U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) | April 30, 2025 | The New York Post
I distinctly remember the time Mark Zuckerberg came to see me in my office.
It was five years ago now, back when the Facebook founder was at the height of his “move fast and break things” stardom.
I was a new senator and a skeptic.
I thought his company — now Meta — was breaking too many things: like the right to free speech, or the right to control your personal data, or the right of your kids to have a sane childhood.
Zuckerberg came to convince me otherwise, as he had convinced many a regulator and politician, by making vague promises about Big Tech’s good intentions.
I’ll never forget the look of shock on his face when I suggested the best thing Big Tech could do was start surrendering power.
Break themselves up.
Give control back to their customers.
It was abundantly clear he had no such intentions.
Now the Federal Trade Commission is suing Meta for antitrust violations in federal court — and on April 17, another federal judge found tech giant Google liable for a host of antitrust breaches.
Finally.
[…]
The Constitution opens with the seminal words “We the People.”
But given the power Big Tech has amassed in recent years, one could be forgiven for thinking it starts with “We the Corporations.”
We have come to a moment of decision: Either the government will break up these behemoths and return to the people the power they have seized, or the corporations will effectively be the government for the nation.
[…]
The Big Tech companies have more power than any corporation on earth. Indeed, they have more power than any corporation in history.
And if we don’t act now, they will control our lives, and our country, altogether.
[…]
The solution here is simple: We must take power from the corporations and return it to We the People.
How?
Enforce antitrust law to the hilt.
Take the April 17 Google verdict on advertising.
Ad revenue fuels everything these companies do, from designing ever-more-addictive products to censoring Americans’ speech.
The recent verdict may turn that spigot off.
[…]
The FTC’s case against Zuckerberg and Meta is significant, too.
If the FTC wins, it could force Meta to divest Instagram and WhatsApp, restoring competition to digital markets.
Antitrust law can be a powerful tool.
But we must do more.
We ought to empower citizens directly.
Antitrust cases can take years, even decades.
And we can’t always wait for the government to act.
That’s why I’ve proposed legislation to open the courtroom doors to every American harmed by these companies.
Let Americans who have been censored sue.
Let parents whose kids have been victimized by predators online sue.
[…]
Giving ordinary citizens their day in court means the tech companies have to stop taking your personal information without payment or consent.
And breaking up the Big Tech-Big Government alliance means bad actors like the Biden administration can’t use the ginormous power of the corporations to do their censorious bidding.
Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., said today they have joined Senate colleagues to demand the Trump Administration stop its illegal slashing of student visas.
After learning federal agencies have been revoking student visas and terminating Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records across the country in violation of existing laws and policies that protect students’ status, the senators demanded the Trump Administration fully reverse its actions after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began to reinstate these visas.
“[S]tudents across the country—who by all accounts appear to have followed all of the applicable laws and agency guidance—have reported visa revocations with no clear explanation as to the basis to terminate status,” the senators wrote in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons.
“Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has completed at least 4,736 total terminations of student visa holders’ Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records. By DHS’s own admission, the statute and regulations do not provide SEVP the authority to terminate nonimmigrant status by terminating a SEVIS record. Your decision to reverse such terminations is therefore prudent and required by law,” the senators wrote.
The lawmakers also noted that current laws, regulations, and agency guidance require notice to be provided when a student’s status is being terminated or revoked. “Students who have entered through our legal immigration system and followed the law remain unsure of what, if any, steps they may take to maintain their status and safeguard themselves from immigration enforcement,” the senators wrote. “While we are relieved that ICE has reversed these SEVIS terminations, we now urge you to undo other actions to end student status that are inconsistent with such laws, regulations, and agency guidance. Finally, we understand that you are contemplating additional actions to end student status. Any such changes must be consistent with applicable statutes, including requirements for notice with respect to changes that would deprive a student of their status and ability to live and study in the United States and place them at risk of detention.”
The letter was led by Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Michael Bennett, D-Colo., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Chris Coons, D-Del., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mark Warner, D-Va., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) introduced the Partner with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Act. This bipartisan bill would enhance cooperation with key partners in technology and scientific research, while combating the rising influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
“Communist China is using illegal practices to gain an unfair advantage in the tech world,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Now is the time to stand together with our allies and partners across the globe to counter these aggressive tactics. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation will make our country more secure and spur job-creating technology innovations here at home.”
The Partner with ASEAN, CERN, and PIFAct amends the International Organizations Immunities Act to expand diplomatic privileges and immunities to these three international organizations. It provides the legal authorities to streamline the movement of people and materials between these organizations and the U.S., deepening U.S. ties with Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and a key scientific research partner.
You can find the full text of the legislationhere.
Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress to stand up to the Chinese government’s aggression. She introduced the PASS Act to ban individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land and businesses located near U.S. military installations or sensitive sites and the Strengthening Exports Against China Act, which would incentivize economic growth by eliminating barriers for American businesses competing directly with China in emerging industries like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. She’s also introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the domestic supply chain for rare-earth magnets, which are critical components of cell phones, computers, defense systems, and electric vehicles, but are almost exclusively made in China.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Congresswoman Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Help Hoover Dam Act to allow the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to access about $50 million in unused, long-stranded funds for Hoover Dam operations, maintenance, and improvement projects. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) are original co-sponsors of this legislation.
“The Hoover Dam is a monument to the idea that America can and will invest in infrastructure that improves the lives of its people,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The dam and its powerplant serve residents across Nevada, Arizona, and California. It’s past time we cut the red tape, unlock the $50 million in unused funds to improve and maintain the dam, and save taxpayer dollars.”
“The Help Hoover Dam Act will cut through federal red tape and free tens of millions of dollars in long-stranded funding for Hoover Dam improvement projects. This is government efficiency,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “Our bill is about keeping energy prices from going up, protecting our natural resources, and saving taxpayers money.”
“Drought on the Colorado River has had a dramatic impact on Hoover Dam customers, reducing generation by roughly 40 percent compared to pre-drought generation levels. The Help Hoover Dam Act would give the Bureau of Reclamation the congressional authority necessary to make beneficial use of stranded funds in order to pay for critical operation, maintenance, and replacement projects at Hoover Dam. This legislation is urgently needed to help not-for-profit, community-owned utilities served by Hoover Dam to continue to serve their communities during this difficult time,” said Desmarie Waterhouse, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Communications & General Counsel, American Public Power Association.
“The Help Hoover Dam Act is urgently needed to ensure adequate funding for operation, maintenance and replacement projects at Hoover dam and mitigate cost impacts on consumers. The dam provides clean and affordable energy to many southwestern rural communities and is critical to maintaining grid reliability in the western United States. We appreciate Senator Cortez Masto and Congresswoman Susie Lee’s efforts to ensure that electric cooperatives and other not-for-profit utilities can continue to rely on Hoover Dam to meet the energy needs of their communities,” said Louis Finkel, Senior Vice President for Government Relations, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).
“The Help Hoover Dam Act is of critical importance to Nevada. Hoover Dam is an icon of the American West, facing unprecedented challenges due to extreme drought. This bill will preserve power generation at a time when the Western United States needs reliable and cost-effective energy resources,” said Eric Witkoski, Executive Director of the Colorado River Commission of Nevada.
Tens of millions of dollars in the Colorado River Dam Fund have been inaccessible for decades due to bureaucracy, federal red tape, and government inefficiency. 40 million people depend on the Colorado River for water and 1.3 million people in Nevada, Arizona, and California depend on the Hoover Dam for electricity. The Help Hoover Dam Act will support the dam and its powerplant by:
Investing $50 million in unused funds in the Hoover Dam — helping save taxpayer dollars, protect Western water and other natural resources, and strengthening a key source of Nevada’s energy.
Giving Reclamation clear authority to partner with Hoover hydropower contractors in recovering and utilizing these stranded funds for authorized activities — including operations, maintenance, capital improvements, and clean-up actions — at Hoover Dam and lands connected to the dam.
The Help Hoover Dam Act is endorsed by the American Public Power Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Irrigation and Electrical Districts Association of Arizona, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and others. Representatives Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.-04), and Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.-06) are co-leading this legislation in the House of Representatives.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a leader in the Senate working to combat drought and protect water infrastructure. She fought to deliver $4 billion to combat drought in the states bordering the Colorado River in the Inflation Reduction Act and she helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will continue to make a historic amount of funding available for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country over the next five years. Cortez Masto also passed into law a $450 million competitive grant program for large-scale water recycling projects across the Western U.S.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) reintroduced the Tribal Access to Electronic Evidence Act, bipartisan legislation to provide Tribal courts the same ability to issue warrants for electronic evidence – such as emails, social media messages, and other online communications – as their non-Tribal counterparts.
“All law enforcement agencies across the Silver State should have the same access to electronic evidence needed to deliver justice and closure to the victims of crimes and their families,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “It is time that Congress pass this commonsense, bipartisan legislation to give Tribes the tools they need to protect their communities.”
The commission created by Cortez Masto’s Not Invisible Act — which was signed into law alongside her Savanna’s Act in October 2020 — issued a report with dozens of recommendations to improve the federal response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis. One key congressional recommendation was to address the challenges Tribes face in accessing essential electronic information for criminal investigations. The bipartisan Tribal Access to Electronic Evidence Act would amend current law to:
Include courts of federally recognized Tribes as “courts of competent jurisdiction” under the Stored Communications Act,
Require Tribal courts to adhere to warrant procedures described in the Indian Civil Rights Act to access electronic information, and
Recognize Tribes as a government entity under the federal statute.
This bipartisan bill has been endorsed by the National Native American Bar Association, the National American Indian Court Judges Association, and the National Native American Law Enforcement Association.
The full text of the legislation can be foundhere.
Senator Cortez Masto has long been a champion for Tribal communities. Last year, the Senate passed both her legislation to make it easier for Indian Health Services to recruit and retain doctors and her legislation to strengthen Tribal public safety. She repeatedly called on the Biden administration to do more to address the epidemic of violence against Native women and girls, including securing federal funding to protect Native communities, urging the administration to draft a plan to address this issue, and requesting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the federal response to this crisis.
Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
05.01.25
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, today pressed the nominee to serve as deputy secretary of the Department of Commerce, Mr. Paul Dabbar, on concerns about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) ability to complete fisheries stock surveys in Alaska if staffing and approved funding from the department are not prioritized. Sen. Sullivan noted in the committee hearing that conducting surveys is one of the Commerce Department’s core responsibilities with regard to fisheries, and surveys are needed in order for Alaskans to harvest in various fisheries across the state. Sen. Sullivan also demanded that Dabbar and Commerce officials work promptly with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to sign the pending maintenance contract for the Kodiak, Alaska-based NOAA research vessel, Oscar Dyson, which conducts these critically important surveys.
“When you don’t do stock assessment surveys, you know what happens? My fishermen can’t fish,” said Sen. Sullivan. “All they need is a survey and it’s not happening. I have a whole list and I’m going to mention them here. I hope to hell someone from Commerce is watching. Okay? Because if you’re not doing surveys, that’s the basic stuff you’re supposed to do at NOAA, then my guys can’t fish. They don’t want subsidies. They just want to fish.”
Fishing and seafood processing employ more Alaskans than any other industry and are vital to the economic well-being of dozens of coastal communities throughout the state. Roughly two-thirds of all seafood harvested in America comes from Alaska’s waters.
[embedded content]
Below is a transcript of Sen. Sullivan’s exchange with Mr. Dabbar.
SEN. SULLIVAN: I think we’re off to a good start, certainly on fisheries. We have this “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” executive order from President Trump on day one. This includes fisheries, LNG, all kinds of great things in Alaska. Then, just a couple days ago, the “Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness” EO. So we’re off to a good start. I want to commend the President, Secretary Lutnick, and their team. But I am concerned, to Senator Cantwell’s point—and this is a big issue—that we’re not having the staffing to do the two things that Commerce has to do for fisheries. American fisheries, unlike CHIPS and Science—a quarter of $1 trillion in subsidies—my guys don’t get subsidized at all. The federal government has to do two things: They need to do robust surveys to inform accurate stock assessments, and they need to do timely promulgation of regulations to open fisheries. That’s it. When the federal government doesn’t do that, you screw the hard-working fishermen of Alaska and America. Just think of “Deadliest Catch.” They do have to compete with Russia and China. To be honest, right now, it’s starting not to look good. I’m starting to get really upset, because when you got—Biden was horrible on the surveys. Horrible. We threw a ton of money at NOAA and the guy did climate change and all this BS. He didn’t do the blocking and tackling of NOAA, which is stock assessment surveys. You guys came in: “Hey, we’re not going to be like Biden.” But you’re not…I’m getting really worried that you guys aren’t doing this either. When you don’t do stock assessment surveys, you know what happens? My fishermen can’t fish. They don’t get $240 billion in subsidies. All they need is a survey and it’s not happening. I got a whole list and I’m going to mention them here. And I hope to hell someone from Commerce is watching. Okay? Because if you’re not doing surveys, that’s the basic stuff you’re supposed to do at NOAA. Then my guys can’t fish. They don’t want subsidies and they just want to fish. Can I get your commitment—and I hope to hell someone from NOAA’s watching this. I got a whole list of surveys right now that looks like you’re not going to complete. So what happens? My fishermen don’t fish. That is wrong. Can I get your commitment—and I hope to hell someone from NOAA and Commerce is watching this right now—get on with the surveys. Can I get your commitment? You can tell I’m a little rattled about this.
DABBAR: Yes, Senator, and I know that I’ve read your proposed bill, the latest one, and also how understanding research of, for example, salmon in Alaska, where some things are going well strong, and some things are weaker, and why. So I’m certainly committed on that also.
SULLIVAN: I just need your commitment to get the staffing and money to do the surveys. That’s it. If we’re failing on this, this is not good. Let me ask one final question. This relates. There’s a contract we’re trying to get the Secretary to sign, like right now. It’s for the Oscar Dyson. It’s a NOAA survey vessel homeported in Kodiak, Alaska. It’s coming up for its contract. It needs to be signed this week. Again, I hope Commerce people are watching. Okay? Just sign the contract so we can do the surveys from the Oscar Dyson. That’s a NOAA survey vessel ship. If that’s not signed in the next couple of days, that vessel won’t be able to do surveys. Again, this is blocking and tackling to take care of our fishermen, which is in the President’s EOs. But we’ve got to be able to support them with science. Can I get your commitment on that and maybe have someone get to the Secretary and sign this contract on the Oscar Dyson like today?
DABBAR: I’ll follow up, and there are people behind me watching, listening to you. I’m certain.
SULLIVAN: It’s really, really important. Thank you.
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate unanimously adopted a resolution backed by U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) designating April as Financial Literacy Month. Boozman joined Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in leading the measure to raise awareness for access to resources that can help Americans of all ages develop and maintain healthy financial habits while underscoring the importance of financial education and empowerment.
“When Americans have the tools and knowledge to better manage their finances, they are empowered to chart a path to financial stability,” said Boozman. “I am pleased to support this commonsense, bipartisan effort to help hardworking people of all ages make positive money management choices.”
“Financial literacy is critical to achieving financial independence and the American Dream,” said Scott. “Unfortunately, many Americans growing up like I did lack basic financial education, which is why I’ve made it my mission to make programs and resources on this important topic more accessible. Designating April 2025 as Financial Literacy Month builds on our efforts to ensure all Americans can access the tools necessary to secure their financial future.”
“From managing a household budget to making major purchases to laying the foundation for a secure retirement, financial literacy is a lifelong endeavor. Unfortunately, too many Americans lack the basic financial literacy skills needed to make informed decisions,” said Reed. “This has impacts on families, communities, and future generations. Raising awareness about the resources available to improve financial literacy is the first step on the path to a financially secure future. I’m pleased our Senate colleagues are coming together on a bipartisan basis to recognize financial Literacy Month.”
In addition to Boozman, Scott and Reed, the resolution was also cosponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Jim Risch (R-ID), Angus King (I-ME), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Gary Peters (D-MI), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jim Banks (R-IN), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH).
Click here for text of the resolution.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – According to the Economic Policy Institute, the gulf in pay between CEOs and average workers is 290 to 1. In an effort to ensure that hardworking U.S. taxpayers are not forced to subsidize lavish executive compensation packages while making a fraction of CEO pay, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today reintroduced legislation that would finally fully close a major loophole in corporate tax law.
The Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act (S. 1576) would put an end to a special tax break for huge executive bonuses by preventing publicly traded corporations from deducting the cost of any multimillion-dollar pay package paid to executives from their corporate tax bills.
Under section 162(m) of the tax code, publicly traded corporations cannot deduct more than $1 million in compensation paid to their top executives. But section 162(m) does not cover compensation paid to all public company employees, and corporations have long exploited this loophole to claim tax deductions for executive compensation packages that far exceed $1 million. As publicly traded corporations offer lucrative compensation deals to increasing numbers of executives and not just those at the very top of the organization, U.S. taxpayers are shouldering the cost.
Both Republican and Democratic administrations have signed laws based on earlier versions of this legislation in order to curtail the abuse of this deduction. This includes ensuring that performance-based compensation is actually counted as compensation under section 162(m) and increasing the number of highly paid executives who are subject to section 162(m). Partially tightening the law in these ways has saved taxpayers billions of dollars. However, the full loophole has still not been closed, and taxpayers continue to subsidize extravagant compensation.
The Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act would address the remaining gaps by applying section 162(m) restrictions to all employees of publicly traded corporations so that all compensation is subject to a deductibility cap of $1 million per employee. The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation has estimated that closing this loophole would save taxpayers nearly $80 billion over ten years. In other words, taxpayers are currently paying around $8 billion each year to subsidize exorbitant executive pay packages.
“Corporations shouldn’t be able to get out of paying their fair share of taxes by lavishing executives with jumbo bonuses at the expense of taxpayers, workers, and shareholders. Taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidizing millionaire compensation and it’s way past time for this loophole to be fully closed,” said Senator Reed. “Companies are free to pay their executives as much as they want. But it is unfair to force hardworking American taxpayers to foot the bill for multimillion-dollar bonuses. The Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act puts an end to this give-away and will restore fairness to the tax code and ensure corporations, not taxpayers, are the ones who pay for multimillion dollar bonuses. Success and capitalism are not at issue here. What’s at issue is a broken system that has taxpayers subsidizing multimillion dollar executive bonuses while those same taxpayers are struggling with rising costs.”
The Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
The bill is supported by Public Citizen, Americans for Financial Reform, the AFL-CIO, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, MIT Professor and Nobel Prize Winner Simon Johnson, Take On Wall Street, Americans for Tax Fairness, and the Institute for Policy Studies, Global Economy Project.
“This is a timely and important proposal, addressing a basic issue of fairness in the American economy,” said MIT Professor and Nobel Prize Winner Simon Johnson.
“It’s high time our tax code stopped rewarding large corporations for giving their executives extravagant pay packages. We applaud Senator Reed and Representative Doggett for introducing legislation to finally close a senseless loophole that subsidizes outrageous executive pay,” said Natalia Renta, Associate Director of Corporate Governance and Power at Americans for Financial Reform.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – Over the past 100 days, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon has been marked by sweeping ideological purges, scandals, and the unjustified firings of senior military leaders.
On Thursday, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to address Secretary Hegseth’s damaging misconduct and the long-term consequences for the U.S. military.
A video of Senator Reed’s remarks may be viewed here.
A transcript of Senator Reed’s floor speech follows:
REED: Mr. President, I rise to discuss my concern about the chaos that is roiling the Department of Defense. Sunday will mark the 100th day of Pete Hegseth serving as Secretary of Defense. During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Hegseth said, quote, “[President Trump] wants a Pentagon laser focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards and readiness. That’s it. That is my job.” Well, Mr. President, Secretary Hegseth is failing the mission President Trump gave him. His actions over the past 100 days have done nothing but distract the Pentagon and undermine its warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness.
In his first 100 days, Secretary Hegseth has terminated or weakened programs and processes that are the bedrock upon which the military recruits personnel and trains servicemembers to go into battle. For example, in February, the Secretary announced his plan to slash the civilian workforce by 5 to 8 percent, terminate probationary workers, and institute a hiring freeze. These severe measures have only meant more work for the remaining employees, and more costly work for military officers and contractors to cover the gaps, or simply not carry out missions.
The Secretary has also launched a number of efforts to eliminate diversity and inclusion programs, which have led to more limited recruiting efforts, attempts to separate honorably serving transgender servicemembers, dissolving social clubs at the military academies, banning and removing books from the Naval Academy, and inspiring walkouts by students at DOD schools abroad over book bans and curriculum changes. I joined the Army in 1967 and served on active duty for 12 years, and the idea that dependent children of military personnel, in DOD schools, would protest the Secretary of Defense, to me was inconceivable, but it’s happened. This shows, I think, great anxiety in the ranks of our military personnel all across the globe.
The Secretary is also failing his duty to lead the Department by example. On March 24, Mr. Hegseth demonstrated a severe lack of judgment when he texted classified military intelligence on the unclassified and unsecure Signal app to at least two group chats, including one with his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. That information, if intercepted by an adversary, would endanger the lives of our servicemembers deployed downrange. The Secretary also installed a “dirty line” – an unsecure internet connection – in his Pentagon office so he could more easily send texts and personal emails. Such actions violate the laws and protocols that every other military servicemember is required to follow. The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General is conducting an investigation of Mr. Hegseth’s mishandling of classified information, and I look forward to its findings.
Just hours ago, we learned of press reports that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz may be fired this week because of his own actions around the Signal incident. If true, I welcome the message of accountability that it would send. Mr. Waltz made a significant mistake in adding a reporter to a sensitive Signal chat, and his failure of judgment could have had serious national security consequences. I respect that he took responsibility for his mistake. In contrast, Secretary Hegseth has refused to take responsibility for his own misconduct, which in my view was far more egregious than Mr. Waltz’s.
Indeed, the fallout from this incident has further eroded the already dismal credibility that the Secretary brought to the Pentagon. The Secretary’s inner circle of hand-picked advisers have nearly all resigned or been fired. His chief of staff was dismissed amid allegations of incompetence and unsettling personal behavior. Three of his senior policy advisors were fired for allegedly leaking sensitive information, which they all staunchly deny. And his top spokesman resigned after losing confidence in the Secretary, writing, quote, “The building is in disarray under Hegseth’s leadership,” and, quote, “The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon — and it’s becoming a real problem for the administration.” This chain of events is extraordinary and underscores the concerns I raised at Secretary Hegseth’s nomination hearing. He does not possess the temperament nor the management skills needed to lead the Pentagon.
There have been multiple news reports that Secretary Hegseth spends much of his day focused on perceived leaks and that he has become paranoid, lashing out at aides and senior military leaders, convinced that they are undermining him. He has threatened his top military advisors, including then-acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Grady and Joint Chiefs Director General Sims, with polygraph tests in order to prove that these distinguished military leaders are not liars.
The Secretary’s office should be leading the Pentagon, allowing the rest of the Department to be laser-focused on their missions. But again, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made that very difficult due to the internal disarray they have created by firing key military leaders.
These firings include the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commander of Cyber Command, the U.S. Military Representative to NATO, the Vice Chief of the Air Force, the Secretary of Defense Senior Military Aide, and the top uniformed lawyers, or Judge Advocates General, of each of the military services. As I’ve said before, if you want to break the law, you start by getting rid of the lawyers.
These are not minor positions. They are vital to the Department’s mission, and when left unfilled, the military loses focus and missions are compromised. These officers were fired without a plan to replace them, which is crippling our military’s effectiveness during a perilous time. More importantly, these officers were fired without explanation, which leads to the worst possible outcome for a military force – fear throughout the ranks that one should not speak up, should not refuse an illegal order, and should not call out abuse nor question decisions.
General and flag officers are charged with providing their unbiased “best military advice” to the civilian leaders of the Department of Defense. Servicemembers are expected to give candid feedback to their leaders and peers, and commanders expect troops to give them the facts, straight and true, because lives are on the line. Similarly, Congress expects candor from senior officers to provide their best judgment — without fear of retribution — for both the security of our country, and that of the 2 million servicemembers who put themselves in harm’s way.
But firing officers as a political litmus test poisons this military ethos. It sends an immediate signal to troops that providing their unbiased best military advice might have career-ending consequences.
I will take a brief moment to discuss the officers who have been dismissed.
General CQ Brown
General CQ Brown served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was fired, without explanation, not even halfway into his four-year term. He was visiting our troops on the southern border when he was abruptly dismissed by the President without even the courtesy of a warning. General Brown served our nation honorably for more than four decades and led the Joint Chiefs with dedication and skill. The Senate approved his nomination by a vote of 83-11. To date, the Trump Administration has given no justification for his dismissal.
Seven full weeks passed without a confirmed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. General Dan Caine has now been confirmed and is working hard to get up to speed. Given what happened to his predecessor, General Caine must realize that in addition to his duties as the Chairman, he must also deal with the political intrigue consuming the Pentagon. I hope that General Caine will always provide his best military advice to the President and the Secretary of Defense, even if that advice not what they would want to hear.
Admiral Lisa Franchetti
Secretary Hegseth also dismissed Admiral Lisa Franchetti, who served as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations. She was the first woman to lead the Navy, and the first to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Admiral Franchetti served in leadership roles at every level throughout the Navy, both ashore and at sea, and with postings around the globe. She was a trailblazer, team builder, and inspiration to many. The Senate approved her nomination by a vote of 95-1. Again, the Trump Administration has given no justification for her dismissal.
To date, the Administration has not nominated a new Chief of Naval Operations. It has been two months since Admiral Franchetti was dismissed, and the Navy remains without a Senate-confirmed Chief of Naval Operations at a time when the service is involved in the most combat operations since World War II in the Red Sea.
General Timothy Haugh
General Timothy Haugh served as the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency. As the commander of Cyber Command, General Haugh led the most formidable cyber warfighting force in the world, responsible for detecting, deterring, and overseeing cyber operations against America’s adversaries – particularly China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and various terrorist organizations. General Haugh had a distinguished 34-year career within Air Force cyber and intelligence organizations, including multiple command assignments.
I am extremely concerned that press reports indicate that Laura Loomer, a fringe conspiracy theorist, convinced President Trump to dismiss General Haugh and fire a slew of expert staff on the National Security Council for no discernible reason. Now, when a conspiracy theorist can get into the President’s office and convince him to fire an officer of General Haugh’s caliber – and others on the National Security Council – there’s not only something wrong with that individual, there’s something wrong with the President who would listen to them without consulting others.
The Senate unanimously confirmed General Haugh to his post in December 2023, and, once again, the Trump Administration has given no explanation for his dismissal. The Trump Administration has not selected a new CYBERCOM commander, and it’s unclear if there is any sense of urgency to fill this position. Secretary Hegseth has given a priceless gift to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea by purging leadership from one of our most vital national security commands.
Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield
Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield served as the United States Military Representative to NATO, the first woman to hold this position. She held a vital leadership role within the alliance, particularly as it related to coordinating international support to Ukraine. Admiral Chatfield was among the finest military officers our nation had to offer, with a 38-year career as a Navy helicopter pilot, foreign policy expert, and preeminent military educator, including as President of the Naval War College.
The Senate unanimously confirmed Vice Admiral Chatfield to her post in December 2023. The Trump Administration has given no justification for her dismissal, and has not nominated any replacement to this critical posting at NATO.
General James Slife
General James Slife was the U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff – the second highest ranking officer in the Air Force. He spent most of his 36-year career as a special operations helicopter pilot. He deployed many times around the world and flew countless combat missions in perilous conditions. General Slife risked his life repeatedly for our nation and led his fellow special operators and Airmen with distinction.
The Senate unanimously confirmed General Slife to his post in December 2023. The Trump Administration has given no explanation for his dismissal, nor nominated any officer to help lead the Air Force.
Lieutenant General Jennifer Short
Lieutenant General Jennifer Short was the first female Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. She advised the Secretary and served as the representative for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, coordinating policy and operations across the Joint Staff, combatant commands, and with the U.S. interagency. A command pilot with more than 1,800 flight hours, including more than 430 combat hours in the A-10, she flew in operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom, and commanded Airmen at the squadron, wing, major command, and combatant command levels.
The Senate unanimously confirmed her to her post. The Trump Administration has given no explanation for her dismissal.
Judge Advocates General
Finally, I am deeply concerned by Secretary Hegseth’s dismissal of the Judge Advocates General of the military services. These officers, known as “TJAGs,” are the most senior uniformed lawyers in the military.
These officers each served more than 30 years in uniform as military lawyers. They were strictly apolitical and held fundamental roles ensuring that balanced, legal counsel was part of every military policy discussion. These officers provided legal oversight that spanned military justice, operational law, administrative compliance, government ethics, and U.S. adherence to the Law of Armed Conflict.
These unprecedented firings, along with the firings of the Inspectors General, should alarm everyone about the commitment of the President, and the Secretary of Defense, to the rule of law for the military, and also within the United States and across the world.
Mr. President, the Defense Department is one of the most complex institutions in the world, with a budget of nearly $900 billion and a workforce of nearly 3 million military and civilian personnel. It is an organization that requires strong leadership, stability, predictability, and trust. These qualities are critical because we ask the Department’s men and women to risk their lives every day in service of their country. Mr. President, those men and women who gave their lives, and all those who still serving at this moment, deserve the best. They deserve a leader who is as laser focused on readiness, lethality and the mission as they are. Not someone who treats his position as Secretary as a performative exercise complete with a Twitter feed dominated with workout videos.
Our servicemembers deserve better. They deserve someone who is focused on them, not focused on himself. If Secretary Hegseth does not improve his job performance, the conditions at the Pentagon will continue to deteriorate and something worse is bound to happen. I hope Secretary Hegseth takes note.
I yield the floor.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to help more Rhode Islanders reduce their home energy costs, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced that Rhode Island is getting an additional $2.6 million through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), after the Trump Administration finally released the remaining $400 million in LIHEAP aid this week to states nationwide.
Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, helped provide a nationwide total of $4.1 billion for LIHEAP in FY 2025.
LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills by providing payment and energy crisis assistance to pay for gas, electric, and other methods customers use to heat their homes.
This latest allocation brings Rhode Island’s FY 2025 appropriation for LIHEAP up to $26.6 million so far this year.
Last October, the Biden Administration released ninety percent of LIHEAP funds to states to give states time to properly plan and deploy these funds through the end of the fiscal year, which runs through September of 2025. This included an allocation of $534,784 in LIHEAP funds that Senator Reed helped include through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“This latest infusion of federal LIHEAP funding will provide overdue support to families in need and help them cope with high energy costs. In addition to easing the strain on household budgets, the release of LIHEAP funds also helps local small businesses that supply home heating fuel to customers with fixed or limited incomes,” said Senator Reed.
LIHEAP is administered by states and accessed through local Community Action Agencies. Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources.
Nationwide, an estimated 6 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP over the last year, including over 28,200 Rhode Island households.
The average LIHEAP benefit covering about $500 in winter home heating costs for Rhode Islanders.
Rhode Islanders wishing to apply for LIHEAP may click here to reach the Rhode Island Department of Human Services website to get more information and links to an online application.
Senator Reed noted that while the release of these federal funds to states is good news, he remains deeply concerned about the Trump Administration decimating the LIHEAP staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the impact that could have on the federal government’s ability to effectively manage the program and assist states with LIHEAP going forward. Reed says he has no doubt that President Trump will once again try to eliminate LIHEAP altogether but vowed to work on a bipartisan basis to include LIHEAP funding in future Appropriations laws, just as he successfully did during the first Trump Administration.
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
“Who is actually running the Department: Secretary Lutnick or Elon Musk and DOGE?” Senators ask
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, joined U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and five Senate Democrats in demanding that Keith Sonderling, the purported Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), promptly turn over key documents and information related to the dismantling of the agency and recent funding termination notices sent to all grantees by a member of Elon Musk’s DOGE. The senators’ demands come as Paul Dabbar, President Trump’s nominee for Deputy Secretary of Commerce, appeared on Thursday before the Commerce Committee for his nomination hearing.
“In one MBDA termination notice reviewed by our offices, the Department claims the grant is being terminated because it ‘is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interests of the United States and the MBDA Program,’” the senators wrote in a letter to Sonderling, who was confirmed by the Senate as Deputy Secretary of Labor in March. “The termination notice further states that, ‘MBDA is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda.’ …[T]he notice is silent about why the grants are inconsistent with the MBDA’s priorities and programs—which Congress, not the Department, set by statute. And it suggests the DOC or others in the Administration may be using funding appropriated for the MBDA for other, unrelated purposes.”
The senators questioned Sonderling about the notice terminating all MBDA grants, which was signed by Nate Cavanaugh, a member of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and “Under the Authority of Keith Sonderling, Acting Undersecretary of MBDA.”
“This raises significant questions regarding Mr. Cavanaugh’s precise role at DOC and the mechanism by which you or other members of DOC leadership delegated him authority to terminate MDBA grants on behalf of the Department,” their letter continued. “Our offices have also obtained information indicating you may not have been aware these termination notices were being sent out by Mr. Cavanaugh under your authority, which would raise further questions about who is actually running the Department: Secretary Lutnick or Elon Musk and DOGE?”
The letter is also signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.).
In October 2024, Heinrich led the unveiling of a new, larger office space for the New Mexico Minority Business Development Center in Albuquerque to expand support for local businesses across the state as they create the types of careers New Mexicans can build their families around. Heinrich wrote the legislative provision that established and funded the New Mexico Business Center in 2020, securing more than $2.5 million in federal resources through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency for its staffing and programming.
Today, during the Senate Commerce hearing on the nomination of Paul Dabbar to be U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Luján pressed Mr. Dabbar on the dismantlement of the MBDA by the Trump administration and highlighted the successes of the MBDA. Senator Luján championed an amendment in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make the MBDA permanent. He also secured passage of a provision to double the funding level for the MBDA’s Rural Business Development Center Program and to expand this program’s eligibility to include all Minority-Serving Institutions, which will expand opportunities for New Mexico’s colleges and universities. Additionally, in 2021, Luján championed legislation to make permanent and expand the reach of the Minority Business Development Agency.
The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:
The Honorable Keith Sonderling
Acting Under Secretary for Minority Business Development Agency
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20230
Acting Under Secretary Sonderling:
On March 25, 2025, and April 17, 2025, we sent letters to Secretary Howard Lutnick raising serious concerns about the apparent dismantling of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), despite his testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation stating he would not support doing so. In our April 17 letter, we requested specific documents and information that would help address our outstanding questions and concerns regarding the MBDA. On April 24, 2025, we received a letter from the Department of Commerce (DOC) Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs purporting to respond to our April 17 letter. This response, however, contained a mere three sentences related to the MBDA and failed to answer or meaningfully address any of our requests. Given Secretary Lutnick’s apparent disregard for our concerns about the Department’s actions against the MBDA, we are now requesting you provide documents and information related to this inquiry.
Since our most recent letter, our offices have obtained information demonstrating that DOC has canceled all MBDA grants—further dismantling an agency Congress statutorily authorized, despite Secretary Lutnick’s testimony to the contrary. In one MBDA termination notice reviewed by our offices, the Department claims the grant is being terminated because it “is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interests of the United States and the MBDA Program.” The termination notice further states that, “MBDA is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda.” Beyond these conclusory assertions, however, the notice is silent about why the grants are inconsistent with the MBDA’s priorities and programs—which Congress, not the Department, set by statute. And it suggests the DOC or others in the Administration may be using funding appropriated for the MBDA for other, unrelated purposes.
Raising further concerns, the termination notice was signed by Nate Cavanaugh—who we understand to be part of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—and is signed “Under the Authority of Keith Sonderling, Acting Undersecretary of MBDA.” Mr. Cavanaugh has reportedly been interviewing employees at the General Services Administration and overseeing efforts to dismantle another agency, the U.S. Institute of Peace. The termination notice indicates that Mr. Cavanaugh now has a DOC e-mail address. This raises significant questions regarding Mr. Cavanaugh’s precise role at DOC and the mechanism by which you or other members of DOC leadership delegated him authority to terminate MDBA grants on behalf of the Department. Our offices have also obtained information indicating you may not have been aware these termination notices were being sent out by Mr. Cavanaugh under your authority, which would raise further questions about who is actually running the Department: Secretary Lutnick or Elon Musk and DOGE?
Given the lack of responsiveness from the Department to date, we reiterate the requests raised in our April 17, 2025 letter, and request the following additional documents and information no later than May 14, 2025:
A complete description of Mr. Cavanaugh’s position at DOC, including his title, job description, date(s) of employment, any salary, any benefits, supervisor, and direct reports. Please also identify all other federal e-mail addresses assigned to or used by Mr. Cavanaugh of which you are aware.
Documents sufficient to show Mr. Cavanaugh’s delegated authority to execute termination notices to MBDA grantees.
Documentation sufficient to show your appointment as Acting Under Secretary for Minority Business Development Agency and the date of such appointment.
A complete description of your decision to delegate your authority to Mr. Cavanaugh for the purpose of terminating MBDA grants, including the extent to which Secretary Lutnick or any other senior DOC official was involved in making this decision.
A complete description of the types of funded activities that are considered “consistent with the agency’s priorities” and “serve[] the interests of…the MBDA program.”
A detailed explanation of how the MBDA intends to “repurpos[e] its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda,” including any specific program or activity that has received or is expected to receive repurposed funding.
Sincerely,
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
***WATCH THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE; DOWNLOAD HERE***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) held a virtual press call alongside West Coast ports to sound the alarm on the dramatic decline of container ships making the trip to West Coast ports and the harmful consequences of Trump’s tariffs across the American economy—price hikes, layoffs, empty store shelves, and more.
The Senators were joined by Mario Cordero, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Long Beach; Ryan Calkins, Port of Seattle Commissioner; and Dick Marzano, Port of Tacoma Commissioner. The press call comes just one day after the overwhelming majority of Senate Republicans rejected a bipartisan resolution led by Senator Wyden and unanimously supported by Democrats to repeal President Donald Trump’s global tariffs.
A new forecast by Apollo Global Management contends that the U.S. economy is on the verge of a self-inflicted recession as a result of Trump’s tariff policies, drawing a plain timeline from Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” on April 2nd to a dramatic slowdown of container ships making their way to U.S. ports. Apollo predicts this slowdown of container ships will lead to a sharp decrease in trucking demand by mid-to-late May, which will subsequently result in supply shortages and lower sales for retailers. By late May to early June, Apollo predicts layoffs will occur across trucking and retail industries and that the U.S. economy will fall into a recession by this summer.
During the call, the West Coast Senators sounded the alarm on the major warning signs for the economy and continued to urge their Republican colleagues to join them in asserting Congressional authority over tariffs to put an end to Trump’s trade war and minimize the economic damage already inflicted by the President.
“We are already seeing the consequences of Trump’s tariffs at our ports: fewer ships from across the Pacific, means less cargo at our ports, less cargo at our ports means less goods for our truckers to transport—and that ultimately means bare shelves for our retailers and the American consumer,” said Senator Murray. “Our ports know better than anyone that supply chains do not reset in an instant. The time to reverse these Republican tariffs was the same day they were announced. Every day This Republican Congress refuses to reject these tariffs is a day they are actively enabling Trump’s pro-recession agenda and higher taxes on every American. Congress needs to take the matches away from the President who is setting fire to the economy. Democrats are going to make sure Republicans continue to feel the pressure until this Congress takes action and overrides this President.”
“Oregon knows firsthand that Trump’s tariff chaos is already hurting small businesses and drying up markets for red-white-and-blue products,” said Senator Wyden. “Speaking with small businesses and workers all over Oregon last week, every single one warned of damage from tariffs in the near future. West Coast senators will be on the front lines pushing back against these senseless Republican tariffs.”
“California’s Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are keystones for the success of not just our state’s economy, but our national economy. So when the San Pedro Bay ports and other West Coast ports send warning signs about the damage of Trump’s tariffs, we know they’re really warning signs for our country,” said Senator Padilla. “The drop in cargo volume caused by Trump’s tariffs will mean empty shelves when products don’t reach our stores, rising prices on everything from groceries to clothes to cars, and undoubtedly, more Americans out of work. While today, it’s Western ports — we know it will only be a matter of weeks before the ripple effect causes pain across the nation.”
“We take our mission as ports seriously because a lot is at stake. The current tariffs will have far-reaching consequences for Washington businesses and consumers, and the thousands of jobs that rely on international trade. We are fortunate to have such a great advocate in Senator Murray and are grateful for her continued attention to these critical issues,” said Northwest Seaport Alliance Managing Member and Port of Tacoma Commissioner, Dick Marzano.
“At the Northwest Seaport Alliance, we have already started to see serious impacts of the tariff war on our docks. As our policy makers address economic and security concerns with international trading partners, we encourage them to tread carefully in order to preserve space for a commercial relationship. We thank Senator Murray for her advocacy for policies that support Washington businesses, jobs, and communities,” said Northwest Seaport Alliance Managing Member and Port of Seattle Commissioner, Ryan Calkins.
“As one of America’s largest ports, Long Beach moves more than $300 billion in cargo every year to and from every congressional district, supporting 2.7 million jobs. Due to the new trade policies, we are about to see a shift from cargo surge to cargo slowdown in the supply chain, and this will have a real impact on the American economy. For workers across the country whose jobs depend on cargo moving through the Port of Long Beach – dockworkers, truckers, logistics workers, retailers, farmers, factory workers – any sort of long-term, sustained downturn in shipments caused by the tariff will be detrimental to the job market. I remain hopeful that leaders in our nation’s capital recognize the significance of the goods movement industry and will take necessary action to ensure America’s economy can thrive,” said Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach.
“Cargo volume at the nation’s busiest port will drop by about one-third next week,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director, Gene Seroka. “That means fewer jobs along with rising prices for consumers and businesses. Additionally, counter tariffs are having a severe impact on American agricultural exporters. We need agreements quickly with our trading partners that benefit and support the U.S. economy and supply chain.”
Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs tied to international commerce. Washington state is the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada. Additionally, more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies in Washington state export goods and will struggle to absorb the impact of retaliatory tariffs. Canada is Washington’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly $20 billion in imports and $10 billion in exports. China is the world’s second-largest economy and Washington state exported over $12 billion in goods to China last year—making China Washington state’s top export partner—and imported $11.2 billion in goods, the most in imports from any country aside from Canada. Trump’s tariffs during his first term were extremely costly for Washington state—for example, India imposed a 20 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. apples, causing Washington apple shipments to India to fall by 99 percent and growers to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.
Senator Murray has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s chaotic trade war from the very start and has been lifting up the voices of people in Washington state harmed by this administration’s approach to trade and calling on Republicans to end Trump’s trade war—which Congress has the power to do—and take back Congress’ Constitutionally-granted power to impose tariffs. Earlier last month, Senator Murray brought together leaders across Washington state who highlighted how Trump’s ongoing trade war is already a devastating hit to Washington state’s economy, businesses, and our agriculture sector. Senator Murray also took to the Senate floor to lay out how Trump’s chaotic trade war is seriously threatening our economy, American businesses, families’ retirement savings, and so much else.
Murray has also been sounding the alarm on Trump’s tariffs across Washington state. Recently, Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion in Tacoma with local businesses and ports, met with farmers in Yakima to discuss the consequences of Trump’s tariffs, and held a roundtable discussion in Vancouver at a local metal fabrication company to highlight how Trump’s trade war is hurting businesses and our economy Washington state. Just last week, Senator Murray met with small business owners in Seattle’s University District to hear how Trump’s tariffs and the broader economic uncertainty are affecting them, and later she met with farmers in Skagit County to discuss tariffs, and visited Blaine near the Canadian border to highlight the impacts of Trump’s trade war.
Senator Murray’s full remarks as delivered during today’s press call are below:
“Thank you everyone for joining us, and I am so glad to be on this call today with some of my colleagues from the West Coast—the best coast. You’re going to hear from Senators Wyden and Padilla, and our West Coast ports.
“We are here to sound the alarm on Trump’s disaster of a trade policy with some of the ports that we represent, because the window of opportunity we have to minimize the worst consequences of this inane tariff agenda is rapidly shrinking. I want to be clear what’s happening here, one economically illiterate President is forcing a totally unpredictable and thoughtless trade war onto the entire world—and although Trump inherited a remarkably strong and resilient American economy, he is singlehandedly pushing this nation toward a painful Republican Recession while forcing a tax increase on everyone.
“All of the major economic indicators are there, we’re talking big red, flashing sirens. We went from months of strong economic growth and predictions of more growth to come, to a shrinking economy all thanks to Trump and his tariffs. Consumer confidence is at its lowest level since COVID because it’s pretty obvious Trump is driving the economy into the ground on purpose. Small businesses in my state who rely on imports are telling me the situation is as dire for them as it was during COVID—during COVID! They’re actually calling Trump’s trade war a kind of COVID 2.0 for them.
“They are facing tariffs on items we either don’t grow or make in the United States, and realistically never will, for things like coffee or Green Tea. They are shouting from the rooftop that Trump is singlehandedly detonating a mass extinction event for small businesses in America.
“And listen, few people understand better than our Ports that you don’t need these tariffs to last very long for them to have a verybig impact. Fewer ships from across the Pacific, means less cargo at our ports, less cargo at our ports means less goods for our truckers to transport, and that ultimately means bare shelves for our retailers and the American consumer.
“Now even if you assume the most optimistic outlook that Trump is going to cut amazing new trade deals with everyone he’s burned—which he won’t—there will still be a painful cost from the shock to the economy that has already been set in motion. Supply chains do not reset in an instant. The time to reverse these Republican tariffs was the same day they were announced.
“Just three Republicans chose to support Senator Wyden’s resolution yesterday, with the majority blocking that bill. That is a dangerous and deliberate decision by Republicans to enable Trump’s pro-recession agenda and higher taxes on every American—and for every day that Republicans choose to allow Trump to sabotage the economy, more small businesses will continue to suffer.
“Businesses in Washington state are already having to take cost cutting measures, they’re laying off employees, some may even close for good. For what? There’s no strategy here. It’s short-term pain for long-term pain. This entire debacle is already a prime example of self-inflicted economic arson. No one wins here.
“Republicans need to cut their losses, and work with Democrats immediately to end this tax on consumers and stop these nonsense trade wars. Congress needs to take the matches away from the President who is setting fire to the economy. So, Democrats are going to make sure Republicans continue to feel the pressure until this Congress takes action and overrides this President.
“So, with that, I want to turn it over to Senator Wyden. He has been a leader in our efforts to rein in Trump’s tariffs.”
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act with Senator Steve Daines (R-MT). This bipartisan legislation would create a new pathway for ecosystem restoration projects in floodplains that meet specific low-risk criteria and would simplify approval for important restoration work while still upholding flood safety standards.
Under the current Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) policy, any proposed development in a regulated floodway, whether it’s a shopping mall or salmon habitat, must prove that it will not increase the base flood elevation (BFE) of the area. This requirement is commonly referred to as the “No Rise” rule. While important for protecting communities from increased flood risks, it has had major unintended consequences on important environmental restoration in Washington state and around the country.
“Here in Washington state ensuring our waterways stay healthy is critical for not just environmental conservation efforts, but important for our communities and economy as well. This legislation will simplify approval of ecosystem restoration projects in floodplains, which is critical for many projects in Washington state where many communities are in a regulated floodway,” said Senator Murray. “Government should be making it easier to protect our environment, not harder. I am proud to be a partner to the many Tribes and advocates in Washington state that have been pushing for the Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act, and I will continue to fight for commonsense solutions to protect and restore our ecosystems.”
In Washington state, many salmon habitat restoration projects involve placing woody debris in a waterway to slow water and make safe spaces for juvenile salmon to develop. These projects, and many others, often fail the “No Rise” rule. Currently, the only way around the rule is to first update FEMA’s flood maps with the projected BFE impacts. This requires extensive and very expensive hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, often performed by a third-party engineer. FEMA then reviews the analyses, replicates them, and approves them internally before giving the okay to move forward, which has taken up to three years to complete. While this process often makes sense in an urbanized, flood-prone community, it is an unnecessary exercise for restoration in remote areas.
“Critical ecosystem restoration projects across Montana have been abandoned due to FEMA’s onerous and costly ‘No Rise’ rule. This commonsense, bipartisan bill will reduce unnecessary burdens on important conservation and restoration work, while continuing to keep our communities safe from flooding,” said Senator Daines.
Many communities in Washington have avoided doing restoration work in regulated floodways—which makes up much of the state—to avoid the associated costs. This bill would allow for a more efficient process for ecosystem restoration in a regulated floodplain and addresses the issue of “No Rise,” which has been a priority concern for a number of Tribal communities and salmon advocates in Washington state for the last few years.
“Ecosystem restoration projects reduce flood risk and restore the natural functions of floodplains,” said Ed Johnstone, Chairman of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. “This proposed legislation is a strong step toward removing an undue burden for these essential habitat restoration and nature-based solution projects. Treaty tribes support legislation that keeps communities safe while restoring salmon habitat and protecting treaty rights in the Pacific Northwest.”
“Restoring healthy floodplains is just one of many nature-based solutions that must be integrated into our national efforts to make communities safer and rivers healthier in the face of increasingly extreme weather,” said Eileen Shader, Senior Advisor for American Rivers Action Fund and a floodplains expert. “Making sure that these cost-efficient and common-sense restoration projects are not limited by inefficiencies in the regulatory framework is an important step in ensuring lives and property are protected.”
“The Association of State Floodplain Managers supports this legislation because it is a practical solution balancing the need to identify any relevant impacts of floodplain restoration projects with time, effort and resources to do so,” said Chad Berginnis, Executive Director of The Association of State Floodplain Managers. “The land use and development standards of the NFIP need to be sensibly applied in a way to protect and enhance the natural and beneficial functions of our nation’s floodplains.”
“We appreciate Senator Murray’s leadership and partnership in developing this important legislation. It’s a common-sense approach that reduces costs and delays for watershed restoration while maintaining flood safety,” said Casey Sixkiller, Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology. “By giving our federal partners more flexibility in their review processes, this bill will help move critical ecosystem and salmon recovery projects forward without unnecessary regulatory hurdles or added costs.”
“There are many benefits to having intact natural floodplains. One of them is that they lower the risks associated with flooding. That is one of the main reasons why The Nature Conservancy supports policies, like this one from Senators Murray and Daines, that help scale up work to restore floodplains,” said Cameron Adams, Policy Advisor for The Nature Conservancy. “This bipartisan legislation would give communities the flexibility they want and need to do science-backed ecosystem restoration projects in flood zones. These types of projects don’t just benefit people, but also plants and animals that thrive in healthy landscapes.”
“Ecosystem restoration projects are a vital tool to address landscape recovery and habitat restoration, especially after major weather events. This amendment would make it easier for local communities to develop effective and necessary restoration projects by streamlining the approval process for ecosystem restoration projects,” said Jeremy Peters, CEO of National Association of Conservation Districts. “NACD appreciates the clarity and flexibility provided in this amendment and looks forward to seeing how local conservation districts will have an even greater impact in areas in need of restoration.”
Senator Murray has been a champion for protecting and strengthening critical salmon and fish populations throughout her time in the Senate. Senator Murray secured a historic $2.85 billion investment in salmon and ecosystem restoration programs—including $400 million for a new community-based restoration program focused on removing fish passage barriers in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—and in the Inflation Reduction Act, Murray secured hundreds of millions for Washington state priorities including $15 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, $3 million to support facilities at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, $27 million for Pacific salmon research, and more.
Last Congress, as then-Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Murray protected critical funding for salmon recovery and fishery projects in the Fiscal Year 2024 government spending bills she negotiated and passed into law, including securing: $50 million in the construction of the Howard Hanson Dam Fish Passage facility; $75 million for the Pacific Salmon account at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), $65 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, $54 million for the EPA’s Puget Sound Geographic Program, and more.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) welcomed the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report examining the use of beneficial ownership information in law enforcement or Inspectors General investigations to detect fraud and misconduct in government programs.
Grassley and Whitehouse requested the report last Congress as part of their ongoing bipartisan work to improve government accountability and transparency, combat illicit finance and bolster the U.S.’s anti-corruption efforts.
“For decades, criminals, cartels and foreign terrorists have used shell companies to steal taxpayer dollars, launder their ill-gotten gains and endanger American lives with lethal drugs and violent crime. Last Congress, Senator Whitehouse and I uncovered just one aspect of these systemic weaknesses in lax Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registration,” Grassley said. “In order to fight this pervasive form of fraud, and support President Trump’s agenda of cutting waste, fraud and abuse, Inspectors General must know who the true owners of U.S. corporations are. FinCEN ought to swiftly implement GAO’s recommendations and provide Inspectors General access to the company registry of beneficial owners.”
“America is engaged in a clash of civilizations, between rule of law and international corruption and kleptocracy. Senator Grassley and I worked for years to pass the Corporate Transparency Act to support law enforcement’s ability to go after fraudsters, cartels, and criminals, who routinely use shell companies to stash dirty money in plain sight,” Whitehouse said. “This timely GAO report details how company ownership reporting betters our government’s approach to cracking down on fraudsters stealing government money and benefits at the expense of honest small businesses and taxpayers.”
Findings:
The GAO report found that some private companies competing for government contracts or applying for federal benefits perpetrated fraud against the government through obscuring their ownership information. The report recommends that the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) work with Inspectors General to facilitate the use of beneficial ownership information to bolster fraud detection, anti-corruption and illicit finance risk.
The report describes how shell company schemes result in significant financial losses and threaten our national security and public safety, including the theft of $93 million from Medicare to the transfer of sensitive military technology to foreign countries. About 85 percent of Inspectors General reported that beneficial ownership information could help prevent and investigate fraud in the government.
Background:
Grassley and Whitehouse were the original sponsors of the TITLE Act, the precursor to the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The CTA was designed to play an important role in protecting national security and public safety by providing law enforcement and national security officials with the names of the true owners (“beneficial ownership information”) of U.S. corporations and other legal entities. This information aids the government’s efforts to combat terrorist financing, money laundering, sanctions evasion, proliferation financing, tax evasion and other forms of illicit finance carried out through shell and front companies.
The CTA was the culmination of more than a decade of painstaking bipartisan congressional deliberation. The measure passed as part of the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act and was supported by a wide range of stakeholders, including national security experts, law enforcement, anti-corruption groups, human rights organizations, faith communities, financial institutions, real estate organizations, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, labor unions and the first Trump Administration.
Read the full report HERE.
-30-
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
May 1, 2025
Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) celebrated National Day of Prayer and praised President Trump’s executive order establishing a new Religious Liberty Commission.
“This nation was built on the power of prayer, and the enduring blessings of freedom and liberty granted by our Creator,” said Lummis. “It is deeply fitting that President Trump chose today, the National Day of Prayer, to sign an executive order establishing a Religious Liberty Commission to protect religious freedom for all Americans. We must continue working together to build a future where every believer can worship freely, where antisemitism and anti-Christian bias are a thing of the past, and where our nation’s founding principle of religious liberty is reignited. I wish all of Wyoming a meaningful National Day of Prayer.”
Background:
In 1952, legislation was passed to establish a National Day of Prayer. It is held the first Thursday of May.
Earlier today, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the Religious Liberty Commission to safeguard and promote America’s founding principle of religious freedom. The Commission will advise the White House Faith Office and the Domestic Policy Council on religious liberty policies and recommend executive or legislative actions to protect these freedoms.
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
Washington, D.C. — This week, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) took to the Senate floor to highlight the completion of President Trump’s first 100 “transformational” days back in office. In the remarks, Senator Lummis discusses how President Trump has revitalized American energy independence, cut wasteful government spending, supported innovative digital asset policies, protected female sports, and restored America’s rightful leadership position around the world.
Watch and listen to Senator Lummis’ remarks here.
A transcript of Senator Lummis’ remarks is below:
——–
“Mr. President – Today, President Trump completes his first 100 days of his return to the White House. And it’s been nothing short of transformational.
“Under President Trump and Vice President Vance’s leadership, we are witnessing the rapid implementation of campaign promises that are already reshaping America’s policy landscape.
“When I go home to Wyoming each weekend, people approach me everywhere – from restaurants to the feed store – eager to discuss the positive changes happening in Washington. The overwhelming sentiment is enthusiasm for what President Trump is accomplishing for everyday Americans.
“For example, on day one, President Trump, restored the dignity of men and women as biologically distinct sexes. It is hard to believe he had to do that, but indeed he did. One of the administration’s first major actions was signing an executive order directing federal agencies to recognize biological sex in athletic competition. The left spent the past four years gaslighting Americans and making the failed argument that biological males should now be competing in women’s sports in the name of “fairness.” Within a few weeks of taking office, President Trump tackled this issue and made it clear that this administration won’t support the left’s attacks on female athletes.
“I believe this is the women’s rights issue of our time, and I’m grateful for President Trump’s leadership. For some people my age we spent so many years trying to exercise our rights under Title IX and other rights to recognize women’s rights only to have them swept under the rug and disregarded by the left, requiring that women not only compete against men but have them in their locker rooms in what were uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe circumstances. President Trump recognized this and thankfully he has put that issue to rest for a while.
“President Trump is also delivering on his promise to unleash American energy dominance. A few weeks ago, I joined President Trump and some of my colleagues at the White House for his signing of an executive order that starts to reverse the Biden and Obama administrations’ anti-coal agenda. For energy states like Wyoming, the official lifting of the unconstitutional coal moratorium represents a significant economic opportunity for western states.
“By removing unnecessary restrictions on energy extraction, the administration has signaled its commitment to blue-collar jobs, cheaper energy for American families, and a new era of energy dominance. Joe Biden and his administration did not care about the impact of their regulations on working-class people; the Trump administration does care, and they are continuing to take actions that will help Americans and our amazing energy communities. Wyoming exports 12 times more energy than it consumes and much of that is in the form of hydrocarbons. Each and every year for years after the Clean Air Act passed, we were producing more energy and producing cleaner air. These things can happen simultaneously and it’s because of yankee ingenuity, it’s because we know how to do things better, all the time. We don’t have to accept the status quo when it comes to energy dominance. They were certain things in the Biden Administration that forced something called “environmental justice” an absolutely trumped up, dreamed up, idea that we can’t have clean energy and abundant energy at the same time. That’s a totally wrong-headed approach to what has always been a great American tradition of ingenuity and entrepreneurs who can take a problem and solve it. There is such a thing as clean air that can be produced from coal and natural gas, in particular. I am proud that my state is part of that, I am proud that President Trump recognizes it and that he has taken steps to restore our statutory ability to produce both clean air and abundant hydrocarbon energy simultaneously.
“Perhaps the most dramatic turnaround has been at the southern border. Where the Biden administration created chaos, President Trump, has restored order. Through multiple executive actions – signing the Laken Riley Act, ending “catch-and-release,” reimplementing “remain in Mexico,” and more—we’ve seen border encounters plummet from nearly 380,000 in February and March last year to just 22,000 plus a few during the same period this year.
“The people of Wyoming are grateful to have a president who cares about securing our border and deporting those who are not here legally. Especially those from gangs that are causing unsafe communities, horrible crimes perpetuated on the American people, all unnecessarily if we’d only followed the laws that were in existence and the statutes that were in existence all along. Those laws that President Biden ignored and that President Trump is following and implementing.
“For decades, America’s leaders have failed our country when it comes to fiscal responsibility. We in this very chamber are partly responsible for that.
“Our $36 trillion national debt represents a real and present threat to America’s future. We all know it’s unsustainable and yet after COVID, we never went back to pre-covid spending levels. We have kept spending at post-covid highs, even though the money spent during the COVID years is no longer necessary in our now more growing and robust post-covid economy. Most taxpayers don’t realize their hard-earned dollars primarily service this massive debt through interest payments rather than funding national defense and essential services. That’s why I strongly support President Trump’s creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It was done through a provision in Obamacare and it’s subsequent ability to gain efficiencies through efforts that computers can assist us with. Nobody knows better how to do it than people who have voluntarily participated through their expertise and ability to identify waste, fraud, and abuse using the Department of Government Efficiency and their remarkable skills with computers to ferret out waste, fraud, and abuse.
“Elon Musk and the DOGE team have already identified a huge number of wasteful and abusive expenditures that don’t benefit American families. All of us should be proud, in both parties, that the rhetoric that we used over the years that we are going to pay for things by ferreting out waste, fraud, and abuse and then after elected don’t even try to find waste, fraud, and abuse has finally come to an end. Elon Musk and his team have found true waste, fraud, and abuse in government and is identifying it so cabinet secretaries can deal with it in their respective agencies. That is exactly the kind of fiscal discipline that we value in Wyoming, that we all should value as Americans.
“After years of the Biden administration’s unbridled hostility toward digital assets and cryptocurrency, President Trump is fulfilling his promise to lead the most pro-digital asset administration in history. And I could not be more proud. We know that we are moving into a digital future, a digital economy. It is something that we should embrace, it’s something that we can include into a new modern 21st century economy. It is not something to fear. But it is something that cries for consumer protections and our incredible ability that we have as agencies to disclose matters that should be disclosed to investors and to allow innovation where it makes our ability to do business internationally faster, cheaper, and more responsible through the ledgers of blockchain incredible abilities to send money all over the world fast and inexpensively. This helps regular everyday Americans avoid the tremendous friction that’s in the banking system that costs taxpayers money and it costs taxpayers time and allows us to do business all over the world in a much less expensive and robust way, what a blessing to have an administration that sees the future in this way, that understands the innovation that is at our fingertips that we can use to go forward in a true 21st century digital economy. I am particularly pleased with President Trump’s support for my Strategic Bitcoin Reserve initiative, which will address our national debt while securing America’s position as the global leader in financial innovation. As Bitcoin comes into more usage, it’s use makes the whole system more secure, more robust, and more capable of serving our needs all over the world. We should be the global leader of this fantastic new ledger-based asset that is in a digital format that is going to be transformative of everyday economy and puts the everyday American, in fact, the everyday worker all over the world in control of their own money. What a wonderful blessing for hardworking people all over the world to have this great new technology and to have America lead the way in implementing this wonderful, wonderful innovation.
“Here in the Senate, we have confirmed 54 of President Trump’s cabinet and sub-cabinet nominees. It has required some long hours, many in the middle of the night must to our consternation, but our work is far from complete.
“The Democrats’ agenda threatens to impose crushing tax increases on hardworking Wyoming families and our local small businesses. If the tax cuts that were implemented under President Trump’s first administration allow to expire, it will create the largest tax increase in history at a time when businesses need the innovation that allows our economy to grow. That can come from a robust and fair tax system. This is something that I look forward to assisting my colleagues in this body to implement in a permanent form and using our current standard practices.
“Following years of punishing inflation under the Biden administration, our communities and working families cannot shoulder any additional financial strain. Keeping our tax code as is and making it permanent is yet another way of implementing advantages to local working economies. It also just delights me that President Trump identified just real working Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, who are living paycheck to paycheck, and tried to identify ways to tax advantage their lives. For example, no tax on tips, no tax on social security, no tax on overtime hours, these are things for regular, everyday working people. Some people alleged that President Trump is trying to help his billionaire buddies, I’m not seeing that at all. I’m seeing a President that really gets the everyday working American and wants to make sure that as they live paycheck to paycheck and try to plan for their families that there is some relief in store with regard to his proposals for taxes.
“These first 100 days of President Trump’s return to office represent just the opening chapter of America’s Golden Era. Already, his administration has made remarkable progress – securing our southern border, revitalizing American energy independence, cutting wasteful government spending, supporting innovative digital asset policies, and restoring America’s rightful leadership position globally. We know even today that as countries are renegotiating their trade policies and tariff policies with us that there is a newfound desire to find a level playing field, reciprocal trade agreements that allow for some of our products to go into their economies in ways that acknowledge that the United States has been globally at a trade disadvantage, and to try and repair some of those long practices where the United States was participating in free trade and other countries were not. It’s time to make it all fair trade. And I applaud President Trump’s desires to do that and hopefully soon, so that we can get some of the turmoil associated with these important changes to our economy behind us and restore stability in our economy in our everyday lives.
“I anticipate the next 100 days will bring equally significant achievements, and I feel deeply privileged to work alongside this administration, and this president. I served fourteen years in the Wyoming legislature all with Democrat governors. I have served twelve years in Congress all with Democrat presidents. This is the first time in my entire life that I have legislatively served with a president of my own party. It’s refreshing. It’s delightful. And it’s even on occasion, fun. I feel so privileged to be here with a Republican president who is delivering meaningful results to the people of Wyoming and our great nation.
“Mr. Chairman – I yield back the floor. Thank you!”
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
May 1, 2025
Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Banking Committee Chairman Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) in praising Senate Majority Leader Thune on expediting a vote on the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act which establishes a clear regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.
“Our landmark stablecoin legislation is a huge victory for the digital asset industry and a critical step in securing our nation’s financial future,” said Lummis. “The GENIUS Act strikes the balance of establishing proper guardrails that protect consumers while preserving financial innovation and America’s dollar dominance in the global financial system. President Trump and Leader Thune’s decision to bring this important legislation to the floor demonstrates their commitment to maintaining U.S. leadership in financial services while keeping digital asset companies and jobs onshore. I want to thank Senator Hagerty and Chairman Scott for their leadership on this and look forward to getting this legislation across the finish line.”
“The GENIUS Act is a critical first step towards delivering on President Trump and the American people’s mandate to advance a regulatory framework for digital assets —and will protect consumers and expand financial inclusion across the country,” said Scott. “I look forward to voting for the bill on the floor and the Senate taking historic action to provide the industry with the clarity it deserves.”
“The GENIUS Act establishes a clear, pro-growth, and secure regulatory framework to modernize our payments system and cement U.S. dollar dominance,” said Hagerty. “I look forward to passing the GENIUS Act in short order to keep digital asset innovation in America, protect customers, and make sure foreign companies are playing by the same rules.”
Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, led a bipartisan resolution to designate May 2025 as Renewable Fuels Month in America. Ricketts is a longtime champion of renewable fuels.
“Renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel are a win for Nebraska and a win for America,” said SenatorRicketts. “They save consumers money, support Nebraska agriculture, protect our environment, and promote American energy independence. I appreciate the bipartisan support for this resolution and call on all Americans to choose renewable fuels.”
“I’ve always been a proud supporter of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel,” said Senator Fischer. “Not only do they expand markets for Nebraska’s farmers and lower prices at the pump for consumers, but they play a vital role in achieving America’s energy independence. I want to thank Senator Ricketts for leading the charge on this important resolution in the U.S. Senate.”
“With President Trump back in the White House, America is set to become energy dominant, and biofuels will make up an important part of that equation. Our resolution recognizes the power of renewable fuels and outlines the great advantages they bring to the table, including boosting the domestic market for farmers and adding jobs and economic vitality in the Heartland. With Iowa continuing to lead the nation in renewable fuels, our resolution also recognizes the importance of rural communities and thanks the hard-working men and women who get these products to market,”said SenatorGrassley.
“Renewable fuels are an important part of American energy, and I’m proud to join my colleagues in designating this month as Renewable Fuels Month,”said Senator Marshall. “By supporting homegrown energy sources like ethanol and biodiesel, we are creating stronger markets for Kansas farmers, cleaner air for our communities, and a more secure future for our state and nation.”
“Renewable fuels bolster our domestic energy production and move America towards energy independence,”said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to support this resolution to designate May as ‘Renewable Fuels Month’ and continue to advocate for producers who deliver our homegrown, Iowa fuel to consumers and drive down prices at the pump.”
“Iowa’s biofuel industry is a national leader because we trust our farmers and fuel producers to drive energy innovation,” said Rep. Nunn, who leads companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. “Recognizing May as Renewable Fuels Month highlights how renewable biofuels are powering America’s energy growth, strengthening our energy independence, and fueling a stronger future for Iowa’s farmers and families.”
“Nebraska’s farmers, ranchers, and producers help power America with clean, homegrown energy that strengthens our economy and communities,” said Dawn Caldwell, Executive Director of Renewable Fuels Nebraska. “Renewable Fuels Nebraska is thrilled to celebrate them this Renewable Fuels Month, and we’re deeply grateful for Senator Ricketts’ steadfast leadership in both Lincoln and Washington, D.C. on behalf of our state and our industry. His resolution shines a well-deserved spotlight on the men and women who fuel the Good Life and beyond.”
Co-sponsors of the bill include U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).
Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, again urged the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, otherwise known as the E3, to trigger the snapback of U.S. sanctions on Iran. In February, Ricketts introducedbicameral legislation calling for snapback sanctions. Ricketts made the following comments:
“There’s been a recent United Nations report confirming that Iran now possesses enough 60% enriched uranium to produce six nuclear warheads. This escalates the threat beyond the US and Israel, posing a direct risk to our allies across the Middle East and Europe,” said Ricketts. “This enrichment defies U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, which originally codified the JCPOA. I applaud President Trump’s decisive move to reimpose maximum pressure on Iran, as well as entering into negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal. However, the credibility and strength of these talks hinge on the United States entering with room with maximum leverage – entering the room with maximum leverage. That’s why I’ve introduced a resolution, backed by 18 of my colleagues, urging the E3 to trigger the snapback of U.N. sanctions before the October deadline.”
[embedded content]
Watch the videoHERE
Ricketts made the comments in a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The hearing considered the nominations of Charles Kushner, to be U.S. Ambassador to France, Leah Campos, to be U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Edward Walsh, to be U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, and Joseph Popolo, to be U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands.
TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Ricketts: “First of all, thank you to all of our nominees here for your willingness to serve our great nation.
“And I want to especially thank your families because they will serve alongside you and make it possible for you to be able to serve our country.
“So thank you very much to the families who are willing to sacrifice, along with our nominees here.
“Mr. Kushner, I’m going to start with you because again, we’ve talked about how important the relationship with France is.
“And you know, there’s been a recent United Nations report confirmed that Iran now possesses enough 60% enriched uranium to produce six nuclear warheads.
“This escalates the threat beyond the US and Israel, posing a direct risk to our allies across the Middle East and Europe.
“This enrichment defies UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which originally codified in JCPoA.
“I applaud President Trump’s decisive move to reimpose maximum pressure on Iran, as well as entering into negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal.
“However, the credibility and strength of these talks hinge on the United States entering with room with maximum leverage, entering the room with maximum leverage.
“That’s why I’ve introduced a resolution, backed by 18 of my colleagues, urging the E3 to trigger the snapback of UN sanctions before the October deadline.
“The French have supported the snapback of sanctions, but have stated that it’s contingent on reaching a nuclear deal.
“Mr. Kushner, do you believe that restoring UN sanctions would give President Trump a stronger hand in confronting the Iranian regime?
Mr. Charles Kushner: “Without a doubt it would.
“And why the French have not used that snapback to date is a mystery to me, because I would think that they would have used it. I
“’m not sure if they don’t have the will or the desire or whatever it may be, but I will be pushing that because I think that should be exercised and it expires within months.
“So the fact that they have that that right and have not used it is a shame.
“I think we should be standing up and really lobbying very, very hard for them to exercise it.
“And I think maximum sanctions is there’s very I think President Trump really has this issue and it’s not it’s either going to be negotiated, no nuclear, or it’s going to have to be an alternative of military.
“And I think President Trump has made that clear.
“So I think maximum protection, maximum leverage on the Iranians. I think France and America are totally in total agreement on that.
Senator Ricketts: “Well, Mr. Kushner, that really heartens me to hear you say that because I agree with you 100%.
“You know, during the first Trump administration, we saw that because of those sanctions, the Trump administration was able to bring Iranian foreign reserves down from $122.5 billion to under $14 billion.
“And that cut off their ability to be able to fund the terrorism that we see around the world and continue to put pressure on the way the Trump administration has is important.
“You know, my colleague here Mr. McCormick, was talking about the Indo-Pacific, and that has emerged an area of key threat from communist China.
“And he mentioned he talked a little bit about France’s role there as well.
“It’s home to 1.6 million French citizens live across its seven overseas territories and over 9,000,000km² of French exclusive economic zone.
“Recognizing this, France became the first European country to adopt an Indo-Pacific strategy in 2019, and through the strategy, France participated in the freedom of navigation exercises that we’re talking about through the Taiwan Strait.
“But, you know, we’ve seen communist China being incredibly aggressive with their illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive practices in especially relating to our allies like the Philippines and Taiwan as well.
“I authored the Bolster Act to encourage European engagement in support of Taiwan security with one of the largest militaries in Europe and naval forces as well extending their presence to this reason, France could really play a great role.
“Can you talk about how can you work with France to get them to better support Taiwan and the relationship there, given its leadership, you know, France’s leadership in the Indo-Pacific?
Mr. Charles Kushner: “I think France recognizes the same thing that America recognizes, what a what a threat China is to the world.
“I don’t think there’s daylight between them in terms of assessing what them as their capability and their infiltration and stealing technology and all the other things and devaluing currency and robbing us on trade.
“So I think France and America are very aligned.
“It’s just that France has to step up to be more aggressive, like America is now stepping up to be more aggressive.
“And I see it as my job as a future ambassador to meet with the officials and apply that pressure, knowing that they should be more in step lock with the American policy.
“So I’m all for your proposal, and I’m all for supporting it.
Senator Ricketts: “Great. Well, thank you.
Mr. Charles Kushner: “Thank you very much for being a cheerleader for it.
Senator Ricketts: “Right. Great. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Kushner.
“And again, I hope that once you’re confirmed as ambassador, that you’ll work with whoever is in leadership in France, whether it’s President Macron or somebody else, to remember that even though we certainly respect France as a having their own policies and you know, and wanting to have the independence from the United States that they deserve as a sovereign nation, that we work better together as a team, and that especially when we’re confronting Communist China, this is the single biggest threat that we face internationally.
“But it’s not just a threat to the United States, it’s a threat to France and all the other freedom-loving countries in the world.
“Because XI Jinping is a dictator who’s who’s bent on world domination.
“And you know, for France to go a separate way from the United States would undermine our collective security.
“So I hope you’ll, you’ll emphasize that when you get there.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) wrote to the commander of U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) General Randall Reed to follow up on their concerns that as USTRANSCOM continues to implement the Global Household Goods Contract, GHC, to streamline its relocation process, military families are experiencing delays and confusion related to the contract transition, and the remedies available to them.
“We appreciate actions taken so far that are aimed at blunting the impacts of the GHC transition to our servicemembers and their families, which have included holding some household goods shipments in the legacy system, as well as increasing USTRANSCOM’s oversight of the HomeSafe Alliance contract performance,” wrote the senators. “We are concerned, however, that the ongoing challenges with the contract transition and the large anticipated volume of moves in the coming months will continue to result in servicemember move disruptions and delays in their moves.”
In the letter, the senators highlighted the importance of communicating with service members about their rights during the relocation process.
The senators continued, “You are also likely aware that the challenges with the implementation of GHC has generated a significant amount of online discussion surrounding military moves. To help prevent confusion or misinformation regarding moves, USTRANSCOM and service Transportation Offices must increase their communication with transferring servicemembers and their families, as the Army did in January to explain changes in personally procured moves. I encourage you to take additional steps to ensure servicemember understanding of their options, rights, and remedies during this transfer season.”
The senators also noted the impact of President Trump’s staffing cuts and hiring freezes at the Department of Defense, and requested a detailed assessment of how these moves are impacting USTRANSCOM’s operations.
The senators concluded, “To better assess the impacts of these haphazard cuts, please provide me a report detailing the staffing structure at USTRANSCOM that supports servicemember household good moves, including the number of billets for civilian and military personnel who support the GHC transition and manage the HomeSafe Alliance contract, the number of vacancies in those billets in AY23, AY24, AY25 to date, specifically identifying any new vacancies since January 20, 2025. We are requesting the same data from each of the military branches to better assess the impacts of Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Noem’s personnel management choices on servicemembers and their families to ensure that they are managing this important issue with the urgency it demands.”
A copy of the letter is available here and below:
Dear General Reed:
We write in appreciation of our servicemembers and their families, and in continuation of my effort to support them and work with U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) on the implementation of the Global Household Goods Contract (GHC) with HomeSafe Alliance. We appreciate the continued focus from your team on remedying GHC implementation challenges, in keeping with USTRANSCOM’s commitments to our military community as they enter the permanent change of station (PCS) peak season. We will continue to monitor this PCS season and your efforts to ensure our military, and you, have what you need to undergo this transformation with minimal impact to those we serve.
We appreciate actions taken so far that are aimed at blunting the impacts of the GHC transition to our servicemembers and their families, which have included holding some household goods shipments in the legacy system, as well as increasing USTRANSCOM’s oversight of the HomeSafe Alliance contract performance. We are concerned, however, that the ongoing challenges with the contract transition and the large anticipated volume of moves in the coming months will continue to result in servicemember move disruptions and delays in their moves. We understand that HomeSafe Alliance is required to compensate servicemembers for some of the costs they incur because of these delays.
You are also likely aware that the challenges with the implementation of GHC has generated a significant amount of online discussion surrounding military moves. To help prevent confusion or misinformation regarding moves, USTRANSCOM and service Transportation Offices must increase their communication with transferring servicemembers and their families, as the Army did in January to explain changes in personally procured moves. We encourage you to take additional steps to ensure servicemember understanding of their options, rights, and remedies during this transfer season.
Finally, we are concerned that recent reports of staffing cuts and hiring freezes at the Department of Defense and military services may negatively impact servicemember moves as the military heads into peak transfer season. The firings of probationary employees and other federal employees, many of whom are military spouses or veterans, have exacerbated the disruptions caused by preexisting vacancies and create new disruptions across the federal government. This heedless hobbling of complex government functions house outsized negative impacts on customer service and customer experience. To better assess the impacts of these haphazard cuts, please provide me a report detailing the staffing structure at USTRANSCOM that supports servicemember household good moves, including the number of billets for civilian and military personnel who support the GHC transition and manage the HomeSafe Alliance contract, the number of vacancies in those billets in AY23, AY24, AY25 to date, specifically identifying any new vacancies since January 20, 2025. We are requesting the same data from each of the military branches to better assess the impacts of Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Noem’s personnel management choices on servicemembers and their families to ensure that they are managing this important issue with the urgency it demands.
We request this response by May 16, 2025. We appreciate your attention and look forward to continuing to work closely with you on this matter. Thank you for your time and consideration. should be placed.
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
In 2023, More Than 4,300 Older New Yorkers Were Victims of Fraud; Victims Lost Over $200 Million;
Trump Is Firing The Federal Regulators Who Help Older Adults Fight Frauds and Scams
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, held a virtual press conference highlighting Trump administration policies that are leaving senior citizens vulnerable to financial fraud.
President Trump is working to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal agency that prevents Americans from getting scammed by big banks and corporations and responds to millions of consumer complaints each year. He has attempted to fire nearly 90% of the agency’s staff, including all but one employee of the CFPB’s Office of Financial Protection of Older Americans. Older Americans are disproportionately the targets of scams and fraud; in 2023 alone, Americans over age 60 lost $3.4 billion to scams. Without the CFPB’s financial education and counseling, coordination with other agencies, and enforcement support activity, they will be left even more vulnerable to exploitation.
“Since its creation after the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB has provided over $21 billion in compensation and relief to Americans impacted by financial scams, frauds, and wrongdoing,” said Senator Gillibrand.“Now, President Trump is trying to shutter the agency and eliminate the support and resources it offers to seniors, putting them at risk of losing their savings or even plunging them into debt. I will be doing everything in my power to stop this ill-considered and illegal shutdown from moving forward.”
The CFPB’s Office of Financial Protection of Older Americans helps educate older Americans about common scams that target seniors and provides a variety of resources to help them navigate medical billing and debt, reverse mortgages, the death of a spouse, and more.
The effort to shut down the CFPB is just the latest of President Trump’s attacks on seniors’ financial wellbeing. He has attempted to shut down Social Security field offices, cut thousands of staff, and eliminate phone support – making it harder for seniors to access the benefits they have spent a lifetime earning. The administration has also paused regulations on inaccurate credit reporting that would protect victims of elder abuse.
The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to the Acting Director of the CFPB is available here or below:
Acting Director
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
1700 G St. NW
Washington, DC 20552
Dear Acting Director Vought,
We write with grave concerns about illegal actions you are taking in your acting role at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Last week, you tried to fire nearly all of the agency’s remaining 1,700 employees—the staff responsible for fulfilling the CFPB’s mission and statutory requirements to prevent Americans from getting scammed by big banks and giant corporations. Your hasty and unjustified mass firings are an illegal shutdown of the CFPB that will leave it unable to conduct agency actions that are required by law.
You directed the gutting of entire divisions—including departments created by Congress to protect service members and older Americans—attempting to leave a shell of only 200 employees to supervise and examine large financial institutions across the country, respond to millions of consumer complaints, answer the phone for hundreds of thousands of people seeking help, monitor emergency financial risks, and run all of the agency’s other operations. This rush to dismantle the CFPB without any careful analysis of the impact on its work is not only illegal, it also defies a court order prohibiting you from shutting down the agency and interfering with its statutorily required responsibilities.
A bipartisan majority in Congress created the CFPB as part of the Dodd-Frank Act in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Since its creation, the CFPB has returned over $21 billion to Americans cheated by giant companies and has been the primary federal regulator supervising and examining the largest financial institutions across the country for compliance with consumer financial protection laws. Congress authorized the CFPB to play this role and required it to perform more than 80 specific functions to protect consumers and our economy from the types of rampant consumer abuse that set off the Great Recession. It is not possible for your proposed skeleton crew of CFPB employees to conduct anything close to all of those congressionally mandated activities to protect consumers. To take just a few examples, your planned cuts include:
• Slashing staff so just 16 employees would be responsible for addressing millions of complaints from scammed consumers. Under 12 U.S.C. 5493(b)(3) and 5511(c), the CFPB must maintain an office for collecting, investigating, and addressing complaints from consumers about financial products and services. Specifically, the law states that the Director shall establish a unit whose functions shall include establishing a single, tollfree telephone number, a website, and a database or utilizing an existing database to facilitate the centralized collection of, monitoring of, and response to consumer complaints regarding consumer financial products or services.”
In 2024 alone, CFPB received more than 2.7 million complaints, routed more than 100,000 complaints to other regulators, directed more than 100,000 complaints to companies, and oversaw the vendor responsible for handling more than 40,000 calls per month.6 But according to court filings, you have slashed the staff in that responsible section of the CFPB from approximately 135 to 16 people (and did not consult the head of the Office of Consumer Response to determine how to continue fulfilling the agency’s statutory responsibilities). In fact, the head of that office said that after the staff cuts, “the Office will be incapable of performing its statutory duties.”
• Wiping out the office required to help members of our military, leaving just one employee responsible for assisting thousands of service members and their families. Under 12 U.S.C. 5493(e), the Director “shall establish an Office of Service Member Affairs, which shall be responsible for developing and implementing initiatives for service members and their families.” These initiatives must include efforts to “educate and empower service members and their families to make better informed decisions regarding consumer financial products and services,” “monitor complaints by service members and their families and responses to those complaints by the Bureau or other appropriate Federal or State agency” and “coordinate efforts among Federal and State agencies . . . regarding consumer protection measures relating to consumer financial products and services offered to, or used by, service members and their families.”
There are more than two million service members in the United States. In 2023, service members and their families submitted nearly 84,600 complaints to the CFPB, a 27% increase from 2022 and a 98% increase from 2021. But according to court filings, you have gutted the entire office so it will be staffed by a single person.
• Eliminating support for older Americans, leaving just one employee focused on the tens of millions of seniors who are disproportionately targeted by scams and fraud. Under 12 U.S.C. 5493(g), the CFPB must maintain an “Office of Financial Protection for Older Americans” that is “headed by an assistant director” and must “facilitate the financial literacy of [seniors] on protection from unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices and on current and future financial choices.” The office must specifically monitor certifications of financial advisors, conduct research to identify best practices for counseling seniors about personal financial management, develop goals for financial literacy programs, coordinate consumer protection efforts with other federal and state regulators, and work with outside organizations involved with assisting seniors.
There are roughly 62 million adults aged 65 and older in the United States. According to the FBI, older Americans are disproportionately the targets of scams and fraud; these crimes against Americans over age 60 caused $3.4 billion in losses in 2023. The average older fraud victim lost $33,915 in 2023.But according to court filings, you have eliminated all but one position in the Office of Financial Protection for Older Americans.
• Gutting the capacity to supervise hundreds of giant financial institutions and to enforce the law. Under 12 U.S.C. 5514(b) and 5515, the CFPB has exclusive authority to supervise banks with more than $10 billion in assets—along with all nonbank lenders—to ensure they are complying with federal consumer financial laws and to assess risks they may pose to consumers and the broader market for consumer financial products. The Chair of the Federal Reserve confirmed earlier this year that the CFPB is the only federal regulator examining giant banks to ensure they are following federal consumer financial laws. The CFPB is responsible for supervising more than 180 banks and bank affiliates as well as many nonbank lenders that service more than 55% of the U.S. mortgage market. But according to court filings, you have slashed the staff responsible for this nationwide supervision of hundreds of institutions from 487 to just 50 employees, with only 50 additional people remaining from the 248 who were previously assigned to pursue legal action when the CFPB discovers illegal activity or violations of consumer protection laws.
• Dismantling the office responsible for monitoring developments in our markets that could crash our economy again. Under 12 U.S.C. 5493(b)(1), the CFPB must maintain a research unit to analyze and report on trends in consumer financial products and services, including on consumer understanding of costs, risks and benefits of those products; the use of disclosures; and access to fair and affordable credit for traditionally underserved communities. Under 12 U.S.C. 5499, the CFPB must maintain public access to all published data sets. Under 12 U.S.C. 5512(c), it must actively monitor and issue reports on emerging risks to consumers. Under 12 U.S.C. 5106(a)(1), 2809(a), and 2809(c), it must also help maintain a registration system for mortgage loan originators; compile statistics, on an ongoing basis, on mortgage issuance; and make mortgage issuance data available to the public. But according to court filings, your cuts would slash the research unit from 208 to 22 staff and eliminate all 10 current employees of the data office.
• Eliminating almost 90% of the agency that has returned $21 billion to scammed consumers and families. The examples above only illustrate the broader ways in which you are dismantling the CFPB, where you plan to leave a single person responsible for the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity, a single person in the Office of Civil Rights, a Private Education Loan Ombudsman with no staff, no Chief Data Officer, and almost no one responsible for basic tasks like running CFPB operations—much less fulfilling all of the more than 80 statutory obligations of the agency. You appear to have no plan for ensuring the CFPB meaningfully meets its responsibilities, including many not highlighted here—such as maintaining an Office of Financial Education, working with a Consumer Advisory Board, engaging in community affairs, and regulating mortgage loan servicing.
In short, it is not possible for the CFPB to perform all of its statutorily required functions with a staff of 200 people left after slashing almost 90% of the agency. Directors from both Republican and Democratic Administrations have all made clear that they needed far more personnel to fulfill their responsibilities under the law. Even during the cuts early in the first Trump Administration, the number of employees never dropped below 1,400—nearly seven times the broken shell that would be left after you have hollowed out the staff. In fact, staffing increased after Director Kathy Kraninger—appointed by President Trump—undertook a “comprehensive planning initiative in 2019 to determine the staffing levels needed to support and execute the Bureau’s priorities in Fiscal Year 2020.”
Maintaining the staff to perform the agency’s required functions is a critical responsibility. There is no other federal agency that is chiefly responsible for enforcing our federal consumer financial protection laws, and consumers across America will be left to fend for themselves against a broad swath of unchecked financial frauds and scams. Though the Trump Administration filed a document last week with a superficial list of the number of people assigned to some sections of the CFPB, it includes a number of zeroed-out offices and does not explain how the remaining 200 staff will perform each of the agency’s required functions.
In light of these significant concerns, we request that you provide—by April 30, 2025—a detailed accounting of each of the more than 80 statutory obligations of the CFPB, the number of employees assigned to each of those functions as of December 2024, the number of employees who would be assigned to each function if your rushed reduction in force were to go into effect, the immediate impact of such a reduction on the agency’s ability to perform each function consistent with federal law and federal court orders, and copies of any individualized or particularized analysis of those planned reductions on the agency’s work.
Sincerely,
Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, and Chris Coons (D-DE) and Representatives Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and Scott Peters (D-CA) reintroduced the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will restore patent eligibility to important inventions across many fields while also resolving legitimate concerns over the patenting of mere ideas, the mere discovery of what already exists in nature, and social and cultural content that everyone agrees is beyond the scope of the patent system. It also affirms the basic principle that the patent system is central to promoting technology-based innovation.
“Clear, reliable, and predictable patent rights are imperative to enable investments in the broad array of innovative technologies that are critical to the economic and global competitiveness of the United States, and to ensuring the national security of our great country,” said Senator Tillis. “Unfortunately, a series of Supreme Court decisions have rendered patent eligibility law unclear, unreliable, and unpredictable, resulting in U.S. inventors being unable to obtain patents in areas where our economic peers offer patent protection. This is particularly concerning in the economically critical areas of biotechnology and artificial intelligence. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation maintains the existing statutory categories of eligible subject matter, which have worked well for over two centuries, while addressing inappropriate judicially created eligibility limitations by creating clear rules for what is eligible. We cannot allow foreign adversaries like China to overtake us in key areas of technology innovation due to the current state of patent eligibility law. I look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders on this important matter. Passing patent eligibility reform is one of my top legislative priorities.”
“When American innovators know their ideas are eligible for patent protection, they take the risks that push us into the future – whether that’s the next medical test or the latest AI technology,” said Senator Coons. “PERA restores clarity to the law on what can be patented and what cannot – guidance that federal courts have been requesting for years and that the Supreme Court has refused to provide. Congress must step up to provide America’s inventors with the stable legal foundation they need to produce the cutting-edge technologies that power our economy.”
“American innovators have been at a disadvantage in recent years because of the U.S. patent system,” said Representative Kevin Kiley. “Convoluted Supreme Court rulings and tests on subject matter eligibility have made it increasingly difficult for inventors to receive patents, leading to foreign companies overtaking our own. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the bi-partisan Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, which will dramatically reverse this trend, and unleash a tide of economic growth and job creation here at home.”
“For more than two centuries, a U.S. patent has guaranteed inventions will be protected from theft, helping the U.S. become the innovation capital of the world. San Diego, in particular, is the proud home of a thriving life sciences and technology ecosystem that has benefited from these protections,” said Representative Peters. “Over the last 15 years, however, several Supreme Court decisions have created confusion about what exactly is eligible for a patent. Innovators, consumers, and even the judges who adjudicate patent law have called on Congress to provide clarity on what can be patented. I look forward to working with Congressman Kiley, Senator Coons, and Senator Tillis to advance our Patent Eligibility Restoration Act and protect American innovation.”
“Congress has not made substantive changes to what subject matter is patentable in the United States since the Patent Act of 1793, making it difficult for courts, inventors, and the public to understand how 21st-century technologies fit within an 18th Century patent statute,” said Andrei Iancu, board co-chair of C4IP and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director from 2018 to 2021. “I commend Congress for advancing PERA in order to finally modernize our patent laws and promote U.S. global leadership in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and other modern technologies.”
“PERA provides the clarity needed to unlock the full potential of cutting-edge technologies and solidify U.S. leadership in scientific and technological breakthroughs,” said David Kappos, board co-chair of C4IP and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director from 2009 to 2013. “We cannot allow legal uncertainty to stall the next wave of American innovation.”
“Patent Eligibility is an important issue for cancer patients – both for life-saving, early diagnosis and for promising new treatments. PERA will provide the certainty needed to enable innovative breakthroughs to reach patients. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute applauds Congress for introducing and advancing this important bill – the patients are waiting.” – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
“Passing PERA is essential if the US is to catch up to Europe and Asia, especially China,” said Judge Paul Michel (retired). “They make eligible for patenting many classes of inventions held ineligible here. The very uncertainty of the zone of eligibility is itself an obstacle to companies getting the investments they need to compete both domestically and globally. Only Congress can fix this chaotic mess because the courts are trapped in their own harmful precedents.”
“In my former court, which hears patent cases on appeal, concurring and dissenting opinions in patent eligibly cases have proliferated,” said Judge Kathleen O’Malley (retired). “Veteran jurists have described the state of affairs as ‘incoherent,’ ‘unclear,’ ‘fraught,’ and ‘inconsistent.’ The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act would return clarity to patent eligibly law and encourage continued innovation in key emerging technologies – technologies that are central to the United States remaining the world’s innovation leader.”
“NCLifeSci thanks Senator Tillis for reintroducing the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2025, which restores the confidence in our nation’s patent laws by bringing much needed clarity to Section 101 of the Patent Act. Confidence that the life sciences industry needs to robustly invest in the future of medicine. For too long, fields like diagnostics, precision medicine, cell and gene therapy, RNA medicine, and digital health have been threatened by unclear and uncertain patent-eligibility standards that put America’s innovators at a disadvantage, and that discourage local investment. Through this legislation, our members – which include leading innovators who operate cutting-edge gene therapy manufacturing facilities here in North Carolina and research potential treatments and cures for Alzheimer’s and cancer —will be able to continue to take the bold risks and make the high levels of investment necessary to take fields like these to their next level, with the confidence that our patent laws will continue to hold up through future waves of technological progress.” – NC Life Sciences Organization
“The Innovation Alliance applauds Senators Tillis and Coons and Representatives Kiley and Peters for sponsoring the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, which will provide much needed predictability and clarity to the hopelessly confused law of patent eligibility. The Supreme Court has provided no workable framework to guide patent owners or the courts, and it has repeatedly refused to clarify the law, rejecting requests by the Federal Circuit and others to do so time and again. Investment dollars are flowing out of the United States as a result, jeopardizing the future of America’s innovation economy. It is past time for Congress to act.” – The Innovation Alliance
“This bipartisan and much-needed bill would strike a decade of judicial tinkering that has needlessly turned the question of patent eligibility into a confusing mess and harmed the U.S. versus our economic competitors. While the U.S. has spent a decade holding back innovations in areas such as fintech, diagnostic solutions and medical devices trying to figure out whether they are ‘abstract’ or not, our competitors are moving forward and protecting these inventions. PERA would be particularly beneficial to American startups and innovators by providing the clarity needed to attract investment for new ventures in essential areas such as medical devices, diagnostics, manufacturing and a whole new range of advancements powered by software.”- Alliance of U.S. Startups & Inventors for Jobs
“AUTM – the association representing technology transfer professionals – thanks Senators Tillis and Coons and others for their leadership in introducing PERA. This legislation is crucially needed to address the ambiguities that the courts have created about what is, and what is not, patent eligible. At a time when the U.S. is competing for innovation leadership, its patent system needs to clearly delineate this process so that it can move forward on numerous discoveries that otherwise would wither on the vine.” – AUTM
“The reintroduction of the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA) marks a pivotal move toward restoring clarity and consistency in U.S. patent law. By providing clear statutory guidelines, PERA offers inventors, entrepreneurs, and research institutions the certainty needed to innovate confidently. We commend Senator Tillis and Senator Coons for their leadership on this critical issue and remain committed to collaborating with Congress to support a patent system that fosters transparency and predictability.” – American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
“The Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform applauds Congress for reintroducing PERA. This legislation represents a significant step forward in clarifying patent eligibility while maintaining necessary standards on what is ultimately patentable. 21C applauds these efforts as they will make sure that the United States remains the most attractive place in the world to invest, invent, and grow.” – The Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform (21C)
The following organizations support the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act: Innovation Alliance, C4IP, AUTM, AIPLA, IEEE-USA, USIJ, MDMA, BIO, NCLifeSci, Adeia, Nokia, Sisvel, Conservatives for Property Rights, Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund, U.S. Business & Industry Council, Center for a Free Economy, Center for Individual Freedom, American Policy Center, Less Government, 60 Plus Association, American Association of Senior Citizens, Frontiers of Freedom, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, Center for American Principles, Prosperity for Us Foundation, Market Institute, Inventors Defense Alliance, Lauder Partners, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Heritage Action, 21C, Netlist, and FICPI.
Background:
Unfortunately, due to a series of Supreme Court decisions, patent eligibility law in the United States has become confused, constricted, and unclear in recent years. This has resulted in a wide range of well-documented negative impacts – inconsistent case decisions, uncertainty in innovation and investment communities, and unpredictable business outcomes.
As of 2021, all 12 then-sitting judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit lamented the state of the law. Witnesses and stakeholders from a wide array of industries, fields, interest groups, and academia have testified and submitted comments confirming the uncertainty and detailing the detrimental effects of patent eligibility confusion in the United States. There is now widespread bipartisan agreement in Congress and across all recent Administrations that reforms are necessary to restore the United States to a position of global strength and leadership in key areas of technology and innovation, such as medical diagnostics, biotechnology, personalized medicine, artificial intelligence, 5G, and blockchain.
The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act achieves this critical goal by restoring patent eligibility to important inventions across many fields, while also resolving legitimate concerns over patenting of mere ideas, the mere discovery of what already exists in nature, and social and cultural content that everyone agrees is beyond the scope of the patent system, which is a system aimed at promoting technology-based innovation. As a general approach, the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act maintains the existing statutory categories of eligible subject matter, which have worked well for over two centuries, but eliminates the overly malleable set of current judicial exceptions – replacing them with five specific, defined statutory exclusions. By eliminating and replacing the current judicial exceptions, the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act provides predictable patent eligibility for important computer-implemented technological developments and medical advances, creating a solid bedrock for America’s innovation future.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
05.01.25
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today issued the following statement after the Senate approved a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval he is cosponsoring to overturn the Biden administration’s burdensome “Once-in-Always-in” rule, which permanently classifies certain industrial facilities as major sources of hazardous air pollutants. The Biden-era rule reversed a Trump administration policy that allowed facilities that reduced their emissions below federal thresholds to reclassify and reduce their compliance costs. Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak sponsored the companion resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“We knocked down the Biden administration’s “Once-in-Always-in” rule because it makes absolutely no sense to continue punishing companies with higher compliance costs when they reduce their emissions to meet federal standards,” said Hoeven. “Repealing this rule will help encourage more businesses to invest in the latest, greatest technologies. That’s the right approach to improve environmental stewardship.”
Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today introduced the Zero-Based Regulations Act to cut red tape and protect taxpayer dollars by requiring annual zero-based reviews of all federal regulations.
“Idahoans are fed up with heavy-handed federal regulations stifling our freedoms,” said Risch. “The Zero-Based Regulations Act forces federal agencies to cut the overreaching, unnecessary rules that no longer serve the people and reduce the regulatory burden on hardworking Americans.”
Risch is joined by U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) in introducing the legislation.
The Zero-Based Regulations Act would:
Implement a “zero-based” standard where repealing regulations is the default;
Require federal agencies to review 20% of their regulations annually and the entire regulatory structure every five years;
Require agencies to justify, simplify, and reduce the cost of any rule by at least 30% to be reauthorized; and
Prohibit agencies from implementing new rules unless certain conditions are met.
For too long, unelected bureaucrats have issued excessive and overreaching rules, ballooning the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations to nearly 200,000 pages. This unnecessary red tape stifles innovation, impedes economic growth, and inflicts significant regulatory burdens on everyday Americans and businesses.
The Zero-Based Regulations Act is modeled after the State of Idaho’s successful zero-based regulation effort, spearheaded by Governor Brad Little and made permanent in 2023. Since 2019, Idaho has cut or simplified 95% of its regulations, earning the title of least regulated state in the country for six years.
“Idaho leads the nation in cutting red tape, and President Trump’s return to the White House is bringing a renewed focus on getting the federal government to follow Idaho’s lead. I appreciate Senator Risch’s efforts to streamline federal regulations to unleash unlimited potential for America’s economy, and Idaho stands ready to help,” said Little.
Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
“Who is actually running the Department: Secretary Lutnick or Elon Musk and DOGE?” Senators ask
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), joined U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and five Senate Democrats in demanding that Keith Sonderling, the purported Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), promptly turn over key documents and information related to the dismantling of the agency and recent funding termination notices sent to all grantees by a member of Elon Musk’s DOGE. The Senators’ demands come as Paul Dabbar, President Trump’s nominee for Deputy Secretary of Commerce, appeared on Thursday before the Commerce Committee for his nomination hearing.
“In one MBDA termination notice reviewed by our offices, the Department claims the grant is being terminated because it ‘is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interests of the United States and the MBDA Program,’” the senators wrote in a letter to Sonderling, who was confirmed by the Senate as Deputy Secretary of Labor in March. “The termination notice further states that, ‘MBDA is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda.’ …[T]he notice is silent about why the grants are inconsistent with the MBDA’s priorities and programs—which Congress, not the Department, set by statute. And it suggests the DOC or others in the Administration may be using funding appropriated for the MBDA for other, unrelated purposes.”
The Senators questioned Sonderling about the notice terminating all MBDA grants, which was signed by Nate Cavanaugh, a member of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and “Under the Authority of Keith Sonderling, Acting Undersecretary of MBDA.”
“This raises significant questions regarding Mr. Cavanaugh’s precise role at DOC and the mechanism by which you or other members of DOC leadership delegated him authority to terminate MDBA grants on behalf of the Department,” their letter continued. “Our offices have also obtained information indicating you may not have been aware these termination notices were being sent out by Mr. Cavanaugh under your authority, which would raise further questions about who is actually running the Department: Secretary Lutnick or Elon Musk and DOGE?”
The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.).
Today, during the Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the nomination of Paul Dabbar to be U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Senator Luján pressed Mr. Dabbar on the dismantlement of the MBDA by the Trump administration and highlighted the successes of the MBDA. Senator Luján championed an amendment in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make the MBDA permanent. Senator Luján also secured passage of a provision to double the funding level for the MBDA’s Rural Business Development Center Program and to expand this program’s eligibility to include all Minority-Serving Institutions, which will expand opportunities for New Mexico’s colleges and universities. Additionally, in 2021 Senator Luján championed legislation to make permanent and expand the reach of the Minority Business Development Agency.
In October 2024, Heinrich led the unveiling of a new, larger office space for the New Mexico Minority Business Development Center in Albuquerque to expand support for local businesses across the state as they create the types of careers New Mexicans can build their families around. Heinrich wrote the legislative provision that established and funded the New Mexico Business Center in 2020, securing more than $2.5 million in federal resources through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency for its staffing and programming.
The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:
Acting Under Secretary Sonderling:
On March 25, 2025, and April 17, 2025, we sent letters to Secretary Howard Lutnick raising serious concerns about the apparent dismantling of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), despite his testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation stating he would not support doing so. In our April 17 letter, we requested specific documents and information that would help address our outstanding questions and concerns regarding the MBDA. On April 24, 2025, we received a letter from the Department of Commerce (DOC) Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs purporting to respond to our April 17 letter. This response, however, contained a mere three sentences related to the MBDA and failed to answer or meaningfully address any of our requests. Given Secretary Lutnick’s apparent disregard for our concerns about the Department’s actions against the MBDA, we are now requesting you provide documents and information related to this inquiry.
Since our most recent letter, our offices have obtained information demonstrating that DOC has canceled all MBDA grants—further dismantling an agency Congress statutorily authorized, despite Secretary Lutnick’s testimony to the contrary. In one MBDA termination notice reviewed by our offices, the Department claims the grant is being terminated because it “is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interests of the United States and the MBDA Program.” The termination notice further states that, “MBDA is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda.” Beyond these conclusory assertions, however, the notice is silent about why the grants are inconsistent with the MBDA’s priorities and programs—which Congress, not the Department, set by statute. And it suggests the DOC or others in the Administration may be using funding appropriated for the MBDA for other, unrelated purposes.
Raising further concerns, the termination notice was signed by Nate Cavanaugh—who we understand to be part of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—and is signed “Under the Authority of Keith Sonderling, Acting Undersecretary of MBDA.” Mr. Cavanaugh has reportedly been interviewing employees at the General Services Administration and overseeing efforts to dismantle another agency, the U.S. Institute of Peace. The termination notice indicates that Mr. Cavanaugh now has a DOC e-mail address. This raises significant questions regarding Mr. Cavanaugh’s precise role at DOC and the mechanism by which you or other members of DOC leadership delegated him authority to terminate MDBA grants on behalf of the Department. Our offices have also obtained information indicating you may not have been aware these termination notices were being sent out by Mr. Cavanaugh under your authority, which would raise further questions about who is actually running the Department: Secretary Lutnick or Elon Musk and DOGE?
Given the lack of responsiveness from the Department to date, we reiterate the requests raised in our April 17, 2025 letter, and request the following additional documents and information no later than May 14, 2025:
A complete description of Mr. Cavanaugh’s position at DOC, including his title, job description, date(s) of employment, any salary, any benefits, supervisor, and direct reports. Please also identify all other federal e-mail addresses assigned to or used by Mr. Cavanaugh of which you are aware.
Documents sufficient to show Mr. Cavanaugh’s delegated authority to execute termination notices to MBDA grantees.
Documentation sufficient to show your appointment as Acting Under Secretary for Minority Business Development Agency and the date of such appointment.
A complete description of your decision to delegate your authority to Mr. Cavanaugh for the purpose of terminating MBDA grants, including the extent to which Secretary Lutnick or any other senior DOC official was involved in making this decision.
A complete description of the types of funded activities that are considered “consistent with the agency’s priorities” and “serve[] the interests of…the MBDA program.”
A detailed explanation of how the MBDA intends to “repurpos[e] its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda,” including any specific program or activity that has received or is expected to receive repurposed funding.
Sincerely,
Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Todd Young (R-IN), and colleagues introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to increase affordable housing for families and workers by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. The bill also helps build nearly 1.6 million new affordable homes over the next decade.
“Doing something to help someone buy a home is consistent with President Trump’s goal of helping working families,” said Dr. Cassidy. “No one should be priced out of a roof over their heads.”
“Affordable housing is needed in Indiana and across the country. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act will leverage private sector investment to increase the stock of affordable housing in both urban and rural communities. As a result, this will help to tackle the housing affordability crisis head-on to help Hoosier families, expand our workforce, and strengthen our communities,” said Senator Young.
Cassidy and Young were joined by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in introducing the legislation. It is endorsed by the ACTION Campaign and the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition.
“Ensuring access to affordable housing is a critical component in helping Tennessee continue to grow and prosper,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act strengthens the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, an important tool that helps to drive private sector investment in affordable housing for all Americans, including our nation’s veterans and seniors.”
Background
Currently, nearly one-in-four renters, over 11 million families, spend more than half of their household income on rent, cutting into other essential expenses like childcare, medication, groceries, and transportation. At the same time, over 600,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness on any given day, an increase over pre-COVID levels.
The Housing Credit has built or restored more than 4 million affordable housing units, nearly 90 percent of all federally funded affordable housing since its creation. Roughly nine million American households have benefited from the credit, and the economic activity that it generated has supported 6.6 million jobs and spurred more than $746 billion in wages.
More specifically, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would:
Increase the number of credits available to states by 50 percent for the next two years and make the temporary 12.5 percent increase secured in 2018 permanent, which has already helped build more than 59,000 additional affordable housing units nationwide.
Stabilize financing for workforce housing projects built using private activity bonds by decreasing the amount of private activity bonds needed to secure Housing Credit funding. As a result, projects would have to carry less debt, and more projects would be eligible to receive funding.
Improve the Housing Credit program to better serve veterans, victims of domestic violence, formerly homeless students, Native American communities, and rural Americans.
The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL-16), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19).
Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
WASHINGTON, DC — Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced the Transparency and Honesty in Energy Regulations Act alongside Congressman Richard Hudson (R-NC), legislation that will eliminate the use of “social cost” metrics in federal rulemaking and reinforce President Donald Trump’s Unleashing American Energy executive order.
“Under President Trump, American energy dominance is back, and states like Oklahoma are fueling the charge,” said Lankford. “This bill pushes back on the Biden Administration’s war on American energy producers by ensuring federal rulemaking is grounded in facts—not flawed models or political agendas. It’s a necessary step to restore transparency, rein in government overreach, and keep American energy competitive.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration used every tool at their disposal to advance their radical green agenda,” said Hudson. “My bill ensures that going forward, no Administration can use inaccurate, unreliable standards to pass dangerous regulations.”
Background
The social cost of greenhouse gas metrics are theoretical measurements that try to put a price or economic impact on emissions. Measurement theories have been used by the federal government to determine the economic impact of potential federal regulations, even though they are unscientific and can result in more burdensome regulations.
Lankford’s bill would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Interior Department, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Health and Human Services from using the social cost of carbon, the social cost of methane, and social cost of nitrous oxide as rationales for their regulations.
The Washington Reporter published an exclusive on the legislation, which you can read HERE.
Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the App Store Accountability Act today, a bill providing parents with tools to protect their children from harmful content on mobile apps. Representative John James (R-MI) introduced the companion bill in the House of Representatives.
“For too long, Big Tech has profited from app stores through which children in America and across the world access violent and sexual material while risking contact from online predators,” said Senator Lee. “Our legislation brings age verification and accountability to the source of the problem.”
“Kids cannot consent — and any company that exposes them to addictive or adult material should be held accountable. The App Store Accountability Act holds Big Tech companies to the same standard as local corner stores. It safeguards the next generation by empowering parents and ensures that when it comes to protecting children, no one is above the law.” – Congressman John James
The App Store Accountability Act empowers parents as decision makers for their children’s online safety and holds app stores responsible for providing safeguards. The legislation requires app stores and developers to protect children by requiring parental approval for app downloads and providing accurate age ratings for apps. The bill also prohibits any selling or sharing of sensitive data or any act that would restrict free speech or expression.
Support for increased parental empowerment online is widespread and bipartisan. Recent polling shows 88% of parents support requiring app stores to obtain parental approval for minors to download apps, and 68% agree that granting approval through app stores would be the easiest way to provide their consent. 101 advocate organizations for children’s online safety endorsed the App Store Accountability Act in a letter of support led by the Digital Childhood Alliance. The letter can be read here.
“I started this effort in 2019 with Senator Lee because I saw how easily children were being funneled into danger through apps—often without a parent ever knowing. App stores are the chokepoint, and if we don’t require age checks and consent there, we are failing families. This bill is the solution I wish had existed years ago—and the one we need now more than ever.” – Melissa McKay, Founder, Digital Childhood Alliance and App Store Accountability Movement
“App stores treat children like virtual adults—promoting adult-oriented platforms and allowing minors to accept terms and download any app without parental oversight. Parents, not tech companies, should have the final say over their child’s app usage. This bill restores parents’ digital sovereignty, empowers them to make informed choices, and reestablishes appropriate digital boundaries for children.” – Annie Chestnut Tutor, policy analyst for the Center for Technology and the Human Person at The Heritage Foundation
“For too long, Big Tech has made it nearly impossible to know what our kids are downloading, agreeing to, or being exposed to. While they monetize our children, parents are totally left out of the loop. The App Store Accountability Act gives parents an important tool to protect their children online and off.” – Andrea Sparks, Not on Our Watch
“App stores continue to overlook the age of their users and let kids download apps that require complex terms of service without parental consent, including mature adult apps, like online dating apps. The App Store Accountability Act would change this. It would put parents back in the driver’s seat over kids’ app experiences, requiring their consent for each app download or purchase. This bill provides the much-needed help that America’s parents need!” – Clare Morell, Fellow, The Ethics and Public Policy Center
“This bill is a turning point for families. App stores have operated without oversight for too long, making it impossible for parents to protect their children from harmful content and predators. The App Store Accountability Act doesn’t ask for the impossible—it demands the necessary minimum: age verification and real parental consent. With 88% of parents supporting this solution across party lines, we’re witnessing a powerful movement for change that cannot be ignored.” – Andrea Davis, Founder, Better Screen Time
The App Store Accountability Act empowers parents to protect their children online by:
• Requiring app stores to utilize privacy-protecting age verification methods, and link minor-owned accounts to a parental account—allowing parents to give consent before the minor makes downloads or purchases.
• Providing a safe harbor for compliant app stores: Platforms can meet minimum standards by offering tools like secure age verification, parental oversight, and accurate app age ratings.
• Requiring transparency and oversight: Annual certifications and a complaint mechanism will ensure tools are effective and loopholes are closed.
• Prohibiting data exploitation: The sale of age-related data collected for verification will be strictly prohibited.
To read Senator Lee’s op-ed for The Hill, click here.
To read CNN’s exclusive coverage, click here.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
May 01, 2025
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined 259 Members of Congress in reintroducing the bicameral Equality Act to push back against escalated attacks from the Trump Administration, MAGA Republicans, and state legislatures on the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans nationwide.
In states across the country, over 850 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been filed so far this year—the most in U.S. history. The Equality Act is historic, comprehensive legislation to enshrine civil rights protections for our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors in federal law.
The Equality Act amends landmark federal anti-discrimination laws to explicitly add sexual orientation and gender identity to longstanding bans on discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, access to credit, federal funding, and more. It would also add protections against sex discrimination in parts of anti-discrimination laws where these protections had not been included previously, such as public accommodations and federal funding.
“Donald Trump thinks attacking gay and transgender people makes him look tough, but Americans don’t like bullies,” said Murphy. “The Equality Act is simple. Every person deserves dignity, safety, and equality under our laws, no matter who they are, who they love or where they live.”
“The LGBTQ+ community is under attack by the Trump Administration’s cruel and callous actions every day,” said Blumenthal. “The Equality Act ensures that everyone, regardless of who they are or who they love, is protected from discrimination everywhere, whether it’s in the workplace, going to school, or buying a house. LGBTQ+ Americans deserve to be free and safe from unjust and unfair treatment, and I am proud to stand with them in this fight.”
Full text of the legislation can be found HERE. A summary of the legislation is available HERE.
Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today introduced the No Subsidies for Gender Transition Procedures Act,a bill that would prohibit taxpayer funding for gender transition procedures covered by Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act. The bill also would deny the medical expense tax deduction for gender transition procedures. U.S. Representative Claudia Tenney (R-New York-24) introduced the House companion version of this bill.
Due to the bill’s targeted approach toward altering the tax code and mandatory spending, Senator Marshall is advocating for this legislation to be included in the FY2025 budget reconciliation package.
“Americans overwhelmingly agree that hard-earned taxpayer dollars should not go toward paying for harmful gender transition procedures,” said Senator Marshall. “This legislation delivers on President Trump’s promise, eliminates taxpayer-funded transgender procedures on both minors and adults, and defends our nation’s values. As the reconciliation process continues, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation and ensure it is included in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill.”
“Taxpayers should never be forced to fund dangerous and irreversible gender transition surgeries. The No Subsidies for Gender Transition Procedures Act sets a sweeping precedent by applying to both adults and minors and applying to as many federal funding streams as possible,” said Representative Tenney. “This will ensure that regardless of the age of the individual looking to mutilate themself, the American taxpayer will not be forced to subsidize it. We are working to ensure that not a dime of federal funds can be used to pay for gender transition procedures.”
This legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska).
“Americans don’t want tax dollars funding sex change operations for children,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Let’s use that money for real medical treatment, not to prop up gender ideology.”
“Trans ideology is anti-science, anti-truth, and anti-child – our government cannot make American families complicit in these controversial medical procedures, especially against young and vulnerable people in our society,” said Senator Lee. “Our necessary legislation prevents taxpayer dollars from funding the gender transition regime through reimbursements, Medicare, Medicaid, and other avenues.”
“American tax dollars should not fund gender reassignment surgery,” said Senator Ricketts. “This bill ends the misuse of tax dollars on these procedures. It also stops federal healthcare facilities from providing these procedures.”
The legislation is supported by the American Principles Project.
“Every year, the federal government subsidizes the transgender medical industry with our tax dollars, despite the vast majority of Americans opposing this horrific waste of taxpayer funding,” said Terry Schilling, President of American Principles Project. “The No Subsidies for Gender Transition Procedures Act would deal a serious blow to the woke trans agenda’s biological and fiscal insanity, and I am grateful for Senator Marshall’s leadership on this problem. It’s time for Congress to pass this important legislation.”
Click HERE to read the full bill text.
Background:
By eliminating federal spending on transgender procedures, we can save American taxpayers $200 million.
25 states and D.C. have Medicaid policies that explicitly cover transgender-related health care.
Over 276,000 of the 1.3 million transgender adults are enrolled in Medicaid.
In March of 2025, Senator Marshall introduced the End Taxpayer Funding of Gender Experimentation Act – similar legislation that prohibits the use of federal funding for gender transition procedures and bars federal healthcare facilities, physicians, and providers from providing such procedures.