In Bellingham, Senator Murray Hears How Trump’s Trade War with Canada and War in Iran Are Driving Up Costs for the Maritime Industry; Murray Pushes Bill to End Trade War with Canada, Continues to Press for Votes to End War with Iran

Murray: “More fish—fewer tariffs and fewer wars.”

ICYMI: Murray Introduces Bill to End Trump’s Trade War with Canada & Lower Costs, Slams Trump’s Latest Tariffs as “Economic Arson”

Murray has been a longstanding champion of the maritime industry, consistently securing key federal funding increases under tough fiscal conditions; Murray also recently established the first-ever seafood liaison at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Thanks to Trump’s war with Iran, national average diesel has climbed past $5 a gallon—up nearly $2 from a year ago—and fuel can account for as much as 40 percent of the operating costs of a fishing trip

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

Bellingham, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a maritime roundtable discussion in Bellingham with the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County, commercial fishermen, shellfish growers, maritime workforce leaders, and the Port of Bellingham to hear directly about how President Trump’s chaotic trade war, his war in Iran, and his deep cuts to federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service are raising costs and threatening jobs across Washington state’s working waterfronts.

“Our maritime industry and our ports power the economy in Washington state—our fish and shellfish travel far on their own, but our fishermen and our ports are the reason they’re famous worldwide,” said Senator Murray. “And this administration’s reckless and unpredictable tariffs have been nothing short of a disaster for them—driving up costs and making it impossible for any small business to plan. Let’s just acknowledge how Trump’s decision to pursue an all-out trade war with Canada—Washington state’s biggest trading partner and our country’s closest ally—is beyond stupid and counterproductive, fraying partnerships north of the border that have spanned lifetimes. Trump’s war in Iran has made fuel far more expensive for fleets already running on razor-thin margins. And that’s to say nothing of pushing federal workers out en masse and making severe cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service—clearly, Trump does not understand that our fishermen rely on a top-notch National Weather Service to do their work.”

“The most urgent thing we can do to bring costs down in a big way is put an end to this trade war and to the actual war against Iran—and Congress can do both,” continued Senator Murray. “How about instead of funding bombs in the Middle East we invest in our fisheries and habitat recovery here at home? Let me sum it up: more fish—fewer tariffs and fewer wars.”

Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs in the state tied to international commerce—and no community feels that more directly than Whatcom County, which sits at the Canadian border. In just one year, Trump’s tariff tax has cost the average family nearly $2,000, with hardworking Americans bearing 96% of the cost of the hundreds of billions of dollars in new tariffs. Still, Trump has been undeterred by the chaos and pain his trade war has wrought and continues to double down on the global stage.

Yesterday, Murray announced the End Trump’s Tariff Tax Act, legislation that would revoke and refund Trump’s latest barrage of tariffs and repeal the archaic authorities he has used to continue his trade war. This legislation would apply to Trump’s newest global tariffs of 12.5% and 50% tariffs on Canada.

At the same time, Trump’s war in Iran and the resulting disruption at the Strait of Hormuz have sent fuel costs soaring for Washington state’s fishing fleets and maritime businesses. National average diesel has climbed past $5 a gallon—up nearly $2 from a year ago—and fuel can account for as much as 40 percent of the operating costs of a fishing trip, pushing captains up and down the coast to cut days at sea or tie up their boats altogether.

Joining Senator Murray at the roundtable discussion were: Dan Tucker, Executive Director of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County; Sierra Oliver, Program Director of the NW Maritime Apprenticeship Program with the Working Waterfront Foundation; Steve Seymour, Owner and CEO of Drayton Harbor Oyster Company; Ron Wille, President and COO of All American Marine; Jamie Wurtz, commercial fisherman and owner of Wurtz Fisheries; and Mike Hogan, Public Affairs Administrator at the Port of Bellingham.

“Senator Murray is a tremendous champion for Washington’s working waterfronts,” said Port of Bellingham Public Affairs Administrator Mike Hogan. “Over the past two years, Senator Murray has helped secure over $40 million in federal grants to rebuild Whatcom County’s maritime infrastructure and create new family-wage jobs.”

“Maritime sectors worldwide are underway with the largest shift in technology since the switch from sail to steam,” said Dan Tucker, Executive Director of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County. “Whatcom County and Washington state need steady regulation and policy, protection for American shipbuilding and crews through the Jones Act, federal investment in business and workforce development, and careful consideration of our international partners in order to provide career-track, retirement-potential opportunities to the next generation that will build tomorrow’s blue economy.”

“First the price of fish is of greatest concern, if the markets are not buying wild sustainable caught fish at a healthy price our business is unsustainable and crew and captains alike cannot make a living,” said Jamie Wurtz, commercial fisherman and owner of Wurtz Fisheries. “Fuel costs have the second biggest impact on small fishing operations. These can normally be the largest expense of any fishing season with this last year’s price of agricultural- off road diesel fuel increasing 22%. For example, last year in WA state fuel rose from $3.59 a gallon to $5.00 a gallon and in Alaska it was even higher, going from $4.68 a gallon to $6.10. That translates to being the largest expense in our operation after the cost of financing a boat. This increase impacts our ability to be profitable. All fishermen need to see some stability in the markets for the price of seafood as well as the price of fuel.”

“Whatcom County businesses are ready to grow, but need investment in industrial waterfront infrastructure, clearer and more predictable environmental regulations, and faster, more accessible workforce-training incentives. These changes would unlock business expansion, create good-paying jobs, and expand workforce development opportunities. Limited infrastructure restricts our ability to create the volume of work and training opportunities needed to bring more women and other underrepresented workers into the marine trades,” said Patrick Schjelderup, co-owner and CEO of Top to Bottom Marine, Inc.

Senator Murray has consistently gone to bat for Washington state’s fishermen and maritime workforce in the federal funding bills she helps to write as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, securing important funding increases for programs at NOAA that support aquaculture and fisheries. Murray also secured funding to create and establish the first-ever seafood industry liaison at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. President Trump’s FY27 budget request proposes serious cuts that would hit the people in Whatcom County’s maritime community directly—including completely eliminating funding for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) and NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Murray has made clear she plans to rip up President Trump’s budget and write a new one.

Senator Murray has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s chaotic trade war from the very start and has been lifting up the voices of people in Washington state harmed by this administration’s approach to trade, while calling on Republicans to end Trump’s trade war and take back Congress’s constitutionally-granted power to impose tariffs. Senator Murray has held events in every corner of Washington state to hear directly from constituents, businesses, and workers about how Trump’s tariffs are harming them—including in Tacoma, Yakima, Vancouver, Seattle, Skagit County, and Blaine, just across the border from Canada. Last fall, she held a roundtable with small business owners in Vancouver and slammed Trump for the cost of his tariffs. Last December, she responded to a Joint Economic Committee report showing Trump’s tariffs on Canada have caused a steep decline in Canadian tourism that is harming border communities in Washington state. She also grilled U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing over how the trade war with Canada is hurting Washington state businesses and consumers. Murray has been outspoken in her opposition to Trump’s pointless and counterproductive hostilities toward Canada at every step.

Senator Murray has also repeatedly voted to end President Trump’s unauthorized war in Iran, including voting for war powers resolutions to terminate hostilities absent a declaration of war or an authorization for the use of military force from Congress, and has demanded answers from the administration on behalf of Washington state constituents who do not want to be dragged into another forever war.

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Sen. Ossoff Delivering Nearly $50 Million to Upgrade Robins Air Force Base

Robins AFB, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is delivering Federal funding to upgrade Robins Air Force Base.

Sen. Ossoff, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Military Construction and VA Subcommittee, is delivering nearly $50 million in Federal funding to upgrade infrastructure at Robins Air Force Base.

Sen. Ossoff and his team worked to help ensure Robins AFB got the funding needed for these upgrades, which include repairs to HVAC and fire alarm systems, lighting upgrades, a new decontamination area, sewer system improvements, and new office spaces.

Sen. Ossoff serves as the top Democrat on the Military Construction and VA Appropriations Subcommittee, positioning him to fight for and deliver Federal funding for key Georgia projects impacting national security, military readiness, quality-of-life for servicemembers and military families, and more.

“The team protecting our nation at Robins Air Force Base needs continued support for their heroic efforts. I helped bring Republicans and Democrats together to fund these important projects to help our servicemembers and civilian personnel serving at Robins do their jobs and be safe,”Sen. Ossoff said.

Funding for the projects came through U.S. Air Force’s budget for operations and maintenance projects and the Air Force’s Working Capital Funds, both of which received additional funding in this year’s bipartisan government funding package that became law on February 3, 2026.

Please find more details about the Federal funding for Robins Air Force Base below:

Sen. Ossoff continues working to support Robins AFB.

In May, Sen. Ossoff held a hearing about funding priorities for military construction projects and highlighted the need to improve quality of life on Georgia’s defense installations, including at Robins.

Last June, Sen. Ossoff held a hearing about funding priorities for military construction projects and highlighted key projects in Georgia, including upgrades needed at Robins.

In January 2024, Sen. Ossoff passed into law his Robins Air Force Base Battle Management Enhancement Act through the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act, which authorized the first step in construction of the Battle Management Combined Operations Complex. Then in April 2024, Sen. Ossoff brought Republicans and Democrats together to deliver $50 million for the new Battle Management Combined Operations Complex at Robins AFB.

In 2022, Sens. Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock brought Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed (D-RI) to Robins AFB to highlight the important role Robins AFB plays in U.S. national security.

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Reed: New Trump Coin Commemorates His Vanity & Lack of Respect for the Rule of Law

PROVIDENCE, RI -- Rather than addressing the affordability crisis and lowering prices, the Trump Administration today rolled out a new $1 gold-colored coin with President Donald Trump’s face on it.

In keeping with the logic of ‘Trumponomics,’ a 25-coin roll of the new $1 coins is on sale for $61. Or a 100-coin bag can be purchased for $154.50. Or, for those visiting the U.S. Mint itself, vending machines now offer the $1 coins for $5 each.

According to the U.S. Treasury, the 0.286 oz. Trump $1 coin does not contain any precious metal and the golden coloring is derived from manganese brass. The composition of the metal coins consists of approximately 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel, and an unknown amount of copper.

Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed stated: “This is another wasteful, distasteful Trump vanity project funded at taxpayer expense that does nothing to help Americans and only serves to stroke President Trump’s fragile ego. The Trump Administration’s reckless policies continue driving up prices and making everyday goods less affordable. He’s driven up gas prices, taken away access to health care, added a tariff tax on groceries, and destabilized the U.S. economy. He’s imposing economic hardship across all fifty states but now he wants people to buy his metallic $1 coin for a few extra bucks in order to feed his toxic narcissism. These coins featuring a sitting president never should have been minted. It’s just another example of how this Republican majority refuses to stand up to President Trump and how he uses the courts to run out the clock instead of adhering to the law. The vast majority of people who bought Trump’s crypto meme coin lost significant money. I guess now we’ll have to wait and see how this one fairs. But the process was shameful. What this coin really commemorates is Donald Trump’s vanity and lack of respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.”

In December of 2025, Senator Reed joined U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and several Senate Democrats in sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging him to reject the proposed designs for the Semiquincentennial dollar coin featuring the likeness of President Donald Trump, noting: “American lawmakers throughout history have reaffirmed the time-honored tradition of not circulating U.S. currency with images of currently elected officials.”

According to federal law: “Only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities.” But in January, the coin’s design was given the stamp of approval by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were all appointed directly by Donald Trump and do not have a background in fine arts, currency, or the law. However, the design was never reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), as required by federal law. The CCAC is an independent 11-person committee established by Congress.

President Trump becomes just the second sitting president to have his likeness struck on a coin, following President Calvin Coolidge, who appeared silhouetted behind the bust of President George Washington on a silver half-dollar coin for the United States’ 150th anniversary. While the U.S. Mint produced one million of those commemorative half dollars, 860,000 of them ultimately were returned and melted down due to low demand.

When George Washington served as America’s first President, he opposed a plan from Congress to put his likeness on U.S. currency during his presidency, viewing it as a contradiction to the war he fought for independence from a King.


Trump Has Irresponsibly Driven Up Gas Prices by 40% & Americans Just Experienced the Priciest August at the Pump Ever

PROVIDENCE, RI – As President Trump’s irresponsible war with Iran crosses the half-year mark with escalating conflict and no end in sight, and still with no coherent strategy or endgame from the Trump Administration, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) says President Trump’s refusal to listen to U.S. Intelligence and uniformed military personnel led to avoidable blunders that have driven up gas prices nearly 40 percent nationwide compared with before the war.

As a result, for the first time ever, U.S. gas prices averaged above $4 per gallon for the entire month of August, according to AAA.

Senator Reed says Trump’s ill-conceived war of choice; the flawed assumptions of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other cabinet officials; and a refusal to listen to experts left the Trump Administration flat-footed for Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz that predictably destabilized the global energy market. And Trump’s escalating trade wars with Canada and other countries are imposing needlessly high tariff taxes on Americans, making it harder for working families to afford gas, groceries, housing, healthcare, and more.

As of today, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas was $4.12 and the average price in Rhode Island is $4.16, according to AAA.

Regular unleaded gasoline in Rhode Island averaged $2.94 the week before the war -- $1.22 less per gallon than it is today. The price of diesel in Rhode Island -- which powers trucks, tractors, and fishing boats -- is now $5.63 per gallon. The price of Brent crude oil was trading above $95 per barrel earlier today and West Texas Intermediate traded at $90 per barrel.

Senator Reed says every American is paying higher prices today due to President Trump’s hubris, ego, lack of foresight, and repeated blunders – which includes making Jared Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, who is President Trump’s friend, donor, and golfing buddy -- the chief diplomatic negotiators with Iran. Reed also points out the Trump family is financially profiting from the higher gas prices by pulling in millions of dollars from oil and gas company stock holdings.

According to CBS News: “Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee estimated this week that the president’s holdings in oil and gas companies have jumped in value from a range of $13 million to $46 million at the start of this year, to $17 million to $61 million by mid-August. Filers are only required to report ranges of transactions, not specific dollar amounts. The estimates were based on his stock holdings in 2025, and didn't take into account the trades that he's made since then.”

Senator Reed stated: “When President Trump recklessly launched this war he dragged the American people into a protracted conflict without their consent. This wasn’t just a miscalculation, it was absolute malpractice by both the President and the Secretary of Defense. Now President Trump is enriching his family while imposing higher costs on working families and businesses and draining their savings. President Trump’s ill-conceived war hasn’t eliminated the threat from Iran or made America safer. He’s accomplished none of the goals he used as a pretext for war. But every time American drivers fill up their gas tank, they are forced to pay a hefty ‘Trump gas tax.’ And every time a farmer fills up a tractor, a fisherman fills up a boat, or a trucker fills up an 18-wheeler at these elevated prices, Americans get billed for that ‘Trump gas tax’ too. This was entirely predictable and avoidable and can all be traced directly to the short-comings of President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others in the Trump Administration who continue to prolong this conflict without a clear strategy for success. And the ‘Trump gas tax’ is imposed at more places than just the pump: The higher shipping and transportation costs are also fueling higher prices at the grocery store and in household budgets across America. President Trump needs to end his reckless war and stop the ‘Trump gas tax.’”

Using diesel, it costs the average trucker over $1,500 to fill up a Big Rig 18-wheeler with two 150-gallon side tanks. A 30-foot offshore sportfishing charter boat with a 400-gallon tank costs about $2,250 to fill up. And a 75-foot commercial fishing vessel with a 10,000-gallon fuel tank costs $56,300 to fill up at today’s average diesel prices.

According to Brown University’s Iran War Cost Energy Tracker, 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 -- has risen to $96 billion. That means the average family has been forced to pay nearly $735 more for products due to elevated gas and diesel prices over the past six months because of Donald Trump’s war.

Reed also pointed out that when it comes to gas prices, President Trump is seeking to blatantly mislead Americans by claiming that his so-called oil deal with Venezuela will lower gas prices. In a story titled “The U.S. Venezuela oil deal won’t lower your gas prices. Here’s what you need to know,” NPR reports:

“In a post on Truth Social, President Trump wrote that this deal will “substantially lower gas prices” for American taxpayers.

“Kepes says that the idea of this deal affecting gas prices now is “absurd.”

“Many of the larger oil fields being discussed in the deal are still largely undeveloped. That means it will take a minimum of a few years for those fields to produce anything, Monaldi says.”

It was also recently reported that Trump-promoted ‘Freedom Fuel’ gas stations, which sell below market rate gas at a network of two dozen stations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is being sued for selling fuel that its supplier never paid for, according to a lawsuit.


Sen. Rick Scott Urges DOT Sec. Duffy to Correct Loophole Hurting Small Businesses

NAPLES, Fla. – This week, U.S. Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy asking him to fix to a Biden-era policy that unfairly harms travel agents, including many small business owners in Florida.

Currently, travel agents are required by law to refund customers within seven days of a qualified flight cancellation or delay while airlines have no such deadline. The financial burden is placed on agents, forcing them to lose thousands of dollars while they work for months to recoup the money from the airlines who hold the funds. Senator Scott’s letter requests a change in this policy that holds airlines equally accountable to provide timely refunds to their customers.

Senator Rick Scott wrote, “Travel agencies and advisors operate on slim margins, and many simply cannot afford to front refunds to their customers, particularly for group bookings worth tens of thousands of dollars, before the airline has returned the money. These small businesses are being held financially accountable for a timeline they do not control, while the airlines that actually hold the funds face no enforceable deadline. Many of these small businesses may go out of business if nothing is done. Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and travel advisors and agencies play a critical role in our tourism industry.”

Read the full letter HERE or below:

Dear Secretary Duffy,

I write to request that the Department of Transportation correct a flaw in its 2024 consumer refund regulations that is placing an unsustainable financial burden on travel agencies and travel advisors, the overwhelming majority of which are small businesses.

Under the Department’s April 2024 final rule, the “merchant of record” in an airline ticket transaction must refund the consumer within seven days of a cancelled or significantly changed flight. When a travel agency or advisor books a ticket on behalf of a client, the agency is often the merchant of record, even though the cost of the ticket is immediately transferred to the airline at the time of purchase. The Department’s August 2024 final rule requires airlines to “promptly” return those funds to the ticket agent, but it does not define “promptly” or set any deadline. In practice, airlines frequently fail to return funds within the seven-day window, forcing agencies to refund customers out of their own pockets while they wait on the airline refund.

Travel agencies and advisors operate on slim margins, and many simply cannot afford to front refunds to their customers, particularly for group bookings worth tens of thousands of dollars, before the airline has returned the money. These small businesses are being held financially accountable for a timeline they do not control, while the airlines that actually hold the funds face no enforceable deadline. Many of these small businesses may go out of business if nothing is done. Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and travel advisors and agencies play a critical role in our tourism industry.

I respectfully request that the Department fix this imbalance through rulemaking or other appropriate administrative action, whether by establishing a firm deadline for airlines to return funds to ticket agents, aligning the agency’s refund obligation with its receipt of funds from the airline, or another workable solution. Consumers deserve timely refunds, but that obligation should rest with the party holding the money, not with small businesses left waiting on the airlines.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Sincerely,

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Rosen Helps Secure Funding to Lower Energy Costs for Nevada Families

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced that Nevada will be receiving more than $1.5 million in federal funding that she helped secure to lower energy costs for hardworking families. This funding comes from the Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps American families save money on their energy bills through cost-effective measures, such as insulation, air sealing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Every year, Senator Rosen requests robust funding for this program and the State Energy Program.

“As rising prices squeeze the pockets of hardworking Nevadans, I am committed to finding ways to provide them with some financial relief,” said Senator Rosen. “I am proud to have helped secure more than $1.5 million in federal funding to lower electric costs for Nevadans, especially at a time when extreme heat is forcing them to consume more energy. I’ll keep working to support families by lowering costs.”

Senator Rosen has been fighting to lower energy costs for Nevadans. She recently joined colleagues in demanding that the Trump Administration restore funding for energy projects that had been illegally cancelled. In January, Senator Rosen helped secure more than $49 million in community project funding, which included projects to improve energy efficiency. Last year, she successfully pushed the Trump administration to release $3.7 billion in funding to help lower Americans’ energy costs, including $15 million for Nevadans.

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Shaheen Highlights Bipartisan Bill to Cap the Cost of Insulin at Health Care Roundtable at Lamprey Health in Nashua

**Shaheen’s bipartisan legislation caps the monthly out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 for Americans with insurance and creates a pilot program to provide insulin at the same price to the uninsured**

(Nashua, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), author of bipartisan legislation to make insulin more affordable, hosted a roundtable discussion with health care leaders and individuals that live with diabetes at Lamprey Health in Nashua to highlight the rising cost of insulin and the need for Congress to pass her bipartisan INSULIN Act to lower the cost of insulin for more people with diabetes. Shaheen’s bipartisan INSULIN Act would cap the monthly out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 for Americans with insurance and create a pilot program to provide insulin at the same cost to Americans without insurance. Photos from today’s event can be found HERE.

“Access to insulin is life or death for the thousands of people in New Hampshire who have diabetes—they shouldn’t have to wonder whether they can afford the cost of this essential medication,” said Senator Shaheen. “It was wonderful to convene a group of health care leaders, patients who live with diabetes and advocates at Lamprey Health today to underscore the dire need to lower the cost of insulin that Granite Staters need to live. I’m going to work every single day to get my legislation to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month across the finish line.”

Senator Shaheen has led efforts to lower health care costs for Granite Staters and Americans. As co-chair of the U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, Senator Shaheen has consistently pressed to hold insulin manufacturers, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers accountable for the skyrocketing cost of life-saving insulin and otherwise support patients and families facing diabetes. In July, the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act advanced out of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on a broad bipartisan basis, bringing the legislation one step closer to being passed by the Senate.Polling released from the American Diabetes Association this summer found that 40% of respondents who rely on insulin report paying more than $150 per month for insulin, and 76% of respondents across political parties support a $35 limit on cost sharing for insulin.

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After Top General Says No Troops at Our Polls, Slotkin Seeks Same Assurances from DOJ, DHS/ICE, FBI and National Guard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, MS NOW’s Morning Joe reported that Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent letters to Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel, and Chief of the National Guard General Steven Nordhaus asking for a written response and commitment to keep federal forces and law enforcement agents out of the midterm elections.

Slotkin sent these letters the day after Secretary Mullin refused to rule out that ICE could be sent to polling places to enforce “specific threats.”

Watch the Morning Joe segment here

“As we approach the November 2026 elections, I’d ask you to confirm a simple statement: [DOJ/DHS/FBI/National Guard] will not send armed federal agents to the polls or to unlawfully seize election materials of any kind,” wrote Slotkin. “The President has made it clear through speeches, statements, official guidance, and continued legal action that he is seeking to use all possible tools to interfere with the midterms, to include publicly lamenting that he did not send federal forces to the polls in 2020. So when and if the President orders the use of [DOJ/DHS/FBI/National Guard] in November, it will fall on you to make a fundamental choice on how to respond.”

Read the letters below:

Letter to Attorney General Blanche

Letter to Secretary Mullin

Letter to Director Patel

Letter to General Nordhaus

Background:

Slotkin also sent letters to General of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Caine and Secretary of Defense Hegseth asking for a written response and commitment to keep the U.S. military out of the midterm elections. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed in writing that the U.S. military has no plans to deploy federal troops or federalized National Guard members to polling places during the November 2026 midterm elections, and no plans to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election-related materials. Secretary Hegseth has yet to respond.

In previous letters sent in 2020 and 2024 by Slotkin, General Mark Milley, General CQ Brown, Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Secretary Mark Esper, were each able to provide a response and confirm they would follow the law and our constitution—which is clear about military interference in our elections.

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Warner, Kaine Move to End Trump’s Trade War and Free Virginians From Trump’s Tariff Tax

WASHINGTON – Following President Trump’s latest tariffs, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and 12 of their Senate colleagues introduced the End Trump’s Tariff Tax Act, legislation that would revoke and refund Trump’s newest barrage of tariffs, and rein in the president’s tariff authority by repealing the archaic authorities he has used to continue his trade war. This legislation would apply to Trump’s newest global tariffs of 10–12.5 percent and 50 percent tariff on $20 billion worth of imports from Canada.

Since Trump has started his latest trade war, American families have paid the price. In just one year, Trump’s tariff tax cost the average family nearly $2,000, with hardworking Americans bearing 96 percent of the cost of the hundreds of billions of dollars in new tariffs. Still, Trump has been undeterred by the chaos and pain his trade war has wrought and continues to double down on the global stage.

“From escalating trade wars to costly conflicts abroad, the president’s reckless policies are driving up costs and making it harder for Virginians to make ends meet,” said the senators. “The data is clear: American families, small businesses, and farmers are footing the bill for Trump’s chaotic tariffs. We’re proud to support this legislation to rein in these disastrous taxes, lower costs, and put working families ahead of the president’s failed agenda.”

The legislation is also sponsored by Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

In Congress, Sens. Warner and Kaine have been outspoken critics of President Trump’s tariff policies, which are a tax on American families and small businesses. The senators introduced the Tariff Refund Act of 2026 to require full refunds – with interest – of Trump’s illegal tariffs, after they were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. As the Supreme Court considered the case, the senators both joined an amicus brief urging that these tariffs be struck down. Sens. Warner and Kaine also led bipartisan legislation to repeal the administration’s tariffs on Canada imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The measure passed the Senate with bipartisan support, and a version of the bill was subsequently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, reflecting growing congressional opposition even among some Republicans to tariff policies that have raised costs for consumers, strained relationships with key allies, and disrupted cross-border trade.

Read the full bill here.

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* High-quality photographs of Sen. Mark R. Warner are available for download here *

Photos may be used online and in print, and can be attributed to ‘The Office of Sen. Mark R. Warner


Wyden Calls on NSA to Update Federal Cybersecurity Guidance for VPNs

Following a CRS memo, Wyden presses the NSA for answers on protecting Americans’ communications from foreign surveillance

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged General Joshua M. Rudd, the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) to update federal cybersecurity guidance for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to address surveillance threats posed by foreign intelligence agencies.

A Congressional Research Service (CRS) memo, requested by Senator Wyden and released along with the letter, highlights the vulnerability of consumer VPNs to surveillance by intelligence agencies capable of monitoring large swaths of the internet. The CRS memo cautions that “encryption strength alone does not protect users from an advanced, persistent threat conducting bulk data traffic collection.” Even when data traffic is encrypted, it can reveal metadata – such as its source, destination, timing, and volume – that foreign adversaries can analyze and correlate across networks to potentially identify and track users’ internet browsing without breaking the encryption

The CRS memo notes that other technologies, including Apple iCloud Private Relay, Tor, Nym can better protect users from such surveillance by sending their data through multiple servers, often in different jurisdictions.

“Americans facing advanced foreign threats—including government personnel, defense contractors, journalists, and human rights defenders—deserve clear, honest advice about how best to protect their communications from surveillance by foreign adversaries,” Wyden wrote to General Joshua M. Rudd.

Wyden also released a letter he received in July from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which recommends VPNs as part of basic cyber hygiene but stressed the importance of VPN providers’ data retention and encryption practices. The DNI guidance did not address the vulnerability of consumer VPNs to foreign surveillance or the relative benefits of multi-server technologies like Apple iCloud Private Relay, Tor and Nym. In addition to requesting that NSA update its existing guidance related to VPNs, Wyden requested that NSA provide unclassified responses to the following questions by September 20, 2026:

Are standard, single-hop commercial VPNs sufficient to protect Americans’ sensitive digital footprints from foreign adversaries monitoring internet backbones?

Does the NSA recommend multi-hop tools such as Apple Private Relay, Tor, or Nym over standard VPNs for Americans facing heightened surveillance threats?

What technical features, such as random delays, padding, and cover traffic, are needed to defend against sophisticated surveillance, and how does the NSA assess multi-hop systems like Apple Private Relay compared with Tor and Nym?

Wyden has been at the forefront of this issue, urging the Trump administration last month to end its use of insecure remote access software.

A copy of the full letter sent to General Rudd, the CRS memo and the letter sent to Senator Wyden from the ODNI is available here.

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