{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"MS\" and year = 2024 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-hassan-welcome-enactment-their-bill-benefit-guard-reserve-students", "HYDE-SMITH, HASSAN WELCOME ENACTMENT OF THEIR BILL TO BENEFIT GUARD, RESERVE STUDENTS", "2024-12-26", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "FY2025 Defense Policy Bill Includes Bipartisan \u2018SERVE Act\u2019 to Guarantee College Readmission for Guard, Reservists\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today welcomed the enactment of major defense policy legislation that includes their bipartisan bill to ensure that students who serve in the National Guard and Reserve will be guaranteed readmission to their schools following a mobilization.\n\nThe bipartisan Servicemember Enrollment and Readmission for Valuable Education (SERVE) Act (S.2076) was included in the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR.5009), which was signed into law on Monday. The SERVE Act amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure that students called to serve in domestic, short-term National Guard and Reserve mobilizations can return to their studies.\n\n\u201cMany Guard and Reserve mobilizations last fewer than 30 days, putting numerous students who have volunteered to serve our nation at risk of having their educational pursuits derailed,\u201d Senator Hyde-Smith said. \u201cI\u2019m pleased the FY2025 NDAA includes an overdue fix to this problem.\u201d\n\n\u201cStudents in the Reserves and the National Guard sacrifice to serve their communities and our country, and they shouldn\u2019t have to jeopardize their spot in school because they were called to duty,\u201d said Senator Hassan. \u201cI am pleased that the latest national defense bill provides a measure that will ensure that student National Guard and Reserve members who are mobilized for short missions will have the security of knowing that their spot in school will be waiting for them.\u201d\n\nThe SERVE Act removes a \u201cmore than 30 days\u201d stipulation in current law that only requires readmission for student servicemembers who are mobilized for more than 30 days. Under existing law, National Guard and Reserve members mobilized for fewer than 30 days are not universally entitled to be promptly readmitted.\n\nHyde-Smith introduced the SERVE Act with Hassan in June 2023. U.S. Representatives Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) and Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) were the lead sponsors of a House companion bill.\n\nThe overall FY2025 NDAA establishes policies and sets funding guidelines for the FY2025 Defense Appropriations Bill that will actually allocate funds for Department of Defense activities. The overall bill also authorizes a 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted troops, a 4.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for all other service members, and broadens access to child care for service members.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-issues-2024-christmas-message", "HYDE-SMITH ISSUES 2024 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE", "2024-12-23", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Issues 2024 Christmas Message.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today issued a 2024 Christmas message that encourages Mississippians to \u201ccelebrate love, joy, and peace, and reflect on the many blessings in our lives,\u201d including the sacrifices of our servicemembers, first responders, and healthcare workers.\n\n\u201cWhile the world deals with turmoil and conflict, this season calls us to love our neighbors, care for those in need, and approach life with a spirit of generosity. Our mission should be to serve those who need our help the most \u2013 through acts of kindness or simply offering a listening ear. We all have the power to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\nHyde-Smith\u2019s full Christmas message is available below:\n\nMerry Christmas, Mississippi!\n\nMay we hold fast to the true spirit of this holiday season, taking time to celebrate love, joy, and peace, and reflect on the many blessings in our lives.\n\nAs Christians, we honor the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His life and teachings inspire us to live gracefully, move with compassion, and love one another.\n\nAs we celebrate, let us remember that this season is truly about peace \u2013 peace in our homes, in our communities, and in our hearts.\n\nWhile the world deals with turmoil and conflict, this season calls us to love our neighbors, care for those in need, and approach life with a spirit of generosity. Our mission should be to serve those who need our help the most \u2013 through acts of kindness or simply offering a listening ear. We all have the power to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us.\n\nThis season, I also thank our servicemembers, many of whom are far from home and separated from loved ones as they defend our freedoms.\n\nI share the same gratitude for our first responders and healthcare workers who continue to serve tirelessly. Their commitment to keeping us safe every single day is a gift to us all.\n\nMy wish for all Mississippians is that your Christmas be filled with warmth, joy, and the love of those around you. May we all carry the message of peace and love with us throughout the new year.\n\nFrom my family to yours, Merry Christmas and happy holidays. May God continue to bless you with peace, happiness, and abundant blessings this holiday season and in the year ahead.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-efforts-secure-disaster-market-aid-forestall-farm-crisis", "HYDE-SMITH EFFORTS SECURE DISASTER, MARKET AID TO FORESTALL FARM CRISIS", "2024-12-21", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith Votes to Provide Aid to Farmers Stressed by Low Prices, High Input Costs, Dire Financing Outlook\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) early Saturday morning voted for a final agreement that will provide $10 billion in market loss assistance for farmers in Mississippi and around the country who are threatened by economic stresses that threaten the strength of U.S. agriculture.\n\nHyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, welcomed final approval of the aid following difficult negotiations to finalize a funding agreement to avoid a government shutdown and address natural and economic disasters.\n\n\u201cThe bottom line is that Congress is finally doing the right thing for America\u2019s farmers and rural Americans. I expect this ad hoc market loss assistance will make a difference for farmers in Mississippi and elsewhere who would otherwise not be able to plant again next year,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\n\u201cThis assistance should serve as a lifeline while, with some determination and focus, we can finally enact a new Farm Bill that includes updated safety net programs for our farmers,\u201d Hyde-Smith added. \u201cI look forward to working with incoming Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to ensure swift implementation of the disaster aid, because time is of the essence.\u201d\n\nHyde-Smith has for months been working with incoming Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.), incoming Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), and others to demand Congress act to approve ad hoc assistance to avoid an imminent economic disaster in rural America.\n\nAs of early December, crop economic losses nationally exceeded $31 billion from all major commodities for 2024, including cotton, soybeans, corn, rice, and peanuts. Such losses in Mississippi have averaged $145.04 on more than 3.62 million acres, amounting to at least $525.8 million in losses this year.\n\nHyde-Smith indicated Mississippi agricultural interests could also benefit from natural disaster relief in the legislation for farmers harmed by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Federal Emergency Management Agency have certified that Mississippi experienced multiple types of natural disasters in this time period, including freezes, tornadoes, severe storms, flooding, high winds, and drought.\n\nNatural disaster funding in the bill includes $357 million for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program, $828 million for the Emergency Conservation Program, and $920 million for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.\n\nIn the months leading up to passage of the agriculture disaster funding agreement, Hyde-Smith met with Mississippi stakeholders, advocated for aid at Senate hearing, and delivered a floor speech explaining to her colleagues why Congress should provide both natural disaster and market loss assistance for farmers across the country or risk worsening a crisis that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars more in the future.\n\nFinally, Hyde-Smith sided with Boozman and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn \u201cGT\u201d Thompson (R-PA) in signaling their intent to oppose any supplemental spending package that failed to provide meaningful economic assistance to farmers.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-statement-on-continuing-resolution-s-damage-to-national-defense/bcd92899-cdda-47f5-85c7-82a9e9b6f969", "Senator Wicker Statement on Continuing Resolution\u2019s Damage to National Defense", "2024-12-21", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown and give lawmakers until March 2025 to reach an agreement on a long-term funding plan.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-votes-authorize-fed-support-water-projects-miss", "HYDE-SMITH VOTES TO AUTHORIZE FED. SUPPORT FOR WATER PROJECTS IN MISS.", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "U.S. Senate Sends Water Resources Development Act to White House\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) late Wednesday voted for final passage of water infrastructure legislation that authorizes federal resources for improving waterways, flood control, ports, and other projects in Mississippi.\n\nThe Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (S.4367 or WRDA) authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects throughout the country including navigational improvements, flood control, ecosystem restoration and clean water infrastructure. The bill, passed 97-1, is now cleared to be signed into law.\n\n\u201cThis legislation is important to the well-being of Mississippi and the entire nation. Army Corps of Engineers activities in Mississippi are directly linked to the well-being of our citizens and the state\u2019s economy,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cI will remain committed to working to secure the funding to fulfill these authorized projects in Mississippi.\u201d\n\nHyde-Smith serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, which funds the Army Corps of Engineers and programs authorized in WRDA. (Related: FY2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill)\n\nHyde-Smith supported the inclusion of provisions that enable the Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies to work with state and local officials to improve flood control, inland ports, wastewater infrastructure, conservation, and coastal resilience.\n\nIn addition to multiple other projects across the state, Mississippi projects authorized in the bill that will now be signed into law are:\n\nCity of Byram \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure (including stormwater management), drainage systems, and water quality enhancement.\n\nCity of Madison \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure (including stormwater management), drainage systems, and water quality enhancement.\n\nCity of Pearl \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure (including stormwater management), drainage systems, and water quality enhancement.\n\nDiamondhead \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure and drainage systems.\n\nHancock County \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure (including stormwater management), drainage systems, and water quality enhancement.\n\nMississippi State University \u2013 Authorization to conduct academic research, in coordination with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) on technology to be used in water resources development infrastructure, analyses of the environment before and after a natural disaster, and geospatial data collection.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/senate-passes-hyde-smith-kaine-bill-protect-historic-american-battlefields-cleared-become-law", "SENATE PASSES HYDE-SMITH, KAINE BILL TO PROTECT HISTORIC AMERICAN BATTLEFIELDS, CLEARED TO BECOME LAW", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Bipartisan Measure Would Strengthen Successful NPS American Battlefield Protection Program\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) today successfully secured Senate passage of their American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation to improve the protection of America\u2019s historic battlefields.\n\nThe Senate passed the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act by unanimous consent as part of a lands package, clearing it to be signed into law. The legislation updates the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP), a successful National Park Service (NPS) program that promotes the preservation of significant historic battlefields and sites of armed conflict across the United States. ABPP has helped preserve more than 35,000 acres of historic land in 20 states, including Mississippi and Virginia.\n\n\u201cMississippi is home to some of our nation\u2019s most significant and historic battlefields, and this legislation will make it easier to protect these hallowed grounds for future generations,\u201d said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. \u201cSenator Kaine and I recognized that the American Battlefield Protection Program could be more applied to protect the sites where so many pivotal moments of American history took place. I look forward to this legislation becoming law.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom Yorktown to Appomattox to the Pentagon, you can\u2019t map America\u2019s military history without Virginia,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cI\u2019m glad to have worked with Senator Hyde-Smith to secure the Senate passage of our legislation to bolster the American Battlefield Protection Program because preserving these sites is crucial to ensuring that Americans can visit them and learn about our country\u2019s history. I urge President Biden to sign it.\u201d\n\nThe American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act, which also passed in the House of Representatives, would:\n\nPermit nonprofits and tribes to apply directly for ABPP grants. Currently, only state and local governments are eligible to apply for ABPP funding.\n\nEnsure Battlefield Restoration Grant funding is available for all battlefields. ABPP administers four grant programs: Preservation Planning, Battlefield Land Acquisition, Battlefield Restoration, and Battlefield Interpretation. Current law only allows land preserved by a Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant to be eligible for a Restoration Grant, which provides funds to return Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War landscapes back to day-of battle conditions in order to enhance the visitor experience. This provision would remove this requirement and allow properties that were not acquired by a Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant to be eligible for Restoration Grant funding. This would mean the Vicksburg National Military Park, Corinth Battlefield Unit, and other state- and nonprofit-owned battlefield parks in Mississippi could be eligible for Restoration Grant funding.\n\nClarify eligibility of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites for Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants (BLAG). Current law allows battlefields and sites associated with the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 to be eligible for ABPP funding. This change would clarify that only battlefields are eligible.\n\nCreate a process for expanding and updating historic battlefield boundaries. Currently, only lands identified in NPS maps are eligible for ABPP Battlefield Land Acquisition funding, and any updates to these maps must be approved by Congress. This means that if there is new archaeology or research that shows the historic extent of a battlefield is different from original NPS maps, the land cannot be preserved under ABPP. The bill creates a better process for expanding and updating the historic boundaries of battlefields to make it easier for certain sites to receive ABPP funding.\n\nU.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) cosponsored the Senate legislation. U.S. Representative Michael Guest (R-Miss.) cosponsored the House companion measure.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/mississippi-will-benefit-from-water-infrastructure-bill-becoming-law", "Mississippi Will Benefit From Water Infrastructure Bill Becoming Law", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Legislation to improve Mississippi\u2019s waterways, ports, river systems, dredging, and flood protection projects passed the U.S. Senate and is expected to become law. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., used his unique position on the Committee on Environment and Public Works to secure priorities for Mississippi in the legislation, the 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:\n\n\u201cWater resources are essential to Mississippi,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThis bill gives us additional tools to provide clean drinking water, wastewater, and flood control solutions for communities across the country. I will keep using my position on the Environment and Public Works Committee to deliver results for Mississippi\u2019s communities.\u201d\n\nAmong other policies that are going to benefit Mississippi, WRDA will:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-announces-pentagon-reform-and-innovation-proposal", "Senator Wicker Announces Pentagon Reform and Innovation Proposal", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released his proposal to change fundamentally the way the Department of Defense (DOD) does business by getting better weapons to our troops faster and maximizing taxpayer dollars. Senator Wicker\u2019s plan, titled \u201cRestoring Freedom\u2019s Forge: American Innovation Unleashed,\u201d outlines critical reforms that DOD and Congress could enact to pull defense budgeting and acquisition into the 21st century.\n\nThe recommendations encompass five key subject areas: cutting red tape, unleashing innovation, increasing competition, enabling decisive action, and modernizing the budget process.\n\nThe report is also accompanied by comprehensive legislation \u2013 S. 5618, the FORGED Act (Fostering Reform and Government Efficiency in Defense) \u2013 which puts many of the recommendations in the report into practice. This new proposal complements the report Senator Wicker issued earlier this year, \u201c21st Century Peace Through Strength: A Generational Investment in the U.S. Military.\u201d Among many other recommendations, \u201cPeace Through Strength\u201d principally calls for an immediate investment in the DOD to maintain deterrence against China.\n\n\u201cThe Department of Defense has been doing business the same way for far too long, which has heavily damaged both taxpayer confidence and American national security. We are entering a moment where major reform is possible. My legislation offers an opportunity to maximize the use of public dollars to buy second-to-none weapons systems, adopt new technology faster, and boost competition within the defense industry. I have started a national conversation about making a generational investment. Now we need to discuss how we can spend smarter,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nRead the full bill text of the FORGED Act here.\n\nListed below are some of the key recommendations of the report and legislation in each major area. Read the report in full here.\n\nRepeal hundreds of unnecessary provisions from Title 10 to relieve officials of busy work: remove restrictions, delegate approvals, and create a five-year sunset on reporting requirements.\n\nFlip the contracting paradigm to require commercial procedures making DOD a better customer: strengthen rapid acquisition pathways, make commercial contracting the default, and relieve nontraditional defense contractors of numerous non-commercial requirements.\n\nDramatically accelerate qualification and test procedures to improve multiple sourcing and competition: create a program for multiple sourcing, remove barriers to reverse engineering, and streamline qualification and test procedures.\n\nReduce layers of bureaucracy by integrating authorities into empowered Program Executive Officers: upgrade program executive offers to integrate requirements, funding, and acquisition, and democratize joint decision-making processes.\n\nRestructure the budget and enable an agile funding process to transition technologies more rapidly into production: restructure the budget, consolidate budget line items, increase reprogramming authorities, and establish funding transparency.\n\nSenator Wicker is the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-applauds-final-senate-passage-of-national-defense-authorization-act", "Senator Wicker Applauds Final Senate Passage of National Defense Authorization Act", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to celebrate the final U.S. Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).\n\nIn his remarks, Senator Wicker praised the efforts of his many Senate colleagues and SASC staff to achieve a 64th straight year of the NDAA\u2019s passage. Senator Wicker spoke about many of the positive qualities in this year\u2019s bill which include boosting recruitment, modernizing major defense programs, and improving deterrence. Senator Wicker also noted the defense spending topline debate should carry through into next year.\n\nRead Senator Wicker\u2019s remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nThank you very much, Mr. President.\n\nThe Senate will soon consider the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.\n\nThe NDAA is among the most important bills Congress considers each year. It\u2019s our primary way of fulfilling our most solemn obligation: our constitutional duty to provide for the common defense. Congress has come together to pass the NDAA each year for more than six decades \u2013 63 years, to be precise.\n\nToday, we continue our streak of earned success. In our best moments, we've worked out the NDAA in an open and above-board process.\n\nHere, I must say that I am frustrated with the Majority Leader's decision to thwart that regular order this year. He did not bring the bill to the floor, thus denying Americans the opportunity to witness their elected representatives make decisions in the open on critical national security issues. Still, we continued in the spirit of honesty and collegiality.\n\nThe numbers bear that out.\n\nThe Armed Services Committee considered nearly 3,000 requests submitted by all Senators.\n\nWe considered 618 amendments at markup, adopting 327 of those amendments.\n\nWe then processed over 90 amendments during the informal conference process.\n\nThese statistics tell the story of the hard work and professionalism that characterized the construction of this bill.\n\nMr. President, we are currently experiencing the most dangerous national security moment since World War II. One need only scroll through the headlines summarizing this year's world events.\n\nCongress needed to respond in kind at every possible opportunity. We should be sending a signal of peace through strength, of strong deterrence.\n\nAccordingly, the Senate Armed Services Committee took an honest look at growing capability and aggression by our adversaries. We decided that this year was the time to change our course and move our military toward the generational defense investment it deserves.\n\nThat vital committee action included an upgrade of $25 billion for our missile defense, shipbuilding, and counter-drone technology, among other modernization programs \u2013 $25 billion. This should have been part of the bill \u2013 today.\n\nRegrettably, we missed an opportunity to strengthen the President-elect's hand as he takes office in a precarious world situation. I hope and expect we will see bipartisan support for much needed investment early in 2025.\n\nAnd yet as I note what's missing from the bill, I'm happy to recognize the immense accomplishments that members have included in the the NDAA.\n\nWe secured a significant 14.5 percent pay raise for our junior enlisted servicemembers as, well as a 4.5 percent increase for all other servicemembers.\n\nWe made investments in junior ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) and recruitment capabilities, both of which will help solve the military's manpower crisis.\n\nThis bill stops the Department of Defense (DOD) from paying for puberty blockers and hormone therapies for children.\n\nWe blocked the teaching of critical race theory in military programming, and we froze diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring at the DOD. In fact, we defunded DEI.\n\nThe NDAA authorizes critical investments across the board.\n\nWe accelerated ongoing nuclear deterrence efforts.\n\nWe moved forward in shipbuilding programs for our destroyers and submarines.\n\nFinally, we learned from the wars going on around us today. Using real world experience, we found ways to strengthen security assistance for frontline allies in the Pacific, the Middle East, and in Europe.\n\nSo, let me say again, this is a good bill. It's a piece of legislation in which I take pride. As always, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to advance our national security.\n\nAnd as I speak of gratitude, I want to extend special thanks to my friend, Chairman Jack Reed. I also want to thank his team on the Armed Services Committee, ably led by Staff Director Liz King.\n\nI thank my Republican and Democratic colleagues on the committee as well. Each made important contributions to the bill. This is especially true of our subcommittee chairs and ranking members, and I will recognize those on my side of the aisle:\n\nSenator Tom Cotton, ranking member of Airland.\n\nSenator Deb Fischer, ranking member of Strategic Forces.\n\nSenator Mike Rounds, ranking member of Cybersecurity.\n\nSenator Joni Ernst, ranking member of Emerging threats and Capabilities.\n\nSenator Rick Scott, ranking member of Personnel.\n\nSenator Kevin Cramer, ranking member of Seapower.\n\nAnd Senator Dan Sullivan, ranking member of Readiness.\n\nI also want to thank my Armed Services Committee staff. These patriotic individuals burned the midnight oil for months, literally. They delivered a product that this body can be proud of \u2013 one that does much to advance American interests. The American people would be astounded to see how hard and how long these staff members work.\n\nAnd I can hardly mention my staff without thanking my intrepid staff director, John Keast. John and his superb team know how to get the job done.\n\nAnd I want to recognize John Keast and his staff by name. They are:\n\nRick Berger, Brendan Gavin, James Mazol, Greg Lilly, Adam Barker, Zach Barnett, Kristina Belcourt, Jack Beyrer, Cody Emerson, Isaac Jalkanen, Kevin Kim, Eric Lofgren, Katie Magnus, Jonathan Moore, Sean O\u2019Keefe, Brad Patout, Katie Romaine, Eric Trager, Adam Trull, and Olivia Trusty.\n\nThis year's NDAA will further the cause of our national defense, but it cannot do all that we need. This will be the final vote on this bill. It has passed the House, we have invoked cloture, and this vote will send this bill to the President.\n\nLet this piece of legislation be an exhortation that Congress can no longer leave the job of national defense half-finished. We have no choice but to move ahead \u2013 and to move ahead early next year \u2013 with a generational investment in our military.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-s-bill-to-modernize-vicksburg-military-park-advances", "Senator Wicker\u2019s Bill to Modernize Vicksburg Military Park Advances", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., to upgrade the Vicksburg Military Park, passed the U.S. Senate.\n\nVicksburg Military Park preserves the site of the Battle of Vicksburg, which is known for being a key turning point in the Civil War. The battlefield is the most visited historical attraction in Mississippi with more than half a million annual visitors. The park includes over 1,300 monuments and markers, 20 miles of original and reconstructed trenches, the Vicksburg National Cemetery, and more.\n\nHowever, the park has outdated structures, such as the visitor center, that were built nearly seventy years ago. The bill, Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act, would transfer the necessary land from the National Park Service to the State of Mississippi to build a new state-of-the-art interactive interpretive center on the park\u2019s grounds.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-slams-latest-biden-harris-salvo-against-american-energy", "HYDE-SMITH SLAMS LATEST BIDEN-HARRIS SALVO AGAINST AMERICAN ENERGY", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Miss. Senator Calls for Restoration of Domestic Energy Security After Release of LNG Report\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today criticized the latest salvo by the outgoing Biden-Harris administration against U.S. energy production, a skewed study on American liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.\n\nThe U.S. Department of Energy study released Tuesday was conducted as part of the administration\u2019s efforts to pause or stop the export of LNG, much of which is shipped through the Gulf of Mexico. Hyde-Smith has vehemently opposed this policy as a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration\u2019s reckless energy policies compromise our national security, drive up costs for hardworking Americans, and fuel global emissions. Instead of championing all American energy, which is cleaner and safer than the foreign imports we rely on, this administration continues to undermine our domestic industry and disregard the welfare of American families,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\n\u201cThe release of this LNG export study is just the latest example of their misguided energy agenda that puts our national security at risk while making energy unaffordable across the nation. It\u2019s time for this destructive trend to end. I am committed to once again restoring American energy security and independence under President Trump\u2019s leadership,\u201d she said.\n\nIn July, Hyde-Smith supported committee passage of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2025 (S.4753), a bill which would have mandated increased offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, permanently ended the Biden administration\u2019s so-called pause on LNG exports, and expedite judicial reviews of federal energy and mineral project authorizations. Efforts to reach a compromise to clear this legislation before the end of the 118th Congress collapsed earlier this week.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-votes-defense-policy-bill-1", "HYDE-SMITH VOTES FOR DEFENSE POLICY BILL", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today supported final Senate passage of a massive defense policy bill that includes legislation she introduced to ensure that students, who serve in the National Guard and Reserve, will be guaranteed readmission to their schools following a deployment.\n\nThe overall FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR.5009) establishes policies and sets funding guidelines for the FY2025 Defense Appropriations Bill that will actually allocate funds for Department of Defense (DOD) activities. The bill now goes to the White House to be signed into law.\n\n\u201cThe NDAA is crucial because it adjusts policy and funding recommendations to meet current and future requirements to strengthen our national security. This measure is far from perfect given the current administration and congressional makeup, but it does include key policy changes to support servicemembers and their families while ending misguided \u2018woke\u2019 policies,\u201d said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee.\n\nOther notable provisions in the FY2025 NDAA include:\n\nAuthorizes a 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted troops and increased access to child care for service members, in addition to a 4.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for all other service members\n\nEliminates funding for DEI programs and the Countering Extremism Working Group\n\nProhibits TRICARE, the military healthcare provider, from covering transgender services for the minor dependents of service members\n\nReforms DOD procurement policies and improves oversight\n\nAuthorizes expanded shipbuilding and aircraft capabilities\n\nExtends support for Israel while expanding \u201ctough-on-China\u201d policies", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/congress-annual-defense-bill-one-step-closer-to-law-with-senator-wicker-priorities-included", "Congress\u2019 Annual Defense Bill One Step Closer to Law With Senator Wicker Priorities Included", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate just passed Congress\u2019 annual defense bill, the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation includes numerous Mississippi priorities.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., serves as the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), affording him a unique position to advocate for Mississippi\u2019s national defense capabilities. It is expected that Senator Wicker\u2019s colleagues will elect him SASC chairman in early January 2025.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThe wins in this bill demonstrate clearly that Mississippi\u2019s military bases and defense industry are important contributors to national security. American service members across the world are safer because of the national security work done by Mississippians: whether it be through ships built at our shipyards, weapons, equipment, and ammunition from our manufacturers, or research conducted at our universities,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nWhen the NDAA bill text was released, Senator Wicker also said:\n\n\u201cHowever, the failure to include a topline increase is a tremendous loss for our national defense\u2026I remain resolved to continue the national conversation I have started about our defense needs, and I will amplify this discussion should I become Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my Congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it.\u201d\n\nAmong many of Senator Wicker\u2019s priorities, a few key elements of the bill could ensure Mississippi receives additional investments in artificial intelligence, unmanned weapons systems, special operations activities, naval fleet construction, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and national security research.\n\nThe legislation contains several of Senator Wicker\u2019s top national defense priorities:\n\nAuthorizes funding to support a 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers (E1-E4) and a 4.5 percent pay raise for all other military members.\n\nIncreases the number of required Junior Reserve Officers\u2019 Training Corps (JROTC) units nationwide; expands eligibility criteria for schools to host JROTC.\n\nRequires the Department of Defense (DOD) to adhere to the industry standard of investing four percent of a facility's plant replacement value into annual sustainment by 2030, which will drastically increase facility sustainment funding to shrink the $180 billion repair backlog.\n\nProhibits DOD from paying for puberty-blockers and other drugs that could sterilize children for the purposes of treating gender dysphoria.\n\nFreezes hiring at DOD for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work for one year.\n\nProhibits DOD personnel from promoting critical race theory (CRT), or training CRT.\n\nDefunds $50+ million for DOD DEI programming to put toward counter-narcotics.\n\nAuthorizes the Trump administration with $300 million in security assistance funds to support Taiwan\u2019s defense reform and civil resilience efforts.\n\nPermanently authorizes the Office of Strategic Capital to make loans to innovative defense companies and drastically improves DOD economic warfare coordination.\n\nCreates a counter unmanned aerial systems (CUAS) task force, CUAS exercises, and sets up reporting requirements to confront UAS military base overflight.\n\nEstablishes a single senior Pentagon official for nuclear deterrence policies and programs.\n\nAuthorizes $322 million for the nuclear sea-launched cruise missile and provides additional flexibility to expedite development of the weapon.\n\nKills the Navy\u2019s bad idea to force a $750 million landing ship on the Marine Corps, instead requiring a $250 million ship.\n\nCuts F-35 funding and holds defense contractors accountable for F-35 delays, requiring a full-scale remediation plan for future development and deliveries.\n\nAuthorizes $47.5 million for continued U.S.-Israel collaborative research on emerging technologies and adds $30 million for U.S.-Israel anti-tunneling program.\n\nHalts the retirement of the capable F-15E fleet, directly involved in defense of Israel.\n\nMaintains crucial advanced fighter capacity by keeping the F-15 and F-22 fleets whole.\n\nProcures a 3rd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and a 2nd Virginia-class attack sub in FY25.\n\nAccelerates the delivery of Landing Ship Medium for the Marine Corps.\n\nDrastically improves Navy focus on unmanned surface and subsurface vessels.\n\nStops plans to turn DOD into the \u201cclimate-change\u201d enforcer, refocusing efforts on building tactical capabilities and countering China.\n\nThe legislation also included many provisions beneficial to Mississippi:\n\nNorth Mississippi\n\n$10,000,000 to enable proof-of-concept work for an autonomous AI data fusion C2 capability for uncrewed systems, which could be completed in Starkville.\n\n$7,000,000 to enable testing and evaluation of a maneuverable 155mm projectile with a range of 100-150km, which would see approximately half of requested funds spent on fabrication of rounds in Tupelo.\n\n$10,000,000 to sustain and upgrade the Lakota helicopters, which are manufactured in Columbus.\n\n$1,000,000 to kick start production of ROC-X loitering munitions by Stark Aerospace, which will be manufactured in Columbus.\n\n$1,000,000 to help develop methods for reducing platform noise in Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, which will be completed in Tupelo.\n\n$3,000,000 to integrate and assemble the Distributed Gain 300kw Laser Weapon System, which will support work in Tupelo.\n\n$1,000,000 to support enhanced sensing capabilities in shallow-water environments, which supports work in Tupelo.\n\nCentral Mississippi\n\n$10,000,000 to procure 16 additional Type 1 All Terrain cranes in order to prevent a break in production, which supports 39 jobs in Louisville and creates 10 additional jobs.\n\n$2,000,000 to support the use of gasification technology to take agricultural byproducts and plastic waste and convert to electricity in mobile, distributable sites, which would provide opportunities and training to Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, and Tougaloo College students in conjunction with the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg.\n\n$15,000,000 to support a program that creates unclassified, high-resolution three-dimensional terrain data required by US Combatant Commands, which would support work in Ridgeland and Long Beach.\n\n$1,000,000 to support the extension and enhancement of the existing ERDC modeling and simulation physics-based environment to facilitate future uses of defense weapon systems.\n\n$2,500,000 to develop engineered repair materials for paved and unpaved roadways in different climates, which would be supported in Richland and researched in Vicksburg.\n\n$6,700,000 to accelerate the planning and design of a corrosion control hangar at Key Field in Meridian for the 186th Air Refueling Wing.\n\n$1,000,000 to update the fuel hydrant system at Key Field in Meridian for the 186th Air Refueling Wing.\n\n$5,600,000 to support planning and design of a Maintenance Hangar at Key Field for the 186th Air Refueling Wing.\n\n$1,900,000 to support the planning and design of a base supply warehouse at Key Field for the 186th Air Refueling Wing.\n\nGulf Coast\n\n$25,000,000 to complete construction of a new Air Traffic Control Tower at Keesler Air Force Base, which is used by the 403rd Weather Reconnaissance Wing.\n\n$60,000,000 to provide economic adjustments to support the Navajo class towing, salvage, and rescue ships, many of which are built in Pascagoula.\n\n$10,000,000 for the development of low-cost, rapidly deployable maritime sensors with supportive report language, which will be spent in Gulfport. This funding could support a partnership between Mississippi\u2019s defense industry and the University of Southern Mississippi.\n\n$10,000,000 to support new coating for submarine hulls, which would maintain four jobs and create four new jobs in Gulfport. If successful, full-scale production could lead to hundreds of jobs.\n\n$9,000,000 to allow for the purchase of additional autonomous dual surface and underwater vehicles for Navy experimentation and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, supporting work in Gulfport. The bill also included language to designate an appropriate program sponsor to support future acquisition of these vessels.\n\n$6,000,000 to establish an operational center providing real-time cyber operation security to small businesses, which would be located in Biloxi.\n\n$7,000,000 to address cost hike and workforce reduction concerns caused by the cuts in the procurement rate of CCA\u2019s, which could support work in Gulfport.\n\n$8,000,000 to sustain the High Performance Computing Modernization Program\u2019s efforts, personnel, and facilities, supporting defense applications across various scientific disciplines, enhancing weapons system development, which affects 21 employees in Mississippi.\n\n$2,000,000 for advanced composite materials for wet submarines, which supports ongoing work in Gulfport.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-epa-administrator-nominee-former-representative-lee-zeldin", "Senator Wicker Meets with EPA Administrator Nominee, Former Representative Lee Zeldin", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee to be the next Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Former Representative Lee Zeldin.\n\n\u201cFormer Representative Lee Zeldin is a great choice for this position. He will bring important change to the EPA while also playing a pivotal role in reversing harmful Biden administration rulemaking, addressing federal permitting issues at the agency, and protecting our nation\u2019s environment,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI look forward to working with him through my position on the EPW Committee.\u201d\n\nFormer Representative Lee Zeldin is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023, where he sat on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Financial Services.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-fbi-director-nominee-kash-patel", "Senator Wicker Meets with FBI Director Nominee, Kash Patel", "2024-12-17", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel.\n\n\u201cI had a great meeting with Kash Patel. His experience working in different government agencies provides him with a unique opportunity to restore trust in the bureau,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI look forward to seeing him use that experience to keep America safe.\u201d\n\nKash Patel is a lawyer and former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice. He served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller and as senior advisor to the acting Director of National Intelligence during President Trump\u2019s first term in office.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/press-reports-indicate-that-border-wall-materials-are-again-being-auctioned-senator-wicker-wants-answers", "Press Reports Indicate That Border Wall Materials Are Again Being Auctioned, Senator Wicker Wants Answers", "2024-12-13", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Press reports emerged Thursday indicating that the Biden administration is hauling off unused border panels in Nogales, Tucson, and Three Points border zones, potentially in direct contravention of Senator Roger Wicker\u2019s, R-Miss., FINISH IT Act which became law last year in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.\n\nSpecifically, the FINISH IT Act forced the Department of Defense (DoD) to allow millions of dollars of unused border wall panels already owned by the U.S. government to be used to extend the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.\n\nSenator Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThe Biden-Harris administration has been so hostile to border security that it threw millions of dollars at the storage of border wall materials, rather than using them to secure the border. Worse, after Senate Armed Services Republicans exposed the wasteful costs for this thoughtless program, we discovered these materials were auctioned off at massive discounts online,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cMy bill required much of the claimed remaining materials to secure the southern border. However, rather than leaving unclaimed materials for the Trump administration to use, it appears that the Biden administration has continued to auction off the remaining materials at a tremendous fiscal loss. This is an outrageous waste of taxpayer money, and now more will have to be spent to acquire new materials for completing the wall and finally securing our border, as President Trump has vowed to do.\u201d\n\nThe FINISH IT Act followed an investigation by Senate Armed Services Committee Republicans that revealed the DoD is spending $47 million per year, or $130,000 per day, to store the panels at various locations across the Southwest. The legislation requires the federal government to deploy the materials or transfer them to state governments who will use them for wall construction.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/senate-approves-hyde-smith-resolution-honoring-patrick-gottsch-advocate-rural-america", "SENATE APPROVES HYDE-SMITH RESOLUTION HONORING PATRICK GOTTSCH, ADVOCATE FOR RURAL AMERICA", "2024-12-12", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith Measure Pays Tribute to Gottsch, the RFD-TV Founder Who Passed Away This Year\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today secured Senate passage of her resolution honoring the life and legacy of Patrick Gottsch, the founder of radio and television outlets that promoted the values of rural America and agricultural issues.\n\nHyde-Smith used a rare live unanimous consent request to gain approval of S.Res.733, which the Senator introduced in June following Gottsch\u2019s passing on May 18, 2024.\n\n\u201cThis resolution honors the life and legacy of my dear friend Patrick Gottsch. Patrick was a strong friend and ally of Rural America, and it is only appropriate that the Senate commemorate his life,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cAlong with so many other rural Americans, I miss Patrick every day. It is an honor to remember Patrick by advocating for and promoting the rural way of life in the Senate.\u201d\n\nS.Res.733 was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).\n\nIn a June floor speech, Hyde-Smith praised Gottsch for giving \u201crural America a voice.\"\n\n\"In an increasingly urbanized world, Patrick reminded us of the value of rural America. He advocated for the 2 percent of Americans who feed the other 98 percent,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\nThe following is the text of S.Res.733:\n\nRESOLUTION\n\nHonoring the life and legacy of Patrick Gottsch.\n\nWhereas Patrick Gene Gottsch was born on June 3, 1953, in Elkhorn, Nebraska;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch was raised on his family\u2019s farm and cattle operation, which instilled in him the values of rural America;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch obtained a wide array of career experiences that enabled him to be a trailblazer in the rural and agricultural programming space;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch worked as a commodity broker on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, in the home satellite dish industry, and as Director of Sales for the Superior Livestock Auction in the Fort Worth Stockyards;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch launched Rural Free Delivery Television (RFD\u2013TV) in 2002;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch was the founder and president of Rural Media Group, Inc., which, in addition to RFD\u2013TV, grew to consist of RFD\u2013TV The Magazine, RFD HD, RURAL TV, RURAL RADIO, and The Cowboy Channel;\n\nWhereas millions of individuals in the United States have benefitted from Mr. Gottsch\u2019s innovative approach to educating the populace on rural and agricultural issues through the use of television and other mediums; and\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch\u2019s work to represent farmers, ranchers, and rural America through television was unprecedented and has left an indelible mark on the hearts of millions of individuals in the United States: Now, therefore, be it\n\nResolved, That the Senate\u2014\n\n(1) honors the life and legacy of Patrick Gottsch, particularly the devotion of Mr. Gottsch\u2014\n\n(A) to rural America;\n\n(B) to espousing the values of rural America through agricultural and rural programming; and\n\n(C) to advocating for a greater understanding of the importance of rural America to the economy, culture, and progress of the nation;\n\n(2) extends its gratitude to Mr. Gottsch for a life well-lived, and will continue to remember his legacy; and\n\n(3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of Mr. Gottsch.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senators-wicker-schatz-lead-group-of-100-lawmakers-in-calling-for-extension-of-telehealth-expansion", "Senators Wicker, Schatz Lead Group of 100 Lawmakers in Calling for Extension of Telehealth Expansion", "2024-12-12", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawai\u2018i, led a bipartisan and bicameral group of 100 lawmakers in calling for the extension of expanded Medicare coverage of telehealth services to be included in a year-end appropriations package. Provisions from the Wicker-Schatz legislation, the CONNECT for Health Act, were included in previous COVID-19 relief legislation to allow Medicare beneficiaries in all areas of the country, and in their homes, to utilize telehealth services, and to expand the types of health care providers eligible to provide telehealth. Medicare beneficiaries have come to rely on expanded access, which have also been proven beneficial to patients. But these provisions will expire at the end of the year, unless congressional leaders act to extend those measures or make them permanent.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found below and is available here.\n\nDear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson, and Minority Leader Jeffries:\n\nExpanded Medicare coverage for telehealth services is set to expire on December 31, 2024. As you work to advance a year-end appropriations package, we urge you to extend coverage as much as possible so that all Medicare beneficiaries retain access to these services.\n\nTelehealth plays a critical role in health care delivery \u2013 a fact that Congress has recognized by expanding coverage during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Most recently, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Congress enacted a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth services coverage. Committees of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives have recently recognized the need to protect patients\u2019 access to telehealth services by voting to advance an additional two-year extension on a bipartisan, unanimous basis.\n\nWe ask you to prioritize provisions that remove geographic restrictions on telehealth services and permit the home and other clinically appropriate settings as originating sites. Congress should also expand the authority for practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services. Rural and underserved communities rely on telehealth services, and Congress should recognize federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics as telehealth distant site providers. Additionally, Congress should allow the use of telehealth in the recertification of hospice care. Finally, telehealth has transformed mental and behavioral health care, now accounting for 40 percent of telehealth services provided under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Therefore, Congress should permanently repeal the six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health services. It should also reject similar policies that create barriers to care.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-britt-turn-focus-coast-guard-joint-force-work-combat-drug-human-trafficking-southern", "HYDE-SMITH, BRITT TURN FOCUS ON COAST GUARD & JOINT FORCE WORK TO COMBAT DRUG, HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON SOUTHERN MARITIME BORDER", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "The Senators, Both Homeland Security Appropriators, Recently Visited Key West with USCG Commandant\n\nPHOTO: Senator Hyde-Smith, Senator Britt, and USCG Commandant Fagan with members of the USCG Sector Key West. (Photo Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard)\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) recently traveled to the U.S Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Key West and the headquarters of the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) to learn more about the crucial role of agencies in combatting illicit narcotics, illegal migration, and human trafficking.\n\nHyde-Smith and Britt serve on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, with Britt serving as ranking member of the panel that funds the USCG. The lawmakers were joined by Admiral Linda Fagan, the 27th Commandant of the Coast Guard.\n\n\u201cMost Americans are eager to see a much-needed increased focus on border security. As we prepare for the new Congress, I look forward to working with Coast Guard leadership and the new administration to reinforce our commitment to being a nation of laws, with national security as a top priority.\u201d Senator Hyde-Smith said. \u201cI appreciated the opportunity to visit with our brave service men and women as they uphold our laws and save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe U.S. Coast Guard\u2019s commitment to protecting our maritime borders is nothing short of heroic, and I appreciated the opportunity to meet with many of the courageous Americans who patrol our seas and defend our shores. I will continue to make it a top priority in the new Congress to ensure the U.S. Coast Guard has the resources and support needed to keep our homeland safe and to strengthen our national security,\u201d said Senator Britt. \u201cI am grateful for Senator Hyde-Smith\u2019s continued leadership and partnership as we work to advance solutions to combat drug and human trafficking.\u201d\n\nDuring their official visit to Florida, Hyde-Smith and Britt learned about the increasing challenges faced by the USCG Sector Key West and JIATF-S, including:\n\nMaritime smuggling accounts for a significant number of attempted crossings, with the joint task force interdicting an increasing number of individuals in recent years. Maritime border attempts and interdictions increased dramatically under the current administration from around 3,000 in FY2021 to more than 12,000 in both FY2022 and FY2023.\n\nThe national security threat posed by vessels departing from nations experiencing significant social upheaval is significant and provides potential malign actors with a route that can be very difficult to monitor.\n\nThe humanitarian crisis generated by maritime migration is also challenging, as many illegal migrants utilize nearly derelict vessels to attempt open-ocean travel, often requiring U.S. Coast Guard rescue in conjunction with interdiction.\n\nTransnational criminal organizations utilize maritime routes to transport narcotics at sea in an effort to evade law enforcement. JIATF-S is a driving force to combat the impacts of illicit narcotics at home and abroad by coordinating U.S. agencies alongside partner nations to combat these threats to regional stability.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-demands-action-help-farmers-avert-repeat-80s-era-farm-crisis", "HYDE-SMITH DEMANDS ACTION TO HELP FARMERS, AVERT REPEAT OF 80s-ERA FARM CRISIS", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith Warns Not Helping Farmers with Both Disaster & Market Assistance Will Cost Taxpayers, Country Billions More in the Future\n\nVIDEO CLIP: Senator Hyde-Smith Outlines Dire Farm Country Situation, Risks of Inaction.\n\nFULL SPEECH VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Encourages Senate and House Negotiators to Reach Agreement that Includes Market Assistance for Farmers.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today demanded congressional negotiators to agree to provide both natural disaster and market loss assistance for farmers across the country or risk worsening a crisis that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars more in the future.\n\nEfforts by Hyde-Smith and others to secure economic assistance to counter impending market disaster in rural America has received some pushback as work continues on Capitol Hill to reach an agreement on year-end legislation to avoid a government shutdown, replenish emergency response funds, and extend the 2018 farm bill.\n\n\u201cOur farm economy is headed in a dark and scary direction. I hope all of my colleagues here in the Senate and on the other side of the Capitol recognize that,\u201d Hyde-Smith said in a floor speech. \u201cIt is time for Congress to deliver meaningful assistance to our agricultural producers. They have been devastated by unprecedented market conditions and natural disasters over the last two years, and they need help recovering from both \u2013 not one or the other.\u201d\n\nHyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, continued to argue that market-related disasters deserve federal attention as much as damages caused by recent natural disasters.\n\n\u201cThe economic landscape for farmers is looking more like the farm crisis of the 1980s every day. That\u2019s pretty scary. There\u2019s not a farm crisis looming \u2013 it\u2019s already underway \u2013 but it\u2019s not too late to keep it from snowballing out of control if Congress acts,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cWhat caused the crisis? Inflation, high interest rates and production costs, low farm income, depressed crop prices, declining exports, and inadequate federal price support policy.\u201d\n\nMississippi producers expect losses ranging from $65 to more than $300 per acre for every covered commodity for the 2024 crop year, while market losses by producers nationally are estimated to be $31 billion this crop year. These losses are compounded by a U.S. trade deficit expected to reach a record $45 billion in FY2025.\n\nHyde-Smith said Farm Bureau organizations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, as well as major agricultural organizations have sent letters to Congress seeking market loss assistance to benefit troubled producers nationwide in addition to natural disaster assistance.\n\n\u201cIf Congress fails to recognize the importance of providing market loss help and only focuses on natural disaster, my fear is that: 1) Farmers and farm groups across the country are going to be very angry that Congress decided to address only half the problem while ignoring every farmer across the country impacted by record input costs and depressed prices; and 2) we\u2019re going to have a farm crisis in this country worse than the 1980s crisis,\u201d Hyde-Smith stressed.\n\n\u201cI will leave my colleagues with this question: Are we going to learn from lessons of the past and take appropriate action? Or, take the path of least resistance today, and be required to pay hundreds of billions on the back end, after it is too late?\u201d Hyde-Smith asked.\n\nRead Hyde-Smith\u2019s speech, as prepared for delivery, here or below:\n\nMadam President, our farm economy is headed in a dark and scary direction. I hope all of my colleagues here in the Senate and on the other side of the Capitol recognize that.\n\nIt is time for Congress to deliver meaningful assistance to our agricultural producers. They have been devastated by unprecedented market conditions and natural disasters over the last two years, and they need help recovering from both \u2013 not one or the other.\n\nI rise today to urge my colleagues to take action and to support those who support you.\n\nThe economic landscape for farmers is looking more like the farm crisis of the 1980s every day. That\u2019s pretty scary.\n\nThere\u2019s not a farm crisis looming \u2013 it\u2019s already underway \u2013 but it\u2019s not too late to keep it from snowballing out of control if Congress acts.\n\nIt was one of the worst economic disasters since the great depression, decimated rural America, and took years for many communities to recover from \u2013 some never did.\n\nWhat caused the crisis? Inflation, high interest rates and production costs, low farm income, depressed crop prices, declining exports, and inadequate federal price support policy. Does that sound familiar?\n\nU.S. farm income has dropped $41 billion over the last two years \u2013 the worst decline we\u2019ve ever seen. Our trade deficit is expected to reach a record high of $45.5 billion for fiscal year 2025.\n\nInput costs and interest rates are close to an all-time high. Commodity prices are low, and the federal farm safety net is not providing any support because the Price Loss Coverage program reference prices haven\u2019t been updated since the 2014 Farm Bill. These are unprecedented market conditions. Believe me, I know.\n\nTo break this down in greater detail, market losses suffered by producers for the 2024 crop year alone are estimated at $31 billion \u2013 $31 BILLION, with a B!\n\nMadam President, I have a breakdown of the market losses by state and commodity, that I ask be submitted into the Record. [Document]\n\nEvery single state in the U.S. suffered market losses this crop year.\n\nThe Office of Management and Budget recently submitted a disaster supplemental request to Congress asking for $21 billion in ad hoc support for producers impacted by natural disasters in 2023 and/or 2024. And I certainly support that, because many producers across the country deserve it.\n\nHowever, OMB\u2019s request failed to mention anything pertaining to market losses. How can we ignore $31 billion in market losses this year alone and expect to keep U.S. agriculture afloat? We shouldn\u2019t, and we can\u2019t. Farmers need market loss assistance too. We need an additional $15 billion for market losses.\n\nThe House and Senate Agriculture Committees have been working on a proposal that would cover market losses, on top of natural disaster losses. It\u2019s estimated to cost about $15 billion.\n\nCongress should support that \u2013 whether through supplemental appropriations or a farm bill extension \u2013 in addition to what has been proposed for natural disasters. Producers should be eligible for both.\n\nState Farm Bureaus from all 50 states have sent letters to Congress asking for both market and disaster assistance \u2013 both, not one or the other. Further, every major agricultural organization across the country \u2014 American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Sorghum Producers, National Sunflower Association, U.S. Canola Association, U.S. Peanut Federation, USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, USA Rice, and Western Peanut Growers Association\u2014 have endorsed marker legislation introduced in the House focused on market losses.\n\nIf Congress fails to recognize the importance of providing market loss help and only focuses on natural disaster, my fear is that: 1) Farmers and farm groups across the country are going to be very angry that Congress decided to address only half the problem while ignoring every farmer across the country impacted by record input costs and depressed prices; and 2) we\u2019re going to have a farm crisis in this country worse than the 1980s crisis.\n\nI will leave my colleagues with this question: Are we going to learn from lessons of the past and take appropriate action? Or, take the path of least resistance today, and be required to pay hundreds of billions on the back end, after it is too late?\n\nMadam President, I yield the floor.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-secretary-of-energy-nominee-chris-wright", "Senator Wicker Meets With Secretary of Energy Nominee, Chris Wright", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee to be the next Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright.\n\n\u201cI had a great meeting with Chris Wright, and I believe our energy and national security goals are closely aligned. He is a proven innovator and successful businessman that will bring a new perspective to the Department of Energy,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am confident that he will be a champion for domestic energy producers, prioritize American-made energy, and ensure the National Nuclear Security Administration has the resources and support needed to modernize our nation\u2019s nuclear deterrent.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-va-secretary-nominee-former-representative-doug-collins", "Senator Wicker Meets With VA Secretary Nominee, Former Representative Doug Collins", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee to be the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Former Representative Doug Collins.\n\n\u201cMismanagement of the VA has prevented the department from adequately caring for our veterans. Former Representative Collins knows first-hand how important the VA\u2019s work can be and is the right person to get them back on track,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am confident that he will be a strong advocate for our veterans and their families.\u201d\n\nFormer Representative Doug Collins served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021. He is currently a colonel in the Air Force Reserve.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-statement-on-meeting-with-howard-lutnick", "Senator Wicker Statement on Meeting With Howard Lutnick", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, met with President-elect Trump\u2019s Secretary of Commerce nominee, Howard Lutnick.\n\n\u201cHoward Lutnick is a successful businessman who will bring positive change to the Department of Commerce. During our meeting, we discussed the historic economic investments that Mississippi is experiencing and how our state could build upon these efforts working together with the Trump administration,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI believe he will do a great job driving economic development and growth in our country, and I look forward to working with him through my position on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-statement-on-ndaa-topline-negotiations/4e82a979-044a-4ad5-92c0-92edbed64c1f", "Senator Wicker Statement on NDAA Topline Negotiations", "2024-12-09", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 This weekend, the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) version prepared for final passage in the House and Senate was released. The bill does not include U.S. Senator Roger Wicker\u2019s, R-Miss., proposed and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)-passed measure to increase the topline of the defense budget by more than $25 billion.\n\nSenator Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the SASC, released the following statement:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-remembers-late-jeanne-luckey-senate-tribute", "HYDE-SMITH REMEMBERS THE LATE JEANNE LUCKEY IN SENATE TRIBUTE", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Pays Tribute to the Late Jeanne Luckey of the Mississippi Gulf Coast\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on Wednesday delivered a tribute to the late Jeanne Luckey of Biloxi in a speech to the U.S. Senate. Luckey, who passed away on Nov. 7, 2024, was a leader on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, statewide, and nationally.\n\nHyde-Smith\u2019s remarks, which also appear in the Congressional Record, are available below:\n\nMadam President, I rise today with a deep sense of respect, admiration, and sadness to honor the remarkable life of Jeanne Luckey. Her legacy of service, strength, and compassion will leave a lasting impact on Mississippi, our nation, and beyond.\n\nA proud daughter of Biloxi, Mississippi, Jeanne was a woman of extraordinary character \u2013 dedicated to her family, her community, and her country.\n\nShe was a tireless leader and key figure in Mississippi\u2019s Republican Party, serving in the roles such as president of the Mississippi Federation of Republican Women, co-chair of the state Republican Party, and Republican National Committeewoman. Her voice and influence over the decades shaped the party at the state and national levels, and her work touched the lives of countless individuals across our state.\n\nShe faced extraordinary challenges with unmatched grace. Even after a car accident left her in a wheelchair just days after Hurricane Katrina reshaped the coast of Mississippi, Jeanne didn\u2019t stop. She kept working. She continued her work with an unwavering commitment to the values she held dear, always finding a way to move forward.\n\nJeanne\u2019s influence went far beyond politics. Jeanne cared deeply about education and the people of Mississippi. As a member of the Board of Trustees for the Institutions of Higher Learning, she worked tirelessly to make Mississippi\u2019s universities stronger and more inclusive, especially for those with disabilities. Always focused on serving others, her contributions will be felt for generations.\n\nWhat truly defined Jeanne was her strength of character. She was a woman who made others better. Her husband, Alwyn, said it best: \u201cShe made me a better person than I otherwise would have been.\u201d Those of us who had the privilege of knowing her can attest to that. Her wisdom, her kindness, and her ability to bring people together left a permanent mark on everyone she met.\n\nJeanne leaves behind a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire those whose lives she touched. My heart goes out to her husband Alwyn, their two daughters, Laurel and Taylor, and her grandchildren, Cornelius and Toxie Ray.\n\nMississippi has lost an amazing woman and a true leader. But Jeanne's spirit, her passion for life, and her commitment to making our state and country a better place will endure.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/miss-lawmakers-sign-bicameral-letter-targeting-federal-funding-awarded-abortion-providers", "MISS. LAWMAKERS SIGN BICAMERAL LETTER TARGETING FEDERAL FUNDING AWARDED TO ABORTION PROVIDERS", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith, Guest & Ezell Seek Updated GAO Investigation Covering 2022-2024\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Senate Pro-Life Caucus Chair Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and U.S. Representatives Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) recently signed a bicameral letter requesting an updated Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation and report on the level of federal funding awarded to abortion providers over the past three years.\n\nThe Mississippi lawmakers are among 31 Senators and 81 Representatives who made the request to the GAO seeking updated data on federal taxpayer dollars from fiscal years 2022-2024 for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Federally Qualified Health Centers, MSI Reproductive Choices, and four domestic abortion providers.\n\n\u201cProper oversight of public funds and programs is crucial for determining the value of the goods and services provided to and funded by American taxpayers. The information sought in this inquiry is instrumental for policymakers and the public alike,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\n\u201cIt is our hope that this report will provide greater insight as Congress considers funding levels and provides increased transparency and openness for our constituencies and the general public,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\n\nThe GAO has prepared several congressionally requested reports on federal funding for these organizations over the years. According to its most recent report, the GAO found that abortion industry siphoned off nearly $2 billion in federal taxpayer dollars between fiscal years 2019-2021\u2014despite long-standing congressional restrictions that prohibit the use of federal funding to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.\n\nU.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representatives Chris Smith (R-N.J.) led the letter, which can be read here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-secdef-nominee-pete-hegseth-discusses-trump-administration-national-defense-goals", "Senator Wicker Meets with SECDEF Nominee Pete Hegseth, Discusses Trump Administration National Defense Goals", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, met with President Trump\u2019s nominee to serve as the next Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.\n\nDuring the meeting, the two exchanged views on a range of critical national defense topics, including the military challenge posed by the Chinese Communist Party, continued instability in Europe, and the growing threats of adversaries such as China, North Korea, and Iran.\n\nSenator Wicker expressed his view \u2013 informed by the studied analysis of many defense experts \u2013 that the United States faces the most dangerous national security moment since World War II. He also raised the shared Trump-Wicker \u2018peace-through-strength\u2019 strategy as a way to confront this moment. Senator Wicker and Hegseth also discussed his nomination.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-u-s-ambassador-to-the-united-nations-nominee-congresswoman-elise-stefanik", "Senator Wicker Meets With U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nominee, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.\n\n\u201cI am confident that Congresswoman Stefanik will be a terrific Ambassador to the UN. I have known her for years to be a proven leader, talented communicator, and fearless advocate for American interests. Her work in the U.S. House of Representatives also shows that she understands the importance of delivering peace through strength,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI have absolute confidence in her ability to carry out the United States\u2019 priorities.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/americans-don-t-have-access-to-reliable-internet-senator-wicker-offers-legislative-solutions", "Americans Don\u2019t Have Access to Reliable Internet, Senator Wicker Offers Legislative Solutions", "2024-12-04", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Millions of Americans still lack reliable broadband connection. A key issue is that over 100 separate broadband initiatives are currently managed across 15 different federal agencies. This has led to inefficiencies and wasted resources.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., published an op-ed in Roll Call explaining how his bill, the PLAN for Broadband Act, would help solve these problems and close the digital divide. Senator Wicker highlights a recent broadband groundbreaking ceremony he attended and how more success stories like this one could be possible.\n\nSenator Wicker is a senior member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, having previously served as Chairman and Ranking Member.\n\nRead the full op-ed here or below.\n\nDecember 4, 2024\n\nSenator Roger Wicker\n\nThanks to Congress\u2019 work on the infrastructure law, America has the funding to make internet coverage nationwide. Where broadband goes, economic growth and educational opportunity follow. But despite the federal governments\u2019 efforts, including decades of work and billions of dollars, too many Americans still lack reliable connection, an unacceptable fact in today\u2019s digital world.\n\nThe problem boils down to bureaucratic disorganization. Today, over 100 separate initiatives, managed by 15 individual federal agencies, have been deployed to address the digital urban-rural divide. This fragmented approach has led to inefficiencies and wasted resources. To help solve this, I have introduced legislation that would coordinate these efforts and bring communities online faster.\n\nMy bill, the PLAN for Broadband Act, would direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to create a national strategy to synchronize those broadband initiatives. By harmonizing these programs, we can efficiently allocate resources to the communities that need them most, and at a higher speed and a lower price tag.\n\nIn May 2022, I commissioned a non-partisan Government Accountability Office report to analyze the current maze of programs. It seemed clear to me that broadband funds could be used more effectively. Indeed, the report found local officials have struggled to navigate the complexity of broadband grant applications. They encounter a confusing variety of program requirements, timelines, approval processes, and other metrics. One county in Minnesota provides a particularly bad example of this problem. There, multiple providers received funds from different agencies under different broadband programs \u2013 all for the same project. It could all be avoided with a coherent strategy.\n\nFederal agencies have created some safeguards against duplication, but the programs are so complex that these measures often fall short. In many cases, Congress will have to clarify confusing statutory language. I am eager for the administration to provide lawmakers with a list of these instances so we can work to remedy them quickly.\n\nAs we work toward a national plan, we can draw encouragement from progress we have already seen. Consider my home state, Mississippi. The NTIA recently approved the state\u2019s plan to administer $1.2 billion in grants from the infrastructure law, which I negotiated as a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee. The decision brings us one step closer to unlocking these funds. Ultimately, they will lead to broadband infrastructure and increased internet adoption across the state.\n\nIn August, I visited a city that stands to benefit from efforts like these. Mound Bayou, Mississippi, celebrated its first-ever high-speed broadband installation. Because of that project, hundreds of individuals and multiple businesses will benefit from connection to this vital resource.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-honors-us-servicemembers-2024-veterans-day", "HYDE-SMITH HONORS U.S. SERVICEMEMBERS ON 2024 VETERANS DAY", "2024-11-08", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today issued the following statement on Veterans Day, honoring the sacrifices of the nation\u2019s veterans and encouraging Mississippians to deepen their engagement with them:\n\n\u201cOn this Veterans Day, we pause to honor and reflect on the immense sacrifices made by the brave men and women who have served our nation. Their courage, strength, and commitment to protecting our freedom are the foundation of the liberties we hold dear as Americans.\n\n\u201cMississippi\u2019s veterans and their families have made countless contributions to the defense of our nation, and it is our solemn duty to ensure they receive the care and support they deserve. As a grateful nation for their sacrifices, we must continue to remember, honor, and engage with our veterans in every way possible \u2013 not just today, but every day.\u201d\n\nHyde-Smith also encouraged Mississippians to participate in National Warrior Call Day on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, to actively engage with veterans and servicemembers in an effort to curb the mental health risks many servicemembers face after defending our nation. Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the National Warrior Call Day Resolution (S.Res.838), which the Senate passed in September.\n\n\u201cReaching out, listening, and letting our heroes know they are valued and not forgotten can make a profound difference,\u201d said Hyde-Smith.\n\nHyde-Smith also reiterated her commitment to assisting Mississippi veterans with accessing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs resources. Veterans facing difficulties with VA services are encouraged to reach out to her office for assistance.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/11/news-release-senators-wicker-risch-and-colleagues-press-biden-harris-administration-to-reverse-policy-toward-state-of-qatar", "Senators Wicker, Risch, and Colleagues Press Biden-Harris Administration to Reverse Policy Toward State of Qatar", "2024-11-08", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), led 12 of their colleagues on a letter to multiple federal agencies with requests, including that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of State:\n\nImmediately freeze the assets of Hamas officials living in Qatar.\n\nExtradite several senior Hamas officials currently residing in Qatar and elsewhere, including Khaled Meshal whom the Department of Justice has already indicted, and Khalil Al-Hayya.\n\nAsk Qatar to end its hospitality of Hamas\u2019 senior leadership, as Hamas has exploited its safe haven in Qatar to confer with Iranian officials and reject reasonable negotiations in international media.\n\n\u201cThe defeat of Hamas is within reach, and ending the safe haven that its leadership enjoys abroad is vital to defeating it,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cWe urge you to act expediently so that this Iranian-backed terrorist organization is finally held responsible for the horrific terrorist massacre of October 7, 2023, and the war that it deliberately unleashed across the region.\u201d\n\nThe letter \u2013 which was addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of State Antony Blinken \u2013 was led by Senators Wicker and Risch. Senators Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb. co-signed the letter.\n\nRead the full letter here or below.\n\nDear Secretary Blinken and Attorney General Garland,\n\nThe Israel Defense Forces\u2019 killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar presents a critical opportunity for the United States to compel Hamas\u2019 surrender. This would end the war that Hamas started with its brutal terrorist massacre on October 7, 2023, in which it killed nearly 1200 people, including 46 Americans, and took 250 hostages, including twelve Americans. We therefore urge you to act quickly against Hamas\u2019 remaining leadership, so that the organization is destroyed and defeated.\n\nFirst, we urge you to reverse the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s policy toward the State of Qatar, whereby the administration has permitted Qatar to facilitate negotiations by hosting Hamas\u2019 leadership. Hamas\u2019 Doha-based leaders have exploited this arrangement, and used the relative freedom that Qatar has afforded them to oppose ceasefire negotiations in international media, host Iranian officials at Hamas\u2019 Doha headquarters, and travel abroad. Qatari officials have said repeatedly that they would change their policy towards Hamas if the Biden-Harris administration asked it to do so, and we believe that it is long past time the administration ask Qatar to freeze Hamas leaders\u2019 assets, shut their access to international media, end their ability to host foreign visitors, and prevent them from traveling abroad.\n\nSecond, we urge you to seek the extradition to the United States of Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, who currently resides in Qatar. The Department of Justice unsealed indictments pertaining to multiple Hamas leaders, including Mr. Meshal, on September 3, 2024, and he should face justice for his leadership of a terrorist group that has American blood and hostages on its hands.\n\nThird, we urge you to seek indictments for Hamas\u2019 other senior officials abroad, foremost among them Khalil Al-Hayya, who resides in Qatar. According to The New York Times, during the year prior to Hamas\u2019 October 7, 2023 terrorist massacre, Mr. Al-Hayya sought Iranian and Hezbollah support for Hamas\u2019 brutal attack, with the goal of assaulting Israel on multiple fronts.2 Mr. Al-Hayya should no longer be permitted to live risk-free in Doha. He should be indicted immediately for his role in killing Americans and taking Americans hostage, and then extradited to the United States to face justice.\n\nThe defeat of Hamas is within reach, and ending the safe haven that its leadership enjoys abroad is vital to defeating it. We urge you to act expediently so this Iranian-backed terrorist organization is finally held responsible for the horrific terrorist massacre of October 7, 2023 and the war that it deliberately unleashed across the region.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/11/senator-wicker-announces-new-chief-of-staff", "Senator Wicker Announces New Chief of Staff", "2024-11-08", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today announced that his long-time chief of staff, Michelle Barlow Richardson, will leave government service to accept a new opportunity in the private sector. Richardson first joined Wicker\u2019s staff in 1997 as a Legislative Correspondent and then Executive Assistant. After a two-year stint with the Mississippi State University Foundation, she returned to Team Wicker in 2001. She was promoted to Chief of Staff in 2006.\n\n\u201cI have been blessed for more than two decades by having Michelle Barlow Richardson in my corner fighting for Mississippi,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cHer leadership, attention to detail, and ability to solve problems have been indispensable in the success of our team and allowed us to achieve legislative wins that benefited all Americans. Beyond her many accomplishments, Michelle is best known to me and her colleagues for strong friendship and deep devotion. Gayle and I will miss her daily presence in the office. It is with deep gratitude and affection that we wish her the best of luck in the next phase of her career.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker\u2019s Legislative Director since 2022, Beth Spivey, will be promoted to Chief of Staff. Spivey is a native of Brandon and a graduate of the University of Mississippi. She has worked in the private sector and government including as an aide to Former U.S. Senator Trent Lott, R-Miss., and as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for Legislative Affairs during the first Donald J. Trump Administration.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/11/senator-wicker-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-new-power-plant-in-washington-county", "Senator Wicker Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Power Plant in Washington County", "2024-11-07", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "GREENVILLE \u2013 Today, Entergy Mississippi held a groundbreaking ceremony for their first new natural gas power station in 50 years.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., issued the following statement:\n\n\"I applaud Entergy Mississippi for continuing to invest in our state. The power plant will bring more jobs, growth, and economic opportunity to Greenville and the surrounding communities,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cToday is a great day for the Delta and our state.\u201d\n\nThe new natural gas power plant will be the first combined-cycle combustion turbine power station that Entergy Mississippi has built from the ground up. The facility\u2019s advanced and efficient technology will produce more electricity from the same amount of fuel, ensuring that our state has reliable energy for years to come.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-commends-dr-darsey-s-appointment-to-federal-board", "Senator Wicker Commends Dr. Darsey\u2019s Appointment to Federal Board", "2024-10-30", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., commended the appointment of Dr. Damon Darsey to the FirstNet Authority Board of Directors. Senator Wicker recommended Dr. Darsey to the Acting Associate Administrator of the Office of Public Safety Communications at the U.S. Department of Commerce and Secretary Gina Raimondo.\n\nThe Board of Directors provides oversight of FirstNet, which is a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network designed to connect first responders across departments for large-scale disasters. The board is also responsible for providing FirstNet with overall policy direction and strategic guidance.\n\n\u201cDr. Darsey has been a leader in public safety for Mississippi. For years, he has been engaged in the policy, development, technical, and political challenges around deploying a dedicated public safety network. His experience as the Medical Director for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety is a valuable asset to the board\u2019s composition. I am confident he will continue to be an advocate for our communities and first responders,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nSince 2010, Dr. Darsey has been the principal investigator of nearly $36 million of grants focusing on the clinical and academic interest of improving the communications, care, and coordination of first responders and in-field medical care.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-georgia-s-parliamentary-election", "Senator Wicker Statement on Georgia\u2019s Parliamentary Election", "2024-10-30", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Following Georgia\u2019s election results, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., issued this statement:\n\n\u201cThis past Saturday, the people of Georgia went to the polls to exercise their democratic right to choose their next government. Instead of a dignified, transparent, and lawful process, what they got was a farce. The people of Georgia\u2019s democratic choice was undermined by rampant violations, including intimidation, violence, vote buying, and results that diverged sharply from credible independent pre-election and exit polling as well as trends from prior elections.\n\n\u201cWe share Georgian President Zourabichvili's belief that these elections were neither free nor fair and do not reflect the will of the people. Unfortunately, the Moscow-backed Georgian Dream party seems to think that alongside Russia and its authoritarian axis, they can wait out the United States and Georgia\u2019s democratic allies. They are wrong.\n\n\u201cThe manipulation of this election is not only a blow to Georgia's fragile democracy but, if allowed to stand, an end to the country's longstanding Euro-Atlantic aspirations\u2014and possibly its very sovereignty. This is electoral fraud, and its illegitimate result must be confronted with clarity and resolve. As long as Georgian Dream clings to power through undemocratic means and under the tutelage of violent authoritarians, they will reap the contempt and isolation they so richly deserve.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-hopeful-house-will-take-senate-passed-prison-contraband-bill", "HYDE-SMITH HOPEFUL HOUSE WILL TAKE UP SENATE-PASSED PRISON CONTRABAND BILL", "2024-10-29", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith Cosponsored Bipartisan Measure to Crack Down on Contraband in Federal Prisons\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today expressed her hope Congress will complete work on Senate-passed bipartisan legislation she cosponsored to crack down on contraband and organized crime in federal prisons.\n\nThe Senate recently approved and referred the bipartisan Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act (S.5284) to the House of Representatives. It would upgrade the charge of smuggling a contraband cellphone into a federal prison from a misdemeanor offense to a felony crime as a means of cracking down on the smuggling of contraband cellphones into federal prisons.\n\n\u201cCell phones smuggled into prisons as contraband create a threat to everyone \u2013 including other prisoners, outside civilians, and especially those who are responsible for the prison\u2019s safety. I am excited to see the passage of this important bill that will allow for more appropriate punishments for this dangerous felony offense,\u201d said Hyde-Smith, who also introduced her own prison contraband bill earlier this year.\n\nThe penalty in Mississippi for introducing or possessing contraband cell phones in state prison is punishable by up to a 15-year prison term. Current federal law caps punishment for this same offense in federal prisons at no more than one year. S.5284 would change the penalty to be punishable by up to five years in prison.\n\nS.5284 is named in honor of Lt. Osvaldo Albarati, the Bureau of Prisons correctional officer who was murdered in 2013 after completing his shift at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Five men who later pleaded guilty to the crime admitted they targeted Albarati as a direct result of continuous seizures of contraband, including cell phones. The inmate who placed the hit on Albarati did so using a contraband cell phone.\n\n\u201cMy family and I are extremely pleased with S.5284 passing the Senate. We look forward to continued support from the House as this bill will assist in protecting families in the future from experiencing what my family has had to endure,\u201d said Helen Albarati, widow of Lt. Albarati.\n\nS.5284 was introduced by U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz issued a statement applauding Senate passage of the bill and encouraging House action on the measure.\n\nIn February, Hyde-Smith introduced the END CELLS (Eliminate Non-approved Devices and Contraband Electronics Limiting Links to Society) Act (S.3780), which would make it unlawful for anyone to provide or attempt to provide a federal, state or local prisoner with a wireless communications device and further make it unlawful for a prisoner to possess such a device while incarcerated. The Hyde-Smith legislation would also impose additional criminal and civil penalties of up to $50,000 for each violation involving prisoners using contraband cell phones and for those individuals who provide the smuggled devices.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-announces-170-million-for-bridge-and-rail-line-projects-across-mississippi", "Senator Wicker Announces $170 Million For Bridge and Rail Line Projects Across Mississippi", "2024-10-28", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $111,432,520 to replace 13 bridges and rehabilitate another and $59,525,044 to support rail projects to improve railroads.\n\nFunding for both the bridge and rail projects stems from the infrastructure bill that Senator Wicker helped negotiate as the then highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.\n\nBridge Projects:\n\nSenator Wicker prioritized rural corridors in his letters of support for Bridge Investment Program Grants. The grant program modernizes and enhances infrastructure, bolstering the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of people and freight over bridges.\n\nMississippi will benefit from $43,920,000 that will go toward rehabilitating the Coahoma County Bridge that crosses the Mississippi River (Highway 49) from Helena, Arkansas, into Lula, Mississippi.\n\nThe Mississippi Department of Transportation received $67,512,520 to replace 13 bridge structures in central Mississippi: five bridges in Newton County constructed in 1929 and 1930, five bridges in Madison County constructed between 1929 and 1939, and three bridges in Lauderdale County constructed in 1928 and 1929.\n\nSenator Wicker statement on the bridge funding:\n\n\u201cMississippi\u2019s economy and people should not be traveling on nearly century-old bridges. This bill provides the investment our state has needed to make the necessary repairs or replacements,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am pleased that the bill I helped negotiate keeps bringing solutions to Mississippi.\u201d\n\nRail Lines:\n\nImproved rail lines will help deliver freight on time and increase economic development in the state. Senator Wicker has been a strong supporter of these lines, previously writing letters of support for the grants.\n\nSpecifically, the funds are dedicated as:\n\n$18,247,915 to expand service capacity and capabilities along the approximately 200-mile Grenada Railroad, improve road crossing conditions and safety, and harden the infrastructure to support growing freight demands in the region.\n\nThe grant funding will allow the railroad to rehabilitate twenty-seven at-grade road crossings, add signals to improve safety in the surrounding communities, and eliminate six hundred rail joints. In addition, the project would increase the physical capacity of the Canadian National\u00ad Grenada Railroad interchange in Canton, Mississippi, to facilitate rail service for multiple new industries and add siding capacity to reduce the number of blocked crossings.\n\n$2,942,412 to improve the efficiency and capacity of the Lowndes County Port\u2019s existing tenants and operators, provide rail access to additional port properties, and subsequently induce a freight modal shift from trucks to rail and barge for the port.\n\n$7,734,717 to create new rail connections to shippers and improve the safety and performance of rail shipments along the Natchez Railway.\n\nThis is the only east-west rail line serving rural Southwest Mississippi.\n\n$30,600,000 for Final Design and Construction to improve track conditions on eight Patriot railroads across the southeast. The project will focus on replacing rail, ties, and switches.\n\nSenator Wicker statement on the rail funding:\n\n\u201cI was glad to support these projects. They will help create jobs, keep freight deliveries on time, and boost economic development. These rail lines will help keep Mississippi moving.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/over-33-million-awarded-to-mississippi-for-jackson-s-water-infrastructure-upgrades", "Over $33 Million Awarded to Mississippi for Jackson\u2019s Water Infrastructure Upgrades", "2024-10-24", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "JACKSON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency awarded over $33 million to Mississippi for Jackson\u2019s water infrastructure upgrades.\n\n\u201cThis funding will continue to help Jackson improve its drinking and wastewater systems. I am pleased with the work being done by the third-party manager. We will continue to support our state\u2019s capital city in its pursuit to bring improved infrastructure to the citizens of Jackson,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nThe funding stems from the infrastructure bill that Senator Wicker helped negotiate as the then highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Senator Wicker has long supported federal efforts to improve Jackson\u2019s water infrastructure.\n\nSpecifically, the funds are dedicated as:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-gulf-coast-passenger-service-grant-approval", "Senator Wicker Statement on Gulf Coast Passenger Service Grant Approval", "2024-10-22", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, an agreement was reached among stakeholders on the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant which will provide crucial funding to restore passenger rail service along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The $178,435,333 grant was previously awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has used his position as Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee to restore the return of passenger rail to the Gulf Coast for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. While serving as chairman, he helped negotiate the infrastructure bill which is the origin of the CRISI Grant.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:\n\n\u201cI appreciate the partnership shared by local and state government officials and the freight rail companies, CSX, and Norfolk Southern. This service will provide economic opportunities to the Gulf Coast Region and provide an alternative way to move people safely. Years of hard work and cooperation have brought us to this important moment,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nScheduled to resume in 2025, the services are expected to provide economic growth opportunities, boost tourism, and reduce traffic on our roadways. Two trains will run roundtrip from New Orleans to Mobile with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-to-president-biden-make-final-push-for-ukraine-before-leaving-office", "Senator Wicker to President Biden: Make Final Push for Ukraine Before Leaving Office", "2024-10-18", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is demanding that President Biden exercise his responsibilities as commander-in-chief and give Ukraine the weapons it needs to make a \u201csubstantial difference\u201d on the battlefield in the last 90 days of his term.\n\nSenator Wicker specifically called on the president to provision Ukraine with weaponry at a much faster rate, deliver more vehicles, missiles, drones and counter-drone equipment, and increase defense industrial base cooperation between the United States and Ukraine, among other recommendations. The senator sent these detailed requests, along with more than five others, as a part of a detailed plan to enable Ukrainian success prior to the next presidential term starting.\n\nThese demands follow repeated, unsuccessful engagements with the White House since August. In the letter, Senator Wicker notes that he sent a classified letter to President Biden with suggestions on how to improve the military assistance program for Ukraine, and he later followed up with a September phone call to the president regarding the letter. Senator Wicker has also shared these ideas with senior national security officials but has yet to see them yield any significant results.\n\n\u201cI am frustrated \u2013 and mystified \u2013 that your administration has accomplished so little in the last three months regarding the war in Ukraine. You seem poised to leave the next president a weak hand,\u201d Senator Wicker wrote.\n\nFor two years, Senator Wicker has led Senate Republicans in pushing President Biden to implement a more effective strategy for Ukrainian victory. In September, Senator Wicker criticized President Biden\u2019s intention to drag out his use of Presidential Drawdown Authority. Senator Wicker has also repeatedly published a detailed timeline of many instances when President Biden failed to deliver support to Ukraine at a speed where they could make a difference on the battlefield. In a 2023 floor speech, Senator Wicker laid out his first principles as it comes to supporting Ukraine: \u201cmore, better, faster.\u201d\n\nRead the full October 18, 2024 letter here or below.\n\nOctober 17, 2024\n\nPresident Joseph R. Biden, Jr.\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDear Mr. President,\n\nIn early August, I sent you a classified letter, which identified steps you could take to support Ukraine more aggressively. The letter contained detailed recommendations, including policy changes and suggestions to improve military assistance delivery and defense industrial base cooperation. My goal was to highlight ways that your administration could use its remaining six months in office wisely \u2013 to put Ukraine in the most advantageous position possible for your successor, whomever the American people choose. I followed up with you in a phone conversation in mid-September, and I have attended meetings with senior national security officials.\n\nI am frustrated \u2013 and mystified \u2013 that your administration has accomplished so little in the last three months regarding the war in Ukraine. You seem poised to leave the next president a weak hand. Nonetheless, I maintain that a focused effort \u2013 directed by you \u2013 could make a substantial difference over your final 90 days as president.\n\nToward that end, I have included a list of 10 recommendations.\n\nRecommendation 1: Increase the pace of weapons transfers to Ukraine. The current pace of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) usage would drag on through calendar year 2025. This is true despite the agreement between Congress and your administration that the authority granted in the National Security Supplemental would last through calendar year 2024. That tempo led your administration to seek a $5.5 billion extension of this authority last month.\n\nThe Secretaries of State and Defense exercised this authority to prevent its expiration, but your administration has said that the pace of deliveries will not change. Ukraine will continue to receive only about $400 million in military equipment per month for the next 14 months.\n\nI am troubled that your administration is using U.S. military readiness as an excuse to \u201cmanage\u201d the conflict in Ukraine. Officials are making decisions about strategic and military risk, but they are not consulting Congress. You should direct the Secretary of Defense to provide you a plan that would deliver the remaining $5.5 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to Ukraine immediately.\n\nDeliver more vehicles. Ukraine needs many more heavy vehicles, such as M1A1 Abrams tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, to form the core of combined-arms brigades. Ukraine also faces a significant shortfall of general protected vehicles (such as up-armored HMMWVs, ambulances, and MRAPs) to protect troops from Russian drones and artillery. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps possess ample stocks of these vehicles. Our industrial base can easily replace those that are transferred. Additionally, there is no near-term need for massive stockpiles of vehicles given the degraded state of Russian ground forces.\n\nDeliver more ATACMS. Ukraine has used U.S.-provided ATACMS responsibly and effectively, but it needs more. We have a sufficient inventory of serviceable long-range ATACMS. A significant number of these should go to Ukraine. Although there may be division within your administration on this recommendation, I urge you to push the Army and the combatant commands to aid Ukraine\u2019s largely successful deep strike campaign.\n\nDeliver more drones and counter unmanned aerial systems. U.S. attack drone and counter-UAS production can increase. The industrial base is expanding rapidly and has multiple solution options in each of these areas. Ukraine is quite receptive to using unproven systems.\n\nRecommendation 2: Allow greater flexibility on restrictions for U.S.-provided munitions. One of Ukraine\u2019s key asymmetric advantages against Russia is its ability to target high-value Russian military targets and to do so rapidly. Your administration has hamstrung this crucial advantage. You should immediately revise any policies that limit the use of U.S.-provided munitions, including ATACMS, to strike military targets inside Russia. Any restrictions should be placed on the types of targets, rather than on the distance from a border that Russia does not even recognize. Numerous allies and partners already allow their long-range munitions to be used for deep strikes.\n\nRecommendation 3: Increase the cap of U.S. government non-military personnel allowed in-country. You should direct Secretary Blinken to allow more State Department, Defense Department, and other government agency personnel inside Ukraine. The current number of personnel cannot manage a military aid effort in the tens of billions of dollars while conducting planning for future improvements in the Ukrainian industrial base and economy. As a result, anything beyond the day-to-day management is not getting done. Current staff is overworked, and more U.S. government personnel are required to manage security assistance and to conduct accountability and oversight work. Numerous allies already have a much more risk-tolerant government presence in Ukraine.\n\nRecommendation 4: Establish a regulated presence of U.S. military contractors inside Ukraine. You should allow a limited number of U.S. military contractors to operate in Ukraine \u2013 under strict conditions \u2013 to increase Ukraine\u2019s ability to maintain its equipment. The current approach is too slow, as we remotely perform maintenance or move Ukrainian equipment to Poland for up-keep. The presence of U.S. contractors in-country would also help to mentor Ukrainian personnel to increase their self-sufficiency. U.S. contractors are well-prepared to execute such a mission. They have extensive experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. British, French, and Czech personnel are already in-country, or will soon be, to conduct similar missions.\n\nRecommendation 5: Expand training for Ukrainian land forces. The United States should maximize the use of all available training capacity located in the European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility, and it should build up Ukrainian brigades capable of combined arms warfare. Currently, improved Ukrainian recruitment is outpacing Ukrainian and allied training. EUCOM almost certainly has the ability to train even more troops per month than it does now, which would help cover the number of troops that Ukraine does not have the capacity to train.\n\nRecommendation 6: Deliver more shareable, commercially-derived intelligence. The administration should use processes already in place to increase the delivery of available unclassified information to Ukraine, including disposition of Russian forces and location data. The National Reconnaissance Office has contract vehicles in place for commercial satellite services (such as RF data) that are instrumental in providing Ukraine with services for tipping and cueing (i.e., targeting) of Russian radars, air assets, defense systems, and other threats.\n\nRecommendation 7: Dramatically expand the Pentagon industrial base policy workforce. U.S. industrial base expansion and industrial base integration with Europe is not happening fast enough because we lack the personnel to plan and execute these activities. You should direct the Secretary of Defense, in the next 15 days, to reassign at least 100 capable and motivated DOD civil servants, moving them into these offices and asking Congress for new hiring authorities and supplemental money to pay for this expansion. The short-staffed office that runs the Defense Production Act illustrates the need. Only a handful of people staff that organization, which is tasked with finding ways to rebuild our supplier base for solid rocket motors, missile casings, and more. DOD industrial base offices can also help allies and partners expand their own production, such as the Storm Shadow and SCALP lines in the UK and France, respectively.\n\nThese U.S. offices include:\n\nJoint Production Acceleration Cell\n\nAssistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy\n\nDeputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International and Industry Engagement\n\nManufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (DPA & ICAM/IBAS)\n\nRecommendation 8: Rapidly accelerate contracting timelines. I understand that many large contracts for Ukraine, especially those funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, are still taking a year or more on average. This is unacceptable. Section 1244 of the Fiscal Year 2023 NDAA, as well as additional contracting authorities, grant broad flexibilities to the Department of Defense. By written instruction, you should formally direct the Secretary of Defense and the service acquisition executives to require all contracting officers to leverage \u2013 to the maximum extent possible \u2013 those contracting flexibilities. The Army has used section 1244 for the new 155mm artillery ammunition factory in Mesquite, Texas, and doing so brought it online two years faster than expected.\n\nRecommendation 9: Hold monthly high-level defense industrial base meetings. You should direct the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Commerce to host monthly high-level defense industrial base meetings with Ukraine, key NATO allies, and defense industry officials. You should prioritize coproduction with Ukraine so it can better meet its own needs.\n\nRecommendation 10: Deliver more DPICMs. In addition to ATACMS, Ukraine also has used Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICMs) effectively and responsibly. The U.S. inventory includes hundreds of thousands of serviceable 155mm DPICMs rounds. Each 155mm DPICMs round has the effect of 3\u20135 high explosive artillery projectiles. You possess the authority to send Ukraine $250 million of DPICMs today. There is simply no way to offset the artillery advantage of the Russians without using DPICMs.\n\nSincerely,\n\nRoger F. Wicker\n\nRanking Member", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-encourages-participation-upcoming-national-warrior-call-day-aid-us-veterans", "HYDE-SMITH ENCOURAGES PARTICIPATION IN UPCOMING \u2018NATIONAL WARRIOR CALL DAY\u2019 TO AID U.S. VETERANS & SERVICEMEMBERS", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Miss. Senator Cosponsored Bipartisan, Senate-Passed Resolution Aimed at Fostering Connections & Combatting Rising Suicide Rates\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today encouraged Mississippians to take the next month to prepare for \u201cNational Warrior Call Day,\u201d November 17, 2024, to actively engage with veterans and active servicemembers in an effort to curb the mental health risks many servicemembers face after defending our nation.\n\nHyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the National Warrior Call Day Resolution (S.Res.838), which the Senate approved late last month.\n\n\u201cAs Americans, it\u2019s our patriotic duty to honor and stand by those who stood for us. The National Warrior Call Day resolution is a powerful reminder that that we all have a role to play in supporting veterans and those in the Armed Forces. Reaching out, listening, and letting our heroes know they are valued and not forgotten can make a profound difference,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\nThe resolution underscores the alarming rise in suicide rates among veterans and military personnel, and calls for outreach to these individuals to help combat feelings of isolation that may prevent them from seeking help, potentially leading to self-harm. It also highlights the need for increased research into the connection between traumatic brain injuries and the mental health challenges faced by our servicemembers.\n\nThe resolution was introduced by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) to promote National Warrior Call Day and reinforce the nation\u2019s commitment to support those who have served our nation.\n\n\u201cWe have a responsibility to support the brave men and women who have served this nation that extends well beyond their time in the line of duty,\u201d said Shaheen. \u201cOur bipartisan resolution designates a National Warrior Call Day to help strengthen relationships between veterans and civilians and better keep lines of communication open in order to share resources and provide support.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmericans can never fully pay back those who serve in defense of America. We can, however, make sure that active military members and veterans have access to the support they need after serving to lead active and healthy lives. This bipartisan resolution will raise awareness on the importance of building relationships with those who defend our freedom,\u201d Cotton said.\n\nInformation regarding suicide prevention among veterans can be found here, and among active duty service members here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-announces-nearly-130-million-to-improve-mississippi-infrastructure", "Senator Wicker Announces Nearly $130 Million to Improve Mississippi Infrastructure", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "MISSISSIPPI \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., announced $127,296,812 to improve freight corridors in Jackson and on the Gulf Coast. The funding stems from the infrastructure bill that Senator Wicker helped negotiate as the then highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.\n\nThe funding will upgrade SR 67 to a Superstreet Corridor on the Gulf Coast. It will also resurface approximately 32 linear miles and update bridge structures along the Interstate 20/ Interstate 55 Freight Corridor in Jackson.\n\n\u201cInfrastructure investments make Mississippi an even better place to live, work, and visit. These improvements will help attract more people and economic development to the Gulf Coast and Jackson area,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cSupporting infrastructure will continue to be one of my top priorities in Congress.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker sent letters of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for these projects.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-the-elimination-of-yahya-sinwar", "Senator Wicker Statement on the Elimination of Yahya Sinwar", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to reports that the Israel Defense Force eliminated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza:\n\n\u201cIran and its proxies should take note that in a matter of weeks, Israel has decapitated the senior leadership of Hezbollah and Hamas. The world is a safer place because Israel has proven what strong action against global terrorism should look like,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cEvery time the Biden-Harris administration attempts to place conditions on Israel\u2019s self-defense, they are weakening Israeli and American responses to terrorism. The only way that this war will end is with Israel\u2019s victory and the defeat of Iran\u2019s terrorist proxies. Israel\u2019s removal of the architect of this war represents another key step toward eliminating these threats.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/enator-wicker-discusses-defense-spending-shipbuilding-china-vp-harris-and-israel-on-the-hugh-hewitt-show", "Senator Wicker Discusses Defense Spending, Shipbuilding, China, VP Harris, and Israel on \u201cThe Hugh Hewitt Show\u201d", "2024-10-08", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined \u201cThe Hugh Hewitt Show\u201d program and discussed several national defense topics, including the October 7th Anniversary, China\u2019s shocking growth in naval shipbuilding, and the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s weak record on China.\n\nThe interview follows Senator Wicker\u2019s October 7th Anniversary statement which was released on Monday.\n\nRead selected excerpts from the interview below, or watch the full segment here.\n\nOn a Harris presidency & China policy: \u201cIf it\u2019s any indication of how her party has done with their leader in the U.S. Senate, yes, it\u2019s very much a concern [how Harris would do with China]. Every time we\u2019ve wanted to spend a few extra dollars \u2013 a few percentage points of our huge economy \u2013 to defend ourselves, the Democrats say: \u201cwell, we won\u2019t do that unless we can increase domestic spending, too.\u201d So, it\u2019s been like pulling teeth getting a few extra ships built.\u201d\n\nOn shipbuilding: \u201cChina has 200 times the Navy shipbuilding capacity we do. When you talk about [how] we need to increase the number of fighter jets, or submarines, or ships, some people say: \u201cwell, we don\u2019t even have the industrial capacity. We don\u2019t have enough manufacturing plants.\u201d And of course, the answer to that is: let\u2019s get some. We\u2019re going to have to increase our national defense to keep us out of a war. The idea is to keep the peace by being so strong that nobody will take a chance on us.\n\nOn a future DOD budget: \u201cWhat we need to do \u2013 and what I\u2019ve advocated \u2013 and what military experts past and present are saying is that we need to go back to Ronald Reagan\u2019s \u2018peace through strength.\u2019 And that does involve about five percent of our economy used to get us ready to defend ourselves in a war\u2026if we spend five percent of our gross domestic product on defending America, we can save hundreds of billions and trillions of dollars by staying out of a war\u2026the last time our Senate Republicans met with President Trump, he was very clear that he shared our determination to increase our Navy and get it back up to the point where we\u2019re able to protect America and deter somebody from attacking us. So that was very much an encouraging statement from President Trump.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-october-7th-anniversary", "Senator Wicker Statement on October 7th Anniversary", "2024-10-07", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement:\n\n\u201cA year ago, innocent Israelis and Americans were kidnapped, brutally raped, and murdered. Today, we demand the release of the hostages and remember the victims,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cMake no mistake: Iran and its proxies have no stated purpose other than the destruction of the Jewish state and they publicly regard the United States as the \u2018Great Satan.\u2019 The slogan \u2018From the River to the Sea\u2019 is not mere words. This is a call for genocide, pure and simple.\u201d\n\n\u201cIsrael invited none of this aggression. How Israel decides to protect its people and its democracy is their decision to make. As they go on offense, we stand by our most steadfast ally in the region. The civilized world should stand together for a swift, sustained, and victorious response.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-grassley-continue-push-help-rural-hospitals-through-demonstration-program", "HYDE-SMITH, GRASSLEY CONTINUE PUSH TO HELP RURAL HOSPITALS THROUGH DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM", "2024-10-03", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Senators Issue Letter Pressing Full Use of Successful CMS Program for Stressed Rural Hospitals\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) continue to push the Biden administration to fully utilize a federal program that has been described as a lifeline for some struggling rural hospitals.\n\nIn a joint letter, Hyde-Smith and Grassley this week pressed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on its refusal to use the budget-neutral Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD), despite the program\u2019s proven efficacy for participating rural hospitals and qualifying facilities\u2019 interest in joining.\n\n\u201cCurrent law allows up to 30 hospitals to participate in the RCHD, but for the past several years CMS has underutilized the program leaving as many as eight spots vacant. While there is interest from additional rural hospitals to participate, your agency has not taken action to add eligible hospitals. In fact, CMS told us that there would be too much interest among rural hospitals,\u201d the Senators wrote CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.\n\n\u201cThe most recent performance data suggests that new RCHD hospitals significantly improved their Medicare margins, although those gains were not large enough to impact their total profit margins. This signals that the RCHD program offers a shot in the arm for financially-challenged rural hospitals to keep their doors open and provide health care services,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\n\u201cThe RCHD program is supporting rural hospitals and it should be fully utilized. If CMS has the tools to help one rural hospital, then you should be doing something about it,\u201d they concluded.\n\nThe letter also cited commitments made by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to work with the lawmakers to enroll more at-risk rural hospitals in RCHD, including at an April appropriations subcommittee hearing.\n\nCongress established the RCHD program in 2003 and reauthorized it three times to sustain a program that uses alternative payment models for rural hospitals facing financial constraints with the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System. CMS last solicited program applications in 2017.\n\nThe Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian, Highland Community Hospital in Picayune, Marion General Hospital in Columbia are RCHD facilities where innovation models are being tested.\n\nClick here to read a copy of the Senators\u2019 letter to CMS.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-iranian-missile-attack-on-israel", "Senator Wicker Statement on Iranian Missile Attack on Israel", "2024-10-01", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to reports of Iranian forces firing a missile salvo at Israeli sovereign territory:\n\n\u201cIran and its terrorist proxies \u2013 Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis \u2013 will never stop their campaign to eliminate Israel from the map. The Ayatollah's regime must be eliminated,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cJews, Arabs, and Iranians all deserve to live side by side in a peaceful neighborhood.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-signs-bill-protect-seniors-access-health-care", "HYDE-SMITH SIGNS ONTO BILL TO PROTECT SENIORS\u2019 ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE", "2024-09-27", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Physician Fee Stabilization Act is Bipartisan Effort to Reform Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, Benefit Rural States\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) this week cosponsored a bipartisan effort to update and reform the Medicare physician fee schedule in order to assure seniors\u2019 access to health care services, particularly for those living in rural states like Mississippi.\n\nThe Physician Fee Stabilization Act (S.4935) aims to address declining Medicare physician reimbursements by increasing a 32-year-old budget neutrality threshold to essentially keep pace with inflation. Declining Medicare physician reimbursement disproportionately affects small, independent, and rural practices.\n\n\u201cImproving rural healthcare has been a priority for me since I was elected. Unfortunately, that job is made harder because some doctors are becoming reluctant to accept Medicare patients because the federal reimbursement rates aren\u2019t keeping up with inflation and are often subject to cuts,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cThe Physician Fee Stabilization Act is a practical way to stabilize fee structures and finally update a Medicare formula that hasn\u2019t been changed since 1992.\u201d\n\nS.4935 would ensure greater flexibility in determining pricing adjustments for Medicare services without triggering harmful annual payment cuts to Medicare-serving physicians. The bill also includes provisions that authorize an increase in the budget neutrality threshold every five years to ensure future physician compensation payments with the Medicare Economic Index.\n\n\u201cMedicare patients must have access to quality health services. Ensuring physicians are fairly compensated for their work will help deliver stability to providers so they continue to meet the needs of their communities. I\u2019m proud to lead this bipartisan solution that enhances Medicare\u2019s sustainability,\u201d said U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.), who introduced the bill.\n\nThe Mississippi State Medical Association, National Rural Health Association, American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, and American Academy of Family Physicians are among the many health organizations that support the Physician Fee Stabilization Act.\n\nAdditional cosponsors include Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Angus King (I-Maine), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).\n\nHyde-Smith serves on the Senate Labor, Health and Humans Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee and has worked to advance health issues throughout her tenure in the Senate.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-biden-harris-administration-troop-withdrawals-from-iraq", "Senator Wicker Statement on Biden-Harris Administration Troop Withdrawals from Iraq", "2024-09-27", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from the counter-ISIS mission in Iraq:\n\n\u201cI am deeply troubled that the Biden-Harris administration could repeat a chaotic and deadly withdrawal in yet another country. This mistake could lead the way to a resurgence in terrorist activity and enable a complete Iranian takeover of Iraq, just as happened with President Obama\u2019s withdrawal in 2011,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThe decision \u2013 which comes after repeated, unabating, and lethal attacks on our servicemembers \u2013 is nothing short of American retreat, and it is a disservice to the thousands of U.S. soldiers who fought and died defending American interests.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/miss-lawmakers-key-field-officially-running-kc-46-selection", "MISS. LAWMAKERS: KEY FIELD IS OFFICIALLY IN THE RUNNING FOR KC-46 SELECTION", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Miss. Facility Among Seven Possible Locations for Mission as Candidate Field Narrows\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The U.S Air Force today notified the Mississippi congressional delegation that Key Field in Meridian is officially in the running to be the future home of the new KC-46 aircraft.\n\nThe nation-wide candidate field has been narrowed to seven, in what is called a \u201cdown-selection.\u201d The Mississippi congressional delegation has worked for years to make sure Key Field, an Air National Guard Base, is seen as a strong candidate for the selection.\n\n\u201cMaking it this far in the down-selection process is an accomplishment. If Key Field is ultimately chosen, it would cement and extend the base\u2019s role in our country\u2019s national security infrastructure for decades to come,\u201d U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said. \u201cFor the Meridian community, this would be a significant investment. It would bring more service members and families, as well as direct and indirect jobs, to the area. This is one of my top priorities.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe welcome this positive development for the future of Key Field and Lauderdale County. As the process moves forward, we will continue to forcefully make the case that Key Field will be the best place for this important mission,\u201d said U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).\n\n\u201cThe 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) in Meridian is a leader in aerial refueling, and I am pleased that Key Field Air National Guard Base is one of seven sites that is advancing in the KC-46A basing decision process,\u201d said U.S. Representative Michael Guest (R-Miss.). \u201cI am grateful for the unity of our entire Mississippi Congressional Delegation\u2014Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and Representatives Bennie Thompson, Trent Kelly, and Mike Ezell\u2014as well as the support of our State and local leadership for this effort. I appreciate the Air Force\u2019s consideration of Key Field and look forward to the opportunity to showcase the 186th ARW\u2019s capabilities as we move into the next phase of this decision.\u201d\n\nImportant factors that make Key Field a potential home for the KC-46s, a military refueling and strategic transport plane:\n\nKey Field is already home to KC-135 planes, which are air refueling tankers that provide rapid global mobility and combat support to the U.S. Department of Defense. The 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), which hosts more than 1,200 officers and airmen, operates these planes out of Key Field. The KC-46s would replace the aging KC-135 tankers currently in service at Key Field.\n\nThe 186th ARW is one of the few military installations that can handle the new plane without needing to make major changes to a base.\n\nThe airfield is in a prime location in the vicinity of refueling tracks over the Southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico, enabling rapid servicing of Air Force and joint service aircraft fleets, including strategic communications aircraft.\n\nThe Meridian community already has infrastructure and support services in place that will benefit next generation air refueling capabilities.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/key-field-is-officially-in-the-running-for-kc-46-selection", "Key Field is Officially in the Running for KC-46 Selection", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, the U.S Air Force notified Mississippi\u2019s Congressional Delegation that Key Field in Meridian is officially in the running to be the future home of the new KC-46 aircraft. The nation-wide candidate field has been narrowed to seven, in what is called a \u201cdown-selection.\u201d\n\nMississippi\u2019s Congressional Delegation has worked for years to make sure Key Field, an Air National Guard Base, is seen as a strong candidate for the selection.\n\n\u201cMaking it this far in the down-selection process is an accomplishment. If Key Field is ultimately chosen, it would cement and extend the base\u2019s role in our country\u2019s national security infrastructure for decades to come,\u201d U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said. \u201cFor the Meridian community, this would be a significant investment. It would bring more service members and families, as well as direct and indirect jobs, to the area. This is one of my top priorities.\u201d\n\n\"We welcome this positive development for the future of Key Field and Lauderdale County. As the process moves forward, we will continue to forcefully make the case that Key Field will be the best place for this important mission,\" Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., said.\n\n\u201cThe 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) in Meridian is a leader in aerial refueling, and I am pleased that Key Field Air National Guard Base is one of seven sites that is advancing in the KC-46A basing decision process,\u201d said Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03). \u201cI am grateful for the unity of our entire Mississippi Congressional Delegation\u2014Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and Representatives Bennie Thompson, Trent Kelly, and Mike Ezell\u2014as well as the support of our State and local leadership for this effort. I appreciate the Air Force\u2019s consideration of Key Field and look forward to the opportunity to showcase the 186th ARW\u2019s capabilities as we move into the next phase of this decision.\u201d\n\nKey factors that have made Key Field a potential home for the KC-46s, a military refueling and strategic transport plane:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senators-wicker-and-hyde-smith-honor-james-earl-jones", "Senators Wicker and Hyde-Smith Honor James Earl Jones", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Last night, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that honors the late actor James Earl Jones, who passed away in early September. U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., led the effort.\n\n\u201cMississippi has lost a beloved son, and the world has lost an extraordinary talent. From Arkabutla to immortality, James Earl Jones, R.I.P. We'll remember your voice and your heart,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\n\u201cFrom the Mississippi Delta to the world stage, James Earl Jones\u2019s extraordinary voice and commanding presence inspired generations. His contributions to the arts, culture, and humanities will undoubtedly stand the test of time. May his legacy always remind us of the strength, resilience, and power that comes from our Mississippi roots,\u201d Senator Hyde-Smith said.\n\nU.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., also cosponsored the resolution.\n\nJones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi and was widely known for his roles in The Lion King, Star Wars, Field of Dreams, and more.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/congress-passes-temporary-government-funding-legislation-senator-wicker-highlights-why-this-is-the-wrong-approach", "Congress Passes Temporary Government Funding Legislation, Senator Wicker Highlights Why This is the Wrong Approach", "2024-09-25", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Tonight, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown and temporarily extend funding until December 20, 2024. This gives lawmakers more time to reach an agreement on a long-term funding plan.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement expressing why CRs pose a threat to our national security:\n\n\u201cA CR maintains last year\u2019s priorities and does not provide for needed investments in our troops and military. Even worse, the Biden-Harris administration has provided inadequate support to Pentagon modernization efforts while inflation soars and our adversaries have grown their militaries and have become more aggressive,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am glad we avoided a shutdown, but this is not the right path forward. We cannot continue to ask our service members to do more with less.\u201d\n\nFortunately, the CR ensures that fundamental pro-life provisions like the Hyde Amendment are still in effect. The Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions, has been attached to appropriations bills for nearly four decades.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-raises-alarm-over-damaged-navy-oiler-in-arabian-sea", "Senator Wicker Raises Alarm Over Damaged Navy Oiler in Arabian Sea", "2024-09-25", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to press reports that the Navy\u2019s fleet oiler USNS Big Horn was damaged off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea:\n\n\u201cI am troubled about reports that the Navy\u2019s sole fleet oiler in the CENTCOM region has been rendered temporarily inoperable. If we cannot fuel our ships, our capabilities will be greatly diminished,\u201d Senator Wicker. \u201cThe Big Horn\u2019s problems also speak to a larger challenge \u2013 we are woefully in need of a larger logistics fleet, which is the lifeline for our global military presence. I hope this incident serves as a wake-up call that it is high time to fix our shipbuilding industrial base and support our merchant mariners.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker posed the following questions to the Department of Defense:\n\nWhere did the Big Horn take damage?\n\nWhat is the initial damage assessment for the Big Horn?\n\nWhat was the cause of the damage (weather, navigator error, etc.)?\n\nCan the Big Horn operate under its own power?\n\nWhat is the estimated time required for the repair of the vessel?\n\nIs there another vessel able to fill the capability gap? If so, when will it be in the area?\n\nDoes the administration support additional executable funding for fleet oilers in the FY25 appropriations process?\n\nSenator Wicker noted the following facts related to shortfalls in the U.S. Navy\u2019s logistics fleet:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-president-biden-planning-to-use-presidential-drawdown-authority-for-ukraine", "Senator Wicker Statement on President Biden Planning to Use Presidential Drawdown Authority for Ukraine", "2024-09-25", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following comment in response to reports that the Biden-Harris administration intends to notify Congress that they will tap into the nearly $6 billion remaining in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) for Ukraine.\n\nThe authority to transfer weapons to Ukraine would expire October 1, 2024, unless Congress approves an extension.The administration does not plan to accelerate the transfer of weapons to Ukraine, meaning this nearly $6 billion package will be parceled out through the end of calendar year 2025 at current rates.\n\n\u201cIt is unfortunately typical of this administration to wait until the last possible moment to announce full use of the PDA. Brave Ukrainians are fighting and dying defending their country so that Americans and Europeans won\u2019t have to. President Biden needs to expedite the actual transfer immediately. They need weapons, not words,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nCongress granted President Biden extensive use of drawdown authority for two reasons: It enables him as commander-in-chief to deliver weaponry at a much faster rate to Ukraine than most other tools, and it would help the United States fortify its defense industrial base for the long term with replenishment funding.\n\nSenator Wicker also highlighted the following facts:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-amphibious-multi-ship-buy-signing", "Senator Wicker Statement on Amphibious Multi-Ship Buy Signing", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement following the formal announcement that the Department of the Navy has contracted Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., to build one America-class and three San Antonio-class amphibious warships through fiscal year 2029:\n\n\u201cIt is terrific that the Navy has made official what many of us have known for years: the future of American seapower flows through the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I am pleased that a new tranche of amphibious warships will be built by my home state\u2019s skilled shipbuilders,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am hopeful that the Department of Defense uses cost-saving multi-ship procurement model for other critical defense programs in the future.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-crs-are-disastrous-for-national-security-schumer-should-immediately-pass-defense-appropriations-bill", "Senator Wicker: CRs Are Disastrous for National Security, Schumer Should Immediately Pass Defense Appropriations Bill", "2024-09-18", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, today in a U.S. Senate floor speech called on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to immediately pass the U.S. Senate\u2019s defense appropriations bill. Failing to do so, Senator Wicker said, would mean election year politics are Senator Schumer\u2019s priority instead of bolstering our national security.\n\nSenator Wicker took the opportunity to remind his colleagues of the important support the appropriations bill \u2013 as well as the National Defense Authorization Act \u2013 would provide toward improving military preparedness as the Axis of Aggressors increases its ability to challenge the United States.\n\nSenator Wicker added that Senator Schumer\u2019s dereliction of these bills would compel Congress to pass a continuing resolution, which would keep defense investment levels flat rather than meeting the moment.\n\nRead the remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nThank you, Mr. President.\n\nI want to join my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, in expressing regret that we don't have the important national security business of this Congress before the Senate right now. And clearly, it's important to do a nomination and a confirmation every few days, and the election is approaching, and of course, there's some show votes. And I think, probably, my side of the aisle has engaged in that sort of thing in years past.\n\nBut it is such a shame that we face this \u2018Axis of Aggressors\u2019 like we've never faced in 50 years, and every national security official \u2013 whether a retired four-star, or someone who's no longer in service, but giving us good advice \u2013 come \u2013 they come \u2013 before us, and they say we have never had such a threat from China, from Russia, which is engaged in a shooting war right now, having invaded the sovereign space of a next-door neighbor, from Iran, which is directing the three, at least the three, terrorist groups that are raining so much havoc on Israel, and then a very unstable leadership in North Korea.\n\nThis \u2018Axis of Aggressors\u2019 is signaling that they don't fear an invasion of Taiwan in three short years \u2013 they've said it publicly. And while all of that is going on, our leadership \u2013 the distinguished majority leader from New York \u2013 has not let us bring the appropriation bill to the floor, [he] has not let us bring the authorization bill, which we must pass. We must pass both of these bills every year, the two essential bills that cannot go without being taken care of every fiscal year.\n\nAnd I will say to you, Mr. President, to my colleagues, and to others that are paying attention, this has been bipartisan. Absolutely, Senator Murray is correct. She's unhappy about this, too. But I point the finger to the one person on the face of the Earth that can actually bring a bill to the floor, and that's the majority leader.\n\nSenator Reed, the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and I have been putting together a manager's package for this year's National Security [Defense] Authorization Act. It would have been much better had we brought the bill to the floor and had 100 amendments winnowed down and worked back and forth together, as we should be doing, to have open vote[s], so the people of the United States could see how senators from Maine to Mississippi, and to the West Coast to the East, stand on important issues affecting the United States military, but we have not been able to do that.\n\nBut we are working together \u2013 Senator Reed and I \u2013 on a plan and we've worked on nearly 100 variations to the legislation that was passed months and months ago by the Armed Services Committee to resolve issues of local and state interest, issues involving how quickly we can get our industrial base going to meet the need that, frankly, we're not meeting at the present time, and to get ahead of the game so we can prevent war. So we can have enough strength to have the Reagan-esque \u2018peace through strength\u2019 that we enjoyed in the 80s and early 90s.\n\nThe appropriation bills are just as important, if not more important than the authorization bills. They contain funding increases we need to prevent our Air Force from shrinking. We know that the Chinese Navy is expanding enormously, and our Navy is shrinking \u2013 literally shrinking, Mr. President. So, it's regrettable. Here we are we, [a] week-and-a-half to go, before we must break for the election. And the distinguished Majority Leader Senator Schumer has not brought any of this legislation before the full Senate \u2013 bills that have been ready since July.\n\nAnd so \u2013 and also \u2013 I want to commend my colleague from Maine, the distinguished Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee, for accommodating the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. We had \u2013 I had \u2013 prepared today to come down here and support Senator Collins in an effort to have a unanimous consent request to bring the bill to the floor. I mean, what else are we doing? Look at us.\n\nBut in a matter of comity, and to continue the great working relationship that these two senior senators have had, Senator Collins refrained from that. And so, we're not asking for unanimous consent and requiring someone from the other side to come and object to that. And we'll continue to work.\n\nBut what is absolutely sure is that the fiscal year will begin in just a few days, and the appropriation for what we need to do at the Pentagon \u2013 what new things we need to do \u2013 will not be passed. And we will be stuck with last year's priorities.\n\nAnd as a result, at a time when we need to be putting more resources into national security and sending new directions based on the new facts and the new challenges that are out there, at that time, we'll actually be wasting money of the taxpayers by having priorities still extended for another three months \u2013 hopefully, it's only three months \u2013 rather than putting the resources there that the experts tell us, and that we that we have learned are necessary for the next fiscal year.\n\nSo, if my colleague from Maine would like to speak on my time, I'll be glad to yield to her. But if not, I'm prepared to yield the floor. And [I] just regret so, so profoundly that our leadership has not allowed us to do the work that the taxpayers expect us to do.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-leads-armed-services-republicans-in-confirmation-hearing-for-top-transportation-command-u-s-forces-korea-officials", "Senator Wicker Leads Armed Services Republicans in Confirmation Hearing for Top Transportation Command, U.S. Forces Korea Officials", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, led his colleagues in a confirmation hearing examining the nominees for top posts at U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).\n\nLieutenant General Randall Reed, nominee for commander of TRANSCOM, and Lieutenant General Xavier T. Brunson, nominee for commander of USFK, testified before the committee.\n\nIn his opening remarks, Senator Wicker highlighted the challenges in delivering logistics within a contested environment for TRANSCOM, especially as it comes to the Western Pacific. Senator Wicker noted that TRANSCOM has not requested even a single unfunded requirement for three consecutive years, suggesting that the command may not be adequately resourced to deal with urgent challenges.\n\nSenator Wicker also took stock of the growing set of threats coming from North Korea, to include nuclear weapons development, the buildup of cruise missiles, and the export of certain munitions from North Korea to Russia and Iran. These actions, Senator Wicker argued, should prompt USFK to explore new ways of deterring Kim Jong Un and reduce his involvement with the \u201cAxis of Aggressors\u201d \u2013 potentially through more cooperation with South Korea.\n\nRead the remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nThank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\nToday, the committee is considering nominees for two crucial commands. Lieutenant General Reed, you've been nominated to be Commander, United States Transportation Command.\n\nIf confirmed, you'll be responsible for executing TRANSCOM\u2019s mission of providing logistical support to combatant commanders around the globe. In your current role as Deputy Commander of Air Mobility Command, you have seen firsthand how logistics are often the determining factor in a fight.\n\nWe once considered logistics to be a minor factor in operational planning, but now we know better. We understand that logistics are essential to our ability to deter and defeat our adversaries. There is one way to ensure that those logistics capabilities are ready when needed, and that is by properly resourcing the Department.\n\nWe need our senior military leaders to tell us the hard truths about what they need, even when doing so contradicts the President's budget. And you and I spoke about this when we met person-to-person.\n\nThat transparency is so important that we made the Unfunded Priority Lists a statutory obligation. This will be your statutory obligation. I'm very troubled, as I told you, that TRANSCOM has not requested a single unfunded requirement for the last three fiscal years.\n\nLieutenant General Reed, if confirmed, I would look to you to begin performing that task \u2013 [we\u2019re] not asking you to make anything up. We're just asking you to tell us what we need on contested logistics, particularly in the western Pacific. We need you to tell us what you need to get up to speed.\n\nNow, Lieutenant General Brunson, you've been nominated to be Commander of US Forces Korea. My uncle served in Korea. Two generations later, my son has served in Korea.\n\nOur alliance with the Republic of Korea dates back to the early days of the Cold War and the Korean War, when the Communist threat from the Soviet bloc and China turned into a hot war on the Korean Peninsula. Our bond with the Republic of Korea remains, even as the threat environment changes. The danger from North Korea continues to increase with each passing day.\n\nKim Jong Un has been developing and building more nuclear weapons, cruise missiles, and other capabilities \u2013 all of which pose an increasing threat to the United States and our allies. Moreover, we've seen troubling evidence that North Korean-made weapons have been used against innocent Ukrainians and Israelis.\n\nTo ensure that we maintain stability on the Peninsula, we need to start thinking about what capabilities the United States and South Korea need. We should also explore ways to reduce Kim Jong Un's ability to arm the \u2018Axis of Aggressors.\u2019\n\nGeneral Brunson, I look forward to hearing your thoughts about these troubling trends and how we can mitigate them.\n\nParticularly, I look forward to hearing you discuss an issue that the chair raised a few moments ago about what lessons both our friends and our adversaries in the region are learning from what's going on in Ukraine.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-reunites-with-vladimir-kara-murza-at-the-u-s-capitol", "Senator Wicker Reunites with Vladimir Kara-Murza at the U.S. Capitol", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., reunited today with Vladimir Kara-Murza at the U.S. Capitol.\n\nKara-Murza, a permanent resident of the United States, was released last month as part of the historic prisoner exchange with Russia. He was arrested by Russia in April 2022 for condemning Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine and speaking out against Vladimir Putin.\n\n\u201cVladimir Kara-Murza has been a good friend of mine for years, and I am so glad he is home. He has been a constant advocate for free speech, and welcoming him to the Capitol today, the heart of our democracy, made it even more special. I am thinking of those who have died, including Nemtsov, Navalny, Magnitsky, and many others who will never be reunited with their families, friends, and loved ones. There are many still wrongfully held by Russia. Vladimir will not stop calling for their release, and I will join him in using my voice to help bring them home,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nAt today\u2019s event, Senator Wicker joined Senator Cardin, D-Md., and other colleagues in welcoming Kara-Murza back to the United States and highlighting the work that remains to free those who are still wrongfully detained in Russia.\n\nPreviously, Senator Wicker led lawmakers in requests calling for the Biden administration to label Kara-Murza as \u201cunlawfully and wrongfully detained.\u201d The designation would have prioritized Kara-Murza\u2019s case at the State Department and unlocked new tools for negotiators to expedite his release.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-aukus-third-anniversary", "Senator Wicker Statement on AUKUS Third Anniversary", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement regarding the third anniversary of the U.S.-U.K.-Australia trilateral defense agreement known as \u201cAUKUS\u201d:\n\n\u201cProducing 1.2 attack submarines per year is grossly insufficient. We are not where we need to be,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cWe have reached an inflection point where we can no longer do business as usual when it comes to shipbuilding. The future of AUKUS depends on the U.S. accelerating attack submarine production and maintenance using every available tool.\u201d\n\nEarlier this year, after months of pushing the Biden-Harris administration, Senator Wicker helped to secure $3.3 billion in Submarine Industrial Base funding within the National Security Supplemental.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-nuclear-shipbuilding-contract-reform-proposal", "Senator Wicker Statement on Nuclear Shipbuilding Contract Reform Proposal", "2024-09-16", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to press reports about a new nuclear shipbuilding contracts reform proposal known as Shipyard Accountability and Workforce Support (SAWS), under consideration across the federal government:\n\n\u201cThe SAWS plan would provide the workforce support necessary to increase ship production rates \u2013 all without requiring additional appropriation. While not a silver bullet, this proposal stands to improve the way the Navy does business on critical defense programs,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nSenator Wicker also highlighted the following potential benefits of SAWS. The plan would:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/wicker-hyde-smith-highlight-miss-literacy-progress-as-senate-passes-national-resolution/a22e69eb-0af5-4211-9312-0217df7a9546", "Wicker, Hyde-Smith Highlight Miss. Literacy Progress as Senate Passes National Resolution", "2024-09-16", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today applauded unanimous Senate passage of a resolution that designates September 2024 as \u201cNational Literacy Month\u201d and encourages greater strides to improve literacy for K-12 students nationwide.\n\nWicker and Hyde-Smith cosponsored the resolution and used it to highlight Mississippi\u2019s role as a national leader in literary progress and the \u201cMississippi Miracle,\u201d in which fourth grade reading test scores in Mississippi have skyrocketed over the past decade. Some states, such as Mississippi, have boosted state National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores to record highs using an evidence-based reading strategy known as the \u201cscience of reading.\u201d\n\n\u201cLiteracy lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning, and Mississippi has become a national model for improving these skills,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThis resolution is an important way to recognize the value of student literacy and the strides we have made in reading programs in Mississippi. I look forward to other states following our lead and experiencing the \u2018Mississippi Miracle\u2019 for themselves.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile the educational progress made in Mississippi schools is commendable, we must also acknowledge that there\u2019s more to do to improve literacy and reading proficiency among all Mississippians,\u201d Senator Hyde-Smith said. \u201cThis bipartisan resolution highlights the fact that our personal lives, as well as the wellbeing of our nation, rely on a strong, literate American population.\u201d\n\nNationally, a 2022 NAEP report card indicated two-thirds of fourth and eighth graders are unable to read proficiently. Another 2020 study by Gallup in partnership with the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy estimated that low levels of adult literacy could be costing America as much as $2.2 trillion a year.\n\nThe National Parents Union, Ed Trust, and Educators for Excellence endorsed the Senate support the resolution, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and HELP Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-leads-armed-services-republicans-in-confirmation-hearing-for-top-national-guard-southern-command-officials", "Senator Wicker Leads Armed Services Republicans in Confirmation Hearing for Top National Guard, Southern Command Officials", "2024-09-12", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, led his colleagues in a confirmation hearing examining the nominees for top posts in the U.S. National Guard Bureau (NGB) and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).\n\nIn his opening remarks, Senator Wicker highlighted the emergence of significant great power competition within SOUTHCOM, citing examples such as China\u2019s development of listening posts in Cuba and the presence of a Russian submarine in the Caribbean earlier this year. Senator Wicker also considered ways that the Department of Defense (DOD) can strengthen U.S. influence in response. Options for improving the U.S. position in SOUTHCOM, Senator Wicker said, include leveraging the DOD\u2019s Office of Strategic Capital.\n\nSenator Wicker noted the ongoing tension between the National Guard\u2019s federal and state missions. Senator Wicker encouraged the nominee to balance important local priorities for the Guard with the overarching mission of maintaining military readiness and supporting the active-duty force in the event of a conflict.\n\nVice Admiral Alvin Holsey, nominee for commander of SOUTHCOM, and Lieutenant General Steven S. Nordhaus, nominee for chief of the National Guard Bureau, testified before the committee.\n\nRead the remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nThank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\nI want to thank our witnesses for being here today. You've already recognized family members, but I do want to congratulate Vice Admiral Holsey on persuading a young lady from Claiborne County to be his bride some years ago.\n\nAdmiral Holsey, as the Deputy Commander at SOUTHCOM, you know as well as anyone how effective the Chinese Communist Party has become in the region. The CCP has been engaging in predatory economic and diplomatic practices in the region, threatening our interests there.\n\nOur neighbors to the south rightly seek economic security for their people. The Chinese exploit this goal by aggressively lobbying leaders across the hemisphere, pedaling dubious promises of infrastructure [and] local job creation. Instead of honoring their promises, they often follow through with predatory practices. The CCP leaves those nations worse off by constructing infrastructure exclusively with Chinese labor and by creating facilities that are either poorly built or incomplete.\n\nSimultaneously, through its state-owned enterprises, China sets conditions to enhance its military presence, gather intelligence, and attempt to limit U.S. access and influence.\n\nThis July, the Center for Strategic and International Studies published a report in which they outlined no fewer than four separate Chinese electronic surveillance operations on the island of Cuba. These operations may even be able to collect signals intelligence well into U.S. territory. This summer, the Russian Navy sent warships and submarines to exercise with the Cuban Navy. In other words, great power competition is happening right here in the Americas.\n\nNow is the time for us to enhance our relationships and economic investment with our southern neighbors, yet our current approach is failing. SOUTHCOM has continued to rely primarily on security assistance and cooperation, which is prohibitively expensive. It's time to use capital investments to achieve national security goals in this theater.\n\nTraditionally, we have not thought of investment strategy as a tool in DOD\u2019s belt, but it can be highly effective when properly employed, and you and I have discussed this.\n\nWe should use it more frequently to promote US influence and defense interests, and SOUTHCOM can lead the way. It should work with entities such as the DOD\u2019s Office of Strategic Capital, the Development Finance Corporation, and the Export-Import Bank. Their collaboration could pair U.S. private capital with strategic investment opportunities in the region, yielding economic and national security benefits for the United States.\n\nAdmiral Holsey, I look forward to hearing how you intend to change SOUTCOM\u2019s approach, so it can do a better job of countering the malign influence of our adversaries and expand U.S. credibility in the region.\n\nNow, Lieutenant General Nordhaus, if confirmed to serve as the chief of the National Guard Bureau, you will be the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense on National Guard matters.\n\nThe National Guard experiences constant tension between its federal and state missions. The federal government provides the vast majority of funds for the National Guard, and it's entitled to set the terms and conditions for how those resources are used.\n\nIn addition, the National Guard performs vital tasks for local communities, but these services cannot come at the expense of the Guard's military readiness responsibilities. If confirmed, perhaps your most challenging task will be striking a balance between these often competing federal and state missions.\n\nThese competing priorities have led to avoidable conflict only recently. The National Guard cannot be the solution to every local labor shortage.\n\nIn two extreme examples, some governors have used the National Guard to drive school buses and staff nursing homes. These decisions erode military readiness, and they improperly take servicemembers away from their families and their civilian employment \u2013 not to mention their statutory mission. If confirmed, I expect you to use your influence to ensure the National Guard personnel are properly focused on readiness and used appropriately to support the Department of Defense and our nation in times of emergency or conflict.\n\nFinally, I would like to congratulate the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team of the Mississippi Army National Guard on a successful deployment. They took command of the Joint Multinational Training Group Ukraine, located in Germany, and had responsibility for training and mentoring the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This mission remains critical to our national security and I'm proud of the Mississippi National Guard for conducting such an important role \u2013 and I felt I should mention it this morning.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-honors-rodney-mast-as-angel-in-adoption", "Senator Wicker Honors Rodney Mast as \u201cAngel in Adoption\u201d", "2024-09-11", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., honored Rodney Mast for being a recipient of the 2024 \u201cAngels in Adoption\u201d award for his commitment to helping orphans and refugees find families. Senator Wicker nominated Rodney for the award.\n\n\u201cRodney Mast\u2019s dedication to helping these children is remarkable and is a testament to his character as a human being. He understands how important it is to give every child a home with a loving family. I also commend him for adopting children himself. He was the perfect candidate for this award,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nRodney is a Mississippi native. He has spent the past 26 years as a farmer in Columbus, Mississippi. In 2023, he took over as President of Compassion Plus Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides charitable assistance, finances, and practical aid for humanitarian needs to improve the current conditions and future of the poor, distressed, or underprivileged. Rodney traveled to Poland with the International Host Connection, a volunteer organization, working with Ukrainian orphans who were displaced because of the war. He and his wife eventually adopted three young orphans from Ukraine (who are brothers).\n\nThe Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, which sponsors the \u201cAngels in Adoption\u201d program, is a nonprofit organization that works to raise awareness about the needs of children without families and to remove policy barriers that hinder children from knowing the love and support a family provides.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-honors-james-earl-jones", "Senator Wicker Honors James Earl Jones", "2024-09-10", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement honoring James Earl Jones, who passed away Monday at the age of 93.\n\n\u201cMississippi has lost a beloved son, and the world has lost an extraordinary talent. From Arkabutla to immortality, James Earl Jones, R.I.P. We'll remember your voice and your heart,\u201d Senator Wicker said.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-congressional-afghanistan-withdrawal-report", "Senator Wicker Statement on Congressional Afghanistan Withdrawal Report", "2024-09-10", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement in response to the House Foreign Affairs Committee\u2019s report on the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan:\n\n\u201cToday we honor 13 brave Americans who died needlessly in one of the most humiliating foreign policy debacles in decades. The committee report simply confirms the outrageous details of the Afghanistan withdrawal: The Biden-Harris administration turned a bad idea into a historic debacle, leaving valuable American weaponry for our enemies to use and abandoning thousands of our long-time Afghan friends,\u201d Senator Wicker said.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-announces-over-23-million-in-new-airport-grants", "Senator Wicker Announces Over $23 Million in New Airport Grants", "2024-09-06", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement after four airports in Mississippi were awarded $23,063,644 for infrastructure improvements. The grants will be used to rehabilitate taxiways and taxiway lighting, construct and extend safety areas, and acquire new land for development.\n\n\u201cInvestment continues to roll into our airports. Every dollar will be used to create a better experience for Mississippians and those who visit,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nThe grants will support:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/federal-broadband-program-clears-significant-hurdle", "Federal Broadband Program Clears Significant Hurdle", "2024-08-29", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "TUPELO \u2013 The U.S. Department of Commerce\u2019s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Mississippi\u2019s Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. BEAD is a federal grant program that aims to get all Americans online by funding partnerships between states, communities, and stakeholders to build infrastructure and increase adoption of high-speed internet.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., was the Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee when the infrastructure bill was signed into law, creating the BEAD Program. His role as a key negotiator helped deliver the $1.2 billion in federal funding that has made this program possible.\n\nThis approval of the state\u2019s proposal puts Mississippi\u2019s counties one step closer to unlocking the BEAD Program funds, installing broadband, and connecting many underserved Mississippians to high-speed internet.\n\nSenator Wicker has worked for years to ensure that Mississippi\u2019s broadband needs were accurately reflected in national coverage maps that are used to distribute federal funding for broadband.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:\n\n\u201cWe improved the maps, secured the record federal funding, and created this program. The fight to increase broadband access in Mississippi\u2019s communities has been worth it,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThis update is another step in the right direction and builds on our success. I will continue working with local, state, and federal officials to keep the BEAD Program on track.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senator-wicker-highlights-economic-importance-of-amtrak-returning-to-the-gulf-coast", "Senator Wicker Highlights Economic Importance of Amtrak Returning to the Gulf Coast", "2024-08-27", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "GULFPORT \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., highlighted the economic importance of Amtrak services returning to the Gulf Coast region. He was joined in downtown Gulfport by Mayor Billy Hewes and local stakeholders. They visited the future Gulfport Amtrak stop and a number of local businesses that are expected to benefit.\n\nSenator Wicker has used his position as Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee to champion the return of passenger rail to the Gulf Coast. He expressed appreciation to local and state government officials and to the freight rail companies, CSX and Norfolk Southern.\n\nAfter years of administrative delays and litigation, an agreement was reached to return Amtrak services to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.\n\nScheduled to resume in 2025, the services are expected to provide economic growth opportunities, boost tourism, and reduce traffic on our roadways. Two trains will run roundtrip from New Orleans to Mobile with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senator-wicker-joins-national-security-shows-to-discuss-peace-through-strength-plan", "Senator Wicker Joins National Security Shows to Discuss \u201cPeace Through Strength\u201d Plan", "2024-08-27", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, participated in his first podcast appearances since releasing his defense spending blueprint in May, the \u201c21st Century Peace Through Strength: A Generational Investment in the U.S. Military\u201d report.\n\nSenator Wicker joined former spokeswoman for the Secretary of State, Morgan Ortagus, on her SiriusXM show, where he spoke about ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s failed foreign policy, and his \u201cPeace Through Strength\u201d report. Senator Wicker also had an in-depth discussion with Hudson Institute senior fellow Aaron Maclean on the \u201cSchool of War\u201d podcast.\n\nBelow are key excerpts from Senator Wicker\u2019s appearance on the \u201cMorgan Ortagus Show.\u201d A clip of the interview is available for listening here.\n\nOn Houthi terrorism in the Red Sea and the Middle East Crisis: \u201cOne thing we need to do is realize \u2013 and go ahead and admit \u2013 that when the Houthis, or Hamas, or Hezbollah attacks us or our allies, this is Iran using proxies to attack us.\u201d\n\n\u201cSo, there\u2019s no question about it. It is the Iranian regime...that is attacking the United States...The Ayatollah needs to understand that we know this...it\u2019s not just a rabble of some terrorist group. They are absolutely sponsored and directed by Iran.\u201d\n\nBelow are key excerpts from Senator Wicker\u2019s appearance on \u201cSchool of War,\u201d which is available for listening here.\n\nOn the importance of a multi-theater military: \u201cThere\u2019s no question that we\u2019re in a dangerous time...We are not prepared for the threat that comes from what I call in my report, the \u201cAxis of Aggressors.\u201d And of course, chief among them [is] Communist China with Xi Jinping, having told his congress that they need to be ready to retake Taiwan by 2027. Well, that\u2019s right around the corner...then you add to that Russia with their illegal war crimes of invading their neighbor, something that threatens the 70-year old rules-based Europe, and Iran, and all of their three proxies \u2013 at least their three proxies, which are raining havoc, and doing so even as we speak...and add to that a person who is probably not very well balanced, and that\u2019s the dictator of North Korea. And so, it\u2019s a four-pronged axis of aggressors that we simply are not prepared to fight...it\u2019s wrong to take these conflicts \u2013 or potential areas of conflict \u2013 separately.\u201d\n\nOn defense acquisition reform: \u201cMore money in itself is certainly not the solution. The solution is more weapons and more advanced weaponry and more ammunition...one thing that we are insisting on now \u2013 and it\u2019s something that has worked in the past but should work better if we do it on scale \u2013 is multi-year contracts. We know that we\u2019re going to need more than one...amphibious troop-transporting ship, we know we\u2019re going to need more and more of those. And so, why not do a multi-year contract, a block buy...and it can save us a lot of money...but also, we\u2019ve let our manufacturing plants shrink to a level that they\u2019re not capable of giving us what we need. We need more shipyards. We just don\u2019t have the capacity that China has.\u201d\n\nOn shipbuilding: \u201cYou don\u2019t ever get anything done if you don\u2019t get started. And one of the arguments that I\u2019ve had over the past year is that \u2018there\u2019s no reason to authorize more ships if we don\u2019t have more shipyards.\u2019 Well, let\u2019s get some more shipyards and get going on it...And to their credit, after I really pressed the administration over this past year to add to our shipbuilding industrial base, they agreed to add to the supplemental bill $3.4 billion.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senator-wicker-statement-on-amphibious-multi-ship-buy", "Senator Wicker Statement on Amphibious Multi-Ship Buy", "2024-08-15", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro recently informed Congressional leaders that the Navy will pursue a multi-ship buy for four America-class and San Antonio-class amphibious warships through FY29, potentially saving the taxpayer nearly $1 billion through additional efficiencies. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response:\n\n\u201cToday is a great day for American shipbuilding and our Navy\u2019s ability to deter China in the years ahead,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cAs I have long noted \u2013 including in my recent \u201cPeace Through Strength\u201d report \u2013 the multi-ship buy of warships is a cost-effective way to provide stability for the industrial base on key shipbuilding programs. I look forward to seeing these contracts through to their execution, and I believe that additional benefits could be obtained if we increase funding for material procurement in bulk.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the block-buy would encompass the following ships:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senator-wicker-statement-on-senate-appropriations-committee-defense-markup", "Senator Wicker Statement on Senate Appropriations Committee Defense Markup", "2024-08-07", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee concluded its markup of the Defense subcommittee\u2019s (SAC-D) Fiscal Year 2025 defense funding bill, which provides funding for the Department of Defense. The bill, when combined with the Military Construction and Energy and Water bills, provides $21 billion for much needed weaponry ammunition, and equipment for our troops.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, previously secured a $25 billion funding authorization increase on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Senator Wicker released the following statement about the Appropriations Committee\u2019s markup:\n\n\u201cThe Senate Appropriations Committee has done important work to revitalize our national defense by making a necessary down payment on our military preparedness. Overall, their bill is a big step toward rectifying the Pentagon\u2019s lack of focus on China,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThis effort from my colleagues reaffirms the conversation I have started about returning to the \u2018peace through strength\u2019 defense policies that this dangerous moment requires.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker also lauded several areas where the defense appropriations bill reinforces funding strategies in the NDAA:\n\nPrevents shrinking Air Force: The defense appropriations bill provides money to keep 32 F-22 and 26 F-15E fighter aircraft flying, produce six more F-15EX fighters, and buy spare parts so that hundreds of aircraft can stay ready for operations.\n\nPrevents shrinking Navy: The defense appropriations bill finishes the purchase of an extra destroyer, provides forward financing to complete an amphibious ship multi-buy, and primes the pump for an additional attack submarine. Additionally, the bill invests heavily in the shipbuilding industrial base and pays for the construction of numerous additional logistics ships. The bill reverses the administration\u2019s disastrous decision to cancel the SM-3 Block IB interceptor, accelerates new Patriot launchers, and adds funding for the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, Mk48 torpedoes, and the Precision Strike Missile.\n\nMunitions: The defense appropriations bill provides $500 million more for the Defense Production Act, which the administration failed to fund sufficiently. It also funds $500 million in additional critical minerals purchases through the National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund. Both efforts are absolutely key to rebuilding the Arsenal of Democracy.\n\nINDOPACOM Unfunded Priority List: The defense appropriations bill again funds the highest priorities of our commander in the Pacific: $181 million to accelerate the crucial Guam Defense System, $123 million for the Joint Fires Network for command and control, and $651 million for critical military exercises in the western Pacific.\n\nNuclear Modernization: The defense appropriations bill, alongside the Energy and Water bill, supports strong bipartisan efforts to modernize and adapt our nation\u2019s nuclear deterrent to meet rapidly growing strategic threats from China, Russia, and North Korea by fully funding critical efforts such as the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile ($3.9 billion) and the Nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missile ($252 million).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/a-remaining-hurdle-cleared-to-return-amtrak-services-to-the-mississippi-gulf-coast/92c49870-f018-4f19-b2dd-a49af5d4f7f7", "A Remaining Hurdle Cleared to Return Amtrak Services to the Mississippi Gulf Coast", "2024-08-06", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "MISSISSIPPI \u2013 An agreement has finally been reached to return Amtrak services to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. Two trains will run roundtrip from New Orleans to Mobile with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement:\n\n\u201cRestoring Amtrak services to the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been a years-long effort, and one of many to help the region recover from Hurricane Katrina. This will reconnect the Gulf Coast states and provide an alternative way to move people safely, which could also reduce traffic on our roadways. More travel options will increase tourism and provide economic opportunities to the Mississippi communities along the route. I am glad to see this investment is finally reaching the finish line,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nSenator Wicker has been a strong advocate for restoring passenger rail service to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, bringing together federal, state, and local officials to support investments along the southern rail corridor and to address regulatory concerns with restoring passenger service.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senators-wicker-hyde-smith-support-an-even-playing-field-for-women-in-sports", "Senators Wicker, Hyde-Smith Support an Even Playing Field for Women in Sports", "2024-08-06", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and colleagues have asked National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker to adopt policies that protect women\u2019s sports. Specifically, the senators have asked Baker to update the associate\u2019s student-athlete participation policy to require that only biological women can participate in NCAA women\u2019s sports.\n\nSenator Wicker and Hyde-Smith are also cosponsors of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, which would preserve Title IX protections for female athletes and ensure fair, safe competition in women\u2019s sports across the country. In addition, Senator Hyde-Smith introduced and Senator Wicker cosponsored a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to overturn the Biden administration\u2019s rewrite of Title IX.\n\nThe Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Concerned Women for America, Heritage Action, and Independent Council on Women\u2019s Sports have endorsed the letter.\n\nThe letter is led by U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senator wicker celebrates groundbreaking for improved broadband access in bolivar county", "Senator Wicker Celebrates Groundbreaking for Improved Broadband Access in Bolivar County", "2024-08-05", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "MOUND BAYOU \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., joined state and local officials at a groundbreaking in Mound Bayou for a project that will provide high-speed internet to hundreds of people and multiple businesses and agricultural facilities in Bolivar County. The project is funded by a $3,520,100 United States Department of Agriculture ReConnect Grant that will install 30 miles of fiber and ultimately connect 300 locations.\n\nSenator Wicker helped negotiate and pass the law to make this grant possible. In total, that law has brought in over a billion dollars to increase broadband access in rural parts of Mississippi.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senator-wicker-designates-august-as-national-catfish-month", "Senator Wicker Designates August as National Catfish Month", "2024-08-05", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., led colleagues in introducing a resolution to designate August 2024 as National Catfish Month. Mississippi produces more than half of the farm raised catfish in the United States.\n\n\u201cMississippi\u2019s catfish farmers put a safe and quality product on America\u2019s dinner tables. This effort is a small way we can recognize their local and national economic impact,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nSenator Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and ten other senators from states that also produce catfish joined in this effort.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/mississippi-s-water-infrastructure-priorities-advance-in-biennial-congressional-legislation", "Mississippi\u2019s Water Infrastructure Priorities Advance in Biennial Congressional Legislation", "2024-08-02", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Bill directs over $142 million to Mississippi for water infrastructure improvements\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Members of Congress have been negotiating biennial legislation, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which directs water-related projects across the country. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has a unique position to advocate for and advance Mississippi\u2019s water infrastructure priorities as a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works which negotiates and drafts the bill.\n\nThe committee recently advanced the legislation, and it passed the full U.S. Senate. If it is signed into law, waterway, port, river system, dredging, and flood protection projects across Mississippi would see improvements.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement.\n\n\u201cThis bill gives us the opportunity to provide clean drinking water, wastewater, and flood control solutions for communities across Mississippi. I will continue using my position on the Environment and Public Works Committee to deliver the water infrastructure solutions that our state needs,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nAmong other policies that would benefit Mississippi, WRDA would:\n\nAuthorize Section 219 environmental infrastructure in four Mississippi communities. Those funds and communities include:\n\n$7 million for a new water tank and wastewater collection system for Byram.\n\n$7 million for stormwater and drainage improvements for Hancock County.\n\n$7 million for wastewater treatment system improvements for Madison.\n\n$7 million for drinking water and wastewater improvements for Pearl.\n\nIncrease authorized funding for Section 219 environmental infrastructure by $14 million in five Mississippi communities for:\n\na comprehensive stormwater management program for Rankin County.\n\na regional wastewater program for DeSoto County.\n\nwastewater infrastructure improvements for Jackson.\n\na comprehensive water management program for Madison County.\n\nthe Meridian Multi-phase Evaluation and Rehabilitation Water Program for Meridian.\n\nAuthorize $44 million in federal funding for flood risk management and aquatic ecosystem restoration in North DeSoto County.\n\nIn recent years, flooding has damaged businesses, residential homes, and other infrastructure in Desoto County.\n\nAddress dredging needs on the Tenn-Tom to ensure continued navigation at locks and dams.\n\nDecrease the non-federal cost share from 20 to 10 percent for economically distressed communities. The bill also allows the Assistant Secretary for Civil Works to further adjust the cost share based on a community\u2019s ability to pay.\n\nExpedite competition of the Hatchie-Loosahatchie River floodplain management study.\n\nFlooding from the Hatchie River has impacted roads, farmers, private landowners, and bridges. It also has caused several levee breaks.\n\nEstablish the Levee System Owners Advisory Board, which would advise on activities and actions by the Corps to improve flood risk management and improve cooperation and communication between the Corps and the Federal levee system owner-operators.\n\nRequire a report on the existing Levee Safety Guidelines to ensure they remain voluntary.\n\nAuthorize the Corps to conduct research with Mississippi State University on technology that could be used in water resources development infrastructure, analyses of the environment before and after a natural disaster, and geospatial data collection.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senator-wicker-statement-on-vietnam-denied-u-s-market-status", "Senator Wicker Statement on Vietnam Denied U.S. Market Status", "2024-08-02", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "TUPELO \u2013The U.S. Commerce Department has announced that Vietnam will remain classified as a \u201cnon-market economy\u201d despite their efforts to be removed from the list. Vietnam is one of 12 economies labeled by our federal government as \u201cnon-market\u201d including Russia, China, and North Korea. Denying this request makes sure Mississippi\u2019s agriculture producers and exporters are on a level playing field with foreign competitors.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThis is the right decision. I am proud to support Mississippi\u2019s agriculture producers and exporters, such as catfish farmers, and will continue to make sure they will not be undercut by substandard, unhealthy foreign products flooding the U.S. market,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nCurrently, Vietnam is illegally dumping certain agriculture products, such as shrimp and seafood into U.S. markets. Their products do not undergo rigorous food safety inspections that already exist for other imports like beef, pork, and poultry. Additionally, when Vietnam dumps their agriculture products in our markets, the costs are lower which put our domestic producers at an economic disadvantage. Under their current market status, we have an easier pathway to trade enforcement.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/two-of-senator-wicker-s-bills-advance-to-the-u-s-senate-floor", "Two of Senator Wicker\u2019s Bills Advance to the U.S. Senate Floor", "2024-08-02", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee has agreed to advance two pieces of legislation, sponsored by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., to the next step of the legislative process.\n\nA Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has found that federal broadband efforts are not coordinated. Right now, there are over 100 available broadband funding programs that are administered by 15 different federal agencies. Senator Wicker\u2019s bill, the PLAN for Broadband Act, would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to develop a national strategy that takes the available broadband funding programs and streamline their efforts to increase efficiency. The GAO report recommended the creation of a plan so that the programs can be better utilized.\n\n\u201cIf the existing mismanagement of available resources continues, the digital divide will never be closed. I am glad to see my bill is advancing because it will improve the broken system and connect more Americans to the internet. It is essential for the federal government to streamline communication and stop delaying the delivery of this important service,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nDespite Senator Wicker\u2019s objections, Democrats on the committee also used the broadband legislation as an opportunity to replenish the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) with $7 billion without reforms or a way to pay for the funding.\n\n\u201cWithout reforms, there is no guarantee this program will continue providing internet access to those who need it the most. ACP needs significant work and is not sustainable in its current state. We must have a serious conversation about its future,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nSenator Wicker\u2019s Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act is also moving through the process. This bill would standardize the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance Process which is used by transportation workers nationwide. Although TSA conducts a Security Threat Assessment for each program, applicants have to submit duplicative background check paperwork and fees. The bill would put the Transportation Worker Identification Credential and HAZMAT Endorsement Threat Assessment programs into one application process.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senator-wicker-announces-another-batch-of-airport-grant-funding", "Senator Wicker Announces Another Batch of Airport Grant Funding", "2024-08-01", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement after 17 airports received $5,392,774 million in total to upgrade their hangars, perimeter fencing and gates, fuel facilities, and runway lighting. A few airports received funding to update their master plans. This tranche of funding comes after Mississippi\u2019s airports received over $8 million in a previous allotment.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s not a bad day when I can say Mississippi has received $13 million in a week to upgrade airports. Every dollar will better position our state,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nThe grants will support:\n\nColumbus-Lowndes County Airport\n\nReceived $448,000 to construct a new 9,600 square foot sponsor-owned hangar for aircraft storage.\n\nStennis International Airport\n\nReceived $426,959 to acquire 1.9 acres of land for future eligible aeronautical development.\n\nPanola County Airport\n\nReceived $290,505 to reconstruct the existing runway lighting system.\n\nCleveland Municipal Airport\n\nReceived $294,000 to construct a new 12,000 square foot sponsor-owned hangar for aircraft storage/maintenance.\n\nJames H Easom Field Airport\n\nReceived $107,042 to construct a new 8,156 square foot nested T-hangar for aircraft storage, maintenance, or service.\n\nFletcher Field Airport\n\nReceived $357,600 to rehabilitate 5,404 feet of the existing runway to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.\n\nMacon Municipal Airport\n\nReceived $40,245 to construct a new 5,700 square foot T-hangar building for aircraft storage, maintenance, or service.\n\nPhiladelphia Municipal Airport\n\nReceived $41,790 to update the existing airport master plan study.\n\nMonroe County Airport\n\nReceived $51,875 to install 1,100 feet of perimeter fencing.\n\nGreenville Mid-Delta Airport\n\nReceived $479,039 to update the existing airport master plan study.\n\nMcComb/Pike County/John E Lewis Field\n\nReceived $104,400 to rehabilitate the existing runway pavement markings.\n\nJackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport\n\nReceived $179,730 to improve runway safety areas.\n\nGrenada Municipal Airport\n\nReceived $395,370 to construct a new fuel facility by adding a single self-service pump and concrete apron.\n\nGolden Triangle Regional Airport\n\nReceived $1,621,119 to reseal 11,718 square yards of the existing north general aviation apron pavement, construct new airfield drainage ditches to mitigate erosion, install 16 gates to enhance safety, and reseal existing runway and taxiway pavement.\n\nMagee Municipal Airport\n\nReceived $80,100 to install 450 feet of perimeter fencing and gate.\n\nLouisville/Winston County Airport\n\nReceived $145,000 to expand the existing apron by adding 6,900 square yards.\n\nNew Albany/Union County Airport\n\nReceived $330,000 to install 5,165 feet of perimeter fencing and gates.\n\nThe Federal Aviation Administration will award the grants.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/8/senator-wicker-statement-on-prisoner-exchange", "Senator Wicker Statement on Prisoner Exchange", "2024-08-01", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement:\n\n\u201cI am encouraged by this news. It is great to see Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and Alsu Kurmasheva, as well as my good friend, Vladimir Kara-Murza, freed. But there are other Americans, including Marc Fogel, and brave Russians, who remain in Russian captivity. They all have demonstrated incredible courage during some of their darkest hours.\n\n\u201cThis exchange speaks volumes about what our two countries value. Vladimir Putin is getting back a crew of thugs, murderers, and low-life criminals. The United States is welcoming home journalists, voices for democracy, and former service members.\n\n\u201cI applaud our allies, particularly Germany and Turkey, for their efforts on this deal. Our work is not finished, and I will continue using my voice to bring others home.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker recently led lawmakers in a bipartisan, bicameral request calling again for the Biden administration to label Vladimir Kara-Murza as \u201cunlawfully and wrongfully detained.\u201d In 2022, Kara-Murza was put in prison after speaking out against President Vladimir Putin. He was later sentenced to 25 years in jail. The designation would have prioritized Kara-Murza\u2019s case at the State Department and unlocked new tools for negotiators to expedite his release.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senators-wicker-manchin-lead-resolution-to-recognize-gold-star-children", "Senators Wicker, Manchin Lead Resolution to Recognize Gold Star Children", "2024-07-31", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., have introduced a resolution designating August 1, 2024, as Gold Star Children\u2019s Day to recognize the sacrifices of the children of fallen service members.\n\nIn just over a century since America\u2019s Gold Star tradition began, nearly 5,500 Mississippians have made the ultimate sacrifice in a time frame ranging from World War I to the present day, resulting in roughly 10,000 Gold Star Children during that 100-year history.\n\n\u201cThe sons and daughters of our fallen service members carry on their legacy. Recognizing them with this special day is the least we can do to honor the lifelong sacrifice they made,\u201d Senator Wicker said.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senator-wicker-in-armed-services-hearing-defense-strategy-report-reaffirms-immediate-need-for-increased-defense-investment", "Senator Wicker in Armed Services Hearing: Defense Strategy Report Reaffirms Immediate Need for Increased Defense Investment", "2024-07-30", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, led his colleagues in a hearing examining a report from a group of congressionally-appointed defense experts studying U.S. deterrence and military power.\n\nThe report suggests substantial increases in defense spending are necessary and notes that the United States faces the most serious set of threats since 1945.\n\nHon. Jane M. Harman, chairwoman of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy and former Congresswoman from California, and Hon. Eric Edelman, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and vice chairman of the Commission, testified before the committee.\n\nIn his opening remarks, Senator Wicker spoke to several key themes, to include:\n\nThe new \u2018axis of aggressors,\u2019 Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia, growing stronger.\n\nThe need to increase defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product.\n\nThe inability of current U.S. force planning to meet the stated standards of U.S. strategy.\n\nDeficit in understanding from the American public of the threats posed by great power rivals.\n\nRead the remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nMr. Chairman, I want to congratulate you on a very fine opening statement, which I fully subscribe to.\n\nWe have two very distinguished witnesses today, and this may possibly be the most important hearing we will have this year. But I have to say, I very much appreciate the service of Representative Harman and Ambassador Edelman.\n\nLet's go back six years. This committee began hearing \u2013 holding hearings on the first National Defense Strategy Commission report, which reviewed the 2018 National Defense Strategy. The first NDS report was important, [it] helped us make significant bipartisan progress toward improving our national defense.\n\nWe lost Chairman Jim Inhofe just a few weeks ago. Many of us will remember that he in particular admired that report. He would often hold the report up and wave it around at hearings. His enthusiasm proved that the NDS served as a guiding light for him, and it prompted all of us to consider the report's recommendations.\n\nThe global security environment has worsened much faster than we expected back in 2018. The first line of a new 2024 NDS Commission report summarizes the situation in which we find ourselves. I will quote that line: \u201cthe threats the United States faces are the most serious and most challenging the nation has encountered since 1945 and include the potential for near-term major war.\u201d\n\nA dramatic and forceful statement. It turns out that the commission believes that we are not at all where we need to be. And I think members of the committee understand this. We understand clearly there's no time to waste.\n\nThe commission report notes that our military capacity and capabilities are insufficient to meet the current requirements at acceptable risk. The document details the way in which the 2022 National Defense Strategy \u2013 an assessment completed just two years ago \u2013 did not adequately account for the threat of simultaneous and increasingly coordinated military action by our four primary adversaries, a group which I have come to call the 'axis of aggressors.\u2019\n\nThe report correctly notes that with the possible exception of the Department of Defense, the U.S. government is not acting with alacrity or making so-called \u2018whole-of-government' strategies more than simply a buzzword. It aptly describes our hollow, brittle defense industrial base, and painfully byzantine bureaucratic process.\n\nThe report also finds that we cannot fix these problems without increasing defense spending. Thankfully, this committee has added a $25 billion topline increase for the Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA.\n\nEven that increase, a 3.8 percent nominal addition, would fall short of the commission's recommendation \u2013 fall well short. The report endorses a three to five percent real increase this year with inflation running above two percent.\n\nI appreciate the commission's recommendation that national security spending must return to late Cold War levels, a goal which matches my plan to spend five percent eventually of GDP on defense. That level of investment would be temporary. It would be a down payment on the rebuilding of our national defense tools for a generation \u2013 tools that, if sharpened, can reduce the risk that our adversaries will use military force against U.S. interests \u2013 peace through strength.\n\nThe 2018 and 2022 defense strategies both recommended a vague force sizing requirement. The mandate called for the US military to have sufficient forces to defeat either China or Russia in a major conflict, while simultaneously deterring other adversaries. That force sizing construct failed to provide a useful measuring stick by which to determine the ideal size and capability of the U.S. military.\n\nI would appreciate the commissioners expanding upon their new force sizing construct, which proposes that we be able to lead coalitions that can defeat both China and Russia, while continuing to maintain deterrence elsewhere.\n\nI would also like our witnesses to explain a claim they make in the report: the document contends that the American public does not appreciate the threat environment and therefore, does not understand why a strong defense is necessary to ensure a bright future for our country \u2013 very perceptive.\n\nThis is a perspective that echoes concerns expressed by the recent Congressional Strategic Posture Commission. I'm of the opinion that this is largely the fault of the U.S. government \u2013 the executive and legislative branches alike \u2013 for failing to make the case to the American people.\n\nMr. Chairman, I could go on and on. I would simply say that I appreciate a great deal of the commission report. I'm grateful for the work of all eight bipartisan commissioners and their staff \u2013 thank you for calling each and every name of the commissioners. And I hope their labor can help guide us as we write a new National Defense Strategy \u2013 and the legislation that will follow \u2013 to allow us to regain our military edge and avoid wars in the years to come.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senator-wicker-celebrates-nearly-7-million-for-airports-across-mississippi", "Senator Wicker Celebrates Over $8 Million for Airports Across Mississippi", "2024-07-29", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement after 18 airports received over $8 million in total to upgrade their runways, taxiways, and lighting, and purchase new safety and navigation equipment.\n\n\u201cSafety and system upgrades will provide a better experience for travelers and support economic growth opportunities in Mississippi. These investments will pay dividends for our state\u2019s future,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nThe grants will support:\n\nBelzoni Municipal Airport in Belzoni\n\nReceived $365,573 to construct a new 4,000 square foot sponsor-owned 2-bay hangar for aircraft storage.\n\nPanola County Airport in Batesville\n\nReceived $345,987 to fund a portion of a project that reconstructs the existing runway lighting system.\n\nHattiesburg/Laurel Regional Airport in Moselle\n\nReceived $607,150 to acquire a new Foreign Object Debris sweeper to enhance safety. This project also reconstructs the existing lighting on the apron.\n\nTupelo Regional Airport in Tupelo\n\nReceived $535,775 to rehabilitate the existing south general aviation apron pavement.\n\nYazoo County Airport in Yazoo City\n\nReceived $308,393 to reseal/resurface the existing runway pavement and joints.\n\nTishomingo County Airport in Belmont\n\nReceived $234,812 to install precision approach path indicator system.\n\nVicksburg Municipal Airport in the City of Vicksburg\n\nReceived $135,108 to reseal/resurface the existing terminal apron pavement and joints.\n\nRuleville-Drew Airport in Drew\n\nReceived $84,000 to acquire and install a new wind cone and segmented circle navigational aids to provide pilots with critical airfield information.\n\nKosciusko-Attala County Airport in Kosciusko\n\nReceived $91,393 to update the existing airport master plan study.\n\nNew Albany/Union County Airport in New Albany\n\nReceived $113,410 to install perimeter fencing/gates.\n\nGulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Gulfport\n\nReceived $2,989,602 to construct a new general aviation apron.\n\nOkolona Municipal/Richard Stovall Field in the City of Okolona\n\nReceived $200,000 to reseal the existing runway pavement.\n\nRipley Airport in Ripley\n\nReceived $109,354 to rehabilitate the existing runway pavement markings.\n\nUniversity-Oxford Airport in Oxford\n\nReceived $91,430 to rehabilitate the existing terminal access road drainage.\n\nDean Griffin Memorial Airport in Wiggins\n\nReceived $352,768 to replace the existing airport rotating beacon, reconstruct the existing lighting, acquire and install a new wind cone and segmented circle navigational, and install a precision approach path indicator system.\n\nIndianola Municipal Airport in Indianola\n\nReceived $91,393 to reseal the existing parallel taxiway pavement cracks and joints.\n\nFletcher Field Airport in Clarksdale\n\nReceived $91,393 to rehabilitate the existing runway to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.\n\nColumbus-Lowndes County Airport\n\nReceived $1,860,805 to rehabilitate the existing runway pavement.\n\nThe Federal Aviation Administration will award the grants.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senator-wicker-urges-support-of-israel", "Senator Wicker Urges Support of Israel", "2024-07-25", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke on the Senate floor, urging the Biden administration to support our ally Israel. Senator Wicker also highlighted how Iran\u2019s proxies perpetrated the October 7th attack.\n\nSenator Wicker further called out congressional Democrats and the Biden administration for their failure to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu and signal a strong commitment to Israel\u2019s defense.\n\nSenator Wicker\u2019s remarks followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s joint address to Congress.\n\nRead the remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nThank you very much, Madam President.\n\nWe stand here today having had the opportunity, in a joint session of Congress, to hear one of the most powerful and profound and significant addresses that has ever been made to a joint session of Congress.\n\nWe have a few people listening in right now. I notice we have a number of our pages on the floor. Madam President, I'm glad that our young people, our rising seniors in high school who work for us, were able to be there and to be here in Washington, in this Capitol, and see and listen to this magnificent speech today by Benjamin Netanyahu the Prime Minister of the state of Israel \u2013 our steadfast ally. The only democracy in that section of the world. And I will say, I doubt if we will very often see remarks that were as powerful and as important.\n\nIsrael has been our steadfast ally for over seven decades. It was a Democratic president, Harry Truman, postwar that put his administration behind the recognition of the Jewish state in Palestine as Israel. And we became one of the earliest countries to recognize Israel. That has stood for over seven decades.\n\nThe recognition by the United States, on a bipartisan basis, has recognized an important fact: that the Jewish people are certainly not colonialists in the Holy Land.\n\nThe place where Israel exists now is the place where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Esau were born and lived in the era 5,000 years ago. To say that the Jewish people are colonialists in Israel is the big lie.\n\nThe big lie is something that our enemies have used down through the years. You say something so unbelievable and so unimaginable that [if] you say it long enough, and people will start to believe it.\n\nThe Jewish people are no colonialists in the Holy Land. The holy land is their ancestral home, and they deserve \u2013 the world's Jewish people deserve \u2013 a Jewish state so they can avoid the centuries of discrimination and anti-Semitism that they have endured over time.\n\nThe Jewish people, as I say, the Israeli people \u2013 which includes, of course, people that are not Jewish by heritage \u2013 have had the only democracy in the area for the longest time. And they've been surrounded by people who want nothing less than the destruction of Israel. And they don't make it \u2013 they don't make any bones about it.\n\nSupport in this Congress \u2013 support in the United States \u2013 for Israel, Madam President, has for these seven decades always been bipartisan. And it breaks my heart, and I think it should come as a shock to all Americans, that that bipartisan support seems to be fracturing on the other side of the aisle, among my Democratic colleagues.\n\nIt is a shame that the Vice President of this country \u2013 the Vice President of the United States \u2013 Kamala Harris, declined to fulfill her duties to preside over the session. She found an excuse in another state to be at a meeting that could easily have been rescheduled.\n\nIt's a shame that our Vice President \u2013 that the future nominee of her party for President of the United States \u2013 would make that statement, that she was unwilling to preside over a joint meeting addressed by the Prime Minister of Israel. The President pro tempore of the United States Senate refused to attend. Many members of this body on the Democratic side of the aisle, many members of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives boycotted this speech by our steadfast ally of 70 years or more.\n\nI noticed when the Prime Minister of Israel came down through the center aisle there in the House of Representatives, shaking hands on from both sides. And he rounded the corner, Madam President, and the Majority Leader of this body \u2013 the senior senator from New York, Senator Schumer, declined to extend his hand to the Prime Minister of our steadfast ally.\n\nWe also need to remember, as my colleagues have stated already, that in the region where Israel is the only democratic government in the Middle East, exists the Islamic Republic of Iran.\n\nThey are a sworn enemy of Israel, and they're a sworn enemy of the United States of America. \u2018Death to America\u2019 is what they say. And they want to start with \u2018Death to America\u2019 by pronouncing \u2018Death to Israel.\u2019\n\nMore than that, they have proxies \u2013 at least three proxies \u2013 that we've been talking about recently: the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah to the north of Israel, and Hamas, the terrorist group that perpetrated the October slaughter on the people near Gaza.\n\nHamas has one reason to exist. One stated, admitted reason, and one reason only: the complete destruction of Israel. And they demonstrated their ruthlessness on October 7th. Rapes, beheadings, babies being burned. Unspeakable acts of violence.\n\nAnd Prime Minister Netanyahu was correct to point out that people protesting outside this building on behalf of Hamas should be ashamed of themselves, in protesting on behalf of a group that was so violent.\n\nMadam President, Hamas uses civilians as human shields. That is a violation of international law. By contrast, contrary to what people have been told in the press, Israel is doing the best job that any combatant has ever done in protecting civilians while trying to root out terrorist groups.\n\nI am calling on people on both sides of the aisle, in conclusion, to return to our bipartisan support of the right of a people to exist somewhere, and to have one place on the face of the Earth, where they know they could be safe in their own beliefs, in their own population, and for the first time in centuries and millennia, to be safe and have their own homeland.\n\nSo, I congratulate the Prime Minister of Israel. I congratulate the members of Congress who received him well. And I invite my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to remember the importance of bipartisan support for Israel.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senator-wicker-congratulates-mississippi-s-class-of-2028-united-states-service-academy-appointees", "Senator Wicker Congratulates Mississippi\u2019s Class of 2028 United States Service Academy Appointees", "2024-07-17", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., congratulates students who are enrolling in a United States Service Academy class this fall.\n\nSenator Wicker issued the following statement.\n\n\u201cThese fine students represent the future of our military,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThe appointments are a testament to the students\u2019 prior and future commitment to their communities and fellow neighbors. I thank them for serving our country and representing the great state of Mississippi.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker nominated these 16 students. They join others who were nominated by the rest of Mississippi\u2019s congressional delegation.\n\nU.S. Air Force Academy\n\nDylan Boone \u2013 Gulfport, MS (West Harrison High School)\n\nLucas Gaschk \u2013 Olive Branch, MS (Lewisburg High School)\n\nJohnathan Livingston \u2013 Ridgeland, MS (St. Andrews Episcopal School)\n\nUnited States Military Academy at West Point\n\nAidan Camillo \u2013 Clinton, MS (West Point Prep School)\n\nGregory Fleming \u2013 Brandon, MS (Brandon High School)\n\nJudson Merideth \u2013 Madison, MS (Madison Ridgeland Academy)\n\nSavannah McDonald \u2013 Madison, MS (Germantown High School)\n\nUnited States Naval Academy\n\nDrake Harper \u2013 Moss Point, MS (East Central High School)\n\nCharles Morrow \u2013 Meridian, MS (Lamar Foundation School)\n\nWade Potts \u2013 Olive Branch, MS (Lewisburg High School)\n\nNoah Short \u2013 Madison, MS (Naval Academy Prep School)\n\nBryce Smith \u2013 Brookhaven, MS (Brookhaven High School)\n\nNoah Wyatt \u2013 Caledonia, MS (Caledonia High School)\n\nUnited States Merchant Marine Academy", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senator-wicker-statement-on-final-removal-of-gaza-pier", "Senator Wicker Statement on Final Removal of Gaza Pier", "2024-07-17", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to the Department of Defense\u2019s announcement that the U.S.-made pier constructed to deliver aid into Gaza has been permanently removed:\n\n\u201cThis chapter might be over in President Biden\u2019s mind, but the national embarrassment that this project has caused is not. The only miracle is that this doomed-from-the-start operation did not cost any American lives,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI have been calling for an end to this election-year gimmick since its primetime inception at the State of the Union. While I am glad it has finally concluded, we cannot buy back the $230 million needlessly spent, and significant questions remain about the Biden administration\u2019s poor planning for this mission.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker also presented the following facts about the pier:\n\nIt took roughly double the amount of time to transport the pier than for the duration when the pier was actually in use.\n\nThe $230M used to deploy the pier could have instead been used to purchase more than 1,200 Coyote counter-drone interceptors to keep U.S. troops safe in Iraq and Syria.\n\nBelow is an accounting of Senator Wicker\u2019s actions related to the pier:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/wicker-risch-demand-the-biden-administration-present-deterrence-options-amid-china-s-aggression-against-the-philippines", "Wicker, Risch Demand the Biden Administration Present Deterrence Options Amid China\u2019s Aggression Against the Philippines", "2024-07-17", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 China is escalating against Philippine forces in the South China Sea.\n\nU.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have asked President Biden to immediately present response options.\n\nSpecifically, they have requested the president provide a full list of military, diplomatic, and economic options from the Department of Defense and Department of State to deter further Chinese aggression.\n\n\u201cWe must respond with visible and concrete demonstrations of our support,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cAnything short of this risks our appearing unwilling to honor our bilateral commitments.\u201d\n\n\u201cYour administration has repeatedly stated that an attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces \u2013 including its Coast Guard in the South China Sea \u2013 would invoke the U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,\u201d the senators continued. \u201cLimiting our response to verbal assurances of the applicability of Article IV undermines the credibility and value of these commitments. We must respond with visible and concrete demonstrations of our support.\u201d\n\nThe letter follows a similar effort from Wicker and Risch in October 2023, when the senators again urged support for the Sierra Madre and its mission in the South China Sea.\n\nRead the full letter here or below.\n\nThe Honorable Joseph R. Biden\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDear President Biden,\n\nWe write to express our grave concern regarding the People\u2019s Republic of China\u2019s (PRC) escalation of the use of force and coercion against the Philippines in the South China Sea. Your administration must move quickly to support the Philippines in countering China\u2019s aggressive behavior.\n\nOn June 19, the Philippines attempted to resupply the BRP Sierra Madre, a Filipino vessel grounded on a reef near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. According to the Philippine military, the PRC\u2019s Coast Guard used pickaxes and knives to puncture the Philippine vessels, confiscated the Philippines\u2019 equipment, and deployed tear gas to create chaos and confusion during the confrontation.\n\nYour administration has repeatedly stated that an attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces \u2013 including its Coast Guard in the South China Sea \u2013 would invoke the U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. Limiting our response to verbal assurances of the applicability of Article IV undermines the credibility and value of these commitments. We must respond with visible and concrete demonstrations of our support. Anything short of this risks our appearing unwilling to honor our bilateral commitments.\n\nWe request your administration provide us with a full list of military, diplomatic, and economic options developed by the Departments of State and Defense to support the Philippines and deter further escalation by the PRC.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senator-wicker-hosted-top-pentagon-officials-in-vicksburg", "Senator Wicker Hosted Top Pentagon Officials in Vicksburg", "2024-07-12", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "VICKSBURG \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., hosted Department of Defense (DOD) leaders in Mississippi to connect with the state\u2019s research institutions, including its many Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg. The DOD delegation was led by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology, Aprille Ericsson, and included other senior leaders from the DOD research and engineering enterprise.\n\nAs the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Wicker has a unique position to showcase Mississippi\u2019s significant defense contributions.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/wicker-advocates-for-nato-reform-agenda-on-senate-floor", "Wicker Advocates for NATO Reform Agenda on Senate Floor", "2024-07-10", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke yesterday on the U.S. Senate floor to promote a stronger path forward for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance amid its 75th anniversary celebration this week in Washington.\n\nNine NATO countries still do not satisfy the treaty commitment to spend two percent of GDP on defense. In his remarks, Senator Wicker challenged them to step up, especially as the new \u201caxis of aggressors\u201d increases cooperation against the free world. He also welcomed the soon-to-be NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to his new position, asking him to partner on moving transatlantic industrial base investment beyond even the two percent benchmark.\n\nRead Senator Wicker\u2019s remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nMr. President, I would note, as members have seen and as the public is reading and hearing about, that this week, 32 nations are gathering in Washington for NATO\u2019s 75th Anniversary Summit. Our alliance has reached this remarkable milestone \u2013 75 years. Its longevity reaffirms its past success and its enduring value.\n\nAnd our bond must remain strong, particularly at this hour. We are in the most dangerous global security threat since World War II. Almost all of our witnesses before the Armed Services Committee tell us that we are in the most dangerous global threat security [environment in] generations. As we navigate today\u2019s new challenges, NATO still stands as an indispensable alliance.\n\nI this consequential moment, NATO is receiving a new leader. I congratulate the outgoing Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, and I welcome our new Secretary-General, Mark Rutte.\n\nNATO\u2019s 75th anniversary and its leadership transition provide Senators an opportunity. We have a chance to remember why NATO matters \u2013 and we have a chance to call upon every member \u2013 every nation member \u2013 to recommit to our alliance. I call upon my colleagues in both Houses, and in the administration \u2013 our friends \u2013 to recommit to this important and vital alliance.\n\nAs Mr. Rutte takes office, he has a significant challenge to confront. And frankly, we all do, as I have pointed out from this desk numerous times.\n\nNATO faces a new \u201caxis of aggressors.\u201d China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are banding together. They\u2019re banding together to help Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine, and they\u2019re banding together to pursue their designs on the free nations of this world.\n\nThis new axis poses a set of growing, interlocking strategic threats to the United States and our allies. In their own way, they\u2019ve all been supporting Russia\u2019s illegal and unprovoked war on Ukraine.\n\nAnd, Mr. President, at this moment, I would have to pause and note the shameless and vicious Russian attack just earlier this week on a children\u2019s hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine.\n\nThis act, by one of the most brutal dictators that has ever walked on the face of the earth, must go answered. It cannot go unanswered. And the very idea that the free nations of this world would seek to negotiate as peers with such a brutal war criminal as Vladimir Putin, to me, is unthinkable. What in the world makes anyone think that this person who has violated every single principle of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe would negotiate in good faith and agree to that negotiation?\n\nSo, we have a bleak situation. And it highlights NATO\u2019s importance. NATO was built for such a time as this. And in meeting with the leaders yesterday afternoon, on the other end of this magnificent Capitol, I was heartened to hear that principle underscored.\n\nAfter the devastation of two world wars, NATO kept the peace by deterring the Soviet Union, and thank God we did. In the post-Cold War era, the alliance\u2019s support for Ukraine has demonstrated why NATO continues to be relevant. Most NATO members have provided substantial military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. In short, the alliance celebrates its 75th birthday from a position of strength.\n\nBut we should not interpret NATO\u2019s accomplishments in the past as a license to let down our guard now. NATO\u2019s collective strength is only as strong as its members\u2019 individual commitments.\n\nThe truth is that our allies need to spend more on defense. We need, in the United States, to spend more on defense. It\u2019s a necessity. We need to build modern, capable militaries that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder together in a fight against this axis of aggressors. We need the industrial might to match that force strength.\n\nIn fact, most allies are meeting their obligations: This year, 23 of 32 NATO countries will spend at least two percent of their gross domestic product on defense \u2013 up from only seven out of 32 at the time of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. We all learned a lesson at that moment two and a half years ago.\n\nThe world has grown too dangerous for the remaining NATO members not to meet the two percent mark. We all must make it a priority to increase defense spending.\n\nIt\u2019s shocking and unacceptable that some allies \u2013 especially some capable ones \u2013 have yet to reach the two percent requirement that they agreed to.\n\nFriends can speak candidly to one another, and so I will: Our neighbor to the north, Canada, is among this group, which has not \u2013 and for several years in the future will not \u2013 reach its need.\n\nI was able to meet with Prime Minister Trudeau just a few moments ago and was glad to hear him say that an announcement will be made from our friends in Canada, perhaps later this week, about a new plan to more quickly reach that two percent goal. And I call on him to fulfill that statement that he made to us in private. We look forward to that, and we congratulate him on that effort. NATO allies shouldn\u2019t outsource security to others.\n\nBut this challenge presents an opportunity, one that adds to the mandate we give the incoming Secretary-General. The transatlantic industrial base has withered, and we also need to attend to that. And that should be a part of Secretary-General Rutte\u2019s new platform.\n\nIn the past, our friends of freedom have had to follow our lead as we pursue a \u201cpeace through strength\u201d agenda. Today, Europe has not kept pace as it should.\n\nThe United States has begun to invest heavily to rebuild its arsenal of democracy, and we need to continue doing so. But we\u2019re still waiting for the dramatic increase in European 155mm artillery production. We have yet to see the expanded lines of long-range cruise missiles, such as the Storm Shadow and the SCALP. We have heard promises of a reinvigorated defense industrial base in Europe, but those assurances have yet to be fulfilled.\n\nSo, as he assumes office, Secretary-General Rutte should join us in recognizing the two percent commitment is, in truth, insufficient in light of Russia\u2019s newly mobilized war economy.\n\nThere are additional issues standing in NATO\u2019s way. Its members remain \u2013 they remain mired in their own domestic issues. They must of course attend to these domestic concerns. But they also remain tangled up in an alliance bureaucracy that struggles with basic expansions in munitions production capacity.\n\nThese challenges are significant, but Mr. Rutte and the elected governments of our alliance must not abide the status quo. We should consider this situation unsustainable, and we should say so.\n\nNATO asks its members for two percent. In my 21st Century Peace Through Strength report, I have recommended that we in the United States spend five percent of GDP on national defense, as did President Reagan. My plan is primarily designed to deter the Chinese Communist Party, but it also calls for the United States to deepen commitments to Europe.\n\nFor a few examples: I recommend permanently stationing an armored Brigade Combat Team in Poland. My plan proposes increasing our rotational deployments in Eastern Europe. We should also improve intelligence sharing and communication among allied forces.\n\nTime and again, the United States has learned \u2013 sometimes the hard way \u2013 we cannot walk away from Europe. Together, the transatlantic alliance represents half of the world\u2019s economy. There\u2019s simply no way to contain Beijing\u2019s economic aggression without working together closely. Likewise, a stagnant U.S. military budget and half-hearted European defense spending cannot contain Russia\u2019s antagonism.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senator-wicker-honors-senator-inhofe-on-senate-floor", "Senator Wicker Honors Senator Inhofe On Senate Floor", "2024-07-09", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., delivered remarks on the Senate floor honoring former Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Jim Inhofe, who passed away this morning. Remarks as delivered are below:\n\nI rise this morning to discuss national defense, and in particular, the importance of the NATO alliance, as quite a number of our friends in NATO have arrived in Washington to celebrate the 75th annual meeting of this important defense organization.\n\nAnd I can hardly talk about national defense, and NATO, and the importance of keeping our defenses strong without calling attention to the sad fact that our former colleague, Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, passed away this morning.\n\nI am told that Senators Lankford and Mullin will seek recognition at a later time to speak extensively about this remarkable statesman who has passed from among us.\n\nMembers will be notified of when that might be, should they want to join in.\n\nBut at this point \u2013 at this pivotal moment, when I wish to talk about national defense \u2013 let me just say a word or two about my friend and colleague of 30 years, Jim Inhofe.\n\nAs a young man \u2013 as a young family man \u2013 Jim Inhofe quickly learned how to build a business and create jobs, and he did so successfully. Only a few years later as a municipal leader, he found out how to build consensus. And he took that knowledge with him to Capitol Hill as a member of the House of Representatives and then as our colleague here in the United States Senate. And Jim Inhofe demonstrated that he continued to know how to build consensus and get things done for his fellow Oklahomans, as well as for his fellow Americans.\n\nAnyone who knew Jim Inhofe knew that he was a dedicated Christian. Jim Inhofe was a man of great faith, with, in particular, a heart for Sub-Saharan Africa.\n\nHe visited there countless times, encouraged numerous \u2013 probably hundreds \u2013 of his fellow Senators and Representatives \u2013 to accompany him to visit some of the most challenged countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. He hosted countless prayer breakfasts there. He got to know the leaders in those countries and their families by name. He was a remarkable Christian friend to those in Africa.\n\nJim Inhofe was an accomplished pilot. He flew solo around the world at age 56. As a Member of Congress, he was known as a straight shooter who was not afraid to challenge the conventional wisdom, as he did so on numerous occasions.\n\nJim and his wife Kay were married for 64 years. Together, they had four children, and 12 grandchildren, one of whom they found, and adopted, and rescued during a trip to Africa. I would mention that Kay Inhofe has been a special friend and advisor to my wife, Gayle, for these decades.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senator-wicker-schumer-should-bring-ndaa-to-the-floor", "Senator Wicker: Schumer Should Bring NDAA to the Floor", "2024-07-08", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), called on to Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to bring the recently filed Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act to the Senate floor. Senator Wicker\u2019s statement:\n\n\u201cThe Senate Armed Services Committee sent a bipartisan signal that we must return to \u2018peace through strength.\u2019 The new axis of aggressors and their threats are already upon us. We do not have time to waste. Instead of all the recent show votes, this vital national security legislation, which includes the $25 billion topline increase, must be considered,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThe world\u2019s greatest deliberative body should get a chance to work its will on the floor, and I hope more of my colleagues will join me in continuing the national conversation about investing more.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker will continue making the case that if President Biden\u2019s budget can call for $76 billion above the spending caps, then the U.S. Congress can discuss increasing defense spending.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/7/senator-wicker-statement-on-russian-strike-on-ukrainian-children-s-hospital", "Senator Wicker Statement on Russian Strike on Ukrainian Children\u2019s Hospital", "2024-07-08", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, commented on reports that Russia has unleashed its largest missile barrage on Ukraine in months, striking a children\u2019s hospital and leaving at least 30 dead. This attack occurred as NATO leaders are convening in Washington this week for the 75th anniversary of the alliance:\n\n\u201cThe world has known at least since February 22, 2022, that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal. His bombing of a children\u2019s hospital on Sunday only reinforces that reality,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cRather than discussing negotiations with this brutal dictator, we should look toward the day when he is charged and convicted for his genocidal acts. As if we needed another reminder, this evil and barbaric attack shows the high moral cost of the Biden administration\u2019s failure to supply Ukraine with the munitions and defenses it needs.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/6/senator-wicker-commends-advancement-of-yazoo-flood-control-solution", "Senator Wicker Commends Advancement of Yazoo Flood Control Solution", "2024-06-28", "2024", "2024-06", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Plan has been promised to Yazoo since 1941\n\nOne of Senator Wicker\u2019s longstanding priorities\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Vicksburg District today released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Yazoo Backwater Study Area. The federal government authorized the pumps 80 years ago, but the project has been held up by bureaucrats and red tape ever since.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement.\n\n\u201cThe people of the Yazoo Backwater Area have experienced setback after setback while waiting decades for flood control solutions. The delay has been devastating for the region,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cToday\u2019s announcement puts the South Delta one step closer to a water management program that would protect businesses, homes, and farms from flooding. I have spent years pushing for flood control projects in the South Delta, and the Yazoo Backwater Pumps Project is one of my longstanding priorities. I will keep pushing the federal bureaucrats to finish the project, and I encourage Yazoo Backwater Area residents to continue sharing their stories and opinions so we can prevent further tragedy and loss.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nUnder the proposed DEIS plan, a series of new pumping stations would drain the water that pools on the flood plain during periods of heavy rainfall. During crop season, the pumps would activate when water nears 90 feet. Out of season, they would turn on to keep water from exceeding 93 feet. The limited number of residents whose property falls inside the projected flood zone will be able to receive government help raising their homes, building ring levees, or moving outside the risk area. Public comments will be accepted for 45 days after the release of the DEIS and will close on August 12, 2024.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/6/senator-wicker-statement-on-president-biden-s-third-failed-attempt-at-the-gaza-pier-mission", "Senator Wicker Statement on President Biden\u2019s Third Failed Attempt at the Gaza Pier Mission", "2024-06-28", "2024", "2024-06", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), responded to press reports that the Gaza pier has again been suspended because of rough sea conditions and may not be redeployed.\n\nPrevious press reports indicated the Mediterranean Sea\u2019s rough waters were expected to worsen over the summer, which called into question if the pier would be an effective conduit for humanitarian aid.\n\nThe pier was under construction or in planning phases for 68 days. Then, it was operating for 11 days before breaking apart and being paused for 10. Earlier this month, it resumed for three days, then paused for three days, and it was again shut down again for another four days because of difficult sea states. It was then redeployed another time for eight days before shutting down.\n\nIn total, the pier appears to have been offline or under construction more than four times as long as it has been operational.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:\n\n\u201cHow long until the White House approves a federal disaster declaration for this mission? President Biden\u2019s unworkable pier went from being the crown jewel of his State of the Union to barely being able to stay above water. This tragic waste of our military\u2019s time is what happens when politics is put ahead of practicality. The window has closed for this disastrous project to make any meaningful difference,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nSenator Wicker has been raising the alarm on the Gaza pier project since March, when he wrote a Washington Examiner op-ed highlighting its potential risks to U.S. forces and led his SASC colleagues on a letter to President Biden asking basic questions about its operational solvency.\n\nThis failure was predicted by every Republican member of SASC. The Senate\u2019s version of the National Defense Authorization Act passed earlier this month directs an Inspector General report on the poor planning that precipitated this decision.\n\nIn the letter, Senator Wicker and his colleagues wrote: \u201cAs has been widely reported in the press, armed gangs are attacking aid convoys crossing into the strip. Your decision to build a pier for Gaza merely creates another port of entry that will be backlogged.\u201d This was sadly prescient: as of June 24, DoD informed the Senate Armed Services Committee that of the 6,206 metric tons of humanitarian assistance that had been moved into Gaza via the pier, 5,228 metric tons \u2013 more than 84 percent \u2013\u201cremains in the marshaling yard ashore awaiting transfer and distribution.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/6/putin-kim-visit-in-north-korea-affirms-the-immediate-need-for-ndaa-vote-in-the-u-s-senate", "Putin-Kim Visit in North Korea Affirms the Immediate Need for NDAA Vote in the U.S. Senate", "2024-06-20", "2024", "2024-06", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke today on the U.S. Senate floor about Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un\u2019s meeting in Pyongyang this week.\n\nIn his remarks, Senator Wicker underscored that North Korea, Russia, Iran, and China\u2019s partnerships are already undermining American interests, which highlights the need for the National Defense Authorization Act to be brought to the U.S. Senate floor immediately.\n\nSenator Wicker\u2019s remarks also raised the increased cooperation between the new \u201caxis of aggressors.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker also emphasized how the defense investment proposals in his recently released \u201c21st Century Peace Through Strength\u201d plan could help meet the moment.\n\nThe remarks also follow a similar op-ed from Senator Wicker in Fox News about the rising nuclear threat from North Korea and proposals to improve deterrence against Kim Jong Un.\n\nRead Senator Wicker\u2019s remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nFor the first time in 24 years, this week, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin visited the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. This rare trip was a sign of a new reality, and it amounts to bad news for the United States and for our alliance and the forces of freedom around the world. An axis of aggressors continues to emerge and this visit by Putin to Kim Jong Un is just the latest sign.\n\nOur adversaries, Russia, North Korea, China, the Ayatollah\u2019s Iran have been banding together to create a world that is less free, less peaceful, and less prosperous for the American people. Every member of the Senate knows this, and we have an opportunity to respond. And there is a glimmer of good news, Mr. President.\n\nLast week, the Senate Armed Services Committee, of which I am a member, overwhelmingly voted to move the National Defense Authorization bill forward. We wrote the bill specifically to address this rising danger.\n\nOur near unanimous support for passage of the NDAA is a sign that we agree on at least one thing: the United States is not ready to stand up to this axis of aggressors. This new group, who are banding together and assisting each other as they never have before, and we don\u2019t have time to waste.\n\nThe Armed Services Committee has put that conviction into practice. Senators from both sides of the aisle added an additional $25 billion to the legislation \u2013 to the topline of this legislation. Twenty-five billion dollars which would invest in the munitions and systems we need to confront this axis and to prevent war \u2013 to preserve the peace and prevent war.\n\nVladimir Putin\u2019s visit to Kim Jong Un was more than just a ceremony. The two autocrats signed a defense pact between North Korea and Russia, agreeing to help each other militarily. This new pact is troubling, but it should come as no surprise.\n\nIt is only the latest step in their growing partnership. For two years, North Korea has been supplying Russia with millions of artillery shells and hundreds of ballistic missiles for Putin\u2019s illegal war against Ukraine.\n\nIn exchange, Moscow has helped Pyongyang evade the sanctions that previously held back the North Korean economy. The Russian-North Korean partnership is just one aspect of the growing axis of aggressors.\n\nChina has supported Russia\u2019s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. China has sent weapons components and geospatial intelligence to Vladimir Putin. In return, Moscow has sold oil to China.\n\nIran has supplied \u2013 Iran \u2013 in another section of the world, has supplied hundreds of ballistic missiles and thousands of deadly drones for Putin\u2019s terror campaign against Ukrainian citizens. Russia has returned the favor by sending Tehran advanced air defense missiles and jets.\n\nAll four of these countries, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and communist China have supported Hamas\u2019 hateful and illegal attack on Israel, and they have supported the Houthis\u2019 reckless campaign against international commerce.\n\nTime and again, my colleagues and I have been calling attention to this evil alliance. We in the United States should expect more meetings like the one that took place in Pyongyang this week.\n\nA year ago, China hosted the first state visit of Iranian officials \u2013 first time ever that communist China has hosted a state visit of Iranian officials. Just last month, Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is not an accident. These instances are not unrelated Mr. President.\n\nAt these meetings, handshakes will turn into hardware. You can be sure of that. Our adversaries will continue sending the tools of war to each other, further destabilizing the free world.\n\nAnd as the world is changing, so must the United States. We must return to what we know works best, to what has been proven to work best. We must increase our military capability, and we must do it now, which is why I am so thankful to my colleagues on a bipartisan basis for what they have done in the National Defense Authorization Act in committee.\n\nIn May of this year, I released a detailed plan to make sure that we return to a necessary level of support for our military. We entitled it the \u201c21st Century Peace Through Strength\u201d document, and it contains proposals for every theater and every domain of warfare.\n\nA number of elements in the report are particularly relevant to the budding North Korea-Russia relationship and to China\u2019s nuclear breakout.\n\nIn my plan, I recommend serious conversations with our allies and partners, conversations about how to meet the threats we share. With our allies South Korea, Japan, and Australia, we should discuss nuclear burden-sharing agreements. It\u2019s time for them to step forward and join us in nuclear burden-sharing. Just as former Japanese Prime Minister, the late Shinzo Abe, suggested in 2022. We should also explore re-deploying American nuclear weapons back where they have been in the past, to that region, to keep North Korea and China in check.\n\nThe Senate Armed Services Committee has taken a first step to fix our nuclear shortfalls in the Pacific. And Mr. President, this is as result of a panel of experts that this congress authorized, that this president signed legislation for, and which has met over the past several years, and which reported to us on not a bipartisan basis but a unanimous bipartisan basis.\n\nOur action in the NDAA reflects that unanimous recommendation of experts. In that regard, we authorized the continued development of the sea-launched nuclear cruise missile. This will help us rise to the challenge posted by our adversaries\u2019 tactical nuclear weapons. The committee has also focused its defense budget increase on exactly the kinds of the weapons and infrastructure that will be most helpful as we seek to deter our adversaries, to deter our adversaries from making a fatal mistake, so that we can continue the peace.\n\nThose steps are tailored to the Pacific, but the goals match the overall theme of this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act. Just as we did under the administration of Ronald Reagan, we can achieve peace through strength. But we must achieve it through strength. That\u2019s the way Reagan did it, and he did it with a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House for many of those years.\n\nWe can contain the rising axis of aggressors. But we can only do so if we make a once-in-a-generation investment in our armed forces. This is not a luxury. This is not a frill for our military that is to be desired by some of them. This is an absolute necessity.\n\nListen to the witnesses that have come before us in open sessions of our committee, and almost to a man and a woman they have said this is the most dangerous defense situation that we have had in if not decades, in generations. These are the people that we look to for information and leadership and this is the non-classified testimony. Those of us who see all of the information see further need for this necessity, not this frill.\n\nSo, as I said earlier, Mr. President, my Senate Armed Services Committee colleagues agree. We\u2019ve recognized the danger, and we\u2019ve taken the first step to meet the moment. Last week, we did agree to the defense topline increase of $25 billion and frankly, experts who have done this before tell you that we really needed twice as much. But this is what we could get passed out of the committee.\n\nThe topline increase is a down payment on the defense investment that is necessary to keep Americans safe. It would help reverse the downsizing of our Navy, help reverse the downsizing of our Air Force and would bring the next-generation weapons to the field faster. It includes $5.5 billion to accelerate production of key munitions and counter-drone gear.\n\nThe increase would invest over $1 billion in space capabilities crucial for 21st century warfare, and Mr. President you know this, and every member of the Senate know this: the next war, if we cannot avoid it, will be fought in space and will be fought with lasers in addition to the oceans and in addition to on the ground. We are in need of providing ourselves with the resources to meet that kind of new warfare that we\u2019ve never seen in the history of mankind.\n\nIt would invest $6 billion in military construction and maintenance for our barracks, training ranges, and military infrastructure, and a pay raise for those Americans, those brave young Americans, those brave young men and women who are willing to step forward and say I am going to take an oath to serve my country during dangerous times.\n\nSo, Mr. President, Putin\u2019s visit to North Korea is just another sign that we have no time to waste. The axis has already started solidifying as I\u2019ve pointed out. Senate leadership needs to bring the NDAA to the floor for a vote, soon. Delays only diminish American strength and embolden our adversaries. Again, I commend my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee, and I call on our leadership to bring this essential legislation forward now so that we can let the appropriators know what we actually need.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/6/u-s-senate-armed-services-committee-advances-annual-defense-bill", "U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Advances Annual Defense Bill", "2024-06-18", "2024", "2024-06", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) is advancing Congress\u2019 annual defense bill. As the highest-ranking Republican on SASC, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is well-positioned to shape the bill, the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (FY 25 NDAA), to benefit Mississippi\u2019s service members and their families. Senator Wicker also secured a $25 billion increase to the defense budget so we can adequately meet today\u2019s growing threats from the new axis of aggressors: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.\n\nThe next step for the legislation would be a full vote in the U.S. Senate. Senator Wicker will fight for pro-Mississippi provisions to be included in the final version, which historically becomes law at the end of the calendar year.\n\nAmong many of Senator Wicker\u2019s priorities, a few key elements of the bill could ensure Mississippi receives additional investments in artificial intelligence, unmanned weapons systems, special operations activities, naval fleet construction, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and national security research.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/6/sasc-completes-markup-of-national-defense-authorization-act-for-fiscal-year-2025", "SASC Completes Markup of National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025", "2024-06-14", "2024", "2024-06", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that the Committee voted 22-3 to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for consideration.\n\nSenator Reed commented: \u201cI am glad that this year\u2019s NDAA makes important progress in a number of areas, including a well-deserved pay raise for military servicemembers, powerful new security initiatives in the Indo-Pacific, and significant support for technologies like counter-drone defenses and AI. However, I regret that I needed to vote against passage of this bill because it includes a funding increase that cannot be appropriated without breaking lawful spending caps and causing unintended harm to our military. I appreciate the need for greater defense spending to ensure our national security, but I cannot support this approach.\n\n\u201cPassing the NDAA takes bipartisanship \u2013 that means you don\u2019t win everything \u2013 and I\u2019m grateful that my colleagues share a common agreement that getting this bill to the Senate floor and ultimately the President\u2019s desk is our paramount responsibility. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and House to find practical ways to strengthen this year\u2019s defense bill.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker also commented: \u201cThis bill shows there is bipartisan support for doing more to maintain deterrence and protect American interests. I am encouraged that many of my colleagues have joined me in the conversation about the need to invest more in our national defense. I look forward to discussing the peace through strength vision I have laid out in the months to come. This year\u2019s NDAA results are a testament to the tradition of bipartisanship, vigorous debate, and good working order on which this committee prides itself.\u201d\n\nCommittee approval is the first step in a months-long process to establish defense funding levels and set policies for the Defense Department and the Energy Department\u2019s national security programs. The bill must now be debated and voted on by the full U.S. Senate. A separate measure will make its way through the U.S. House of Representatives. Once both the Senate and House pass their versions of the bill, they must then be reconciled in a bicameral conference committee, and then approved by each chamber before a final version may be sent to the President to be signed into law.\n\nThis marks the 64th consecutive year that the Committee has advanced the defense policy bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/6/senator-wicker-secures-topline-increase-in-ndaa-markup", "Senator Wicker Secures Topline Increase in NDAA Markup", "2024-06-14", "2024", "2024-06", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., secured a $25 billion increase to the defense budget topline during the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) consideration of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).\n\nThe Wicker amendment was adopted on a bipartisan basis and would increase defense investment for FY2025 by $25 billion.\n\nSenator Wicker, the highest-ranking Republican on SASC, released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThis is a significant win for our national security. Two weeks ago I released a proposal for increased spending on vital national security needs. I hope that proposal and this week's legislation can be part of a continuing national conversation. My amendment to increase the budget topline is a down payment, and it keeps advancing the discussion. Negotiations need a starting point, and this is not the end. I will not give up on reaching a defense level that meets the moment,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nIn recent weeks, Senator Wicker has amplified his call for a generational investment to prevent another world war. He has highlighted how the axis of aggressors and their threats are already upon us, that there is no time to waste, and why we needed to get started this year with corrective action.\n\nThe NDAA is not subject to the Fiscal Responsibility Act caps.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/6/president-biden-approves-state-of-mississippi-s-request-for-federal-disaster-declaration", "President Biden Approves State of Mississippi\u2019s Request for Federal Disaster Declaration", "2024-06-11", "2024", "2024-06", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Last night, President Biden approved Governor Tate Reeves\u2019 request for a federal disaster declaration after recent storms \u2013 including multiple tornadoes \u2013 brought severe damage to the State of Mississippi. U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Trent Kelly, R-Miss., Michael Guest, R-Miss., and Mike Ezell, R-Miss., supported the governor\u2019s ask.\n\nA declared federal declaration initiates the process for federal funds and support to flow to Mississippi\u2019s communities. Specifically, Governor Reeves\u2019 declaration included a request for assistance for Hancock, Hinds, Humphreys, Madison, Neshoba, and Scott Counties.\n\nSee the full letter here or below:\n\nDear President Biden,\n\nRecent storms \u2013 including multiple tornadoes \u2013 brought severe damage to the State of Mississippi. Together, we request your full consideration of Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves\u2019s request for a federal disaster declaration.\n\nWe appreciate the efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in assisting with past disasters and anticipate expeditious support from the agency in assisting state and local officials as Mississippi recovers from these severe storms.\n\nInitial damage reports indicate Mississippi experienced an atmospheric disturbance, which generated multiple tornadoes, supercell thunderstorms, flooding, and severe straight-line winds from April 8 to 11. Two Mississippians lost their lives, and at least 11 were injured. As Governor Reeves noted, damage assessments report that at least 108 homes, businesses, and other structures were destroyed or suffered significant damage.\n\nThis declaration includes a request for Individual Assistance for Hancock, Hinds, Humphreys, Madison, Neshoba, and Scott Counties. Additionally, it contains a request for statewide Hazard Mitigation assistance.\n\nAvailable resources from state and local governments and volunteer organizations are inadequate to meet the state\u2019s recovery needs. To recover, Mississippi needs significant federal assistance and cooperation.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 197, "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": "MS", "p2": "2024"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MS&year=2024", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 197, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MS&year=2024&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MS&year=2024", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 197, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MS&year=2024", "results": [{"value": "MS", "label": "MS", "count": 197, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2024", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MS&year=2024", "results": [{"value": "2024", "label": "2024", "count": 197, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MS", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2024-06-11,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ewicker~2Esenate~2Egov~2F2024~2F6~2Fpresident-biden-approves-state-of-mississippi-s-request-for-federal-disaster-declaration", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MS&year=2024&_next=2024-06-11%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ewicker~2Esenate~2Egov~2F2024~2F6~2Fpresident-biden-approves-state-of-mississippi-s-request-for-federal-disaster-declaration&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 90.65901767462492, "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"}