billion slush fund that rewards President Trump’s allies, including violent criminals who attacked cops on January 6. And he has withheld critical information related to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes at Zorro Ranch by refusing to provide full, unredacted investigative records from the Department of Justice to New Mexico law enforcement authorities. Time and again, Mr. Blanche has put politics and personal loyalty ahead of justice.\n\n“The Attorney General’s job is to uphold the rule of law, deliver on public safety, and ensure that justice is applied fairly and independently. The American people deserve an Attorney General they can trust to do that. Todd Blanche has made it abundantly clear that he is not that person.”\n\nHeinrich recently pressed Jay Clayton, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and current Director of National Intelligence (DNI), to provide evidence related to Jeffrey Epsein’s alleged crimes at Zorro Ranch in New Mexico to the New Mexico Attorney General. Heinrich also questioned Clayton about his role in the unconscionable, improper public release of sensitive information belonging to Epstein survivors and his comments about President Trump’s attempt to use a $1.8 billion slush fund to compensate violent criminals who beat up cops on January 6, 2021.\n\nHeinrich’s questioning of Clayton followed a recent letter from New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Associate Deputy Attorney General Diego Pestana, demanding that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) immediately turn over unredacted Epstein records that the Department has held for years. In the letter, AG Torrez stated that “more than 130 days have now elapsed since the New Mexico Department of Justice’s initial request” for unredacted records and called the DOJ’s delay “unreasonable under any rule of reason.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-statement-marking-three-years-since-maui-wildfires", "title": "Hirono Statement Marking Three Years Since Maui Wildfires", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.hirono.senate.gov", "scraper": "hirono", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001042", "name": "Mazie K. Hirono", "party": "Democrat", "state": "HI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) issued the following statement commemorating the third anniversary of the Maui wildfires.\n\n“August 8th is a day the people of Maui, and Hawaii, will never forget. Three years later, we still feel the weight of the devastating losses the wrought by the wildfires, especially the 102 community members whose lives were tragically lost.\n\nAs we mourn these losses, we also recognize the incredible strength and unity shown by the people of Maui over the past three years. To support the community's resilience, over $2.8 billion in federal recovery aid has been delivered to date. These critical resources span every step of the rebuilding process—direct assistance to displaced families, SBA disaster loans for homeowners and small businesses, and more than $740 million in FEMA grants to restore Lahaina’s core infrastructure.\n\nThe progress made over the past three years is inspiring, but the road to full recovery remains long. I remain fully committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to advocate for the ongoing federal funding and long-term support Maui needs to fully rebuild.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-statement-on-blanche-confirmation-vote", "title": "Hirono Statement on Blanche Confirmation Vote", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.hirono.senate.gov", "scraper": "hirono", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001042", "name": "Mazie K. Hirono", "party": "Democrat", "state": "HI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a senior member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, released the following statement after voting against Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as the next U.S. Attorney General:\n\n“The Attorney General of the United States must be independent from the president and committed to upholding the rule of law. Todd Blanche’s unyielding loyalty to Donald Trump makes clear that he cares about neither independence nor the rule of law.\n\nFrom gaslighting Epstein survivors to pursuing political witch hunts, Todd Blanche has helped Donald Trump transform the Department of Justice into a department of revenge, retribution, and corruption. As Attorney General, he will continue to enable this regime’s rampant illegalities, which is why I voted against his confirmation.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hoeven-statement-on-funding-government", "title": "Hoeven Statement on Funding Government", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.hoeven.senate.gov", "scraper": "hoeven", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001061", "name": "John Hoeven", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate approved legislation to fund the government through December 11.\n\n“We worked hard to return to regular order, finding savings while funding our priorities, with the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills. This legislation will extend that funding through December 11 to prevent a government shutdown,” said Senator Hoeven. “At the same time, we will continue working to find agreement to pass the full-year appropriations bills in a way that responsibly funds our priorities while reducing spending to help with the debt and deficit.”\n\n-###-", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hoeven-statement-on-senate-confirmation-of-todd-blanche-as-attorney-general", "title": "Hoeven Statement on Senate Confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.hoeven.senate.gov", "scraper": "hoeven", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001061", "name": "John Hoeven", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after voting to confirm Todd Blanche as U.S. Attorney General:\n\n“Under Todd Blanche’s leadership as Acting Attorney General, the U.S. Department of Justice has increased arrests of violent criminals, protected against terrorist activities and focused on stopping the flow of illegal drugs like fentanyl into our communities. That’s the right kind of focus for our country’s chief law enforcement official, and the results are clear, as violent crime and other offenses have decreased across the country. Now that he is fully confirmed to this position, I will continue working with him to make our communities safer and support efforts to bring offenders to justice.”\n\n-###-", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hoeven-votes-for-legislation-requiring-photo-id-to-vote", "title": "Hoeven Votes for Legislation Requiring Photo ID to Vote", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "domain": "www.hoeven.senate.gov", "scraper": "hoeven", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001061", "name": "John Hoeven", "party": "Republican", "state": "ND", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after voting for legislation that would require photo identification to vote. Hoeven, a cosponsor of the SAVE America Act, has been working with President Trump and his colleagues in the U.S. Senate to find a path forward for the legislation to ensure the integrity of the elections. The legislation was blocked by Senate Democrats.\n\n“In North Dakota, we have successfully implemented a voter ID law that both protects our elections and includes measures ensuring those who are eligible can vote,” said Hoeven. “This is common sense legislation that simply requires an individual show a photo ID in order to vote. While Democrats continue to oppose this legislation, we are working with the White House and our colleagues to find a path forward for the SAVE America Act, so the American people have trust in the integrity of our elections.”\n\n-###-", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/senate-votes-on-husted-photo-id-bill/", "title": "Senate votes on Husted photo ID bill", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.husted.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.husted.senate.gov", "scraper": "husted", "member": {"bioguide_id": "H001104", "name": "Jon Husted", "party": "Republican", "state": "OH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "“So tonight, I’m asking my colleagues to answer one simple question: should you have to prove who you are when you vote?”\n\nView Husted’s remarks here.\n\nWASHINGTON – The Senate today voted on Sen. Jon Husted’s (R-Ohio) bill to require voters to show photo ID at the polls.\n\nSenate Democrats blocked the bill from reaching the 60-vote threshold needed to advance, with a final vote of 52-46.\n\nAs the only Republican Senator with experience as serving as Secretary of State, Husted is leading the effort to implement nationwide photo ID requirements, something more than 80% of Americans support.\n\nWith 23 states—including Ohio—already requesting voters present photo ID, Husted supports establishing a photo ID requirement to secure American elections.\n\nHusted’s bill would’ve allowed Americans to vote by showing one of the following five forms of identification: state issued driver’s license, state issued ID, U.S. passport, military or veterans ID with a picture and an expiration date or a tribal ID with a picture and an expiration date.\n\nHusted spoke on his bill prior to the vote. His remarks include:\n\n“Using a photo ID to vote is common sense.\n\n“It’s an issue Americans broadly support.”\n\n. . .\n\n“So tonight, this early morning, I’m offering a clean, simple, straightforward bill to require a photo ID to vote in America.\n\n“Voters can use a driver’s license, a state issued ID, passport, military or veteran’s ID, or tribal ID.\n\n“No additional restrictions, no tricks, no games, no prohibitions on absentee voting.”\n\n. . .\n\n“Photo ID laws have been tested in elections across this country and they work.”\n\n. . .\n\n“So tonight, I’m asking my colleagues to answer one simple question: should you have to prove who you are when you vote?\n\n“Americans think we should and tonight we will find out if their senators agree.”\n\n. . .\n\n“I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill, to establish a nationwide photo ID standard, and give Americans better run, honest, and fair elections.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=34A3205B-E8EF-4DA3-B9F6-EDAADBC73011", "title": "Klobuchar: Senate Passes Delay of Hemp Ban, Giving Time to Find Long-Term Solution and Not Ban Hemp in Minnesota", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "domain": "www.klobuchar.senate.gov", "scraper": "klobuchar", "member": {"bioguide_id": "K000367", "name": "Amy Klobuchar", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that the Senate passed a bipartisan bill that includes her provision to delay the federal hemp ban, based on the bipartisan Hemp Planting Predictability Act she introduced with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY).\n\nThe Senate also rejected an effort to strip the delay of the hemp ban from the bill by a vote of 61-32. Klobuchar worked through the night and got the support of Senators from both parties for her measure.\n\nThe bill will delay the looming federal hemp ban through December 11, 2026, and bans synthetic hemp derivatives. The legislation now needs to pass the House of Representatives.\n\n“This is good news for Minnesota’s farmers, brewers, small businesses, and customers,” said Klobuchar. “The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill with a key provision based on my legislation to delay the ill-conceived federal hemp ban, which I opposed last year. This delay provides more time to find a long-term solution, like the sensible safety rules we have in Minnesota, rather than allowing a federal ban to wipe out a thriving industry. I will keep working to make sure Minnesota continues to have a safe and strong hemp industry.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-statement-on-voting-against-trumps-personal-attorney-to-serve-as-ag/", "title": "Luján Statement on Voting Against Trump’s Personal Attorney to Serve as AG", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Blanche Recently Caught on Tape Saying He Will Restrict Reproductive Rights Nationwide\n\nLuján Introduced Epstein Files Transparency Act II and No Trump Immunity Act Ahead of Blanche’s Confirmation\n\nWashington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after voting against Todd Blanche to serve as Attorney General:\n\n“The Attorney General’s duty is to uphold the rule of law, defend the Constitution, and ensure that justice is applied fairly and equally to every American. Todd Blanche’s record makes it clear that he cannot carry out those responsibilities independently of President Trump.\n\n“The survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes — and the American people — deserve transparency and accountability, not continued efforts to withhold information or shield those in positions of power. Under Todd Blanche’s leadership, the DOJ will continue putting President Trump’s personal and political interests ahead of justice and accountability for victims.\n\n“Todd Blanche’s confirmation will only further erode public trust in one of our nation’s most important institutions. I will continue fighting to protect the independence of the DOJ and ensure that no one is above the law.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-statement-on-voting-for-a-continuing-resolution-to-keep-the-government-funded/", "title": "Luján Statement on Voting for a Continuing Resolution to Keep the Government Funded", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.lujan.senate.gov", "scraper": "lujan", "member": {"bioguide_id": "L000570", "name": "Ben Ray Luján", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NM", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after voting to pass a Continuing Resolution to keep the federal government funded through December 11, 2026:\n\n“This continuing resolution averts another Republican government shutdown, provides stability for families and communities, and gives Congress time to negotiate bipartisan funding bills.\n\n“Critically, it also prevents Trump from further politicizing and disrupting federal grants that communities across New Mexico rely on. I will continue fighting for a final funding agreement that protects critical investments, holds the administration accountable, and delivers for New Mexicans.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-votes-against-continuing-resolution-refuses-to-fund-trumps-unwinnable-iran-war-and-authoritarian-agenda", "title": "Senator Markey Votes Against Continuing Resolution, Refuses to Fund Trump’s Unwinnable Iran War and Authoritarian Agenda", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "domain": "www.markey.senate.gov", "scraper": "markey", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M000133", "name": "Edward J. Markey", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington (August 8, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after voting against the Continuing Resolution to fund Trump’s administration.\n\n“Voting for this Continuing Resolution would be signing a check for President Trump to continue his illegal, reckless agenda, including ICE raids, an unwinnable war in Iran, threats to interfere in our elections this fall, and the dismantling of the social safety net. I will not give a nickel to an authoritarian who is handing over our government to billionaire and corporate interests that have raised the cost of living so high that human rights become commodities that working families cannot afford. I’m proud to have voted against more of Donald Trump’s nominees and agenda than any other Senator, and I won’t stop fighting him with every tool there is.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-releases-statement-on-continuing-resolution", "title": "Murkowski Releases Statement on Continuing Resolution", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=1", "domain": "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "scraper": "murkowski", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001153", "name": "Lisa Murkowski", "party": "Republican", "state": "AK", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, DC—Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement regarding her vote on the continuing resolution (CR), which passed the Senate today by a vote of 90-6.\n\n“While a continuing resolution is no one’s preference, and certainly not mine, without one we are headed for another shutdown that hurts Americans who rely on federal programs and services, as well as federal employees.\n\n“This stopgap measure maintains most federal funding at current levels while making necessary adjustments for programs like WIC that families depend on to make ends meet. It also pauses OMB from finalizing a controversial proposal that would allow political appointees to halt and veto grants based on partisan ideology rather than merit.\n\n“This CR gives Congress a roughly four-month window to get the annual appropriations process back on track. I will support it and suggest we make good use of the time it provides to pass our individual appropriations bills.”", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-statement-opposing-todd-blanches-nomination-to-be-u-s-attorney-general/", "title": "Padilla Statement Opposing Todd Blanche’s Nomination to be U.S. Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement following the Senate’s confirmation vote on the nomination of Todd Blanche to be the next U.S. Attorney General:\n\n“Todd Blanche is unfit to serve as Attorney General. As Acting Attorney General, Blanche has shown he is more loyal to Trump than he is to the American people or the Constitution.\n\n“He is the architect of the $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund for convicted January 6 insurrectionists who stormed our Capitol and assaulted law enforcement officers. He has repeatedly refused to provide transparency around the Epstein files while shielding Donald Trump — who appears in the files thousands of times — and his predatory allies. Blanche has also made clear that, if confirmed, he will roll back abortion access across the nation.\n\n“When forced to choose between the Constitution and Donald Trump, Todd Blanche chooses Donald Trump, including by helping secure immunity for him and his family’s potential tax crimes. America deserves better.\n\n“I strongly oppose Todd Blanche to be our next Attorney General. His confirmation will be a setback for the independence of the Department of Justice, but I will continue to stand up for everyone’s Constitutional rights, demand accountability from the Trump Administration, and fight to uphold the rule of law.”\n\nPadilla has consistently fought to hold Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) accountable. This week, Padilla slammed Todd Blanche during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote on Blanche’s nomination, making clear that Blanche is unfit to be U.S. Attorney General. Last month, Padilla questioned Blanche during a Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing, demanding answers about the anti-weaponization fund and allegiance to Trump.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watch-once-again-padilla-leads-democrats-in-successfully-killing-trumps-anti-voter-save-act/", "title": "WATCH: Once Again, Padilla Leads Democrats in Successfully Killing Trump’s Anti-Voter SAVE Act", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.padilla.senate.gov", "scraper": "padilla", "member": {"bioguide_id": "P000145", "name": "Alex Padilla", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "As families across the country face skyrocketing costs, Trump and Senate Republicans again prioritize his voter suppression bill\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, led his Senate colleagues in once again defeating MAGA Republicans’ efforts to advance the anti-voter SAVE Act. Padilla took to the Senate floor in opposition of Senator Jon Husted’s (R-Ohio) MAGA voter ID bill, S. 5271, which consists of a provision of the SAVE Act that would require eligible voters to provide strict photo identification when voting, including in their mail and absentee ballots.\n\nThe Senate failed to advance S. 5271 by a vote of 52 to 46, with 60 votes required to pass the bill.\n\nIn remarks on the Senate floor, Padilla highlighted President Trump’s continued fixation on passing the SAVE Act ahead of the 2026 midterm elections instead of prioritizing everyday issues facing Americans right now, such as lowering costs and providing affordable health care. Padilla emphasized that the MAGA voter ID bill is stricter than all 50 states’ laws, and American elections are safe and secure without restrictive photo ID requirements. He expressed concern that Husted’s bill and the SAVE Act would disenfranchise millions of voters by imposing new requirements and complicating absentee and mail-in voting, representing a deliberate attempt to sow chaos less than 90 days from Election Day.\n\n“Here we are, after months and months of debating this bill. We should be debating how to bring costs down for working families across the country. I’d love to hear from my colleagues how we’re going to get out of this war in Iran. Instead, here’s this measure again, which is not a simple voter ID bill,” said Padilla. “As written, this bill is stricter than most voter ID in states that already have a voter ID law in place. This goes further, requiring voters to include a copy of their ID when they vote by mail. Tens of millions of Americans vote by mail; this bill would do away with secret ballots as we know it.”\n\nVideo of Padilla’s remarks is available here.\n\nAs Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee, which has oversight over federal elections, Padilla has led the charge opposing Trump’s overreaching anti-voter SAVE Act. In June, Padilla led his Senate Democratic colleagues in defeating Republicans’ efforts to include the SAVE Act in their anti-immigrant reconciliation bill twice in one night. During the failed March 2026 “talking filibuster” attempt, Padilla took to the Senate floor four times as a leader in the Democratic opposition to the SAVE Act.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.risch.senate.gov/news/press-releases/risch-statement-on-the-clarity-act/", "title": "Risch Statement on the Clarity Act", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "domain": "www.risch.senate.gov", "scraper": "risch", "member": {"bioguide_id": "R000584", "name": "James E. Risch", "party": "Republican", "state": "ID", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) released the following statement on the Senate’s upcoming consideration of the Digital Asset Market Clarity (Clarity) Act:\n\n“On September 15th, the U.S. Senate will start the process of passing the Clarity Act. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Failure to pass this critical piece of legislation will leave Idahoans vulnerable to scams and fraud, as well as cede jobs, investment, economic competitiveness, and financial leadership to overseas competitors,” said Risch. “We must advance this important bill and make it law.”\n\nThe Clarity Act would establish federal policies and guidance for digital assets to protect consumers and American investors, counter bad actors, encourage innovation, and support a safe and secure U.S. financial system.", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/statement-sen-schiff-on-todd-blanches-confirmation-as-attorney-general/", "title": "STATEMENT: Sen. Schiff on Todd Blanche’s Confirmation as Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.schiff.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.schiff.senate.gov", "scraper": "schiff", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001150", "name": "Adam B. Schiff", "party": "Democrat", "state": "CA", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after voting against the nomination of Todd Blanche to be U.S. Attorney General:\n\n“As I said his confirmation hearing, the fundamental problem with Todd Blanche isn’t that he’s inexperienced or unintelligent. It’s that he’s never been able to shed his role as criminal defense lawyer for Donald Trump. He cannot and will never do it.\n\n“I voted to oppose his nomination. And he should have been rejected for numerous reasons:\n\n“He has used the Department of Justice to enrich the President of the United States – leveraging the power of the DOJ and IRS to make the president, his family, and his businesses more money and to provide immunity for their actions – that is not the job of an Attorney General.\n\n“Under Blanche, the Justice Department has become an instrument of revenge and reward. We should not confirm an Attorney General who believes the president has a right and a duty to go after his enemies and bring sea shells cases against them.\n\n“His efforts to protect the president and others in the Epstein Files were a scandalous abuse of power in which he covered up and withheld documents to protect Donald Trump and further injured the victims by publishing their names and photos.\n\n“Blanche has sought to compensate cop beaters who attacked the Capitol in support of the president. Even if the anti-weaponization fund doesn’t move forward, Blanche’s Justice Department has been using other funds of the department to pay off criminals and cronies of the president.\n\n“He has also violated his code of ethics, firing career officials involved in cases against Donald Trump – the same cases in which he served as the president’s personal criminal defense attorney.\n\n“A nominee with such a record should never be made Attorney General, not if we ever hope to preserve what is left of the rule of law. Todd Blanche will never do what’s best for the American people. Only what’s best for Donald Trump.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/sen-tim-scott-votes-to-pass-government-funding-bill/", "title": "Sen. Tim Scott votes to pass government funding bill", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/jsf/jet-engine:press-list", "domain": "www.scott.senate.gov", "scraper": "timscott", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001184", "name": "Tim Scott", "party": "Republican", "state": "SC", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Washington — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) voted today to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government through December. With current funding set to expire at the end of the fiscal year on September 30, this CR demonstrates Senate Republicans’ efforts to keep the government funded while giving Congress time to continue working on appropriations bills and avoid a government shutdown.\n\nSenator Scott released the following statement:\n\n“The American people deserve a government that works for them, and that means keeping the government open and operating,” said Sen. Scott. “Today, the Senate passed a short-term spending bill that puts American workers and families first. In doing so, we are committed to avoiding another unnecessary shutdown, ensuring hardworking Americans continue receiving their paychecks, and protecting critical programs and services for families in South Carolina and across the country. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance a fiscal year 2027 funding bill that reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility and a strong future for the American people.”\n\nBackground:\n\nThe CR was agreed to by the Senate Appropriations Committee and funds the government through December 11 at current levels in most cases.\n\nDemocrat-forced shutdowns over the past year have caused a loss of $7 billion to $14 billion in GDP, led to more than 7,500 flight cancellations that cost the travel industry $2.6 billion, and left 1.3 million troops to face pay uncertainty.\n\nThe Senate version of the CR contains several bipartisan extensions, including maintaining funds for housing and nutrition programs, extending authorization for veterans’ health care, the Defense Production Act, and making adjustments for programs including the Disaster Relief Fund.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-statement-on-passage-of-continuing-resolution-to-avoid-government-shutdown-in-fall", "title": "Shaheen Statement on Passage of Continuing Resolution to Avoid Government Shutdown in Fall", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.shaheen.senate.gov", "scraper": "shaheen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001181", "name": "Jeanne Shaheen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after voting to advance the continuing resolution to keep the government open through December:\n\n“I’m relieved that the Senate came together to pass a continuing resolution on an overwhelming bipartisan basis that will avoid a government shutdown in the fall that would hurt Granite Staters. While stop-gap funding bills can create inefficiencies within government that sow uncertainty in the economy, this step represents a reasonable path forward that will allow time for Republicans and Democrats to reach an agreement on a realistic appropriations package that works for the American people.\n\n“Americans want us to work together to solve problems and make their lives better. When we return to Congress in September, I remain committed to working in good faith alongside my colleagues to deliver spending packages that invest in our states and communities and provide the long-term certainty they need.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-statement-on-vote-against-attorney-general-nominee-todd-blanche", "title": "Shaheen Statement on Vote Against Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press", "domain": "www.shaheen.senate.gov", "scraper": "shaheen", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001181", "name": "Jeanne Shaheen", "party": "Democrat", "state": "NH", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statement on her vote against President Trump’s nominee to be U.S. Attorney General, Todd Blanche:\n\n“Todd Blanche has proven himself to be unfit to be the next attorney general. He is the architect and champion of the President’s corrupt slush fund, which would channel $1.8 billion in tax dollars to people who assaulted police officers defending the U.S. Capitol and attempted to overthrow the government. He’s refused to give the American people assurances that this outrageous weaponization fund is dead.\n\n“Instead of fighting corruption, Blanche helped the President himself, his family and his businesses get off the hook and exempted by the IRS. That’s not the way our country should work—no elected officials should be above the law. At a time when so many Americans are struggling to get by, it’s absolutely unacceptable for any public official to be given a green light to enrich themselves or their political allies.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/08/slotkin-statement-on-voting-no-on-confirmation-of-todd-blanche-as-attorney-general/", "title": "Slotkin Statement on Voting No on Confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "domain": "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "scraper": "slotkin", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001208", "name": "Elissa Slotkin", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MI", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Slotkin Statement on Voting No in Committee on Draft Partisan Farm Bill\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee,...\n\nAfter Bipartisan Effort Led by Slotkin, Army Selects Grayling as Part of Initiative to Push Drone Testing and Research\n\nMichigan Selected for New Army Industry Testing Initiative – One of Only Four Sites...\n\nSlotkin, Cruz Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Protect Houses of Worship\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and U.S. Representatives Brad Knott...\n\nSlotkin, Ricketts Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Keep Biotech Industry in America, Not China\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the Biotech...\n\nAfter Further Violence from ICE, Slotkin, Peters Demand Hearing on ICE’s Deadly Use of Force\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), all...\n\nSlotkin, Peters, Bergman Lead Bipartisan Effort to Bring Coast Guard Drone Testing to Michigan\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI), and U.S....\n\nSlotkin, Klobuchar, Welch, Colleagues Raise Concerns About USDA Rural Development Reorganization\n\nWASHINGTON D.C. — Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Peter Welch...\n\nWHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Slotkin, Moreno Bill to Ban Chinese Vehicles Passes Key Senate Committee With Bipartisan Support\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, legislation from U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Bernie Moreno...\n\nSlotkin Calls on Agriculture Committee Leadership to Support Michigan Specialty Crop Farmers in Farm Bill\n\nWASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) joined Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and...\n\nSlotkin, Moreno Bill to Protect National & Economic Security from Chinese Vehicles Advances Unanimously\n\nBill Receives Unanimous Bipartisan Support to Pass Out of Committee, Moves Forward to Consideration by Full...\n\nICYMI: Slotkin Responds to President Trump’s Truth Social Posts of her, Attempts to Curb Mail-in Voting\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), released the following video in...", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://www.smith.senate.gov/u-s-senator-tina-smiths-statement-on-voting-against-the-confirmation-of-attorney-general-todd-blanche/", "title": "U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on Voting Against the Confirmation of Attorney General Todd Blanche", "date": "2026-08-08", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.smith.senate.gov/press-releases/", "domain": "www.smith.senate.gov", "scraper": "tinasmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001203", "name": "Tina Smith", "party": "Democrat", "state": "MN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after voting against the confirmation of the President’s nominee to be the next Attorney General, Todd Blanche:\n\n“Todd Blanche has clearly demonstrated that he lacks the integrity to be Attorney General. He demonstrated it when he defended the President’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, when he defended the President’s hush money payments, and he demonstrated it when he committed to enacting a national ban on distributing medication abortion,” said Senator Smith. “It’s disappointing, though not surprising, to see Republicans cave to the President once again and confirm a nominee who they know will continue weaponizing the Department of Justice against the President’s political enemies.”\n\nSmith had criticized Blanche earlier this week for threatening to invoke the Comstock Act, an antiquated anti-vice law from before women had the right to vote, to ban the distribution of medication abortion in every single state regardless of state level abortion protections, including Minnesota.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"}
{"url": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2026/08/09/smith-visits-franke-farm-in-perry-county/", "title": "Smith Visits Franke Farm in Perry County", "date": "2026-08-09", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/", "domain": "jasonsmith.house.gov", "scraper": "jasonsmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001195", "name": "Jason Smith", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "PERRY COUNTY, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) visited the Franke family farm this week where he met with Neil and Michelle Franke to tour their operation and hear about the regulatory and insurance challenges facing farmers who raise diverse livestock.\n\nCongressman Smith said, “Neil and Michelle have built one of the most diverse operations you’ll find in Southeast Missouri, from 500 head of cattle to water buffalo, bison, and red deer. Running an operation with so many different species takes real skill and dedication, but it also means running into state regulations and insurance rules that weren’t built with operations like this in mind. When insurance companies won’t even recognize an animal like a water buffalo as livestock, it puts family farms like this one at a real disadvantage through no fault of their own. I’m going to keep working to address these regulatory gaps so farmers who are simply trying to grow their business aren’t left carrying all the risk themselves.”\n\nThe Franke family farm was established in the late 1800s and has grown into one of the region’s most varied livestock operations, raising beef cattle, bison, red deer, horses, turkeys, jersey milk cows, hogs, and several breeds of sheep. Neil is also part owner of the sale barn in Fruitland, sells horses to the Amish community in Seymour, and sells bison to hunting ranches across the region. Despite the scale and diversity of the operation, Neil discussed with Congressman Smith issue of insurance carriers routinely declining to classify animals like water buffalo as livestock, leaving him without adequate coverage options that other producers can rely on.\n\nCongressman Smith also discussed the threat posed by New World Screwworm to livestock producers across Missouri, and USDA’s ongoing work to expand sterile fly production and inspection protocols to keep diseases from spreading further into American herds. He remains committed to working with USDA and state regulators to close the gaps facing producers like the Frankes, so family farms that diversify their operations aren’t penalized for doing so.", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2026/08/09/smith-visits-mesta-meadows-in-bollinger-county/", "title": "Smith Visits Mesta Meadows in Bollinger County", "date": "2026-08-09", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/", "domain": "jasonsmith.house.gov", "scraper": "jasonsmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001195", "name": "Jason Smith", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "BOLLINGER COUNTY, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) visited Mesta Meadows Farm this week where he met with the family and toured the operation to discuss their direct-to-consumer business and agri-tourism efforts, hear about how the Working Families Tax Cuts is positively impacting their operation, as well as the trade challenges facing Missouri’s wool and lamb producers.\n\nCongressman Smith said, “From a farm right here in Bollinger County, this family has built a business that reaches customers in all 50 states and more than a dozen countries. They sell everything from raw milk and wool to homemade ice cream, and welcome visitors onto the farm to see their operation firsthand. Farmers and ranchers like this family know how to run their own operation better than Washington ever will, and that’s why I fought to deliver real tax relief through the Working Families Tax Cuts so they can keep more of what they earn and reinvest it back into their farm.”\n\nMesta Meadows Farm sits on land originally purchased by a French land speculator in the 1850s, and the family has spent the last decade building today’s operation on the property. They raise sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, and poultry, including a herd of Scottish Highlander cattle that has become central to their growing agri-tourism business. They sell direct to consumers through farmers markets in St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, a brick-and-mortar store, and online, moving products such as raw milk, meat, wool, and roughly 1,500 pints of ice cream a week with a team of three full-time employees.\n\nThanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, Mesta Meadows and farms like it can count on permanent 100% immediate expensing and a permanent small business deduction, giving them the certainty to invest in their operation and grow their business. Congressman Smith also discussed the Section 301 tariff investigation the family has been closely watching, along with efforts to hold foreign competitors accountable for lamb imports undercutting American producers.", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2026/08/09/smith-visits-twin-knobs-dairy-action-farms-in-douglas-county/", "title": "Smith Visits Twin Knobs Dairy & Action Farms in Douglas County", "date": "2026-08-09", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/", "domain": "jasonsmith.house.gov", "scraper": "jasonsmith", "member": {"bioguide_id": "S001195", "name": "Jason Smith", "party": "Republican", "state": "MO", "chamber": "House"}, "text": "DOUGLAS COUNTY, Mo. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) visited Twin Knobs Dairy & Action Farms in Douglas County this week, touring the operation and meeting with Kaleb and Erin Rodgers to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Missouri’s dairy and livestock producers.\n\nCongressman Smith said, “Kaleb and Erin have built an impressive operation here, combining a modern dairy farm with a growing beef herd. Their farm is also on track to earn Missouri Century Farm recognition, a fitting honor for a family that’s poured so much work into this land.\n\n“Like so many family farms across Missouri, they’re working to pass this operation down to their son, Everett. Thanks to the permanent 100 percent immediate expensing and small business deduction in the Working Families Tax Cuts, families like the Rodgers have the certainty they need to grow, hire, and stay profitable, so their operation can be passed down to Everett and the next generation. That’s the kind of certainty family farms need to keep operating for generations to come, and I’ll keep fighting for policies that provide it.”\n\nKaleb and Erin Rodgers own and operate Twin Knobs Dairy, a multi-generation family dairy farm near Vanzant that has grown from roughly 100 acres to about 1,000 owned acres, milking 150 to 200 Jersey and Jersey-Holstein cross cows. Kaleb is the fifth generation raised on the farm, which is expected to soon earn Missouri Century Farm recognition for more than a century of continuous family ownership. Beyond the dairy, the Rodgers also run Action Farms, a diversified operation that includes roughly 200 beef cattle.\n\nThe Working Families Tax Cuts, which Congressman Smith authored, made permanent 100 percent immediate expensing and a permanent small business deduction — provisions that give producers like the Rodgers the certainty to invest in new equipment, grow their operation, and hire the help they need to keep it profitable for generations to come.", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-meet-the-press-on-nbc/", "title": "ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins Meet the Press on NBC", "date": "2026-08-09", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "domain": "www.banks.senate.gov", "scraper": "banks", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001299", "name": "Jim Banks", "party": "Republican", "state": "IN", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined Meet the Press with Kristen Welker on NBC to discuss the increasing influence of Democratic Socialism in the Democratic Party, the economy, Middle East diplomacy, and conflict with Iran.\n\nClick the image above for the full discussion.\n\nKey Excerpts on the economy:\n\nSen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “There’s still good news in this July’s jobs report about the resurgence of manufacturing jobs and construction jobs that are being created in America. Never forget that in the last two years Joe Biden was in the White House, we lost a quarter of a million manufacturing jobs, and we have seen a significant resurgence because of President Trump’s trade policies and bringing back those good-paying, advanced manufacturing jobs, and we’re seeing it mostly in states like Indiana. That’s the return of the Made in America economy.”\n\nKey Excerpts on Iran:\n\n“President Trump’s legacy is going to be largely wrapped up in ensuring that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. I do not want my kids growing up in a world where Iran has a nuclear weapon, that will be pointed directly at the United States of America, at our troops abroad, at our allies. President Trump is the first president in 47 years to have the guts to stand up to the Regime and tell them that they are not going to get away with it.”\n\n“As an Afghanistan veteran myself, watching what our military has accomplished, wiping out 85% of Iran’s ballistic missiles, Iran’s defense industrial base, making sure that they can never achieve their ultimate goal to have that nuclear weapon, that’s all good news. President Trump’s use of the naval blockade, he has crippled Iran’s economy; that in and of itself will bring lasting peace, not just to the Middle East but to the rest of the world, and projects American strength in a way I have never seen in my lifetime. He is a peacemaker; this is a key part of ensuring peace for the ages, and President Trump deserves a lot of credit for it.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senator-katie-britt-votes-to-permanently-close-dangerous-hemp-loophole-targeting-american-children-vows-to-continue-fight/", "title": "U.S. Senator Katie Britt Votes to Permanently Close Dangerous Hemp Loophole Targeting American Children, Vows to Continue Fight", "date": "2026-08-09", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.britt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "domain": "www.britt.senate.gov", "scraper": "britt", "member": {"bioguide_id": "B001319", "name": "Katie Boyd Britt", "party": "Republican", "state": "AL", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) joined 31 of her Senate colleagues in opposing an effort to delay closing the dangerous “hemp loophole” that allowed intoxicating hemp-derived THC gummies, vapes, and smokables to be marketed and sold to children in an unregulated manner. This loophole was set to close in November but will now remain open, allowing these products to remain available without restriction for an additional month. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) led the effort in the Senate.\n\nLast November, Congress passed a bipartisan appropriations bill which redefined hemp to prohibit intoxicating hemp-derived THC products, including lab-made Delta 8. Congress provided the industry a one-year runway to comply, with the regulation set to take effect on November 12, 2026. The continuing resolution, which passed the Senate earlier today, would instead extend the loophole to December 11, 2026. Senator Budd offered an amendment to strike this extension and simply maintain the prior deadline, but a Democrat-led motion to table his amendment was passed just after 3am EST. Senator Britt joined 31 of her colleagues opposing the motion to table. The continuing resolution, which extends the loophole, will now go to the House of Representatives.\n\n“I proudly supported Senator Budd’s amendment to prevent an extension of the dangerous loophole that allows unregulated, intoxicating hemp-derived THC products to enter our homes and schools. I strongly opposed the Democrats’ motion to table this critical amendment because protecting our children cannot wait. It is unacceptable that these dangerous, intoxicating substances that pose a serious threat to the health and safety of our children can be purchased so easily in many retail stores with little or no age verification.\n\n“Just last year, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to close the loophole that allowed these products to flood the market. We should not undo that progress. This fight is not over. I will continue working to advance policies that protect our next generation and keep these dangerous products out of their hands,” said Senator Britt.\n\n“Family Research Council is thankful for Senator Britt’s efforts to protect children from these dangerous drugs. Delta-8 THC, a synthetic cannabinoid derived from the hemp plant, is identical to Delta-9 THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana and therefore carries many of the same risks, including intoxication, addiction, and psychosis. Congress voted to make these definition changes and provided producers with ample time to prepare. There is no reason to delay. Congress must follow through and close the hemp loophole, protecting our kids and all Americans,” said Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council.\n\n“Eagle Forum of Alabama applauds Sen. Katie Britt for standing up for children and voting to keep alive the effort to close the dangerous hemp loophole. Although there were not enough votes in the Senate to move the measure forward, Senator Britt stood firm in protecting children from intoxicating THC products. We are grateful for her leadership on this important issue,” said Becky Gerritson, Executive Director of Eagle Forum of Alabama.\n\n“Senator Katie Britt deserves immense credit for standing firm in defense of children and families. Unregulated, intoxicating hemp-derived products pose an unacceptable risk when they are packaged, marketed, and sold with zero oversight directly to minors. By joining Senator Budd to fight for closing this dangerous loophole, Senator Britt is demonstrating true leadership. We must continue to prioritize child safety over industry loopholes; API stands proudly with Senator Britt in this crucial fight to keep dangerous substances out of our homes and schools,” said Stephanie Smith, President and CEO of the Alabama Policy Institute.\n\nData from emergency departments across the United States show an estimated 461% increase in pediatric cannabis poisoning cases presenting to hospitals between 2018 and 2023. About 91% of the affected patients were children aged 4 years or younger, and roughly 45% of children aged 0 to 11 treated for these poisonings required hospital admission. 78% of identified products were cannabis edibles, primarily gummies. In 2022, a 4-year-old in Virginia died after overdosing from a jar of THC gummies purchased from a local gas station.\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}
{"url": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshall-not-one-democrat-voted-for-voter-id/", "title": "Senator Marshall: Not One Democrat Voted for Voter ID", "date": "2026-08-09", "date_source": "scraper", "source": "https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "domain": "www.marshall.senate.gov", "scraper": "marshall", "member": {"bioguide_id": "M001198", "name": "Roger Marshall", "party": "Republican", "state": "KS", "chamber": "Senate"}, "text": "Senator Marshall Joins Fox News, The Big Weekend Show\n\nWashington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Joey Jones, Tomi Lahren, Joe Concha, and Anita Vogel on Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show to discuss how all Senate Democrats voted against voter ID this week and progress on the SAVE America Act, the work that the Senate did complete including confirming a new Attorney General, how Dr. Fauci can be held accountable for his crimes, and the Protect College Sports Act.\n\nClick HERE to download the full video.\n\nOn what the Senate accomplished before recess:\n\n“You know, I’m sure there will be — and the great thing is we have a president that’s going to keep pushing us and pushing us and pushing us for more. But I think we do need to stop and celebrate sometimes as well. We got 70 nominations done last week — and that’s because of a process that John Thune got across the plate for us. We got our Attorney General taken care of as well, the government is funded till December. In a world where there’s lots of uncertainty, we took a few things off the table. And I’m so glad we got every Democrat on record that they voted against voter ID. So, it’s a start — of course we know we have more work to do.”\n\nOn getting the SAVE America Act and voter ID passed:\n\n“Well, Joey, I would say it’s a really uphill battle, and only with President Trump at the helm is there even a chance of doing that. But I want to at least set the record straight here — yesterday, all 52 Republicans voted in favor of voter ID. And there’s some version of the SAVE Act that we can get with at least 50 votes as well. And you and I both know that we should be talking about the Democrats right now — we cannot get one Democrat to vote in favor of voter ID, let alone proof of citizenship or doing anything with mail-in ballots. They’re the problem. So, I don’t understand — you know — why we want to pick on the Republicans. Why there’s this Republican violence right now. The big issue here is why can’t we get through? You know, should we do something where we flip the habits of the Senate, where it takes 60 votes to do something?”\n\n“I think I agree with everything you said there. But again, all 52 Republicans voted yesterday in favor of voter ID, and I think there’s versions of everything else in the SAVE America Act that they would vote for as well, but not enough that we would flip the filibuster. And, even to your point: I’m willing to do it, but I don’t only think a third of the United States Senate is willing to do it.”\n\nOn whether Leader Thune has lost the support of senators:\n\n“No, he’s not. I think the Senator Thune has the backing of all 53 Republicans right now in Congress. Let’s think about what he’s accomplished right now: he gave us the biggest tax cut, the biggest spending cut, in American history. He gave us a new path forward where we’re able to confirm more of the President’s nominees at a time as well. Look, it’s not perfect — the Republican senators — each of us have our own mind. We’re not lemmings, we’re not Democrats where when Chuck Schumer says ‘Jump’, we say ‘How high?’ We’re going to fight through this and work through the arguments with each other. But Thune is doing a great job — one of the best leaders I’ve ever met and a great listener as well.”\n\nOn whether he supports the criminal prosecution of Dr. Fauci:\n\n“110%. And as soon as that diary came out, I wrote to the Attorney General — acting Attorney General then — and said please appoint a special counsel where you can investigate and then prosecute Anthony Fauci on this 20 years where he was working to invent this gain of function. Even President Obama asked him to stop doing it, and he kept doing it. Finally, he offloaded it out of the entire country. We need to investigate the cover-up, we need to investigate the auto pen. Is the auto pen even legitimate? And then just follow the money as well. So, absolutely, positively, and I would love to see our new Attorney General just do just that.”\n\nOn whether Senator Mitch McConnell should step down:\n\n“Well, number one, I’m afraid you’re going to turn that seat over to a Democrat, possibly very temporarily if you go through that process. But the good news is, Mitch McConnell spoke to several senators this past week — he was dismissed from the hospital, he’s now at home recovering. So, let’s hope and pray that he’s better and he can come back when this break is over in September.”\n\nOn the Protect College Sports Act:\n\n“Yeah, I think the reason we didn’t go ahead and vote on is because we don’t have the votes yet. I think the biggest issue is what we’re concerned about is if a state has said, ‘look, boys cannot compete in girls’ sports,’ we want to make sure there’s no federal preemption that would oversee that as well. So, we need to insert that particular amendment — Josh Hawley’s got the amendment to do that. I think if we get beyond it, we can get it across the finish line. And look, I participated in college athletics, so many of us did. That’s how we got to go through college was on that scholarship. So, we got to fix this system or otherwise, everyone that’s in these Olympic type of sports will never get a chance to have a sports scholarship.”\n\n###", "collected_at": "2026-08-10T06:13:07Z", "updated_at": "2026-08-10T06:14:46Z"}