{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"KY\" and year = 2025 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=23E19F2B-B66D-4C93-BA00-907571B2B5F2", "McConnell Helps Secure More Than $212 Million in Federal Funding for Kentucky Rural Hospitals", "2025-12-29", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that the Commonwealth of Kentucky has been awarded $212,905,591 in federal funds for investment in rural healthcare.\n\nThe Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services will receive funding from the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program which was authorized by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act that Senator McConnell voted in support of. The federal funding distributed this year to Kentucky will be directed toward rural hospitals and will be used in a variety of ways approved by statute.\n\n\u201cThis significant investment in healthcare is a major win for Kentucky\u2019s rural hospitals and providers,\u201d said Senator McConnnell. \u201cI was proud to help secure the Rural Health Transformation fund in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act that Congress passed earlier this year. This legislation helped strengthen safety nets for Kentuckians most in need and works toward a more sustainable and innovative healthcare system in rural areas throughout our country and the Commonwealth.\u201d\n\nThis federal program was established to help implement structural reforms to failing rural healthcare systems in place of prior temporary patches. The main goals of the program include sustainable access to care, workforce development, innovative care, and innovation in technology to promote healthy lifestyles for Americans. The federal funding will be allocated to approved states over five years. All 50 states were eligible to apply for funding from the RHT, and half of the funds will be distributed equally to approved states while the other half will be allocated based on state metrics and applications to maximize impact as well as address needs.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=182BD663-CD18-4A42-9C95-7B67265B69C7", "McConnell, Shaheen in The Washington Post: Russia Isn\u2019t Winning Its War On Ukraine.", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Jean Shaheen (D-NH) submitted the following op-ed published by The Washington Post:\n\nIn the early days of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Biden administration gave Congress its assessment of Ukraine\u2019s ability to hold back Russian forces. The projection was bleak. Kyiv, they said, would fall in weeks, if not sooner.\n\nYet, the Russian tanks that attempted to topple Ukraine\u2019s democratically elected government were either destroyed or forced to retreat. By April, not only had Putin failed to install a friendly government in Kyiv, his military couldn\u2019t secure a foothold anywhere near Ukraine\u2019s capital. Instead, Ukraine successfully confined Russia\u2019s troops to the far east of their country, where Russia has tried to steal territory since 2015.\n\nAfter almost four years of fighting, Russia has lost about a third of its strategic bombers, and it continues to lose equipment at significantly higher rates than Ukraine. It is Russia that has borne more than 1 million casualties, dead and wounded, in grinding battles of its own making. Pundits who predicted a quick Ukrainian defeat were wrong in 2022, and they are wrong today.\n\nAlong the way, Republicans and Democrats alike criticized the Biden administration\u2019s excessive caution in refusing to provide Ukraine the weapons it needed, when they could have made the biggest difference. It is more than plausible that the Ukrainians could have achieved a decisive victory and lasting peace if they were simply granted the fighter jets, air defenses and long-range weapons when they initially requested them from President Joe Biden. But American assistance was often too little, too late.\n\nIn prolonging Putin\u2019s aggression, this hesitation also gave China, Iran, North Korea and other nations working together to undermine American interests new reasons to doubt our credibility and strength.\n\nFortunately, the opportunity for President Donald Trump to end this conflict on favorable terms for Ukraine, America and the West has not passed. But he must not continue to make the same miscalculation that his predecessor made in 2022.\n\nAdministration officials say that the \u201cfall\u201d of the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk is a bellwether for what\u2019s to come for Ukraine. Yet, Pokrovsk, whose population was only around 60,000 even before the war, has yet to fall. And in the entire year and a half that the Russians have spent trying to take this relatively small city, their minuscule gains have come at staggering material and human costs.\n\nRussians are paying an extraordinary economic price in pursuit of Putin\u2019s lust for glory and blood. Russian oil and gas revenue have fallen more than 30 percent due to attacks on its energy infrastructure. The Kremlin has been selling gold to stabilize its finances and shield elites from the true cost of Putin\u2019s war. And roughly a quarter of Russian companies are now bankrupt or at risk. Russia cannot afford the war it is fighting, but it can prolong it.\n\nPutin may be playing for time, but he is not dragging out this conflict because it is his preferred tactic. He is dragging it out because he cannot achieve a decisive victory. He\u2019s hoping that slow, grinding attrition will divide the West.\n\nInstead, the United States must stand with European allies investing heavily in their own defense and far exceeding American support to Ukraine. If there are economic fruits of peace, they lie in cooperation with an innovative, Western-oriented Ukraine and a resurgent Europe, not in a bankrupt, backward Russia.\n\nEnvoy Steve Witkoff has been to Moscow six times since the administration took office and worked to get Putin an invitation to the U.S. Yet, just as the Russians have barely moved in their ground offensive against Ukraine, they have not moved an inch in negotiations with the U.S.\n\nIt is fair to ask what the U.S.\u2019s endgame should be. Wars end when leverage changes. If the U.S. and its allies want a negotiated end, the only proven, viable path is to strengthen Ukraine\u2019s position, not to weaken it. Abandoning Ukraine or granting Russia what it cannot win on the battlefield will not bring lasting peace. Putin wants more than Donbas \u2014 he denies Ukrainian sovereignty outright. And his ambitions extend to the Baltic states and other nations once held captive by the Soviet empire.\n\nCongress has an array of bipartisan tools to increase pressure on Putin. In October, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced measures to tighten sanctions enforcement, restrict Chinese support for Russia\u2019s war machine and authorize transferring frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. The Trump administration\u2019s recent sanctions against Lukoil and Rosneft have had a profound effect, but much more is required.\n\nAdditional investment in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative \u2014 which received overwhelming bipartisan support in the National Defense Authorization Act and the Senate\u2019s defense appropriations, and which is spent here at home to reconstitute America\u2019s defense industrial capacity \u2014 would bolster European contributions and help ensure Ukraine has the air defenses, long-range weapons and industrial support needed to sustain a position of strength.\n\nPutin is betting the U.S. will talk itself into believing Ukraine cannot succeed. The past four years show the opposite. Ukraine has defied every expectation, including our own. Kyiv is not losing, and Moscow is not winning. It is up to Washington to match Ukraine\u2019s resolve with the clarity this moment demands.", 1, "2026-04-03T05:34:17Z", "2026-04-03T05:35:48Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=64EC6C99-2F4C-4127-B7D0-8CC6D4F95C60", "McConnell\u2019s Bill to Support Families of Retired Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Heads to President\u2019s Desk", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the Senate approved his measure to ensure the families of retired law enforcement officers who were killed or disabled as a result of their service are not unjustly denied benefits. The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act, introduced earlier this year by Senators McConnell and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which passed today. The bill now heads to President Trump\u2019s desk for his signature.\n\nThe bill is named after Chief Herbert D. Proffitt, a Korean War veteran and law enforcement officer of 55 years who retired in 2009 as Chief of the Tompkinsville, Kentucky Police Department. On August 28, 2012, Chief Proffitt was tragically shot and killed in his driveway by an individual he had arrested a decade earlier. Although his murder was in direct retaliation for his service in uniform, his family was denied benefits under the Public Safety Officers\u2019 Benefits program because he had retired from his more than half-a-century of service.\n\nThe Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act would amend the Public Safety Officers\u2019 Benefits Program eligibility criteria for retired law enforcement officers who have died or become permanently disabled due to a targeted attack directly resulting from their service, and retroactively apply the updated eligibility for claims starting on January 1, 2012.\n\n\u201cThe loss of Chief Herbert D. Proffitt is a tragic reminder of the risk that follows our finest every day of their lives. This legislation plugs an important hole, ensuring the Proffitt family\u2014and others like them\u2014are supported and assured that the service and sacrifice of their loved ones are never forgotten,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for our law enforcement officers and their steadfast dedication to keeping us safe, and I applaud my colleagues in the U.S. Senate for honoring their service by passing this bipartisan legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn behalf of Chief Proffitt\u2019s family and members of the law enforcement community, we appreciate Senator McConnell\u2019s introduction of this important piece of legislation. This bill will include Line of Duty Death (LODD) benefits for retired members of law enforcement that have been murdered because of their prior law enforcement actions. Passage of the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025 will give some comfort to Chief Proffitt\u2019s family while providing security to law enforcement families,\u201d said Scott Hildebrand, President of the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police.\n\n\u201cThe Tompkinsville Police Department is grateful to Senator McConnell for his work to support and honor our law enforcement families. Thirteen years later, we still mourn the loss of Chief Herbert \u201cSprocket\u201d Proffitt, a devoted father and leader in Tompkinsville who dedicated his life to keeping our community safe. We are proud to see his legacy honored with this important legislation,\u201d said Kerry L. Denton, Deputy Chief of Police, City of Tompkinsville.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police, the Kentucky Narcotic Officers Association, the Kentucky Sheriffs\u2019 Association, and the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=8C0178E7-1BDE-4EAC-9DBB-218A06A36586", "McConnell Praises Passage of National Defense Legislation with Major Kentucky Wins", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) praised Senate passage of the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes funding to train and equip America\u2019s 21st-century military to meet evolving security threats. The bill includes authorization of critical investments secured by Senator McConnell for Kentucky\u2019s military installations and other key defense priorities. With this legislation now on its way to President Trump for his signature, the priorities articulated in the NDAA now depend on passage of full-year defense appropriations.\n\n\u201cPassage of this legislation positions our servicemembers stationed in Kentucky to receive the equipment, training, and resources they need to address the threats facing our nation,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cRepresenting the men and women of the Armed Forces serving in Kentucky is one of my greatest privileges. We owe a special obligation to those who volunteer to serve our country in uniform, and I will continue to support them in the United States Senate.\u201d\n\nBlue Grass Army Depot\n\nSenator McConnell, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, secured a key provision that safeguards the future of Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) in Madison County. This legislation protects BGAD and other military installations from being closed by the Department of Defense without Congressional notification and a full evaluation of local and strategic consequences. It also requires the Secretary of the Army to provide Congress with an annual report on BGAD and other installations \u2013 arsenals, depots and ammunition plants \u2013 referred to as the Army\u2019s Organic Industrial Base (OIB).\n\nSenator McConnell also secured measures that encourage the Department of Defense to bring new missions to BGAD. These measures direct the Secretary of Defense to study the feasibility of expanding domestic propellant production and support the establishment of an additional artillery munition production line within the Army\u2019s OIB.\n\n\u201cFor years, I\u2019ve worked with local leaders to complete the chemical weapons disposal mission at BGAD,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cNow that the mission is complete, we\u2019re focused on building a new future for the Depot\u2014expanding its world-class facilities and unlocking new economic opportunities for Central Kentucky. With the NDAA\u2019s passage, the Army is now positioned to help shape that future mission.\u201d\n\n\u201cSenator Mitch McConnell\u2019s leadership has once again delivered real results for Madison County and for our nation\u2019s defense. Throughout the NDAA process, Senator McConnell championed measures that not only protect Blue Grass Army Depot from closure, but actively encourage the Department of Defense to expand propellant manufacturing and artillery munition production right here at BGAD. This is exactly the kind of forward-looking investment we have been advocating for during my tenure\u2014one that strengthens national security while creating hundreds of good-paying jobs for our community. I am grateful to Senator McConnell and our federal delegation for their continued partnership and commitment to protecting and growing this critical Madison County asset,\u201d said Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor.\n\nAdditional Kentucky Priorities in the NDAA\n\nSenator McConnell also secured several provisions throughout the NDAA process that support the Commonwealth\u2019s role as a cornerstone of America\u2019s national defense:\n\nAuthorization for a new $45 million air traffic control tower at Fort Campbell, replacing the aging existing structure.\n\nSupport for the Army\u2019s procurement of advanced Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage Net Systems.\n\nEncouragement for the potential use of the Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System to defend Air Force bases.\n\nSupport to our Nation\u2019s Servicemembers and U.S. National Security NDAA\n\nIn addition to these Kentucky-specific victories, the NDAA also authorizes the following provisions to support our service members and to deter American adversaries:\n\nAuthorization of a well-deserved 3.8% pay raise for service members.\n\nOverhauls the defense acquisition bureaucracy to speed support defense innovation and accelerate the Defense Department\u2019s procurement of critical weapon systems and munitions.\n\nReauthorizes the Ukraine Security Initiative and formally authorizes the Baltic Security Initiative.\n\nProhibits the drawdown of American forces in Europe and South Korea below certain levels and reinforces U.S. defense partnerships with Taiwan, the Philippines, and Israel.", 1, "2026-04-01T05:41:29Z", "2026-04-01T05:42:36Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/senator-paul-introduces-the-health-marketplace-and-savings-accounts-for-all-act/", "Senator Paul Introduces the Health Marketplace and Savings Accounts for All Act", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 4th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nSenator Paul Introduces the Health Marketplace and Savings Accounts for All Act\n\nWASHINGTON DC \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul, M.D. (R-Ky.) introduced the Health Marketplace and Savings Accounts for All Act, legislation to make all Americans eligible for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and expand Association Health Plans to provide maximum leverage to negotiate lower premiums with health insurance companies.\n\n\u201cTwo of the most daunting problems facing Americans are the lack of affordable healthcare options and the fear of exorbitant medical bills,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cWith my plan, to provide the leverage needed to reduce the cost of premiums, nearly any conceivable membership entity, such as Costco or Amazon, would be empowered to collectively bargain on behalf of their members with health insurers to lower rates. Additionally, this legislation improves the treatment of health savings accounts so all Americans can obtain them, increases the tax-free maximum contribution by thousands of dollars, and expands what HSAs can be used to pay for, such as health insurance premiums and gym memberships. If we want lower premiums and better care, we need more choice and competition.\u201d\n\nEmployer-sponsored insurance can offer strong coverage for those who have it, but many Americans do not work for large corporations and cannot access the same bargaining power and economies of scale. At the same time, Americans collectively owe over $200 billion in medical debt, and families often struggle to pay for expenses that fall outside their insurance plans.\n\nHSAs already give millions of Americans the freedom and flexibility to save and pay for medical costs insurance does not cover. Contributions are tax-free, balances can grow tax-free, and withdrawals remain tax-free when used for qualified medical expenses. HSAs also stay with an individual for life, regardless of employment status.\n\nDr. Paul\u2019s Health Marketplace and Savings Accounts for All Act would dramatically expand Americans\u2019 access to HSAs and to more affordable coverage by:\n\nOpening HSAs to all Americans, regardless of income level or current insurance coverage, to take advantage of a tax-free HSA.\n\nRaising the maximum annual HSA contribution to $24,500 for 2026. By contrast, for 2026, the HSA contribution limit is only $4,400 for an individual and $8,750 for a family.\n\nExpanding what HSAs can cover to include health insurance premiums, vitamins and dietary supplements, gym memberships, and wearable fitness trackers, so Americans can use their own money to invest in prevention, wellness, and coverage that works for them.\n\nThe bill also reforms Association Health Plans to unlock new bargaining power for everyday Americans:\n\nAllowing any membership organization to sponsor an ERISA health plan across state lines, regardless of an employment relationship. Nearly any membership-based entity could be empowered to collectively negotiate with insurers for better rates.\n\nCreating new coverage options through groups such as rideshare services, online retailers, wholesale clubs, credit unions, churches, and other associations that bring people together.\n\nProtecting coverage during job changes or unemployment, so Americans no longer have to fear losing their health plan when they lose or change a job.\n\nRead the bill here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=6A66402D-901D-4F7E-92AD-0CF9E3DF326C", "McConnell at Hearing on Russian Abduction of Ukrainian Children", "2025-12-03", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, made the following comments today at a State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on Russian abduction of Ukrainian children:\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this hearing. And thank you all for being here today.\n\n\u201cI\u2019d like to offer a particular welcome to you, Madam Ambassador. Getting a town that\u2019s often consumed by its own metaphorical political warfare to pay attention to the harsh realities of your country\u2019s real-life war for survival is a challenge \u2013 and I commend you for your work.\n\n\u201cRussia\u2019s systematic abduction of Ukrainian children is horrifying. And it\u2019s just a small glimpse into the tremendous pain and suffering that Russia\u2019s unprovoked war against Ukraine has caused. Putin has stolen children from innocent families, and his war has stolen youth from a generation of Ukrainians.\n\n\u201cAs I\u2019ve said before, we should know enough history by now not to dismiss this as just \u2018a quarrel in a faraway country, between two people of whom we know nothing.\u2019\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s Neville Chamberlain, by the way. And we know how his dismissive attitude to Hitler\u2019s aggression toward Czechoslovakia turned out.\n\n\u201cLike then, there\u2019s a clear aggressor and a clear victim today. Like then, the moral and strategic dimensions are not in conflict for the West. Like then, we have an interest in the outcome of this war.\n\n\u201cBut the price of peace matters. It must be a just peace, especially for the innocent children and families torn apart by Putin\u2019s war. It must be an enduring peace. And I\u2019m concerned that this sort of peace will remain out of reach until we\u2019re willing to put more concerted pressure on Putin and sustain support for Ukraine.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=B4C7BF5E-3380-4229-A58E-F8FE68D59C33", "Chairman McConnell in The Wall Street Journal: Peace Through Strength Is Worth Paying For", "2025-12-03", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, wrote the following op-ed on FY26 Defense Appropriations that appears in today\u2019s print edition of The Wall Street Journal.\n\nWhat time is it in America? \u201cThis is a 1939 moment. Or, hopefully, a 1981 moment. A moment of mounting urgency,\u201d Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently said. He is right about the gathering threats to America\u2019s national security. But the lesson of 1939 is that fighting war is far costlier than deterring it. Defeating the Axis powers saw U.S. defense spending hit 37% of gross domestic product.\n\nThe defense budget request for fiscal 2026 from the Office of Management and Budget shows America risks forgetting this hard-won lesson. If our goal is to make this a \u201c1981 moment\u201d\u2014as in the first year of the Reagan administration, when under-investment in the U.S. military was turned around\u2014we must deliver more consistent support for defense. President Reagan\u2019s peace-through-strength Cold War budgets allocated about twice as much as we spend now as a percentage of GDP. Today, in the face of many significant adversaries, spending more on defense is simply necessary. It must not be controversial.\n\nI urged President Trump at the beginning of his second term to reject calls to narrow the scope of U.S. strategic interests and to invest in the armed forces and defense industrial base. Mr. Trump rightly disregarded the advice of isolationists and conducted decisive strikes against Iran while sustaining the Aukus partnership with Australia and the U.K. The president wants the best possible military for America and has set ambitious priorities such as a comprehensive missile defense, aka Golden Dome, and a shipbuilding renaissance. I have supported him in these endeavors.\n\nBut with 59 days until interim government funding runs out, it remains to be seen whether Mr. Trump\u2019s administration and Congress will seize the opportunity provided by the Senate\u2019s full-year defense appropriations bill for 2026 and invest accordingly.\n\nSenior Pentagon officials have expressed a commitment to rebuilding American hard power. But others in the administration have balked at the resources required for these overdue efforts. In March, the president\u2019s budget advisers pushed the first-ever full-year continuing resolution for defense, effectively extending President Biden\u2019s anemic defense budget.\n\nIn June, OMB submitted a request for 2026 that would hold annual defense spending stagnant against inflation. In the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, administration officials then created budgetary chaos by pressing Congress to squeeze multiyear efforts like shipbuilding into a one-time spending measure using a process known as budget reconciliation. This complicated maneuver left critical programs on the cutting-room floor. Pentagon leaders have since acknowledged that total 2025 shortfalls after reconciliation exceed $25 billion.\n\nPresidential priorities like Golden Dome and restoring shipbuilding are necessary to keep America safe, but they will fail without sustained long-term investment.\n\nIn recent weeks, Pentagon officials have acknowledged a $20 billion to $30 billion shortfall in critical munitions. Despite the complaints of senior administration officials about our limited production capacity, the administration\u2019s 2026 budget request failed even to make use of that capacity to begin addressing the issue. Pentagon leaders now seem eager to support multiyear procurement to address the challenges ahead, but these plans are wishful thinking without additional funding.\n\nBy independent estimates, Golden Dome alone could cost upward of $3.5 trillion over the next 20 years, but the program is likely underfunded even this year. The president announced his selection of a sixth-generation fighter aircraft for the Air Force, the F-47, but this program is underfunded in 2026 by $500 million. Pentagon dithering over the Navy\u2019s sixth-generation fighter, the F/A-XX, has delayed its development and led to hundreds of millions in contract-extension costs. If the department made a decision, Mr. Trump could launch a program that ensures the aircraft carrier remains America\u2019s premier power-projection platform for decades.\n\nThe pace of military operations in the Middle East and Western Hemisphere has also exacerbated a shortfall in operations and maintenance, another consequence of the full-year continuing resolution. Combine that with the shortfall for Navy ship operations and the total operations and maintenance shortfall likely exceeds $2 billion.\n\nThese shortfalls aren\u2019t breaking news. They are why the Senate passed, 77-20, a National Defense Authorization Act delivering $32 billion above the OMB request and on top of the money authorizers included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.\n\nThe Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which I chair, worked with Pentagon leaders to build in an extra $7 billion to address urgent munitions requirements. It included nearly $8 billion to address shortfalls from reconciliation. And it addressed billions of dollars in unfunded requirements submitted by the armed services and combatant commands. To do so, we set our top line at $21.7 billion above the administration\u2019s 2026 request.\n\nAs we look ahead to conferencing this bill with the House, Congress ought to ensure that this higher allocation is what the president signs into law. Mr. Trump\u2019s advisers should encourage him to help Congress pass a defense appropriations bill that makes the historic investments needed to restore peace through strength.\n\nA full-year bill capped at the OMB-requested level or another full-year continuing resolution would be devastating to the U.S. military. And it would imperil the president\u2019s military legacy.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=7687FE8F-E007-4637-B904-B594D914AAFC", "President Trump Signs into Law McConnell\u2019s Bill to Address Substance Abuse Epidemic and its Impact on Workforce", "2025-12-01", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that President Trump has signed into law the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025. This legislation includes the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry (CAREER) Act of 2025, which Senator McConnell introduced earlier this year.\n\nThe CAREER Act assists individuals recovering from substance use disorders by funding stable, transitional housing and offering essential support to help them reenter the workforce and sustain employment. This legislation reauthorizes and strengthens two successful programs established under the original CAREER Act: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Treatment, Recovery, and Workforce Support Grant Program and the Department of Housing and Urban Development\u2019s Recovery Housing Program.\n\nSince the CAREER Act was first signed into law in 2018, Kentucky has received over $12 million in federal funding. These funds have been distributed to organizations throughout the state to tackle workforce participation challenges linked to substance abuse. For the past six years, Senator McConnell has championed the CAREER Act and secured its funding through the annual appropriations process. His legislation has played a vital role in helping countless Kentuckians rebuild their lives, offering the stability of housing and the opportunity for meaningful employment.\n\n\u201cI thank President Trump for recognizing the value of this program and the dedicated organizations helping individuals, affected by the substance abuse epidemic, to reenter the workforce,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cIn Kentucky, this crisis has taken lives at an alarming rate, impacting not only families and communities, but also our workforce. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to continue leading efforts to combat the epidemic\u2019s devastating impact on American workers and our economy. This crisis demands our ongoing attention, and we will keep working to provide Kentuckians in recovery with the tools they need to rebuild their lives and stay on the path to sobriety.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=D39228E9-F178-4FDB-AD0A-86B2B59B2903", "McConnell on Taiwan\u2019s Special Budget Request, Defense Investments Across Indo-Pacific", "2025-11-26", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "LOUISVILLE, KY \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding President Lai\u2019s $40 billion special budget request for defense:\n\n\u201cFrom historic new investments in Australia to accelerated defense spending timelines in Japan, America\u2019s allies and partners across Asia are demonstrating that they take threats to our shared security seriously. At the epicenter of the PRC\u2019s aggressive ambitions, President Lai\u2019s request for an historic special budget investment to bolster Taiwan\u2019s defenses with cutting-edge American-made capabilities is welcome news.\n\n\u201cAs Western-aligned nations around the world take the increasingly aligned threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea more seriously, we must not shirk our own responsibilities. From Taiwan and the Philippines to Israel and Ukraine, standing with friends and partners in the crosshairs of authoritarian aggression remains in America\u2019s national interests. Today, more than ever, we must practice what we preach and make sustained annual investments in our own military to meet growing global threats.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=2BD7F33F-0783-451F-8BAE-77612A1455AB", "McConnell Helps Secure More Than $8.7 Million for Upgrades to Lexington and Louisville Bus Systems", "2025-11-21", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that two Kentucky transit agencies will receive $8,724,000 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to fund improvements to their bus maintenance facilities.\n\nThe competitive federal grants awarded to the Transit Authority of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (Lextran) and Louisville\u2019s Transit Authority of River City (TARC) come from the U.S. Department of Transportation\u2019s Federal Transit Administration through the Buses and Bus Facilities Program, which was funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that Senator McConnell supported. Senator McConnell also wrote letters to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in support of the transit agencies\u2019 grant applications.\n\n$6,100,000 in federal funding to Lextran to procure new vehicles for their existing fleet. According to Lextran, they would acquire seven new buses and ten paratransit vehicles to replace outdated equipment.\n\n\u201cLextran will use this federal funding to replace several vehicles that are nearing the end of their useful service life,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cThese new buses will improve reliability, increase efficiency, and help Lextran carry out its mission to provide dependable transportation services for families and workers across Lexington.\u201d\n\n\u201cReceiving this grant is a proud achievement for our agency that reinforces our commitment to the community we serve. Adding 10 new paratransit vehicles and 7 fixed-route buses to our fleet strengthens our transportation network. These investments will enhance connectivity for riders, improve the reliability of our daily service, and elevate safety across all operations. We are grateful for the ongoing support from the Federal Transit Administration and Senator McConnell for this investment,\u201d said Fred Combs, AICP, Lextran General Manager.\n\n$2,624,000 in federal funding to TARC to create a new dedicated bus brake maintenance shop to consolidate the entire brake maintenance operation into one service facility.\n\n\u201cThis federal funding will allow TARC to expand its operations, and the new brake-maintenance shop will help keep buses running safely, reliably, and on time,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cReliable public transit connects riders across Louisville and its suburbs to jobs, schools, and local businesses. TARC plays an important role in keeping our community moving, and this investment will strengthen the service that so many families rely on every day.\u201d\n\n\u201cTARC is committed to providing great service to the city of Louisville; this award places us in a better position to do just that as we move toward implementing the New TARC Network next August,\u201d said Ozzy Gibson, TARC Executive Director. \u201cWith the expansion of the 10th street maintenance facility, service reliability and performance across the fleet will improve for the Greater Louisville area; TARC is incredibly grateful to Senator McConnell for his support of this grant.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=9E5260CE-748D-446F-BC51-1FD52A38690C", "McConnell Statement on Ukraine", "2025-11-21", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, released the following statement today:\n\n\u201cPutin has spent the entire year trying to play President Trump for a fool. If Administration officials are more concerned with appeasing Putin than securing real peace, then the President ought to find new advisors. Rewarding Russian butchery would be disastrous to America\u2019s interests. And a capitulation like Biden\u2019s abandonment of Afghanistan would be catastrophic to a legacy of peace through strength.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=ABACFADF-AB42-4888-A57D-5A2E2CC71867", "Senator McConnell Secures Over $11 Million for Kentucky Agriculture and Rural Communities", "2025-11-13", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that he secured more than $11 million in federal funding for several Kentucky-focused priorities included in the final FY 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report. Senator McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, played a key role in shaping the legislation that President Trump signed into law last night.\n\nUniversity of Kentucky College of Agriculture\n\n$10 million for the University of Kentucky and USDA Agricultural Research Services (ARS) Forage-Animal Production Unit. The federal funding will be used to construct a new state-of-the-art agricultural research laboratory at the University. This builds upon federal funding previously secured by Senator McConnell for the project in FY 2020.\n\n\u201cThis federal investment marks a major step forward for agricultural research and innovation at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cI was proud to secure this funding on behalf of UK, which will support agricultural research vital to our farmers and rural communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are deeply grateful to Senator McConnell for his continued leadership and steadfast support of Kentucky agriculture. This investment strengthens a decades-long partnership between the University of Kentucky and the USDA Agricultural Research Service \u2014 one that has yielded innovations vital to our state\u2019s signature industries, from beef and equine production to the emerging hemp economy,\u201d said UK President Eli Capilouto. \u201cWith this funding, we can continue developing science-based solutions that advance the productivity and profitability of Kentucky farms and improve the livelihoods of those who sustain them.\u201d\n\nOhio County Healthcare\n\n$1.35 million for Ohio County Healthcare (OCH) Hospital Infrastructure Improvement Project. This federal funding will support critical infrastructure upgrades at Ohio County Healthcare, including replacing the roof of the main hospital in Hartford, restructuring patient care areas, and other equipment updates.\n\n\u201cOhio County Healthcare is a vital resource for tens of thousands of residents who depend on it for quality medical care, and it provides important jobs and health benefits to many families in our region,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cThese much-needed infrastructure improvements will ensure the hospital remains safe, reliable, and capable of delivering prompt emergency care when it\u2019s needed most.\u201d\n\n\"As a rural Critical Access Hospital, we are deeply committed to providing high-quality care to our neighbors\u2014many of whom face economic hardship and limited access to essential health services,\u201d said Shellie Shouse, CEO of Ohio County Healthcare. \u201cSenator McConnell\u2019s continued support of OCH is not just appreciated; it is vital. Without it, our ability to safeguard the health and well-being of our community would be severely compromised.\"\n\nIn addition to the federal funding wins, the FY 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report includes additional language and provisions advanced by Senator McConnell to benefit Kentucky and the broader national interest.\n\nCloses the Intoxicating Hemp Loophole\n\nIncludes language to close a loophole that has allowed the sale of unregulated intoxicating THC products to be manufactured and sold nationwide, while preserving non-intoxicating CBD and industrial hemp products. The measure locks in the original intent of the 2018 Farm Bill, which sought to create an agricultural hemp industry, not open the door to the sale of unregulated, intoxicating, hemp-derived substances with no safety framework. More info HERE.\n\nSupports White Oak Forest Conservation\n\nRecognizes the ecological and economic importance of White Oak forests and encourages the Natural Resources Conservation Service to expand conservation efforts. This provision supports Kentucky\u2019s signature bourbon industry and builds on McConnell-backed legislation like the White Oak Resiliency Act.\n\nEnhances Equine Health Research Funding\n\nEstablishes a dedicated line item in the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) budget for equine health. Previously equine health was grouped with programs for deer, sheep, goats, and other similar animals. This new structure provides greater transparency and a stronger focus on equine-specific research.\n\nEnsures Scientific Integrity in Alcohol Guidelines\n\nDirects the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and USDA to rely solely on findings from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) when updating alcohol consumption recommendations in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This provision addresses concerns raised during the Biden administration that the DGA Committee might rely on biased sources. It ensures that any guidance is based on sound science and independent expert review.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=F3976C1E-8E32-44C9-B2D3-9D0079005A1F", "Senator McConnell Secures Federal Funding for Kentucky\u2019s Defense Facilities", "2025-11-13", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that he secured $147 million in federal funding for military construction projects at several Kentucky military facilities. The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Conference Report. Senator McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, played a key role in shaping the legislation that President Trump signed into law last night.\n\n\"I'm honored to represent multiple key military installations in Kentucky that play a critical role in our national defense,\" said Senator McConnell. \u201cThe legislation we passed\u2014and that the President signed\u2014will support essential construction projects across the state. This bill makes an important investment in Kentucky\u2019s contribution to the American defense industrial base by funding plans for a U.S.-based military shipping container production facility at Blue Grass Army Depot. It also provides substantial funding to modernize our military infrastructure at Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, both of which are home to some of our military\u2019s most distinguished Army units, as well as the Kentucky National Guard\u2014further reinforcing Kentucky's deep importance to our national defense.\"\n\nSenator McConnell requested federal funding to support the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD), Fort Campbell, Fort Knox and the Kentucky National Guard.\n\nBlue Grass Army Depot\n\n$27 million in federal funding for the planning and design of a military container production facility at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky. The Department of Defense\u2019s global logistics operations rely heavily on 20-foot metal shipping containers for logistics and deployment, yet most of these containers are currently manufactured in China. While BGAD already operates a small facility focused on maintenance and repair of shipping containers, this federal funding will support plans for the construction of a new container production facility\u2014advancing domestic manufacturing capabilities and reducing American dependence on foreign suppliers. This funding represents a step toward an opportunity identified in the Army\u2019s study on the feasibility of reusing the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant and the Blue Grass Army Depot infrastructure, which was authorized by the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. As articulated by the feasibility study, BGAD is a promising potential home for new missions that would help bridge critical supply chain gaps.\n\n\u201cSenator McConnell\u2019s steadfast leadership and vision continue to deliver meaningful results for Madison County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. His success in securing funding for the new military container production project at the Blue Grass Army Depot represents a critical step in sustaining economic growth and preserving the skilled workforce that has long supported the Depot\u2019s mission. As operations at the Chemical Demilitarization Site conclude, Senator McConnell has worked alongside us for a continual focus on job replacement and reinvestment which ensures BGAD remains an anchor of opportunity and innovation for Madison County and for the nation,\u201d said Reagan Taylor, Madison County Judge Executive.\n\nFort Campbell\n\n$45 million in federal funding for the construction of a new air traffic control tower at Campbell Army Airfield. The existing tower, built in 1975, is among the oldest still in use in the U.S. Army. It supports the critical operations of the 101st Airborne Division and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell. This new tower will be more capable of supporting Campbell Army Airfield\u2019s high tempo of operations, enhancing safety and operational efficiency.\n\n$11 million in federal funding for the planning and design of a modernized hangar at Campbell Army Airfield. The 101st Airborne Division currently faces a shortage of hangar space for its CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. A new hangar would accommodate the significant increase in Chinooks stationed at Fort Campbell and enhance the Campbell Army Airfield\u2019s readiness and operational effectiveness in support of the 101st\u2019s operations.\n\n\u201cThe Military Affairs Committee is proud to stand beside the men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our freedoms. Our mission has always been to ensure they are supported, equipped, and prepared for success\u2014both in service and at home. We are deeply grateful for Senator McConnell\u2019s enduring leadership and his tireless advocacy for Fort Campbell. His commitment continues to strengthen not only the installation but the entire community that supports it,\u201d said Shannon Lane, Director, Military Affairs Committee, Christian County Chamber of Commerce; Member, Citizens for Fort Campbell.\n\nFort Knox\n\n$50 million in federal funding for the demolition of legacy aircraft hangars at Ft. Knox. According to base officials, the existing hangars at Ft. Knox are not suitable to support current and future operations at Godman Army Airfield.\n\n$8 million in federal funding for the construction of a vehicle access road at Ft. Knox. The funding will support the construction of a new two-way bypass to connect North Knox Street and Bullion Boulevard, allowing military equipment and large vehicles to easily travel between Fort Knox\u2019s main north-south roads.\n\n$4.5 million in federal funding for the planning and design of two dining facilities at Ft. Knox. These new buildings would replace Fort Knox\u2019s dining facilities, which are currently spread across six structures built in the 1960s. The upgraded facilities would better support key missions of Fort Knox, including the Cadet Summer Training, and training support to external units. They would also be equipped to serve significant numbers of troops during a large-scale deployment of forces from Fort Knox in a time of crisis.\n\n\u201cWe are certainly thankful for Senator McConnell\u2019s continued support to Fort Knox. His support directly impacts Fort Knox as a strategic enabler of readiness and lethality and continues to make it a premier installation. Furthermore, the benefits Fort Knox derives from the Senator\u2019s support directly impacts the greater Fort Knox community,\u201d said Lance O\u2019Bryan, President and CEO of the Knox Regional Development Alliance.\n\nKentucky National Guard\n\n$1.5 million in federal funding for the planning and design of the National Guard Readiness Center in Somerset. This federal funding will support the planning of a new Army National Guard Readiness Center and Vehicle Maintenance Shop in Somerset, Kentucky. Currently, elements of the Kentucky National Guard assigned to the existing Somerset Armory, which was built in 1949, and the London Field Maintenance Shop, which was built in 1958, operate out of dated facilities. This new facility in Somerset would provide consolidated, modern infrastructure to better support the Kentucky Army National Guard\u2019s operational needs in southeastern Kentucky.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=9BC0F429-AEAA-4DF4-B5DA-38FFC1E72CA4", "McConnell Hemp Provision Targets Intoxicating THC Products; Protects Industrial Hemp and CBD", "2025-11-10", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) secured language in the FY 2026 Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill to close a loophole that has allowed the sale of unregulated intoxicating THC products to be manufactured and sold nationwide, while preserving non-intoxicating CBD and industrial hemp products. The measure locks in the original intent of the 2018 Farm Bill, which sought to create an agricultural hemp industry, not open the door to the sale of unregulated, intoxicating, hemp-derived substances with no safety framework.\n\nSenator McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture and Appropriations Committees, played a key role in crafting the legislation. \u201cThe language I helped secure in the Agriculture Appropriations bill addresses a serious concern regarding the manufacturing and selling of unregulated, intoxicating THC products nationwide,\u201d said Senator McConnell.\n\nOnce the FY 2026 Agriculture Appropriations bill passes in the Senate and the House, it will go to President Trump for his signature.\n\nThe hemp provision would accomplish the following:\n\nIndustrial hemp: Defines \u201cindustrial hemp\u201d to clarify that hemp that is used for industrial applications \u2014 such as seed, stock, fiber, grain oil \u2014 or hemp used in federally authorized research, drug trials, or research at an institution of higher education, including at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.\n\nSynthetic \u201chemp\u201d products: Prohibits synthetic cannabinoids.\n\nTHC Limits in final hemp products: Excludes intoxicating THC products that contain more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per package/container from the definition of hemp.\n\nPreserves Farm Bill definition in hemp plants: Leaves in place the 0.3% limit on total THC for hemp plants growing in the field.\n\nProtects CBD: Does NOT place any limits on the amount of non-intoxicating CBD products that can be in a product or container. Industrial hemp and CBD products that contain traceable or low amounts of THC would continue to be legal.\n\nImplementation and Guidance: To help give our hemp farmers ample time to prepare for their future, the legislation also contains a one-year implementation delay and requires FDA to establish industry guidance within 90 days.\n\n\u201cThe language included in today\u2019s bill preserves the legitimate hemp industry while addressing the rise of intoxicating and synthetic THC products. Industrial hemp and CBD will remain legal for industrial applications \u2014 such as seed, stock, fiber, grain oil \u2014 or used in drug trials, federally authorized research, or research at an institution of higher education, such as the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture\u2019s Industrial Hemp Research Program,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cI am proud to have championed this language that keeps these products out of the hands of children, secures the future of regulated hemp businesses, and keeps our promise to American farmers and law enforcement by clarifying the intention in the 2018 Farm Bill\u201d\n\n\u201cThese psychoactive products are being sold openly in vape shops and convenience stores with little to no regulation, making them readily accessible to middle and high school students. Their intoxicating effects can impair judgment, hinder academic performance, and increase the likelihood of progression to more dangerous substances. The KNOA is far more concerned for the welfare of our youth than for the profits of an industry that converts hemp into such harmful products,\u201d said Tommy Loving, Executive Director of the Kentucky Narcotic Officers\u2019 Association. \u201cThe Kentucky Narcotic Officers\u2019 Association commends Senator Mitch McConnell for his continued leadership in working to close this loophole. Senator McConnell has long been an advocate for protecting children and supporting law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe.\u201d\n\n\"Our community works together to keep all of our children safe from many threats. Unfortunately, the proliferation of vaping products that contain delta-8, delta-9, and delta-10, are readily available at retail outlets in all areas of our community. These vapes are being purchased and used by students as young as 10 years old. Students, who many times are trying vaping for the first time, are being exposed to intoxicating hemp products and the results are dangerous. We have created a system that does not provide safeguards to protect our K-12 students from these dangerous products. I commend Senator McConnell for working to close these loopholes in order to protect every child in Kentucky,\u201d said Gary Fields, Bowling Green Independent School District Superintendent.\n\n\"Senator McConnell\u2019s steadfast leadership since 2013 has been instrumental in establishing industrial hemp as a critical new commodity, paving the way for growth in American agriculture and manufacturing. The National Hemp Association looks forward to working with him and his colleagues to secure a promising future for our nation\u2019s hemp farmers and the many benefits hemp provides,\u201d said Geoff Whaling, Chair of the National Hemp Association.\n\nAdditional Support for the Legislation\n\n39 Attorneys General wrote to Congress regarding the legislation on intoxicating hemp-derived THC products.\n\nIn the letter, they write, \u201cWe ask that Congress clarify the federal definition of hemp during the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process or through the reauthorization of the Farm Bill to leave no doubt that these harmful products are illegal and that their sale and manufacture are criminal acts\u2026 Many of these products\u2014created by manufacturers by manipulating hemp to produce synthetic THC\u2014are more intoxicating and psychoactive than marijuana a Schedule I controlled substance and are often marketed to minors. Unless Congress acts, this gross distortion of the 2018 Farm Bill\u2019s hemp provision will continue to fuel the rapid growth of an underregulated industry that threatens public health and safety and undermines law enforcement nationwide.\u201d\n\nHealth and safety groups from across the country wrote to Congress regarding the impact this issue is having \u2013 especially on children --- and the need to address it.\n\nIn the letter, they write, \u201cThe 2018 Farm Bill\u2019s definition of hemp has been interpreted by the hemp industry as \u201clegalizing\u201d hemp-derived THC and all other psychoactive substances derived from hemp\u2026that have similar effects as delta-9 THC The current definition of hemp has created serious challenges for regulators and public-health officials, while fueling widespread, largely unmonitored sales of highly intoxicating products. These substances are now sold nationwide \u2013 in gas stations, convenience stores, head shops and online \u2013 in ways that are purposely made both accessible and attractive to youth.3-7 These substances are often sold in the form of gummies, chocolates, chips, candies, and cookies\u2026 There have been thousands of calls to U.S. poison control centers from use of these products, more than 30% for children 5 years and younger.\u201d\n\nOp-ed by Dr. Matt Rossheim, a professor, substance use prevention researcher, and parent in Fort Worth, Texas, where he writes that \u201cCongress must close this loophole, restore hemp to its intended purpose as stated by the sponsors of the original bill, and protect kids before more families are harmed.\u201d\n\nIn the op-ed, Dr. Rossheim writes: \u201cSince 2021, poison control centers have handled more than 10,000 delta-8 THC cases. In Kentucky, pediatric cannabis poisonings have increased sixfold since 2018, and youth presenting with Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome \u2013 severe pain with uncontrollable vomiting \u2013 have risen tenfold. No parent should have to wonder whether a pack of gummies at the corner store could send their child to the ER\u2026 Some claim that banning intoxicating THC products would destroy the entire hemp market. But hemp has countless legitimate uses: nutritious foods and animal feed, durable textiles, sustainable building materials, eco-friendly plastics, rope, clothing, biofuels, and cosmetics, to name a few. To suggest these markets can\u2019t survive without marijuana look-alikes is like saying corn farmers can\u2019t thrive without moonshine. It\u2019s simply not true.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-pauls-remarks-defending-the-hemp-industry/", "", "2025-11-10", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON DC \u2013 Tonight, November 10th, 2025, Dr. Paul delivered remarks on the Senate floor regarding his amendment to remove language in the government funding package that targets the hemp industry. The amendment would protect farmers, processors, and small businesses by striking provisions that impose restrictive regulations on hemp farmers and hemp-derived products.\n\nWatch the full remarks here.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=5D8EA719-A5C0-4415-AC25-49A2C143B41F", "McConnell Delivers Senate Floor Speech on Louisville UPS Plane Crash", "2025-11-05", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding yesterday\u2019s UPS cargo plane crash in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky:\n\n\u201cI know that many of our colleagues will have seen the tragic news out of my hometown yesterday. And I\u2019m grateful that their thoughts and prayers this morning are with the people of Louisville. Folks around Jefferson County need those prayers right now, and in the days and weeks to come.\n\n\u201cThe death toll from last evening\u2019s UPS cargo crash has risen throughout the day. For the families of these victims, and for the injured survivors being treated at area hospitals, life will never be the same.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of grief welling up right now in Kentucky. This would be true even in the case of a single life lost. But as local first responders, state officials, and federal investigators continue their work today, I\u2019d like to help our colleagues understand what makes this tragedy such a gut punch in a place like Louisville.\n\n\u201cDuring the day, Louisville International hums with thousands of passengers from across the country. But around the clock, Louisville is also a hub for global shipping and logistics. Business supplies, consumer goods, Christmas gifts\u2026 if it\u2019s going somewhere in short order, there\u2019s a good chance it\u2019s passing through UPS Worldport in Louisville. None of this is possible without teams of devoted professionals.\n\n\u201cLouisville is home to logistics experts, warehouse workers, aircraft crew and maintainers. They take pride in their work, and their community takes pride in them. That\u2019s why this crash cuts so deep. It\u2019s about all of us. Today, Jefferson County schools and many local businesses are closed. Neighbors are mourning neighbors.\n\n\u201cSo today will be a tough day in the Commonwealth. But the people of Louisville are grateful for the swift, life-saving efforts of our first responders from local police, fire, and EMS. They can trust in the prayers of their fellow Americans. And I want them to know that their representatives here in Washington are making sure that every federal resource they need is on the ground or headed that way soon.\n\n\u201cI spoke with Mayor Craig Greenberg this morning, and my team and I will continue to stay in close contact with local, state, and federal officials, including at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in the coming days. But first and foremost, I\u2019m keeping my fellow Kentuckians in my prayers, and I\u2019d ask our colleagues to do the same.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=19BCE5B7-33C2-4A63-A5A0-5E55A6E4341B", "Vice President Dick Cheney", "2025-11-04", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of former Vice President Dick Cheney:\n\n\u201cElaine and I join the Senate and the entire nation in mourning the loss of former Vice President Richard B. Cheney.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s 46th Vice President and President of the Senate will be remembered for decades of deeply patriotic and highly capable service to our republic. From the highest reaches of power in Washington, Dick Cheney served with a profound and humble appreciation for the rules, principles, and institutions that sustain America\u2019s experiment in self-governance.\n\n\u201cRarely in our history have immense organizational competence, far-sighted vision, and sheer force of will coincided as they did in the leader who served as White House Chief of Staff, U.S. Representative, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States. From his stewardship of the Department of Defense from the end of the Cold War through the Gulf War to his steady counsel to President Bush when terrorists launched a war against America on September 11, 2001, his intellect, experience, and resolve made America safer. As grave threats to our security continue to loom, his commitment to American leadership will remain a lesson.\n\n\u201cToday, we join Vice President Cheney\u2019s wife, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and the entire Cheney family in mourning a monumental life.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=36624A39-889F-4B36-9F0C-78112B640845", "McConnell on the Passing of Former Governor Martha Layne Collins", "2025-11-01", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of former Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins:\n\n\u201cAs Kentucky\u2019s first female governor, Martha Layne Collins was known for breaking barriers. Governor Collins was a tireless advocate for all levels of education in Kentucky, and that passion carried her throughout her life. She also promoted growth in the Commonwealth by bringing the Toyota Plant to Georgetown stimulating the regional economy. It is with deep sadness that Elaine and I learned about Governor Collins\u2019 passing, and we send our sincere condolences to her husband, Bill, and her two children.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=8BF5E4BA-D796-46C7-BB53-ACD9372385F0", "McConnell: Servicemembers Deserve Open Gov\u2019t, Full-Year Defense Funding", "2025-10-30", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the consequences of Democrats\u2019 shutdown for the U.S. Armed Forces and the need to pass full-year defense appropriations:\n\n\u201cGovernment shutdowns have real consequences. I\u2019ve said so countless times.\n\n\u201cIncredibly, it seems to have taken Democrats a month to remember that the proverbial stove is, in fact, hot. And yet, they\u2019re not ready to turn it off\u2026 Just turn it down a notch\u2026 Just low enough that they can take the political heat.\n\n\u201cMy friend from Delaware is right: Our military deserves a lot better than a government shutdown that jeopardizes their paychecks and the services military families count on.\n\n\u201cDuring Democrats\u2019 shutdown, the President has had to scrape together unobligated balances within the Defense budget in order to uphold the nation\u2019s promise to servicemembers through another pay period.\n\n\u201cI certainly hope he won\u2019t have to divert resources from urgent modernization again to make payroll in another two weeks. But that ball, of course, is in the Democrats\u2019 court. And I hope they\u2019ll realize soon that the surest way to help servicemembers and civilian DoD employees is to simply turn government funding back on\u2026 and pass full-year appropriations.\n\n\u201cI know my counterpart on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, of all people, understands this. He knows what would really help our armed forces \u2013 because he and I worked closely together on a full-year bill for defense that would pay servicemembers and invest more in the capabilities they need to keep America safe.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m grateful for Senator Coons\u2019 collaboration on the bipartisan bill that earned overwhelming support in committee and would add $22 billion above the President\u2019s defense request. This, by the way, is the bill that almost every Democrat voted against considering two weeks ago. I know the Ranking Member cares about the promises we make to the all-volunteer force and the challenges we expect them to face. I know he\u2019s concerned about the erosion of Congress\u2019 authority to set and fund national security priorities. So am I. And if we cannot appropriate, we will render ourselves irrelevant.\n\n\u201cThe way to provide real certainty and deliver serious, full-year appropriations is to open the government and pass our bill. It\u2019s that simple.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=D1763366-63E6-4404-8FDD-B932A4691CB7", "McConnell on Tariff Votes", "2025-10-28", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, released the following statement today on the Senate\u2019s consideration of resolutions to terminate national emergency tariff authorities:\n\n\u201cI\u2019m approaching this week\u2019s votes on tariffs the same way I did earlier this year, and the same way I have my entire career.\n\n\u201cProtectionists in Washington insist that the past several months have vindicated the policy of indiscriminate trade war against both close allies and strategic adversaries. But Kentuckians are especially well-equipped to sort the bluster from the truth.\n\n\u201cNew trade barriers imposed this year have made it harder to sustain the supply chains that let thousands of Kentuckians build cars and appliances in the Commonwealth. Retaliatory tariffs on American products have turned agricultural income upside down for many of Kentucky\u2019s nearly 70,000 family farms. Bourbon has been caught in the crossfire from Day One. And consumers are paying higher prices across the board as the true costs of trade barriers fall inevitably on them.\n\n\u201cProtectionists eagerly celebrate the revenue from tariff duties. But they don\u2019t talk nearly as much about how much of that revenue they\u2019ll spend protecting American growers and producers from the avoidable harm of their policies.\n\n\u201cTariffs make both building and buying in America more expensive. The economic harms of trade wars are not the exception to history, but the rule. And no cross-eyed reading of Reagan will reveal otherwise. This week, I will vote in favor of resolutions to end emergency tariff authorities.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=D7B7D925-E2B6-4B95-AF84-9DBBB2EF4BD2", "McConnell Statement on the Passing of Former Warren County Sheriff Jerry \u201cPeanuts\u201d Gaines", "2025-10-23", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of former Warren County Sheriff Jerry \u201cPeanuts\u201d Gaines:\n\n\u201cI am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Warren County Sheriff Jerry 'Peanuts' Gaines. Sheriff Gaines devoted nearly four decades to serving the public\u2014making him the longest serving sheriff in Kentucky history. An accomplished leader, Sheriff Gaines served as President of the National Sheriffs\u2019 Association and President of the Kentucky Sheriffs\u2019 Association. His work in founding the Kentucky Sheriffs\u2019 Boys & Girls Ranch leaves an enduring legacy that should be celebrated. The impact Sheriff Gaines made on his community touched the lives of many, and I am grateful for his lifetime of service and dedication. Elaine and I are thinking of his family during this difficult time.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=E140D446-FDCB-45B9-AFCA-2E5C87E7584F", "Senate Confirms Chad Meredith of Kentucky for Federal Judgeship", "2025-10-23", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today on the Senate\u2019s confirmation of Chad Meredith of Lexington to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky:\n\n\u201cCongratulations to my friend and fellow Kentuckian Chad Meredith on his confirmation to serve as a district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Chad\u2019s impressive legal background in the private sector and devotion to serving the public make him an excellent addition to the federal bench. His thoughtfulness and commitment to our Constitution will serve him well as he carries out his new duties.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=E8B09FBE-455E-48D6-9558-F97B7B6E6538", "Democrats Block Bipartisan Defense Priorities", "2025-10-16", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, released the following statement today following Democrats blocking the Department of Defense Appropriations Act:\n\n\u201cTwo weeks ago, when Democrats chose to take the federal government hostage for partisan priorities, I warned that there would be nothing to gain from their shutdown. Today, our colleagues\u2019 refusal even to begin considering the overwhelmingly bipartisan defense appropriations bill is a sobering reminder that there is, however, much to lose.\n\n\u201cProviding for the common defense is a solemn Constitutional obligation. It is gravely important every year \u2014 no less so in the face of the bipartisan consensus about the growing threats from increasingly aligned adversaries.\n\n\u201cLast week, the Senate passed a National Defense Authorization Act that raised the defense topline by more than $30 billion to meet these growing threats. However, without appropriated dollars, such an authorization only grows the gap between our rhetoric and our action.\n\n\u201cOur adversaries are not standing still. They are growing their military capacities and preparing for the changing realities of modern warfare. The longer we wait to make sizable investments in our own defense, the more difficult it will be to restore deterrence and achieve peace through strength.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/icymi-dr-rand-pauls-end-the-feds-big-bank-bailout-act-considered-in-the-senate/", "ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul\u2019s End the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailout Act Considered in the Senate", "2025-10-10", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 10th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul\u2019s End the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailout Act Considered in the Senate\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) delivered remarks on the Senate floor ahead of consideration of his amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, the End the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailout Act.\n\nThis legislation targets the Federal Reserve\u2019s twin types of interest payments that act as subsidies for big banks: Interest on Reserve Balances (IORB) and the Overnight Reverse Repurchase Agreement (ONRRP). Together, these two subsidies have cost taxpayers more than half a trillion dollars in just the last five years.\n\nThe amendment failed (14-82).\n\nRemarks as delivered:\n\n\u201cThe Federal Reserve pays both foreign and domestic banks to simply park their money in Fed accounts. In other words, to not loan money at all. Over the past five years, the Fed\u2019s big bank bailout amounts to over half a trillion dollars.\n\nThis bailout causes the Fed to operate at a loss, which means that the Fed cannot remit profits to the taxpayer as it normally does. According to the economist Judy Shelton, if these payments stopped, banks would buy treasury securities and would bring interest rates down.\n\nSome people say that this program is a floor to interest rates. My amendment ends these subsidies. Let\u2019s end the Fed\u2019s big bank bailout. Let\u2019s lower interest rates. Please vote for my amendment.\u201d\n\nWatch the remarks HERE.\n\nRead the bill HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A6C99506-7147-4EF3-90AA-67A373F4E563", "McConnell Statement on the Passing of Retired Judge Walt Maguire", "2025-10-09", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of retired judge Walt Maguire:\n\n\u201cI am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend, Walt Maguire. Walt and I attended law school together at the University of Kentucky, and his impressive judicial career spanning 29 years is a testament to his public service. His devotion to others was evident by his extensive involvement in the community\u2014teaching classes at UK and Somerset Community College, as well as serving on several state judicial councils. Walt\u2019s friendship meant a lot to me, and I always enjoyed seeing him when I was in Somerset. Elaine and I are thinking of his family and friends during this difficult time.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-offers-amendment-to-2026-ndaa-to-end-the-feds-big-bank-bailouts/", "Dr. Rand Paul Offers Amendment to 2026 NDAA to End the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailouts", "2025-10-09", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 9th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Rand Paul Offers Amendment to 2026 NDAA to End the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailouts\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) announced he is offering his bipartisan bill, the End the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailout Act (S.2113), as an amendment to the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to end the Federal Reserve\u2019s authority to pay banks interest on reserves. This policy has cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars while punishing Main Street and rewarding Wall Street.\n\n\u201cOur country is over $37 trillion in debt, yet the Fed has paid hundreds of billions to banks to keep money idle. While it runs losses and no longer sends profits back to taxpayers, it keeps funneling cash to banks for doing nothing\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cWe want to end the Federal Reserve\u2019s twin types of interest payments that act as subsidies for big banks: Interest on Reserve Balances (IORB) and the Overnight Reverse Repurchase Agreement (ONRRP). Together, these two subsidies have cost taxpayers more than half a trillion dollars in just the last five years.\u201d\n\nUntil 2008, the Federal Reserve paid no interest to banks on reserve balances. That changed after the financial crisis, when Congress authorized the payments as a tool to control the money supply.\n\nThe payments averaged $5 billion annually from 2008 to 2016. But with the Fed\u2019s rate now above 4 percent, these payments have ballooned at nearly $200 billion in three years, costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars each year. Meanwhile, the Fed itself operates at a loss.\n\n\u201cAt a time of persistent and self-imposed worsening losses at the Fed, the manipulators of the American economy continue to pay banks to do nothing but have their funds sit in a safe,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\nThis amendment is up for consideration by the Senate later today.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/chairman-rand-paul-introduces-the-safeguarding-personal-information-act-of-2025/", "Chairman Rand Paul Introduces the Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025", "2025-10-08", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 8th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nChairman Rand Paul Introduces the Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.) of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has introduced the Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025, legislation to repeal the federal mandate requiring every state to share citizens\u2019 personal data and redesign driver\u2019s licenses to meet federal standards.\n\n\u201cREAL ID is effectively creating a national ID card with no limit on the personal information being shared between all 50 states, the District of Columbia, possessions, and territories,\u201d said Chairman Rand Paul. My bill repeals this dangerous mandate and restores the privacy, due process, and First Amendment rights stripped away in 2005. The government should not have a dossier on every American. You should never have to \u2018show your papers\u2019 to travel freely within your own country or enter a building your tax dollars paid for.\u201d\n\nREAL ID forces the states to adopt uniform federal standards for driver\u2019s licenses and IDs, embedding machine-readable technology that makes it easier for the government to track U.S. citizens\u2019. To obtain one, Americans must surrender layers of personal documentation, including proof of identity, a Social Security number, proof of residency, proof of lawful presence, and in some cases, proof of name change. After gathering these documents, citizens often wait weeks for DMV appointments or stand in hours-long lines, paying additional fees in many states simply to upgrade their licenses.\n\nThese documents are then stored and can be shared across state databases.\n\nOnly IDs that comply with these federal rules are accepted for \u201cofficial purposes,\u201d such as boarding commercial flights, entering federal buildings, or accessing other federally controlled spaces. In practice, the REAL ID Act functions as a domestic passport that conditions basic rights\u2014like travel and petitioning your government\u2014on government approval.\n\nThe Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025 repeals the de facto national identification mandate in full, restoring the right of every American to move freely, speak freely, and live without government intrusion.\n\nRead the bill here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-highlights-the-economic-benefits-of-right-to-work-policies-at-help-committee-hearing/", "Dr. Rand Paul Highlights the Economic Benefits of Right-to-Work Policies at HELP Committee Hearing", "2025-10-08", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 8th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Rand Paul Highlights the Economic Benefits of Right-to-Work Policies at HELP Committee Hearing\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, participated in a hearing titled \u201cLabor Law Reform Part I: Diagnosing the Issues, Exploring Current Proposals.\u201d As the Committee continues its review of proposed federal labor reforms, Dr. Paul underscored the importance of protecting worker freedoms, limiting bureaucratic interference, and preserving the right to liberty of contract.\n\n\u201cIn February 2025, Dr. Paul reintroduced the National Right to Work Act. The bill does not add to existing federal law but deletes existing forced-unionism provisions and restores worker choice.\u201d\n\nDuring today\u2019s hearing, Dr. Paul entered into the record statements from 29 industry associations opposed to the Faster Labor Contracts Act and 45 business organizations opposed to the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, reflecting broad concern that these proposals would weaken flexibility for both workers and employers.\n\nDr. Paul questioned witness Rachel Greszler, a labor economist, on how right-to-work policies affect states\u2019 economic performance, wages, and job creation. Greszler affirmed that right-to-work states have seen roughly twice the employment growth and triple the population growth compared to non\u2013right-to-work states over the past 50 years, citing their ability to attract businesses seeking fair and predictable labor laws.\n\n\u201cOver the past 50 years, right-to-work states have seen double the job growth and triple the population growth,\u201d Greszlersaid. \u201cThat\u2019s because businesses are confident, they can operate without a union taking control over their operations, and workers can choose how they want to participate.\u201d\n\nDr. Paul also noted that the right to liberty of contract is a fundamental principle of a free economy.\n\n\u201cSome have argued, such as Hayek \u2014 The Road to Serfdom came up earlier \u2014 that the right to liberty of contract really is a basic, fundamental right upon which the economy is based,\u201d Dr. Paul said. \u201cThe right to have certainty and to have honesty, and to have the courts uphold contracts without an arbitrary nature. To look at contracts from a dispassionate point of view. Getting involved in the middle of contracts shouldn\u2019t be done lightly, and we need to consider the ramifications of what that does to the economy at large.\u201d\n\nDr. Paul explained that the National Right to Work law simply removes certain aspects of federal law rather than creating new ones.\n\n\u201cThe way the National Labor Relations Act was written says that you can\u2019t discriminate against workers,\u201d Dr. Paul continued. \u201cAnd then they had to put an exemption in there \u2014 except for you can discriminate against non-union workers, basically. And so that exemption is what is removed by national right to work.\u201d\n\nHe then asked Greszler what would happen economically if national right-to-work were enacted.\n\n\u201cI think that it would improve the economy,\u201d Greszler responded. \u201cWe\u2019d see what\u2019s happened in the states that are right to work. But more importantly, it just preserves that fundamental right of every worker to be able to choose whether or not they are forced to pay a private entity as a condition of their employment. And that\u2019s just a fundamental protection that they should have.\u201d\n\nWatch the full hearing here.\n\nWatch Dr. Paul\u2019s full exchange here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=2D75C1C8-4D34-4119-80B5-E0B5BFD3B260", "McConnell On 10/7 Anniversary: \u201cIsrael has sacrificed greatly in the pursuit of peace\u201d", "2025-10-07", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "\u201cIn the two years since terrorists invaded Israel to rape, murder, and kidnap innocents, Hamas has chosen every day to compound needless suffering. Israeli hostages and Gazan civilians, alike, have died as a direct result of the cowardly tactics of Iran\u2019s allies and proxies.\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, released the following statement today on the two-year anniversary of the brutal terrorist attacks on Israel:\n\n\u201cIn the two years since terrorists invaded Israel to rape, murder, and kidnap innocents, Hamas has chosen every day to compound needless suffering. Israeli hostages and Gazan civilians, alike, have died as a direct result of the cowardly tactics of Iran\u2019s allies and proxies.\n\n\u201cBy contrast, Israel\u2019s military and security services have worked tirelessly to stamp out the ring of fire that had long menaced the Jewish state and destabilized the region. They have worked to destroy Hamas\u2019 military capacity, decapitate Hizballah, degrade Iran\u2019s network for exporting terror, and bring home hostages abducted on the deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust.\n\n\u201cIsrael has sacrificed greatly in the pursuit of peace, taking great pains to avoid innocent suffering in a battle against an enemy for whom innocent suffering is the goal. Hamas could have ended this war at any time by simply releasing the hostages.\n\n\u201cIsrael\u2019s resolve and bold tactics created the conditions for a potential resolution to this conflict and for restored deterrence against Iran. President Trump has been right to provide Israel the time, space, and support to achieve its war aims, and his decision to authorize U.S. strikes against Iran made good use of this hard-won opportunity.\n\n\u201cIf, indeed, Hamas is prepared to release its remaining hostages, the return of innocent Israelis and Americans to their homes and families would end a two-year vigil of heartache. I will look forward eagerly to their return, and I commend the bravery of the Israel Defense Forces, the resolve of Israel\u2019s leaders, and President Trump\u2019s persistent efforts to make it possible.\n\n\u201cTwo years on from October 7th, the rest of the framework - brokered with U.S. support - would provide an opportunity for Palestinians to turn a page on a dark chapter of terrorism and tyranny and chart a new course without Hamas.\n\nHowever, even with full implementation of the framework, there is cause for vigilance. After all, ceasefire was the nominal state of affairs when Hamas terrorists carried out their savage attacks two years ago. Success will require that Palestinian leaders answer for the corruption, hatred, and incitement that made October 7th possible and engage in true and enduring political and economic reforms.\n\n\u201cFor our part, America and the West must continue to apply meaningful pressure on Iran to change its behavior and prevent it from reconstituting the web of terror that has threatened Israel and U.S. interests in the region. As the past two years have made painfully clear, America\u2019s support for Israel must not be swayed by the creep of terrorist propaganda and base anti-Semitism into public opinion. The enduring strength and prosperity of the Jewish state is in America\u2019s interest, as is peace in its region.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A558D402-5DD9-4AD4-A477-6360CA7F66F1", "McConnell: Fort Campbell and Fort Knox Schools Allowed to Resume Extracurricular Activities", "2025-10-07", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today following the Department of Defense decision to allow athletics and extracurricular activities to resume at DoDEA schools, including those at Fort Campbell and Fort Knox:\n\n\u201cThis decision provides welcome relief to the Fort Campbell and Fort Knox schools and their students, student-athletes, parents, and everyone who supports their school programs. I want to thank the Secretary of Defense for creating an exception to allow athletics and extracurricular activities at DoDEA schools to continue. Our servicemembers and their children shouldn\u2019t pay the price for Washington\u2019s failure to fund the government. I\u2019m so grateful they\u2019ll now be able to suit up and get back in the game.\n\n\u201cWhile this is good news, it doesn\u2019t address the real issue. Democrats need to end the shutdown. As I have warned every time Congress faced this threat: no one wins in a shutdown. Shutting down the government is harmful to the country, and it never produces positive outcomes \u2013 on policy or politics. And what happened at Fort Campbell and Fort Knox is just one example of the impact it\u2019s having on our constituents.\u201d\n\nNOTE: Senator McConnell sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last Friday regarding the issue.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=FF873583-A664-4B8A-976A-304A7A7B1A37", "McConnell: Delivering \u201cTrump Buildup\u201d Will Require Serious, Full-Year Defense Appropriations", "2025-10-03", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, delivered the following floor remarks today regarding the path forward for Pentagon appropriations once Democrats end their gov\u2019t shutdown, the National Defense Strategy, and Republican support for U.S. military aid to Ukraine:\n\n\u201cMr. President, my position on government shutdowns is well-known. There\u2019s absolutely nothing to gain in taking basic government functions hostage for eleventh-hour partisan demands. And I hope our Democratic colleagues will re-learn that lesson in short order\u2026 Because the American people have plenty to lose from freezing important functions of the federal government.\n\n\u201cHere in the Senate, Democrats\u2019 shutdown is taking time we ought to be spending on important outstanding business, beginning with our obligation to provide for the common defense. In particular, our work to deliver full-year defense appropriations is not finished. So I\u2019d like to talk briefly about what must come next after interim government funding is extended. And what\u2019s at stake for our national security.\n\n\u201cThe U.S. military is not immune from the disruptive short-term consequences of a government shutdown. But the long-term consequences of going without robust, full-year defense appropriations are far graver. I offered this warning in the spring, when \u2013 for the first time \u2013 Washington told America\u2019s men and women in uniform to conduct today\u2019s operations and prepare for tomorrow\u2019s threats using yesterday\u2019s dollars. We put the national defense on a full-year continuing resolution and forced the military services to function for another year on the anemic defense budget signed into law by President Biden for FY 2024.\n\n\u201cA full-year CR is the enemy of readiness, modernization, and efficiency. The armed services want to make their budgets simpler, more efficient, and more flexible by consolidating budget lines. But they can\u2019t do it under a full-year CR. Punting new appropriations directly contradicts the Pentagon\u2019s stated goal of building a resilient, surge-ready munitions enterprise. The prohibitions on new program starts under a CR effectively put high-priority Service modernization efforts on ice.\n\n\u201cThe Administration says it wants \u201cflexible and efficient\u201d investments. Well, Mr. President, there is nothing flexible, efficient, resilient, or lethal about running the national defense enterprise on a full-year CR. Nor will a CR send the consistent signal industry and investors need to pour private capital into the long overdue expansion of our defense industrial base. If you want to increase our nation\u2019s capacity to produce munitions more quickly and in larger volumes, full-year CRs might just be the worst way to go about it.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t mean to sound overly alarmed. God willing, the House-passed short-term funding extension will give Congress enough time to deliver full-year appropriations and release our military from the constraints of the Biden FY24 budget. But I want our colleagues to understand what\u2019s at stake this fall. The President has set some ambitious, important, and overdue priorities for America\u2019s national security\u2026 and none of them come cheap:\n\n\u201cGolden Dome for America\u2026 An American shipbuilding renaissance\u2026 Sixth-generation stealth fighter aircraft\u2026 The long-overdue modernization of our nuclear force\u2026 Reconciliation isn\u2019t enough to support these major efforts. And neither is a perpetual freeze at the Biden FY24 level.\n\n\u201cReviving the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military, and re-establishing deterrence \u2013 these are priorities we hear about all the time from the President\u2019s advisors. I certainly have no problem with rowing in that direction. I\u2019m all for high standards of physical fitness. But pushups alone aren\u2019t going to stop Chinese hypersonic missiles. The next major conflict will likely be a test of lethality at very long distances.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve spent years urging successive administrations to rebuild our global power projection and long-range fires. It\u2019s why I criticized the Biden Administration for talking about China as \u201cthe pacing threat\u201d but turning in defense budget requests that didn\u2019t even keep pace with inflation.\n\n\u201cThis Administration cannot afford to make the same mistake.\n\n\u201cSo, this week, I was encouraged to hear Secretary Hegseth proclaim a \u201cTrump buildup\u201d in the mold of the Reagan buildup that helped end the Cold War. For the record, my fellow defense appropriators and I have been ready to deliver such a build-up since Day One. And our bipartisan bill speaks for itself, putting money where our mouth is.\n\n\u201cBut here\u2019s the rub: we can only make it happen if the Administration moves from words to action. And an important step in that process is the National Defense Strategy. Historically, the NDS is what Administrations use to define threats, identify objectives, and propose coherent plans for aligning resources to meet them.\n\n\u201cBut this time around, the stakes are higher. A short-sighted NDS that doesn\u2019t align with the President\u2019s vision of American greatness and peace through strength could wind up as the pretext to extend Biden-era constraints on our military indefinitely. Unfortunately, early reports suggest that this risk may be real\u2026 and that the NDS may turn out eerily similar to the rhetoric of Obama-era officials who viewed their remit as managing America\u2019s decline amid a transition to a multipolar world.\n\n\u201cIf the NDS ignores the importance of maintaining American primacy, fails to account for the global nature of competition with China, or discounts the value of supporting and integrating allies and partners, it would risk further sabotaging the President\u2019s efforts to restore peace through strength.\n\n\u201cSo I\u2019ll be interested to read how the Department is applying the lessons and dividends of security cooperation with allies and partners to looming challenges\u2026 How it plans to address critical munitions shortages even as its FY26 request and reconciliation investment fails to maximize existing production capacity\u2026 And how it accounts for the increasing likelihood of simultaneous conflict in multiple theaters.\n\n\u201cIf the Administration means what it says about restoring deterrence, it would recognize how plans to reduce security cooperation with frontline NATO allies invite more brazen Russian incursions into the alliance\u2019s territory and airspace. It would recognize how China is watching closely for signs of weakening American commitments to European allies, to Ukraine, or to AUKUS partners.\n\n\u201cOf course, responsible senior officials who understood the dividends of security cooperation would not have tried an end-run around the President to freeze assistance to Ukraine. They certainly would have appreciated that cutting off intelligence sharing to the world\u2019s foremost experts in drone warfare might make it harder for the U.S. military to achieve \u201cdrone dominance\u201d. On that count, I was encouraged earlier this week that the President himself green-lit an expansion of the intelligence cooperation that members of his Administration had wanted to end.\n\n\u201cMr. President, as our colleagues will recall, the President observed last month that Ukraine can win. And unlike some of his advisors, the American people are indicating in clear majorities that they think we ought to help! By one recent poll, more than six in ten Americans support sending more arms and military supplies to help Ukraine win. That includes a clear majority of Republicans!\n\n\u201cAnd the recent voting history of the House of Representatives indicates that this poll isn\u2019t a fluke: Last month, House Republicans voted overwhelmingly to reject an amendment to the NDAA that would\u2019ve barred further assistance to Ukraine. No less than 72% of House Republicans \u2013 including leadership \u2013 said continuing to arm Ukraine\u2019s defense was a good idea.\n\n\u201cUltimately, the President knows that money talks. He understands that valuable things are also expensive. What\u2019s true in property development is also true in military procurement. There\u2019s no way around it:\n\n\u201cTake Golden Dome for example. Building anything close to a continental missile defense shield will, by reasonable estimates, cost several times more than was allocated this year in one-off reconciliation spending\u2026 every year\u2026 for decades to come. If the Pentagon isn\u2019t even planning to max out its budget request for procuring critical munitions in the short term, why on earth should our adversaries take any talk of long-term missile defense seriously?\n\n\u201cLikewise, why should they take American air power seriously if we\u2019re only willing to develop sixth-generation stealth fighters for the Air Force but not for the Navy? What good are multi-billion-dollar aircraft carriers if we\u2019re not prepared to equip them with aircraft that can survive modern warfare?\n\n\u201cAt home and abroad, I\u2019m concerned that too many of the President\u2019s advisors are unwilling to acknowledge the gap between his stated priorities and what they\u2019re prepared to invest to achieve them. If you ask me, the name on the front door at the Pentagon matters a great deal less than whether the services inside are equipped and prepared to deter and win wars. And we\u2019re facing real, glaring gaps in critical capabilities.\n\n\u201cThe ink was barely dry on the One Big Beautiful Bill when senior Pentagon leaders began to report to my colleagues and I on the Appropriations Committee that they still faced significant funding shortfalls. Given the high pace of operations in the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere, it\u2019s safe to assume these costs are continuing to rise.\n\n\u201cMr. President, there\u2019s a lot going on around this building. But soon, I hope our colleagues will have an opportunity to go on the record in favor of investing in peace through strength. We\u2019ll have a chance to put our money where our mouth is on re-establishing deterrence and rebuilding the force required to back it up. Our investments in the common defense are a signal of our national resolve.\n\n\u201cWhen the American people spoke last November, I don\u2019t think they meant for their leaders to mail in a third year of anemic Biden-era toplines. I don\u2019t think the President assembled his policy and budget advisors with a mind to punt in the face of looming threats.\n\n\u201cWhen he hired civilian Pentagon leaders to restore deterrence, I think he meant more than just threatening adversaries with a catchy line on camera\u2026 I think he meant building the force that threatens them with its very existence!\n\n\u201cSo if the Administration wants a Trump buildup, then let\u2019s build one. And, once Democrats\u2019 shutdown is over, let\u2019s start with serious, increased, full-year investments in the national defense.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/chairman-paul-brings-to-light-bidens-quiet-skies-weaponization-releases-damning-documents-into-the-record/", "Chairman Paul Brings to Light Biden\u2019s Quiet Skies Weaponization, Releases Damning Documents into the Record", "2025-09-30", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 30, 2025\n\nContact: HSGACPress_Paul@hsgac.senate.gov, (202) 224-4163\n\nChairman Paul Brings to Light Biden\u2019s Quiet Skies Weaponization, Releases Damning Documents into the Record\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, convened a hearing to examine the Biden administration\u2019s abuse of the TSA\u2019s Quiet Skies Program and entered newly obtained documents into the record.\n\nThe hearing followed an investigation Chairman Paul launched in 2024 and a report released yesterday detailing his findings, which revealed how the Quiet Skies Program and related watch lists were weaponized into political surveillance tools used against veterans, sitting lawmakers, political opponents, and even the family of a Federal Air Marshal.\n\nThe Committee heard testimony from Mark Crowder, a Senior Federal Air Marshal with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration and whistleblower whose wife was placed on a watch list in a case of mistaken identity; the Honorable Tristan Leavitt, President of Empower Oversight; Matt Taibbi, Editor of Racket News; Jim Harper, Senior Nonresident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and Abed Ayoub, National Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.\n\n\u201cI commend Secretary Noem for ending Quiet Skies, but our work is not done. We must make sure that this program does not come back under another name. Every official who directed or approved surveillance of Americans for protected speech must be removed from office. Full transparency must become the rule rather than requiring a year of investigation,\u201d said Chairman Paul. \u201cThe result will be a process that respects the Constitution, ends real life shadow bans against Americans and gives all of us the assurance that our government is focused on protecting us, not on chasing political ghosts.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Quiet Skies Program has been used for nearly two decades to target and surveil everyday Americans, violating our constitutional rights and civil liberties, targeting political opponents, and costing taxpayers approximately $200 million per year, all while failing to stop a single terrorist,\u201d said DNI Gabbard. \u201cODNI has worked closely with DHS and Sen. Paul to expose the truth behind this program, putting an end to weaponization against Americans.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is clear that the Quiet Skies program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration\u2014weaponized against its political foes and exploited to benefit their well-heeled friends. I am calling for a Congressional investigation to unearth further corruption at the expense of the American people and the undermining of US national security,\u201d said Secretary Kristi Noem. \u201cTSA\u2019s critical aviation and security vetting functions will be maintained, and the Trump Administration will return TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of the traveling public. This includes restoring the integrity, privacy, and equal application of the law for all Americans.\u201d\n\nView the Chairman\u2019s opening statement here.\n\nOpening remarks as delivered below:\n\nIn mid-2024, as she grew increasingly critical of the Biden administration and increasingly involved with the Trump campaign, Tulsi Gabbard noticed changes as she went to the airport, she had more screening federal agents with dogs showing up for her flights. Other federal agents followed her on the plane and reported back on her activity.\n\nWhen I learned of this, I launched an investigation into the TSA\u2019s Quiet Skies Program and the Biden administration\u2019s weaponization of watch list against everyday Americans\n\nUnder public scrutiny, the Biden administration removed now Director of National Intelligence Gabbard from the program, but they spent the remainder of their time in office stonewalling any investigation.\n\nThankfully, that era is over. President Trump, himself a victim of government weaponization, set out to reverse the previous administration\u2019s targeting of the very citizens it has sworn to protect.\n\nSecretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has taken decisive action to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles resisting transparency. We are finally getting answers, and now we know exactly why the previous administration fought so hard to keep us in the dark.\n\nDirector Gabbard was surveilled on at least five domestic flights by Federal Air Marshals under Quiet Skies. Internal records for her targeting show her congressional portrait and that she was a former congresswoman from Hawaii.\n\nSo, there was no doubt they knew who they were monitoring.\n\nMultiple concerns were raised internally, and one air marshal asked a colleague, why the heck is she a Quiet Skies suspect? If this can happen to a combat veteran, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, and now Director of National Intelligence, it can happen to anyone. And it did.\n\nToday, for the first time, you will hear directly from a Federal Air Marshal whose wife was labeled a domestic terrorist simply for engaging in protected First Amendment activity. Records show the FBI labeled her as a domestic terrorist for unlawful entry into the Capitol on January 6th.\n\nBut she didn\u2019t enter the Capitol. She came for a public, support of the President, and they knew it. Her phone location data did not put her inside the Capitol. Facial recognition did not identify her inside. She had no criminal record and no history of extremist views.\n\nWhat they did know is that this Catholic schoolteacher from Texas supported President Trump and went to Washington to attend his rally at the Ellipse. That was not enough for the government. That was not enough to label her a suspected domestic terrorist for two years.\n\nHer family was surveilled when they flew. This was not an isolated case. It happened to hundreds of Americans. It happened because the TSA used First Amendment protected activity as a predicate for watch listing Americans. That\u2019s unconstitutional, of course. First Amendment activity cannot be the sole basis for watch listing someone, but sole basis is an important caveat and it\u2019s an opening the TSA exploited.\n\nToday we will release internal TSA records that reveal how the agency authorized First Amendment activity to be used to justify the surveillance of Americans with no evidence and no recourse.\n\nUsing broad and vague authorities, TSA deemed hundreds of Americans as threats to national security simply for holding opposing political views. The federal government used its investigative authorities, anonymous tips and university research institutions to build a flimsy case to put them on the watch list.\n\nThey didn\u2019t just coincidentally watch list hundreds of people who attended the same Trump rally. They did it intentionally and obscured the process to create plausible deniability. For example, documents obtained in my investigation reveal that TSA relied on data collected by the George Washington University Project on Extremism.\n\nConsider this first, DHS funds the Project on Extremism. An external partner not bound by the same laws and regulations as federal agencies. Then, the Project on Extremism identifies supposed domestic threats by meticulously tracking January 6th defendants. DHS then uses the Project on Extremism reporting as evidence, sometimes the only evidence for putting someone on a watch list.\n\nBut the abuses weren\u2019t limited to January 6th. The TSA also viewed skeptics of COVID mandates as threats.\n\nSimply removing a mask on an aircraft got 12 Americans watch listed. Records also show three current members of Congress, all Republicans, were included in the companion Silent Partner Program either as a sitting member or while seeking elected office.\n\nA cursory review would have revealed them to be either a member of Congress or decorated active or former US Military members. And in fact, they were surveilled, likely for activities that were official duties during their time in the military or in Congress.\n\nAll of this was wrong, and I\u2019m glad that these abuses are beginning to be exposed.\n\nI commend Secretary Noem for ending Quiet Skies, but our work is not done. We must make sure that this program does not come back under another name.\n\nEvery official who directed or approved surveillance of Americans for protected speech must be removed from office.\n\nFull transparency must become the rule rather than requiring a year of investigation. The result will be a process that respects the Constitution, ends real life shadow bans against Americans, and gives all of us the assurance that our government is focused on protecting us, not on chasing political ghosts.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/flash-report-bidens-tsa-targeted-veterans-lawmakers-and-air-marshals-wife/", "Flash Report: Biden\u2019s TSA Targeted Veterans, Lawmakers, and Air Marshal\u2019s Wife", "2025-09-29", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 29th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee opened an investigation into TSA\u2019s Quiet Skies program in 2024 after reports it was weaponized against Americans. Today, Dr. Paul released a flash report of his findings, exposing how TSA\u2019s Quiet Skies program, and related watch lists, were twisted into political surveillance tools under the Biden administration.\n\nThe release comes ahead of tomorrow\u2019s hearing, Examining the Weaponization of the Quiet Skies Program, scheduled for 10:00 AM. A Whistleblower, a Federal Air Marshal first mentioned in Senator Paul\u2019s recent op-ed in The American Conservative, will testify before the Committee.\n\nThe report reveals Tulsi Gabbard, a combat veteran and former congresswoman, now serving as Director of National Intelligence, was surveilled on at least five flights in 2024.This surveillance began only one day after she publicly criticized Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.\n\nThree Republican lawmakers were matched to TSA\u2019s Silent Partner and/or Quiet Skies Rules right after engaging in some kind of political activity, including opposing the Biden administration. At least two dozen Americans were placed on watch lists for protesting mask mandates or removing a mask on an aircraft. Following January 6, 2021, TSA issued a directive authorizing the watch listing of individuals based solely on suspected travel to Washington, D.C., without any specific evidence of unlawful conduct.\n\nThe most shocking revelation is that the wife of a Federal Air Marshal was branded a domestic terrorist and subjected to invasive monitoring, even though no evidence ever linked her to unlawful activity on January 6, 2021. She was placed in the FBI\u2019s Terrorist Screening Database and, for two years, followed on domestic flights by Federal Air Marshals, who reported her movements and interactions, sometimes on a minute-by-minute basis. Her name was finally cleared only after the FBI closed its case due to mistaken identity.\n\n\u201cQuiet Skies was an unconstitutional dystopian nightmare masquerading as a security tool costing the American taxpayers $200 million a year. And what did we get for it? According to DHS, the Quiet Skies program failed to stop a single terrorist attack since it was created. Instead, taxpayers are footing the bill for a surveillance program that turned its watchful eye inward\u2014targeting Americans who had committed no crimes, violated no laws, and in many cases were government officials themselves,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=58E90BEC-C1C3-450F-B38A-679AB8628764", "McConnell Helps Secure Federal Grant to Support Substance Abuse Recovery and Job Training in Appalachian Kentucky", "2025-09-26", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "LOUISVILLE, KY \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that the Fletcher Group will receive more than $9.2 million in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for its Connect Appalachia project.\n\nThe competitive federal grant is part of the ARC\u2019s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) program. The Fletcher Group, and partners including the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, will use the funding to implement a comprehensive economic development, workforce development, and substance abuse recovery program across six Appalachian states\u2014including all Kentucky counties served by the ARC.\n\n\u201cI appreciate the Fletcher Group\u2019s hard work in helping Appalachian counties, including those in Kentucky, and I was pleased to contact the Trump Administration on their behalf to help secure this federal funding,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cThe Fletcher Group is doing great work to address the impacts of the substance abuse and opioid epidemic. This federal funding will allow them to build workforce pipelines between employers and treatment and recovery providers, helping individuals in recovery find and maintain meaningful employment.\u201d\n\n\"I want to thank Senator McConnell for his continued support of projects like this that help Kentuckians maintain recovery and obtain meaningful employment, and we look forward to partnering with the Kentucky Chamber Foundation to achieve these goals in communities throughout Appalachia Kentucky. While progress has been made to reduce the number of overdose deaths in Kentucky and across the nation, there is still more work to do to reverse the tragic impact of substance use. That is why this project is so important as we will work to help transform lives,\u201d said Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Fletcher Group, Ernie Fletcher.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=99B1AA96-9C0B-46BF-A69B-121F9E1BD644", "McConnell on Support For Ukraine: Administration Must Turn Words Into Action", "2025-09-24", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "LOUISVILLE, KY \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, issued the following statement:\n\n\u201cI welcome President Trump\u2019s acknowledgement that Ukraine can defeat Russia\u2019s brutal aggression. For years, President Biden\u2019s dithering and hesitant efforts to help Ukraine defend itself only prolonged this conflict. This year, senior members of President Trump\u2019s Administration have consistently recommended he take the same disastrous approach to this awful war. Meanwhile, reality has been unmistakable: passivity in the face of aggression will not stop Putin. Self-imposed constraints will only delay the peace the President rightly seeks.\n\n\u201cThe President has identified Russia as the aggressor, and clear majorities of Americans, including Republicans, support continued military assistance to Ukraine; his Administration should act accordingly. If senior Department of Defense officials continue to blame NATO allies for provoking Russia, freeze or limit security assistance to Ukraine, or oppose further investments in security cooperation with Ukraine and vulnerable NATO allies, in defiance of the support expressed overwhelmingly by House Republicans last week, they are undermining President Trump\u2019s efforts to end the war. The Commander-in-Chief should not tolerate such freelance policymaking that weakens his leverage and undercuts investments in peace through strength.\n\n\u201cThe world is watching to see if President Trump\u2019s Administration translates his rhetoric into action.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=FDC6D0C8-40DF-41D5-8E60-F13CE2912057", "McConnell Statement on Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey", "2025-09-24", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "LOUISVILLE, KY \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement regarding the passing of Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey:\n\n\u201cI am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my longtime friend and Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey. John was a dedicated public servant who made an indelible impact on our community and for 27 years as Sheriff he worked tirelessly to keep our neighborhoods safe. His recognition as the 2025 Sheriff of the Year was a testament to his unwavering commitment to law enforcement and the respect he earned from all who knew him. Elaine and I extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the entire Jefferson County Sheriff's Department during this time.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/paul-kaine-schumer-shaheen-wyden-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-to-reassert-congressional-authority-over-tariffs/", "Paul, Kaine, Schumer, Shaheen & Wyden\u00a0Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Reassert Congressional Authority Over Tariffs", "2025-09-18", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 18th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nPaul, Kaine, Schumer, Shaheen, & Wyden Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Reassert Congressional Authority Over Tariffs\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/paul-kaine-klobuchar-warner-and-schumer-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-to-reassert-congressional-authority-over-tariffs/", "Paul, Kaine, Klobuchar, Warner, and Schumer Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Reassert Congressional Authority Over Tariffs", "2025-09-17", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 17th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nPaul, Kaine, Klobuchar, Warner, and Schumer Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Reassert Congressional Authority Over Tariffs\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA), as well as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), announced that their legislation to undo President Donald Trump\u2019s International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs on Canada has been refiled. Since Trump launched his trade war with Canada, exports of U.S. distilled spirits declined by about 62 percent, and tourism from Canada to the U.S. fell by 33.9 percent. The legislation passed the Senate in a 51-48 vote in April but has not been taken up by the House of Representatives. It is privileged, so the Senate will be required to vote on it.\n\n\u201cNo president should be able to abuse emergency powers to bypass Congress and unilaterally impose import tariffs\u2014taxes\u2014on the American people,\u201d said Paul. \u201cThese tariffs hit families, farmers, and small businesses the hardest, and in Kentucky they devastate cornerstone industries like car manufacturing, bourbon, homebuilding, and shipping. Congress must reclaim its constitutional authority and stop this economic overreach before more jobs and industries are destroyed.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is time to end President Trump\u2019s senseless trade war with Canada, one of our closest allies and top trading partners. The American people overwhelmingly oppose it, and it has already done lasting damage to the bilateral relationship, which can be seen in declines in Canadian tourism to the United States, and declining sales of American products in Canada,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cIt is our responsibility as Congress to step in when the President abuses their authority. If the Senate once again passes a resolution to terminate this misguided trade war, the House should join us and say enough is enough.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe president cannot abuse his power to continue an unjustified trade war with one of our strongest allies. Canada is Minnesota\u2019s top trading partner, but the President\u2019s tariffs are jeopardizing that relationship\u2014and adding costs for Minnesota families,\u201d said Klobuchar. \u201cWe should not raise costs, hurt businesses, and eliminate jobs by attacking our neighbor and ally.\u201d\n\n\u201cCanada is a vital trading partner for Virginia, and the misguided tariffs that President Trump has placed on the country have already led to increased costs for families and businesses across the Commonwealth,\u201d said Warner. \u201cI urge my colleagues to join me in sending a clear message: it\u2019s time to end the reckless trade policies that are hurting American consumers, small businesses, and our allies.\u201d\n\n\u201cUpstate New Yorkers \u2013 and Americans across the country \u2013 are already paying the price for Trump\u2019s reckless and nonsensical trade war,\u201d said Leader Schumer. \u201cHis tariff tax has been felt on everything from groceries to new clothes. The tariffs and threats of economic instability have driven up prices, collapsed tourism, and stunted small businesses. It is beyond time for Senate Republicans to stand with us and stand up to Trump\u2019s economic devastation. Congress must side with American families, small businesses, and the global economy and say no to the false \u201cnational emergency\u201d Trump announced to impose tariffs on Canada.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the legislation would terminate the February 1 emergency declaration that President Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and would eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports implemented as a result. President Trump\u2019s order cited the IEEPA, an unprecedented use of IEEPA\u2019s emergency provisions in the law\u2019s nearly half-century history. The IEEPA tariffs are the largest tax increase on American families in recent history. Public opinion surveys have overwhelmingly demonstrated that the American people do not support Trump\u2019s trade wars. According to a recentsurvey by Public First, 43 percent of American adults opposed applying tariffs to Canada. An Economist/YouGov surveyfound a majority of U.S. adults, 52 percent, were opposed to Trump\u2019s Canada tariffs.\n\nIn 2024, Canada was Virginia\u2019s largest export market, accounting for 15 percent of Virginia\u2019s exports. In 2022, top goods exports from Virginia to Canada included motor vehicles and transportation equipment, such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 56.1 percent of Southwest Virginia\u2019s economic output is dependent on trade.\n\nIn addition to Paul, Kaine, Klobuchar, Warner, and Schumer, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Peter Welch (D-VT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).\n\nFull text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-six-penny-plan-to-balance-the-federal-budget-in-five-years-2/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Six Penny Plan to Balance the Federal Budget in Five Years", "2025-09-16", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 16th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Rand Paul Introduces Six Penny Plan to Balance the Federal Budget in Five Years\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced the Six Penny Plan, a federal budget resolution that will balance on-budget outlays and revenues within five years by cutting six cents off every dollar projected to be spent over the next five fiscal years.\n\nDuring the current fiscal year, the federal government overspent and added $2.1 trillion to the gross national debt; an increase of $16,117 for every U.S. household. The federal government\u2019s overspending for FY2025 is projected to result in the third-highest deficit in U.S. history.\n\nAccording to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the United States is on track to record the third-largest deficit in American history this year. Interest payments on the debt now surpass the America\u2019s military spending, underscoring how runaway borrowing is crowding out core national priorities. With the national debt exceeding $37 trillion, it now stands at nearly twice the value of all bank deposits in the country. Put another way, even if all American bank accounts were emptied to pay down the debt, the amount would cover only about half of what Washington owes.\n\nWhen Dr. Paul first introduced a penny plan in 2017, a simple spending freeze was enough to balance the budget within five years. Today, because of years of reckless spending, achieving balance requires reducing projected spending by six percent annually. Under the Six Penny Plan, the first year would result in spending at 94 percent of current levels, with annual reductions of six percent continuing until balance is achieved in year five. After the fifth year, spending would be allowed to rise at the same pace as revenues over the next five years.\n\n\u201cI introduced my first Penny Plan in 2018, prior to that, a spending freeze was all it took to balance the budget in five years,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cToday, runaway deficits and skyrocketing interest costs mean it will take a six percent reduction annually just to get us back on track. The math doesn\u2019t lie. Either we take responsibility now, or we condemn our children and grandchildren to economic ruin.\u201d\n\nRead the Six Penny Plan HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/chairman-rand-paul-uncovers-new-evidence-of-fauci-deleting-official-records-calls-him-to-testify-before-hsgac/", "Chairman Rand Paul Uncovers New Evidence of Fauci Deleting Official Records, Calls Him to Testify Before HSGAC", "2025-09-12", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 12th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nChairman Rand Paul Uncovers New Evidence of Fauci Deleting Official Records, Calls Him to Testify Before HSGAC\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), has formally called for Dr. Anthony Fauci to testify before the Committee. Recently uncovered emails directly contradict Dr. Fauci\u2019s repeated denials before the House Oversight Committee in 2024, when he testified under oath that he had never deleted federal records or sought to obstruct the release of public documents.\n\nThe Committee\u2019s letter to Dr. Fauci, sent September 9, 2025, requests the full production of all emails, messages, and call records from 2018\u20132023 related to the origins of COVID-19, gain-of-function research, EcoHealth Alliance, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and other key actors. The letter also formally requests that Dr. Fauci testify before HSGAC this fall to clarify his previous testimony and address the growing body of evidence suggesting that he sought to conceal records from congressional investigators.\n\nDr. Rand Paul said in the letter, \u201cDuring the course of its investigation, the Committee has obtained records revealing that you directed employees of the National Institutes for Health (NIH) to destroy federal records. These documents suggest your direct involvement in efforts to conceal information related to the Committee\u2019s investigation and appear to contradict your previous testimony before Congress. Accordingly, I request that you provide additional information and formally invite you to appear before the Committee to clarify your previous testimony.\u201d\n\nIn one February 2, 2020, email\u2014just one day after the now-infamous \u201cProximal Origins\u201d call\u2014 a conversation between Jeremy Farrar, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Francis Collins shows their intent to \u201cget ahead of the science and narrative of\u201d the origins of COVID-19. Later, Dr. Fauci instructed then-NIH Director Francis Collins: \u201cPlease delete this e-mail after you read it.\u201d\n\nIn another email, dated July 20, 2020, Dr. Fauci displayed a blatant disregard for congressional oversight, remarking \u201cAs usual [Rand Paul]\u2019s full of s..t\u201d and wrote to his Chief of Staff: \u201cplease delete this e-mail after you read it.\u201d\n\n\u201cDr. Fauci misled Congress and the American people. The evidence is clear: while publicly posturing as a champion of science, he was privately directing his staff to destroy federal records,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cThis is a blatant violation, a betrayal of the public trust, and further proof that Fauci engaged in a coverup from the very beginning of the pandemic.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=1EB690BA-5B7E-47CD-8345-094E90751992", "McConnell in CJ: We Must Reject The Political Violence That Took Charlie Kirk's Life", "2025-09-11", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) penned an op-ed for The Courier-Journal today regarding political violence threatening the fabric of American society:\n\nCharlie Kirk was a husband, a father of young children and a man of faith. His death yesterday is gut-wrenching on those grounds, above all else. I\u2019m keeping Charlie\u2019s family in my prayers as they try to make sense of the senseless, as are so many Kentuckians who were drawn to his work in the public eye.\n\nOf course, Charlie\u2019s death will be remembered not just as a personal tragedy but an assassination \u2014 an escalation of the political violence that increasingly threatens the fabric of our society. If you\u2019re worried and angry about that trend, you\u2019re absolutely right to be.\n\nIn Congress, it is tempting to declare a particularly tense or emotionally charged debate as unprecedented or corrosive. As something of an elder statesman, I often find myself reminding colleagues that we\u2019ve been through worse than today\u2019s recurring gridlock.\n\nIn fact, our Constitution anticipated and encouraged lively debate. Our system of government was built for it. Passionate disagreement is a sign of the health of our democracy. And guardrails exist to protect it.\n\nThroughout my career in the Senate, I\u2019ve tried to reaffirm these guardrails:\n\nI\u2019ve been a staunch opponent of restrictions on free speech. I\u2019ve fought repeatedly to preserve the right to political speech in elections (even for deep-pocketed Democratic opponents) and in the public square (even for flag-burners).\n\nIn the Senate, I\u2019ve fought just as hard to protect the rights of the minority party to unlimited debate (even when my side wasn\u2019t the one that stood to gain).\n\nGuardrails matter. They keep the American experiment rolling. But if passionate disagreement is a sign of health, political violence like yesterday\u2019s sickening display is a sign of decay. To excuse or encourage it is to place a cynical bet against America.\n\nWhatever an assassin\u2019s deluded justification, there is nothing less American than to override the guardrails of public discourse.\n\nYesterday\u2019s assassination comes with an especially bitter irony. Charlie Kirk\u2019s success as an activist and communicator came from his appetite for passionate disagreement. His willingness to peacefully debate all comers was an example of exactly what the founders had in mind.\n\nBut the founders also knew that combatting the sort of cowardice behind political assassination was too big a job for government, alone. They knew that the responsibility to reject political violence would rest on the shoulders of every American.\n\nEvery one of us must resist the temptation to treat those with different politics as enemies. We must treat the clash of ideas in the public square as a celebration of our democracy, not a pretext for war. If you\u2019re ever tempted to believe in recourse to violence among neighbors, patriots and fellow citizens, think again. Think of Charlie. And keep his family in your prayers.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-paul-reintroduces-the-duplication-scoring-act/", "Dr. Paul Reintroduces the Duplication Scoring Act", "2025-09-11", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 11th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Paul Reintroduces the Duplication Scoring Act\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) reintroduced the Duplication Scoring Act, which seeks to reduce the size of government by eliminating duplicative programs and prevent further duplication within the federal government.\n\n\u201cAs we fight to rein in current wasteful spending, this reform would better enable Congress to make more fully informed decisions by adding a layer of oversight that will help stop waste in government before it ever happens,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\nBackground:\n\nFor over 10 years, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has documented more than 1,800 cases of duplicative programs. In its most recent report, GAO found the U.S. government has saved about $600 billion by adopting GAO\u2019s recommendations. However, these savings only account for just over 66 percent of GAO\u2019s identified programs, suggesting billions of taxpayer dollars are still being wasted on duplicative programs. While it will take time to eradicate all of the identified duplicative programs, this bill would work to prevent Congress from standing up these programs in the first place.\n\nThe Duplication Scoring Act seeks to prevent the passage of fragmented, overlapping, and duplicative government programs by:\n\nRequiring GAO to review each committee-reported bill or joint resolution and determine if it at risk of duplicating or overlapping with an existing program, office, or initiative previously identified in a GAO duplication, fragmentation, and overlap report.\n\nRequiring GAO to submit this assessment to the director of CBO and the corresponding Committee.\n\nThe Duplication Scoring Act was last introduced in 2023 in the 118th Congress on a bipartisan basis. The bill was reported favorably out of Committee by voice vote on March 29, 2023.\n\nYou can read the bill in its entirety HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-reintroduces-the-bonuses-for-cost-cutters-act/", "Dr. Rand Paul Reintroduces the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act", "2025-09-11", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 11th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Rand Paul Reintroduces the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), continues his efforts to rein in wasteful spending and reform government by reintroducing the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act.\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\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\nBonuses for Cost-Cutters would also ensure 90 percent 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\nYou can read the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=C307F226-FA6E-4952-B1C3-A86B608466D8", "McConnell Statement on the Passing of Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw", "2025-09-10", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw:\n\n\u201cFor nearly 30 years, Bobbie\u2019s effective leadership made local government accessible, reliable, and responsible for all Jefferson County residents. Bobbie\u2019s drive for excellence touched everything she did, and we all greatly benefited from her nationally-recognized service. Time and again, Bobbie earned the trust of her constituents, and she upheld the integrity and dignity of her office each and every day. The qualities that made her an exceptional public servant also made her a remarkable friend. As Elaine and I cherish the warm memories of Bobbie, we extend our condolences to her family and all of her colleagues and friends.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=C5ABCC77-3F51-47F2-8EEC-8C86E31748A4", "McConnell Secures Federal Funding to Fight Opioid Addiction in Kentucky", "2025-09-10", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will distribute $706,113 in federal funding to the Commonwealth of Kentucky through the State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant Program.\n\nThe funding will be used to expand the Recovery Housing Program, which was created by Senator McConnell\u2019s Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry (CAREER) Act in 2018. The Recovery Housing Program is a transitional housing pilot program to help states increase access to safe transitional housing for individuals in addiction recovery while they rehabilitate and reenter the workforce. Today\u2019s funding will be used to develop and expand the recovering housing program to assist young adults with their recovery and their reentry into the workforce.\n\nIn February, Senator McConnell introduced the CAREER Act of 2025 to enhance the workforce reentry and recovery housing programs created in the 2018 law. Since becoming law, the CAREER Act has directed nearly $12.5 million to the Commonwealth, helping hundreds of Kentuckians recovering from substance use disorder.\n\n\u201cKentucky\u2019s workforce continues to feel the effects of the opioid epidemic that plagues our nation. I\u2019m proud to have championed the CAREER Act in the Senate which helps combat this crisis by providing funding for resources helping those in recovery get back into the workforce,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cThis announcement is yet another step in the right direction giving our communities much needed assistance in transitional housing and continuing to help our youth get their lives back on track.\u201d\n\nToday\u2019s federal funding will be allocated to the Commonwealth of Kentucky which the state then distributes to programs across the Commonwealth that help prevent, reduce, and treat opioid abuse.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=CB882CDB-BEEE-4F67-B74C-B2D033FE7603", "McConnell Statement on State Senator Jimmy Higdon", "2025-09-04", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement regarding the announcement by State Senator Jimmy Higdon to not seek reelection:\n\n\u201cJimmy Higdon is a legislative titan of the Kentucky General Assembly. His devotion to making the Commonwealth a better place through his work on transportation and infrastructure issues leaves behind an enduring legacy for generations to come. I am proud to have worked together with Jimmy on several important transportation projects like the Brent Spence Bridge, the Mountain Parkway in Eastern Kentucky, and the I-69 bridge in Henderson, Kentucky. While I am sad Jimmy is retiring, I\u2019m confident he will continue to have a deep impact for the remainder of his term. I\u2019m grateful for his more than 20 years of service to Kentucky, and for his several decades of friendship. Elaine and I wish him, Jane, and his entire family well in the next chapter of their lives.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=BEDDC952-C14C-41E2-BEC6-5650F7154A21", "McConnell Statement on the Passing of Dr. Robert Meriwether", "2025-08-05", "2025", "2025-08", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today on the passing of Paducah neurosurgeon, Dr. Robert Meriwether:\n\n\u201cElaine and I were saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend Dr. Robert Meriwether. A renowned Paducah neurosurgeon with decades of experience in the medical field, Dr. Meriwether contributed to his community in so many ways. He spent his career helping those in dire need while also making a difference through numerous organizations including the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees and the Paducah Rotary Club. His work leaves a rich legacy, especially in the hearts of those closest to him. Our thoughts are with his wife, Gloria, and his entire family during this most difficult time.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:02:47Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=559C8086-3886-47B0-95BB-397680854911", "McConnell Helps Secure Federal Funding for the City of Winchester", "2025-08-01", "2025", "2025-08", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the City of Winchester will receive a $2.7 million federal grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to upgrade sewer infrastructure at the Winchester Industrial Park. The improvements will include the installation of a new sewer line that will impact the businesses located at the industrial park.\n\n\u201cThis federal funding is welcome news for the City of Winchester and will provide the resources it needs to improve the infrastructure at the Winchester Industrial Park, which will support existing businesses and accommodate future development,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cI'm pleased to see this ARC grant program deliver more wins for our state, and I'll continue to champion the infrastructure priorities of Kentuckians who need our help.\"\n\n\"We extend our deepest thanks and appreciation to Senator McConnell, his staff, and the Kentucky Grants Program for their vital support in helping Winchester and Clark County address infrastructure capacity challenges in our industrial park. This investment strengthens our ability to attract new businesses, support existing industries, and drive long-term economic growth in our region,\u201d said Brad Sowden, Executive Director of the Winchester-Clark County Industrial Development Authority.\n\n\u201cWhat a win for our community! This funding is a major step forward\u2014not just for our infrastructure, but for our future. With this investment, we\u2019re giving our local businesses room to grow and sending a clear message that Winchester is open for opportunity. I\u2019m incredibly proud of our team for getting us here, and deeply thankful to ARC and to Senator Mitch McConnell for recognizing and believing in the potential we\u2019ve always known our city holds,\u201d said Winchester Mayor Jo Ellen Reed.\n\n\"WMU is committed to providing infrastructure that allows Winchester and Clark County to prosper, and we are very excited to receive funding for the Flanagan and Madison Phase II Project. We are very fortunate and thankful for the ongoing support from Senator McConnell, his staff, and the Kentucky Grants Program,\u201d said Kyle Raney, General Manager, Winchester Municipal Utilities.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:02:47Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=840F4AFD-388D-4BA9-AABC-526015E3410C", "McConnell: We Should Grow Hemp and Protect Kids at the Same Time", "2025-08-01", "2025", "2025-08", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, delivered the following floor remarks today regarding his continued efforts to protect children\u2019s health, support industrial hemp and CBD:\n\n\u201cI rise today to discuss the original intent of the 2018 Farm Bill\u2019s federal hemp legislation, and the need to restore it. Earlier this year, a report from the University of Kentucky found that cannabis-related poisonings among Kentuckians under age 18 rose 43% between 2023 and 2024. And, emergency room visits are rising steadily, too. Calls to the Poison Control Center in Kentucky regarding cannabis have doubled in the last five years and more than 40% have been about children younger than age 12.\n\n\u201cChildren all over the Commonwealth, from Laurel County to Jefferson County, are facing serious health and safety concerns due to THC poisoning from hemp derived products. So are children all across the country. How did we get here? Let\u2019s take a step back.\n\n\u201cIn 2014, I led the effort to secure pilot programs for industrial hemp, and I led the effort to legalize the crop in 2018. This industry has seen tremendous growth\u2014especially in Kentucky. Hemp is used in food, clothing, paper, plastic, and many other consumer products. Its versatility gave farmers hope for a new, profitable cash crop.\n\n\u201cUnfortunately, some companies looking to make a quick buck have been exploiting a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill by taking legal amounts of THC from hemp and turning it into intoxicating substances. They take these synthetic chemicals and use them as ingredients in appealing, snack and candy-like products and distribute them in familiar packaging.\n\n\u201cChildren love candy! They can recognize well-known brands of candy before they can even read! The packaging on these snacks is nearly identical to a pack of Oreos, Doritos, or Skittles. Little do kids know, these products are all laced with intoxicating, synthetic chemicals.\n\nClick HERE for examples via FDA\n\n\u201cYoung children are consuming these snacks, thinking they\u2019re candy, not poison. On top of that, these products are easily accessible and can be purchased at convenience stores. Some of them are even more intoxicating than actually smoking marijuana. Let me repeat that. Products more potent than marijuana can be bought off the shelf of a gas station.\n\n\u201cFor years, I have called on the FDA to regulate these products. They have not taken the initiative to do so, and that is disappointing. So that\u2019s why we\u2019re here today. The language I recently attempted to secure in the agriculture appropriations bill would have kept these dangerous products out of the hands of children, while preserving the hemp industry for farmers.\n\n\u201cFor the sake of those misguided by my opponents on this issue, let me clarify a few things. You will hear from some that this language would have meant the total destruction of the hemp industry. They\u2019re wrong. Under my language, industrial hemp and CBD would have remained legal. Period.\n\n\u201cSome predicted there would be widespread economic downturn for farmers should this language have become law. Wrong again. Hemp makes up less than one hundredth of one percent of all farmed acres in the United States. I want this number to grow exponentially. That\u2019s why I secured the legalization of hemp production in the first place.\n\n\u201cAs long as I\u2019ve been a Senator for Kentucky, I\u2019ve supported our farmers. I am proud to have served on the Agriculture Committee my entire career in the Senate because of its importance to my home state. From the tobacco buyout program to tax relief for the sale of farmland, I\u2019ve made sure our farmers have the tools they need to be successful in volatile markets. My language would not have changed that. This language would have remained in the appropriations package had one Senator not derailed the process.\n\n\u201cYou know, it\u2019s one thing to call yourself an advocate for hemp farmers. But if you didn\u2019t support the 2014 pilot program\u2026 And you didn\u2019t support the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp production\u2026 And you would have blocked a major step forward on this appropriations package if it had included my language to close the bad-actor loophole\u2026 Then what does being an advocate even mean?\n\n\u201cThis package funds a significant portion of the federal government, from agencies that provide critical resources to our farmers to law enforcement, military and our veterans, just to name a few.\n\n\u201cWe need the appropriations process to function. Congress needs to do its job and fund the government. And I, for one, do not intend to be an obstacle. So, in order to move this package forward, I allowed for my language to be stripped from the bill. But my effort to root out bad actors, protect our children, support farmers, and reaffirm our original legislative intent will continue.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:02:47Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=B4F8A259-289E-4DA0-BAF7-9CE4E117BBE8", "McConnell and Coons in The Washington Post on FY26 Defense Appropriations", "2025-08-01", "2025", "2025-08", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee wrote the following op-ed for today\u2019s digital edition of The Washington Post:\n\nOn Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved our bill that would invest $852 billion in national defense over the next fiscal year by a decisive 26-3 vote. It would restore aid to Ukraine, boost assistance to our European and Pacific allies, and go beyond the president\u2019s budget request (and the funding approved by our counterparts in the House) to modernize the U.S. military and defense industrial base to meet tomorrow\u2019s threats. This bill is an urgently needed step in the right direction.\n\nAmerica\u2019s adversaries \u2014 principally China, Russia, Iran and North Korea \u2014 are investing heavily to blunt our military advantages, threaten our interests and undermine our influence. They\u2019re collaborating on military technology, providing each other with diplomatic cover, and otherwise facilitating one another\u2019s aggression and hegemonic aspirations. Countering this growing alignment requires strengthening our own alliances and partnerships with smart soft-power investments in global health and humanitarian aid that deny China opportunities to supplant U.S. influence.\n\nFirst, however, it means healthy investments in American hard power. On this front, we have our work cut out for us.\n\nThis year, the Pentagon has had to meet payrolls, train forces, procure weapons and sustain operations with funds based on estimates made more than a year ago. That\u2019s because, for the first time ever, Congress and the administration funded our military through a continuing resolution at spending levels set in 2023 instead of passing an updated budget. This was a tremendous missed opportunity to make serious, full-year investments in readiness, modernization and industrial capacity, and it has already had enormous consequences.\n\nFor example, even after the one-time influx of spending Congress passed last month, the Defense Department has come to us to acknowledge significant shortfalls in critical areas such as shipbuilding and high-demand munitions. The lesson here is obvious: There is no substitute for consistent, full-year appropriations that adequately address the growing requirements of our military.\n\nOur effort this year won\u2019t be enough to close the gaps with our adversaries\u2019 sustained investments. Expanding shipyard and munitions capacity, deepening stocks of critical weapons, adopting new technologies, and recruiting and retaining service members and a skilled civilian workforce will all require increased funding. Meeting the urgent needs of a military adapting to renewed major-power competition will take growing annual commitments.\n\nFor now, however, we must focus on expanding production capacity for critical munitions \u2014 from the most basic artillery rounds to cutting-edge air defense interceptors. Recent high-tempo operations, such as the U.S. Navy\u2019s work to defend freedom of navigation against Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, have made it clear just how quickly modern warfare can deplete stockpiles of important (and expensive) weapons. We know the Pentagon\u2019s top leaders share our commitment to deepening America\u2019s magazines, but the president\u2019s initial budget request was insufficient for the scale of the challenge he intends to address. The Senate\u2019s higher allocation of $7.3 billion to fully fund and expand munitions production capacity would show we\u2019re serious about tackling this multiyear project.\n\nChina\u2019s naval buildup, at astonishing speed and scale, puts America\u2019s dwindling capacity to build tomorrow\u2019s Navy \u2014 or even maintain the fleet we have \u2014 in stark relief. The Senate\u2019s bill would address shipbuilding misalignments and funding shortfalls that reconciliation left behind by increasing investment in critical projects such as Columbia- and Virginia-class submarines, DDG-51 destroyers, shipyard infrastructure, and workforce development by $8.7 billion.\n\nOur bill also makes significant investments in quality of life for men and women in uniform, such as major renovations of Marine Corps barracks across many bases and a pay raise of nearly 4 percent, including funding the raise for junior enlisted members in last year\u2019s defense authorization bill. It also fully funds child care fee assistance programs for military families for the first time.\n\nFinally, we recognize the enormous dividends of investing in allies and partners. Our measure will help our friends \u2014 from the Baltic states to the Global South, the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East \u2014 build more capable forces, buy U.S.-made weapons and technologies, increase collective deterrence, and keep more U.S. service members out of harm\u2019s way. Prevailing in any future fight will also draw on the lessons we continue to learn from Ukraine, a place the Army secretary rightly calls \u201cthe Silicon Valley of warfare.\u201d Abandoning partners at the cutting edge of modern warfare would be strategic self-harm. That\u2019s why our bill would restore funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative as well as programs like it that make America safer.\n\nJust after the start of World War II in Europe, the chief of naval operations, Adm. Harold Stark, was instrumental in delivering what became known as the Two-Ocean Navy Act, an overdue break from years of stagnant military investment. Stark observed then that \u201cdollars cannot buy yesterday.\u201d If our colleagues and the administration are serious about defeating tomorrow\u2019s threats, then we must start investing in our common defense today.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:02:47Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A0D0ABB9-45E4-42C8-B109-EB681A4CED8C", "Chairman McConnell Opening Statement at FY26 Defense Appropriations Markup", "2025-07-31", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, delivered an opening statement at this morning\u2019s full Senate Appropriations Committee markup of the FY26 Defense bill. Below is the opening statement as prepared for delivery:\n\nI\u2019d like to thank Ranking Member Coons, and our combined staff for their dedicated, and often exhausting, work to produce the FY26 Defense Appropriations bill.\n\nAnd I\u2019d like to thank our fellow members of the Subcommittee, who I know share our sense of duty to provide for the common defense, year after year. Just briefly, I\u2019ll sum up the rationale behind this year\u2019s legislation.\n\nFirst, the Senate bill recognizes the Administration\u2019s intention to restore peace through strength, the Department of Defense\u2019s desire to achieve \u201cdrone dominance\u201d, and the President\u2019s interest in having more missiles than any other country.\n\nIt reflects the need to build more ships for a Navy that must compete with China. It acknowledges that America\u2019s adversaries are increasingly aligned and investing more heavily in undermining our interests\u2026 and that America must take the risk of simultaneous conflict in multiple theaters seriously.\n\nBut ultimately, our topline allocation of $852.5 billion \u2013 which sits higher than either the President\u2019s budget request or the House\u2019s mark \u2013 underscores that we cannot seriously address these challenges while artificially constraining our resources.\n\nWe can\u2019t build a Golden Dome\u2026 or restock our munitions magazines\u2026 or bring back American shipbuilding\u2026 without sustained, increasing investments in our national defense.\n\nAnd we can\u2019t treat reconciliation like a cure-all. I was glad to vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill. But let\u2019s not kid ourselves \u2013 it was not the additive defense spending some of us had hoped for. Moving must-pay bills for major long-standing programs from base to reconciliation still makes little sense to me.\n\nAnd somehow, the process seems to have also allowed important programs to slip through the cracks. In fact, senior Pentagon officials have already come to me and the Ranking Member to report that they\u2019re still billions of dollars short on programs that we were told reconciliation would address.\n\nThere is no substitute for robust, full-year defense appropriations. And this is a strong, bipartisan bill that proves we can do our job, and keep our commitments to the men and women of the U.S. military. They deserve no less.\n\nHere are a few of the items we address:\n\nFirst, recent operations in the Middle East illustrates how quickly modern warfare can exhaust our arsenal of critical munitions.\n\nThe Administration\u2019s request did not fully maximize production capacity for certain critical munitions, so we added $5.2 billion to buy larger quantities of air-defense interceptors, long-range fires, and other key munitions. We also added $2.1 billion to expand production capacity of munitions, and included some important initial investments in restoring America\u2019s organic industrial base.\n\nSecond, we\u2019ve also added $4.6 billion to address growing demand for more extensive air and missile defenses. But developing a more layered missile defense shield that can protect the homeland and our forces abroad from growing threats is going to take years of sustained resources.\n\nThird, we\u2019ve tried to help the Department meet requirements that the final reconciliation bill and the FY26 base budget request left unfunded, including advanced procurement for Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines, cost-to-compete for surface vessels, major renovations to dilapidated Marine Corps barracks, and ship operations costs for our Navy.\n\nWe also included more funding for destroyer construction, shipyard infrastructure, and workforce development to help fix our ailing shipbuilding industry and get production back on track.\n\nFourth, we invest in ally and partner militaries. We know that confronting Chinese aggression will require collective deterrence. Helping grow our friends\u2019 capacity to defend themselves in the Indo-Pacific \u2013 as in Europe or the Middle East \u2013 enhances deterrence and helps our allies share more of the burden.\n\nIt also means more investment in interoperable, U.S-made systems and lower risks for U.S. servicemembers. These are investments that pay dividends, and I\u2019m not just talking about treaty allies.\n\nThe Secretary of the Army rightly calls Ukraine \u201cthe Silicon Valley of warfare\u201d. The Navy considers the maritime fight between Russia and Ukraine as the Black Sea Battle Lab and recognizes the need for rapid innovation. So we added $216 million on top of the Administration\u2019s request for drone and counter-drone capabilities, consistent with the intention of achieving \u201cdrone dominance.\u201d\n\nBut abandoning the foremost experts of drone warfare would be strategic self-harm. Shutting off engagement with Ukraine would undermine our military\u2019s efforts to prepare for the modern battlefield.\n\nSo, like our friends on the Armed Services Committee, we are restoring funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and other security assistance programs that make America safer.\n\nMadam Chair, I\u2019m proud of the work of the Defense Subcommittee in producing this bill for our colleagues\u2019 consideration. And I hope it\u2019ll earn the support of the entire Committee. But allow me to close with just one note:\n\nNone of the challenges we\u2019re facing today can be solved by a single bill or over the course of a single budget cycle.\n\nReadiness is not a box to be checked \u2013 it\u2019s a state to achieve and maintain. In this era of major power competition, security for future generations of Americans means steady, consistent, predictable, increasing investments in the common defense\u2026 year after year after year.\n\nIf we\u2019re tempted to treat successful FY26 appropriations like a finish line, we\u2019re thinking about our obligations all wrong.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=221D27F3-5C81-42F7-8D95-74E3349CA7A8", "McConnell Comments on the Passing of Betty Lou Weddle", "2025-07-30", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today on the passing of Betty Lou Weddle of Liberty, Kentucky:\n\n\u201cElaine and I were incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of our good friend in Casey County, Betty Lou Weddle. When I first sought my current office back in 1984, it was Betty Lou and her late husband, T.M., who took me around their community to meet voters and local leaders. We remained in close contact for the next four decades, and every time I visited Casey County, Betty Lou was always the first person I met with to discuss what mattered to her area. We worked together on the Central Kentucky Ag-Expo Center in Casey County \u2013 a project that reflects the hospitality, passion, and instinct for public service Betty Lou displayed throughout her life.\n\n\u201cBetty Lou contributed her entire life to her Casey County home as a farmer, teacher, and community leader. She was deeply committed to her husband throughout their 68 years of marriage and raised two children, Tom and Linda, who have followed in her footsteps as public servants of the highest degree. I share my deepest condolences with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and will hold the entire Weddle family in my prayers.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=2AE96B07-795C-4773-9F20-5683B5D18DCA", "McConnell Introduces Kentuckian at Judicial Nomination Hearing", "2025-07-30", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today before members of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary in support of S. Chad Meredith, of Lexington, President Trump\u2019s nominee to serve as a district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky:\n\n\u201cMr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the Committee, today it is my distinct privilege to introduce my fellow Kentuckian, Chad Meredith.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump made an outstanding choice for his nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Earlier this year, I proudly recommended Chad to the White House and as you will see from today\u2019s hearing, he has the intellect, skill, and experience to excel as a federal district court judge.\n\n\u201cOne of the Senate\u2019s most important constitutional responsibilities is to offer its advice and consent with respect to executive nominations, and I take very seriously the responsibility to carefully consider every nominee, especially for vacancies in my home state.\n\n\u201cChad is a bright lawyer with a stellar resume and a distinguished record of public service, but I would like to share with you how I first met him.\n\n\u201cChad interned with my office in 2003. The internship program provides college students with the opportunity to enhance their education as well as increase their knowledge of issues important to both the Commonwealth and our country. Interns are selected on the basis of strong scholastic and extracurricular achievements as well as an interest in the governmental process, and I\u2019ve been impressed to watch a former McIntern through the decades succeed in the legal field, public service, and now to be nominated to the federal bench.\n\n\u201cChad graduated summa cum laude from Washington and Lee University and summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Following his formal education, he sharpened his legal skills with two judicial clerkships with then-District Judge Amul Thapar on the Eastern District of Kentucky and Judge John Rogers on the Sixth Circuit.\n\n\u201cHe served as the first \u2013 that\u2019s right, the first \u2013 Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As the Solicitor General from 2019 to 2021, Chad oversaw all civil and criminal appellate litigation involving the Commonwealth. He earned a reputation for being fair-minded and professional, and for having a strong work ethic.\n\n\u201cFrom throughout the country, we have dozens of current and former state solicitors general expressing their strong support for Chad\u2019s nomination, saying, \u2018As Kentucky\u2019s first Solicitor General, Chad distinguished himself in diverse areas of federal and state law. Chad also exhibits the temperament necessary to serve as a District Judge\u2026As Chad\u2019s professional peers who have witnessed his work, we are confident that he possesses the qualities to serve with distinction as a District Judge.\u2019\n\n\u201cAdditionally, it\u2019s quite notable to hear from hundreds of lawyers calling Chad \u2018fair-minded\u2019. These attorneys come from many diverse backgrounds and include civil litigators, prosecutors, and criminal defense attorneys. They hold various political views and judicial philosophies and are supporting this nomination saying, \u2018we all agree that our legal system needs judges who carefully and honestly evaluate the arguments made by the parties and do what the law requires. We all believe that Chad will excel as a District Judge.\u2019\n\n\u201cAmid Chad\u2019s great professional success in private practice, even his colleagues know his value as an excellent lawyer and a careful thinker will serve our nation well, saying, \u2018As much as we don\u2019t want to lose him, our loss would be the public\u2019s gain.\u2019\n\n\u201cThis is all very resounding support and where that support runs deepest is with Chad\u2019s family. I\u2019d like to recognize his father, Kentucky State Senator Steve Meredith and his mother, Karen. They are both here and I know are very proud of Chad\u2026 and so is his wonderful wife, Rebekah, and we can bet that each of their children, Ben, Grace, Emma, and Daniel are beaming with pride for their dad.\n\n\u201cAlso joining today to support Chad\u2019s commitment to public service is Kentucky State Representative Samara Heavrin, as well as many more members of his family, his friends, and colleagues.\n\n\u201cMr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to come by and put in a good word. I am confident that Chad Meredith, who has demonstrated devotion to the rule of law and the Constitution, will serve the people of Kentucky and our country well on the federal bench. I appreciate this committee\u2019s consideration of his nomination, and I look forward to his confirmation.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=62CB8D5D-C6B5-48DE-8E9F-534FE7E3062C", "McConnell Remarks at McCain Institute Russia Task Force Event", "2025-07-30", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, delivered opening remarks at a McCain Institute event \u201cHighlighting Policy Recommendations for Post-War Russia.\u201d Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:\n\nIt\u2019s hard to think of a more appropriate home for the Task Force\u2019s important work than the McCain Institute, or a more fitting ringleader than a proud McCain alumnus like Dan Twining.\n\nMy good friend, John McCain, was so unapologetic and clear-eyed about the scope of America\u2019s interests. And he relished being the speck in Vladimir Putin\u2019s eye through his solidarity with the free peoples of eastern Europe\u2026\n\nHe supported the expansion of the greatest military alliance in the history of the world\u2026 And stood for the right of sovereign nations to choose their destiny.\n\nWhen Putin called the fall of the Soviet Union the \u201cgreatest political catastrophe of the 20th century,\u201d John understood that he meant it, and urged our colleagues to take Russia\u2019s neo-Soviet ambitions seriously.\n\nIn the not-so-distant past, that sort of clarity \u2013 acknowledging that Russia still threatened America\u2019s interests \u2013 could invite public scorn\u2026\n\n\u2026Like the sort of sanctimonious condemnation a certain former colleague of mine received from President Obama during a prime-time debate.\n\nWe heard that Putin would moderate\u2026 That his ambitions were limited\u2026 And that anyone who suggested otherwise was a dusty Cold Warrior past his prime.\n\nWell, to that I say: It is so good to be among friends!\n\n***\n\nNeedless to say, the importance of grappling with Russia\u2019s behavior and motivations can no longer be laughed away.\n\nWake-up call is perhaps the most tired phrase of the past three years.\n\nAnd yet that\u2019s exactly what Putin\u2019s escalation in 2022 was: an urgent, overdue, uncomfortable, and undeniable alarm.\n\nIt was a reminder that the realities of geopolitics don\u2019t care which region we\u2019d rather prioritize or what we\u2019d rather spend our treasure on. The bravery of Ukraine\u2019s defenders and the suffering of its civilians press us to remember that our enemies get a vote.\n\nThere are, of course, promising signs that the West has managed to free itself from the delusion that hegemonic aggressors can be appeased.\n\nReports of our European allies\u2019 rebuilding their military strength are not exaggerated.\n\nNearly all NATO members today are striving toward the Baltics\u2019 example of investment and readiness\u2026 And those who are not should hear from all of us.\n\nIn the process, allies are making overdue sacrifices to stamp out dependency on Russian energy\u2026\n\nThey\u2019re placing enormous investments in cutting-edge American-made weapons\u2026\n\nAnd they\u2019re proving willing to break domestic political china \u2013 even changing a Constitution or two \u2013 to unlock deeper and more sustained commitments to collective defense.\n\nThis transformation is real. It\u2019s well underway. And it\u2019ll be essential to securing America\u2019s interests in the coming decades.\n\nWhat about here at home? As friends of Ukraine, we may be tempted to dwell on the ways we drag behind this progress\u2026 and overlook the ways we underpin it.\n\nWe may rightly be frustrated by years of murky commitments, slow-walked assistance, fear of escalation, and confusion about who the aggressor is.\n\nBut I would suggest that, on this, America has much to be proud of.\n\nJust consider the cascading benefits of U.S. assistance to Ukraine: a small fraction of our defense budget has helped Ukraine resist and degrade a more powerful military aggressor.\n\nAfter years of talk and little action to address the shortcomings of our own arsenal and defense industrial base, we\u2019ve spurred massive investments in replenishing stocks and producing deterrent capabilities faster.\n\nBy partnering with the world\u2019s most experienced practitioners of drone warfare, we\u2019ve tapped into a wealth of knowledge about the changing nature of the modern battlefield. Ukraine\u2019s expertise is teaching America today what our forces will need to prevail tomorrow.\n\nAnd as NATO\u2019s biggest spender, America has encouraged much of our allies\u2019 transformation.\n\n***\n\nOf course, I don\u2019t mean to suggest that we\u2019ve escaped the gravitational pull of complacency and short-sightedness for good. Our allies\u2019 progress is not assured forever. European security \u2013 and trans-Atlantic security \u2013 is not some clock to be wound once and left alone.\n\nPerhaps the biggest lesson of 2022 \u2013 even bigger than the need to invest urgently today \u2013 is the importance of long-term commitments, and steady, annual investments in defense.\n\nAnd on this front, America must continue to lead by our example. We simply cannot expect allies to reach and sustain five percent if we\u2019re only willing to spend three-and-a-half, ourselves.\n\nA strategy to lead from behind is no strategy at all. And as the Task Force makes perfectly clear, this goes beyond spending targets \u2013 it\u2019s about presence, too.\n\nEven as our allies and partners build more lethal forces, there\u2019s still no more credible deterrent than American commitment.\n\nNo wonder European allies generously support rotational deployments of U.S. troops and invest in state-of-the-art training ranges for joint exercises. These commitments improve our collective readiness and interoperability, and they\u2019re worth sustaining.\n\nThe task of illustrating the strategic importance of Europe to America\u2019s security interests is not ours, alone. In fact, for years now, there\u2019s been no more effective communicator of what\u2019s at stake in Ukraine \u2013 strategically and morally \u2013 than Putin, himself.\n\nAs he continues to throw a generation into the meat-grinder of combat and target Ukrainian mothers and children at will, Putin is sending a clear message.\n\nAnd in the face of his brutal aggression and public revisionism, overwhelming majorities of Americans recognize Russia as our adversary\u2026 and see that the outcome of Putin\u2019s war of conquest matters immensely to us.\n\nMuch to the dismay of restrainers and isolationists who thought they\u2019d get to freelance American foreign policy, the President of the United States increasingly sees Putin\u2019s signals for what they are.\n\nThe President has been right to recognize Putin\u2019s play for time. He\u2019s been right to entertain proposals for new, secondary sanctions. Most importantly, he\u2019s been right to green-light further lethal assistance to Ukraine.\n\nI\u2019ve said this before: Stopping the killing is a noble goal, but the price of peace matters. And there will be no enduring peace unless Ukraine is equipped to credibly deter further aggression from Russia.\n\n***\n\nThe appetite of neo-Soviet imperialism does not end with Ukraine. How do we know?\n\nBecause Putin\u2019s predecessors subjugated far wider swaths of Europe\u2026\n\nBecause he invaded Georgia\u2026\n\nAnd because, as we speak, his troops are in Moldova, too!\n\nNations that have spent centuries in Russia\u2019s shadow do not stumble westward by accident.\n\nFinland and Sweden did not join NATO out of symbolic solidarity with Ukraine.\n\nThey did it because they know that Putin wants more.\n\nSo the Task Force is right to take the long view and grapple seriously with what comes next.\n\nWhat comes next for the trans-Atlantic alliance?\n\nWhat comes next for the increasingly aligned authoritarians working to undermine U.S. interests and influence?\n\nWhat comes next for America and our ability to defend these interests and preserve this influence?\n\nAs you put it, our deterrence is not divisible. And I would add: this is because our credibility is not divisible.\n\nNo U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific has time to waste on the notion that the implications of deterrence in Europe are confined to a separate sphere of influence.\n\nNo ally in Europe can afford to miss the crystal-clear connection between Russian aggression and support from China, North Korea, and Iran.\n\nThe consequences of America\u2019s strategic decisions still ripple across oceans and continents with equal speed.\n\nAnd a headline that reads \u201cRussia Wins, America Loses\u201d will read as clearly in Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang as it does here in Washington.\n\nAvoiding that outcome will take more work from all of us. Thank you for all you\u2019re doing.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=EF9E5731-BD99-4E4E-BD83-D8B721F96711", "McConnell Comments on the Passing of Bill Deaton", "2025-07-30", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today on the passing of Bill Deaton of London, Kentucky.\n\n\u201cI was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend, Bill Deaton. A successful businessman and leader in London, he will be remembered for his generosity and his entrepreneurial spirit. His legacy will surely be remembered by many. Elaine and I send our sincere condolences to Judy, his wife of 58 years, his children, his grandchildren, and all his family and friends.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/committee-approves-dr-rand-pauls-royalty-transparency-act/", "Committee Approves Dr. Rand Paul\u2019s Royalty Transparency Act", "2025-07-30", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nJuly 30th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nCommittee Approves Dr. Rand Paul\u2019s Royalty Transparency Act\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), and U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) announced that their bipartisan Royalty Transparency Act has advanced in the Senate following committee approval.\n\nThe legislation requires the disclosure of royalty payments from both government employees and advisory committee members in an effort to increase government accountability. Under current law, federal employees are not required to report the source or amount of royalty payments they receive for their government-related work. This lack of transparency prevents taxpayers from holding individuals accountable within the federal government for conflicts of interest and other abuse. Congressman Morgan Griffith is leading the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\nThe bill was approved overwhelmingly by a vote of 13-0.\n\n\u201cDistrust in public health officials is at an all-time high. One way to restore trust is to make sure that public policy isn\u2019t influenced by personal gain. The Royalty Transparency Act will allow more information to be seen by the public to ensure federal decision makers, and the policies they write, aren\u2019t being influenced by the royalty payments they receive,\u201d said Dr. Rand Paul.\n\nCurrently, federal employees are not required to disclose the source or amount of royalties they receive for inventions, patents, or licensing agreements connected to their official duties\u2014even when those payments come from private companies. The Royalty Transparency Act closes that loophole.\n\nYou can read the Royalty Transparency Act HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-pauls-bipartisan-risky-research-review-act-approved-by-senate-homeland-security-and-governmental-affairs-committee/", "Dr. Rand Paul\u2019s Bipartisan Risky Research Review Act Approved by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee", "2025-07-30", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nJuly 30th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Rand Paul\u2019s Bipartisan Risky Research Review Act Approved by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), announced that his bipartisan Risky Research Review Act has passed out of committee following a successful markup. The legislation, which establishes the first-ever independent oversight body for gain-of-function and other high-risk life sciences research, was approved overwhelmingly by a bipartisan vote of 11-2.\n\n\u201cWe must demand accountability for the grave oversights that were revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety of our nation and the trust in its institutions depend on it. My bill not only strengthens transparency but also ensures that public health decisions are made in the best interest of the American people, free from financial motives and prioritizing national security,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\nU.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is an original cosponsor of the legislation in the Senate.\n\n\u201cLife science research can yield breakthroughs that help protect the health of Americans, but it must be done with proper safeguards in place,\u201d said Sen. Peters. \u201cBy creating an independent oversight agency, this bill will help maintain control of high-risk research, to ensure it\u2019s effective, innovative, and safe.\u201d\n\nU.S. Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee\u2019s Subcommittee on Environment, introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cGain-of-function research is reported to be a potential target of a future President Trump Executive Order. As someone who has extensively investigated COVID-19 origins and biosafety concerns in foreign labs, it is clear to me that greater oversight measures are needed to review gain-of-function research of concern and risky experiments that involve virus transmission in humans. The National Institutes of Health has proven they are not capable of properly reviewing risky research applications, as in the case of EcoHealth Alliance. I believe the Risky Research Review Act establishes crucial oversight measures to alleviate the legitimate and significant concerns of the American people, thus reestablishing trust in our public health agencies,\u201d said Rep. Griffith.\n\nThe Life Sciences Research Security Board will serve as an independent body responsible for thoroughly evaluating gain-of-function research and other potentially harmful studies involving high-consequence pathogens. Currently, the funding and study of life sciences research lack sufficient government oversight, allowing American taxpayer dollars to be spent without proper safeguards. Dr. Paul\u2019s legislation establishes a much-needed stringent review process for the board to assess high-risk research and decide whether tax dollars should support specific research proposals, ensuring accountability and strengthening transparency.\n\nThe Risky Research Review Act will:\n\nEstablish an Independent Oversight Board: Form a Life Sciences Research Security Board dedicated to protecting public health, safety, and national security by evaluating and issuing binding determinations on high-risk life sciences research proposals seeking federal funding.\n\nDefine High-Risk Research: Specify high-risk life sciences research as studies with potential dangerous uses, or dual-use research of concern involving a high-consequence pathogen, or gain-of-function research.\n\nEnsure Board Independence: Position the board as an independent agency within the Executive Branch, consisting of one executive director, five non-governmental scientists, two national security experts, and one non-governmental biosafety expert, each serving up to two four-year terms.\n\nRestrict Funding Without Approval: Prohibit federal agencies from awarding funding for high-risk life sciences research without board approval.\n\nMandate Majority Vote: Require a majority vote of board members to approve high-risk life sciences research.\n\nEmpower the Board: Authorize the board to compel agencies to turn over necessary information and records, including classified information.\n\nDemand Full Disclosure: Require life sciences research grant applicants to declare if their research falls under high-risk life sciences categories or involves select agents or toxins.\n\nAutomatic Referral: Mandate that all positive attestations are automatically referred to the board.\n\nContinuous Subcontract Disclosure: Require grant recipients to continuously disclose subcontracts or subawards to agencies, with agencies required to submit these disclosures to the board.\n\nAnnual Reporting: The board will submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees and publish it online, summarizing determinations, findings, and information about entities and sub-awardees involved in high-risk life sciences research.\n\nYou can read the Risky Research Review Act HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/homeland-security-committee-approves-bill-to-streamline-federal-disaster-assistance/", "Homeland Security Committee Approves Bill to Streamline Federal Disaster Assistance", "2025-07-30", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nJuly 30th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nHomeland Security Committee Approves Bill to Streamline Federal Disaster Assistance\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), announced committee approval of the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation he co-led with Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI) to make it easier, faster, and safer for individuals and communities to receive federal disaster aid. The bill was approved overwhelmingly by a vote of 13-0 during committee markup on Wednesday, July 30th.\n\n\u201cOver the past few years, Kentucky has endured several deadly tornados and flash floods, leaving significant damage and displacing thousands throughout the Commonwealth,\u201d said Chairman Paul. \u201cMany of those impacted have expressed challenges in receiving quick assistance and updates from government agencies. As part of my commitment to always put Kentuckians first, I\u2019m proud to cosponsor the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, which will reduce the burden on disaster survivors by ensuring the process of receiving aid is simple and speedy.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the aftermath of a disaster, families who are working to rebuild their homes and their lives are facing enough challenges, they don\u2019t need the additional burden of complicated paperwork,\u201d said Senator Peters. \u201cThis commonsense bipartisan legislation will establish one universal application to reduce the burden on disaster survivors who are seeking federal assistance to help with recovery.\u201d\n\nThe Disaster Assistance Simplification Act will:\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A27D08E3-0C31-4C83-A64A-11396B3595A7", "Senator McConnell Joins Colleagues in Advocating for Critical NIH Research Funding", "2025-07-25", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) signed on to Senator Katie Britt\u2019s (R-AL) letter to Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating for the disbursement of appropriated funds for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The letter requests that the administration fully implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, which contains critical funding to support NIH initiatives across a range of research areas -- cancer, cardiovascular disease, rare pediatric disorders, and more.\n\nThe Senators wrote: \u201cWe are concerned by the slow disbursement rate of FY25 NIH funds, as it risks undermining critical research and the thousands of American jobs it supports. Suspension of these appropriated funds - whether formally withheld or functionally delayed \u2014 could threaten Americans' ability to access better treatments and limit our nation's leadership in biomedical science. It also risks inadvertently severing ongoing NIH-funded research prior to actionable results.\n\n\u201cWe share your commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological or unaccountable programs. We are confident Secretary Kennedy and Director Bhattacharya are well positioned to uphold gold standard research by ensuring that NIH awards are grounded in transparency, scientific merit, and a clear alignment with national interests. Our shared goal is to restore public trust in the NIH precisely because its work is focused on results, accountability, and real-world impact. Withholding or suspending these funds would jeopardize that trust and hinder progress on critical health challenges facing our nation. Ultimately, this is about finding cures and seeing them through to fruition.\u201d\n\nJoining Senators Britt and McConnell on the letter were Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tim Scott (R-SC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Todd Young (R-IN)\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=962047F8-66B1-458E-B96C-7F9F5EB1946C", "McConnell Praises President Trump\u2019s Selection of Paducah as Future Home of AI Infrastructure", "2025-07-24", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) today praised the Trump Administration\u2019s selection of the Department of Energy\u2019s Paducah Site, home of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), as one of four locations for cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and energy generation projects:\n\n\u201cThis is great news for the Paducah community, and I want to thank President Trump for selecting the Paducah Site to host new AI infrastructure. The site at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant has long held a critical role in advancing U.S. national security, and is poised, yet again, to be a national leader in an emerging and important technology. I am proud of the Paducah community and its workforce and know they are prepared to continue working closely with the Department of Energy to further instill PGDP\u2019s role in national security while helping facilitate greater U.S. leadership in AI.\u201d\n\nNOTE: Earlier this year, Senator McConnell contacted U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright on behalf of the community in support of Paducah\u2019s submission for the nationwide search for the highly competitive Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure on DOE Lands program.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/senator-rand-paul-reintroduces-audit-the-fed-bill/", "Senator Rand Paul Reintroduces Audit the Fed Bill", "2025-07-17", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nJuly 17th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nSenator Rand Paul Reintroduces Audit the Fed Bill\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Dr. Rand Paul (R-KY) has reintroduced the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, famously known as \u201cAudit the Fed\u201d legislation to require a full audit of the Federal Reserve\u2019s operations and increase congressional oversight of its decision-making. In conjunction with the bill\u2019s reintroduction, Senator Paul also released the latest edition of his Waste Report, which exposed the Federal Reserve\u2019s $600 million cost overrun on renovations to its Washington, D.C. headquarters\u2014now projected to cost taxpayers $2.5 billion in total. The report underscores the lack of transparency and accountability at the Fed, which remains exempt from a full audit by Congress or the Government Accountability Office.\n\n\u201cNo institution holds more power over the future of the American economy and the value of our savings than the Federal Reserve,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cIt\u2019s long past time for Congress to stop shirking its duty and hold the Federal Reserve accountable.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is Congress\u2019 duty to hold the Fed accountable,\u201d said Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). \u201cFor too long, the Federal Reserve has operated behind closed doors while making decisions that impact the American economy. Throughout my service in Congress, I have worked to audit the Fed, and this legislation is necessary to shine a light on the Fed\u2019s operations and provide transparency to Congress and American taxpayers.\u201d\n\n\u201cIdahoans deserve to know what the Federal Reserve is doing to our nation\u2019s economy,\u201d said Senator Jim Risch (R-ID). \u201cCongress must hold the Fed accountable and pull back the curtain on the actions of this unelected Washington establishment.\u201d\n\n\u201cI support this effort to provide more transparency to the American people and more insight into how the Federal Reserve operates. This bill is a common-sense step towards good government,\u201d said Senator Todd Young (R-IN).\n\nThe Federal Reserve Transparency Act would require the independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a complete audit of the Board of Governors and the Federal Reserve Banks within one year of enactment and to report its findings to Congress within 90 days of completing the audit.\n\nThe legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rick Scott (R- FL), and John Barrasso (R-WY).\n\nThe bill is supported by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, Frontiers of Freedom Institute, and Young Americans for Liberty.\n\nRead the bill HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-bill-to-end-medicaid-payments-for-illegal-aliens-immediately/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Bill to End Medicaid Payments for Illegal Aliens Immediately", "2025-07-15", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nJuly 14th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Rand Paul Introduces Bill to End Medicaid Payments for Illegal Aliens Immediately\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced the Excluding Illegal Aliens from Medicaid Act, legislation to immediately end states\u2019 practice of exploiting federal tax dollars to provide health benefits for illegal aliens. This legislation would also remove Medicaid eligibility for the influx of parolees admitted in the U.S. by former President Biden and Vice President Harris, effective immediately. Under the Excluding Illegal Aliens from Medicaid Act, the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) rate granted under Obamacare expansion would end for any state that provides Medicaid benefits to illegal aliens, forcing them to revert to the traditional cost-sharing rate.\n\nSeveral states are still cashing in on Obamacare\u2019s generous 90% federal Medicaid match while covering illegal aliens. This bill would close that loophole by revoking enhanced federal funding for any state that continues to cover those individuals on Medicaid.\n\n\u201cThe One Big Not-So-Beautiful Bill has been signed into law, but there\u2019s a ridiculous delay until October 2026 before certain noncitizens are finally removed from Medicaid,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cThat\u2019s unacceptable. Taxpayers should not pay for the healthcare of those people who are in the country illegally or not eligible for Medicaid.\u201d\n\nA House companion bill is being introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL).\n\n\u201cMedicaid should only be for American citizens, not those who intentionally break our laws. Several states are abusing loopholes in federal tax law to waste money on healthcare handouts for illegal aliens. Rewarding criminals with benefits paid for by law-abiding Americans is unfair, expensive, and flat-out wrong. That is why Senator Paul and I are fighting to keep Medicaid for Americans only,\u201d said Representative Greg Steube (R-FL).\n\nDr. Paul\u2019s bill steps in to correct that mistake and make the policy effective immediately and end the generous federal subsidies for states supporting illegal immigrants.\n\nRead the bill HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=4693A140-25BD-49D1-BAB5-B455FCA4B70D", "McConnell on Continuing U.S. Lethal Assistance to Ukraine", "2025-07-08", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the delivery of weapons to Ukraine:\n\n\u201cToday, the strategic incoherence of underfunding our military and restricting lethal assistance to partners like Ukraine is measured in the avoidable erosion of American credibility with allies and the mounting deaths of innocents.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m glad that President Trump wants to resume deliveries of lethal capabilities to Ukraine. America\u2019s policy of providing lethal support to Ukraine began during his first term, and likely helped deter earlier Russian escalation.\n\n\u201cThis time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons. And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production. The self-indulgent policymaking of restrainers \u2013 from Ukraine to AUKUS \u2013 has so often required the President to clean up his staff\u2019s messes. And the budget OMB sent to Congress does not put America on a path to peace through strength.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=50BCC62A-6C8D-457F-BA1E-4483A5201A28", "Senator McConnell\u2019s Bill to Protect American Farmlands Signed Into Law", "2025-07-07", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) praised passage of his legislation, The Protecting American Farmlands Act, which reduces the tax burden on selling farmland, encouraging farmers to keep their land in agricultural production and curbing the loss of farmland across the country. Senator McConnell introduced the legislation in March and worked to secure it in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on Independence Day.\n\nThe Kentucky Farm Bureau, a supporter of Senator McConnell\u2019s legislation, recently launched the Kentucky Farmland Transition Initiative (KFTI), a coalition aimed at uncovering ways to help farmers transition acreage to future generations of farmers. KFTI found that farmers tend to hold onto their land to avoid paying capital gains taxes on their property. The Protecting American Farmlands Act would defer the capital gains tax over a 4-year period if they sell their land to a farmer who will keep it in agricultural production for a minimum of ten years.\n\n\u201cThe Protecting American Farmlands Act addresses the steady decline in available farmland by easing the tax burden on our hardworking producers. This is a huge win for Kentucky farmers and will help preserve our vital farmland for future generations,\u201d said Senator McConnell.\n\n\u201cWe are excited to see the inclusion of capital gains tax relief in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This is a direct result of Senator Mitch McConnell\u2019s efforts on the issue, which includes his legislation, the Protecting American Farmlands Act,\u201d said Eddie Melton, President, Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation. \u201cThis is a crucial first step in providing America\u2019s farmers capital gains relief while incentivizing keeping farmland in the hands of active farmers. This will provide farmers with another tool when looking to transition their land while also addressing the drastic loss of farmland across the country. Senator McConnell has long been a champion for Kentucky agriculture, and this legislation is a testament to his commitment to the American farmer and the future security of America\u2019s food supply.\u201d\n\nAccording to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture:\n\nOver the past twenty years, Kentucky farmland acreage has declined from 13.8 million acres in 2002 to 12.4 million acres in 2022.\n\nIn just the last five years, Kentucky lost 546,000 acres of farmland, an average of 290 acres lost per day.\n\nIn the last five years, the number of farmers in Kentucky has decreased 9%.\n\nThe number of farms in Kentucky has decreased from 86,541 farms in 2002 to 69,425 farms in 2022.\n\nThe average age of a Kentucky farmer is 57.1 years old, and approximately 1.3 million farmers nationwide are now at or beyond retirement age.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A6F9473B-30A0-477D-9F67-BD6D6DA1F853", "McConnell on Senate Passage of President Trump\u2019s One Big Beautiful Bill", "2025-07-01", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding passage of the Senate version of the Reconciliation Bill:\n\n\u201cThe American people sent President Trump and Republican majorities to Washington with a clear mandate: secure the border, restore peace through strength and American energy dominance, and give working families and small businesses relief from the Biden economy.\n\n\u201cOur votes today are a step toward fulfilling that duty. We\u2019re bolstering border security, investing in programs that assist our farmers, raising take-home pay for working Kentuckians, and preventing the largest tax hike in American history.\n\n\u201cIn the realm of national defense, there is still more to be done. Reconciliation was an opportunity to make an urgent, additive investment on top of a steadily increasing base budget, not an invitation to offload major annual priorities to a one-time injection of funds. Largely missing this opportunity makes the Congress\u2019 work to secure robust topline defense funding even more important, and I will continue to urge my colleagues and the Administration to meet growing and coordinated threats to America\u2019s security with the resources they demand.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=6BC28D04-E6B9-4E18-AAE8-A0F5A96A1549", "McConnell on War Powers Resolution: Divorced From Strategic And Constitutional Reality", "2025-06-27", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement ahead of today\u2019s Senate vote on the Kaine War Powers Resolution:\n\n\u201cIran\u2019s war against the United States is decades old. Through direct and proxy attacks, it has killed and wounded thousands of Americans.\n\n\u201cFive years ago, President Trump\u2019s correct decision to remove Iran\u2019s terrorist mastermind, Qassem Soleimani, from the battlefield restored a meaningful measure of deterrence. Within weeks, the Senate was forced to defeat an effort to constrain the President\u2019s authority to take similar action in the future.\n\n\u201cRegrettably, under the Biden Administration, this hard-won deterrence eroded away. With the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan came a sobering reminder that the perception of American retreat emboldens our adversaries. Iran and its terrorist network shrugged off empty threats of deterrence and spilled yet more American blood.\n\n\u201cThis weekend, the President seized a strategic opportunity to restore deterrence. In response to Iran\u2019s ongoing war, U.S. forces dealt a devastating blow to the regime\u2019s pursuit of nuclear weapons.\n\n\u201cNow, less than a week later, the Senate will again need to defeat an attempt to limit the Commander in Chief\u2019s authority. And once again, the restrainers behind this effort on both sides of the aisle face simple questions:\n\n\u201cIn what ways does this discrete and limited exercise of American power exceed the limits within which President Clinton directed operations in Kosovo or President Obama in Libya? In what ways does it differ from the strikes in Syria or Yemen for which President Biden invoked his Article II authorities?\n\n\u201cWas degrading Iran\u2019s nuclear capability without expanding the U.S. military footprint in the Middle East a mistake? Was it wrong to seize the rare opportunity made possible by Israel\u2019s operations over the last 20 months? Did it not demonstrably advance U.S. interests in the region? Or are isolationists correct in suggesting that such interests do not exist?\n\n\u201cI have not heard the frequent flyers on War Powers resolutions reckon seriously with these questions. Until they do, efforts like this will remain divorced from both strategic and constitutional reality.\n\n\u201cI will oppose Senator Kaine\u2019s resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=BA097AEB-06CC-448E-AA20-38C5300D29CF", "McConnell Opening Statement at SAC-D Hearing on FY 26 Budget Request for the Air Force and Space Force", "2025-06-26", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, convened today\u2019s hearing \u201cA Review of the President\u2019s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Air Force and Space Force\u201d. Prepared text of his opening statement follows:\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll begin by welcoming Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General David Allvin, and Chief of Space Operations, General Chance Saltzman. Thanks to each of you for your decades of service to our nation, and our thanks as well to the airmen and guardians you lead.\n\n\u201cThis weekend\u2019s successful operations over Iran served as a reminder of the immense skill and professionalism of America\u2019s men and women in uniform: Pilots operating coolly in enemy airspace\u2026Dozens of aircraft and thousands of personnel helping to get them safely over their targets\u2026Massively powerful ordnance delivered with the utmost precision\u2026And all flights returning home safely.\n\n\u201cThe way I see it, there are two key takeaways, here: The first one is the value of allies and partners. Israel\u2019s magnificent military and intelligence operations created the strategic opportunity. In degrading Iran\u2019s air defenses, the Israelis demonstrated how highly competent allies act as force multipliers in the face of common threats. We ought to keep this in mind when we look at Europe and the Indo-Pacific, too. Allies and partners are going to be essential to any big fight, and we should not underestimate their value.\n\n\u201cOf course, at the end of the day, nobody in the world but the U.S. Air Force can do what you did this weekend. America\u2019s ability to project power globally is unparalleled. And that brings me to the second takeaway: military primacy doesn\u2019t happen overnight. The most sophisticated military in world history is the product of trillions of dollars over decades.\n\n\u201cSustaining this military force isn\u2019t cheap. Modernizing it to preserve our military edge is even more expensive. But if we value the lives of our servicemembers\u2026The unprecedented peace we have experienced since World War II\u2026And the fruits of the American-led international order\u2026Then it\u2019s worth every penny and then some.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s most determined adversaries have studied the capabilities and tactics of our military closely, and have developed advanced radars, sensors, and long-range air defenses to counter precisely the strength we showed last weekend\n\n\u201cThe PRC has been playing a long game to challenge American primacy. By contrast, in crucial ways, we\u2019ve been taking our edge for granted. Chronic underfunding of the national defense has become a habit of consecutive administrations. Unfortunately, the budget we\u2019re here to discuss today is no exception. In fact, the President\u2019s request for FY26 falls well short of meeting the requirements imposed by today\u2019s threat landscape. We simply will not keep pace with the pacing threat of China if we\u2019re not willing to keep pace with inflation.\n\n\u201cThe Air Force needs to modernize its bomber and fighter fleets. It needs new tankers and command and control aircraft. It also needs longer-range and more sophisticated munitions. And it needs a lot of them.\n\n\u201cThe Space Force needs advanced satellite technologies, resilient communications systems, and enhanced surveillance capabilities, to deter aggression, ensure freedom of maneuver, and maintain uninterrupted space-based support to joint and allied forces back on planet earth. And you can\u2019t do any of it with anemic base budgets. You just can\u2019t.\n\n\u201cPreserving our military edge and the peace will require sustained and significant increases in defense spending. Not just a one-time infusion. But it\u2019s not just the size of the FY26 request many of us are concerned about. It\u2019s also the structure. The Administration has asked Congress to split the funds for massive procurement efforts like B-21 and Sentinel between the base budget and a one-time reconciliation bill.\n\n\u201cI struggle to understand how putting programs with broad bipartisan support in a simple-majority reconciliation bill won\u2019t function like a shell game for avoiding making the sort of annual, base-budget investments we begged the last Administration to make.\n\n\u201cThe need for stable production of aircraft seems to argue for year-on-year funding baked into a base budget. The constrained topline, of course, is forcing services to make artificially tough choices. In your case, let me just say this: We all want to go to space. But let\u2019s be honest about the risks and trade-offs this request is forcing you to make. If the choice you\u2019re facing is between an available, advanced airborne system with onboard battle management and a nascent space capability, you\u2019re going to have to resist the urge to turn proven capabilities like the E-7 into billpayers.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s value in redundancy. We should be making investments in both airborne and space-based command and control. They say that in space, no one can hear you scream. But squandering our advantage in this critical domain because we can\u2019t find the political will to maintain it? That would mean plenty of screaming here on Earth, with devastating consequences for U.S. military operations on land, air, and sea.\n\n\u201cI hope we\u2019ll also hear from you about how the Air Force is addressing munitions shortfalls \u2013 not just in the massive ordnance penetrators deployed this weekend to great effect, but across the entire spectrum of both offensive and defensive capabilities on which Air Force operations are built. I\u2019ve been hoping to hear from each service how production challenges are being addressed, and the Air Force will be no exception.\n\n\u201cSpeaking of the MOP, I need to address the manufactured controversy over the extent to which the strikes damaged Iran\u2019s nuclear program. We haven\u2019t been briefed on the intelligence, but the political hand-wringing misses an important point: We\u2019ve demonstrated our military superiority. If we want, we can own the skies over Iran. If the Iranians don\u2019t abandon their nuclear program, we can keep bombing them. And Iran\u2019s remaining leaders should take the off-ramp the President has offered them.\n\n\u201cFinally, I\u2019ll ask you to explain for us the lessons you\u2019re taking from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. How is the rapid evolution of unmanned systems informing the decisions you make about drone operations, force protection, and interception? And what information are you getting today that you\u2019d lose if America neglected its relationships with force-multiplying allies and partners?\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll look forward to your testimony on each of these fronts.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=EF4BBC2F-0B29-4615-B76C-000CB7CE56D2", "McConnell On U.S. Hard and Soft Power at Senate Appropriations Hearing w/ OMB Director Vought", "2025-06-25", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a senior member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, participated in today\u2019s full committee hearing where he questioned Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought about spending on defense and foreign assistance:\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll start by associating myself with the comments Chair Collins made about the importance of American soft power:\n\n\u201cInterestingly enough, over my years in the Senate, the biggest supporters of soft power I have run into have been the military \u2013 generals \u2013 who are fully aware of how much more costly it is to have a war than to prevent one. And it's at a very low cost to our country, built some pretty good relationships, particularly in countries in the Middle East that certainly wouldn't be described as democratic.\n\n\u201cReforming the way we invest in peace and stability is certainly worthwhile. And there\u2019s plenty of absolute nonsense masquerading as American aid that shouldn\u2019t receive another bit of taxpayer funding.\n\n\u201cBut the Administration\u2019s attempt to root it out has been unnecessarily chaotic. In critical corners of the globe, instead of creating efficiencies, you\u2019ve created vacuums for adversaries like China to fill.\n\n\u201cResponsible investments in soft power prevent conflict, preserve American influence, and save countless lives at the same time for pennies on the dollar.\n\n\u201cSo if we\u2019re concerned about spending and we should be, it\u2019s important to remember what wars cost. At the height of world war II, 37% of our GDP was spent on defense. In Korea, 13%. In Vietnam 9%. The Reagan buildup, only 6%. Obviously peace through strength means more than just saying it. It means actually demonstrating it.\n\n\u201cSo, that\u2019s just a fact: that soft power at very little expense goes a long way.\n\n\u201cAnd tellingly, some of the folks who talk most open about the importance of soft power, as I just indicated, are the military as they know exactly what I\u2019ve already said about the cost of already having one.\n\n\u201cI welcomed the President\u2019s intention to restore American hard power. His repeated commitments to strengthen the military signaled that he understood this, like President Reagan, that peace through strength really has to be more than a slogan.\n\n\u201cLikewise, his authorization of this weekend\u2019s strikes, over the objections of isolationists who downplay the threat of a nuclear Iran, was another indication in the right direction.\n\n\u201cBut the Administration\u2019s approach to funding the Department of Defense calls into question the ability to keep those campaign promises:\n\n\u201cA continuing resolution that forces the Department to meet today\u2019s requirements with yesterday\u2019s dollars\u2026\n\n\u201cA base budget request that fails to keep pace with inflation, let alone with the \u201cpacing threat\u201d of China\u2026\n\n\u201cAnd a reconciliation lump-sum crowded with priorities that require stable, annual appropriations.\n\n\u201cOur colleague, Chairman Wicker, and his House counterpart had hoped that reconciliation would be a one-time injection on top of a growing base budget, not a shell-game to avoid making the sort of annual investments we begged your Democratic predecessors to make.\n\n\u201cI share this concern: we need sustained annual growth to meet the growing threats facing our country.\n\n\u201cAt your confirmation hearing earlier this year, you said \u201cwe have to use taxpayer dollars wisely.\u201d\n\n\u201cI couldn\u2019t agree more. I want to get the most out of every dollar the Department of Defense requires to keep America safe and advance our global interests.\n\n\u201cBut providing for the common defense is our most fundamental obligation.\n\n\u201cDividing funding for major existing bipartisan priorities between base budget and reconciliation isn\u2019t just counterintuitive \u2013 it\u2019s actually counterproductive.\n\n\u201cAnd asking Congress to fund a budget that defines our strategy, rather than using strategy to define the budget, is dangerous.\n\n\u201cSo help me understand a few things:\n\n\u201cWhy haven\u2019t we received the Administration\u2019s analysis of the future year impacts of major reconciliation in investments like Golden Dome?\n\n\u201cHow do you propose to pay for them without significant increases to future base budgets?\n\n\u201cWhy has the Administration taken programs with broad and longstanding bipartisan support, like the Virginia-class submarines, and put them in a partisan reconciliation bill?\n\n\u201cFinally, do you even believe we need sustained growth above inflation in our defense budget?\n\n\u201cOr should we expect annual cuts from this Administration like we got from the Biden Administration?\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=6CBF9693-B827-402E-8024-34C50676DEF5", "McConnell on American Leadership; Standing with Israel and Ukraine", "2025-06-24", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, delivered remarks on the Senate floor today regarding U.S. national security interests in standing with Israel, supporting Ukraine, and investing sufficiently in our own defense. Prepared text of his speech follows:\n\n\u201cWhen Iran\u2019s proxies launched a full-scale war on Israel on October 7th, 2023, President Biden pledged an \u2018unwavering commitment to Israel\u2019s security\u2019. This was the right message in the moment. But as I warned publicly at the time, Israel needed more than rhetorical solidarity.\n\n\u201cLike Ukraine, Israel needed precious time, space to maneuver, and material support to defeat a shared enemy. And yet, as in Ukraine, America\u2019s commitment has indeed wavered. Our support has not been ironclad.\n\n\u201cInstead, under the previous Administration, American support was delayed, restricted, and paired with attempts to micromanage Israeli operations and even interfere with Israeli politics. And at every turn, the progressive left and isolationist right hyperventilated about the specter of so-called forever war.\n\n\u201cFortunately, Israel held its ground. Israelis weren\u2019t enthused about a ground war in Gaza. Their leaders knew that war would be difficult. But they knew it was unavoidable so long as Hamas terrorists still refused to release its hostages. They also knew lasting security meant changing Iran\u2019s calculus\u2026Not just responding to attacks from its proxies. So Israel decided to turn Iran\u2019s terrorist assets into liabilities.\n\n\u201cDespite the pearl-clutching here in Washington, our ally simultaneously decapitated Hizballah and crippled Hamas. Their bold operations created a new opportunity for Lebanon to claw back its sovereignty from a terrorist state within a state.\n\n\u201cMeanwhile, the collapse of the brutal Assad regime in Syria brought down a Russian vassal and Iran\u2019s favorite corridor of weapons and terrorist finance. These are the circumstances President Trump inherited. What to do with them has been the subject of some debate. Some of his advisors and supporters came with Obama-Biden-era talking points, ready to urge him to continue his predecessor\u2019s policy of constraining Israel. Some had argued publicly that America had no vital or existential interests in the Middle East or claimed the region was a distraction from other priorities. They warned of forever war. Some seemed to push for nuclear negotiations with parameters eerily similar to the nuclear deal he withdrew from during his first term. They even proposed Iran could keep enriching uranium, until the President rightly quashed that idea.\n\n\u201cThese mixed messages emboldened Iran and its proxies. After all, why give up if Administration officials saw the Middle East as little more than a distraction?\u2026or if they seem as fearful of restoring deterrence as the previous guys? So Hamas kept holding hostages. The Houthis kept targeting Israel and Red Sea commerce. And the Islamic Republic kept marching toward a nuclear weapon. And in response, Israel took the next logical step to restore deterrence.\n\n\u201cOnce again, innovative and decisive strikes destroyed Iran\u2019s air defenses and imposed immediate costs on Tehran. And leaders from across Israel\u2019s politics stood united behind the daring operations. But here in America, the same restrainers, anti-Israel progressives, and self-proclaimed realists warned again of regional conflagration if the President intervened alongside \u2013 or even supported \u2013 Israel\u2019s strikes.\n\n\u201cThe President\u2019s own Director of National Intelligence traveled to Hiroshima to record a bizarre video message \u2013 not as a warning against Tehran\u2019s nuclear ambitions but, presumably, against American or Israeli operations to blunt them.\n\n\u201cFortunately, the President rejected the pleas of appeasers and isolationists. The strikes he ordered dealt a massive blow to Iran\u2019s nuclear program, bolstered American credibility, and strengthened U.S. and Israeli leverage to end Iran\u2019s pursuit of nuclear weapons and its support for terrorism for good.\n\n\u201cThanks to Israel\u2019s heroic efforts for more than a year and a half, Iran\u2019s ability to threaten regional stability is massively degraded. Not since before the Islamic revolution has there been such an opportunity for America, Israel, and our Arab partners to reset regional dynamics on such favorable terms. Achieving it has required no large-scale deployment of U.S. ground forces. It required only supporting our friends. Israel is a close ally and a strategic asset. Not a liability. And the strategic return on our investment in assisting Israel is incalculable.\n\n\u201cStanding with our Israeli friends offers a powerful lesson about American leadership, the value of alliances and partnerships, and the real nature of peace through strength. And this lesson extends far beyond the Middle East. If America refuses to apply it elsewhere \u2013 like Ukraine \u2013 we do so at grave risk to our own interests. But that\u2019s exactly what some in Washington seem to be doing. Congress recently learned that a senior DoD official conducted a review of DoD security assistance efforts and concluded that the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), among other programs, was wasteful. This is a Republican Administration panning a program created by a Republican Congress in 2015 to counter President Obama\u2019s toothless response to Russia\u2019s initial invasion of Ukraine. I\u2019d like to see the analysis behind the Administration\u2019s decision to zero out USAI in its FY26 request. I\u2019d like to hear them try to explain away the massive return on investment of America\u2019s security assistance to Ukraine and the precious lessons we\u2019ve learned from our Ukrainian partners.\n\n\u201cThe Secretary of the Army has rightly called Ukraine \u2018the Silicon Valley of warfare\u2019. Do his colleagues at the Pentagon think this assessment is wrong, or do they just not think access to the cutting edge of modern combat is valuable? Here\u2019s the truth: USAI and other security assistance efforts have helped us measurably address shortcomings in strategy, capabilities, and production capacity that would have gone ignored until it was too late.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s an inconvenient reality for isolationists and restrainers, but \u2013 for a tiny percent of our defense budget \u2013 we helped a smaller military resist invasion by a vastly larger one and degrade a major U.S. adversary.\n\n\u201cAs with Israel, Ukraine is fighting an adversary of the United States. Our support does not entangle us in a far-off foreign conflict. For Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea, America is the main enemy \u2013 the great Satan. If these adversaries beat our friends, the threat to America become a thousand times greater. We should be grateful for friends so willing to defend our collective interests against common foes.\n\n\u201cPartnership with Ukraine is teaching us what modern warfare could mean for U.S. forces when they do face direct conflict. It has tested our assumptions about munitions inventories, expenditure rates, electronic warfare, and the duration of conflict. Without Ukraine\u2019s experience with U.S. weapons, we would have been surprised to find some advanced systems quickly rendered inoperable on future battlefields.\n\n\u201cThe money we invest in USAI on weapons for Ukraine expands our own production capacity in the process and will improve the quality of our own munitions. Supplemental appropriations on Ukraine and Israel, in turn, backfill our own stocks with brand-new capabilities \u2013 not just 155mm rounds, but air defenses and long-range fires, with specific investment in solid rocket motors. These investments help us prepare for conflict in the Indo-Pacific. And production would be slower in the absence of our partnership with Ukraine. Not doing more to address our growing defense needs isn\u2019t a failure of foresight. It\u2019s a failure of political will. Everyone wants to see an end to Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine. But the price of peace matters. If we want enduring stability in Europe, we can\u2019t fall for an illusory peace.\n\n\u201cWe should know enough history not to dismiss this as merely \u2018a quarrel in a faraway country, between two people of whom we know nothing\u2019. It\u2019s a major war of conquest in Europe\u2026The most significant since the days of Nazi Germany\u2026And allies and adversaries half a world away are watching it closely for clues about America\u2019s resolve. Certainly, Europe\u2019s deepening commitments to collective defense will make real peace more enforceable. The President\u2019s insistence has driven much of this progress; Putin\u2019s brutality has reinforced it.\n\n\u201cSince 2022, our European NATO allies have made historic investments in defense \u2013 often buying American. And many are preparing to make even larger commitments at this week\u2019s NATO Summit. This is good news. But we can\u2019t expect allies to continue signing up for 3.5% and 5% commitments if America insists on falling further behind. Likewise, we can\u2019t expect Putin to end his aggression if he thinks America\u2019s abandonment of Ukraine is only a matter of time. And we can\u2019t expect anyone to take America\u2019s threats and commitments seriously if we\u2019re content to let our own strength atrophy.\n\n\u201cA base budget request that cuts defense spending in real terms doesn\u2019t show Moscow we\u2019re serious \u2013 let alone Beijing. Leading from behind would be bad enough, but this is just plain falling behind. The strongest deterrence is denying an adversary\u2019s objectives through military means. Israel is restoring this deterrence in the Middle East. Ukraine is achieving it by holding its own against Russia. But it needs help.\n\n\u201cRecently, I\u2019ve asked Administration officials simple questions, like: Who is the aggressor in this conflict? The answer is obvious. But a second, equally simple question seems to trip them up: Who do we want to win?\n\n\u201cThe President made the right call to stand with Israel. I hope he\u2019ll also decide to stand with Ukraine, prevent Russian victory, and start reversing a dangerous, downward trend in our defense budgets. I hope he\u2019ll recognize Russia\u2019s attempt to \u2018tap him along\u2019 for what it is. Putin is getting mixed messages from Washington. He thinks he has time. He believes the West is weak and divided. But the President \u2013 at very little cost \u2013 can shatter this illusion. It\u2019s time to impose sanctions, raise the price of Russia\u2019s aggression, redouble security assistance to Ukraine, and drive the Kremlin to seek peace. It\u2019s time for deterrence through denial.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s no surer path to just and enduring peace\u2026No better way to demonstrate that peace through strength actually means something\u2026No clearer sign to allies and adversaries watching closely from the Western Hemisphere to the Indo-Pacific that America still has the will to lead.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=9028329A-8D3B-44FF-A71C-77CF39A9FFD0", "McConnell Opening Statement at SAC-D Hearing on FY 26 Budget Request for the Navy", "2025-06-24", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, convened today\u2019s hearing \u201cA Review of the President\u2019s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Navy\u201d. Prepared text of his opening statement follows:\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll begin by welcoming Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral James Kilby, and Commandant of the Marine Corps General Eric Smith. I\u2019m grateful to each of you for your willingness to lead at a pivotal moment for the Department, and to the sailors, Marines, and civilian personnel who advance Navy and Marine Corps missions and keep America safe every day.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m particularly grateful to the sailors who have stood watch in the Gulf and the Red Sea over the last 20 months helping to defend Israel, US interests, and freedom of navigation against Iranian-backed terrorists. And to the crews deployed there right now who launched Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of the joint operation to strike what I hope is a fatal blow to Iran\u2019s nuclear aspirations.\n\n\u201cI also want to recognize the Marine Corps, whose fallen comrades were among the earliest victims of Iran\u2019s decades-long war against the United States and Israel \u2014 those taken hostage with U.S. Embassy personnel in Tehran and the hundreds killed in Beirut in 1983, before any of us on this dais showed up in Washington.\n\n\u201cGenerations of servicemembers carry the scars of Iran-backed attacks on American personnel in the region over the decades. Their sacrifices remind us that \u2018Death to America\u2019 is more than rhetoric.\n\n\u201cFor too long, Tehran itself faced negligible costs for the actions of their terrorist proxies. Thanks to Israel\u2019s initiative in turning the tables \u2013 and the President\u2019s decision to back them up \u2013 the Islamic Republic is finally paying a steep price.\n\n\u201cThis weekend\u2019s events are yet a further reminder of the challenges facing the joint force today. And my colleagues and I hope to understand the extent to which you think the President\u2019s budget request would provide the resources necessary to meet, deter, and defeat them.\n\n\u201cEach of the Services is grappling in its own way with the reality of renewed major-power competition and with the increasing alignment of America\u2019s adversaries. As you know, major transformations test assumptions and service culture. They test the capacity of the industrial base. And, importantly, they hinge on transparent working relations with Congress and on robust and consistent full-year investments in major priorities.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll offer just a few observations in this vein. First, the good: Secretary Phelan, I\u2019ve appreciated your recognition of Congress\u2019 role in equipping the Navy and Marine Corps and the collaborative approach you\u2019ve taken with this subcommittee. Your willingness to communicate transparently will continue to benefit our shared mission of restoring the Navy\u2019s preeminence. I also appreciate your persistent engagement with the maritime industrial base. Your travels to see our shipbuilding challenges across the country, firsthand, have not gone unnoticed. We will not solve this problem without the private sector.\n\n\u201cLikewise, General Smith \u2013 The Marine Corps spent years developing a clear rationale for major transformation, made tough and deliberate choices, and engaged Congress effectively along the way. Marine Corps Force Design 2030 continues to offer other services valuable lessons as they pursue transformation efforts of their own. I look forward to hearing how the Marine Corps\u2019 own transformation to meet future threats is going: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But, to be quite frank, the decisions this Administration has made on resourcing the Department of Defense \u2013 a full-year CR that failed to address rising costs of operations and maintenance and major modernization requirements, a one-time reconciliation investment that risks new cliffs for sustainment, and a base request for FY26 even lower than the previous Administration\u2019s FY25 request \u2013 make each of your jobs more difficult.\n\n\u201cAt the most basic level, an FY26 base defense topline that doesn\u2019t keep pace with inflation \u2013 let alone with the \u2018pacing\u2019 threat of the PRC \u2013 does not show we\u2019re serious about the tasks before us. Neither does pretending that one-time injections of funding are a substitute for consistent appropriations. For example, none of you needs me to point out the breadth of bipartisan support for accelerating procurement of Virginia-class submarines. If the Administration shares our interest in meaningfully expanding shipbuilding capacity, why are investments like this one not built into the base budget request? Why are we allocating funds under extraordinary parliamentary authorities for capabilities that would otherwise have been funded in an annual appropriation? Will the Navy even be able to complete two Virginia class subs with reconciliation money before the funding expires?\n\n\u201cLeaving aside the color of money, we\u2019ll also want to hear your assessment of the impediments to delivering essential capabilities like submarines, destroyers, and amphibious vessels at the speed of relevance. This subcommittee has been consistently generous, but despite pouring billions more dollars into the effort, the timeline for producing a Virginia-class sub continues to stretch longer. Of course, we don\u2019t just need to build platforms faster. We need to figure out how to make munitions more efficiently \u2013 especially the exquisite missile defense interceptors and long-range fires on which current operations are relying so heavily. How has the Navy handled the high operational tempo in the Red Sea? How does the FY26 request reflect the urgent need to deepen our magazines in a more cost-effective manner?\n\n\u201cFinally, I\u2019m curious about the lessons your services are taking from current conflicts. What has the Navy learned from the demands of long deployments and the costs of air wing accidents on the U.S.S. Truman? What lessons is the service taking from Ukraine\u2019s decimation of Russia\u2019s Black Sea fleet? How is the Navy approaching force protection itself? Is it hardening major assets, both in port and at sea? Does it have sufficient resources to do so?\n\n\u201cWhat is the Marine Corps learning from Russia\u2019s ground war in Ukraine? How does information-sharing at the cutting-edge of modern warfare inform the service\u2019s ongoing transformation effort? To what extent is success in the face of unique Indo-Pacific circumstances dependent on things outside your control, like logistics and transportation provided by other services or commands?\n\n\u201cI will be curious for each of your observations. I would just suggest that any honest accounting of the task at hand will have to reckon with the deficiencies of the defense topline. If our objective is to build a force capable of projecting power globally to deter, fight, and prevail against Chinese aggression, possibly while engaged in conflict in other theatres, I don\u2019t see how this budget request gets us there. So we\u2019ll look forward to your testimony in just a moment.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-cosponsors-accountability-reporting-for-nato-freeloaders/", "Dr. Rand Paul Cosponsors Accountability Reporting for NATO Freeloaders", "2025-06-24", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "As NATO convenes today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul cosponsored legislation by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) addressing inadequate burden sharing among the United States\u2019 allies and NATO member nations.\n\nThe Allied Burden Sharing Report Act and the NATO Burden Sharing Report Act would incentivize delinquent nations to contribute their fair share for defense measures by requiring the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to compile annual reports on allied nations\u2019 defense contributions and their ability to fulfill commitments. U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) cosponsored both pieces of legislation.\n\n\u201cOur NATO allies expect the U.S. to be the sugar daddy and the world\u2019s policeman while they sit back and let us do the heavy lifting. President Trump was right, it\u2019s time for them to pull their own weight. Congress must stop giving blank checks to our allies and start demanding accountability. That\u2019s why I\u2019m pushing for the NATO Burden Sharing Report Act and the Allied Burden Sharing Report Act, to show the American people exactly who\u2019s paying the bills and who\u2019s shirking their share,\u201d said Sen. Paul.\n\n\u201cAmerica has shouldered the burden of NATO freeloaders for decades,\u201d said Senator Mike Lee. \u201cYear after year, our so-called allies shirk their commitments while we pay for the conflicts raging in their backyards. By imposing annual reporting requirements, my legislation will identify delinquent allies \u2013 promoting accountability and putting them on notice to pay their fair share.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nNATO allies committed to spending 2% of their annual GDP on defense measures over a decade ago, but many have failed to deliver \u2013 instead allowing the U.S. to carry the burden of European security. Even as conflict in Ukraine continues in their own backyards, a significant portion of NATO members remain delinquent on their defense commitments. It is unreasonable for the U.S. to continue subsidizing the security of a peripheral theater, while allies neglect to carry their fair share.\n\nAs the alliance convenes today, President Donald Trump has rightfully demanded greater burden sharing and higher defense spending. As the Summit opens, Senator Lee is introducing two pieces of legislation to support this burden sharing agenda. The Allied Burden Sharing Report Act and NATO Burden Sharing Report Act require regular reporting on allies\u2019 contributions to the common defense.\n\nThese bills promote burden sharing accountability, removing any doubt as to who the delinquent allies are and equipping Congress with the information it needs to perform necessary oversight.\n\nThe Allied Burden Sharing Report Act:\n\nRequires DOD to prepare an annual report on the defense spending of all 59 U.S. allies \u2013 including:\n\nAnnual defense spending of each allied nation, both as a nominal figure and percentage of GDP\n\nActivities of each allied nation that contribute to military or stability operations in which the Armed Forces of the U.S. are a participant or could be called upon per the obligations of a cooperative defense agreement of which the United States is a signatory\n\nAny limitation placed by an allied nation on the use of such contributions\n\nAny actions undertaken by the U.S. or by other countries to minimize such limitations\n\nThe NATO Burden Sharing Report Act:\n\nApplies only to NATO member countries and includes all of the above reporting requirements plus:\n\nA description of each member\u2019s hard vs. soft power contributions for Ukraine\n\nDefense industrial base health and comparative advantages\n\nSize and structure of armed forces\n\nAny areas where the country would be fully reliant on allied assets\n\nFMS deliveries or contracts in the previous year\n\nAny change in defense spending over the previous year and anticipated future spending\n\nCoutesy of Sen. Mike Lee: One-Pager | Bill Text \u2013 Allies | Bill Text \u2013 NATO\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-collegiate-sports-integrity-act/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Collegiate Sports Integrity Act", "2025-06-24", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nJune 24th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-434\n\nDr. Rand Paul Introduces the Collegiate Sports Integrity Act\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Collegiate Sports Integrity Act, legislation to restore free-market principles to college athletics by exempting intercollegiate athletic conferences, associations, and participating schools from federal antitrust laws.\n\nAntitrust laws have empowered judges\u2014not students, not schools\u2014to dictate the rules of college sports. This bill puts decision-making back where it belongs: in the hands of the people directly involved. By removing these restrictions, the Collegiate Sports Integrity Act allows schools and student-athletes to voluntarily negotiate fair, flexible agreements that reflect their own values\u2014not a federal mandate.\n\n\u201cThis is about economic liberty,\u201d said Dr. Rand Paul. \u201cCollege athletes and schools should be free to come to the table and make their own deals\u2014without unelected judges micromanaging every detail. Whether it\u2019s compensation, eligibility, or academic standards, Washington shouldn\u2019t be calling the plays.\u201d\n\nThe Collegiate Sports Integrity Act explicitly exempts intercollegiate athletic conferences, interstate athletic associations, and the colleges competing in them from antitrust liability. This ensures that evolving athletic models\u2014regardless of structure\u2014remain protected and governed by voluntary agreement, not courtroom fiat.\n\nThe legislation comes amid growing legal uncertainty following a wave of rulings, including a December 2024 decision striking down NCAA eligibility rules and a June 2025 settlement opening the door to direct payments to athletes. Rather than allowing a patchwork of court-imposed mandates, the bill reasserts the primacy of freedom of contract in higher education athletics.\n\nRead the bill HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=727C63F2-0AEC-437A-A98C-05BF001DF4C5", "McConnell Comments on Passing of Fred Smith", "2025-06-23", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement regarding the passing of FedEx founder, Fred Smith:\n\n\u201cI was saddened to learn of the passing of my friend, Fred Smith, whose pioneering entrepreneurship helped transform how the world does business. Fred\u2019s vision led FedEx from domestic delivery to the cutting edge of global logistics.\n\n\u201cFred\u2019s distinguished corporate leadership, along with his decorated combat service as a U.S. Marine, attracted repeated calls to serve his country in government at the highest levels. But continuing to lead half a million employees, generous philanthropic efforts, and a growing brood of grandchildren kept our friend busy doing what he loved. My thoughts are with Fred\u2019s wife, Diane, and their family as they mourn a great man.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-end-the-feds-big-bank-bailout-act/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces \u201cEnd the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailout Act\u201d", "2025-06-23", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nJune 20th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Rand Paul Introduces \u201cEnd the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailout Act\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the End the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailout Act, legislation to prohibit the Federal Reserve from paying interest on balances held at Federal Reserve banks by or on behalf of depository institutions.\n\n\u201cOur country is over $36 trillion in debt,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cBut no one pays attention to the hundreds of billions of dollars the Federal Reserve unnecessarily paid to banks to NOT lend money to consumers.\u201d\n\nUntil 2008, the Federal Reserve paid no interest to banks on reserve balances. That changed after the financial crisis, when Congress authorized the payments as a tool to control the money supply. From 2008 to 2016, interest payments averaged just $5 billion annually. But with the Fed\u2019s rate now above 4 percent, these payments have exploded.\n\n\u201cIn 2022, the Fed paid $60 billion to banks. In 2023, the Fed payments to banks rose to over $176 billion. And in 2024, the Fed\u2019s subsidy to banks rose to about $186 billion. The Fed has been operating at a loss since September 2022,\u201d Dr. Paul continued. \u201cWhile the Fed no longer has profits and ceased returning those profits to the taxpayers by remitting those funds to the Treasury, it still, to this very day, pays what has amounted to hundreds of billions of dollars to banks.\u201d\n\nThe End the Fed\u2019s Big Bank Bailout Act amends Section 19 of the Federal Reserve Act to eliminate the Fed\u2019s authority to make these interest payments. Senator Paul argues this simple change could save more than a trillion dollars over the next decade.\n\n\u201cAt a time of persistent and self-imposed worsening losses at the Fed, the manipulators of the American economy continue to pay banks to do nothing but have their funds sit in a safe,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cHow can anybody, especially the populist Republicans and the entire Democratic Caucus, defend such a subsidy when supposed income inequality and the national debt is at the top of the political agenda?\u201d\n\nRead the bill HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-the-restore-prescription-drugs-discount-act/", "Dr.\u00a0Rand\u00a0Paul\u00a0Introduces the Restore Prescription Drugs Discount Act", "2025-06-23", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nJune 23rd, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-434\n\nDr. Rand Paul Introduces the Restore Prescription Drugs Discount Act\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) today introduced the Restore Prescription Drugs Discount Act, a bill to eliminate an outdated antitrust law that hinders insurers and employers from negotiating upfront discounts for better prices on prescription drugs.\n\nAs a result of a class action lawsuit in the 1990s, the Robinson-Patman Act of 1936 prohibits insurers and employers from negotiating upfront discounts with pharmaceutical companies to drive the cost of prescription drugs down. To comply with this ruling, drug manufacturers shifted from offering upfront discounts to retroactive discounts, also known as rebates, provided upon proof of sales. Simply put, the Robinson-Patman Act\u2019s ban on upfront discounts leaves insurers and employers without leverage to negotiate, leading to higher costs for patients.\n\nDr. Paul\u2019s bill would fully repeal the law and give insurers the ability to negotiate savings more transparently, helping drive down drug prices for patients.\n\n\u201cThe Robinson-Patman Act is a relic from the Great Depression,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cIt punishes direct discounting and drives up costs for patients. Repealing it will remove an unnecessary legal barrier and bring transparency and competition back to the prescription drug market.\u201d\n\nRead the full bill HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-to-host-2025-fall-service-academy-information-fair-for-kentucky-students/", "Dr. Rand Paul to Host 2025 Fall Service Academy Information Fair for Kentucky Students", "2025-06-23", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "A very rewarding aspect of representing our Commonwealth is the opportunity to nominate young men and women from across the state to attend our nation\u2019s prestigious service academies.\n\nI will be hosting a 2025 Fall Service Academy Information Fair for Kentucky students on Thursday, August 28th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. CST.\n\nPlease RSVP to my State Office at (270) 782-8303.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=52725FA6-4F2D-4CFC-8970-E696881A92B4", "Chairman McConnell Statement on U.S. Military Operations", "2025-06-21", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "LOUISVILLE, KY- Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement on the United States strikes in Iran:\n\n\u201cIran\u2019s war on America and Israel spans decades. The history of the Islamic Republic is written in American, Israeli, and Arab blood, as well as that of the Iranian people. The regime\u2019s survival has depended on repression at home and web of proxy terrorism and aggression abroad, underpinned by an obsessive pursuit of nuclear weapons.\n\n\u201cIsrael\u2019s bold response to the war thrust upon it by Iran\u2019s proxies has created a unique opportunity to cripple Iran\u2019s nuclear ambitions and strike a lasting blow to its hegemonic aggression. Seizing this opportunity is not an escalation toward war \u2014 it is a prudent response to the warmongers in Tehran. Iran would be foolish to misunderstand American resolve.\n\n\u201cI commend the President for authorizing decisive action and all U.S. servicemembers responsible for carrying it out. The United States\u2019 interest in denying Iran a nuclear weapon, in standing with our ally, Israel, and in reestablishing credible deterrent power is undeniable and urgent.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=05BA6AD2-32A4-450D-BA04-CF7587014FFE", "McConnell Opening Statement at SAC-D Hearing on FY 26 Budget Request for the Army", "2025-06-18", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, convened today\u2019s hearing \u201cA Review of the President\u2019s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Army\u201d. Prepared text of his opening statement follows:\n\n\u201cWith us today are the Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll, and the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Randy George. Welcome to you both. And happy belated birthday to the U.S. Army.\n\n\u201cSecretary Driscoll, I\u2019m glad you were able to visit Fort Knox yesterday. As I\u2019m sure you found, far more important than the gold are the fine soldiers and civilians who serve there.\n\n\u201cWe appreciate that both of you are willing to serve our nation at a consequential moment for the Army, the Department of Defense, and U.S. national security. And we\u2019re deeply grateful to the soldiers you lead for their bravery and sacrifice at the tip of the spear.\n\n\u201cThe recent losses of Army personnel in training incidents in Lithuania, Hungary, and Iraq are reminders of the risks U.S. servicemembers take every day to keep us safe. Matching the Army\u2019s structure and capabilities to tomorrow\u2019s challenges while preserving its ability to fight today is essential work. The Army\u2019s history reminds us that we don\u2019t always get to choose the types of war we fight, and must prepare for all contingencies.\n\n\u201cCongress has backed the Army through a litany of failed modernization programs like Future Combat Systems or Crusader. We\u2019ve watched new requirements, cost overruns, and adversary advances undermine their rationale before they became operational. If the Administration made the case for sustained increases in defense spending, the Army would have a stronger hand when asking Congress to take risks on new initiatives. But net cuts to defense spending make it harder to balance the Army\u2019s current and future requirements. In the face of growing threats, pursuing generational change on the cheap is risky business.\n\n\u201cAs you work with the Congress on the Army Transformation Initiative, I hope you will look to the Marine Corps\u2019 own controversial modernization program as a model of transparency and building trust.\n\n\u201cCongress has a constitutional obligation to provide for the common defense and steward taxpayer dollars responsibly. And we don\u2019t serve either the taxpayer or the common defense with blank checks for vaguely-defined priorities.\n\n\u201cWe want to see the analysis behind the specific bets the Army wants to place on ATI. We want to understand the second-order effects on industry, other services, and allies. Certainly, the Army needs to be better equipped to face Indo-Pacific contingencies, and we\u2019ll want to understand how ATI intends to achieve this objective.\n\n\u201cTomorrow\u2019s Army will need to integrate existing systems and modernized capabilities\u2026Sustain existing industrial relationships and welcome new entrants to the defense enterprise. This is not a zero-sum proposition. And if it\u2019s time to walk away from certain legacy programs, the Army will need to show its work. For example, if it\u2019s time to move on from the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, why did the Army sign an $8 billion contract two years ago to procure more? Why did the Army not coordinate its termination decision for a joint program with the Marine Corps and the other services to gauge whether such a decision would put their budgets, operational capabilities, or readiness at risk? And what is the impact on the defense industrial base the Army relies on?\n\n\u201cServices have to think through the industrial implication of such decisions. This isn\u2019t an argument to buy vehicles the Army doesn\u2019t need, but a recommendation to consider how existing manufacturing capacity can be put to better use in light of changing requirements. The Army\u2019s abrupt decision to terminate the Robotic Combat Vehicle program also reinforces a tendency to abandon promising capabilities midstream. This signals unreliability to industry partners willing to invest their own capital in future military technologies \u2013 in this case, precisely the kind of innovative tech company the Army claims it wants to foster.\n\n\u201cOf course, when we understand the Army\u2019s challenges and objectives, we can help you achieve them. For example, we combed through unexecutable resources in the FY25 request and found resources to fully fund the Army\u2019s number one unfunded priority for counter-UAS capabilities. Why such an important requirement was unfunded in the first place, however, raises more fundamental questions about the Army and Department\u2019s own budget process. We also provided additional flexibility in funding to address UAS and counter-UAS challenges. And we invested in solid rocket motor production in excess of the previous Administration\u2019s official requests to help advance much-needed replenishment of air-defense interceptors and long-range fires. If the Army shares our concern about a paucity of air defense and counter-UAS capabilities, I hope you can explain why there is so little funding for proven systems like CIWS.\n\n\u201cThis spring, Secretary Hegseth identified modernizing and sustaining the organic industrial base as an urgent priority. When we hear that the Army is considering mothballing purpose-built munitions production facilities already at your disposal, it raises questions about your intent to meet this directive.\n\n\u201cArmy Depots in states like Kentucky, Arkansas, and Alabama have already built trust with local communities and assembled skilled workforces. And they continue to attract interest in new public-private partnerships. That would be a win-win for modernization. So I fail to see how cutting this essential, existing capacity will help the Army reach the production levels needed to meet growing demands.\n\n\u201cI regret that the Army is being tasked with doing more with less. But it\u2019s increasingly likely that looming challenges will test us in multiple theaters simultaneously. That we don\u2019t have the magazine depth for today\u2019s fights, much less the capabilities we need for tomorrow\u2019s.\n\n\u201cCertainly, we can\u2019t expect to keep pace with a pacing threat in the Indo-Pacific, or adversary alignment across the globe, if our base defense budget can\u2019t even keep pace with inflation.\n\n\u201cThis subcommittee hopes to be an active partner in the Army\u2019s modernization efforts. But we can\u2019t expect success on a shoestring budget. Mr. Secretary, General George \u2013 I\u2019ll look forward to hearing your views on these topics. And we\u2019ll turn to you momentarily for opening comments.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=636F44B7-6164-4B6B-A6D4-D76A3F2E5A89", "McConnell Comments on President Trump\u2019s Nomination of Kentuckian S. Chad Meredith", "2025-06-18", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today on President Trump\u2019s announcement that he will nominate S. Chad Meredith of Lexington, Kentucky to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky:\n\n\u201cPresident Trump made an outstanding choice for his nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Chad Meredith is a bright lawyer with a stellar resume and a distinguished record of public service, including previous service as Kentucky\u2019s Solicitor General. His demonstrated devotion to the rule of law and the Constitution will serve the people of Kentucky well on the federal bench. I look forward to the Senate confirming his nomination.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=06083C1B-3A30-4D4D-B546-D86332EF7957", "McConnell Previews SAC-D Hearing on FY 26 Budget Request for the Intelligence Community", "2025-06-16", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement in advance of the June 17th closed hearing with Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Lieutenant General William J. Hartman, Acting Director of the National Security Agency:\n\n\u201cU.S. national security depends on the professionalism, objectivity, and integrity of a well-resourced intelligence community. As I\u2019ve observed before, fighting conflict is far costlier than deterring it. And the costs of strategic surprise \u2013 the failure of intelligence \u2013 can be catastrophic. That\u2019s why the defense subcommittee takes very seriously its responsibility to equip the IC for an array of sensitive and evolving missions.\n\n\u201cIn return, we expect the nation\u2019s seniormost intelligence officials to provide candid observations on the challenges facing both the IC and the decisionmakers their work informs. I look forward, in particular, to thorough assessments of U.S. interests in ongoing conflicts:\n\n\u201cI will expect Director Gabbard, Director Ratcliffe, and General Hartman to address the current state of Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine, the potential consequences of an outcome that strengthens Vladimir Putin, and the potential damage to U.S. alliances and partnerships of withholding further support to Ukraine.\n\n\u201cLikewise, I will expect them to assess Israel\u2019s ongoing response to Iran\u2019s decades-long war against America, Israel, and our Arab partners, and the stakes of allowing Iran to continue its nuclear enrichment operations and support for terrorist proxies.\n\n\u201cEven more broadly, I will expect the leaders of the IC to demonstrate their grasp of the undeniable alignment and coordination of America\u2019s adversaries. I expect them to outline how Chinese economic support for Iran and Iranian material support for Russia\u2019s war informs the global assessments they offer to the Commander-in-Chief.\n\n\u201cAllies and partners from Europe to Japan are looking to the United States to meet this coordinated aggression with a coordinated response. Retreating from this mantle of leadership will not strengthen or advance American interests.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A323C22F-5238-4207-B95E-BE5EA5B41E7A", "McConnell Statement on Israeli Strikes in Iran", "2025-06-13", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding Israeli strikes in Iran last night:\n\n\u201cIran\u2019s war against Israel and the United States is decades old. Directly and by proxy, it has plotted and conducted attacks against U.S. servicemembers, diplomats, former officials, and even dissidents inside the American homeland. It has done the same against its Arab neighbors, peaceful nations around the world, and \u2014 with particular savagery \u2014 the Jewish people for daring to preserve and protect a Jewish state.\n\n\u201cWhen Tehran prescribes \u2018death to Israel, death to America\u2019, our closest ally in the Middle East takes this murderous, nuclear-obsessed regime at its word. America must do the same.\n\n\u201cSince October 7, 2023, Israel\u2019s dramatic operations in Lebanon, Syria, and now Iran have given the entire region an opportunity to rid itself of Tehran\u2019s terrorist spiderweb. I hope and pray that Israel\u2019s bold and brave direct strikes against the Iranian death machine and nuclear program will hasten this future for a region of tremendous importance to the United States.\n\n\u201cIn Israel\u2019s fierce self-defense, America must recognize a broader, global lesson about the value of allies and partners. From Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific, we and our friends are stronger when we stand together.\n\n\u201cThere must be no daylight between the United States and allies and partners defending their sovereignty, democracy, and way of life against theocratic or authoritarian aggression. America must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel. And Iran\u2019s remaining leaders must recognize that the time has come to abandon their decades-long obsession with terror and nuclear war.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=D36972AC-2283-4723-9C5A-A2D1E82583F0", "McConnell Opening Statement at SAC-D Hearing on FY 26 Budget Request for the Department of Defense", "2025-06-11", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, convened today\u2019s hearing \u201cA Review of the President\u2019s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Defense\u201d. Prepared text of his opening statement follows:\n\n\u201cSecretary Hegseth, General Caine, Ms. MacDonnell, welcome. My colleagues and I are looking forward to your candid testimony.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that the global threat environment demands from us an uncompromisingly lethal force. And your efforts over recent months to renew the Department\u2019s focus on lethality \u2013 and your attention to the concerns of servicemembers at the tip of the spear \u2013 are worthwhile and appreciated.\n\n\u201cOf course, sustaining this shift requires a clear strategy and adequate investments in capabilities. So we\u2019re looking forward to hearing, in detail: What, exactly, the Office of Management and Budget is requesting on behalf of the Department of Defense for the coming fiscal year\u2026And whether this budget flows from a strategy or instead defines and limits a strategy.\n\n\u201cThis hearing will be the first public demonstration of what we hope to be a productive relationship between the Subcommittee and the Department. In the past, this relationship has functioned best when it\u2019s been based on timely and forthcoming communication.\n\n\u201cLast year, details from the Department and the services about their growing requirements informed the Subcommittee\u2019s efforts to mark up a bill to provide the military with $18.8 billion in resources above President Biden\u2019s FY25 request. But that didn\u2019t become law. Regrettably, the CR we\u2019re under right now was yet another missed opportunity that compounded the constraints facing the Department today.\n\n\u201cOn this subcommittee, you\u2019ll find plenty of support for the Department\u2019s efforts to \u2013 for example \u2013 improve air and missile defense systems, grow the pipeline for unmanned technologies, modernize our nuclear triad, and expand shipbuilding capacity. But lumping reconciliation spending in with full-year appropriations risks conflating different objectives. Chairman Wicker and his House counterpart have pointed out already that even an important, one-time investment in military modernization is not a substitute for steady growth in the annual budget topline. In fact, it may well end up functioning as a shell-game to avoid making the most significant annual investments that we spent years urging the Biden Administration to make.\n\n\u201cI struggle to understand why the Administration would cut procurement funding in the base FY26 budget by $14.4B and move funding for programs that have strong bipartisan support to a simple-majority reconciliation bill. The FY26 annual request seems to do just this for Virginia class submarines, Arleigh Burke class destroyers, and B-21 bombers. Like with critical munitions, we should send the Services and industry a sustained demand signal by incorporating them into annual appropriations.\n\n\u201cIf we\u2019re really serious about making the sustained, long-term investments in our military, then let\u2019s do more than a one-time injection of funding. If the Administration wants to request a trillion-dollar defense budget for FY26 and make a full-year investment in urgent priorities and new programs, they ought to do it.\n\n\u201cIn the meantime, let\u2019s not overstate the FY26 request. The Administration\u2019s requested base defense budget is lower than fifteen of the last twenty annual requests\u2026including President Biden\u2019s request for FY25. In fact, FY26 extends your predecessors\u2019 streak to five straight base budget requests that would fail to keep pace with inflation \u2013 let alone with the pacing threat of China. But say we do take reconciliation into account. Even then, this is hardly the largest funding request for the Department of Defense.\n\n\u201cIn constant dollars, the FY26 Department of Defense budget request still falls short of the annual funding requests from FY08, FY09, FY10, and FY11. As a share of GDP, even including reconciliation, the FY26 request is still just around 3%. That\u2019s not just half the level of the Reagan buildup that secured peace through strength\u2026 it\u2019s even less than the 4.5% of GDP requested for defense under President Carter.\n\n\u201cWhy should we expect our allies to spend 5% of GDP on defense if we\u2019re investing barely half that share? The failure to spend more on defense is compounded by another dynamic. Every year, a greater share of the defense budget goes to cover costs other than modernizing and procuring new weapons and equipment for our fighting forces.\n\n\u201cWithout additional resources, rising Personnel and Operations & Maintenance costs risk crowding out new capabilities. How we allocate taxpayer dollars is an expression of our political will. We can\u2019t expect our adversaries to take American hard power seriously if we don\u2019t put our money where our mouth is. But as I mentioned, we\u2019re also interested in your articulation of the strategy that informs \u2013 or is informed by \u2013 the Administration\u2019s budget. How does that strategy account for adversary alignment? How does it address not only the threat of conflict in the Indo-Pacific, but the reality of conflict and military threats to our interests in Europe and the Middle East?\n\n\u201cMost of us on this panel believe that Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine, its alignment with the aims of other U.S. adversaries, and its eventual outcome are profoundly important to American interests and offer more than just a glimpse into the future of warfare.\n\n\u201cI\u2019d like to hear your views on this conflict. Who is the aggressor? What are the stakes for America and the West? What is the return on investment of our assistance to Ukraine? I don\u2019t see funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative in your budget request. Is it the Administration\u2019s view that terminating security assistance to Ukraine will make lasting peace more or less likely?\n\n\u201cWhat lessons is the U.S. military learning from the conflict? How will the Department or industry continue to learn if we cut off our partnership with the world\u2019s leading battlefield innovators? Why would Asian partners trust us if we abandon partners in Europe? What lessons are China, Iran, and North Korea learning? And how much more will they benefit if Russia prevails?\n\n\u201cI\u2019d like to hear your views on the impact of war in Europe on other theaters. The Asian and Pacific allies you just met with recently are under no delusions about how unchecked Russian aggression influences the calculus of Xi Jinping. They understand that strategic alignment among adversaries is global.\n\n\u201cAmerica must recognize, in turn, that the risk of simultaneous conflict on multiple fronts is real and growing. Your Undersecretary for Policy acknowledged this reality in his confirmation hearing this spring. But the capabilities America needs to prevail in such a conflict do not seem to be reflected in the request we\u2019ve received from OMB.\n\n\u201cSo, there\u2019s a lot we need to cover today. We\u2019ll invite you to make opening comments in just a moment. But first, I\u2019ll recognize Ranking Member Coons.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-paul-senator-lee-introduce-bill-to-cut-drug-prices-and-red-tape/", "Dr. Paul & Senator Lee Introduce Bill to Cut Drug Prices and Red Tape", "2025-06-06", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nJune 6, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Paul & Senator Lee Introduce Bill to Cut Drug Prices and Red Tape\n\nWashington, D.C.\u2014This week, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), and Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the bipartisan Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act to cut drug prices for consumers and increase competition in the pharmaceutical market by categorizing generic-brand \u201cbiosimilar\u201d drugs as interchangeable with their name-brand counterparts.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to support Senator Lee\u2019s Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act. Americans pay too much for prescription treatments because of outdated FDA requirements. This bill would give pharmacists more options, subject to state law, to substitute unaffordable therapeutics with lower-cost alternatives. I offered similar reforms in the past because health care reform starts with giving patients more affordable choices. It\u2019s time we stop letting red tape stand between patients and lower prices.\u201d said Dr. Rand Paul\n\n\u201cAmericans are missing out on lower drug prices thanks to bureaucratic red tape that protects big pharma monopolies,\u201d said Senator Mike Lee. \u201cMany consumers would choose a cheaper generic-brand version of their medications, but technicalities from Congress have kept these out of reach. Our legislation will cut the red tape to bring drug prices down, break up the big pharma monopolies, and let Americans make their own medication choices.\u201d\n\n\u201cToo many Americans face sky-high prescription drug costs. This bipartisan legislation will cut unnecessary red tape and help biosimilar drugs get to the market faster, creating more competition in the market, and cutting costs for consumers,\u201d said Senator Hassan. \u201cI will continue to work to lower prescription drug and health care costs for Granite Staters and all Americans.\u201d\n\n\u201cLimited competition drives up drug prices, making it harder for people to afford the medications they need to survive. Expanding access to biosimilar drugs can improve patients\u2019 lives and reduce costs. But too often, access can be limited due to regulatory red tape that scientists agree is not necessary,\u201d said Senator Luj\u00e1n. \u201cThis bipartisan bill will help simplify that process while maintaining rigorous safety and effectiveness standards. By increasing competition, this legislation will allow more patients and families to access the treatments they need.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the FDA has made clear, there is no clinically meaningful difference between biosimilars and interchangeable biosimilars,\u201d said John Murphy, President and CEO of the Association for Accessible Medicines. \u201cThe Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act will expand competition and generate savings for patients and taxpayers, while preserving FDA\u2019s ability to ensure the safety and efficacy of medicines for America\u2019s patients. The Biosimilars Council and AAM thank Senators Lee and Luj\u00e1n for their work on behalf of American patients and we look forward to working with Congress to eliminate this outdated and unnecessary barrier to lower-priced biosimilar medicines.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\n\u201cBiosimilars\u201d \u2013 generic alternatives to name-brand medications \u2013 have the potential to significantly reduce the cost of biologic drugs through increased competition. Choosing biosimilars over their name-brand counterparts could save consumers an estimated $42.9 billion by 2027. Americans deserve to hold this decision-making power, but red tape around biosimilars keeps them from being widely used. The FDA\u2019s complex approval system has confused physicians, patients, and states about biosimilars\u2019 safety and efficacy.\n\nBiosimilars must undergo extensive testing to prove they provide no meaningful difference from their name-brand version. Bringing a new biosimilar to market costs as much as $300 million and can take as long as 9 years. Even after this approval, patients may not be able to access biosimilars because Congress created a separate designation: interchangeability. To be classified as truly \u201cinterchangeable\u201d with the name-brand version, a biosimilar must undergo further testing called \u201cswitching studies.\u201d This type of research has proven unnecessary for biosimilars, as it repeatedly shows no meaningful difference or relevant new data.\n\nThe Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act would remove these extra steps so that a biosimilar will immediately be classified as interchangeable upon its initial approval by the FDA. Foregoing unnecessary switching studies would no longer disqualify biosimilars as alternatives to their name-brand counterparts.\n\nThis legislation will streamline the regulatory pathway for biosimilar approval by aligning the law with the current scientific reality, giving Americans the option to save billions and increasing competition in the pharmaceutical market.\n\nThe Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act would:\n\nAmend the federal code to state that all biosimilars, upon approval, shall be deemed interchangeable. The bill still uses the term \u201cinterchangeable\u201d because states have crafted their own laws around interchangeability. Retaining that word would provide for minimal disruption to current biosimilar distribution.\n\nStrike the current requirement in code that has been used to justify switching studies.\n\nCreate a cooldown period for certain biologics that were already granted exclusive interchangeable status.\n\nInstruct HHS and FDA to issue or retract relevant guidance.\n\nYou can read it HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=8C18DE37-8974-4195-AE5F-250C3CC50EEC", "McConnell Welcomes Michael Sullivan as Chief of U.S. Capitol Police", "2025-06-05", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the selection of Chief Michael Sullivan as the new Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police Department:\n\n\u201cI\u2019m grateful for the U.S. Capitol Police Board\u2019s extensive efforts to select the next chief of the USCP. Their confidence in Chief Michael Sullivan is well-placed. Nearly twenty-five years of his three decades of law enforcement service were spent protecting my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, including a distinguished tour as Deputy Chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department.\n\n\u201cAt the helm of the USCP, Chief Sullivan will take on another heavy responsibility: ensuring the security of our nation\u2019s core governing institutions. I know he will quickly earn the trust and admiration of the brave men and women who keep us safe, and I join the entire Senate in welcoming him to the Capitol.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=E7AF9619-F75A-4F0D-97E0-F8DC2A3C8933", "McConnell Meets With Ukrainian Officials", "2025-06-03", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today after meeting with senior Ukrainian officials, including Head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak, and First Deputy Prime Minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko:\n\n\u201cI was glad to welcome Mr. Yermak, Ms. Svyrydenko, and their delegation to Washington at a critical moment in their work to end Russia\u2019s unprovoked war. I share both their urgent desire for peace and their understanding that the price of peace matters.\n\n\u201cUkraine\u2019s willingness to negotiate an immediate ceasefire is as clear as Russia\u2019s utter disinterest in peace. As long as Putin\u2019s aggression continues, Ukraine has every right to defend itself by targeting his war machine with every tool at their disposal.\n\n\u201cThe United States can and should continue to lead Western efforts to impose further sanctions on the Kremlin and its sponsors. But sanctions are not a substitute for equipping Ukraine materially to negotiate from a position of strength. Sustaining Western military assistance to Ukraine will be an essential part of any lasting peace.\n\n\u201cHopes of meaningfully changing Russia\u2019s calculus and reaching such a peace will remain unrealized so long as Putin believes he can outlast Ukraine\u2019s will to fight or the West\u2019s resolve to stand by our friends. Ukraine, for its part, continues to innovate and adapt to the tragic realities of modern warfare with astounding success.\n\n\u201cIn conflict between a neo-Soviet imperialist and a sovereign, Western-aligned partner, the United States gains nothing from pretending to be a neutral arbiter. It is unquestionably in our interest to stand with Ukraine as they resist aggression.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-reintroduces-bill-to-repeal-job-killing-tan-tax/", "Dr. Rand Paul Reintroduces Bill to Repeal Job-Killing \u2018Tan Tax\u2019", "2025-05-30", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nMay 30, 2025, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Rand Paul Reintroduces Bill to Repeal Job-Killing \u2018Tan Tax\u2019\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) reintroduced the Tan Tax Repeal Act, legislation to eliminate the burdensome 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services\u2014a relic of the disastrous Affordable Care Act. The tax, imposed in 2010 as a last-minute addition to fund Obamacare, has disproportionately hurt small businesses and women entrepreneurs across the country. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE).\n\n\u201cThis tax was never about public health\u2014it was about squeezing more money out of hardworking Americans to fund a broken government program,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cThe Tan Tax is a perfect example of the federal government picking winners and losers\u2014and in this case, punishing women-owned businesses trying to stay afloat in a tough economy.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nThe so-called \u201cTan Tax\u201d was slipped into the Affordable Care Act as a last-minute replacement for a proposed \u201cBotox tax.\u201d The result? Over 11,000 tanning salons\u2014most of them women-owned\u2014have closed their doors.\n\nAccording to the American Suntanning Association, more than 110,000 jobs, mostly held by women, have been lost. The tax also decimated domestic tanning equipment manufacturers, shifting jobs and production to foreign countries.\n\nDr. Paul has long opposed the Affordable Care Act and has consistently called for the repeal of harmful, overreaching policies like the Tan Tax. He previously included this repeal in his broader Obamacare replacement legislation.\n\nYou can read the Tan Tax Repeal Act HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/icymi-dr-rand-paul-introduces-bill-to-unleash-free-market-solutions-in-the-agriculture-energy-and-automotive-sectors/", "ICYMI:\u00a0Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Bill to Unleash Free Market Solutions in the Agriculture, Energy and Automotive Sectors", "2025-05-28", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nMay 28, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Bill to Unleash Free Market Solutions in the Agriculture, Energy, and Automotive Sectors\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013Last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2025. This legislation breaks down burdensome federal mandates and empowers American consumers\u2014not Washington bureaucrats\u2014to drive the future of energy and transportation, save taxpayer dollars, and reduce our deficit.\n\n\u201cFor decades, unelected regulators in Washington have distorted energy and automotive markets by picking winners and losers\u2014driving up costs, stifling competition, and burdening consumers,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cThe Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act restores market freedom by removing arbitrary barriers to innovation, expanding consumer access to affordable fuel options, and encouraging domestic energy production. It\u2019s a commonsense step toward lowering energy costs, reducing regulatory bloat, and ending our dependence on foreign oil.\u201d\n\nKey Provisions of the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2025:\n\nConsumer Freedom \u2013 Lifts restrictions that prevent older vehicles from using alternative fuels, expanding fuel options for millions of Americans.\n\nLower Fuel Costs \u2013 Increases availability of biofuels and allows higher ethanol blends to create a more competitive fuel market and drive down fuel costs.\n\nSupport for Rural America \u2013 Eliminates restrictions on biomass fuel production, opening new markets for U.S. farmers.\n\nReduced Regulatory Burdens \u2013 Automakers producing fuel-flexible vehicles will be considered compliant with EPA regulations, lowering compliance costs, and encouraging investments in clean energy technologies.\n\nThis legislation is a win for the free market, a win for innovation, and a win for the American consumer. It\u2019s time we get Washington out of the way and let American ingenuity lead.\n\nYou can read it HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=4F56D4D1-0221-46C1-85F1-FE82B86E7E8C", "Kentucky\u2019s Congressional Delegation Supports Gov. Beshear\u2019s Request for a Third Presidential Disaster Declaration in 2025", "2025-05-22", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Kentucky\u2019s bipartisan federal delegation, led by Dean of the House Hal Rogers (KY-05), including U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, Congressmen Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Andy Barr (KY-06), James Comer (KY-01), Thomas Massie (KY-04) and Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), sent a letter to President Donald Trump expressing their support for Governor Andy Beshear\u2019s request for the third major disaster declaration of the year for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The request comes as a result of devastating storms, including an EF4 tornado that took the lives of at least 19 individuals in southern Kentucky since May 16, 2025.\n\n\u201cThis severe weather event has resulted in catastrophic damage, and 19 Kentuckians have lost their lives. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed or severely damaged, with homes, businesses and essential infrastructure suffering widespread loss. Critical roadways have been washed out, vital utilities disabled, and basic government services disrupted. The storm\u2019s destruction spans more than 600 miles across the Commonwealth,\u201d the letter stated. \u201cWe urge your swift approval of federal disaster assistance to help Kentucky communities begin the process of recovering and rebuilding.\u201d\n\nThe National Weather Service\u2019s final report confirmed an EF4 tornado traveled over 55 miles through Russell, Pulaski and Laurel counties, staying on the ground for an hour and a half with winds reaching a peak of 170 miles per hour.\n\nPresident Trump has already approved two major disaster declarations for Kentucky, including:\n\nDeclaration DR-4860 was approved after a deadly severe storm on February 14, 2025 that caused widespread flooding, resulting in the loss of least 22 lives in Kentucky. More than $43 million have been approved for Individual Assistance, with 6,895 applications approved.\n\nDeclaration DR-4864 was approved after a deadly severe storm, beginning on April 2, 2025, that caused historic flooding, resulting in the loss of at least seven lives in Kentucky. The flooding, landslides, mudslides and tornadoes impacted 85 counties in Kentucky.\n\nClick here to download the delegation\u2019s joint letter to President Trump.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A320C2DD-57CD-4531-A6D5-3E2272811FE5", "McConnell Opening Statement at SAC-D Hearing on FY 26 Budget Request for National Guard and Reserve Forces", "2025-05-22", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, delivered the following opening statement at today\u2019s hearing \u201cA Review of the President\u2019s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the National Guard and Reserves Forces\u201d:\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll begin today\u2019s hearing to receive testimony on the posture of the National Guard Bureau and Reserve Components. I\u2019d like to start by thanking the witnesses:\n\n\u201cGeneral Steven Nordhaus, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau; Lieutenant General Robert Harter, the Chief of Army Reserve; My understanding is that Vice Admiral Lacore is unable to testify this morning due to an illness \u2014 I hope she recovers quickly.\n\nI welcome Rear Admiral Luke Frost - Director, Reserve Warfare, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in her absence;\n\n\u201cLieutenant General Loni Anderson, the Commander of Marine Forces Reserve; and Lieutenant General John Healy, the Chief of Air Force Reserve.\n\n\u201cThe Subcommittee is grateful for your service to the nation in uniform, and we\u2019ll look forward to your candid testimony.\n\n\u201cOur discussion today will be oriented toward the President\u2019s Budget Request for FY 2026.\n\n\u201cThe exact details of the request are still to come, but the topline summary released by the Office of Management and Budget gives proponents of robust national defense plenty to be concerned about, already.\n\n\u201cAnnual topline investment in the Department of Defense is a measure of national will. It sends a message to allies and adversaries, alike, about the strength of our resolve. And it appears that the message for the coming year is one of weakness.\n\n\u201cNobody in this room needs a reminder of how much the Department relies on stable and predictable funding to drive the crucial functions of development, acquisitions, and procurement. Nor is anyone here na\u00efve to the increasingly coordinated forces that threaten to undermine U.S. interests around the world.\n\n\u201cBut when we talk about the consequences of short-changing our armed forces, we have to recognize that these effects are often compounded for the guard and reserve.\n\n\u201cAnd the harder we have to scrape for funding to meet unfunded requirements of the Department of Defense, the harder it will be to support the growing needs of the Guard and Reserve.\n\n\u201cDespite playing an increasingly significant operational role, guard and reserve units still struggle to access top-of-the-line kit. Despite so often taking the lead in engagement with allied and partner forces, they face persistent hurdles in maintaining adequate infrastructure, equipment, and personnel.\n\nThe current strategic landscape and operational realities give us no reason to suspect that the demand for highly-trained, well-equipped citizen servicemembers will diminish anytime soon.\n\n\u201cLast year, it was guardsmen \u2013 including Kentuckians \u2013 defending Tower 22 from Iran-backed attack, and sustaining casualties in the process.\n\n\u201cAdding new missions without adequate resourcing can strain Guard units\u2019 training calendars.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll be interested in the witnesses\u2019 candid observations on these headwinds impacting readiness. And I\u2019ll look forward to discussing them in more detail during the question and answer session.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=E28145FC-8F55-48AD-B6DF-B55B94FA4E05", "McConnell Statement on Murder of Israeli Embassy Employees", "2025-05-22", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement on the murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim:\n\n\u201cAmong the innocent victims of October 7th were young peacemakers. Last night, terrorist murder on the streets of Washington claimed the lives of two more. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were attending a discussion about responding to humanitarian crises, including in Gaza. Their alleged killer, grotesquely invoking the will of the Palestinian people, thought better that these peacemakers should die.\n\n\u201cMy deepest sympathies are with those who loved Yaron and Sarah, with their colleagues at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, and with all working to bring Hamas\u2019 reign of terror to an end. America must continue to stand with our ally, Israel, and with the Israeli people who continue to face existential threats from Iran and its proxies. I pray that no American will mistake last night\u2019s anti-Semitic terrorism for advancing the cause of peace.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/265528-2/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Bill to Expand Health Care Freedom for the Self-Employed and Small Businesses", "2025-05-22", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nMay 22nd, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nDr. Rand Paul Introduces Bill to Expand Health Care Freedom for the Self-Employed and Small Businesses\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced new legislation to expand affordable health coverage options for millions of self-employed Americans and employees of small businesses. The Association Health Plans Act of 2025 amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to give small business employees, sole proprietors, and gig workers the ability to aggregate together and access health insurance through large-group Association Health Plans (AHPs).\n\n\u201cThe Association Health Plans Act gives small businesses and individuals the leverage to negotiate collectively for lower health insurance and lower drug prices. Additionally, the CBO previously estimated that 400,000 uninsured would gain coverage under AHPs and over 3 million people would switch coverage to AHPs,\u201d Dr. Paul said.\n\nCurrent federal law makes it nearly impossible for self-employed individuals to access affordable group health insurance. The Association Health Plans Act fixes that by allowing them to fully participate in AHPs as part of a broader membership-based group or within a group of other self-employed individuals. These plans would operate across state lines and be treated as fully-insured large-group or self-insured ERISA plans, unlocking better rates and flexibility.\n\n\u201cIn Mississippi, 99 percent of businesses are considered small businesses. It is imperative that these employers can offer affordable and accessible health insurance coverage to their employees. The Association Health Plans Act would give small businesses owners and employees more options for health care plans that fit the needs of their employees,\u201d said Senator Wicker.\n\nThe bill requires participating associations to have existed for at least two years and to serve a broader purpose than providing health benefits, ensuring stability and accountability. It also prohibits discrimination based on health status and guarantees coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.\n\nMember-based associations made up of small employers, self-employed individuals, as well as service providers in the industry, support Dr. Paul\u2019s Association Health Plans Act, including but not limited to the following:\n\nAmerican Society of Association Executives (ASAE)\n\nCredit Union Consortium, Inc.\n\nDecent Health\n\nManufacturer & Business Association (MBA)\n\nMedical Practice Consortium (MPC)\n\nNational Association of REALTORS (NAR)\n\nNational Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)\n\nTailorWell Holdings, Inc.\n\nVirginia Association of REALTORS", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=60370CF6-776D-4DFD-97DF-1109498B2A57", "McConnell\u2019s Bill to Support Families of Retired Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee", "2025-05-15", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act, which would ensure the families of retired law enforcement officers who were killed or disabled as a result of their service are not unjustly denied benefits. Senator McConnell introduced the bipartisan bill earlier this year with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL) have also cosponsored the legislation. The legislation must now be approved by the full Senate.\n\nThe bill is named after Chief Herbert D. Proffitt, a Korean war veteran and law enforcement officer of 55 years who retired in 2009 as Chief of the Tompkinsville, Kentucky Police Department. On August 28, 2012, Chief Proffitt was tragically shot and killed in his driveway by an individual he had arrested a decade earlier. Although his murder was a direct retaliation for his service in uniform, his family was denied benefits under the Public Safety Officers\u2019 Benefits program because he had retired from his more than a half-century of service.\n\nThe Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act would amend the Public Safety Officers\u2019 Benefits Program eligibility criteria for retired law enforcement officers who have died or become permanently disabled due to a targeted attack directly resulting from their service, and retroactively apply the updated eligibility for claims starting on January 1, 2012.\n\n\u201cThis week we observe National Police Week and remember law enforcement officers who have fallen in the line of duty and honor those across the country who courageously serve our communities,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cThe loss of Chief Herbert D. Proffitt is a tragic reminder of the risk that follows our finest every day of their lives. This legislation plugs an important hole, ensuring the Proffitt family \u2013 and others like them \u2013 are supported and assured that the service and sacrifice of their loved ones are never forgotten. On behalf of all Kentuckians, I\u2019m grateful for our police officers and their steadfast dedication to keeping us safe. I also appreciate Chairman Grassley\u2019s collaboration on this vital legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn behalf of Chief Proffitt\u2019s family and members of the Law Enforcement community, we appreciate Senator McConnell\u2019s introduction of this important piece of legislation. This bill will include Line of Duty Death (LODD) benefits for retired members of Law Enforcements that have been murdered because of their prior Law Enforcement actions. Passage of the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025 will give some comfort to Chief Proffitt\u2019s family while providing security to Law Enforcement families,\u201d said Berl Perdue, Jr., President of the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police.\n\n\u201cThe Tompkinsville Police Department is grateful to Senator McConnell for his work to support and honor our law enforcement families. Thirteen years later, we still mourn the loss of Chief Herbert \u201cSprocket\u201d Proffitt, a devoted father and leader in Tompkinsville who dedicated his life to keeping our community safe. We are proud to see his legacy honored today with this important legislation,\u201d said Kerry L. Denton, Chief of Police, City of Tompkinsville.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police, the Kentucky Narcotic Officers Association, the Kentucky Sheriffs\u2019 Association, and the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police. The measure was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Andy Barr (R-KY) and Dan Goldman (D-NY).\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=7F8BE2A3-4ADA-46FD-96F4-34DBEDD4A09E", "McConnell Remarks at CSIS Global Security Forum on Defense Innovation", "2025-05-13", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, addressed the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Global Security Forum today in Washington, D.C. Below are the Senator\u2019s remarks as prepared for delivery:\n\n\u201cIf I told you that the West\u2019s greatest strategic adversary was outpacing America in critical sectors like shipbuilding, hypersonic weapons, and unmanned systems\u2026\n\n\u201cIf I told you this adversary was helping the largest state sponsor of terrorism skirt sanctions and pour more resources into the proxies who sow chaos across the Middle East, target U.S. personnel, and shut down a major artery of global trade\u2026\n\n\u201cIf I told you that both of them \u2013 along with an erratic, nuclear-armed hermit kingdom \u2013 were helping a neo-Soviet imperialist wage an unprovoked war in the backyard of America\u2019s closest allies and trading partners\u2026\n\n\u201cAnd if I told you that this has been going on for years\u2026You might expect to see a greater sense of urgency in Washington.\n\n\u201cInstead, the chasm between the threats we face and what we\u2019re doing to meet them is wide. And it ought to terrify us.\n\n\u201cA Chinese authoritarian calls American hegemony the product of \u2018fascist forces.\u2019 A Russian despot calls the former a \u2018dear friend.\u2019 And yet, as our adversaries drew closer together, influential members of both parties have chosen to pick fights with our allies and partners or consoled themselves with the na\u00efve fantasy that we can retreat to Fortress America while spending a historically tiny fraction of our GDP on defense.\n\n\u201cNow that I have your attention\u2026 I\u2019m grateful for the opportunity to be with all of you today. There\u2019s a great deal to discuss. We\u2019re here, in particular, to talk about innovation. That\u2019s time well spent.\n\n\u201cAmerica won the Cold War thanks in part to the way we exploited our technological military and economic advantage over the Soviet Union. Back then, we recognized that investing in technological superiority to deter conflict was less costly than fighting one. As a share of GDP, defense spending hit 37% at the height of World War II, 13.8% during Korea, and 9.1% during Vietnam. The Reagan buildup hit 6%. All told, the Cold War drove an annual average of 7.5%. That level of spending didn\u2019t just keep the peace; it ushered in an unprecedented period of prosperity for the United States and the free world. It was worth it.\n\n\u201cToday, we\u2019re spending less than half of what we did during the Reagan build-up \u2013 3% -- and we\u2019re getting less for it. Every year, a smaller and smaller percentage goes to buy actual military capabilities.\n\n\u201cIn and out of government, talented people are still thinking about what tomorrow\u2019s battlefield will look like, and what it will require of America\u2019s military and of our allies. And there are conversations worth having about harnessing these talents more effectively. About keeping American and Western technologies at the cutting edge. About making sure that future capabilities don\u2019t die on the vine (or in the Valley of Death).\n\n\u201cThe bureaucracies and processes that slow the development, acquisition, and integration of new weapons systems are in desperate need of reform. But advanced, autonomous systems have not supplanted the traditional ways of war. Presence, personnel, logistics, and mass still matter. And neglect for the fundamental realities of hard power has left us playing from behind in some important ways.\n\n\u201cToday, we must do multiple things at once. First, our approach to innovation across industry must be: yes, and we should continue to encourage new entrants into the defense ecosystem. But we shouldn\u2019t be blind to their challenges of fielding novel combat-capable systems at scale.\n\n\u201cOf course, many technologies don\u2019t pan out. Many startups fail. They are worth the investment and the risk. Legacy defense manufacturers are also still critical, and it\u2019s na\u00efve to pretend otherwise. But that doesn\u2019t mean glossing over the need for the primes to pick up the pace.\n\n\u201cWe need talented engineers, patriotic developers, and highly-skilled employees on the job across the defense enterprise. It\u2019s yes, and. If we pretend otherwise, the only ones who stand to gain are America\u2019s adversaries.\n\n\u201cA lot of ink has been spilled about the technologies and concepts transforming modern war\u2026about unmanned and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, disinformation, and the gray zone. But the experience of modern war in eastern Europe and the Middle East reminds us that the depth of our magazines remains as decisive as any single cutting-edge capability. Quantity has a quality all its own.\n\n\u201cOne of the greatest strategic challenges we\u2019re facing today is the prospect of high-end conflict or simultaneous conflicts in different theatres that would strain the depth of our arsenal and the resilience of our supply lines. Victory would depend on delivering at scale and in time. Our magazines aren\u2019t deep enough to fight such a war. And if we don\u2019t make overdue investments in expanding our production capacity, we may not have the time to manufacture it.\n\n\u201cSo, when we talk about innovation, let\u2019s talk about innovating our mass and our speed. Let\u2019s talk about our supply chains. The only capabilities that can make a difference on the battlefield are the ones that can get there at the speed and scale of relevance. This, of course, is not hypothetical. Just look at Ukraine. Necessity is the mother of invention, and our friends have developed what arguably the world\u2019s foremost drone innovation sector. But even more remarkable is the sustained speed with which Ukrainian producers are honing and refining unmanned systems in real time. As Russian countermeasures emerge and render previous capabilities obsolete, they\u2019re producing new iterations to stay on the cutting edge.\n\n\u201cAmerican manufacturers \u2013 whether new startups or legacy primes \u2013 should ask themselves if they could keep up with such a pace. On the shortcomings of our defense industrial base, there\u2019s plenty of blame to go around. Congress has a clear constitutional role in which we are all too often delinquent. Regular order appropriations are what give industry and the department the certainty they need to plan for the future. And we haven\u2019t been holding up that end of the bargain. But the department has more authorities than it sometimes cares to acknowledge \u2013 middle-tier acquisition pathways, Other Transaction Authority, and the Defense Production Act, to name a few. And when these tools aren\u2019t used the way they were designed, it\u2019s unreasonable to expect improved outcomes on acquisitions and procurement of actual military capabilities.\n\n\u201cOur industry partners, for their part, are right that inconsistent demand signals make their work harder. Services for too long have short-changed purchases of critical munitions.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know of an example where the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee has rejected a request for multi-year procurement authority for munitions. On the other hand, the services have \u2013 for reasons of their own \u2013 downplayed the munitions requirements of combatant commanders.\n\n\u201cTo be fair, under perennial budgetary constraints from above, it\u2019s not surprising that the services have made tough decisions to protect their core modernization and acquisition programs.\n\n\u201cSince Russia\u2019s 2022 escalation of its war against Ukraine, the global demand for essential capabilities like long-range munitions and missile defense interceptors has only gone up \u2013 even if upward trends in annual defense budgets have lagged. And producers of these capabilities do bear responsibility of their own for not having planned sooner to meet the inevitable demand.\n\n\u201cBut let\u2019s be absolutely clear: nothing undermines the prospects of innovation and reform like anemic topline spending. Nothing signals more unmistakably that America is unserious than asking allies to double their investments in hard power while we propose to cut our own.\n\n\u201cIf the administration recognizes \u2013 as it says it does \u2013 the grave stakes of major-power competition, OMB\u2019s budget proposal for the coming year fails to show it. And no amount of budgetary sleight of hand will be able to prove otherwise. That said, this administration can still avoid the self-inflicted crises of credibility that dogged its predecessor. Our adversaries and allies alike are still watching closely for real signs of political will and measurable shifts in the balance of hard power.\n\n\u201cAmerican politicians have criticized partners who used special funds to mask shortcomings in annual defense spending. Well, we should be careful not to mistake our budget reconciliation for long-term commitment, either.\n\n\u201cI support the use of reconciliation to make a significant, one-time investment in defense. But pretending that this procedure \u2013 or, for that matter, a year spent under a continuing resolution \u2013 can make up for failures on predictable, full-year appropriations is as dangerous as it is profoundly unserious. Reconciliation spending may fund short-term operations or investments, but without sustained annual growth, it risks creating massive cliffs in sustainment, personnel, and procurement costs.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re all familiar with the headwinds of rising mandatory costs and inflation, the real drivers of our budget deficit. This is also true at the Defense Department, where such costs eat up a larger and larger share of the defense budget, crowding out procurement, readiness, and modernization costs. Making urgent, nimble, innovative discretionary investments won\u2019t get any easier if we cut the topline in real terms or force the defense enterprise to innovate for today\u2019s challenges with yesterday\u2019s dollars. But you know as well as I do that the consequences of missing opportunities for innovation here at home aren\u2019t limited to here at home. Coming up short on America\u2019s topline commitment to the national defense sends an unmistakable signal to the allies and partners who, for decades, have bet big on American technologies and American leadership.\n\n\u201cWe should not be surprised to see our friends rethinking their integration with American-made platforms\u2026 or, for that matter, American-led security architecture. Least of all, I must say, when we pick fights with them over trading balances. This is particularly true in Europe, where we seem to be punishing NATO allies even though they\u2019ve finally made exactly the kind of defense investments President Trump demanded in 2018.\n\n\u201cIn response to Putin\u2019s aggression, European allies are becoming the stronger, more capable partners the President had urged them to become. NATO allies are sharing more of the burden of collective security. And in the near term, that\u2019s meant a gusher of foreign investment in American-made capabilities. By the tens of billions of dollars, allies have flocked to buy American \u2013 an endorsement of American leadership.\n\n\u201cEven as our allies develop more high-end technologies of their own, close partnership is as essential as ever. I was proud to support the expansion of the trans-Atlantic alliance to include Sweden and Finland \u2013 not as hungry customers for American technologies but as highly-capable industrial economies that recognize the value of interoperability and coproduction.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s little question that our adversaries are working hard to split American and its European allies. If we\u2019re making their job easier, we\u2019re doing something wrong. As history begs us to recall, we don\u2019t get to pick and choose which conflicts will threaten our interests and for how long they will last. And we will rely on friends to help us deter and contain aggression in the coming years, from the Indo-Pacific to Eastern Europe. Going it alone will only increase costs for taxpayers and risks to our warfighters. We should be working more closely with allies worldwide to protect our economies and supply chains from the PRC. If we push these friends away, we shouldn\u2019t expect them to keep buying American.\n\n\u201cOur allies\u2019 desire for interoperability is a tremendous asset. Take the CH-47 Chinook helicopter \u2013 an aging airframe in need of a major update. More than a decade ago, the Canadian government, which has long been delinquent on defense spending, footed the development costs for a new variant, saving U.S. taxpayer dollars and putting an important, updated platform on the apron for the U.S. Army.\n\n\u201cBut let\u2019s be clear: if we let the single most important metric of America\u2019s will to fight and win wane further, we should not expect many allies and partners to make major investments of their own like this\u2026certainly not like the hundred-plus billion in orders under contract right now with U.S. defense producers from our friends in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.\n\n\u201cOur friends understand, as our own leaders once did, that the threats to our shared interests are not contained neatly within continents. Just as Asian allies feel threatened by Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine, Baltic and Nordic allies are guarding against China\u2019s meddling in northern waters. As Russia and China deepen their strategic cooperation, France and the United Kingdom are projecting power into the Indo-Pacific.\n\n\u201cWe should welcome, not discourage, our allies\u2019 contributions to global security.\n\n\u201cIf America chooses to deny unmistakable ties \u2013 between the threats we face and between the West\u2019s interests \u2013 we will live in a lonely state of denial. The time to signal our enduring commitment is right now.\n\n\u201cI ought to close on an uplifting note. We have no shortage of bright minds thinking about how to deter and defeat threats to America and to the systems we lead that underpin our peace and prosperity. And for decades now, one of the best has been behind the wheel here at CSIS. I\u2019d like to add my name to the well-deserved chorus of praise for Dr. John Hamre and his leadership \u2013 both in and out of government. When the time comes to hand off the reins of this proud institution, he\u2019ll be able to do so with great pride and with confidence that while the challenges we face are urgent and grave, we have the talent and capacity to meet them \u2013 much of it right here in this room.\n\n\u201cThank you all.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=9805CA68-6416-4F11-9022-399E1F730768", "McConnell Statement on the Passing of Kit Bond", "2025-05-13", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of former U.S. Senator for Missouri, Christopher \u201cKit\u201d Bond:\n\n\u201cElaine and I were saddened to learn of the passing of our good friend, Kit Bond. Over four terms together in the Senate, I had a front row seat as one of the Senate\u2019s most relentless and effective legislators built coalitions and made a difference \u2013 from agricultural innovation to intelligence oversight. Kit wore his devotion to his fellow Missourians on his sleeve, and made no secret of his belief in the importance of American leadership abroad.\n\n\u201cI will miss Kit\u2019s uncompromising advocacy for investment in America\u2019s military strength and engagement with allies and partners in critical regions. Considering the challenges we face today, his longtime focus on southeast Asia was prescient.\n\n\u201cBut most of all, Elaine and I will miss Kit\u2019s warm friendship. And today, our prayers and deepest sympathies are with Kit\u2019s wife, Linda, his son, Sam, and his entire family as they say farewell to a great and good man.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=B0CA5830-9CDC-412A-AF55-54DEA4A64BDA", "McConnell Announces Over $1.5 Million in Federal Funding to Address Substance Use Epidemic in Kentucky", "2025-05-12", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will allocate $1,501,532 to Kentucky for the Recovery Housing Program. This program was created by Senator McConnell\u2019s Comprehensive Addiction Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry (CAREER) Act.\n\nIn 2018, Senator McConnell and Congressman Barr introduced the CAREER Act into the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, and the legislation was signed into law as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. In February, they introduced the CAREER Act of 2025 to enhance the workforce reentry and recovery housing programs created in the 2018 law. Since becoming law, the CAREER Act has directed nearly $12.5 million to the Commonwealth, helping hundreds of Kentuckians recovering from substance use disorder.\n\nThe CAREER Act addresses the devastating impact of substance abuse on America\u2019s workforce, connecting individuals recovering from substance use with career services and temporary, stable housing opportunities. The Recovery Housing Program, established within this legislation, is a transitional housing pilot program to help states increase access to safe transitional housing for individuals in addiction recovery while they rehabilitate and reenter the workforce.\n\n\u201cOur nation\u2019s substance abuse epidemic has claimed countless lives in communities across the Commonwealth. The CAREER Act is a crucial tool in our fight to end this crisis, targeting resources into lifesaving organizations that support Kentuckians' recovery and their reentry into the workforce. I\u2019ve been proud to champion CAREER Act funding over the years, and support these organizations\u2019 heroic efforts as they help Kentuckians break free from addiction,\u201d said Senator McConnell.\n\nHUD will allocate today\u2019s funding to the Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Local Government, which will then select specific funding recipients. In past years, these federal funds have gone toward building out capacity and access to effective recovery housing across the Commonwealth.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=E1970EFF-E079-48D7-A9BE-21C0A56E0DAE", "Kentucky Congressional Delegation Supports Governor\u2019s Request for Federal Major Disaster Declaration", "2025-05-09", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Kentucky's federal delegation, including U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, and Representatives Hal Rogers (KY-05), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Andy Barr (KY-06), James Comer (KY-01), Thomas Massie (KY-04), and Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) sent a letter to President Trump expressing their support for Governor Beshear's request for Public Assistance in 85 counties, additional Individual Assistance for 24 counties, and Hazard Mitigation for the entire Commonwealth as a result of the devastating flooding in April.\n\nThe delegation wrote, \u201cthe torrential rainfall, flash flooding, and tornadoes that occurred across Kentucky as a result of the April storms led to widespread damage to critical public infrastructure including roads, bridges, and water distribution systems. Recent reports indicate hundreds of households have been impacted, and more than 500 local, state, and federal roadways were underwater or closed because of mudslides at one point during the event, which further hindered the initial response and assessment of damages. As communities begin to rebuild and families begin to recoup their homes, federal assistance is critical to ensuring Kentuckians can safely resume their lives.\u201d\n\nClick here to read the letter from the Kentucky delegation.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=9876918B-BFE9-4B18-91C5-374716BB0002", "McConnell, Guthrie Introduce Bill to Expand Mammoth Cave National Park Boundaries", "2025-05-08", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) introduced today the bicameral Mammoth Cave National Park Boundary Adjustment Act. This bill would give the park the ability to acquire an additional 551.14 acres of land from the Nature Conservancy. This newly acquired land would enhance protections in the Green River watershed, further conserving the area\u2019s wildlife and cultural heritage while generating additional tourism to Kentucky\u2019s Second District.\n\n\u201cKentucky is lucky to be home to an abundance of natural treasures, among them, Mammoth Cave National Park. This extensive cave network has been inspiring Kentuckians and drawing visitors from all corners of the globe for generations. Beyond its role in driving tourism to our Commonwealth, the park also plays a crucial role in the region\u2019s economic growth, supporting good jobs for the people of Kentucky,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cI\u2019m proud to partner with Congressman Guthrie on this important initiative once again which will expand the critical habitats that the National Park Service protects and preserves in the park.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery year, Mammoth Cave National Park draws hundreds of thousands of visitors and contributes nearly $90 million to our local economy,\u201d said Congressman Guthrie. \u201cThis natural wonder has inspired people for thousands of years, playing a foundational role in the culture of our region. I am proud to introduce the Mammoth Cave National Park Boundary Adjustment Act to expand protections for the cave system\u2019s important biodiversity and rich history, ensuring that it can be studied, maintained, and enjoyed by future generations of Americans.\u201d\n\nYou can find the full text of the Mammoth Cave Boundary Adjustment Act here.\n\nA map of the proposed boundary changes can be found here.\n\nBackground:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=D20CE4ED-3C45-4B8D-96BC-1B2A92C89757", "Senator McConnell Advocates for Bourbon Industry During Senate Agriculture Hearing", "2025-05-07", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 During a hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) questioned Chris French, the Acting Associate Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, regarding the White Oak Resilience Act of 2025. Earlier this year, Senators McConnell and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the bill to provide greater federal resources and direct research into safeguarding our nation\u2019s White Oak tree population. The bill requires the USDA and the Forest Service to coordinate research and conservation efforts, ensuring the White Oak a stable supply and a viable future.\n\nSenator McConnell said during the hearing that \u201cour iconic bourbon industry is critical to us. 95 percent of the bourbon in the world is made in Kentucky. The $9 billion industry supports agricultural, forestry, manufacturing, distilling, bottling, construction, and transportation jobs\u2026 just to name a few. Kentucky bourbon is synonymous with the White Oak tree, which is used to age our state\u2019s signature spirit in wooden barrels. Unfortunately, 75 percent of the nation\u2019s White Oak population is rated as mature, meaning that there will be a shortage of White Oaks within 30 years. Congress must act to ensure the preservation of this invaluable resource.\u201d\n\nSenator McConnell asked Mr. French about the Administration\u2019s support of the White Oak Resilience Act. Mr. French said, the USDA Forest Service is \u201cvery supportive\u201d of the overall intent of the McConnell/Warner bill, \u201cespecially with the loss that we are seeing [of White Oak trees] across the country.\u201d\n\nWhite Oak trees are vital to the environmental ecosystem, as well as several trademark American industries, like bourbon and furniture production. Considered the most important hardwood tree in the eastern United States, White Oak trees provide sustenance and shelter for a host of wildlife species across the country.\n\nWhite Oak trees can take up to 25 years to reach full maturity, but a lack of seedlings has created an impending shortage that threatens the future of this species and the billions of dollars in economic impact they generate nationwide. The bipartisan legislation will help reverse the depletion of this iconic tree and address the threat its extinction poses to the American economy.\n\nThe White Oak Resilience Act has been included in the Fix Our Forests Act. The Committee is expected to markup the bill later this month.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/265478-2/", "Senator Rand Paul Honored Retiring Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson in Bowling Green", "2025-05-07", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nMay 6th, 2025\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-578-8903\n\nSenator Rand Paul Honored Retiring Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson in Bowling Green\n\nBOWLING GREEN, KY \u2013 U.S. Senator Rand Paul honored Dr. Bob Jackson, retiring President of Murray State University, during a recognition ceremony this week at the Senator\u2019s State office\n\nDuring his remarks, Senator Paul stated, \u201cIf you\u2019re looking for people who are the next generation of farmers and agriculture, they\u2019re most likely to be kids of people who are farming in agriculture. So, it\u2019s great to have a university that has expertise in the agricultural sciences and the kids who want to remain in and have an opportunity. I see it as serving a great purpose. We\u2019ve worked well with Doctor Jackson over the years, and we wish him success.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt has been an honor to work with Sen. Paul during these past many years as we worked to advance our Commonwealth and Murray State University,\u201d said Dr. Bob Jackson. \u201cImportantly, we greatly appreciate the Senator\u2019s support of a School of Veterinary Medicine at Murray State University which will have a major and lasting impact on agriculture in Kentucky.\u201d\n\nUnder Dr. Jackson\u2019s leadership, Murray State established an accredited school of veterinary medicine\u2014a transformative achievement aimed squarely at addressing the severe shortage of large-animal veterinarians in rural Kentucky. This initiative has positioned Murray State as a leader in supporting Kentucky\u2019s animal agriculture economy, equipping local students to serve farm communities and helping ensure the long-term viability of the state\u2019s livestock industry.\n\nDr. Jackson will retire on June 30, 2025, and begin serving as President Emeritus on July 1. During the ceremony, he presented Senator Paul with a commemorative gift from Murray State to be displayed in the State office.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"], ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=D4BCC052-6920-45A3-84ED-A6845872CE93", "McConnell Statement on FY26 Budget Request Defense Topline", "2025-05-02", "2025", "2025-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "LOUISVILLE, KY \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman, Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement on the outlined President\u2019s budget request:\n\n\u201cIt is peculiar how much time the President\u2019s advisors spend talking about restoring peace through strength, given how apparently unwilling they\u2019ve been to invest accordingly in the national defense or in other critical instruments of national power. In March, the Trump Administration missed a tremendous opportunity to answer their predecessors\u2019 chronic underinvestment in the U.S. military with robust, full-year funding for FY25. Now, it appears the Trump Administration\u2019s FY26 defense budget request will double down on the Biden Administration\u2019s material neglect for the glaring national security threats challenges about which they speak with great alarm.\n\n\u201cMake no mistake: a one-time influx reconciliation spending is not a substitute for full-year appropriations. It\u2019s a supplement. OMB accounting gimmicks may well convince Administration officials and spokesmen that they\u2019re doing enough to counter the growing, coordinated challenges we face from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and radical terrorists. But they won\u2019t fool Congress. The correct response to the most dangerous threats to U.S. interests in decades is not a fifth straight budget request that proposes a real-dollar cut to the U.S. military.\n\n\u201cAmerica cannot expect our allies to heed calls for greater annual defense spending if we are unwilling to lead by example. Fortunately, Presidential budget requests are just that: requests. Congress will soon have an opportunity to ensure that American power \u2013 and the credibility of our commitments \u2013 are appropriately resourced. I hope and expect that my colleagues will join me in placing America\u2019s national security first as we begin the FY26 appropriations process.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:29Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 205, "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 \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Senate", "p1": "KY", "p2": "2025"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 205, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2025&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 205, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=KY&year=2025", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "KY", "label": "KY", "count": 205, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2025", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "2025", "label": "2025", "count": 205, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2025-05-02,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emcconnell~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpressreleases~3FID~3DD4BCC052-6920-45A3-84ED-A6845872CE93", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2025&_next=2025-05-02%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emcconnell~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpressreleases~3FID~3DD4BCC052-6920-45A3-84ED-A6845872CE93&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 169.83780916780233, "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"}