Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
25% staff reduction at Bureau of Reclamation threatens dam safety, water delivery
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined seven of his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to call on Department of the Interior (DOI) Acting Inspector General (IG) Caryl Brzymialkiewicz to evaluate the impact of the Trump administration’s layoffs at the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) on key BOR programs, including delivering water and reliable electricity to millions of Americans.
“Recent reductions in workforce significantly threaten BOR’s ability to safely and reliably deliver water to communities and farmers, keep waterways flowing for fish and wildlife across the western United States, and produce reliable electricity,” the senators wrote.
The BOR is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States and delivers trillions of gallons of water to more than 31 million people. The BOR also is the second-largest producer of hydroelectric power in the country. The facilities operated by BOR generate 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year.
The BOR has reportedly lost around 25% of the agency’s work force – approximately 1,400 public servants – since the Trump administration began illegally firing federal workers.
The senators continued: “BOR needs experienced personnel with the necessary expertise to manage critical infrastructure. We are concerned that the Administration’s actions to gut the agency of qualified public servants could leave critical water infrastructure and communities vulnerable to operational disruptions.”
The senators requested the IG evaluate whether recent workforce reductions at BOR inhibit the Bureau from carrying out its obligations.
The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear Acting Inspector General Brzymialkiewicz:
We write to request that your office evaluate the extent to which workforce reductions at the Bureau of Reclamation (“Bureau” or “BOR”) prevent the agency from fulfilling its statutory mission and implementing relevant programs and activities authorized by Congress. The Bureau is the largest wholesaler of water in the United States—delivering trillions of gallons of water to more than 31 million people. The Bureau is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the country. The facilities BOR operate generate 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year. However, recent reductions in workforce significantly threaten BOR’s ability to safely and reliably deliver water to communities and farmers, keep waterways flowing for fish and wildlife across the western United States, and produce reliable electricity.
According to reports, BOR has lost 1,400 public servants since the administration began its assault on the federal workforce. The positions reportedly eliminated include mechanics, engineers, and fish biology specialists—personnel with considerable expertise. Through firings of probational workers, buyouts, early retirements, and other related actions, BOR has shrunk by 25 percent. This workforce reduction has lacked a coherent, mission- and safety- driven strategy and instead led to the departure of experienced personnel—some with over 20 years of experience—leaving the Bureau susceptible to operational disruptions.
Rapid reductions to BOR’s workforce raise significant concerns about the Bureau’s ability to meet its core responsibilities, particularly inspecting dams and identifying threats to public safety. BOR manages over 450 dams throughout 17 western states. Previously, BOR’s dam safety program identified over 300 high and significant hazard dams at more than 200 facilities. The age and complex nature of dam systems necessitates having experienced staff trained in the operation of such systems. In fact, as your office identified in a September 2023 report, approximately 90 percent of BOR’s dams are more than 50 years old and “[a]ging dams increase the risk of dam failures.” BOR needs experienced personnel with the necessary expertise to manage critical infrastructure. We are concerned that the administration’s actions to gut the agency of qualified public servants could leave critical water infrastructure and communities vulnerable to operational disruptions.
Your office is responsible for promoting “accountability, integrity, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within” the DOI and identifying “ways to improve the DOI’s programs and operations by offering specific, actionable recommendations that lead to positive change.” We therefore urge you to evaluate whether recent workforce reductions at BOR inhibit the Bureau from carrying out its obligations.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke with General Randy George, Chief of staff of the Army, and Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of the Army, about the importance of addressing brain injuries in servicemember and veterans caused by repeated exposure to weapon blasts. During the exchange, Senator King received confirmation from both General George and Secretary Driscoll that life-saving initiatives — advocated for by Senator King — have been put into action to better understand and mitigate the effects of blast overpressure. In October 2023, a shooter opened fire on and killed 18 Maine people in Lewiston. The shooter, an Army reservist, worked as an instructor at a hand grenade training range where it is believed he was repeatedly exposed to low-level blasts. An analysis of his brain later showed evidence of severe traumatic brain injury.
“In October of 2023, a tragic event occurred in Maine where an army reservist killed 18 people in a matter of minutes. Subsequent to that it was determined that he had substantial brain injury, most likely because he was a trainer in munitions, by blast overpressure and continued exposure. There was a lot of activity at the time in the army and in the Pentagon generally on this issue of blast overpressure and mental health baselining, and I just want to be sure are you aware of that work and I just want to be sure that it isn’t lost in the transition from one administration to another. This is a very serious problem. It turns out this one case in Maine was kind of a notorious one. This is something that, throughout the armed services, particularly in the army. General, do you want to address that? Are we staying after this issue,” questioned Senator King.
“We are staying after that. It was about three weeks ago that we had the team up to talk about that, so in operators we’re using one of our very specialized units that do a lot of these very high-end kind of training. It’s, right now, we have implemented the neurological testing, so people going on —,” responded General George.
“You’re doing a baseline,” asked Senator King.
“That’s the baseline. We are, you know, changing, again, it’s how you train as well, and you kind of alluded to that. Do you need the level of explosives when you’re doing certain kind of training? How can you reduce that? We’re looking at equipment. How do we change, you know, for example, the Kevlar might be helpful against, you know, bullets coming at you, but it does other things when you have concussive events, and so, how do we change that? So, I probably, once a quarter, I will have discussions on this, and these are ongoing with what we’re doing. And so, we’re continuing on with that —,” replied General George.
“And Senator, I can just echo, this does come up often. We are trying to look at our training. Obviously, we’re choosing to expose soldiers to things and make sure that it is worth the risk,” added Driscoll.
“I appreciate that, and all the right work has been done at the fairly high level. I just want to be sure it gets down to the ground in terms of day-to-day activity that it’s not just reports in the Pentagon but that it is direct changes in the way equipment and training and those things, because, as I say, this turns out to be a widespread problem and something we need to address,” finished Senator King.
During just three months in 2023, the Department of Defense (DoD) provided treatment to service members nearly 50,000 times for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which are considered the “signature wound” of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. For troops with mild TBI, “the most important cause of brain injury was the long-term exposure to explosive weapons.” Researchers using data from blast analysis sensors worn by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan also determined that, “75 percent of the troops’ [blast] exposure was coming from their own weapons.” Despite this, service members continue to train with weapons with unsafe blast levels, and sadly, many have of these injuries have led to high levels of mental illness and suicide.
Following the Lewiston shooting, Senator King has been working with his colleagues to increase mental health funding and address brain injuries. Last summer he wrote a letter to the former Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd Austin urging the Department to expedite protection of servicemembers from weapon blasts and TBIs. Prior to that letter he urged leaders of the Appropriations Committee to support the strongest possible funding for the Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research program within the DoD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDRMP). Earlier this year, Senator King introduced bipartisan legislation to study impacts of lower-intensity weapon blasts on veteran mental health. He also was successful in securing a provision to protect service members from brain injuries in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In a recent Armed Services hearing, Senator King receive commitment from a DoD nominee to maintain focus on addressing brain injuries stemming from weapon blast traumas.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
June 05, 2025
In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin slammed the Republican reconciliation plan that will kick 16 million Americans off their health care coverage, close rural hospitals
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor exposing the disastrous provisions in the Republicans’ reconciliation plan that will slash health care and eliminate jobs to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. In his remarks, Durbin underscored that this legislation will harm Americans, as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released new estimates showing that 16 million Americans will lose their health insurance under this plan.
“What exactly were people voting for in the last presidential election? Well, many things… but the recurring theme seems to be the cost of living for the average family, the ability of mothers and fathers to make ends meet, and to see a realization of their dreams and aspirations. But we were told, over and over again, that families across this country were being overwhelmed by the cost of living, gas, groceries, housing. And so they gave a majority of the votes to President Trump, who promised he would ‘Make America Great Again.’ Since taking office, I don’t believe that the President has come near to keeping his promise,” Durbin began. “Instead he has hired many of his billionaire buddies and cut deals with the ultra-wealthy that will harm the same Americans who voted for him.”
“Hidden in more than 1,000 pages in the bill that passed the House of Representatives is a plan, a laundry list of things, that I don’t believe Americans even considered voting for in the last November election. They’re going to have a devastating impact on families in states, red and blue alike… Billionaires are going to win, and American families are going to lose,” Durbin said.
Durbin spoke about the impact of the $800 billion cuts to Medicaid included in the reconciliation bill, emphasizing that if those cuts are carried out, rural hospitals will be forced to close because they rely on Medicaid funding to operate. Nationwide, half of all rural hospitals already operate with negative margins, and more than 300 rural hospitals are at immediate risk of closure, including 26 in Kansas, 22 in Alabama, and nine in Missouri.
“Do you think the voters in last November’s election for President of the United States would actually vote to close down their local hospital? That’s what’s looming,” Durbin continued. “Three weeks ago,20 hospital administratorsfrom across the state of Illinois, from Chicago down to the southernmost part of our state, all took a special trip to Washington to warn me that the bill that was pending before the House of Representatives threatened the survival of hospitals across our state. These are hospitals which are not only critical for providing professional medical care, delivering babies, saving people’s lives who were in automobile accidents, but also major parts of the local economy.”
“You come to rural, small town Midwest America and ask the impact of the local hospital, and they’ll tell you, ‘we don’t know that we can keep a business or attract a business if we didn’t have it. We count on it every day to be there when we need it.’ And, secondly, it’s a major employer. In fact, in most towns, the biggest employers in downstate,” Durbin said. “Then they warned me, many of these hospitals are hanging on by a thread. The money that they receive from government insurance programs like Medicaid keeps the doors open and the lights on and the doctors in town. And now we have a proposal from Republicans to cut that Medicaid benefit and coverage for 16 million Americans.”
As if those deep cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act were not harmful enough, Republicans have included a $500 billion cut to Medicare, despite promises to protect the program in their reconciliation bill.
“Now you dig deeply into this Republican budget bill that has come over from the House of Representatives, and it turns out… they’re also cutting Medicare,” Durbin said. “Republicans couldn’t help themselves, they slashed Medicare benefits and reduced access to hospitals, nursing homes, and medications for seniors in all 50 states.”
“Why would Republicans in Congress take a wrecking ball to these two major parts of our health care system? To provide money for tax breaks for the wealthiest people in America,” Durbin continued.
“It sounds like Republicans in Congress want to be the ones deciding who is worthy of health care in America. But Americans who depend on Medicaid are not strangers. They’re your neighbors. They’re people at your church, at your school, and at your work. It probably is your family too. If you or your loved one gets sick, will congressional Republicans deem you worthy of seeing a doctor?” Durbin said.
Durbin continued on, arguing that the American people did not vote to lose their health care to pad the pockets of billionaires.
“Is that what this election was all about? Did the American people vote for tax cuts for billionaires? I don’t think so,” Durbin said.
“A party like the Republicans who claim they’re the party of the working class. ‘Working class’ billionaires? They refuse to put their money where their mouth is,” Durbin said. “Republicans in Congress may try to say they’re just trying to lower your taxes, but most of the benefit is going to wealthy people who won’t even notice it.”
“Under the Republican plan, taxpayers in the wealthiest 0.1 percent would get a $300,000 tax cut every year… Why? At the expense of health care for 16 million Americans?” Durbin said.
Durbin also emphasized that the Republican plan would jeopardize thousands of jobs created by the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, which invested in clean energy jobs across the country. Since the passage of the legislation, 85 percent of investment in clean energy technologies has landed in Republican districts.
“In just two years since passing the Inflation Reduction Act, businesses have announced 340 new clean technology projects. One estimate says that this will create 150,000 permanent jobs,”Durbin said. “The Republicans ‘big, ugly bill’ puts these jobs at risk, taking a hatchet to tax policy that make these projects possible. The promise of a Republican repeal has already scared the private sector into withdrawing a $14 billion investment and cancelling 10,000 clean energy manufacturing jobs. Why would the so-called party of the working class want to give their own constituents a pink slip?”
Durbin concluded his remarks by urging his Republican colleagues in the Senate to oppose the legislation that will only benefit billionaires at the expense of their constituents.
“My Republican colleagues must know that this plan does not ‘Make America Great Again.’ It makes our debt the greatest in the history of our nation. It harms families in red and blue states,”Durbin said.
“I urge a handful of my Republican colleagues, and that’s all it takes, show some courage, show some common sense. Tell the folks in the House, and tell the White House as well, this approach is not going to work. Taking health insurance away from 16 million Americans, more than has ever happened in the history of this country, is fundamentally unfair, and we all know it,” Durbin said.
“I urge my Republican colleagues to listen to their constituents. Because I know Americans who voted for Trump in November, did not vote for what I just described,” Durbin concluded his speech.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
June 05, 2025
During his remarks, Durbin condemned the systematic gutting of the Department of Justice under AG Bondi
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting. Durbin’s opening statement outlined the Trump Administration’s systematic gutting of Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI anti-corruption efforts, gutting of independent ethics review at DOJ, Attorney General Bondi’s conflicts of interest, and more.
Key Quotes:
“Under the Trump Administration, the Department of Justice is systematically removing the structure charged with fighting corruption in our government… In one of her first official acts, Attorney General Bondi disbanded the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force and restricted enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, despite the growing threat of foreign influence campaigns by hostile nations. Unfortunately, this was no surprise since the Attorney General herself was formerly a paid foreign agent of the government of Qatar. As a former head of FBI counterintelligence put it, this has created a ‘free for all for foreign intelligence services seeking influence on our government.’”
“In another shocking move, President Trump ordered a halt to the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This landmark law prohibits companies from bribing foreign officials… After endless, baseless accusations that the Biden Administration weaponized DOJ, it is the Trump Administration that is making it easier to target its enemies, stifle dissent, and seek retribution.”
“The Trump Administration also removed the senior career ethics official at DOJ who advised on conflicts of interest and other ethical issues—and put these duties in the hands of two inexperienced political appointees who are personally beholden to the Attorney General.”
“In the absence of these internal guardrails, it’s not surprising that we’re witnessing outrageous misconduct. Attorney General Bondi did not recuse herself from President Trump’s solicitation of a free jet from the royal family of Qatar, despite the fact that AG Bondi was a registered foreign agent for [Qatar].”
“Attorney General Bondi also appears to be reaping the financial rewards of her loyalty to the President. She has been deeply financially entangled with President Trump for years. Most notably, she earned at least $3 million on the merger that formed Trump Media and has held millions of dollars in Trump Media stock. She sold that stock under suspicious circumstances on a historic day—April 2, 2025. This was the same day President Trump announced his hairbrained tariff scheme that crashed the stock market and destroyed $10 trillion in wealth in three days… The share price of Trump Media plummeted 15 percent, yet Bondi appears to have avoided substantial financial loss.”
“The Justice Department is involved in other activities that bear notice today. During his controversial and disgraceful tenure as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin fired numerous career prosecutors simply because they were assigned to work on January 6 cases. Mr. Martin was rewarded with a plum position at the Justice Department as the very first political appointee to serve as pardon attorney. During his short time in this role, Martin has overseen pardons of numerous Trump donors and supporters.”
“In light of these concerns, we have a responsibility to call Attorney General Bondi under oath soon. So, I ask again, I hope we have that oversight hearing in the soon in the future.”
Durbin also spoke in support of David Waterman, nominated to be the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. President Biden nominated Mr. Waterman last February and the Senate Judiciary Committee reported his nomination last April. Mr. Waterman became a victim of then-Senator Vance’s effort to block all U.S. Attorney nominees during under the Biden Administration.
Video of Durbin’s opening statement is availablehere.
Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is availablehere.
Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is availableherefor TV Stations.
Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) confronted University of Pennsylvania law professor Kate Shaw on referring to conservative United States Supreme Court justices as “evil colleagues” as Supreme Court justices have faced threats of intimidation at their homes by those seeking to influence their decisions. Professor Shaw denied these comments despite being under oath and her comments being on tape. Senator Blackburn also pressed Professor Shaw on whether she supports the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act to deter intimidation of justices.
Click here to download video of Senator Blackburn’s remarks during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
On Shaw’s comments about Supreme Court justices:
Blackburn: “Would you like to provide explanation about why you think conservative justices are evil? Do you care to explain yourself?”
Shaw: “I would have to look at the transcript senator. I think that the dismissive approach to sex equality arguments in the Dobbs case was deeply concerning. One paragraph in the opinion suggests that there’s no sex equality problem with abortion restrictions or prohibitions. I think that’s deeply wrong, and in the more colloquial sort of mode of a podcast conversation. That is probably what I intended to convey, that he discounted very serious sex equality concerns.”
On Blackburn’s Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act:
Blackburn: “I’ve got a bill, the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act, and it would deter intimidation of Supreme Court Justices. It would increase the maximum term of imprisonment for violation of Section 1507 from one year to five years… Increasing the maximum time jail time for a protester under 1507 is, I think, an effective way to deter this intimidation of our justices. So, I’d like to hear from each of you on this.”
Shaw: “…I would need to take a look. I’m not prepared to take a position… If we’re talking about increasing penalties for violence, I would absolutely support that.”
RELATED
Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper made stops in Denver, Estes Park, and Evans last week to call out Trump administration attacks on Colorado’s public lands, small businesses, and rural health care.
On Tuesday, Hickenlooper held a press conference with Colorado business owners at Four Noses Brewing Company to highlight how the Trump administration’s erratic tariff policies are harming local businesses.
“Tariffs cramp businesses and provide a level of uncertainty that is almost untenable and ends up meaning that people can’t make the investments in their business to grow,” said Hickenlooper. “…I think we are perilously close to sliding into a recession or maybe even worse, stagflation.”
Then on Wednesday, Hickenlooper joined Congressman Joe Neguse, public lands advocates, and local elected officials to call out the Trump administration’s threats to Colorado’s national parks and public lands – including Rocky Mountain National Park.
Watch the recap HickTok HERE
“Our lands are under siege… But we fight, we’re beaten, we rise and fight again,” Hickenlooper said at the press conference.
He highlighted the damage caused by the DOGE layoffs at the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service, and warned that proposed budget cuts could hamstring wildland firefighting efforts. He also criticized the Trump administration proposals to sell our public lands and emphasized the importance of continued collective action to fight back.
Afterwards, Hickenlooper visited Sunrise Community Health at the Monfort Family Clinic in Evans to highlight the dangerous cuts to Medicaid proposed in the House-passed Republican budget. Cuts of more than $700 billion from Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage would strip health care from 16 million Americans.
Check out the event coverage below.
WATCH: CBS Denver: Hickenlooper Tours 4 Noses Brewing Company to Highlight Tariffs
WATCH: ABC Denver 7: Senator Hickenlooper Highlights Tariffs at 4 Noses Brewery
WATCH: Fox 31 Denver: Hickenlooper Talks About Tariffs with Area Business Owners
Colorado Public Radio: Hickenlooper Highlights Trump’s Erratic Trade War
Colorado Newsline: Colorado businesses struggle amid uncertainty of fluctuating Trump tariffs (Company leaders tell Sen. Hickenlooper they seek stability)
Colorado small businesses from various sectors have made changes to their operations and even lost customers as a result of uncertainty around Trump administration tariffs.
…Hickenlooper said people well versed in economics tell him that “tariffs have never worked” except in specific situations. He said all tariffs do is create “a level of uncertainty that is almost untenable” and prevents businesses from growing and maintaining supply chain relationships.
“All these tariffs, in one way or another, they’re not bringing manufacturing back to this country,” Hickenlooper said. “What they’re doing is putting an unbearable burden on small businesses like we see here.”
Colorado Times Recorder: Hickenlooper Meets With Small Business Owners Who Face Tariff Uncertainty
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) met with small business owners from across Colorado today, all of whom emphasized that the uncertainty of federal tariff policy has caused market chaos.
…“The fact that we have tariffs at a time when most of the people I know who really understand economics believe that tariffs have never worked except in very surgical situations in the past,” Hickenlooper said. “Tariffs [as they are being implemented] provide a level of uncertainty that is almost untenable and ends up with people being unable to make the investments they need to make for their business to grow. We’ve seen that over the past couple of months. We are perilously close to sliding into a recession or… even stagflation.”
Colorado Public Radio: Hickenlooper highlights the tariff pain inflicted on Colorado companies
President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff policy is whipsawing Colorado’s entrepreneurs.
“Predictability matters,” Sen. John Hickenlooper said Tuesday during a press conference with business owners at 4 Noses Brewing Company in Denver. “Being able to count on your relationships with your supply chain, your wholesalers, your retailers, to build a business. Those are the essential characteristics and we’re losing that literally in the blink of an eye.”
No corner of the state’s business ecosystem is untouched by President Trump’s on-again-off-again approach to levying tariffs. Hickenlooper was joined by representatives from a diverse set of Colorado companies, including a pet food manufacturer, a craft brewery, an environmental equipment manufacturer and a machine part manufacturer.
Axios Denver: Colorado breweries fret about tariffs amid trade war
…Driving the news: U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a former Wynkoop Brewing owner, is raising awareness about the tariffs’ potential to hike the price of ingredients, equipment and packaging.
“Tariffs cramp businesses and provide a level of uncertainty that is almost untenable,” Hickenlooper said during a visit earlier this week to Denver’s 4 Noses Brewing, where he sipped a beer fresh from the canning line and listened to local business owners talk about how the tariffs are hurting their businesses.
WATCH: MSNBC: Long lines, dirty bathrooms, overflowing trash – Trump cuts leave national parks in crisis
WATCH: Denver 7: Hickenlooper hosts press conference in Estes Park
Estes Park Trail Gazette: Sen. John Hickenlooper from Lake Estes: ‘Our lands are under siege’
…With the Rocky Mountains serving as his backdrop, Hickenlooper encouraged backers to take to social media and create a groundswell of support for his bill aimed at establishing a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to preventing the use of proceeds from public land sales, and to reduce the federal deficit, according to the bill.
“What we need to do is use social media like we’ve never used it before. We need to make sure our networks of people, tell their networks of people, what this really means, what this could do when you cripple an outdoor recreation economy that is actually paying for the maintenance, the preservation, and the access to these incredible public lands,” Hickenlooper said.
“Our lands are under siege, between what DOGE has done, the firings, if you add the people at the Forest Service, the National Parks, basically the Department of the Interior, all the different components that it takes to run our parks. That’s 6,000 people that have either been fired or pushed out of their jobs,” Hickenlooper said.
“We’re being attacked in every direction, especially in climate change. But we fight, we’re beaten, we rise and fight again.”
Colorado Newsline: Public lands advocates fear for Colorado’s national parks under Trump budget proposals
After the 2013 Colorado floods devastated communities surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park, locals worked tirelessly to get their businesses back up and running in time for the peak fall season.
The federal government shut down for about two weeks shortly after the flood, but U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who was governor at the time, said Colorado agreed to pay the salaries for every employee in Rocky Mountain National Park so the park could still be open to visitors.
“That’s the way the state government, the federal government used to work together around public lands, and I think it’s worth revisiting that it was a team effort, that everyone was on the same page,” Hickenlooper said. “The businesses desperately needed that retail period to be open to maximize the largest influx of visitors’ to Estes Park, and we got it.”
That spirit of cooperation is a far cry from the threatened cuts to National Park Service staff and funding under President Donald Trump’s administration, Hickenlooper and other public lands advocates said in Estes Park Wednesday. Hickenlooper and U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, called on Congress and Trump to reverse the cuts and maintain protections for the country’s public lands.
…Hickenlooper said over 6,000 people who work to take care of national parks and national forests across different agencies have either been fired or left their jobs.
“We’re going to see more risk this summer and this spring from wildfires, from extreme weather,” Hickenlooper said. “We’re going to see more risks than we’ve seen before in all … aspects of the droughts we’ve had and the water we have to use, at a time when we’re dramatically diminishing the number of firefighters we’re going to have available to fight fires in the West.”
Outside Magazine: John Hickenlooper: The Fight Over America’s Public Lands Has Become “All Out War”
On Wednesday, May 28, Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper stood alongside state congressman John Neguse near the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. The two lawmakers spoke about the ongoing fight to protect public lands and the federal agencies that oversee them.
Greeley Tribune: Sen. Hickenlooper visits Sunrise Community Health to discuss Medicaid cuts
If lawmakers in the U.S. Senate vote to pass new Medicaid requirements recently approved by the House, Sunrise Community Health CEO Mitzi Moran estimates about a quarter of patients in the nonprofit health care system could lose coverage.
“Seven thousand to 14,000 of our patients could fall off Medicaid as a result of these changes,” Moran told U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper on Wednesday. “That’s disastrous for them. While they could still come to us because we offer a sliding fee scale, what happens if they have a hospital visit or if they need to see a specialist?”
Hickenlooper visited the Monfort Family Clinic in Evans on Wednesday to discuss the potential cuts with staff and local members of the health care community.
…Though patients would still be able to utilize that sliding pay scale even without Medicaid, Hickenlooper and Moran expressed concerns about how these cuts would still jeopardize the clinic. If Sunrise receives less pay for the care it provides, Moran said it would need to become a very different organization to remain operational.
…Current estimates from the Congressional Budget Office indicate the changes to Medicaid would result in 8.6 million Americans losing coverage, including more than 1 million in Colorado.
“I can’t believe our House members pushed this budget,” Hickenlooper said.“There are four Republican House members from Colorado, and I know they’ve received calls about Medicaid. If all four of our guys voted together, they could’ve stopped it.”
Hickenlooper believes his tour of the Monfort clinic and discussions about the bill’s impacts will help in his fight to stop the bill from being passed in the Senate. However, he is unsure whether it will be sufficient to convince enough senators to push back.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) were joined today, during the first week of Gun Violence Awareness Month, by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) in leading a group of 81 members of Congress in introducing the bicameral Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, legislation to ensure that victims of gun violence have their day in court and that negligent gun companies and gun sellers are not shielded from liability when they disregard public safety. The bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed by Congress in 2005, which gives the gun industry a unique and unjustifiable legal liability shield that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits.
Murphy, Blumenthal, Swalwell, Schiff, Evans, and Thompson announced the legislation today during a virtual press conference joined by leading gun violence prevention advocates: Kris Brown, president of Brady; Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action; and Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and vice president of GIFFORDS Law Center. Video of the press conference is available here.
“There’s absolutely no reason why the gun industry should get special treatment when it comes to negligence. Their immunity from lawsuits effectively gives them a license to kill. It’s past time for Congress to repeal PLCAA and allow gun violence victims their day in court,” said Murphy.
“PLCAA is the ultimate sweetheart deal – legal immunity afforded to basically no other industry for a product that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year,” said Blumenthal. “Despite the strength and perseverance of the Sandy Hook, Uvalde, and Highland Park families – and the tenacity of their legal teams – this is a problem that cannot be solved only through the courts. PLCAA must be repealed by Congress.”
“No industry in American has a liability shield like gun manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers,” said Swalwell. “The NRA and their GOP stooges made sure that the gun industry has a unique immunity from accountability. This bill ends that ridiculous carve out. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) once and for all, allowing victims of gun violence to bring civil suits against gun producers and sellers. The time has long since come for Congress to be clear – if you put the most dangerous weapons in the hands of the most dangerous people, you will be held accountable.”
“More than a 100 Americans are killed by a gun every single day in America. And yet, Congress does nothing to hold the gun industry accountable when the negligence of gun makers and dealers is responsible for the tragic consequences their products have on our kids, our families, and our communities. As long as gun violence continues to take the lives of so many in California and across the nation, I will fight to repeal the liability shield that wrongly protects negligent gun industry actors from liability,” said Schiff.
“Victims and survivors should be able to hold the gun industry accountable in court for negligent behavior. But right now, the gun industry is shielded from any liability when they disregard public safety. That’s wrong,” said Crow. “I’m introducing this bill so we can finally hold the gun industry responsible.”
“As someone who’s advocated for this concept in Pennsylvania’s legislature and now in Congress, I’m proud to be a co-lead on this bill to restore this basic right of victims and survivors – a right that a heavy-handed federal government took away 20 years ago. So many American gun deaths could be avoided if we held companies accountable for things like illegal sales, defective guns and irresponsible marketing. State attorneys general were able to hold Big Tobacco accountable in the 1990s, and they should be able to hold gun manufacturing companies accountable in the 21st century since thousands of lives depend on it. This legislation would be an important tool in the toolbox to protect our citizens from gun violence,” said Evans.
“In the 20 years since PLCAA was passed, it’s become clear that negligent gun manufacturers and dealers have taken advantage of the law. Responsible manufacturers and dealers don’t need this legal protection – and irresponsible ones are hiding behind it. As a hunter, combat veteran and responsible gun owner, I’m proud to work with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell to introduce this sensible legislation,” said Thompson, Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
When Congress passed PLCAA, its supporters argued that it was necessary to protect the gun industry from frivolous lawsuits, and that victims of gun violence would not be shut out of the courts. In reality, numerous cases around the nation have been dismissed on the basis of PLCAA, even when the gun dealers and manufacturers acted in a fashion that would qualify as negligent if it involved any other product. Victims in these cases were denied the right to even discover or introduce evidence. This legislation allows civil cases to go forward against irresponsible bad actors.
In 2005, the National Rifle Association (NRA) identified PLCAA as their “number one” legislative priority, and the NRA celebrated the passage calling it the “most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years.” Letting courts hear these cases would provide justice to victims and their families, while creating incentives for responsible business practices that would reduce injuries and deaths. Effectively, the gun industry would once again be subject to the same laws as every other industry, just as it was prior to 2005.
The legislation is endorsed by Brady, GIFFORDS Law Center, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Guns Down America, Newtown Action Alliance, and Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund.
U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also cosponsored the bill.
U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.-01), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.-04), Wesley Bell (D-Mo.-01), Don Beyer (D-Va.-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.-05), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.-04), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.-01), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.-17), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.-03), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas-07), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.-10), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.-10), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.-26), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.-02), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.-03), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.-06), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.-05), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine-01), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.-05), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.-10), David Scott (D-Ga.-13), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12) and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii-02) also cosponsored the bill in the House of Representatives.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Cheryl Mason, President Trump’s nominee to be Veterans’ Affairs Inspector General during her nomination hearing at the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. They discussed the role the Inspector General’s office will have in combatting veteran suicide.
Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Mason, thank you for being here. The Office of Inspector General recently put out a report highlighting reports within the fiduciary program such as failures with training protocol. Can you commit to working with me and my staff to developing solutions to make the program work better for our most vulnerable veterans?”
MASON: “Thank you, Senator Tuberville. Absolutely, I can commit to do that. I think that’s extremely important.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. The Inspector General has put out several reports highlighting failures with the suicide crisis line. How would you work with Secretary Collins to ensure these recommendations are implemented to support veterans and reduce suicide?”
MASON: “Thank you for the question, Senator Tuberville. As we discussed in your office, […] suicide is very personal to me. I’ve had two suicides in my family, both were veterans. So, I take that very seriously. And I’ve looked at the IG reports and I’ve looked at the other things the Department is doing. And there are several activities going on now currently as a senior advisor or EEO. I’m looking at some of the suicide actions that are being taken [to do prevention awareness] in our partnerships, and I would continue to advise to do that.
If confirmed as IG, I would continue to look at those actions, to include the grants on mental health and suicide that the Department has, make sure there’s appropriate oversight into that as well as what the crisis line is doing, ensure that they are properly staffed and have the right support and resources they need to answer those calls because those calls do save lives.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. When confirmed, what will be your first thing that you want to do as the new IG?”
MASON: “Thank you, Senator, for that question. I think, you know, the first thing I want to do is really get a good assessment of the office. I want to make sure that the accountability is extremely important, and the integrity of that office is extremely important. And I have no reason to think that they don’t operate that way now. But [the] IG has to operate that way as independent and impartial. And so, I want to make sure that they, one, are operating that way in everything they do, but [two,] they also have the adequate resources. And then find out what their current investigations are [and] see where they are in those investigations. But right behind that is follow-up on those open, unimplemented recommendations and figure out […] how we bring those to close with the Department and with this Committee.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. I yield my time.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) in introducing the Energy Choice Act of 2025. The Biden administration and many blue states took energy freedom away from consumers by restricting specific sources of energy—effectively targeting natural gas and fossil fuels. This legislation would bar states and local governments from taking away consumer choice and work toward advancing President Trump’s vision of unleashing American energy.
“For four years, Joe Biden and woke Democrats took a sledgehammer to American energy production,” said Sen. Tuberville. “We need to rein-in blue states who caved to the climate-cult and imposed ridiculous regulations that are deeply unpopular with hardworking Americans. Thankfully, President Trump is working around the clock to unleash America’s energy potential. I’m proud to join my colleagues to support President Trump, restore American energy dominance, and preserve consumer choice.”
“I am an energy guy from an energy-rich state. I know how important freedom of energy production is – which is why I’m proud to introduce Energy Choice Act of 2025. President Trump has stated the need to unleash American energy, and this bill helps facilitate just that. We have too great an energy crisis in this country, and we don’t have the luxury of picking the winners and losers when it comes to energy production. Americans ought to have the right to choose what is best for their energy needs,”said Sen. Justice.
American Exploration and Production Council, American Gas Association, American Public Gas Association, Americans for Prosperity, Consumer Energy Alliance, Energy Marketers of America, GPA Midstream Association, GPSA Midstream Suppliers, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals, National Energy and Fuels Institute, National Propane Gas Association, Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors – National Association, Pool & Hot Tub Alliance have endorsed the bill.
U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23) is leading the effort in the House of Representatives.
Read full text of the bill here.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with the Honorable Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of the Army, and General Randy George, Chief of Staff of the Army, during a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing. Sen. Tuberville spoke with the top Army officials about the quality of recruits in the Army, ways to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Quantum Computing in the military.
Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.
ON RECRUITING REQUIREMENTS IN THE ARMY:
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Good morning, gentlemen. Congratulations on your recruiting.
I know how hard that is in my former profession, getting the right people. General, are we keeping our qualifications, discipline, values, and physical requirements when we recruit these people?”
GEORGE: “I think we definitely are, Senator, and one of the things that we have been having discussions [on] is how we’re raising our standards because of what, you know, what we’re having [come] in and doing that. So, we’ve had fewer at the Future Soldier Prep Course. We’re gonna keep that as an option. We do have times where we have some really brilliant soldiers out there that maybe need to spend a couple of weeks getting in a little bit better shape to join our formation. And that’s what that’s for, but [we are] really pleased with the path that we’re on.”
TUBERVILLE: “As long as we’re putting them through that, and they can handle it—”
GEORGE: “Yep.”
TUBERVILLE: “Again, I’ve been through that before. A lot of people need to get in better shape.”
ON AI IN THE ARMY:
TUBERVILLE: “In Secretary Hegseth’s memo directing the Army Transformation Initiative, it states that the Army will begin enabling AI driven Command and Control by 2027. Secretary Driscoll, how will the Army be using Artificial Intelligence to help decision making?”
DRISCOLL: “Senator, we think of the Army as kind of two discrete functions when General George and I talk about it. One is like a large enterprise business that moves people and things across the country and the world. The other is hopefully an incredibly lethal killing machine and war fighting machine. And so, I think AI and Generative AI will meaningfully impact both spaces. The first thing we’re working on is creating a data layer that basically allows for our people and our things and our sensors to all communicate in near real time. On the war fighting function, once you can have that occur, you can layer-in Generative AI for things like fires targeting, or air and missile defense—it’s incredibly valuable. I would estimate that we’ll start to see that at scale in kind of 12-18 months. On the Army and enterprise business side, we’re incredibly optimistic. We have 200 plus enterprise systems right now that are oftentimes siloed. Oftentimes we’ve had software created just for us that we have to maintain that is decades out of date, and we think Generative AI will be able to help us with all sorts of tasks in the coming months. I’m excited to announce, or just give credit to the recruiting team, [that] they’ve onboarded a very common CRM—customer relationship management—tool called Salesforce. Generative AI can be applied to a lot of the things that we do as we recruit soldiers and bring them into the Army.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. You know, right outside the gate at Redstone Arsenal—Secretary, have you been there yet?”
DRISCOLL: “Would you mind repeating that?”
TUBERVILLE: “Have you been to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville yet?”
WICKER: “What state is that in?”
TUBERVILLE: “That’s in Alabama.”
DRISCOLL: “I have.”
ON QUANTUM COMPUTING:
TUBERVILLE: “Okay. If you haven’t, we need to get in there. And by the way, you’re making decisions and transforming our military. I’m good with that. You’re actually cutting some contracts and things in my state. If it helps [save taxpayer dollars], I’m all for it. And so, we’ll work with you as much as we can.
But right outside the gate at Redstone, a partnership between Davidson Technologies and D-Wave have completed the assembly of a quantum computer system that should be soon complete [with] its calibrations and readiness tests. Secretary, how can the Army leverage these new systems in successfully implementing its transformation and optimize the future the right way?”
DRISCOLL: “Senator Slotkin and I were at a dinner a couple nights ago talking about quantum computing. And what quantum computing is going to be able to do to help our ability to process information as human beings is otherworldly. It [can be used for] something as simple as convoy routes for transportation all the way up to—you could probably start to plan out where should you put air and missile defense systems and how would they react in near real time to threats. And so, any sort of innovation like that we are completely supportive of.”
TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. A lot of good things going on, especially with AI. I hope we all understand too that for AI and all the future big tech stuff, we’re gonna need energy, big time. China doubles our energy every three years that we have in this country. We’re way behind, and we can talk about all these technologies that we want. Unless we have energy, which is gonna be, should be, a national security threat, then we’re gonna have huge problems. If you agree with that, Secretary.”
DRISCOLL: “Yes.”
TUBERVILLE: “General?”
GEORGE: “Yes, Senator. I do.”
TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. I would hope we start talking about it a lot more. Make sure that, you know, with all these things we got coming down the pipe that we have the availability to number one, be able to build them and number two, have the energy to run all of our data centers and mega data centers in the future. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Washington (June 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and co-chair of the Senate Climate Change Task Force, today released the following statement after Senate Republicans released the Environment and Public Works portion of their reconciliation bill text.
“Time is revealing Senate Republicans’ willingness to abandon communities nationwide and put Oil Above All —above the law, above the economy, and above the health and wallets of working families. Their proposed cuts would eliminate the safeguards and funding needed to reduce harmful air pollution and environmental health risks. Their cuts would also destroy the $20 billion climate bank I secured in the Inflation Reduction Act, which was already at work creating jobs, lowering Americans’ energy costs, strengthening our energy independence, and combating the climate crisis.
“Republicans have no interest in bringing down costs or helping everyday Americans. Instead, they are picking winners and losers to deliver a big bonus to Big Oil and Gas. Republicans want to cut funding for clean energy, community resilience, and pollution reduction, all while giving polluters a golden ticket to skirt any meaningful reviews to get their projects permitted – rubberstamping dangerous polluting infrastructure.
“These Republican cuts will ensure frontline and fenceline communities continue to bear the burden of disproportionate levels of pollution. Ripping away the tools needed to curb methane and reduce carbon and hazardous pollutants will only make Americans sicker while the rich get richer. We must say no to these dangerous cuts and stop this big billionaire sell-out once and for all.”
Senator Markey secured numerous provisions in the historic Inflation Reduction Act, including the creation of a $27 billion national climate financing network based on his National Climate Bank Act with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06). He also secured historic environmental justice funding for air quality monitoring, environmental inequity mapping, and addressing extreme heat.
Senator Markey has been a champion of vehicle emission standards that would be rolled back by the Senate reconciliation text, which would increase pollution and force drivers to pay more at the pump. He has also long championed a robust National Environmental Policy Act, which the Senate Republican bill undermines with an opt-in fee for project sponsors to pay to expedite their project’s environmental review and avoid judicial review – rubberstamping potentially harmful infrastructure.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Senate Republicans recently voted to repeal an FCC rule increasing access to Wi-Fi hotspots for students and educators at home
Washington (June 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, hosted a virtual listening session Wednesday to hear from digital equity advocates about the impacts of the Trump administration’s efforts to cut funding for digital equity programs in Massachusetts and across the country. From the administration’s termination of Digital Equity Act funding, to Republican efforts to block E-Rate funding for Wi-Fi hotspots for students and educators at home, these actions have had dire consequences for efforts to close the digital divide. More than 200 digital equity champions from across Massachusetts joined the Senator’s listening session to share their stories.
“Trump’s decision to cancel funding for Digital Equity Act grants is reckless, short-sighted, and illegal,” said Senator Markey. “These grants were promises — real, actionable investments in real communities to bridge the very real gaps in internet access, digital skills, and opportunity. I appreciated listening to and learning from the many digital equity advocates in Massachusetts about the impact these cuts will have on their organizations and the populations they serve. I will carry their stories with me in our fight for a just digital future.”
“Everyone deserves access to the internet. It’s essential for being able to participate in our economy and utilize the resources and services that so many of us rely on,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. “It’s terrible that the Trump Administration is blocking our efforts to bring internet access to veterans, rural communities and individuals with disabilities across the state. They need to restore this funding.”
“Massachusetts is committed to empowering our most vulnerable citizens with digital skills training, devices and other resources to thrive in our digital society,” said Michael Baldino, Director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute. “As we work to achieving universal access to reliable broadband service, we are disappointed that the federal government has stripped critical funds that are necessary for us to implement our statewide digital equity plan.”
“Through Ameelio’s work, correctional staff see how connection to the outside world betters everyone behind bars – the incarcerated people and their fellow officers alike,” said April Feng, CEO of Ameelio. “When people are connected to those who they love and those who love them, to the best parts of their lives, they have hope. And that hope will sustain them to serve their time meaningfully, go to school, find a job, build a home, and enable a future. Investing in digital equity behind the walls is not just a matter of improving conditions for incarcerated individuals — it is a public safety and economic imperative.”
Senator Markey is the House author of the E-Rate program, which has invested nearly $62 billion to connect schools and libraries to the internet across the country. Massachusetts schools and libraries have received more than $895 million from the E-Rate program and another $97 million from the Emergency Connectivity Fund, a $7 billion program that Senator Markey created within the American Rescue Plan to provide devices and connectivity for students and educators at home.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Bill Text (PDF)
Washington (June 5, 2025) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Representative Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, today announced the introduction of the Protecting Community Television Act, legislation that would undo rulemaking from the first Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that effectively limited the resources available for public, educational, and government (PEG) channels.
Under the Communications Act, cable companies negotiate franchise agreements with local governments to provide cable services in a community. The Act caps franchise fees that a cable company pays to the local government at 5% of revenue. This revenue helps fund PEG stations, as well as other community services such as public libraries and emergency responders. In addition, cable companies historically paid up to 5% cap and provided additional, in-kind support to the community, such as free cable service to schools or access to building studios. In 2019, the FCC issued a new rule that counted those in-kind contributions towards the 5% cap, meaning cable companies could reduce their cash payments by claiming the value of those services. With fewer cash resources, local governments were forced to choose between investing in PEG programming or supporting other public services. The result has been less funding for PEG stations.
“Millions of Americans rely on community television to keep up with the news that matters most to them, stay plugged into enriching, educational programming, and hold their local governments to account. But the Trump administration has forced communities across the country to pull the plug on public programming,” said Senator Markey. “At a time when news and media have become more consolidated than ever before, I am proud to partner with Senator Baldwin and Representative Carter to reintroduce the Protecting Community Television Act to uphold local access to public, education, and government channels for every household in our country.”
“I’m proud to cosponsor this bill and stand with communities that depend on local media to stay informed, connected, and heard. PEG channels are lifelines for civic engagement and public education, especially in times of crisis, and they shouldn’t be collateral damage in a corporate accounting maneuver. This legislation restores the original promise Congress made: that local governments should have the tools they need to meet community needs without being forced to choose between vital services and local voices,” said Congressman Carter.
The legislation is endorsed by Democratic Leader Schumer (D-N.Y), and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Me.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).
The Protecting Community Television Act is endorsed by Alliance for Community Media, National Association of Counties, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, National League of Cities, MassAccess, and Maine Community Media Association.
“The Alliance for Community Media welcomes the re-introduction of the Protecting Community Television Act and want to thank Senator Markey and Representative Carter for their support for community access television. Passage of the Act will reduce fees that drain away monetary support for local community media channels across the country. At a time when we have fewer and fewer local journalists and reliable local information sources, cities and towns need community access television more than ever, and this bill will help sustain our operations,” said Mike Wassenaar, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media.
“Counties rely on public communications channels to disseminate local news and updates to residents in a timely manner,” said Matthew Chase, Executive Director of the National Association of Counties. “By preserving monetary support for public, educational and government channels through franchise fees, counties would ensure that essential local content remains accessible to residents. Counties thank Senators Ed Markey and Tammy Baldwin for introducing the Protecting Community Television Act and urge its swift passage”
“The Protecting Community Television Act (PCTA) is elegant legislation that seeks to protect benefits consistent with the Cable Act and cable franchising principles since 1984. In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission issued an order that undermines this ability by redefining the term “franchise fees” as used in the Cable Act and substituting its definition for that written by Congress in 1984. The Protecting Community Television Act remedies that altered meaning by protecting local public, educational and community access television so folks in communities across the country can continue to access relevant and timely local news that they rely on. Thanks to Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA) for continuing to advocate for the PCTA, which reaffirms Congress’ original intent to protect the long-standing ability of local governments to manage public property and provide for local media through public, educational and governmental access channels (PEG Access) in cable franchise agreements,” said Mike Lynch, Legislative Director for National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
NEWARK, N.J. – This afternoon, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) hosted a virtual discussion with American Jewish Committee (AJC) New Jersey board members to discuss the rise of antisemitism nationwide. Following the event, Senator Booker said:
“We’re seeing a disturbing rise of antisemitism across our country. In less than a month, we’ve witnessed two horrifying violent antisemitic attacks, one that claimed the lives of two young staffers working at the Israeli embassy, including one American, as they were walking out of an event in Washington, D.C., and another that injured a dozen peaceful Jewish marchers in Boulder, Colorado. It’s moments like these when we must come together and reaffirm our commitment to eradicate hate and bigotry in all its forms. I’m humbled to have been joined by leaders of AJC New Jersey this afternoon to hear about their concerns, their vital work, and how we can continue to bolster our partnership to safeguard the wellbeing of Jewish people across New Jersey and our nation,” said Booker.
Convening the meeting on the heels of the murder of two young staffers working at the Israeli embassy, including one American, as they were walking out of a Jewish event, the horrifying attack against peaceful Jewish marchers in Boulder, Colorado, and against the backdrop of an increasing trend of antisemitism nationwide, Senator Booker and AJC New Jersey leadership members spoke candidly about the challenges facing the Jewish community. AJC board members asked the Senator about federal initiatives and legislation to support state and local efforts to curb antisemitism and outlined the issues specifically affecting Jewish New Jerseyans.
“We deeply appreciated Senator Booker once again spending time in dialogue with our American Jewish Committee’s New Jersey leadership. After recent days that saw the shocking murders of two young Jewish leaders at an AJC event in Washington, D.C., and the horrifying attack on peaceful Jewish marchers in Boulder, CO, Sen. Booker’s profound expressions of care, concern, and resolve were deeply appreciated,” said Rabbi David Levy, Regional Director AJC New Jersey.
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Chair of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, introduced the bipartisan Secure Space Act of 2025. The legislation aims to strengthen America’s national security by preventing foreign adversaries from accessing and compromising America’s satellite systems.
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) is co-leading the bill with Fischer. Companion legislation – sponsored by House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) – passed the U.S. House on April 28, 2025.“Americans rely on crucial communications services provided by our satellite systems now more than ever. That’s why we must prevent foreign adversaries like Communist China and Russia from undermining our ability to utilize these services safely and reliably. My bill strengthens our communications infrastructure against these vulnerabilities to make Americans’ network access more secure,” said Fischer.
“As satellite technology continues to advance, so do the threats to our national security. The Secure Space Act blocks satellite licenses for untrusted entities and protects our skies from foreign adversaries. This bill would help protect U.S. innovation and defend our communications networks from foreign entities that seek to hijack our future,” said Luján. Background:
The Secure Space Act of 2025 prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting satellite licenses or U.S. market access for foreign-licensed satellite systems to any entity or its affiliates that produce or provide communications equipment or services deemed a national security risk.
It amends the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 to extend this prohibition to both geostationary and non-geostationary orbit satellite systems and includes gateway stations within its scope. It applies to new licenses and authorizations issued after the bill’s enactment and requires the FCC to establish implementing regulations within one year.
Click here to read text of the bill.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the Strategic Grazing to Reduce the Risk of Wildfire Act, which would direct the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to collaborate with grazing allotment holders, States, Tribes, and local fire departments to create a strategy to use targeted grazing to manage hazardous fuels and reduce risks from wildfires.
“As the West continues to face the threat of wildfires, it’s essential that we look for ways to protect our communities from devastation,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bill takes a wildfire prevention and mitigation strategy that’s been proven to work and puts it in place at the federal level. We must make sure there’s an overarching plan to combat these fires that have become all too frequent.”
Lisa Levine, Director of the Nevada Rural Electric Association said, “We applaud Senator Cortez Masto for bringing forward this common-sense approach to reducing and mitigating wildfires. Nevada has a rich history of cattle grazing that this legislation utilizes for vegetation management. Delivering affordable electricity that is reliable and resilient is the mission of NREA members. Wildfires pose significant risks to communities and the power grid, preventative tools such as this are key to combatting them. That is why we strongly support this bill.”
David Cochran, Reno Fire Department Chief said, “Managing risk associated with wildfire is a collaborative effort that requires state, local, and federal agencies to work together to ensure the safety of communities in high-risk areas and protect the livelihoods of people who depend on public lands. Senator Cortez Masto’s Strategic Grazing to Reduce Risk of Wildfire Act would create a framework through which local fire departments, like the Reno Fire Department, can work with grazing allotment holders and federal land management agencies to strategically reduce hazardous fuels in areas likely to be affected by wildfire. Strategic grazing is a proven tool in the fight against wildfire and this legislation would help to promote its use.”
Vinson Guthreau, Executive Director of the Nevada Association of Counties said, “The threat of wildfire in Nevada is ever present, and our Counties are on the front lines of responding to those disasters. NACO’s statewide, 17 county membership appreciates this innovative wildfire mitigation approach to prevent fires before they start while also providing grazing opportunities to the agriculture industry which plays a significant role in our state’s economy. We commend Senator Cortez Masto for bringing this beneficial and important legislation forward.”
Martin Paris, Executive Director of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association said, “Livestock grazing is a proven and cost-effective tool to reduce both the occurrence and severity of wildfires. It helps decrease hazardous fuel loads and prevent the spread of invasive annual grasses. The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association greatly appreciates Senator Cortez Masto for addressing the needs of livestock producers while helping to prevent the devastating impacts of wildfire on rangelands, wildlife, and urban areas alike.”
Kaitlynn Glover, Executive Director of the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Natural Resources said, “Ranchers and researchers alike know that grazing prevents wildfires. Not only is livestock grazing proven to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, but grazing also reduces the intensity and speed of fire if one breaks out. Western ranchers stand ready to be partners with the federal government in reducing catastrophic wildfire, and Senator Cortez Masto’s strategic grazing legislation is welcomed by rural communities across the West that know all too well the threat that wildfire poses.”
Historic drought conditions across the West have led to devastating fires that grow in scale and intensity every year. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, since 2015, wildfires have burned over 75 million acres across the West. In Nevada specifically, 8.8 million acres have burned in the past two decades, threatening people’s safety, homes, and livelihoods. They also pose tremendous risk to wildlife and the landscapes that serve as their habitats.
Pilot programs across the United States, including some in Nevada, have shown that the use of strategic grazing can reduce hazardous fuels and slow the spread of a wildfire. The Strategic Grazing to Reduce the Risk of Wildfire Act directs federal agencies to consider the following in the development of the strategic grazing framework:
Targeting specific high-risk areas for grazing – especially those near populated areas.
Using temporary grazing permits to reduce risks caused by annual grasses or invasive grasses like cheatgrass that burn easily and help fires spread more quickly.
Recommending the use of strategic grazing when providing technical assistance to communities and Tribes undertaking their own wildfire risk management projects.
Reimbursing States, local governments, Tribes, and local firefighting agencies who use strategic grazing on federal lands in coordination with federal land management agencies.
Read the full bill here.
Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts to support Nevada firefighters and combat the wildfire crisis in the West, securing billions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to support wildfire risk reduction and new firefighting equipment. In November, she visited the burn scar of the Davis Fire and discussed key resources she’s delivered for wildfires fuels reduction in Northern Nevada. She also ensured all federal wildland firefighters – including many working in Nevada – got a significant pay raise in 2023 and helped designate the Sierra and Elko Fronts as Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscapes for wildfire prevention efforts.
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led nine of her Senate Democratic colleagues in writing a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.-04), demanding that Republicans stop their attempt to create burdensome red tape for people claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a tax credit that supports working-class Americans. Alongside gutting Medicaid and other essential federal programs, Congressional Republicans want to make the EITC harder to claim in order to pay for tax cuts for corporations and billionaires. Nonpartisan experts have confirmed the Republicans’ billionaire tax cut bill actually raises taxes on Americans making under $30,000 per year.
“As you know, the EITC is a longstanding tax credit available for low- and moderate-income Americans that aims to promote work and provide tax relief for the working class,” wrote the Senators. “As currently written, the House reconciliation bill would direct the Treasury Secretary to establish a new process requiring taxpayers to obtain precertification from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) before claiming the EITC. This new precertification program would be an additional requirement for eligible taxpayers to claim the EITC on top of existing tax filing requirements.”
They continued by outlining the hurdles that workers already face in trying to claim the EITC, writing, “nearly 20 percent of eligible workers already do not claim the EITC. Many of these workers do not claim the credit due to its complexity and because they are not aware of their own eligibility or even that the EITC exists. The House reconciliation bill’s new precertification program would thus only exacerbate the EITC’s existing shortcomings by creating more red tape and complexity for workers hoping to claim the credit. This will lead to fewer eligible workers claiming the EITC, resulting in an effective tax increase on America’s working families.”
They concluded by urging Thune and Johnson to abandon this anti-worker policy and instead improve the EITC, writing, “We urge you to work with House and Senate Republican tax writers to abandon the creation of a new precertification program and instead pursue reforms that will strengthen the EITC for American workers and families. Potential reforms include simplifying the administration of the EITC, cracking down on shady tax preparers that prey on EITC claimants, and expanding benefits for childless workers.”
In April, Senator Cortez Masto introduced legislation to expand the EITC. Her Tax Cuts for Workers Act would nearly triple the tax breakchildless EITC recipients receive and extend eligibility to workers under the age of 24 and over the age of 64. This expansion would give 136,000 working Nevadans an added tax break. No Republicans have supported this tax break for working people, instead choosing to push for tax breaks for corporations and billionaires.
The full text of the letter is availablehere.
Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported efforts to cut taxes and lower costs for hardworking Nevadans. She helped pass critical expansions to the Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue plan, and has been fighting to permanently increase this vital relief for working families. Cortez Masto also helped pass the No Tax on Tips Act to exempt tipped wages from federal income tax through the Senate. Additionally, Senator Cortez Masto supports raising the federal minimum wage and eliminating the minimum wage gap for tipped workers nationally.
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
*** VIDEO of Senator Murray’s questioning HERE***
Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing to consider pending education and labor nominations, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a former chair and senior member of the HELP Committee, questioned Deputy Secretary of Education nominee Dr. Penny Schwinn, and Assistant Secretary for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) nominee Kimberly Richey. Senator Murray pressed Dr. Schwinn on whether she’ll ensure the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) annual Condition of Education report, which is required by law and is overdue, is finally submitted—and NCES fulfills its requirement to administer the National Assessment of Educational Progress, (NAEP). Senator Murray pressed Ms. Richey on how firing half the staff at OCR could possibly help reduce the 25,000 case backlog.
[PENNY SCHWINN]
Senator Murray began by asking Dr. Schwinn about the Condition of Education report which the Department is required by law to publish: “For nearly 160 years, the federal government has published the Condition of Education report, which is really critical to help us understand how students and schools are doing. But this year, for the first time ever, the National Center for Education Statistics missed its June 1 deadline to publish the report, which is actually required by law. This happened after the Department fired almost all of the National Center for Education Statistics staff and canceled contracts that was needed to complete that work. Now all we have is a bare bones ‘highlight’ document with no explanation to Congress or to the public. And that is really unacceptable—students, families, teachers all deserve to see a full report. And this is not just about one report. NCES is also responsible for administering the National Assessment of Educational Progress, NAEP, which you referred to Dr. Schwinn, also required by law as you know. I have written the Secretary on this issue and not yet received an adequate response. And the Department has not yet provided a promised briefing to me on NAEP. So, Dr. Schwinn I want to ask you, if you’re confirmed, will you ensure that NCES finally, and fully, and promptly produces a complete Condition of Education report, and has the staff that it needs to carry out all of its statutory required duties, including NAEP?”
Dr. Schwinn responded, “If confirmed, I will absolutely ensure that we follow all of the laws that you all have passed and certainly want to reinforce our commitment to NAEP and its full execution.”
“Clearly, the decimation of NCES has compromised its ability to provide the data that we in Congress and the public rely on. So, I hope you will work to see that those cuts are reversed. Cause we can’t afford to fly blind when it comes to knowing how our students and our schools are doing. I look forward to working with you on that,” said Senator Murray.
Senator Murray turned to questioning Ms. Schwinn about the Department’s low rate of review for schools identified as needing additional support, following complaints: “Dr. Schwinn, the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act, which we wrote on this committee under Senator Alexander, I helped write that as well with him. It requires states to identify and support their most struggling schools. But according to the GAO now, less than half of the schools that were identified for additional support have compliant improvement plans. The Department has only reviewed three out of five states total so far this year—and with no plans for further oversight. And it’s really hard to imagine that the rate of review improves because of the massive staff cuts we’ve seen across the Department. So, I wanted to ask you what is your proposal to improve the Department’s rate of review—and therefore help our nation’s struggling schools and students?”
“I think the most important thing in your question is to say that there must be a commitment to showing our most struggling schools improve because our students deserve that. If confirmed, one of my top priorities is going to be looking at any of the departments within the Department of Education and ensuring that we know our statutory obligations, certainly to Congress, that we have the most efficient practices in place, and that we meet our obligations. And I look forward to working with you on any of those,” replied Dr. Schwinn.
“Would you commit to publicly reporting the Department’s monitoring findings and state responses, so Congress, and educators, and students, and families can see where struggling schools are?” asked Senator Murray.
Dr. Schwinn answered, “I would certainly want to discuss that with Secretary McMahon, but I would absolutely want to work with your office on that project.”
[KIMBERLY RICHEY]
Senator Murray continued her questioning by addressing the backlog of cases at OCR, “Ms. Richey, do you believe that the staff at OCR are important to protect students’ civil rights?”
“I do Senator,” replied Ms. Richey.
“And do you believe that every complaint must be investigated in a timely way?” asked Senator Murray.
“I do,” responded Ms. Richey.
Senator Murray inquired, “Well, earlier this week, Secretary McMahon, appearing before another committee, told me the current backlog is 2,500 cases. The Department later clarified to me that it is actually 25,000 backlog. This administration has fired more than half of the staff at OCR and President Trump is now asking in his budget to slash that $49 million next year. So, explain to me how those firings and that funding cut will help reduce that backlog? I want to understand how you’re going to square that circle.”
Ms. Richey avoided the question, “As you can imagine, as a nominee I do not have access to information with regard to the decisions that are being made at the Department. I am not in communication with OCR leadership or the Secretary. One of the reasons why this role is so important to me is because I am always going to advocate for OCR to have the resources it needs to do its job. I think that what it means is that I am going to have to be really strategic, if I’m confirmed, stepping into this role, helping come up with a plan where we can address these challenges.”
“I think it’s pretty clear if you have a 25,000 case backlog, and you fire half the staff and cut the budget by 36 percent, it’s going to be pretty hard to get those cases through,” Senator Murray concluded.
A senior member and former chair of the HELP Committee, Senator Murray has championed students and families at every stage of her career—fighting to help ensure every child in America can get a high-quality public education. Among other things, Senator Murray negotiated the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), landmark legislation that she got signed into law, replacing the broken No Child Left Behind Act. As a longtime appropriator, she has successfully fought to boost funding to support students and invest in our nation’s K-12 schools, and she has secured significant increases to the Pell Grant so that it goes further for students pursuing a higher education. Senator Murray also successfully negotiated the FAFSA Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the financial aid application process, simplify the FAFSA form for students and parents, and significantly expand eligibility for federal aid.
Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, issued the following statement on a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) showing 16 million people will lose coverage from the Republican reconciliation plan, including their failure to extend premium tax credits that Americans use to buy affordable health insurance:
“Millions of Americans will lose coverage, health care costs will rise, and people will get sick and lose their lives – that’s the sad reality of the Republican agenda. Congressional Republicans keep peddling lies about their plan, but the facts are the facts. This bill would dismantle the Affordable Care Act, gut Medicaid, take food away from kids, families, and seniors, and make life harder for New Mexicans.
“We should be expanding access to care – not ripping it away. I’ll keep fighting to protect New Mexicans’ health care, lower costs, and build a healthier America. The American people need to see this for what it is: an attack on their health and livelihoods. I won’t stop sounding the alarm — and I won’t stop fighting for New Mexicans.”
The letter from CBO can be found here.
CBO’s score can be found here.
Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Preserving Emergency Access in Key Sites (PEAKS)Act. The PEAKS Act would ensure Critical Access Hospitals in mountainous areas receive fair compensation for ambulatory services and modify distance requirements.
“As residents of the Mountain State, we are proud of our beautiful peaks, however, we are also aware of the transportation challenges—especially for ambulances—that exist due to our mountainous topography. I’m proud to introduce the PEAKS Act to address this challenge and ensure even our most rural residents can depend on ambulance services, as well as ensure our critical access hospitals are able to provide the best care possible,” Senator Capito said.
“Far too often, people in mountainous regions struggle to receive timely, affordable emergency care when they need it most,” said Senator Padilla. “California’s 37 Critical Access Hospitals help fill critical coverage gaps by providing emergency medical services in these rural areas, yet with two thirds of them operating in the red, we need to act quickly to prevent more ambulance service closures. Our bipartisan PEAKS Act would make commonsense updates to help Critical Access Hospitals in mountainous areas get Medicare reimbursements for the emergency care they provide.”
The Preserving Emergency Access in Key Sites Act would:
Allow for Critical Access Hospitals, which serve residents in rural areas, located in mountainous areas to be reimbursed for their emergency medical transportation services; and
Make certain that Critical Access Hospitals would not lose their designation despite any new hospital that is built within 15 miles.
The Preserving Emergency Access in Key Sites is supported by the West Virginia Hospital Association, California Hospital Association, Arkansas Hospital Association, Hospital Association of Oregon, Utah Hospital Association and Wyoming Hospital Association.
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) reintroduced a bipartisan bill to improve access to care for seniors and people with disabilities who are living with eating disorders. The bipartisan Nutrition CARE Act would expand access to medical care for Medicare beneficiaries with eating disorders by including coverage of outpatient medical nutrition therapy through Medicare Part B, which will provide patients with a more comprehensive, specialized approach to combating eating disorders than what is currently offered under Medicare.
“Eating disorders can have life-threatening impacts on Americans’ health, including for older people and individuals who experience disabilities, and it’s important to ensure that all Americans have access to the tools necessary to lead healthy lives,” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation will better support seniors and people who experience disabilities who are struggling with eating disorders so that they can get the help that they need.”
“Eating disorders are complex and often overlooked illnesses that can severely impact Alaskans of all ages, including our seniors and those living with disabilities. We are reintroducing the bipartisan Nutrition CARE Act to enhance access to medical nutrition therapy, which is particularly important in states like mine where resources are limited. This legislation will offer tailored treatment options that address specific needs, promoting recovery and improving health outcomes. We must continue to break the stigma surrounding eating disorders and ensure that everyone receives the comprehensive care they deserve,” said Senator Murkowski.
“Eating disorders harm the health of millions of Americans, regardless of their age or background. Our bipartisan legislation will ensure that seniors and people living with disabilities who struggle with eating disorders have access to medical nutrition therapy and life-saving treatment options through Medicare, to get them on the road to recovery,” said Senator Klobuchar.
“Eating disorders can affect anyone. They can also be particularly life-threatening for elderly Americans and those living with disabilities. The Nutrition CARE Act will expand access to medical nutrition therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries with eating disorders, helping them get the care they need to begin the path to recovery and live healthy lives,” said Senator Capito.
“I am very thankful to Senator Hassan for her unwavering dedication to championing and reintroducing the Nutrition CARE Act. For far too long, individuals struggling with a mental health disorder they never chose have been left without the support they need,” said Johanna Kandel, Founder and CEO of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders. “This crucial legislation will ensure that older adults and individuals with disabilities battling eating disorders finally gain access to medical nutrition therapy, a vital component of the treatment process.”
“Eating disorders are often overlooked or undertreated. The Nutrition CARE Act increases equity in eating disorders care and will directly save lives of seniors and those with disabilities,” said Jess Rude, Executive Director, Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance. “Senator Murkowski is dedicated to efforts for lasting recovery for eating disorders, and we are grateful she is leading legislation that includes nutrition therapy, a critical component in providing effective treatment of eating disorders alongside mental and physical health care.”
The bipartisan Nutrition CARE Act would allow physicians, registered dieticians, nutrition specialists, and mental health professionals to provide medical nutrition therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries. Currently, Medicare beneficiaries who have an eating disorder can access psychiatric, therapy, and medical services. The expanded services would include 13 hours of medical nutrition therapy – including a one-hour initial assessment and 12 hours of reassessment and intervention – during the first year that the beneficiary begins receiving services. The beneficiary would then be able to access four hours of medical nutrition therapy services during each subsequent year.
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act to combat the obesity crisis in the United States by providing regular screenings. The bill would also prevent diseases associated with obesity through expanded coverage of new health care specialists and chronic weight management medications for Medicare recipients.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diseases associated with obesity such as heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer are the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act would work to directly prevent these comorbidities.
The legislation is led by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.).
The following organizations have endorsed the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pas, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Diabetes Association, American Gastroenterological Association, American Medical Group Association, American Psychological Association, American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, American Society for Nutrition, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, Black Woman’s Health Imperative, Boehringer-Ingelheim, ConscienHealth, Currax, Diabetes Leadership Council, Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, Eli Lilly and Company, Endocrine Society, Gerontological Society of America, Global Liver Institute, Healthcare Leadership Council, HealthyWomen, Intuitive Surgical, MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, National Consumers League, National Council on Aging, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Kidney Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Obesity Action Coalition, Obesity Medicine Association, Ro, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, The Obesity Society, Trust for America’s Health, WW Weight Watchers International, and YMCA of the USA.
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Comprehensive Care Caucus, announced the introduction of a pair of bipartisan bills to expand access to palliative and hospice care. The Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act with Senators Barrasso (R-WY), Baldwin (D-WI), and Fischer (R-NE) would establish a demonstration project through Medicare to expand access to palliative care at the time of diagnosis of serious illness or injury. The Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act with Senators Barrasso (R-WY) and Baldwin (D-WI) would carve out payment for transfusion services within the Medicare hospice benefit, allowing for separate billing to Medicare for transfusions. This would improve access to hospice care for patients who rely on transfusion care to maintain quality of life.
“Having stepped away from my career to take care of my aging parents and in-laws, I know just how important it is that families have access to high-quality palliative and hospice care for their loved ones,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m glad to work across party lines to introduce these bipartisan bills and help make palliative care more accessible and available.”
“As a doctor, I have seen firsthand how important palliative care is for the comfort of patients and their families,” said Senator Barrasso. “Making sure patients have access to this care as soon as possible is critical to their quality of life. Our bipartisan bill ensures patients in Wyoming and across the country receive this care when they need it most.”
“Having been by my grandmother’s side as she aged and served as her caretaker, this issue is deeply personal for me,” said Senator Baldwin. “I know the challenges both patients and those who are providing this specialized care face, and we need to better support both of them. I am proud to work with Democrats and Republicans to expand and improve palliative care for American families because everyone deserves to know that if they need it, this kind of care is within reach.”
“The reintroduction of the Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act is a meaningful step toward ensuring patients and families can receive high-quality care when and where they need it. Building on the success of the Medicare Care Choices Model, we believe a concurrent care approach within hospice should be developed for national dissemination,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home. “We also appreciate Senator Rosen’s leadership on the Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act, which addresses a key access challenge. The Alliance is proud to support these efforts to expand person-centered, community-based care.”
“The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) has long championed a Medicare payment model designed to close the gaps in care for individuals with serious illness, as well as their families and caregivers. This model aims to support palliative care teams of all sizes, structures, and regions in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care,” said Kristina Newport, MD FAAHPM, HMDC, AAHPM Chief Medical Officer. “We are proud to endorse the bipartisan Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act, which proposes testing a community-based palliative care model. We commend Senators Rosen, Barrasso, Baldwin, and Fischer—co-chairs of the Senate Comprehensive Care Caucus—for their leadership in introducing this vital legislation and their dedication to expanding access to palliative care. This effort will help align treatments with patients’ unique goals and preferences, enabling more care to be delivered in the settings where patients live.”
“We commend Sens. Rosen, Barrasso, and Baldwin for the introduction of the Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act,” said Belinda R. Avalos, MD, president of the American Society of Hematology. “This bill will support critical access to transfusions for patients with blood cancers in hospice and will make great strides in guaranteeing comprehensive palliative care.”
“The Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies applauds Senators Rosen, Barrasso, and Baldwin for reintroducing the Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act,” said Debra BenAvram, FASAE, CAE, AAB CEO. “The Association is committed to advancing patients’ access to safe blood transfusions throughout the continuum of care, and this bill addresses an important barrier for patients receiving care under the Medicare hospice benefit.”
“Blood transfusions are a proven palliative measure that can significantly enhance the quality of life for many patients,” said Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers. “This legislation bridges a gap in care, ensuring patients can receive transfusions while also benefiting from the holistic support provided under the Medicare hospice benefit. It’s a compassionate step forward in patient-centered care that recognizes the complex needs of those navigating serious illnesses.”
Senator Rosen has been working to increase access to affordable, high-quality health care for Nevada’s seniors. Last month, she introduced the Lowering Costs For Caregivers Act to lower costs for caregivers and help families afford medical expenses. Senator Rosen has also introduced the Physicians for Underserved Areas Act and the Train More Nurses Act to address the shortages of medical professionals in Nevada that are reducing access to care and driving up costs.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) issued the following statement regarding President Donald Trump’s revival of his travel ban policy:
“Trump has said again that the latest travel ban is about targeting Muslims. So I’ll repeat what I said the last time he implemented this disgusting policy: Religious freedom is a Virginia value through and through, and it’s the First Amendment to the Constitution for good reason. Thomas Jefferson himself said we do not prefer or punish people in this country because of how they worship or whether or not they choose to worship. We forced Trump to explain himself in court last time, and we’ll do it again.”
During President Trump’s first term, Kaine was outspoken against President Trump’s discriminatory travel bans. Kaine is a cosponsor of the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act (NO BAN Act), legislation to clarify and strengthen the Immigrant and Nationality Act to ensure that the nondiscrimination provision includes protection from religious discrimination and applies to all individuals traveling to the U.S.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement condemning provisions in the Republican tax plan that would weaken gun safety measures that have been in place since 1934 by eliminating registration and ownership requirements for gun silencers under the National Firearms Act, increasing danger for law enforcement officers while saving gun manufacturers millions in unpaid manufacturer taxes:
“The Republican tax plan being pushed through Congress not only cuts critical services Virginians rely on in order to give huge tax breaks to billionaires, but it also makes our communities less safe by weakening gun safety measures on silencers. Part of the reason that these registration and ownership requirements exist is because silencers, like the one that was used in the Virginia Beach mass shooting, make it harder for law enforcement to locate and respond to an active shooter. Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities, and we will oppose this disastrous bill when it comes to the Senate floor.”
A gun silencer, also known as a suppressor, is attached to the barrel of a firearm in order to curb its sound, muzzle flash, and kickback. A silencer poses great danger to the public and makes it more difficult for law enforcement officers to detect the location of and respond to an active shooter. A silencer also diminishes the effectiveness of gunshot detection technology that relies on audio sensors to record the sound, time, and location of loud noises. A gun silencer was used in the Virginia Beach mass shooting on May 31, 2019. Law enforcement has historically supported silencer regulations because silencers make it harder, if not impossible, to figure out where the shooter is in an active shooter situation.
Warner and Kaine have been sounding the alarm about the effects of the GOP plan on Virginia families if Republicans in Congress continue to insist on gutting vital programs in order to pay for tax breaks for the richest Americans. The senators have noted that the GOP bill would strip health insurance from more than 262,000 Virginians, cut SNAP benefits for more than 204,000 people in Virginia, raise energy costs for Virginia households, and jeopardize more than 20,000 Virginia jobs. The bill would also raise the deficit by $3.8 trillion, eliminate a program allowing Americans to file federal taxes for free, and raise taxes on minimum-wage workers while giving the richest 0.1% a $188,000 tax cut.
Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, and U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, introduced the bipartisan Secure Space Act of 2025 to protect America’s satellite systems from foreign threats and strengthen national security.
Companion legislation – sponsored by House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) – passed the U.S. House on April 28, 2025.
“As satellite technology continues to advance, so do the threats to our national security. The Secure Space Act blocks satellite licenses for untrusted entities and protects our skies from foreign adversaries,” said Senator Luján. “This bill would help protect U.S. innovation and defend our communications networks from foreign entities that seek to hijack our future.”
“Americans rely on crucial communications services provided by our satellite systems now more than ever. That’s why we must prevent foreign adversaries like Communist China and Russia from undermining our ability to utilize these services safely and reliably,” said Senator Fischer. “My bill strengthens our communications infrastructure against these vulnerabilities to make Americans’ network access more secure.”
Background:
The Secure Space Act of 2025 prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting satellite licenses or U.S. market access for foreign-licensed satellite systems to any entity or its affiliates that produce or provide communications equipment or services deemed a national security risk.
The legislation amends the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 to extend this prohibition to both geostationary and non-geostationary orbit satellite systems, including gateway stations. It applies to new licenses and authorizations issued after the bill’s enactment and requires the FCC to establish implementing regulations within one year.
Click here to read text of the bill.
Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s new executive order fully restricting the entry of nationals from 12 countries, which he said was necessary to combat “radical Islamic terrorists”:
“President Trump’s own statement makes it clear exactly what this new executive order is: the latest attempt to institute his unpopular and immoral Muslim ban which was thrown out time and again by the courts in his first term. Improving our national security should be a bipartisan goal, but fear and bigotry do not keep Americans safe. What this will do instead is cause chaos, inflict pain, and break apart families, just as his prior attempts did. This order should be reversed, and Congress needs to reassert our role by passing laws that make our immigration system secure, effective and humane. That starts with taking up and passing my NO BAN Act to send a clear message that religious-based discrimination in immigration has no place in our nation.”
Senator Coons is the author of the NO BAN Act, which would strengthen the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination based on religion.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has been named the recipient of the prestigious Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association’s (WBCA) Mr. South Texas Award, in honor of the 128th Washington’s Birthday Celebration.
Last year, Sen. Cruz was the first elected Republican member to be awarded the Key to the City of Laredo for his leadership in streamlining the presidential permitting process and securing permits to build and expand four major international bridges in South Texas, including two in Laredo.
Sen. Cruz said, “I’m honored to be named Mr. South Texas for 2026. Laredo and Webb County hold a special place in my heart — the people embody the spirit, grit, and generosity that make Texas exceptional. Working alongside families, local leaders, and small businesses in Laredo has been one of the great privileges of my public service. I’m deeply grateful to the Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association for this meaningful recognition — it strengthens my resolve to keep leading the fight for Laredo and all of South Texas.”
Jaime Fuentes, President of WBCA said, “We are honored to have Senator Ted Cruz as our Mr. South Texas recipient. We welcome him as our newest Ambassador for the Washington’s Birthday Celebration. A special thank you to our Mr. South Texas selection committee and Texas Community Bank for its unwavering support of the Mr. South Texas Luncheon.”
Douglas G. Macdonald, President & CEO of Texas Community Bank said, “Texas Community Bank is pleased to sponsor the Mr. South Texas Luncheon, and we congratulate United States Senator Ted Cruz, for being selected as the 2026 Mr. South Texas Honoree as part of the 128th Celebration. It is a well-deserved recognition. We’re excited to welcome such a fine and hardworking individual to our community and invite all Laredoans to join us in congratulating him.”
BACKGROUND
The Mr. South Texas designation is presented to a deserving individual who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the growth and development of Laredo and/or the South Texas region.
The Mr. South Texas Selection Committee, comprised of past presidents of the WBCA and former Mr. South Texas recipients who reside in Laredo, meet and discuss possible candidates. Committee members take great effort in creating an all-inclusive nominating pool of candidates from all walks of life who have made a significant impact on the area.
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the selection of Chief Michael Sullivan as the new Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police Department:
“I’m grateful for the U.S. Capitol Police Board’s extensive efforts to select the next chief of the USCP. Their confidence in Chief Michael Sullivan is well-placed. Nearly twenty-five years of his three decades of law enforcement service were spent protecting my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, including a distinguished tour as Deputy Chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department.
“At the helm of the USCP, Chief Sullivan will take on another heavy responsibility: ensuring the security of our nation’s core governing institutions. I know he will quickly earn the trust and admiration of the brave men and women who keep us safe, and I join the entire Senate in welcoming him to the Capitol.”
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, issued the following statement condemning President Trump’s cruel travel ban that bars nationals of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricts travel for nationals of seven other countries:
“Once again, we see President Trump’s irrational impulses as he tries to institute a discriminatory travel ban. This senseless, prejudicial policy is an abuse of power that also threatens U.S. citizen relatives from the targeted countries. We cannot allow this Administration to continue scapegoating individuals based on religion or nationality. Our country is better than this.”