{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", party = \"Republican\" and year = 2019 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-iranian-backed-attack-on-us-embassy-in-iraq", "Cotton Statement on Iranian-Backed Attack on U.S. Embassy in Iraq", "2019-12-31", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after Iran organized an attack on the United States Embassy in Baghdad:\n\n\"When an Iran-backed militia killed an American in Iraq last week, it met with a firm response. Now our embassy in Baghdad-sovereign U.S. territory-has been attacked in yet another reckless escalation. As the President notes, Iran must be held responsible.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-us-strikes-in-iraq-and-syria", "Cotton Statement on U.S. Strikes in Iraq and Syria", "2019-12-29", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after the United States\n\nconducted strikes on five facilities in Iraq and Syria:\n\n\"Today's strikes against Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Syria are a justified response to the killing of an American and the wounding of several American service members and Iraqis. Tehran must stop attacking Americans or else face even graver consequences.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-rocket-attack-on-iraqi-military-base", "Cotton Statement on Rocket Attack on Iraqi Military Base", "2019-12-28", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 28, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on Rocket Attack on Iraqi Military Base\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Following reports of a rocket attack that killed an American citizen and injured four American troops at a military base in Kirkuk, Iraq, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cIf American blood was shed by an Iran-backed group, Tehran ought to face swift and severe consequences.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2019-in-review-", "2019 in Review", "2019-12-27", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "As 2019 comes to a close, I\u2019ve had time to reflect on the past year. As a state, we celebrated the commissioning of the USS South Dakota, a Virginia-class nuclear submarine designed to fulfill 21st century mission requirements. We also worked to secure Ellsworth Air Force Base as the location for the first two B-21 Raider bomber squadrons - the training squadron and the operational squadron - solidifying Ellsworth\u2019s long-term role in our national security. We were also hit hard by Mother Nature this year as tornadoes, flooding and late-winter storms wreaked havoc across the state.\n\nOn a personal level, our family experienced its most difficult challenge to date, as Jean began cancer treatment for a malignant high-grade aggressive tumor near her sciatic nerve. Thanks to her highly-talented team of doctors and our extended South Dakota community who has continually supported us, we are on a path to recovery.\n\nLooking back on what we\u2019ve accomplished in Washington, we\u2019ve scored some significant victories. On the health care front, the CREATES Act was included in the end-of-year spending package. This legislation, which I cosponsored, will help lower the cost of prescription drugs by fast-tracking the approval process for generic drugs, thereby enhancing competition in the prescription drug market.\n\nWe also fully repealed the Cadillac Tax, which is an Obamacare tax that threatened to raise healthcare premiums even higher by imposing a 40 percent tax on certain employer-sponsored healthcare plans. I led this effort in the Senate with Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, and our bill to repeal the Cadillac Tax had 64 cosponsors. Now that it is repealed, it no longer threatens to raise the premiums of over 400,000 South Dakotans who get their health insurance through their work.\n\nThe Senate has also continued to confirm a record number of judges to federal courts. In the past three years, we\u2019ve confirmed 187 judges, nominated by President Trump, to serve lifetime appointments on the federal bench. These judges are committed to upholding the rule of law and not legislating from the bench.\n\nWe also saw year-round sales of E-15 for the first time this year. E-15 is 15 percent ethanol blended with 85 percent gasoline. As South Dakotans know, corn and corn ethanol production are vital components of our economy. The corn ethanol industry supports thousands of jobs in our state and contributes a significant amount of revenue to our local communities. The decision to allow year-round sales of E-15 is a huge win for our state.\n\nWe were also finally able to enact legislation to make sure thousands of \u201cBlue Water\u201d Navy veterans can receive the disability and health care benefits they earned after their exposure to the dangerous pesticide Agent Orange while fighting in the Vietnam War.\n\nMore recently, we passed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020, which includes a number of South Dakota priorities. In addition to fully funding the B-21 Raider bomber program, it includes my legislation to create a cyber consortia for certain universities, including Dakota State University in Madison. The consortia will provide an opportunity for schools designated as National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security Centers of Academic Excellence to lend their cybersecurity expertise to the Department of Defense. In addition, the NDAA includes the largest pay raise for our troops in a decade, continues to rebuild our military, gives our service members additional resources to meet new challenges and takes care of military families.\n\nWhen it comes to trade, we\u2019ve made significant progress. The administration secured a unilateral trade deal with Japan this year that will cut tariffs and pave the way for more sales of American beef and other ag products to Japan. And the Trump administration is closing in on a phase 1 trade deal with China that they say seeks to increase ag exports to $40 or $50 billion. Additionally, the House finally passed the USMCA trade deal between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, and we expect to take it up in the Senate soon into the new year.\n\nAs we look ahead to 2020, we are hopeful for the future. Jean will begin radiation treatment in January, the final step in her cancer treatment. We appreciate the continued prayers during this time. In the Senate, I\u2019ll continue to bring South Dakota values to Washington so we can further grow the economy and improve the lives of hardworking families.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-cotton-shaheen-second-lady-applaud-law-reforming-occupational-licensing-for-military-spouses", "Senators Cotton, Shaheen, Second Lady Applaud Law Reforming Occupational Licensing for Military Spouses", "2019-12-21", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 21, 2019\n\nSenators Cotton, Shaheen, Second Lady Applaud Law Reforming Occupational Licensing for Military Spouses\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Yesterday the president signed into law the Portable Certification of Spouses (PCS) Act, legislation U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) included in the 2020 defense bill and introduced at a press conference with Second Lady Karen Pence in May.\n\nMany military spouses struggle to recertify their occupational licenses as they move\u2014on average every two to three years\u2014from state to state. The Portable Certification of Spouses Act will now allow the Defense Department to fund the creation of interstate compacts that will create common, portable credentials for major professions. The law will also help alleviate the burden military spouses bear when having to re-register a small business in a new state each time a service member gets reassigned to a new military installation.\n\n\"One-in-three military spouses work in a field that requires an occupational license, and too many of them are forced to re-certify every time they move between states. Military families already shoulder heavy loads for our country\u2014they shouldn't also have to worry about state regulations that prevent wives or husbands from working in their own profession. With our bill now law, those spouses can soon pursue their careers uninterrupted, even while they're moving their family from state to state and base to base,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cMilitary families make significant sacrifices on behalf of our country, so if we have the opportunity to make things a little easier for them, we need to seize it,\u201d said Shaheen. \u201cThis new law cuts through the red tape hindering military spouses from practicing their professions or restarting their businesses as they move with their families around the country. I\u2019m relieved for military families that this measure is now the law of the land and will work closely with the administration to make sure it is implemented comprehensively. I appreciate the support from members on both sides of the aisle to include this commonsense fix in the defense bill and provide support to military spouses, and I offer my sincerest thanks to our military families for their continued service to our nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cMilitary spouse employment is an important aspect of a strong and resilient military family,\u201d said Mrs. Pence. \u201cMilitary spouses make countless sacrifices, and it is the right thing for us to come alongside and do everything we can to enable them to work in their chosen field. I am thrilled the PCS Act is now law and I applaud the bipartisan collaboration to address military spouse employment challenges.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe signing of this legislation into law means that military spouses have one less hurdle to maintain their professional careers as they move following their active duty military spouse from base to base,\u201d said Andrea Krull, a small business owner whose husband is in the United States Navy. \u201cThis law will allow me to establish my business in one state and maintain that status for the duration of my husband\u2019s military service. It will allow me the opportunity to spend less time navigating administrative red tape and more time serving my clients, and ultimately providing for my family.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nOver 34 percent of military spouses work in fields that require a state license in order to practice. These spouses are often required to recertify and pay to recertify this license every time they move between states with their spouse. Re-certification has become too long, expensive, detrimental to the careers of spouses, and prohibitive financially to military families who could benefit from two household incomes instead of one. This process often effects a service member's desire to stay in the military long-term.\n\nThis law will impact spouses working in fields such as health-related occupations and education. 56 percent of licensed military spouses work in health-related occupations and 29 percent in education respectively. The fields which could may benefit from this law include, but are not limited to, the following: teachers, advance practice nurses, physician's assistants, occupational therapists, dentists, dental hygienists, nutritionists, counselors, social workers, veterinarians, cosmetologists, and realtors.\n\nThe PCS Act was originally introduced in May 2019 as a stand-alone bill before being included in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-hyde-smith-introduce-bill-to-protect-moms-and-babies-through-control-of-chemical-abortion-pills", "Cotton, Hyde-Smith Introduce Bill to Protect Moms and Babies Through Control of Chemical Abortion Pills", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) along with Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), this week introduced legislation to protect women by controlling the distribution of chemical abortion drugs, which have high complication rates for incomplete abortions, infections, severe bleeding, and death.\n\nThe Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act would prevent labeling changes for already-approved abortion drugs; prevent providers from dispensing these drugs remotely, by mail, or via tele-medicine; and prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from approving new chemical abortion drugs.\n\n\"The abortion pill can do serious harm to pregnant women, and making it more available would be deadly. Our bill would protect women and their babies from reckless campaigns to push the abortion pill by codifying important FDA regulations of this dangerous drug,\" Cotton said.\n\n\"Although abortion rates are declining nationwide, rates of chemical abortion are increasing dramatically. Increased use of abortion pills may give the impression that these procedures are safe, when in fact they are quite dangerous. Making chemical abortion pills more broadly available without proper medical oversight would endanger the lives of women. I am introducing this bill to codify the important FDA policy that protects women from dangers inherent in mail-order or do-it-yourself chemical abortions,\" Hyde-Smith said.\n\nIn addition to restricting the availability of chemical abortion drugs, the measure would also retain the FDA-imposed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) currently applied to these drugs due to known or potential serious risk associated with the medication. It would also require medical practitioners to report to the FDA adverse events experienced by patients using an abortion drug,\n\nIn 2017, chemical abortions made up 39 percent of abortions reported by the 32 states that require reporting on specific abortion methods, up from 5.5 percent in 2001.\n\nOriginal cosponsors include Senators Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas).\n\nSusan B. Anthony List (SBA List), March for Life Action, National Right to Life, Family Research Council, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are among the groups that support the bill.\n\n\"We are grateful to Senator Hyde-Smith for championing legislation to fight the reckless expansion of chemical abortion,\" said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. \"The abortion lobby has attempted to interfere with protective FDA regulations and flood the U.S. market with dangerous abortion drugs from overseas, threatening the health and safety of vulnerable women. On the heels of an abandoned study designed to discredit pro-life abortion pill reversal, which only proved the serious and potentially deadly risks inherent to abortion pills, the need for this bill could not be more pressing. We strongly support the SAVE Moms & Babies Act and urge Congress to pass it swiftly.\"\n\nA summary of the SAVE Moms and Babies Act is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-releases-2019-festivus-edition-waste-report/", "Dr. Rand Paul Releases 2019 \u2018Festivus\u2019 Edition of \u2018The Waste Report\u2019", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 19, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO) Subcommittee for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), released his 2019 Festivus edition of The Waste Report.\n\nDr. Paul\u2019s fifth edition of the Festivus Waste Report collects his 2019 Spring, Summer, and Fall Waste Reports as he continues working to alert the American people to how the government uses their hard-earned money.\n\nHighlights include: building up Tunisia\u2019s political system and the Pakistani film industry; funding research that involves hooking Zebrafish on nicotine; continuing to turn over so many taxpayer dollars to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; sending low-quality textbooks to Afghan students, with many of the textbooks sitting in warehouses; supporting \u201cgreen growth\u201d in Peru; making improper payments; and studying frog mating calls.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-statement-on-final-ethanol-rule", "Rounds Statement on Final Ethanol Rule", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) final rule to establish the required renewable volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for 2020:\n\n\u201cPresident Trump has made clear that he expects the EPA to follow through on his commitment to farmers by meeting the 15 billion gallon requirement under the RFS. I heard it firsthand during multiple meetings with the president at the White House.\u201d\n\n\u201cI understand the hesitation of South Dakota corn and corn ethanol producers to trust that the EPA will follow through on this commitment. While the final rule fails to provide a guarantee, the EPA has committed to using the tools available to make sure 15 billion gallons of ethanol is blended into our fuel supply in 2020. You can be sure we\u2019ll be holding their feet to the fire.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/the-magic-of-christmas", "The Magic of Christmas", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "As we celebrate the holidays with our loved ones, we are reminded of the true reason for the season: the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. His teachings remind us to be kind to others, share our gratitude for all the good things in our lives and give back to those less fortunate. Through these acts, we can experience the real magic of Christmas.\n\nYou may be surprised to hear that Christmas magic is alive and well even in the most unlikely of places\u2014the United States Capitol. Despite what you too often see in the news, we don\u2019t always disagree and bicker. We certainly have our differences, but I have made many friends in Washington on both sides of the aisle. The camaraderie we share as legislators seeking to improve the lives of all Americans is amplified during the Christmas season, and we enjoy taking time out of our busy days to celebrate.\n\nSince joining the Senate, I\u2019ve been a regular member at weekly prayer breakfast meetings. Our group is made up of both Republicans and Democrats\u2014we leave our politics at the door and focus on what we have in common, which is our shared faith. At a recent prayer breakfast, we celebrated Christmas by singing some of our favorite carols. I have made good friends through our prayer breakfasts\u2014men and women I may not have gotten to know on a personal level otherwise.\n\nThe annual bipartisan Secret Santa gift exchange is another holiday tradition we celebrate on Capitol Hill. Each of us is given the name of a senator from the other party, and we all get together for a reception to exchange small gifts. This year, I was able to wrap up some of my favorite chocolates from Deadwood\u2019s Chubby Chipmunk to give to Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada. Senator Tom Carper of Delaware gave me a baseball cap commemorating USS Delaware SSN 791, a nuclear attack submarine that was commissioned shortly after USS South Dakota SSN 790.\n\nOf course, none of us would be able to celebrate the holidays freely if not for our men and women in uniform. This time of year we are reminded of those who are spending the holidays away from home as they fight to protect our freedom. Our servicemembers deserve our eternal gratitude for the sacrifices they make on behalf of our country. I spent some time this month writing holiday cards to our troops stationed overseas thanks to the American Red Cross\u2019s Holidays for Heroes event. They set up tables in the Capitol each year for members of congress and our staffs to send warm wishes to our armed forces.\n\nThis year, our family is grateful for God\u2019s many gifts, including our ten wonderful grandchildren who all live in the Pierre/Fort Pierre area near our home. We\u2019re also grateful for Jean\u2019s team of hardworking doctors and nurses who have given us hope that she will beat her cancer diagnosis. Thank you to everyone who has said a prayer for her this year. We wish all South Dakotans a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-urge-response-to-national-security-threats-posed-by-chinese-drones", "Senators Urge Response to National Security Threats Posed by Chinese Drones", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. -Today, Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Rick Scott (R-Florida), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) wrote to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and Federal Aviation Administrator Stephen Dickson to express concerns regarding the national security threats posed by Chinese drones.\n\n\"We...urge you to immediately restrict the use of this equipment and technology that has the potential to jeopardize the security of critical information and infrastructure gained through this and other FAA programs,\" the Senators write. \"American taxpayer dollars should not fund state-controlled or state-owned firms that seek to undermine American national security and economic competitiveness.\"\n\nThe letter is available below and here.\n\nDear Secretary Chao and Administrator Dickson:\n\nWe write to express concern regarding the national security threats posed by Chinese drones and urge the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure that the use of such drones is excluded from its programs and partnerships.\n\nGiven the information presented in several government directives regarding the use of Chinese-manufactured drones, we were dismayed to learn that on December 3, 2019, one of the ten lead participants of DOT and FAA's Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP) announced its decision to partner with Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) Inc., a Chinese drone company, and use DJI drones for aircraft inspections, delivery of aircraft parts, airport perimeter security, and various airport safety inspections.\n\nOn August 2, 2017, the Department of the Army released a memorandum ordering a halt on the use of DJI applications and products, citing an \"increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products.\" Subsequently, on August 9, 2017, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released an unclassified bulletin which specifically warned against DJI for targeting critical infrastructure and law enforcement and providing U.S. data to the Chinese government. The bulletin states with \"high confidence\" that \"the company [DJI] is selectively targeting government and privately owned entities within these sectors to expand its ability to collect and exploit sensitive U.S. data.\" The bulletin also warns that DJI-created apps, when used in conjunction with their UAS hardware, collect GPS locations and photographs taken by the device, register facial recognition data even when the system is off, and automatically upload information to cloud storage to which the Chinese government most likely has access. The bulletin continues, \"[a] foreign government with access to this information could easily coordinate physical or cyber attacks against critical sites.\"\n\nOn May 20, 2019, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an industry alert of the potential risks to an organization's information posed by Chinese-made drones and DJI in particular. The alert states that the products \"contain components that can compromise data and share information on a server accessed beyond the company itself.\"\n\nMore recently, on October 30, 2019, the Department of Interior announced that it was grounding its fleet of more than 800 non-emergency drones purchased from China until a security review is completed. Further, Section 848 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act specifically prohibits the Department of Defense from operating or procuring UAS manufactured in the China.\n\nWe commend the goal of the UAS IPP to partner federal, state, local, and tribal governments with the FAA to evaluate and integrate new technologies into airspace operations. We, however, urge you to immediately restrict the use of this equipment and technology that has the potential to jeopardize the security of critical information and infrastructure gained through this and other FAA programs. American taxpayer dollars should not fund state-controlled or state-owned firms that seek to undermine American national security and economic competitiveness. We therefore request the following information:\n\nHave the DOT and FAA reviewed the reports by ICE, CISA, the Army, and any other agencies to appropriately grasp the magnitude of the threat posed by the use of DJI hardware and software, and if so, what conclusions were drawn?\n\nHave the DOT and FAA conveyed their concerns with regard to data protection to the relevant state, local, and tribal partners in the IPP and any other program that may involve the use of drones?\n\nWhat, if any, security efforts have the DOT and FAA worked to implement with state, local, and tribal officials to ensure critical infrastructure data does not fall into the hands of the Chinese government?\n\nThank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your prompt response.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-inspector-general-horowitz-admits-bias-fbi-office-general-counsel-attorney-who-faked-evidence/", "Inspector General Horowitz Admits Bias from the FBI Office of the General Counsel Attorney Who Faked Evidence", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 18, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 While many in the media have downplayed the instances of bias already present in Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz\u2019s report on the FBI\u2019s \u201cCrossfire Hurricane\u201d investigation into President Donald Trump\u2019s campaign, today, in questioning from U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Committee hearing, Inspector General Horowitz admitted there was more than is being reported.\n\nInspector General Horowitz admitted bias from the FBI Office of the General Counsel attorney who faked evidence to the FISA court, and who had previously been reported to have texted in support of \u201cthe resistance\u201d to President Trump.\n\nWhile the media focus has been on Inspector General Horowitz\u2019s reluctance to connect the bias to malfeasance, the report shows, and the author testified to, widespread bias and widespread misconduct.\n\nYou can watch the exchange HERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-shame-house-dragging-america-through-unnecessary-partisan-impeachment/", "Sen. Rand Paul: Shame on the House for Dragging America Through an Unnecessary, Partisan Impeachment", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 18, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Tonight, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump:\n\n\u201cOver the past several weeks, we have seen sham hearings, selected witnesses, and Democrats who have contorted the facts to fit a fictional narrative. It is shameful that from the first day of this duly elected presidency, these Democrats have been determined to impeach him. This has been unnecessary, distracting, and counterproductive. The Senate will not continue this partisan abuse of power and should at once put an end to the charade.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-statement-on-house-impeachment-vote", "Rounds Statement on House Impeachment Vote", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump:\n\n\u201cThe House Democrats have voted to impeach this president, and yet, they still have not provided the evidence to substantiate an impeachable offense. The Senate will execute its constitutional duty, bring this process to a close, and get back to doing the people\u2019s work.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-china-shouldn-and-146t-lead-world-intellectual-property-organization", "Cotton, Colleagues: China Shouldn\u0092t Lead World Intellectual Property Organization", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 17, 2019\n\nCotton, Colleagues: China Shouldn\u2019t Lead World Intellectual Property Organization\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Chuck Schumer (D-New York), along with Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-California) and Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin), sent a letter urging the president to strongly oppose China\u2019s efforts to lead the World Intellectual Property Organization at the United Nations.\n\nIn the letter, the lawmakers write that China\u2019s persistent violations of intellectual property protections\u2014as well as the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s aggressive industrial policies and technology practices that undermine U.S. innovation\u2014present serious risks to the United States\u2019 economic leadership and security. Those risks include Huawei Technologies, which was the top corporate filer of international patent applications to the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2018.\n\nThe lawmakers\u2019 letter to the president may be found here. The text is below.\n\nPresident Donald Trump\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, DC 20500\n\nDear Mr. President:\n\nWe write to express our concern about China\u2019s intent to lead the World Intellectual Property Organization at the United Nations and the threat this poses to both U.S. economic security and the integrity of international intellectual property rights and standards.\n\nLast month, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reportedly nominated a candidate to head this organization, which was established as a global forum for intellectual property policy and cooperation and to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world. Given China\u2019s persistent violations of intellectual property protections, including through trade secret theft, corporate espionage, and forced transfer of technology, the United States and its allies must stand firmly against such a move.\n\nThe CCP is strategically investing in and developing critical and emerging technologies as part of Made in China 2025 and other aggressive industrial policies. These initiatives include a patchwork of practices and tactics which coerce American companies to transfer their technology and intellectual property to domestic Chinese corporations with the effect of undermining U.S. innovation and economic leadership. In addition, Chinese telecommunications company Huawei Technologies, which is thought to be influenced by the CCP and presents clear risks to U.S. national security, was the top corporate filer of international patent applications to the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2018.\n\nYour administration has repeatedly expressed concerns about the shortcomings in China\u2019s intellectual property regime. Notably, the Office of the United States Trade Representative\u2019s (USTR) Special 301 Report declares China a \u201cprecarious and uncertain environment\u201d for U.S. owners of all types of intellectual property. China also remains on USTR\u2019s Priority Watch List for failing to make fundamental changes to strengthen intellectual property protection and enforcement and for engaging in harmful conduct, including unauthorized intrusions and theft from networks of U.S. companies.\n\nMr. President, you have also accused China of \u201ctheft of intellectual property and also trade secrets on a grand scale\u201d in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in September. We cannot let a regime, which continues to blatantly undermine the rules-based system by failing to ensure open markets or respect for intellectual property rights, ascend as the leader of global intellectual property policy.\n\nTherefore, we urge you to oppose China\u2019s leadership in the World Intellectual Property Organization and take the necessary diplomatic steps to ensure our allies and partners do the same before the Director General election next spring.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/ndaa-passes-senate-with-rounds-support-includes-a-number-of-south-dakota-priorities", "NDAA Passes Senate with Rounds Support, Includes a Number of South Dakota Priorities", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013 U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today issued the following statement on the Senate\u2019s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020. It now heads to the president\u2019s desk for signature.\n\n\u201cProviding our troops with the tools they need to complete their missions fulfills one of our most fundamental duties: to provide for our national defense,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThis year\u2019s NDAA continues to rebuild our military, gives our service members additional resources to meet new challenges and takes care of military families. I look forward to the president signing it into law.\u201d\n\n\u201cMike has been an important voice on the Armed Services Committee and throughout negotiations on the final Defense Authorization Act,\u201d said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe. \u201cAs chairman of the Cybersecurity Subcommittee, he spearheaded numerous provisions in this year\u2019s bill that will protect our networks from our adversaries and expand our cyber capabilities to maintain our technological edge. I thank him for his leadership on these and other critical defense issues.\u201d\n\nBill Highlights:\n\nImplements the National Defense Strategy, which provides clear direction for restoring our military\u2019s competitive edge in an era of re-emerging, long-term power competition.\n\nAuthorizes a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops, the largest in a decade.\n\nAuthorizes full funding for the B-21 Raider bombers, to be stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base.\n\nCreates a Space Force as a sixth branch, under the Air Force, devoted to military operations in space.\n\nProvides additional resources to research and begin cleanup of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.\n\nPFAS substances have emerged as a widespread contaminant to the drinking water sources of communities across the country, as well as military installations, largely due to their use in firefighting foam used by the Department of Defense.\n\nRounds Major Provisions Included:\n\nCybersecurity of the Defense Industrial Base - Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to create a framework for the cybersecurity of the defense industrial base, particularly with regard to the myriad subcontractors who demonstrate tremendous cyber vulnerabilities. This results from a major cyber breach of a Navy contractor resulting in serious theft of information.\n\nReadiness of the DOD Cyber Force to Accomplish its Mission - Requires DOD to develop readiness metrics for the cyber force and, based upon these metrics, brief the armed services committees on a quarterly basis.\n\nEstablishment of a Cyber Consortia for Centers of Academic Excellence like Dakota State University (DSU) in Madison \u2013 Requires the DOD to establish a university consortia to advise and assist DOD on cybersecurity. It would provide a single portal for DOD to access the expertise of universities designated as National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Centers of Academic Excellence, such as DSU.\n\nEstablishment of Principal Cyber Advisors Within Each Branch \u2013 Creates a \u201cPrincipal Cyber Advisor\u201d position within each of the services to act as a single point of responsibility for cybersecurity. The goal is to bridge the gaps, seams and fragmentation within the services\u2019 cyber postures.\n\nInnovation Pilots - Requires a pilot program to produce dual-use startups in defense technology that would attract funding from the public and private sector to include venture capital firms in the United States.\n\nStreamline Defense Acquisition Milestone Decision Process \u2013 Establishes a pilot program to improve DOD\u2019s acquisition milestone decision process.\n\nBetter Tracking of Troop Deployment Rates - Directs senior military leaders to establish and maintain \"specific and measurable deployment thresholds\u201d to help control the amount of time that troops are away from home.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/noem-rounds-request-us-army-corps-of-engineers-increase-missouri-river-mainstem-dam-releases-to-prepare-for-spring-runoff", "Noem, Rounds Request U.S Army Corps of Engineers Increase Missouri River Mainstem Dam Releases to Prepare for Spring Runoff", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "PIERRE\u2014Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) requesting a marginal increase in releases from Gavins Point Dam. This would allow additional storage in the dam system to accommodate runoff this upcoming spring. Additionally, Noem and Rounds urged USACE to take measures to improve predictions in order to prevent significant flooding during wet years and to make sure water is available during a drought.\n\n\u201cAt this time, our primary concern is increasing the flows slightly from the mainstem system storage through next spring,\u201d wrote Noem and Rounds in their letter. \u201cWe are not advocating the USACE increase releases to irresponsible levels, triggering ice jam formation and producing winter flooding. Instead, we request a marginal increase in system releases from Gavins Point.\n\n\u201cMoving forward, we would like to see the USACE take measures to improve predictions on runoff entering the mainstem system. Expanding the states\u2019 existing mesonets would be one option to improve data accessibility. We believe several other technological and equipment modernization measures could be considered to have the most sophisticated predictive analysis reasonably possible. Additionally, we would like to see the USACE look into expanding their predictive algorithms so as to dynamically manage reservoir levels, reducing the potential for floods and increasing water availability during drought conditions.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter:\n\nBrigadier General D. Peter Helmlinger\n\nCommander, US Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division\n\nP.O. Box 2870\n\nPortland, OR 97208-2870\n\nDear Brigadier General Helmlinger,\n\nWe are following up on your phone conversation with Senator Rounds and representatives of the State of South Dakota on November 21, 2019. We appreciate the discussion on current water levels and the United States Army Corps of Engineers\u2019 (USACE) Missouri River operation plans moving forward, as well as your insights on the problems with anticipating river freeze-ups and the potential for ice jams.\n\nAt this time, our primary concern is increasing the flows slightly from the mainstem system storage through next spring. We are not advocating the USACE increase releases to irresponsible levels, triggering ice jam formation and producing winter flooding. Instead, we request a marginal increase in system releases from Gavins Point. For example, an increase of 7,500 cfs for 90 days would allow an additional 1.3 MAF of system storage to be evacuated prior to next spring\u2019s runoff events. We would expect this extra water may be drafted from Oahe and Francis Case reservoirs, but naturally this is a management decision the USACE should make.\n\nMoving forward, we would like to see the USACE take measures to improve predictions on runoff entering the mainstem system. Expanding the states\u2019 existing mesonets would be one option to improve data accessibility. We believe several other technological and equipment modernization measures could be considered to have the most sophisticated predictive analysis reasonably possible. Additionally, we would like to see the USACE look into expanding their predictive algorithms so as to dynamically manage reservoir levels, reducing the potential for floods and increasing water availability during drought conditions.\n\nThere are consistent trends in runoff levels into the Missouri River mainstem system, which transcend annual averages. Whether these trends are caused by accumulation, depletion of soil moisture or broader ecological effects, clearly the trends exist. While there have been limited instances of wide gaps between total runoff during consecutive years, such as incredibly wet years chased by droughts or droughts ended by sudden floods, these instances are rare. As such, further research into the capability and potential utility of earlier trending is warranted.\n\nWe appreciate the USACE\u2019s communication updates; however, we request a specific response articulating the USACE\u2019s current plan through March. Again, we encourage any effort to reasonably increase water evacuation in anticipation of a wetter-than-average 2020.\n\nSincerely,\n\nGovernor Kristi Noem U.S. Senator M. Michael Rounds\n\ncc: Major General Scott Spellmon\n\nDeputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations\n\nUS Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters\n\n441 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20314\n\nColonel John Hudson\n\nCommander, US Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District\n\n1616 Capitol Ave., Ste. 9000\n\nOmaha, NE 68102\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-cadillac-tax-repeal-legislation-included-in-omnibus-appropriations-bill", "Rounds\u2019 Cadillac Tax Repeal Legislation Included in Omnibus Appropriations Bill", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today released the following statement after it was announced that legislation he introduced to repeal the \u201cCadillac Tax\u201d was included in the omnibus appropriations bill scheduled to be passed by Congress this week:\n\n\u201cHealthcare costs for South Dakota families are already too high,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThe Cadillac Tax threatened to raise healthcare premiums even higher by imposing a 40 percent tax on certain employer-sponsored health care plans. I\u2019m pleased our bipartisan measure to fully repeal the Cadillac Tax was included in the fiscal year 2020 omnibus appropriations bill, and I look forward to continuing to find ways to lower healthcare costs for hardworking families.\u201d\n\nRounds and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced legislation to repeal the Cadillac Tax earlier this year. Companion legislation introduced by Reps. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Mike Kelly (R-Penn.) passed out of the House this summer. This month, Rounds, Heinrich, Courtney and Kelly sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging them to take swift action on their legislation before the end of the year.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-names-valley-queen-cheese-factory-of-milbank-as-senate-small-business-of-the-week", "Rounds Names Valley Queen Cheese Factory of Milbank as Senate Small Business of the Week", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today named Valley Queen Cheese Factory of Milbank as the Senate Small Business Committee\u2019s \u201cSmall Business of the Week.\u201d Rounds was invited by Small Business Committee Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to select a South Dakota small business to be highlighted by the committee. Valley Queen Cheese was founded in 1929, and remains a family-run operation. It is the largest cheese plant in our state and the largest employer in Milbank.\n\n\u201cSouth Dakota is fortunate to have many thriving small businesses,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cIt\u2019s my honor to name Valley Queen Cheese in Milbank as the Small Business the Week. Valley Queen has been a family-run operation for four generations, and currently employs 300 individuals. It gives back to the community through its charitable foundation, which has awarded more than $300,000 in college scholarships to local students. I thank the Nef and Gonzenbach families who started and continue to run Valley Queen Cheese for the great work they do for South Dakota.\u201d\n\nToday, Rounds submitted the following excerpt into the Congressional Record in honor of Valley Queen Cheese Factory:\n\nMr. Rounds. Mr. President, today, it is my pleasure to name Valley Queen Cheese Factory of Milbank, South Dakota, as the Senate Small Business of the Week. Valley Queen Cheese is a prime example of the important role small businesses play in their local economies and communities.\n\nIn 1929, Alfred Nef and Alfred Gonzenbach decided Milbank, South Dakota, was the perfect home for their business and founded Valley Queen Cheese. Four generations later, Valley Queen remains a family-run operation and is still owned by the Nef and Gonzenbach families. Today, it operates less than 1/2 mile from the original location. It is a recognized leader in the South Dakota business community and the greater dairy industry. Since 2017, Doug Wilke has served as CEO of Valley Queen. With guidance from the board of directors, he currently oversees the largest cheese plant in South Dakota and the largest employer in Milbank.\n\nMore than 90 percent of all milk Valley Queen uses comes from South Dakota cows, and they make a conscious effort to continue South Dakota's leadership in this important industry. Thanks to a recent expansion, Valley Queen now has the capacity to produce 200 million pounds of cheese from 2 billion pounds of milk each year. Their cheese can be found in most local grocery stores, as it is sold to some of the best-known food brands in the world. To meet the growing demand, Valley Queen recently invested in a business expansion project that increased the factory's output by twenty-five percent.\n\nValley Queen is an active leader in the Milbank community where it has grown to employ 300 people. In 2017, the Valley Queen Charitable Foundation was established to advance positive change by supporting local organizations and initiatives. In its first three years as a non-profit, the foundation has contributed more than $900,000 to local charities that have a community, educational or humanitarian focus. Since 1990, Valley Queen has awarded high school and college students over $300,000 in scholarships. In addition to the business's own philanthropy, Valley Queen makes an annual contribution to the Milbank Community Foundation, which seeks to improve the quality of life of residents in the community.\n\nValley Queen has been recognized for their continuous improvement and exceptional process control through several awards. Earlier this year, Valley Queen won two awards and received near-perfect marks at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest for their reduced fat cheddar and Monterey Jack jalapeno cheeses. Valley Queen's sustained efforts toward improved research and development does not go unnoticed by the industry.\n\nValley Queen is an excellent example of how small businesses fit the shared values and ideals of their community and give back in a multitude of ways. I am proud to highlight Valley Queen and its team for their integral social and economic contributions to South Dakota. Although many years removed from being a start-up company, Valley Queen remains committed to the legacy of its founders. Furthermore, Milbank South Dakota continues to serve as the perfect home for this thriving business. Congratulations again to the entire team at Valley Queen Cheese Factory for being named Senate Small Business of the Week.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-resolution-commemorating-the-75th-anniversary-of-the-battle-of-the-bulge-", "Senate Passes Resolution Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "In recognition of the Battle of the Bulge beginning 75 years ago today, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution last week commemorating this anniversary.\n\nS. Con. Res 23 honors the valiant efforts of the Allied Forces in December 1944, as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice in this last major German offensive in Western Europe during World War II. There were 89,000 American casualties in this 38-day battle, and 19,000 American soldiers lost their lives. The Allied victory in this battle helped make possible the final defeat and surrender of Germany in May 1945.\n\nThe resolution was introduced by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and cosponsored by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Kennedy (R-La.), John Barasso (R-Wyo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.).\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/-cotton-statement-on-united-kingdom-election-results", "Cotton Statement on United Kingdom Election Results", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 13, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on United Kingdom Election Results\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after Prime Minister Boris Johnson\u2019s Conservatives won a powerful majority of parliamentary seats last night:\n\n\u201cCongratulations to Prime Minister Johnson, the Tories, and the British people on a resounding victory. Best of luck, now get Brexit done!\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-jones-and-merkley-reintroduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-stop-predatory-unsolicited-loans", "Cotton, Jones, and Merkley Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Predatory Unsolicited Loans", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) along with Senator Doug Jones (D-Alabama) and Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) have reintroduced bipartisan legislation-the Unsolicited Loan Act -that would halt the predatory practice of mailing high-interest loans to consumers in the form of \"live\" checks.\n\nOften times, when consumers receive these checks in the mail they believe them to be from their bank or another trusted financial institution and are unaware the check is a high-interest loan. Under the Unsolicited Loan Act, this practice would be prohibited and would ensure consumers can only access loans for which they proactively applied. This legislation echoes Congress' ban on the mailing of live credit cards.\n\n\"People should understand exactly what they're getting into when taking on debt. But many individuals don't understand that \u2018live' checks mailed directly to consumers are just high-interest loans in disguise. Congress put an end to \u2018live' credit cards decades ago, it's time to do the same with \u2018live' checks,\" said Senator Cotton.\n\n\"We need to continue to take a stand for hard-working families and make sure we have protections in place to prevent these predatory tactics,\" said Senator Jones. \"Many honest folks are not aware that by depositing these checks they are actually taking on a high-interest loan. Congress must act now and pass this common-sense legislation to protect consumers from this predatory scam.\"\n\n\"Families across the country have fallen victim to scams where they think they're getting a lucky windfall or refund from their bank, and instead are being lured into a high-interest loan they never asked for,\" said Senator Merkley. \"It should be illegal to trick unsuspecting customers into loans they don't want, and that's why I'm urging my colleagues to take a stand for consumer fairness and transparency by passing the Unsolicited Loan Act.\"\n\nBackground on the Unsolicited Loan Act\n\nCongress has long recognized consumer loans should require an application by a customer and nearly 50 years ago the practice of mailing live credit cards was banned. In modern lending, formal loan applications are often quick to fill out and this legislation would not prohibit the direct mailing or marketing of a loan application. This legislation would allow for common-sense consumer protections to be put in place-without limiting access to credit-for consumers who willingly apply and seek lending products.\n\nThe Unsolicited Loan Act would also ensure that companies cannot shift from the mailing of live checks to other forms of transfer, such as a gift card or an \"e-check.\" Additionally, customers would not be held liable for debt incurred from illegal, unsolicited live check loans.\n\nThis legislation has been endorsed by The National Consumer Law Center on behalf of its low-income clients.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-statement-on-house-judiciary-committee-impeachment-vote", "Rounds Statement on House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Vote", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee voted to send impeachment articles to the full House floor.\n\n\u201cThis is yet another step in the Democrats\u2019 plan to impeach the president, which started over three years ago on the day he was elected. They\u2019re trying to undo the result of the 2016 election by making a mockery of the impeachment process. Based on what we\u2019ve seen from the House Democrats, they have not provided the evidence to substantiate an impeachable offense. Rather, these articles seem to be rooted in Democrats\u2019 disfavor of our president- and that is not an impeachable offense. Impeachment is a grave and serious step in our Constitution that should not be taken lightly. As a member of the Senate, we will do our due diligence to receive the claim made by the House and consider it in a deliberate manner. So far, they\u2019ve failed to make a legitimate claim.\n\n\u201cAfter reviewing the accusations made by the House, the Senate should be able to move expeditiously to bring this to a close and get back to things that matter to South Dakota families.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-tester-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-establish-grant-program-honoring-veterans", "Rounds, Tester Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Establish Grant Program Honoring Veterans", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced the Memorializing Veterans Act, bipartisan legislation establishing a grant program to help honor the lives of our nation\u2019s veterans.\n\n\u201cFor more than 40 years, the United States has maintained its military superiority thanks to an all-volunteer force stepping up to the plate,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cEducating the next generation about the service and sacrifices made by our veterans is one way we can encourage young people to join the armed forces and continue this proud tradition. Many South Dakotans have proudly served our country. Sharing their stories can show our state\u2019s young people the honor of serving in our armed forces.\u201d\n\nThe Veterans\u2019 Legacy Program (VLP) is an educational initiative from the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) under U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) which commemorates veterans interred in NCA cemeteries through partnerships with institutions of higher learning. Under current law, institutions of higher education experience difficulty obtaining and utilizing federal funding through VLP. This bill would establish a grant program to administer funds more efficiently, facilitating research and developing educational tools to increase public awareness of veteran service and sacrifice.\n\nThe Memorializing Veterans Act would makes grants available to recipients such as institutions of higher learning, local education agencies, and non-profit entities with a history of community engagement. These grants could be used for research related to national, State or Tribal veterans\u2019 cemeteries, to produce educational materials or to promote community engagement about the history of the veterans interred at those cemeteries.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/south-dakota-well-represented-in-defense-authorization-bill", "South Dakota Well-Represented in Defense Authorization Bill", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Every year for nearly 60 years, Congress has worked in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). By the end of 2019, we will have passed the 59th NDAA in a row. This one, which authorizes funding for the military for Fiscal Year 2020, includes some major wins for South Dakota, to include Ellsworth Air Force Base and Dakota State University (DSU).\n\nAs a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of our Cybersecurity Subcommittee, I worked with my colleagues to make sure a number of important provisions were included in the NDAA. This year\u2019s bill provides the resources necessary to rebuild and improve our military while also taking care of our troops and their families. It provides the largest pay raise for our troops in a decade, and includes measures to help military families with housing, childcare and moving expenses.\n\nOur bill will fully fund the B-21 Raider bomber program, which will help keep the program on time for the B-21 to come to Ellsworth Air Force Base in the mid-2020s. In March, then-Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced that Ellsworth was selected to receive the training squadron and the first operational squadron of B-21 Raiders, which are the Air Force\u2019s next-generation stealth bombers. This decision solidified the important role Ellsworth will play in our national defense for years, if not generations, to come. Making sure the B-21 Raider program is fully funded and delivered on time has been, and will continue to be, a top priority for me. The NDAA also fully funds additional purchases of the F-35A Lightning II fighter jets. The more of these that are purchased in the future, the greater the possibility that we will get them assigned to South Dakota Air National Guard\u2019s 114th Fighter Wing, which is based at Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls. The unit\u2019s current aircraft is the F-16 Block 40.\n\nLegislation I offered to establish a cyber consortia for certain universities, including Dakota State University (DSU) in Madison, was also included in the final NDAA. The consortia will provide an opportunity for schools designated as National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security Centers of Academic Excellence to lend their cybersecurity expertise to the Department of Defense. The consortia can also pave a path for college students studying cybersecurity to work on important national security issues following their graduation. Our government needs highly skilled cybersecurity employees, and students who graduate from DSU have some of the best education available for the cybersecurity workforce.\n\nThe armed forces have dealt with years of underfunding which has diminished combat readiness. Thanks to President Trump, our Armed Services Committee Chairman, Sen. Jim Inhofe, senior Defense Department leaders and our bipartisan Armed Services Committee, we are making progress to rebuild and strengthen our armed forces. The NDAA further solidifies the integral role South Dakota will continue to play in the defense of our nation for many years to come. I am proud to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and be part of its efforts to make certain our troops have the tools they need to keep us safe.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-first-test-of-post-inf-ballistic-missile", "Cotton Statement on First Test of Post-INF Ballistic Missile", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 12, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on First Test of Post-INF Ballistic Missile\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after the Department of Defense conducted its first test of a conventionally-configured ballistic missile since the Russian Federation rendered the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty defunct:\n\n\u201cThis is a firm statement to the Russian Federation. They cannot violate international agreements without consequence. Now, I urge the Pentagon to regain the strategic advantage we lost due to the INF treaty by expediting the development and deployment of a new generation of ground-launched missiles. Today\u2019s test signals to Moscow and Beijing that the United States will no longer ignore their threats.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nFor years, Senator Cotton advocated for the United States to bring Russia back into compliance with the INF Treaty or to leave it altogether. A brief timeline is below:\n\nMarch 2015: Cotton talks about INF Treaty in Maiden Floor Speech\n\nOctober 2016: Cotton Statement Reports that Russia is Advancing its Missile Program in Violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty\n\nFebruary 2017: Cotton, Johnson, Rubio, Poe, and Rogers Introduce Intermediate-Range Forces Treaty Preservation Act\n\nMarch 2017: Cotton Statement on Reports that Russia Has Deployed a Banned Missile\n\nApril 2017: Cotton Op-Ed in the Washington Post: \"Russia has subverted our treaty on cruise missiles for years. It's time to act\"\n\nJuly 2017: Cotton Warns Russia to Comply with INF Treaty in CSIS Speech\n\nJuly 2017: Cotton Questions General Paul Selva on the INF Treaty during Senate Armed Services Committee hearing\n\nDecember 2017: Cotton, Colleagues Urge Appropriations Committee to fund measures to bring Russia into compliance with INF\n\nMarch 2018: Cotton Questions Pacific Command Chief Admiral Harry Harris on INF Treaty\n\nOctober 2018: Cotton Statement on Reports the U.S. is Preparing to Withdraw from INF Treaty\n\nDecember 2018: Cotton Statement on NATO Confirmation that Russia is in Breach of INF Treaty\n\nFebruary 2019: Cotton Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from INF Treaty\n\nAugust 2019: Cotton Statement on Formal End of the INF Treaty\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/dea-confirms-unlawful-to-sell-morphine-laced-poppy-seeds-that-killed-arkansas-student", "DEA Confirms: Unlawful to Sell Morphine-Laced Poppy Seeds That Killed Arkansas Student", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 12, 2019\n\nDEA Confirms: Unlawful to Sell Morphine-Laced Poppy Seeds That Killed Arkansan\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 The Drug Enforcement Administration has clarified that selling morphine-laced, unwashed poppy seeds\u2014the kind that killed Arkansan Stephen Hacala Jr.\u2014violates the Controlled Substances Act.\n\nEarlier this year, Senator Cotton introduced a bill banning the sale of the seeds and asked the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Justice whether the Controlled Substances Act prohibited the sale of morphine-laced seeds. Following that inquiry, the Department of Justice agreed to investigate the Hacala case.\n\n\u201cStephen Hacala Jr. died from an opioid overdose because of a dangerous gap in our nation's drug laws. After years of work by Stephen\u2019s loving family, the DEA has finally acted to close that gap. Now, anyone who sells unwashed morphine-laced poppy seeds will face the full force of the law and can no longer hide behind legal technicalities,\u201d said Cotton.\n\nBackground:\n\n\u00b7 On April 3, 2016, Stephen Hacala Jr. died from morphine intoxication from unwashed poppy seeds sold through Amazon.\n\n\u00b7 A research team led by Dr. Madeleine Swortwood, assistant professor of forensic science at Sam Houston State University, studied the morphine content in different bags of poppy seeds. The researchers found that some bags of poppy seeds contained morphine levels many times higher than a fatal dose.\n\n\u00b7 Since then, as many as 20 other Americans have died from morphine-laced seeds sold through retailers.\n\n\u00b7 Companies have continued selling morphine-laced seeds to consumers due to perceived ambiguity in the Controlled Substances Act.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-propose-bills-to-clamp-down-on-world-bank-lending-to-china", "Senators Propose Bills to Clamp Down on World Bank Lending to China", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Following reports of a questionable $50 million World Bank loan to a Chinese organization associated with the forcible internment of Chinese Uighur Muslims, Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) are introducing legislation to prevent such loans in the future.\n\nThe three senators introduced S.3108, which instructs U.S. representatives at the World Bank to vote against and use best efforts to deny any loan or extension to countries that significantly exceed the graduation thresholds or that are designated as a country of concern for religious freedom.\n\nGrassley and Cotton also introduced an additional measure, S.3017, which is a companion to the Accountability for World Bank Loans to China Act introduced in the House Representatives. That legislation codifies Congress' support for Administration efforts to graduate China from the World Bank's International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) lending program.\n\n\"The World Bank is sending development aid meant for poor countries to China, the second largest economy in the world with access to plenty of capital. The ruling Chinese Communist Party uses these loans to fund its repression of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities. The United States must urge the World Bank to end these loans, which are contrary to its own guidelines and the demands of justice. Every dollar loaned to China is a dollar spent on strengthening the CCP's grip over the Chinese people,\" Cotton said.\n\n\"China has been lending development money outside its borders to extend its influence for years while taking in U.S. taxpayer dollars via World Bank loans. It's confounding that these loans still continue and they ought to stop,\" Grassley said. \"What's worse is that these loans might have helped free up resources used to violate human rights and force Uighurs into internment camps. Our bills provide a short-term and longer-term means to take away the status that allows China to receive loans and halt loans to any country like China that exceeds the World Bank graduation thresholds or poses a risk to religious freedom.\"\n\n\"This bill will provide the U.S. Governor of the World Bank with the necessary guidance to uphold U.S. interests and to focus on the bank's development mission,\" Rubio said. \"For too long, countries like China and Russia have been allowed to exploit the World Bank's limited resources even after they should no longer qualify for assistance. I'm proud to co-sponsor this bill, which will also reaffirm our nation's continued commitment to international religious freedom worldwide.\"\n\nThe World Bank International Bank IBRD program is designed to provide loans for economic-development purposes to middle-income developing countries. The threshold for graduation from the IBRD program currently stands at a gross national income per capita level of $6,975, which China has exceeded since 2016. China currently has a World Bank calculated gross national income per capita of level of $9,470. The Accountability for World Bank Loans to China Act codifies Congress' support for Administration efforts to graduate China from IBRD lending in a vote at the World Bank.\n\nFull text of S.3018 can be found HERE.\n\nFull text of S.3107 can be found HERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/2019/12/11/cotton-secures-arkansas-interests-in-national-defense-authorization-act", "Cotton Secures Arkansas Interests in National Defense Authorization Act", "2019-12-11", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 11, 2019\n\nCotton Secures Arkansas Interests in National Defense Authorization Act\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chairman of the Airland Subcommittee in the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement on the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020. Senator Cotton secured dozens of provisions in the annual defense bill to support Arkansas servicemembers and military families. For a copy of the conference report, click here.\n\n\u201cThe National Defense Authorization Act will strengthen America\u2019s warfighters and military families. This bill will make our military a stronger fighting force, while protecting America from fentanyl traffickers, terrorists, and other enemies. I\u2019m pleased that so many Arkansas priorities will now pass into law, including provisions to expand the Arkansas State Veteran\u2019s Cemetery and help military spouses transfer occupational licenses when they move across state lines,\u201d said Cotton.\n\nSenator Cotton\u2019s provisions address a range of issues, including cutting the flow of fentanyl from China, expanding Arkansas\u2019 State Veterans Cemetery, easing the process of military spouse licensing transfers, including homeschooled students in JROTC programs, updating burial honors for certain veterans, and sanctioning companies who are working on Russia\u2019s Nord Stream II pipeline.\n\n\u00b7Cracks Down on Chinese Fentanyl: America is suffering from the worst drug epidemic in our history, which has been fueled by deadly fentanyl from China. The bipartisan Fentanyl Sanctions Act, which Senator Cotton sponsored with Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), imposes new sanctions and penalties on fentanyl traffickers.\n\n\u00b7Allows Military Spouses to Transfer Occupational Licenses: Many Arkansas military spouses struggle with recertifying their occupational licenses as they move from state to state. The Portable Certification of Spouses amendment allows the Defense Department to fund the creation of interstate compacts that will create common credentials across major professions. The bill will also help alleviate the burden military spouses bear when having to re-register a small business in a new state each time a service member changes station.\n\n\u00b7Expanded Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery: Ensures we keep our promises to Arkansas veterans who choose to be buried alongside their brothers and sisters in arms by transferring approximately 141 acres from the Army National Guard to the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.\n\n\u00b7Includes Homeschool Students in Local JROTC Units: Mandates inclusion of homeschooled students residing in the geographic area served by a JROTC unit. The bill ensures that homeschool students who want to participate in JROTC can do so.\n\n\u00b7Grants Full Military Honors Burial Rites: Allows Medal of Honor and Prisoner of War Medal recipients to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery with Full Military Honors, regardless of rank.\n\n\u00b7Sanctions companies constructing the Nord Stream II Russian pipeline: Sanctions companies working on the pipeline and allows the president to sanction firms providing insurance or other financial services to these pipeline construction companies.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-bill-imposing-sanctions-on-drug-cartels", "Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill Imposing Sanctions on Drug Cartels", "2019-12-11", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), David Perdue (R-Georgia), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) today introduced the Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act, legislation that would subject certain foreign criminal organizations like drug cartels to sanctions, including immigration, financial, and criminal penalties. The process would be similar to the system used for designating entities as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).\n\n\"Criminal organizations and drug cartels like the one responsible for last month's attack in Mexico ought to be treated just like terrorist groups in the eyes of the U.S. government. This bill would help stop cartel violence by ensuring these groups-and anyone who helps them-face dire consequences for their actions,\" said Cotton.\n\n\"Drug cartels function at a high level of sophistication. It is imperative that they be subject to repercussions that appropriately correspond to their criminal activity. This legislation seeks to give law enforcement the tools needed to penalize their crimes,\" said Blackburn.\n\n\"From narcotics and human trafficking to fuel theft and money laundering, transnational criminal organizations don't care who they hurt by their single-minded focus on turning an enormous profit from corrupt dealings,\" said Cornyn. \"This legislation would provide law enforcement additional tools to keep Americans safe and shut down the Cartel networks.\"\n\n\"Though the camera crews have left, Texans and all Americans regularly face the consequences of an unsecured southern border,\" Cruz said. \"Violent gang members and drug cartels terrorize communities both abroad and along the Texas-Mexico border. This bill gives the president expanded options to label and take action against those cartels. This is an important step in safeguarding the American people.\"\n\n\"Mexican cartels are a national security and law enforcement threat,\" said Graham. \"It is time to update our laws to give us more tools to fight against this scourge. I fully support Senator Cotton's efforts so we can effectively deal with the transnational criminal activity emanating from Mexico.\"\n\n\"Violent Mexican cartels have gotten rich by flooding our communities with addictive drugs that are ruining lives and tearing families apart. Unfortunately, the Mexican government has been unwilling or unable to stop these criminals. Enough is enough. This bill will beat back the cartels by freezing their assets, removing them from the country, and sanctioning anyone who helps sustain their criminal enterprises,\" said Hawley.\n\n\"Cartels are the worst of humanity. As we saw in last month's horrific attack in Mexico, they terrorize innocent families and exploit children in order to fuel the drug trade and other illicit activity. These criminal organizations must face severe financial consequences for the terror they inflict in the United States and across the world. We have to put the cartels out of business once and for all,\" said Perdue.\n\n\"By providing a new tool to designate significant transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), subject them to financial and criminal penalties, and bar their members from the United States, this legislation will better equip us to meet the threats our nation faces from violent cartels and other foreign criminal networks. Our legislation also requires the president to submit a full report to Congress regarding the horrific attacks against Americans in Mexico last month, including whether the organization responsible should be designated as a Significant Transnational Criminal Organization and sanctioned under our legislation,\" said Romney.\n\n\"We need a smart, full-scale offensive against the cartels that have turned parts of our southern border into a violent wasteland,\" said Sasse. \"This designation would give federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies the tools they need to go after the butchers who blur the line between drug trafficking and terrorism. Cartels have slaughtered innocent American children, blackmailed their way to the top, and flooded our country with drugs. Let's crush these sickos.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act enables the federal government to impose on the most significant Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) the same sanctions that apply to FTOs including:\n\nBarring organization members and their immediate families from admission to the United States.\n\nFreezing assets,\n\nSeeking civil and criminal penalties against Individuals providing material assistance or resources to the organization.\n\nThe bill also requires the President to submit a report to Congress with the government's findings on the November 4, 2019 attack on U.S. citizens in northern Mexico once the investigation is completed, including whether the organization responsible should be designated a Significant TCO.\n\nClick here for the text of the legislation.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-schumer-bill-cracking-down-on-chinese-fentanyl-included-in-defense-bill", "Cotton, Schumer Bill Cracking Down on Chinese Fentanyl Included in Defense Bill", "2019-12-11", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 11, 2019\n\nCotton, Schumer Bill Cracking Down on Chinese Fentanyl Included in Defense Bill\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Chuck Schumer (D-New York) today announced that their Fentanyl Sanctions Act has been included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, which is expected to pass early next week.\n\nThe senators\u2019 bill will hold China and other countries accountable for their commitments to crack down on producers and traffickers of fentanyl and other deadly synthetic opioids. Additionally, the legislation will provide the U.S. government with more tools and resources to sanction illicit traffickers from China, Mexico, and other countries. Read more about the bill here.\n\n\u201cThe Chinese government is the world's largest drug dealer,\" said Cotton. \"China has allowed fentanyl and other synthetic opioids to pour into the United States for years, killing tens of thousands of Americans. Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies need additional resources to target the fentanyl producers, traffickers, cartels, and other criminals who are funneling this poison across our borders and into our communities. I'm pleased that this year's NDAA includes our bipartisan amendment to give law enforcement critical tools to stop this scourge and hold China accountable.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe opioid epidemic is devastating and indiscriminate, and year after year, it\u2019s claimed tens of thousands of American lives. We must hold China, currently the world\u2019s largest producer of illicit fentanyl, accountable for its role in the trade of this deadly drug. Our bipartisan sanctions bill will do just that,\u201d said Schumer. \u201cFor years, Chinese laboratories have been cooking-up formulas of death and freely exporting lethal fentanyl across the United States\u2014and it has to stop.\u201d\n\nThe Fentanyl Sanctions Act was co-sponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Gary Peters (D-Michigan), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee).\n\nBackground:\n\nFollowing a commitment to the U.S. at the G-20 in December 2018, Chinese regulators announced on April 1, 2019, that a wider range of fentanyl derivatives would be declared controlled substances in China on May 1, 2019. China has struggled to enforce its current drug laws and continues to deny that its illicit fentanyl producers are a major source of the illicit opioids contributing to the U.S. opioid crisis.\n\nTo ensure accountability, the sanctions legislation would pressure the Chinese government to move forward with an aggressive plan to enforce its announced new laws and provide the president with flexible new sanction tools to go after actors, from manufacturers to traffickers, in China and other countries.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-letter-to-fema-acting-administrator-gaynor", "Rounds Letter to FEMA Acting Administrator Gaynor", "2019-12-11", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Help with a Federal Agency", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/constitutional-carry-states-rights-act-introduced-in-the-house", "Constitutional Carry States\u2019 Rights Act Introduced in the House", "2019-12-10", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) made the following statement after companion legislation to his Constitutional Carry States\u2019 Rights Act was introduced in the House of Representatives last week by Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.):\n\n\u201cI thank Rep. Hern for introducing our Constitutional carry legislation in the House,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cOur bill, which I introduced in the Senate earlier this year, would close federal loopholes in the Gun-Free School Zones Act to make sure individuals who choose to exercise their Second Amendment rights are treated the same way as those who possess concealed handguns with a permit. I look forward to working with Rep. Hern and our colleagues in Congress to advance our legislation that protects the Second Amendment rights of Americans.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Constitutional Carry States\u2019 Rights Act that would close a loophole in the Gun-Free School Zones Act to give law-abiding citizens in states with Constitutional carry laws the same legal authority to possess a firearm as individuals in states that require a permit to carry a concealed weapon.\n\nEnacted in 1990, the Gun-Free School Zones Act makes it a federal crime to possess a firearm within 1000 feet of a school zone, with exceptions for law enforcement, school-sanctioned activities and individuals licensed by the state to possess a firearm, such as an individual with a concealed carry permit. Current federal law only makes exceptions if the individual is \u201clicensed to do so by the State in which the school zone is located.\u201d The state must also verify the individual is eligible prior to issuing a license. Because of this specific requirement of state licensure, lawful individuals in states with Constitutional carry laws are not included in the exemption because they are able to carry without a specific state permit.\n\nFurther, the current exemption does not apply to out-of-state individuals lawfully carrying a concealed weapon because the exemption is limited to people licensed in the state where the school zone is located.\n\nThis legislation would close both of these loopholes. This would, in essence, return the federal law to what was in place before Constitutional carry was enacted in South Dakota and extend additional protections to law-abiding gun owners nationwide.\n\nRounds introduced the Senate version of the bill in May 2019.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-colleagues-urge-congressional-leadership-to-fully-repeal-cadillac-tax", "Rounds, Colleagues Urge Congressional Leadership to Fully Repeal \u201cCadillac Tax\u201d", "2019-12-10", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Reps. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Mike Kelly (R-Penn.) wrote to House and Senate leadership urging swift action of their legislation to repeal the \u201cCadillac Tax,\u201d a tax on high premium employer-sponsored health insurance. Legislation repealing the tax passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly earlier this year. Identical legislation, introduced by Sens. Rounds and Heinrich (S. 684), has 63 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate.\n\nIn their bipartisan, bicameral letter, the Members wrote:\n\n\u201cThe status quo creates uncertainty as employers, and employee representatives negotiate benefits packages that extend well into 2022, when the tax is currently set to go into effect. A fourth delay is not a viable option. The ongoing uncertainty is already threatening the quality of employer sponsored health insurance. The time is now to act in the best interest of the American people and repeal the Cadillac Tax.\u201d\n\nLast week, more than 1,000 employers and stakeholders sent a similar letter, underscoring the breadth of support for repeal.\n\nFull text of their letter:\n\nWe write regarding the urgent need to fully repeal the 40 percent excise tax on higher premium employer-provided health plans, commonly referred to as the Cadillac Tax. Failure to act will result in higher-deductibles and loss of coverage for American workers and their families.\n\nOur legislation, the Middle-Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019, (S. 684/ H.R. 748) has 63 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate and passed the House with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 419 to 6 in July.\n\nThe House vote, Senate support, and three implementation delays enacted by prior Congresses reflects an overwhelming consensus that the Cadillac Tax should be fully repealed. This punitive tax, if allowed to take effect, will raise health insurance costs for working Americans.\n\nThe status quo creates uncertainty as employers and employee representatives negotiate benefits packages that extend well into 2022, when the tax is currently set to go into effect. A fourth delay is not a viable option. The ongoing uncertainty is already threatening the quality of employer sponsored health insurance. The time is now to act in the best interest of the American people and repeal the Cadillac Tax.\n\nAccording to polling by Fox News, Kaiser Health and Gallup, health care remains a top concern for American families. The American public demands that Congress act to address the growing crisis of health care affordability. Repealing the 40 percent tax has wide bipartisan support and is a worthwhile first step. Postponing repeal is no longer an option.\n\nWe look forward to working with you to secure lasting relief for America\u2019s working families. Thank you for your consideration of this request.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-cyber-consortia-provision-included-in-final-ndaa-package", "Rounds Cyber Consortia Provision Included in Final NDAA Package", "2019-12-10", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Last night, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees released the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2020. The final legislation includes a provision authored by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, that would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a university consortia to advise and assist DOD on cybersecurity.\n\nThe provision will provide a single portal for DOD to access the expertise of universities designated as National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Centers of Academic Excellence, such as Dakota State University (DSU) in Madison.\n\n\u201cDakota State has been at the forefront of cyber-related research for years,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThe establishment of a university consortia to advise and assist the DOD on cybersecurity will further strengthen the bond between schools like DSU and the DOD. Additionally, it will help the DOD solve complex cybersecurity problems and develop cybersecurity training. It\u2019s a win-win. I look forward to getting the NDAA across the finish line in the coming days.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/2019/12/09/cotton-statement-on-justice-department-report-concerning-russia-investigation", "Cotton Statement on Justice Department Report Concerning Russia Investigation", "2019-12-09", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 9, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on Justice Department Report Concerning Russia Investigation\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 After the Department of Justice released Inspector General Michael Horowitz\u2019s report on the origins of the Russia investigation, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThe Inspector General\u2019s report is clear that top officials at the FBI launched a highly improper, intrusive investigation into the president\u2019s campaign and associates during the 2016 election while suppressing and omitting critical evidence. I agree with Attorney General Barr that this was a clear abuse of the FISA process and the Department of Justice must take steps to restore integrity and credibility in the wake of this failure.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-decision-banning-russia-from-olympics", "Cotton Statement on Decision Banning Russia From Olympics", "2019-12-09", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 9, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on Decision Banning Russia From Olympics\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Following an announcement that the World Anti-Doping Agency had banned Russia from international sports after a doping scandal, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cVladimir Putin\u2019s pathetic Olympic doping scheme once again has deprived young Russians of the opportunity to compete fairly on behalf of their country at the Olympic Games, just as his rule has deprived the Russian people of so many opportunities. Now Putin won\u2019t even have fraudulently won medals to distract the Russian people from the country\u2019s isolation, failing economy, and demographic collapse.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-increase-affordable-housing-for-volunteer-firefighters-and-first-responders", "Rounds, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Affordable Housing for Volunteer Firefighters and First Responders", "2019-12-09", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013 U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) to introduce bipartisan legislation that would provide affordable housing opportunities for volunteer firefighters and first responders in order to help recruit and retain more volunteers, particularly in rural and under-served communities. The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act would expand eligibility for qualified volunteer first responders to participate in certain federal housing assistance programs and provide a greater incentive for more volunteers to stay and continue to serve their communities.\n\n\u201cExpanding the eligibility for qualified volunteer emergency responders to participate in federal housing assistance programs has a number of benefits,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cIt encourages volunteering, provides agencies with a recruitment and retention tool, makes it easier for volunteer responders to remain living in their communities, and is a great way to say \u2018thank you\u2019 for their service. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this legislation to support our volunteer emergency responders.\u201d\n\nAccording to the National Fire Protection Association\u2019s 2017 U.S. Fire Department Profile, 65 percent of firefighters nationwide are volunteers, and fire departments rely on these volunteers to help respond to a wide array of local emergencies. Recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters is critical for thousands of communities, yet local volunteer fire departments, especially those serving small and rural communities, find it difficult to meet staffing needs and attract younger volunteers.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-further-delay-of-death-penalty-for-white-supremacist-and-murderer", "Cotton Statement on Further Delay of Death Penalty for White Supremacist and Murderer", "2019-12-06", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 6, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on Further Delay of Death Penalty for White Supremacist and Murderer\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 After a federal court in Indiana granted a stay of execution to convicted murderer Daniel Lewis Lee, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cJustice should come quickly to the perpetrators of heinous crimes. But for more than 20 years, our justice system has instead protected a white supremacist who murdered an entire Arkansas family, including an eight-year-old girl. This brutal murderer has already exhausted every avenue of due process and is now employing frivolous delay tactics. It\u2019s time for him to face the consequences of his actions.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/a-better-way-to-determine-how-your-tax-dollars-are-spent-", "A Better Way to Determine How Your Tax Dollars are Spent", "2019-12-06", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Again this month, Congress is operating under a Continuing Resolution, or CR, that expires just a few days before Christmas. The intent is to back Members of Congress and the White House into a corner, hoping they will be willing to accept a massive end-of-year spending package that they might otherwise oppose. This is not a new phenomenon \u2013 it\u2019s been happening under our modern budget process since 1974. But that doesn\u2019t mean we have to accept it. We must demand better when it comes to deciding how your tax dollars are spent.\n\nHere\u2019s how our budget process is supposed to work: The regular budget process begins when the president submits his budget request to Congress, due in February, outlining his or her ideas for spending priorities for the following fiscal year that begins in October. Congress then crafts its own budget, a comprehensive road map to be used in the appropriations process between February and the October 1st deadline.\n\nThe process then moves to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. These committees use the budget blueprint \u2013 which sets overall spending caps \u2013 to consider and pass 12 appropriations bills, which write the specific funding levels for individual programs within the federal government for defense spending and non-defense discretionary spending. I should make note that this only accounts for approximately 30 percent of what we spend today.\n\nOnce the appropriations bills pass both houses of Congress, the differences between the bills are reconciled through a conference committee report. The conference committee report becomes the actual appropriations bill in each case. Once the conference committee reports pass the House and Senate, they then go to the president, and once he signs it the federal government is funded until the next budget cycle. This is all supposed to be done well before the September 30 deadline.\n\nBut that\u2019s not what really happens. In reality, Congress rarely passes a budget and the president\u2019s budget is seen as little more than a messaging tool. Appropriators regularly drag their feet on getting their committee work done, Members hold up progress for political theater, and bills that actually do make it to the full Senate floor are too often riddled with \u2018poison pills\u2019 deliberately designed to kill the legislation. This leaves Congress with the false choice of passing a CR or shutting down the government, both of which waste money, harm our military and fail to bring about meaningful discussions on how your tax money is spent.\n\nWhen I came to the Senate five years ago, I immediately voiced my opposition to this backwards way of appropriating, along with a number of my newly-confirmed Senate colleagues. Among many other things, I\u2019ve been deeply concerned about the impact on our military. Military leaders continue to warn that CRs have a detrimental impact on our ability to train, equip and maintain the force. Leadership understood our concerns but asked us to be patient \u2013 this broken process has been around for a long time, and it would take time to convince the \u2018old bulls\u2019 to return to regular order. We agreed to give them time, but we did not let up.\n\nAfter two years of going through the appropriations process without progress, I joined a group of my colleagues to call on Senate leadership to delay or cancel the in-state August work period so we could make progress on our appropriations work well ahead of the September 30 deadline of 2017, in addition to other issues. They agreed, and progress was made, though not enough. The following year, we did the same thing, again successfully, and for the first time since we came to the Senate, Congress passed and the president signed appropriations bills into law ahead of the September 30, 2018 deadline. In all, approximately 75 percent of government operations were funded on time through regular order. But the victory was short-lived, as the remaining 25 percent of government operated under a CR and \u2013 eventually \u2013 was shut down for 35 days this past December and January.\n\nThis way of doing business should appall every one of us. During the appropriations process for this fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2019, as I\u2019ve done in the past, I voted no on CRs after no progress was made. Our appropriations process is a mess. Unless more of us take a stand and reject the status quo, we\u2019ll never get back to where we need to be to actually impact spending and to begin to rein-in our debt. I remain committed to getting us back on track. I will share more about the impact CRs have specifically on our military in a future column.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-strengthening-food-stamp-work-requirements", "Cotton Statement on Strengthening Food Stamp Work Requirements", "2019-12-04", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nDecember 4, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on Strengthening Food Stamp Work Requirements\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) released the following statement after the United States Department of Agriculture announced a rule that would strengthen work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program:\n\n\u201cArkansans want to help their fellow man in need, but their assistance should be taken in good faith. That means if you\u2019re receiving food stamps and you can get a job, you should. Secretary Perdue\u2019s decision to strengthen work requirements for food stamps ensures that food aid is being taken in good faith, going to the Americans who truly need it.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-helper-act-reduce-student-loan-debt-and-increase-retirement-savings/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces HELPER Act to Reduce Student Loan Debt and Increase Retirement Savings", "2019-12-03", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 3, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced S. 2962, the Higher Education Loan Payment and Enhanced Retirement (HELPER) Act, a pro-taxpayer plan to help Americans more quickly and easily pay off their student loan debt and save more money for retirement.\n\n\u201cInstead of empowering the federal government to increase its involvement in education, which will only raise costs even higher and further lower the value of our dollars to cover them, we can empower the American people to reduce the burden of debt, realize the dreams they studied hard to achieve, and grow their retirement savings,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\nAs U.S. student loan debt hits its highest-ever levels, Dr. Paul\u2019s HELPER Act would allow Americans to annually take up to $5,250 from a 401(k) or IRA \u2014 tax and penalty free \u2014 to pay for college or pay back student loans. These funds could also be used to pay tuition and expenses for a spouse or dependent.\n\nThe plan would enable two parents and a child, for example, to put over $15,000 in pre-tax funds in one year toward tuition or loan repayment if each set aside the maximum. Currently, Americans can only pay for their student loans with after-tax money, placing an unnecessary constraint on their budget.\n\nThe bill would also allow employer-sponsored student loan and tuition payment plans to be tax free up to $5,250, and it would repeal the cap (and the phasing out) on deducting student loan interest, as student loans do not disappear when someone earns more money throughout their career.\n\nTo help give Americans the opportunity to save as much as possible for retirement, Dr. Paul\u2019s HELPER Act would also offer workers the choice to have an employer contribution to a 401(k) count as a Roth contribution. While current law defers the taxes on employer contributions, forcing Americans to pay taxes on the funds and its gains in retirement, this change would allow workers to pay the taxes right away, freeing their savings to grow tax free and giving them greater financial security after they retire.\n\nAlthough individuals can set up 401(k) or IRA plans on their own, and would be able to take advantage of the bill\u2019s reforms to use pre-tax dollars to pay down their student debt, passing the HELPER Act will encourage more employers to offer 401(k)s or education benefit plans if they do not currently do so, as more workers will be able and incentivized to use such plans.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/2019/11/28/cotton-statement-on-thanksgiving", "Cotton Statement on Thanksgiving", "2019-11-28", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement marking the Thanksgiving holiday:\n\n\"From the Cotton family to yours, we wish you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving.\n\n\"Nearly 400 years ago, our Pilgrim Fathers and the Native Americans shared the bounty of the New World at the first Thanksgiving. They gave thanks to God for delivering them from many hardships, including the near destruction of the Plymouth Colony from disease and starvation.\n\n\"Since that first banquet, America has grown from a dangerous and uncharted wilderness into a mighty and united nation. This Thanksgiving, let's rejoice in the many blessings we enjoy as citizens of the most prosperous and free country on Earth.\n\n\"Let's also give thanks for the many troops who are far from home. We can enjoy the company of family and friends in peace because of their faithful service.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-reintroduces-bill-prioritize-smaller-harbors-0/", "Dr. Rand Paul Reintroduces Bill to Prioritize Smaller Harbors", "2019-11-26", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nNovember 26, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul reintroduced the Harbor Equity Act (S. 2923), which modifies the existing criteria used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge smaller harbors. Currently, the Corps prioritizes dredging solely for larger harbors that see 1 million or more tons in traffic per year \u2013 often forcing small community harbors to fund their own dredging or be forced to shut down operations.\n\nThis legislation drops the minimum tonnage requirements to 500,000 tons, prioritizing smaller harbors for dredging.\n\nOur inland waterways are crucial to the economic success of a wide variety of industries, including coal, steel, agriculture, and manufacturing. Dr. Paul\u2019s reintroduction of the Harbor Equity Act is a continuation of his commitment to ensuring our waterways remain a vital part of our country\u2019s infrastructure and a source of economic growth for Kentucky communities.\n\n\u201cMaintaining America\u2019s robust inland waterway system means properly caring for harbors of all sizes, as the system\u2019s interconnectedness requires dredging smaller connecting harbors to ensure goods are efficiently transported,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cThe Corps\u2019 current system prioritizes dredging for larger harbors, hindering economic growth and threatening the future of smaller harbors. These smaller ports are the backbone of local commerce in communities along our waterways, which is why I\u2019m proud to reintroduce my bill to ensure they are considered for the Corps\u2019 dredging efforts and to help protect them from facing potentially devastating shutdowns.\u201d\n\nYou can read S. 2923, the Harbor Equity Act, below:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/upholding-the-renewable-fuel-standard", "Upholding the Renewable Fuel Standard", "2019-11-26", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "While working as governor and now as your United States Senator, I\u2019ve fought for South Dakota\u2019s corn and corn ethanol producers to make certain they\u2019re getting a fair deal under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). For over a decade, the RFS has provided the statutory certainty necessary for the corn industry to grow and prosper in the United States. As a result, corn ethanol has become a vital component of our nation\u2019s fuel supply. Many consumers now seek out ethanol blends when they\u2019re at the gas station due to their lower price tag and high octane rating. Just this year, the EPA announced that E-15\u2014a type of fuel that is made up of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline\u2014can now be sold year-round. This has helped South Dakota corn farmers and ethanol producers.\n\nThe RFS is a program that was created by Congress in 2005. The goal of the RFS is to increase our use of renewable fuels and decrease our dependence on foreign oil. The RFS is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), so it\u2019s the job of the EPA to make sure that 15 billion gallons of ethanol are blended into our nation\u2019s fuel supply annually. The number of gallons required to be blended is based on targets called Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO).\n\nHowever, the RFS has been undermined in recent years due to the EPA issuing a high number of exemptions to small refineries which claim that complying with the RVOs would cause them significant economic hardship. In issuing so many exemptions, the demand for corn and corn ethanol has been reduced, thus impacting farmers\u2019 revenue for the year. I have shared my concerns about small refinery exemptions with EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on a number of occasions. Midwest farmers are facing low commodity prices, trade instability and extreme weather\u2014they don\u2019t need further headaches from the federal government.\n\nDuring multiple meetings at the White House with President Trump this month, I\u2019ve reiterated the importance of making sure the EPA revises its practices to guarantee that any small refinery exemptions would not reduce the 15 billion gallon requirement for conventional ethanol. The agreement, as originally directed by President Trump, would require the EPA to, prospectively, account for small refinery exemptions by utilizing a three-year rolling average of exemptions granted by the EPA. However, the supplemental proposed rule released by the EPA this fall does not achieve the 15 billion gallon requirement. I have been in contact with the EPA to urge them to change their final rule. The president has told me that he is committed to making sure the EPA follows through on its obligation to blend 15 billion gallons of ethanol into the fuel supply. I\u2019m grateful for the president\u2019s leadership on this issue and it\u2019s time for the EPA to uphold the president\u2019s commitment to corn and ethanol producers.\n\nThe RFS is an important program for ag states like ours. Using more corn ethanol is a win for our farmers and a win for our planet, since they have a smaller carbon footprint than fossil fuels. I\u2019ll continue monitoring the EPA and speaking with President Trump to make sure the integrity of the RFS is upheld.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-releases-fall-2019-edition-waste-report/", "Dr. Rand Paul Releases Fall 2019 Edition of \u2018The Waste Report\u2019", "2019-11-25", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nNovember 25, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO) Subcommittee for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), continued his efforts to stop runaway spending and reduce a skyrocketing debt by releasing a special Fall 2019 edition of The Waste Report.\n\nOnce again, The Waste Report takes a closer look at just some of what the federal government is doing with the American people\u2019s hard-earned money, this time including stories of it continuing to turn over so many taxpayer dollars to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, funding research that involves hooking Zebrafish on nicotine, buying textbooks for Afghan students that are subpar or sitting in warehouses, and more in a list that totals over $230 million.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/extra-gratitude-at-our-thanksgiving-table-this-year", "Extra Gratitude at our Thanksgiving Table This Year", "2019-11-22", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Jean and I wish a very happy Thanksgiving to all South Dakotans. This season provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the blessings we\u2019ve received this year. Like every year, I continue to be thankful for the love and support of my family, as well as the opportunity South Dakotans have given me to represent you in the United States Senate. It\u2019s an honor that I will never take for granted. And of course, none of us would be able to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday if not for the service and sacrifice of those who wear the uniform of the United States of America. We are grateful to every one of them, as well as their families who may not get to spend this holiday season with them.\n\nAs many of you know, this year has been challenging for our family. Jean was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year after a lump was discovered on her hip, near her sciatic nerve. She has been receiving treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., since this summer. Watching my wife of 41 years fight this horrible disease has been hard, but Jean is tough. She\u2019s fought this disease with the utmost strength and courage. We are grateful for her strong support system across the state, so even when I\u2019m working in Washington, I know she is always surrounded by our kids and grandkids, our extended family and our friends.\n\nWords cannot express our gratitude to everyone who has prayed for her recovery. Your prayers have given us strength and hope. During a recent Mayo Clinic visit, I told some of her doctors about how many folks from across the state and even from around the country have reached out to us to say they\u2019re praying for Jean. One of the doctors turned to me and said \u201cWe\u2019re just the tools, there is someone else in charge.\u201d So, to everyone who has included Jean and our family in your prayers these past several months, thank you. Your prayers are working. After her most recent visit, where she underwent surgery to remove the remainder of the tumor, her doctors told us they are optimistic about her recovery. She will soon begin radiation treatment, which we are hoping will be the last step before she goes into remission.\n\nThis Thanksgiving, I\u2019m especially thankful to be able to spend some quality time with Jean and our family. To the families who are going through hardships\u2014whether it be health-related, financial or from other stressors\u2014know that we are thinking about you. As we gather together over a turkey and pumpkin pie, let\u2019s all say a prayer for those who are going through a difficult time this year.\n\nI hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving with those you love.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-and-schumer-request-suspension-of-licenses-allowing-us-exports-to-huawei", "Cotton and Schumer Request Suspension of Licenses Allowing U.S. Exports to Huawei", "2019-11-21", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 21, 2019\n\nCotton and Schumer Request Suspension of Licenses Allowing U.S. Exports to Huawei\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Chuck Schumer (D-New York) today led a letter to the president expressing deep concern that the U.S. Department of Commerce has begun issuing export licenses to U.S. firms looking to resume business with Huawei Technologies\u2014despite the significant threats these license approvals pose to our national security.\n\nSenators Schumer and Cotton were joined on the letter by Senator Chris Van Hollen, (D-Maryland), Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Senator Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), Senator Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), and Senator Doug Jones (D-Alabama).\n\nThe Senators write that the approval of these export licenses would undermine the original intent of the Entity List designation, allowing Huawei to continue to pose a serious threat to U.S. telecommunications infrastructure and national security more broadly.\n\nDear Mr. President:\n\nWe write to express our concern that the Department of Commerce has begun to issue licenses to some U.S. firms that conduct business with Huawei Technologies. Given the security risks posed by Huawei\u2019s operations in the U.S., we request that you take immediate action to suspend the approval of such licenses and ensure Congress is appropriately informed about the license approval process and related national security implications going forward.\n\nOn May 16, 2019, Huawei\u2014the largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer in the world\u2014and 68 of its affiliates were added to the Department of Commerce\u2019s Entity List for reasons of national security. To date, the Entity List includes 115 Huawei companies. This designation serves to effectively prohibit the export and transfer of certain U.S. goods and technology to Huawei.\n\nOn November 18, 2019, the Department of Commerce announced that it would be extending the Temporary General License for U.S. companies engaged in specific business activity with Huawei. While we disagree with this decision, we are even more concerned that the approval of additional, more permanent licenses will allow Huawei to fully resume its engagement with certain U.S. firms without an adequate assessment of the risks to national security.\n\nIt is our understanding that the Department of Commerce has begun to send out 20-day intent to deny letters and some approvals for specific licenses for U.S. companies to sell components to Huawei. Though licenses are to be granted under a presumption of denial, Secretary Ross said previously that the Department will approve \u201cquite a few\u201d of the license requests that were received, of which there are nearly 300.[1]\n\nMr. President, Secretary Ross has expressed that this decision was made to implement your G-20 Summit directive announced this June. However, you have said yourself that you did not want the U.S. doing business with Huawei. National security experts widely agree that Chinese companies cooperate heavily with the Chinese Communist Party, and the Chinese government is thought to exercise considerable influence over Huawei, in particular.\n\nConsequently, we believe that the approval of these export licenses would undermine the original intent of the Entity List designation, allowing Huawei to continue to pose a serious threat to U.S. telecommunications infrastructure and national security more broadly.\n\nWe therefore request:\n\nThe Department of Commerce suspend the granting of licenses to U.S. companies until providing Congress with a report outlining specific criteria for determining whether or not the approval of any license poses a national security threat.\n\nThat Congressional leadership and relevant committees be notified prior to the issuance of any licenses to U.S. firms to sell components to Huawei and its affiliates.\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-delay-of-death-penalty-for-daniel-lewis-lee", "Cotton Statement on Delay of Death Penalty for Daniel Lewis Lee", "2019-11-21", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after a district court judge halted the execution of Daniel Lewis Lee:\n\n\"Daniel Lewis Lee is a white supremacist who pitilessly murdered an entire family in Arkansas, including an eight-year-old girl. Lee has been on death row for 20 years, and now an activist judge has again shielded him from justice and the sentence handed down by a jury of his peers. These endless delays make a mockery of our justice system and treat the victims of violent crime with stunning disregard.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-votes-no-on-cr", "Rounds Votes No on CR", "2019-11-21", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013 U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement after voting \u201cno\u201d on the Continuing Resolution (CR), which funds government operations through December 20, 2019.\n\n\u201cEven with an additional two months to work on appropriations bills, Congress has failed again to get its work done \u2013 or even show signs of progress. CRs are no way to run a country. They\u2019re wasteful, ineffective, destabilize government programs and could end up hurting South Dakota families. And, they jeopardize our military readiness. Military leaders continue to warn that CRs have a detrimental impact on our ability to train, equip and maintain the force. This should concern us all.\n\n\u201cIf we\u2019re ever going to stop this reckless practice of not getting our work done on time, we need to send a strong message that enough is enough. The American people expect us to get results, not continue to kick the can down the road.\u201d\n\nRounds previously voted no on a CR for Fiscal Year 2020 that ran through November 21, 2019.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-create-monarch-and-pollinator-highways", "Rounds, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Create Monarch and Pollinator Highways", "2019-11-20", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013 U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) to introduce new, bipartisan legislation to help states create pollinator-friendly habitats along roads and highways. This legislation would help address the steep decline of pollinator populations, which poses a serious threat to American farmers and the American food supply.\n\n\u201cBees play a vital role in making sure food gets on our table, acting as pollinators for approximately one-third of all agricultural products in the U.S.,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cOur legislation seeks to use innovation and targeted conservation practices to protect and improve bees\u2019 natural habitat so they can continue to provide this essential service and make certain future generations of crops and plants are produced.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the Monarch and Pollinator Highway (MPH) Act of 2019 would establish a federal grant program available to state departments of transportation and Indian tribes to carry out pollinator-friendly practices on roadsides and highway rights-of-way.\n\nMPH Act grants could be used for:\n\nThe planting and seeding of native, locally-appropriate grasses, wildflowers and milkweed;\n\nMowing strategies that promote early successional vegetation and limit disturbance during periods of highest use by target pollinator species;\n\nImplementation of an integrated vegetation management approach to address weed and pest issues;\n\nRemoving nonnative grasses from planting and seeding mixes except for use as nurse or cover crops; or\n\nAny other pollinator-friendly practices the Secretary of Transportation determines will be eligible.\n\nThe bill also requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to help states develop best practices around pollinator-friendly roads and highways. The bill would require DOT to develop and make available to state departments of transportation a prioritization ranking of pollinator-friendly practices on roadsides and highway rights-of-way, and to provide technical assistance to states that request it.\n\nThe MPH Act comes as the population of monarch butterflies, honeybees and other pollinators face dangerous declines. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that approximately 35% of the world\u2019s food crops depend on pollinators for survival.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-and-thune-join-colleagues-to-call-on-epa-to-provide-clarity-on-biogenic-carbon-emissions", "Rounds and Thune Join Colleagues to Call on EPA to Provide Clarity on Biogenic Carbon Emissions", "2019-11-19", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON-- U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined a number of their colleagues to send a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler requesting clarity on the regulatory treatment of biogenic carbon emissions produced from feedstocks such as corn and soybeans. This clarity will remove an obstacle to investment in rural America.\n\n\u201cRural communities in our states see the economic and environmental potential that a growing U.S. bioeconomy offers,\u201d wrote the senators. \u201cEPA\u2019s treatment of biogenic carbon emissions from agricultural processing facilities, however, is a significant barrier to that growth. We have concerns that regulatory uncertainty is stalling significant potential investment in rural America. That investment would create jobs and draw resources to create new low-carbon products and materials.\u201d\n\nMultiple scientific studies have stated that the carbon dioxide absorbed during growth and photosynthesis by renewable agricultural feedstocks is more or less equal to the carbon dioxide released during the processing, fermentation, or combustion of those same feedstocks within a one-year cycle. In other words, biogenic carbon emissions from such facilities are not contributing to long-term increases in atmospheric greenhouse gasses.\n\nIn addition to Rounds and Thune, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).\n\nFull text of the letter:\n\nNovember 18, 2019\n\nThe Honorable Andrew Wheeler\n\nAdministrator\n\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency\n\n1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20460\n\nDear Administrator Wheeler:\n\nWe write to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide regulatory clarity on the de minimis nature of biogenic carbon emissions generated from the processing of agricultural feedstocks such as corn, soybeans, oilseeds and farm residues. We were encouraged that EPA's Unified Agenda issued in spring 2019 indicated the possibility of a rulemaking on this matter in October 2019. We ask the EPA to act on this significant issue as soon as possible.\n\nRural communities in our states see the economic and environmental potential that a growing U.S. bioeconomy offers. EPA\u2019s treatment of biogenic carbon emissions from agricultural processing facilities, however, is a significant barrier to that growth. We have concerns that regulatory uncertainty is stalling significant potential investment in rural America. That investment would create jobs and draw resources to develop new lower-carbon products and materials, including food products, green chemicals, personal care products, compostable bioplastics, and much more.\n\nFor almost a decade now, agricultural crop producers and processors have submitted multiple requests to EPA for clarity on the regulatory treatment of biogenic carbon emissions produced by the fermentation, combustion, or other processing of agricultural crops.\n\nMultiple scientific studies have stated that the carbon dioxide absorbed during growth and photosynthesis by renewable agricultural feedstocks, such as corn, soybeans, and oilseeds, and the carbon dioxide released during the processing, fermentation or combustion of those same feedstocks is more or less equal within a one-year cycle. This means biogenic carbon emissions from such facilities are not contributing to long-term increases in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Though EPA has made similar statements about the one-year life cycle of biogenic carbon emissions, the Agency has not proposed a de minimis standard nor has the Agency taken action to clarify the treatment of biogenic carbon emissions in the context of the Clean Air Act.\n\nIt is critical that rural Americans have the ability to tap into new growth opportunities when prospects in traditional markets are uncertain or declining. Our states are ready and able to use our food and agriculture strengths to provide the nation and the world with an abundance of crop-derived consumer products and materials, as well as renewable biomass. But federal policy is deterring investment in innovation and infrastructure. As a comparison, in 2015, the European Union\u2019s bioeconomy added over \u20ac620 billion ($688 billion USD) of value to their broader economy. In 2016, the U.S. bioeconomy was valued at $459 billion. This is EPA\u2019s opportunity to clear a pathway for our rural communities to advance both economically and environmentally.\n\nWe encourage the EPA to provide clarity on the de minimis nature of biogenic carbon emissions, and would appreciate an update on policy options the EPA is considering to address this issue. Additionally, we would like to know how the EPA is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture or other agencies, and an anticipated timeline for action on the issue. We would appreciate an update on these items by December 1, 2019.\n\nWe thank you for your attention and look forward to hearing about progress towards regulatory clarity on biogenic carbon emissions.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-respect-act-passes-senate-with-unanimous-support", "Rounds\u2019 RESPECT Act Passes Senate With Unanimous Support", "2019-11-19", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) made the following statement after legislation he introduced, the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act, passed the Senate unanimously:\n\n\u201cMy colleagues in the Senate took a great first step toward righting the wrongs that have been done to Native Americans throughout our history,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cOur RESPECT Act will repeal a number of immoral, racist federal laws related to the treatment of Native Americans. While these outdated laws may no longer be enforced, they still take an emotional toll on our Native American neighbors today. There is no reason for them to be part of our federal code, and once our bill is enacted, they no longer will be. I thank Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and James Lankford for joining me in introducing the RESPECT Act this Congress.\u201d\n\nRounds\u2019 RESPECT Act first passed the Senate in 2017, but it was unable to pass the House due to time constraints on their legislative calendar. This year, Rounds was joined by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) to introduce the RESPECT Act in the Senate. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Tom O\u2019Halleran (D-Ariz.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.). The legislation now awaits action in the House before it can be signed into law by President Trump.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/with-funding-deadline-approaching-senators-rounds-king-lead-effort-to-support-seasonal-businesses", "With Funding Deadline Approaching, Senators Rounds, King Lead Effort to Support Seasonal Businesses", "2019-11-19", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine) led a bipartisan group of 30 colleagues in sending a letter to Senate leadership urging them to provide H-2B visa cap relief for seasonal employers in any funding agreement. In the letter, the senators stress that there are not enough U.S. workers qualified and available to meet the seasonal demand for employment \u2013 and that these seasonal positions support the jobs of thousands of American citizens.\n\n\u201cThe shortage of U.S. workers during the last several years has demonstrated that without needed guest workers, seasonal businesses are simply unable to meet their staffing needs. They have been forced to limit hours of operation, turn away customers, scale back service, and cancel capital equipment purchases,\u201d wrote the senators. \u201cIn some cases, businesses were forced to lay off Americans whose jobs are supported by H-2B workers\u2014or shut down their operations entirely. Seasonal businesses need meaningful and lasting cap relief so they can continue to contribute to the economy and create full-time, year-round work for Americans. According to the American Enterprise Institute, every H-2B worker is estimated to create and sustain 4.64 American jobs.\n\n\u201cIn a strong economy with record-low unemployment, the H-2B program\u2019s congressionally mandated cap of 66,000 visas is inadequate to meet the labor needs of seasonal businesses. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) continues to report that the number of job openings actually exceeds the labor pool. Meaningful cap relief is needed to allow our seasonal businesses to supplement their workforce in the growing number of instances when Americans are not available to fill temporary positions.\u201d\n\nIn addition to Senators King and Rounds, the letter is signed by U.S. Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.).\n\nFull text of the letter:\n\nDear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Chairman Shelby and Vice Chairman Leahy:\n\nOn behalf of the seasonal employers in our states, we urge you to include H-2B cap relief in a final Fiscal 2020 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill, omnibus appropriations bill or continuing resolution. Without cap relief, many employers and their domestic workforce will continue to suffer drastic economic hardship during their peak seasonal need.\n\nThe shortage of U.S. workers during the last several years has demonstrated that without needed guest workers, seasonal businesses are simply unable to meet their staffing needs. They have been forced to limit hours of operation, turn away customers, scale back service, and cancel capital equipment purchases. In some cases, businesses were forced to lay off Americans whose jobs are supported by H-2B workers\u2014or shut down their operations entirely. Seasonal businesses need meaningful and lasting cap relief so they can continue to contribute to the economy and create full-time, year-round work for Americans. According to the American Enterprise Institute, every H-2B worker is estimated to create and sustain 4.64 American jobs.\n\nIn a strong economy with record-low unemployment, the H-2B program\u2019s congressionally mandated cap of 66,000 visas is inadequate to meet the labor needs of seasonal businesses. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) continues to report that the number of job openings actually exceeds the labor pool. Meaningful cap relief is needed to allow our seasonal businesses to supplement their workforce in the growing number of instances when Americans are not available to fill temporary positions.\n\nFor context, the FY 2019 first-half cap of 33,000 H-2B workers was met on December 11, 2018. The 33,000 second-half cap was met on February 22, 2019. During Fiscal 2019, DOL certified the need for 150,465 H-2B workers. DOL only issues final labor certifications when it concludes that:\n\nThere are not sufficient U.S. workers who are qualified and who will be available to perform the temporary services or labor for which an employer desires to hire foreign workers; and\n\nThe employment of H-2B workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.\n\nOn May 8, DHS, in consultation with DOL, released an additional 30,000 visas for returning workers under the discretionary authority provided to it by the Fiscal 2019 Consolidated Appropriations Act. In order to apply for these visas, employers needed to attest to the \u201cirreparable harm,\u201d or permanent and severe financial losses, that would occur without H-2B workers. While many employers were able to apply for additional H-2B workers under these supplemental visas, they still suffered harmful consequences due to the fact that these workers were needed April 1st and did not arrive well into their peak seasons. Some businesses were not able to access the total number of workers needed due to DHS\u2019 requirement that these supplemental visas be limited to returning H-2B workers. Based on current DOL processing statistics we expect the need for seasonal H-2B workers to be the same or greater than Fiscal 2019.\n\nWe must ensure that businesses that play by the rules are able to access the workforce they need, while also maintaining standards for wages and working conditions. For the H-2B program to be successful, there must be robust enforcement of regulations governing the program so that only those seasonal American businesses that follow the rules have access to the program. We stand ready to work together on important permanent changes to the program going forward, and we urge you to include much-needed cap relief and a returning-worker provision in the FY 2020 DHS Appropriations bill, a continuing resolution or other spending bill.\n\nWe thank you for your immediate attention to this issue.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-calls-for-passage-of-hong-kong-human-rights-and-democracy-act-after-violent-siege-of-university", "Cotton Calls for Passage of Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act After Violent Siege of University", "2019-11-18", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after police trapped students inside Hong Kong Polytechnic University during protests:\n\n\"Hong Kong's authorities have turned a place of higher learning into a place of violence by trapping student demonstrators on their own campus. It's time for Beijing to see their appalling tactics in Hong Kong have real and direct consequences. The Senate should pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and consider additional ways to hold the CCP accountable.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-schumer-urge-commerce-department-to-implement-export-controls", "Cotton, Schumer Urge Commerce Department to Implement Export Controls", "2019-11-18", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 18, 2019\n\nCotton, Schumer Urge Commerce Department to Implement Export Controls\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Chuck Schumer (D-New York) today sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross concerning the implementation status of the Export Control Reform Act, a law critical for keeping sensitive American technology out of the hands of American military competitors like China.\n\nIn the letter, the Senators note the danger of exporting critical U.S. technologies to companies with Chinese ties, and they question why the Commerce Department has been slow to complete export-control reviews mandated in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.\n\nThe Honorable Wilbur Ross\n\nSecretary of Commerce\n\nU.S. Department of Commerce\n\n1401 Constitution Avenue NW\n\nWashington, DC 20230\n\nDear Secretary Ross,\n\nWe write to you today about the Commerce Department\u2019s progress on a series of policy reviews mandated by the Export Control Reform Act of 2018.\n\nAs you know, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is engaging in a rapid military buildup in an attempt to displace the United States as the world\u2019s leading power. In order to surpass U.S. military capabilities, the CCP\u2019s strategy is to steal as much American dual-use technology as it can get its hands on. As Vice President Pence observed, \u201cthe Chinese Communist Party is turning plowshares into swords on a massive scale\u201d using stolen American technology. The CCP has effectively fused its military and civilian industrial bases to ensure that the People\u2019s Liberation Army can rapidly develop and field cutting-edge military platforms. This strategy of \u201cMilitary-Civil Fusion\u201d is deeply concerning to Congress, as it leads to American businesses unwittingly exporting sensitive technology to our primary military competitor.\n\nCongress passed two critical pieces of legislation to combat China\u2019s technology strategy as part of the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). First, the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA) updated the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States\u2019 authority to screen foreign investments that may be harmful to our national security. Second, the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) provided a permanent statutory authority for the Export Administration Regulations. These laws are two sides of the same coin. Both provide our government with vital tools necessary to keep sensitive, cutting-edge American technology from falling into the CCP\u2019s hands.\n\nIn September 2019, the Department of Treasury released draft regulations to implement FIRRMA. By contrast, the Commerce Department has been slow to complete a series of critical export-control reviews mandated in ECRA. Accordingly, we ask the following questions:\n\n1.Section 1758 of the fiscal year 2019 NDAA mandates that the Commerce Department institute interim controls around emerging and foundational technologies that are essential to the national security of the United States. Disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing could be key components of future warfare. We understand the technical challenges of evaluating cutting-edge technologies, as well as the staffing and institutional challenges faced by the Department of Commerce, but it is imperative that the Department act expeditiously to develop guidance around these technologies to prevent them from being exported to our military competitors.\n\nWhat is the status of this review process following the open comment period on emerging technologies that closed on January 10, 2019? Has the Department of Commerce established a regular interagency working group to lead this process? Has the Department of Commerce developed a series of interim controls and worked with the Department of State to propose that these technologies be controlled by the appropriate multilateral regime, or are these technologies still being transferred as they were before the fiscal year 2019 NDAA was signed into law?\n\n2.Section 1759 of the fiscal year 2019 NDAA mandates that the Department of Commerce conduct a review of license requirements for exports, reexports, or in-country transfers of items to countries subject to a comprehensive United States arms embargo and implement the results of this review not later than 270 days after enactment. Regimes currently under arms embargo from the United States include China, Iran, and North Korea, among others. We believe that this review should assess the CCP\u2019s attempts to circumvent the U.S. arms embargo by stealing U.S. technology with military applications and by acquiring dual-use technologies that currently fall under the threshold for control.\n\nWhat is the status of this review and implementation of the results? Will this review determine specific sectors of the U.S. economy that the Chinese are targeting for espionage and forced technology-transfer efforts? Will you modify the scope of controls for military end uses and end-users in China? Will you make the results of this review public?\n\nWe urge you to conduct these mandatory reviews as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter of national security.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/delegation-applauds-administrations-decision-to-grant-disaster-declaration-for-southeast-south-dakota-following-september-flooding-and-tornadoes", "Delegation Applauds Administration\u2019s Decision to Grant Disaster Declaration For Southeast South Dakota Following September Flooding and Tornadoes", "2019-11-18", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today applauded the Trump administration for approving a major disaster declaration for several South Dakota counties, including Aurora, Brookings, Brule, Charles Mix, Davison, Douglas, Gregory, Hanson, Hutchinson, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Turner, Union, and Yankton, and the Yankton Indian Reservation and Flandreau Santee Indian Reservation following severe flooding and tornadoes from September 9-26. On October 30, 2019, the delegation wrote to the president in support of Gov. Kristi Noem\u2019s (R-S.D.) request. This is the fourth disaster declaration the president has approved for South Dakota this year alone.\n\n\u201cMother nature has taken its toll on our state this year,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cI thank President Trump for once again recognizing the need to provide disaster assistance to South Dakota communities impacted by recent storms. This will help communities and families across the state rebuild critical infrastructure, homes and businesses that were severely damaged.\u201d\n\n\u201cSouth Dakota has been hit with far more than its share of severe weather and flooding this year,\u201d said Thune. \u201cI\u2019m glad the administration has been supportive of our state through these important disaster requests so communities across our state can quickly begin rebuilding and regain peace of mind.\u201d\n\n\u201cSouth Dakotans have been hit with tough weather over and over again,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cI appreciate Governor Noem and the administration\u2019s swift efforts to provide disaster relief to our communities hit the hardest. This disaster declaration will provide much needed relief ahead of the holidays.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-iranian-protests", "Cotton Statement on Iranian Protests", "2019-11-16", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on protests in Iran:\n\n\"The Iranian people are tired of the regime ignoring their basic needs while funneling vast sums to terrorists throughout the Middle East. We must stand with these brave protestors demanding accountability from the ayatollahs.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-keep-our-communities-safe-act", "Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Keep Our Communities Safe Act", "2019-11-15", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 15, 2019\n\nCotton, Colleagues Introduce Keep Our Communities Safe Act\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), David Perdue (R-Georgia), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the Keep Our Communities Safe Act. The legislation would close the legal loophole that requires immigration authorities to release back into the United States illegal aliens who have not been accepted for deportation to other countries after being detained for six months, a practice also referred to as \"catch and release.\"\n\nFull text of the bill can be found here.\n\n\u201cNon-citizens who assault and rob Americans should be deported, not released on a technicality,\u201dCotton said. \u201cUnfortunately, a \u2018catch and release\u2019 loophole puts criminals like Binh Thai Luc back onto our streets if they can\u2019t be deported quickly enough. My bill eliminates that loophole and would keep violent non-citizens in federal custody until they\u2019re sent back to their home country.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Keep Our Communities Safe Act closes the \u2018catch-and-release\u2019 loophole, which puts our law-abiding citizens, local law enforcement officials and communities at risk,\u201dInhofe said. \u201cIt will ensure that illegal aliens who have been found guilty of violent crimes and aggravated felonies are not able to remain in our communities. As the current law stands, an illegal alien with a criminal record is released back into the United States after six months if no other country accepts them for deportation. It\u2019s past time to enact legislation to fix this problem.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe fact that violent criminals can be released back into our communities as the result of a loophole is a clear example of how our immigration system is broken and in desperate need of repair,\u201dsaid Boozman. \u201cThe Keep Our Communities Safe Act will fix that by protecting American families and ensuring dangerous illegal immigrants remain detained.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is unconscionable that current law allows illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes to be released back in the United States,\u201dsaid Perdue. \u201cLoopholes like this jeopardize the safety of law-abiding citizens and put local law enforcement in extremely dangerous situations. By closing this loophole, federal authorities will have the ability to detain criminal illegal aliens, reduce incentives for illegal crossings at our southern border, and keep our communities safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s reckless to release illegal aliens into our country \u2013 despite warranting detention \u2013 because of an arbitrary timeline,\u201d Cramer said.\u201cSuch disregard for the rule of law is not only bad policy, but it also poses a threat to American citizens. Our legislation to close these loopholes will help deter those who want to come into our country and take advantage of our broken immigration system.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough the news crews have left and Congressional Democrat\u2019s attention is elsewhere, there is still an ongoing humanitarian crisis happening at our southern border,\u201dsaid Cruz. \u201cIt is a crisis that continues to overwhelm Texas border communities each and every day. Inexplicitly, Congress put loopholes in federal immigration law mandating \u2018catch and release,\u2019 which forces Border Patrol agents to eventually release everyone, including convicted criminals and the children they\u2019ve brought with them. According to rapid DNA testing, nearly 30 percent of adults are not related to the children in their custody. That is cruel and inhumane, and it explains why we are hearing more and more reports of children being rented or sold by the cartels. I am proud to cosponsor this bill to close these loopholes and keep Texans and all Americans safe.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/midwest-senators-renew-rfs-recommendations-to-president-trump-", "Midwest Senators Renew RFS Recommendations to President Trump", "2019-11-15", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) today renewed their recommendations to President Trump with respect to the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA\u2019s) proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) supplemental rule. The letter, which enclosed their initial comments to EPA, urges the administration to take corrective action in its RFS rulemaking to uphold the agreement reached between President Trump and Midwest senators on September 12, 2019.\n\n\u201cThis supplemental rulemaking is an opportunity to definitively restore integrity to the RFS, provide certainty for American agriculture and further bolster our energy independence,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cWe are confident that reverting to the agreed upon framework to account for actual waived gallons will deliver on your agenda to support thousands of agriculture jobs throughout the Midwest and nation.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter is below:\n\nDear President Trump:\n\nWe write to thank you for your continued commitment to America\u2019s farmers and resolve to see that integrity is restored to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Your work to finalize the year-round sale of E15 was a milestone victory for American consumers and agriculture stakeholders alike. However, as you well know, this progress will be erased unless the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) begins to account for small refinery waivers (SREs) when setting future blending obligations.\n\nThe September 12, 2019, meeting you convened in the Oval Office resulted in a restorative framework for EPA to incorporate in a supplemental rule. Your meeting, which was attended by Vice President Pence, Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow, and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler participating by phone, arrived at a multi-point roadmap for getting the RFS back on track. The reforms were built on a foundation of ensuring that at least 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuel are blended, accounting for waivers by using a three-year rolling average of actual volumes waived by SREs. The framework would also reduce barriers to market, such as burdensome labeling requirements and fuel pump limitations, as well as coordinate infrastructure investment.\n\nUnfortunately, as you can see in our enclosed comments responding to the proposed supplemental rule, we interpret EPA\u2019s action to fall far short of what was agreed to in the Oval Office. This assessment is shared by ethanol, biodiesel, and other agriculture stakeholders across the heartland and is confirmed by leading market indicators.\n\nEPA\u2019s proposal would only account for gallons waived per the recommendation of the Department of Energy (DOE). Under the previous leadership of former Administrator Scott Pruitt and continued by Administrator Wheeler, EPA has issued SREs far beyond the annual recommendations of DOE. If this waiver regime is continued and the supplemental rule is not changed to reflect the agreement made around the Resolute Desk on September 12, not all SREs will be accounted for, meaning our stakeholders and rural communities will continue to suffer compounded economic harm, biofuel plant closure, and lost commodity demand. We urge the administration to take the corrective action necessary to produce a final supplemental rule that will account for all SREs.\n\nThis supplemental rulemaking is an opportunity to definitively restore integrity to the RFS, provide certainty for American agriculture, and further bolster our energy independence. We are confident that reverting to the agreed upon framework to account for actual waived gallons will deliver on your agenda to support thousands of agriculture jobs throughout the Midwest and nation.\n\nThank you for your continued attention to this matter and determination to resolve these longstanding obstacles for American agriculture.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/south-dakota-families-honored-during-national-adoption-month", "South Dakota Families Honored During National Adoption Month", "2019-11-15", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "The month of November is recognized as National Adoption Month, a time to raise awareness of children in need of a permanent, loving home. Opening one\u2019s home to a child in need of a loving family and secure environment is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give. And as many adoptive families have told me, they too feel blessed to have their kids. The countless South Dakota families who have chosen adoption continue to be an inspiration to us all.\n\nTake the O\u2019Connor family from Rapid City for example. Earlier this year, I nominated Sean and Caresa O\u2019Connor for the Angels in Adoption award presented by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. This award shines a light on loving families who have welcomed children in need of a permanent home. Sean and Caresa adopted two children, RJ and Winnie. They and their three other children, Libby, Maggie and Finn, have made a home for these two new members of the family. It was an honor to nominate the O\u2019Connors for the Angels in Adoption award this year.\n\nIf you\u2019re a regular reader of our weekly columns, you may remember that we featured the O\u2019Connor family in an August column after I nominated them for the award. Caresa and Sean first looked into adoption when their daughter Libby, who was then in high school, suggested to her mom that there was another child out there who was meant to be in their family. After contacting an adoption attorney, the O\u2019Connors were notified three weeks later that they\u2019d be able to adopt their daughter Winnie. A short time later, they decided to adopt RJ, so Winnie could have a sibling closer to her age. As Caresa told us at the time, God matches you with the child who is meant to join your family.\n\nThe entire O\u2019Connor family recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to be recognized for receiving the Angels in Adoption award. While I was with Jean during her most recent round of cancer treatment, staff met with the O\u2019Connors in my Washington office to hear their story firsthand and celebrate their unwavering bond. They were also joined by Mike and Kim Adams, and their children Malia, Mason, Josiah, Amanuel, Eva, Selena and Shakira, who were nominated for the award by Sen. John Thune.\n\nMore than 100,000 children and teens are awaiting adoption in the United States. Having the stability of a permanent family can make a big impact on the lives of young people. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, teens who age out of foster care without permanent family connections are at a higher risk for homelessness and human trafficking. All children deserve a family, and I encourage anyone considering adoption to talk to others who have gone through the adoption process. If you\u2019d like to speak with someone about adoption, Bethany Christian Services has offices in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Additionally, the Administration for Children and Families can provide some resources for adoptive and foster parents. Contact information can be found on their website, www.acf.hhs.gov.\n\nI\u2019m inspired by all those who choose to create their families or add to their families through adoption. This National Adoption Month, I thank adoptive parents and foster parents for providing a safe, welcoming place for kids to grow up.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/2019/11/12/cotton-statement-on-eu-targeting-of-israeli-products", "Cotton Statement on EU Targeting of Israeli Products", "2019-11-12", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 12, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on EU Targeting of Israeli Products\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after the European Court of Justice ruled earlier today that European Union states must label goods originating from the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights as \u201dmade in a settlement\u201d:\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s disgraceful for the European Court of Justice to endorse the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Yet again, the international community reveals its obsession with singling out and punishing Israel.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-in-honor-of-veterans-day", "Cotton Statement in Honor of Veterans Day", "2019-11-11", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement in honor of Veterans Day:\n\n\"America's veterans gave the best years of their youth to defend their country, and many gave far more than that. It was a true honor to serve alongside these men and women in the Army and see their service and sacrifice firsthand. Today we recognize all our veterans, and their families, and remember the cause for which they fought.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-resignation-of-bolivian-president-evo-morales", "Cotton Statement on Resignation of Bolivian President Evo Morales", "2019-11-10", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 10, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on Resignation of Bolivian President Evo Morales\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after reports that Bolivian President Evo Morales resigned amid accusations of election fraud:\n\n\u201cThe Bolivian people resisted Evo Morales\u2018s attempt to tamper with their constitution, and now they\u2019ve rejected his theft of an election. They have called for an end to Morales\u2019s 14-year assault on Bolivia\u2019s democratic institutions. Now they can chart a future of their own.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-pow/mia-flag-bill-becomes-law-ahead-of-veterans-day", "Cotton POW/MIA Flag Bill Becomes Law Ahead of Veterans Day", "2019-11-08", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.- Yesterday, the president signed into law Senator Cotton's National POW/MIA Flag Act, which requires the POW/MIA flag to be displayed whenever the American flag is displayed on prominent federal properties to honor the more than 82,000 Americans who are listed as Prisoners of War (POW), Missing in Action (MIA), or otherwise unaccounted for from our nation's past wars and conflicts. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), along with Senators John Thune (R-South Dakota), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire) Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), and Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) were original co-sponsors of the bill, which was first introduced during the 115th Congress and reintroduced earlier this year.\n\n\"There's no better time than Veterans Day to honor those who left our shores only to be held captive, and those who have still not returned,\" said Senator Cotton. \"Over 82,000 Americans remain missing from past wars and prominently displaying the POW/MIA flag will help remind all Americans of their service and sacrifice.\"\n\n\"All three of my veteran brothers came home safe after their service, but many do not,\" said Senator Warren. \"This bipartisan law ensures that the POW/MIA Flag is consistently and prominently displayed and that we never forget those servicemembers who have not returned home.\"\n\nThe National POW/MIA Flag Act requires the POW/MIA flag to be displayed whenever the American flag is displayed at federal locations already designated under existing law. Those locations include the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, the buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, the office of the Director of the Selective Service System, each major military installation (as designated by the Secretary of Defense), each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center, and each United States Postal Service Post Office.\n\nBefore this bill became law, the POW/MIA Flag was required to be displayed by the federal government on certain prominent federal properties only six days per year: Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and Veterans Day.\n\nRepresentatives Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) and Jack Bergman (R-MI-01) sponsored the House version of the bill.\n\nThe legislation is supported by Rolling Thunder, Inc. National; Rolling Thunder Inc. Massachusetts Chapters 1 and 2; the National League of POW/MIA Families; Veterans of Foreign Wars; The American Legion; American Ex-Prisoners of War; and the National Alliance of Families for the Return of America's Missing Servicemen.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-plan-provide-more-funding-kentuckys-infrastructure-needs/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Plan to Provide More Funding for Kentucky\u2019s Infrastructure Needs", "2019-11-08", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nNovember 8, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul introduced his Penny Plan to Enhance Infrastructure Act (S.2792), which will help prioritize funding for Kentucky\u2019s critical infrastructure projects by cutting just one percent from the federal government\u2019s non-infrastructure discretionary spending and directing that money to infrastructure.\n\nDr. Paul\u2019s bill would provide $12.3 billion for 2020 for new infrastructure spending, and it doesn\u2019t touch Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security.\n\n\u201cKentuckians shouldn\u2019t pay the price for a Congress that doesn\u2019t know how to prioritize funding for our nation\u2019s most dire needs over less immediately important ones,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cMy plan would ensure more of your hard-earned tax dollars are allocated to infrastructure projects right here in your communities, not sent overseas or spent on wasteful programs.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-jones-propose-wounded-warriors-fellowship-in-the-senate", "Rounds, Jones Propose Wounded Warriors Fellowship in the Senate", "2019-11-08", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "PIERRE \u2014 U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.) have introduced a resolution to establish a fellowship for wounded American veterans to hold two-year fellowships in the United States Senate. The program, called the McCain-Mansfield Fellowship, would offer each Senate office a fellowship, which would each last two years. The positions could be in a senator\u2019s state or Washington, D.C., office.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s veterans have gained valuable insight and expertise throughout their service to our nation,\u201d said Senator Rounds. \u201cOur legislation would establish a program that can help veterans use those skills to help constituents and shape important policy that impacts the heroes who wear the uniform of the United States of America. It also creates future employment opportunities for veterans once their fellowship is over and makes sure that the perspectives and concerns of veterans are continually added to the Senate workforce. We have a number of veterans working in my Senate office, and I appreciate the unique perspective they bring to the job.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe owe a great deal to the men and women who have courageously served our county,\u201d said Senator Jones, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. \u201cThe McCain-Mansfield Fellowship program is just one of the ways we can continue to lift up our veterans and ensure they have access to the resources and support needed to be successful in their civilian lives.\u201d\n\nEach year, nearly 200,000 service members transition from the military back to civilian life. This transition is widely recognized as a challenging and stressful process not only for the service members, but also for their families and, in some cases, caregivers. The McCain-Mansfield Fellowship would offer veterans with a service-connected disability the experience and exposure needed to broaden their career opportunities and contribute to a successful transition.\n\nThere is already a Wounded Warriors Fellowship program in the House of Representatives, but the McCain-Mansfield Fellowship will be the first of its kind in the Senate.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/supporting-veterans-every-day", "Supporting Veterans Every Day", "2019-11-08", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "In South Dakota, we support our veterans every day of the year, not just on Veterans Day. Veterans actually make up 10 percent of our state\u2019s population! Nearly all of us have a friend or family member who served, or you\u2019re a veteran yourself. The men and women whose sacrifice and bravery allows us to live freely are among the best of the best. We owe it to them to make sure they receive the benefits they were promised when they signed up to serve.\n\nI have the privilege of serving on the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, where we work to make sure the federal government is living up to its promises to our veterans. The legislation we consider seeks to improve the lives of veterans in all stages of life, including the transition from military service to civilian life. We work to make sure that transition is as easy and seamless as possible. We\u2019re also working to give them better access to their benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which too often means cutting through layers of bureaucracy and red-tape. If any veteran or beneficiary has trouble accessing benefits, our office can act as a liaison between the veteran and the VA. I encourage veterans and their families to contact any of my South Dakota offices if you need help. I have a number of veterans in both my Washington and South Dakota offices who help me with military and veterans issues we come across in the Senate. Phone numbers and addresses are listed on my website, www.rounds.senate.gov.\n\nThis year, I\u2019ve introduced a number of bills \u2013 all bipartisan \u2013 that will help veterans as they re-enter civilian life. For some, that may mean starting or finishing their education. For others, it may mean finding a job that fits with the skillsets they acquired during their service. I joined Sen. Jon Tester of Montana to introduce a bill that would cut down on delays for student veterans trying to access the extra funds they\u2019ve earned through the VA Work-Study Allowance Program. I also introduced a bill that would change the Small Business Act to waive up-front guarantee fees for veterans and their spouses who are participating in the Small Business Administration\u2019s export promotion loan programs. This will help veterans who are looking to start or grow a small business.\n\nI also recently introduced a bill that would establish a wounded warrior fellowship program in the Senate, similar to an existing program in the House. It would allow each Senate office to hire a veteran to work on important armed services and veterans affairs-related policy for a period of up to two years. This program can help veterans use the skills, knowledge and experience they gained through their service to help constituents and shape important policy that impacts the heroes who wear the uniform of the United States of America. It also creates future employment opportunities for veterans once their fellowship is over and makes sure that the perspectives and concerns of veterans are continually added to the Senate workforce.\n\nWhenever I travel around the state, I always appreciate the opportunity to meet with veterans to hear directly from them about the issues they\u2019re facing. We seem to always have a discussion about healthcare benefits and quality of care. We also continue to hear that the VA employees in South Dakota are doing a good job, but the VA in Washington keeps causing problems. Cleaning up the VA remains a priority for me and the other members of our committee.\n\nWe are so grateful to each and every veteran. On Veterans Day, we honor all of the men and women who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedom. Thank you.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-during-meeting-at-white-house-today-president-trump-re-confirms-his-commitment-to-blending-15-billion-gallons-of-ethanol-annually", "Rounds: During Meeting at White House Today, President Trump Re-Confirms his Commitment to Blending 15 Billion Gallons of Ethanol Annually", "2019-11-07", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined President Trump and a number of his Senate colleagues for lunch at the White House. During the meeting, President Trump re-confirmed his commitment to assuring 15 billion gallons of conventional ethanol is blended into our nation\u2019s fuel supply annually.\n\nFollowing a Sept. 12, 2019, meeting at the White House with Rounds and others, Trump requested that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revise its practice to guarantee that any small refinery exemptions (SRE) would not reduce the 15 billion gallon requirement for conventional ethanol. The agreement, as directed by President Trump, would require the EPA to, prospectively, account for SREs by utilizing a three-year rolling average of exemptions granted by the EPA. However, the EPA\u2019s supplemental proposed rule does not achieve the 15 billion gallon requirement. Earlier today, Rounds sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler detailing his criticisms of the proposed supplemental rule and requesting the final rule be changed.\n\nDuring their meeting today, Rounds and Trump discussed the proposed rule\u2019s shortcomings, leading the president to re-commit to working with the EPA to assure 15 billion gallons of ethanol is blended annually.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump gets it \u2013 15 billion gallons means 15 billion gallons,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for his leadership and commitment to restoring the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and look forward to the EPA\u2019s revision of the proposed rule to make certain it allows for 15 billion gallons of ethanol blended into our fuel supply annually.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-makes-good-on-dakota-marker-game-wager_brings-sdsu-dairy-bar-ice-cream-to-washington-dc", "Rounds Makes Good on \u2018Dakota Marker\u2019 Game Wager,  Brings SDSU Dairy Bar Ice Cream to Washington, D.C.", "2019-11-07", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds made good on his friendly wager with North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) on the October 26, 2019, \u2018Dakota Marker\u2019 football game between South Dakota State University (SDSU) and North Dakota State University (NDSU). The senators bet ice cream from their respective states, SDSU Dairy Bar ice cream and Cass Clay Creamery ice cream from North Dakota. SDSU lost to NDSU 16-23.\n\nToday, Rounds hosted an ice cream social for Senator Cramer and his staff.\n\n\u201cThe SDSU \u2013 NDSU rivalry is a time-honored tradition, and we always look forward to the Dakota Marker. This year, with the added excitement of having College Gameday in Brookings, Senator Cramer and I upped the ante with a friendly wager. While the game didn\u2019t turn out like we hoped, we\u2019re proud of the tough fight the Jacks put up, and we\u2019re happy to showcase SDSU ice cream to our colleagues in Washington. The Dairy Bar has some of the best ice cream in the country \u2013 no doubt about it.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll get you in the playoffs \u2013 go Jacks!\u201d\n\nSDSU Dairy Bar flavors at the ice cream social today were: Cookies and Cream, Barry Berry, Butter Brickle, Hobo Crunch, Butter Pecan and Chocolate Pecan. In addition, Sen. Cramer brought in Cass Clay Creamery limited edition ice cream, Dynasty Delight.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-submits-letter-to-epa-on-rfs-supplemental-rule", "Rounds Submits Letter to EPA on RFS Supplemental Rule", "2019-11-07", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Help with a Federal Agency", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-committee-passes-dr-rand-pauls-bonuses-cost-cutters-act/", "Senate Committee Passes Dr. Rand Paul\u2019s Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act", "2019-11-06", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nNovember 6, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) passed U.S. Senator Rand Paul\u2019s bipartisan Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act (S. 2618) by voice vote during a business meeting.\n\nCurrently, federal law allows an agency\u2019s Inspector General to pay bonuses of up to $10,000 of savings realized when a federal employee identifies waste, fraud, or mismanagement of funds. Dr. Paul\u2019s legislation would expand these categories to include identifying surplus or unneeded funds.\n\n\u201cI am pleased to see the committee act quickly to pass this reform, and I urge the full Senate to follow its example by taking up the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act as soon as possible. Passing this legislation would show concerned Americans that the Senate is serious about getting spending under control and returning to fiscal sanity,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\nBonuses for Cost-Cutters would also ensure 90% of the savings are automatically directed toward deficit reduction, with agencies free to apply any remainder toward other agency priorities, subject to current law.\n\nSenators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mike Lee (R-UT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Mike Enzi (R-WY), and Pat Toomey (R-PA) have cosponsored the legislation.\n\nDr. Paul\u2019s Bonuses for Cost-Cutters proposal also passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in the 114th Congress, and a DHS-specific version passed the committee in March 2018 as an amendment to H.R. 2825, the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act.\n\nYou can read S. 2618, the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act below.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/with-delegation-support-brookings-receives-critical-infrastructure-grant", "With Delegation Support, Brookings Receives Critical Infrastructure Grant", "2019-11-06", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation\u2019s (DOT\u2019s) decision to award the City of Brookings $18.7 million in critical infrastructure funding under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program. Today\u2019s announcement follows requests from the delegation to DOT Secretary Elaine Chao for the project\u2019s funding.\n\n\u201cThanks to Secretary Chao for her commitment to investing in infrastructure projects in South Dakota,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cThis BUILD grant will help relieve congestion along an important intersection in the city of Brookings, allowing for easier traffic flow in the area. We\u2019re grateful for all state and local officials who work to make sure our roads and highways are maintained so we can get where we need to go safely and efficiently.\u201d\n\nThe City of Brookings plans to use the BUILD funding to construct an interchange at the intersection of Interstate 29 and 20th Street. This project would allow for an additional arterial road to provide proper traffic flow between the residential and commercial sectors of the city, taking pressure off of the 6th Street interchange, which has become increasingly congested. It will also provide more convenient access to I-29 for southern Brookings as the area continues to grow.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-announces-winter-and-spring-internships-for-state-offices", "Cotton Announces Winter and Spring Internships for State Offices", "2019-11-05", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 5, 2019\n\nCotton Announces Winter and Spring Internships for State Offices\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today announced he is seeking interns for his state offices in Little Rock and Springdale. Internships will be offered in two sessions: January 13 \u2013 February 29 and March 9 \u2013 April 24.\n\nInterns will have the opportunity to help with the daily operations of Senator Cotton's office. Depending on their college requirements, students may be able to receive academic credit for their service. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to state_internships@cotton.senate.gov and specify their desired office location and session before November 29, 2019.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-cruz-introduce-bill-sanctioning-foreign-government-officials-who-hold-americans-hostage", "Cotton, Cruz Introduce Bill Sanctioning Foreign Government Officials Who Hold Americans Hostage", "2019-11-05", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nNovember 5, 2019\n\nCotton, Cruz Introduce Bill Sanctioning Foreign Government Officials Who Hold Americans Hostage\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) today introduced The Global Hostage Act, a bill that would require the president to impose sanctions on foreign government officials responsible for taking Americans hostage. It would also bar those officials and their families from receiving U.S. visas. The bill text is available here.\n\n\u201cIf you\u2019re in the business of kidnapping Americans, you shouldn\u2019t be able to send your kids to American universities or take lavish vacations in the United States. My bill would punish those who hold Americans hostage by sanctioning their assets and blocking their travel to the United States,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cAcross the globe brutal regimes and terrorist groups seize Americans and use them as hostages, hoping to receive concessions from the United States,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t give them that hope. To that end, our bill imposes sanctions on all those who engage in hostage taking of American citizens and legal permanent residents, and bars their family members from entering the United States. This is a battle I have been waging throughout my service in the Senate, including keeping out diplomats appointed by the Iranian regime who seized our hostages in 1979.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the bill:\n\n\u00b7 Requires that the executive branch impose mandatory sanctions on foreign government officials responsible for taking U.S. hostages.\n\n\u00b7 Denies U.S. visas to sanctioned hostage takers and their family members.\n\n\u00b7 Creates a mechanism for Congress to require that the executive branch review specific foreign government officials for hostage-taking sanctions eligibility.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-receives-us-chamber-of-commerce-spirit-of-enterprise-award", "Rounds Receives U.S. Chamber of Commerce \u2018Spirit of Enterprise\u2019 Award", "2019-11-04", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) was awarded the U.S. Chamber of Commerce\u2019s \u2018Spirit of Enterprise\u2019 Award for his support of pro-growth economic policies during the second session of the 115th Congress. Rounds was one of only 16 members of Congress who received a 100 percent score.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m honored to receive the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the Chamber of Commerce,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cSouth Dakota is a great place to start and grow a business. With low taxes and limited red tape, our state provides a friendly environment for entrepreneurs. I\u2019ll keep working to bring that same South Dakota common sense to Washington.\u201d\n\nThe Chamber\u2019s prestigious Spirit of Enterprise Award is given annually to members of Congress based on their votes on critical legislation that invites business growth and opportunity.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/only-us-beef-should-be-labeled-as-a-product-of-the-usa-", "Only U.S. Beef Should be Labeled as a \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d", "2019-11-01", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "South Dakota and American cattle producers raise the best beef in the world. Many families specifically seek out these high-quality products when choosing what beef to purchase at the grocery store. However, some families may not realize that not all meat labeled \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d is actually beef from cattle raised within the United States. Current federal regulations include a loophole that allows beef from livestock born, raised and slaughtered in foreign countries to be labeled \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d as long as the beef undergoes additional processing at a plant in the U.S. This is wrong.\n\nSenator John Thune (R-S.D.) and I recently introduced legislation to address this issue. The U.S. Beef Integrity Act would make certain that the \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d label only goes on beef and beef products exclusively derived from one or more animals born, raised and slaughtered here in the United States. We also wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue in support of administrative changes that would prevent beef from cattle born, raised and slaughtered in foreign countries from being labeled as a \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d This change would be a win for both consumers and our hardworking cattle ranchers here in the U.S.\n\nConsumers deserve transparency when they\u2019re purchasing beef. When South Dakota families purchase beef labeled \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.,\u201d they should know with certainty that it is coming from one of our top-quality producers. This does not mean we should close the door to other options as well \u2013 far from it. I\u2019m glad we have a vast array of choices when we do our grocery shopping. Our bill simply closes the misleading labeling loophole so you\u2019ll never be unsure where your beef came from when you\u2019re at the grocery store meat counter.\n\nWhen consumers have greater choice, it results in more innovation in the market and fairer prices. Earlier this year, I introduced legislation that would open up new markets for South Dakota producers. Our bill would allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines. Right now, 27 states have state inspection programs that meet or exceed federal inspection standards. However, under current law, products processed at these facilities can\u2019t be sold across state lines. Producers have to take extra steps if they want to expand their market reach.\n\nOur farmers and ranchers work hard to deliver the best and safest food products in the world. When I purchase beef at the store, I want to know with certainty that it is an American product. Our beef labeling bill and our meat inspection bill will provide consumers with greater transparency and choice when they\u2019re at the grocery store.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:43:09Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/democrats-vote-against-troops-ukraine-defense-funding", "Democrats Vote Against Troops, Ukraine Defense Funding", "2019-10-31", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 31, 2019\n\nDemocrats Vote Against Troops, Ukraine Defense Funding\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) released the following statement after Senate Democrats blocked funding for a 2020 defense appropriations package:\n\n\u201cDemocrats claimed that they could impeach the president and still do the people\u2019s business. Today\u2019s vote against funding our troops and protecting our borders proves they can\u2019t. Not only that, Democrats just voted to block security assistance to Ukraine for political reasons\u2014the very thing they accuse the president of doing. It\u2019s time for the Democrats to get over their obsession with the president and get back to work.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-icymi-dr-rand-paul-holds-hearing-unauthorized-unaccountable-zombie-programs-eating-taxpayer/", "ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Holds Hearing on Unauthorized, Unaccountable \u2018Zombie\u2019 Programs Eating Taxpayer Dollars", "2019-10-31", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 31, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Continuing his work to reform government and reduce waste, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO) Subcommittee for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), held a hearing yesterday entitled, \u201cRise of the Zombies: The Unauthorized and Unaccountable Government You Pay For.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are here the day before Halloween to talk about zombies. These are not the kind of zombies we see on The Walking Dead, or what we might see on our doorstep tomorrow evening. In many ways, these zombies are far scarier. These are zombie government programs that have sometimes not been reauthorized for decades,\u201d Dr. Paul said in his opening statement on Wednesday.\n\nThe Inter-American Foundation (IAF), for an example of the problem, is a past topic of Dr. Paul\u2019s Waste Reports that has used American taxpayer dollars on projects including teaching circus arts in Argentina, helping deported illegal immigrants start a business (and without being able to rule out that the money would not go to criminal deportees), and jumpstarting the Haitian film industry. Created in the 1960s, the Inter-American Foundation\u2019s most recent reauthorization came more than 30 years ago.\n\nIn FY 2019, the federal government spent over $300 billion on nearly 1,000 different programs that have not been reauthorized.\n\nAppropriators also regularly override authorizations by providing funds to programs inconsistent with the underlying authorization.\n\nThe FSO Subcommittee examined how \u201czombie\u201d programs have been set free to feast on taxpayer dollars \u2014 with Congress ignoring its responsibility to conduct proper oversight \u2014 as well as what can be done to protect taxpayer resources.\n\nU.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5), who has sponsored the USA Act in the House of Representatives, testified on the first panel, saying, \u201cCongress isn\u2019t using its power to exercise the power of the purse to hold these programs accountable on a regular basis, and it needs to change.\u201d\n\nKevin R. Kosar, Vice President of Policy for the R Street Institute, Jonathan Bydlak, President of the Institute for Spending Reform, and James A. Thurber, Distinguished Professor of Government at American University, testified on the second panel.\n\nOne proposed solution discussed was Dr. Paul\u2019s own Legislative Performance Review Act, which he has previously introduced in multiple sessions of Congress to force Congress to regularly review federal programs for reauthorization to either improve them or otherwise consolidate or eliminate duplicative and wasteful efforts.\n\nYou can watch the FSO Subcommittee\u2019s \u201cRise of the Zombies\u201d hearing HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-joins-colleagues-to-introduce-down-syndrome-discrimination-by-abortion-prohibition-act", "Rounds Joins Colleagues to Introduce Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act", "2019-10-31", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined a number of his colleagues in introducing the Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act, which would prohibit abortion based on an unborn child having Down syndrome.\n\n\u201cLife is a precious gift from God that should be treated with respect and dignity, from the very beginning to the very end,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cUnborn children have a right to life, regardless of a Down Syndrome diagnosis, which is why I\u2019m pleased to join Sen. Inhofe to introduce this legislation.\u201d\n\nAs prenatal screenings increase in availability and accessibility, more and more people learn whether or not their baby has Down syndrome prior to the baby\u2019s birth. Sadly, many of these lives are aborted following a diagnosis\u2014over two-thirds of unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted in the U.S., and Iceland has virtually eradicated Down syndrome altogether. The Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act would enact a federal ban on the performance of an abortion with the knowledge that a pregnant woman is seeking an abortion, in whole or in part, on the basis of a belief that her unborn child has Down syndrome. This legislation would not penalize the expectant mother in any way.\n\nEight states (Indiana, Ohio, North Dakota, Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas and Utah) have enacted legislation to prohibit abortion on the basis of Down syndrome. Courts have enjoined the law in several of the states. Several additional states have introduced similar legislation. While the Supreme Court recently declined to take up Indiana\u2019s Down syndrome abortion ban, Justice Thomas made it clear that the Supreme Court has not \u201cdecide[d] whether the Constitution requires States to allow eugenic abortions.\u201d\n\nThe bill, led by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), is sponsored by Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), James Risch (R-I.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Congressman Ron Estes (KS-04) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\nBill Overview\n\nMakes it illegal for a doctor to knowingly perform an abortion being sought because the baby has or may have Down syndrome, or, if the doctor does not know whether Down syndrome is a contributing factor, requires the doctor to first ask the mother if she is aware of any test results indicating that the child has Down syndrome and to inform her of prohibitions put in place by the law.\n\nProhibits anyone from forcing a woman to have an abortion because the baby has Down syndrome.\n\nImposes a fine and/or imprisonment of up to five years on those who violate the law, and pulls federal funds under existing federal disability anti-discrimination laws from associated abortion clinics.\n\nProtects the mother by barring her from being prosecuted or held liable for any violation of the bill and puts in place guardrails to protect her privacy in all court proceedings.\n\nTo read full text of the bill, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/2019/10/30/cotton-cruz-introduce-resolution-calling-for-withdrawal-of-united-states-from-open-skies-treaty", "Cotton, Cruz Introduce Resolution Calling for Withdrawal of United States From Open Skies Treaty", "2019-10-30", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 30, 2019\n\nCotton, Cruz Introduce Resolution Calling for Withdrawal of United States From Open Skies Treaty\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) today introduced a resolution calling for the withdrawal the United States from the Open Skies Treaty. Read the full text of the resolution here.\n\n\u201cThe Open Skies Treaty could be more appropriately named the \u2018Russian Spies Over America Treaty,\u2019 Cotton said. \u201cAmerica ought to withdraw from this flawed accord, which invites Russia to fly spy planes over our houses while Putin violates the treaty by restricting U.S. flights over Russia.\u201d\n\n\u201cRussia is in open violation of the Open Skies Treaty,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cIt enhances Russia\u2019s surveillance of major American cities, strengthens Russia\u2019s espionage capabilities, and costs the United States millions of dollars. The treaty no longer serves America\u2019s national security interests, and it is long past time the United States withdraw.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nSenator Cotton has long criticized the Open Skies Treaty and has advocated for the United States to abandon it. Last week, Senator Cotton questioned Vice Admiral Charles Richard about the treaty\u2019s weaknesses. Senator Cotton has issued statements regarding Russia\u2019s violations here and here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-protect-babies-with-down-syndrome", "Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Babies With Down Syndrome", "2019-10-30", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today joined Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and 12 colleagues in introducing the Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act, which would prohibit abortion of unborn babies who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\nThe bill's other sponsors are Senators Steve Daines (R-Montana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Rick Scott (R-Florida), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), John Thune (South Dakota), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee).\n\nAs prenatal screenings become more widely available, more parents learn that their baby may have Down syndrome prior to birth. Sadly, many of these babies are aborted following a diagnosis. Roughly two-thirds of unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted in the United States; countries like Denmark and Iceland terminate almost every baby diagnosed with Down syndrome. The Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act would prohibit abortion providers from performing an abortion with the knowledge that a pregnant woman is seeking an abortion, in whole or in part, because of a Down syndrome diagnosis.\n\n\"Babies with disabilities deserve our love and protection. But sadly, many of these babies don't even get a chance at life. Protecting unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome moves us closer to a society that respects life in all forms and all stages,\" Cotton said.\n\n\"Every life has value and that extends to the unborn,\" Inhofe said. \"To take away the precious life of an unborn baby is murder, but to deny a child the chance at life because of his or her chromosome count is a heinous effort to eliminate a vibrant community through abortion. That's why I am introducing a bill to prohibit abortion based on a Down syndrome diagnosis. All children should be given the chance at life and today, with the introduction of the Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act, we have a chance to give a voice to the voiceless and build on pro-life legislation we've already championed, including the Life at Conception Act, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act and the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.\"\n\nEight states have enacted legislation to prohibit abortion on the basis of Down syndrome. Several additional states have introduced similar legislation. The Supreme Court recently declined to rule on an Indiana law protecting Down syndrome babies, so abortion targeting babies with disabilities remains sadly available in many states.\n\nBill Overview\n\nThe bill would prohibit abortion providers from performing abortions being sought because the baby has been diagnosed with Down syndrome.\n\nThe bill requires abortion providers to ask mothers if they are aware of any test results indicating their child has Down syndrome and to inform her of the prohibitions in this law.\n\nThe bill prohibits anyone from forcing a woman to have an abortion because the baby has Down syndrome.\n\nThe bill imposes a fine and/or imprisonment of up to five years on those who violate the law, and pulls federal funds under existing federal disability anti-discrimination laws from associated abortion clinics.\n\nThe bill protects the mother by barring her from being prosecuted or held liable for any violation of the law and includes guardrails to protect her privacy in all court proceedings\n\nTo read full text of the bill, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-the-small-business-audit-correction-act", "Cotton Introduces the Small Business Audit Correction Act", "2019-10-30", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) along with Senators Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Doug Jones (D-Alabama), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) yesterday introduced the Small Business Audit Correction Act to provide much-needed regulatory relief to small investment brokers by exempting them from certain audit requirements and reinstating previous regulations. The bill was first introduced in the 115th Congress. Last year a similar version passed the House Financial Services Committee in bipartisan fashion.\n\n\"Requiring our small non-custodial broker-dealers to get the same audits required of public companies only results in higher costs and fewer small firms, and all because of a provision that wasn't even supposed to be aimed at non-custodial firms. This bill will return audit requirements to the former standard, one appropriate for these kinds of firms and which will allow our small broker-dealers to expand and help create more jobs,\" said Cotton.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Dodd-Frank Act requires all investment brokers and dealers, irrespective of size, to hire a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)-registered audit firm to conduct audits using significantly more complex guidelines designed for larger, public companies.\n\nThis requirement is devastating for small investment firms, particularly in states like Alabama, North Carolina, Arizona and Arkansas. These firms are closing at an alarming rate, in part due to skyrocketing audit costs required by a rule that is illogical for firms that don't hold customer assets.\n\nThe Small Business Audit Correction Act would exempt privately-held, small non-custodial brokers and dealers in good standing from the requirement to hire a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)-registered audit firm to meet their annual SEA Rule 17a-5 reporting obligation and would instead reinstate the previous regulatory audit requirements.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/delegation-urges-administration-to-quickly-approve-south-dakota-disaster-declaration-", "Delegation Urges Administration to Quickly Approve South Dakota Disaster Declaration", "2019-10-30", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to President Trump in support of Gov. Kristi Noem\u2019s (R-S.D.) request for a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota as a result of severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that began on September 9, 2019. The delegation has strongly supported South Dakota\u2019s previous disaster requests, including those from late-winter storms that caused significant damage to infrastructure, livestock, homes, and bridges throughout the state.\n\n\u201cSouth Dakota has been hit with disastrous storm after storm this year, and the devastation has been catastrophic,\u201d wrote Thune, Rounds, and Johnson. \u201cWe are determined to help South Dakota recover by supporting the local communities and the state of South Dakota as we continue to rebuild areas affected by these major weather events.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter is below:\n\nThe Honorable Donald Trump\n\nPresident of the United States\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\n\nWashington, DC 20500\n\nDear President Trump:\n\nWe write in full support of Governor Kristi Noem\u2019s request for a major disaster declaration for the state of South Dakota as a result of severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that began on September 9, 2019.\n\nAs Governor Noem\u2019s disaster declaration request indicates, the severe weather last month caused extensive damage to homes and businesses, agriculture, and public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, highways, railroads, parks, and electrical systems across southeastern South Dakota. Many residents had to be evacuated from flood waters or buildings that had been damaged from tornadoes. Thousands of acres of farmland cannot be planted due to severe flooding, which will have a financial impact on individual farming operations and the rural communities in which farmers live.\n\nSouth Dakota has been hit with disastrous storm after storm this year, and the devastation has been catastrophic. We are determined to help South Dakota recover by supporting the local communities and the state of South Dakota as we continue to rebuild areas affected by these major weather events.\n\nThank you for your consideration of this request. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need further assistance in this effort.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-thune-push-to-keep-foreign-beef-from-receiving-product-of-the-usa-label", "Rounds, Thune Push to Keep Foreign Beef from Receiving \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d Label", "2019-10-30", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) today took steps to keep beef born, raised and slaughtered in foreign countries from receiving a \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d label. The U.S. Beef Integrity Act would make certain that the \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d label only goes to beef and beef products exclusively derived from one or more animals born, raised and slaughtered in the United States.\n\nCurrently, the USDA\u2019s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) does not require that beef be born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S. in order to carry a \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d label. This loophole allows beef from livestock born and raised in foreign countries to be labeled \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d as long as the beef undergoes additional processing at a processing plant in the U.S.\n\nAdditionally, Thune and Rounds wrote to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to offer support for administrative changes to the FSIS beef labeling requirements.\n\n\u201cOur cattle producers offer some of the highest-quality beef in the world,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cConsumers deserve to know where their food is coming from. When South Dakota families purchase beef labeled \u2018Product of the U.S.A.,\u2019 they should know with certainty that it is coming from one of our top-quality producers. Today\u2019s beef labeling rules are misleading and allow beef and beef products from cattle born, raised and slaughtered outside of the U.S. to be labeled as U.S. beef. This must be fixed for both consumers and our hardworking producers.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor South Dakota ranchers, \u2018Product of the U.S.A\u2019 is far more than a label. It\u2019s a sense of pride, and it represents a way of life,\u201d said Thune. \u201cThis legislation is straightforward and common sense, two qualities that are often lacking in Washington and are made up for by South Dakotans and their hardworking spirit. It\u2019s with our ranchers and agriculture community in mind that I\u2019m proud to support this bill to give consumers more accurate information about what\u2019s on the grocery store shelf and help showcase America\u2019s beef products \u2013 the best in the world \u2013 as clearly and as proudly as possible.\u201d\n\nFull Text of Letter:\n\nDear Secretary Perdue:\n\nWe write to express our support for the U.S. Cattlemen\u2019s Association\u2019s petition requesting the establishment of certain beef labeling requirements.\n\nAs you may know, concerns have been raised around the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the qualifications for labeling beef as a \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d Specifically, USDA\u2019s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) does not currently require that beef be born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States in order to carry a \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d label. As a result, beef from cattle that are born, raised, and slaughtered in another country can be labeled \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d so long as the beef undergoes additional processing in a USDA-inspected plant.\n\nOur farmers and ranchers work hard to deliver the highest-quality and safest food products in the world. Americans recognize this, and they want to know where their food is coming from. Unfortunately, without clear parameters, the current \u201cProduct of the U.S.A.\u201d label can be misleading to consumers and can result in imported beef being labeled as though it is of U.S. origin.\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to your response.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-smith-lead-bipartisan-effort-to-improve-native-american-lending-services-at-hud-help-more-native-families-become-homeowners", "Rounds, Smith Lead Bipartisan Effort to Improve Native American Lending Services at HUD, Help More Native Families Become Homeowners", "2019-10-29", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today introduced the Native American Housing Affordability Act of 2019. The bipartisan legislation reforms the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program, which provides mortgage loans to Native Americans and Alaska Natives, by speeding up the loan processing time. Additional original cosponsors include U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Tester (D-Mont.), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) and Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.).\n\n\u201cEstablished in 1992, HUD\u2019s Loan Guarantee Program has helped countless Native Americans in South Dakota and across the country realize their dreams of homeownership,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cOur legislation will help even more Native American families become homeowners by removing regulatory hurdles that too often delay loan processing. I thank my colleagues for joining me in this effort and look forward to working together to advance this legislation in the Senate.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen you don\u2019t have a home, it\u2019s nearly impossible for other parts of your life to work. But right now, Native Americans who want to be homeowners too often face unnecessary regulatory obstacles,\u201d said Sen. Smith, a member of both the Senate Indian Affairs and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committees. \u201cOur bipartisan bill to remove red tape that slows down the loan processing time is one step we can take to promote homeownership and create opportunity for Native communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cAccess to affordable housing is important to families and communities across the nation,\u201d said Thune. \u201cIn an effort to facilitate additional affordable homeownership opportunities for Native American families, this legislation would improve the Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program by streamlining the loan guarantee process to encourage more lenders to participate in the program and provide additional mortgage financing opportunities to individuals and families on tribal trust land.\u201d\n\n\"Native American veterans made great sacrifices to keep this country safe, and they deserve to have a warm place to sleep when they return from service,\u201d said Tester. \u201cUnfortunately, far too often these folks return home from service without access to safe and affordable housing. This amendment would ensure that Native veterans have better access to stable housing, so that even in difficult times they don\u2019t have to worry about having a place to call home.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf it takes months, or even years, for a Native American family to buy a home, the process is clearly broken,\u201d said McSally. \u201cOur bill improves HUD\u2019s Loan Guarantee Program and cuts red tape that is stifling the ability for Native families to become homeowners and create more opportunities for their family.\u201d\n\n\u201cBuying a home is an important step toward building wealth and security for one\u2019s family. Yet this step is often delayed or denied for Native Americans seeking to purchase homes on Indian trust land,\u201d said Senator Cortez Masto. \u201cThis legislation would temporarily bypass a backlog at the Bureau of Indian Affairs that prevents lenders from extending HUD-guaranteed loans to these individuals in a timely manner. I\u2019ll continue working to ensure that families living in tribal communities have the same opportunities as any other family to become homeowners.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe HUD 184 Loan Guarantee Program has been instrumental in providing Native Americans better access to mortgage loans for over 25 years. However, the Program can still be improved, particularly for homeowners on trust lands. I applaud Senators Rounds and Smith for introducing the Native American Housing Affordability Act and look forward to working with Congress to find ways to improve the HUD 184 Program.\u201d - Gary Cooper, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) and Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe HUD Section 184 program guarantees mortgage loans for Native American borrowers.\n\nAs part of the lending process, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) provides title information about ownership of tribal land before HUD issues a certificate of guarantee.\n\nHowever, because it can take the BIA months to produce trailing documents to HUD, many prospective buyers give up and abandon the process.\n\nThis legislation will speed up that process by allowing HUD to guarantee a loan without waiting for trailing documents from the BIA, as long as the lender indemnifies HUD.\n\nIt also issues a series of findings about the Section 184 program and requires HUD to report on efforts the government is making to accelerate the processing time for Section 184 lender applications, including why processing times are or are not improving.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-successful-raid-targeting-isis-leader", "Cotton Statement on Successful Raid Targeting ISIS Leader", "2019-10-27", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "\"The world's most wanted man has been eliminated thanks to the brave men and women of the United States military and the president's decisive leadership. This raid serves as a reminder to America's enemies that there's no safe place in the world for them to lay their heads. It also reminds us that strength and vigilance are the only way to defeat terrorist groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda, which continue to threaten America and our allies.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/pass-the-usmca", "Pass the USMCA", "2019-10-25", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "The U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA) is the trade deal President Trump negotiated to replace and improve upon the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement\u2014NAFTA. The three countries signed it nearly one year ago, but it has yet to be ratified by the U.S. Congress. This agreement would be beneficial not only for our national economy, but also the economy of our state which relies heavily on agriculture.\n\nOnce the USMCA is finalized, it will create additional access for U.S. agricultural products and manufactured goods into Canada and Mexico, two of our closest allies and top trading partners. Trade with the two countries supports 37,700 jobs in South Dakota. Last year, South Dakota exported $924 million of goods and ag products to Canada and Mexico. With net farm income down 50 percent since 2013, low commodity prices, trade instability with China and extreme weather conditions, South Dakota farmers and ranchers are suffering. Ag producers across the country are in the same situation. Finalizing this trade agreement would provide all of them with some much-needed relief. It would also benefit manufacturers and small businesses. For example, the USMCA includes language that would require automobile components to be at least 75 percent manufactured in the U.S., Mexico or Canada to qualify for zero tariffs.\n\nCurrently, the USMCA is awaiting a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. Instead of taking up this important win for American workers and families, House Democrats are more intent on launching partisan attacks and engaging in political theater. There\u2019s no reason we can\u2019t get this done before the end of the year. I\u2019m confident that once the USMCA passes the House, the Senate would take it up in short order. While the House continues to send over partisan legislation that has very little chance of passing the Senate, the USMCA stands as an opportunity for a bipartisan, bicameral win. It has strong support from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, which would help it to pass quickly if it were brought up for a vote. The agreement also has wide support across the country. According to a Morning Consult poll, a majority of Americans want to see the USMCA ratified. I continue to urge Speaker Pelosi to bring it up for a vote.\n\nRatifying the USMCA should not be a Republican or Democrat issue\u2014it will help the economy in all parts of the country, no matter if it\u2019s a \u201cred\u201d or \u201cblue\u201d district. With the House currently focused on impeaching President Trump, I have concerns about their ability to work on anything bipartisan, like the USMCA.\n\nI came to Washington to get things done. We have already made significant steps to improve our economy through deregulation, historic tax reform and Dodd-Frank reform. However, improving and finalizing trade agreements will be key to reaching our full economic potential. I\u2019m going to keep pushing Speaker Pelosi and the House to take a vote on the USMCA as soon as possible, for the sake of South Dakota producers and manufacturers.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-schumer-request-assessment-of-national-security-risks-posed-by-china-owned-video-sharing-platform-tiktok-a-potential-counterintelligence-threat-with-over-110-million-downloads-in-us-alone", "Cotton, Schumer Request Assessment Of National Security Risks Posed By China-Owned Video-Sharing Platform, TikTok, A Potential Counterintelligence Threat With Over 110 Million Downloads In U.S., Alone", "2019-10-24", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. -Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) late yesterday sent a letter to Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, formally requesting that the Intelligence Community conduct an assessment of the national security risks posed by TikTok and other China-owned content platforms in the U.S., and requested a Congressional briefing on the findings. Leader Schumer and Senator Cotton's request comes amid growing concern about national security and cybersecurity risks posed by TikTok, a short-form video application owned by Beijing-based ByteDance and boasting more than 110 million downloads in the United States alone, as well as other China-based applications with a significant U.S. presence.\n\nThe Senators note that while ByteDance claims TikTok does not operate in China and stores U.S. user data in the U.S., ByteDance is still required to adhere to the laws of China. Importantly, security experts have voiced concern that China's intelligence, national security, and cybersecurity laws compel Chinese companies to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Such concerns \"about the potential for Chinese intelligence and security services to use Chinese information technology firms as routine and systemic espionage platforms against the U.S. and allies\" are also expressed in the U.S. Intelligence Community's Worldwide Threat Assessment report for 2019.\n\nIn the letter, the Senators emphasize that the TikTok platform is also a potential target of foreign influence campaigns like those carried out during the 2016 election on U.S.-based social media platforms. Leader Schumer and Senator Cotton say further action is needed to address the growing counterintelligence and national security threats posed by China-owned technology firms and demand an assessment of the national security risks posed by TikTok and other China-owned content platforms in the U.S., as well as a Congressional briefing on the findings.\n\nSenator Cotton and Senator Schumer's letter to Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire can be found here and below:\n\nThe Honorable Joseph Maguire\n\nActing Director of National Intelligence\n\nOffice of the Director of National Intelligence\n\nWashington, DC 20511\n\nDear Acting Director Maguire:\n\nWe write to express our concerns about TikTok, a short-form video application, and the national security risks posed by its growing use in the United States.\n\nTikTok is owned by Beijing-based technology company ByteDance, which operates several other content platforms in China. ByteDance regards its platforms as part of an artificial intelligence company powered by algorithms that \"learn\" each user's interests and preferences through repeat interaction.\n\nTikTok's terms of service and privacy policies describe how it collects data from its users and their devices, including user content and communications, IP address, location-related data, device identifiers, cookies, metadata, and other sensitive personal information. While the company has stated that TikTok does not operate in China and stores U.S. user data in the U.S., ByteDance is still required to adhere to the laws of China.\n\nSecurity experts have voiced concerns that China's vague patchwork of intelligence, national security, and cybersecurity laws compel Chinese companies to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Without an independent judiciary to review requests made by the Chinese government for data or other actions, there is no legal mechanism for Chinese companies to appeal if they disagree with a request.\n\nQuestions have also been raised regarding the potential for censorship or manipulation of certain content. TikTok reportedly censors materials deemed politically sensitive to the Chinese Communist Party, including content related to the recent Hong Kong protests, as well as references to Tiananmen Square, Tibetan and Taiwanese independence, and the treatment of Uighurs. The platform is also a potential target of foreign influence campaigns like those carried out during the 2016 election on U.S.-based social media platforms.\n\nThe Administration has rightly taken initial steps to address other critical security risks posed by China. These steps include the addition of Huawei to the Entity List, as well as the recent Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States orders for certain Chinese firms to divest their stakes in U.S. companies over concerns about the security of sensitive personal data. However, further action is needed, particularly as China continues to shut out U.S.-based technology firms while promoting and expanding the global reach of its own companies.\n\nWith over 110 million downloads in the U.S. alone, TikTok is a potential counterintelligence threat we cannot ignore. Given these concerns, we ask that the Intelligence Community conduct an assessment of the national security risks posed by TikTok and other China-based content platforms operating in the U.S. and brief Congress on these findings. Thank you for your consideration regarding this important matter.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-applauds-confirmation-justin-walker-western-kentucky-district-court-vacancy/", "Dr. Rand Paul Applauds Confirmation of Justin Walker for Western Kentucky District Court Vacancy", "2019-10-24", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 24, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Justin Walker, an assistant professor of law at the University of Louisville\u2019s Brandeis School of Law and co-director of its Ordered Liberty Program, to serve as a United States District Judge for Kentucky\u2019s Western District.\n\n\u201cI was proud to recommend Justin to the administration for the Western District vacancy, and I congratulate him on his confirmation by the Senate today,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cI am confident his experience, knowledge, and dedication to the Constitution will serve Kentuckians well.\u201d\n\nIn addition to his position at UofL, Justin is a Partner of Counsel at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, has taught U.S. Constitutional Law abroad, and clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy at the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh at the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit. Justin graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Duke University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-reintroduces-bonuses-cost-cutters-act/", "Dr. Rand Paul Reintroduces the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act", "2019-10-24", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 24, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO) Subcommittee, continued his efforts to rein in wasteful spending and reform government by reintroducing the bipartisan Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act (S. 2618). Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mike Lee (R-UT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Mike Enzi (R-WY) have cosponsored the legislation.\n\n\u201cSuccessfully tackling our debt crisis requires vigilance at all levels of government, from lawmakers in Congress to the employees on the front lines that carry out the day-to-day spending. The pressure in Washington to spend all you can before the end of the fiscal year so you can get even more in the future is enormous. Bonuses for Cost-Cutters pushes back against this status quo, providing additional incentive to save taxpayer resources,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\nCurrently, federal law allows an agency\u2019s Inspector General to pay bonuses of up to $10,000 of savings realized when a federal employee identifies waste, fraud, or mismanagement of funds.\n\nDr. Paul\u2019s legislation would expand these categories to include identifying surplus or unneeded funds.\n\nBonuses for Cost-Cutters would also ensure 90% of the savings are automatically directed toward deficit reduction, with agencies free to apply any remainder toward other agency priorities, subject to current law.\n\nIn addition to introducing the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act in multiple sessions of Congress, Dr. Paul\u2019s efforts to stop \u201cuse it or lose it,\u201d end-of-year federal spending binges also include holding hearings in the FSO Subcommittee on the problem. You can find those HERE and HERE.\n\nYou can read S. 2618, the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act below.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-supports-resolution-condemning-house-democrats_closed-door-impeachment-process-", "Rounds Supports Resolution Condemning House Democrats\u2019  Closed Door Impeachment Process", "2019-10-24", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement after signing onto a resolution condemning House Democrats\u2019 closed door impeachment process. The resolution, led by Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, has 39 senate cosponsors.\n\n\u201cDemocrats have been intent on taking down this president since day one. The current impeachment inquiry is being conducted in the House without a vote, behind closed doors and it fails to give the president the opportunity to defend himself or confront his accusers. There is no due process.\n\n\u201cThe president deserves the same rights as every American when faced with a charge or allegation. Their process raises serious questions about the fairness of the inquiry, which is why I signed onto Chairman Graham\u2019s resolution.\n\n\u201cHouse Democrats should be focused on issues, such as the USMCA, instead of focusing only on this unfair and unprecedented impeachment process.\u201d\n\nThe resolution:\n\ncalls on the House of Representatives, prior to proceeding any further with its impeachment investigation into President Trump, to vote to initiate a formal impeachment inquiry;\n\ncalls on the House of Representatives to provide President Trump, like every other American, with due process, to include the ability to confront his accusers, call witnesses on his behalf, and have a basic understanding of the accusations against him that would form any basis for impeachment; and\n\ncalls on the House of Representatives to provide members of the minority with the ability to participate fully in all proceedings and have equal authority to issue subpoenas and other compulsory process.\n\nFull text of the resolution is HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-resolution-honoring-beirut-bombing-victims", "Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Honoring Beirut Bombing Victims", "2019-10-23", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 23, 2019\n\nCotton, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Honoring Beirut Bombing Victims\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), along with Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Doug Jones (D-Alabama), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), and Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia) introduced a resolution that would designate today as a national day of remembrance for members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed or injured by the terrorist attack on the United States Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon on October 23, 1983. Text of the resolution may be found here.\n\n\u201cThis fateful day in 1983 marks the deadliest day for the Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima. Iran\u2019s terrorist proxy Hezbollah killed 220 Marines, along with 21 other servicemembers across our Armed Forces. Our resolution makes certain that our nation remembers their sacrifice on the anniversary of their tragic deaths,\u201d said Cotton.\n\n\u201cOn this solemn anniversary, we honor the nine Rhode Island Marines and all of the service members who were killed in a terror attack while serving on a peacekeeping mission in Beirut,\u201d said Whitehouse. \u201cWe are eternally grateful for their sacrifice and continue to fight for restitution for the victims' families.\u201d\n\n\u201cIran and its proxies have the blood of thousands of Americans on their hands, including the 241 men and women of the Armed Forces killed on October 23, 1983,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cToday we honor their sacrifice by remembering their service, and resolving to continue battling against the threat that Iran poses to the United States.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Camp Lejeune family remembers October 23, 1983 with a heavy heart, where North Carolina tragically lost loved ones to the Beirut barracks bombings carried out by Hezbollah terrorists,\u201d said Tillis. \u201cNorth Carolina is the proud home of the Beirut Memorial to remember the 241 American peacekeepers who lost their lives on that fateful day, and I am honored to co-sponsor the resolution to designate today as a day of remembrance for those who were killed or injured.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nOn October 23, 1983, an Iranian national drove a truck bomb into the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. The devastating bombing killed 220 Marines and dozens of other personnel. The attack was perpetrated by Hezbollah, a terror group founded, trained, and financially supported by the Iranian regime.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-honors-36th-anniversary-of-the-beirut-bombing-on-the-senate-floor", "Cotton Honors 36th Anniversary of the Beirut Bombing on the Senate Floor", "2019-10-23", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Thirty-six years ago this week, an Iranian suicide bomber detonated thousands of pounds of explosives inside a Marine compound in Beirut, Lebanon.\n\nSo terrible was the blast that 15 miles out at sea, Marines aboard the USS Iwo Jima could see black smoke building over Beirut like an ominous storm cloud.\n\nThe devastating attack claimed the lives of 241 Americans who were bravely keeping the peace in a country wracked by violence. A separate blast claimed the lives of 58 of our French allies.\n\nThis anniversary is a sobering reminder that freedom comes at a price-a price too often paid by brave Americans in uniform. In Beirut, it was 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and three soldiers. As a memorial to their valor, Madame President, I ask consent to include their names in the record following my remarks.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-north-macedonia-and-146s-accession-into-nato", "Cotton Statement on North Macedonia\u0092s Accession into NATO", "2019-10-22", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 22, 2019\n\nCotton Statement on North Macedonia\u2019s Accession into NATO\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) issued the following statement following the Senate\u2019s vote ratifying North Macedonia\u2019s accession into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-defends-president-removing-troops-syria-introduces-legislation-end-arms-sales/", "Dr. Rand Paul Defends President Removing Troops in Syria, Introduces Legislation to End Arms Sales to Turkey", "2019-10-17", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 17, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Shortly before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Turkey regarding Syria, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) stood up against efforts to keep America bogged down in endless conflict in the Middle East.\n\nSpeaking on the Senate floor, Dr. Paul objected to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer\u2019s attempt to pass the U.S. House-passed resolution condemning President Trump for removing American troops from northern Syria, instead offering binding legislation to indefinitely end arms sales to Turkey.\n\n\u201cThe Constitution is quite clear. No authorization has ever been given for the use of force in Syria. No authorization of declaration of war. No permission to be there at all. So if they want to insert themselves into this civil war, by all means, let\u2019s have a debate. Let\u2019s have the constitutional debate. But I, for one, am not willing to send one young man or one young woman \u2014 one soldier \u2014 over there without a clear mission. There is no clear mission,\u201d Dr. Paul said on the floor.\n\nFollowing his objection, Dr. Paul sought to pass his bill, which was opposed.\n\nYou can watch Dr. Paul\u2019s objection HERE and his remarks when offering his legislation HERE. You can find Dr. Paul\u2019s bill below.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-jones-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-make-certain-health-care-jobs-are-adequately-staffed-when-disasters-strike-the-us", "Rounds, Jones Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Make Certain Health Care Jobs are Adequately Staffed when Disasters Strike the U.S.", "2019-10-17", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.) today introduced the United States Public Health Service Modernization Act of 2019. Their bipartisan legislation would establish a Ready Reserve Corps within the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps to make certain vital health care jobs are adequately staffed when disasters strike the U.S.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re grateful to all USPHS Commissioned Corps Officers who dedicate their careers to improving public health and working in underserved areas,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cHowever, we must make certain vital healthcare services remain available to our citizens when Commissioned Corps Officers are called away from their duty stations. By creating a Ready Reserve Corps within USPHS, we\u2019ll be better equipped to fill these vital positions, such as doctors and nurses at IHS facilities, when the Regular Corps Officers need to respond to a national emergency.\u201d\n\n\u201cAlabama knows all too well the full spectrum of natural disasters and the devastation they can bring on our communities, especially in our most rural areas that lack immediate access to services and resources,\u201d said Jones. \u201cWhen our dedicated health care workers deploy to these disasters, we also need to make sure we\u2019re not creating a gap in service at their home duty station. This bipartisan bill will help address that challenge by making sure adequate health care professionals are on standby to fill those positions and provide continuous quality care.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nThe USPHS Commissioned Corps is a team of more than 6,500 full-time officers advancing public health and disease prevention programs. The Commissioned Corps fills health service roles within federal agencies and programs, including the Indian Health Service (IHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Coast Guard.\n\nCurrently, during times of national emergencies such as a hurricane, USPHS Commissioned Corps Officers are relocated from their stationed roles within these agencies and relocated to help with public health emergencies. This leaves vital health care jobs at agencies vacant, posing a risk to citizens in the area who rely on those services for care.\n\nCreating a reserve will allow duty stations to fill these vital positions when Regular Corps Officers are called away to respond to public health emergencies.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/the-pheasant-opener-is-a-south-dakota-tradition", "The Pheasant Opener is a South Dakota Tradition", "2019-10-17", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "The 2019 pheasant opener always takes place on the third Saturday of October. For the next several months, hunters will enjoy being out in the fields. With more than one million acres of public hunting land available, South Dakota is widely known as the pheasant capital of the world. Folks from all over travel here to participate in our great South Dakota tradition, and at the same time make a big impact on our local economy.\n\nAccording to the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP), their annual pheasant survey showed a 17 percent decline in the number of pheasants compared to last year. However, this was expected due to the heavy snow we had last winter and the high levels of precipitation during the spring and summer months. In South Dakota, weather is always something we have to be mindful of, but according to the GFP, this year\u2019s pheasant population index is still higher than the low years of 2013 and 2017 when hunters harvested an average of 900,000 roosters. We\u2019ll still have a good hunt, but we may just have to work harder for our birds. That\u2019s part of the fun!\n\nThe best pheasant nesting habitat is found on land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The land that my family and I hunt on is surrounded by CRP acres. We work to improve the habitat each year by making sure there is water nearby and that we have a number of different crops planted for feed and cover. When the farm bill passed the Senate last year, I worked to make sure it included an increase in the cap of CRP acres from 24 million to 27 million acres, with 2 million acres reserved for grasslands. This will help to provide a long-term healthy habitat for pheasant populations in our state. I continue to support farmers\u2019 and landowners\u2019 ability to enroll more of their acres in CRP.\n\nLike many of you, our family and friends have a pheasant opener tradition. We head out early to hunt near Presho. Our oldest grandson Ian is now old enough to hunt with the \u201cbig group,\u201d so we\u2019re looking forward to carrying on our family traditions. Even the kids and grandkids who don\u2019t participate in the hunt like to join us afterward for lunch at Hutch\u2019s Caf\u00e9 to share stories from the day. And of course it wouldn\u2019t be opening weekend without some \u201cpheasant poppers,\u201d which are a favorite of ours. You simply wrap pieces of pheasant breast with jalapeno pepper and bacon and cook it however you like\u2014fried, grilled or baked. They\u2019re delicious!\n\nMaking memories and getting a few birds is what opening weekend is all about for us. I hope everyone who is participating has a safe, fun and successful hunt!\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-statement-on-senate-confirmation-of-barbara-barrett-to-be-secretary-of-the-air-force", "Rounds Statement on Senate Confirmation of Barbara Barrett to be Secretary of the Air Force", "2019-10-16", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today made the following statement on the Senate\u2019s confirmation of Ambassador Barbara Barrett to be Secretary of the Air Force:\n\n\u201cI congratulate Ambassador Barrett on her confirmation. I have had the opportunity to visit with her prior to her confirmation vote, and we had productive discussions on the B-21 Raider and F-35A Lightning II. I appreciate her support for Ellsworth Air Force Base, Joe Foss Field and Next-Generation Air Dominance. She is an excellent choice for the Air Force and for our nation. I look forward to working with her to make sure our Air Force remains the best in the world.\u201d\n\nAmbassador Barrett is a former deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. She is also a pilot and has undergone astronaut training to be certified for space flight. In the George W. Bush administration, she served as Ambassador to the Republic of Finland. The Senate Armed Services Committee advanced her nomination to be Secretary of the Air Force to the full Senate on Sept. 12, 2019.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-icymi-sen-rand-paul-sen-graham-and-hillary-clinton-stood-together-support-islamic-extremists/", "ICYMI: Sen. Rand Paul: Sen. Graham and Hillary Clinton Stood Together to Support Islamic Extremists in the Syrian Civil War", "2019-10-15", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 15, 2019\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In case you missed it, this morning on MSNBC Live with Stephanie Ruhle, U.S. Senator and Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Rand Paul (R-KY) discussed President Trump\u2019s withdrawal of U.S. troops from Northern Syria and responded to Senator Lindsey Graham\u2019s (R-SC) criticism of the move.\n\n\u201cI would say that Lindsey Graham\u2019s been wrong about almost every foreign policy decision of the last two decades,\u201d said Sen. Paul, later noting, \u201cHe\u2019s been wrong about the Syrian war from the beginning, because the neocons \u2013 Lindsey Graham and others \u2013 and actually many liberals, like Hillary Clinton, they actually all supported the Sunni extremists against Assad.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not so sure that the Sunni extremists taking over Syria would have been better than Assad,\u201d he continued. \u201cI\u2019m not a fan of Assad, but sometimes maybe you have two evils, and you really don\u2019t have to pick sides. That\u2019s why we\u2019re supposed to vote on and have a debate \u2013 a big, public debate \u2013 about when we go to war, and I don\u2019t see a national interest over there.\u201d\n\nYou can find the clip HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"], ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/weekly-column/celebrating-native-americans-day-in-south-dakota", "Celebrating Native Americans\u2019 Day in South Dakota", "2019-10-11", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "For 29 years, South Dakotans have celebrated Native Americans\u2019 Day instead of Columbus Day. The late Governor George Mickelson, along with the editor of the Native Sun News, Tim Giago, and tribal leaders, worked together to proclaim 1990 the Year of Reconciliation. The decision to change Columbus Day to Native Americans\u2019 Day was made during the Year of Reconciliation by the state legislature as a way to honor the deep history of the tribal people who have long called this land their home.\n\nThroughout the Year of Reconciliation, and every year since, we have worked to preserve the culture and history of Native American people, acknowledge our challenges and work together on the issues we face. Native Americans make up around 10 percent of our state\u2019s population, and South Dakota is home to nine tribal reservations. It is important for all South Dakotans to understand the history and hardships that Native Americans have gone through so we can have a better understanding of one another. During my time working as governor, we wanted to honor the 20th anniversary of the Year of Reconciliation. 2010 was declared the \u201cYear of Unity,\u201d in recognition of the need to continue building upon the legacy and work of those who came before us. It was also an opportunity for us to celebrate our diversity.\n\nThroughout my time working as governor, and now as a senator, forging strong relationships with tribal leaders and members has been a priority. While tribal governments are sovereign, we often work together on different issues. For example, I introduced legislation in the Senate to require an assessment of the Indian Health Service\u2019s (IHS) management, healthcare delivery processes and finances so it can better serve its patients. Before I introduced that bill, I consulted with tribal leaders to make sure we\u2019re on the same page since the problems at the IHS are directly impacting tribal members.\n\nThis summer, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released a report on the Indian Health Service\u2019s management of the closure and reopening of the Rosebud Hospital Emergency Department. The report reaffirmed the need for an assessment of the troubled agency. It showed that IHS hasn\u2019t made significant efforts to improve its facilities or the care it delivers to tribal members. It is unacceptable, and I\u2019ll continue fighting to clean up IHS.\n\nI\u2019ve also prioritized making improvements to tribal veterans\u2019 health care. Earlier this year, I joined Sen. John Thune to re-introduce a bill that would improve tribal veterans\u2019 access to health care. Our goal is to streamline care for eligible Native American veterans who receive care at both the IHS and the VA to make it simpler and more convenient for the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country.\n\nWe\u2019ve re-introduced the RESPECT Act this Congress, which would repeal outdated, offensive laws against Native Americans. Once again, we worked on this legislation in consultation with tribal leaders. It passed out of the Senate last Congress, but wasn\u2019t able to get out of the House. We are optimistic it will move forward this Congress, since it has strong bipartisan, bicameral support, including from Rep. Dusty Johnson who was one of the original sponsors.\n\nThis Native Americans\u2019 Day, I honor and celebrate all tribal members, whose culture and traditions are woven into the fabric of our society. I will continue working closely with tribal leaders to find solutions to the problems we face so we can leave behind a brighter future for the next generation.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:39:44Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 433, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"party\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Senate", "p1": "Republican", "p2": "2019"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican&year=2019", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 433, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2019", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican&year=2019", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 433, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&year=2019", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican&year=2019", "results": [{"value": "AR", "label": "AR", "count": 198, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican&year=2019&state=AR", "selected": false}, {"value": "SD", "label": "SD", "count": 169, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican&year=2019&state=SD", "selected": false}, {"value": "KY", "label": "KY", "count": 59, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican&year=2019&state=KY", "selected": false}, {"value": "MS", "label": "MS", "count": 7, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican&year=2019&state=MS", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican&year=2019", "results": [{"value": "2019", "label": "2019", "count": 433, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2019-10-11,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Erounds~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fweekly-column~2Fcelebrating-native-americans-day-in-south-dakota", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&party=Republican&year=2019&_next=2019-10-11%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Erounds~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fweekly-column~2Fcelebrating-native-americans-day-in-south-dakota&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 999.9278029426932, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}