ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 18, 2025.
WA had the highest rates of Indigenous child removal in the country. At last, the state is finally facing up to it Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenna Woods, Dean, School of Indigenous Knowledges, Murdoch University Matt Jelonek/Getty Images First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people. In 1997, Australia was confronted with the landmark Bringing Them Home
Separated men are nearly 5 times more likely to take their lives than married men Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Wilson, Research Fellow and PhD Candidate in Men’s Mental Health, The University of Melbourne Breakups hurt. Emotional and psychological distress are common when intimate relationships break down. For some people, this distress can be so overwhelming that it leads to suicidal thoughts and behaviours. This problem
Thinking of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Don’t leave home without this expert advice Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heike Schanzel, Professor of Social Sustainability in Tourism, Auckland University of Technology Purnima Shrestha /AFP via Getty Images Tourists in Kathmandu are tempted everywhere by advertisements for trekking expeditions to Everest Base Camp. If you didn’t know better, you might think it’s just a nice hike in
Pragmatic engagement – what Albanese’s visit reveals about China relations in a turbulent world Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Sing Yue Chan, Postdoctoral Fellow in China Studies, Australian National University The Albanese government has faced an increasingly uncertain world since its re-election in May. US President Donald Trump has cast a long shadow over the Australia–US alliance, raising fresh questions about Canberra’s long-term regional strategy.
‘Don’t tell me!’ Why some people love spoilers – and others will run a mile Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anjum Naweed, Professor of Human Factors, CQUniversity Australia DreamBig/Shutterstock, The Conversation This article contains spoilers! I once leapt out of a train carriage because two strangers were loudly discussing the ending of the last Harry Potter book. Okay – I didn’t leap, but I did plug my
Keith Rankin Analysis – Letter from Westphalia, Germany; 6 June 1933 Analysis by Keith Rankin. On Saturday I came into possession of this letter, transcript below. I will note that the recipient of the letter is someone I know a bit about; I would like to know more about his time in London, circa 1930-1932. I understand that he attended the London School of Economics. I
Australian law is clear: criticism of Israel does not breach the Racial Discrimination Act Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Swannie, Senior Lecturer, Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University Earlier this month, the Federal Court found controversial Muslim cleric Wissam Haddad breached the Racial Discrimination Act. Justice Angus Stewart ruled a series of speeches Haddad posted online were “fundamentally racist and antisemitic [and] profoundly offensive”
New Barbie with type 1 diabetes could help kids with the condition feel seen – and help others learn Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynne Chepulis, Associate Professor, Health Sciences, University of Waikato Mattel Inc/AP, The Conversation, CC BY Barbie has done many things since she first appeared in 1959. She’s been an astronaut, a doctor, a president and even a palaeontologist. Now, in 2025, Barbie is something else: a woman
Rising seas threaten to swallow one of NZ’s oldest settlement sites – new research Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter N. Meihana, Senior Lecturer in History, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Veronika Meduna, CC BY-SA One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s oldest settlement sites is at risk of being washed away by rising seas, according to new research. Te Pokohiwi o Kupe (Wairau Bar) near
AI is now part of our world. Uni graduates should know how to use it responsibly Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Fitzgerald, Associate Professor and Deputy Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, The University of Queensland MTStock Studio/ Getty Images Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming an everyday part of lives. Many of us use it without even realising, whether it be writing emails, finding
Susi Newborn among activists featured in Pacific ‘nuclear free heroes’ video Pacific Media Watch Greenpeace pioneer and activist Susi Newborn is among the “nuclear free heroes” featured in a video tribute premiered this week in an exhibition dedicated to a nuclear-free Pacific. The week-long exhibition at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Ellen Melville Centre, titled “Legends of the Pacific: Stories of a Nuclear-Free Moana 1975-1995,” closes tomorrow afternoon.
Grattan on Friday: New parliament presents traps for Albanese and Ley Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese hasn’t been in any rush to convene the new parliament, which Governor-General Sam Mostyn will open on Tuesday. It’s only mildly cynical to observe that governments of both persuasions often seem to regard having pesky members and senators
Police protection for New Caledonian politicians following death threats By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk New Caledonian politicians who inked their commitment to a deal with France last weekend will be offered special police protection following threats, especially made on social media networks. The group includes almost 20 members of New Caledonia’s parties — both pro-France and pro-independence — who took
12 countries agree to confront Israel collectively over Gaza after Bogotá summit ANALYSIS: By Mick Hall Collective measures to confront Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people have been agreed by 12 nations after an emergency summit of the Hague Group in Bogotá, Colombia. A joint statement today announced the six measures, which it said were geared to holding Israel to account for its crimes in Palestine and
Rainbow Warrior bombing by French secret agents remembered 40 years on SPECIAL REPORT: By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson of Te Ao Māori News Forty years ago today, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship Rainbow Warrior in an attempt to stop the environmental organisation’s protest against nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in Mā’ohi Nui. People gathered on board Rainbow Warrior III to remember photographer Fernando Pereira,
Why a surprise jump in unemployment isn’t as bad as it sounds Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeff Borland, Professor of Economics, The University of Melbourne New figures show Australia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 4.3% – its highest level since late 2021 – in June this year, up from 4.1% in May. While this is bad news, it’s not as bad
Australia got off on a technicality for its climate inaction. But there are plenty more judgement days to come Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney This week, the Federal Court found the Australian government has no legal duty to protect Torres Strait Islanders from climate change. The ruling was disappointing, but it’s not the end of the matter. The plaintiffs,
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), alongside Reps. Sharice Davids (KS-03), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Paul Tonko (NY-20), sent a letter to Reps. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, urging them to maintain funding for the 988 LGBTQI+ Youth lifeline. The letter was co-signed by nearly 100 of their Democratic colleagues.
The letter underscores the effectiveness of the lifeline, which was shut down by the Trump Administration today. Since its inception, the lifeline has received nearly 1.5 million contacts from LGBTQI+ youth, serving as a critical resource for young people across the country who are at an elevated risk of suicide and mental illness.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom and Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis issued the following statement regarding the death of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Parole Agent Joshua Lemont Byrd:
“This is a heartbreaking loss. Agent Byrd served with integrity and courage — and we’re forever grateful. We are keeping his family in our prayers and we join the men and women of CDCR in mourning this tragedy.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
On July 17, at approximately 12:50 p.m., Parole Agent Byrd was shot inside the Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) office located in Oakland. Agent Byrd was immediately transported to a local hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries. A suspect has been detained by Oakland Police Department officers.
Agent Byrd, 40, joined CDCR as a cadet at CDCR’s correctional officer academy in June 2014. After serving as a correctional officer and correctional sergeant, he joined the DAPO Oakland office as a parole agent in October 2024.
He leaves a wife and children.
In honor of Agent Byrd, flags at the State Capitol and Capitol Annex Swing Space will be flown at half-staff. This is the first line-of-duty loss for CDCR since 2018.
Press releases
Recent news
Jul 17, 2025
News What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced the High Speed Rail Authority is suing the Trump administration over its illegal termination of federal grants funding the project. SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the High Speed Rail Authority…
Jul 17, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – As Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders continue to work on extending the state’s preeminent climate program – Cap-and-Invest – new reports out this week highlight how critical the program is to the state’s economic future, and how…
Jul 16, 2025
News What you need to know: With the Trump administration illegally terminating grant agreements funding California high-speed rail, Governor Newsom said the state is “putting all options on the table” to fight Trump’s action. SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued…
In the thrilling finale of the TV series The Americans, set during the Reagan administration, deep-cover KGB operatives Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are faced with a difficult decision. Posing as an ordinary American married couple, for decades they have raised children, filed tax returns and slipped effortlessly into the rhythms and routines of everyday suburban existence in Washington, D.C.
All the while, they’ve been spying – gathering intelligence and surreptitiously feeding it to their communist masters in Soviet Moscow. Now, with the FBI closing in and their cover on the brink of collapse, they must decide whether to stay and face arrest or flee the country they’ve come to call home. There’s also their teenage children to consider.
The story seemed too incredible to be true – but in fact it was based in part on Donald Heathfield and Ann Foley, subsequently outed as Andrei Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova, a Russian couple who had spent more than 20 years masquerading as Canadians. At the time of their unmasking, they were living quietly in the United States with Tim and Alex, their two sons.
Review: The Illegals: Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West – Shaun Walker (Profile)
A new book, The Illegals, tells of a network of Russian agents operating across the US, during the late 20th and early 21st centuries – including Bezrukov and Vavilova. It opens with their dramatic 2010 arrest, part of ten Russian spies (mostly illegals like them) detained by the FBI.
Author Shaun Walker, the Guardian’s central and eastern Europe correspondent, draws on declassified archival material and first-hand interviews. The result is an engrossing, eye-opening account of the secret world of the Soviet “illegals programme”: embedded spies who lived surreptitiously in the West without the safety blanket of diplomatic protection.
As Walker explains, “legals” were Russian operatives working under official cover – as diplomats or embassy staff, privy to diplomatic immunity. By contrast, “illegals” operated off the grid. They crept silently into Western countries under false identities, often stolen from the dead. This made them harder to detect, but left them far more vulnerable if exposed.
One of the most high-profile figures in the 2010 spy bust was Anna Chapman. Unlike many other illegals, Chapman didn’t even bother to disguise her Russian identity. Instead, as Walker recounts, she entered America using a British passport – acquired through a brief marriage to a UK citizen – and worked as a New York real estate broker.
Her photogenic looks and media-friendly persona made her the public face of the scandal. After being deported, Chapman reinvented herself as a television host, runway model and pro-Kremlin influencer.
The real Americans
Walker outlines how Bezrukov and Vavilova first met in the early 1980s, as history students in Siberia. There, KGB “spotters” identified them for potential recruitment. Later, he adds,
they progressed to an arduous training programme lasting several years, moulding their language, mannerisms and identities into those of an ordinary couple. They left the Soviet Union separately in 1987, staged a meeting in Canada, and began a relationship as if they had just met.
Having married under their assumed names, Andrei and Elena adopted the habits and customs of an ordinary middle-class life. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the couple were cut off from Moscow, but by the end of the decade they were reactivated by the SVR, Russia’s new foreign intelligence agency. Around this time, Andrei won a place at Harvard’s Kennedy School, allowing the family to move to Massachusetts and integrate further into American society.
As Andrei networked in academic and policy circles, Elena maintained the illusion of domestic normality, fashioning herself as a doting “soccer mom”, raising the kids and keeping house. Meanwhile, she was secretly decoding encrypted radio messages in the back room.
This went on for years. Then, one day, an unexpected knock on the door as they celebrated their son Tim’s 20th birthday brought the charade crashing down. FBI agents burst in, handcuffed the couple in front of their sons and marched them out into the street.
Soon after their arrest, Andrei and Elena were deported to Russia in a high-profile spy swap. They were awarded state honours by Vladimir Putin and briefly became minor celebrities in Moscow. Their sons, both born in Canada, were left reeling.
In 2016, Walker tracked the sons down for a piece he was writing for The Guardian: they were in the process of suing the Canadian government to have their citizenship reinstated, having been stripped of it when everything kicked off. In 2019, a court ruled Tim and Alex (who was 16 when the FBI arrested his parents) could keep their citizenship. Both insisted they had known nothing about their parents’ espionage work.
Alex Valivov, son of Russian ‘illegal’ spies disguised as Americans, talked to the media after he won a court bid to keep his Canadian citizenship.
Putin ‘beside himself’
As Walker recounts, the raid had been coordinated by then-FBI director Robert Mueller. It had been timed to avoid derailing a carefully planned diplomatic summit.
In 2009, Barack Obama launched a high-profile “reset” of relations with Russia. Obama wanted to woo Dmitry Medvedev – a moderate political figurehead standing in for Putin, who remained the real power behind the scenes in Russia.
A planned summit in Washington intended to cement the spirit of renewed cooperation. But as the scale of Russia’s covert operation became apparent, the White House was faced with a dilemma: how to respond without jeopardising the reset.
According to Walker, Obama was irked by the whole situation. He quipped that it felt like something out of a John Le Carré novel. Eventually, a compromise was reached: the arrests would happen, but only after Medvedev’s visit, so as not to cause undue embarrassment.
Colonel Aleksandr Poteyev, deputy head of Directorate “S” of the SVR, was the man overseeing the illegals scheme. After the arrests were made, he quietly walked out of the agency headquarters in Yasenevo for the last time. He was the mole who had tipped off the Americans. From there, he made his way to Ukraine, where the CIA could safely extricate him to the US. On hearing the news, Putin was reportedly beside himself with rage, Walker writes.
Intrigued by this “twisted family story”, Walker started to look into the illegals venture in greater depth. He quickly realised “there was nothing quite like it in the history of espionage”. At times, various intelligence agencies had deployed operatives as foreign nationals, “but never with the scope or scale of the KGB programme”.
A century of dramatic, bloody history
The illegals were, in Walker’s reckoning, something uniquely Russian, rooted in the country’s complex historical experience. The more he read, the more he came to view the programme as a lens through which he could “tell a much bigger story, of the whole Soviet experiment and its ultimate failure, a century of dramatic and bloody history”.
To understand how the illegals project came about, Walker winds the clock all the way back to 1917, when the Bolsheviks seized power – and espionage became a cornerstone of the nascent Soviet state. He reminds us while Lenin and his comrades had won formal control of the nation, “they still faced the colossal task of implementing and retaining it across the vast Russian landmass”.
Lenin was sure that state institutions would eventually wither away, the evolving worker’s paradise rendering them meaningless. However, to achieve this happy end point, he believed an interim period of ruthless state violence was required.
The Cheka: precursor to the KGB
This helps to explain why he established the Cheka, a secret police force tasked with crushing counterrevolutionary activity and enforcing Bolshevik rule. At its head was Feliks Dzerzhinsky, a fanatical Polish ideologue who had spent years in Siberian exile. Far from a temporary measure, the Cheka “quickly grew to a huge fighting force that could be unleashed on political and class enemies”, Walker writes.
Feliks Dzierzynski was the head of the Cheka, the Russian secret police force that preceded the KGB. Wikimedia Commons
The Cheka was an important player in the Russian Civil War, which pitted Lenin’s Reds against the Whites – a loose alliance of pro-tsarist regiments and foreign mercenaries, often united by little more than their implacable hatred of Bolshevism. The situation on the ground was chaotic and unpredictable; both sides engaged in ruthless violence.
Here, in this blood-drenched crucible, the Bolsheviks honed their clandestine methods – konspiratsiya (subterfuge) – perfecting the use of disguises, false identities and underground communication. In areas where the Whites gained a territorial foothold, agents were ordered to stay behind and coordinate resistance, laying the groundwork for what would become the illegals programme.
When the Bolsheviks emerged victorious in 1921, the Cheka was not disbanded – but repurposed. The practice of planting operatives deep inside enemy lines survived the war and expanded in scope. Lenin’s idea of combining legal diplomatic work with illegal undercover infiltration became a defining feature of how the Soviet Union would run its intelligence services for the next 70 years.
Stalin’s secret police
Under Lenin’s successor, Joseph Stalin, the secret police was transformed into an all-encompassing instrument of surveillance, repression and domination.
Purges consumed the party. Ideological fervour curdled into show trials and murderous terror. And paranoia became an organising principle of Soviet political life. The demand for vigilance intensified – not just at home, where informants and denunciations became routine, but also abroad. Real and purported enemies were seen lurking in the democratic institutions of the West.
Ironies abound here. The very methods that helped to sustain the early Soviet state – secrecy, trickery, duplicity – soon became grounds for suspicion on Stalin’s watch. The generation of illegals trained and embedded during the 1920s and early 1930s were among those earmarked for liquidation, Walker writes. Stalin, ever wary of plots against him, came to view his own spies as potential traitors.
He ignored – or wilfully dismissed – much of the intelligence they had risked their lives to gather, often with disastrous consequences. When advance warnings of Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s secret plan to betray Stalin and launch a massive invasion of the Soviet Union, landed on his desk in 1941, for instance, they were waved away as provocation or outright fabrication. In some cases, he had his spies tortured or shot. Loyalty was no protector against paranoia.
Dmitry Bystrolyotov was a legend in Soviet intelligence circles. Alchetron
Among the casualties was Dmitry Bystrolyotov, who Walker describes as “perhaps the most talented illegal in the history of the programme”. A truly chameleonic figure, Bystrolyotov was a dashing and multilingual agent whose exploits in Western Europe made him a legend in Soviet intelligence circles. “His speciality was the recruitment of agents who had access to diplomatic codes and ciphers,” the Russian scholar Emil Draitser attests, “and his modus operandi involved women”.
Through a series of painstakingly crafted affairs, Bystrolyotov gained access to confidential dispatches, internal memos and state secrets. His work offered Stalin a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Europe’s ruling elite. But when The Great Terror rolled around in 1937, none of it mattered. He was arrested, sentenced and dispatched to the Gulag, callously tossed aside by the system he had served with such distinction.
Walker emphasises:
the history of the illegals offers a neat reflection of the story of Russia itself. The early programme, with its soaring ambition, its obsession with subterfuge, and its disregard for the well-being of individuals, holds up a mirror to the fiery utopianism of the early Soviet Union.
Did the Cold War really end?
These were people expected to vanish into enemy territory, sacrifice their identifies and live double lives, all in service of a revolutionary vision. But by the time the Soviet Union spluttered to an ignominious halt in 1991, that dream had long since died.
As Walker shows, most of the operatives who followed in the footsteps of Bystrolyotov were not darkly romantic infiltrators scaling embassy walls or charming secrets out of countesses. They were “sleepers” – often efficient, occasionally incompetent – blending quietly into Western cities and suburbs, awaiting a call to action that, in many cases, never came. The glitz had given way to the grind.
The Americans ends with Phillip and Elizabeth, the couple based on Bezrukov and Vavilova, gazing out across the Moscow skyline. Two weary spies coming in from the cold, they have returned to a rapidly unravelling motherland that may not understand – let alone appreciate – the sacrifices they have made in the service of its ideology.
As Walker discovered, Berzukov, when he isn’t being paid handsomely by an oil company, now lectures in international relations at one of Russia’s most prestigious universities. Vavilova, fittingly enough, now writes spy fiction.
Yet in real life, the story doesn’t end quite there. Under Putin, a former KGB officer who cut his teeth in the culture of espionage, Russia’s intelligence services have returned to the illegals programme with a renewed sense of purpose (though stripped of the ideological zeal that once propelled it).
Walker is careful not to indulge in idle speculation, but he points to compelling evidence suggesting the illegals programme has evolved rather than vanished. High-profile attacks on UK soil – including the poisoning of form spy Sergei Skripal – suggest Russian intelligence agencies remain willing to operate far beyond their national borders.
In the same breath, Walker describes what might be termed the digital turn of the illegals programme. In the place of suburban sleepers decoding radio signals, Russia has backed teams of online operatives – “troll illegals” – tasked with wrecking havoc across Western social media platforms.
These paid agents don’t gather intelligence so much as sow discord. They stoke culture wars, amplify political divisions and undermine trust in democratic institutions. Walker offers Russia’s meddling in the rancorous 2016 American election as an illustrative case in point.
In Putin’s merciless autocracy, secrecy has once again became a virtue – and the spy, far from being a dusty relic of the 20th century, is once again a symbol of national strength.
In that sense, The Illegals is not just a history of espionage. It is a timely reminder that, at least for some, the Cold War never really ended. It just burrowed deeper underground.
Alexander Howard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led the introduction of the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act, legislation to provide a statutory guarantee to current and prospective Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program applicants, also known as Dreamers, that the private information they provide in their applications will not be weaponized against them as the Trump Administration increases information sharing to advance their draconian mass deportation agenda.
Last month, the Trump Administration gave Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personal data, including immigration status, on millions of Medicaid enrollees and announced it would require some undocumented immigrants to register with DHS. The Administration also finalized an agreement giving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to taxpayer data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, the Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently gained access to key immigration databases, including the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) Courts and Appeals System (ECAS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Data Business Intelligence Services, which contains information on noncitizens who have applied for DACA, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Unaccompanied Alien Children portal.
The Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act will prohibit the DHS Secretary from disclosing information included in an individual’s application for the DACA program to law enforcement agencies, including ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), for any purpose other than the implementation of the DACA program, with limited exceptions.
“Dreamers in New Mexico and across the country are frontline health care workers, teachers, firefighters, police officers, and scientists. These inspiring young people are Americans in every sense of the word except on paper, and they want nothing more than to be productive members of their communities. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration doesn’t care about any of that and is indiscriminately sharing the private information of Dreamers. We need to ensure that Dreamers’ private information is not weaponized against them and is protected — full stop,” said Heinrich. “That’s why, for years, I’ve championed the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act to safeguard Dreamers’ DACA application information and provide DACA applicants with a sense of security as they continue on their paths to citizenship. I call on Congress to quickly take up and pass my legislation to make sure Dreamers are able to stay in school, keep working and contribute to our economy, and remain in their homes and neighborhoods.”
Since 2012, more than 825,000 people have received deferred action pursuant to DACA, contributing an estimated $140 billion to the U.S. economy in spending power and paying $40 billion in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes.
In 2021, a federal district court judge paused the DACA program and prevented USCIS from approving any new DACA applications. Since then, USCIS has continued to accept and hold initial applications and more than 100,000 initial DACA applications are currently pending. Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision limiting that 2021 injunction to just Texas, allowing USCIS to begin processing those pending applications from the other 49 states. However, USCIS has not done so, nor have they provided the public with a timeline for when those applications will begin to be processed. And many individuals who could be eligible for DACA fear that applying for the protections afforded by DACA will allow the Trump Administration to weaponize the information they provide against them or their family members.
The Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act sends a clear message of support to the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and prospective applicants. Increased protections for their personal information are essential to make sure that they are not unfairly targeted for immigration enforcement and ensure that they can utilize the DACA program and continue to contribute to our communities in New Mexico and across the country without the fear of retribution.
Specifically, the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act will:
Direct the DHS Secretary to protect the information included in an individual’s application to the DACA program from disclosure to ICE, CBP, and any other law enforcement agency for any purpose other than the implementation of the DACA program;
Prohibit the DHS Secretary from referring anyone with deferred enforcement protections pursuant to the DACA program to ICE, CBP, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and any other law enforcement agency; and
Provide limited exceptions for when an individual’s application information may be shared with national security and law enforcement agencies, namely:
To identify or prevent fraudulent claims;
For particularized national security concerns; and
For the investigation or prosecution of a felony, provided that the felony in question is not related to the applicant’s immigration status.
The legislation is led by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D- Hawaii), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and colleagues introduced the Space Exploration Research Act to promote aeronautical and space research, educate a 21st century space workforce, and enhance U.S. commercial competitiveness in the space and aerospace industries.
The legislation authorizes the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to lease and lease-back certain property to alleviate roadblocks for the development and use of property adjacent to NASA facilities. The bill also helps Johnson Space Center (JSC) remain as a lead center for training and exploration activities, which will make Texas a hub for job growth in the space and aerospace industry.
Sen. Cruz said, “This is a pivotal moment and exciting time for space exploration. A strong, strategic partnership between NASA and our thriving commercial space sector has made the U.S. a leader in space. This legislation is a big win for Texas jobs, American innovation, and national security. As China races to dominate the final frontier, the U.S. must stay ahead, which means continuing to promote space research and exploration here at home.”
Sen. Padilla said, “California’s three NASA centers promote vital scientific research and support groundbreaking space innovations critical to our nation’s competitiveness. Our commonsense, bipartisan legislation would allow NASA centers in California and across the country to take advantage of unused facilities to generate revenue and advance scientific research, education, and training.”
Joining Sens. Cruz and Padilla were Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
Sen. Britt said, “Our space program is vitally important to both U.S. national and economic security. I am proud that Alabama and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center are right at the heart of fulfilling President Trump’s mission for space exploration. This commonsense measure will allow us to put unused properties to good use — advancing workforce training, allowing the transfer of aeronautical and space technologies to companies and universities, and ensuring our state remains a leader in space research. I’m proud to stand with Chairman Cruz in introducing this legislation.”
Sen. Luján said,“New Mexico plays a big role in leading the country in space exploration and innovation. By strengthening partnerships between NASA and our universities, we can give more students in New Mexico the chance to get hands-on experience with space research. That’s why I’m proud to introduce a bill that will make it easier for NASA to team up with public and nonprofit groups, helping grow our space economy and create new opportunities.”
Sen. Wicker said,“Innovation is critical to expanding America’s space exploration capabilities. NASA centers should have the resources and expertise to grow in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This legislation would enable Mississippi’s Stennis Space Center to maximize underutilized areas at its facilities.”
BACKGROUND
In June of 2023, as a part of a strategy to build a nearby hub of human spaceflight expertise, JSC announced a solicitation of proposals from civil and commercial entities for use of 240 acres of land on the western end of the property. The proposals were for the lease of all or a portion of the available undeveloped property.
Texas A&M submitted a proposal to JSC, and the Texas State Legislature passed House Bill 1, which appropriated funding to the Texas Space Commission and Texas A&M University for the construction of facilities adjacent to JSC for mission training, research, and the curation of astronautical materials. Representatives from JSC and Texas A&M broke ground on the Texas A&M Space Institute at Exploration Park in November 2024.
JSC has expressed interest in utilizing the capabilities of the Space Institute to supplement its facilities. This proposed legislation codifies the ability of NASA facilities to lease the land to state governments, universities, and non-profits. After the land and facilities are developed by the above parties, this legislation also allows NASA to lease back the facilities for its use.
The Space Exploration Research Act aims to benefit a multitude of educational institutions, commercial space, and surrounding employers. The legislation enables access to cutting-edge facilities, provides students with hands-on opportunities to solve real-world space problems, and builds up a workforce for the rapidly growing space economy.
Click here for the full bill text.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
WATCH: Padilla Announces Hold on National Guard Bureau Nominee Until Trump Demilitarizes Los Angeles
WATCH: Padilla: “Stop militarizing our cities and using our service members as political pawns.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, announced on the Senate floor that he placed a hold on President Trump’s nominee to serve as vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, Lieutenant General Thomas Carden, until the Trump Administration releases all remaining U.S. military forces from their unjustified deployment to Los Angeles. Lieutenant General Carden currently serves as second-in-command of Northern Command — the combatant command that has enforced Trump’s orders to militarize Los Angeles. Padilla blasted President Trump for manufacturing a crisis and escalating tensions in the region by deploying 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 active-duty Marines without Governor Newsom’s consent.
After intense and successful political pressure from Democrats, the Trump Administration finally announced earlier this week that they would release 2,000 National Guard troops from their deployment to Los Angeles; however, approximately 2,000 National Guardsmen and all 700 Marines still remain. In response to the ongoing militarization of Los Angeles, Padilla will oppose any expedited consideration of Carden’s nomination until the Administration:
Releases every Guardsman and Marine from their federalized deployment to Los Angeles and
Commits to not sending any Guardsmen from other states to enforce the President’s political demands on California.
Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard went against the wishes of the Governor for the first time since 1965. The Cal Guard serves honorably in overseas deployments in support of our allies and partners, disaster response efforts, and counter-drug missions. Padilla urged Trump to return these troops to their core missions, including wildfire mitigation efforts during peak fire season. He cited that the head of the U.S. Northern Command requested in late June that Secretary Hegseth return 200 troops from the National Guard’s wildfire unit who were stuck in Los Angeles to enact Trump’s political agenda.
Key Excerpts:
“I rise today to both publicly and clearly explain my hold on this nomination, and to demand that the Trump Administration release all remaining U.S. military forces from the unnecessary and political deployment to Los Angeles.”
“In order to change the news cycle, which he does so often — to shift the headlines away from his many, many failures — President Trump chose to ramp up ICE raids in California. And when Californians took to the streets to exercise their First Amendment rights by peacefully protesting, Trump responded by federalizing the California National Guard and then later, the U.S. Marines were ordered in to intimidate the people of Los Angeles.”
“None of these service members signed up to become a political prop. But Trump has put them in this impossible position that he knew would escalate tensions in the region and take them away from their critical missions elsewhere.”
“Every day that those troops were unnecessarily deployed to Los Angeles was another day that their primary mission went unmet. We’re talking about undermining firefighting and fire mitigation efforts as we are approaching peak wildfire season. This is dangerous and unnecessary.”
“I want to be very clear about something: my objection is about more than Lieutenant General Carden. None of what we are seeing in Los Angeles through this militarization is business as usual. Deploying the Guard against the wishes of the Governor, against the wishes of the Mayor, and against even the wishes of local law enforcement — the sheriff, the police chief — none of that is normal.”
“Stop militarizing our cities and using our service members as political pawns.”
Video of Senator Padilla’s full remarks is available here.
Senator Padilla has been outspoken in criticizing Trump’s mass deportations and unprecedented militarization and escalation of tensions by deploying National Guard troops and active-duty U.S. Marines to respond to overwhelmingly peaceful protests in Los Angeles. Padilla recently led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty service members to American cities. Padilla spoke on the Senate floor following his forcible removal from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, where he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed after attempting to ask a question. He has spoken at a spotlight hearing and on the Senate floor multiple other times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across Los Angeles and using that crisis to dramatically expand executive power.
Last week, Padilla and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the VISIBLE Act to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. Padilla also led 13 Democratic Senators in a letter criticizing ICE for engaging in counterproductive, theatrical enforcement activities — including raids on courthouses and restaurants — and requesting information from the agency on its mask and uniform policies. Additionally, Padilla is leading legislation to restrict the President’s authority under the 217-year-old Insurrection Act and limit the domestic deployment of military troops for law enforcement purposes.
On John Lewis National Day of Action, Senators request access to Civil Rights Division Memo that changes mission statement to investigating voter fraud
Senators: “Taken together, the Department is clearly pursuing an anti-voter, partisan agenda aligned with 2020 election deniers and conspiracy theorists”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, on John Lewis National Day of Action, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) led 13 Senators in raising the alarm on the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division’s policy shift to focus on unsubstantiated voter fraud investigations. The Senators pushed Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon to share the recent staff memorandum reportedly changing the mission statement of the Civil Rights Division Voting Section away from defending voting rights. The Department of Justice has repeatedly refused Ranking Member Padilla’s oversight requests to access this memo.
The letter comes as the DOJ’s Voting Section made a sweeping request asking Colorado to provide all 2024 federal election records and maintain any remaining 2020 election records, in addition to seeking voter rolls from at least nine other states. The Voting Section is also pursuing cases in Arizona, Wisconsin, and North Carolina based on baseless claims of election irregularities or fraud. They also criticized the Voting Section for abandoning efforts to protect voting rights, including dropping its lawsuit challenging Georgia’s Senate Bill 202, withdrawing its claims in redistricting cases in Texas, and revoking its requests to orally argue before the Supreme Court for Louisiana redistricting cases.
“We write out of grave concern for the reported changes to the mission and work of the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, which appear to redirect the Section’s focus towards the extremely rare instances of voter fraud and noncitizen voting. Since its creation by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the Division has been charged with enforcing the civil and criminal provisions of federal laws that protect the civil rights of Americans, including the right to vote,” wrote the Senators.
“Taken together, the Department is clearly pursuing an anti-voter, partisan agenda aligned with 2020 election deniers and conspiracy theorists. We urge you to change course and take a nonpartisan approach to protecting voters’ rights that is grounded in facts and the law, not unfounded speculation and conspiracy theories,” continued the Senators.
The Senators also expressed concern about the reduction of lawyers in the Voting Section as well as the appointment of Acting Chief Maureen Riordan, a former line attorney in the Section, who has been associated with election skeptics and worked for the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), a leading anti-voting legal group. Riordan has appeared on “Stop the Steal” architect Cleta Mitchell’s podcast and made accusations of political bias in the Voting Section, while voicing her disagreement with the Section’s pursuit of cases aimed at protecting voting rights and access to the ballot box for racial minorities.
Additionally, they highlighted the DOJ’s attacks against election officials, wasting limited resources to examine how existing laws could be used to criminally charge state and local election officials.
“This clear attempt to intimidate these hardworking individuals, whose work holds up our democracy will not go unchallenged,” added the Senators. “The Department must abandon this effort and instead focus on working on actual problems facing election officials, which includes protecting these officials from the ongoing threats and harassment.”
In addition to Senators Padilla, Durbin, and Welch, the letter was also signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Earlier this year, Padilla and his Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee colleagues demanded answers from the DOJ concerning the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Senators separately called for Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, to immediately hold an oversight hearing with Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, a San Francisco-based lawyer leading the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, on its politicization. During her Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing in February, Senator Padilla criticized Dhillon for her alarming track record of restricting the right to vote, spreading disinformation about the 2020 election, and perpetuating discriminatory laws.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Assistant Attorney General Dhillon:
We write out of grave concern for the reported changes to the mission and work of the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, which appear to redirect the Section’s focus towards the extremely rare instances of voter fraud and noncitizen voting. Since its creation by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the Division has been charged with enforcing the civil and criminal provisions of federal laws that protect the civil rights of Americans, including the right to vote.
To start, we are unable to fully understand the Section’s work as the Department has repeatedly refused requests for the memorandum you sent to employees of the Civil Rights Division—which was reported by the Associated Press in May 2025—highlighting the new mission statement for the Voting Section. This refusal to cooperate with such a simple and specific congressional information request is alarming, and we once again renew our request for basic transparency to review this document and confirm these reports are accurate.
We are particularly concerned about the Voting Section’s unprecedented and intrusive request for significant amounts of election data from the state of Colorado. This overly broad and burdensome request appears to have limited justification and raises alarming questions regarding what the Department intends to do with this information, and which states are next to be targeted. This initial request demands a full, public explanation and exacerbates ongoing concerns about the sharing and misuse of voter data by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency.
Public reporting and court filings also indicate that the Voting Section is down to a small number of attorneys and that Maureen Riordan—who previously worked for an anti-voting rights group and has associated with individuals who perpetuated falsehoods around the 2020 election, has been appointed as Acting Chief. This raises questions about whether the Section has abandoned its longstanding mission to conduct meaningful voter protection work and will instead act to perpetuate the myth of widespread voter fraud.
Ms. Riordan’s documented disregard for established legal precedent in the voting rights context is troubling and should disqualify her from leading the Section. For instance, Ms. Riordan recently appeared on election-denier Cleta Mitchell’s podcast and expressed disapproval of the Department’s previous challenges to racial discrimination in the electoral process. Ms. Riordan also joined Ms. Mitchell in spreading false claims of widespread voting by noncitizens and criticizing as negligent states’ voter roll maintenance, among other inflammatory comments.
With the significant changes occurring at the Department, we are paying close attention to the Division’s work and are alarmed at how the Section is now using its limited resources. In addition to the recent action in Colorado, the Voting Section is pursuing alleged infractions about proper semantics of “and/or” language on Arizona’s voter registration form, and the Section is requesting that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission withhold any future election security funding for the Wisconsin Elections Commission based on alleged violations of federal elections laws. The Voting Section is also attempting to pursue a partisan agenda by suing the North Carolina State Board of Elections over the same baseless voter registration claim that was at issue in the Republican challenger’s failed attempt to nullify election results to regain a seat on North Carolina’s Supreme Court.
Recent reporting also indicates the Department is using its limited resources to determine how existing laws could be used against state and local election officials to charge them criminally as they administer elections. This clear attempt to intimidate these hardworking individuals, whose work holds up our democracy will not go unchallenged. The Department must abandon this effort and instead focus on working on actual problems facing election officials, which includes protecting these officials from the ongoing threats and harassment.
As its priorities shift, the Department is also withdrawing from cases that it has been engaged in for years that are meant to protect the right to vote, including dropping its lawsuit challenging Georgia’s Senate Bill 202, dropping all its claims in several consolidated cases in Texas around redistricting, and withdrawing its requests to participate in oral arguments before the Supreme Court for consolidated cases involving redistricting in Louisiana. Through these actions, it is clear that the Department has abandoned any work protecting the voting rights of communities of color, despite its core mission to enforce the protections of the Voting Rights Act.
Taken together, the Department is clearly pursuing an anti-voter, partisan agenda aligned with 2020 election deniers and conspiracy theorists. We urge you to change course and take a nonpartisan approach to protecting voters’ rights that is grounded in facts and the law, not unfounded speculation and conspiracy theories.
We respectfully request specific responses to these concerns and your prompt response in sharing the new mission statement for the Voting Section with Congress without further delay.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla, Schiff Urge Trump Administration to Reverse Staffing Cuts at the National Weather Service, Warn of Devastating Impacts in California
Senators: “The safety and lives of millions of Americans as well as the economic success of California depend on weather forecasts from the state’s NWS offices.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) demanded the Trump Administration reverse the staffing cuts at California National Weather Service (NWS) offices, which jeopardize critical weather services that people rely on during disasters, especially during an active fire season — where more than 2.3 million acres in California face significant fire risk.
“The safety and lives of millions of Americans as well as the economic success of California depend on weather forecasts from the state’s National Weather Service offices. Protecting human lives from severe weather events is not a partisan issue, and it is important that the NWS has the workforce required to meet its core mandate to protect human life,” wrote the Senators.
Two of the six NWS offices in California — Sacramento and Hanford, which are responsible for providing more than 7 million Californians with extreme weather warnings and information that helps the state’s agriculture industry — were most impacted by these staffing cuts. In their letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Acting Administrator Laura Grimm, the Senators also highlighted that reliable and high-quality weather forecasts are crucial to protecting Californians who face a year-round fire season from deadly consequences.
The Senators also emphasized that with the agricultural industry relying on NWS’ services, these staffing shortages may result in direct harm to farmers and economic losses for the state and country.
To date, NOAA has failed to be responsive to congressional inquiries on these issues and failed to provide a briefing on NWS staffing cuts in California as requested by Senator Schiff’s office.
Full text of the letter here is available here and below:
Dear Secretary Howard Lutnick and Administrator Laura Grimm:
We write to express deep concern regarding staffing reductions at the National Weather Service (NWS) and plans for Temporary Duty assignments (TDYs) in California, especially considering the already active fire season. On June 2, 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a statement outlining steps the agency will take to attempt to sustain mission-critical operations at NWS offices. This plan includes the use of TDYs to help fill workforce vacancies caused by the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to push federal employees out of the workforce. This reduction in the NWS workforce has left regional offices across California critically understaffed, endangering lives and threatening California’s economy.
There are six NWS offices across California—Eureka, Sacramento, San Francisco, Hanford, Los Angeles, and San Diego —and four other offices located in neighboring states which cover portions of California. The Sacramento and Hanford offices were most impacted by DOGE staffing reductions; the Sacramento office currently has a 50 percent vacancy rate, and the Hanford office has a 61.5 percent vacancy rate, one of the worst in the country. These two offices are responsible for providing more than 7 million Californians with extreme weather warnings. Understaffing has forced these offices to cut their hours of operation and limit forecasting and weather warnings.
The NWS provides warnings and forecasts for wildfires and burned areas, including issuing fire weather warnings, red flag warnings, burned area debris flow warnings, and other public weather-related preparedness information. In addition to providing information regarding severe weather to the surrounding populace, NWS meteorologists can also be assigned to specific fire incidents.3 NWS meteorologists provide the Incident Management Team (IMT) with real-time weather information such as thunderstorm activity (a high hazard due to lightning strikes) and fire weather (wind direction, wind speed, humidity, temperature, and other information). They also provide specialized information to helicopter and plane crews fighting incipient and ongoing fires, which is critical to the safe and effective management of fires. The significant staffing cuts to these NWS offices will affect standard fire weather forecasting and warnings and the safe execution of firefighting efforts, which can have fatal consequences.
More than 2.3 million acres in California face significant fire risk. There have been multiple dangerous fires so far this summer in California, including, the Ranch Fire near Los Angeles which burned 4,293 acres and forced evacuations of Apple Valley; a second near Mono Lake, which closed Highway 395 and forced evacuations of Mono City and Lundy Canyon; and a third, the Bonanza Fire, which forced evacuations near Shingle Springs, CA. Wind speed is strongly and consistently associated with the number of acres burned. This was definitely the case for the Eaton, Palisade, and Ranch Fires in Southern California where the strong Santa Ana winds drove fire spread. In California, fire is a year-round risk, and this reality requires consistent, high-quality, and reliable weather forecasting data to protect Californians
Critically, the Sacramento and Hanford offices provide forecasts specifically tailored to the needs of California’s $50 billion agriculture industry. These forecasts provide information that helps farmers plan their planting and harvesting cycles, which is especially important in California, where the climate fluctuates between wet and dry years. Staffing shortages at these NWS offices may result in direct harm to farmers, economic losses for the state and country, and a less stable food supply.
Even with the agency’s TDY plan, which will take time to implement and train relocated employees, NWS will suffer from hundreds of personnel shortages. We have serious concerns regarding this plan, which appears to be a temporary and inadequate fix, and its impact on California NWS offices. Consequently, we request answers to the following questions by July 31, 2025:
Please provide a breakdown of vacancies at California NWS offices by specialized roles. Please include information on vacancies prior to January 20, 2025, as well.
What is the minimum staffing level at the Sacramento and Hanford offices required to maintain 24/7 weather forecasts and weather balloon launches?
How many TDYs and new permanent employees will be added to California NWS offices? How long will these positions take to fill?
What is the anticipated impact to fire weather-related work? Will there be sufficient staffing to provide for incident-specific meteorologists?
What is the expected impact of these staffing shortages on farmers and the food supply chain?
The safety and lives of millions of Americans as well as the economic success of California depend on weather forecasts from the state’s NWS offices. Protecting human lives from severe weather events is not a partisan issue, and it is important that the NWS has the workforce required to meet its core mandate to protect human life. Thank you, and we look forward to your response.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
WATCH: Padilla Slams Lifetime Judicial Appointment of Unfit Trump Loyalist Emil Bove as Senate Republicans Continue to Bury Epstein Evidence
WATCH: Padilla also denounces Trump Administration’s unserious proposal to reopen Alcatraz
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” this evening to speak out against the nomination of Emil Bove — one of Trump’s personal lawyers with an extensive track record of unethical and unprofessional conduct and political retaliation — to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and to condemn the Trump Administration’s continued refusal to release the Epstein files, despite the President’s public promises to do so. After Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum visited Alcatraz earlier today, Padilla also criticized the Trump Administration’s unrealistic and wasteful proposal to reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison, highlighting the “exorbitant” costs to taxpayers of bringing the facility up to even minimum modern standards.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Bove’s nomination this morning as Padilla and Committee Democrats boycotted the vote in protest of Republicans’ blatant violation of Committee rules, which they used to jam through nominations, including Bove and “Judge Jeanine” Pirro to serve as United States Attorney for D.C., without public debate. At his nominations hearing, Padilla slammed Bove for his role in firing dozens of Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors who worked on January 6 cases and his pledge to disregard lawful court orders that check presidential power.
Key Excerpts:
On Emil Bove’s nomination and Senate Judiciary Republicans ignoring Senate rules:
“What happened today in the Senate Judiciary Committee is just the latest example of Republicans not just tearing down the norms of the Senate Judiciary Committee, but the Senate as a whole.”
“Affording Senator Booker an opportunity to ask questions or even to call for a vote on bringing forward…the whistleblower that has come up publicly about Emil Bove’s comments, things like the targeting anybody involved with the prosecutions around January 6, things like, if court orders that come out against what the Trump Administration wanted, they’re just going to ignore them. I mean, the Committee deserves to hear it directly and to consider it before any confirmation votes on Emil Bove. Republicans don’t want to hear it. They don’t want to hear it.”
On Bove’s potential connection to the Epstein case and Trump Administration’s refusal to release Epstein files:
“Emil Bove’s the number three top official in the Justice Department. With everything going on around the Epstein case, and the Epstein files, the involvement of the Attorney General herself, he’s probably been in the room. He’s probably been at the table. What role did he play in determining there is a list, there isn’t a list, should we release files or not? The Committee deserves to hear this before taking action, but this Republican majority doesn’t want to hear it. They’re trying to squelch any information that Donald Trump doesn’t want to go out and Democrats aren’t going to be a party to that.”
On the Trump Administration’s unserious proposal to reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison:
“Here they go again, right? It’s nothing but bad news for Donald Trump, between the Epstein files, between economic indicators, prices are going up. So in classic Trump fashion, let’s distract. Right? Let’s talk about something else. Alcatraz is not a serious proposal. The cost of bringing that up to minimum standards to serve as a detention facility — we’ve been hearing from Republicans all year long. They want to reduce the federal budget. They’re looking for cost savings, not unnecessary, exorbitant costs.”
“This is just another effort to distract from the horrible news brought to you by the Trump Administration.”
Video of the full interview is available here.
During his Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing, Senator Padilla pressed Bove on his extensive track record of lies, poor temperament, and political retribution. Earlier this week, Padilla joined Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in calling for Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to schedule a hearing to collect testimony from Mr. Erez Reuveni, former Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Immigration Litigation at the Department of Justice, who disclosed allegations of misconduct and documentation regarding Bove. Previously, Padilla joined Senate Judiciary Democrats in requesting personnel records relevant to Bove from Interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton. Padilla and Senate Judiciary Democrats also filed a professional misconduct complaint against Bove with the New York State Bar, citing reported misconduct in moving to dismiss charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Watch: Senator Markey hosts spotlight hearing on birth control access in the Post-Roe Era
Washington (July 17, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee’s Subcommittee on Primary Health & Retirement Security, and Representative Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) held a hearing yesterday titled “A Right at Risk: Protecting the Right to Contraception and Reproductive Freedom in the Post-Roe Era” to spotlight how Republican attacks on birth control access threaten reproductive freedom nationwide. Earlier this month, Republicans cut millions in Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood in their so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” which Trump signed into law.
“As Republicans pursue their agenda of unprecedented cuts to our health programs, banning funding for Planned Parenthood and ripping health care away from millions of Americans, the threat to the right to contraception is no longer hypothetical—it is real, and it is here,” said Senator Markey. “We must meet this moment with the urgency it deserves. We must pass the Right to Contraception Act and guarantee that reproductive freedom does not depend on where you live or who is in power in your statehouse. We cannot allow MAGA extremists to roll back decades of progress. And we will not stop until the right to contraception and reproductive freedom is protected—for everyone, everywhere.”
“As Republicans wage unprecedented and unconstitutional attacks on Americans’ health care, it is important for us to hear from those on the frontlines of the fight for reproductive freedom,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “Millions of Americans rely on contraception of all kinds to plan their families and their lives, and ninety percent of Americans support access to all forms of birth control. I am grateful to Senator Markey for joining me in hosting today’s hearing to bring this important issue to light. As a representative from a state intent on taking away our right and our access to quality, affordable reproductive health care, I will continue to do everything I can to protect the health, privacy, dignity, and autonomy of women and families across our country.”
Senator Markey and Representative Fletcher were joined by several reproductive rights experts and advocates who delivered testimony on how Republican attacks on birth control access harm communities across the country.
“Across the country—and in my home state of Indiana—birth control is being targeted through misinformation and ideology that are completely disconnected from science and clinical reality. These attacks are not about patient safety or public health. They are about control and because of the broad popularity of contraception, they are designed to be less noticeable,” said Dr. Tracey Wilkinson, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine. Read Dr. Tracey Wilkinson’s testimonyhere.
“Access to contraception is essential to sexual and reproductive healthcare and gender equity. Contraception is not merely a matter of personal choice; it is healthcare, and access to this healthcare has a large and positive impact on maternal and infant health outcomes, economic stability, and prosperous, safe communities. Nonetheless, the advances we have made in a ‘purple’ state like Virginia are clearly precarious,” said Tarina Keene, executive director of REPRO Rising Virginia. “And—if a state like Virginia can’t rely on its own government to protect and advance its right to contraception, then surely other state governments, ones that are more openly attacking reproductive rights, cannot be expected to do the same.” Read Tarina Keene’s testimonyhere.
“Jane’s Due Process has helped young Texans access reproductive healthcare for almost 25 years. Texas has required parental involvement for access to prescriptive birth control for young people under 18 since 1998, and in 2022, a federal judge determined that Title X federal family planning providers could no longer provide prescriptive birth control to Texas teens without parental consent despite decades of protected federal provision. We hear every day from young people negatively impacted by these barriers. We believe that everyone, including young people, deserve the right to self-determination, and full access to the complete spectrum of family planning options, including birth control, is a big part of ensuring that right. We need to protect and expand young people’s access to contraception so that they can make the decisions for their own futures that are right for them,” said Lucie Arvallo, Executive Director, Jane’s Due Process. Read Lucie Arvallo’s testimonyhere.
“Contraception is a key component of reproductive health care. The decision about whether, when, or how to become a parent is one of the most important life decisions we make. For the past sixty years, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England has touched the lives of more than a million people in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, including for birth control services. We are an integral part of the health care system and proudly provide the highest quality, nonjudgmental care to all who walk through our doors. Patients count on us. The reality is that in rural states like ours, you’d be hard pressed to find someone whose life hasn’t been touched by Planned Parenthood of Northern New England,” said Nicole Clegg, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. “That’s why the attacks targeting Planned Parenthood are so dangerous. The harm caused when we are forced to leave a community is well documented. People’s health is jeopardized. They go without care. Cancers are left undetected. Unintended pregnancy rates rise, and pregnancy outcomes worsen. Birth control is essential health care. No one wants politicians and judges involved in their medical decisions. People want to be able to see their trusted provider, get medically accurate information, and have peace of mind. Thank you to our champions in Congress for shining a light on the devastating outcomes of the attacks on birth control and the providers who make access possible.” Read Nicole Clegg’s testimonyhere.
“Contraception is essential health care — and a vital tool that allows people to decide if, when, and how to grow their families,” said Taylor St. Germain, Deputy Director of Reproductive Equity Now. “When it came to Roe, we waited too long to act, and that delay cost us dearly. We can’t make that same mistake again. I’m grateful to Senator Markey and Representative Fletcher for bringing us together for this critical, timely hearing to protect our care and defend our right to contraception at the federal level before it’s too late.” Read Taylor St. Germain’s testimonyhere.
In February 2025, Senator Markey reintroduced the Right to Contraception Act, legislation that would create a statutory right to obtain and use contraceptives and ensure health care providers have a right to provide contraceptives, contraception, and share information about this essential care.
In September 2024, Senator Markey joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in support of the Right to IVF Act, legislation that would establish a nationwide right to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology, as well as lower the costs of IVF treatment for the millions of families who need it to have their children. In October 2023, Senator Markey, alongside with other Democratic Senators urged the Biden administration to require insurers to fully cover over-the-counter birth control, with no out-of-pocket costs or prescription barrier.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
July 17, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03) and their colleagues in reintroducing the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.
“For most working parents, affordable child care isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity,” said Duckworth. “Donald Trump ran on a promise to lower costs for working families—and yet, he and Republicans are prioritizing tax breaks to their billionaire donors, leaving families to fend for themselves. If Republicans really cared about lowering costs and supporting middle-class families, they’d help us pass this legislation to help solve our child care shortage and make quality, affordable care more accessible to every family who needs it.”
“Working families in Illinois deserve high-quality, affordable, and reliable child care, but this necessity has become an out-of-reach luxury. While the cost of care continues to rise, President Trump has held up critical government funding and dished out tax breaks for billionaires rather than address the child care crisis,” said Durbin. “It’s time working families had better options. Under the Child Care for Working Families Act, parents would have better access to affordable child care, including pre-kindergarten programs, and caregivers would earn the living wages they deserve.”
As President Trump and Republicans in Congress choose to spend trillions on new tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations, kick Americans off their health care, cut kids off from nutrition assistance and raise costs on everyday essentials for working families, Democrats in Congress are continuing their push to help working people make ends meet—including by tackling the childcare crisis.
The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceed median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal childcare office, held up childcare funding to states, held up Head Start funding and now created massive holes in states’ budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.
The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the childcare crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages. The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increase wages for Head Start workers. Under the legislation, typical family in America will pay no more than $15 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family will pay more than 7% of their income on child care.
The Child Care for Working Families Act would help:
Make child care affordable for working families.
The typical family earning the state median income would pay less than $15 a day for child care.
No working family would pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
Families earning below 85% of state median income would pay nothing at all for child care.
If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts or Head Start agencies.
Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
Addressing childcare deserts by providing grants to help open new childcare providers in underserved communities.
Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
Increasing childcare options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness and children in foster care.
Support higher wages for child care workers.
Childcare workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
Childcare subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts or Head Start agencies.
Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.
Along with Duckworth, Durbin and Murray, the legislation is cosponsored by 41 additional U.S. Senators—the most in the bill’s history: U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), 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), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full text of the bill is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
– 30 –
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Medina v. Planned Parenthood Ruling Will Rob Patients of their Lives, Put Essential Healthcare Further Out of Reach for Millions
Ruling Will Cut Off Medicaid Funding, Undermine Planned Parenthood Providing Critical Healthcare Services, Including Cancer Screenings, Birth Control, and Preventative Care
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, issued the following statement on the harmful Medina v. Planned Parenthood ruling, the Supreme Court’s decision to allow South Carolina to bar Medicaid patients from receiving healthcare services at Planned Parenthood. The decision allows states to ban the organization from getting Medicaid reimbursements for cancer screenings, wellness checks, pre-natal care, and other basic medical services.
“This cruel, unjust, and political ruling by this far-right majority court is nothing short of damning. On the very week that we marked the somber anniversary of the Supreme Court ripping away our right to abortion care, the Court issued another devastating blow that will push basic, essential healthcare further out of reach for millions.
“Planned Parenthood is often folks’ only local option for essential care, including cancer screenings, wellness-checks, and pre-natal care. By cutting off Medicaid funding for this routine healthcare, the Court is going to rob patients of their lives, and will be especially harmful for Black women, people of color, low-income folks, the LGBTQIA community, and those in rural and underserved communities.
“We are witnessing the most sweeping attempt yet to dismantle Medicaid and rip away essential healthcare as the Republicans try to ram their Big Ugly Bill through the Senate on the heels of this court ruling. Trump and Republicans are attacking our healthcare at every level of government—and today the Supreme Court majority linked arms to advance their cruel agenda. It’s absolutely shameful.”
“We refuse to accept their harmful agenda as an inevitability. Planned Parenthood has long provided quality, compassionate care to all and we will always stand with them. We refuse to cede to such unconscionable attacks on the basic right to healthcare.”
This week, in the wake of the third anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Congresswoman Pressley has spent the week convening leaders and impacted families, renewing her calls for comprehensive legislation to protect abortion care, and uplifting the experiences of people impacted by cruel abortion bans and denials of essential medical care.
Congresswoman Pressley has been outspoken in demanding justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia’s abortion ban. Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned floor speech in which she underscored that Adriana’s case is far too common in the unjust history of denying Black women their dignity, humanity, and right to bodily autonomy – and that GOP abortion bans such as Georgia’s deepen this pain and bar critical healthcare freedom. Last week, Rep. Pressley issued a statement after Adriana’s infant son Chance was delivered via emergency Cesarean section and Adriana was taken off life support.
Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Pressley has fought persistently to protect fundamental reproductive and sexual healthcare rights.
On the first anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley introduced the Abortion Justice Act, sweeping, intersectional legislation to address access to abortion care and put forth a comprehensive vision of a just America where abortion care is readily available—without stigma, shame or systemic barriers—for all who seek it, regardless of zip code, immigration status, income, or background.
Rep. Pressley is a lead co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral federal legislation to guarantee equal access to abortion care, everywhere.
Rep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of the EACH Act, bold legislation to repeal the Hyde Amendment and help guarantee abortion coverage—regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance.
Shortly before the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide.
Rep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts.
In October 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on Josseli Barnica, who died on Sept. 3, 2021 after being denied emergency abortion care in Texas as she suffered a miscarriage.
In September 2024, in a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Hearing, Rep. Pressley highlighted the harmful and deadly impact of abortion bans in America to date, and outlined in detail the shameful circumstances under which Amber Nicole Thurman died after being denied necessary abortion care in Georgia.
In June 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Idaho v. United States; Moyle v. United States – the case about whether emergency abortion care is included under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
In May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on a Louisiana bill that would classify medication abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances.
In April 2024, at a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley played “Fact or Fiction” with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf to emphasize the safety and efficacy of medication abortion drug mifepristone.
In August 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Fifth Circuit Court decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA.
In July 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to reproductive healthcare and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives.
In July 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of over-the-counter birth control.
In May 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the FDA Advisory Committee’s unanimous, 17-0 vote to recommend the approval of the first-ever application for over-the-counter birth control. She and Senator Murray also held a press conference applauding the decision and urging the FDA to approval over-the-counter birth control without delay.
In May 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Ami Bera, MD (CA-06) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), reintroduced their bicameral Affordability is Access Act to ensure that once the FDA determines an over-the-counter birth control option to be safe, insurers fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs.
In April 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Texas court ruling on mifepristone, and discussed the Texas case in a recent floor speech in which she affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care and access to mifepristone as essential. She later joined Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabth Warren (D-MA), and local leaders in announcing action to protect Mifepristone in Massachusetts.
In March 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Schakowsky, Lee, DeGette, Torres and Strickland, reintroduced the Abortion is Healthcare Everywhere Act harmful and discriminatory Helms Amendment and expand abortion access globally.
In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Hirono led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral congressional resolution honoring abortion providers and clinic staff.
In March 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a speech in which she discussed the pending court case in Texas, which aims to restrict access to medication abortion across the entire nation. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care, and accessibility to the abortion pill mifepristone as essential.
In September 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s inaction on SB-8, Texas’ restrictive abortion law. Later that month, she participated in a House Oversight Committee hearing to examine the threat posed by abortion bans and underscored the urgency of the Senate passing the Women’s Health Protection Act.
In April 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), led a group of 131 Democratic members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act or the EACH Act, which would repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure that all people, regardless of income, insurance or zip code, can make personal reproductive healthcare decisions without interference from politicians. She re-Introduced the legislation In January 2023.
Rep. Pressley has led calls in Congress for the FDA to remove medically unnecessary restrictions on the medication abortion drug mifepristone, and applauded the FDA’s action in January 2023 to allow retail pharmacies to dispense abortion medication pills.
As Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus’s Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, Congresswoman Pressley has led the fight to repeal the Hyde Amendments from annual Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills and in July 2020 published a Medium post on the importance of doing so. She applauded the removal of the Hyde Amendment in President Biden’s FY2022 budget.
In May 2020, she led more than 155 Members of Congress in calling on House Democratic leadership to ensure that any future COVID-19 relief packages rejected Republican efforts to use the public health crisis to diminish abortion access.
In August 2021, Rep. Pressley, Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Diana DeGette and Barbara Lee led more than 70 of their House Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution in support of equitable, science-based policies governing access to medication abortion care.
In January 2023, Rep. Pressley introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of political violence in the U.S., regardless of its target or intent. That same day, she delivered a powerful speech on the House floor slamming Republicans’ harmful, misleading anti-abortion resolution.
In September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra at the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care in states across the nation following the harmful U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health.
In May 2019, she led more than 100 colleagues in introducing H.Con.Res.40, a resolution reaffirming the House of Representative’s support for Roe v. Wade.
In June 2019, Rep. Pressley introduced H.R. 3296, the Affordability is Access Act, to make oral contraception available without a prescription.
In September 2016, as a member of the Boston City Council, Pressley championed a resolution calling on Congress and President Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and reinstate insurance coverage for abortion services.
class=”has-text-align-center”>By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
1. The use of ethylene oxide is critical for the sterilization of medical equipment, which protects patients against infection and the transmission of disease. The continued utilization of ethylene oxide by commercial sterilization facilities is essential to ensuring that our Nation provides its sick and injured with the best outcomes possible — an objective that is at the forefront of the Federal Government’s responsibility to the American people. 2. On April 5, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule, pursuant to section 112 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412, titled National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Ethylene Oxide Emissions Standards for Sterilization Facilities Residual Risk and Technology Review, 89 FR 24090 (EtO Rule). The EtO Rule imposes new emissions-control requirements on commercial sterilization facilities. 3. The EtO Rule places severe burdens on commercial sterilization facilities. About 50 percent of all sterile medical devices in the United States are sterilized with ethylene oxide, and sterilization with ethylene oxide may be the only method of sterilizing many medical devices without damaging them. By requiring compliance with standards premised on the application of emissions-control technologies that do not exist in a commercially viable form, the EtO Rule risks making critical sterile medical devices unavailable to care for patients in our civilian and military medical systems. The current compliance timeline as set forth at 89 FR 24101-24103 of the EtO Rule will likely force existing sterilization facilities to close down, seriously disrupting the supply of medical equipment. Our Nation would be unable to adequately supply the sterilized medical equipment that medical personnel need to safely treat their patients in hospitals, operating rooms, and other medical facilities. In short, the current compliance timeline would undermine our national security. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 112(i)(4) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412(i)(4), do hereby proclaim that certain stationary sources subject to the EtO Rule, as identified in Annex I of this proclamation, are exempt from compliance with the EtO Rule for a period of 2 years beyond the EtO Rule’s relevant compliance dates (Exemption). This Exemption applies to all compliance deadlines established under the EtO Rule applicable to the stationary sources listed in Annex I, with each such deadline extended by 2 years from the date originally required for such deadline. The effect of this Exemption is that, during each such 2-year period, these stationary sources will remain subject to the emissions and compliance obligations in effect prior to the issuance of the EtO Rule. In support of this Exemption, I hereby make the following determinations:
The technology to implement the EtO Rule is not available. Such technology does not exist in a commercially viable form sufficient to allow implementation of and compliance with the EtO Rule by the compliance dates set forth in the EtO Rule.
It is in the national security interests of the United States to issue this Exemption for the reasons stated in paragraphs 1 and 3 of this proclamation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
ANNEX I 1. International Sterilization Laboratory i. Affected Facility/Source: Groveland Facility, Florida
Becton Dickinson and Company
Affected Facility/Source:
BD Covington, Georgia
BD Madison, Georgia
BD Medical, Utah
BD Medical Pharmaceutical Systems, Nebraska
Edwards Lifesciences Technology Sàrl, Puerto Rico
3. KPR US, LLC d/b/a Kendall Patient Recovery i. Affected Facility/Source: Augusta Facility, Georgia
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
In 2024 Alone, Seniors Lost $4.8 Billion to Scammers
Despite Uptick In Fraud, Trump Administration Is Firing The Federal Workers Who Go After Fraudsters
Gillibrand Asks For Watchdog Report On Ability of Agencies ToMake Protecting Older Adults a Top Priority
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, held a virtual press conference to discuss the Trump administration’s cuts to federal agencies that protect seniors from frauds and scams. Last year, seniors lost almost $5 billion to scammers; these financial losses can be devastating for older adults with limited income.
Federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau track and investigate fraud complaints. But the Trump administration’s attempts to cut critical staff is undermining their ability to go after fraudsters and protect seniors.
Gillibrand has called on the Government Accountability Office to examine how cuts affect federal efforts to protect seniors from scams.
“Every day, seniors fall victim to devastating scams that strip them of their life savings and steal their private information,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The federal government must do more to stop scammers and protect older adults. As the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, I am calling on the Trump administration to develop and implement a strategy to fight scams and to stop making cuts to federal agencies doing this critical work. I look forward to working across the aisle to fight for our seniors.”
The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office Gene Dodaro is availablehere.
The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Russell Vought is availablehere.
The Senate Aging Committee’s 2025 report on scams facing our nation’s seniors is availablehere.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement slamming the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for seeking a one-day jail sentence for the officer convicted in the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor.
“Breonna Taylor should be alive today. Instead, she was shot and killed while sleeping when officers fired into her home.
“By seeking a one-day sentence, in the rare instance where a police officer is actually convicted for murdering a Black woman, Trump’s DOJ is sending a cruel and disrespectful message: that they do not value Breonna’s life, nor the pain and loss endured by her loved ones.
“This is an affront to justice, to accountability, and to every person who calls this country home. We should all be outraged.”
Congresswoman Pressley has introduced over a dozen pieces of precise legislation to improve police accountability and fundamentally redefine what justice looks like in America, including the People’s Justice Guarantee, Ending Qualified Immunity Act and Andrew Kearse Accountability for the Denial of Medical Care Act.
In June 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12)unveiled the Housing for Formerly Incarcerated Reentry and Stable Tenancy (Housing FIRST) Act, bold legislation to help people who are formerly incarcerated and those with criminal histories access safe and stable housing.
In May 2023, Rep. Pressley reintroduced her Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act to improve maternal health care and support for pregnant individuals who are incarcerated. It was originally introduced in March 2020 and reintroduced in February 2021 as part of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Package—a suite of 12 bills aimed at addressing the Black maternal health crisis.
In May 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Grace Napolitano (CA-31), Co-Chair of the Mental Health Caucus, requested the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to research post-traumatic prison disorder and share findings related to prevention and treatment for people returning from behind the wall.
In April 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) re-introduced their Ending Qualified Immunity Act, legislation that would eliminate the unjust and court-invented doctrine of qualified immunity and restore the ability for people to obtain relief when state and local officials, including police officers, violate their legal and constitutionally secured rights. Rep. Pressley originally introduced the bill in June 2020 with Rep. Justin Amash (L-MI) and reintroduced it with Sen. Markey in March 2021.
On April 6, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Hank Johnson led 25 of their colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in calling on Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation to address racial disparities in traffic enforcement.
In April 2023, Rep. Pressley, in partnership with Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05), re-introduced the Ending PUSHOUT Act, their legislation to end the punitive pushout of girls of color from schools. It was originally introduced in December 2019 and reintroduced in March 2021.
In March 2023, Rep. Pressley, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35) and 27 Members of Congress, alongside more than 300 advocacy organizations and community leaders, reintroduced the New Way Forward Act, a landmark piece of legislation that addresses some of the most harmful provisions of immigration law that drive racist enforcement practices, expanded incarceration in immigration detention centers, and unjust deportations. It was originally introduced in December 2019 Reps. Chuy Garcia (IL-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Karen Bass (CA-37) and was reintroduced in January 2021.
In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and her colleagues re-introduced the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act to stop federal entities’ use of facial recognition tools and prohibit federal support for state and local law enforcement entities that use biometric technology. They reintroduced the bill in June 2021.
In December 2022, the House passed Congresswoman Pressley’s amendment to strengthen maternal health care for people who are incarcerated.
In December 2021, Rep. Pressley unveiled the Fair and Independent Experts in Clemency (FIX Clemency) Act, historic legislation to transform our nation’s clemency system and address the mass incarceration crisis.
In March 2021, Rep. Pressley sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to consider H. Res. 266, the People’s Justice Guarantee, as a framework for embedding justice in our criminal legal system and building integrity in the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In February 2021, October 2020, Congresswoman Pressley reintroduced the Mental Health Justice Act with Reps. Katie Porter (CA-45), Tony Cardenas (CA-29), and Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), to support the creation of mental health first responder units that would be deployed in lieu of law enforcement when 911 is called due to a mental health crisis. The lawmakers originally introduced the legislation in October 2020.
In January 2021, she reintroduced the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act of 2021 with Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level, and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row. The lawmakers originally introduced the bill in July 2019.
In August 2020, she introduced the COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and others, requires federal, state, and local prisons and jails to collect and publicly report COVID-19 data. The legislation was reintroduced last month.
In July 2020, she introduced the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act with Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), to prohibit federal funds to support the increased presence of police in K-12 schools and supports school districts that invests in counselors.
In June 2020, she introduced the Dismantle Mass Incarceration for Public Health Act with Reps. Tlaib (MI-13) and Barbara Lee (CA-13) to require decarceration to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and jails.
In June 2020, she introduced the Andrew Kearse Accountability for Denial of Medical Care Act with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ed Markey (D-MA), to hold police officers criminally liable for denying care to those in medical distress.
In May 2020, she introduced a resolution with Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Karen Bass (CA-37) and Barbara Lee (CA-13) to condemn any and all acts of police brutality, racial profiling, and militarization and over-policing of Black and brown communities.
In July 2019, she introduced the No Biometric Barriers Housing Act with Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) that would prohibit the use of biometric recognition technology in most public and assisted housing units funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), protecting tenants from biased surveillance technology.
In June 2019, in conjunction with Gun Violence Awareness Month and the 5th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, she introduced a resolution to honor survivors of homicide victims by establishing National Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month.
CBP nabs career criminal, drug dealer and ten other illegal aliens in targeted operation
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested numerous illegal aliens, including a dangerous serial drug abuser and dealer with 67 charges, during a July 17operation in Sacramento, California.
CBP’s targeted operation resulted in the heroic arrest of Javier Dimas-Alcantara, a serial criminal with convictions and charges spanning decades, including the following:
Multiple instances of transport and sale of a narcotic or controlled substance
Felony burglary
Illegal entry
Carrying a loaded firearm in public
Multiple instances of providing false identification to a law enforcement officer
Multiple instances of felony possession of marijuana for sale
Revocation of probation due to re-offense of possession of marijuana for sale
Being under the influence of a controlled substance
Multiple instances of possession of a narcotic or controlled substance
Possession of a controlled narcotic with intent to sell
“On July 17, CBP conducted an operation in Sacramento, California, resulting in the arrest of at least 11 criminal illegal aliens. Among the illegal aliens captured in this heroic effort was Javier Dimas-Alcantara, a serial criminal illegal alien who has been booked into jail 67 times,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.“Dimas has been CONVICTED of a myriad of offenses—you would not want this man to be your neighbor. And yet, politicians like Gavin Newsom defend criminals who terrorize American communities and demonize law enforcement who defend those same communities. He and every other sanctuary politician should be thanking CBP for getting this scum out of American communities instead of obstructing federal law enforcement at every possible turn.”
President Trump and Secretary Noem have been given a clear mandate from the American people: get violent illegal aliens OFF our streets and OUT of our country.
Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right, legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.
A biological male was placed in a men’s facility in alignment with the President’s Executive Order and for the safety of women in ICE custody
WASHINGTON – Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio recently ordered the release of Odalis Jhonatan Martinez-Velasquez, a male illegal alien from Mexico, after caving to pressure from immigration and transgender activists—ignoring the rule of law and promoting gender ideology fanaticism.
Velasquez illegally entered the country in 2023 and released under the Biden administration. He was lawfully detained on June 2, 2025, and processed for expedited removal. Velasquez was placed into ICE’s male detention center in accordance with the President’s Executive Order and for the safety of women in ICE custody.
“Velasquez—a biological male—was placed in a men’s facility in alignment with the President’s Executive Order and for the safety of women in ICE custody. The President made it clear on Day One: DHS will not buy into radical gender ideology when detaining illegal aliens,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “An immigration judge, not a district judge, has the authority to decide if Odalis Jhonatan Martinez-Velasquez should be released or detained.The activist judge is ignoring the biological reality of sex, undermining ICE’s commitment to promoting safe, secure, and humane environments for women in custody, and subverting the American people’s mandate to restore commonsense to our immigration system and reject extreme gender fanaticism.”
On January 20, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order of Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, prohibiting DHS from detaining males in women’s detention centers. Velasquez is no exception.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – Child care is essential to families, communities, and our economy. But instead of making federal investments to help bring down the cost of child care, the Trump Administration is raising costs for working families in order to provide a bigger tax windfall for billionaires and special interests. The Republican tax law also slashed Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide critical support to children, families, child care centers and the child care workforce. And the Trump Administration has made deep cuts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families.
To help working families afford the rising cost of child care, expand the range of high-quality child care options, and strengthen America’s child care infrastructure and workforce, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act (S.2295).
This comprehensive legislation seeks to alleviate the high cost of child care for working families; provide families with more flexible options for high-quality, affordable child care; and boost wages for early childhood workers. The bill would cap child care expenses at 7 percent of working families’ incomes, making it affordable for all parents and providing historic investments in the child care workforce, including higher pay, better benefits and improved training opportunities. It would also help increase access to pre-K education while supporting full-day Head Start programs.
“Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Murray.
“Working parents need access to high-quality, affordable child care that meets their needs. But too many parents simply can’t afford it. This bill would help lower the cost of child care and allow working parents to keep more of their paychecks so they can afford to raise a family. Making child care more accessible and affordable is critical to families, communities, businesses, and future economic growth. Studies show that investing in quality child care and early childhood education saves money in the long run and is linked to better graduation rates and lower use of public benefits later in life,” said Senator Reed. “This is a chance to help lift children out of poverty, save working parents real money, and strengthen our workforce. We’ve got to prioritize investing in what’s important to us – for Democrats that is expanding access to affordable and high-quality child care.”
“Making child care more affordable will lower one of the biggest costs in many families’ budgets, and give parents more flexibility to participate in the workforce,” said Senator Whitehouse. “As President Trump fuels the affordability crisis with his chaotic tariffs and his Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill, our legislation will lower the cost of child care for working Rhode Island families, set kids up for success, and ensure early childhood educators are paid fairly for their hard work.”
Last month, Ruth J. Friedman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, testified before Congress on the state of America’s child care crisis, noting: “An approach like the Child Care for Working Families Act takes the necessary steps to adequately build child care supply and reduce parent costs. It would be transformative for American families, eliminating child care as a barrier to the workforce and child care bills as a barrier to economic security and wellbeing. Ultimately, it would give parents much more freedom to raise their families and be productive members of society.”
According to the Economic Policy Institute, Rhode Island is ranked as the 18th most expensive state for infant care, with the average annual cost exceeding $16,750 per year, or $1,397 per month. And according to a WalletHub Child Care Costs by State report released this month, Rhode Island ranked 7th-highest in the nation for child care costs for married couples, with data showing 10.42 percent of married couples’ income was spent on family-based child care and 11.45 percent was spent on center-based child care.
The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.
The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages.
The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers. Under the legislation, which Murray, Reed and Whitehouse have been pushing since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $10 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family would pay more than 7 percent of their income on child care.
The Child Care for Working Families Act will:
Make child care affordable for working families.
The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
Support higher wages for child care workers.
Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.
The Child Care for Working Families Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, All Our Kin, The Center for American Progress, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Child Care Aware of America, Community Change Action, Council for Professional Recognition, Family Value @ Work, MomsRising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Education Association (NEA), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Oxfam, Save the Children, Save the Children Action Network, SEIU, YWCA, Zero to Three.
In addition to Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the Senate bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-NM), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
In the House, the bill is being introduced by U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – Child care is essential to families, communities, and our economy. But instead of making federal investments to help bring down the cost of child care, the Trump Administration is raising costs for working families in order to provide a bigger tax windfall for billionaires and special interests. The Republican tax law also slashed Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide critical support to children, families, child care centers and the child care workforce. And the Trump Administration has made deep cuts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families.
To help working families afford the rising cost of child care, expand the range of high-quality child care options, and strengthen America’s child care infrastructure and workforce, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act (S.2295).
This comprehensive legislation seeks to alleviate the high cost of child care for working families; provide families with more flexible options for high-quality, affordable child care; and boost wages for early childhood workers. The bill would cap child care expenses at 7 percent of working families’ incomes, making it affordable for all parents and providing historic investments in the child care workforce, including higher pay, better benefits and improved training opportunities. It would also help increase access to pre-K education while supporting full-day Head Start programs.
“Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Murray.
“Working parents need access to high-quality, affordable child care that meets their needs. But too many parents simply can’t afford it. This bill would help lower the cost of child care and allow working parents to keep more of their paychecks so they can afford to raise a family. Making child care more accessible and affordable is critical to families, communities, businesses, and future economic growth. Studies show that investing in quality child care and early childhood education saves money in the long run and is linked to better graduation rates and lower use of public benefits later in life,” said Senator Reed. “This is a chance to help lift children out of poverty, save working parents real money, and strengthen our workforce. We’ve got to prioritize investing in what’s important to us – for Democrats that is expanding access to affordable and high-quality child care.”
“Making child care more affordable will lower one of the biggest costs in many families’ budgets, and give parents more flexibility to participate in the workforce,” said Senator Whitehouse. “As President Trump fuels the affordability crisis with his chaotic tariffs and his Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill, our legislation will lower the cost of child care for working Rhode Island families, set kids up for success, and ensure early childhood educators are paid fairly for their hard work.”
Last month, Ruth J. Friedman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, testified before Congress on the state of America’s child care crisis, noting: “An approach like the Child Care for Working Families Act takes the necessary steps to adequately build child care supply and reduce parent costs. It would be transformative for American families, eliminating child care as a barrier to the workforce and child care bills as a barrier to economic security and wellbeing. Ultimately, it would give parents much more freedom to raise their families and be productive members of society.”
According to the Economic Policy Institute, Rhode Island is ranked as the 18th most expensive state for infant care, with the average annual cost exceeding $16,750 per year, or $1,397 per month. And according to a WalletHub Child Care Costs by State report released this month, Rhode Island ranked 7th-highest in the nation for child care costs for married couples, with data showing 10.42 percent of married couples’ income was spent on family-based child care and 11.45 percent was spent on center-based child care.
The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.
The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages.
The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers. Under the legislation, which Murray, Reed and Whitehouse have been pushing since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $10 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family would pay more than 7 percent of their income on child care.
The Child Care for Working Families Act will:
Make child care affordable for working families.
The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
Support higher wages for child care workers.
Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.
The Child Care for Working Families Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, All Our Kin, The Center for American Progress, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Child Care Aware of America, Community Change Action, Council for Professional Recognition, Family Value @ Work, MomsRising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Education Association (NEA), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Oxfam, Save the Children, Save the Children Action Network, SEIU, YWCA, Zero to Three.
In addition to Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the Senate bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-NM), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
In the House, the bill is being introduced by U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – Child care is essential to families, communities, and our economy. But instead of making federal investments to help bring down the cost of child care, the Trump Administration is raising costs for working families in order to provide a bigger tax windfall for billionaires and special interests. The Republican tax law also slashed Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide critical support to children, families, child care centers and the child care workforce. And the Trump Administration has made deep cuts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families.
To help working families afford the rising cost of child care, expand the range of high-quality child care options, and strengthen America’s child care infrastructure and workforce, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act (S.2295).
This comprehensive legislation seeks to alleviate the high cost of child care for working families; provide families with more flexible options for high-quality, affordable child care; and boost wages for early childhood workers. The bill would cap child care expenses at 7 percent of working families’ incomes, making it affordable for all parents and providing historic investments in the child care workforce, including higher pay, better benefits and improved training opportunities. It would also help increase access to pre-K education while supporting full-day Head Start programs.
“Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Murray.
“Working parents need access to high-quality, affordable child care that meets their needs. But too many parents simply can’t afford it. This bill would help lower the cost of child care and allow working parents to keep more of their paychecks so they can afford to raise a family. Making child care more accessible and affordable is critical to families, communities, businesses, and future economic growth. Studies show that investing in quality child care and early childhood education saves money in the long run and is linked to better graduation rates and lower use of public benefits later in life,” said Senator Reed. “This is a chance to help lift children out of poverty, save working parents real money, and strengthen our workforce. We’ve got to prioritize investing in what’s important to us – for Democrats that is expanding access to affordable and high-quality child care.”
“Making child care more affordable will lower one of the biggest costs in many families’ budgets, and give parents more flexibility to participate in the workforce,” said Senator Whitehouse. “As President Trump fuels the affordability crisis with his chaotic tariffs and his Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill, our legislation will lower the cost of child care for working Rhode Island families, set kids up for success, and ensure early childhood educators are paid fairly for their hard work.”
Last month, Ruth J. Friedman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, testified before Congress on the state of America’s child care crisis, noting: “An approach like the Child Care for Working Families Act takes the necessary steps to adequately build child care supply and reduce parent costs. It would be transformative for American families, eliminating child care as a barrier to the workforce and child care bills as a barrier to economic security and wellbeing. Ultimately, it would give parents much more freedom to raise their families and be productive members of society.”
According to the Economic Policy Institute, Rhode Island is ranked as the 18th most expensive state for infant care, with the average annual cost exceeding $16,750 per year, or $1,397 per month. And according to a WalletHub Child Care Costs by State report released this month, Rhode Island ranked 7th-highest in the nation for child care costs for married couples, with data showing 10.42 percent of married couples’ income was spent on family-based child care and 11.45 percent was spent on center-based child care.
The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.
The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages.
The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers. Under the legislation, which Murray, Reed and Whitehouse have been pushing since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $10 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family would pay more than 7 percent of their income on child care.
The Child Care for Working Families Act will:
Make child care affordable for working families.
The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
Support higher wages for child care workers.
Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.
The Child Care for Working Families Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, All Our Kin, The Center for American Progress, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Child Care Aware of America, Community Change Action, Council for Professional Recognition, Family Value @ Work, MomsRising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Education Association (NEA), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Oxfam, Save the Children, Save the Children Action Network, SEIU, YWCA, Zero to Three.
In addition to Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the Senate bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-NM), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
In the House, the bill is being introduced by U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), led the introduction of the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act along with Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado). This legislation will improve the transparency of healthcare costs so patients understand the true price of procedures, medications, and services before receiving them.
Specifically, the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act will require public reporting of negotiated rates, costs, and cash prices for services provided at hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, and clinical labs. The bill also ensures group health plans have access to claims data and prevents third-party administrators from restricting data access. Providers or facilities will also be required to include a detailed itemized bill of each distinct item or service, or an all-in total price for bundled items if offered to the patient as an option.
“Customers don’t walk into a restaurant only to find out how much the food costs when they get the bill. Patients should know the price of the service they need before they make any decisions,” said Senator Marshall. “Making America Healthy Again requires empowering Americans with the best information possible to inform their life and healthcare choices: the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act will ensure prices are available to patients to support a more competitive, innovative, affordable, and high-quality healthcare system.”
“You wouldn’t book a flight if you couldn’t find out the ticket price until you land — or check into a hotel without knowing if you’re paying for the Ritz or a dump. But that’s the absurd guessing game Americans play every time they need medical care,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “We deserve to know exactly what we are paying for whether it’s a lab test, a colonoscopy, or an MRI. Our bill gives Americans that peace of mind.”
“We applaud Senators Roger Marshall and John Hickenlooper for their strong, bipartisan leadership on the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. With actual, upfront, and accountable prices, patients will be able to shop for the best care with protection from rampant overcharges hiding in the shadows. We urge all senators to support this bill and pass it without delay to protect America’s patients,” said Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman of Patients Rights Advocate.
“We applaud Senators Marshall and Hickenlooper for their ongoing commitment to enhancing health care price transparency requirements that will ensure employers have access to information necessary when making decisions on benefit design for the millions of Americans who receive coverage through their employer,” said ERIC President and CEO James Gelfand. “Moreover, strong transparency requirements of providers, including hospitals, and plans will empower workers and their families to select high quality, affordable health care, drugs, and services, helping ease the ever-growing pressures health care costs have on employers and workers alike.”
“Patients Deserve Price Tags Act is a critical step toward delivering high-quality care at lower costs for patients. Price transparency starts with clear, accessible information and this bill will empower patients to compare prices before they seek care. Real transparency and accountability are essential in helping unions make informed negotiations on behalf of workers and will ultimately help drive down costs. The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act moves us closer to that goal,” said Kevin Lyons, Member Benefits Director for the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association.
“At a time when health care costs are ballooning out of control and Americans continue to make clear that affordability is a top priority, we applaud Senators Marshall and Hickenlooper for introducing the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. This robust, pro-consumer, bipartisan legislation will ensure that every family in America knows exactly how much a big hospital will charge them before they receive medical care and services,” said Sophia Tripoli, senior director for health policy at Families USA. “As long as big hospital corporations and health care systems are able to keep their prices hidden, they will continue to jack up prices year over year with no transparency or accountability from the public or lawmakers. The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act would bring much needed transparency to hospital pricing and help us hold the health care sector accountable for the unfair price gouging practices that are hurting patients and families.”
Click here to read the full bill text.
Background:
During the first Trump Administration, in June 2019, President Trump issued an executive order titled Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare to Put Patients First. Senator Marshall was a big supporter and partner of this work in 2019.
In February 2025, President Trump signed a similar executive order requiring price transparency in healthcare. This legislation echoes the actions of the Trump Administration.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
July 17, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) issued the following statement regarding Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s visit to Alcatraz Island as part of the Trump administration’s bizarre and troubling proposal to reopen the former federal penitentiary – now a treasured national park and historic site – as an active prison for detained immigrants:
“Today I almost felt sorry for Secretary Doug Burgum. He’s a smart guy, a serious guy, and he knows reopening Alcatraz is batshit crazy. But he has to pretend otherwise to stay in Trump’s good graces, so everyone pretends to love the Emperor’s beautiful new clothes while giggling behind his back,” Huffman said.
“As for the merits of this proposal, if you thought “Alligator Alcatraz” was dumb, cruel, and wasteful, you’ll run out of adjectives for this idiotic political stunt,” Huffman continued. “I told Secretary Burgum last month that not a single serious person at the National Park Service – from superintendents to janitors – thinks this is a good idea. It would also be a financial boondoggle – not just the massive amount it would cost to reopen Alcatraz as a prison, but all the money and goodwill the Park Service would lose from closing one of America’s most popular tourist destinations.”
“The bottom line: this is deeply idiotic, transparently political, and ultimately unlikely to happen. The only possible rational explanation for why Pam Bondi was touring Alcatraz today is that she thinks it might be a good place to hide the Epstein files,” Huffman concluded.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
U.S. President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a common and benign vein condition after experiencing swelling in his lower legs, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Thursday.
According to Leavitt, ultrasound exams performed on Trump’s legs revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a condition frequently found in individuals over the age of 70.
Leavitt said additional exams identified Trump with “no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness.”
Trump, 79, was recently photographed at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where visible swelling around his ankles sparked public speculation about his health.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
As Washington presses ahead with additional tariffs on products from the European Union (EU) and beyond, European officials and experts are urging the diversification of trade markets to mitigate the damage that such coercive financial statecraft is inflicting on global supply chains.
TARIFF GAME SETTING OFF CHAIN REACTION
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that his administration would impose 30 percent tariffs on EU and Mexican exports, arguing that bilateral trade had long been unbalanced and lacked reciprocity.
Trucks wait to enter the Container Terminal Tollerort in Hamburg, Germany, May 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)
The Irish Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald described the tariff threat as “volatile” and “not helpful at all.” “That poses a challenge for Ireland, for Europe, for the world,” she told Xinhua at a press conference in London.
Countries across Europe have been warning about the impact of the seemingly unrelenting tariff assaults on their economies.
The Bank of Slovenia estimated that U.S. tariffs could indirectly disrupt the broader European value chain and impact about 15,000 jobs in Slovenia, a significant number in a country of just 2.1 million people.
The Bank of England also said in its latest Financial Stability Report that the global economy faces rising downside risks, citing U.S. tariffs, and despite a new trade agreement between Britain and the United States in May, a further escalation in trade disputes globally could amplify financial stress and drag on economic growth in Britain.
Companies of all sizes, from those exporting to the U.S. to manufacturers heavily reliant on global supply chains, are feeling the strain that the tariffs are placing on their operations.
Neb Chupin, founder of Croatia’s Hermes International, a successful fig jam producer in the U.S. market, said, “With 10 percent tariffs, we are losing about 20,000 U.S. dollars a week. What would happen with 30 or even 50 percent tariffs? I cannot even sleep at night as the situation is very unstable.”
With 40 percent of exports going to the U.S., Finland’s pharmaceutical industry could also be severely affected by potential U.S. tariffs. Johanna Sipola, deputy CEO of Keskuskauppakamari, or the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, called the tariffs “unrealistic” and warned that the greater risk is the uncertainty they create.
“If the tariffs were implemented, the repercussions for international pharmaceutical production would be significant. The industry’s delivery chains are unusually global, and even minor disruptions can trigger substantial changes in medicine prices and demand,” Sipola said.
Beyond the immediate effects, the high-stakes tariff game is setting off a chain reaction across global supply chains and geopolitical dynamics.
Gavran Igor, an economic analyst from Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that the longer-term impact of the tariffs could prove even more damaging for Balkan manufacturers that are integrated into EU-based industries, particularly automotive supply chains.
Czech Republic’s Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura said that exports to the United States account for less than 3 percent of the country’s total exports. However, the country would also be indirectly affected through its European partners who purchase Czech goods and components.
STRENGTHENING COOPERATION WITH MULTI-PARTNERS URGED
Inevitably, even countries with modest trade ties to the world’s largest economy can still feel the ripple effects of Washington’s unpredictability. In response, experts recommend that European nations broaden their trade partnerships, especially with China, Southeast Asia and other regions.
“Europe must, in the long term, become more independent from the American market. A joint free trade zone with the ASEAN countries and the rapid ratification of the agreement with Mercosur are urgently needed,” Dirk Jandura, president of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services, said in a statement after Trump’s new tariff announcement.
Mario Boselli, chairman of the Italy China Council Foundation, said that the shifting dynamics might prompt Europe to reconsider its external economic strategy. In his view, strengthening cooperation with China is a “highly strategic choice.”
“If economies, like the EU, China, the United Kingdom, Brazil and India, keep global trade open, the U.S. tariffs’ impact on global supply chains will be lower. That’s the opportunity,” said Carlo Altomonte, associate professor of the Department of Social and Political Sciences of Bocconi University in Milan.
Martin Geissler, Partner at the management consultancy Advyce & Company, echoed the suggestions by sharing Germany’s auto industry as an example. “German automakers have often not yet recognized the growth prospects that exist in Africa and many emerging countries,” Geissler said, contrasting this with China’s strategic engagement with multi-partners.
Bernardo Mendia, Secretary General of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is leading a Portuguese delegation to the ongoing China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing.
A key factor driving Portugal’s participation this year, in his words, is the rise of protectionism, logistical disruptions and geopolitical shifts. In the face of these challenges, China offers a distinctive platform to develop innovative solutions, business models, and collaborative partnerships, he said.
Looking ahead, experts believe that Washington’s trade policies could ultimately backfire on the U.S. economy itself.
“The U.S. needs many of our industrial products, which cannot be easily replaced in the short term. This allows German manufacturers of these goods to largely pass on the tariffs in their prices to the detriment of the U.S. economy,” said Juergen Matthes, head of International Economic Policy, Financial and Real Estate Markets Research Unit at the German Economic Institute.
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353July 17, 2025
Intel Chairs Cotton and Crawford to Gabbard: Review Intelligence Sharing with Spain
Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congressman Rick Crawford (Arkansas-01), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today sent a letter to Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence requesting a review on all intelligence sharing with Spain’s intelligence, defense, and law enforcement services. This letter comes after Spain’s Ministry of the Interior reportedly awarded €12.3 million in contracts for Huawei, which has deep ties to the CCP, to provide servers and consulting services for Spain’s wiretap systems.
In part, Senator Cotton and Congressman Crawford wrote:
“Since the first Trump administration, the United States has waged a whole of government effort to remove the threat Huawei equipment poses to American networks, infrastructure, and privacy. Until Spain follows suit, the U.S. Government should ensure that any information shared with the Spanish government is redacted of details that should not be shared with the CCP.”
Full text of the letter may be found here and below.
The Honorable Tulsi GabbardDirector of National IntelligenceOffice of the Director of National Intelligence1500 Tysons McLean DriveMcLean, VA 22102
Dear Director Gabbard:
We write to urge you to review intelligence sharing arrangements with the government of Spain to ensure that any information shared with Spanish intelligence, defense, and law enforcement services does not reveal U.S. national security secrets to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
As you are likely aware, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior reportedly awarded €12.3 million in contracts for Huawei to provide servers and consulting services for Spain’s wiretap systems. Huawei has deep ties to the CCP and is subject to China’s National Intelligence and Data Security laws, which compel Huawei to provide the CCP access to any Huawei information that the CCP deems necessary. In essence, Huawei and the CCP could have backdoor access to the lawful intercept system of a NATO ally—enabling them to monitor Spanish investigations of CCP spies and innumerable other intelligence activities.
Since the first Trump administration, the United States has waged a whole of government effort to remove the threat Huawei equipment poses to American networks, infrastructure, and privacy. Until Spain follows suit, the U.S. Government should ensure that any information shared with the Spanish government is redacted of details that should not be shared with the CCP. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Tom Cotton Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Rick CrawfordChairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed on X touting the Senate’s passage of President Trump’s $9 billion rescissions package early this morning. In the piece, Sen. Tuberville urges Republicans to adhere to the America First mandate 77 million Americans voted for in 2024 by continuing to cut wasteful government spending on programs that don’t benefit the lives of hardworking American families. With $37 trillion in debt, it’s far past time to return to fiscal sanity before it’s too late.
Read excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s op-ed below or the full piece here.
“When you’re coaching football, one of the first things you teach your team is discipline. A team without discipline blows assignments, misses tackles, and lets games slip away. Well, Washington has been blowing assignments and missing tackles for decades, especially when it comes to spending your hard-earned tax dollars. This week, we’ve got a chance to start calling the right plays. The Senate voted on a $9 billion rescissions package—a straightforward, no-nonsense plan to cut wasteful government spending and get our fiscal house back in order. Now it is up to the House to follow through. This isn’t a trick play. It’s not a Hail Mary. This is blocking and tackling—the fundamentals of fiscal responsibility. Frankly, this should be low-hanging fruit for Republicans. We talk a big game on the campaign trail about cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. But now that it’s time to walk the walk, some of my Republican colleagues seem to have forgotten how they got here in the first place.
Over the past 4 years, Joe Biden treated the American taxpayers like his own personal piggy bank for bad ideas. Now, we’re $37 trillion in debt and have very little to show for it. The American people sent us here to clean house. 77 million Americans voted for President Trump and the America First agenda—an agenda that includes cutting woke foreign aid, left-wing propaganda, and out of control bureaucracy. That’s exactly what this bill does. We are cementing DOGE cuts into law and finally delivering on the President’s mandate to cut waste, fraud, and abuse. First, we’re cutting $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).This woke organization funds NPR and PBS, two outlets that have gone out of their way to push the Democrat Communist Socialist Party’s radical agenda.
It’s no secret that NPR is the PR arm of the left. Their CEO openly called President Trump a “fascist” and a “deranged racist.” But don’t taking my word for it—just ask Uri Berliner, who was a senior business editor at NPR for more than two decades. In April 2024, he wrote an op-ed called “I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.” In the piece, he wrote that NPR has an “absence of viewpoint diversity.” He acknowledged that NPR has “always had a liberal bent” but now an “open-minded spirit no longer exists at NPR.” To prove his point, he noted that registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 87 to 0 in the newsroom. Not surprisingly, NPR suspended Berliner for having the nerve to call it like it is. I guess NPR only protects freedom of speech as long as it aligns with their progressive ideology. Go figure.
[…]
Americans are starving on the streets, and yet we’re sending money to educate kids in Uganda on LGBTQI+. It would almost be funny if it wasn’t so sad. This is global social engineering paid for by the American taxpayer. What the hell are we doing?
It’s time for Republicans to put up or shut up. You can’t campaign on cutting spending and then flake out when someone hands you the scissors. If Republicans can’t make this play, we don’t deserve to be on the field. Let’s pass this rescissions package, tighten our belts, and start governing with some good old-fashioned common sense. President Trump campaigned on reining in spending, and it is incumbent on us to deliver. Let’s get it done.”
Senator 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.
Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned a scathing op-ed in the Daily Caller calling for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to be fired. In the piece, Sen. Tuberville addresses his concern with Powell’s refusal to lower interest rates during a time of economic growth in the Golden Age of America. Chair Powell’s decision to play politics is hurting hardworking American families.
Read excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s op-ed below or the full piece here.
“President Donald J. Trump and his America First policies are back, and the American people can feel the momentum. After four years of disastrous open-border policies, skyrocketing inflation, and woke bureaucrats running wild, the tide is finally turning. Thanks to the President’s tariffs and tax cuts, the Trump economic engine is revving back up. Prices are low. The stock market is up. Employment numbers are on the rise. America is returning to energy dominance. Families are finally starting to feel like they’re keeping more of their paycheck. But there’s still one major obstacle standing in the way of unleashing America’s full economic potential — and that’s Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Let’s cut the bull, Jerome Powell has gone rogue. He’s acting like a coach whose team is down by 2 at the end of the 4th quarter – but instead of kicking a field goal to win the game, they punt the ball. Inflation is at the lowest point in four years under President Trump – but Jerome Powell is still using the old Biden Democrat Socialist playbook. As a result, interest rates are through the roof, borrowing costs are squeezing families, and small businesses are getting crushed. Americans are ready to build, buy, hire, and grow — but the Fed is playing games instead of cutting rates and letting the economy breathe. That’s not just bad policy. That’s sabotage.
This isn’t his first offense either. Powell’s track record is a mess. Back in 2021, as Biden and the Radical Left were pumping the economy with trillions of dollars in reckless spending, Powell stood in front of the American people and told them inflation was “transitory.” He basically told American consumers to not believe their own lying eyes. But the American people aren’t stupid. They saw prices rising at the pump, at the grocery store, and on every utility bill. What Powell called “transitory” turned out to be full-blown, historic inflation that was here to stay as long as Biden and Powell were the ones calling the shots.
[…]
Let’s not pretend this wasn’t political. Powell has aligned himself with the D.C. Swamp, the same corrupt system that’s tried everything to stop Donald Trump from putting America First. The Fed is supposed to be independent, but under Powell, it’s acting like the economic arm of the Democrat Socialist Communist Party. Powell isn’t just a bad economist. He’s a symbol of the woke elites that look down on farmers, truckers, teachers, and welders — the backbone of this nation — and thinks they should just sit down and be quiet while the “experts” in D.C. run things.
In the United States of America, we believe in freedom, faith, hard work, and putting the American taxpayer first. We don’t take orders from the World Economic Forum. We don’t answer to Davos. And we sure don’t let Ivy League elites in glass towers decide whether families in Alabama can afford to buy a house or start a business.
If your quarterback is fumbling the ball, missing reads, and throwing picks, you bench him. You don’t give him another season; you send him packing. President Trump knows how to win. We need a Federal Reserve that supports that mission, not one that tries to undermine it. This isn’t just about monetary policy, it’s about our future.
It’s time to fire Jerome Powell and bring in a Fed Chair who understands the America First vision — someone who will fight inflation by empowering American workers, not punishing them. Someone who understands that prosperity starts with cutting taxes, slashing regulation, and letting a free people create, build, and thrive. Jerome Powell had his shot. He blew it. It’s time for a new leader at the Fed.”
Senator 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.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 3301, 3302, and 7511 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:
Section1. Purpose. The Congress has recognized that effective Government administration requires excepting some positions from the competitive service based on their confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character. Existing excepted service schedules make partial use of this authority. Schedule C of the excepted service authorizes appointments to noncareer excepted service positions of a confidential or policy-determining character. Schedule Policy/Career of the excepted service authorizes appointments to career positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.
There is, however, no excepted service schedule for noncareer positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3302(1), conditions of good administration, including eliminating this gap in excepted service schedules and improving the operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, make necessary creating a new Schedule G in the excepted service for noncareer positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character.
Sec. 2. Definition. The phrase “normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition” refers to positions whose occupants are, as a matter of practice, expected to resign upon a Presidential transition and includes all positions whose appointment requires the assent of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.
Sec. 3. Excepted Service. Appointments of individuals to positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be made under Schedule G of the excepted service, as established by section 4 of this order.
Sec. 4. Schedule G. Civil Service Rule VI is amended as follows:
(a) 5 CFR 6.2 is amended to read:
“OPM shall list positions that it excepts from the competitive service in Schedules A, B, C, D, E, Policy/Career, and G, which schedules shall constitute parts of this rule, as follows:
Schedule A. Positions other than those of a confidential or policy-determining character for which it is not practicable to examine shall be listed in Schedule A.
Schedule B. Positions other than those of a confidential or policy-determining character for which it is not practicable to hold a competitive examination shall be listed in Schedule B. Appointments to these positions shall be subject to such noncompetitive examination as may be prescribed by OPM.
Schedule C. Positions of a confidential or policy-determining character normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be listed in Schedule C.
Schedule D. Positions other than those of a confidential or policy-determining character for which the competitive service requirements make impracticable the adequate recruitment of sufficient numbers of students attending qualifying educational institutions or individuals who have recently completed qualifying educational programs. These positions, which are temporarily placed in the excepted service to enable more effective recruitment from all segments of society by using means of recruiting and assessing candidates that diverge from the rules generally applicable to the competitive service, shall be listed in Schedule D.
Schedule E. Positions of administrative law judge appointed under 5 U.S.C. 3105 shall be listed in Schedule E. Conditions of good administration warrant that the position of administrative law judge be placed in the excepted service and that appointment to this position not be subject to the requirements of 5 CFR, part 302, including examination and rating requirements, though each agency shall follow the principle of veteran preference as far as administratively feasible.
Schedule Policy/Career. Career positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character not normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be listed in Schedule Policy/Career. In appointing an individual to a position in Schedule Policy/Career, each agency shall follow the principle of veteran preference as far as administratively feasible.
Schedule G. Positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be listed in Schedule G.”
(b) 5 CFR 6.4 is amended to read:
“Except as required by statute, the Civil Service Rules and Regulations shall not apply to removals from positions listed in Schedules A, C, D, E, Policy/Career, or G, or from positions excepted from the competitive service by statute. The Civil Service Rules and Regulations shall apply to removals from positions listed in Schedule B of persons who have competitive status.”
Sec. 5. Implementation. (a) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall adopt such regulations as the Director determines may be necessary to implement this order, giving particular attention to appropriate amendments to 5 CFR, part 213.
(b) In making appointments to positions in Schedule G of the excepted service, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs:
(i) shall consider whether prospective appointees would be suitable exponents of the President’s policies; and
(ii) shall not take into account prospective appointees’ political affiliation or political activity.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Office of Personnel Management.
class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
1. Taconite iron ore processing is fundamental to the United States’ steel production and manufacturing sectors. The facilities involved in the process supply essential raw materials used to make steel, which is used in national defense systems, critical infrastructure, and a broad range of industrial applications. Preserving and enhancing domestic taconite processing capabilities is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources and ensuring resilience of American industrial supply chains. 2. On March 6, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule, pursuant to section 112 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412, titled National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Taconite Iron Ore Processing, 89 FR 16408 (Taconite Rule). The Taconite Rule imposes new emissions-control requirements on taconite iron ore processing facilities. 3. The Taconite Rule places significant burdens on a sector critical to the Nation’s industrial foundation. The Taconite Rule mandates compliance with standards that rely on emissions-control technologies that have not been demonstrated to work in the taconite industry, are untested at commercial scale, or are not reasonably achievable under current operational conditions. If enforced under the current timeline as set forth at 89 FR 16408, the Taconite Rule risks forcing shutdowns, reducing domestic production, and undermining the Nation’s ability to supply steel for defense, energy, and critical manufacturing. The United States must not allow inflexible regulatory deadlines to jeopardize a material critical to our industrial base. Maintaining this capacity is essential to our national security and economic resilience. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 112(i)(4) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412(i)(4), do hereby proclaim that certain stationary sources subject to the Taconite Rule, as identified in Annex I of this proclamation, are exempt from compliance with the Taconite Rule for a period of 2 years beyond the Taconite Rule’s relevant compliance dates (Exemption).The technology to implement the Taconite Rule is not currently available, and it is necessary to issue this Exemption now because long design, permitting, and construction lead times mean that regulated entities will not be able to meet the relevant compliance deadlines absent compliance relief.This Exemption applies to all compliance deadlines established under the Taconite Rule, with each such deadline extended by 2 years from the date originally required for such deadline.The effect of this Exemption is that, during each such 2-year period, these stationary sources are subject to the emissions and compliance obligations that they are currently subject to under the applicable standard as that standard existed prior to the Taconite Rule.In support of this Exemption, I hereby make the following determinations: a. The technology to implement the Taconite Rule is not available. Such technology does not exist in a commercially viable form sufficient to allow implementation of and compliance with the Taconite Rule by the compliance dates in the Taconite Rule. b. It is in the national security interests of the United States to issue this Exemption for the reasons stated in paragraphs 1 and 3 of this proclamation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
ANNEX I
1. United States Steel Corporation i. Affected Facility/Source: i. Keetac Plant, Keewatin, Minnesota ii. Minntac Plant, Mountain Iron, Minnesota
2. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. i. Affected Facility/Source: i. United Taconite, Minnesota ii. Northshore Mining, Minnesota iii. Hibbing Taconite, Minnesota iv. Minorca Mine, Minnesota v. Tilden Mine, Michigan vi. Empire Mine, Michigan
