{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"WI\" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4701", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Votes to Pass Legislation to Increase Survival Checks to $2,000", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Votes to Pass Legislation to Increase Survival Checks to $2,000\r\nToday, Congresswoman Moore voted to pass the CASH Act, legislation to increase COVID-19 survival checks to $2,000, in response she released the following statement:\r\nI am so pleased to support legislation that would bring serious relief for my constituents, including those with adult dependents and Americans across the country, supplementing the COVID-19 package signed into law yesterday. As millions experience job loss along with housing and food insecurity, the need for direct relief is urgent. And $2,000 would provide a lifeline for Americans falling farther and farther behind.\r\nThat's why for months, Democrats have fought for higher cash payments, and after Trump's vocal support for increasing cash payments, there should be no hesitation in passing this relief in the Senate. Now Mitch McConnell must do what's right for the people.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4702", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Testing Positive for COVID-19", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Testing Positive for COVID-19 \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 28, 2020\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Testing Positive for COVID-19\r\nI tested positive for COVID-19. I am following guidance from my doctor and am isolating from others. I am thankful to be feeling well. I do not foresee this disrupting my work for Wisconsin's Fourth.I encourage every person to continue taking measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask, washing your hands, and practicing social distancing.\r\n\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-increase-direct-payment-checks-wisconsinites", "Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Increase Direct Payment Checks to Wisconsinites", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for theCaring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act. This legislation increases the value of the second round of Economic Impact Payments in the recently enacted COVID-19 relief package from $600 for individuals to $2,000.   \n\tI'm glad that the bipartisan COVID-19 relief package was finally signed into law given the amount of pain and suffering Wisconsin families have been facing during these challenging times, saidRep. Ron Kind. However, more support is needed and $600 rebate checks don't go far enough to provide Wisconsinites with the relief they deserve. That's why today I was proud to vote to increase direct payments to $2,000. Now, I hope the Senate will stand with Members on both sides of the aisle and the President to swiftly pass this vital legislation.\n\nRep. Kindvotedfor the bipartisan emergency COVID-19 relief package on December 21, 2020 to provide critical relief for Wisconsin workers, small businesses, farmers, health care providers, and families. The legislationlays the groundwork for a smooth COVID-19 vaccine rollout and includes many priorities Rep. Kind fought for such as his Paycheck Protection for Producers Act to expand access for family farmers when qualifying for the paycheck protection program; $300 million in new grants to fund rural broadband buildout and $65 million to complete broadband coverage maps; and $15 billion grant for music venues harmed by the pandemic such as the Pablo Center in Eau Claire.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-support-our-servicemembers-and-override-dangerous", "Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Support our Servicemembers and Override Dangerous National Defense Authorization Act Veto", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted to override President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bipartisan legislationbolsters our national security,sets critical national defense priorities for the upcoming year, reaffirms our steadfast commitment to NATO,includes a 3% pay raise for servicemembers,provides benefits to certain veterans exposed to Agent Orange, andinvests in countering cyber security threats, such as the recent hacks perpetrated by Russia.\n  Our troops serve with dedication and honor, and they deserve the best our nation can offer. To that end, it's unacceptable that the President put our national security and servicemembers at risk by choosing to veto the bipartisan NDAA, saidRep. Ron Kind. Today, I was proud to vote to override this veto and ensure that our brave men and women in uniform receive a well-deserved 3% pay raise and have the resources they need to safely and effectively defend our country.\n  Rep. Kindvotedfor the annual NDAA, which passed with broad bipartisan support on December 8, 2020. This legislation determines critical defense and national security priorities. This year's bill also directs the VA to provide benefits to veterans exposed to Agent Orange who were later diagnosed with bladder cancer, parkinsonism, or hyperthyroidism, which Rep. Kind called for earlier this Congress. Additionally, the bill calls for the VA and the Defense Department to develop standards of coordinated care for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/stop-student-debt-relief-scams-act-signed-into-law", "Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Bill to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Signed into Law", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.23.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin's Bipartisan Bill to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Signed into Law \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t The new law will provide more tools to identify and shut down fraudsters who hurt borrowers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) issued the following statement after her bipartisan legislation with U.S. SenatorsMike Braun (R-IN),Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Deb Fischer (R-RE) was signed into law. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwill expand and enhance efforts to identify and shut down student debt relief scams.\r\nFar too many students are already struggling with student loan debt, and they deserve to be protected from scammers and bad actors who are preying on their financial security,said Senator Baldwin.The additional repayment relief provided to many borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately also created additional opportunities for fraudsters to do more harm. I'm so proud that my bipartisan reform is now the law of the land, because it is just commonsense to stop these student loan debt relief scams that harm hardworking Americans and prevent them from getting ahead.\r\nWith Americans facingmore than$1.7trillion in student loan debt, borrowers are looking for relief wherever they can find it. Debt relief scams falsely promise borrowers a quick fix with little hassle. These schemes robocall student loan borrowers until they agree to pay thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees for services that are available for free, claiming to reduce or forgive borrowers' student debt.\r\nIn a March 2018 report, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General recommended that Congress strengthen federal law to help stop scam artists that fraudulently obtain access to borrower's online login credentials, primarily by imposing meaningful financial penalties and prosecuting individuals and entities perpetrating these scams. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwould accelerate the end to this rampant misconduct.\r\nTheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Act,introduced in April 2019, will enhance law enforcement and administrative abilities to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. Specifically, the legislation will:\r\n \r\nClarify that it is a federal crime to access U.S. Department of Education information technology systems for fraud, commercial advantage, or private financial gain, and impose fines on scammers for violations of the law;\r\nDirect the U.S. Department of Education to create a new form of third-party access, akin to the current preparer function on the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for those applying on behalf of a student and their family, in order to protect legitimate organizations;\r\nRequire the U.S. Department of Education to maintain common-sense reporting, detection, and prevention activities to stop potential or known debt relief scams; and\r\nRequire student loan exit counseling to warn federal loan borrowers about debt relief scams.\r\n \r\n\r\nThe bill is endorsed by the Education Finance Council, Generation Progress, National Consumer Law Center(on behalf of its low-income clients), National Council of Higher Education Resources, Student Loan Servicing Alliance, The Institute for College Access and Success, and Young Invincibles.\r\nMore information about this legislation is availablehere. The full bill text is availablehere.\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/grli-act-passes-senate", "Senate Passes Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.22.20\n\t\t\t Senate Passes Baldwin's Bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Bipartisan Bill Ensures Great Lakes Will Be Protected for Future Generations \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  The United States Senate has passed Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanGreat Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act, which reauthorizes and expands funding for the Great Lakes. The legislation passed the House earlier this year and now heads to the President's desk.\r\nThe bipartisan bill will reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is set to expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2021, for another five years. The bill increases the current authorization level from $300 million to $375 million in Fiscal Year 2022 and increases funding by $25 million per year until it reaches $475 million in Fiscal Year 2026. Senator Baldwin, a member of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force,was joined bySenators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), co-Chairs of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, and Representatives David Joyce (R-OH) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)in introducingthis bipartisan legislation.\r\nThe Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has earned bipartisan support and is critical for the health of our region, our communities, and our clean water resources. It helps us clean up polluted sites, restore water quality and combat invasive species,said Senator Baldwin.Preserving the Great Lakes is not just an environmental goal - it is an economic necessity for Wisconsin, and making stronger, long-term investments in GLRI will better help us ensure that our Great Lakes are protected and preserved for generations to come. I'm looking forward to the President signing our bipartisan bill into law.\r\nSince its inception, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has tripled the successful cleanup and delisting of Areas of Concern, reduced phosphorus runoff and the threat of harmful algal blooms, controlled and stopped the advancement of invasive species, and restored wildlife habitat over thousands of miles of rivers and waterways. Since 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided more than $2.5 billion to fund 4,706 projects throughout the Great Lakes region.\r\nSenators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Vice Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Gary Peters (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Todd Young (R-IN), Vice Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, and 40 members of the House of Representatives are co-sponsors of this bipartisan legislation.\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/working-students-act-passes-congress", "Senator Baldwin Working to Make College More Affordable and Accessible for Wisconsin Students", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.22.20\n\t\t\t Senator Baldwin Working to Make College More Affordable and Accessible for Wisconsin Students \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Provisions from Baldwin's Working Students Act secured in the year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation will allow working college students to complete their degrees more quickly and with less debt \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), successfully secured provisions from her Working Students Actin the year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation to support students who are working their way through school. This year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation, which Baldwin voted for, passed the full Congress on Monday night and now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law.\r\nIn Wisconsin, I've heard firsthand from students and graduates struggling with the cost of higher education. As the pandemic continues to present students and families with challenging financial situations, we must do everything we can to make college and its related expenses more affordable, so we can build a stronger path to the middle class for all Americans,said Senator Baldwin.Students who work while in school should not be penalized with less access to financial aid. I'm proud my legislation has passed both chambers of Congress because now more than ever, we must ensure that working students have the opportunity to earn an affordable higher education and succeed in the workforce.\r\nSenator BaldwinintroducedtheWorking Students Actwith Representative Ami Bera (D-CA) in October 2019. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tim Kaine (D-VA).\r\nNearly 44 million Americans have outstanding student loans. According to data from the Federal Reserve, student loan debt totals more than $1.6 trillion across the country. The rising debt load makes it more difficult for young professionals to purchase homes, automobiles, and other goods, creating a huge drag on the overall economy.\r\nCurrently, students who work while attending school often are eligible for less financial aid due to their work income. The provisions included in the year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation from Baldwin'sWorking Students Actwill allow students that must work while in college to complete their degrees more quickly and with less debt. Specifically, these provisions will increase support for working students and families by reducing the work penalty that many students face when working to support themselves and pay for the rising costs of college. The year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation enacts a 35 percent increase for working students and 20 percent increase for families to the income protection allowance (IPA), shielding more of their income from reducing their financial aid.\r\nThe year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation includes additional reforms to make college more affordable and accessible to more students, including provisions that will:\r\n \r\nRestore Pell grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals, by removing a counterproductive prohibition that has encouraged recidivism and limits incarcerated individuals' ability to support themselves and their families upon release. Especially important during this pandemic, investing in post-secondary education for incarcerated individuals has also been shown toimprove conditions inside prisons;\r\nRestore Pell Grant eligibility for defrauded students,by resetting the clock on a student's eligibility if they are defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges and successfully receive a borrower defense discharge; and\r\nRestore Pell Grant eligibility for students with drug-related offenses, by repealing a 1998 prohibition on federal financial aid for college students convicted of a drug offense, which disproportionately disqualifies students of color and students with low incomes from receiving aid.\r\nExpand eligibility for the maximum Pell Grant award,by ensuring that all families who make under 175 percent, and single parents who make under 225 percent, of the federal poverty level will receivea maximum Pell Grant.\r\nMake critical investments in our nation's HBCUs, by forgiving the debt HBCUs have received to finance capital infrastructure projects and allowing HBCUs to redirect that spending on educating their students.\r\nSupport students with low-incomes and student parents,by requiring the Secretary of Education to notify students of their eligibility of programs that support students' basic needs, including housing andfood securityand access tochild care.\r\nRemove barriers to financial aid for students experiencing homelessness and students formerly in foster care,by easing the application and determination process for becoming eligible for aid.\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4700", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Supports End of Year Legislation Benefitting Milwaukee Residents", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Supports End of Year Legislation Benefitting Milwaukee Residents\r\nToday, Congresswoman Moore voted to pass H.R. 133, the omnibus spending bill which includes provisions she fought to secure to benefit Wisconsin's Fourth. In response, she released the following statement:\r\nThis funding package includes investments in our communities that are critical to supporting Americans through this pandemic. The programs that I worked hard to increase funding for will increase educational opportunity, support domestic violence survivors, fight housing and food insecurity, and prevent lead exposure, providing services and resources for the most vulnerable at a time when they are often needed most.\r\nIn addition, I am very glad that my bill, HR 5816, the Continuing Care for Patients Act, is included in this legislation. I know how important to good health outcomes it is to have sustained access to high quality health care and providers you trust and have worked with. Patients who are undergoing a course of treatment will now have protections when their doctor or hospital is terminated from their health plan's network. Network changes like this can leave patients in the lurch, potentially facing unexpected costs or delays. Under my bill, patients must be notified on a timely basis if their doctor or hospital is terminated from their health plan's network. And patients will have the right to elect to continue to see the same provider for 90 days (or until the treatment is complete if it less than 90 days). Patients who elect continued transitional care maintains the same plan or coverage benefits through the transition period and are subject to the same terms and conditions. For patients whose care extends beyond 90 days, this bill will help reduce the financial, emotional, and physical toll that can arise from having to transition because they will now have time to find a new provider. This provision is included in the portion of the legislation that wouldprotect consumers against surprise medical bills. By holding patients harmless, this fix ensures they are only responsible for their in-network cost-sharing amounts, including deductibles, in situations where patients do not have the ability to choose an in-network provider.\r\nElsewhere, the omnibus package includes a proposal supported by Congresswoman Moore to help foster youth and families through the pandemic, including children who may have aged out or left foster care during this public health emergency and a provision to allow families who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) flexibility in how those credits are determined, potentially putting more money in the pockets of working families.\r\nThe needs of Milwaukee residents have heightened during this economic recession and pandemic, which is why I continue to work to meet this critical moment in our country.\r\nKey Initiatives\r\nEducational Opportunity\r\n \r\n    TRIO Programs: $1.09 billion, an increase of $7 million in funding\r\n    Pell Grants: $6,495 maximum Pell Grant, an increase of $150\r\n    \r\n        Elsewhere in this package, provisions are included to increase access to Pell including repealing the ban on Pell eligibility among incarcerated students and restoring Pell Grant eligibility for students who were defrauded by their institutions.\r\n    \r\n    \r\n    Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies: $16.5 billion, an increase of $227 million\r\n    Head Start: $10.7 billion, an increase of $135 million\r\n    Child Care Development Block Grant: $5.9 billion, an increase of $85 million\r\n \r\nSupporting Domestic Violence Survivors\r\n \r\n    Family Violence Prevention and Services and the Domestic Violence Hotline:$196 million, an increase of $8.5 million\r\n    Violence Against Women Act programs: $513.5 million, an increase of $11 million\r\n \r\nReducing Food Insecurity\r\n \r\n    School Breakfast Expansion Grants: $6 million\r\n    WIC: $6 billion\r\n \r\nSecuring Housing\r\n \r\n    Tenant-based rental assistance: $25.8 billion in funding\r\n    McKinney Vento Homelessness Assistance Grants: $3 billion, an increase of $223 million\r\n    Community Development Block Grants:$3.5 billion, an increase of $50 million\r\n    Housing for the Elderly:$855 million, an increase of $62 million including up to $52 million for the construction of new affordable senior housing\r\n    New eviction prevention services demonstration program to provide legal assistance for low-income tenants facing eviction: $20 million\r\n \r\nSupporting Public Transportation\r\n \r\n    Transit infrastructure grants: $516 million\r\n    Capital Investment Grants: $2 billion\r\n \r\nLead Prevention\r\n \r\n    HUD's Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes: $360 million, an increase of $70 million\r\n \r\nCDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention: $39 million, an increase of $2 million\r\nEnvironmental Protection\r\n \r\n    Combined Sewer Outflow grants: $40 million, an increase of $12 million in funding\r\n    Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: $330 million, an increase of $10 million\r\n    EPA Environmental Justice activities: $12.5 million, a $2.3 million increase", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-s-key-wisconsin-priorities-included-end-year-package", "Rep. Ron Kind\u2019s Key Wisconsin Priorities Included in End of Year Package", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Last night,Rep. Ron Kindvoted to support the year-end package that included a number of priorities he has worked on for Wisconsin families.\nI'm glad to see Congress come together in a bipartisan manner to get this year-end package done, saidRep. Ron Kind. This legislation included a number of wins for Wisconsin that I pushed for such asincreased funding for Upper Mississippi River conservation, expanded access to health care providers and telehealth services, support for our postal system, funding to expand access to high-speed internet, and support for our family farmers. Moving forward, I will continue to work for the economic security and wellbeing of all Wisconsinites and ensure our voice is heard in the halls of Congress.\nCritical provisions in the package that Rep. Kind worked for include:\n Rep. Kind'sCraft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which will give Wisconsin's craft brewers more certainty in these uncertain times\n\t$15 billion in grants for live music venues such as the Pablo Center in Eau Claire\n\tRep. Kind's legislation to expand access to the Paycheck Protection Program for family farmers\n\tFunding for the Mississippi River through the Water Resources Development Act of 2020\n\tRep. Kind's legislation to expand medical residencies in Wisconsin, which willbring more doctors to community and rural hospitals\n\t$10 billion in direct funding for the USPS without requiring repayment\n\tRep. Kind's legislation to improve coverage under Medicare for immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients\n\t$400 million for a dairy donation program for food banks and other nonprofits\n\tRep. Kind's legislation to expand hospice services under Medicare at Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs)\n\tExpanded access to mental health services through telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries\n\tOver $120 million for opioid prescribing reforms at the VA\n\t$7 million for states to combat Chronic Wasting Disease\n\t$7 billion to increase expand broadband access for students, families and workers\n The above was passed alongside relief for Wisconsin's workers, families, small businesses, farmers, and health care providers.More can be foundhere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/bipartisan-covid-relief-legislation", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief Legislation", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.21.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief Legislation \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is voting for the bipartisan COVID-19 relief legislation that is set to pass both chambers of Congress today, before heading to the President's desk to be signed into law. In a statement, Senator Baldwin said:\r\n\r\nI am voting for the bipartisan COVID-19 relief legislation because Wisconsin needs help and it's essential that Congress provide some now before the end of the year. But our job is not done responding to this public health and economic crisis. In January, we need to come back and start working together with the Biden Administration to provide federal support to Wisconsin that working families, our state, and local communities are going to need next year to get past this deadly pandemic and build back better.\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/economic-justice-act", "Baldwin Announces Support for Economic Justice Act, Historic $435 Billion Proposal to Address Systemic Racism and Historic Underinvestment in Communities of Color", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.21.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin Announces Support for Economic Justice Act, Historic $435 Billion Proposal to Address Systemic Racism and Historic Underinvestment in Communities of Color \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senator Baldwin, Leader Schumer And Senate Democrats Today Announced the New and Improved Economic Justice Act, A Major Proposal That Would Provide More Than $435 Billion In Immediate and Long-Term Investments in Communities of Color \r\n Senate Democrats' Proposal Invests $135 Billion In Child Care, Mental Health and Primary Care, Minority-Owned Businesses and Jobs And $300 Billion For Infrastructure, A Homeowner Down Payment Tax Credit, Medicaid Expansion, And More \r\n  \r\n Senate Democrats: For Too Long Congress Has Underfunded Key Priorities in Communities of Color  The Economic Justice Act Is A Commitment to Reverse Decades of Disparities and Historic Underinvestment \r\n\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and her Senate Democratic colleagues in unveiling new additions to theEconomic Justice Act, a major legislative proposal that now provides more than $435 billion in immediate and long-term investments in communities of color to address systemic racism and reverse decades of historic underinvestment.\r\n\r\nThrough eleven key initiatives, theEconomic Justice Actaims to immediately help communities of color respond to the pandemic by investing over $135 billion in underfunded critical priorities, including child care, mental health and primary care, growth of minority-owned businesses, and job creation. This legislation also seeks to build long lasting wealth and health in these communities over the next five years by investing over $300 billion for infrastructure, a homeowner down payment tax credit, Medicaid expansion, and more.\r\n\r\nSystemic racism has plagued our country for far too long and those who deny it can do so no longer, particularly during this pandemic which has laid bare the health and economic disparities preventing communities of color from getting ahead. We know we have real work to do to heal the wounds of racism in our country and create shared prosperity for everyone,said Senator Baldwin.We must make long-term investments in communities of color to address systemic racism and reverse decades of historic underinvestment. That's why I'm supporting theEconomic Justice Act, a comprehensive proposal to invest in our underserved communities, help address systemic racism and move our country forward.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, the bill makes key policy changes to better target federal assistance to high-poverty communities and to implement local hiring provisions to ensure more federal infrastructure spending translates into job opportunities for disadvantaged workers and underrepresented populations. TheEconomic Justice Actis not the conclusion of efforts in this space, but an initial down payment for communities of color and the first in many focused investments and policy initiatives to begin dismantling systematic racism.\r\n\r\nThe legislation also includesincreasedinfrastructure investment, robust labor standards and policies to improve pay, benefits and worker power, and a new $15 billion Community Justice Initiative to begin to right the wrongs of past federal policy that displaced, physically isolated, and stripped wealth from communities of color.\r\n\r\nIn addition to Senator Baldwin and Leader Schumer, theEconomic Justice Actwas introduced by Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Senate Committee on Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Committee on Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI), Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE), Senate Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD), Senate Committee on Budget Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Senate Committee on Rules Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), Senate Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senate Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD),Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA).\r\n\r\nSome key endorsements of theEconomic Justice Actinclude the National Urban League, Conference of National Black Churches, NWLC, National Black Worker Center, PolicyLink, US Hispanic Chamber, CDFI Coalition, UnidosUs and Prosperity Now. A comprehensive list of endorsements can be foundhere.\r\nA summary of theEconomic Justice Actcan be foundhereand a section-by-section summary can be foundhere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/lifespan-respite-care-reauthorization-act-passes-congress", "Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Bill to Support the Health and Wellbeing of Family Caregivers to be Signed into Law", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.21.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin's Bipartisan Bill to Support the Health and Wellbeing of Family Caregivers to be Signed into Law \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.Following unanimous passage by the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanLifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Actheads to the President's desk to be signed into law.Authored by Senators Baldwin and Susan Collins (R-ME), as well as by Representatives JimLangevin(D-RI) and CathyMcMorrisRodgers (R-WA), this bipartisan legislation will support the health and wellbeing of family caregivers by authorizing $10 million annuallyfor the Lifespan Respite Care program from fiscal year 2020 through fiscal year 2024.\r\n\r\nEvery day, family caregivers in Wisconsin and across our country tend to the needs of their loved ones,said Senator Baldwin.Although this work can be very rewarding, it can also be emotionally and physically challenging. I'm proud to see my bipartisan legislation with Senator Collins win approval from both chambers of Congress. Together, we're going to help ensure continued funding for the Lifespan Respite Care Program so that our family caregivers can access the support and relief they need. I'm looking forward to the President signing this important bill into law.\r\n\r\nThe COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted the struggles of family caregivers and exacerbated the caregiver workforce crisis. Now more than ever, we need funding to cover costs to mitigate barriers to providing and accepting respite care, such as access and provision of PPE and the need for technological supports. Senator Baldwin really gets it, and we are grateful for her leadership and support of the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act,said Lisa Schneider, Executive Director of Respite Care Wisconsin.\r\n\r\nFamily and other unpaid caregivers play a critical and rarely recognized role in how our country cares for older adults,said John Sauer, President/CEO of LeadingAge Wisconsin.This legislation acknowledges their work and provides for essentialrespite services. During the pandemic, the burden on caregivers has grown, increasing their need for relief. Wisconsin's aging services providers stand ready to help.\r\n\r\nOn behalf of family caregivers across the country, AARP thanks Senators Collins and Baldwin for their bipartisan work to extend the Lifespan Respite Care Program. Especially now in the middle of this pandemic, caregivers need respite services more than ever. We are thankful that this can help more families be able to take advantage of this much-needed relief,saidBill Sweeney, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for AARP.\r\n\r\nThe National Respite Coalition applauds Representative JimLangevin, Senator Susan Collins, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Representative CathyMcMorrisRodgers for championing the Lifespan Respite Reauthorization Act to final passage. The pandemic has exacerbated the social isolation and economic insecurity felt by family caregivers and their loved ones, with devastating effects on their health and wellness. Respite may be their only lifeline,said Jill Kagan, Director of the ARCH National Respite Network. The Lifespan Respite Care Program, through very modest investments, allows states the flexibility and creativity to make sure family caregivers of children and adults are receiving quality respite services, even during COVID-19. The NRC stands ready to work with its partners and with our Congressional champions to make sure the program is fully funded and implemented.\r\n\r\nRespite care providestemporary relief to caregivers from their ongoing responsibilities.By protecting the health of caregivers, respite care decreases the need for professional long-term care and allows individuals who require care to remain at home. To date, 41 states have received funding through the Lifespan Respite Care program. The program provides competitive grants to states to establish or enhance statewide respite resources and help ensure that quality respite is available and accessible to all family caregivers.\r\n\r\nTheLifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019is endorsed by 100 leading caregiver and respite organizations, including AARP, the ARCH National Respite Coalition, Autism Society of America, the Arc, and the National Alliance for Caregiving.A group of 100 national, state, and local organizations across the countryhavesubmitted a letter of support.\r\nThereare53millionfamily caregivers in the United States that provide an estimated $470 billion in uncompensated care each year.\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4699", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on the COVID-19 Relief Package", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on the COVID-19 Relief Package \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 21, 2020\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on the COVID-19 Relief Package\r\nCongresswoman Moore released the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 133:\r\nThis COVID relief legislation is not perfect and falls short of the comprehensive package that I know is needed to address the financial insecurity millions are experiencing right now. I fought for direct cash payments, and while I am disappointed that it does not match the amount that House Democrats passed, I know these payments are only the beginning. But it is an interim solution that includes additional SNAP benefits, rental assistance, and a temporary eviction moratorium that will secure help now to millions of Americans and I support the good faith bipartisan efforts that got us to this point.\r\nWe still need to continue to address the health and economic impacts of this pandemic which has killed more than 300,000 Americans in less than a year. I am prepared to keep working with my colleagues in the House and the new Administration to pass additional legislation that will put money in the hands of the American people and deliver other aid to individuals, businesses, and our communities that have been hit hard. This will continue to be my priority until this pandemic is over.\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-provide-relief-wisconsin-workers-and-families-covid", "Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Provide Relief to Wisconsin Workers and Families as COVID-19 Crisis Continues", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for an emergency COVID-19 relief package to provide critical relief for Wisconsin workers, small businesses, farmers, health care providers, and families. Additionally, the legislationlays the groundwork for a smooth COVID-19 vaccine rollout and a robust economic recovery. This legislation passed the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support.\nThe COVID-19 crisis has created hardships for so many Wisconsin families, workers, and small businesses. While there's light at the end of the tunnel as COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed across the country, people are currently facing serious economic challenges, saidRep. Ron Kind. While I'm glad to see Congress come together and work across the aisle to pass this legislation, this process was unnecessarily painful, and relief for Wisconsinites is long overdue. Ensuring Wisconsinites have a lifeline as this crisis continues is my top priority, which is why I voted in support of this crucial legislation today. I will continue fighting to ensure families across the state have some certainty during these deeply uncertain times.\nRep. Kind fought hard to ensure this relief package included his Paycheck Protection for Producers Act to expand access for family farmers when qualifying for the paycheck protection program; $300 million in new grants to fund rural broadband buildout and $65 million to complete broadband coverage maps; and $15 billion grant for music venues harmed by the pandemic such as the Pablo Center in Eau Claire.\nIn addition, this relief package includes provisions to:\n Invest roughly $50 billion for testing, contact tracing, and vaccine procurement and distribution\n\tProvide $600 stimulus checks per person, including $600 for eligible dependent children\n\tProvide $300 supplemental unemployment benefits and extend all emergency unemployment programs through March\n\tDeliver $9 billion in additional funding for struggling health care providers\n\tProvide direct support for family farmers whose markets continue to be hampered by COVID-19\n\tProvide $10 billion in emergency funds for child care providers impacted by COVID-19\n\tProvide $10 billion in direct funding for the USPS\n\tInclude $325 billion in small business relief, including $284 billion for first and second forgivable PPP loans\n\tDeliver $25 billion in critically needed rental assistance for families struggling to stay in their homes and an extension of the eviction moratorium\n\tDedicate $400 million for a dairy donation program to provide dairy products to food banks and other nonprofits\n Rep. Kind encourages anyone who needsassistance to contact his office at888-442-8040.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-provide-relief-wisconsin-workers-and-families-covid-0", "Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Provide Relief to Wisconsin Workers and Families as COVID-19 Crisis Continues", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today, Rep. Ron Kind voted for an emergency COVID-19 relief package to provide critical relief for Wisconsin workers, small businesses, farmers, health care providers, and families. Additionally, the legislation lays the groundwork for a smooth COVID-19 vaccine rollout and a robust economic recovery. This legislation passed the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support.\n\nThe COVID-19 crisis has created hardships for so many Wisconsin families, workers, and small businesses. While there's light at the end of the tunnel as COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed across the country, people are currently facing serious economic challenges, said Rep. Ron Kind. While I'm glad to see Congress come together and work across the aisle to pass this legislation, this process was unnecessarily painful, and relief for Wisconsinites is long overdue. Ensuring Wisconsinites have a lifeline as this crisis continues is my top priority, which is why I voted in support of this crucial legislation today. I will continue fighting to ensure families across the state have some certainty during these deeply uncertain times.\n\nRep. Kind fought hard to ensure this relief package included his Paycheck Protection for Producers Act to expand access for family farmers when qualifying for the paycheck protection program; $300 million in new grants to fund rural broadband buildout and $65 million to complete broadband coverage maps; and $15 billion grant for music venues harmed by the pandemic such as the Pablo Center in Eau Claire.\n\nIn addition, this relief package includes provisions to:\n\n Invest roughly $50 billion for testing, contact tracing, and vaccine procurement and distribution\n Provide $600 stimulus checks per person, including $600 for eligible dependent children\n Provide $300 supplemental unemployment benefits and extend all emergency unemployment programs through March\n Deliver $9 billion in additional funding for struggling health care providers\n Provide direct support for family farmers whose markets continue to be hampered by COVID-19\n Provide $10 billion in emergency funds for child care providers impacted by COVID-19\n Provide $10 billion in direct funding for the USPS\n Include $325 billion in small business relief, including $284 billion for first and second forgivable PPP loans\n Deliver $25 billion in critically needed rental assistance for families struggling to stay in their homes and an extension of the eviction moratorium\n Dedicate $400 million for a dairy donation program to provide dairy products to food banks and other nonprofits\n\nRep. Kind encourages anyone who needs assistance to contact his office at 888-442-8040.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/passing-of-shirley-abrahamson", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on the Passing of Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson", "2020-12-20", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.20.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on the Passing of Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today released a statement on the passing of former Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson.\r\nShirley Abrahamson broke barriers and for her serving on the Supreme Court meant serving the people of Wisconsin as an independent, fair and impartial justice because after all, the court and our court system belongs to the people, not powerful special interests. That is why she spent a lot of her time traveling the state, meeting with people - whether it was meeting with local judges, riding along with local law enforcement, or meeting with advocates for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence  she always understood that you can't serve the people if you don't walk in their shoes. That is why the people of Wisconsin elected her to the Supreme Court four times and she served 43 years on the court - serving the people. All of us know the stories of that lonely office light on at the State Capital, as the Chief did her job working late into the night reading briefs and writing opinions. She was a true public servant who lived up to Wisconsin's work ethic with all her hard work doing so much for our state. Wisconsin honors the life of Shirley Abrahamson, whose legacy will continue to inspire so many.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-s-statement-cyber-attacks-multiple-us-agencies", "Rep. Ron Kind\u2019s Statement on Cyber-Attacks on Multiple U.S. Agencies", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Rep. Ron Kindreleased the following statement on reports that the Kremlin-backed Russian operatives hacked into multiple U.S. agencies--including the Departments of Treasury, Commerce, and Homeland Security:\nRussia's egregious cyber-attack highlights the severe cyber vulnerabilities that we need to be addressing now. It is deeply troubling that the White House remains silent on the attacks. It underlines the need for the President to stop playing games and sign the bipartisan NDAA into law, which includes critical improvements to our cyber capabilities. All tools available must be utilized to deter further attacks and respond to this attackincluding proportional offensive cyber responses and sanctions against Russia.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-receives-the-2020-rarevoice-congressional-leadership-award", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Receives the 2020 RareVoice Congressional Leadership Award", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/vet-hp-act-passes-congress", "Baldwin Bill to Cultivate Next Generation of Veterans Health Professionals Clears House and Senate, Heads to President\u2019s Desk", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.17.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin Bill to Cultivate Next Generation of Veterans Health Professionals Clears House and Senate, Heads to President's Desk \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Bill lays groundwork to help fill VA's 30,000 health care vacancies \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  The House of Representatives has passed U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanVeterans'-Specific Education for Tomorrow's Health Professionals Act of 2019 (VET HP Act).The bill passed the U.S. Senate last week and now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law.\r\nThe shortage of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) physicians and medical professionals has been a major problem for VA medical centers across the country, forcing VA facilities to provide care with fewer staff than are medically necessary to properly care for our nation's veterans.\r\nTheVET HP Actwould direct the Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) to create a one-year pilot program in at least five VA medical centers for pre-med students to gain clinical observation experience, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of veterans' specific health needs and experiences, while creating a viable pipeline of future medical professionals in the process.\r\nWe have a shared responsibility to do right by our veterans and that includes making sure our doctors and nurses are trained and well-equipped to deliver the highest quality care to those who have served,said Senator Baldwin.Students interested in a medical career need better access to training opportunities, and our VA medical centers need to attract a workforce with more exposure to the VA system at an earlier stage in their education in order to better understand veterans' specific health needs. I am proud my bipartisan legislation has passed both chambers of Congress because it will help train the next generation of health professionals and ensure our veterans receive the care they deserve.\r\nTheVET HP Actpreviously passed the House of Representatives in March 2019 after being introduced by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH). TheVET HP Actpassed the U.S. Senate in December 2020 as a part of a broad veterans legislative package and had to be voted on again in the House. This bill has been endorsed by the American Legion and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA).\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/covid-19-vaccines-rollout-reps-kind-gallagher-urge-operation-warp-speed", "As COVID-19 Vaccines Rollout, Reps. Kind & Gallagher Urge Operation Warp Speed Leadership to Take Steps to Ensure Rural Communities Aren\u2019t Left Behind", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today,Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI)andMike Gallagher (R-WI)sent a bipartisan letter to Operation Warp Speed leadership urging them to consider the unique challenges of vaccine distribution to rural areas across Wisconsin and take steps to support timely and equitable vaccine access for rural communities.\nWisconsin state and local health leaders have put together plans to conduct COVID-19 vaccination campaigns at unprecedented scale and speed, but additional resources andfederal support are critical to carrying out these efforts. Further, rural health care providers have already signaled concern about a number of unique challenges they might face in delivering vaccines to rural areas, such as ensuring vaccination sites are accessible, securing staff to coordinate logistics and administer vaccines, and ensuring adequate ultra-cold storage capacity. With COVID-19 cases surging across rural areas in Wisconsin, it's crucial that these communities have access to timely vaccination, underscoring the need for support with logistics.   We are at a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccines are starting to be distributed across the country, saidRep. Ron Kind. We need to be prepared to safely, effectively, and equitably distribute the vaccine to all Wisconsinites, regardless of where they live. To that end, it's critical that additional resources be provided to state and local public health leaders to help address the challenges of distributing vaccines to rural areas and ensure our rural communities are not left behind. \nRural hospitals across Wisconsin will face unique challenges in distributing and storing the Coronavirus vaccine, saidRep. Mike Gallagher. We have to make sure these communities are not left behind, and that will require both resources and guidance to our state and local health leaders. Operation Warp Speed has played an incredible role in our vaccine development and distribution and I am confident they will take whatever steps necessary to ensure our rural hospitals are properly equipped to provide vaccines to their communities.\"\nRead the letterhere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-press-trump-administration-on-decision-not-to-pre-order-more-doses-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine", "Baldwin, Colleagues Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Colleagues Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Reporting revealed the Trump Administration turned down an option this summer to pre-order additional doses Pfizer's vaccine \r\n Senators: We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation. \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined more than a dozen of her Democratic Senate colleagues led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, to send a letter to Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Chief Advisor of Operation Warp Speed, and General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Office of Operation Warp Speed, asking about recent reports that earlier this year the Trump Administration declined to purchase additional doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine when given the opportunity. The decision could hinder efforts to launch a nationwide mass vaccination campaign as the U.S. will reportedly be unable to purchase additional doses of the vaccine from Pfizer until pre-orders from other countries are filled.\r\nIn their letter, the Senators express concern about the Trump Administration's lack of planning and transparency, and press for more information about the Administration's preparations to purchase vaccines.\r\nWe write to you about reports the United States Government declined to exercise its option to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year. We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation. We fear this is yet another instance in which the Trump Administration's failure to develop a comprehensive national vaccines plan in a timely manner could jeopardize efforts to get people vaccinated and ultimately end this pandemic, wrote the Senators.\r\nThe letter continued, To earn public confidence, demonstrate accountability, and ensure the incoming Biden Administration has the information it needs to hit the ground running in getting our COVID-19 response on track, the Administration must be more transparent about its preparations, as well as how much funding is available, and is needed, to purchase, distribute, and administer sufficient vaccine to end this pandemic.\r\nIn addition to Baldwin, Murray and Wyden, the letter was also signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).\r\nThe full text of the letter is included below and available here.\r\nDecember 14, 2020\r\nDr. Moncef Slaoui\r\nChief Advisor, Operation Warp Speed\r\n1400 Defense Pentagon\r\nWashington, DC 20301\r\n\r\nGeneral Gustave Perna\r\nChief Operating Officer, Operation Warp Speed\r\n1400 Defense Pentagon\r\nWashington, DC 20301\r\n\r\nDear Dr. Slaoui and General Perna:\r\nWe write to you about reports the United States Government declined to exercise its option to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year. We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation. We fear this is yet another instance in which the Trump Administration's failure to develop a comprehensive national vaccines plan in a timely manner could jeopardize efforts to get people vaccinated and ultimately end this pandemic.\r\nWhile we are encouraged by the Food and Drug Administration's decision to grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, we are concerned that the Trump Administration's decision not to purchase more doses when given the opportunity will mean this development will not have the impact it could have to protect families from COVID-19. According to news reports, Pfizer offered the United States Government the chance to pre-purchase doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in excess of the initial order for 100 million doses.[1] When doing so, Pfizer reportedly warned that demand for its vaccine would likely outpace supply. However, the Trump Administration declined that offer; in consequence, the United States Government will not be able to purchase additional supply from Pfizer until pre-orders from other countries are filled. The European Union has finalized a deal with Pfizer for up to 300 million doses, and Canada has agreements to purchase up to 76 million doses.[2]\r\nThere have been over 15 million cases of COVID-19 in the United States and over 287,000 associated deaths. Hospitals across the country are at capacity and facing increasing numbers of infections in the coming weeks. The number of daily COVID-19 deaths soared to a new high of over 3,100 this week.[3] Our government must widely distribute safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines that can be administered to patients at no cost as soon as possible to help stop transmission of this deadly virus in our communities. Yet, if we do not have sufficient vaccines purchased, there will soon be nothing to distribute. Reports this week indicate the U.S. may face a vaccine cliff this spring, due to the Trump Administration's failure to purchase sufficient doses of vaccine.[4]\r\nOperation Warp Speed anticipates distributing vaccines for 20 million people this month and 50 million people by the end of January. Limited supplies of vaccines, however, will force experts to make hard decisions about who should receive the first doses of the vaccine. Indeed, millions of Americans may not receive the vaccine for months or nearly a year. The longer it takes to vaccinate people, the longer it will be until we can have a meaningful recovery from this pandemic.\r\nGiven these reports, we are very concerned the Trump Administration has not adequately planned for vaccine demand in the coming months, potentially imperiling the public health. To earn public confidence, demonstrate accountability, and ensure the incoming Biden Administration has the information it needs to hit the ground running in getting our COVID-19 response on track, the Administration must be more transparent about its preparations, as well as how much funding is available, and is needed, to purchase, distribute, and administer sufficient vaccine to end this pandemic.\r\nTo provide this transparency, we respectfully request a briefing to respond to the following questions by December 28, 2020.\r\n \r\nWhat is your current projection of how many vaccine doses are necessary to vaccinate the entire population?\r\nHow much vaccine has the United States Government contracted, and paid, for?\r\nHow much vaccine does the United States Government have a contract option to purchase, and with which manufacturers?\r\nHow much funding is available to make these purchases?\r\nHow much more funding, above the amount described in 3(a), is needed to exercise all contract options in full?\r\nHow much more funding, above the amount described in 3(a), is needed to purchase the number of doses described in 1?\r\n\r\n \r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-encourages-wisconsinites-take-advantage-health-care-s-open", "Rep. Ron Kind Encourages Wisconsinites to Take Advantage of Health Care\u2019s Open Enrollment Period Ahead of Dec. 15 Deadline", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "La Crosse, WI Today,Rep. Ron Kindis encouraging Wisconsinites to take advantage of the open enrollment period, which closes December 15. Before the deadline, those under the age of 65 can get health care coverage or make changes to their current health care plan by visitinghealthcare.gov. \nI encourage all Wisconsinites to take advantage of the open enrollment period and sign up for quality affordable health care ahead of tomorrow's deadline, saidRep. Ron Kind. Now is the best time to make changes to current health care plans and compare options to make sure that your plan is the best fit for you. Most people can find a plan with no-cost preventative care and may be eligible for tax credits to assist with monthly premiums.  If you have questions about signing up or want to talk through your options with a trained professional, call 211 or visitGetCovered.WI.gov.  If you have questions about how to access resources or need to be put in touch with the right person to help you sign up, you can call Rep. Kind's office at 1-608-782-2558 or visit kind.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-speaks-at-senate-hearing-on-covid-19-vaccine-distribution", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Speaks at Senate Hearing on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wfrv-baldwin-urges-congressional-leaders-to-pass-the-bipartisan-restaurants-act-before-too-late", "WFRV: Baldwin Urges Congressional Leaders to Pass the Bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act Before Too Late", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-announces-empowers-act", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Announces New Legislation to Reverse Trump Administration Move to Silence Workers in Corporate America", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.11.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Announces New Legislation to Reverse Trump Administration Move to Silence Workers in Corporate America \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t EMPOWERS Act Allows Retirement Savers to Set Binding Proxy Voting Guidelines \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today announced new legislation that would reverse a final rule from the U.S. Department of Labor to limit retirement plans from voting on corporate proxies and undermine workers' voice in the public companies where they invest.\r\nIn August, Trump's Labor Department proposed a rule to discourage ERISA plans from voting their proxies at all, unless the plans set a default voting policy to always vote with management. The rule effectively prevents workers from using their collective voice to influence public companies. The Trump administration's DOL rule is expected to be finalized today, and Baldwin will introduce her legislation to reverse it in January at the start of the 117th Congress.\r\nBaldwin's legislation would reverse this rule and make it easier for workers to control how their shares held for retirement are voted. The Encouraging More Proxy voting by Organized Workers, Employees, and Retirement Savers (EMPOWERS) Act would allow workers to elect representative trustees who would manage their ERISA plan jointly with the employer's trustees and set voting guidelines that investment managers would be required to follow.\r\nWith this action, the message from President Trump and Secretary Scalia is clear: big corporations and investment funds want workers to hand over their hard-earned savings and then stay quiet, said Senator Baldwin. This DOL rule will allow special interests and big corporations, who already have too much power in Washington, to continue to put short-term profits and their own paychecks ahead of workers and their retirement savings. We must take action to give workers and retirees a seat at the table and their rightful voice in board rooms across America, and that's what my legislation will do.\r\nERISA plans invest over $11 trillion in assets on behalf of workers and retirees. The public company stocks are held by the plan's investment manager, not by the workers and retirees who have built those retirement savings. That proxy voting power is also held by the investment managersnot workers. The investment industry has become increasingly concentrated and today the Big Three investment funds, BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, manage assets for over half of all ERISA plans. One of the Big Three is the largest shareholder in 9 out of 10 companies in the S&P 500, giving them the power to influence almost every vote, at almost every public company in the nation, using workers' retirement savings to do it. The EMPOWERS Act would restore the ability of ERISA plan participantsnot large asset managersto determine how their shares are voted.\r\nThe legislation is cosponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and supported by: American Federal of Labor and Congressional of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Majority Action, Public Citizen, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Communication Workers of America (CWA), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), American Economic Liberties Project, Stop The Money Pipeline, Rapid Shift Network, Catholic Network US, Call to Action CO, and Connecticut Citizen Action Group, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Sierra Club.\r\n\"TheAFL-CIO is pleased to support Senator Baldwin's EMPOWERS Act. Pension plan assets are the deferred wages of working people, and appointing worker representatives to boards of trustees will give workers a voicein the companies that we invest in, said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.\r\n\"Research by Majority Action has shown that the world's largest asset managers have used their tremendous voting power to rubber-stamp corporate boards and undermine initiatives to address climate change. As its name suggests, Senator Baldwin's EMPOWERS Act will empower retirement savers to set their own proxy voting guidelinesreversing the recently proposed Department of Labor rule aiming to silence themand enable workers to collectively make their voices heard in boardrooms across the country, said Eli Kasargod-Staub, Executive Director of Majority Action.\r\n\"The EMPOWERS Act would help rein in the dominant role played by a small group of giant asset managers in determining the outcome of corporate elections and restore the decision-making authority to the true shareholders -- workers and retirees. We have seen time and again that the outsized footprint of a few large financial companies in the governance of corporate America results in an excessive deference to management and the needs of wealth and well-connectedbeing put ahead of the public interest. The EMPOWERS Act is an important step toward breaking the new version of the old money trust, said Graham Steele, seniorfellow with American Economic Liberties Project.\r\nThroughout her career, Senator Baldwin has stood up for the rights of workers, called out the abuses of big corporations and special interests, and championed reforms that will give workers a say in how their company's profits are spent. Senator Baldwin introduced legislation, theReward Work Act,that would give workers a seat on corporate boards andrein in corporate America's addiction to stock buybacks.\r\nMore information on the EMPOWERS Act is available here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-votes-for-ndaa-gets-results-for-wisconsin-veterans-workers-communities", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Votes For National Defense Authorization, Gets Results for Wisconsin Veterans, Workers and Communities", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.11.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Votes For National Defense Authorization, Gets Results for Wisconsin Veterans, Workers and Communities \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today voted for the final version of the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 that includes a number of measures that deliver results for Wisconsin. The final version of the defense funding bill passed the House and Senate with a veto-proof majority and now heads to the President's desk for his signature.\r\nI voted in favor of this bipartisan defense authorization legislation because it makes important investments to strengthen our national security and support the health and well-being of our nation's veterans, said Senator Baldwin. In particular, I am pleased the bill will help expand health care coverage for veterans who need it, and makes critical investments that support Wisconsin's communities, military personnel and our Made in Wisconsin economy.\r\nThe final NDAA did not include strong Buy American standards that Senator Baldwin has long championed to help drive local economic growth and support good-paying jobs in Wisconsin. I strongly believe that when we build ships for America's Navy, we should use American workers and American made goods, and I'm disappointed that the final legislation does not include the strong Buy American standards that I recommended, said Senator Baldwin. \r\n\r\nProviding Health Care Benefits to Vietnam Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange\r\nThe NDAA includes an amendment, supported by Senator Baldwin, that would expand the VA's list of medical conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange to include Bladder Cancer, Hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonismhealth conditions that each meet the historical standard for being added to the presumptive list for service-connection as it relates to Agent Orange exposure. Currently, thousands of Vietnam veterans living with chronic health conditions developed as a result of their service are being denied critical benefits and health care from VA. This provision would require VA to provide a presumption of service-connection for Bladder Cancer, Hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonismexpanding care and benefits for veterans suffering from these three conditions.\r\n\r\nSupporting K2 Veterans\r\nThe NDAA includes language from Senator Baldwin's bipartisan K2 Veterans Toxic Exposure Accountability Act to help veterans who served at Karshi Khanabad (K2) Airbase in Uzbekistan to obtain the health screenings and services they need. Specifically, the bill requires the DoD to conduct a study on toxic exposure at K2the first step in establishing presumptive health and disability coverage for K2 related illnesses.\r\n\r\nSupporting Military Personnel\r\nThe bill includes an across-the-bill pay raise of 3 percent for all service members. Additionally, the bill includes a number of initiatives that will increase diversity and inclusion in the armed forces, and monitor progress going forward. These include the creation of a Chief Diversity Officer in the Department of Defense, and the creation of a new Deputy Inspector General to oversee diversity and inclusion programs within the Department and to address supremacist, extremism, and criminal gang activity within military ranks.\r\n\r\nNew Investments in Military Construction in Appleton and at Wisconsin's Fort McCoy\r\nAt Baldwin's request, the bill includes $11.6 million for a Wisconsin National Guard Readiness Center in Appleton and $14.6 for a reconnaissance range at Ft. McCoy. Senator Baldwin also secured an additional $2.5 million that was not included in the President's budget request to continue construction of new barracks at Ft. McCoy.\r\n\r\nSupporting Made in Wisconsin Shipbuilding\r\nThe NDAA supports the Made in Wisconsin shipbuilding industry by authorizing funding for one guided missile Frigate (FFG), to be built at Fincantieri Marinette Marine. The bill also fulfills a top priority of the U.S. Navy by authorizing funding for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines. Wisconsin is home to 40 companies that supply key components for the Virginia-class program.\r\n\r\nInvesting in Workforce Development to Boost Shipbuilding\r\nAt Senator Baldwin's request, the NDAA will create a new, joint Navy and Department of Labor working group to support the domestic shipbuilding workforce. The shipbuilding industry faces ongoing challenges due to workforce shortages and contract instability. This working group will assess existing trends within the shipbuilding workforce, ensure shipbuilders are able to benefit from existing federal government programs, and provide recommendations to Congress to stabilize the shipbuilding industrial base. Additionally, this provision directs the Secretary of the Navy to examine current and future shipbuilding contracts to maximize employment stability and provide a more stable workload to shipyards.\r\n\r\nEvaluating Impact of Trump Administration's Budget Cuts on Oshkosh Defense's Tactical Wheeled Vehicles\r\nThe Trump Administration once again cut funding to medium and heavy tactical wheeled vehicles as a part of its annual budget request. These vehicles are built in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and supported by crucial suppliers across the Midwest. At Senator Baldwin's request, the NDAA requires the Army to report to Congress on its justification for continuing to request funding below the levels needed to keep production open in Oshkosh. Additionally, the Army must report on how its cuts to these accounts impact the small and medium sized businesses that make up the tactical wheeled vehicle supplier base.\r\n\r\nLimiting the Transfer of Certain Military Equipment to Local Police Departments\r\nThe NDAA includes an amendment supported by Senator Baldwin to help end police militarization and limit the transfer of certain surplus military-grade equipment to local law enforcement agencies across the country. The amendment will prohibit the transfer of military equipment to law enforcement agencies, including bayonets, lethal grenades, weaponized tracked combat vehicles and weaponized drones. This prohibition does not prohibit the transfer of defensive equipment, such as body armor.\r\nThe bill also requires Federal law enforcement agents and military personnel who respond to a civil disturbance to display the individual's name, or other unique identifier such as a badge number, along with the name of the agency or service of the individual.\r\n\r\nRenaming Military Bases\r\nThe NDAA includes language supported by Baldwin that requires, within three years, the renaming of all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia on DoD property that honor the Confederacy.The provision would also establish a commission to make recommendations and create a renaming plan, identify costs, and include local community input and provide $2 million in funds for the commission. Senior DoD officials support this long overdue and essential move.\r\n\r\nNoise Mitigation for Truax Field\r\nThe NDAA includes a provision that Senator Baldwin pushed for to establish a 5 year pilot program that would provide funds to install noise insulation in properties impacted by military aviation noise. It also includes language that notes the issue of military aviation noise in our communities will continue as more fifth generation aircraft are deployed, and encourages the DoD to look for ways to work with communities to proactively address their concerns about noise.\r\n\r\nPressing for Chiropractic Health Care for Current and Former Military Personnel\r\nInspired by Baldwin's Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act, the NDAA requires the Department of Defense (DoD) to report to Congress on the expected date that TRICARE will cover chiropractic services for military members, retirees and reservists, if the Department determines that it is feasible to expand these services.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4697", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Need for Future Stimulus Payments", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Need for Future Stimulus Payments\r\nCongresswoman Moore released the following statement, calling for additional individual cash payments to be included in the next COVID relief package:\r\nNine months ago, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. The CARES Act was the largest of the initial aid packages that Congress enacted to help Americans through the coronavirus pandemic. Among many critical provisions in that law was the one authorizing up to $1,200 payments to individuals (plus an additional $500 per child) for most Americans struggling with the economic impacts of this deadly virus.\r\nA true relief package must lift everyone up. And one of the best ways to do this is by putting money in the hands of the people. The cash payments in the CARES Act were needed relief, helping keep food on the table and pay rent, among other uses. But that money has since dried up. I support additional payments, as do most House Democrats, which is why strengthening those payments were a key part of the two follow up packages (H.R. 925 and H.R. 6800) that have passed in House in the last six months only to die in the Mitch McConnell's graveyard. The longer relief is delayed, the more Americans will be pushed into poverty and dire straits.\r\nI am calling on negotiators to include a new round of payments in any upcoming COVID-19 package. I have heard the calls from my constituents, who have spoken on the need for cash payments because they are facing financial trouble that worsens as the days go on. Millions are on the brink of eviction. Others are seeing their UI benefits expire, if they got them in the first place. Pantries are seeing long lines that keep growing. Congress must extend funding for vital public health efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic and must also help reduce the economic pain caused by the pandemic by quickly providing direct relief to Americans.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-helps-secure-federal-funding-rural-health-clinics-expand", "Rep. Ron Kind Helps Secure Federal Funding for Rural Health Clinics to Expand Access to COVID-19 Testing", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindannounced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide grants to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) for COVID-19 testing. This funding is provided through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which Rep. Kindvoted foron April 23, 2020. These investments will help RHCs across Wisconsin support COVID-19 testing efforts and expand access to testing in rural communities.\nI'm glad to see federal funding secured through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act used to support our Rural Health Clinics, saidRep. Ron Kind. Our rural health care providers are working tirelessly to keep our communities safe and healthy. As COVID-19 cases continue to climb in Wisconsin, it's critical that we ensure our Rural Health Clinics on the front lines of this pandemic have the funding and support they need to continue to their life-saving work.\nRural communities have been particularly hard hit by the latest surge in the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the rate of COVID-19 transmission is higher in rural communities than many other parts of the country. In Wisconsin, COVID-19 cases are continuing to spike, putting additional pressure on rural health care providers and underscoring their need for assistance.Many rural health care providers faced serious financial challenges prior to the pandemic. In 2019, 19 rural hospitals closed across the U.S. and 1 in 5 rural hospitals are at risk of closure.That's why in July, Rep. Kind joined 48 of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle inurgingHHS to provide immediate relief to rural health care providers affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. \nRep. Kind is the co-chair of the House Rural Health Care Coalition and serves on the Subcommittee on Health for the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over tax measures, the management of public debt, trade and tariff laws, Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and many other economic growth measures.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wxow-congress-passes-senator-baldwins-bipartisan-legislation-to-stop-student-debt-relief-scams", "WXOW: Congress Passes Senator Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/pass-restaurants-act-now", "Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Congressional Leaders to Pass the Bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act Before Too Late", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.10.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Congressional Leaders to Pass the Bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act Before Too Late \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Baldwin cosponsored the bipartisan legislation after hearing from Wisconsin restaurants and businesses \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues, led by Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), are urgingCongressional leaders to immediately pass the bipartisanRESTAURANTS Act, legislation that establishes the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide local Wisconsin restaurateurs with funding to rehire workers and deal with the long-term ramifications of COVID-19.    For the second time this year, restaurants and bars are having to limit operations or close their doors completely, raising concerns about their ability to survive the long winter ahead. They need quick relief to keep their workers employed and hold onto their businesses. Congress needs to act speedily and pass the RESTAURANTS Act to help save local restaurants across the country and the millions of workers they employ,wrote the lawmakers.\r\nThe lawmakers' letter comes as coronavirus cases are spiking in Wisconsin and across the country. The Independent Restaurant Coalitionsupports this letter, which is availableHERE.\r\nAcross the country, restaurants have been uniquely devastated by COVID-19. In April alone, 5.5 million restaurant workers lost their jobs. Without federal relief, another 11 million restaurant workers stand to lose their jobs permanently.    The bipartisanRESTAURANTS Actcreates the Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant program, authorizing $120 billion to provide structured relief to restaurants. Under the bill, the Department of the Treasury will administer the RRF program and source the $120B from itsCARES Actallotment. Awards will be one-time grants valued to cover the difference between revenues from 2019 and projected revenues through 2020, with a maximum grant of $10 million. Restaurants do not need to pay back their grants and can use the funding for payroll, benefits, mortgages, rent, utilities, maintenance, supplies, protective equipment, cleaning materials, food, and any other expenses deemed essential by the Treasury.\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4696", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Responds to House Passage of Her Scarlett\u2019s Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Responds to House Passage of Her Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act\r\nToday, a negotiated version of Congresswoman Moore's bipartisan legislation, the Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act, passed the House. In response, she released the following statement:\r\nI am so pleased that the Scarlett Sunshine Act is that much closer to becoming law. Too many families know the pain of unexpectedly losing a child. My bill takes a needed step towards addressing the heartache families feel and helping save the lives of precious children.\r\nThe bill would provide grants to states, municipalities, and nonprofits to for a number of activities to better understand why these deaths happen and to prevent them, including to help improve data collection, to support bestpractices to reduce sleep-related infant deaths;and death scene investigations for deaths categorized as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC), or Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) when it happens to infants under 12 months old (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, falls under the SUID umbrella). Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 445 children fell under the SUDC category in 2016, while 3,607 died under the SUID category.\r\nMy heart goes out to each and every family that has every had to experience such a heartbreaking death and the lifelong pain that accompanies it, including that of Scarlett Lillian Pauley for whom this bill is named. I am grateful to be part of this effort to turn that pain into policy that will hopefully save other children and families from having to experience these tragedies.\r\nThe Senate version of this measure has been championed by Senator Bob Casey and now retired Senator Johnny Isakson.\r\nThis bill has been endorsed by a number of organizations including Children's Wisconsin,Progressive Community Health Centers,Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers,the American Academy of Pediatrics,The Scarlett Lillian Pauley Foundation,March of Dimes, Cribs for Kids, First Candle, SUDC Foundation, Aaron Matthew SIDS Research Guild of Seattle Children's Hospital, andSafe Kids Worldwide.\r\nThe Senate is expected to take up and pass this legislation shortly, sending it to the White House to be signed into law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-kind-kelly-lead-bipartisan-push-protect-craft-brewers-devastating", "Reps. Kind, Kelly Lead Bipartisan Push to Protect Craft Brewers from Devastating Tax Hike, Keep Their Doors Open", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today,Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI)andMike Kelly (R-PA)led 125of their colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy to pass theCraft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act. This legislation,introducedby Reps. Kind and Kelly, is critical to preventing America's brewers, cider-makers, distillers, and vintners from facing a significant increase in their federal excise taxes at a time when so many are struggling just to stay afloat. \nLower rates for brewers and craft beverage manufacturers were initially passed on a temporary basis. Ifthe Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Actis not enacted, or if relief is allowed to expire, taxes will return to higher levels come January 1, 2021. The COVID-19 crisis has already created economic duress for many producers across the country as tasting rooms, bars, and restaurants have shut down. Now, without Congressional action, producers are facing a second looming crisis in the form of increased federal excise taxes.\nCraft breweries are not only a large part of Wisconsin's culture, they are also an economic engine--supporting local economies and creating job opportunities, saidRep. Ron Kind. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, so many of our craft breweries are facing serious economic struggles through no fault of their own. For many of these businesses, this tax increase could be the final straw. We need to act now to extend this critical economic lifeline to brewers and provide much needed relief.\nAcross this country, craft brewers, distillers, vintners, and cider makers are struggling to keep their doors open. These businesses are having to make the difficult decision to stop production, furlough employees and close tasting rooms because of the pandemic. Adding to those problems, tax rates are set to expireon December 31st. We must act. It is critical that the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act be included in the end of the year legislative package. Allowing the current excise tax rates to lapse would force many of these businesses to close permanently, saidRep. Mike Kelly.\nThe Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act was important to brewers, and after the impacts from COVID-19, it's imperative, saidDick Leinenkugel. We have seen first-hand a dramatic decline in visitors to our Leinie Lodge in Chippewa Falls and lost sales from the closures of bars, restaurants, stadiums, and more. And while we will be able to get through this, there are hundreds of others brewers that have no chance of surviving without this legislation and the state's economy will suffer further.\nWe are a small brewery that has grown from two employees and 300 BBLS in year one to 11,000 BBLS fifteen full time employees and twenty part time employees at year five. Because of the excise tax recalibration we have been able to reallocate those monies towards capital improvements like a new process chiller made in Washington State and our canning line which was made in Ohio. By adding these pieces of equipment we were able to increase our production and hire a full time packaging team consisting of four salaried employees with benefits. Without the tax reduction we would not have been able to grow at the pace we have been for the last few years. In addition, 2020 has been very difficult to plan due to COVID-19. Having a lower tax burden has also helped us to keep our entire staff employed while we lost time and revenues pivoting towards a business model that is now 100% off premise, saidWilliam Glass, the Brewing Projekt President.\nSince enactment of the federal excise tax recalibration in 2017, Wisconsin's small and independent craft brewers have been able to re-invest additional capital into their businesses and add more brewing jobs in every corner of our state. Wisconsin is also home to many of the equipment and ingredient suppliers that are utilized by craft breweries nationwide and the impact of making the current FET rates permanent will help us to maintain and grow the $2 billion economic impact that craft breweries have in our state. At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has had a punishing effect on small businesses in the entire hospitality sector which includes small breweries, a 100% increase in federal excise tax rates would compound the economic uncertainty that we are experiencing during these challenging times. We appreciate Congressman Kind's leadership on this issue and we are encouraged by the broad bipartisan support in Congress for moving CBMTRA forward, said theWisconsin Brewers Guild.\nTheCraft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Actreduces excise taxes, compliance burdens, and regulations for the 5,300 breweries, 8,000 wineries, and 800 distilleries across the country.In addition to creating jobs in every state and Congressional district, beverage alcohol producers are critical partners to our farmers and agriculture producers, the tourism industry, the manufacturing sector, and the hospitality industry, including restaurants, bars, and other on-premise establishments.\nRead the letterhere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wgba-senator-tammy-baldwin-on-the-need-for-congress-to-pass-covid-19-relief-legislation", "WGBA: Senator Tammy Baldwin on the Need for Congress to Pass COVID-19 Relief Legislation", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-requests-information-from-fbi-and-dhs-on-qanon-threat-posed-to-america-and-abroad-", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Requests Information from FBI and DHS On QAnon Threat Posed To America And Abroad", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.09.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Requests Information from FBI and DHS On QAnon Threat Posed To America And Abroad  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Baldwin Joins Colleagues to Write To FBI Director Wray And Deputy General Counsel Maher At DHS Asking For A Written Assessment On The QAnon Threat To America's Democratic Institutions And Contribution To Hatred Here And Overseas \r\n Senate Democrats Seek Information About QAnon's Spread Of Disinformation And Hatred That Poses A Threat To U.S. Democracy \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined a group of Democratic colleagues, led by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Intelligence Committee Member Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), to write to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Principal Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Joseph Maher requesting a written assessment to Congress on the threat posed by QAnon, in the United States and abroad. The Senators also request information on the role of foreign influence operations in the inception and amplification of QAnon conspiracy theories.\r\nQAnon has been active in attacking America's democratic institutions by disseminating false and dangerous conspiracy theories, includingabout the November 2020 presidential election. Baldwin and colleagues note that, according to the FBI, the House of Representatives, and multiple organizations and researchers, QAnon conspiracy theories have inspired acts of domestic extremism and violence and have contributed to hatred in the United States and overseasin an effort to undermine our democratic norms. Recent reports also indicate that foreign influence operations have contributed to theamplification of QAnon conspiracy theories resulting in dangerous misinformation campaigns. The Senators request that this analysis on the threat posed by QAnon in the United States and abroad, as well as intelligence on the role of foreign influence actors in nurturingthis threat be made public, with any classified matters provided separately to Congress.\r\nIn addition to Baldwin, Schumer and Heinrich, the letter was signed by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).\r\nSee the full text of the letter below. A PDF of the letter is available here.\r\nDecember 8, 2020\r\nThe Honorable Christopher Wray\r\nDirector\r\nFederal Bureau of Investigation\r\nWashington, D.C. 20035\r\n                                       \r\nMr. Joseph B. Maher\r\nPrincipal Deputy General Counsel\r\nSenior Official Performing the Duties of the Undersecretary\r\nOffice of Intelligence and Analysis\r\nDepartment of Homeland Security\r\nWashington, D.C. 20593\r\nDear Director Wray and Mr. Maher,\r\nWe write to request a written assessment on the threat posed by QAnon.As the FBI, the U.S. House of Representatives, and multiple organizations and researchers have detailed, QAnon conspiracy theories have inspired acts of domestic extremism and violence, sought to undermine democratic institutions, and contributed to hatred in the United States and overseas. There is also reporting indicating that foreign influence operations have contributed to the dissemination of QAnon conspiracy theories.\r\nAs the FBI has confirmed, QAnon poses a direct threat of violence. In congressional testimony on September 17, 2020, Director Wray described QAnon as a complex set of conspiracy theories, noting certainly we have had cases, properly predicated investigations involving violence where people have been motivated by some of those conspiracy theories. On October 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 1154 condemning QAnon and rejecting the conspiracy theories it promotes. The resolution, which passed by a vote of 371-18, described multiple cases in which QAnon inspired acts of violence.\r\nQAnon has also been active in attacking U.S. democratic institutions, including disseminating false conspiracy theories about the November 2020 U.S. election. While these conspiracy theories have been debunked by the Department of Homeland Security, they contribute to the spread of disinformation that poses a threat to U.S. democracy.[1]\r\nMultiple organizations and scholars have warned of the threat posed by QAnon. A study published by the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy at West Point concluded that QAnon is arguably no longer simply a fringe conspiracy theory but an ideology that has demonstrated its capacity to radicalize to violence individuals at an alarming speed.[2] Another study, by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, described belief in certain conspiracy theories, such as QAnon as part of the threat of far-right terrorism.[3] The Anti-Defamation League has characterized QAnon as an extremist movement that fuels antisemitism and promotes misinformation and hate in an effort to undermine our democratic process. The Southern Poverty Law Center has described it as a sprawling spiderweb of right-wing internet conspiracy theories with anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ elements\r\nThe threat posed by QAnon is not limited to the United States.QAnon has also gained a foothold in Europe, in particular in Germany where its adherents overlap with the country's far right and anti-Semitic fringe.[4]These developments present a danger to U.S. interests by contributing to a terrorist threat and undermining the democratic institutions of U.S. allies.\r\nIn addition to requesting analysis on the threat posed by QAnon in the United States and abroad, we ask that you provide intelligence on the role of foreign influence actors in nurturing and amplifying QAnon.According to an independent analysis of Twitter archives, an account that retweeted obscure Russian officials appeared to be the first account to use the term Q Anon on social media, on November 2, 2017. The same analysis found that Russian accounts began amplifying the [QAnon] movement as it started, and that [f]rom November 2017 on, QAnon was the single most frequent hashtag tweeted by accounts that Twitter has since identified as Russian-backed.[5] As H. Res. 1154 stressed, the Intelligence Community should seek to uncover any foreign support, assistance, or online amplification QAnon receives, as well as any QAnon affiliations, coordination, and contacts with foreign extremist organizations or groups espousing violence.\r\nGiven this and other reporting, we request that you provide to Congress a written assessment of the threat posed by QAnon, in the United States and abroad, and on the role of foreign influence operations in the inception and amplification of QAnon conspiracy theories. We further request that this assessment be made public, with any classified matters provided separately to Congress through appropriate channels.\r\nThank you for your attention to this important matter.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-kind-applauds-ambassador-lighthizer-s-decision-take-canada", "Rep. Kind Applauds Ambassador Lighthizers Decision to Take Canada to Consultations via the Dispute Settlement Process for the First-Time Over Failure to Open their Dairy Market as Agreed in USMCA", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced that the United States will be using the Dispute Settlement Process against Canada for the first time for failing to comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) implementation requirements. This comes after Rep. Ron Kind lead a bipartisan group of his colleagues in calling for it to be done. Canadian dairy policy has long unfairly excluded Wisconsin dairy products from competing fairly in Canada.\nIn August, Rep. Kind led a bipartisan letter to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging them to take the action they are doing today. In order to create an even playing field for dairy farmers and keep jobs in the United States, it's crucial that the Administration holds Canada and Mexico accountable to their trade commitments by implementing enforcement provisions. The Administration is finally using the USMCA's consultation and enforcement measures necessary to ensure our trading partners deliver on their obligations in a way that's fully consistent with the spirit and letter of the agreement.The Dispute Settlement process under USMCA is a binding mechanism that countries can bring complaints against each otherfor not living up to the commitments made in the agreement. If the claims are proven true by an adjudicating panel, the US will have the right to retaliate against Canada.\nI applaud the Administration's decision to hold Canada accountable and ensure they uphold their end of the deal. I've always said trade agreements are not worth the paper they are written on without strong enforcement, and I am glad today those new procedures will help ensure Wisconsin farmers, workers, and families can reap the full benefits of this agreement, said Rep. Ron Kind. Today is a good day for Wisconsin's dairy farmerswe are that much closer to getting them the level playing field they need.\nCongressman Ron Kind has been an incredible champion for America's dairy farmers and farmer-owned cooperatives, and has worked hard to hold Canada accountable to its trade commitments under USMCA. His continued leadership has helped coalesce a broad base of bipartisan support for action on this topic and drive this issue to the top of USTR's agenda. After a difficult year, today's announcement is a high note for America's dairy industry and brings us one step closer towards fully realizing USMCA's promised benefits for dairy exports, said Jim Mulhern, President & CEO, National Milk Producers Federation. \nRep. Kind spent years working to ensure the USMCA is fully enforceable to guarantee increased access to the Canadian dairy market  specifically changes to TRQ's to directly increase the volume of American imports; codify science-based Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards; provide a faster and more enforceable dispute settlement process; and increase labor and environmental standards. Rep. Kind also released a Family Farm Rescue Plan earlier this year, which called for swift implementation of USMCA.\nRep. Kind serves on the Subcommittee on Trade for the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over tax measures, the management of public debt, trade and tariff laws, Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and many other economic growth measures.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/waow-senator-baldwin-working-to-stop-student-debt-relief-scams-from-harming-hardworking-americans", "WAOW: Senator Baldwin Working to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams from Harming Hardworking Americans", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wfrv-senate-unanimously-passes-baldwins-bipartisan-legislation-to-stop-student-debt-relief-scams", "WFRV: Senate Unanimously Passes Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wisc-baldwin-encourages-folks-to-sign-up-for-health-care-coverage-ahead-of-december-15th-deadline", "WISC: Baldwin Encourages Folks to Sign Up for Health Care Coverage Ahead of December 15th Deadline", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-urge-google-to-improve-ad-policies-and-combat-election-related-disinformation", "Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Google to Improve Ad Policies and Combat Election-Related Disinformation", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.08.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Google to Improve Ad Policies and Combat Election-Related Disinformation \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Google continues to profit from ads that spread disinformation about the 2020 general election \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined her colleagues, led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), to urge Google to improve its ad policies and combat election-related disinformation and voter suppression. Reports indicate that the company has profited from political ads that spread voting and election disinformation. The senators sent a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai calling on Google to take immediate action.\r\nWhile the 2020 general election occurred a month ago, efforts to undermine the election by spreading disinformation persist. This is happening despite both Attorney General Barr stating that the Department of Justice has uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and high ranking officials at the Department of Homeland Security stating that the 2020 general election was the most secure in American history. Stopping the ongoing spread of election-related disinformation is critical to maintainingAmericans' faith in our elections, the cornerstone of our democracy.\r\nIn addition to Baldwin, Klobuchar and Warner, the letter was signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).\r\nMillions of Americans rely on Google to find voting and election-related information. It is imperative for the integrity of our democracy that they are not met with disinformation. Google's stated policy is to reject ads or destinations making demonstrably false claims that could significantly undermine participation or trust in an electoral or democratic process.' However, a recent study by the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) found that Google services ads on 145 out of 200 websites GDI examined that publish disinformation, the senators wrote.\r\nThe letter echoed concerns from outside organizations about the use of Google's ad platforms to promote voter suppression.\r\n\"Google finances misinformation by placing adverts for respected brands - without their knowledge - on websites that spread untruths. It is vital legislators unveil the scale of Google's knowing participation in the global misinformation industry, the amount by which it has profited, and to come up with solutions that put an end to the systemic undermining of democracy and public safety, said Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate.\r\n\"Disinformation in political advertising is a security problem, and Google and other ad platforms need to start treating it as such. When loopholes and vulnerabilities in systems for detecting political or disinformation content are found, companies need to act quickly to protect users from attacks that diminish trust in our democratic system, said Laura Edelson, Researcher, Online Political Ads Transparency Project, NYU Tandon School of Engineering.\r\nGoogle is among the most widely used Internet platforms. It mediates information access for more than a billion users around the globe. Unfortunately, there are bad actors  those who wish to manipulate people for political or financial motives  who understand how to use Google's search and advertising features to achieve their objectives. Dr. Kate Starbird, Associate Professor of Human Centered Design & Engineering, University of Washington.\r\nFull text of the letter can be found HERE and below.\r\nDear Mr. Pichai:\r\nWe write to express serious concerns regarding recent reports that Google is profiting from the sale of ads spreading election-related disinformation. Google is also helping organizations spreading election-related disinformation to raise revenue by placing ads on their websites. While Google has some policies in place to prevent the spread of election misinformation, they are not properly enforced and are inadequate. We urge you to immediately strengthen and improve enforcement of your policies on election-related disinformation and voter suppression, reject all ads spreading election-related disinformation, and stop providing advertising services on sites that spread election-related disinformation.\r\nMillions of Americans rely on Google to find voting and election-related information. It is imperative for the integrity of our democracy that they are not met with disinformation. Google's stated policy is to reject ads or destinations making demonstrably false claims that could significantly undermine participation or trust in an electoral or democratic process. However, a recent study by the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) found that Google services ads on 145 out of 200 websites GDI examined that publish disinformation.\r\nSimilarly, a recent report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that Google has been placing ads on websites publishing disinformation designed to undermine elections. In examining just six websites publishing election-related disinformation, CCDH estimates that they receive 40 million visits a month, generating revenue for these sites of up to $3.4 million annually from displaying Google ads. In addition, Google receives $1.6 million from the advertisers' payments annually. These sites published stories ahead of the 2020 general election that contained disinformation alleging that voting by mail was not secure, that mail-in voting was being introduced to steal the election, and that election officials were discarding mail ballots.\r\nIn August, media reports indicated that Google refused to remove search ads promoting false information about mail-in ballots which appeared in response to searches for mail-in voting in numerous battleground states, including Arizona and Georgia. The most common variation of that ad said, think mail-in voting and absentee voting are the same. Think again! There are different safeguards for each. The ads then directed users to a website that stated voting by mail results in lost votes and lost rights. These ads also seem to violate Google's policy since both the ads and the destinations make demonstrably false claims about the security of the voting by mail process.\r\nResearchers also discovered loopholes in Google's political ads policy, which allowed them to place ads targeted at election-related searches without going through the political ad review and verification process. In one instance, researchers paid to place ads that appeared on the search results page when users entered a search including the words should, vote, and Biden  these ads read, you shouldn't, he'll destroy this country. This loophole could allow foreign adversaries to run ads with disinformation targeting elections without detection. It also allows advertisers placing these kinds of ads to circumvent Google's ban on microtargeting for political ads. In response to these findings, Google said it planned to increase the amount of human review that goes into evaluating landing pages for ads that potentially fall under the election policy. But months later when researchers placed the same kind of ads just a week before Election Day, Google still allowed them to run.\r\nIn light of these concerns, we respectfully request you answer the following questions by December 18, 2020:\r\n \r\nWhy did the websites identified by the CCDH not violate Google's policy for ads or destinations? Will Google re-evaluate this policy and how it is being enforced? Will Google commit to not running display ads on websites that publish demonstrably false information about voting or elections?\r\nWhy did the ads reported by the University of Washington, that Google refused to remove in August, not violate Google's policy for ads that make demonstrably false claims? How much revenue did Google receive from the ads it reviewed and decided not to remove?\r\nWill Google commit to developing and enforcing a more comprehensive policy for ads that contain election-related disinformation or voter suppression content?\r\nWill Google commit to establishing a policy clearly defining political ads to include issue ads and ads that appear in searches targeting people searching for political content?\r\nWhat specific steps is Google taking to improve its evaluations process for landing pages and ensure that landing pages for ads are not redirecting people to websites with disinformation?\r\n \r\nIt's been four years since Russia bought online ads to influence American voters. Now, the 2020 election cycle has once again made clear that we must do more to prevent disinformation from undermining the integrity of our elections. Still, Google continues to operate with a narrow and incomprehensive political ads policy that has major loopholes. It is also failing to enforce even this inadequate policy. As a result, the company is profiting from ads that spread voting and election disinformation and helping disinformation sites profit from their lies. Our democracy deserves better.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4695", "Congresswoman Moore Urges Negotiators to Include Key Provisions in FY 2021 Defense Funding Bill", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Moore Urges Negotiators to Include Key Provisions in FY 2021 Defense Funding Bill \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 8, 2020\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congresswoman Moore Urges Negotiators to Include Key Provisions in FY 2021 Defense Funding Bill\r\nAs negotiations on final FY 2021 funding bills continue, Congresswoman released the followingletterthat she sent to negotiators on the Defense Department funding bill regarding the inclusion of key House passed provisions reaffirming Congress' war powers.\r\nI strongly support our men and women in uniform and their families who sacrifice so much for our country. It is critical that Congress reclaims its authority when it comes to decisions about putting these men and women in harms way. Unfortunately, under Administrations of both parties, that important responsibility has been severely undermined The House passed provisions help restore Congress Constitutional authority and responsibility to the American people to debate the use of our military forces to engage in war. Retaining those provisions in a final bill will restore a critical check on reckless military action andensure that decisions to use U.S. military force are properly debated and considered by Congress.\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-two-rep-ron-kind-s-bills-including-legislation-support", "House Passes Two of Rep. Ron Kinds Bills, Including Legislation to Support Kidney Transplant Patients", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, the House of Representatives passedtwo ofRep. Ron Kind'sbipartisanbillsto improve the Medicare program. The House passed the bipartisanComprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Actand theProvide Accurate Information Directly (PAID) Actwithunanimous support.The bills now await action in the Senate before they can be signed into law.\nBoth pieces of legislation were passed as part of a package aimed at improving the Medicare program. TheComprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Actwillimprove coverage under Medicare for immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients, while thePAID Acttakes important stepsto streamline payments undertheMedicare Secondary Payer laws, which willreduce administrative complexities in the Medicare program and save taxpayer dollars.\nAfter a kidney transplant surgery, the last thing patients and their families should have to worry about is whether or not they will be able to afford the lifesaving drugs needed to prevent organ rejection. Taxpayers also shouldn't have to pay more because of government red tape. Today we addressed both these problems, saidRep. Ron Kind. I'm proud of the work my colleagues and I have done toimprove the Medicare program, provide support for kidney transplant recipients, and save taxpayer dollars.\"\nRep. Kind serves on the Subcommittee on Health for the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over tax measures, the management of public debt, trade and tariff laws, Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and many other economic growth measures.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-bipartisan-legislation-improve-water-infrastructure", "Rep. Ron Kind Votes for Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Water Infrastructure, Create Jobs, and Protect the Mississippi River", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for thebipartisanWater Resources Development Act (WRDA), which would authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to carry out vital water infrastructure projects and studies. The bill would boost our economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic by creating jobs while investing in necessary projects like flood damage reduction, shoreline protection, inland waterways improvement, and ecosystem restoration. The legislation passed with bipartisan support.\nThe Mississippi River shapes Wisconsin's local economy and environment. We need to take proactive steps to support the river and the communities that rely on it,\" saidRep. Ron Kind. \"To that end, I fought for Upper Mississippi River conservation and restoration funding to be included in WRDA and I'm proud that this legislation is now one of the largest investments in the Upper Mississippi in history. WRDA will update our ecosystem and infrastructure needs, create jobs, and reduce the risk of repeated flooding, all while protecting our waters for generations to come.\nSpecifically, WRDA would authorize 35 Corps feasibility studies and construction of all 34 pending proposed projects to expand water resource infrastructure, as well as strengthen our ports, harbors, and inland waters, and build more resilient communities by maximizing sustainable development. The legislation would also improve resources for the Mississippi River by including provisions to:\n Increase funding for Upper Mississippi River System Environmental Management Program\n\tAuthorize a plan to assess the water resource needs of the Upper Mississippi\n\tInvest in the construction of inland waterways projects and the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) for the Upper Mississippi River\n\tAuthorize the Great Lakes Mississippi River inter-basin study on ecosystem restoration\n\tIncrease funding to $15 million for the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, based out of the Upper Midwest Environment Sciences Center in La Crosse, WI\n Rep. Kind is the founder and co-chair of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Task Force, and a co-chair of the Congressional Mississippi River Caucus and the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus. He has been a longtime champion of protecting the Mississippi River for the people of Wisconsin's Third Congressional District.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-bipartisan-national-defense-authorization-act-support", "Rep. Ron Kind Votes for Bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act to Support Our Troops", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, which will support our service members, maintain military readiness, and bolster our national security. The legislation sets important national defense priorities for the upcoming year and is critical to ensuring the national security of the United States. It also includes a 3% pay raise for service members, provides critical benefits for certain veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and reaffirms our steadfast commitment to NATO.\nOur brave men and women in uniform, veterans, and their families deserve the very best our nation has to offer, saidRep. Ron Kind. It's critical that we continue to make sure those who courageously defend our nation have all the resources they need to safely and effectively do their jobs. To that end, I'm proud to vote for the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act to protect and support our troops.\nThe annual National Defense Authorization Act determines critical defense and national security priorities. This year's bill also directs the VA to provide benefits to veterans exposed to Agent Orange who were later diagnosed with bladder cancer, parkinsonism, or hypothyroidism, which Rep. Kindcalled forearlier this Congress. Additionally, the bill calls for the VA and the defense department to develop standards of coordinated care for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/american-worker-holiday-relief-act", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Supports Legislation Introduced to Avert Looming Financial Disaster for Millions of Unemployed Workers", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.07.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Supports Legislation Introduced to Avert Looming Financial Disaster for Millions of Unemployed Workers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t American Worker Holiday Relief Act would reinstate $600 boost, prevent expiration of additional weeks of federal benefits, program for gig and freelance workers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is cosponsoring theAmerican Worker Holiday Relief Act,legislation introduced to avert looming financial disaster for millions of workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.\r\nPeople out of work are struggling to get by during this ongoing economic crisis. Without an extension of federal programs, millions of unemployed workers could lose their income in the coming weeks. We need to act now to extend aid programs created under theCARES Actand help people who are out of work through no fault of their own,said Senator Baldwin.\r\nCurrently, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program are set to expire on December 26.\r\nThe Baldwin-backed bill would retroactively extend the $600 weekly federal boost to unemployment insurance benefits through October 2021, as well as tie the additional weeks of federal benefits and the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program for gig and freelance workers to economic conditions on the ground. The additional weeks of federal benefits and the program for gig and freelance workers would not expire as long as the three-month average national unemployment rate is above 5.5 percent, and will stay available longer in states where unemployment remains high.\r\n\r\nTheAmerican Worker Holiday Relief Actwould add 26 weeks of federal benefits for workers receiving traditional unemployment insurance.An additional 13 weeks of benefits would be added for each percentage point a state's unemployment rate rises above 5.5 percent, up to a maximum of 78 weeks when a state's unemployment rate is above 8.5 percent.\r\n\r\nThe bill would also strengthen the PUA program by adding 26 weeks of benefits, and clarifying that workers who need to care for children whose schools are not fully open for in-person learning, or whose employers are not following COVID-19 health and safety rules are covered by the program.\r\n\r\nThe additional weeks would harmonize benefits for workers covered by traditional unemployment insurance and the PUA program.\r\n\r\nThe legislation was introduced by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Senate Finance Committee Member Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI).\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/house-passes-stop-student-debt-relief-scams-act", "House Passes Senator Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.07.20\n\t\t\t House Passes Senator Baldwin's Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Baldwin's reform heads to President Trump to be signed into law \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanStop Student Debt Relief Scams Act, legislation that will enhance efforts to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. The Senate unanimously passed Baldwin's legislation last week and it now heads to President Trump to be signed into law.\r\n\r\nI'm proud that my bipartisan legislation has passed the Senate and House and can now be signed into law by the President. Far too many students are already struggling with student loan debt, and they deserve to be protected from scammers and bad actors who are preying on their financial security,said Senator Baldwin.\r\nWith Americans facingmore than$1.7trillion in student loan debt, borrowers are looking for relief wherever they can find it. Debt relief scams falsely promise borrowers a quick fix with little hassle. These schemes robocall student loan borrowers until they agree to pay thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees for services that are available for free, claiming to reduce or forgive borrowers' student debt.\r\n\r\nIn a March 2018 report, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General recommended that Congress strengthen federal law to help stop scam artists that fraudulently obtain access to borrower's online login credentials, primarily by imposing meaningful financial penalties and prosecuting individuals and entities perpetrating these scams. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwould accelerate the end to this rampant misconduct.\r\n\r\nTheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Act,introduced in April 2019 with Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Deb Fischer (R-NE),will enhance law enforcement and administrative abilities to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. Specifically, the legislation will:\r\n \r\nClarify that it is a federal crime to access U.S. Department of Education information technology systems for fraud, commercial advantage, or private financial gain, and impose fines on scammers for violations of the law;\r\nDirect the U.S. Department of Education to create a new form of third-party access, akin to the current preparer function on the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for those applying on behalf of a student and their family, in order to protect legitimate organizations;\r\nRequire the U.S. Department of Education to maintain common-sense reporting, detection, and prevention activities to stop potential or known debt relief scams; and\r\nRequire student loan exit counseling to warn federal loan borrowers about debt relief scams.\r\n \r\n\r\nCongresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) and Congressman Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) introduced and led the effort to pass the bipartisan legislation in the House. The bill is endorsed by the Education Finance Council, Generation Progress, National Consumer Law Center(on behalf of its low-income clients), National Council of Higher Education Resources, Student Loan Servicing Alliance, The Institute for College Access and Success, and Young Invincibles.\r\nMore information about this legislation is availablehere. The full bill text is availablehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4692", "Representatives Gwen Moore, Mary Gay Scanlon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Guy Reschenthaler Introduce Driving for Opportunity Act", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Representatives Gwen Moore, Mary Gay Scanlon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Guy Reschenthaler Introduce Driving for Opportunity Act\r\nRepresentatives Gwen Moore, Mary Gay Scanlon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Guy Reschenthaler introduced legislation to incentivize states to not suspend driver's licenses for unpaid court fees or fines. In response, she released the following statement: \r\nI can tell you firsthand that a valid driver's license can be a means  and in some cases the only means given cuts to public transit systems  to find gainful employment and thrive.\r\nYet, for a number of years now, we have been seeing a growing pattern by cities across the country using driver's license suspensions as a means to punish those who fail to pay a municipal debt, not to protect public safety on our roadways. Often, these penalties have nothing to do with traffic infractions or poor driving behavior and can be imposed against those who have yet to even reach the legal driving age.\r\nMake no mistake: Those with a flagrant disregard for public safety don't belong behind the wheel. However, each year, millions of drivers are seeing their driver's licenses suspended for conduct that is unrelated to driving.\r\nBesides not being an effective debt collection tool, these too poor to drive suspensions can hinder an individual's ability to keep working or get work and can lead to interactions with the criminal justice system, both of which have far reaching impacts on our communities. \r\nIn Milwaukee and around the country, these policies disproportionately impact minorities and the most financially vulnerable. As noted in a 2015 report about the practice here in Milwaukee, The practice of suspending eligibility for driver's license for non-payment of fines creates another burden for those who are already disadvantaged. \r\nTheDriving for Opportunity Actwould encourage states to end the suspension of driver's licenses for unpaid fees to lift the burden off of drivers and to reinstate such licenses and ensure resources are better allocated towards promoting public safety.\r\nRead more about theDriving for Opportunity Acthere. This is a House companion to a bipartisan measure introduced in the Senate by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).\r\nThe legislation has been endorsed by, among others, theAmerican Civil Liberties Union, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Urban League, U.S. Conference of Mayors, Major Cities Chiefs Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, and the Drug Policy Alliance.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-urge-passage-of-craft-beverage-modernization-and-tax-reform-act", "Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Colleagues to Urge Passage of Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.04.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Colleagues to Urge Passage of Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined a bipartisan group of 57 Senators led by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rob Portman (R-OH) to urge Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to include the bipartisanCraft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act in the next appropriate legislative package and act upon it before the end of the year.\r\nSenator Baldwin is cosponsor and champion of the bipartisanCraft Beverage Modernization & Tax Reform Act, which would permanently cut taxes and modernize outdated regulations for brewers, as well as cider makers and distillers, to further promote job creation in each industry.\r\nIt is imperative that the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act be included in the next appropriate legislative package and acted upon before the end of the year,wrote the senators.As businesses struggle to retain workers and stay open, allowing the current rates to lapse would force many businesses across the country to lay off workers or close their doors permanently. With the support of 77 Senators and 351 Representatives, this bill is a bipartisan priority and an important economic lifeline to thousands of businesses across the country.\r\nIn addition to Baldwin, Wyden and Portman, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tom Tillis (R-NC), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), John Barrasso (R-WY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Mazi Hirono (D-HI), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Boozman (R-AR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Angus King (I-ME), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Todd Young (R-IN), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Steve Daines (R-MT), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Casey (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).\r\nFull text of the letter can be found below andhere.\r\nDear Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer:\r\nWe are writing today to ask you to pass the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (S. 362/H.R. 1175) and make the existing federal excise tax rates for beverage alcohol producers permanent. \r\nEvery state in our nation is proudly home to craft distillers, brewers, wineries, cideries, and meaderies who without Congressional action, face a significant increase in their federal excise taxes on January 1, 2021.\r\nIn addition to creating jobs in every state and Congressional district, beverage alcohol producers are critical partners to our farmers and agriculture producers, the tourism industry, the manufacturing sector, and the hospitality industry, including restaurants, bars, and other on-premise establishments. Together, these producers support over four million jobs across the country and contribute immensely to the vibrancy of our economy and communities.\r\nHowever, with the economic duress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, producers' businesses have been devastated which would be compounded by an increase in their federal excise taxes. Producers have already seen dramatic declines in revenue because of the closures of tasting rooms and restaurants, bars, and other on-premise establishments and cancelations of major sporting events and concerts. These losses ripple throughout the supply chain, affecting farmers, agriculture producers, manufacturers, truck drivers, warehouse workers, and countless others.\r\nIt is imperative that the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act be included in the next appropriate legislative package and acted upon before the end of the year. As businesses struggle to retain workers and stay open, allowing the current rates to lapse would force many businesses across the country to lay off workers or close their doors permanently. With the support of 77 Senators and 351 Representatives, this bill is a bipartisan priority and an important economic lifeline to thousands of businesses across the country.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-joins-bipartisan-bicameral-group-lawmakers-calling", "Rep. Ron Kind Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Group of Lawmakers in Calling for Permanent Expansion of Telehealth Coverage", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today, Rep. Ron Kindjoined a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in calling to make the telehealth services that were extended during the COVID-19 pandemic to be made permanent. Provisions fromtheCONNECT for Health Act, which Rep. Kind cosponsored, were included in previous COVID-19 legislation and allowed Medicare beneficiaries across Wisconsin to utilize telehealth services, as well as other types of health care providers to provide telehealth. These provisions will expire following the pandemic unless Congressional leaders act now to make the measures permanent.\nTelehealth has been crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic in helping Wisconsinites to receive the health care services they need while staying safe. Moving forward, it's critical to ensure communities across Wisconsin--particularly in our rural areas--continue to have access to vital services regardless of where they live, and telehealth helps do just that, saidRep. Ron Kind. Telehealth services are effective and are relied upon by patients and providers, but the uncertainty about the long-term future of Medicare telehealth coverage is preventing many organizations from investing fully in telehealth. To that end, it's critical that we act now to support patients and health care providers during these challenging times and ensure that telehealth remains an option after the pandemic is over.\nIn the letter, the lawmakers highlight the growing use and benefits of telehealth during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as patients seek to avoid traveling to hospitals and other providers and instead receive care at home. New data shows that the number of Medicare beneficiaries using telehealth services increased by nearly 13,000 percent in just a month and a half during the pandemic. \nRep. Kind is a member of the Health Subcommittee on the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over tax measures, the management of public debt, trade and tariff laws, Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and many other economic growth measures.\nRead the letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wkbt-senator-baldwin-calling-on-trump-to-extend-federal-funding-for-wi-national-guard", "WKBT: Senator Baldwin Calling on Trump to Extend Federal Funding for WI National Guard", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wqow-baldwin-pushing-for-extended-covid-19-relief-funding", "WQOW: Baldwin Pushing for Extended COVID-19 Relief Funding", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-reintroduces-rail-shipper-fairness-act-2020", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Reintroduces Legislation to Help Businesses Move Made In Wisconsin Goods To Market", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.03.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Reintroduces Legislation to Help Businesses Move Made In Wisconsin Goods To Market \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today reintroduced her legislation to address the challenges faced by businesses in Wisconsin and across the country when shipping by rail. The Rail Shipper Fairness Act aims to reduce costs and improve service problems faced by a broad coalition of Wisconsin rail shippers, including farmers, manufacturers and utilities.\r\nNow more than ever, our Wisconsin businesses need a quality and responsive railroad system to effectively get their goods to market, said Senator Baldwin. In order to continue building a strong Made in Wisconsin economy that is fair to farmers, manufacturers, and consumers, we need to give these shippers a seat at the table. My Rail Shipper Fairness Act will address the challenges faced by local businesses and help drive our Wisconsin economy forward.\r\nBusinesses and consumers throughout Wisconsin have endured years of subpar rail service. Grain elevators across the Midwest are full due to farmers being left without means to move their goods to market. Wisconsin's paper industry routinely faces high rates and poor service on the railroads. Several Wisconsin power plants have had to reduce production or shutdown altogether because they can't get fuel by rail. These shutdowns pass higher rates on to their consumers with electricity costs set to reach their highest levels since 1999. These additional costs add up to make Made In Wisconsin products less competitive internationally.\r\nThe Rail Shipper Fairness Act seeks to increase competition, reform rate case regulations and end unreasonable practices. The legislation will require railroads to be more responsive to their customers by honoring their contractual obligations. The legislation includes provisions to implement competitive switching, which Senator Baldwin has long advocated for to the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Additionally, the legislation prohibits railroads from charging customers for fuel in a way that does not correlate with actual fuel costs.\r\nThe Rail Shipper Fairness Act is supported by the Freight Rail Customer Alliance (FRCA), National Industrial Transportation League, American Forest and Paper Association, Private Railcar Food and Beverage Association, International Warehouse Logistics Association, and American Chemistry Council.\r\nThe Freight Rail Customer Alliance thanks Senator Baldwin for her continued leadership in seeking reforms to further enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Surface Transportation Board to benefit all stakeholders  including shippers and rail carriers, and the communities we both serve, said Shelley Sahling-Zart, Freight Rail Customer Alliance President. The Rail Shipper Fairness Act of 2020 builds upon the reforms to the Surface Transportation Board made by Congress when it reauthorized the STB in 2015. The bill reinforces current proceedings before the Board such as implementing recommendations put forth by the STB's Rate Review Task Force and competitive switching. Another key provision of this bill calls upon the General Accountability Office to study and report to Congress on the industry-wide impacts of Precision Scheduling Railroading.                               \r\nFreight rail serves as a vital link between chemical manufacturers and just about every segment of the U.S. economy, from farms to factories, said Chris Jahn, President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council. Senator Baldwin's legislation contains many smart regulatory reforms that would improve access to affordable and reliable rail service, which would help large and small businesses across the country. The bill promotes good governance by harnessing the power of free market forces and streamlining overly bureaucratic procedures at the Surface Transportation Board to resolve freight rail issues quickly and sensibly.\r\nMore information on the legislation is available here. A section by section summary is available here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwins-bipartisan-digital-coast-act-passes-congress", "Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Digital Coast Act Passes Congress", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.03.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin's Bipartisan Digital Coast Act Passes Congress \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Legislation aids shoreline communities by delivering next generation coastal data \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) passed theUnited States Senate.TheDigitalCoastActwill help shoreline communities along the Great Lakes and oceancoasts better prepare for storms, cope with varying water levels and strengthen economic development efforts. Following today'saction, the bill now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law.\r\n\r\nWisconsin's Great Lakes are a great asset for our quality of life and also for our long-term economic security,said Senator Baldwin. I'm proud that this bipartisanlegislationhas passed both chambers of Congress to strengthen our shoreline communities, which face a variety of challenges to keep their harbors open, their waters clean and their beaches ready for visitors. This bipartisan bill ensures that our Great Lakes communities have the resources and tools they need to adapt to changing environmental conditions, maintain healthy shores, and make smart planning decisions to support their local economies and way of life. I'm looking forward to the President signing this bill into law.\r\n\r\nThe National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) currently assembles and hosts theDigitalCoastProject, a collaborative online database of the most up-to-datecoastal information, and makes it available to both the public and private sectors.DigitalCoastalso provides tools forcoastal communities to decipher and use the high-tech mapping data to make accurate decisions and smart investments incoastal communities.\r\nTheDigitalCoastActauthorizes the next phase incoastal mapping at NOAA, delivering local leaders essential information for responding to bluff erosion, high lake levels, and economic development needs.The bill supports further development of the current project, including increasing access to uniform, up-to-date data to help communities get thecoastal data they need to respond to emergencies, plan for long-termcoastal resilience, and manage their water resources.\r\n\r\nSupporters of the bipartisanDigitalCoastActinclude Quantum Spatial, Inc., The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors, Association of State Floodplain Managers, U.S. GEO, National Society of Professional Surveyors, National States Geographic Information Council, MAPPS (a national association of geospatial firms), American Planning Association,Coastal States Organization, National Association of Counties, and theDigitalCoastal Partnership Advocacy Coalition. Read what supporters are saying about theDigitalCoastActhere.\r\nMore information on theDigitalCoastActis availablehere.\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/stop-student-debt-relief-scams-act-passes-senate", "Senate Unanimously Passes Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.02.20\n\t\t\t Senate Unanimously Passes Baldwin's Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Bipartisan reform will provide more tools to identify and shut down fraudsters who hurt borrowers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanStop Student Debt Relief Scams Act, legislation that will enhance efforts to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. Baldwin introduced this bipartisan reform back in April 2019 with Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Deb Fischer (R-NE). The legislation now awaits approval from the U.S. House of Representatives before heading to the President's desk to be signed into law.\r\n\r\nFar too many students are already struggling with student loan debt, and they deserve to be protected from scammers and bad actors who are preying on their financial security,said Senator Baldwin.The additional repayment relief provided to many borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately also created additional opportunities for fraudsters to do more harm.I'm so proud that my bipartisan reform has unanimously passed the Senate because it is just commonsense to stop these student loan debt relief scams that harmhardworkingAmericansand prevent them from getting ahead.\r\n\r\nWith Americans facingmore than$1.7trillion in student loan debt, borrowers are looking for relief wherever they can find it. Debt relief scams falsely promise borrowers a quick fix with little hassle. These schemes robocall student loan borrowers until they agree to pay thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees for services that are available for free, claiming to reduce or forgive borrowers' student debt.\r\n\r\nIn a March 2018 report, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General recommended that Congress strengthen federal law to help stop scam artists that fraudulently obtain access to borrower's online login credentials, primarily by imposing meaningful financial penalties and prosecuting individuals and entities perpetrating these scams. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwould accelerate the end to this rampant misconduct.\r\n\r\nTheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwill enhance law enforcement and administrative abilities to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. Specifically, the legislation will:\r\n \r\nClarify that it is a federal crime to access U.S. Department of Education information technology systems for fraud, commercial advantage, or private financial gain, and impose fines on scammers for violations of the law;\r\nDirect the U.S. Department of Education to create a new form of third-party access, akin to the current preparer function on the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for those applying on behalf of a student and their family, in order to protect legitimate organizations;\r\nRequire the U.S. Department of Education to maintain common-sense reporting, detection, and prevention activities to stop potential or known debt relief scams; and\r\nRequire student loan exit counseling to warn federal loan borrowers about debt relief scams.\r\n \r\n\r\nThis bill is endorsed by the Education Finance Council, Generation Progress, National Consumer Law Center(on behalf of its low-income clients), National Council of Higher Education Resources, Student Loan Servicing Alliance, The Institute for College Access and Success, and Young Invincibles.\r\n\r\nMore information about this legislation is availablehere. The full bill text is availablehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/president-of-egypt-to-release-detained-human-rights-advocates", "Baldwin and Pocan Lead Lawmakers in Calling on President of Egypt to Immediately Release Wrongfully Detained Human Rights Advocates", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.25.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin and Pocan Lead Lawmakers in Calling on President of Egypt to Immediately Release Wrongfully Detained Human Rights Advocates \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t The lawmakers also urge President al-Sisi to cease other arrests and end smear campaigns against civil rights organizations in Egypt \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Following the baseless detainment of human rights advocatesby security forces in Egypt,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) are leading their Congressional colleagues in calling on EgyptianPresident Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to unconditionally release the detained human rights advocates,immediately cease other arrests and endthesmear campaign against civilrightsorganizations in Egypt.\r\nDuring the week of November 15, Egyptian security forces arrested Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) staff members Mohamed Basheer, Karim Ennarah, and Gasser Abdelrazek on baseless chargesfollowing a meeting with European ambassadors. Meanwhile, a coordinated smear campaign against EIPR is occurring in state-affiliated Egyptian media outlets, adding concerns that these politically-motivated efforts are intended to silence human rights defenders.\r\nIn their letter to President al-Sisi, the lawmakers write,Punishing one of Egypt's most prominent and respected human rights organizations for nothing more than carrying out its work is an alarming attack on Egypt's civil society community.\r\n\r\nFollowing the arrests of EIPR staff, on November 23, Gasser Abdelrazek told his lawyers he has been kept in solitary confinement, provided only a metal bed with no mattress, and insufficient clothing to keep him warm. This adds to the lawmakers' strong concerns with inhumane living conditions in Egypt's prisons, including allegations of mistreatment and torture.\r\n\r\nBaldwin, Pocan and the lawmakers continue,These arrests of EIPR staff following meetings with foreign officials suggest that your government is seeking to criminalize engagement with foreign diplomats. Foreign governments must be able to meet with civil society organizations in Egyptas they can and do freely in countries all over the worldwithout fear of retaliation. Engagement with local civil society is a vital component of international diplomacy. Governments and institutions around the world rely on analysis and reporting from these organizations to inform our understanding of human rights, including in Egypt.\r\nThe wrongful arrest of human rights defenders, use of arbitrary and extended detention to hold political prisoners, and other gross violations of human rights is inconsistent with the democratic norms the U.S. expects from its international security partners. Continuing these recent actions and ongoing crackdowns on civil society organizations undermines U.S.-Egyptian relations and sends a clear signal to us that this is not a relationship Egypt values.\r\n\r\nIn the Senate, the letter was also signed by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Dick Durbin (D-IL).In the House, the letter was also signed by Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), Ted Deutch (D-FL-22), Barbara Lee (D-CA-09), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Brad Sherman (D-CA-27), Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05), Katie Porter (D-CA-45), Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Jess G. Chuy Garca (D-IL-04), David Cicilline (D-RI-01), David Trone (D-MD-06), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-07), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Ral M. Grijalva (D-AZ-03), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), Andr Carson (D-IN-07) and David Price (D-NC-04).\r\nThe full letter is availableHERE.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4690", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Recognizes and Congratulates the 4th Congressional District\u2019s 2020 Service Academy Nominees", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Recognizes and Congratulates the 4thCongressional District's 2020 Service Academy Nominees\r\nEvery year, members of congress have the distinct privilege of helping choose the next leaders of our great nation's armed forces from their congressional districts. Today,Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04)released the following statement, announcing the 2020 service academy nominees from Wisconsin's 4thcongressional district:\r\nIn 1899 General Douglas MacArthur was nominated to the U.S. Military Academy at West point from Wisconsin's 4thCongressional District.\r\nHe once said, We must offer the world leadership designed to advance the goal of universal progress and enduring peace.'\r\nEach of the hard-working young men and women I nominated to attend U.S. military service academies this year show an unwavering commitment to serve the nation by advancing progress and peace through their leadership.\r\nOur country's military academies provide young people with world-class military training and an incredible education. Graduating from these schools is no easy task, but these young women and men from the 4thCongressional District are up to the challenge. While this year's process was highly competitive, I can say with certainty that these exceptional students will make our district and country proud.\r\nBelow, please find a list of this years' service academy nominees.\r\nMichael Bortolotti\r\nSadie Cumberbach\r\nBenjamin Eichholz\r\nPatrick Hauser\r\nEleanor Kattman\r\nChristopher Machtel\r\nJoseph Machtel\r\nDylan Payne\r\nAdam von Paumgartten", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/labor-caucus-announces-new-co-chairs", "Labor Caucus Announces New Co-Chairs", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", "pocan", "https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014The Labor Caucus announced four additional co-chairs today, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) will join Congressmen Mark Pocan(D-WI) and Donald Norcross (D-NJ) as co-chairs of the Labor Caucus.\n\nIn order to unite pro-worker efforts in Congress, we are combining the existing Labor and Working Families Caucus, as well as another labor-focused caucus members were considering forming, under one cohesive banner. Formed this month, the Labor Caucus now has over 50 members.\n\n\"A Biden-Harris administration is an opportunity for Congress to centralize the needs of the labor movement and working families once again,\" said Congressman Pocan. \"Donald Trump has greenlighted union-busting, weakened labor rights, and refused to protect workers livelihoods or safety during this pandemic. I am eager to begin work with my co-chairs to reverse his actions and ensure working people have a voice in Congress again.\"\n\n\"While the Trump Administration has tried to dismantle labor rights, the incoming Biden-Harris Administration understands the dignity of work and knows that America succeeds when workers succeed,\" said Congressman Norcross, a proud, card-carrying member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) for over 40 years. \"Everyone should have a voice in their workplace to advocate for fair wages and safe spaces, and the Labor Caucus will advance the cause of working families by being their voice in Congress. I look forward to working together with my co-chairs and our brothers and sisters in the labor movement to strengthen unions and build a bright future for America's workers.\"\n\n\"The formation of the Labor Caucus is great news for working families across this country, and I welcome my like-minded colleagues to leadership on these key issues,\" said Congresswoman Linda S\u00e1nchez. \"I've had the privilege to lead the Labor and Working Families Caucus for more than a decade, where we have helped members speak with one voice on important issues. I'm glad this work will continue under this new banner, which will be especially important as we usher in the Biden-Harris administration and begin to undo the incredible damage of the last four years. As a card-carrying union member, my work in Congress has always put working families first. Now, more than ever, I won't stop fighting for them and the relief they've earned.\"\n\n\"Working families will lead our recovery from this pandemic and the economic devastation it has caused,\" said Congresswoman Dingell. \"In Michigan, we know that those efforts must include strong union protections, revitalized labor laws, and an intentional legislative focus on the everyday issues that matter most to working Americans. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, our Labor Caucus will demand economic justice for our workers in every corner of this country.\"\n\n\"I'm honored to co-chair the new House Labor Caucus. In these challenging times, workers' rights and protections are important now more than ever. Creating good-paying jobs, protecting healthcare and security in retirement for working families should be a top focus in the next Congress,\" said Congressman Horsford. \"Union workers built and continue to be the backbone of my home state of Nevada, and I look forward to fighting for them and their families.\"\n\n\"Over the past several decades the United States has created enormous wealth but working men and women have been left behind with stagnant wages. Climate change, immigration, civil rights, trade, economic growth and every other issue must be analyzed through a pro-labor perspective,\" said Congressman Suozzi. \"The American Dream, where hard work is rewarded with wages sufficient to guarantee a home, health insurance, children's education and retirement security, is no longer in reach for too many. We must reclaim the American Dream and that starts with a pro-labor, pro-growth agenda. Our Labor Caucus will work with the Biden Administration, our diverse labor unions, and other caucuses and committees of jurisdictions to advocate for a new, robust, middle class and all those that aspire to be part of it.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:39:51Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-robust-funding-for-state-to-distribute-covid-19-vaccines", "Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Robust Funding for State and Local Governments to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines", "2020-11-23", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.23.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Robust Funding for State and Local Governments to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Public health experts have estimated that a minimum of $8.4 billion is needed for COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today joined her colleagues, led by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), in urging Congressional leaders to provide robust funding to ensure the swift distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as a part of any upcoming legislation to address the pandemic.\r\nRecent reports indicate that several COVID-19 vaccine candidates have demonstrated encouraging safety and efficacy data, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon begin reviewing at least one vaccine for emergency use authorization. However, even if a vaccine is ready for distribution as soon as next month, many state and local governments still lack the proper funding needed to distribute vaccines. According to arecent lettersent by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) to congressional leaders, a minimum of $8.4 billion is needed distribute COVID-19 vaccines nationwide. Some experts even estimated that $10 billion is required in order to fundcommunity vaccination clinicsalone.\r\nFor months, as states, territories, Indian Tribes, and other localities have been responding to COVID-19 and working tirelessly to keep their residents safe, they have also been preparing to undertake one of the largest vaccination efforts in our nation's history,the lawmakers wrote in a letter sent today to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.To accomplish this, jurisdictions must recruit and train thousands of health care workers, modernize data systems and registries, stand up vaccination sites, develop communications and educational materials, and build and support the infrastructure needed to distribute multiple types and doses of COVID-19 vaccines, among other activities.\r\nTo ensure that jurisdictions throughout the country are well-positioned to immediately, efficiently, and equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines as they become available, we respectfully request that any upcoming legislation to address the pandemic include robust funding for COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts,the lawmakers concluded.\r\nIn addition to Baldwin and Booker, this letter was also signed by SenatorsMichael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Tom Carper (D-DE).\r\nThe full text of the letter is available here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/transition-resources-for-president-elect-biden", "Baldwin, Peters & Colleagues Urge GSA Administrator to End Unprecedented Delay & Provide Critical Transition Resources to President-Elect Biden", "2020-11-20", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.20.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Peters & Colleagues Urge GSA Administrator to End Unprecedented Delay & Provide Critical Transition Resources to President-Elect Biden \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Delay in Providing Resources to Biden Transition Creates Unacceptable Risks to Pandemic Response & National Security \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and their colleagues in callingon General Services Administration(GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy to end her unprecedented delay, immediately ascertainVice President Joe Biden as President-Elect and Senator Kamala Harris as Vice President-Elect, and make available the transition resources that are provided by law. This delay creates unacceptable risks to national security and COVID-19 pandemic response efforts as the United States passed more than 250,000 coronavirus-related deaths this week. \r\n\r\nThe United States is in the midst of a pandemic that has now claimed over 250,000 lives, with the number of new cases rising daily. Our country also faces a number of ongoing threats, including physical and cyber-attacks from foreign actors, violence from domestic extremists, and natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes,wrote the Senators.\r\nThe GSA Administrator's ascertainment of a President-elect is also critical for agencies' willingness to share information with the transition team, including classified information, as well as for the expeditious processing of security clearances for candidates for high-level national security positions. Your delay in acknowledging Vice President Biden's status as President-elect could undermine efforts by the incoming Administration to meet the needs of the American people in a time of national emergency,continued the Senators.\r\nUnder thePresidential Transition Act,GSA is charged with providing resources and support to the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect so they can be ready to govern from Day One. Administrator Murphy must complete the ascertainment process to allow the President-Elect's transition team to receive needed information from agency officials at public health and national security agencies, ensure incoming national security officials can receive background checks and access to classified information and provide federal funding and resources to support the transition process.\r\n\r\nA smooth and efficient transition is one of the hallmarks of American democracy. With the exception of the Presidential election in 2000 and the resulting recount, ascertainment by GSA normally happens within a day after a winner is declared, including in 2008 and 2016. The bipartisan 9/11 Commission found that the shortened transition following the 2000 recount created serious vulnerabilities, including delays related to key national security appointments.\r\n\r\nJoining Baldwin and Peters in sending the letter were Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Doug Jones (D-AL).\r\nThe full letter is available below andhere.\r\n\r\n\r\nDear Administrator Murphy,\r\n\r\nWe are writing to express deep concern regarding reports that the General Services Administration (GSA) has delayed providing President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris with the resources they need to ensure a timely and efficient presidential transition. We urge you to immediately ascertain Vice President Biden as President-elect and Senator Harris as Vice President-elect and allow the transition team to receive the resources required under the law. We also request an urgent briefing on steps GSA is taking to ensure an orderly transition.\r\n\r\nThe United States is in the midst of a pandemic that has now claimed over 250,000 lives, with the number of new cases rising daily. Our country also faces a number of ongoing threats, including physical and cyber attacks from foreign actors, violence from domestic extremists, and natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes.The independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission cited the shortened transition timeline for then President-elect George W. Bush as a factor in delaying key national security personnel appointments, potentially hampering the new Administration.A timely transition is critical to ensure coordination between the current and incoming Administrations, provide the incoming Administration with the resources they need to immediately address these challenges, and safeguard the public health and our national security.\r\nUnder the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended, GSA is charged with providing resources and support to the President-elect and Vice President-elect. Specifically, GSA must provide office space, communication services, funding for transition staff compensation, and other support. In response to a request from the Administration, Congress has appropriated $9.9 million to GSA for transition related activities.The GSA Administrator's ascertainment of a President-elect is also critical for agencies' willingness to share information with the transition team, including classified information, as well as for the expeditious processing of security clearances for candidates for high-level national security positions. Your delay in acknowledging Vice President Biden's status as President-elect could undermine efforts by the incoming Administration to meet the needs of the American people in a time of national emergency.\r\n\r\nThis delay is also unprecedented. In both 2008 and 2016, President-elect Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump, respectively, were recognized by the GSA Administrator as President-elect within a day of the general election.In 2000, this decision was delayed due to an ongoing court case regarding less than 1,000 votes in a single statea far closer election than this one. The results of this election are clear. Vice President Biden will be the next President of the United States, and Senator Harris will be the next Vice President. It is past time to recognize the will of the American people so that the work of government can continue.\r\n\r\nThe orderly transition of power from one President to another is a bedrock principle of our democracy and one of GSA's most important duties. We urge you to fulfill your responsibilities, ascertain Vice President Biden as President-elect and Senator Harris as Vice President-elect, and provide their transition team with the resources the law requires. We also request that, no later than November 23, 2020, GSA provide a briefing to staff of the Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Appropriations, and Environment and Public Works regarding the presidential transition process and the support that GSA has provided to date.\r\nThank you for your attention to this critical matter.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-expand-apprenticeship-opportunities-and-invest", "Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Expand Apprenticeship Opportunities and Invest in Wisconsin Workers", "2020-11-20", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for thebipartisanNational Apprenticeship Act of 2020. This legislation reauthorizes theNational Apprenticeship Actfor the first time since its enactment in 1937 and would create nearly 1 million additional apprenticeship opportunities. Registered Apprenticeships  which provide apprentices with paid, on-the-job training  are the country's most successful federal workforce training program.\nExpanding access to apprenticeship opportunities will connect Wisconsin workers with stable, good-paying jobs and accelerate our economic recovery. According to the Department of Labor, 94% of people who complete Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) are employed upon completion and earn an average starting wage of more than $70,000 annually. Additionally, this legislation would yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased tax revenue and decreased spending on public-assistance programs and unemployment insurance. \nThroughout Wisconsin, I often hear from folks about the importance of hands-on training, and the leg up it gives as they apply for jobs and enter the workforce, saidRep. Ron Kind. Expanding access to apprenticeships will give people the tools and expertise they need to find good-paying jobs right here in Wisconsin. As our nation continues to face serious economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I'm proud to vote for bipartisan legislation that invests in our greatest resource  our workers  to help Wisconsin build back stronger than ever. \nTheNational Apprenticeship Act of 2020would expand apprenticeship opportunities by codifying and streamlining standards for Registered Apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship programs to make it easier for apprentices and employers to participate in high-quality apprenticeships; codifying the Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship; and establishing a grant program to support the expansion of apprenticeship opportunities, including pre-apprenticeships and youth apprenticeships.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/fox-6-senator-baldwin-on-the-urgent-need-to-stopthespread-of-covid-19-in-wisconsin", "Fox 6: Senator Baldwin on the Urgent Need to #StopTheSpread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin", "2020-11-19", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wdio-senator-tammy-baldwin-on-passing-new-relief-legislation-to-combat-covid-19-and-save-lives", "WDIO: Senator Tammy Baldwin on Passing New Relief Legislation to Combat COVID-19 and Save Lives", "2020-11-19", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wgba-senator-baldwin-urges-wisconsinites-to-stay-safe-to-stopthespread-of-covid-19-in-wisconsin", "WGBA: Senator Baldwin Urges Wisconsinites to Stay Safe to #StopTheSpread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin", "2020-11-19", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/price-negotiations-remdesivir", "Baldwin, Colleagues Request Information on HHS Price Negotiations for COVID-19 Antiviral Drug Remdesivir, Urge the Trump Administration to Ensure Access and Affordability", "2020-11-19", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.19.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Colleagues Request Information on HHS Price Negotiations for COVID-19 Antiviral Drug Remdesivir, Urge the Trump Administration to Ensure Access and Affordability \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Senators Seek Use of Compulsory Licensing Authority to Cut Costs \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S.Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)joined SenatorsElizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN),BernieSanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH)to send aletter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar requesting an update on HHS pricing negotiations with Gilead Sciences, the maker of theCOVID-19 antiviral drug remdesivir, including whether HHS plans to challenge Gilead's monopoly control of the drug in order to lower costs and ensure the treatment is accessible.\r\n\r\nLast month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its first full approval for a COVID-19 therapeutic to Gilead Sciences' remdesivir, an antiviral drug that has demonstrated moderate effectiveness in shortening the median recovery time from 15 days to 11 days for patients hospitalized with COVID-19.\r\n\r\nIn July, the lawmakersfirst raised questions with Secretary Azar about the exorbitant cost of the therapyfor U.S. insurers, consumers, and taxpayers, and have not yet received a response. Under an agreement with HHS, Gilead charged U.S. hospitals $3,200 per treatment coursefor Remdesivirthe highest price in the world, $860 more than other developed countries. That difference represented a revenue windfall for Gilead of nearly half a billion dollars under the company's agreement with HHS for half a million treatment courses.\r\n\r\nIn their letter, the Senators urge the Trump administration to invoke its compulsory licensing authority under 28 USC  1498 which allows the federal government to authorize production of the drug.\r\n\r\nGilead has licensed generic manufacturers to produce the drug for other countries, further driving down the price abroad, and the federal government canand shoulddo the same in the United States,the senators wrote.\r\n\r\nIn addition to requesting a response to their July 16 letter, the Senators asked a series of questionsregarding HHS's current status of pricing negotiations with Gilead, and whether officials plan to use the federal procurement and production authorities available under theCARES Actand theDefense Production Actto ensure access to the drug. The senators have requested a response to their letter no later than November 30, 2020.\r\n\r\nFull text of the letter is availablehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/internet-exchange-act-2020", "Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Reform to Improve Internet Access in Rural America Passes Senate Commerce Committee", "2020-11-18", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.18.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin's Bipartisan Reform to Improve Internet Access in Rural America Passes Senate Commerce Committee \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, the Senate Commerce Committee passed theInternet Exchange (IX) Act(S. 1166), legislation authored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to help improve internet access for consumers, especially those in rural areas. The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.\r\nWe need to strengthen our internet infrastructure to better serve Middle America and rural communities, and improve the online experience for people in all parts of our country,said Senator Baldwin.I'm proud that my bipartisan measure earned the approval of the Senate Commerce Committee today because it will help expand broadband access across our country. By investing in our internet infrastructure and adding more internet exchanges in Wisconsin and throughout the heartland, we canhelp more rural households and rural businesses gain better access to high-speed internet.\r\nInternet Exchanges (IXs) are physical locations where networks come together  they allow subscribers of different internet service providers to communicate with one another. IXs also provide opportunities for content delivery networks (CDNs) and others to cache content closer to end-users, thus reducing latency and increasing network efficiency to improve the online experience for consumers, especially in rural areas.\r\nIX facilities provide opportunities for data centers and cloud computing to be collocated at IX sites, thus increasing efficiency and boosting local economies. Currently, IXs are concentrated in big cities and in the coastal states.\r\nThis legislation authorizes matching grants to be administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to help establish new IX facilities where none exist, or to help an existing one expand.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/protect-our-heroes-act-2020", "As COVID-19 Cases Continue To Climb, Senator Baldwin and Colleagues Unveil the Protect Our Heroes Act of 2020 to Increase Production of Critical PPE, Address N-95 Mask Shortages Facing Health Care Workers", "2020-11-18", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.18.20\n\t\t\t As COVID-19 Cases Continue To Climb, Senator Baldwin and Colleagues Unveil the Protect Our Heroes Act of 2020 to Increase Production of Critical PPE, Address N-95 Mask Shortages Facing Health Care Workers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Bill Authorizes $10 Billion for the Strategic National Stockpile to Purchase Personal Protective Equipment, Including N-95 Masks \r\n  \r\n The Protect Our Heroes Act Of 2020 Uses The Defense Production Act As Well As FEMA And HHS Authorities To Spur Development, Investment And Production Of Medical Supplies Needed To Combat COVID-19 \r\n  \r\n Senate Democrats' New Bill Will Provide $1 Billion In Grants For Small Businesses That Retool Domestic Facilities To Produce Critical PPE \r\n\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today helped unveil theProtect Our Heroes Actof 2020, legislation that will increase the production of critical personal protective equipment (PPE) like N-95 masks and improve the transparency of the supply and distribution of medical supplies needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Baldwin joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Gary Peters (D-MI), and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) in introducing this reform.\r\n\r\nThe bill is introduced as coronavirus cases are spiking in Wisconsin and across the country, and as frontline health care workers are facing shortages of critical protective equipment.The Senate Democrats' bill authorizes $10 billion for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to purchase critical PPE, including N-95 masks, nitrile gloves, gowns, face shields, surgical masks, and more. This investment will provide certainty to manufacturers that there will be a market when they scale up their production.\r\n\r\nSince this public health crisis started, the Trump administration has offered broken promises and failed leadership,said Senator Baldwin. Now, Wisconsin is experiencing the worst COVID-19 outbreak since this pandemic began, breaking records for new infections, hospitalizations and deaths. Our frontline health care workers still don't have the supplies they need. TheProtect Our Heroes Act of 2020will increase production of personal protective equipment and make sure our frontline workers have it to protect themselves, treat patients and save lives.\r\nTheProtect Our Heroes Actuses the Defense Production Act (DPA) as well as authorities in the Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to spur the development, investment, and production of critical PPE, addressing requests fromgovernors. TheProtect Our Heroes Act of 2020also authorizes $1 billion for the Small Business Administration to providegrants for small businesses that retool domestic facilities to produce critical protective equipment over the next two years, with preferences available for minority-owned and other underserved small businesses as well as those owned by service disabled veterans with considerations for other veteran-owned businesses.\r\n\r\nFinally, the bill requires the federal government to release reports regularly on the supplies needed to fight COVID-19 and provide direction for bolstering domestic manufacturing to provide those supplies. It also mandates the Government Accountability Office (GAO) provide recommendations on how the President may use existing authorities to purchase a sufficient supply of PPE to combat this virus.\r\nWe all remember the early days of the crisis, when health care professionals in some parts of the country were forced to jury-rig masks and gloves from spare clothing and bits of string. In my home state of New Yorknursing homes alone were burning through 12 million pieces of PPE a week during the height of the pandemic in April,saidLeader Schumer. The recent surge in cases might bring us all back to, or beyond, the peak levels we saw earlier this year, which is why we must do everything in our power to avoid a repeat of the widespread PPE shortages, particularly N-95 masks. The Protect Our Heroes Act of 2020 will help ensure that these heroes have the resources they need to do their jobs, serve our country and help save us from this pandemic.\r\nManaging the supply chain to ensure adequate PPE is pandemic response 101, yet months into this crisis the Trump Administration still hasn't learned its lesson,said Senator Murray.Shortages of PPE can put lives in danger, put strain on hospitals, nursing homes, other health care facilities, and testing facilities, and can even hinder vaccine administration when the time comes. It's inexcusable that across the country health professionals are still being forced to reuse PPE and states, Tribes, communities, and medical facilities are being left to fend for themselves and bid against each other for scarce supplies. I'm pushing for this legislation to provide much needed funding to ramp up PPE production, and I hope to work with the incoming Biden Administration to provide something else that has been severely lacking as wellfederal leadership.\r\nProviding personal protective equipment to frontline workers like doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery workers, and others will help save lives as cases continue to rise in Michigan and across the country,said Senator Peters.This bill provides the funding and ability for the government to incentivize manufacturers and small businesses in the U.S., and especially those in Michigan, to produce this critical equipment. It will also help provide small businesses with the resources to protect their employees and customers so that they can continue to safely serve their local communities. I am proud to help introduce this commonsense legislation that will help prevent the spread of this virus, support the expansion of domestic PPE production, and ensure our communities are better prepared for future outbreaks.\r\nFrontline workers are putting everything on the line to protect us against the COVID-19 pandemic and, as the virus rages on, many of them still lack the critical personal protective equipment they desperately need. That's completely unacceptable,said Senator Murphy. I'm proud to team up with Senator Schumer and Senator Murray in introducing legislation tomake sure our health care workers have equipment to protect themselves and provide the best care for patients in the fight against COVID-19.\r\nA summary of theProtect Our Heroes Act of 2020can be foundHEREand below:\r\n\r\nProtect Our Heroes Act of 2020\r\n\r\nOur nation's health care workers continue to protect and serve patients and communities during COVID-19 pandemic reaches new heights across the country. However, this Administration has failed to equip our health care heroes with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they need to do their jobs and save lives. We must ensure that those fighting on the frontlines have enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect themselves, their patients, their communities and their families from this deadly disease.\r\nTherefore, theProtect Our Heroes Actwill:\r\n \r\nProvide $10 billion in funding for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to purchase large quantities of designated PPE, including N-95 masks, gloves, gowns, face shields, and surgical masks.\r\n \r\n \r\nAllow the Defense Production Act (DPA) and other existing authorities to expand the industrial capacity of domestic PPE production, while requiring the Comptroller General of the United States to develop recommendations on further using these authorities.\r\n \r\n \r\nCreate a $1 billion grant program to help small businesses retool domestic facilities to produce critical PPE, with priority given to minority-owned and other underserved small businesses as well as those owned by service disabled veterans with considerations for other veteran-owned small businesses. This proposal also prioritizes small businesses that receive grants through this program when reviewing purchasing order decisions for the SNS.\r\n \r\n \r\nRequire the federal government to release regular reports on the critical supplies needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including an assessment of the SNS and other stockpiles; direction for bolstering domestic manufacturing to provide critical supplies; plans to meet forecasted needs to combat the virus; a review of the PPE supply chain; and a detailed explanation of the authorities used under the DPA and other authorities to purchase PPE for the SNS.\r\n \r\n \r\nMandate an annual Government Accountability Office report on the country's access to the medial supplies needed to respond to this and future pandemics, as well as the health of the U.S. supply chain.\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\nThis bill has earned broad support from the very frontline workers it stands to arm with critically needed PPE, including those represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and the Service Employees International Union.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-encourages-dairy-farmers-sign-risk-management-program-ahead", "Rep. Ron Kind Encourages Dairy Farmers to Sign Up for Risk-Management Program Ahead of Dec. 11 Deadline", "2020-11-18", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindencouraged Wisconsin dairy farmers to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program for 2021 ahead of the December 11 deadline. The program offers protection for dairy farmers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed cost falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer.\nInterested dairy farmers can visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency'sDMC webpagefor more information, or contact theirlocal FSA office.\nHere in America's Dairyland, our farmers are not only the backbone of our state and local economies, but also the heart of our communities, saidRep. Ron Kind. However, this year has been incredibly difficult for Wisconsin dairy farmers due to COVID-19. As the farming community continues to cope with the effects of this pandemic and faceother ongoingchallenges, I encourage folks to take advantage of this program. Get in touch with your local FSA office to learn more and sign up by December 11.\nEarlier this year, Rep. Kind introduced hisFamily Farm Rescue Planwhich focused on five concrete steps the Administration could take to support family farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including reopening the DMC program.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/vaccines-requiring-ultra-cold-storage", "Baldwin, Colleagues Call for Trump Administration to Support Nationwide Capacity for Shipping, Handling, and Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines Requiring Ultra-Cold Storage", "2020-11-17", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.17.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Colleagues Call for Trump Administration to Support Nationwide Capacity for Shipping, Handling, and Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines Requiring Ultra-Cold Storage \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined 11 of her Senate Democratic colleagues, led by Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), in urging Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Robert Redfield to work with state, Tribal, territorial, and local stakeholders to identify gaps in ultra-cold storage capability, particularly in rural and underserved communities, and use existing authority to preventshortages of supplies needed for vaccine distribution and administration. This information will be especially important in light of recent news that Pfizer/BioNTech may soon apply for Emergency Use Authorization(EUA)for their COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which requires ultra-cold temperaturestorage capabilities that many providers currently lack. The absence of guidance and support from the federal government about how to secure cold chain integrity is a critical challenge for states working to craft and eventually implement their immunization programs.\r\nThe lawmakers ask HHS and CDC to urgently provide additional information to ensure that stakeholders nationwide can be prepared to distribute, store, and administervaccinesrequiring ultra-cold storageas soon as one is approved or authorized, which could be as soon as next month.\r\n\r\nWhile we understand that some logistical details may be unknowable at this time given that a vaccine has yet to be granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), it is alarming that the federal government has not provided more detailed guidance or additional resources to help state, territorial, and local governments understand the most likely mechanisms for distribution or requirements and recommendations for maintaining the cold chain, funding projections, or critical risks that should be addressed,the Senators wrote.This lack of guidance has severely hindered the ability of state, Tribal, territorial, and local public health officials to develop distribution plans and of individual clinics to prepare to accept, store, handle, and administer vaccines, and to share their comprehensive plans with CDC. Additionally, unknowns around cold chain storages issues add to the already difficult task of ensuring vaccination locations can schedule vaccine clinics to administer the doses quickly while also adhering to public health protocols like social distancing.\r\n\r\nThe Senators continued,The time to get ahead of potential distribution issues and cold chain requirements is now. The federal government should be looking ahead to secure our supply chains and prepare to adequately transport and distribute whatever vaccine becomes available first. Communities around the country are still trying to compensate for the federal government's failure to secure adequate and sustainable supplies of personal protective equipment earlier this year and throughout the pandemic. That failure has had tragic results, and your agencies should be doing everything in your power to avoid such a fiasco with the distribution of a vaccine.\r\n\r\nIn addition to Baldwin and Hirono, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) also signed the letter.\r\n\r\nThe full letter is availablehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-urge-administration-to-send-medical-staff-support-states-with-rise-in-infections", "Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Administration to Send Medical Staff to Support States with Rise in Coronavirus Infections", "2020-11-13", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.13.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Administration to Send Medical Staff to Support States with Rise in Coronavirus Infections \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t This week hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection peaked in at least 22 states, and 23 states currently have over 1,000 patients hospitalized with coronavirus (COVID-19) infections \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined her colleagues led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Tina Smith (D-MN) to send a letter to U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, urging the Administration to address the unprecedented rise in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations by swiftly responding to state requests for additional medical staff.\r\nWisconsin is averaging 6,209 coronavirus cases per day over the past seven days, and more than 2,000 Wisconsinites are currently hospitalized. Across the country this week, hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection peaked in at least 22 states, and 23 states currently have over 1,000 patients hospitalized with coronavirus infections.Baldwin, Klobuchar, Sanders, and Smith were joined by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).\r\nAs cases surge across the country, states require significantly more support to address pressing medical staffing shortages. If infection rates continue to rise as we enter the holiday season and people spend more time indoors, this pressing need for additional medical staff will become even more acute, the Senators wrote. We respectfully request that you take action to proactively extend the current federal support that FEMA and HHS are providing to states and swiftly send additional medical professionals to states that are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.\r\nFull text of letter can be found HERE and below:\r\nDear Administrator Gaynor and Secretary Azar,\r\nWe write to express our concern about the rising rate of coronavirus infections in states across the nation and to respectfully request that you send additional health care professionals to states experiencing a surge in cases and a shortage of medical staff available to treat infected patients.\r\nMany states are experiencing an unprecedented rise in coronavirus cases, coupled with increasing hospitalization rates. Last week, the United States experienced a record-breaking number of new cases recorded in a single day, with more than 132,000 cases reported on November 6 alone.\r\nThe rapid increase in cases is not confined to any one part of the country23 states have recorded more cases in the past week than in any other seven-day period since the pandemic began. Hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection peaked in 16 states last Wednesday, and 20 states currently have over 1,000 patients hospitalized with coronavirus infections.\r\nThis surge in infections and hospitalizations is putting a strain on our already exhausted health care systems and essential care workers, who are not immune from the virus. These workers have been on the frontlines since the pandemic began and many have been infected with the virus or have been required to quarantine due to exposure to the virusresulting in serious health care staffing shortages across the nation. These pandemic-induced staffing shortages have shuttered clinics, emptied local health departments, and in some cases forced hospitals to ask workers exposed to the virus to continue working.\r\nWe appreciate the medical staffing support that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have already provided to states, which has been critical in helping these states treat infected patients during the pandemic. But as cases surge across the country, states require significantly more support to address pressing medical staffing shortages. If infection rates continue to rise as we enter the holiday season and people spend more time indoors, this pressing need for additional medical staff will become even more acute.\r\nTherefore, we respectfully request that you take action to proactively extend the current federal support that FEMA and HHS are providing to states and swiftly send additional medical professionals to states that are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.\r\nThank you for your time and attention to this important matter. We look forward to working with you to continue providing support for Americans during the coronavirus pandemic.\r\nSincerely,\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pocan-norcross-announce-labor-caucus", "Pocan, Norcross Announce Labor Caucus", "2020-11-13", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", "pocan", "https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Congressmen Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Donald Norcross (D-NJ) are announcing the creation of the Labor Caucus, intended to advance the needs of the labor movement, combat the issues facing working families, and connect legislators directly with unions and union leaders. The new caucus will be organized by union members of Congress\u2014Representatives Pocan and Norcross are both decades-long union members in the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), respectively.\n\n\"President-Elect Joe Biden's new administration gives the Democratic Party the opportunity to reprioritize working families at the center of our legislative agenda,\" said Congressman Pocan. \"Under Donald Trump, we've seen the erosion of labor rights, rise in union-busting, and the prioritization of corporate profits over working people's livelihoods and safety. In the 117th Congress, we must reaffirm our dedication to strengthening unions and helping works by urgently passing legislation like the PRO Act and the Raise the Wage Act. It's time for working people to have a voice in Congress again.\"\n\n\"Labor has shaped my life, taking me from the construction site to Congress,\" said Congressman Norcross. \"While the Trump Administration has tried to diminish labor rights, President-Elect Joe Biden's incoming Administration understands the dignity of work and that workers' rights are human rights. Every American worker should have the opportunity to earn a fair day's wage for a fair day's work, and working families deserve a bigger voice in Congress. I look forward to working together with our brothers and sisters in Labor to pass legislation for American workers and their futures.\"\n\n\"It is absolutely imperative that we return this country back into the hands of working people and the Labor Caucus will do just that,\" saidShane Larson, Senior Director for Government Affairs and Policy at the Communications Workers of America. \"Congressman Pocan and Norcross are card-carrying union members and we are proud to support their efforts to prioritize workers' rights and the labor movement in Congress. The Democratic Party has long been the party of unions and working families, and the Labor Caucus will ensure that legacy endures in every Congress to come.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:39:51Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-honors-our-nations-veterans-and-servicemembers-veterans-day", "Rep. Ron Kind Honors Our Nation's Veterans and Servicemembers on Veterans Day", "2020-11-11", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "La Crosse, WI Today,Rep. Ron Kindreleased the following statement honoring Wisconsin's veterans and servicemembers on Veterans Day: \nToday, Wisconsinites come together to commemorate Veterans Day and honor the service and sacrifice of our nation's veterans, servicemembers, and their families, saidRep. Ron Kind. Our dedicated troops and veterans have served our country with commitment, honor, and integrity. Although we can never repay the debt we owe our nation's heroes, we can ensure we keep our promises to them when they return home to Wisconsin and show our gratitude year round.\nRep. Kind's office is here to serve Wisconsin's veterans. His staff of talented caseworkers can assist veterans in: accessing education benefits, veterans' health care benefits, replacing lost medals earned, attaining medals earned, obtaining disability compensation, and liaising with the VA, among other issues. For assistance, veterans can call 1-888-442-8040, or visitwww.kind.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/senator-tammy-baldwin-we-must-take-stronger-action-right-now-to-stop-the-spread-of-covid-19", "Senator Tammy Baldwin: \u201cWe must take stronger action right now to stop the spread of COVID-19.\u201d", "2020-11-10", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/dems-call-on-barr-to-stop-plans-to-make-purdue-pharma-pbc", "Baldwin, Whitehouse, Hassan, Warren Lead Colleagues to Call on Trump\u2019s Justice Department to Stop Plans to Make Purdue Pharma a Public Benefit Corporation", "2020-11-10", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.10.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Whitehouse, Hassan, Warren Lead Colleagues to Call on Trump's Justice Department to Stop Plans to Make Purdue Pharma a Public Benefit Corporation \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t This is not justice for the families that have lost loved ones. \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Following the settlement agreement announced between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Purdue Pharma (Purdue), U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are today leading their colleagues to call on Attorney General William Barr to stop his Department's plan to have Purdue's business, including its production of Oxycontin, transformed and preserved as a public trust or public benefit company. This proposal, first put forth by Purdue and the Sackler family, would make state and local governments, including those that are currently suing Purdue, owners of the very business that has devastated their communities.\r\nThe letter was also signed by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).\r\nWe write to raise concerns about a key element of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) settlement agreement with Purdue Pharma (Purdue) announced on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. We ask that you defer court approval of the proposed agreement until the appropriate stakeholders have addressed public policy concerns associated with the agreement which all but requires Purdue to emerge from bankruptcy as a public benefit company (PBC), to function entirely in the public interest, with proceeds directed toward State and local governments. This arrangement ignores the objections of many of the States themselves, who have no interest in owning or operating a company that has devastated their communities with dangerous opioids, and raises significant public policy concerns, wrote the Senators in their letter. \r\nTwenty-five state Attorneys General, including Wisconsin's Attorney General, have already expressed their opposition, noting that A business that killed thousands of Americans should not be associated with government. Purdue's opioid marketing campaign accelerated an opioid epidemic that has claimed an estimated 400,000 lives, and generated $35 billion in revenue for Purdue.\r\nThe Senators continued, DOJ should not require the States, who are attempting to rectify the harm Purdue has done to their communities, to lead Purdue's public benefit repurposing campaign and take part in an enterprise that has contributed to thousands of American deaths. Given that this plan originated with Purdue and its owners, the Sackler family, it is more likely that its transformation to a PBC will function as a rebranding opportunity for the company and the family's public image. This is not justice for the families that have lost loved ones. We therefore ask that you defer court approval of the proposed agreement until the appropriate stakeholders have addressed these public policy concerns. Such an arrangementrequiring States to own and operate a felonious company they are currently suingis a misuse of federal authority.\r\nThe full letter is available here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/stop-the-spread-of-covid19", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin: \u201cWe must take stronger action right now to stop the spread of COVID-19.\u201d", "2020-11-10", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.10.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin: We must take stronger action right now to stop the spread of COVID-19. \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\n  \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is sending an urgent message to Wisconsinites as COVID-19 rages across the state in the worst outbreak since the pandemic began. In the last week, from November 3to November 10, Wisconsin has experienced more than 40,000 new infections. Currently, there are over 2,000 Wisconsinites hospitalized due toCOVID-19and 2,395Wisconsinites have lost their livesto this deadly pandemic.\r\n\r\nSenator Baldwin released a new video message to Wisconsin onYouTube.\r\n\r\nWe must take stronger action right now to stop the spread of COVID-19. We cannot allow this deadly virus to keep spreading, and we cannot allow more of our friends, neighbors, and frontline health care workers to keep getting sick, or worse. We can beat COVID-19, but we have to work together in order to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and each other,Senator Baldwin said.Everyone has a responsibility to do their part, so let's stand together, confront this deadly pandemic and help save lives.\r\n\r\nYou can watch Senator Baldwin's video messageHERE. You can download Senator Baldwin's video messageHERE.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4689", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on the Election of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris", "2020-11-07", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on the Election of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        November 7, 2020\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on the Election of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris\r\nCongresswoman Moore released the following statement following the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris:\r\n\"I am so thrilled that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the election. The American peoplehad their say.This election reflects the voice of every American voter and was conducted fairly and with transparency.\r\nDecency, honesty, integrity, and competency will now be in the White House. And we will end the chapter of the cruel, callous, and corrupt Trump administration. The nightmare is finally over.\r\nWe are experiencing tough times and are in serious need of national leadership. I am confident that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will lead us through this pandemicand economicrecession and will help heal our dividedcountry. I am so ready to work with the Biden-Harris administration for the people.\"\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/federal-funding-for-kenosha-small-businesses", "Senator Baldwin, Representative Steil Call on SBA to Approve Federal Funding For Kenosha Small Businesses to Rebuild Following Unrest", "2020-11-05", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.05.20\n\t\t\t Senator Baldwin, Representative Steil Call on SBA to Approve Federal Funding For Kenosha Small Businesses to Rebuild Following Unrest \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Baldwin and Steil urge SBA to provide full access to federal loans available for Kenosha small businesses that have also received loans from the State of Wisconsin to rebuild \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Bryan Steil (R-WI-01) are calling on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to approve the State of Wisconsin's application for federal funding through the Disaster Loan Program to help Kenosha small businesses rebuild after damage was sustained during civil unrest earlier this year. The Wisconsin lawmakers are also urging Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza to provide full access to this federal loan program for Kenosha small businesses that have also received loans from the State of Wisconsin to rebuild.\r\n\r\nLocal officials in Kenosha have documented 27 major damaged or destroyed privately-owned properties as part of the State's application, which meets the SBA's requirements for this federal loan program.\r\n\r\nThe full letter is available below andhere.\r\n\r\nDear Administrator Carranza:\r\nWe write to you today in support of the State of Wisconsin's application for the Small Business Administration's Disaster Loan Program funds to help Kenosha rebuild after damage sustained during the civil unrest from August 23, 2020 to September 8, 2020.\r\nAs you know, in order to qualify, a political subdivision must certify that at least 25 homes or businesses sustained uninsured losses of at least 40 percent of the fair value of the property. Officials in Kenosha County and the City of Kenosha have documented 27 major damaged or destroyed privately-owned properties as part of the application.\r\n\r\nThe State has created a $4 million zero interest loan program for affected businesses in Kenosha to rebuild. The Disaster Relief Microloan program is administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The loans can be as high as $50,000.\r\n\r\nWe understand that the SBA is considering counting income from the WEDC loan program against the individual businesses' uninsured losses threshold. According to 13 C.F.R. 123.3(a)(3)(i), the businesses must sustain uninsured losses of 40 percent or more of the estimated fair replacement value or pre-disaster fair market value of the damaged property, whichever is lower. The regulation only mentions insurance, not assistance from state government programs.\r\n\r\nWe would discourage such a calculation because the Disaster Relief Microloan program from the state is not an insurance program. According to the SBA's Financial Education Curriculum training document Insurance for a Small Business, insurance coverage is a contract between a small business and an insurer, in which the insured pays premiums to the insurer in exchange for a commitment by the insurer to pay for certain losses sustained by the insured.None of the Kenosha businesses paid premiums to the Disaster Relief Microloan program, because it is not insurance.\r\n\r\nWe appreciate your attention to this matter. In addition to disregarding the impact of the State's program on the SBA's calculation, we encourage you to give full and fair consideration to the application for the Disaster Loan Program from the State regarding the damages in Kenosha.\r\nSincerely,\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-calls-on-zuckerberg-for-answers-after-failed-to-promptly-remove-event-calling-for-violence-in-kenosha", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Provide Answers After Facebook Failed to Promptly Remove Event Calling for Violence in Kenosha", "2020-11-02", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.02.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Provide Answers After Facebook Failed to Promptly Remove Event Calling for Violence in Kenosha \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is urging Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to improve enforcement of Facebook's community standards and address how their algorithms are amplifying and spreading divisive messages, including hate speech, misinformation, and violent extremism on Facebook.\r\nIn a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee on October 28, Baldwin asked Zuckerberg about his company's failure to promptly remove the Kenosha Guard Facebook event encouraging armed vigilantism, despite receiving at least 455 user complaints that the event violated the company's policy of banning militia groups and groups that seek to incite violence. That evening, an armed seventeen-year old traveled to Kenosha and killed two people and seriously injured a third person. Zuckerberg called the failure to take down the Kenosha Guard's event an \"operational mistake but has failed to identify substantive changes he has made at his company as a result of that mistake.\r\nBut beyond organizing by violent groups on Facebook, I am deeply troubled that there continues to be widespread misinformation on your platform, and that it is structured to facilitate, rather than combat, its spread, wrote Senator Baldwin in her letter. Reporting and analysis by the New York Times has found that misinformation is more popular on Facebook now than in 2016, with falsehoods about election interference swirling online at an alarming rate and election officials reporting they fear voter harassment and intimidation on Election Day as a result. I am concerned that your algorithms are designed to elevate this type of content for your users  because it is controversial, attracts attention, and keeps them on Facebook for longer periods of time. Your own employees have raised concerns about Facebook's algorithms, calling them the single scariest feature of your platform.\r\nBaldwin continued, Facebook has become a tool used by millions of Americans, and billions of people worldwide, to communicate, engage and learn. You have a responsibility to those users, and I request that you reexamine Facebook's algorithms to ensure that they are not amplifying hate speech, misinformation, and violent extremist propaganda  particularly as our nation approaches a presidential election.\r\nThe full letter is available here and included below.\r\n\r\nDear Mr. Zuckerberg,\r\nI write today to follow up on our discussion of Facebook's response to violent organizations on your platform during the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee's hearing earlier this week. I appreciate that, in response to my question about the use of Facebook by violent extremist groups, you stated that the issue was a big area of concern and that you are worried about making sure that those groups can't organize on Facebook.\r\nBut with the election only days away, your answer did not reassure me that your company is taking sufficient action to address how Facebook facilitates violent organizations and spreads misinformation and hatred that can lead to real-world violence. From the recent plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, to ongoing efforts to intimidate voters with the presence of armed individuals at voting locations, the potential impact on our democracy is very real. I urge you to improve enforcement of your community standards and address how your algorithms are amplifying and spreading divisive messages, including hate speech, misinformation, and violent extremism on Facebook. I also request that you provide more information about how Facebook is combatting the spread of violent extremism on its platform.\r\nAs I noted in my question, in late August, Facebook failed to remove the Kenosha Guard's event encouraging armed vigilantism, despite receiving at least 455 user complaints that the event violated your company's policy of banning militia groups and groups that seek to incite violence, according to a report by BuzzFeed News. Kyle Rittenhouse has been charged with killing two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and you called the failure to take down the Kenosha Guard's event an \"operational mistake.\" Your response to my question raised concern that you have not implemented adequate reforms to prevent a similar mistake from happening again. Therefore, please provide detailed information about how Facebook is screening for posts, groups and events on your platform by militias and other violent organizations and working promptly to remove them.\r\nBut beyond organizing by violent groups on Facebook, I am deeply troubled that there continues to be widespread misinformation on your platform, and that it is structured to facilitate, rather than combat, its spread. Reporting and analysis by the New York Times has found that misinformation is more popular on Facebook now than in 2016, with falsehoods about election interference swirling online at an alarming rate and election officials reporting they fear voter harassment and intimidation on Election Day as a result. I am concerned that your algorithms are designed to elevate this type of content for your users  because it is controversial, attracts attention, and keeps them on Facebook for longer periods of time. Your own employees have raised concerns about Facebook's algorithms, calling them the single scariest feature of your platform.\r\nFacebook has become a tool used by millions of Americans, and billions of people worldwide, to communicate, engage and learn. You have a responsibility to those users, and I request that you reexamine Facebook's algorithms to ensure that they are not amplifying hate speech, misinformation, and violent extremist propaganda  particularly as our nation approaches a presidential election.\r\nIf this is in fact, as you told me on Wednesday, a big area of concern for Facebook, you must take additional steps to ensure that the platform is not a tool to furthering violence or undermining our democracy. Your leadership and corporate responsibility is desperately needed to meet this moment.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-helps-lead-bipartisan-letter-urging-administration-protect", "Rep. Ron Kind Helps Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging the Administration to Protect Access to Overseas Markets for Wisconsin Producers", "2020-11-02", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "La Crosse, WI Today,Rep. Ron Kindhelped lead 111 of his colleagues in a bipartisan letter calling on the Administration to make protecting common food and wine terms a priority in future trade discussions, ensuring access to fair trade rules for Wisconsin farmers, workers, and businesses.\nThis comes amid concerns that the European Union is misusing protections meant for Geographic Indicators (GI) - used to describe specialized products they claim to be from specific regions, such as bologna, parmesan, chateau and feta - to enact unfair trade barriers to block American exports.\nHere in Wisconsin, we're proud of the word-class food and beverages made in our state, saidRep. Ron Kind. It's critical that we continue to combat unfair trade practices that hold our producers back and work to put in place safeguards for common food name products. I'm committed to ensuring Wisconsin producers can compete on a level playing field and expanding opportunities for Wisconsin's farmers, workers and businesses so they can continue to succeed in the global economy. \nThis issue  keeping common cheese names available around the world  is crucial to the growth of Wisconsin's $46 billion dairy farming and dairy manufacturing industry. Generations of Wisconsin cheesemakers craft cheese styles that rival or best European cheeses in international competitions. Cheese styles and names in use for decades, if not centuries, should not be taken away from America's dairy industry as we build successful trade in global markets, saidJohn Umhoefer, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association Executive Director.\nRep. Kind serves on the Trade Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means. The committee is the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over trade and tariff laws, as well as many other economic growth measures.\nRead the letterhere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/corporate-governance-working-group", "Baldwin, Warren, Carper and Warner Form Corporate Governance Working Group to Fundamentally Reform the 21st Century American Economy", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.30.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Warren, Carper and Warner Form Corporate Governance Working Group to Fundamentally Reform the 21st Century American Economy \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Senators will work together to confront a corporate system oriented toward boosting short-term stock market returns at the expense of long-term resiliency, investment, and workers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Mark Warner (D-VA) announced the formation of a working group to develop legislative proposals and conduct oversight focused on fundamentally reforming corporate governance. Over the last 30 years, corporate profits have surged while the portion shared with labor has declined, resulting in soaring inequality.\r\n\r\nThe COVID-19 pandemic now ravaging the country has underscored the urgency of reforming corporate practices that leave corporations with little to no savings, workers living paycheck-to-paycheck, and supply chains outsourced to the lowest bidder.\r\n\r\nFor far too long, many companies have disregarded broad-based growth and put short-term profits ahead of workers, fueling inequality and restricting opportunities for the poor, for young people, and for people of color. Short-term financial pressure often pushes corporations to forgo necessary long-term investments, ignore the threat of climate change, and concentrate opportunity in ways that exclude too many of our communities,said the Senators in forming the working group.We will work together on ways we can fundamentally reform corporate governance in America.\r\nThe Senators have each worked on proposals to hold American corporations accountable and create an economy that provides prosperity for all Americans.\r\n\r\nThroughout her career, Senator Baldwin has stood up for the rights of workers, called out the abuses of big corporations and special interests, and championed reforms that will give workers a say in how their company's profits are spent. Senator Baldwin introduced legislation, theReward Work Act,that would give workers a seat on corporate boards andrein in corporate America's addiction to stock buybacks.Baldwin also introduced theBrokaw Actto strengthen oversight of predatory activist hedge funds.\r\nSenator Warren hasintroduced legislationto transform corporate America, hold corporate executives personally accountable when their companies commit crimes, and empower workers and other stakeholders, not just shareholders. Warren'sStop Wall Street Looting Act which is cosponsored by Baldwin would reform the private equity industry and she has been a leading voice in pressing corporations to address their role in fueling the climate crisis.\r\n\r\nAs the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Carper hasconducted rigorous oversighton the influence of major oil companies in federal rulemaking, helped to reach avoluntary greenhouse gas emissions deal between auto companies and Californiain defiance of the Trump Administration's federal rollback, andintroduced legislationthat would hold companies accountable to clean up their pollution.\r\n\r\nSenator Warner has introduced theWorkforce Investment Disclosure Actto require companies to disclose investments in workers, urged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require disclosure of companies' human capital management policies, and has pushed for better reporting of non-financial indicators covering a company's environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/postal-police-officers", "Baldwin Demands USPS Reverse Directive Banning Postal Police Officers from Safeguarding Our Nation\u2019s Mail and Letter Carriers", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.30.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin Demands USPS Reverse Directive Banning Postal Police Officers from Safeguarding Our Nation's Mail and Letter Carriers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is demanding the United States Postal Service immediately reverse a directive that is banning postal police officers from performing theirpatrol duties in safeguarding our nation's mail and letter carriers.\r\nBaldwin's letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the USPS Board of Governors comes aftermediareportsdetailed an August 25 directive confining postal police officers from leaving USPSreal estate to conduct patrols that protect letter carriers and deter mail theft, only months before an election where millions of Americans are voting by mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This comes after Senator Baldwin has beendemanding answersfrom the Postmaster General on continued mail delays in Wisconsin.Baldwin has also repeatedly called on Postmaster DeJoyto reverse the changes he implemented that were causing mail delivery delaysin Wisconsin.\r\nIn her letter, Baldwin is now demanding USPS reverse this change to ensure the safety of our nation's mail and letter carriers.She writes,With the November 3, 2020 general election approaching, the integrity of our mail system and the safety of USPS personnel is paramount. The August 25, 2020 directive instructing postal police officers that they were confined to postal real estate upends long-standing practice and violates congressional statute and intent.\r\nBaldwin continues,For years, uniformed postal police officers have served a vital role protecting mail outside of postal real estate, ensuring that blue collection boxes and postal vehicles are not victims of theft, that letter carriers receive protection on their routes, and that high value mail shipments are protected. Despite this, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service inexplicably decided to confine highly trained officers to postal real estate, only months before an election where millions of Americans are planning on voting by mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic. USPS has yet to provide an adequate explanation for this change.\r\nSenator Baldwin heard from Diana in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, who is concerned that this directive threatens the safety of her daughter, a letter carrier in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. On September 29, 2020, about a month after postal police were instructed to stop patrols, a letter carrier in Milwaukeewas robbedin broad daylight.\r\nBaldwin notes,With postal police officers sidelined, deterrents against mail theft disappear and thieves seeking credit cards and personal identification information can more easily obtain this information  and also leave ballots behind.\r\nSenator Baldwin is requesting answers from USPS to the following questions:\r\n \r\nDid Postmaster General DeJoy or any members of the Postal Board of Governors have communication with the U.S Postal Inspection Service about this directive before it was presented to postal police officers on August 25, 2020?\r\n\r\nDid the Postmaster General or members of the Board provide directions, instructions or give approval of this directive or view the directive before it was presented to postal police officers on August 25, 2020?\r\nWas Postmaster General DeJoy aware of this forthcoming directive when he testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on August 21, 2020 or the House Oversight Committee on August 24, 2020?\r\n\r\nPlease report the number of instances of mail theft and crimes against letter carriers per week for this calendar year in the cities of Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta.\r\n \r\nThe full letter is availablehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/womens-inclusion-in-afghan-peace-negotiations", "Baldwin, Shaheen Lead Senate Call to Trump Urging President to Make Women\u2019s Inclusion in Afghan Peace Negotiations a Foreign Policy Priority", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.30.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Shaheen Lead Senate Call to Trump Urging President to Make Women's Inclusion in Afghan Peace Negotiations a Foreign Policy Priority \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Ahead of tomorrow's 20thanniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Security Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) led a group of Senators in sending a letter to President Donald Trump, underscoring the critical importance ofpromoting women's rightsand ensuring women'sactiveparticipation in the ongoing Afghan peace negotiations. The UNSCR resolution, which was adopted on October 31, 2000, reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peacebuilding and peacekeeping, humanitarian response and post-conflict recovery. It also stresses the importance of women's full involvement in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security.\r\n\r\nThe Senators wrote, It is in recognition of this important anniversary that we write to you today, calling on you to ensure that women play an active role in the intra-Afghan peace negotiations and to make clear to all parties that the U.S. government expects the Afghan and Taliban leaders to preserve and promote the rights of women and girls during and following a negotiated peace agreement The relationship between women, peace and security is irrefutable.Decades of data support the fact that there is a direct correlation between the rights and empowerment of women and a country's stability and ability to avoid future conflict.We know that women's participation in peace negotiations increases the likelihood of their success, their involvement in post-conflict recovery lowers the risk of relapsed conflict, and that gender inequality increases the risk of terrorism and instability.\r\nThe lawmakers underscored that the message of women's inclusion in Afghan peace talk aligns with the commitments the U.S. government made when theWomen, Peace and Security Actwas signed into law in 2017.\r\n\r\nIn closing, the Senators highlighted an open letter published last month that was signed by 26 former presidents and prime ministers, and 34 foreign ministersincluding former U.S. Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry that affirmed that women's participation in the peace negotiations are crucial in the pursuit of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. The Senators also included a list of policy recommendations that would boost U.S. efforts to uphold the UNSCR 1325 and theWomen, Peace and Security Act, as intended.\r\n\r\nThey signed their letter,The lives and opportunities of half of Afghanistan's population, and the sacrifice that U.S. and allied servicemembers have made in Afghanistan, are too important to not prioritize women and girls' rights and leadership in a future Afghanistan. It is not enough to simply state that this is best left to the two parties in the intra-Afghan peace process. The United States can and should ensure that women are substantively involved in the peace process and that their rights are preserved moving forward.\r\n\r\nThe letter  which is also signed by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) can be read in fullhere.\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wsaw-baldwin-calls-for-trump-to-reverse-decision-to-decrease-relief-available-to-dairy-farmers", "WSAW: Baldwin Calls for Trump to Reverse Decision to Decrease Relief Available to Dairy Farmers", "2020-10-29", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-calls-on-verso-corporation-to-do-right-by-wisconsin-rapids-workers", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls on Verso Corporation to Do Right by Wisconsin Rapids Workers", "2020-10-29", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.29.20\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls on Verso Corporation to Do Right by Wisconsin Rapids Workers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is sending a letter to the Verso Corporation Board of Directors to call on them to honor their commitments to their employees and either run the mill, or sell it to a buyer that will be committed to the Wisconsin Rapids community. The facility directly supports more than 900 workers in the region, as well as thousands of workers and many small businesses throughout Wisconsin.\r\nSenator Baldwin previously wrote to Verso Corporation and urged them to find a buyer that is committed to keeping the proceeds from the facility's operations in the community. Today, following the announcement that Verso Corporation has suspended plans to find a buyer for the Wisconsin Rapids mill, Senator Baldwin is urging the Board to resume marketing the mill and to treat the employees of the mill with fairness and respect.\r\nMany in the community were hoping for a quick sale to a buyer that would operate the mill and preserve its nearly one thousand jobs. The disappointing news that the sale is on hold raises concerns that Verso will close the mill instead of selling it to an operator, wrote Senator Baldwin in her letter. I write to request that you resume active marketing of the mill, giving full and fair consideration to local buyers, and honor your commitment to treat the employees of the Wisconsin Rapids mill with fairness and respect.\r\nSenator Baldwin also raised concerns that a group of activist investors has gained seats on the board and is pushing decisions that benefit shareholders and executives at the expense of workers at the Wisconsin Rapids facility. On July 31, 2020, the Wisconsin Rapids mill idled and 902 workers were laid off. On August 6, just one week later, Verso announced that it would spend $100 million on a special dividend and $150 million on stock buybacks. Baldwin noted that the Board waived the stock performance requirements to allow Verso's executives and directors to earn millions in bonuses despite not hitting stock price targets. The Board claimed holding the executives responsible for the decline due to the pandemic could lead to the executives leaving Verso.\r\nIt is hard to find a clearer contrast between the stakes for executives versus rank and file workers. The workers lose jobs after decades of service and must wait in agonizing limbo, while the bar is lowered to pay executives millions to ensure they don't quit. The actions of the board show sympathy for the plight of executives and directors who could lose millions in bonuses (while retaining their half million dollar annual salaries) yet little concern for their workers who have lost their livelihoods, Senator Baldwin continued.\r\nThe full letter to Verso Corporation is available here and included below:\r\n\r\nBoard of Directors\r\nVerso Corporation\r\n8450 Gander Creek Drive\r\nMiamisburg, Ohio 45342\r\n\r\nDear Directors:\r\nI write to you today with concerns about the recent news, relayed to the Rapids Together Task Force by Verso's local management on October 21, 2020, that Verso has suspended actively marketing the mill in Wisconsin Rapids until economic conditions improve. Further, I am concerned that a group of activist investors has gained seats on the board and is pushing decisions that benefit shareholders and executives at the expense of workers at the Wisconsin Rapids facility.\r\nMany in the community were hoping for a quick sale to a buyer that would operate the mill and preserve its nearly one thousand jobs. The disappointing news that the sale is on hold raises concerns that Verso will close the mill instead of selling it to an operator. I write to request that you resume active marketing of the mill, giving full and fair consideration to local buyers, and honor your commitment to treat the employees of the Wisconsin Rapids mill with fairness and respect.\r\nOn September 29, 2020, I wrote to the Verso President and CEO Adam St. John to urge him to consider the impact of the sale on all the people in the North Central Wisconsin region, and not just your shareholders. Since that letter, Mr. St. John has resigned and the mill has gone off the market. My understanding is that a new director, placed on the board in January 2020, after pressure from a group of activist investors, is now leading the sale process.\r\nI am concerned about the impact of the activist group on the Verso strategy. Public letters from the activist group make clear that they opposed using any proceeds from the previous mill sales for new investment to convert Verso paper machines into machines able to produce packaging grades. Instead, the activists have pushed a strategy that directs hundreds of millions of dollars to Verso's shareholders through buybacks and dividends.\r\nOn July 31, 2020, the Wisconsin Rapids mill idled and 902 workers were laid off. On August 6, just one week later, Verso announced that it would spend $100 million on a special dividend and $150 million on stock buybacks.Verso management cited the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic along with a need to, maintain a healthy balance sheet and focus on cash flow, when it announced the idling of the Wisconsin Rapids mill on June 9. However, sending $250 million to shareholders does not help maintain a healthy balance sheet or mitigate the effects of COVID-19. These moves are not designed to reposition the company for future success, but rather to salvage the investment of the activist group at the expense of Verso employees.\r\nThe June 9 release also noted that Verso is committed to treating all our affected employees with fairness and respect. The recent announcement that the mill is off the market does not reflect this commitment. The treatment of workersmany of whom don't know where their next paycheck will come fromstands in stark contrast to the board's treatment of Verso executives. On May 11, 2020, a month prior to the idling announcement, the board eliminated the minimum requirement that Verso's stock price must hit for executives and directors to receive their multi-million dollar performance bonuses. The Compensation Committee's report noted that holding Verso's executives responsible for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the stock price would be unfair, and therefore the minimum threshold must be waivedto ensure that executives and directors were retained.\r\nIt is hard to find a clearer contrast between the stakes for executives versus rank and file workers. The workers lose jobs after decades of service and must wait in agonizing limbo, while the bar is lowered to pay executives millions to ensure they don't quit. The actions of the board show sympathy for the plight of executives and directors who could lose millions in bonuses (while retaining their half million dollar annual salaries) yet little concern for their workers who have lost their livelihoods.\r\nI fear that the longer Verso waits to sell the mill, the greater the possibility that the facility is closed. Please honor your commitments to your employees and either run the mill, or sell it to a buyer committed to the Wisconsin Rapids community. I again reiterate my request that your sale process give full and fair consideration to local buyers who will be most affected by any changes at the mill. While Verso's executives might have the resources to wait until economic conditions improve to maximize the proceeds of the sale of the mill, the workers and the community in North Central Wisconsin do not have that luxury.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/uss-wisconsin", "Following Senator Baldwin\u2019s Request, U.S. Navy Will Name A New Submarine the \u201cU.S.S. WISCONSIN\u201d", "2020-10-29", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.29.20\n\t\t\t Following Senator Baldwin's Request, U.S. Navy Will Name A New Submarine the U.S.S. WISCONSIN \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Wisconsin is home to 40 companies that supply key components for submarine program \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is applauding a U.S. Navy decision to name one of the next available Virginia (SSN-774) class submarines the U.S.S. Wisconsin.\r\nIn July, Senator Baldwin introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution and led the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation in requesting that the Secretary of the Navy take this action.\r\nWhat a great day for the state of Wisconsin. I am so proud that one of the next U.S. Navy submarines will carry the Wisconsin name. Our shipbuilding industry and its skilled workers have helped sustain America's security for generations, boasting a successful history of building ships for our nation's defense, said Senator Baldwin. This is a real honor to our proud shipbuilding tradition and the men and women of our state who have worked hard to support this class ofsubmarines.\r\nThe State of Wisconsin is known for producing key naval capabilities. In the 1940's, the city of Manitowoc produced 28 diesel powered submarines25 of which deployed during WWII. Most recently, workers in Marinette have completed 10 Littoral Combat Ships for the U.S. Navy, with another six ships under construction, and the Marinette shipyard was recently awarded the contract for the Navy's new frigate program. This legacy of shipbuilding in Wisconsin is a testament to the strong ties between the state and the U.S. Navy.\r\nThe last Navy vessel to bear the name the U.S.S. Wisconsin (BB 64) served in every major U.S. conflict after it was launched in 1944 until it was decommissioned in 1991. Since then, no U.S. Naval vessel has carried the storied Wisconsin name.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-s-statement-removal-tariffs-canadian-aluminum-win-wisconsin", "Rep. Ron Kinds Statement on Removal of Tariffs on Canadian Aluminum, Win for Wisconsins Beer Industry", "2020-10-29", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "La Crosse, WI This week, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation removing tariffs on imports of Canadian aluminum. The proclamation followed an agreement with Canada announced last month by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to reinstate an exclusion for these imports from Section 232 tariffs retroactive to September 1, 2020. \nPrevious Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada were dropped in 2019 as part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which entered into force on July 1, 2020. However, President Trump announced in August that he would be renewing tariffs on imports of Canadian aluminum, a decision that Rep. Kind swiftlycondemned.  \nOver 50% of United States aluminum is imported from Canada, while over half of the beer produced in Americaannually is packagedin aluminum cans or bottles.\nThese tariffs on Canadian aluminum imports were misguided and harmful to Wisconsin's storied beer industry, which is already facing significant challenges as the COVID-19 crisis continues, saidRep. Ron Kind. I'm glad the Administration heard our concerns and removed tariffs on imports of Canadian aluminum. It's critical that we work to protect access to open markets for Wisconsin businesses and manufacturers and keep supply chains unburdened to ensure our world-renowned beer industry can continue to succeed.\nAccording to a 2019 study by the Beer Institute,62,856 jobs in Wisconsin are impacted by the beer industry and the industry contributes $9 billion annually to the state.\nRep. Kind is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Trade and the co-chair of the New Democrat Coalitions' Trade Task Force. The Ways and Means Committee is the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/senator-baldwin-questions-facebook-and-twitter-ceos-at-senate-commerce-hearing", "Senator Baldwin Questions Facebook and Twitter CEOs at Senate Commerce Hearing", "2020-10-28", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-calls-for-trump-administration-to-reverse-decision-to-decrease-covid-19-relief-available-to-wisconsin-dairy-farmers", "Senator Baldwin Calls for Trump Administration to Reverse Decision to Decrease COVID-19 Relief Available to Wisconsin Dairy Farmers", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.27.20\n\t\t\t Senator Baldwin Calls for Trump Administration to Reverse Decision to Decrease COVID-19 Relief Available to Wisconsin Dairy Farmers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t After USDA changed their pandemic relief program to exclude dairy losses related to meat production, 15 Senators urge the Department to reverse course \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined her colleagues led by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), to call on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse its decision to unfairly exclude dairy farmers from receiving COVID-19 relief to cover losses related to meat production.\r\nWhile milk is the primary income for dairy farms, they often are diversified operations with significant revenue coming from the meat of cows as they are retired from milking. In the original Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), the USDA compensated dairy farmers and other livestock producers for losses related to meat produced from breeding animals. When USDA announced CFAP 2, the second version of the relief program, the Department made a significant change to exclude those losses.\r\nThis change will affect the livestock industry and will be particularly harmful to dairy farmers who often operate at extremely tight margins, wrote the Senators. The decision is even more troubling considering that USDA clearly has sufficient resources to cover these losses. Additionally, it is less complicated for both USDA and farmers to cover all livestock and avoid confusion about what animals are covered or excluded.\r\nConsidering the dairy industry's traditionally tight margins, USDA's decision to shift course and arbitrarily exclude dairy farm losses related to meat production is a significant blow, wrote the Senators. We urge USDA to reverse this arbitrary decision and make breeding animals eligible for CFAP 2 like they were under the original relief program.\r\nIn addition to Senators Baldwin, Stabenow and Leahy, the letter was signed by Senators Robert Casey (D-PA), Angus King (I-ME), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and GaryPeters(D-MI).\r\nThe full text of the letter is below. A PDF of the letter is availablehere.\r\n\r\nDear Secretary Perdue,\r\nWe are concerned that USDA's new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) will unfairly disadvantage dairy and other livestock producers. Specifically, USDA made a significant change between the first version of CFAP and the new version that has unfairly excluded the value of the meat produced from breeding animals.This change will affect the livestock industry and will be particularly harmful to dairy farmers who often operate at extremely tight margins. The decision is even more troubling considering that USDA clearly has sufficient resources to cover these losses. Additionally, it is less complicated for both USDA and farmers to cover all livestock and avoid confusion about what animals are covered or excluded.\r\nEven before the coronavirus pandemic, dairy farms have struggled with prolonged market uncertainty, unfair trade practices, and the Administration's chaotic trade policies. Unfortunately many farms, especially smaller operations, have had no choice but to sell their cows and exit the dairy business.While the value of the milk is the primary income stream for dairy farms, they are by nature diversified with significant income coming from the meat of cows as they are retired from milking and any crop production that exceeds the feed needs of their own animals.Considering the dairy industry's traditionally tight margins, USDA's decision to shift course and arbitrarily exclude dairy farm losses related to meat production is a significant blow.\r\nWe urge USDA to reverse this arbitrary decision and make breeding animals eligible for CFAP 2 like they were under the original relief program.It would not be difficult to estimate an average rate that dairy cows are removed from milking and sent to the meat supply. Should USDA determine that breeding animals are typically worth less per head than other cattle, a separate per head rate could also be established instead of completely excluding dairy cows and other breeding animals.\r\nWith respect to dairy losses due to the pandemic, we continue to encourage USDA to provide assistance to farmers that had to dispose of milk due to the pandemic's shock to the normal food supply.We also encourage USDA to be flexible and work with the dairy industry, as there may be different scenarios depending on how cooperatives and farmers managed the temporary surplus. A one-size-fits-all approach may unfairly exclude some losses.\r\nWhile we are particularly concerned with barriers preventing dairy farms from accessing this critical assistance, the exclusion of breeding animals in the other segments will also create unnecessary inequities. In particular, some farmers have sought out opportunities to specialize and are arbitrarily excluded by the USDA decision. For example, some farms have focused on developing superior genetics and supplying animals to other farmers that breed them and produce the animals that go directly for meat or wool production.These producers will clearly be experiencing pandemic related losses as the farmers they supply have had to reduce purchases, but the breeding animal decision by USDA completely excludes any assistance for these specialized farms.\r\nFinally, in addition to the unfairness of excluding losses from certain segments of meat production, USDA's decision to not cover all animals unnecessarily complicates the sign-up process for Farm Service Agency field staff and farmers.Setting a fair payment rate for all animals, including breeding animals, would largely avoid the difficult job of trying to define the intended use' of each calf, lamb, piglet or kid born and expecting farmers or USDA field staff to validate those determinations.\r\nThank you for considering our request for USDA to reverse the decision to exclude breeding animals like dairy cows from CFAP 2.Congress recently provided the requested early refill of the Commodity Credit Corporation borrowing authority in the Continuing Resolution enacted on September 30, providing USDA with sufficient resources to correct this unfair decision.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/baldwin-speaks-about-whatsatstake-with-president-trumps-scotus-nomination-of-amy-coney-barrett", "Baldwin Speaks About #WhatsAtStake with President Trump\u2019s #SCOTUS Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wjfw-baldwins-bipartisan-bill-signed-into-law-to-create-three-digit-suicide-prevention-hotline", "WJFW: Baldwin's Bipartisan Bill Signed Into Law to Create Three-Digit Suicide Prevention Hotline", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wkow-baldwins-bipartisan-reform-to-create-three-digit-suicide-prevention-hotline-signed-into-law", "WKOW: Baldwin\u2019s Bipartisan Reform to Create Three-Digit Suicide Prevention Hotline Signed Into Law", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-request-pence-abandon-plan-to-preside-over-senate-after-multiple-covid-19-exposures", "Baldwin, Senate Democratic Leadership Request VP Pence Abandon Reckless Plan to Preside Over Senate After Multiple COVID-19 Exposures", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.26.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Senate Democratic Leadership Request VP Pence Abandon Reckless Plan to Preside Over Senate After Multiple COVID-19 Exposures \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Plan Will Put Senators, Staff, And Capitol Hill Workforce At Risk For Absolutely No Benefit  VP's Presence Is Entirely Ceremonial And Non-Essential \r\n Despite Close Contact With COVID-19 Positive Aides, The VP Will Reportedly Continue With His Schedule \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, the Senate Democratic Conference Secretary, joined her fellow members of Senate Democratic Leadership to call on Vice President Mike Pence,following his recent exposure to COVID-19, to abandon plans to preside over Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation vote to the Supreme Court. Five of the Vice President's closest aides have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, and it would be a clear violation of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for him to appear in the Senate Chamber. Despite the close contact, the Vice President has said he plans on continuing with his schedule, deeming his work essential.\r\nIn addition to Baldwin, the letter was signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Whip DickDurbin(D-IL), Assistant Democratic Leader Patty Murray, (D-WA), Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee ChairwomanDebbie Stabenow (D-MI), Vice Chair of the Conference Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Vice Chair of the Conference Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Chair of Steering Committee Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of Outreach Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Vice Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV).\r\nIn the letter, the Senators wrote that the Vice President should not put Senators, staff and Capitol personnel at risk of contracting the disease. See the full text of the letter below. A PDF of the letter is available HERE.\r\nOctober 25, 2020\r\nThe Honorable Michael R. Pence\r\nVice President of the United States\r\nThe White House\r\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue\r\nWashington, DC 20500\r\n\r\nDearVice President Pence,\r\nWe are writing today about your reported intention to attend the final Senate vote on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrettto be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. With five of your closestaidesrecently testing positive for COVID-19, it is not a risk worth taking. We ask you to reconsider.\r\nNot only would your presence in the Senate Chamber tomorrow be a clear violation of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy. Your presence alone could be very dangerous to many people  not just Senators, but to all the truly essential staff  both Democratic and Republican  who must be physically present inside the U.S. Capitol for it to function. These men and women are the Capitol Police officers, the custodians, the food service workers, the floor staff, and everyone else that makes the Capitol complex work.On their behalf, please reconsider your decision to attend tomorrow's vote.\r\nNothing about your presence in the Senate tomorrow can be considered essential. You will not need to cast the deciding vote to break a tie. Your presence tomorrow would be purely ceremonial.\r\nWe believe that if you and President Trump finally began to take this crisis seriously, instead of taking actions that could further increase the spread, we would all be safer and better off. We appreciate your consideration of our request.\r\nSincerely,\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/preventing-the-next-pandemic", "Baldwin, Democratic Lawmakers to Senate and House Leadership: We Must Take Bold and Comprehensive Action to Prevent the Next Pandemic", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.26.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Democratic Lawmakers to Senate and House Leadership: We Must Take Bold and Comprehensive Action to Prevent the Next Pandemic \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t \"Even as Congress works to put an end to the current COVID-19 pandemic, it must also take steps, now, to prevent future pandemics from occurring. \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), joined 137 Senate and House lawmakers in sending a letter to House and Senate leadership urging them to prioritize the development of comprehensive policy plans to prevent and mitigate the impact of future pandemics. In the letter, the lawmakers led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) outline the steps necessary to prevent future pandemics while also noting that Congress must act to provide relief to Americans suffering from the current economic downturn and public health emergency.\r\nAs the United States continues to weather the disastrous COVID-19 pandemic, we write to ask that Congress take action to learn from the mistakes of our nation's preparation and response and lay the groundwork to prevent and mitigate future pandemics. The current Administration's response has exposed serious flaws in the country's ability to combat large scale public health challenges,wrote the lawmakers.In addition to passing a robust package to address the current crisis, we must take bold and comprehensive steps now to ensure the nation is better prepared for the next pandemic.\r\nThe COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on communities across the country and has devastated the nation's economy. Currently, the United Statesleadsthe world with more than eight million confirmed casesand 225,000 dead, out of over one million worldwide.Millionsare out of work and struggling to make ends meet. It is clear that pandemics are already rapidly accelerating: animal-to-human outbreak prevalencegrewsix-fold from 1980 to 2010,and experts predict they will become even more common in the future. It isimperativethatCongresstake bold and comprehensive steps now to prevent and mitigate future pandemics. Specifically:\r\n \r\nCongress must invest in domestic programs, systems, and supply chains that will help improve Americans' health outcomes, combat the spread of new disease, and ramp up public health capacity during global health emergencies.This includes robust investments in state, local, and tribal public health departments; improvements to the Strategic National Stockpile; and the development of support systems, such as affordable housing, that reduce chronic health conditions and address the social determinants of health and wellbeing.\r\nCongress must support global public health efforts to identify and mitigate the spread of new diseases before they become global pandemics.This includes ensuring the Administration protects the public by fulfilling its international commitments to organizations such as the World Health Organization; investing in global surveillance programsto identify emerging disease threats; and combating antimicrobial resistance.\r\nCongress must create 250,000 permanent, high-paying public health jobs to rebuild our depleted public health workforce and ensure the rapid deployment of contact tracers and otherprofessional responders during future pandemics.These workers should be trained in key public health initiatives, such as contact tracing and disease surveillance, and should be prepared to deploy to their communities in public health emergencies. Congress must ensure these workers have access to health and safety protections, can unionize, receive universal paid sick leave and family leave, and have access to health insurance and childcare services.\r\nCongress must address the systemic racism embedded in our health care system and pass legislation ensuring that health care treatments, vaccines, andprevention measures are accessible for all. This includes ensuring that everyone in America has access to high-quality health care,includingmental health and substance use disorder treatment; eliminating race and socioeconomic disparities in health care access; addressing the social determinants of health; and requiring companies that receive federal funding to produce pandemic countermeasures offer their products at reasonable prices.\r\nCongress must halt the environmental degradation increasing the likelihood of global pandemics.This includes combating climate change, protecting and restoring land and inland water areas to their natural state, and preventing dangerous practices contributing to the spread of zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential.\r\n \r\n\r\nThe letter was also signed by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angus King (I-ME), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-MN), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI).\r\nThe full letter is availablehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4688", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Senate Confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Senate Confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett\r\nCongresswoman Moore released the following statement following the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court:\r\nThe nomination and confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court has been a shameful example of Senate Republicans power above principle approach of governance that puts the American people last.The fact that Amy Coney Barrett participated in this rushed power grab as she withheld material documents from the Senate speaks to her lack of candor and fitness for the high court. \r\nIn 2016 with over 260 days before the election, Mitch McConnell set a standard for Supreme Court nominations in an election year to let the American people decide. This was the principle they articulated to not only block the nomination of Merrick Garland but to refuse to even meet with him in an election year. It was a sentiment articulated by Amy Coney Barrett herself.Well, the people are voting. In fact, nearly 60 million people have already cast a ballot with millions more set to vote over the next 8 days until Nov 3rd. Yet, now with less than 8 days until the next election, Senator McConnell, Senate Republicans, and Amy Coney Barrett have shamelessly abandoned the principle they articulated in 2016. This confirmation process has forever altered the Senate and irreparably harmed the credibility, independence, and legitimacy of the Supreme Court.  \r\nThe record of Judge Barrett demonstrates she holds judicial opinions far outside the mainstream and will be nothing but a rubber stamp for the corporate interests who bankrolled her confirmation. She will advance an agenda from the bench that will hurt Americans by dismantling the Affordable Care Act; jeopardizing workplace protections for working men and women; rolling back protections for vulnerable communities, especially the LGBTQ community; and, undermining reproductive rights and other hard-fought crucial civil protections.\r\nThe American people deserve so much better from their leaders in the Senate.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-announces-federal-funding-wisconsin-telehealth-services-and", "Rep. Ron Kind Announces Federal Funding for Wisconsin Telehealth Services and Distance Learning", "2020-10-23", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "La Crosse, WI Today,Rep. Ron Kindannounced close to $2,000,000 in grants to support telehealth services and distance learning in Wisconsin. The grants, approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, were awarded to St. Vincent Hospital and the HSHS System to help purchase telehealth equipment and expand access to services and to Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) 10 to upgrade schools' distance learning technology and provide resources to help overcome disparities experienced by rural school districts.\nSo many important aspects of our lives have moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including education and health services, saidRep. RonKind.It's critical to ensure communities across Wisconsin, particularly in our rural areas, have access to vital services regardless of where they live. That's why I'm proud to have helped secure these grants to expand access to telehealth services and distance learning for all Wisconsinites, and will continue fighting to ensure our rural communities have the resources they need throughout this crisis.\nThis award for telemedicine equipment will serve 455,000 lives in 20 rural counties. It will help HSHS save countless lives and improve quality of care by providing tele-behavioral health services, expanded tele-health care for substance use disorders, and tele-stroke care to patients in communities that have otherwise limited access to health care resources,\"saidJosh Gustafson, MBA-HCM, Director, Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, Prevea Health and HSHS Wisconsin.\nThe USDA Rural Development investment for St. Vincent and the HSHS System will be used to address rural health professional shortages, particularly opioid and substance use disorder clinicians and behavioral health specialists, expand tele-stroke care, and help establish a telemedicine hub. The investment for CESA 10 will be used to help implement a distance learning technology upgrade, allow for cloud-based bridging and provide videoconferencing endpoints at 39 school districts in 14 counties in west central Wisconsin, and expand resources for rural school districts.\nAs amemberof the House of Representatives Rural Broadband Task Force, Rep. Kind has been an advocate for expanding rural broadband access to end the rural-digital divide by 2025 and ensure all students are able to continue receiving a high quality education as some schools move to online learning. Additionally, Rep. Kind hassupportedeffortsto expand and improve Wisconsinites' access to telehealth services beyond the COVID-19 crisis.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/baldwin-health-care-leaders-discuss-whatsatstake-for-health-care-with-trumps-scotus-nominee", "Baldwin, Health Care Leaders Discuss #WhatsAtStake for Health Care with Trump\u2019s SCOTUS Nominee", "2020-10-22", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-introduce-covid-19-relief-bill-to-support-small-businesses", "Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce COVID-19 Relief Bill to Support Small Businesses", "2020-10-22", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.22.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce COVID-19 Relief Bill to Support Small Businesses \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today joined her colleagues led by U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD), U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) to introduce theHEROES Small Business Lifeline Act a comprehensive package of measures that would provide over $370 billion of support to the hardest-hit, most vulnerable small businesses, including minority-owned businesses, businesses that have been damaged by public disturbances, and very small businesses that have been left behind in this pandemic, and industries, such as restaurants and live venues. The bill is nearly identical to the small business provisions ofHEROES 2.0, which passed the House of Representatives on October 1.\r\nWisconsin small businesses and their workers are hurting and need help to survive this economic crisis, said Senator Baldwin. President Trump let the Paycheck Protection Program expire, leaving many small businesses without a lifeline. Small businesses are the engine of our economy and we must take urgent action to provide more resources to the hardest-hit small businesses in Wisconsin, so they can keep our economy moving and get through this deadly pandemic.\r\nTheHEROES Small Business Lifeline Actwould:\r\n \r\nExtend and improve the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to better serve small businesses. HEROES 2.0 extends PPP through March 2021; provides a second PPP for the hardest-hit small businesses and nonprofits; allows businesses to use proceeds on property damaged by public disturbances, expands eligibility to ensure that all nonprofits, regardless of size and type, critical access hospitals, and local news media can participate; simplifies the forgiveness process; repeals the requirement of deducting an EIDL advance from the PPP forgiveness amount; and removes limitations that unfairly restrict small businesses owned by formerly incarcerated individuals from securing a PPP loan.\r\nExtend and expand the Debt Relief program.HEROES 2.0 extends payments of principal, interest, and fees on all preexisting and new Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a), 504 and microloans for up to a year, with more relief targeted to existing borrowers in underserved markets and the hardest-hit sectors. This debt relief program is also expanded to include SBA's physical and EIDL disaster loans.\r\nSupport the smallest, most vulnerable businesses.HEROES 2.0 includes a new $40 billion Lifeline Grant program, of which half is set aside for undeserved businesses, that provides grants of up to $50,000 to vulnerable small businesses that have suffered a significant economic loss and creates a new $15 billion grant program for state and local governments to provide funds to vulnerable small businesses in their communities.\r\nDeliver targeted assistance to small businesses in struggling industries.HEROES 2.0 includes the Save our Stages (SOS) Act and the RESTAURANTS Act, which provide dedicated assistance for industries that rely on large gatherings, including restaurants, concert venues, and theaters.\r\nInvest in underserved communities. HEROES 2.0 invests in the mission- and community-based lenders that have a demonstrated history of getting capital to minorities, women, and other underserved communities. Specifically, it includes a dedicated $15 billion PPP set-aside for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), and other mission lenders, $1 billion in support for CDFIs, and $13 billion for a new Neighborhood Capital Investment Program to support CDFIs and MDIs, among other key policies to support the work of these lenders in underserved communities.\r\nImprove existing small business initiatives.HEROES 2.0 builds on SBA's core programs, including 7(a), Community Advantage, 504, and the Microloan program, by making them more affordable and useful to small businesses, and provides $1 billion for investment capital to underserved businesses. It also strengthens the accountability and transparency of SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and makes other commonsense improvements like removing the Trump Administration's arbitrary $150,000 cap on EIDL loans.\r\nHelp minority-owned businesses respond to COVID-19.HEROES 2.0 provides emergency grants to minority business enterprises through the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). The legislation also formally and permanently establishes MBDA and gives it the tools to carry out its mission to help minority entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.\r\n \r\nIn addition to Baldwin, Cardin, Shaheen, Schumer and Coons, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Angus King (I-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Gary Peters (D-MI).\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-to-sec-withdraw-proposal-that-undermines-transparency", "Baldwin, Colleagues to SEC: Withdraw Proposal that Undermines Transparency", "2020-10-22", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.22.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Colleagues to SEC: Withdraw Proposal that Undermines Transparency \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Jay Clayton urging the SEC to withdraw the proposed changes that would dramatically increase the Form 13F reporting threshold for institutional investment managers. The lawmakers stressed the proposal would undermine transparency in the U.S. stock market and eliminate critical information used by public companies and the SEC. The Senators called on the agency to withdraw the rule and pursue reforms that increase transparency.\r\nThe Proposal would unnecessarily and unjustifiably decrease transparency and reduce access  for the public and the SEC  to critical information about the U.S. stock market. The SEC should withdraw it and consider reforms that provide investors, the SEC, and other regulators with more information, not less,wrote the Senators.\r\nA copy of the letter appearshereand below:\r\nThe Honorable Jay Clayton\r\nChair\r\nSecurities and Exchange Commission\r\n\r\nDear Chair Clayton:\r\nWe write to oppose the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC or Commission) rule proposal: Reporting Threshold for Institutional Investment Managers, Release No. 34-89290, File No. S7-08-20 (the Proposal).[1]The Proposal would radically increase the reporting threshold for Form 13F reports by institutional investment managers, upending the existing reporting framework and eliminating a significant source of transparency in the U.S. stock market. Instead, we urge the SEC to withdraw the Proposal and consider Form 13F reforms that would increase transparency and utility.\r\n\r\nTo start, the Commission relies on several flawed justifications for the Proposal. First, the Proposal disregards the statutory language in section 13(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and selectively looks to legislative history and other sources to rationalize the increased reporting threshold, which does not exist in the plain text of section 13(f). Second, the Proposal also exaggerates expected costs savings and ignores the quality of the information that would be lost. Overall, the Proposal would undermine the market transparency that Congress intended, impair small and medium-sized companies' understanding of their investor base, and empower activist investors. Moreover, the Proposal fails to even attempt to address the most obvious reform to Form 13F filingsreducing the filing delay from the 45 days established in 1978.\r\nUnauthorized Administrative Overreach\r\nAs institutional investors increased their ownership of U.S. stocks, Congress in 1968 sought to improve the nature and quality of information about the securities market. Specifically, Congress charged the Commission to conduct a study and investigation of the purchase, sale, and holding of securities by institutional investors of all types.[2]Accordingly, in the letter accompanying its 1971 Institutional Investor Study Report, the Commission explained that it believes that gaps in information about the purchase, sale and holdings of securities by major classes of institutional investors should be eliminated,[3]and recommended that the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, be amended to provide the Commission general authority to require reports and disclosures of such holdings and transactions from all types of institutional investors.[4]\r\nHeeding those recommendations, Congress passed Section 13(f) of the Securities Exchange Act as part of the Securities Act Amendments of 1975 to require institutional investment managers having . . . at least $100,000,000 or such lesser amount (but in no case less than $10,000,000) as the Commission, by rule, may determine to report the equity securities that they control.[5]The statutory requirement sought two objectives: (i) to improve the availability of factual data to evaluate the influence, impact, and public policy implications of institutional investment managers on the securities markets, and (ii) to establish a uniform reporting standard and centralized database of institutional holdings that is gathered, processed, and disseminated by the Commission.[6]In 1978, the Commission, in turn, adopted rule 13f-1 and Form 13F, requiring every institutional investment manager that exercises investment discretion over equity securities with a market value of at least $100,000,000 on the last trading day of any month to file a report on Form 13F within 45 days after the last day of each calendar quarter.[7]\r\nThe Commission betrays the legislative language and selectively reads and misconstrues the legislative history to conclude that it has the ability to increase the reporting threshold to 35-times the existing level. SEC Commissioner Allison Herren Lee criticized this flaw in the Proposal this way [t]he text is clear: Congress set a statutory reporting threshold at $100 million, and the Commission has the authority to lower it. The proposing release does not wrestle with this language at all, and asserts uncritically that Section 13(f)(1) provides us with the relevant authority. Congress appears to have said otherwise, setting specific limits on the Commission's authority in that respect.[8]In short, the Proposal's purported basis for raising the reporting threshold is simply wrong. Indeed, we remind the Commission that legislative history does not take precedence over clear statutory text, and it is the role of Congress to write laws.\r\nDespite the plain reading of the statutory text that grants the Commission the authority to lower the $100 million threshold, the Proposal cites the one passage in the Senate Report accompanying the Securities Act Amendments of 1975 that states the Commission would have the authority to raise or lower[9]the threshold. The Commission conveniently declines to quote two other parts of the Senate Report that refer to the SEC's ability only to lower the threshold. In the discussion of the scope and nature of section 13(f), the Senate Report states, the bill would give the SEC rule-making authorityto lowerthe securities holdings cut-off test if it found that lower test requiring more institutional managers to report was in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or necessary or appropriate to maintain fair and orderly markets.[10]The report further clarifies that, [i]f the SEC should determine that the public interest would be better served by bringing into the program smaller institutional investment managers, it has rulemaking authority to reduce the securities holding cut-off figure to $10 million.[11]In both instances, the Senate Report does not suggest the SEC has the ability to determine a threshold beyond $100 million, and even if the Senate Report were to do so, report language cannot rewrite or go beyond the plain text of a duly enacted law.\r\nFurthermore, the original 1977 proposing release for rule 13f-1 and Form 13F further evidences the Commission's statutory ability only to lower, rather than increase, the $100 million threshold. In that proposal, the Commission asks [s]hould institutional investment managers exercising investment discretion over accounts holding less than $100 million of Section 13(d)(1) equity securities included on the Commission's list be required to file Form 13F? What would be an appropriate amount?[12]The proposing release shows that at inception of rule 13f-1, the Commission did not even consider the possibility of a higher threshold.\r\nTo support the higher threshold, the Commission also selectively points to the Office of the Inspector General's 2010 Review of the SEC's Section 13(f) Reporting Requirements (OIG Review). In the Proposal, the Commission cites Recommendation 11 of the OIG Review, which advised that the Division of Investment Management, in consultation with the Chairman's Office, should request that the Division of Risk, Strategy, and Financial Innovation update its analysis of the impact of increasing the reporting threshold of $100 million.[13]\r\nThe Commission skips over Recommendation 10, which advised several SEC offices to collectively determine whether legislative changes to Section 13(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 should be sought, specifically with respect to . . . increasing the Section 13(f) reporting threshold.[14]The OIG Review includes the staffs' responses to the Recommendation 10, where the Division of Investment Management states, [w]e concur with the recommendation. . . . We also concur with the RiskFin comments as they relate to this recommendation. In particular, we emphasize that consideration of significant changes to Form 13F should be part of a coordinated review of the overall SEC system for disclosing ownership and transactions in the securities of public companies, rather than in isolation.[15]Accordingly, the OIG Review fully contemplated the need for Congress to increase the reporting threshold and did not consider it within the SEC's authority, and the SEC staff agreed.\r\nTo be clear, Congress did not provide the Commission with the statutory authorities to raise the 13F reporting threshold beyond $100 million, and no amount of legislative history can be used to contradict or defy the plain text of the law as written. The Commission derives its authorities, powers, and funds from Congress; not the other way around.\r\nFlawed Analysis\r\nEven if Congress had provided the requisite statutory authority, which it did not, the Commission's assertion that rule 13f-1 should be amended to increase the reporting threshold to $3.5 billion to reflect the same proportion of the overall value of the U.S. stock market that $100 million represented in 1975 is illogical and fails to consider the diminished quality of the information that would be reported at the higher threshold. Specifically, the Proposal observes that the 35-fold increase would retain 90% of the dollar value of the securities currently reported without considering the harm from excluding reports from nearly 90% of the investment managers that currently file a Form 13F.[16]The claim that retaining 90% of the dollar value of existing Form 13F reports is sufficient relies on a metric not found in the statutory text or explained as an objective in the legislative record within the bounds of the statute.\r\nThe Commission also discusses the costs associated with Form 13F, but its suggestion that those costs justify such a purge of critical market information is hard for any reasonable person to believe. The Proposal provides a range of direct costs to prepare filings and suggests there are indirect costs to some institutional investment managers due to public disclosure of their stock holdings. Yet, the Commission undermines its own argument when it states the academic literature providespartial evidenceabout the harm caused by the action of third parties[17]and fails to consider the impact of the reduction in quality of available information about public share ownership on public companies, market participants, or the Commission itself. \r\nThe Commission also distorts the cost analysis by introducing a new estimate for preparation of Form 13F that inflates the estimated costs on filers. Commissioner Lee's public statement questions the new methodology and assumptions[18]and points out the Form 13F cost estimates the SEC used in 2018 show a fraction of the cost savings in the Proposal. The Proposal states, direct compliance costs could range from $15,000 to $30,000 annually per manager[19]that would no longer file, but Commissioner Lee explains, [h]ad the proposal stuck with the prior [Paperwork Reduction Act] estimate, the grand total cost savings to weigh against the reduced transparency would have amounted to roughly $4,000-$5,000 per institutional investment manager.[20]\r\nAdditionally, the Commission's new methodology appears questionable based on the comment letter submitted by Cleveland, Ohio, based Advisor Consultant Network (ACN), which identifies itself as the largest service provider of Form 13F reporting services. ACN's letter explains that the average Form 13F filer does not need the personnel assumed in the proposal, relying instead on investment tracking software and data platforms.[21]\r\nWhile proposing an unprecedented 3,400% increase in the Form 13F reporting threshold, the Commission ignores several ways to improve transparency and provide more information to investors and market participants. For example, the Commission fails to acknowledge the required rulemaking under Section 929X of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Wall Street Reform Act), which directed the Commission to require Form 13F filers to report short sales each month. In addition, the Commission does not even consider shortening the 45-day delay in Form 13F's reporting deadline,[22]which has stood since 1978. Given the improvements in technology and the SEC's own enhancements in its electronic filing system, the undue burden the SEC claimed 42 years ago when adopting the 45-day delay[23]instead of the 30 days it originally proposed[24]seems outdated. By failing to discuss either of these measures to increase transparency, the Commission makes plain that the only updates it seeks are contrary to the plain reading of section 13(f) and to the Commission's mission.\r\nThe Commission also appears indifferent to how the Proposal would adversely affect small and mid-sized companies' ability to understand and engage with their shareholder base. Form 13F filings provide crucial ownership information to company managers, and by eliminating reporting by nearly 90% of institutional investment managers, the SEC would deny companies access to information necessary for shareholder engagement. That is why in September alone, well over 50 publicly-listed companies, including household names like Ford,[25]CVS Health,[26]Marriott,[27]and Stanley Black and Decker,[28]filed unique comment letters opposing the increase of the Form 13F reporting threshold. Hundreds more signed on to opposition letters from Nasdaq[29]and the New York Stock Exchange.[30]All of those companies delivered a clear message: the Proposal would take away the critical transparency provided by Form 13F filings, reduce the ability for shareholder engagement, and deprive them of timely information when activist hedge funds take positions in their shares.\r\nThis harm would disproportionately fall on small and micro capitalization companies. According to analysis performed by market analytics firm IHS Markit, small capitalization firms would lose insight into ownership of 14.4% of their shares, and micro capitalization firms would lose 17.1%.[31]Even larger firms would lose sizeable visibility into their share ownership.[32]IHS Markit further considered the impact by type of investor, finding that while, on average, 55% of the investors on a company's shareholder list would stop filing a Form 13F, the portion of hedge funds on a company's shareholder list that would stop filing rises to 69%. Again, this is another clear indication that the Commission disregarded the negative effect the Proposal would have on transparency.[33]\r\nThis negative effect surely includes real costs to companies and their employees who will be more susceptible to the covert actions of activist hedge funds. Because Form 13F does not require disclosure of over-the-counter options even when they are economically equivalent to owning share in a company, activist funds already abuse outdated SEC disclosure rules to amass covert stakes in public companies. The OIG Review explained the problem created by this information gap, the public cannot obtain a complete picture of all significant investment activities of institutional investment managers.[34]Under the Proposal, it will be more difficult and costly for companies to recognize and respond to these investor groups. It should not be surprising that the agenda of an activist fund that would engage in such stealth activity is to extract value, which frequently imposes social costs on workers and communities and results in unsustainable debt burdens for targeted companies.[35]\r\nFinally, we are unable to view the SEC's proposal in isolation. On September 21, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed changes to its premerger notification rules under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (HSR Act) that would expand filing exemptions and allow activist investors to acquire up to 10% of a company's voting securities without an HSR Act filing so long as that investor does not have a significant investment in a competitor of the target company.[36]Taken together, the Proposal and the FTC's proposed amendments would permit activist investors to acquire strategic and significant stakes in companies unbeknownst to the marketplace or the companies. This concern becomes particularly acute amid predictions for increasing activist investor activity in 2021 given the difficult market conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.[37]Companies focused on surviving the economic slowdown could be forced to navigate a regulatory landscape that leaves them even more vulnerable and more likely unaware of unwanted activist interest.\r\nIn conclusion, the Proposal would unnecessarily and unjustifiably decrease transparency and reduce access  for the public and the SEC  to critical information about the U.S. stock market. The SEC should withdraw it and consider reforms that provide investors, the SEC, and other regulators with more information, not less.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-urge-devos-to-help-82-million-federal-student-loan-borrowers-currently-unable-to-access-relief", "Baldwin, Democratic Colleagues Urge DeVos to Help 8.2 Million Federal Student Loan Borrowers Currently Unable to Access Relief", "2020-10-22", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.22.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin, Democratic Colleagues Urge DeVos to Help 8.2 Million Federal Student Loan Borrowers Currently Unable to Access Relief \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t 8.2 million federal student loan borrowers currently cannot access critical relief made available by the CARES Act, including a freeze on all payments, interest, and collections \r\n In a letter, Murray and 33 Senate Democrats urge DeVos to use her existing authority to make sure these struggling borrowers don't fall through the cracks \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined 32 Senate Democrats led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, in sending a letter urging Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to ensure all struggling federal student borrowers can gain access to crucial federal relief.\r\nSince March, the CARES Act has provided forbearance, waived interest, and halted collections for borrowers whose student loans were directly held by the U.S. Department of Education. But, according to new information provided to Senator Murray by the Department, 8.2 million federal student loan borrowers currently cannot take advantage of this relief, because some or all of their loans do not quality. Of those borrowers, 4.4 million people are not receiving any relief, and 3.8 million people have a mix of loans that qualify and those that do not. To ensure that these borrowers don't continue to face unnecessary financial struggles and confusion, the senators urged Secretary DeVos to take immediate action to help them qualify for much-needed relief.\r\nThe more than eight million student loan borrowers falling into donut holes of critical relief have missed out on needed benefits and suffered unnecessary complexity and confusion for more than six months, wrote the senators in the letter. It is essential that the Department immediately begin the targeted outreach and take the actions we are requesting.\r\nIn the letter, the senators pressed Secretary DeVos to immediately reach out to borrowers currently missing out on relief and help them consolidate their loans into qualifying loans. They also urged Secretary DeVos to use her administrative authority to improve the consolidation process for borrowers by waiving restrictions and penalties during the national emergency.\r\nIn addition to Baldwin and Murray, the letter was signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (D-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR).\r\nThe full letter is below and HERE.\r\nDear Secretary DeVos:\r\nWe write to ask that you take immediate steps to support federal student loan borrowers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and recent administrative action to extend it are automatically providing forbearance, waiving interest, and halting collections on student loans held directly by the U.S. Department of Education (Department) until at least December 31, 2020, this relief does not cover all federal student loan borrowers. The Department should take swift action to help borrowers with at least one qualifying loan gain access to full coverage.\r\nAccording to information provided by the Department, 8.2 million federal student loan borrowers do not have full relief because they fall into a complete or partial donut hole. Of those, 4.4 million borrowers are not receiving any relief under the CARES Act or administrative extension, and 3.8 million borrowers have a mix of loans that qualify and those that do not, resulting in confusion and unnecessary financial harm for them during a period of widespread economic disruption. All federal student loan borrowers should have access to the same relief.\r\nThe Department has numerous tools at its disposal to contact the 3.8 million borrowers in a partial donut hole and help them get all of their loans covered by the CARES Act relief. For example, the Department can direct student loan servicers to proactively contact borrowers who fall into the partial donut hole and help them consolidate loans not held by the Department into Direct Loans, which qualify for relief. The Department can also improve the process of consolidation for borrowers through administrative action.\r\nThe alternative relief options that have been provided by loan holders to some borrowers in the donut holes have been woefully inadequate. Temporary forbearance options that must be repeatedly requested by borrowers are far inferior to automatic and extended relief. Many borrowers also continue to accrue interest on these non-covered loans, potentially costing them hundreds or thousands of dollars. Consolidation is a straightforward solution to help some non-covered borrowers get access to the same benefits available to those with non-federally-held loans. A borrower with a commercially-held FFEL, school-held Perkins, or Public Health Service Act loan can generally consolidate such loan into a Direct Loan to obtain the automatic administrative forbearance, interest waiver, and halt to collections and negative credit reporting.\r\nIn 2012, the Department successfully spurred widespread take-up of a special consolidation option by borrowers holding both commercial FFEL and Direct Loans. This time-limited opportunity offered a 0.5 percent interest rate reduction for borrowers who participated. In contrast, just six months of relief equivalent to the CARES Act offers a greater benefit to a typical borrower over the lifetime of a loan. The Department has an opportunity to follow the same playbook and unlock relief for millions of borrowers.\r\nThe holders of non-covered loans have provided insufficient justification for failing to proactively notify borrowers of consolidation. While borrowers normally receive a trivial roundup of their interest rate to the nearest one-eighth of a percent from consolidation, all interest is currently being waived for covered loans and the value of this interest waiver would exceed the cost of the roundup for the vast majority of borrowers. Additionally, while borrowers could lose some credit toward income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness if they consolidate a loan they had previously been paying under an IDR plan, they do not have to consolidate loans that are already enrolled in IDR. Further, most borrowers are not enrolled in an IDR plan, meaning they would see no change in their timeline for IDR forgiveness because they do not have one. Finally, while a limited number of borrowers may have already consolidated all of their loans and are ineligible to consolidate again, borrowers have a number of exceptions to the restriction. For example, borrowers wish to become eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness can consolidate more than once, as can all 1.2 million borrowers with a commercial FFEL loan currently in default.\r\nCommercial FFEL borrowers who have defaulted are disproportionately harmed by the disparate treatment of non-covered loans; while defaulted borrowers with covered loans have been granted a reprieve from forced collections, these borrowers remain subject to wage garnishment and the offset of public benefits, including Social Security payments.\r\nMost importantly, the Department can easily take administrative action to suspend consolidation restrictions and penalties during the national emergency, such as the limitation on consolidating once, the reset of the forgiveness clock, and interest-rate roundup, using the same authority that was utilized to implement the President's August 8 Executive Order. Under Section 2(a)(1) of the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROES) Act of 2003, the Secretary may waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision applicable to the student financial assistance programs under title IV. The Department should use this authority to waive all barriers to consolidation.\r\nAdditionally, the Department should encourage the commercial FFEL entities, institutions holding Perkins Loans, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, which collectively hold the 4.4 million loans completely un-covered by current relief, to initiate a similar outreach campaign to their borrowers. As Secretary, you retain significant authority and leadership over these entities, including the ongoing payment of taxpayer subsidies. You should quickly ask loan holders requesting to inform borrowers of their option to consolidate as a means to expediently receive the relief afforded by the CARES Act.\r\nThe more than eight million student loan borrowers falling into donut holes of critical relief have missed out on needed benefits and suffered unnecessary complexity and confusion for more than six months. It is essential that the Department immediately begin the targeted outreach and take the actions we are requesting. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/stop-efforts-to-gut-the-aca", "Senator Baldwin to Attorney General William Barr: Stop Efforts to Gut the Affordable Care Act in Court", "2020-10-22", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.22.20\n\t\t\t Senator Baldwin to Attorney General William Barr: Stop Efforts to Gut the Affordable Care Act in Court  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t As Supreme Court ACA Hearing Approaches and Republicans Ram Through a Supreme Court Nominee in an Illegitimate Process, Democratic Lawmakers Highlight HowOverturning theACA WillImpact Health Coverage forMillions ofAmericans, Including ThoseWho Contract COVID-19. \r\n It is unconscionable for the Department of Justice to pursue this lawsuit in the midst of this unprecedented public health crisis, and we urge you to rescind your support of these efforts immediately. \r\n\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, along with 19Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Attorney General William Barrurging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to rescind its support of the Supreme Court lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the letter, the Senators highlight how health insurance protections for millions of Americans are at stake in light of theongoing lawsuit against the ACA and thecurrent Supreme Court nomination fight,and the ways in which health insurers could discriminate against millions more people who contract COVID-19 if protections in the ACA are gutted.\r\nThe letter was led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and was also signed by Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Gary Peters (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).\r\nWe urge the Department of Justice to immediately rescind its support of the lawsuit in California v. Texas asking the Supreme Court to declare the ACA unconstitutional and invalidate the law in its entirety,wrote the lawmakers.Passed in 2010, the ACA dramatically expanded the number of Americans with health insurance. Destroying this progress and ripping away critical protections is cruel on its face. Looking to do so in the midst of a nearly unprecedented public health emergencya COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed over 220,000 American lives and infected over 8 million peopleis especially unconscionable.\r\nThe full letter is availablehere.\r\nThe Supreme Court will hear arguments inCalifornia v. Texason November 10, 2020. Amongothercritical provisions, the ACA has made itillegalfor insurance companies to deny insurance coverage for the 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions.Beforethe ACA became law, insurers could exclude coverage of care associated with pre-existing conditionsorrefuse to provide coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditionsaltogether; charge higherpremiums based on a person's health status or gender; limit certain benefits like mental health treatment, prescription drugs, or maternity care; and impose lifetime or annual caps on benefits.Health experts warnthat, without the ACA, health insurers could classify COVID-19 as a pre-existing condition and deny COVID-19 survivors health insuranceadding millions more peopleto the previously existing 133 millionAmericans with pre-existing conditions.\r\nDespitethe need forthese essential protections for Americansamid the ongoing public health crisis andthe growing number ofindividuals contracting COVID-19, the Department of Justice is currently in court seeking toinvalidate the ACAwhile President Trump is working to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat with his nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, in time for the November 10 arguments. Barrett's nomination is a key component of the president's self-stated goal of terminating the ACA.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-and-sen-tammy-baldwin-call-verso-corporation-continue", "Rep. Ron Kind and Sen. Tammy Baldwin Call on Verso Corporation to Continue Seeking Buyer for Wisconsin Rapids Mill", "2020-10-22", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "La Crosse, WI Today,Rep. Ron KindandSen. Tammy Baldwincalled on Verso Corporation to reverse their recently announced decision to suspend the search for a buyer for the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill, and continue to work in good faith with interested buyers. This comes after the closure of the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill owned by Verso Corporation in July 2020. \nI am deeply disappointed by Verso Corporation's recent decision to halt efforts to find a buyer for the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill. Wisconsinites' livelihoods are on the line, and it's unacceptable and unwarranted for Verso to not respond to interested buyers, saidRep.Kind. \"To that end, I'm calling on Verso to immediately restart these talks and work in good faith to find a buyer for the mill. The Wisconsin Rapids community is dedicated and hardworking, and I know that given the opportunity they will continue to innovate and succeed. I will continue to work alongside local, state, federal, industry and labor leaders to support Wisconsin Rapids workers and families through these challenging times and ensure the community is able to build back stronger than ever.\nThe unfortunate decision by Verso puts the economic security of 900 Wisconsin families  who have already been waiting since June to know if their future is secure  in further limbo. This mill has been producing paper for more than 100 years, and it is vitally important to the North Central Wisconsin economy, and the thousands of workers across our state who work in industries upstream and downstream from Verso as well as the small business owners who count on those workers spending their income. The shared prosperity of the Wisconsin Rapids community depends on the continued operation of the pulp and paper mill, and I urge Verso to consider the impacts of this decision on all the people in the North Central Wisconsin region, and instead work to find a buyer that is committed to keeping the proceeds from the mill's operation in the community to the maximum extent possible, saidSen. Baldwin.\nSince Verso Corporation announced plans to idle the Wisconsin Rapids paper mill in June, Rep. Kind has worked with state, local, and federal officials, industry and labor representatives, and Verso employees to develop a plan for the future of the mill and to provide support for the employees and their families. Rep. Kind has taken steps to provide additional job training services for those looking for new employment opportunities and has worked with the Evers Administration to try to find a new buyer for the mill.Additionally, in August Rep. Kind led a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia in support of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition filed on behalf of workers at the Verso paper mill. Following the letter, the TAA petition wasapproved, providing the nearly 900 Verso employees with the support they need and the resources to secure future employment opportunities.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-joins-wisconsin-leaders-to-discuss-whats-at-stake-with-trumps-supreme-court-nomination", "Baldwin Joins Wisconsin Health Care Leaders to Discuss What\u2019s At Stake for Health Care with President Trump\u2019s Supreme Court Nomination", "2020-10-21", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.21.20\n\t\t\t Baldwin Joins Wisconsin Health Care Leaders to Discuss What's At Stake for Health Care with President Trump's Supreme Court Nomination \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) hosted a virtual roundtable with Wisconsinites to discuss what's at stake for women's health, children's health, young adult coverage and guaranteed protections for people with pre-existing conditions if President Trump and Senate Republicans force through their nominee for the Supreme Court. On November 10, 2020, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a lawsuit supported by President Trump to overturn the Affordable Care Act completely. If confirmed, Trump's nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett could participate in the court's decision.\r\n\r\nBaldwin was joined by Wisconsin State Representative Jimmy Anderson (D-Fitchburg), Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health Executive Director Sara Finger and Kids Forward Health Policy Engagement Coordinator William Parke-Sutherland.\r\nWe're facing the worst public health crisis in a generation, and instead of working to make things better, President Trump wants to take people's health care away with this court pick. Over 178,000 Wisconsinites have been infected with COVID-19, which could now be considered a pre-existing health condition. These people need the guaranteed protections that the Affordable Care Act provides, said Senator Baldwin. We're here today to make it clear that Wisconsinites do not want President Trump to take people's health care away, in the middle of a deadly pandemic. We don't want to go back to the days when insurance companies wrote the rules, and could choose to deny people coverage, charge people more, or set annual or lifetime limits on people's health care.\r\nWisconsin State Representative Jimmy Anderson shared his story of being in a car accident in 2010, when a drunk driver took the lives of his parents and brother, and left Jimmy paralyzed from the chest down. Because of the Affordable Care Act, he did not have to worry about hitting a lifetime of annual cap on his care, and could instead focus on his own recovery. There's people with disabilities who, if we reinstall those annual caps, will be hitting those annual caps every year and struggling mightily, said Rep. Anderson. We need to do everything we can to defend the Affordable Care Act, to build on its legacy, and to make sure that we don't go back to the bad days of when insurance companies could discriminate and kick people off their health insurance plans. Listen to Rep. Jimmy Anderson's remarks at 4:30 in the video.\r\nJust being a woman was a pre-existing condition before the Affordable Care Act, said Sara Finger. Before the Affordable Care Act, only 12 percent of plans that were out there in the individual marketplace offered maternity coverage. The preventative care that is offered with the Affordable Care Act including cancer screenings, domestic violence screenings, breastfeeding support - all of that is offered at a base level without any out-of-pocket costs and that is huge for women and all of our health care needs. The last thing we need right now is to go back to a time when we had this horrendous system working against people at every level, and I refuse to let us go back to that time before the Affordable Care Act. Listen to Sara Finger's remarks at 8:35 in the video.\r\nThe ACA provides coverage to about 195,000 Wisconsinites right now, and about 26,000 of those are children or young adults under the age of 25. So all of those people would be at risk if they ACA were overturned, said William Parke Sutherland. Requiring preventative care services for children and adults to be delivered free of charge is really important, and it's especially important during a pandemic. It's vitally important that we remove as many barriers for children getting the care they need, getting vaccines and getting routine preventative care. The ACA is of vital importance to everyone in the state, regardless of whether they are in the health insurance marketplace, or they are children on their parents' insurance plans, or are women and other folks needing those essential benefits like maternity care, prescription drug coverage, mental health coverage, and substance abuse coverage, and all of that is at stake if the ACA is overturned. Listen to William Parke-Sutherland's remarks at 12:25 in the video.\r\nThe full video from today's roundtable is available for download here. \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 768, "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 \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "WI", "p2": "2020"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=WI&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 768, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=WI&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 629, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=WI&year=2020&chamber=House", "selected": false}, {"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 139, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=WI&year=2020&chamber=Senate", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=WI&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "WI", "label": "WI", "count": 768, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=WI&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "2020", "label": "2020", "count": 768, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=WI", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2020-10-21,http~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ebaldwin~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpress-releases~2Fbaldwin-joins-wisconsin-leaders-to-discuss-whats-at-stake-with-trumps-supreme-court-nomination", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=WI&year=2020&_next=2020-10-21%2Chttp~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ebaldwin~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpress-releases~2Fbaldwin-joins-wisconsin-leaders-to-discuss-whats-at-stake-with-trumps-supreme-court-nomination&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 187.51490395516157, "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"}