Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development (SHRED) Act. This bipartisan legislation will allow local National Forests to retain a portion of annual fees paid by ski areas operating on Forest Service lands.
In exchange for using some of America’s most stunning forestlands, the 124 ski areas operating on Forest Service lands across the country pay fees to the Forest Service that average over $40 million annually. The SHRED Act would establish a framework for local National Forests to retain a portion of ski fees to offset increased recreational use and support local ski permit and program administration. The SHRED Act also provides the Forest Service with the flexibility to direct resources where they are needed the most.
“Skiing plays an important role in Wyoming’s economy. Wyoming communities and ski areas deserve to reap the benefits of the money earned through ski fees,” said Senator Barrasso. “This money can be used for critical projects like facility and trailhead improvements. It can also be used to limit the impact of wildfires across Wyoming. This bill is a win for skiers, local economies, and the health of our national forests. Keeping ski area fees local will ensure we keep Washington out of the West.”
“Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy depends on the strong partnership between ski areas, the U.S. Forest Service, and our mountain towns,” said Senator Bennet. “The SHRED Act will support Colorado’s iconic mountain communities and National Forests in maintaining their landscapes for millions of visitors each year. This bill has strong bipartisan support on the ground and in the House and the Senate. Congress should pass this legislation swiftly to support our ski areas and public land recreation management.”
Co-sponsors of this legislation include U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
This legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Blake Moore (R-Utah) and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.).
“Utah is known for having the Greatest Snow on Earth, and skiing is a critical component of our local economy. Our local government knows how to responsibly steward our resources, and the SHRED Act will help us do just that. By allowing the annual fees paid by ski areas to be used for maintenance and improvements, we can ensure these funds directly benefit Utah and other western states,” said Rep. Moore.
This legislation is supported by the National Ski Area Association and its 124-member ski areas operating on public lands, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Colorado Association of Ski Towns, America Outdoors Association, Vail Resorts, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
“Ski areas across the country appreciate the leadership of Senator Barrasso and Senator Bennet and their unwavering support for outdoor recreation. Retaining ski area permit fees and reinvesting them locally to help the Forest Service keep pace with public recreation demand is key to boosting the agency’s capacity, improving visitor services and expanding access to our nation’s forests for all Americans.” – Michael Reitzell, President & CEO, National Ski Areas Association
Full text of the legislation can be found here.
Background:
The SHRED Act would:
Keep Ski Fees Local: By establishing a Ski Area Fee Retention Account to retain the fees that ski areas pay to the Forest Service. For National Forests that generate ski fees, 80 percent of those fees are available for authorized uses at the local National Forest. The remaining 20 percent of those fees would be available to assist any National Forests with winter or broad recreation needs.
Support Winter Recreation: In each forest, 75 percent of the retained funds are directly available to support the Forest Service Ski Area Program and permitting needs, process proposals for ski area improvement projects, provide information for visitors and prepare for wildfire. Any excess funds can be directed to other National Forests with winter or broad recreation needs.
Address Broad Recreation Needs: In each forest, 25 percent of the retained funds are available to support a broad set of year-round local recreation management and community needs, including special use permit administration, visitor services, trailhead improvements, facility maintenance, search and rescue activities, avalanche information and education, habitat restoration at recreation sites and affordable workforce housing. This set-aside would dramatically increase some Forest Service unit’s budgets to meet the growing visitation and demand for outdoor recreation.
Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., today reintroduced the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act, which would give amateur radio operators the right to install amateur radio antennas and serve their communities. Many homeowner associations prevent amateur radio operators from installing outdoor antennas on residential properties. However, this communication method has proven to be essential in emergencies and natural disasters, such as hurricanes in states like Mississippi and Connecticut.
“Mississippians should have access to every possible means of warning for natural disasters, including amateur radio operators. In an emergency, those warnings can mean the difference between life and death,” Senator Wicker said. “The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act would remove unnecessary roadblocks that could help keep communities safe during emergencies like tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires.”
“When disaster strikes, amateur radio operators provide vital, often life-saving information, which shouldn’t be hindered by prohibitive rules or confusing approval processes. The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act eliminates obstacles for ham radio enthusiasts, allowing them to continue their communications and serve their communities in the face of emergencies,” said Senator Blumenthal.
Background:
The Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act would limit the scenarios in which homeowner associations could ban, prevent, or require approval for the installation or use of amateur radio antennas.
Among other provisions, this legislation would:
Prohibit homeowner association rules that prevent or ban amateur radio antennas;
Clarify the approval process for installing amateur radio antennas; and
Give amateur radio operators a private right of action.
The full text of the legislation can be found here.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
February 06, 2025
Warren:“[W]hen used strategically and fairly, [tariffs] can… protect the jobs of American workers. But we can’t have a get-out-of-tariff-free system for those that are very wealthy or politically-connected, because that will undermine the whole process.”
Video of Exchange (YouTube)
Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Mr. Jamieson Greer, President Trump’s pick for U.S. Trade Representative, on his vision for Trump’s trade policy.
While there are open questions of how tariff exemptions will work under the Trump presidency, Mr. Greer agreed with Senator Warren that large corporations have outsized influence on trade deals and that U.S. trade policy needs to ensure “American businesses and American workers [are] prioritized,” and that any exemption program “needs to be transparent and have the rules outlined.”
“Any time we’re taking economic actions, whether it’s a tariff or an exclusion, we need to be careful about this and we need to be thoughtful..[a tariff exclusion process] needs to be transparent,” said Mr. Greer about exemptions favoring large, well-connected companies.
During President Trump’s first administration, well-connected companies were given tariff exemptions. A review by Senator Warren’s office found that the Trump Commerce Department was three times as likely to approve exemptions for Chinese and Japanese-headquartered companies than American ones. Right now, the door is still open for the administration to pursue a similar approach.
Transcript: Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Jamieson Greer, of Maryland, to be United States Trade Representative, with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Senate Finance Committee February 6, 2025
Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Congratulations on your nomination, Mr. Greer. Tariffs are an important strategic economic tool. But I am concerned that President Trump is stumbling into a trade war that won’t help protect jobs, that won’t keep Americans safe, and that won’t bring down costs for families.
That said, I think you and I agree that for too long, U.S. trade policy has been a race to the bottom – with deal after deal that sold out American workers and helped multinational corporations offshore critical industries.
But lately, that’s been changing – under US Trade Rep Bob Lighthizer and then US Trade Rep Katherine Tai. And I appreciate your work as Chief of Staff under Ambassador Lighthizer.
Ambassador Lighthizer, I think, had it right when he wrote that problems in our trade relationship with China – and U.S. trade policy in general – can be traced to, “the political establishment, of both the Republican and Democratic parties, under the influence of multinational corporations and importers.”
Mr. Greer, do you agree with Mr. Lighthizer that multinational corporations have just had too much power over U.S. trade policy?
Mr. Jamieson Greer, nominee for United States Trade Representative: I agree with Ambassador Lighthizer, and I believe that trade policy in the past has been designed to help that sector and has ignored other sectors.
Senator Warren: Good, well, we’ve got to start by recognizing the problem, right? For too long, corporate lobbyists have bought their way into our trade policy. And I’ve been glad to see that changing.
But raising tariffs doesn’t necessarily mean an end to corporate capture. When the last Trump administration hiked tariffs, corporate lobbyists lined up to demand exemptions, and now, with President Trump threatening even more tariffs, they’re ready to do it again. So what did this tariff exemption process look like the last time around?
Well, I investigated, and I found that the Trump Commerce Department was three times as likely to approve exemptions for Chinese and Japanese-headquartered companies than American ones.
Mr. Greer – favoring foreign companies over American ones – is that good trade policy?
Mr. Greer: Senator, I think that our trade policy needs to make sure we have American businesses and American workers prioritized.
Senator Warren: Okay, let’s try another one. A recent study found that the Trump USTR officials were more likely to grant exemptions to China tariffs to companies that had made campaign contributions to Republicans or had lobbyists who had recently left the Trump administration.
Mr. Greer – favoring companies with deep pockets and political connections – is that good trade policy?
Mr. Greer: Of course not, any kind of program like that needs to be transparent and have the rules outlined, which it did.
Senator Warren: I appreciate that answer. This time around, President Trump has proposed far broader tariffs than we’ve seen before– potentially on all goods, from all countries. And with more and more tariffs, the corporate scramble for exemptions is more and more intense. One trade lobbyist recently said, and I quote, “Absolutely everyone is calling. It is nonstop.” And let’s be clear – most businesses across America cannot afford armies of lobbyists.
So, Mr. Greer, do you support tariff exclusions, these exemptions, and – if so – what changes would you make to ensure it’s a fair process and not a giveaway to political insiders and deep-pocketed corporations?
Mr. Greer: So, Senator, I know you’ve been a leader on this and you’ve given a lot of thought to it, which I think is important. Any time we’re taking economic actions, whether it’s a tariff or an exclusion, we need to be careful about this and we need to be thoughtful. I don’t know – in the event tariffs are applied – I don’t know if the President intends to have an exclusion policy or program at all. To the extent something like this happens, it needs to be transparent. One thing they did at USTR the first time around, if one company got an exclusion – any company got an exclusion. So if a big company got an exclusion for a certain product, a small business would too.
So again, I don’t know if there will be exclusion processes, but to the extent there is, they need to be transparent, they need to be fair for small and large.
Senator Warren: Well, I very much appreciate what you have to say around this. As I said before, I think tariffs are an important tool. And when used strategically and fairly, they can promote American industries, they can protect domestic supply chains, they can protect the jobs of American workers. But we can’t have a get-out-of-tariff-free system for those that are very wealthy or politically-connected, because that will undermine the whole process. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Gary Peters (D-MI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) today introduced their Situational Awareness of Flying Elements in (SAFE) Orbit Act, which would encourage the development of commercial space capabilities by directing the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) within the U.S. Department of Commerce to acquire and disseminate unclassified data, analytics, information, and services on space activities and space traffic coordination in low-Earth orbit:
“Commercial space objects in low-Earth orbit can help scientists make new discoveries and spur technological innovation, but this hinges on the ability to conduct safe and effective space traffic coordination,” said Sen. Cornyn. “The SAFE Orbit Act would prevent dangerous and costly accidental collisions in low-Earth orbit and improve access to data collection and analysis to help propel the United States into the next phase of space exploration.”
“To continue as a global leader in commercial space activity, the United States must lead the way to protect astronauts in orbit and space-based assets,” said Sen. Peters. “This legislation would provide important data that can help inform space exploration decisions and promote safe expansion.”
“The world is entering a new space race, and we must equip American innovators with every resource to win,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The SAFE Orbit Act would take an important step to centralize and improve space traffic coordination, ensuring there are no tragic collisions in space. As we enter this new frontier, we must be certain that we prioritize safety and coordination with our partners around the globe.”
“As the commercial space industry continues to grow, we need to safely track and manage objects in orbit and prevent collisions,” said Sen. Kelly. “We’re providing the tools for critical space situational awareness that will safeguard public access to orbital data, empower scientists and innovators to advance this critical frontier, and strengthen American leadership in space.”
“Future expansion in space requires better technology and data coordination. Currently, companies lack the awareness of other objects such as space junk, which could collide with valuable satellites,” said Sen. Wicker. “This new emerging business sector represents the new economic frontier, but we must make sure we are prepared to tap its potential.”
“This legislation will help make essential improvements to how we track objects in Earth’s orbit, enhancing space safety through better tracking and coordination to reduce collision risks,” said Sen. Luján. “As the commercial space activity grows, in New Mexico and across the country, access to critical space data is necessary to ensure safety and security.”
“The boom in commercial space activities has filled low-Earth orbit with more debris and satellites than ever,” said Sen. Hickenlooper. “A cutting-edge traffic coordination system will help preserve our leadership in space.”
Background:
Space situational awareness (SSA) and space traffic coordination (STC) are critical to ensuring safe and sustainable access to low-Earth orbit and space writ large, and current government SSA services are not keeping pace with the accuracy levels the industry needs. The FY2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act directed the Department of Commerce to take on this responsibility, and the SAFE Orbit Act would allow OSC to conduct SSA and STC activities and direct OSC to:
Make basic-level SSA data, analytics, information, and services available for public use through an easily accessible web-based interface at no charge to the end user;
Maintain a public catalogue of SSA data and information and maximize the use of satellite owner and operator data, U.S. Government data, and the usage of commercial services, data, analytics, information, services, and platforms;
Facilitate the development and adoption of voluntary industry consensus standards to ensure data standardization with satellite owners and operators, commercial service providers, the academic community, and nonprofits;
Collaborate with U.S Government and foreign government operators to encourage participation in data-sharing with respect to their assets in orbit;
And prioritize purchasing data, analytics, information, and services from commercial SSA providers and ensure any licensing agreements enable private U.S. firms to continue market growth and protect proprietary commercial systems and data.
This legislation is endorsed by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, which is made up of more than 85 members, including many companies with Texas operations.
Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
WASHINGTON – Today during the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing on the nomination of Jamieson Greer to be United States Trade Representative (USTR) under the Trump administration, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed with him the importance of reciprocal trade relationships and his proposal to prohibit U.S. investment in certain technologies in China in order to restore American dominance on the world stage and safeguard our national security. Excerpts are below, and video can be found here.
CORNYN: “China cheats, China steals our intellectual property, and they don’t recognize a rules-based international order.”
“President Trump was the President who first raised this issue in a very dramatic sort of way, and I think he’s exactly right to insist upon reciprocity as a principle. Do you agree that reciprocity ought to be the basic principle that drives our trade policy?”
GREER: “You’ve been a leader on this issue, with respect to investment flows as well with China, and you watch this very closely, so I appreciate your insights here.”
“We do have to have a balanced relationship. I think the United States has always been willing to have a balanced relationship with China, but there’s Chinese agency in this matter, and they need to decide how open they want to be to us.”
CORNYN: “Your response reminds me of the conversation we had in my office, and thank you for coming by to visit. I talked to you a little bit about something that we’re working on in the Banking Committee—Senator Scott, Chairman of the Banking Committee, and others—on a bipartisan basis, working on an outbound investment transparency law.”
“Do you think it just makes sense that we should have transparency over investments being made in China that may well fuel the modernization of their military in a way that’s a threat to the peace in the Indo-Pacific and beyond?”
GREER: “Having this kind of transparency is very important. In fact, again, I keep referring back to the Trump administration’s policy memo on trade because it is so comprehensive and gives such a clear direction on these things. One of the things it talks about is looking at current efforts around outbound investment to foreign countries of concern, and so I think consideration of this kind of control or data gathering information, I think that goes right along with exploring that.”
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and 27 of their Senate GOP colleagues reintroduced S. 364, the Hearing Protection Act (HPA). The HPA would reclassify suppressors to regulate them like a regular firearm.
“Every law-abiding American must have the freedom to protect their hearing while exercising their Second Amendment rights,” saidSenatorMullin. “Our bill removes suppressors from the National Firearms Act to cut wait times and stop the government from imposing a tax on Americans trying to protect themselves from hearing damage. The Second Amendment is crystal clear. I will do everything in my power to protect lawful gun ownership and eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles that infringe on our God-given rights.”
“Federal red tape continues to follow the false Hollywood narrative that suppressors are silent, and ignores the reality that they serve a genuine purpose in protecting the hearing of law-abiding American citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights,” said Senator Crapo. “It is past time Congress removes the burdensome barriers to accessing this equipment for the safety of Idaho’s hunters and sportsmen.”
Suppressors are currently subject to additional regulatory burdens under the National Firearms Act (NFA). The HPA would remove suppressors from regulation under the NFA and replace the burdensome federal transfer process with an instantaneous National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check. This would make the purchasing and transfer process for suppressors equal to the process for a rifle or shotgun. Also, the HPA would put more funding into state wildlife conservation agencies by taxing suppressors under the Pittman-Robertson Act instead of the NFA.
Sens. Mullin and Crapo are joined on this legislation by Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Jim Justice (R-WV), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Kennedy (R-LA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Hoeven (R-ND), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Ron Johnson (R-WI).
The Hearing Protection Act is supported by the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the American Suppressor Association (ASA), Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA).
“The Hearing Protection Act will increase access to important hearing protection for millions of Americans,” said Amyn Amlani, Ph.D., President of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology.“While the use of conventional hearing protection tools, such as earplugs and earmuffs are fundamental for preventing noise induced hearing loss in firearm users, conventional hearing protection alone does not always offer adequate protection from noise exposure. Firearm noise suppressors can be an effective supplement to traditional hearing protection.”
“Senator Mike Crapo’s Hearing Protection Act will have the federal government recognize firearm suppressors as accessories to a firearm that make recreational shooting and hunting a safer experience,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “These safety devices reduce the report of a firearm to a level that won’t cause instant and permanent hearing damage. Despite Hollywood’s depictions, they do not silence the sound of a firearm. The focus should be on removing barriers to safe and responsible use of firearms and dedicating resources to ensuring firearms are safeguarded from those who should never possess them. Strict regulatory control of firearm accessories, and the parts of those accessories that have no bearing on the function of a firearm, is unnecessary and not the wisest use of federal resources. NSSF thanks Senator Crapo for his leadership for ensuring safe and responsible use of firearms and dedicating necessary resources where they are most needed.”
“We are grateful to Senator Crapo for standing behind the millions of law-abiding gun owners with his reintroduction of the Hearing Protection Act,” said Knox Williams, President and Executive Director of the American Suppressor Association. “It’s absurd that our unrestrained federal bureaucracy requires Americans to jump through hoops to buy simple hearing protection devices. Momentum continues to grow for common sense reforms that would end the stranglehold of government on the rights of her people. We look forward to working with Senator Crapo and his colleagues to ensure our Second Amendment rights remain a priority.”
“Gun owners around the world are using suppressors to reduce the impact of noise and hearing loss while using their firearms. Even in countries with the strictest firearms laws, suppressors are often unregulated products that anyone can buy over the counter. However, outdated federal law makes it difficult for Americans to access these useful safety devices,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. “On behalf of our millions of members, the NRA thanks Senator Mike Crapo for introducing this important legislation to roll back the bureaucratic red tape on suppressor ownership in the United States.”
Full bill text is available here.
Background:
On average, suppressors diminish the noise of a gunshot by 20-35 decibels, roughly the same sound reduction provided by earplugs or earmuffs. The most effective suppressors on the market can only reduce the peak sound level of a gunshot to around 110-120 decibels, which is roughly equivalent to a jackhammer.
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
02.06.25
Senator Supporting Legislation to Improve Transparency for Consumers, Ensure Accurate Labeling to Benefit U.S. Ranchers
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week helped introduce the American Beef Labeling Act, legislation sponsored by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef:
The legislation would require the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to develop a World Trade Organization (WTO)-compliant means of reinstating MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment.
USTR would have six months to develop a reinstatement plan followed by a six-month window to implement it.
If USTR fails to reinstate MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment, it would automatically be reinstated.
“U.S. ranchers produce the highest-quality beef in the world, and consumers deserve to know the source of the product they are purchasing,” said Hoeven. “By requiring the U.S. Trade Representative to reinstate mandatory country of origin labels for beef, with timelines to ensure compliance, our legislation will benefit both U.S. producers and consumers.”
“South Dakota ranchers – who work tirelessly to produce some of the highest quality beef in the world – deserve a fair labeling system that provides consumers with basic information on the origin of their beef,” said Thune. “As a longtime supporter of MCOOL, I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation that would promote the viability of cattle ranching across our country and provide full transparency for American consumers.”
“This bipartisan legislation will help Americans know exactly where their beef is coming from,” said Booker. “For too long, the big meatpackers have been misleading people with deceptive labeling. More transparency will enable consumers to support local family farmers and ranchers, and I look forward to working with Senator Thune to get this bill enacted into law as quickly as possible.”
In addition to Hoeven, Thune and Booker, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.).
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
02.06.25
WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) today introduced the Guaranteeing Reliability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable (GRID) Power Act, legislation to remove delays in the development of new baseload power generation projects that would improve the reliability of the electrical grid. Specifically, the Hoeven-Young bill would:
Following rulemaking from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), authorize regional grid operators to give priority consideration for baseload generation projects seeking an interconnection agreement.
The interconnection queue is where proposed projects wait before grid operators begin conducting their feasibility and system impact studies.
As of 2023, the median wait time was five years for an interconnection agreement, significantly delaying the construction of critical projects.
FERC would be required to initiate rulemaking to establish this process within 90 days of the bill’s enactment and finalize the rule within 180 days.
Establish a timeline of 60 days for FERC to act on baseload generation projects given priority consideration by grid operators.
Timely approval of projects would help address the gap in reliable power generation created by Biden-Harris administration rules like the Clean Power Plan 2.0, which have accelerated the retirement of American baseload power plants.
“The reliability of the electric grid has been undermined for years by Green New Deal policies advanced under the Obama and Biden administrations, whose heavy-handed approach to regulation has forced the retirement of critically-needed baseload power plants. The result is an unstable grid, power shortages and more brownouts and blackouts,” said Senator Hoeven. “Our legislation seeks to reverse this trend by empowering grid operators to put baseload power generation projects at the front of the line for approval. Further, it sets deadlines for FERC, requiring the agency to promptly set up this priority approval process and to start acting on baseload power projects. Doing so will enhance our nation’s energy security and help ensure the power stays on when needed most.”
“Bureaucratic delays are slowing critical power projects and threatening the reliability of our electric grid. We need to cut through red tape to get more power online faster. This bill will strengthen our grid to promote American energy independence and drive economic growth—especially in states like Indiana, where reliable energy is vital to jobs and Hoosier workers,” said Senator Todd Young.
“Our interconnection queue is buckling under its own weight,” said Rep. Balderson. “Transmission providers are tasked with ensuring we have enough electricity to keep the lights on, but the growing backlog of projects is adding years to an already time-consuming process. This legislation would give grid operators the authority to identify and expedite the consideration of essential projects that will protect our grid’s reliability and provide the power needed to meet America’s growing demand.”
“Ensuring grid reliability is paramount, and this bill recognizes the role that always-on dispatchable power must play in meeting that need. A reliable power grid requires generation sources that can be counted on to meet demand at any time. Rep. Balderson and Senators Hoeven and Young’s leadership on this issue, alongside their continued advocacy for baseload power, highlights the need for policies that recognize the value of dispatchable energy resources—including coal, natural gas, and nuclear power—so that American families and businesses can depend on affordable and secure electricity. The Lignite Energy Council appreciates their commitment to energy reliability and the future of dependable power generation,” said Jason Bohrer, President and CEO of the Lignite Energy Council (LEC).
“AXPC applauds Congressman Balderson, Senator Hoeven and Senator Young’s efforts to prioritize projects that enhance grid reliability and capacity. As our nation’s power demand continues to rise, it is critical that we don’t delay consideration of power-generation projects, such as those that use natural gas, that can provide needed dispatchable power and enhance reliability,” said Anne Bradbury, CEO of American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC).
“Significant increases in electricity demand are expected in every region of the country, driven by data centers powering advancements in AI, domestic manufacturing, and the electrification of various sectors of the economy. Grid operators should be given significant flexibility to address current or future reliability concerns, including the creation of an accelerated interconnection for resources identified as critical to maintaining reliability. The bill appropriately requires stakeholder feedback and FERC approval before any changes are made, ensuring that all viewpoints are heard. EPSA is grateful to Congressman Balderson and Senators Hoeven and Young for their leadership on this critical issue and his commitment to electric grid reliability,” said Todd Snitchler, President & CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), the national trade association for independent power producers.
A companion to the bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Troy Balderson (R-Ohio).
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
February 06, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senate Democrats’ 30-hour protest opposing Project 2025 architect Russell Vought’s nomination to serve as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under President Donald Trump. Holding the floor, Duckworth delivered an impassioned speech slamming Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk’s ongoing illegal power grabs—including his unlawful federal grant freeze and his shuttering of USAID—that are inflicting pain on middle-class Americans and endangering our national security. Video of Duckworth’s opening remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube and her full speech can be found on the Senator’s Twitter/X and Facebook.
Key quotes:
“Decades before I ever considered a career in politics, when I was just starting out in the Army, I raised my right hand and took an oath. I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I vowed to protect our nation against all enemies—foreign and domestic. And in this moment, at this precipice for our country, I need to make good on that promise. Because in the just 18 days since Donald Trump was inaugurated, we have witnessed an all-out assault on the system of checks and balances that our government was founded upon. We have seen the President both overreach and underdeliver: proving through executive orders and Twitter marching orders that he cares more about the billionaires who belong to Mar-a-Lago than the middle-class folks he pretended to care for on the campaign trail.”
“Last week, news broke that Trump had declared a blanket freeze on all federal grants. Ignoring the fact that Congress had already appropriated those funds. Ignoring that he point-blank did not have the authority to do so. Ignoring that his action would—and already has—hurt countless folks who rely on these grants for their most basic needs… He manufactured a crisis that has left that single mom working a double shift in a Southside nursing home unsure whether her Medicaid will be stripped away in the dark of the night. He’s created a crisis that has left Veterans wondering if they’ll be able to access the benefits they earned with the blood they were brave enough to shed for our country. He’s fabricated a nightmarish reality where homeless shelters might have to close their doors and turn back onto the streets the at-risk teenagers who rely on their care.”
“Elon Musk is unelected, unvetted and unqualified—he does not have the legal authority to dismantle entire agencies. Yet in Trump’s America, the size of his bank account and how far he is willing to bend the knee is enough for our President to bestow on him unchecked power. Musk is willing to bow down to Trump’s throne made of fool’s gold and false promises. So in return, Elon gets to run wild, run rampant. He for some reason gets to have full access to Americans’ social security numbers and Veterans’ personal information—for what reason, no one knows and all of us should fear. He gets to hijack our systems to enrich himself rather than the middle class. He gets to stomp on those in need, then fire anyone who dares stand up for what’s right—or what’s legal…They aren’t making America great. They’re making it authoritarian.”
Duckworth’s opening remarks as prepared below:
I take the verbal baton from Senator King after hours and hours of arguments from my Democratic colleagues, not because I woke up this morning with a strong desire to hear my own voice for as long as I could on the Senate floor, but because decades before I ever considered a career in politics—when I was just starting out in the Army—I raised my right hand and took an oath. I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I vowed to protect our nation against all enemies—foreign and domestic.
And in this moment, at this precipice for our country, I need to make good on that promise.
Because in the just 18 days since Donald Trump was inaugurated, we have witnessed an all-out assault on the system of checks and balances that our government was founded upon.
We have seen the President both overreach and underdeliver—proving through executive orders and Twitter marching orders that he cares more about the billionaires who belong to Mar-a-Lago than the middle-class folks he pretended to care for on the campaign trail.
Look, 250 years ago this April, a few brave patriots grabbed their muskets and risked their lives at Lexington and Concord, sacrificing for a country that was still more of an idea, more of an ideal, than reality.
They did so because they could no longer stand living under a tyrannical leader.
They did so because they had dreamt up the notion of a government of, by and for the people—and they knew that a system based on checks and balances was the best way to keep this new nation’s leaders from turning into the kind of tyrant they’d fled England to escape. A system of checks and balances.
Well, two weeks into Trump’s America, the only checks I see are the ones going into the pockets of Trump’s rich friends. The only balance I see is Trump’s balancing act between ripping off the middle class and endangering our national security.
Our system of government is being eroded before our eyes. It is being perverted to work for the few—the billionaires—rather than the many, the people.
And it is sickening to see so many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle put their hands over their eyes and pretend they don’t see what’s happening, refusing to speak up as our President turns into more of a despot every day, as his power-grabs get more extreme, more insidious, more cruel.
Even if we took the full 30 hours of debate on this nomination, I don’t think we could get through all the ways that Trump’s absolute disregard for the rule of law over the past two weeks has already harmed America—and Americans. But let me use my time to try.
Last week, news broke that Trump had declared a blanket freeze on all federal grants. Ignoring the fact that Congress had already appropriated those funds. Ignoring that he point-blank did not have the authority to do so. Ignoring that his action would—and already has—hurt countless folks who rely on these grants for their most basic needs.
President Trump may think that he “owned the Libs” by causing havoc in our federal government. But what he’s really done is create a reality where his own voters who depend on groups like Meals on Wheels aren’t sure how they’re going to put food on the table next week.
He may think he “destroyed woke culture” with this freeze. But no. No, he didn’t. Instead, he manufactured a crisis that has left that single mom working a double shift in a Southside nursing home unsure whether her Medicaid will be stripped away in the dark of the night.
He’s created a crisis that has left Veterans wondering if they’ll be able to access the benefits they earned with the blood they were brave enough to shed for our country.
He’s fabricated a nightmarish reality where homeless shelters might have to close their doors and turn back onto the streets the at-risk teenagers who rely on their care.
Listen, when I was in high school, my family struggled. We had no money and some days had no food. I still remember going to the grocery store and counting out our last five one-dollar food stamps to buy as much bread and bologna as possible—then praying we’d have enough to last the week. I still remember the hours my dad spent walking from payphone to payphone, hoping to find just 50 cents so my brother and I could buy lunch at school the next afternoon. A lot of times, that hot lunch at school was the only meal I could count on.
So as a former hungry kid, and now as a mom of two little girls, I cannot imagine the pain of parents who rely on school meals to feed their own kids and who are now terrified that Trump’s vanity project of a federal freeze will force their five-year-old to go hungry as the grants that fund cafeteria meal programs may now get gutted.
Shame on Donald Trump. And shame on the Republicans who can’t seem to find the ounce of courage necessary to stand up and say what all of us in this Chamber so obviously know: That this is wrong. That this is outrageous. And that this is a wild, unlawful abuse of power.
But Trump didn’t stop with the grant freeze. Last weekend, he gave Elon Musk—the world’s richest person—the power to cut off aid from the world’s most vulnerable people. He gave him the authority to dismantle an entire agency in one illegal, fell swoop. Together, they are now actively gutting USAID, completely undermining the United States’ national security and global standing—knowingly, intentionally—jeopardizing the safety of countless innocent people worldwide who rely on the organization for humanitarian assistance.
Now, bad actors in the PRC and Russia will be able to step in to fill the leadership vacuum that Trump created—forcing folks in need across the world to turn to our adversaries, not us, for help.
Let me be clear: USAID is an organization dedicated to doing good around the globe—but the good that it does also has a direct, tangible impact on the safety and economic security of families here at home.
It is an organization that helps allies detect fentanyl—in part so we can stop it before it comes across our own borders.
It’s an organization that help feeds starving families worldwide—but it does so using 2 billion dollars of food purchased from American farmers, with the paychecks going into their red, white and blue pockets so they can keep their family farms for another generation.
It is an organization that helps stop global pandemics. And it’s an organization that works to make sure the poorest children in the poorest countries don’t die from drinking dirty water—a mission that also happens to be critical to our national strength, as when countries experience water insecurity, they’re more likely to undergo political instability as well, increasing the odds that their governments fail and power falls into the wrong hands—a sequence of events that often leads to the kind of immigration crisis we’re already facing at our border.
I know there is waste, fraud and abuse in our government—and I am all for rooting that out. In fact, I’ve written and passed legislation to do just that. But eliminating an entire agency with such a vital mission is not the way to go about this.
USAID makes up just 1% of our federal budget. And these short-sighted cuts will end up costing the American taxpayer even more in the long term, as there will be more global instability, more migrations crises, more pandemics to contend with as a result of this frankly idiotic decision.
It’s ironic. The guy charged with making our government more efficient is making it more costly and more chaotic. Case in point: He’s threatening to use American troops to bring home USAID workers if they don’t leave their overseas posts in the next 30 days—a move that in itself would cost Americans an estimated 100 million dollars.
Elon Musk is unelected, unvetted and unqualified—he does not have the legal authority to dismantle entire agencies. Yet in Trump’s America, the size of his bank account and how far he is willing to bend the knee is enough for our President to bestow on him unchecked power.
Musk is willing to bow down to Trump’s throne made of fool’s gold and false promises. So in return, Elon gets to run wild, run rampant.
He for some reason gets to have full access to Americans’ social security numbers and Veterans’ personal information—for what reason, no one knows and all of us should fear.
He gets to hijack our systems to enrich himself rather than the middle class.
He gets to stomp on those in need, then fire anyone who dares stand up for what’s right—or what’s legal.
Trump and Musk are not bringing back the good ole days of Ronald Reagan. Reagan believed in international aid. He is the one whose name is on the front of USAID’s building.
They aren’t making America great. They’re making it authoritarian. And we should all be asking ourselves—if we let them gut USAID, then what’s next?
The answer is the Department of Education. And then your Social Security. Your Medicaid. The things you and your families need to get by are right behind.
Look, Trump ran his campaign on the idea of lowering costs for the middle class. He said he’d reverse inflation on day one. Well, day one has come and gone. So has day two, three, four.
Here we are, weeks in, and all he’s done is take actions that have hurt everyday Americans to help his rich buddies afford another private jet. Under his wise stewardship, egg prices have skyrocketed. Inflation remains sky-high. A needless trade war seems to be getting closer every day, which could raise the price of gas and groceries even further. And all of us are in greater danger from bad actors the world-over.
Enough is enough. Enough was enough a very long time ago. Donald Trump is unchecked. The scales of our government have become unbalanced. Every day those scales tip more and more away from serving the needs of the working class and toward feeding the greed of the billionaires who pal around with the President on the golf course.
It was Ronald Reagan who once said, quote: “[T]he genius of our constitutional system is its recognition that no one branch of government alone could be relied on to preserve our freedoms… The great safeguard of our liberty is the totality of the constitutional system, with no one part getting the upper hand.”
Reagan also described the Constitution as a “covenant” — a covenant that, quote: “[W]e have made not only with ourselves, but with all of mankind.”
Today, I am asking my Republican colleagues to honor the covenant so cherished by their own conservative hero, Ronald Reagan. I am asking them to heed his words. To heed his warning. To heed his plea to us all.
Under Donald Trump, our government is not of, by or for the people. It is of, by and for the people with the deepest pockets. “E pluribus unum,” “out of many one,” is supposed to signify the strength of our union—the solidarity of our nation.
Do not let Donald Trump pervert it to mean that out of the many people, he is the only one who matters.
To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: All I am asking of you today is to do the jobs you were elected to do.
All I am begging for is that you make good on the oath you took when you were first sworn into this chamber: To support and defend our Constitution.
Trump is acting as if he believes that the Constitution is just an old, yellowing piece of paper that he can crumble up at his will. My colleagues, you know better. And you know your constituents deserve better.
Please, find the courage to stand up and say so. It’s the least each of us can do for the country that we are lucky enough to have been elected to protect.
You can do that, today, by voting no on Trump’s latest unqualified, unfit cabinet nominee, Russell Vought:
A man who doesn’t even care to hide that he will happily rubber-stamp Trump’s worst instincts.
Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
Trade Representative Nominee Cannot Guarantee New Mexico Business Won’t Get Hurt From Trump’s Trade War
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, questioned U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer on the potential negative impacts President Trump’s trade war would have on New Mexico businesses and families. During the hearing, Mr. Greer could not guarantee that New Mexico businesses would not face negative impacts.
Senator Luján secured Mr. Greer’s commitment that if New Mexico businesses were negatively impacted, Mr. Greer would work with Senator Luján to address the impacts. Additionally, Senator Luján secured commitment from Mr. Greer on labor protections that exist in the current United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement to protect workers.
Watch Senator Luján’s exchange with Mr. Greerhere.
KEY MOMENTS:
On language in USMCA regarding labor protections:
Sen. Luján: Would you protect or change the language surrounding the clauses in the trade agreement to workers as it’s currently drafted?
Mr. Greer, in part: We worked closely in the first Trump administration with labor.
Sen. Luján: Mr. Greer, as my time is expiring, would you protect that language?
Mr. Greer: I would certainly protect it and see if we can improve it.
On Trump’s trade war:
Sen. Luján: So, Mr. Greer, can I get your commitment that if these tariffs negatively impact the businesses in New Mexico, that I have your word to get that corrected?
Mr. Greer, in part: Well, Senator, I want to hear from you on what those impacts are and what we can do to make sure they are able to benefit from the growth.
Sen. Luján: I believe your word should be good, but do I have your word that I can count on you to make sure that New Mexico’s businesses don’t get hurt by these threatened tariffs?
Mr. Greer, in part: Senator, I want to make sure that they don’t, I can’t guarantee economic outcomes.
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
02.06.25
Cantwell Tells Trade Nominee to Focus on Opening More Export Markets, Not a Tariff-First Approach
“The biggest task at hand is to […] get U.S. products into more places,” Cantwell tells Trump’s pick for U.S. Trade Representative; In fallout of Trump’s tariff threats, Cantwell paints a clear path forward: Instead of imposing tariffs, we need to open new markets;
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, emphasized the importance of open markets for farmers and exporters in the State of Washington and across the country during a Finance Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Jamieson Greer for U.S. Trade Representative.
“When you look at apples — and about [50%] of our market export is to Canada and Mexico,” said Sen. Cantwell, “and the U.S. Free Trade Agreement increased that capacity … why are we arguing with our closest neighbors, our biggest export markets for apples? And in the meantime, not going out and opening up more apple markets?
“The tariffs that were put on cost us an unbelievable retaliatory tariff in India,” Sen. Cantwell added. “It basically decimated the market. It went from 120 million in India down to 1 million. …. I fought hard and did get the Biden administration to work with India and reverse that tariff on apples. And I have to say we are now back to recapturing that market. But I don’t understand why you think a tariff-first approach is the way to capitalize on the biggest task at hand.”
As a front page article in today’s Yakima Herald-Republic warns: Potential trade war could hit Yakima Valley agriculture.
Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell voted against advancing the nomination of Howard Lutnick, President Trump’s choice to be Secretary of the Department of Commerce, citing concerns with Lutnick’s support for Trump’s proposed tariffs.
Tuesday, Sen. Cantwell delivered a major speech on the Senate floor, arguing that the President’s arbitrary tariffs threaten domestic job creation and economic growth in an Information Age. She outlined a strategy focused on building coalitions, growing exports, and establishing principles to support innovation in the Information Age.
Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of free trade to grow the economy in the State of Washington and nationwide. Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20 percent retaliatory tariff on American apples, which devastated Washington state’s apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after then-President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. The impact on Washington apple growers was severe: apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023. In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.
In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. In June 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), then-chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in Washington state for a forum with 30 local agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the Farm Bill.
In 2022, Sen. Cantwell spearheaded passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a law to crack down on skyrocketing international ocean shipping costs and ease supply chain backlogs that raise prices for consumers and make it harder for U.S. farmers and exporters to get their goods to the global market.
In August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting aid funds be distributed to wheat growers. In December 2018, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the passage of the Farm Bill, which included $500 million of assistance for farmers, including those who grow wheat.
In 2019, Sen. Cantwell helped secure a provision in the $16 billion USDA relief package, ensuring sweet cherry growers could access emergency funding to offset the impacts of tariffs and other market disruptions.
In Washington state: Two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and related industries. In 2023, the state imported $19.9 billion of goods from Canada – primarily oil, gas, lumber, and electrical power — making our northern neighbors Washington state’s largest trade partner. Also in 2023, the state imported $1.7 billion in goods from Mexico, including motor vehicles, vehicle parts, and household appliances. More information about how President Trump’s proposed tariffs will impact businesses and consumers in the State of Washington is HERE.
Video of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks during today’s hearing is available HERE, audio is available HERE, and a transcript is available HERE.
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
02.06.25
Cantwell Letter to Duffy: ‘You Must Make Sure That All Conflicts Of Interest Between The FAA & Elon Musk Are Removed’
In letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Cantwell urges admin to protect flying public from Elon Musk’s clear conflicts of interest; Cantwell: “We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason – to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy calling on him to ensure that Elon Musk stays out of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), citing Musk’s clear conflicts of interest.
“FAA has the legal responsibility for safety oversight of companies with commercial space transportation licenses. Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launches share the airspace with commercial airplanes, and the FAA has the responsibility for keeping the entire airspace safe. SpaceX has been fined by the FAA for failing to comply with specific requirements in its launch license. Mr. Musk, in turn, called for the firing of Mike Whitaker, the FAA Administrator who the Senate confirmed 98-0 because the FAA issued a fine against SpaceX for not following the rules. We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason—to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest,” Sen. Cantwell wrote.
“We are now without a permanent FAA Administrator to lead us through the biggest U.S. air crash we have had in years. Secretary Duffy, you must make sure that all conflicts of interest between the FAA and Elon Musk are removed.”
Yesterday, Duffy wrote on the social media platform X that he plans to use The Department of Government Efficiency, of which Musk is a leader, “to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system.” His post followed two weeks of DOGE employees disrupting operations across the federal government, including freezing the hiring of air traffic controllers and encouraging all FAA employees to take a buyout. This also included urging federal employees – including air traffic controllers and FAA safety inspectors – to end their employment through a new deferred resignation program in the midst of a shortage of about 3,000 certified controllers and need for more safety inspectors on aircraft production factory floors.
Elon Musk is the owner and founder of SpaceX, an aerospace company that launched 134 rockets last year. In September, the FAA fined the company $633,009 for failing to follow license requirements for two launches.
Earlier today, Sen. Cantwell told reporters in a press gaggle on Capitol Hill that Musk’s involvement in the FAA’s oversight of our air transportation system was “a clear conflict of interest.”
Last year, when Sen. Cantwell served as chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, she sounded the alarm about the staffing shortage of air traffic controllers, need for more FAA safety inspectors, a series of aviation incidents and near-misses on and around runways, and the midair blowout of a door plug in January 2024. She led the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act, signed into law in May 2024, which boosts controller staffing, ensuring a five-year commitment to maximum hiring and training to close the current staffing gap. The law requires upgraded safety technologies – giving controllers better visibility into runway traffic – to be installed at every large and medium airport nationwide. The law also includes stricter safety standards for aircraft operators and plane manufacturers, as well as provisions to boost staffing to put more FAA safety inspectors on factory floors.
The full text of the letter is HERE and below:
February 6, 2025
The Honorable Sean Duffy
Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington DC, 20590
Secretary Duffy:
When you and I spoke the other day, you asked if we could work together to accelerate the implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (Next Gen) —as we directed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to do in the FAA Reauthorization that became law in May 2024. I agree we need to work together to galvanize support to continue getting the best technology in place as soon as possible and make federal investments to make aviation safer.
However, when we spoke, you did not discuss your intention to involve Elon Musk in the FAA’s safety systems or process. It is a conflict of interest for someone whose company is regulated by the federal government to be involved in anything that affects his personal financial interest, his company or his competitors.
FAA has the legal responsibility for safety oversight of companies with commercial space transportation licenses. Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launches share the airspace with commercial airplanes, and the FAA has the responsibility for keeping the entire airspace safe. SpaceX has been fined by the FAA for failing to comply with specific requirements in its launch license. Mr. Musk, in turn, called for the firing of Mike Whitaker, the FAA Administrator who the Senate confirmed 98-0 because the FAA issued a fine against SpaceX for not following the rules. We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason—to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest.
We are now without a permanent FAA Administrator to lead us through the biggest U.S. air crash we have had in years. Secretary Duffy, you must make sure that all conflicts of interest between the FAA and Elon Musk are removed.
I look forward to working with you to invest in our aviation safety and appreciate your cooperation in ensuring all ethics laws and regulations are followed.
Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
Ranking Member
Cc: David Huitema, Director, Office of Government Ethics
Mitch Behm, Acting Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the No CBDC Act to prevent the Federal Reserve from reshaping the U.S. financial sector and having the ability to monitor consumer transactions through a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). President Donald Trump recently banned federal agencies from creating a CBDC through an executive order; this legislation would enshrine the ban permanently in law. It is co-sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL) in the Senate. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) is introducing the House companion bill.
“The United States doesn’t need to create a Central Bank Digital Currency to know it is a bad idea,” said Sen. Lee. “We’ve seen this play out in China with the digital Yuan. In early trials, China canceled its citizens’ money after a set period, forcing Chinese citizens to spend their savings at the compulsion of the government. My bill protects Americans from a similar intrusion by prohibiting the Federal Reserve or any federal government agency from minting or issuing a CBDC, whether through a direct-to-consumer or intermediated model.”
“CBDCs are nothing more than a tool for tyrants to intimidate, control, and surveil the activities of American citizens, and it is my duty as a patriot to stop them.” said Rep. Ogles. “I am honored to co-lead this effort with Senator Lee.”
BACKGROUND:
During the Biden Administration, the Federal Reserve (“the Fed”) began to develop a potential framework – known as Project Cedar – for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), a digital asset issued and controlled by the Fed. A CBDC would alter the ability of financial institutions to function as lenders, while giving the federal government knowledge of every purchase that uses a CBDC.
Financial institutions would be significantly restricted in offering loans, instead being relegated to functioning merely as wallets. A CBDC, in many ways, allows the Fed to replace the role of banks as financial intermediaries, thereby granting the government far more power over the economy, inflation, and investment decisions. In other words, free enterprise and financial privacy would be dealt a critical blow with the creation of a CBDC.
Lastly, the Federal Reserve would have knowledge of every transaction involving a CBDC; if it maintains the technology to create and operate a CBDC, Big Brother will know Americans’ every purchase.
SUPPORT:
“Americans demand financial protection and privacy after facing the threat of unelected federal bureaucrats creating an invasive, all-seeing central bank digital currency controlled by the government. With a new conservative trifecta government, now is the time for Congress to protect Americans’ individual liberties and prohibit the government from centralizing its control over the economy. Heritage Action commends Sen. Lee for introducing this necessary legislation to safeguard Americans’ rights and promote freedom from financial intimidation.”
-Ryan Walker, Heritage Action Executive Vice President
“A Central Bank Digital Currency creates a fully traceable and controllable digital money that has dastardly implications for civil liberties and economic freedom. Rather than offering separation of money and state as found in Satoshi’s innovation of Bitcoin, CBDCs merge the power of state and money in a programmable way that would be easily abused and prove harmful to individual liberty and financial freedom.
Sen. Lee’s No CBDC Act would enshrine in law a prohibition against the Federal Reserve taking the United States down this path. On behalf of consumers who cherish their economic liberties, freedom of choice, and access to innovative technology, we applaud the Senator’s efforts with this bill, and hope many more legislators align on the issue to defend our rights to financial privacy”
-Yaël Ossowski, deputy director of the Consumer Choice Center
“Senator Lee is leading the way in this important fight to prevent the government from creating an entirely new tool of financial control and surveillance. A federally issued CBDC would be either entirely useless or, more likely, deeply dangerous. Thanks to Senator Lee’s leadership, Congress is stepping in to make clear that the executive branch has overstepped its authorities and must halt this deeply misguided debacle at once.”
-David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
To watch the floor speech click here or download here
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today spoke on the Senate floor to share his growing concerns over the Trump Administration’s largely unconstitutional and unprecedented overreach — adding historical perspective to the decisions facing the Senate. In the speech, King also shared his position on Russell Vought, the nominee to become Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
“We began our careers here with the following words, ‘I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the united States against all enemies foreign and domestic.’
“When each of us arrived here in the senate, we took this oath to support and defend the constitution and as it says against all enemies foreign and domestic. I think it’s interesting that the framers concede that there might be domestic enemies to the constitution. Our oath was not to the Republican Party, not to the Democratic Party, not to Joe Biden, not to Donald Trump, but our oath was to defend the constitution.
“And right now — right now literally at this moment that constitution is under the most direct and consequential assault in our nation’s history. An assault not on a particularprovision but on the essential structure of the document itself. It’s hard to grasp what is happening because of all the events that are swirling around us over the last several weeks. It’s coming from so many different quarters and so many different actors. It’s hard to get a picture of what’s really happening fundamentally.
“But this is an assault, and how we respond to it will define our life’s work, our place in history, and the future of our country. None of us will ever face a greater challenge.
“Before we get to the challenge, however, I think it’s important to ask why we have a constitution in the first place, why ours has so far stood the test of time.
“The answer to the first question, why have a Constitution in the first place, is contained in the preamble —we the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, there’s number one, establish justice, number two, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution of the United States of America.’
“You want to know what the Constitution is for? There it is. There’s the list — ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, ensure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
“But there’s a paradox at the heart of the creation of any government, whether it’s here or anywhere else on Earth, and anywhere else in history. There’s a paradox built in, because the essence of creating government is to give it power, give it our power, in order to look after us, in order to provide for the common defense, to ensure domestic tranquility,to provide justice to our people.
“In other words, we’re giving our power to this separate entity. But we have to do so with the realization that the power that’s being given has the potential to be abused. In other words, how do we give power to this entity, this government, and ensure that the government itself doesn’t use that power to abuse us as citizens? This is a question at the heart of all political discussion throughout history.
“The Romans even had a question that captured it. The question was, “quis custodiet, ipsos custodes?” It means who will guard the guardians? Who will guard those who we have given power to guard us? It’s a fundamental question that’s confronted every society and every government throughout history.
“Madison put it this way, and by the way he used agender-specific term. I suspect if he were writing today it would be more broadly phrased. In the 51st federalist, ‘if men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to cover govern men, neither internal nor external controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this — you must first enable the government to control the governed.’ That’s the function. And in the next place, oblige it to control itself.
“Our framers understood this. They were deep students of history and also human nature. And they had just won a lengthy and brutal war against the abuses inherent in concentrated governmental power, George III. The universal principle of humannature they understood was this — power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That’s a universal principle, all over the world throughout history. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
“So how did they answer the question? How did they answer the question who will guard the guardians? They answered it by building into the basic structure of our government two essential safeguards. One was regular elections. In other words, returning the control of the government to the people on regular scheduled elections. By the way, this is what we learned in sixth grade, checks and balances. But the other piece that’s built into our system that’s the other essential safeguard is the deliberate division of power between the branches and levels of government.
“This is important, Mr. President. The cumbersomeness, the slowness, the clumsiness is built into our system. The framers were so fearful of concentrated power that they designed a system that would be hard to operate. And the heart of it was the separation of power between various parts of the government. The whole idea, the whole idea was that no part of the government, no one person, no one institution had or could ever have a monopoly on power.
“Why? Because it’s dangerous. History and human nature tells us that. This division of power as annoying and inefficient as it can be, particularly to the executive, I know because I used to be a governor, is an essential feature of the system, not a bug.It’s an essential, basic feature of the system, designed to protect our freedoms.
“Now, this contrasts with the normal structure of a private business, where authority is purposefully concentrated, allowing swift and sometimes arbitrary action. But a private business does not have the army, and the President of the United States is not the CEO of America.
“Power is shared, principally between the President and this body, this Congress, both houses. In fact, this herky-jerkiness, the two houses, the war power divided between the President and Congress, this unwieldy structure is the whole idea. No one has or should ever haveall the power.
“So the concern I’m raising today isn’t some academic exercise or manifestation of political jealousy or abstract institutional loyalty. It’s the guts of the system, designed to protect us from the inevitable. And I mean inevitable abuse of an authoritarian state, the inevitable abuse of an authoritarian state. It’s the guts of our protection. In fact, this clumsy system is the main spring of our freedom. By the way, it’s worked so far, so far, and distinguishes us from the historical norm.
“We have to understand, we are an anomaly in history. The historical norm is pharaohs, kings, dictators, emperors, presidents for life. But the fact that we’re such ananomaly, and we’ve seen in our lifetimes other governments, other systems based upon ours slip into authoritarianism and dictatorship tells us how fragile what we have is. What we have in this country is an anomaly in history and it’s fragile, and it needs to be, must be, protected from generation to generation. This makes this moment all the more urgent and portentous.
“Now, the nominee before us today is one of the ring leaders of this assault, one of the ring leaders of the assault on our Constitution. He believes in a presidency of virtually unlimited powers. He’s written extensively about this. And explicitly rejects, for example, the exclusive power of congress to authorize and appropriate funds for the operation of the government. He espouses the discredited andillegal theory that the president has the power to selectively impound funds appropriated by congress, thereby rendering the famous power of the purse a nullity. I am not talking about the specifics and I will touch on A.I.D and other issues, but what I’m really worried about are the implications, the structural implications for our freedom and government of what’s happening here.
“We have to keep our eye on the big picture. Not all the confusion and smoke that’s going on over the last couple of weeks. Mr. Vought is one of the principal authors of the infamous Project 2025 which the President strangely hadn’t heard of during the campaign but now seems to be the essential guideline for his presidency. Project 2025 is nothing less than a blueprint for the shredding of the constitution and the transition of our country to authoritarian rule.He’s the last person who should be put in the heart of the operation of our government.
“Again, this isn’t about politics. This isn’t about policy. This isn’t about Republican versus Democrat. This is about tampering with the structure of our government, which will ultimately undermine its ability to protect the freedom of our citizens. If our defense of the Constitution is gone, there’s nothing left to us.
“So Thomas Moore said, ‘I expected you to betray me, Richard, but for Wales?’ We should not betray the constitution for temporary expedient because we don’t like this or that agency.
“Now I want to speak to my Republican colleagues. It is your constitutional prerogative to confirm this nominee and any others. I do not question that right,only its wisdom. And this nominee is a place to say no to the undermining and destruction of our constitutional system.
“But don’t stand aside in the midst of these confirmations, ill-considered foreign policy pronouncements, flood of executive orders, none of which will do a thing about the price of eggs, cost of housing or availabilities of child care. Don’t get caught up in all of that and ignore the steady and not-so-slow usurpation of congressional authority and fundamental alteration of the framers’ scheme.
“My colleague who preceded me, speaking from the Republican side, bemoaned Congress’ lack of oversight and praised Elon Musk for doing what congress should have done. Maybe she’s right and Congress should have done it, and we should do it, but not give away that power, which will never come back. Once this door is open, it’sgoing to be very difficult to close it again, no matter who the president is. No matter who’s in charge.
“To my colleagues, are there no red lines? Are there no limits?
“Just in the past ten days, we’ve seen the literal destruction of a statutorily, I emphasize that word, statutorily established and funded federal agency by people ostensibly working for the president understand vague authority, no transparency, and no guidance from the congress. Did they come to the Foreign Relations Committee and say what do you think about A.I.D.? Are there parts to work with or be reformed? No, zero.
“This small group, and we don’t know who they are, but this small group apparently it’s reported in their 20’s have no experience with government, no experience with foreign aid, no experience with the operation of the United States government, but they’re making basically policy decisions andconstitutional decisions.
“The Constitution does not give to the President or his designee the power to extinguish a statutorily established agency. I can think of no greater violation of the strictures of the Constitution or usurpation of the power of this body. None. I can think of none. Shouldn’t this be a red line?
“By the way, I find it especially galling to read the sneering comment from the richest man in the world that, quote, ‘we spent the weekend feeding said into the chipper.’ Describing an action that will literally take food from the mouths of starving children. Forget red lines. Do we have no decency?
“And then there is the executive order freezing funding, again,selectively, for programs the administration doesn’t like or understand. I mentioned that I was a former governor and I would have loved to have had this power, but it’s a fundamental violation of the whole idea of the Constitution, the separa[tion] of powers.
“To say that the executive, you can pick and choose which laws you like, which funding programs, the level of funding, you can impound if you don’t want to spend it. Richard Nixon tried to do that. He was rebuffed by the Congress who passed a specific statute, no impoundments.
“In addition to the chaos, the uncertainty and demonstrable damage which my colleagues have been outlining all day brilliantly, there’s nothing theoretical about cutting off funding to a rural health clinic, for example, or support for small farmers or grants to your fire department. But getting away from those specifics, it’s easy to get pulled into those, and my office is hearing calls every day, we can hardly handle the volume, this again, to underline, is afrontal assault of our power, your power, the power to decide where public funds should be spent.
“Isn’t this an obvious red line? Isn’t this an obvious limit?
“Or finally, and I picked a few examples, but my final example is the power seemingly assumed by DOGE to burrow into the treasury’s payment system, and now CMS for undefined purposes, zero oversight and raises questions up to and including threats to national security. Do these people have clearance? Are the doors closed? Are they going to leave open doors into these? What are the opportunities for our adversaries to hack into the systems?
“We’re already under unprecedented cyberattack and we’re opening doors, althoughit’s impossible to determine what they’re taking. Remember there’s no transparency or oversight. Access to social security numbers seem to be in the mix. All the government’s personnel files, personal financial data, potentially everyone’s tax returns and medical records. That can’t be good. That can’t be good. That’s data that should be protected with the highest level of security and consideration of Americans’ privacy. And we don’t know who these people are. We don’t know what they’re taking out with them. We don’t know whether they’re walking out with laptops or thumb drives. We don’t know whether they’re leaving back doors into the system. There is literally no oversight. The government of the United States is not a private company. It is fundamentally at odds with how this system is supposed to work.
“Shouldn’t this be an easy redline?
“In short, Mr. President, we’re experiencing in real time exactly what the framers most feared. When you clear away the smoke, clear away the DOGE, the executive orders, foreign pronouncements, more fundamentally what’s happening is the shredding of the constitutional structure itself.
“And we have a profound responsibility it seems to be based on that pesky oath that we all took, to stop it, to stop it. […] But stop what’s going on in terms of altering how our government is supposed tofundamentally function to protect our people.
“The power of the majority is with you, my Republican colleagues. Together, together we have the power to right the balance, to reclaim the authority we thought was inherent in our jobs, and in the process save our country.
“At a prior time of crisis, Abraham Lincoln defined the stakes for each of us, “Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We, of this Congress, and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.
“Now is the time to establish a redline—the Constitution itself.”
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined 26 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) calling for the immediate implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act. This bipartisan legislation, which Senator Collins coauthored with former Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and which was co-sponsored by King, will provide full Social Security benefits for millions of public servants impacted by the unfair Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The Social Security Fairness Act fully repealed the WEP and GPO and was signed into law on January 5, 2025.
“The Social Security Fairness Act restores full Social Security benefits for the millions of teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants who are unfairly penalized by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO),” the Senators wrote.
“The Social Security Administration’s website currently states, ‘SSA expects that it could take more than one year to adjust benefits and pay all retroactive benefits’ owed under the Social Security Fairness Act. We call for the immediate implementation of this legislation to provide prompt relief to the millions of Americans impacted by WEP and GPO. In the interim, we request monthly updates and briefings regarding the status of the Social Security Administration’s progress towards implementing the Social Security Fairness Act,” the Senators concluded.
In addition to Senators Collins and King, the letter was signed by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Warner (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
The complete text of the letter can be read here and below.
+++
Dear Acting Commissioner King,
We write to you concerning the implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act (Public LawNo: 118-273). This legislation passed Congress on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis on December 21st, 2024 and was signed into law on January 5th, 2025. The Social Security Fairness Act restores full Social Security benefits for the millions of teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants who are unfairly penalized by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
The Social Security Administration’s website currently states, “SSA expects that it could take more than one year to adjust benefits and pay all retroactive benefits” owed under the Social Security Fairness Act. We call for the immediate implementation of this legislation to provide prompt relief to the millions of Americans impacted by WEP and GPO. In the interim, we request monthly updates and briefings regarding the status of the Social Security Administration’s progress towards implementing the Social Security Fairness Act.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. We look forward to your response.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) shared his growing concerns over the Trump Administration’s largely unconstitutional and unprecedented overreach. In a speech on the Senate floor, King cited the Founding Fathers to add historical perspective to the decisions facing the Senate including the importance of keeping a separation of powers between the branches of government.
“The framers were so fearful of concentrated power that they designed a system that would be hard to operate. And the heart of it was the separation of power between various parts of the government. The whole idea, the whole idea was that no part of the government, no one person, no one institution had or could ever have a monopoly on power,” King said.“Why? Because it’s dangerous. History and human nature tells us that. This division of power as annoying and inefficient as it can be, particularly to the executive, I know because I used to be a governor, is an essential feature of the system, not a bug.It’s an essential, basic feature of the system, designed to protect our freedoms. Now, this contrasts with the normal structure of a private business, where authority is purposefully concentrated, allowing swift and sometimes arbitrary action. But a private business does not have the army, and the President of the United States is not the CEO of America.”
King then discussed the critical vulnerability of Congress relieving its duties to the administration in charge – an abdication that would be hard to reverse no matter what administration is next elected into office.
“But don’t stand aside in the midst of these confirmations, ill-considered foreign policy pronouncements, flood of executive orders, none of which will do a thing about the price of eggs, cost of housing or availabilities of child care,” King continued. “Don’t get caught up in all of that and ignore the steady and not-so-slow usurpation of congressional authority and fundamental alteration of the framers’ scheme. My colleague who preceded me, speaking from the Republican side, bemoaned Congress’ lack of oversight and praised Elon Musk for doing what congress should have done. Maybe she’s right and Congress should have done it, and we should do it, but not give away that power, which will never come back. Once this door is open, it’sgoing to be very difficult to close it again, no matter who the president is. No matter who’s in charge. To my colleagues, are there no red lines? Are there no limits?”
Lastly, he emphasized the ‘profound responsibility’ each member of the Senate has to respect the Oath they swore to the Constitution.
“In short, Mr. President, we’re experiencing in real time exactly what the framers most feared. When you clear away the smoke, clear away the DOGE, the executive orders, foreign pronouncements, more fundamentally what’s happening is the shredding of the constitutional structure itself,” King concluded. “And we have a profound responsibility it seems to be based on that pesky oath that we all took, to stop it, to stop it. […] But stop what’s going on in terms of altering how our government is supposed tofundamentally function to protect our people.”
Senator King has been continuously sounding the alarm on President Donald Trump’s existential threat to the Constitution: he declared that the proposal to halt all federal grant and loan disbursement was illegal and a direct assault on the Constitution. More recently, he joined 36 Senators in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sharing the detrimental effects of the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He also joined fellow Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) colleagues in writing a letter to the White House about the risks to national security by allowing unvetted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff and representatives to access classified and sensitive government materials.
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 6, 2025
Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny(REINS) Act to help put power back in the people’s hands instead of the administrative state.
“The whims of an unaccountable administrative state should never rule our lives. For too long, an ever-growing federal bureaucracy has piled regulations and red tape on the backs of the American people without any approval by Americans’ elected representatives. By making Congress more accountable for the most costly and intrusive federal rules, our REINS Act would give Kentuckians and all Americans a greater voice in determining whether these major rules are truly in America’s best interests,” said Dr. Paul.
Cosponsors in the Senate include U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), James Risch (R-WI), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO).
Background:
Under the REINS Act, once major rules are drafted, they must then be affirmatively approved by both chambers of Congress and then signed by the President, satisfying the bicameralism and presentment requirements of the Constitution. Currently, regulations ultimately take effect unless Congress specifically disapproves.
The bill defines a “major” rule as one that the Office of Management and Budget determines may result in an economic impact of $100 million or greater each year; “a major increase in costs or prices” for American consumers, government agencies, regions, or industries; or “significant adverse effects” on the economy.
The REINS Act also includes the following changes from the original bill which has been introduced every Congress since Dr. Paul has been in office:
New Defense for Individuals: Individuals can argue that the average person would not have known their actions violated federal law if the statute did not clearly state it.
Right to Sue: People can sue to stop enforcement if an agency implements a major rule without getting congressional approval.
LIBERTY Act: Agency guidance with an economic impact of $100 million or more needs congressional approval just like major rules.
Deregulatory Actions Exempted: Agencies do not need congressional approval to withdraw costly or burdensome rules
You can read the REINS Act HERE.
The REINS Act also has wide support:
“Four years of unprecedented executive branch spending and a record-setting stream of new rules from unelected bureaucrats in Washington have caused the price of everything to go up at the same time the value of every dollar has gone down. American families are left paying more for less in a broken economy that was roaring just a few short years ago,” said Tarren Bragdon, President and CEO of the Foundation for Government Accountability. “The REINS Act would empower Congress to free working families from the suffocating weight of the Biden-Harris bureaucracy and cure the cost-of-living crisis dimming the American Dream. The REINS Act cuts to the core of the fundamental question facing our nation at this critical moment in history: Do we want our future determined by unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., or the elected representatives closest to the people?”
“For years, the executive branch has grown its power and subverted the will of the people by imposing expensive rules and regulations that should require the consent of Congress. No administration should have the authority to place sweeping regulations on every facet of Americans’ daily lives without giving them the chance to weigh in through their elected representatives and fight back when the executive branch skirts the law. Sen. Paul’s updated REINS Act will help restore the legal rights of Americans and the balance of power laid out in the Constitution,” said Ryan Walker, Executive Vice President of Heritage Action.
“For too long, bureaucrats in the administrative state have imposed trillions of dollars in regulatory costs onto American citizens and businesses as they embark on their personal crusades – all without needing the support of a single member of the legislative branch. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned the Chevron Doctrine, leaders on Capitol Hill must pass the REINs Act to return Article 1 lawmaking authority to its rightful home in Congress and end the delegation of power to unelected regulators,” said Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh. “We applaud Sen. Rand Paul for his work to introduce and champion this bill in the Senate. Every member of Congress should support this commonsense plan to create a more representative approach to how the Federal Government imposes the hidden tax of regulation,”said David McIntosh, President of Club For Growth.
“Senator Paul’s updated version of the REINS Act is an essential government reform bill that would strengthen congressional oversight, put a brake on administrative state power, and reinstate accountability in the rulemaking process. Building upon all the good the preexisting REINS Act would do, Senator Paul’s updated REINS Act includes a number of new provisions that would further empower Congress to check big government. Importantly, the bill would require that guidance documents and other forms of “regulatory dark matter” be subject to congressional approval. The bill would also address the concern that rules and guidance documents are not properly submitted to Congress or the Government Accountability Office. Together, these provisions would help give greater scrutiny to the regulatory process – a move especially important now since the Biden administration has dismantled President Trump’s guidance portals and rewrote the rules of rulemaking with their Modernizing Regulatory Review directive (Executive Order 14,094). These updates are vitally important as the Supreme Court’s recent rejection of the Chevron Doctrine still leaves progressives with many tools in their toolbox to work around Congress and pursue their regulatory pursuits. Ultimately, Senator Paul’s updated REINS Act is a vital step in restoring accountability to the administrative state and in ensuring that the American people are governed by their duly elected representatives, rather than by unaccountable bureaucrats,” said Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Fred L. Smith Jr. Fellow in Regulatory Studies at Competitive Enterprise Institute.
“Regulatory agencies seem to think they can make any rules they want. The REINS Act was already an important reminder that Congress has lawmaking powers, and executive agencies do not. The new version’s expanded protections make REINS even more urgent to pass,” said Ryan Young, Senior Economist at Competitive Enterprise Institute.
“Federal regulation is out of control. It’s time for Congress to REINS it in,” said James Carter, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Treasury (2002-06), America First Policy Institute.
“The REINS Act is desperately needed. We hear a lot about defending democracy today, but we don’t see much real effort from the administrative state to honor the principles of democracy. Senator Paul’s updated REINS Act will make sure that the people’s representatives in Congress will have to approve of any major rules proposed by an unelected administrative agency. If the economic impact of a rule is $100 million or more, it must have congressional approval. This guarantees that we the people have a voice in the regulatory state that has the impact of being law. It would also guarantee individuals the right to use as an affirmative defense that the regulation they are accused of violating do not logically follow from the statute. It would also allow citizens to seek judicial relief when an agency fails to seek or obtain congressional approval. Any who opposes the REINS Act is clearly not a fan of democracy, but rather prefers a system of unelected oligarchy,” said George Landrith, President, Frontiers of Freedom Institute.
Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), joined by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Peter Welch (D-VT), introduced the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. As recent reporting, a Justice Department lawsuit, and multiple private lawsuits have shown, big corporations are using algorithms to raise prices and limit competition, including companies like RealPage that have facilitated collusion to increase rents by more than $3 billion in 2023 alone. This legislation will make such collusion illegal to lower costs for families and support small businesses.
“Price fixing is illegal under our antitrust laws, but the development of price-setting algorithms can exploit loopholes that could be used to unfairly raise prices on everything from rent to rideshares,” said Klobuchar. “My bill will strengthen antitrust law and guarantee needed transparency to prevent companies from using algorithms to fix prices to ensure consumers are able to get the full benefits of competition.”
“Collusion is collusion, whether you do it over the phone or using an algorithm. This legislation, along with my End Rent Fixing Act, will send a strong message to corporations that they won’t get away with coordinating to ratchet up prices on consumers,” said Wyden.
“Businesses are increasingly turning to algorithms to determine pricing for their products. In a technology-based world, we need to prevent businesses from using these tools to reduce competition,” said Durbin. “That’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act, which would ensure that pricing algorithms aren’t being used to take advantage of consumers and inflate prices.”
“Predatory algorithms significantly suppress competition in today’s markets and allow companies to collude to raise prices to unaffordable levels. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act will eliminate coercive anticompetitive software and empower consumers,” said Blumenthal.
“Algorithmic price fixing enables businesses to artificially inflate their prices while hiding their collusion behind technology, stifling competition, and leaving consumers to suffer the consequences,” said Hirono. “This legislation will help to ensure transparent competition on price, prevent big business from manipulating the market, encourage healthy competition, and protect consumers and small businesses from being taken advantage of.”
“Far too many companies are utilizing predatory pricing algorithms that prevent competition and raise prices for consumers,” said Luján. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to increase transparency and prevent companies from taking advantage of consumers. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill signed into law.”
“These pricing algorithms are just one more tactic corporations use to get around the law and screw regular people. It’s how the poultry industry colludes to keep the price of chicken high,” said Murphy. “If we really care about lowering costs and disrupting the corrupt status quo, this is the kind of bill that Congress should pass.”
“I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to strengthen competition, increase transparency and prevent big corporations from secretly working together to raise rent and other prices on everyday consumers through predatory algorithms,” said Shaheen.
“Transparency is a key tenet of doing good business, and consumers expect businesses to treat them fairly. But increasingly we’ve seen competitors throw antitrust laws to the wind by using pricing algorithms to avoid competition, leaving consumers to suffer the consequences. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act works to close existing loopholes and increase transparency around how companies use pricing algorithms to make sure consumers aren’t getting a raw deal,” said Welch.
Price fixing and other forms of collusion are illegal under current antitrust laws. However, current antitrust laws may be insufficient when competing companies delegate their pricing decisions to an algorithm without agreeing to fix prices. Current law requires proof of an agreement to fix prices before condemning the conduct. When pricing decisions of multiple competitors are delegated to a single algorithm, that agreement may not exist even though the use of the algorithm may have the same effect as a traditional agreement to fix prices. This type of conduct has already occurred in rental housing, and we must ensure that it does not spread to other sectors of our economy with the proliferation of algorithmic pricing.
To strengthen current price fixing law, this legislation will:
Close a loophole in current law by presuming a price-fixing “agreement,” when direct competitors share non-public information through a pricing algorithm to raise prices;
Increase transparency by requiring companies that use algorithms to set prices to disclose that fact and give antitrust enforcers the ability to audit the pricing algorithm when there are concerns it may be harming consumers;
Ban companies from using non-public, competitively sensitive information from their direct competitors to inform or train a pricing algorithm;
Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study pricing algorithms’ impact on competition.
The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act is endorsed by Consumer Reports, the Open Markets Institute, and Accountable.US.
Klobuchar has long led efforts to update our competition laws. As Chair of the Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights subcommittee, Klobuchar held two hearings in 2023 exploring how algorithms can be used to harm consumers. In November 2022, Klobuchar, along with Senators Durbin and Booker, urged the Department of Justice to investigate potential anticompetitive conduct by Realpage increasing rents. Klobuchar leads the bipartisan American Innovation and Choice Online Act with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), which would prevent technology companies from abusing their market power to harm competition, and which made history as the first digital competition bill to advance in Congress since the dawn of the internet when it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 16-6 vote in 2022. Last month, Klobuchar reintroduced the Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act with 13 co-sponsors to give federal antitrust enforcers the resources they need to do their jobs and strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive conduct and mergers. In 2024, Klobuchar joined Senator Wyden in introducing the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act to ensure that large landlords cannot skirt antitrust law and collude to increase rent prices across the country.
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) led House and Senate Democrats in a letter asking the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to explicitly exempt military and national security families from the Trump administration’s new restrictions on telework and remote work for federal employees.
Spousal employment challenges are a major cause of forced attrition in both the military and the national security community. While OPM has issued limited guidance exempting military spouses from the termination of remote work opportunities, advocates for these families have expressed frustration about the lack of clarity surrounding full implementation of this exception. Additionally, OPM has not announced exemptions for the families of other national security professionals, such as those in the State Department and the intelligence community.
“We write to express our deep concerns about the unintended consequences of the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) January 22, 2025, implementation guidance regarding a recent Presidential Memorandum on remote and telework arrangements for federal employees. The broad implementation overlooks the economic security and well-being of America’s military families, diplomatic spouses, and other national security professionals who are stationed away from home in service of the U.S. government. The impacted personnel are less than one percent of the federal workforce, but their ability to work from their families’ duty stations for limited periods of time (typically 2-3 years) is essential to recruitment for hard-to-fill assignments, family unity, and retention of their valuable experience and contributions to national security. We urge you to revise OPM’s guidance to explicitly exempt the small number of affected spouses and dependents and avoid attrition issues that could negatively impact American military readiness and national security, “the lawmakers wrote.
“It is commonly said that when one person joins the military, the whole family serves. This maxim is no less true for diplomats, intelligence professionals, federal law enforcement officers, and other national security professionals who are routinely required to relocate to postings across the world. As a result of these relocations, spouses and dependents often struggle to find consistent employment, creating personal and financial strains that have been cited as a major cause of attrition,” the lawmakers continued.
Booker, Van Hollen, and Castro are senior members of the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over foreign affairs and international relations.
The letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Johnny Olszewski, Jr. (D-MD-02), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL-01), and Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51).
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) reintroduced the American Beef Labeling Act, legislation that would reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef. The legislation would require the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to develop a World Trade Organization-compliant means of reinstating MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment. USTR would have six months to develop a reinstatement plan followed by a six-month window to implement it. If USTR fails to reinstate MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment, it would automatically be reinstated for beef only.
“This bipartisan legislation will help Americans know exactly where their beef is coming from,” said Senator Booker. “For too long, the big meatpackers have been misleading people with deceptive labeling. More transparency will enable consumers to support local family farmers and ranchers, and I look forward to working with Senator Thune to get this bill enacted into law as quickly as possible.”
“South Dakota ranchers – who work tirelessly to produce some of the highest quality beef in the world – deserve a fair labeling system that provides consumers with basic information on the origin of their beef,” said Senator Thune. “As a longtime supporter of MCOOL, I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation that would promote the viability of cattle ranching across our country and provide full transparency for American consumers.”
“America’s cattle producers are grateful for Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s steadfast support for mandatory country of origin labeling for beef,” saidBill Bullard, chief executive officer of R-CALF USA. “Our cattle and beef markets cannot function properly when consumers are denied basic market information, such as where the beef they purchase for their families was produced, under which country’s food production and food safety regime it was produced, and whether their purchase will help strengthen our domestic food supply chains. The American Beef Labeling Act will remedy this situation and bring needed transparency to the marketplace for producers and consumers alike.”
“United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) commends Majority Leader Thune for introducing the American Beef Labeling Act,” said Justin Tupper, president of USCA. “His leadership in restoring truth to labeling is a critical step toward ensuring transparency for U.S. consumers in the marketplace. This legislation puts U.S. producers first and we look forward to collaborating with Senator Thune and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to uphold integrity in the domestic beef market.”
“MCOOL is necessary for consumers who need to know where their food comes from,” said Doug Sombke, president of the South Dakota Farmers Union. “MCOOL is necessary for cattle producers who invest heavily in practices that produce the safest and highest quality meat in the world. Thank you Senator Thune for your efforts to secure fair markets for cattle producers in South Dakota and across the nation.”
This legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and John Fetterman (D-PA).
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) reintroduced a Senate Resolution to declare racism a public health crisis in the United States. This resolution aims to highlight the detrimental effects communities of color face when seeking healthcare treatment. Additionally, this resolution encourages concrete action to address health disparities and inequity across all sectors of society. U.S. Representatives Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05) and Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-03) introduced companion legislation in the House.
“This resolution is an important step toward recognizing that communities of color, particularly Black, Indigenous, and Latino communities, face disproportionate rates of chronic illness, shorter life expectancies, and increased barriers to quality health care,” said Senator Booker. “These disparities are not accidents. They are the direct result of decades of unjust policies and systems that determine whether your air or water is clean, or how close your family is to a toxic waste site. I remain committed to working with my colleagues to dismantle the systemic injustices that continue to impact the health outcomes of communities of color across America.”
“Racism and its compounding impacts have harmed the health and well-being of communities of color across America for generations,” said Senator Padilla. “Declaring racism as a public health crisis is an initial step to bring more attention to these deep-rooted inequities, but we have much more work to do to address these disparities and deliver justice for millions of Americans.”
“Racism is deadly for people of color, adversely impacting access to health care resources and disproportionately exacerbating health outcomes of marginalized communities including life expectancy, infant mortality, maternal morbidity, risk of cancer, and more,” said Senator Hirono. “The first step in addressing a crisis is naming it, which is why I am proud to reintroduce this resolution recognizing the impacts of systemic racism on the health of minority groups, and reaffirming our commitment to addressing health disparities and inequity across all communities.”
“Across our nation, communities of color face deeply rooted and systemic barriers to quality care and health outcomes. This has resulted in lower life expectancies for people of color,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “Declaring racism a public health crisis is a step towards delivering a more equitable and healthier future for every American. It is unacceptable for anyone to be denied adequate care or access to medical resources because of race, and Congress must work to address the barriers to quality care faced by communities of color.”
“Compared to other developed countries, the United States has among the worst health care outcomes. That is especially true for communities of color, who confront systemic barriers, biases, and neglect when seeking necessary, life-saving medical care. It is time we face the facts. Racism is a public health crisis,” said Congresswoman Ramirez.“ I’m proud to join Congresswoman Hayes, Senator Booker, and Senator Hirono in introducing a resolution that challenges us to confront and combat health care disparities that put communities of color at greater risk.”
The resolution highlights the effects of systemic racism on the health and wellness of communities of color, resulting in shorter life expectancy, worsened health outcomes, and enhanced exposure to harmful or dangerous environments.
Additionally, the resolution calls on the United States Congress to:
Establish a nationwide strategy to address health disparities and inequities across all sectors in society.
Dismantle systemic practices and policies that perpetuate racism.
Advance reforms to address years of neglectful and apathetic policies that have led to poor health outcomes for members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
Promote efforts to address the social determinants of health for all racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States to move forward with urgency.
The resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
To read the full text of the resolution, click here.
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
During a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) called on her colleagues to make American families’ lives better by including her Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act in the upcoming tax package.
Yesterday, Senator Fischer reintroduced her legislation with Senator King (I-Maine) to make the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Employer Tax Credit permanent. The Senators first passed their PFML tax credit as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but it is set to expire soon if not extended by the PFML Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act.
In her remarks, Senator Fischer emphasized the bipartisan support her legislation has received, as well as its role in fulfilling Republican promises to create a more prosperous and affordable future for American families.
Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s remarks.
Click here to download audio
Click here to download video
Following is a transcript of Senator Fischer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
M. President,
In America, our news cycle is often fraught with controversy and dispute. From watching the news or scrolling social media, it might seem like there are few issues Americans agree on.
It may be true that we disagree on some big issues—important issues. But behind the headlines and social media posts, there are many things Americans still agree on.
One of those is paid family and medical leave.
The Pew Research Center found that the vast majority of Americans support paid parental leave—up to 82 percent. That’s a broad consensus.
85 percent of Americans say people should receive paid leave to deal with their own serious health conditions. 67 percent say they should receive leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition.
We rarely see Americans so united on other issues. But it’s for good reason that Republicans and Democrats come together on paid family leave.
The reality is that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between their paychecks and caring for their families.
That’s why I spearheaded our nation’s first-ever federal family leave policy in 2017 with Senator King.
As part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we passed a Paid Family and Medical Leave tax credit that encourages businesses to offer leave to their employees.
Employers are able to receive the tax credit if they voluntarily offer up to 12 weeks of paid leave.
Our credit increases access to paid leave without penalizing small businesses with limited resources, like a government entitlement program or a mandate would.
Almost eight years later, this tax credit is about to expire. And Congress is set to work on another tax package.
Now is the perfect time to pass my bill with Senator King to make our tax credit permanent and improve it.
Yesterday we introduced the PFML Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act. Representative Feenstra is leading the introduction of companion legislation in the House.
Our bipartisan, bicameral bill supports additional options for financing paid leave, such as paid family leave insurance. It also allows employers to begin offering paid leave to workers sooner after being hired.
The legislation includes a strategy for educating employers and employees about the option to receive this credit. It requires the Small Business Administration and the IRS to provide targeted outreach and assistance to those who need it, which will raise awareness of the credit and expand the number of Americans who have paid leave.
Passing this bill in our upcoming tax package will deliver on the promises Republicans made to the American people this November.
We promised to make families’ lives better, more prosperous and more affordable. More access to family leave will contribute to that goal.
Our tax credit is a tried-and-true method, one with a bipartisan track record of success. It’s the paid family leave solution that will do the most good with the smallest price tag.
I urge my colleagues to join me in pushing for this legislation’s inclusion in this year’s tax package.
This is how we expand paid family and medical leave for employees across the country. This is how we deliver for the American people. I’m determined to get this done, and I hope my colleagues will join me.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today questioned Jamieson Greer, President Trump’s nominee to be the United States Trade Representative (USTR), at his confirmation hearing. Senator Welch demanded that Mr. Greer answer for the impact of the Trump Trade War on American businesses and consumers and outlined the cost of Trump’s new proposed tariffs for Vermont industries. Tariffs on imports from Canada, and subsequent retaliatory tariffs, could result in higher costs and layoffs for Vermonters.
Watch the exchange between Senator Welch and Jamieson Greer, President Trump’s pick for U.S. Trade Representative:
Read excerpts of their exchange below:
Sen. Welch: My view is that trade policy has failed the average American. We’ve exported jobs in return for importing cheap goods, and it’s hollowed out a lot of communities. It’s something that President Trump did talk about…What role do you see tariffs playing in our trade policy?
Mr. Greer: So, with respect to tariffs and trade policy, we need to create incentives to produce in America, and we need to create incentives to get market access overseas. Our average tariff rate in the United States is 3.5%, which is substantially lower than many markets—
Welch: So, you see tariffs as a tool for market access and for onshoring jobs here?
Greer: Exactly. It can be used as a tool for revenue—
Welch: Wait. That’s a whole new thing. Your job is trade policy, and if what we’re talking about is tariffs for revenue, would you agree with me that that’s a tax? That’s raising—the tariffs are ultimately paid by the consumers.
Greer: Taxes, Senator, are an assessment on foreign goods, on the value of foreign goods, made by foreign workers in foreign countries. And then that exporter has to decide—
Welch: I want to stop here a minute. When you’re using your responsibility on trade policy, I get that. But if a tariff is being used essentially as a negotiating tool on a one-off situation— as these recent tariffs on Mexico and Canada were—that’s a tax and it’s beyond trade policy. It’s the president trying to use that power for leverage. Do you think that the proper use of the congressionally extended authority to the president in national emergencies to impose tariffs apply to a national emergency that we have with Canada?
Greer: Yes.
Welch: I don’t.
•••
Welch: This has a huge impact on Vermont. You know, we do most of our trade with Canada. And we had a roundtable, and I just asked various businesses—we had over 150 businesses on this call. And it was everyone from a large, very successful construction company, PC Construction, to a woman who gets yarn and does weaving, and organic farmers. Every one of these people was just stunned at the implications that these out-of-the-blue threats of tariffs were going to have on their businesses. I mean, don’t people deserve a heads up in Vermont before they get whacked with what appears to be a tariff for an individual objective of President Trump?
Greer: So, Senator, the president was very transparent about this for several months that he was contemplating doing this specifically because of the fentanyl and illegal migration issues. And so, I think it is very important for people to understand what might be coming, especially when the president’s going to use his congressionally delegated responsibilities to execute the laws.
Welch: I appreciate you and your candor. But, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, I do have concern about the delegation, the abuse of the delegation of tariff authority to a President, to be used in national emergencies. To be used in one-off negotiating tactics. And I do believe that’s a tax. And I don’t think that any President should be able to unilaterally impose a tax. And one of the things I’m increasingly worried about is the abdication of our own Article I authority, and weakening this branch of government, for any President to totally disregard the people’s branch.
On Tuesday, Senator Welch took to the Senate floor to blast the proposed tariffs, which would be a tax on Vermonters. Senator Welch shared stories from Vermonters about how President Trump’s economic policies will impact their family, farm, and community. Watch his speech on the Senate Floor here and read his remarks as delivered here.
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Raise Alarm Over Chaos at Critical National Security Agencies Hurting National Security, Placing U.S. Citizens at Risk
Senator Reverend Warnock, Senators:“Blanket stop-work orders… are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work.”
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and 36 of his colleagues pushed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to answer for the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State following the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability. Yesterday, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department. The Trump Administration, led by Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.
“We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the senators.
The senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”
They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”
In addition to Senator Warnock, the letter was authored by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), and cosigned by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angus S. King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI),
The letter can be viewedHERE and the text is below.
Dear Secretary Rubio:
The effective administration of U.S. foreign assistance is critical to advancing core U.S. national security priorities, including countering the influence of China, Russia and Iran. As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, pushing back on China in particular is a top bipartisan priority.
As such, we are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners.
The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.
Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat.
Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.
We request immediate clarification on the following:
Status of USAID:
Confirmation of your understanding that any effort to abolish USAID or merge USAID into the Department of State absent Congressional consultation and approval is illegal.
Confirmation of your understanding that adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran are quickly moving into the vacuum left by suspended USAID programs.
The Department of State’s assessment of Mr. Elon Musk’s financial ties to China and the impact of these ties to the decision-making process of Mr. Musk and his employees.
Confirmation that neither you nor any member of your leadership team are taking direction from Mr. Musk with regards to the work of the Department of State or USAID, personnel or financial decisions for either agency, or any other matters relevant to U.S. national security.
Confirmation of the names and employment status of individuals directed by Mr. Musk to engage with USAID staff, the qualifications of these individuals, and the level of their security clearances – if any.
Personnel:
Confirmation of your understanding that any unauthorized access by or disclosure of classified information to individuals without appropriate security clearance could be considered a criminal offense.
The legal authority and rationale under which, on January 28, more than 50 senior career civil and foreign service USAID officials were placed on administrative leave. This move was not only unprecedented, but also inconsistent with the Office of Personnel Management’s own guidelines for the use of administrative leave.
The legal authority under which, on January 28, approximately 390 USAID Institutional Support Contractors (ISCs) were given stop-work orders, and clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this termination.
Whether any Department of State career civil and foreign service or contractors have been placed on administrative leave or removed from their roles as a result of or relating to the assistance freeze or any directives from the Office of Foreign Assistance.
Clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this mass furlough.
Clarification of whether these individuals were directed to be terminated without cause.
Confirmation that personnel will not face retaliation or retribution for performing their duties under the previous Administration’s policy direction.
Under what authorities and by which official’s directive career civil service, foreign service, and Personal Services Contractors (PSC), and those under other hiring authorities have been removed from their roles or limited in their ability to execute their work.
Confirmation that further career civil service, foreign service and USAID contractors will not be removed from their roles without cause or receive stop work orders.
Whether, upon full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities, the Administration intends to re-hire contractors who have been removed from their roles.
Any additional guidance provided to State and USAID staff regarding the foreign assistance freeze, including confirmation of whether direct hires, contractors, or implementing organizations have been directed not to speak publicly about the foreign assistance freeze.
Public identification of the individual currently serving as the Director or Acting Director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and as Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and the dates upon which this individual was appointed to each position.
Confirmation of your understanding that the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance has no authority to issue personnel directives for USAID.
Resumption of Foreign Assistance:
The specific process and anticipated timeframe for activities to receive exemptions or waivers, as referenced in your January 28, 2025 directive to State and USAID staff.
The mechanisms and metrics established for this waiver process.
The timeline for full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities.
Clarification of what risk assessment or analysis of potential risk to U.S. national security interests were conducted prior to the decision to freeze foreign assistance activities.
Confirmation of the Department of State’s obligation to comply with U.S. contract law and your responsibility as Secretary of State ensure the Department honors its commitments to contracting partners.
We welcome your urgent attention to these questions. We and our staff stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. foreign assistance funding continues to be deployed effectively to protect American citizens, at home and abroad.
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
Senators Reverend Warnock, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Military Benefits for Surviving Spouses of Fallen Servicemembers
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced legislation to allow spouses of fallen servicemembers to retain certain survivor benefits if they remarry. Under current law, most benefits from the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs are terminated for surviving spouses who remarry before age 55. The Love Lives On Act of 2025 would allow surviving spouses to retain these benefits upon remarriage regardless of age.
“The men and women in our military serve our country courageously—and their spouses serve our country, too. If one of our heroes loses their life in the line of duty, we should honor our servicemember’s sacrifice by ensuring their spouse can retain survivor benefits if they choose to remarry,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “As long as I have the honor to represent Georgia military families in the Senate, I will fight for them as hard as they have fought for our freedoms. I’m proud to continue leading this bipartisan effort to fulfill our promise to these patriots.”
“No survivor should have to choose between getting married again or keeping the benefits they need to support their family following the loss of their servicemember or veteran spouse,” said Senator Moran. “Military service is family service and, by making certain that surviving spouses can heal from their loss without fear of losing their benefits, the Love Lives On Act helps recognize the great debt our nation owes to Gold Star families.”
The Love Lives On Act is cosponsored by Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Fetterman (D-PA.), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
The full text of the legislation can be found here. A letter of support for the bill can be found here.
“TAPS is grateful to Senators Moran, Warnock and our 22 Senate original cosponsors as well as Representatives Hudson, Morrison, Van Orden, Neguse and Khanna for their leadership in reintroducing comprehensive remarriage legislation, the Love Lives On Act of 2025,” said Bonnie Carroll, President and Founder, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). “Their leadership in the last Congress led to the passage of many of the provisions of the Love Lives on Act of 2023 and we look forward to passing the remaining provisions of this important legislation to ensure surviving military spouses retain their benefits upon remarriage at any age. Surviving spouses should not have to choose between finding love again and financial security.”
Since April 2023, Senator Warnock has been working to pass his bipartisan Love Lives On Act, comprehensive legislation that would allow spouses of deceased servicemembers to retain survivor benefits upon remarriage. In December 2024, Senator Warnock secured a provision that will allow surviving spouses to maintain eligibility for education benefits upon remarriage. Additionally, the Senator successfully included another provision in the legislation that remove the “holds oneself out” provision that penalized former spouses who did not remarry but appeared to be dating someone else, as well as a provision changing the definition of surviving spouse to include same sex couples. Other provisions from his legislation were previously passed in the defense authorization bill that handles policies and funding levels for our Armed Forces. The provision secured in 2023 restores surviving spouse access to military bases, their commissaries, and their morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) retail stores for those who lost access due to remarriage, ensuring they can maintain their connection to the communities they have sacrificed so much to be a part of.
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
Senator Reverend Warnock included in annual recognition of Black leaders working to close racial equity gaps
Senator Reverend Warnock: “When we invest in our children—and most poor people are children—we strengthen the future of our country and we help to ensure that the 21st century, like the 20th century, will be the American century”
Senator Reverend Warnock, other honorees featured in February edition of TIME, out on newsstands Feb. 14
Senator Reverend Warnock: “For me, it is that moral and spiritual perspective that informs my work, and I try to bring that with me to Washington every single day”
ICYMI: Read Senator Reverend Warnock’s profile and see the full list of honorees HERE
WATCH video of Senator Reverend Warnock’s 2025 ‘The Closers’ interview HERE
Washington, D.C. – Today, TIME named U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) to its 2025 list of ‘The Closers,’ recognizing Black leaders working to close racial equity gaps. In an exclusive interview for the annual list, Senator Warnock discussed his focus on centering people in public policy, as well as how that moral perspective informs his work in the Senate to ensure all Georgians can economically thrive. TIME’s ‘The Closers’ list will be included in the magazine’s February edition available on newsstands February 14. Additionally, to recognize the 2025 ‘The Closers’ honorees, TIME will host an invite-only gathering in New York City on February 13, featuring remarks from Senator Warnock and other select members of the 2025 list.
“When we invest in our children—and most poor people are children—we strengthen the future of our country and we help to ensure that the 21st century, like the 20th century, will be the American century,” Senator Warnock said. “For me, it is that moral and spiritual perspective that informs my work, and I try to bring that with me to Washington every single day.”
Senator Warnock has long worked to level the economic playing field for Georgians and enact federal policy that helps working people get ahead, no matter their background. ‘The Closers’ highlights Senator Warnock’s successful efforts to deliver federal relief to farmers who have suffered historic discrimination and cap the costs of insulin for seniors. During his interview Senator Warnock also uplifted his work in the current Congress to further narrow the racial wealth gap and address Georgians’ economic pains, including his on-going efforts to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill, revive the expanded Child Tax Credit—the largest tax cut in the nation’s history for low income and working families—and lower the cost of insulin and other prescription drugs for everyone, whether they are insured or not.
WATCH excerpts of Senator Reverend Warnock’s interview HERE.
Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
Hickenlooper: “It’s time to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt what Mr. Vought and his Project [2025] are trying to do.”
Senate Democrats held the Senate floor overnight to oppose Vought’s nomination
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper spoke on the Senate floor against the nomination of Russell Vought, President Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Budget and Management (OMB). Hickenlooper’s remarks come ahead of the final confirmation vote, where he will vote “No” on Vought.
“If confirmed, Mr. Vought and Project 2025 could have devastating consequences for Colorado,” Hickenlooper said on the Senate floor.
“…At a time when grocery prices are rising on everything from eggs to meat, Project 2025 is going to make life harder for Colorado farmers and ranchers – and more risky,” he continued. “Project 2025 would cut safety nets for our Ag producers when they have a bad season…Hanging small farmers out to dry does nothing to lower grocery prices for [Americans].”
“…I will oppose every nominee that poses a genuine threat to Coloradans. That’s why I’m here on the floor and will vote “No” on Mr. Vought today.”
“…It’s time to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt what Mr. Vought and his Project [2025] are trying to do.”
The OMB oversees the performance of federal agencies and administers the federal budget. Vought previously served as acting OMB director during President Donald Trump’s first term and was a primary architect of Project 2025, which details MAGA Republicans’ far-right agenda to dismantle the federal government under a Trump administration.
Last week, in response to an executive order from President Trump, the OMB ordered a freeze on all federal grants and loans. The pause threatened hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, which would have impacted thousands of organizations in Colorado and hurt millions of Americans.
On Monday, a federal court issued a restraining order against the Trump administration, extending a temporary pause on the President’s plan.
More information about how a freeze would impact Coloradans is available HERE.
Yesterday, Hickenlooper posted a video to social media where he commits to use every tool at his disposal, including opposing any nominees who will harm Colorado, to disrupt the administration’s illegal actions. This morning, Hickenlooper joined Democrats in holding the Senate floor overnight to oppose Trump’s nominee.
To download a full video of Hickenlooper’s remarks, click HERE. A full transcript of his remarks is available below:
“Mr. President,
“I take to the floor today to urge my colleagues to vote “No” on President Trump’s nominee to the Office of Budget and Management, Russell Vought.
“Some remember Mr. Vought from when he served as the head of the same agency during President Trump’s first term. He is one of the very few “repeat” appointments – clearly a reflection of his loyalty.
“You may also know him for his leadership – his authoring – of Project 2025, that far-right agenda that the President – during the campaign – swore up and down he had no idea about.
“And I believe that, although I think he understood many discussions, perhaps outlined the framework.
“Project 2025 would gut our longstanding and globally admired framework of checks and balances. It would gut them. It would ensure civil servants would be hired and fired on the basis of political loyalty – something that this country has struggled for many decades to get rid of.
“It would truly weaponize our system of justice. Again something that almost everyone works towards keeping nonpartisan.
“It lays out in detail a plan to dramatically change our American system of government – perhaps for a very long time.
“It’s really not a question of “if” anymore. The plan and the people putting it in place are disregarding laws and norms dating back to the Constitution. They are throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
“This means firing or pushing out vast swaths of the federal workforce of civil servants. These are career civil servants, many of whom have devoted their lives to keeping our government running – from processing social security checks, and keeping our weather systems afloat, or helping to stop waste, fraud and abuse.
“Some would say our federal workers don’t do anything. But they are honest, hard-working Americans.
“Project 2025 is just getting started. If confirmed, Mr.Vought and Project 2025 could have devastating consequences for Colorado.
“Deep in Project 2025 are plans to heavily restrict access to contraceptives and abortion medication, denying women and families the freedom to make their own reproductive decisions.
“Plans to make health care more expensive by repealing policies that empower Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and drive down the cost of health care for seniors.
“Plans to make Colorado less resilient to these increasingly frequent disasters caused by extreme weather.
“And they’re already reinstating cruel immigration policies, and threatening to come after the LGBTQ+ community.
“At a time when grocery prices are rising on everything from eggs to meat, Project 2025 is going to make life harder for Colorado farmers and ranchers – and more risky.
“Project 2025 would cut safety nets for our Ag producers when they have a bad season. It includes plans to gut essential crop insurance. Project 2025 even wants government to get involved in the specific techniques our ranchers use to farm.
“Now, our Colorado farmers know their land better than anyone else. Hanging small farmers out to dry does nothing to lower grocery prices for America.
“We’ve been hearing in our offices from producers across the state who are very concerned about what this Project 2025 means to them. We have over 38,000 farm operations in Colorado. Some harvest wheat, some raise meat or poultry, some specialize in dairy. All of them help support our rural communities and play an essential role in feeding families really all across the country.
“We don’t have to speculate about what Mr.Vought would do to the Office of Management and Budget – he’s really laid it all out in Project 2025. He wrote Project 2025 to a large extent himself.
“One of his finest contributions: a section championing the Executive Branch’s ability to overreach and “impound funds.”
“Let’s not mince words: This is, by all historic measures, blatantly unconstitutional.
“Congress alone has the authority to decide how the government spends its money.
“This isn’t an opinion. It says explicitly in Article I, Section 9, Clause 7: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.”
“Made by law, designated by Congress.
“And again in Article I, Section 8, Clause 1: “Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.”
“We got a taste of how Mr. Vought would attempt to execute something like this last week.
“In a truly chaotic late-night, two-page memo, the Trump administration halted all federal grants and loans. We’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars in federal spending for a staggering number of programs. Programs that provide Americans health care, food, nutrition, housing, child care, so much else.
“The memo stemmed from an executive order calling on federal agencies to review and eliminate spending on “woke” ideologies or “The [Green New] Deal” – both things that aren’t clearly defined and don’t in any specific way exist.
“In this rush to create chaos and jumbled policy, the implementors didn’t bother to specify which programs would continue and which programs would end.
“Our office and staff were immediately flooded with calls. Hundreds and then thousands of calls. We heard from folks in every corner of Colorado – big cities, small towns – asking ‘what does this mean’ for them and their families. There was real fear, real worry, and for good reason.
“The Trump administration tried to walk back the original memo to clarify that the freeze wouldn’t affect individual payments, like Social Security or food stamp benefits.
“But that didn’t clear up too much. And it certainly didn’t help that the White House Press Secretary couldn’t answer specific questions like pertaining to specific government programs like Medicaid, whether they were going to be affected. Frustrating as it is – and I get how frustrating it is – there are reasons why government moves slowly.
“All of this, if implemented as requested, would’ve had a devastating impact on Colorado. A devastating impact.
“Federal programs and funds make up roughly 25 percent of our state’s effort to build transportation and infrastructure, provide needed services for the most needy in our state.
“Head Start, a truly vital service for over 9,000 low-income kids in Colorado, would be forced to shutter its operations that provide for these low-income kids of all communities with the early childhood education, health, and nutrition that they need. Even as we speak, there are reports that Head Start providers around the nation are not able to access funds.
“If implemented it would cut off 83,000+ low-income Colorado families from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps heat their homes in the cold winter. These are folks that in many cases are unable to pay their heating bills or wouldn’t be able to heat their homes without this assistance.
“Our public safety and law enforcement would be weakened. The pause would strip funding that helps our local agencies prevent terrorism, helps them crack down on drug trafficking, and prevent crimes and provide services for those who have been victimized by crime.
“Colorado has one of the largest veteran populations in the country, something we’re very proud of. But this funding [pause] would cut resources for those vets. It would cut resources for community-based suicide prevention efforts, organizations that provide care for veterans experiencing homelessness, and services for veterans living with disabilities – many of them taken in the defense of our nation. Hard to be cruel to those who have given their country so much.
“Before entering public service, I was in the restaurant business. At our brewpub in downtown Denver, we’d cook, pack, and donate meals every year to Meals on Wheels to feed seniors throughout the Metro Denver area. I’ve seen firsthand the difference this makes, the relief it provides to seniors who need it. Many of them don’t leave the house, and are so grateful to have someone come and they can talk to as they get their meal.
“But the federal funding freeze left Meals on Wheels in Colorado, but all across the country, unsure of how and whether they’ll be able to continue serving meals. Over 25,000 Coloradan seniors everyday rely on Meals on Wheels to access food. Why would we leave our seniors hungry and unsure of where their next hot lunch is going to come?
“Our office also heard directly from a Colorado rural health organization about how this federal funding freeze would have life-or-death effects on Coloradans in 47 rural counties.
“When we’re in towns like Cortez or Hugo or Julesburg, we hear all the time about how our rural hospitals, clinics, and community health centers are already strained by workforce shortages, by rising costs.
“These medical providers are on the frontlines of dealing with our nation’s mental health and opioid crisis. And we’re cutting their ability to provide these services.
“These folks in rural Colorado, and in suburbs around every city in Colorado, are watching their friends, family, and neighbors struggle with mental health issues that rose up after the pandemic.
“This funding freeze wouldn’t just strip funding from these programs. It would force our critical rural hospitals to lay off staff or turn away patients at a time when they need it the most.
“We should be fighting to increase access to quality, affordable health care no matter where people live – not take it away.
“The federal funding freeze has already been blocked by the courts several times because it is blatantly illegal. It makes no sense.
“But make no mistake, Mr. Vought and the Trump administration will keep poking and prodding our courts and our Constitution until they get their way.
“All of these actions serve a sinister purpose: to completely transform our government into one that gives enormous, enormous tax cuts, largely directed at those who don’t need them – and in many cases in Colorado don’t want them – and puts working-class Americans out to pasture.
“The federal funding freeze is just one of many chaotic actions that Mr.Vought and the administration are pushing. We see Project 2025 come into clarity in this administration’s illegal attempts to dismantle agencies without congressional approval, or their attempts to access Americans’ sensitive data.
“Look, I’m all for cutting government waste. If you want to seriously look at how we spend money and where we can cut actual fraud, waste, and abuse – I’m game. A more efficient government will help us all, but that’s not what’s happening.
“I’ve worked as hard as I could to find ways to work across the aisle, and that’s not going to change. When I was Mayor of Denver, when I was Governor of Colorado, we balanced the budget every year and we worked hard to try and streamline government processes. Just like every mayor and every governor in this country.
“You can’t just shove working families under the bus or violate the law to do it.
“We’ll fight these attempts in the courts, on the floor of the Senate – like now – and everywhere else we can to defend Colorado and the Constitution.
“It’s time to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt what Mr. Vought and his Project [2025] are trying to do. We’ve supported these lawsuits, opposed executive actions, and voted against nominees.
“But if we need to hold the Senate floor like we’re doing now, vote all night, disrupt business as usual, we’ll do that too.
“I will oppose every nominee that poses a genuine threat to Coloradans. That’s why I’m here on the floor and will vote “No” on Mr. Vought today.
“Coloradans sent us to Washington to solve problems, not to create more. Project 2025, it’s a brutal plan to wreak havoc on our nation, and really change the way our government operates, the way our democracy functions.
“I hope people all over the state emulate that old movie “Network”, that they can shout out on every corner, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to stand for it!”
“Let’s hope they get so loud that they can’t be drowned out.
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is demanding answers from the Trump Administration on why half of Wisconsin’s Head Start programs, whichprovide childcare and preschool education to children, were unable to access previously approved federal funding, forcing at least one program to shutter. After the Trump Administration illegally ordered a pause on previously Congressionally approved federal grants and loans, half of Wisconsin Head Start programs were locked out of systems they use to pay staff and keep operations running.
“Head Start is a critical lifeline for families,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to the Acting Secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Head Start. “Disruptions in services impact entire communities – from the children who are unable to be in the classroom, to the parents who are unable to work due to the lack of childcare, and Head Start professionals who love their jobs but are unable to be in their classrooms. I am also deeply concerned about the impact this chaos will have on the recruitment and retention of staff at Head Start centers.”
Last week, the Trump Administration sent a letter from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directing a pause on virtually all federal grants and loans, with minimal details on what programs would and would not be impacted. While the memo was later rescinded, eight Head Start programs around the state have continued to experience issues accessing their federal funding, forcing one Head Start Center in Waukesha to close last week and leaving more than 250 families without childcare.
“It is clear that funding issues persisted even after the Administration attempted to backtrack on the OMB memo and clarify that it did not apply to Head Start programs and following federal court orders that blocked the implementation of the memo,” wrote Senator Baldwin. “I am still hearing from Head Start grantees in Wisconsin who are continuing to have problems accessing their funds. I request your immediate attention to resolve any outstanding issues for Head Start payment systems.”
In her letter, Senator Baldwin asked Dorothy A. Fink, M.D., Acting Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, and Tala Hooban, Acting Director of the Office of Head Start, to immediately respond with the following:
A full accounting of the directives your department and agency received from the Trump Administration regarding the initial freeze of federal funds in the OMB memo.
A full accounting of the directives received from the Trump Administration regarding the disbursement of federal funds after the clarification that the freeze did not apply to Head Start programs and after federal court orders were issued blocking implementation of the OMB memo.
The number of Head Start grantees who were unable to access or experienced difficulties in accessing the Payment Management System – the system used to access their federal funding – on or after January 28 and the dates in which they were unable to access the system.
Detail the reasons as to why these users were unable to access the Payment Management System.
Information on what resources you need, funding or otherwise, to ensure these issues do not happen in the future.
A full version of this letter is available here and below.
Dear Acting Secretary Fink and Acting Director Hooban:
I write to you out of concern for what is happening at Head Start programs in Wisconsin during the first few weeks of the Trump Administration. After the Administration ordered a pause on federal grants and loans, half of Wisconsin Head Start programs were locked out of systems they use to pay staff and keep operations running. A Head Start Center in Waukesha closed last week and left more than 250 families without childcare. Still today, Head Start programs in Wisconsin are having problems accessing their funds, which raises continued uncertainty about their ability to keep their doors open. This is unacceptable and requires your immediate attention.
There has been a long bipartisan history of providing federal funding for Head Start. For Fiscal Year 2024, as Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittee, I was proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide $12.3 billion for Head Start in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 which was signed into law by President Biden on March 23, 2024. This carefully negotiated and bipartisan appropriation was a $275 million increase over Fiscal Year 2023 levels, which was celebrated in both red and blue states.
Despite this history of strong bipartisan support and a clear Congressional directive, on January 28th President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memorandum (M-25-13) ordering a halt to all federal grants and loans. This memo caused widespread chaos and confusion across the federal government and impacted every state in our nation. While I understand the Trump Administration sought to clarify that they did not intend for Head Start to be included in the funding freeze, the reality for Head Start across the country and in Wisconsin was an inability to access funding that had already been approved by Congress.
In the wake of this chaos, I met with and heard from Head Start programs across Wisconsin about the devastating impact the unlawful federal funding freeze had on their individual programs and in our communities. About half of the Head Start programs in Wisconsin experienced prolonged issues in accessing their funds. When attempting to draw down these federal dollars, these programs were met with only a response that the funding was ‘pending.’
Head Start is a critical lifeline for families. Disruptions in services impact entire communities –
from the children who are unable to be in the classroom, to the parents who are unable to work due to the lack of child care, and Head Start professionals who love their jobs but are unable to be in their classrooms. I am also deeply concerned about the impact this chaos will have on the recruitment and retention of staff at Head Start centers. Head Start programs have continued to endure staffing shortfalls which has resulted in a reduction in slots for children and the number of families being served. Disruption and uncertainty only serves to compound staffing recruitment challenges.
The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most critical in their life. Research has shown participating in early childhood education programs helps better prepare children for their future and can result in better grades, higher school completion rates, reduction in the criminal justice system, and greater economic self-sufficiency as adults. This is why programs like Head Start enjoy broad bipartisan support and are so critical in ensuring that our youngest children will be prepared to succeed later in their educational careers. We know these long-term benefits make early childhood education programs a cost-effective way to strengthen society as a whole.
It is clear that funding issues persisted even after the Administration attempted to backtrack on the OMB memo and clarify that it did not apply to Head Start programs and following federal court orders that blocked the implementation of the memo. I am still hearing from Head Start grantees in Wisconsin who are continuing to have problems accessing their funds. I request your immediate attention to resolve any outstanding issues for Head Start payment systems.
Additionally, I ask you to provide the following:
A full accounting of the directives your department and agency received from the Trump Administration regarding the initial freeze of federal funds in M-25-13 OMB memo.
A full accounting of the directives received from the Trump Administration regarding the disbursement of federal funds after the clarification that the freeze did not apply to Head Start programs and after federal court orders were issued blocking implementation of the M-25-13 OMB memo.
The number of Head Start grantees who were unable to access or experienced difficulties in accessing the Payment Management System on or after January 28 and the dates in which they were unable to access the system.
Detail the reasons as to why these users were unable to access the Payment Management System.
Information on what resources you need, funding or otherwise, to ensure these issues do not happen in the future.
Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led thirteen of her colleagues in introducing the Carried Interest Fairness Act to eliminate a tax loophole that benefits wealthy money managers on Wall Street. The current carried interest loophole allows investment managers to often pay almost half the tax rate compared to most other Wisconsin workers.
“Wall Street investors should not be paying less in taxes than Wisconsin firefighters, teachers, and small business owners. But right now, the wealthiest Americans are gaming our tax system to get out of paying their fair share, passing their tax burden onto working Wisconsinites,” said Senator Baldwin. “Closing the carried interest loophole will ensure super-wealthy Americans do their part, reducing the deficit and increasing fairness in our tax code. As President Trump has previously said, this loophole is ‘unfair to American workers’ and I look forward to working with him to finally close it.”
The carried interest loophole allows investment managers to pay the lower 23.8 percent capital gains tax rate on income received as compensation, rather than the ordinary income tax rates of up to 40.8 percent that they would pay for the same amount of wage income. The Carried Interest Fairness Act requires carried interest income to be taxed at ordinary wage rates. According to the Treasury proposal, closing this loophole will raise $6.5 billion in revenue over 10 years.
Despite President Donald Trump previously saying, “…we will eliminate the carried interest deduction and other special interest loopholes…” during the 2016 election, his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “failed to eliminate [the] key deduction used by wealthy investment firms that Trump had vowed to kill,” leading PolitiFact to rate this a “Promise Broken.” Senate Republicans rejected an amendment to the tax bill by Senator Baldwin to close the loophole, which all Senate Democrats supported in 2017.
The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI). Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03) also introduced this bill today in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The legislation is endorsed by Communications Workers of America, Americans for Tax Fairness, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Public Citizen, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Alliance for Retired Americans, Americans for Financial Reform, Take on Wall Street, Patriotic Millionaires, 20/20 Vision, Main Street Alliance, American Federation of Government Employees, Small Business Minority, Economic Policy Institute, and the National Women’s Law Center.
“The carried interest loophole is an expensive subsidy of the billionaire executives who are raiding the public purse right now to pay for their next private island,” said Porter McConnell, Senior Director of Take on Wall Street at Americans for Financial Reform. “We commend Senator Baldwin for her leadership on closing this egregious loophole so that working families can stop subsidizing ultra wealthy hedge fund and private equity executives.”
“The carried interest loophole is an unfair Wall Street tax break that enriches billionaires who end up paying lower tax rates than teachers, nurses, and firefighters.” said Oscar Valdés Viera, research manager at Americans for Financial Reform. “We applaud Senator Baldwin for her unwavering leadership in introducing the Carried Interest Fairness Act and urge the Senate to swiftly move on this legislation.”
“The carried interest loophole gives a class of the wealthy elite – hedge fund managers and executives – an enormous and unfair advantage by allowing them to pay a significantly lower tax rate on their compensation than working- and middle-class Americans. Senator Baldwin’s Carried Interest Fairness Act would work to close this loophole, enhancing tax fairness, narrowing the growing wealth gap, and providing crucial revenue for investments in the American people,” said Casey Conroy, Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst at 20/20 Vision.
“Small business owners work hard every day to keep their doors open, staff on payroll and shelves stocked. Meanwhile, investment managers pay a lower tax rate than Main Street because of a ridiculous loophole. Main Street Alliance and our 30,000 members strongly support Senator Baldwin’s Carried Interest Fairness Act. Our tax code should focus on supporting the 20 million new small business owners who have started since 2020, not glitzy hedge funds,” said Richard Trent, Main Street Alliance Executive Director.
“There are a lot of economically and morally unjustifiable tax loopholes that disproportionately benefit wealthy people like me, but the carried interest loophole may just take the cake. Ultra-wealthy hedge fund managers should not receive a tax break on the income they earn managing other people’s money, as the last time I checked, nurses don’t get a tax break on the money they make ‘managing’ people’s lives with their blood, sweat, and tears. It’s time for lawmakers to pass the Carried Interest Fairness Act and close this egregious loophole once and for all,” said Morris Pearl, Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires and a former Managing Director at BlackRock.
“The carried interest tax loophole stands as one of the most glaring examples of how the ultra-wealthy exploit and rig our broken tax system to their advantage,” said David Kass, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness. “It’s common sense—Wall Street hedge fund managers shouldn’t pay lower federal tax rates than nurses, teachers, and most working Americans. This change is long overdue and represents a critical step toward a fairer tax system that ensures these uber-wealthy individuals pay their fair share like everyone else.”
“There is no reason that private equity managers, some of the wealthiest people in the country, should get away with paying lower tax rates than average families, especially as the care crisis continues to strain family budgets. Closing the carried interest loophole is an important step towards making sure the wealthiest are paying their fair share and that our tax code works for all of us, not just those at the top,” said Melissa Boteach, Vice President for Income Security and Child Care/Early Learning at the National Women’s Law Center.
A one-pager on this legislation is available here. Bill text of this legislation is available here.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla, Judiciary Democrats Condemn Trump’s Unfit Nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel
WATCH: Padilla urges Republicans to reject Patel based on alarming and radical record
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined his Democratic colleagues on the Committee in speaking out against Kash Patel’s dangerous nomination to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). During this morning’s Judiciary Committee business meeting, Padilla objected to Patel’s nomination and urged his Republican colleagues to do the same ahead of the Committee’s vote next week.
Padilla raised significant concerns regarding Patel’s lack of judgement, independence, and preparedness — flaws made clear both during his nomination hearing and throughout his career. He highlighted Patel’s troubling record, including his publication of a political enemies list, threats to prosecute journalists, and his stated plan to “shut down the FBI Hoover Building on Day 1 and reopen it the next day as a museum of the ‘deep state.’”
Padilla also denounced Patel’s reckless actions as Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, where he put the lives of U.S. military personnel at risk by providing false information during a high-stakes hostage rescue operation. He also slammed Patel’s opposition to background checks and his apparent support for civilian ownership of machine guns.
The Senators reiterated calls for an additional hearing to address Patel’s misleading testimony and his involvement in the removals and investigations of career FBI employees. During Patel’s nomination hearing last week, Senator Padilla raised serious concerns about his fitness to lead the FBI independently.
Key Excerpts:
In addition to a lot of the specific concerns about Kash Patel and how he would be as an FBI director, I feel compelled to remind us of the moment that we are in right now in the first few weeks of the second Trump administration — the chaos that has been created.
In times of chaos and crisis like this, the public deserves to see trusted leaders in the most important positions of our federal government, trusted leaders who will stand up and say “no” to a president trying to blow through the very guardrails put in place by the Constitution. So it’s in that context that makes the nomination and potential confirmation of Kash Patel even more alarming.
When I asked him about his thoughts on what should be commonsense gun safety policies and protocols, what his position was on things like universal background checks, he either failed to answer or chose not to answer. Poor judgment, clear lack of preparation for the position of FBI director that oversees our background check system for a reason.
Let alone his lack of ability or lack of willingness to serve independently. It’s not just the Department of Justice. It’s been the FBI specifically that has performed at its best when it serves the people, when it honors the Constitution, and respects the rule of law. Clearly, Kash Patel puts that secondary to his loyalty to Donald Trump.
It’s up to the Senate to either confirm this nominee or not. It’s clear where Senate Democrats stand. I think my biggest question is, where are Senate Republicans going to stand at this important moment in history? Will they choose the rule of law? Will they choose the Constitution? Will they choose to stay loyal to the very oath of office they’ve taken and their important advice and consent role? Or will they choose loyalty to a reckless president?