{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where state = \"MS\" and year = 2024 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-hassan-welcome-enactment-their-bill-benefit-guard-reserve-students", "HYDE-SMITH, HASSAN WELCOME ENACTMENT OF THEIR BILL TO BENEFIT GUARD, RESERVE STUDENTS", "2024-12-26", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "FY2025 Defense Policy Bill Includes Bipartisan \u2018SERVE Act\u2019 to Guarantee College Readmission for Guard, Reservists\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today welcomed the enactment of major defense policy legislation that includes their bipartisan bill to ensure that students who serve in the National Guard and Reserve will be guaranteed readmission to their schools following a mobilization.\n\nThe bipartisan Servicemember Enrollment and Readmission for Valuable Education (SERVE) Act (S.2076) was included in the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR.5009), which was signed into law on Monday. The SERVE Act amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure that students called to serve in domestic, short-term National Guard and Reserve mobilizations can return to their studies.\n\n\u201cMany Guard and Reserve mobilizations last fewer than 30 days, putting numerous students who have volunteered to serve our nation at risk of having their educational pursuits derailed,\u201d Senator Hyde-Smith said. \u201cI\u2019m pleased the FY2025 NDAA includes an overdue fix to this problem.\u201d\n\n\u201cStudents in the Reserves and the National Guard sacrifice to serve their communities and our country, and they shouldn\u2019t have to jeopardize their spot in school because they were called to duty,\u201d said Senator Hassan. \u201cI am pleased that the latest national defense bill provides a measure that will ensure that student National Guard and Reserve members who are mobilized for short missions will have the security of knowing that their spot in school will be waiting for them.\u201d\n\nThe SERVE Act removes a \u201cmore than 30 days\u201d stipulation in current law that only requires readmission for student servicemembers who are mobilized for more than 30 days. Under existing law, National Guard and Reserve members mobilized for fewer than 30 days are not universally entitled to be promptly readmitted.\n\nHyde-Smith introduced the SERVE Act with Hassan in June 2023. U.S. Representatives Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) and Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) were the lead sponsors of a House companion bill.\n\nThe overall FY2025 NDAA establishes policies and sets funding guidelines for the FY2025 Defense Appropriations Bill that will actually allocate funds for Department of Defense activities. The overall bill also authorizes a 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted troops, a 4.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for all other service members, and broadens access to child care for service members.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-issues-2024-christmas-message", "HYDE-SMITH ISSUES 2024 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE", "2024-12-23", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Issues 2024 Christmas Message.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today issued a 2024 Christmas message that encourages Mississippians to \u201ccelebrate love, joy, and peace, and reflect on the many blessings in our lives,\u201d including the sacrifices of our servicemembers, first responders, and healthcare workers.\n\n\u201cWhile the world deals with turmoil and conflict, this season calls us to love our neighbors, care for those in need, and approach life with a spirit of generosity. Our mission should be to serve those who need our help the most \u2013 through acts of kindness or simply offering a listening ear. We all have the power to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\nHyde-Smith\u2019s full Christmas message is available below:\n\nMerry Christmas, Mississippi!\n\nMay we hold fast to the true spirit of this holiday season, taking time to celebrate love, joy, and peace, and reflect on the many blessings in our lives.\n\nAs Christians, we honor the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His life and teachings inspire us to live gracefully, move with compassion, and love one another.\n\nAs we celebrate, let us remember that this season is truly about peace \u2013 peace in our homes, in our communities, and in our hearts.\n\nWhile the world deals with turmoil and conflict, this season calls us to love our neighbors, care for those in need, and approach life with a spirit of generosity. Our mission should be to serve those who need our help the most \u2013 through acts of kindness or simply offering a listening ear. We all have the power to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us.\n\nThis season, I also thank our servicemembers, many of whom are far from home and separated from loved ones as they defend our freedoms.\n\nI share the same gratitude for our first responders and healthcare workers who continue to serve tirelessly. Their commitment to keeping us safe every single day is a gift to us all.\n\nMy wish for all Mississippians is that your Christmas be filled with warmth, joy, and the love of those around you. May we all carry the message of peace and love with us throughout the new year.\n\nFrom my family to yours, Merry Christmas and happy holidays. May God continue to bless you with peace, happiness, and abundant blessings this holiday season and in the year ahead.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases/statement-chairman-michael-guest-regarding-ethics-committees-release-report", "Statement of Chairman Michael Guest Regarding the Ethics Committee\u2019s Release of the Report Regarding Former Representative Gaetz", "2024-12-23", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Michael Guest", "G000591", "guest.house.gov", "guest", "https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Chairman Michael Guest released the following statement:\n\n\u201cI believe, have publicly stated, and remain steadfast in the position that the House Committee on Ethics lost jurisdiction to release to the public any substantive work product regarding Mr. Gaetz after his resignation from the House on November 14, 2024.\n\nWhile I do not challenge the Committee\u2019s findings, I did not vote to support the release of the report and I take great exception that the majority deviated from the Committee\u2019s well-established standards and voted to release a report on an individual no longer under the Committee\u2019s jurisdiction, an action the Committee has not taken since 2006.\n\nRepresentative Gaetz resigned from Congress, withdrew from consideration to serve in the next administration, and declared that he would not seek to be seated in the 119th Congress. The decision to publish a report after his resignation breaks from the Committee\u2019s long-standing practice, opens the Committee to undue criticism, will be viewed by some as an attempt to weaponize the Committee\u2019s process, and is a dangerous departure with potentially catastrophic consequences.\u201d\n\nCongressman Michael Guest represents Mississippi's Third Congressional District. Currently serving his third term, Congressman Guest serves as the Chairman of the Committee on Ethics. He is also a member of the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Homeland Security.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:32:39Z"], ["https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7562", "Kelly's Farmer Economic Assistance Framework Legislation Becomes Law in American Relief Act\n\nDecember 21, 2024 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nTags:\nAgriculture\n\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Trent Kelly announces that direct farm economic assistance as modeled after the Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act (FARM Act) has been signed into law, marking a significant win for Rural America and the backbone of our nation \u2013 its farmers.\r\n\r\nThis critical funding provides emergency relief to farmers facing unprecedented challenges, including\u2026 Read more \u00bb", "2024-12-21", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Trent Kelly", "K000388", "trentkelly.house.gov", "trentkelly", "https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Trent Kelly announces that direct farm economic assistance as modeled after the Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act (FARM Act) has been signed into law, marking a significant win for Rural America and the backbone of our nation \u2013 its farmers.\n\nThis critical funding provides emergency relief to farmers facing unprecedented challenges, including inflationary pressures. \u201cFor too long, our farmers have been asked to do more with less, feeding America and the world under increasingly difficult circumstances,\u201d said Congressman Kelly. \u201cThis assistance ensures they have the support they need to keep growing, producing, and feeding our nation.\u201d\n\nCongressman Kelly extended his deep gratitude to Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Chairman GT Thompson, and the entire Republican leadership team for their tireless efforts to champion this vital legislation. \u201cThis was made possible by the steadfast support of my colleagues to prioritize the needs of our farming community,\u201d Kelly said.\n\nThis economic assistance addresses the immediate needs of farmers while laying a strong foundation for future discussions in the 2025 Farm Bill. Congressman Kelly introduced the FARM Act in response to the dire economic situation faced by farmers nationwide.\n\nContact: For more information about the FARM Act or Congressman Kelly\u2019s continued efforts on behalf of America\u2019s farmers, please contact Semaj Redd at semaj.redd@mail.house.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-07T14:16:54Z", "2026-04-07T14:20:46Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-efforts-secure-disaster-market-aid-forestall-farm-crisis", "HYDE-SMITH EFFORTS SECURE DISASTER, MARKET AID TO FORESTALL FARM CRISIS", "2024-12-21", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith Votes to Provide Aid to Farmers Stressed by Low Prices, High Input Costs, Dire Financing Outlook\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) early Saturday morning voted for a final agreement that will provide $10 billion in market loss assistance for farmers in Mississippi and around the country who are threatened by economic stresses that threaten the strength of U.S. agriculture.\n\nHyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, welcomed final approval of the aid following difficult negotiations to finalize a funding agreement to avoid a government shutdown and address natural and economic disasters.\n\n\u201cThe bottom line is that Congress is finally doing the right thing for America\u2019s farmers and rural Americans. I expect this ad hoc market loss assistance will make a difference for farmers in Mississippi and elsewhere who would otherwise not be able to plant again next year,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\n\u201cThis assistance should serve as a lifeline while, with some determination and focus, we can finally enact a new Farm Bill that includes updated safety net programs for our farmers,\u201d Hyde-Smith added. \u201cI look forward to working with incoming Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to ensure swift implementation of the disaster aid, because time is of the essence.\u201d\n\nHyde-Smith has for months been working with incoming Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.), incoming Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), and others to demand Congress act to approve ad hoc assistance to avoid an imminent economic disaster in rural America.\n\nAs of early December, crop economic losses nationally exceeded $31 billion from all major commodities for 2024, including cotton, soybeans, corn, rice, and peanuts. Such losses in Mississippi have averaged $145.04 on more than 3.62 million acres, amounting to at least $525.8 million in losses this year.\n\nHyde-Smith indicated Mississippi agricultural interests could also benefit from natural disaster relief in the legislation for farmers harmed by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Federal Emergency Management Agency have certified that Mississippi experienced multiple types of natural disasters in this time period, including freezes, tornadoes, severe storms, flooding, high winds, and drought.\n\nNatural disaster funding in the bill includes $357 million for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program, $828 million for the Emergency Conservation Program, and $920 million for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.\n\nIn the months leading up to passage of the agriculture disaster funding agreement, Hyde-Smith met with Mississippi stakeholders, advocated for aid at Senate hearing, and delivered a floor speech explaining to her colleagues why Congress should provide both natural disaster and market loss assistance for farmers across the country or risk worsening a crisis that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars more in the future.\n\nFinally, Hyde-Smith sided with Boozman and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn \u201cGT\u201d Thompson (R-PA) in signaling their intent to oppose any supplemental spending package that failed to provide meaningful economic assistance to farmers.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-statement-on-continuing-resolution-s-damage-to-national-defense/bcd92899-cdda-47f5-85c7-82a9e9b6f969", "Senator Wicker Statement on Continuing Resolution\u2019s Damage to National Defense", "2024-12-21", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown and give lawmakers until March 2025 to reach an agreement on a long-term funding plan.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-votes-authorize-fed-support-water-projects-miss", "HYDE-SMITH VOTES TO AUTHORIZE FED. SUPPORT FOR WATER PROJECTS IN MISS.", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "U.S. Senate Sends Water Resources Development Act to White House\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) late Wednesday voted for final passage of water infrastructure legislation that authorizes federal resources for improving waterways, flood control, ports, and other projects in Mississippi.\n\nThe Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (S.4367 or WRDA) authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects throughout the country including navigational improvements, flood control, ecosystem restoration and clean water infrastructure. The bill, passed 97-1, is now cleared to be signed into law.\n\n\u201cThis legislation is important to the well-being of Mississippi and the entire nation. Army Corps of Engineers activities in Mississippi are directly linked to the well-being of our citizens and the state\u2019s economy,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cI will remain committed to working to secure the funding to fulfill these authorized projects in Mississippi.\u201d\n\nHyde-Smith serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, which funds the Army Corps of Engineers and programs authorized in WRDA. (Related: FY2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill)\n\nHyde-Smith supported the inclusion of provisions that enable the Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies to work with state and local officials to improve flood control, inland ports, wastewater infrastructure, conservation, and coastal resilience.\n\nIn addition to multiple other projects across the state, Mississippi projects authorized in the bill that will now be signed into law are:\n\nCity of Byram \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure (including stormwater management), drainage systems, and water quality enhancement.\n\nCity of Madison \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure (including stormwater management), drainage systems, and water quality enhancement.\n\nCity of Pearl \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure (including stormwater management), drainage systems, and water quality enhancement.\n\nDiamondhead \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure and drainage systems.\n\nHancock County \u2013 $7.0 million environmental infrastructure authorization, including water and wastewater infrastructure (including stormwater management), drainage systems, and water quality enhancement.\n\nMississippi State University \u2013 Authorization to conduct academic research, in coordination with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) on technology to be used in water resources development infrastructure, analyses of the environment before and after a natural disaster, and geospatial data collection.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/senate-passes-hyde-smith-kaine-bill-protect-historic-american-battlefields-cleared-become-law", "SENATE PASSES HYDE-SMITH, KAINE BILL TO PROTECT HISTORIC AMERICAN BATTLEFIELDS, CLEARED TO BECOME LAW", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Bipartisan Measure Would Strengthen Successful NPS American Battlefield Protection Program\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) today successfully secured Senate passage of their American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation to improve the protection of America\u2019s historic battlefields.\n\nThe Senate passed the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act by unanimous consent as part of a lands package, clearing it to be signed into law. The legislation updates the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP), a successful National Park Service (NPS) program that promotes the preservation of significant historic battlefields and sites of armed conflict across the United States. ABPP has helped preserve more than 35,000 acres of historic land in 20 states, including Mississippi and Virginia.\n\n\u201cMississippi is home to some of our nation\u2019s most significant and historic battlefields, and this legislation will make it easier to protect these hallowed grounds for future generations,\u201d said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. \u201cSenator Kaine and I recognized that the American Battlefield Protection Program could be more applied to protect the sites where so many pivotal moments of American history took place. I look forward to this legislation becoming law.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom Yorktown to Appomattox to the Pentagon, you can\u2019t map America\u2019s military history without Virginia,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cI\u2019m glad to have worked with Senator Hyde-Smith to secure the Senate passage of our legislation to bolster the American Battlefield Protection Program because preserving these sites is crucial to ensuring that Americans can visit them and learn about our country\u2019s history. I urge President Biden to sign it.\u201d\n\nThe American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act, which also passed in the House of Representatives, would:\n\nPermit nonprofits and tribes to apply directly for ABPP grants. Currently, only state and local governments are eligible to apply for ABPP funding.\n\nEnsure Battlefield Restoration Grant funding is available for all battlefields. ABPP administers four grant programs: Preservation Planning, Battlefield Land Acquisition, Battlefield Restoration, and Battlefield Interpretation. Current law only allows land preserved by a Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant to be eligible for a Restoration Grant, which provides funds to return Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War landscapes back to day-of battle conditions in order to enhance the visitor experience. This provision would remove this requirement and allow properties that were not acquired by a Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant to be eligible for Restoration Grant funding. This would mean the Vicksburg National Military Park, Corinth Battlefield Unit, and other state- and nonprofit-owned battlefield parks in Mississippi could be eligible for Restoration Grant funding.\n\nClarify eligibility of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites for Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants (BLAG). Current law allows battlefields and sites associated with the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 to be eligible for ABPP funding. This change would clarify that only battlefields are eligible.\n\nCreate a process for expanding and updating historic battlefield boundaries. Currently, only lands identified in NPS maps are eligible for ABPP Battlefield Land Acquisition funding, and any updates to these maps must be approved by Congress. This means that if there is new archaeology or research that shows the historic extent of a battlefield is different from original NPS maps, the land cannot be preserved under ABPP. The bill creates a better process for expanding and updating the historic boundaries of battlefields to make it easier for certain sites to receive ABPP funding.\n\nU.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) cosponsored the Senate legislation. U.S. Representative Michael Guest (R-Miss.) cosponsored the House companion measure.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/mississippi-will-benefit-from-water-infrastructure-bill-becoming-law", "Mississippi Will Benefit From Water Infrastructure Bill Becoming Law", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Legislation to improve Mississippi\u2019s waterways, ports, river systems, dredging, and flood protection projects passed the U.S. Senate and is expected to become law. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., used his unique position on the Committee on Environment and Public Works to secure priorities for Mississippi in the legislation, the 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:\n\n\u201cWater resources are essential to Mississippi,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThis bill gives us additional tools to provide clean drinking water, wastewater, and flood control solutions for communities across the country. I will keep using my position on the Environment and Public Works Committee to deliver results for Mississippi\u2019s communities.\u201d\n\nAmong other policies that are going to benefit Mississippi, WRDA will:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-announces-pentagon-reform-and-innovation-proposal", "Senator Wicker Announces Pentagon Reform and Innovation Proposal", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released his proposal to change fundamentally the way the Department of Defense (DOD) does business by getting better weapons to our troops faster and maximizing taxpayer dollars. Senator Wicker\u2019s plan, titled \u201cRestoring Freedom\u2019s Forge: American Innovation Unleashed,\u201d outlines critical reforms that DOD and Congress could enact to pull defense budgeting and acquisition into the 21st century.\n\nThe recommendations encompass five key subject areas: cutting red tape, unleashing innovation, increasing competition, enabling decisive action, and modernizing the budget process.\n\nThe report is also accompanied by comprehensive legislation \u2013 S. 5618, the FORGED Act (Fostering Reform and Government Efficiency in Defense) \u2013 which puts many of the recommendations in the report into practice. This new proposal complements the report Senator Wicker issued earlier this year, \u201c21st Century Peace Through Strength: A Generational Investment in the U.S. Military.\u201d Among many other recommendations, \u201cPeace Through Strength\u201d principally calls for an immediate investment in the DOD to maintain deterrence against China.\n\n\u201cThe Department of Defense has been doing business the same way for far too long, which has heavily damaged both taxpayer confidence and American national security. We are entering a moment where major reform is possible. My legislation offers an opportunity to maximize the use of public dollars to buy second-to-none weapons systems, adopt new technology faster, and boost competition within the defense industry. I have started a national conversation about making a generational investment. Now we need to discuss how we can spend smarter,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nRead the full bill text of the FORGED Act here.\n\nListed below are some of the key recommendations of the report and legislation in each major area. Read the report in full here.\n\nRepeal hundreds of unnecessary provisions from Title 10 to relieve officials of busy work: remove restrictions, delegate approvals, and create a five-year sunset on reporting requirements.\n\nFlip the contracting paradigm to require commercial procedures making DOD a better customer: strengthen rapid acquisition pathways, make commercial contracting the default, and relieve nontraditional defense contractors of numerous non-commercial requirements.\n\nDramatically accelerate qualification and test procedures to improve multiple sourcing and competition: create a program for multiple sourcing, remove barriers to reverse engineering, and streamline qualification and test procedures.\n\nReduce layers of bureaucracy by integrating authorities into empowered Program Executive Officers: upgrade program executive offers to integrate requirements, funding, and acquisition, and democratize joint decision-making processes.\n\nRestructure the budget and enable an agile funding process to transition technologies more rapidly into production: restructure the budget, consolidate budget line items, increase reprogramming authorities, and establish funding transparency.\n\nSenator Wicker is the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-applauds-final-senate-passage-of-national-defense-authorization-act", "Senator Wicker Applauds Final Senate Passage of National Defense Authorization Act", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to celebrate the final U.S. Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).\n\nIn his remarks, Senator Wicker praised the efforts of his many Senate colleagues and SASC staff to achieve a 64th straight year of the NDAA\u2019s passage. Senator Wicker spoke about many of the positive qualities in this year\u2019s bill which include boosting recruitment, modernizing major defense programs, and improving deterrence. Senator Wicker also noted the defense spending topline debate should carry through into next year.\n\nRead Senator Wicker\u2019s remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nThank you very much, Mr. President.\n\nThe Senate will soon consider the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.\n\nThe NDAA is among the most important bills Congress considers each year. It\u2019s our primary way of fulfilling our most solemn obligation: our constitutional duty to provide for the common defense. Congress has come together to pass the NDAA each year for more than six decades \u2013 63 years, to be precise.\n\nToday, we continue our streak of earned success. In our best moments, we've worked out the NDAA in an open and above-board process.\n\nHere, I must say that I am frustrated with the Majority Leader's decision to thwart that regular order this year. He did not bring the bill to the floor, thus denying Americans the opportunity to witness their elected representatives make decisions in the open on critical national security issues. Still, we continued in the spirit of honesty and collegiality.\n\nThe numbers bear that out.\n\nThe Armed Services Committee considered nearly 3,000 requests submitted by all Senators.\n\nWe considered 618 amendments at markup, adopting 327 of those amendments.\n\nWe then processed over 90 amendments during the informal conference process.\n\nThese statistics tell the story of the hard work and professionalism that characterized the construction of this bill.\n\nMr. President, we are currently experiencing the most dangerous national security moment since World War II. One need only scroll through the headlines summarizing this year's world events.\n\nCongress needed to respond in kind at every possible opportunity. We should be sending a signal of peace through strength, of strong deterrence.\n\nAccordingly, the Senate Armed Services Committee took an honest look at growing capability and aggression by our adversaries. We decided that this year was the time to change our course and move our military toward the generational defense investment it deserves.\n\nThat vital committee action included an upgrade of $25 billion for our missile defense, shipbuilding, and counter-drone technology, among other modernization programs \u2013 $25 billion. This should have been part of the bill \u2013 today.\n\nRegrettably, we missed an opportunity to strengthen the President-elect's hand as he takes office in a precarious world situation. I hope and expect we will see bipartisan support for much needed investment early in 2025.\n\nAnd yet as I note what's missing from the bill, I'm happy to recognize the immense accomplishments that members have included in the the NDAA.\n\nWe secured a significant 14.5 percent pay raise for our junior enlisted servicemembers as, well as a 4.5 percent increase for all other servicemembers.\n\nWe made investments in junior ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) and recruitment capabilities, both of which will help solve the military's manpower crisis.\n\nThis bill stops the Department of Defense (DOD) from paying for puberty blockers and hormone therapies for children.\n\nWe blocked the teaching of critical race theory in military programming, and we froze diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring at the DOD. In fact, we defunded DEI.\n\nThe NDAA authorizes critical investments across the board.\n\nWe accelerated ongoing nuclear deterrence efforts.\n\nWe moved forward in shipbuilding programs for our destroyers and submarines.\n\nFinally, we learned from the wars going on around us today. Using real world experience, we found ways to strengthen security assistance for frontline allies in the Pacific, the Middle East, and in Europe.\n\nSo, let me say again, this is a good bill. It's a piece of legislation in which I take pride. As always, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to advance our national security.\n\nAnd as I speak of gratitude, I want to extend special thanks to my friend, Chairman Jack Reed. I also want to thank his team on the Armed Services Committee, ably led by Staff Director Liz King.\n\nI thank my Republican and Democratic colleagues on the committee as well. Each made important contributions to the bill. This is especially true of our subcommittee chairs and ranking members, and I will recognize those on my side of the aisle:\n\nSenator Tom Cotton, ranking member of Airland.\n\nSenator Deb Fischer, ranking member of Strategic Forces.\n\nSenator Mike Rounds, ranking member of Cybersecurity.\n\nSenator Joni Ernst, ranking member of Emerging threats and Capabilities.\n\nSenator Rick Scott, ranking member of Personnel.\n\nSenator Kevin Cramer, ranking member of Seapower.\n\nAnd Senator Dan Sullivan, ranking member of Readiness.\n\nI also want to thank my Armed Services Committee staff. These patriotic individuals burned the midnight oil for months, literally. They delivered a product that this body can be proud of \u2013 one that does much to advance American interests. The American people would be astounded to see how hard and how long these staff members work.\n\nAnd I can hardly mention my staff without thanking my intrepid staff director, John Keast. John and his superb team know how to get the job done.\n\nAnd I want to recognize John Keast and his staff by name. They are:\n\nRick Berger, Brendan Gavin, James Mazol, Greg Lilly, Adam Barker, Zach Barnett, Kristina Belcourt, Jack Beyrer, Cody Emerson, Isaac Jalkanen, Kevin Kim, Eric Lofgren, Katie Magnus, Jonathan Moore, Sean O\u2019Keefe, Brad Patout, Katie Romaine, Eric Trager, Adam Trull, and Olivia Trusty.\n\nThis year's NDAA will further the cause of our national defense, but it cannot do all that we need. This will be the final vote on this bill. It has passed the House, we have invoked cloture, and this vote will send this bill to the President.\n\nLet this piece of legislation be an exhortation that Congress can no longer leave the job of national defense half-finished. We have no choice but to move ahead \u2013 and to move ahead early next year \u2013 with a generational investment in our military.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-s-bill-to-modernize-vicksburg-military-park-advances", "Senator Wicker\u2019s Bill to Modernize Vicksburg Military Park Advances", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., to upgrade the Vicksburg Military Park, passed the U.S. Senate.\n\nVicksburg Military Park preserves the site of the Battle of Vicksburg, which is known for being a key turning point in the Civil War. The battlefield is the most visited historical attraction in Mississippi with more than half a million annual visitors. The park includes over 1,300 monuments and markers, 20 miles of original and reconstructed trenches, the Vicksburg National Cemetery, and more.\n\nHowever, the park has outdated structures, such as the visitor center, that were built nearly seventy years ago. The bill, Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act, would transfer the necessary land from the National Park Service to the State of Mississippi to build a new state-of-the-art interactive interpretive center on the park\u2019s grounds.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-slams-latest-biden-harris-salvo-against-american-energy", "HYDE-SMITH SLAMS LATEST BIDEN-HARRIS SALVO AGAINST AMERICAN ENERGY", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Miss. Senator Calls for Restoration of Domestic Energy Security After Release of LNG Report\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today criticized the latest salvo by the outgoing Biden-Harris administration against U.S. energy production, a skewed study on American liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.\n\nThe U.S. Department of Energy study released Tuesday was conducted as part of the administration\u2019s efforts to pause or stop the export of LNG, much of which is shipped through the Gulf of Mexico. Hyde-Smith has vehemently opposed this policy as a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration\u2019s reckless energy policies compromise our national security, drive up costs for hardworking Americans, and fuel global emissions. Instead of championing all American energy, which is cleaner and safer than the foreign imports we rely on, this administration continues to undermine our domestic industry and disregard the welfare of American families,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\n\u201cThe release of this LNG export study is just the latest example of their misguided energy agenda that puts our national security at risk while making energy unaffordable across the nation. It\u2019s time for this destructive trend to end. I am committed to once again restoring American energy security and independence under President Trump\u2019s leadership,\u201d she said.\n\nIn July, Hyde-Smith supported committee passage of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2025 (S.4753), a bill which would have mandated increased offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, permanently ended the Biden administration\u2019s so-called pause on LNG exports, and expedite judicial reviews of federal energy and mineral project authorizations. Efforts to reach a compromise to clear this legislation before the end of the 118th Congress collapsed earlier this week.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-votes-defense-policy-bill-1", "HYDE-SMITH VOTES FOR DEFENSE POLICY BILL", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today supported final Senate passage of a massive defense policy bill that includes legislation she introduced to ensure that students, who serve in the National Guard and Reserve, will be guaranteed readmission to their schools following a deployment.\n\nThe overall FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR.5009) establishes policies and sets funding guidelines for the FY2025 Defense Appropriations Bill that will actually allocate funds for Department of Defense (DOD) activities. The bill now goes to the White House to be signed into law.\n\n\u201cThe NDAA is crucial because it adjusts policy and funding recommendations to meet current and future requirements to strengthen our national security. This measure is far from perfect given the current administration and congressional makeup, but it does include key policy changes to support servicemembers and their families while ending misguided \u2018woke\u2019 policies,\u201d said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee.\n\nOther notable provisions in the FY2025 NDAA include:\n\nAuthorizes a 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted troops and increased access to child care for service members, in addition to a 4.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for all other service members\n\nEliminates funding for DEI programs and the Countering Extremism Working Group\n\nProhibits TRICARE, the military healthcare provider, from covering transgender services for the minor dependents of service members\n\nReforms DOD procurement policies and improves oversight\n\nAuthorizes expanded shipbuilding and aircraft capabilities\n\nExtends support for Israel while expanding \u201ctough-on-China\u201d policies", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/congress-annual-defense-bill-one-step-closer-to-law-with-senator-wicker-priorities-included", "Congress\u2019 Annual Defense Bill One Step Closer to Law With Senator Wicker Priorities Included", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate just passed Congress\u2019 annual defense bill, the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation includes numerous Mississippi priorities.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., serves as the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), affording him a unique position to advocate for Mississippi\u2019s national defense capabilities. It is expected that Senator Wicker\u2019s colleagues will elect him SASC chairman in early January 2025.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThe wins in this bill demonstrate clearly that Mississippi\u2019s military bases and defense industry are important contributors to national security. American service members across the world are safer because of the national security work done by Mississippians: whether it be through ships built at our shipyards, weapons, equipment, and ammunition from our manufacturers, or research conducted at our universities,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nWhen the NDAA bill text was released, Senator Wicker also said:\n\n\u201cHowever, the failure to include a topline increase is a tremendous loss for our national defense\u2026I remain resolved to continue the national conversation I have started about our defense needs, and I will amplify this discussion should I become Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my Congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it.\u201d\n\nAmong many of Senator Wicker\u2019s priorities, a few key elements of the bill could ensure Mississippi receives additional investments in artificial intelligence, unmanned weapons systems, special operations activities, naval fleet construction, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and national security research.\n\nThe legislation contains several of Senator Wicker\u2019s top national defense priorities:\n\nAuthorizes funding to support a 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers (E1-E4) and a 4.5 percent pay raise for all other military members.\n\nIncreases the number of required Junior Reserve Officers\u2019 Training Corps (JROTC) units nationwide; expands eligibility criteria for schools to host JROTC.\n\nRequires the Department of Defense (DOD) to adhere to the industry standard of investing four percent of a facility's plant replacement value into annual sustainment by 2030, which will drastically increase facility sustainment funding to shrink the $180 billion repair backlog.\n\nProhibits DOD from paying for puberty-blockers and other drugs that could sterilize children for the purposes of treating gender dysphoria.\n\nFreezes hiring at DOD for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work for one year.\n\nProhibits DOD personnel from promoting critical race theory (CRT), or training CRT.\n\nDefunds $50+ million for DOD DEI programming to put toward counter-narcotics.\n\nAuthorizes the Trump administration with $300 million in security assistance funds to support Taiwan\u2019s defense reform and civil resilience efforts.\n\nPermanently authorizes the Office of Strategic Capital to make loans to innovative defense companies and drastically improves DOD economic warfare coordination.\n\nCreates a counter unmanned aerial systems (CUAS) task force, CUAS exercises, and sets up reporting requirements to confront UAS military base overflight.\n\nEstablishes a single senior Pentagon official for nuclear deterrence policies and programs.\n\nAuthorizes $322 million for the nuclear sea-launched cruise missile and provides additional flexibility to expedite development of the weapon.\n\nKills the Navy\u2019s bad idea to force a $750 million landing ship on the Marine Corps, instead requiring a $250 million ship.\n\nCuts F-35 funding and holds defense contractors accountable for F-35 delays, requiring a full-scale remediation plan for future development and deliveries.\n\nAuthorizes $47.5 million for continued U.S.-Israel collaborative research on emerging technologies and adds $30 million for U.S.-Israel anti-tunneling program.\n\nHalts the retirement of the capable F-15E fleet, directly involved in defense of Israel.\n\nMaintains crucial advanced fighter capacity by keeping the F-15 and F-22 fleets whole.\n\nProcures a 3rd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and a 2nd Virginia-class attack sub in FY25.\n\nAccelerates the delivery of Landing Ship Medium for the Marine Corps.\n\nDrastically improves Navy focus on unmanned surface and subsurface vessels.\n\nStops plans to turn DOD into the \u201cclimate-change\u201d enforcer, refocusing efforts on building tactical capabilities and countering China.\n\nThe legislation also included many provisions beneficial to Mississippi:\n\nNorth Mississippi\n\n$10,000,000 to enable proof-of-concept work for an autonomous AI data fusion C2 capability for uncrewed systems, which could be completed in Starkville.\n\n$7,000,000 to enable testing and evaluation of a maneuverable 155mm projectile with a range of 100-150km, which would see approximately half of requested funds spent on fabrication of rounds in Tupelo.\n\n$10,000,000 to sustain and upgrade the Lakota helicopters, which are manufactured in Columbus.\n\n$1,000,000 to kick start production of ROC-X loitering munitions by Stark Aerospace, which will be manufactured in Columbus.\n\n$1,000,000 to help develop methods for reducing platform noise in Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, which will be completed in Tupelo.\n\n$3,000,000 to integrate and assemble the Distributed Gain 300kw Laser Weapon System, which will support work in Tupelo.\n\n$1,000,000 to support enhanced sensing capabilities in shallow-water environments, which supports work in Tupelo.\n\nCentral Mississippi\n\n$10,000,000 to procure 16 additional Type 1 All Terrain cranes in order to prevent a break in production, which supports 39 jobs in Louisville and creates 10 additional jobs.\n\n$2,000,000 to support the use of gasification technology to take agricultural byproducts and plastic waste and convert to electricity in mobile, distributable sites, which would provide opportunities and training to Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, and Tougaloo College students in conjunction with the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg.\n\n$15,000,000 to support a program that creates unclassified, high-resolution three-dimensional terrain data required by US Combatant Commands, which would support work in Ridgeland and Long Beach.\n\n$1,000,000 to support the extension and enhancement of the existing ERDC modeling and simulation physics-based environment to facilitate future uses of defense weapon systems.\n\n$2,500,000 to develop engineered repair materials for paved and unpaved roadways in different climates, which would be supported in Richland and researched in Vicksburg.\n\n$6,700,000 to accelerate the planning and design of a corrosion control hangar at Key Field in Meridian for the 186th Air Refueling Wing.\n\n$1,000,000 to update the fuel hydrant system at Key Field in Meridian for the 186th Air Refueling Wing.\n\n$5,600,000 to support planning and design of a Maintenance Hangar at Key Field for the 186th Air Refueling Wing.\n\n$1,900,000 to support the planning and design of a base supply warehouse at Key Field for the 186th Air Refueling Wing.\n\nGulf Coast\n\n$25,000,000 to complete construction of a new Air Traffic Control Tower at Keesler Air Force Base, which is used by the 403rd Weather Reconnaissance Wing.\n\n$60,000,000 to provide economic adjustments to support the Navajo class towing, salvage, and rescue ships, many of which are built in Pascagoula.\n\n$10,000,000 for the development of low-cost, rapidly deployable maritime sensors with supportive report language, which will be spent in Gulfport. This funding could support a partnership between Mississippi\u2019s defense industry and the University of Southern Mississippi.\n\n$10,000,000 to support new coating for submarine hulls, which would maintain four jobs and create four new jobs in Gulfport. If successful, full-scale production could lead to hundreds of jobs.\n\n$9,000,000 to allow for the purchase of additional autonomous dual surface and underwater vehicles for Navy experimentation and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, supporting work in Gulfport. The bill also included language to designate an appropriate program sponsor to support future acquisition of these vessels.\n\n$6,000,000 to establish an operational center providing real-time cyber operation security to small businesses, which would be located in Biloxi.\n\n$7,000,000 to address cost hike and workforce reduction concerns caused by the cuts in the procurement rate of CCA\u2019s, which could support work in Gulfport.\n\n$8,000,000 to sustain the High Performance Computing Modernization Program\u2019s efforts, personnel, and facilities, supporting defense applications across various scientific disciplines, enhancing weapons system development, which affects 21 employees in Mississippi.\n\n$2,000,000 for advanced composite materials for wet submarines, which supports ongoing work in Gulfport.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-epa-administrator-nominee-former-representative-lee-zeldin", "Senator Wicker Meets with EPA Administrator Nominee, Former Representative Lee Zeldin", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee to be the next Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Former Representative Lee Zeldin.\n\n\u201cFormer Representative Lee Zeldin is a great choice for this position. He will bring important change to the EPA while also playing a pivotal role in reversing harmful Biden administration rulemaking, addressing federal permitting issues at the agency, and protecting our nation\u2019s environment,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI look forward to working with him through my position on the EPW Committee.\u201d\n\nFormer Representative Lee Zeldin is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023, where he sat on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Financial Services.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-fbi-director-nominee-kash-patel", "Senator Wicker Meets with FBI Director Nominee, Kash Patel", "2024-12-17", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel.\n\n\u201cI had a great meeting with Kash Patel. His experience working in different government agencies provides him with a unique opportunity to restore trust in the bureau,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI look forward to seeing him use that experience to keep America safe.\u201d\n\nKash Patel is a lawyer and former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice. He served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller and as senior advisor to the acting Director of National Intelligence during President Trump\u2019s first term in office.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/press-reports-indicate-that-border-wall-materials-are-again-being-auctioned-senator-wicker-wants-answers", "Press Reports Indicate That Border Wall Materials Are Again Being Auctioned, Senator Wicker Wants Answers", "2024-12-13", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Press reports emerged Thursday indicating that the Biden administration is hauling off unused border panels in Nogales, Tucson, and Three Points border zones, potentially in direct contravention of Senator Roger Wicker\u2019s, R-Miss., FINISH IT Act which became law last year in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.\n\nSpecifically, the FINISH IT Act forced the Department of Defense (DoD) to allow millions of dollars of unused border wall panels already owned by the U.S. government to be used to extend the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.\n\nSenator Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThe Biden-Harris administration has been so hostile to border security that it threw millions of dollars at the storage of border wall materials, rather than using them to secure the border. Worse, after Senate Armed Services Republicans exposed the wasteful costs for this thoughtless program, we discovered these materials were auctioned off at massive discounts online,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cMy bill required much of the claimed remaining materials to secure the southern border. However, rather than leaving unclaimed materials for the Trump administration to use, it appears that the Biden administration has continued to auction off the remaining materials at a tremendous fiscal loss. This is an outrageous waste of taxpayer money, and now more will have to be spent to acquire new materials for completing the wall and finally securing our border, as President Trump has vowed to do.\u201d\n\nThe FINISH IT Act followed an investigation by Senate Armed Services Committee Republicans that revealed the DoD is spending $47 million per year, or $130,000 per day, to store the panels at various locations across the Southwest. The legislation requires the federal government to deploy the materials or transfer them to state governments who will use them for wall construction.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=632", "Ezell, Carter Introduce the Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program to Support Small Communities", "2024-12-12", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Mike Ezell", "E000235", "ezell.house.gov", "ezell", "https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Mike Ezell (R-MS4) and Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA2) introduced the Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program Act to increase technical assistance to organizations assisting small communities who are trying to increase business through The United States Economic Development Administration (EDA) Research and National Technical Assistance (RNTA) grant program.\n\n\"The Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program will invest in the operational and technical capacity of business district organizations, strengthening these support systems to promote job growth, build local wealth, and improve the quality of life for underserved communities and entrepreneurs in South Mississippi,\" Ezell said. \"By providing critical technical assistance and helping these organizations access and utilize the U.S. Economic Development Administration\u2019s RNTA grant program, we are ensuring that small communities have the resources they need to create stronger, more competitive business districts and drive long-term economic success.\"\n\n\u201cSmall businesses are the heartbeat of our economy, and this bill is an innovative way to grow capacity in our business districts and create more equitable economic opportunities and outcomes in Louisiana and nationwide,\u201d Carter said. \u201cThis bill would increase needed resources for many organizations in my district that conduct critical, on-the-ground work to uplift small, local businesses.\u201d\n\n\"By strengthening existing place-making efforts and serving as a catalyst for economic growth and development by creating a sense of place and pride for the community, the Downtown Hattiesburg Association is improving the quality of life in Hattiesburg. Added resources for capacity and technical assistance to expand our work will increase our impact. We are grateful for Rep. Ezell's support to make that vision a reality.\" - Marlo Dorsey, Board Member, Mississippi Main Street Association and Hattiesburg Downtown Association\n\n\u201cAs an organization dedicated to promoting, enhancing, and supporting our community\u2019s downtown district, Main Street Pascagoula is incredibly thankful for Representative Mike Ezell\u2019s support of the Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program. We are confident that this Program will prove tremendously impactful for our community and other districts engaged in revitalization efforts, and we look forward to what the future holds.\u201d \u2013 Susannah Northrop, Director, Main Street Pascagoula\n\n\"The Mississippi Main Street Association is thankful for Representative Ezell's leadership of this legislation. As Mississippi\u2019s leading organization for preservation-based community and economic development, we are excited about the potential of this funding to strengthen our network of organizations committed to supporting our downtowns and small businesses.\" - Jim Miller, Executive Director, Mississippi Main Street Association\n\n\"Broad Community Connections is committed to creating a flourishing community, connected by its people, its businesses and its culture. To reach this vision, capacity building resources and technical assistance are vital. We applaud the introduction of the Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program and are grateful for Rep. Carter's co-sponsorship of this important legislation.\" - Dasjon S. Jordan, Executive Director, Broad Community Connections (New Orleans)\n\n\"We applaud Representatives Ezell and Carter for introducing the Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program. This program will provide critical resources to locally based, non-profit organizations that support small business ownership and economic revitalization in urban neighborhoods and rural communities across the country.\" - Matt Josephs, Senior Vice President for Policy, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)\n\n\"Main Street America is pleased to support the Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program. We thank Representatives Ezell and Carter for recognizing the critical role that business district organizations, such as Main Street programs, play in creating thriving local economies.\" - Erin Barnes, President and CEO, Main Street America\n\n\"Small businesses are vital contributors to the health, vitality, and identity of neighborhoods. But they are also highly vulnerable to closure and displacement, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. This bill will help to provide businesses across the country with the assistance that they need to thrive. It will help disadvantaged business owners build greater wealth and long-term stability, and ensure that the communities they serve get the goods and services they need and deserve.\"- Willow Lung-Amam, Ph.D., Director, Small Business Anti-Displacement Network\n\n\u201cPicayune Main Street\u2019s mission is to preserve the historic character and integrity of our community\u2019s downtown commercial and residential district, as well as to enhance the culture and quality of life through active community involvement. While we have seen successes, the additional support enabled through the Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program would equip our organization to take this mission to new heights, facilitating small business growth, job creation, and enhanced quality of place for our community.\u201d \u2013 Reba Beebe, Director, Picayune Main Street, Inc.\n\n\"Sankofa Community Development Corporation is excited about the Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program to offer opportunities to strengthen economic development initiatives. We initiated the Lower Ninth Ward Main Street project in alliance with a network of organizations, community stakeholders, and local businesses. We look forward to seeing its positive impact on the growth of small businesses and revitalization of our historic commercial corridor.\" - Rashida Ferdinand, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sankofa Community Development Corporation\n\nBackground:\n\nCurrently, grants under RNTA are not used for capacity building assistance and pass-through funds to local entities. Additionally, there is no EDA resource dedicated to business district organizations or business districts who are already assisting these entities.\n\nThe Capacity Building for Business Districts Pilot Program Act is expected to benefit small businesses and underserved communities by providing them with the expertise necessary to apply for RNTA grants. These grants will enable communities to fund projects that boost local economies, foster innovation, and strengthen their overall business infrastructure.\n\nRead the full bill, here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7548", "Kelly Announces 2024 Congressional App Challenge Winner\n\nDecember 12, 2024 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nTags:\nEconomy / Jobs\n\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. Jasmaan Banipal, a student at the Mississippi School for Math and Science, created an app called MSAGRI. His winning app will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building with winners from across the\u2026 Read more \u00bb", "2024-12-12", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Trent Kelly", "K000388", "trentkelly.house.gov", "trentkelly", "https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. Jasmaan Banipal, a student at the Mississippi School for Math and Science, created an app called MSAGRI. His winning app will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building with winners from across the United States.\n\nInspired by the importance of the agriculture industry in Mississippi, Banipal developed MSAGRI with the goal of supporting local farmers in making informed decisions that could improve their operations.\n\nThe Congressional App Challenge is an annual event that encourages students to learn coding and computer science, using their creativity to solve real-world problems and inspiring them to pursue careers in the field. To learn more about the challenge or how to compete next year, visit https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us.", 1, "2026-04-07T14:16:54Z", "2026-04-07T14:20:46Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/senate-approves-hyde-smith-resolution-honoring-patrick-gottsch-advocate-rural-america", "SENATE APPROVES HYDE-SMITH RESOLUTION HONORING PATRICK GOTTSCH, ADVOCATE FOR RURAL AMERICA", "2024-12-12", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith Measure Pays Tribute to Gottsch, the RFD-TV Founder Who Passed Away This Year\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today secured Senate passage of her resolution honoring the life and legacy of Patrick Gottsch, the founder of radio and television outlets that promoted the values of rural America and agricultural issues.\n\nHyde-Smith used a rare live unanimous consent request to gain approval of S.Res.733, which the Senator introduced in June following Gottsch\u2019s passing on May 18, 2024.\n\n\u201cThis resolution honors the life and legacy of my dear friend Patrick Gottsch. Patrick was a strong friend and ally of Rural America, and it is only appropriate that the Senate commemorate his life,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cAlong with so many other rural Americans, I miss Patrick every day. It is an honor to remember Patrick by advocating for and promoting the rural way of life in the Senate.\u201d\n\nS.Res.733 was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).\n\nIn a June floor speech, Hyde-Smith praised Gottsch for giving \u201crural America a voice.\"\n\n\"In an increasingly urbanized world, Patrick reminded us of the value of rural America. He advocated for the 2 percent of Americans who feed the other 98 percent,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\nThe following is the text of S.Res.733:\n\nRESOLUTION\n\nHonoring the life and legacy of Patrick Gottsch.\n\nWhereas Patrick Gene Gottsch was born on June 3, 1953, in Elkhorn, Nebraska;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch was raised on his family\u2019s farm and cattle operation, which instilled in him the values of rural America;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch obtained a wide array of career experiences that enabled him to be a trailblazer in the rural and agricultural programming space;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch worked as a commodity broker on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, in the home satellite dish industry, and as Director of Sales for the Superior Livestock Auction in the Fort Worth Stockyards;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch launched Rural Free Delivery Television (RFD\u2013TV) in 2002;\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch was the founder and president of Rural Media Group, Inc., which, in addition to RFD\u2013TV, grew to consist of RFD\u2013TV The Magazine, RFD HD, RURAL TV, RURAL RADIO, and The Cowboy Channel;\n\nWhereas millions of individuals in the United States have benefitted from Mr. Gottsch\u2019s innovative approach to educating the populace on rural and agricultural issues through the use of television and other mediums; and\n\nWhereas Mr. Gottsch\u2019s work to represent farmers, ranchers, and rural America through television was unprecedented and has left an indelible mark on the hearts of millions of individuals in the United States: Now, therefore, be it\n\nResolved, That the Senate\u2014\n\n(1) honors the life and legacy of Patrick Gottsch, particularly the devotion of Mr. Gottsch\u2014\n\n(A) to rural America;\n\n(B) to espousing the values of rural America through agricultural and rural programming; and\n\n(C) to advocating for a greater understanding of the importance of rural America to the economy, culture, and progress of the nation;\n\n(2) extends its gratitude to Mr. Gottsch for a life well-lived, and will continue to remember his legacy; and\n\n(3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of Mr. Gottsch.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senators-wicker-schatz-lead-group-of-100-lawmakers-in-calling-for-extension-of-telehealth-expansion", "Senators Wicker, Schatz Lead Group of 100 Lawmakers in Calling for Extension of Telehealth Expansion", "2024-12-12", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawai\u2018i, led a bipartisan and bicameral group of 100 lawmakers in calling for the extension of expanded Medicare coverage of telehealth services to be included in a year-end appropriations package. Provisions from the Wicker-Schatz legislation, the CONNECT for Health Act, were included in previous COVID-19 relief legislation to allow Medicare beneficiaries in all areas of the country, and in their homes, to utilize telehealth services, and to expand the types of health care providers eligible to provide telehealth. Medicare beneficiaries have come to rely on expanded access, which have also been proven beneficial to patients. But these provisions will expire at the end of the year, unless congressional leaders act to extend those measures or make them permanent.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found below and is available here.\n\nDear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson, and Minority Leader Jeffries:\n\nExpanded Medicare coverage for telehealth services is set to expire on December 31, 2024. As you work to advance a year-end appropriations package, we urge you to extend coverage as much as possible so that all Medicare beneficiaries retain access to these services.\n\nTelehealth plays a critical role in health care delivery \u2013 a fact that Congress has recognized by expanding coverage during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Most recently, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Congress enacted a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth services coverage. Committees of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives have recently recognized the need to protect patients\u2019 access to telehealth services by voting to advance an additional two-year extension on a bipartisan, unanimous basis.\n\nWe ask you to prioritize provisions that remove geographic restrictions on telehealth services and permit the home and other clinically appropriate settings as originating sites. Congress should also expand the authority for practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services. Rural and underserved communities rely on telehealth services, and Congress should recognize federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics as telehealth distant site providers. Additionally, Congress should allow the use of telehealth in the recertification of hospice care. Finally, telehealth has transformed mental and behavioral health care, now accounting for 40 percent of telehealth services provided under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Therefore, Congress should permanently repeal the six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health services. It should also reject similar policies that create barriers to care.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=630", "Ezell Votes to Increase Troop Pay, Bolster National Security Defense", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Mike Ezell", "E000235", "ezell.house.gov", "ezell", "https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04) released the following statement after voting in favor of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included three legislative provisions authored by Ezell:\n\n\u201cI am proud to support the advancement of this year\u2019s national defense bill. This is a crucial first step in providing essential support for our brave servicemembers and their families as global threats continue to grow,\u201d said Ezell. \u201cThe FY2025 NDAA makes important progress in strengthening U.S. military defenses, which must remain the strongest in the world to deter any potential attacks on the United States and our allies. South Mississippi plays a vital role in ensuring this strength, and I will continue to stand with our American troops and their unwavering commitment to defending our nation.\u201d\n\nEzell included legislative priorities in FY2025 NDAA:\n\nThe Streamlining Law Enforcement Information Sharing Act, which examines how information is streamlined between state, local, and federal agencies,\n\nthe FAST PASS Act, which studies ways to deliver protective health care equipment more effectively during an emergency, and\n\nthe Serve Act, which protects the academic future of student service members in the National Guard and Reserve serving on short-term mobilizations.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe annual defense legislation sets priorities and policies for the U.S. armed services. The FY2025 NDAA includes provisions to increase pay for U.S. servicemembers, improves military readiness to ensure our warfighters are prepared for whatever lies ahead, continues DoD support of law enforcement operations along our southwest and maritime borders, and much more. This year's NDAA includes:\n\nAuthorizes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and supports a 4.5% pay raise for all other servicemembers,\n\nsupports investments in shipyard infrastructure and industrial base, and\n\nfully supports deployment of National Guard troops to augment Border Patrol activities at the southwest border.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-britt-turn-focus-coast-guard-joint-force-work-combat-drug-human-trafficking-southern", "HYDE-SMITH, BRITT TURN FOCUS ON COAST GUARD & JOINT FORCE WORK TO COMBAT DRUG, HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON SOUTHERN MARITIME BORDER", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "The Senators, Both Homeland Security Appropriators, Recently Visited Key West with USCG Commandant\n\nPHOTO: Senator Hyde-Smith, Senator Britt, and USCG Commandant Fagan with members of the USCG Sector Key West. (Photo Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard)\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) recently traveled to the U.S Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Key West and the headquarters of the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) to learn more about the crucial role of agencies in combatting illicit narcotics, illegal migration, and human trafficking.\n\nHyde-Smith and Britt serve on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, with Britt serving as ranking member of the panel that funds the USCG. The lawmakers were joined by Admiral Linda Fagan, the 27th Commandant of the Coast Guard.\n\n\u201cMost Americans are eager to see a much-needed increased focus on border security. As we prepare for the new Congress, I look forward to working with Coast Guard leadership and the new administration to reinforce our commitment to being a nation of laws, with national security as a top priority.\u201d Senator Hyde-Smith said. \u201cI appreciated the opportunity to visit with our brave service men and women as they uphold our laws and save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe U.S. Coast Guard\u2019s commitment to protecting our maritime borders is nothing short of heroic, and I appreciated the opportunity to meet with many of the courageous Americans who patrol our seas and defend our shores. I will continue to make it a top priority in the new Congress to ensure the U.S. Coast Guard has the resources and support needed to keep our homeland safe and to strengthen our national security,\u201d said Senator Britt. \u201cI am grateful for Senator Hyde-Smith\u2019s continued leadership and partnership as we work to advance solutions to combat drug and human trafficking.\u201d\n\nDuring their official visit to Florida, Hyde-Smith and Britt learned about the increasing challenges faced by the USCG Sector Key West and JIATF-S, including:\n\nMaritime smuggling accounts for a significant number of attempted crossings, with the joint task force interdicting an increasing number of individuals in recent years. Maritime border attempts and interdictions increased dramatically under the current administration from around 3,000 in FY2021 to more than 12,000 in both FY2022 and FY2023.\n\nThe national security threat posed by vessels departing from nations experiencing significant social upheaval is significant and provides potential malign actors with a route that can be very difficult to monitor.\n\nThe humanitarian crisis generated by maritime migration is also challenging, as many illegal migrants utilize nearly derelict vessels to attempt open-ocean travel, often requiring U.S. Coast Guard rescue in conjunction with interdiction.\n\nTransnational criminal organizations utilize maritime routes to transport narcotics at sea in an effort to evade law enforcement. JIATF-S is a driving force to combat the impacts of illicit narcotics at home and abroad by coordinating U.S. agencies alongside partner nations to combat these threats to regional stability.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-demands-action-help-farmers-avert-repeat-80s-era-farm-crisis", "HYDE-SMITH DEMANDS ACTION TO HELP FARMERS, AVERT REPEAT OF 80s-ERA FARM CRISIS", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith Warns Not Helping Farmers with Both Disaster & Market Assistance Will Cost Taxpayers, Country Billions More in the Future\n\nVIDEO CLIP: Senator Hyde-Smith Outlines Dire Farm Country Situation, Risks of Inaction.\n\nFULL SPEECH VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Encourages Senate and House Negotiators to Reach Agreement that Includes Market Assistance for Farmers.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today demanded congressional negotiators to agree to provide both natural disaster and market loss assistance for farmers across the country or risk worsening a crisis that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars more in the future.\n\nEfforts by Hyde-Smith and others to secure economic assistance to counter impending market disaster in rural America has received some pushback as work continues on Capitol Hill to reach an agreement on year-end legislation to avoid a government shutdown, replenish emergency response funds, and extend the 2018 farm bill.\n\n\u201cOur farm economy is headed in a dark and scary direction. I hope all of my colleagues here in the Senate and on the other side of the Capitol recognize that,\u201d Hyde-Smith said in a floor speech. \u201cIt is time for Congress to deliver meaningful assistance to our agricultural producers. They have been devastated by unprecedented market conditions and natural disasters over the last two years, and they need help recovering from both \u2013 not one or the other.\u201d\n\nHyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, continued to argue that market-related disasters deserve federal attention as much as damages caused by recent natural disasters.\n\n\u201cThe economic landscape for farmers is looking more like the farm crisis of the 1980s every day. That\u2019s pretty scary. There\u2019s not a farm crisis looming \u2013 it\u2019s already underway \u2013 but it\u2019s not too late to keep it from snowballing out of control if Congress acts,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cWhat caused the crisis? Inflation, high interest rates and production costs, low farm income, depressed crop prices, declining exports, and inadequate federal price support policy.\u201d\n\nMississippi producers expect losses ranging from $65 to more than $300 per acre for every covered commodity for the 2024 crop year, while market losses by producers nationally are estimated to be $31 billion this crop year. These losses are compounded by a U.S. trade deficit expected to reach a record $45 billion in FY2025.\n\nHyde-Smith said Farm Bureau organizations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, as well as major agricultural organizations have sent letters to Congress seeking market loss assistance to benefit troubled producers nationwide in addition to natural disaster assistance.\n\n\u201cIf Congress fails to recognize the importance of providing market loss help and only focuses on natural disaster, my fear is that: 1) Farmers and farm groups across the country are going to be very angry that Congress decided to address only half the problem while ignoring every farmer across the country impacted by record input costs and depressed prices; and 2) we\u2019re going to have a farm crisis in this country worse than the 1980s crisis,\u201d Hyde-Smith stressed.\n\n\u201cI will leave my colleagues with this question: Are we going to learn from lessons of the past and take appropriate action? Or, take the path of least resistance today, and be required to pay hundreds of billions on the back end, after it is too late?\u201d Hyde-Smith asked.\n\nRead Hyde-Smith\u2019s speech, as prepared for delivery, here or below:\n\nMadam President, our farm economy is headed in a dark and scary direction. I hope all of my colleagues here in the Senate and on the other side of the Capitol recognize that.\n\nIt is time for Congress to deliver meaningful assistance to our agricultural producers. They have been devastated by unprecedented market conditions and natural disasters over the last two years, and they need help recovering from both \u2013 not one or the other.\n\nI rise today to urge my colleagues to take action and to support those who support you.\n\nThe economic landscape for farmers is looking more like the farm crisis of the 1980s every day. That\u2019s pretty scary.\n\nThere\u2019s not a farm crisis looming \u2013 it\u2019s already underway \u2013 but it\u2019s not too late to keep it from snowballing out of control if Congress acts.\n\nIt was one of the worst economic disasters since the great depression, decimated rural America, and took years for many communities to recover from \u2013 some never did.\n\nWhat caused the crisis? Inflation, high interest rates and production costs, low farm income, depressed crop prices, declining exports, and inadequate federal price support policy. Does that sound familiar?\n\nU.S. farm income has dropped $41 billion over the last two years \u2013 the worst decline we\u2019ve ever seen. Our trade deficit is expected to reach a record high of $45.5 billion for fiscal year 2025.\n\nInput costs and interest rates are close to an all-time high. Commodity prices are low, and the federal farm safety net is not providing any support because the Price Loss Coverage program reference prices haven\u2019t been updated since the 2014 Farm Bill. These are unprecedented market conditions. Believe me, I know.\n\nTo break this down in greater detail, market losses suffered by producers for the 2024 crop year alone are estimated at $31 billion \u2013 $31 BILLION, with a B!\n\nMadam President, I have a breakdown of the market losses by state and commodity, that I ask be submitted into the Record. [Document]\n\nEvery single state in the U.S. suffered market losses this crop year.\n\nThe Office of Management and Budget recently submitted a disaster supplemental request to Congress asking for $21 billion in ad hoc support for producers impacted by natural disasters in 2023 and/or 2024. And I certainly support that, because many producers across the country deserve it.\n\nHowever, OMB\u2019s request failed to mention anything pertaining to market losses. How can we ignore $31 billion in market losses this year alone and expect to keep U.S. agriculture afloat? We shouldn\u2019t, and we can\u2019t. Farmers need market loss assistance too. We need an additional $15 billion for market losses.\n\nThe House and Senate Agriculture Committees have been working on a proposal that would cover market losses, on top of natural disaster losses. It\u2019s estimated to cost about $15 billion.\n\nCongress should support that \u2013 whether through supplemental appropriations or a farm bill extension \u2013 in addition to what has been proposed for natural disasters. Producers should be eligible for both.\n\nState Farm Bureaus from all 50 states have sent letters to Congress asking for both market and disaster assistance \u2013 both, not one or the other. Further, every major agricultural organization across the country \u2014 American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Sorghum Producers, National Sunflower Association, U.S. Canola Association, U.S. Peanut Federation, USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, USA Rice, and Western Peanut Growers Association\u2014 have endorsed marker legislation introduced in the House focused on market losses.\n\nIf Congress fails to recognize the importance of providing market loss help and only focuses on natural disaster, my fear is that: 1) Farmers and farm groups across the country are going to be very angry that Congress decided to address only half the problem while ignoring every farmer across the country impacted by record input costs and depressed prices; and 2) we\u2019re going to have a farm crisis in this country worse than the 1980s crisis.\n\nI will leave my colleagues with this question: Are we going to learn from lessons of the past and take appropriate action? Or, take the path of least resistance today, and be required to pay hundreds of billions on the back end, after it is too late?\n\nMadam President, I yield the floor.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-secretary-of-energy-nominee-chris-wright", "Senator Wicker Meets With Secretary of Energy Nominee, Chris Wright", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee to be the next Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright.\n\n\u201cI had a great meeting with Chris Wright, and I believe our energy and national security goals are closely aligned. He is a proven innovator and successful businessman that will bring a new perspective to the Department of Energy,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am confident that he will be a champion for domestic energy producers, prioritize American-made energy, and ensure the National Nuclear Security Administration has the resources and support needed to modernize our nation\u2019s nuclear deterrent.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-va-secretary-nominee-former-representative-doug-collins", "Senator Wicker Meets With VA Secretary Nominee, Former Representative Doug Collins", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee to be the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Former Representative Doug Collins.\n\n\u201cMismanagement of the VA has prevented the department from adequately caring for our veterans. Former Representative Collins knows first-hand how important the VA\u2019s work can be and is the right person to get them back on track,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am confident that he will be a strong advocate for our veterans and their families.\u201d\n\nFormer Representative Doug Collins served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021. He is currently a colonel in the Air Force Reserve.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-statement-on-meeting-with-howard-lutnick", "Senator Wicker Statement on Meeting With Howard Lutnick", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, met with President-elect Trump\u2019s Secretary of Commerce nominee, Howard Lutnick.\n\n\u201cHoward Lutnick is a successful businessman who will bring positive change to the Department of Commerce. During our meeting, we discussed the historic economic investments that Mississippi is experiencing and how our state could build upon these efforts working together with the Trump administration,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI believe he will do a great job driving economic development and growth in our country, and I look forward to working with him through my position on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=629", "Ezell, Hoyle Applaud Passage of POWER Act in the House", "2024-12-10", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Mike Ezell", "E000235", "ezell.house.gov", "ezell", "https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 9541, the Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience (POWER) Act, legislation authored by U.S. Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS4) and Val Hoyle (D-OR4). This bill would provide more tools for public power utilities to invest in long-term hazard mitigation and grid resilience solutions while rebuilding infrastructure after a major disaster.\n\n\"Public power utilities play a critical role in ensuring our communities have reliable, resilient electricity, especially after a major disaster. With the passage of this bill in the U.S. House, we are providing our Mississippi communities with the tools and resources they need to invest in long-term hazard mitigation and strengthen grid resilience. To put it plainly, this legislation will help save lives and aid with restoring critical services swiftly. I\u2019m proud to have co-led this important legislation to safeguard our energy systems and ensure they can withstand future challenges,\" Ezell said.\n\n\u201cAs weather events become increasingly severe and common, we must do more to better prepare for the next disaster,\u201d Hoyle said. \u201cMy bill gives electric utilities more tools to rebuild for resilience after a major disaster, reducing the risk of future power outages that harm public safety and local economies. I\u2019d like to thank Representative Ezell for his partnership, and I will work with my Senate colleagues to get this bill signed into law.\u201d\n\nUnder current law, utilities that receive federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to restore electric service after a major disaster are ineligible for additional federal funding for resilience improvements. The POWER Act streamlines mitigation efforts through modifying eligibility for public utilities.\n\n\"The POWER Act reduces the painful choice between immediate response and long-term investments, allowing communities to restore power as quickly as possible, while also taking steps to mitigate against hazards in the future. The POWER Act is good for the economy, good for local communities, and good for public power customers,\" said Scott Corwin, President & CEO of the American Public Power Association.\n\n\u201cIn the wake of natural disasters, electric cooperatives have long sought the ability to rebuild damaged or destroyed infrastructure so that it is stronger and more resilient than ever before. The POWER Act helps our members achieve this goal by giving them access to Public Assistance funding to implement cost-effective hazard mitigation strategies during the disaster recovery process,\u201d said National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson. \u201cThis legislation is critically important as co-ops build back in the wake of major hurricanes in the southeast and ongoing wildfires in the west. We thank Reps. Hoyle and Ezell for championing this important bill.\u201d\n\n\"The POWER Act is a game-changer for protecting our nation\u2019s lifeline infrastructure,\u201d said Dr. Natalie Enclade, Executive Director, BuildStrong America. \"By enabling electrical utilities to incorporate cost-effective hazard mitigation into their disaster recovery efforts, this legislation ensures power restoration efforts are not just reactive but forward-thinking. Strengthening critical systems like our electrical grid through hazard mitigation helps reduce future risks, safeguard communities, and promote long-term resilience.\"\n\nThe POWER Act helps to ensure that public power utilities are able to make necessary improvements that don\u2019t just restore the affected infrastructure but improve it. By making it easier to access long-term hazard mitigation funding, localities can ensure that disaster recovery is more effective and efficient.\n\nThe bill now goes to the United States Senate for consideration. If passed, it goes to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\n\nRead the full text of the bill, here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-statement-on-ndaa-topline-negotiations/4e82a979-044a-4ad5-92c0-92edbed64c1f", "Senator Wicker Statement on NDAA Topline Negotiations", "2024-12-09", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 This weekend, the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) version prepared for final passage in the House and Senate was released. The bill does not include U.S. Senator Roger Wicker\u2019s, R-Miss., proposed and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)-passed measure to increase the topline of the defense budget by more than $25 billion.\n\nSenator Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the SASC, released the following statement:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-remembers-late-jeanne-luckey-senate-tribute", "HYDE-SMITH REMEMBERS THE LATE JEANNE LUCKEY IN SENATE TRIBUTE", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Pays Tribute to the Late Jeanne Luckey of the Mississippi Gulf Coast\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on Wednesday delivered a tribute to the late Jeanne Luckey of Biloxi in a speech to the U.S. Senate. Luckey, who passed away on Nov. 7, 2024, was a leader on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, statewide, and nationally.\n\nHyde-Smith\u2019s remarks, which also appear in the Congressional Record, are available below:\n\nMadam President, I rise today with a deep sense of respect, admiration, and sadness to honor the remarkable life of Jeanne Luckey. Her legacy of service, strength, and compassion will leave a lasting impact on Mississippi, our nation, and beyond.\n\nA proud daughter of Biloxi, Mississippi, Jeanne was a woman of extraordinary character \u2013 dedicated to her family, her community, and her country.\n\nShe was a tireless leader and key figure in Mississippi\u2019s Republican Party, serving in the roles such as president of the Mississippi Federation of Republican Women, co-chair of the state Republican Party, and Republican National Committeewoman. Her voice and influence over the decades shaped the party at the state and national levels, and her work touched the lives of countless individuals across our state.\n\nShe faced extraordinary challenges with unmatched grace. Even after a car accident left her in a wheelchair just days after Hurricane Katrina reshaped the coast of Mississippi, Jeanne didn\u2019t stop. She kept working. She continued her work with an unwavering commitment to the values she held dear, always finding a way to move forward.\n\nJeanne\u2019s influence went far beyond politics. Jeanne cared deeply about education and the people of Mississippi. As a member of the Board of Trustees for the Institutions of Higher Learning, she worked tirelessly to make Mississippi\u2019s universities stronger and more inclusive, especially for those with disabilities. Always focused on serving others, her contributions will be felt for generations.\n\nWhat truly defined Jeanne was her strength of character. She was a woman who made others better. Her husband, Alwyn, said it best: \u201cShe made me a better person than I otherwise would have been.\u201d Those of us who had the privilege of knowing her can attest to that. Her wisdom, her kindness, and her ability to bring people together left a permanent mark on everyone she met.\n\nJeanne leaves behind a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire those whose lives she touched. My heart goes out to her husband Alwyn, their two daughters, Laurel and Taylor, and her grandchildren, Cornelius and Toxie Ray.\n\nMississippi has lost an amazing woman and a true leader. But Jeanne's spirit, her passion for life, and her commitment to making our state and country a better place will endure.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/miss-lawmakers-sign-bicameral-letter-targeting-federal-funding-awarded-abortion-providers", "MISS. LAWMAKERS SIGN BICAMERAL LETTER TARGETING FEDERAL FUNDING AWARDED TO ABORTION PROVIDERS", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith, Guest & Ezell Seek Updated GAO Investigation Covering 2022-2024\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Senate Pro-Life Caucus Chair Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and U.S. Representatives Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) recently signed a bicameral letter requesting an updated Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation and report on the level of federal funding awarded to abortion providers over the past three years.\n\nThe Mississippi lawmakers are among 31 Senators and 81 Representatives who made the request to the GAO seeking updated data on federal taxpayer dollars from fiscal years 2022-2024 for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Federally Qualified Health Centers, MSI Reproductive Choices, and four domestic abortion providers.\n\n\u201cProper oversight of public funds and programs is crucial for determining the value of the goods and services provided to and funded by American taxpayers. The information sought in this inquiry is instrumental for policymakers and the public alike,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\n\u201cIt is our hope that this report will provide greater insight as Congress considers funding levels and provides increased transparency and openness for our constituencies and the general public,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\n\nThe GAO has prepared several congressionally requested reports on federal funding for these organizations over the years. According to its most recent report, the GAO found that abortion industry siphoned off nearly $2 billion in federal taxpayer dollars between fiscal years 2019-2021\u2014despite long-standing congressional restrictions that prohibit the use of federal funding to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.\n\nU.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representatives Chris Smith (R-N.J.) led the letter, which can be read here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-secdef-nominee-pete-hegseth-discusses-trump-administration-national-defense-goals", "Senator Wicker Meets with SECDEF Nominee Pete Hegseth, Discusses Trump Administration National Defense Goals", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, met with President Trump\u2019s nominee to serve as the next Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.\n\nDuring the meeting, the two exchanged views on a range of critical national defense topics, including the military challenge posed by the Chinese Communist Party, continued instability in Europe, and the growing threats of adversaries such as China, North Korea, and Iran.\n\nSenator Wicker expressed his view \u2013 informed by the studied analysis of many defense experts \u2013 that the United States faces the most dangerous national security moment since World War II. He also raised the shared Trump-Wicker \u2018peace-through-strength\u2019 strategy as a way to confront this moment. Senator Wicker and Hegseth also discussed his nomination.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/senator-wicker-meets-with-u-s-ambassador-to-the-united-nations-nominee-congresswoman-elise-stefanik", "Senator Wicker Meets With U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nominee, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., met with President-elect Trump\u2019s nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.\n\n\u201cI am confident that Congresswoman Stefanik will be a terrific Ambassador to the UN. I have known her for years to be a proven leader, talented communicator, and fearless advocate for American interests. Her work in the U.S. House of Representatives also shows that she understands the importance of delivering peace through strength,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI have absolute confidence in her ability to carry out the United States\u2019 priorities.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/12/americans-don-t-have-access-to-reliable-internet-senator-wicker-offers-legislative-solutions", "Americans Don\u2019t Have Access to Reliable Internet, Senator Wicker Offers Legislative Solutions", "2024-12-04", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Millions of Americans still lack reliable broadband connection. A key issue is that over 100 separate broadband initiatives are currently managed across 15 different federal agencies. This has led to inefficiencies and wasted resources.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., published an op-ed in Roll Call explaining how his bill, the PLAN for Broadband Act, would help solve these problems and close the digital divide. Senator Wicker highlights a recent broadband groundbreaking ceremony he attended and how more success stories like this one could be possible.\n\nSenator Wicker is a senior member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, having previously served as Chairman and Ranking Member.\n\nRead the full op-ed here or below.\n\nDecember 4, 2024\n\nSenator Roger Wicker\n\nThanks to Congress\u2019 work on the infrastructure law, America has the funding to make internet coverage nationwide. Where broadband goes, economic growth and educational opportunity follow. But despite the federal governments\u2019 efforts, including decades of work and billions of dollars, too many Americans still lack reliable connection, an unacceptable fact in today\u2019s digital world.\n\nThe problem boils down to bureaucratic disorganization. Today, over 100 separate initiatives, managed by 15 individual federal agencies, have been deployed to address the digital urban-rural divide. This fragmented approach has led to inefficiencies and wasted resources. To help solve this, I have introduced legislation that would coordinate these efforts and bring communities online faster.\n\nMy bill, the PLAN for Broadband Act, would direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to create a national strategy to synchronize those broadband initiatives. By harmonizing these programs, we can efficiently allocate resources to the communities that need them most, and at a higher speed and a lower price tag.\n\nIn May 2022, I commissioned a non-partisan Government Accountability Office report to analyze the current maze of programs. It seemed clear to me that broadband funds could be used more effectively. Indeed, the report found local officials have struggled to navigate the complexity of broadband grant applications. They encounter a confusing variety of program requirements, timelines, approval processes, and other metrics. One county in Minnesota provides a particularly bad example of this problem. There, multiple providers received funds from different agencies under different broadband programs \u2013 all for the same project. It could all be avoided with a coherent strategy.\n\nFederal agencies have created some safeguards against duplication, but the programs are so complex that these measures often fall short. In many cases, Congress will have to clarify confusing statutory language. I am eager for the administration to provide lawmakers with a list of these instances so we can work to remedy them quickly.\n\nAs we work toward a national plan, we can draw encouragement from progress we have already seen. Consider my home state, Mississippi. The NTIA recently approved the state\u2019s plan to administer $1.2 billion in grants from the infrastructure law, which I negotiated as a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee. The decision brings us one step closer to unlocking these funds. Ultimately, they will lead to broadband infrastructure and increased internet adoption across the state.\n\nIn August, I visited a city that stands to benefit from efforts like these. Mound Bayou, Mississippi, celebrated its first-ever high-speed broadband installation. Because of that project, hundreds of individuals and multiple businesses will benefit from connection to this vital resource.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"], ["https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-guest-hosts-staff-retreat-meridian-his-washington-dc-and", "Congressman Guest Hosts Staff Retreat in Meridian for his Washington, D.C., and Mississippi Staff", "2024-11-08", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Michael Guest", "G000591", "guest.house.gov", "guest", "https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Meridian, MS - Congressman Michael Guest and his staff hosted a staff development retreat in Meridian on Wednesday, November 6th. Staff from his Mississippi and Washington, D.C., offices were in the Queen City to learn more about Meridian and Lauderdale County priorities.\n\nWhile in Meridian, the team met with the Riley Foundation, Mississippi State University administration, leadership of the 185th Aviation Brigade and 186th Air Refueling Wing of the Mississippi National Guard, leadership of Naval Air Station Meridian, Mayor Jimmie Smith, and other community leaders. Congressman Guest\u2019s highest military priority is to bring the KC-46 aircraft to Meridian.\n\nEarlier in the week, the staff was traveling across Mississippi\u2019s Third Congressional District to Starkville, Brandon, Magee, Brookhaven, Tylertown, and Meridian. The goals of these sessions were to meet with community leaders and discuss local priorities and the federal appropriations process.\n\n\u201cI am honored to have dedicated staff who love Mississippi and work hard every day to make Mississippi a great place to live, worship, and raise a family. I am honored to represent Meridian, Lauderdale County, and the entire Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Making my staff and myself available in our communities will continue to be a high priority,\u201d said Congressman Guest.\n\nCongressman Michael Guest represents Mississippi's Third Congressional District. Currently serving his third term, Congressman Guest serves as the Chairman of the Committee on Ethics. He is also a member of the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Homeland Security.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-28T06:29:45Z", "2026-05-28T06:31:18Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-honors-us-servicemembers-2024-veterans-day", "HYDE-SMITH HONORS U.S. SERVICEMEMBERS ON 2024 VETERANS DAY", "2024-11-08", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today issued the following statement on Veterans Day, honoring the sacrifices of the nation\u2019s veterans and encouraging Mississippians to deepen their engagement with them:\n\n\u201cOn this Veterans Day, we pause to honor and reflect on the immense sacrifices made by the brave men and women who have served our nation. Their courage, strength, and commitment to protecting our freedom are the foundation of the liberties we hold dear as Americans.\n\n\u201cMississippi\u2019s veterans and their families have made countless contributions to the defense of our nation, and it is our solemn duty to ensure they receive the care and support they deserve. As a grateful nation for their sacrifices, we must continue to remember, honor, and engage with our veterans in every way possible \u2013 not just today, but every day.\u201d\n\nHyde-Smith also encouraged Mississippians to participate in National Warrior Call Day on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, to actively engage with veterans and servicemembers in an effort to curb the mental health risks many servicemembers face after defending our nation. Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the National Warrior Call Day Resolution (S.Res.838), which the Senate passed in September.\n\n\u201cReaching out, listening, and letting our heroes know they are valued and not forgotten can make a profound difference,\u201d said Hyde-Smith.\n\nHyde-Smith also reiterated her commitment to assisting Mississippi veterans with accessing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs resources. Veterans facing difficulties with VA services are encouraged to reach out to her office for assistance.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/11/news-release-senators-wicker-risch-and-colleagues-press-biden-harris-administration-to-reverse-policy-toward-state-of-qatar", "Senators Wicker, Risch, and Colleagues Press Biden-Harris Administration to Reverse Policy Toward State of Qatar", "2024-11-08", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), led 12 of their colleagues on a letter to multiple federal agencies with requests, including that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of State:\n\nImmediately freeze the assets of Hamas officials living in Qatar.\n\nExtradite several senior Hamas officials currently residing in Qatar and elsewhere, including Khaled Meshal whom the Department of Justice has already indicted, and Khalil Al-Hayya.\n\nAsk Qatar to end its hospitality of Hamas\u2019 senior leadership, as Hamas has exploited its safe haven in Qatar to confer with Iranian officials and reject reasonable negotiations in international media.\n\n\u201cThe defeat of Hamas is within reach, and ending the safe haven that its leadership enjoys abroad is vital to defeating it,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cWe urge you to act expediently so that this Iranian-backed terrorist organization is finally held responsible for the horrific terrorist massacre of October 7, 2023, and the war that it deliberately unleashed across the region.\u201d\n\nThe letter \u2013 which was addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of State Antony Blinken \u2013 was led by Senators Wicker and Risch. Senators Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb. co-signed the letter.\n\nRead the full letter here or below.\n\nDear Secretary Blinken and Attorney General Garland,\n\nThe Israel Defense Forces\u2019 killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar presents a critical opportunity for the United States to compel Hamas\u2019 surrender. This would end the war that Hamas started with its brutal terrorist massacre on October 7, 2023, in which it killed nearly 1200 people, including 46 Americans, and took 250 hostages, including twelve Americans. We therefore urge you to act quickly against Hamas\u2019 remaining leadership, so that the organization is destroyed and defeated.\n\nFirst, we urge you to reverse the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s policy toward the State of Qatar, whereby the administration has permitted Qatar to facilitate negotiations by hosting Hamas\u2019 leadership. Hamas\u2019 Doha-based leaders have exploited this arrangement, and used the relative freedom that Qatar has afforded them to oppose ceasefire negotiations in international media, host Iranian officials at Hamas\u2019 Doha headquarters, and travel abroad. Qatari officials have said repeatedly that they would change their policy towards Hamas if the Biden-Harris administration asked it to do so, and we believe that it is long past time the administration ask Qatar to freeze Hamas leaders\u2019 assets, shut their access to international media, end their ability to host foreign visitors, and prevent them from traveling abroad.\n\nSecond, we urge you to seek the extradition to the United States of Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, who currently resides in Qatar. The Department of Justice unsealed indictments pertaining to multiple Hamas leaders, including Mr. Meshal, on September 3, 2024, and he should face justice for his leadership of a terrorist group that has American blood and hostages on its hands.\n\nThird, we urge you to seek indictments for Hamas\u2019 other senior officials abroad, foremost among them Khalil Al-Hayya, who resides in Qatar. According to The New York Times, during the year prior to Hamas\u2019 October 7, 2023 terrorist massacre, Mr. Al-Hayya sought Iranian and Hezbollah support for Hamas\u2019 brutal attack, with the goal of assaulting Israel on multiple fronts.2 Mr. Al-Hayya should no longer be permitted to live risk-free in Doha. He should be indicted immediately for his role in killing Americans and taking Americans hostage, and then extradited to the United States to face justice.\n\nThe defeat of Hamas is within reach, and ending the safe haven that its leadership enjoys abroad is vital to defeating it. We urge you to act expediently so this Iranian-backed terrorist organization is finally held responsible for the horrific terrorist massacre of October 7, 2023 and the war that it deliberately unleashed across the region.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/11/senator-wicker-announces-new-chief-of-staff", "Senator Wicker Announces New Chief of Staff", "2024-11-08", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today announced that his long-time chief of staff, Michelle Barlow Richardson, will leave government service to accept a new opportunity in the private sector. Richardson first joined Wicker\u2019s staff in 1997 as a Legislative Correspondent and then Executive Assistant. After a two-year stint with the Mississippi State University Foundation, she returned to Team Wicker in 2001. She was promoted to Chief of Staff in 2006.\n\n\u201cI have been blessed for more than two decades by having Michelle Barlow Richardson in my corner fighting for Mississippi,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cHer leadership, attention to detail, and ability to solve problems have been indispensable in the success of our team and allowed us to achieve legislative wins that benefited all Americans. Beyond her many accomplishments, Michelle is best known to me and her colleagues for strong friendship and deep devotion. Gayle and I will miss her daily presence in the office. It is with deep gratitude and affection that we wish her the best of luck in the next phase of her career.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker\u2019s Legislative Director since 2022, Beth Spivey, will be promoted to Chief of Staff. Spivey is a native of Brandon and a graduate of the University of Mississippi. She has worked in the private sector and government including as an aide to Former U.S. Senator Trent Lott, R-Miss., and as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for Legislative Affairs during the first Donald J. Trump Administration.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/11/senator-wicker-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-new-power-plant-in-washington-county", "Senator Wicker Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Power Plant in Washington County", "2024-11-07", "2024", "2024-11", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "GREENVILLE \u2013 Today, Entergy Mississippi held a groundbreaking ceremony for their first new natural gas power station in 50 years.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., issued the following statement:\n\n\"I applaud Entergy Mississippi for continuing to invest in our state. The power plant will bring more jobs, growth, and economic opportunity to Greenville and the surrounding communities,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cToday is a great day for the Delta and our state.\u201d\n\nThe new natural gas power plant will be the first combined-cycle combustion turbine power station that Entergy Mississippi has built from the ground up. The facility\u2019s advanced and efficient technology will produce more electricity from the same amount of fuel, ensuring that our state has reliable energy for years to come.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-thompson-announces-185-million-federal-grant-funding-mississippi", "Congressman Thompson Announces $1.85 Million in Federal Grant Funding for Mississippi Department of Public Safety", "2024-11-05", "2024", "2024-11", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice\u2019s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has awarded the Mississippi Department of Public Safety $1,853,862 through the 2024 Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program.\n\nThe Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Program provides critical funding to support a wide range of initiatives aimed at reducing and preventing crime across the state. Through this grant, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety will enhance its efforts to improve community safety, strengthen public trust, and ensure equity and fairness within the justice system.\n\nThe Office of Justice Programs (OJP) plays a key role in supporting national efforts to prevent and reduce crime. With a broad mission that includes providing grants, training, technical assistance, and other essential resources, OJP strengthens the capacity of local communities and states. Its program offices include the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-thompson-announces-307243-grant-support-small-farm", "Congressman Bennie Thompson Announces $307,243 Grant to Support Small Farm Sustainability and Food Access in the Mississippi Delta", "2024-11-01", "2024", "2024-11", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS. \u2014 Congressman Bennie Thompson is pleased to announce a grant award of $307,243 to In Her Shoes, Inc., located in Webb, Mississippi, through USDA\u2019s Agricultural Marketing Service Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), to support the Advancing Small Farm Sustainability in the Mississippi Delta project. This initiative aims to bolster small farm business sustainability and increase access to fresh produce in low-income, rural communities across the Mississippi Delta. With an additional matching contribution of $76,810.75, the total project funding amounts to $384,053.75.\n\n\u201cThis grant provides critical support to local farmers and expands access to fresh, locally grown produce for rural Mississippi communities,\u201d said Congressman Thompson. \u201cThrough this project, In Her Shoes, Inc. will help small farms integrate into new markets, strengthen the regional food supply, and build a more resilient agricultural economy in the Delta.\u201d\n\nThe project will offer training, technical assistance, and market integration support for over 30 locally owned small farms. By developing a mobile produce market and enhancing partnerships with programs like the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, the project aims to create new channels for local growers and boost food access for Delta residents.\n\nThe project\u2019s goals are to expand opportunities for small farms, strengthen local food systems, and ensure that fresh food is accessible to all Mississippi Delta communities.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-thompson-announces-675-million-us-department-transportation", "Congressman Bennie Thompson Announces $67.5 Million U.S. Department of Transportation Grant for Central Mississippi Bridge Improvements", "2024-11-01", "2024", "2024-11", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS. \u2014 Today, Congressman Bennie Thompson announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a significant federal grant to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) through the Bridge Investment Program. This $67,512,520 investment, disbursed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), will support the Central Bridge Bundle project in Lauderdale, Madison, and Newton Counties, Mississippi.\n\nThe Central Bridge Bundle project aims to replace 13 outdated and structurally compromised bridges that connect rural Mississippi to major urban areas, including Jackson, the state capital. These bridges\u2014many constructed as early as 1928\u2014do not meet current safety or geometric design standards and, with narrow lanes and weight restrictions, pose a safety risk to both freight and commuter traffic.\n\n\u201cThis critical funding will allow us to replace aging bridge infrastructure in central Mississippi, ensuring the safety and connectivity of our communities,\u201d said Congressman Bennie Thompson. \u201cBy investing in safe and reliable transportation routes, we are not only supporting the economic vitality of our rural and urban areas but also securing safe passage for our citizens and supporting the efficient movement of goods.\u201d\n\nMDOT\u2019s plan to bundle these 13 bridges into a single project will allow for streamlined construction, with a single contractor overseeing the replacement of all structures. The new bridges will feature prestressed concrete beam designs with two 12-foot lanes and 6-foot-wide shoulders, providing a safer and more efficient roadway for Mississippi drivers.\n\nThe project will address load-posted structures and significantly improve traffic flow and safety in central Mississippi. It represents a broader commitment by MDOT to revitalize critical infrastructure across the state, ultimately enhancing connections between rural and urban communities.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-thompson-announces-over-21-million-federal-funding", "Congressman Bennie Thompson Announces Over $2.1 Million in Federal Funding for Mississippi Maternal and Child Health Services", "2024-11-01", "2024", "2024-11", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Congressman Bennie Thompson Announces Over $2.1 Million in Federal Funding for Mississippi Maternal and Child Health Services", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-thompson-announces-33029800-mississippi-help-households", "Congressman Bennie Thompson Announces $33,029,800 for Mississippi to Help Households with Home Energy Costs", "2024-10-31", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "(Bolton, MS) Today, Congressman Bennie Thompson announced that Mississippi was awarded $33,029,800 in funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Administered through the Administration for Children and Families\u2019 Office of Community Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this funding will help individuals and families with low incomes pay their home heating costs this winter, and with cooling bills in the summer. LIHEAP can also be used to weatherize homes to make them more energy efficient, and during disasters and extreme weather to mitigate energy emergencies.\n\nToday\u2019s funding release approximately $3.7 billion of federal Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) regular block grant funding to LIHEAP grant recipients. This funding is provided under the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, includes $100.108 million for FY25. One hundred million of these funds became available through the president\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Appropriations Act (IIJA), (Public Law 117-58) and the remaining $108,197 became available from unobligated FY23 IIJA funds that were returned to HHS for redistribution.\n\n\u201cLIHEAP is crucial to protecting the safety and health of households across Mississippi,\u201d said Congressman Bennie Thompson. \u201cThe funding released today will help ensure that families and individuals have the support they need to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. This assistance is a lifeline for so many in our community, helping to ease the financial burden of energy costs and improve overall quality of life.\u201d\n\nMaintaining safe indoor air temperatures is critical, particularly for households that include older adults, individuals with disabilities, and young children. By helping to reduce the costs of home heating and cooling bills, reconnecting energy services that have been disconnected, preventing energy shutoffs, and providing minor energy-related home repairs, LIHEAP helps make sure that our neighbors can meet their home energy needs and stay safe in their homes.\n\nIndividuals interested in applying for LIHEAP can visit energyhelp.us or call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline toll-free at: 1-866-674-6327.\n\nNot sure whether you qualify? Households can easily identify if they may be eligible for assistance by using the LIHEAP Eligibility Tool on energyhelp.us.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-commends-dr-darsey-s-appointment-to-federal-board", "Senator Wicker Commends Dr. Darsey\u2019s Appointment to Federal Board", "2024-10-30", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., commended the appointment of Dr. Damon Darsey to the FirstNet Authority Board of Directors. Senator Wicker recommended Dr. Darsey to the Acting Associate Administrator of the Office of Public Safety Communications at the U.S. Department of Commerce and Secretary Gina Raimondo.\n\nThe Board of Directors provides oversight of FirstNet, which is a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network designed to connect first responders across departments for large-scale disasters. The board is also responsible for providing FirstNet with overall policy direction and strategic guidance.\n\n\u201cDr. Darsey has been a leader in public safety for Mississippi. For years, he has been engaged in the policy, development, technical, and political challenges around deploying a dedicated public safety network. His experience as the Medical Director for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety is a valuable asset to the board\u2019s composition. I am confident he will continue to be an advocate for our communities and first responders,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nSince 2010, Dr. Darsey has been the principal investigator of nearly $36 million of grants focusing on the clinical and academic interest of improving the communications, care, and coordination of first responders and in-field medical care.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-georgia-s-parliamentary-election", "Senator Wicker Statement on Georgia\u2019s Parliamentary Election", "2024-10-30", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Following Georgia\u2019s election results, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., issued this statement:\n\n\u201cThis past Saturday, the people of Georgia went to the polls to exercise their democratic right to choose their next government. Instead of a dignified, transparent, and lawful process, what they got was a farce. The people of Georgia\u2019s democratic choice was undermined by rampant violations, including intimidation, violence, vote buying, and results that diverged sharply from credible independent pre-election and exit polling as well as trends from prior elections.\n\n\u201cWe share Georgian President Zourabichvili's belief that these elections were neither free nor fair and do not reflect the will of the people. Unfortunately, the Moscow-backed Georgian Dream party seems to think that alongside Russia and its authoritarian axis, they can wait out the United States and Georgia\u2019s democratic allies. They are wrong.\n\n\u201cThe manipulation of this election is not only a blow to Georgia's fragile democracy but, if allowed to stand, an end to the country's longstanding Euro-Atlantic aspirations\u2014and possibly its very sovereignty. This is electoral fraud, and its illegitimate result must be confronted with clarity and resolve. As long as Georgian Dream clings to power through undemocratic means and under the tutelage of violent authoritarians, they will reap the contempt and isolation they so richly deserve.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-hopeful-house-will-take-senate-passed-prison-contraband-bill", "HYDE-SMITH HOPEFUL HOUSE WILL TAKE UP SENATE-PASSED PRISON CONTRABAND BILL", "2024-10-29", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Hyde-Smith Cosponsored Bipartisan Measure to Crack Down on Contraband in Federal Prisons\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today expressed her hope Congress will complete work on Senate-passed bipartisan legislation she cosponsored to crack down on contraband and organized crime in federal prisons.\n\nThe Senate recently approved and referred the bipartisan Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act (S.5284) to the House of Representatives. It would upgrade the charge of smuggling a contraband cellphone into a federal prison from a misdemeanor offense to a felony crime as a means of cracking down on the smuggling of contraband cellphones into federal prisons.\n\n\u201cCell phones smuggled into prisons as contraband create a threat to everyone \u2013 including other prisoners, outside civilians, and especially those who are responsible for the prison\u2019s safety. I am excited to see the passage of this important bill that will allow for more appropriate punishments for this dangerous felony offense,\u201d said Hyde-Smith, who also introduced her own prison contraband bill earlier this year.\n\nThe penalty in Mississippi for introducing or possessing contraband cell phones in state prison is punishable by up to a 15-year prison term. Current federal law caps punishment for this same offense in federal prisons at no more than one year. S.5284 would change the penalty to be punishable by up to five years in prison.\n\nS.5284 is named in honor of Lt. Osvaldo Albarati, the Bureau of Prisons correctional officer who was murdered in 2013 after completing his shift at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Five men who later pleaded guilty to the crime admitted they targeted Albarati as a direct result of continuous seizures of contraband, including cell phones. The inmate who placed the hit on Albarati did so using a contraband cell phone.\n\n\u201cMy family and I are extremely pleased with S.5284 passing the Senate. We look forward to continued support from the House as this bill will assist in protecting families in the future from experiencing what my family has had to endure,\u201d said Helen Albarati, widow of Lt. Albarati.\n\nS.5284 was introduced by U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz issued a statement applauding Senate passage of the bill and encouraging House action on the measure.\n\nIn February, Hyde-Smith introduced the END CELLS (Eliminate Non-approved Devices and Contraband Electronics Limiting Links to Society) Act (S.3780), which would make it unlawful for anyone to provide or attempt to provide a federal, state or local prisoner with a wireless communications device and further make it unlawful for a prisoner to possess such a device while incarcerated. The Hyde-Smith legislation would also impose additional criminal and civil penalties of up to $50,000 for each violation involving prisoners using contraband cell phones and for those individuals who provide the smuggled devices.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-announces-170-million-for-bridge-and-rail-line-projects-across-mississippi", "Senator Wicker Announces $170 Million For Bridge and Rail Line Projects Across Mississippi", "2024-10-28", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $111,432,520 to replace 13 bridges and rehabilitate another and $59,525,044 to support rail projects to improve railroads.\n\nFunding for both the bridge and rail projects stems from the infrastructure bill that Senator Wicker helped negotiate as the then highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.\n\nBridge Projects:\n\nSenator Wicker prioritized rural corridors in his letters of support for Bridge Investment Program Grants. The grant program modernizes and enhances infrastructure, bolstering the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of people and freight over bridges.\n\nMississippi will benefit from $43,920,000 that will go toward rehabilitating the Coahoma County Bridge that crosses the Mississippi River (Highway 49) from Helena, Arkansas, into Lula, Mississippi.\n\nThe Mississippi Department of Transportation received $67,512,520 to replace 13 bridge structures in central Mississippi: five bridges in Newton County constructed in 1929 and 1930, five bridges in Madison County constructed between 1929 and 1939, and three bridges in Lauderdale County constructed in 1928 and 1929.\n\nSenator Wicker statement on the bridge funding:\n\n\u201cMississippi\u2019s economy and people should not be traveling on nearly century-old bridges. This bill provides the investment our state has needed to make the necessary repairs or replacements,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am pleased that the bill I helped negotiate keeps bringing solutions to Mississippi.\u201d\n\nRail Lines:\n\nImproved rail lines will help deliver freight on time and increase economic development in the state. Senator Wicker has been a strong supporter of these lines, previously writing letters of support for the grants.\n\nSpecifically, the funds are dedicated as:\n\n$18,247,915 to expand service capacity and capabilities along the approximately 200-mile Grenada Railroad, improve road crossing conditions and safety, and harden the infrastructure to support growing freight demands in the region.\n\nThe grant funding will allow the railroad to rehabilitate twenty-seven at-grade road crossings, add signals to improve safety in the surrounding communities, and eliminate six hundred rail joints. In addition, the project would increase the physical capacity of the Canadian National\u00ad Grenada Railroad interchange in Canton, Mississippi, to facilitate rail service for multiple new industries and add siding capacity to reduce the number of blocked crossings.\n\n$2,942,412 to improve the efficiency and capacity of the Lowndes County Port\u2019s existing tenants and operators, provide rail access to additional port properties, and subsequently induce a freight modal shift from trucks to rail and barge for the port.\n\n$7,734,717 to create new rail connections to shippers and improve the safety and performance of rail shipments along the Natchez Railway.\n\nThis is the only east-west rail line serving rural Southwest Mississippi.\n\n$30,600,000 for Final Design and Construction to improve track conditions on eight Patriot railroads across the southeast. The project will focus on replacing rail, ties, and switches.\n\nSenator Wicker statement on the rail funding:\n\n\u201cI was glad to support these projects. They will help create jobs, keep freight deliveries on time, and boost economic development. These rail lines will help keep Mississippi moving.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7467", "Kelly Introduces Bipartisan Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act of 2024 (FARM Act)\n\nOctober 25, 2024 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nTags:\nAgriculture\n\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Trent Kelly (MS-01) is proud to announce the introduction of the bipartisan Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act of 2024 (FARM Act), vital legislation designed to provide much-needed support to America\u2019s farmers.\r\n\r\nThe FARM Act provides assistance to farmers when their revenue falls below the cost of production due to circumstances beyond their\u2026 Read more \u00bb", "2024-10-25", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Trent Kelly", "K000388", "trentkelly.house.gov", "trentkelly", "https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Trent Kelly (MS-01) is proud to announce the introduction of the bipartisan Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act of 2024 (FARM Act), vital legislation designed to provide much-needed support to America\u2019s farmers.\n\nThe FARM Act provides assistance to farmers when their revenue falls below the cost of production due to circumstances beyond their control. Congressman Kelly emphasizes that this bill will help keep farms in operation during this challenging time.\n\n\u201cFarmers have been hit with circumstances outside of their control, such as natural disasters, inflation pressures, and drought, which have crippled their ability to obtain financing from credit and banking institutions. The FARM Act will bridge the gap, providing relief so that our farmers can continue to do their best\u2014feed the nation,\" said Congressman Kelly.\n\nWith support from major agricultural organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Sorghum Producers, National Sunflower Association, U.S. Canola Association, U.S. Peanut Federation, USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, USA Rice, and Western Peanut Growers Association, the FARM Act offers assistance for farmers growing a wide range of crops, including barley, corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat, and many others.\n\nThis legislation is a lifeline for farmers struggling to meet rising costs and navigate a difficult market. As Congress debates longer-term solutions in the 2025 Farm Bill, the FARM Act delivers immediate help to the farming community.\n\nOriginal co-sponsors include: Sanford Bishop (GA), Julia Letlow (LA), Rick Allen (GA), Michael Guest (MS), Mike Rogers (AL), Barry Moore (AL), Austin Scott (GA), Don Bacon (NE), Rick Crawford (AR), Jerry Carl (AL), John Rose (TN), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Greg Murphy (NC), Jake Ellzey (TX), Troy Nehls (TX), Dale Strong (AL), Brad Finstad (MN), David Rouzer (NC), Robert Aderholt (AL), Chuck Fleischmann (TN), Michelle Fischbach (MN), Mike Ezell (MS), Troy Balderson (OH), Tony Gonzales (TX), Henry Cuellar (TX), Michael McCaul (TX), Monica De La Cruz (TX), Clay Higgins (LA), Mike Collins (GA), Pat Fallon (TX), Pete Sessions (TX), Ronny Jackson (TX), David Kustoff (TN), Randy Feenstra (IA), John Carter (TX), Frank Lucas (OK), August Pfluger (TX), Gary Palmer (AL), Juan Ciscomani (AZ), Buddy Carter (GA), Brian Babin (TX), Jim Baird (IN), Randy Weber (TX), Lance Gooden (TX), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Marc Veasey (TX), Nathaniel Moran (TX), and Michael Rulli (OH).\n\nContact: For more information or to co-sponsor the FARM Act, please contact Semaj Redd at semaj.redd@mail.house.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-07T14:16:54Z", "2026-04-07T14:20:45Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/over-33-million-awarded-to-mississippi-for-jackson-s-water-infrastructure-upgrades", "Over $33 Million Awarded to Mississippi for Jackson\u2019s Water Infrastructure Upgrades", "2024-10-24", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "JACKSON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency awarded over $33 million to Mississippi for Jackson\u2019s water infrastructure upgrades.\n\n\u201cThis funding will continue to help Jackson improve its drinking and wastewater systems. I am pleased with the work being done by the third-party manager. We will continue to support our state\u2019s capital city in its pursuit to bring improved infrastructure to the citizens of Jackson,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nThe funding stems from the infrastructure bill that Senator Wicker helped negotiate as the then highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Senator Wicker has long supported federal efforts to improve Jackson\u2019s water infrastructure.\n\nSpecifically, the funds are dedicated as:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=570", "Ezell and Wicker Announce $1 Million Grant for Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport Infrastructure Improvements", "2024-10-22", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Mike Ezell", "E000235", "ezell.house.gov", "ezell", "https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) announced a $1,000,000 grant to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport to replace and install a passenger boarding bridge that has reached the end of its useful life. This crucial funding will enhance the airport's infrastructure, improving both efficiency and safety for travelers.\n\n\"The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is a strong partner in the economic vitality of South Mississippi,\" Ezell said. \"This grant will allow the airport to continue serving South Mississippians and those traveling to our community, ensuring a more efficient and safer travel experience as we enhance the infrastructure that supports our growing community.\"\n\n\u201cWhen people travel through our airports, whether for travel, leisure, or business, they should have a pleasant experience. This new passenger jet bridge will help ensure this outcome happens in Gulfport,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cSupporting Mississippi\u2019s airport infrastructure will continue to be one of my top priorities as a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn behalf of Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, we greatly appreciate the support of the Congressional delegation in providing funding for infrastructure improvements to enhance the overall flying experience for those traveling to and from South Mississippi,\u201d said Clay Williams, Executive Director, Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.\n\nThe Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is centrally located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Gulfport, Mississippi, and is the second largest airport in the state. The airport is approximately two miles from Interstate 10 and the Port of Gulfport, and it welcomes nearly 800,000 travelers each year. This grant will help ensure the airport continues to meet the demands of increasing travel while providing a seamless experience for passengers.\n\nBackground on Ezell's work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee:\n\nEzell has prioritized initiatives that support regional airports, recognizing their role in local economies. His work on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee has focused on advocating for increased funding for maintenance and improvements at airports like Gulfport-Biloxi.\n\nEzell has been a strong proponent of safety measures in transportation. He believes that investments in airport infrastructure, such as the replacement of outdated boarding bridges, are essential to ensuring safe travel for all passengers.\n\nUnderstanding the importance of timely infrastructure upgrades, Ezell has worked to streamline the processes for federal funding, making it easier for local airports to access the resources they need for essential improvements.\n\nEzell\u2019s efforts on the committee include advocating for infrastructure that stimulates economic growth. By investing in airport upgrades, he is helping to enhance connectivity, attract tourism, and support local businesses.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-gulf-coast-passenger-service-grant-approval", "Senator Wicker Statement on Gulf Coast Passenger Service Grant Approval", "2024-10-22", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, an agreement was reached among stakeholders on the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant which will provide crucial funding to restore passenger rail service along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The $178,435,333 grant was previously awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has used his position as Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee to restore the return of passenger rail to the Gulf Coast for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. While serving as chairman, he helped negotiate the infrastructure bill which is the origin of the CRISI Grant.\n\nSenator Wicker released the following statement:\n\n\u201cI appreciate the partnership shared by local and state government officials and the freight rail companies, CSX, and Norfolk Southern. This service will provide economic opportunities to the Gulf Coast Region and provide an alternative way to move people safely. Years of hard work and cooperation have brought us to this important moment,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nScheduled to resume in 2025, the services are expected to provide economic growth opportunities, boost tourism, and reduce traffic on our roadways. Two trains will run roundtrip from New Orleans to Mobile with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-to-president-biden-make-final-push-for-ukraine-before-leaving-office", "Senator Wicker to President Biden: Make Final Push for Ukraine Before Leaving Office", "2024-10-18", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is demanding that President Biden exercise his responsibilities as commander-in-chief and give Ukraine the weapons it needs to make a \u201csubstantial difference\u201d on the battlefield in the last 90 days of his term.\n\nSenator Wicker specifically called on the president to provision Ukraine with weaponry at a much faster rate, deliver more vehicles, missiles, drones and counter-drone equipment, and increase defense industrial base cooperation between the United States and Ukraine, among other recommendations. The senator sent these detailed requests, along with more than five others, as a part of a detailed plan to enable Ukrainian success prior to the next presidential term starting.\n\nThese demands follow repeated, unsuccessful engagements with the White House since August. In the letter, Senator Wicker notes that he sent a classified letter to President Biden with suggestions on how to improve the military assistance program for Ukraine, and he later followed up with a September phone call to the president regarding the letter. Senator Wicker has also shared these ideas with senior national security officials but has yet to see them yield any significant results.\n\n\u201cI am frustrated \u2013 and mystified \u2013 that your administration has accomplished so little in the last three months regarding the war in Ukraine. You seem poised to leave the next president a weak hand,\u201d Senator Wicker wrote.\n\nFor two years, Senator Wicker has led Senate Republicans in pushing President Biden to implement a more effective strategy for Ukrainian victory. In September, Senator Wicker criticized President Biden\u2019s intention to drag out his use of Presidential Drawdown Authority. Senator Wicker has also repeatedly published a detailed timeline of many instances when President Biden failed to deliver support to Ukraine at a speed where they could make a difference on the battlefield. In a 2023 floor speech, Senator Wicker laid out his first principles as it comes to supporting Ukraine: \u201cmore, better, faster.\u201d\n\nRead the full October 18, 2024 letter here or below.\n\nOctober 17, 2024\n\nPresident Joseph R. Biden, Jr.\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDear Mr. President,\n\nIn early August, I sent you a classified letter, which identified steps you could take to support Ukraine more aggressively. The letter contained detailed recommendations, including policy changes and suggestions to improve military assistance delivery and defense industrial base cooperation. My goal was to highlight ways that your administration could use its remaining six months in office wisely \u2013 to put Ukraine in the most advantageous position possible for your successor, whomever the American people choose. I followed up with you in a phone conversation in mid-September, and I have attended meetings with senior national security officials.\n\nI am frustrated \u2013 and mystified \u2013 that your administration has accomplished so little in the last three months regarding the war in Ukraine. You seem poised to leave the next president a weak hand. Nonetheless, I maintain that a focused effort \u2013 directed by you \u2013 could make a substantial difference over your final 90 days as president.\n\nToward that end, I have included a list of 10 recommendations.\n\nRecommendation 1: Increase the pace of weapons transfers to Ukraine. The current pace of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) usage would drag on through calendar year 2025. This is true despite the agreement between Congress and your administration that the authority granted in the National Security Supplemental would last through calendar year 2024. That tempo led your administration to seek a $5.5 billion extension of this authority last month.\n\nThe Secretaries of State and Defense exercised this authority to prevent its expiration, but your administration has said that the pace of deliveries will not change. Ukraine will continue to receive only about $400 million in military equipment per month for the next 14 months.\n\nI am troubled that your administration is using U.S. military readiness as an excuse to \u201cmanage\u201d the conflict in Ukraine. Officials are making decisions about strategic and military risk, but they are not consulting Congress. You should direct the Secretary of Defense to provide you a plan that would deliver the remaining $5.5 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to Ukraine immediately.\n\nDeliver more vehicles. Ukraine needs many more heavy vehicles, such as M1A1 Abrams tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, to form the core of combined-arms brigades. Ukraine also faces a significant shortfall of general protected vehicles (such as up-armored HMMWVs, ambulances, and MRAPs) to protect troops from Russian drones and artillery. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps possess ample stocks of these vehicles. Our industrial base can easily replace those that are transferred. Additionally, there is no near-term need for massive stockpiles of vehicles given the degraded state of Russian ground forces.\n\nDeliver more ATACMS. Ukraine has used U.S.-provided ATACMS responsibly and effectively, but it needs more. We have a sufficient inventory of serviceable long-range ATACMS. A significant number of these should go to Ukraine. Although there may be division within your administration on this recommendation, I urge you to push the Army and the combatant commands to aid Ukraine\u2019s largely successful deep strike campaign.\n\nDeliver more drones and counter unmanned aerial systems. U.S. attack drone and counter-UAS production can increase. The industrial base is expanding rapidly and has multiple solution options in each of these areas. Ukraine is quite receptive to using unproven systems.\n\nRecommendation 2: Allow greater flexibility on restrictions for U.S.-provided munitions. One of Ukraine\u2019s key asymmetric advantages against Russia is its ability to target high-value Russian military targets and to do so rapidly. Your administration has hamstrung this crucial advantage. You should immediately revise any policies that limit the use of U.S.-provided munitions, including ATACMS, to strike military targets inside Russia. Any restrictions should be placed on the types of targets, rather than on the distance from a border that Russia does not even recognize. Numerous allies and partners already allow their long-range munitions to be used for deep strikes.\n\nRecommendation 3: Increase the cap of U.S. government non-military personnel allowed in-country. You should direct Secretary Blinken to allow more State Department, Defense Department, and other government agency personnel inside Ukraine. The current number of personnel cannot manage a military aid effort in the tens of billions of dollars while conducting planning for future improvements in the Ukrainian industrial base and economy. As a result, anything beyond the day-to-day management is not getting done. Current staff is overworked, and more U.S. government personnel are required to manage security assistance and to conduct accountability and oversight work. Numerous allies already have a much more risk-tolerant government presence in Ukraine.\n\nRecommendation 4: Establish a regulated presence of U.S. military contractors inside Ukraine. You should allow a limited number of U.S. military contractors to operate in Ukraine \u2013 under strict conditions \u2013 to increase Ukraine\u2019s ability to maintain its equipment. The current approach is too slow, as we remotely perform maintenance or move Ukrainian equipment to Poland for up-keep. The presence of U.S. contractors in-country would also help to mentor Ukrainian personnel to increase their self-sufficiency. U.S. contractors are well-prepared to execute such a mission. They have extensive experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. British, French, and Czech personnel are already in-country, or will soon be, to conduct similar missions.\n\nRecommendation 5: Expand training for Ukrainian land forces. The United States should maximize the use of all available training capacity located in the European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility, and it should build up Ukrainian brigades capable of combined arms warfare. Currently, improved Ukrainian recruitment is outpacing Ukrainian and allied training. EUCOM almost certainly has the ability to train even more troops per month than it does now, which would help cover the number of troops that Ukraine does not have the capacity to train.\n\nRecommendation 6: Deliver more shareable, commercially-derived intelligence. The administration should use processes already in place to increase the delivery of available unclassified information to Ukraine, including disposition of Russian forces and location data. The National Reconnaissance Office has contract vehicles in place for commercial satellite services (such as RF data) that are instrumental in providing Ukraine with services for tipping and cueing (i.e., targeting) of Russian radars, air assets, defense systems, and other threats.\n\nRecommendation 7: Dramatically expand the Pentagon industrial base policy workforce. U.S. industrial base expansion and industrial base integration with Europe is not happening fast enough because we lack the personnel to plan and execute these activities. You should direct the Secretary of Defense, in the next 15 days, to reassign at least 100 capable and motivated DOD civil servants, moving them into these offices and asking Congress for new hiring authorities and supplemental money to pay for this expansion. The short-staffed office that runs the Defense Production Act illustrates the need. Only a handful of people staff that organization, which is tasked with finding ways to rebuild our supplier base for solid rocket motors, missile casings, and more. DOD industrial base offices can also help allies and partners expand their own production, such as the Storm Shadow and SCALP lines in the UK and France, respectively.\n\nThese U.S. offices include:\n\nJoint Production Acceleration Cell\n\nAssistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy\n\nDeputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International and Industry Engagement\n\nManufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (DPA & ICAM/IBAS)\n\nRecommendation 8: Rapidly accelerate contracting timelines. I understand that many large contracts for Ukraine, especially those funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, are still taking a year or more on average. This is unacceptable. Section 1244 of the Fiscal Year 2023 NDAA, as well as additional contracting authorities, grant broad flexibilities to the Department of Defense. By written instruction, you should formally direct the Secretary of Defense and the service acquisition executives to require all contracting officers to leverage \u2013 to the maximum extent possible \u2013 those contracting flexibilities. The Army has used section 1244 for the new 155mm artillery ammunition factory in Mesquite, Texas, and doing so brought it online two years faster than expected.\n\nRecommendation 9: Hold monthly high-level defense industrial base meetings. You should direct the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Commerce to host monthly high-level defense industrial base meetings with Ukraine, key NATO allies, and defense industry officials. You should prioritize coproduction with Ukraine so it can better meet its own needs.\n\nRecommendation 10: Deliver more DPICMs. In addition to ATACMS, Ukraine also has used Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICMs) effectively and responsibly. The U.S. inventory includes hundreds of thousands of serviceable 155mm DPICMs rounds. Each 155mm DPICMs round has the effect of 3\u20135 high explosive artillery projectiles. You possess the authority to send Ukraine $250 million of DPICMs today. There is simply no way to offset the artillery advantage of the Russians without using DPICMs.\n\nSincerely,\n\nRoger F. Wicker\n\nRanking Member", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-funding-major-improvements-i-20i-55", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces Funding for Major Improvements to the I-20/I-55 Freight Corridor in Mississippi", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Jackson, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is pleased to announce that the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been awarded federal funding for critical improvements to the I-20/I-55 Freight Corridor in Jackson, Mississippi. The funding, allocated through the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects Program (NSMFHP) for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026, will ensure the modernization and safety of a vital transportation network that serves both the state and the nation. MDOT was allocated $51,609,270 for Fiscal Year 2025 and $35,039,000 for Fiscal Year 2026.\n\nThe project will focus on updating seven bridge structures to meet modern design standards, repairing an additional 19 bridges, and resurfacing approximately 32 miles of interstate and highway along the I-20 Corridor. In addition, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) equipment will be deployed, enhancing traffic management, communication, and safety for freight movement and commuters alike.\n\n\u201cThis funding represents a significant investment in Mississippi\u2019s infrastructure, ensuring that our highways and bridges remain safe, efficient, and capable of supporting both local and national commerce,\u201d said Congressman Thompson.\n\nThe I-20/I-55 Freight Corridor is a critical route for the movement of goods, connecting Mississippi to major markets across the southeastern United States. By modernizing these key structures and improving the roadway, the project will reduce traffic congestion, enhance safety, and create a more reliable transportation network for freight carriers and travelers.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-recognizes-us-department-educations-fiscal-year", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Recognizes U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Fiscal Year 2024 Grant Award to the University of Mississippi Medical Center", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded a Fiscal Year 2024 grant to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) under the Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Program. This program, aimed at addressing the growing need for mental health professionals in schools, is designed to increase the number of school-based mental health service providers in high-need districts.\n\nThe University of Mississippi Medical Center has been awarded $968,684 under the program\u2019s Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.184X. This funding will support UMMC's efforts to train and place additional mental health service providers in Mississippi schools, ensuring that students have greater access to vital mental health resources.\n\nThe Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Program seeks to expand the pipeline of trained mental health service providers and increase their presence in high-need schools to improve students' overall well-being and academic success.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=563", "Ezell Presents Congressional Award Gold Medal to Petal Native", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Mike Ezell", "E000235", "ezell.house.gov", "ezell", "https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04) presented Colt Bergman with a Congressional Award Gold Medal, the highest Congressional honor for America's youth. Bergman completed 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness, and a 5-day, 4-night trip over the span of 24 months to complete the Congressional Award program.\n\n\"The Congressional Award program is the highest honor Congress gives to young Americans, recognizing their commitment to personal development, physical fitness, and community service,\" Ezell said. \"Through hard work and perseverance, Colt has earned this award, proudly representing Mississippi. The Congressional Award encourages participants to set and achieve challenging goals, building valuable skills and a spirit of volunteerism. I am proud to support the program and congratulate Colt on his outstanding achievement. Together, let\u2019s continue to support our future leaders who make a positive impact in their communities and beyond!\"\n\nAdditional background on the Congressional Award:\n\nThe United States Congress established the Congressional Award in 1979 (Public Law 96-114) to recognize initiative, service, and achievement in young people. It began as a bipartisan effort in both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. The original bill was sponsored by Senator Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming and Congressman James Howard of New Jersey.\n\nThe Congressional Award provides a structure for young Americans to learn the value of service, personal development, fitness, and citizenship through character-forming experiences that shape tomorrow\u2019s leaders and our country\u2019s future.\n\nThe Congressional Award program is promoted throughout America by Members of Congress who share this unique opportunity with their constituents, providing today\u2019s youth with the tools they need to thrive as adults.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-encourages-participation-upcoming-national-warrior-call-day-aid-us-veterans", "HYDE-SMITH ENCOURAGES PARTICIPATION IN UPCOMING \u2018NATIONAL WARRIOR CALL DAY\u2019 TO AID U.S. VETERANS & SERVICEMEMBERS", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Miss. Senator Cosponsored Bipartisan, Senate-Passed Resolution Aimed at Fostering Connections & Combatting Rising Suicide Rates\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today encouraged Mississippians to take the next month to prepare for \u201cNational Warrior Call Day,\u201d November 17, 2024, to actively engage with veterans and active servicemembers in an effort to curb the mental health risks many servicemembers face after defending our nation.\n\nHyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the National Warrior Call Day Resolution (S.Res.838), which the Senate approved late last month.\n\n\u201cAs Americans, it\u2019s our patriotic duty to honor and stand by those who stood for us. The National Warrior Call Day resolution is a powerful reminder that that we all have a role to play in supporting veterans and those in the Armed Forces. Reaching out, listening, and letting our heroes know they are valued and not forgotten can make a profound difference,\u201d Hyde-Smith said.\n\nThe resolution underscores the alarming rise in suicide rates among veterans and military personnel, and calls for outreach to these individuals to help combat feelings of isolation that may prevent them from seeking help, potentially leading to self-harm. It also highlights the need for increased research into the connection between traumatic brain injuries and the mental health challenges faced by our servicemembers.\n\nThe resolution was introduced by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) to promote National Warrior Call Day and reinforce the nation\u2019s commitment to support those who have served our nation.\n\n\u201cWe have a responsibility to support the brave men and women who have served this nation that extends well beyond their time in the line of duty,\u201d said Shaheen. \u201cOur bipartisan resolution designates a National Warrior Call Day to help strengthen relationships between veterans and civilians and better keep lines of communication open in order to share resources and provide support.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmericans can never fully pay back those who serve in defense of America. We can, however, make sure that active military members and veterans have access to the support they need after serving to lead active and healthy lives. This bipartisan resolution will raise awareness on the importance of building relationships with those who defend our freedom,\u201d Cotton said.\n\nInformation regarding suicide prevention among veterans can be found here, and among active duty service members here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-announces-nearly-130-million-to-improve-mississippi-infrastructure", "Senator Wicker Announces Nearly $130 Million to Improve Mississippi Infrastructure", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "MISSISSIPPI \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., announced $127,296,812 to improve freight corridors in Jackson and on the Gulf Coast. The funding stems from the infrastructure bill that Senator Wicker helped negotiate as the then highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.\n\nThe funding will upgrade SR 67 to a Superstreet Corridor on the Gulf Coast. It will also resurface approximately 32 linear miles and update bridge structures along the Interstate 20/ Interstate 55 Freight Corridor in Jackson.\n\n\u201cInfrastructure investments make Mississippi an even better place to live, work, and visit. These improvements will help attract more people and economic development to the Gulf Coast and Jackson area,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cSupporting infrastructure will continue to be one of my top priorities in Congress.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker sent letters of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for these projects.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-the-elimination-of-yahya-sinwar", "Senator Wicker Statement on the Elimination of Yahya Sinwar", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to reports that the Israel Defense Force eliminated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza:\n\n\u201cIran and its proxies should take note that in a matter of weeks, Israel has decapitated the senior leadership of Hezbollah and Hamas. The world is a safer place because Israel has proven what strong action against global terrorism should look like,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cEvery time the Biden-Harris administration attempts to place conditions on Israel\u2019s self-defense, they are weakening Israeli and American responses to terrorism. The only way that this war will end is with Israel\u2019s victory and the defeat of Iran\u2019s terrorist proxies. Israel\u2019s removal of the architect of this war represents another key step toward eliminating these threats.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-thompson-announces-nearly-9-million-usda-investment-support-urban", "Congressman Thompson Announces Nearly $9 Million USDA Investment to Support Urban Agricultural Producers", "2024-10-10", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie Thompson is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing nearly $9 million in funding to local organizations across the country to provide outreach, education, and technical assistance to urban agricultural producers in ten U.S. cities. This investment is part of a partnership between USDA\u2019s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the organization To Improve Mississippi Economics (T.I.M.E.) to administer an urban farm outreach program.\n\nThe program will offer subawards to community groups working with producers in cities where FSA has established Urban County Committees. This initiative is part of a broader $40 million investment made possible through President Biden\u2019s American Rescue Plan, aimed at supporting urban agriculture and strengthening local food systems.\n\nThe Widget Business Training Company of Jackson, Mississippi is the only organization from the MS Second Congressional District to receive a subaward. This organization will play a crucial role in assisting urban agricultural producers by providing necessary resources, knowledge, and connections to strengthen urban farming initiatives. This program underscores the USDA\u2019s ongoing commitment to ensuring equitable access to federal programs and enhancing food security across urban communities.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/enator-wicker-discusses-defense-spending-shipbuilding-china-vp-harris-and-israel-on-the-hugh-hewitt-show", "Senator Wicker Discusses Defense Spending, Shipbuilding, China, VP Harris, and Israel on \u201cThe Hugh Hewitt Show\u201d", "2024-10-08", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined \u201cThe Hugh Hewitt Show\u201d program and discussed several national defense topics, including the October 7th Anniversary, China\u2019s shocking growth in naval shipbuilding, and the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s weak record on China.\n\nThe interview follows Senator Wicker\u2019s October 7th Anniversary statement which was released on Monday.\n\nRead selected excerpts from the interview below, or watch the full segment here.\n\nOn a Harris presidency & China policy: \u201cIf it\u2019s any indication of how her party has done with their leader in the U.S. Senate, yes, it\u2019s very much a concern [how Harris would do with China]. Every time we\u2019ve wanted to spend a few extra dollars \u2013 a few percentage points of our huge economy \u2013 to defend ourselves, the Democrats say: \u201cwell, we won\u2019t do that unless we can increase domestic spending, too.\u201d So, it\u2019s been like pulling teeth getting a few extra ships built.\u201d\n\nOn shipbuilding: \u201cChina has 200 times the Navy shipbuilding capacity we do. When you talk about [how] we need to increase the number of fighter jets, or submarines, or ships, some people say: \u201cwell, we don\u2019t even have the industrial capacity. We don\u2019t have enough manufacturing plants.\u201d And of course, the answer to that is: let\u2019s get some. We\u2019re going to have to increase our national defense to keep us out of a war. The idea is to keep the peace by being so strong that nobody will take a chance on us.\n\nOn a future DOD budget: \u201cWhat we need to do \u2013 and what I\u2019ve advocated \u2013 and what military experts past and present are saying is that we need to go back to Ronald Reagan\u2019s \u2018peace through strength.\u2019 And that does involve about five percent of our economy used to get us ready to defend ourselves in a war\u2026if we spend five percent of our gross domestic product on defending America, we can save hundreds of billions and trillions of dollars by staying out of a war\u2026the last time our Senate Republicans met with President Trump, he was very clear that he shared our determination to increase our Navy and get it back up to the point where we\u2019re able to protect America and deter somebody from attacking us. So that was very much an encouraging statement from President Trump.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-october-7th-anniversary", "Senator Wicker Statement on October 7th Anniversary", "2024-10-07", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement:\n\n\u201cA year ago, innocent Israelis and Americans were kidnapped, brutally raped, and murdered. Today, we demand the release of the hostages and remember the victims,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cMake no mistake: Iran and its proxies have no stated purpose other than the destruction of the Jewish state and they publicly regard the United States as the \u2018Great Satan.\u2019 The slogan \u2018From the River to the Sea\u2019 is not mere words. This is a call for genocide, pure and simple.\u201d\n\n\u201cIsrael invited none of this aggression. How Israel decides to protect its people and its democracy is their decision to make. As they go on offense, we stand by our most steadfast ally in the region. The civilized world should stand together for a swift, sustained, and victorious response.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-department-defense-grants-jackson", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces Department of Defense Grants to Jackson State University Under HBCU/MI Program", "2024-10-04", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is pleased to announce that the Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded $50.1 million in grants to 98 university researchers under the Fiscal Year 2024 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program.\n\nJackson State University (JSU) in Mississippi has been awarded two grants, totaling $512,870, for research and educational advancements in critical scientific fields:\n\nINSTITUTIONINSTRUMENTATION PROPOSALAMOUNTJackson State UniversityAcquisition of an Advanced Potentiostat for Research and Training in Jackson State University$115,006Jackson State UniversityOptical Laser Lithography Fabrication System and Local Multiferroelectric Properties of Van Der Waals Materials and their Heterostructure$397,864", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-doj-award-our-house-inc-sexual-assault", "CONGRESSMAN BENNIE G. THOMPSON ANNOUNCES DOJ AWARD TO OUR HOUSE INC. FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES PROGRAM", "2024-10-04", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded Our House Inc., based in Greenville, Mississippi, a federal grant of $382,500 under the Fiscal Year 2024 Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program. The award, made through the OVW\u2019s Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program (SAS Culturally Specific Program), will be utilized to enhance culturally specific services for survivors of sexual assault in the region.\n\nThe SAS Culturally Specific Program was created by the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 and is the first federal funding stream solely dedicated to direct intervention and assistance for victims of sexual assault. The program supports services such as advocacy, crisis intervention, court and medical accompaniment, and referrals for adult, youth, and child survivors. It also aims to address the unique challenges faced by victims from culturally specific communities, such as linguistic and cultural barriers.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-federal-fema-grant-award-mississippi", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces Federal FEMA Grant Award to Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for Emergency Protective Measures", "2024-10-04", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $7,047,053.82 in federal funding to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). This grant is part of FEMA\u2019s ongoing support following FEMA-DR-4697-MS, which was declared on March 26, 2023, due to severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes.\n\nThis federal funding, authorized under Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act, will assist MEMA in covering emergency protective measures necessary to safeguard public health and safety during these disasters. With a total project cost of $9,396,071.75, the federal government will cover 75% of the expenses.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-national-park-service-lower", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces National Park Service Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative (LMDI) Grants for Mississippi Projects", "2024-10-04", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is pleased to announce that the National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with the Jefferson National Parks Association (JNPA), has awarded $186,756 in Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative (LMDI) grants. These funds will support 11 projects aimed at preserving the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Delta Region across seven states, including Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.\n\nThis year, several key projects in Mississippi\u2019s Second Congressional District have been selected for LMDI funding, including:\n\n100 Years Later: A Centennial Look at the Continuing Impact of the 1927 Flood on the Lower Mississippi Delta \u2014 A multi-state project including Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, which examines the lasting effects of the 1927 flood on the region.\n\nThe Clinton Riot Historical Site \u2014 A project focused on preserving and highlighting the historical significance of the Clinton Riot in Mississippi.\n\nUnita Blackwell Houses\u2019 Collection Conservation \u2014 A project dedicated to the conservation of collections related to the life and legacy of Unita Blackwell, a civil rights leader and the first Black woman to serve as mayor in Mississippi.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/former-january-6-committee-chairman-thompson-releases-statement-release", "Former January 6 Committee Chairman Thompson Releases Statement on Release of Special Counsel\u2019s Brief", "2024-10-03", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), former Chairman of the Bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, released the below statement on the redacted release of the Special Counsel\u2019s immunity brief for the case United States v. Trump:\n\n\u201cThe Special Counsel\u2019s latest brief makes it clear that not only is Donald Trump not immune from prosecution for his actions surrounding the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, but his actions were even more contemptible and depraved than previously known. It is the clearest picture yet of the case against Trump. This is critical information for the American people to know, and I am thankful it was publicly released. Those who undermine the rule of law and clearly have no qualms about trying to do so again must be held accountable. The very fabric of our democracy is at stake.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-grassley-continue-push-help-rural-hospitals-through-demonstration-program", "HYDE-SMITH, GRASSLEY CONTINUE PUSH TO HELP RURAL HOSPITALS THROUGH DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM", "2024-10-03", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Senators Issue Letter Pressing Full Use of Successful CMS Program for Stressed Rural Hospitals\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) continue to push the Biden administration to fully utilize a federal program that has been described as a lifeline for some struggling rural hospitals.\n\nIn a joint letter, Hyde-Smith and Grassley this week pressed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on its refusal to use the budget-neutral Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD), despite the program\u2019s proven efficacy for participating rural hospitals and qualifying facilities\u2019 interest in joining.\n\n\u201cCurrent law allows up to 30 hospitals to participate in the RCHD, but for the past several years CMS has underutilized the program leaving as many as eight spots vacant. While there is interest from additional rural hospitals to participate, your agency has not taken action to add eligible hospitals. In fact, CMS told us that there would be too much interest among rural hospitals,\u201d the Senators wrote CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.\n\n\u201cThe most recent performance data suggests that new RCHD hospitals significantly improved their Medicare margins, although those gains were not large enough to impact their total profit margins. This signals that the RCHD program offers a shot in the arm for financially-challenged rural hospitals to keep their doors open and provide health care services,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\n\u201cThe RCHD program is supporting rural hospitals and it should be fully utilized. If CMS has the tools to help one rural hospital, then you should be doing something about it,\u201d they concluded.\n\nThe letter also cited commitments made by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to work with the lawmakers to enroll more at-risk rural hospitals in RCHD, including at an April appropriations subcommittee hearing.\n\nCongress established the RCHD program in 2003 and reauthorized it three times to sustain a program that uses alternative payment models for rural hospitals facing financial constraints with the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System. CMS last solicited program applications in 2017.\n\nThe Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian, Highland Community Hospital in Picayune, Marion General Hospital in Columbia are RCHD facilities where innovation models are being tested.\n\nClick here to read a copy of the Senators\u2019 letter to CMS.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/10/senator-wicker-statement-on-iranian-missile-attack-on-israel", "Senator Wicker Statement on Iranian Missile Attack on Israel", "2024-10-01", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to reports of Iranian forces firing a missile salvo at Israeli sovereign territory:\n\n\u201cIran and its terrorist proxies \u2013 Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis \u2013 will never stop their campaign to eliminate Israel from the map. The Ayatollah's regime must be eliminated,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cJews, Arabs, and Iranians all deserve to live side by side in a peaceful neighborhood.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-thompson-announces-department-justice-grants-enhance-services", "Congressman Thompson Announces Department of Justice Grants to Enhance Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking", "2024-09-30", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is pleased to announce two significant awards from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to support culturally specific services and technical assistance for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Mississippi.\n\nThe first award of $400,000 has been granted to Carter's Compassionate Transitional & Supportive Housing in Jackson, Mississippi. This funding will support the OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program. Carter's Compassionate Transitional & Supportive Housing will provide culturally specific services, addressing the needs of Black/African American victims in the Jackson metropolitan area. Key services include trauma-informed care, life skills classes, financial counseling, holistic healing activities, and more, to ensure safety, economic stability, and healing for survivors.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-thompson-announces-12235000-cdfi-program-and-naca-program-awards", "Congressman Thompson Announces $12,235,000 in CDFI Program and NACA Program Awards for Mississippi's Second Congressional District", "2024-09-27", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of the Treasury\u2019s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) has awarded $408.2 million in Financial Assistance (FA) to 357 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) nationwide through the fiscal year 2024 (FY 2024) funding round. These funds will support financial services and products aimed at improving access to financial resources for low-income and underserved communities across the country.\n\nIn Mississippi\u2019s Second Congressional District, several local institutions have been selected to receive awards under the CDFI Program. This program provides 44critical funding that helps expand economic opportunity for residents and small businesses in underserved areas.\n\nThe FY 2024 funding round was made possible through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (Public Law 117-328) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (Public Law 118-47).\n\nAward Recipients in the Mississippi Second Congressional District:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-key-field-officially-running-kc-46-selection", "ICYMI: Key Field is Officially in the Running for KC-46 Selection", "2024-09-27", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Michael Guest", "G000591", "guest.house.gov", "guest", "https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The U.S Air Force notified Mississippi\u2019s Congressional Delegation that Key Field in Meridian is officially in the running to be the future home of the new KC-46 aircraft. The nation-wide candidate field has been narrowed to seven, in what is called a \u201cdown-selection.\u201d\n\nMississippi\u2019s Congressional Delegation has worked for years to make sure Key Field, an Air National Guard Base, is seen as a strong candidate for the selection.\n\n\u201cThe 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) in Meridian is a leader in aerial refueling, and I am pleased that Key Field Air National Guard Base is one of seven sites that is advancing in the KC-46A basing decision process,\u201d said Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03). \u201cI am grateful for the unity of our entire Mississippi Congressional Delegation\u2014Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and Representatives Bennie Thompson, Trent Kelly, and Mike Ezell\u2014as well as the support of our State and local leadership for this effort. I appreciate the Air Force\u2019s consideration of Key Field and look forward to the opportunity to showcase the 186th ARW\u2019s capabilities as we move into the next phase of this decision.\u201d\n\n\u201cMaking it this far in the down-selection process is an accomplishment. If Key Field is ultimately chosen, it would cement and extend the base\u2019s role in our country\u2019s national security infrastructure for decades to come,\u201d U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said. \u201cFor the Meridian community, this would be a significant investment. It would bring more service members and families, as well as direct and indirect jobs, to the area. This is one of my top priorities.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe welcome this positive development for the future of Key Field and Lauderdale County. As the process moves forward, we will continue to forcefully make the case that Key Field will be the best place for this important mission,\u201d Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., said.\n\nKey factors that have made Key Field a potential home for the KC-46s, a military refueling and strategic transport plane:\n\nKey Field is already home to KC-135 planes, which are air refueling tankers that provide rapid global mobility and combat support to the U.S. Department of Defense. The 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), which hosts over 1,200 officers and airmen, operates these planes out of Key Field. The KC-46s would replace the aging KC-135 tankers currently in service at Key Field.\n\nThe 186th ARW is one of the few military installations that can handle the new plane without needing to make major changes to a base.\n\nThe airfield is in a prime location in the vicinity of refueling tracks over the Southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico, enabling rapid servicing of Air Force and joint service aircraft fleets, including strategic communications aircraft.\n\nThe Meridian community already has infrastructure and support services in place that will benefit next generation air refueling capabilities.", 1, "2026-05-28T06:29:45Z", "2026-05-28T06:31:18Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-signs-bill-protect-seniors-access-health-care", "HYDE-SMITH SIGNS ONTO BILL TO PROTECT SENIORS\u2019 ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE", "2024-09-27", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Physician Fee Stabilization Act is Bipartisan Effort to Reform Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, Benefit Rural States\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) this week cosponsored a bipartisan effort to update and reform the Medicare physician fee schedule in order to assure seniors\u2019 access to health care services, particularly for those living in rural states like Mississippi.\n\nThe Physician Fee Stabilization Act (S.4935) aims to address declining Medicare physician reimbursements by increasing a 32-year-old budget neutrality threshold to essentially keep pace with inflation. Declining Medicare physician reimbursement disproportionately affects small, independent, and rural practices.\n\n\u201cImproving rural healthcare has been a priority for me since I was elected. Unfortunately, that job is made harder because some doctors are becoming reluctant to accept Medicare patients because the federal reimbursement rates aren\u2019t keeping up with inflation and are often subject to cuts,\u201d Hyde-Smith said. \u201cThe Physician Fee Stabilization Act is a practical way to stabilize fee structures and finally update a Medicare formula that hasn\u2019t been changed since 1992.\u201d\n\nS.4935 would ensure greater flexibility in determining pricing adjustments for Medicare services without triggering harmful annual payment cuts to Medicare-serving physicians. The bill also includes provisions that authorize an increase in the budget neutrality threshold every five years to ensure future physician compensation payments with the Medicare Economic Index.\n\n\u201cMedicare patients must have access to quality health services. Ensuring physicians are fairly compensated for their work will help deliver stability to providers so they continue to meet the needs of their communities. I\u2019m proud to lead this bipartisan solution that enhances Medicare\u2019s sustainability,\u201d said U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.), who introduced the bill.\n\nThe Mississippi State Medical Association, National Rural Health Association, American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, and American Academy of Family Physicians are among the many health organizations that support the Physician Fee Stabilization Act.\n\nAdditional cosponsors include Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Angus King (I-Maine), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).\n\nHyde-Smith serves on the Senate Labor, Health and Humans Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee and has worked to advance health issues throughout her tenure in the Senate.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-biden-harris-administration-troop-withdrawals-from-iraq", "Senator Wicker Statement on Biden-Harris Administration Troop Withdrawals from Iraq", "2024-09-27", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from the counter-ISIS mission in Iraq:\n\n\u201cI am deeply troubled that the Biden-Harris administration could repeat a chaotic and deadly withdrawal in yet another country. This mistake could lead the way to a resurgence in terrorist activity and enable a complete Iranian takeover of Iraq, just as happened with President Obama\u2019s withdrawal in 2011,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThe decision \u2013 which comes after repeated, unabating, and lethal attacks on our servicemembers \u2013 is nothing short of American retreat, and it is a disservice to the thousands of U.S. soldiers who fought and died defending American interests.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-doj-grants-totaling-over-15-million", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces DOJ Grants Totaling Over $1.5 Million to Mississippi Department of Public Safety", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2014 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded two significant grants to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS) to improve public safety and juvenile justice reform across the state. The grants, totaling more than $1.5 million, are part of ongoing federal efforts to support state-level justice initiatives and protect communities.\n\n$250,000 SMART FY 2024 Support for Adam Walsh Act (AWA) Implementation Grant Program\n\nThe Mississippi Department of Public Safety will use these funds for two major initiatives:\n\nConduct a Statewide Training Symposium for sheriff\u2019s offices and other law enforcement personnel responsible for sex offender registration, notification, and monitoring.\n\nImplement an IT-Based Solution to enhance the accuracy of sex offender registration by identifying and validating missing or erroneous data.\n\n$1,323,817 OJJDP FY24 Juvenile Justice System Reform and Reinvestment Initiative Grant\n\nThe Mississippi Juvenile Justice System Reform project aims to improve juvenile justice policies and practices by:\n\nBuilding a comprehensive evaluation framework with system partners to assess diversion programs and cost savings from reduced incarceration.\n\nIncorporating feedback from youth and families via satisfaction surveys to guide decision-making and reform efforts.\n\nDeveloping a Steering Committee to produce a final report with recommendations for the state legislature on enhancing juvenile justice programming, including greater investment in diversion and delinquency prevention.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/miss-lawmakers-key-field-officially-running-kc-46-selection", "MISS. LAWMAKERS: KEY FIELD IS OFFICIALLY IN THE RUNNING FOR KC-46 SELECTION", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Miss. Facility Among Seven Possible Locations for Mission as Candidate Field Narrows\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The U.S Air Force today notified the Mississippi congressional delegation that Key Field in Meridian is officially in the running to be the future home of the new KC-46 aircraft.\n\nThe nation-wide candidate field has been narrowed to seven, in what is called a \u201cdown-selection.\u201d The Mississippi congressional delegation has worked for years to make sure Key Field, an Air National Guard Base, is seen as a strong candidate for the selection.\n\n\u201cMaking it this far in the down-selection process is an accomplishment. If Key Field is ultimately chosen, it would cement and extend the base\u2019s role in our country\u2019s national security infrastructure for decades to come,\u201d U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said. \u201cFor the Meridian community, this would be a significant investment. It would bring more service members and families, as well as direct and indirect jobs, to the area. This is one of my top priorities.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe welcome this positive development for the future of Key Field and Lauderdale County. As the process moves forward, we will continue to forcefully make the case that Key Field will be the best place for this important mission,\u201d said U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).\n\n\u201cThe 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) in Meridian is a leader in aerial refueling, and I am pleased that Key Field Air National Guard Base is one of seven sites that is advancing in the KC-46A basing decision process,\u201d said U.S. Representative Michael Guest (R-Miss.). \u201cI am grateful for the unity of our entire Mississippi Congressional Delegation\u2014Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and Representatives Bennie Thompson, Trent Kelly, and Mike Ezell\u2014as well as the support of our State and local leadership for this effort. I appreciate the Air Force\u2019s consideration of Key Field and look forward to the opportunity to showcase the 186th ARW\u2019s capabilities as we move into the next phase of this decision.\u201d\n\nImportant factors that make Key Field a potential home for the KC-46s, a military refueling and strategic transport plane:\n\nKey Field is already home to KC-135 planes, which are air refueling tankers that provide rapid global mobility and combat support to the U.S. Department of Defense. The 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), which hosts more than 1,200 officers and airmen, operates these planes out of Key Field. The KC-46s would replace the aging KC-135 tankers currently in service at Key Field.\n\nThe 186th ARW is one of the few military installations that can handle the new plane without needing to make major changes to a base.\n\nThe airfield is in a prime location in the vicinity of refueling tracks over the Southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico, enabling rapid servicing of Air Force and joint service aircraft fleets, including strategic communications aircraft.\n\nThe Meridian community already has infrastructure and support services in place that will benefit next generation air refueling capabilities.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/key-field-is-officially-in-the-running-for-kc-46-selection", "Key Field is Officially in the Running for KC-46 Selection", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, the U.S Air Force notified Mississippi\u2019s Congressional Delegation that Key Field in Meridian is officially in the running to be the future home of the new KC-46 aircraft. The nation-wide candidate field has been narrowed to seven, in what is called a \u201cdown-selection.\u201d\n\nMississippi\u2019s Congressional Delegation has worked for years to make sure Key Field, an Air National Guard Base, is seen as a strong candidate for the selection.\n\n\u201cMaking it this far in the down-selection process is an accomplishment. If Key Field is ultimately chosen, it would cement and extend the base\u2019s role in our country\u2019s national security infrastructure for decades to come,\u201d U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said. \u201cFor the Meridian community, this would be a significant investment. It would bring more service members and families, as well as direct and indirect jobs, to the area. This is one of my top priorities.\u201d\n\n\"We welcome this positive development for the future of Key Field and Lauderdale County. As the process moves forward, we will continue to forcefully make the case that Key Field will be the best place for this important mission,\" Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., said.\n\n\u201cThe 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) in Meridian is a leader in aerial refueling, and I am pleased that Key Field Air National Guard Base is one of seven sites that is advancing in the KC-46A basing decision process,\u201d said Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03). \u201cI am grateful for the unity of our entire Mississippi Congressional Delegation\u2014Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and Representatives Bennie Thompson, Trent Kelly, and Mike Ezell\u2014as well as the support of our State and local leadership for this effort. I appreciate the Air Force\u2019s consideration of Key Field and look forward to the opportunity to showcase the 186th ARW\u2019s capabilities as we move into the next phase of this decision.\u201d\n\nKey factors that have made Key Field a potential home for the KC-46s, a military refueling and strategic transport plane:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senators-wicker-and-hyde-smith-honor-james-earl-jones", "Senators Wicker and Hyde-Smith Honor James Earl Jones", "2024-09-26", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Last night, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that honors the late actor James Earl Jones, who passed away in early September. U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., led the effort.\n\n\u201cMississippi has lost a beloved son, and the world has lost an extraordinary talent. From Arkabutla to immortality, James Earl Jones, R.I.P. We'll remember your voice and your heart,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\n\u201cFrom the Mississippi Delta to the world stage, James Earl Jones\u2019s extraordinary voice and commanding presence inspired generations. His contributions to the arts, culture, and humanities will undoubtedly stand the test of time. May his legacy always remind us of the strength, resilience, and power that comes from our Mississippi roots,\u201d Senator Hyde-Smith said.\n\nU.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., also cosponsored the resolution.\n\nJones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi and was widely known for his roles in The Lion King, Star Wars, Field of Dreams, and more.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/congress-passes-temporary-government-funding-legislation-senator-wicker-highlights-why-this-is-the-wrong-approach", "Congress Passes Temporary Government Funding Legislation, Senator Wicker Highlights Why This is the Wrong Approach", "2024-09-25", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Tonight, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown and temporarily extend funding until December 20, 2024. This gives lawmakers more time to reach an agreement on a long-term funding plan.\n\nU.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement expressing why CRs pose a threat to our national security:\n\n\u201cA CR maintains last year\u2019s priorities and does not provide for needed investments in our troops and military. Even worse, the Biden-Harris administration has provided inadequate support to Pentagon modernization efforts while inflation soars and our adversaries have grown their militaries and have become more aggressive,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am glad we avoided a shutdown, but this is not the right path forward. We cannot continue to ask our service members to do more with less.\u201d\n\nFortunately, the CR ensures that fundamental pro-life provisions like the Hyde Amendment are still in effect. The Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions, has been attached to appropriations bills for nearly four decades.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-raises-alarm-over-damaged-navy-oiler-in-arabian-sea", "Senator Wicker Raises Alarm Over Damaged Navy Oiler in Arabian Sea", "2024-09-25", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to press reports that the Navy\u2019s fleet oiler USNS Big Horn was damaged off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea:\n\n\u201cI am troubled about reports that the Navy\u2019s sole fleet oiler in the CENTCOM region has been rendered temporarily inoperable. If we cannot fuel our ships, our capabilities will be greatly diminished,\u201d Senator Wicker. \u201cThe Big Horn\u2019s problems also speak to a larger challenge \u2013 we are woefully in need of a larger logistics fleet, which is the lifeline for our global military presence. I hope this incident serves as a wake-up call that it is high time to fix our shipbuilding industrial base and support our merchant mariners.\u201d\n\nSenator Wicker posed the following questions to the Department of Defense:\n\nWhere did the Big Horn take damage?\n\nWhat is the initial damage assessment for the Big Horn?\n\nWhat was the cause of the damage (weather, navigator error, etc.)?\n\nCan the Big Horn operate under its own power?\n\nWhat is the estimated time required for the repair of the vessel?\n\nIs there another vessel able to fill the capability gap? If so, when will it be in the area?\n\nDoes the administration support additional executable funding for fleet oilers in the FY25 appropriations process?\n\nSenator Wicker noted the following facts related to shortfalls in the U.S. Navy\u2019s logistics fleet:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-president-biden-planning-to-use-presidential-drawdown-authority-for-ukraine", "Senator Wicker Statement on President Biden Planning to Use Presidential Drawdown Authority for Ukraine", "2024-09-25", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following comment in response to reports that the Biden-Harris administration intends to notify Congress that they will tap into the nearly $6 billion remaining in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) for Ukraine.\n\nThe authority to transfer weapons to Ukraine would expire October 1, 2024, unless Congress approves an extension.The administration does not plan to accelerate the transfer of weapons to Ukraine, meaning this nearly $6 billion package will be parceled out through the end of calendar year 2025 at current rates.\n\n\u201cIt is unfortunately typical of this administration to wait until the last possible moment to announce full use of the PDA. Brave Ukrainians are fighting and dying defending their country so that Americans and Europeans won\u2019t have to. President Biden needs to expedite the actual transfer immediately. They need weapons, not words,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nCongress granted President Biden extensive use of drawdown authority for two reasons: It enables him as commander-in-chief to deliver weaponry at a much faster rate to Ukraine than most other tools, and it would help the United States fortify its defense industrial base for the long term with replenishment funding.\n\nSenator Wicker also highlighted the following facts:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-205643-national-endowment-arts-nea", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces $205,643 in National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants to Support Mississippi Arts Projects", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is proud to announce that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded two grants totaling $205,643 to arts initiatives in Mississippi under the ArtsHERE program. These grants, aimed at strengthening arts organizations and fostering cultural enrichment, will support projects in Natchez and Clarksdale.\n\nThe Gloster Arts Project in Natchez has been awarded $75,643 to fund its REFRESH & REWIND initiative. This five-year strategic plan is guided by consultant recommendations and community feedback, with the goal of ensuring long-term impact. Key components include forming a new board of directors, creating a staff and volunteer training program, and building partnerships with local organizations. The Gloster Arts Project is dedicated to providing arts education and opportunities for youth, fostering cultural enrichment and community development through the arts.\n\nThe Griot Arts Inc. in Clarksdale will receive $130,000 to support its capacity-building strategy. This initiative is designed to enhance organizational effectiveness by deepening community engagement, improving financial sustainability, and refining operational skills. Griot Arts empowers youth and the community through arts, education, and workforce development programs, creating a vibrant and inclusive environment for learning and personal growth.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-400000-department-justice-grant", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces $400,000 Department of Justice Grant to Coahoma Community College to Combat Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault on Campus", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is pleased to announce that Coahoma Community College has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). This grant, part of the OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program, will support the college\u2019s ongoing efforts to address and prevent these crimes on campus.\n\nThe funding will help Coahoma Community College, in collaboration with Family Crisis Services of Northwest MS and the Coahoma County Sheriff Department, develop a multidisciplinary approach to enhance victim services, provide prevention education, and improve safety on campus.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-over-79-million-us-department-health", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces Over $7.9 Million in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Grant Awards to Support Healthcare Initiatives in Mississippi", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2014 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded significant grant funding to healthcare organizations and programs within Mississippi\u2019s Second Congressional District. These grants aim to improve maternal care coordination and opioid treatment programs across the state.\n\nThe following awards have been announced:\n\nG.A. Carmichael Family Health Center, Inc.: Awarded $450,000 under the Delta Region Maternal Care Coordination Program to enhance maternal care services in the Delta region.\n\nDelta Health Center, Inc.: Awarded $450,000 under the Delta Region Maternal Care Coordination Program to provide critical maternal health coordination services.\n\nMississippi State Department of Mental Health: Awarded $7,099,537 for Opioid Programs to support treatment and prevention programs addressing the opioid crisis in Mississippi.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bennie-g-thompson-announces-two-doj-grant-awards-totaling-588054", "Congressman Bennie G. Thompson Announces Two DOJ Grant Awards Totaling $588,054 to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded two grants to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS) totaling $588,054 to support critical initiatives aimed at improving the state's medical examiner system and enhancing criminal history records.\n\nThe first grant, under the BJA FY24 Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program, awards $95,054 to the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office. This funding will be used to hire a part-time Quality Assurance Project Coordinator, who will assist the two MSME locations in developing and implementing a comprehensive quality assurance program. This is an important step toward the MSME's application for IACME accreditation, which will help recruit forensic pathology professionals, support fellowship programs, and improve services in underserved communities across Mississippi. The coordinator will also enhance the accreditation efforts of Mississippi\u2019s County Medical Examiner Investigators.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-thompson-announces-usda-grant-238843-mississippi-department-human", "Congressman Thompson Announces USDA Grant of $238,843 to Mississippi Department of Human Services for SNAP Fraud Prevention", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service has awarded nearly $5 million in grants to ten state agencies, including $238,843 to the Mississippi Department of Human Services, to enhance fraud prevention efforts within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).\n\nThe grant will help Mississippi implement a proactive, data-driven approach to prevent, detect, and deter fraud, allowing for quicker identification and prioritization of potential cases for evaluation. The funds will be used to support projects that align with the principles of the SNAP Fraud Framework, a comprehensive toolkit designed to strengthen fraud prevention and investigative techniques in state SNAP programs.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-amphibious-multi-ship-buy-signing", "Senator Wicker Statement on Amphibious Multi-Ship Buy Signing", "2024-09-24", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement following the formal announcement that the Department of the Navy has contracted Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., to build one America-class and three San Antonio-class amphibious warships through fiscal year 2029:\n\n\u201cIt is terrific that the Navy has made official what many of us have known for years: the future of American seapower flows through the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I am pleased that a new tranche of amphibious warships will be built by my home state\u2019s skilled shipbuilders,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cI am hopeful that the Department of Defense uses cost-saving multi-ship procurement model for other critical defense programs in the future.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=548", "Ezell Receives NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award", "2024-09-23", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Mike Ezell", "E000235", "ezell.house.gov", "ezell", "https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04) released the following statement after being named a \u201cGuardian of Small Business\u201d by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation\u2019s largest small business organization:\n\n\"Fighting for pro-small business legislation remains a key issue for me in Congress,\" Ezell said. \"I\u2019m honored to be named a \u201cGuardian of Small Business\u201d in recognition of my efforts to help the job creators on Main Street. The health of small businesses directly correlates to the health of our nation's economy. I will always fight to protect Main Street businesses across South Mississippi and our country.\"\n\n\u201cThe NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award is presented to Members of Congress with a demonstrated record of supporting America\u2019s small and independent business owners,\u201d NFIB President Brad Close said. \u201cThis Congress, small businesses faced tough economic headwinds, especially from inflation, labor shortages, and tax pressures at all levels of the government. We are proud to recognize the lawmakers from the 118th Congress who stood up for Main Street by taking pro-small business votes that would reduce taxes, eliminate burdensome government mandates, lower health insurance costs, and fuel the Main Street economy.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-michael-guest-introduction-early-migration-alert-program-emap-act", "Congressman Michael Guest on the Introduction of the Early Migration Alert Program (EMAP) Act", "2024-09-23", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Michael Guest", "G000591", "guest.house.gov", "guest", "https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Michael Guest, the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, introduced the Early Migration Alert Program (EMAP) Act to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to notify state and local law enforcement agencies and government authorities of an impending release of migrants into their jurisdictions.\n\n\u201cThe Biden \u2013 Harris Administration has been releasing migrants into local communities without warning. The lack of communication can overwhelm law enforcement agents and public servants. As we continue to deal with a crisis on our border, an alert system like the one EMAP would establish is imperative,\u201d said Congressman Guest.\n\nThe EMAP Act would fill the communication gap by requiring ICE and CBP to develop an alert system where State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government authorities can receive information regarding the impending release of migrants. EMAP is designed to protect the identities of such persons and to alleviate privacy concerns from state and local government officials. Early notification to State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial municipalities would assist local communities in preparing for the arrival of migrants.\n\nThe EMAP Act would require ICE and CBP to create an email subscription system to alert authorities and provide information regarding the impending release of migrants into local communities, including the:\n\nNumber of migrants to be released\n\nNumber of migrants with known criminal histories\n\nInitial destination of the migrants\n\nFinal destinations and where they intend to settle\n\nThe legislation would require ICE and CBP to give municipalities at least a 24-hour notice before releasing an alien into the United States.\n\nGiven that migrants in ICE custody are released by court order, ICE does not have the ability to control when and where migrants are released. However, ICE and CBP are best positioned to provide advance notice to State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial municipalities. EMAP allows better communication across local, state, territorial, and federal officials.\n\n\u201cEnsuring the safety and security of our communities starts with better coordination and transparency,\u201d Ezell said. \u201cThe Early Migration Alert Program (EMAP) will provide real-time information sharing between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to respond more effectively. This bill will equip law enforcement with timely and comprehensive data, enabling them to proactively address public safety concerns and ensure better coordination in responding to illegal immigration activity. I\u2019m proud to join Reps. Guest, D\u2019Esposito, and Higgins on this vital legislation to help address the border crisis that continues to plague every state \u2013 not just border states.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Biden-Harris administration\u2019s self-inflicted border crisis has left every state vulnerable,\u201d said Congressman Higgins. \u201cOver the course of the past four years, every state has become a border state. This invasion has put unnecessary strains on state and local law enforcement across the nation. This common-sense legislation establishes better communication channels for ICE and CBP to alert state and local law enforcement of the impending arrival of illegal aliens. I\u2019m honored to join my colleague Congressman Guest on this critical legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cBecause of the Biden-Harris Administration, every state is a border state,\u201d Guest continued. \u201cThe strain of the border crisis is felt across America in local towns and cities that are often unprepared for an influx of migrants in their communities. The strain has been felt in my district in Mississippi, and I\u2019ve talked to both federal, state, and local lawmakers across the country who have seen the same problems in their communities. We cannot allow this to continue. This legislation would establish better communication channels between local and federal officials so that communities across our nation know who is coming and when they will arrive.\u201d", 1, "2026-05-19T06:31:01Z", "2026-05-19T06:32:40Z"], ["https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=538", "Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Advances Ezell Priorities", "2024-09-18", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Mike Ezell", "E000235", "ezell.house.gov", "ezell", "https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, the House Transporation and Infrastructure Committee concluded a full committee markup where members voted to pass a number of bipartisan bills, including legislation led by Congressman Ezell, to strengthen critical infrastructure, hold fraudulent actors in the transportation sector accountable, to make the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) work efficiently, and more. Congressman Ezell released the following statement at the conclusion of today's markup:\n\n\"As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I\u2019m proud that we\u2019ve worked together to pass several bipartisan bills that will truly make a difference in the lives of Americans,\" Ezell said. \"These measures are designed to strengthen our critical infrastructure, hold fraudulent actors in the transportation sector accountable, and shore up the security of all Federal buildings and facilities. I'm proud to have helped lead these efforts through the Committee, and I look forward to ensuring that they cross the finish line for South Mississippians. These pieces of legislation reflect our shared commitment to delivering real, lasting solutions that improve safety, efficiency, and reliability for all Americans.\"\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nThe Transporation and Infrastructure Committee voted to send a number of bills to the House Floor for further consideration, including:\n\nH.R. 8505, the Household Good Shipping Consumer Protection Act, (sponsored by Congresswoman Norton (DC-At-Large), co-led by Congressman Ezell (MS-04)), which would clarify that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has the tools to protect consumers from fraud perpetrated by residential moving companies in the interstate transportation of household goods.\n\nH.R. 9541, the Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience (POWER) Act of 2024, (sponsored by Congresswoman Hoyle (OR-04), co-led by Congressman Ezell (MS-04)), which would provide more eligibility and flexibility for public power utilities to invest in long-term hazard mitigation and grid resilience solutions, strengthening critical infrastructure before and after natural disaster strikes.\n\nH.R. 9037, the Federal Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA) Workforce Planning Act, (sponsored by Congressman Carter (LA-2), co-led by Congressman Ezell (MS-04)), which would address the longstanding workforce challenges that FEMA has experienced in recent years.\n\nH.R. 8530, the Improving Federal Building Security Act of 2024, (sponsored by Congressman Ezell (MS-04), which would improve the security of Federal buildings by ensuring Federal agencies take into consideration recommendations made by the Federal Protective Service (FPS) on actions needed to better secure their buildings and facilities.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-crs-are-disastrous-for-national-security-schumer-should-immediately-pass-defense-appropriations-bill", "Senator Wicker: CRs Are Disastrous for National Security, Schumer Should Immediately Pass Defense Appropriations Bill", "2024-09-18", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, today in a U.S. Senate floor speech called on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to immediately pass the U.S. Senate\u2019s defense appropriations bill. Failing to do so, Senator Wicker said, would mean election year politics are Senator Schumer\u2019s priority instead of bolstering our national security.\n\nSenator Wicker took the opportunity to remind his colleagues of the important support the appropriations bill \u2013 as well as the National Defense Authorization Act \u2013 would provide toward improving military preparedness as the Axis of Aggressors increases its ability to challenge the United States.\n\nSenator Wicker added that Senator Schumer\u2019s dereliction of these bills would compel Congress to pass a continuing resolution, which would keep defense investment levels flat rather than meeting the moment.\n\nRead the remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nThank you, Mr. President.\n\nI want to join my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, in expressing regret that we don't have the important national security business of this Congress before the Senate right now. And clearly, it's important to do a nomination and a confirmation every few days, and the election is approaching, and of course, there's some show votes. And I think, probably, my side of the aisle has engaged in that sort of thing in years past.\n\nBut it is such a shame that we face this \u2018Axis of Aggressors\u2019 like we've never faced in 50 years, and every national security official \u2013 whether a retired four-star, or someone who's no longer in service, but giving us good advice \u2013 come \u2013 they come \u2013 before us, and they say we have never had such a threat from China, from Russia, which is engaged in a shooting war right now, having invaded the sovereign space of a next-door neighbor, from Iran, which is directing the three, at least the three, terrorist groups that are raining so much havoc on Israel, and then a very unstable leadership in North Korea.\n\nThis \u2018Axis of Aggressors\u2019 is signaling that they don't fear an invasion of Taiwan in three short years \u2013 they've said it publicly. And while all of that is going on, our leadership \u2013 the distinguished majority leader from New York \u2013 has not let us bring the appropriation bill to the floor, [he] has not let us bring the authorization bill, which we must pass. We must pass both of these bills every year, the two essential bills that cannot go without being taken care of every fiscal year.\n\nAnd I will say to you, Mr. President, to my colleagues, and to others that are paying attention, this has been bipartisan. Absolutely, Senator Murray is correct. She's unhappy about this, too. But I point the finger to the one person on the face of the Earth that can actually bring a bill to the floor, and that's the majority leader.\n\nSenator Reed, the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and I have been putting together a manager's package for this year's National Security [Defense] Authorization Act. It would have been much better had we brought the bill to the floor and had 100 amendments winnowed down and worked back and forth together, as we should be doing, to have open vote[s], so the people of the United States could see how senators from Maine to Mississippi, and to the West Coast to the East, stand on important issues affecting the United States military, but we have not been able to do that.\n\nBut we are working together \u2013 Senator Reed and I \u2013 on a plan and we've worked on nearly 100 variations to the legislation that was passed months and months ago by the Armed Services Committee to resolve issues of local and state interest, issues involving how quickly we can get our industrial base going to meet the need that, frankly, we're not meeting at the present time, and to get ahead of the game so we can prevent war. So we can have enough strength to have the Reagan-esque \u2018peace through strength\u2019 that we enjoyed in the 80s and early 90s.\n\nThe appropriation bills are just as important, if not more important than the authorization bills. They contain funding increases we need to prevent our Air Force from shrinking. We know that the Chinese Navy is expanding enormously, and our Navy is shrinking \u2013 literally shrinking, Mr. President. So, it's regrettable. Here we are we, [a] week-and-a-half to go, before we must break for the election. And the distinguished Majority Leader Senator Schumer has not brought any of this legislation before the full Senate \u2013 bills that have been ready since July.\n\nAnd so \u2013 and also \u2013 I want to commend my colleague from Maine, the distinguished Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee, for accommodating the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. We had \u2013 I had \u2013 prepared today to come down here and support Senator Collins in an effort to have a unanimous consent request to bring the bill to the floor. I mean, what else are we doing? Look at us.\n\nBut in a matter of comity, and to continue the great working relationship that these two senior senators have had, Senator Collins refrained from that. And so, we're not asking for unanimous consent and requiring someone from the other side to come and object to that. And we'll continue to work.\n\nBut what is absolutely sure is that the fiscal year will begin in just a few days, and the appropriation for what we need to do at the Pentagon \u2013 what new things we need to do \u2013 will not be passed. And we will be stuck with last year's priorities.\n\nAnd as a result, at a time when we need to be putting more resources into national security and sending new directions based on the new facts and the new challenges that are out there, at that time, we'll actually be wasting money of the taxpayers by having priorities still extended for another three months \u2013 hopefully, it's only three months \u2013 rather than putting the resources there that the experts tell us, and that we that we have learned are necessary for the next fiscal year.\n\nSo, if my colleague from Maine would like to speak on my time, I'll be glad to yield to her. But if not, I'm prepared to yield the floor. And [I] just regret so, so profoundly that our leadership has not allowed us to do the work that the taxpayers expect us to do.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-thompson-announces-177-million-grant-awarded-mississippi-state", "Congressman Thompson Announces $1.77 Million Grant Awarded to Mississippi State Department of Health to Combat Violence Against Women", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Today, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) is proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded a grant of $1,776,048 to the Mississippi State Department of Health. This grant is part of the Fiscal Year 2024 STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Formula Grant Program, which provides critical funding to address and combat violence against women.\n\nThe STOP Formula Grant Program was authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 and reauthorized by subsequent legislation. It encourages partnerships between law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services organizations to enhance victim safety and hold offenders accountable in cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The goal of the program is to develop and strengthen law enforcement, prosecution, and court strategies to combat violent crimes against women while improving and expanding victim services, including community-based and culturally specific services.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-thompson-announces-us-department-health-and-human-services-grants", "Congressman Thompson Announces U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Grants to Yalobusha General Hospital and North Sunflower Medical Center", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Today, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded two significant grants to recipients within Mississippi's Second Congressional District. The grants, totaling $1,625,000, are part of the Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending program aimed at supporting construction and development in healthcare facilities.\n\nThe grant details are as follows:\n\nYalobusha General Hospital has been awarded $591,000 for Community Project Funding to enhance healthcare services for the local community.\n\nNorth Sunflower Medical Center has received an award of $1,034,000 under the Community Project Funding initiative aimed at improving healthcare and services for residents.\n\nThese investments in healthcare facilities underscore the federal government's commitment to ensuring access to quality healthcare services in rural and underserved communities. The funding will support critical construction projects, enabling these hospitals to better serve the health needs of their respective areas.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-leads-armed-services-republicans-in-confirmation-hearing-for-top-transportation-command-u-s-forces-korea-officials", "Senator Wicker Leads Armed Services Republicans in Confirmation Hearing for Top Transportation Command, U.S. Forces Korea Officials", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, led his colleagues in a confirmation hearing examining the nominees for top posts at U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).\n\nLieutenant General Randall Reed, nominee for commander of TRANSCOM, and Lieutenant General Xavier T. Brunson, nominee for commander of USFK, testified before the committee.\n\nIn his opening remarks, Senator Wicker highlighted the challenges in delivering logistics within a contested environment for TRANSCOM, especially as it comes to the Western Pacific. Senator Wicker noted that TRANSCOM has not requested even a single unfunded requirement for three consecutive years, suggesting that the command may not be adequately resourced to deal with urgent challenges.\n\nSenator Wicker also took stock of the growing set of threats coming from North Korea, to include nuclear weapons development, the buildup of cruise missiles, and the export of certain munitions from North Korea to Russia and Iran. These actions, Senator Wicker argued, should prompt USFK to explore new ways of deterring Kim Jong Un and reduce his involvement with the \u201cAxis of Aggressors\u201d \u2013 potentially through more cooperation with South Korea.\n\nRead the remarks as delivered below or watch them here.\n\nThank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\nToday, the committee is considering nominees for two crucial commands. Lieutenant General Reed, you've been nominated to be Commander, United States Transportation Command.\n\nIf confirmed, you'll be responsible for executing TRANSCOM\u2019s mission of providing logistical support to combatant commanders around the globe. In your current role as Deputy Commander of Air Mobility Command, you have seen firsthand how logistics are often the determining factor in a fight.\n\nWe once considered logistics to be a minor factor in operational planning, but now we know better. We understand that logistics are essential to our ability to deter and defeat our adversaries. There is one way to ensure that those logistics capabilities are ready when needed, and that is by properly resourcing the Department.\n\nWe need our senior military leaders to tell us the hard truths about what they need, even when doing so contradicts the President's budget. And you and I spoke about this when we met person-to-person.\n\nThat transparency is so important that we made the Unfunded Priority Lists a statutory obligation. This will be your statutory obligation. I'm very troubled, as I told you, that TRANSCOM has not requested a single unfunded requirement for the last three fiscal years.\n\nLieutenant General Reed, if confirmed, I would look to you to begin performing that task \u2013 [we\u2019re] not asking you to make anything up. We're just asking you to tell us what we need on contested logistics, particularly in the western Pacific. We need you to tell us what you need to get up to speed.\n\nNow, Lieutenant General Brunson, you've been nominated to be Commander of US Forces Korea. My uncle served in Korea. Two generations later, my son has served in Korea.\n\nOur alliance with the Republic of Korea dates back to the early days of the Cold War and the Korean War, when the Communist threat from the Soviet bloc and China turned into a hot war on the Korean Peninsula. Our bond with the Republic of Korea remains, even as the threat environment changes. The danger from North Korea continues to increase with each passing day.\n\nKim Jong Un has been developing and building more nuclear weapons, cruise missiles, and other capabilities \u2013 all of which pose an increasing threat to the United States and our allies. Moreover, we've seen troubling evidence that North Korean-made weapons have been used against innocent Ukrainians and Israelis.\n\nTo ensure that we maintain stability on the Peninsula, we need to start thinking about what capabilities the United States and South Korea need. We should also explore ways to reduce Kim Jong Un's ability to arm the \u2018Axis of Aggressors.\u2019\n\nGeneral Brunson, I look forward to hearing your thoughts about these troubling trends and how we can mitigate them.\n\nParticularly, I look forward to hearing you discuss an issue that the chair raised a few moments ago about what lessons both our friends and our adversaries in the region are learning from what's going on in Ukraine.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-reunites-with-vladimir-kara-murza-at-the-u-s-capitol", "Senator Wicker Reunites with Vladimir Kara-Murza at the U.S. Capitol", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., reunited today with Vladimir Kara-Murza at the U.S. Capitol.\n\nKara-Murza, a permanent resident of the United States, was released last month as part of the historic prisoner exchange with Russia. He was arrested by Russia in April 2022 for condemning Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine and speaking out against Vladimir Putin.\n\n\u201cVladimir Kara-Murza has been a good friend of mine for years, and I am so glad he is home. He has been a constant advocate for free speech, and welcoming him to the Capitol today, the heart of our democracy, made it even more special. I am thinking of those who have died, including Nemtsov, Navalny, Magnitsky, and many others who will never be reunited with their families, friends, and loved ones. There are many still wrongfully held by Russia. Vladimir will not stop calling for their release, and I will join him in using my voice to help bring them home,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nAt today\u2019s event, Senator Wicker joined Senator Cardin, D-Md., and other colleagues in welcoming Kara-Murza back to the United States and highlighting the work that remains to free those who are still wrongfully detained in Russia.\n\nPreviously, Senator Wicker led lawmakers in requests calling for the Biden administration to label Kara-Murza as \u201cunlawfully and wrongfully detained.\u201d The designation would have prioritized Kara-Murza\u2019s case at the State Department and unlocked new tools for negotiators to expedite his release.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-aukus-third-anniversary", "Senator Wicker Statement on AUKUS Third Anniversary", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement regarding the third anniversary of the U.S.-U.K.-Australia trilateral defense agreement known as \u201cAUKUS\u201d:\n\n\u201cProducing 1.2 attack submarines per year is grossly insufficient. We are not where we need to be,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cWe have reached an inflection point where we can no longer do business as usual when it comes to shipbuilding. The future of AUKUS depends on the U.S. accelerating attack submarine production and maintenance using every available tool.\u201d\n\nEarlier this year, after months of pushing the Biden-Harris administration, Senator Wicker helped to secure $3.3 billion in Submarine Industrial Base funding within the National Security Supplemental.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/senator-wicker-statement-on-nuclear-shipbuilding-contract-reform-proposal", "Senator Wicker Statement on Nuclear Shipbuilding Contract Reform Proposal", "2024-09-16", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to press reports about a new nuclear shipbuilding contracts reform proposal known as Shipyard Accountability and Workforce Support (SAWS), under consideration across the federal government:\n\n\u201cThe SAWS plan would provide the workforce support necessary to increase ship production rates \u2013 all without requiring additional appropriation. While not a silver bullet, this proposal stands to improve the way the Navy does business on critical defense programs,\u201d Senator Wicker said.\n\nSenator Wicker also highlighted the following potential benefits of SAWS. The plan would:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/9/wicker-hyde-smith-highlight-miss-literacy-progress-as-senate-passes-national-resolution/a22e69eb-0af5-4211-9312-0217df7a9546", "Wicker, Hyde-Smith Highlight Miss. Literacy Progress as Senate Passes National Resolution", "2024-09-16", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today applauded unanimous Senate passage of a resolution that designates September 2024 as \u201cNational Literacy Month\u201d and encourages greater strides to improve literacy for K-12 students nationwide.\n\nWicker and Hyde-Smith cosponsored the resolution and used it to highlight Mississippi\u2019s role as a national leader in literary progress and the \u201cMississippi Miracle,\u201d in which fourth grade reading test scores in Mississippi have skyrocketed over the past decade. Some states, such as Mississippi, have boosted state National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores to record highs using an evidence-based reading strategy known as the \u201cscience of reading.\u201d\n\n\u201cLiteracy lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning, and Mississippi has become a national model for improving these skills,\u201d Senator Wicker said. \u201cThis resolution is an important way to recognize the value of student literacy and the strides we have made in reading programs in Mississippi. I look forward to other states following our lead and experiencing the \u2018Mississippi Miracle\u2019 for themselves.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile the educational progress made in Mississippi schools is commendable, we must also acknowledge that there\u2019s more to do to improve literacy and reading proficiency among all Mississippians,\u201d Senator Hyde-Smith said. \u201cThis bipartisan resolution highlights the fact that our personal lives, as well as the wellbeing of our nation, rely on a strong, literate American population.\u201d\n\nNationally, a 2022 NAEP report card indicated two-thirds of fourth and eighth graders are unable to read proficiently. Another 2020 study by Gallup in partnership with the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy estimated that low levels of adult literacy could be costing America as much as $2.2 trillion a year.\n\nThe National Parents Union, Ed Trust, and Educators for Excellence endorsed the Senate support the resolution, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and HELP Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"], ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-thompson-announces-us-department-health-and-human-services-awards", "Congressman Thompson Announces U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Awards to Support Maternal and Child Health Services and Drug-Free Communities Coalition", "2024-09-13", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie G. Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", "benniethompson", "https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOLTON, MS \u2013 Today, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson announces two significant awards granted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support critical programs in Mississippi. The awards are aimed at enhancing maternal and child health services and fostering drug-free communities.\n\nThe Mississippi State Department of Health has been awarded $2,443,906 under the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program (B04). This funding will support essential programs that promote the health and well-being of mothers, infants, and children across the state, ensuring improved access to medical care, preventive services, and health education.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 326, "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 \"state\" = :p0 and \"year\" = :p1 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "MS", "p1": "2024"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 228, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024&party=Republican", "selected": false}, {"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 98, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 197, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024&chamber=Senate", "selected": false}, {"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 129, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024", "results": [{"value": "MS", "label": "MS", "count": 326, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?year=2024", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024", "results": [{"value": "2024", "label": "2024", "count": 326, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MS", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2024-09-13,https~3A~2F~2Fbenniethompson~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia~2Fpress-releases~2Fcongressman-thompson-announces-us-department-health-and-human-services-awards", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MS&year=2024&_next=2024-09-13%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fbenniethompson~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia~2Fpress-releases~2Fcongressman-thompson-announces-us-department-health-and-human-services-awards&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 88.66549097001553, "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"}