Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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155 rows where party = "Republican", state = "MS" and year = 2023 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/senator-wicker-statement-on-creation-of-operation-prosperity-guardian | Senator Wicker Statement on Creation of “Operation Prosperity Guardian” | 2023-12-18 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to the Biden administration’s decision to launch “Operation Prosperity Guardian” in an effort to counter continued Houthi aggression on international commerce and the United States Navy in the Red Sea: “How much longer can we tolerate these attacks without a proper response? What exactly would a task force accomplish? Until the Biden administration takes clear steps toward restoring deterrence, nothing will change in the Red Sea,” Senator Wicker said. “The continuing threat posed to American sailors and freedom of navigation could soon lead to a catastrophe unless the Biden administration acts with the resolve that it has so far sorely lacked. We cannot let terrorists dictate the flow of global trade in the world’s largest shipping lane.” “I call on the Biden administration to give our regional commanders the freedom of action they require to ensure that continued Houthi aggression stops once and for all.” KEY FACTS: Several international shipping firms, including British Petroleum, Maersk, MSC, CMA, CGM Group, and Hapag-Lloyd, have halted all routes through the Red Sea because of recent attacks on commercial vessels. Over the weekend, USS Carney shot down another 14 projectiles launched by the Houthis, bringing the total intercepted by the one guided-missile destroyer to 36. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=376 | ICYMI: Ezell Testifies on Poplarville Post Office | 2023-12-15 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | On Monday, Congressman Mike Ezell testified in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability about ongoing issues with the Poplarville Post Office. The full hearing is available here, and an abridged version can be viewed here. Congressman Ezell's prepared testimony is below: "I want to express my gratitude to the chair and ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability for giving me the opportunity to address critical issues in Mississippi's Fourth Congressional District. "Mr. Chairman, to say the least, I'm frustrated. For 708 days, the residents of Poplarville Mississippi have been without a permanent post office. This started when the Poplarville post office's roof collapsed on January 2, 2022, due to termite damage. Almost a year later, the original post office was deemed unable to save. "In the meantime, the United States Post Office has set up two temporary mobile vans similar to ice cream trucks at the bottom of the hill. Unfortunately, these vans are essentially inaccessible to most of the population. Additionally, postal workers are working in substandard conditions, including no restroom and a broken air conditioner amid Mississippi summer heat. "My constituents were told not to worry and that this would be just a short-term situation while a permanent building is located. I must have a different definition of short-term, because temporary trucks are still in use. "Just today, I received information that the heater in the truck died, forcing postal workers to work without heat. It was 31 degrees this morning in Poplarville, Mississippi, and several of the senior citizens fell walking up the hill trying to get to the mail. This is not the first time elderly citizens have fallen since this temporary deal has been set up. "As you can see over these 708 days, my constituents have faced nearly unimaginable challenges. Yet the post office still claims they're providing "convenient access" to postal services. "I recently visited the city and I witnessed the horribl… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/wicker-secures-key-military-investments-and-conservative-victories-for-the-united-states-and-mississippi-in-congressional-defense-bill | Wicker Secures Key Military Investments and Conservative Victories for the United States and Mississippi in Congressional Defense Bill | 2023-12-14 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., secured major military investments and conservative priorities in the annual congressional defense bill that passed both chambers of Congress. The legislation, the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (FY 24 NDAA), which passed 310—118 in the House and 87-13 in the Senate, will now head to the President’s desk to become law. Senator Wicker, as the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, fought to secure a wide a range of projects that support Mississippi’s role in our national defense and promote conservative values. “It has been a great honor to oversee the NDAA as the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee and work to enact policies that help Mississippi and protect our military,” Senator Wicker said. “Enemies of freedom are growing more dangerous and capable by the day. “Our bill should signal to China, Russia, and others that we will not accept a world where America does not have the best fighting force. While I would have preferred to send the President a substantially larger proposed investment in our industrial base, he now should approve the monumental investments Congress intends to make in our service members, warships, submarines, aircraft, and technology.” Senator Wicker also highlighted several major conservative victories in the legislation. The NDAA includes elements of his MERIT Act, which is designed to target the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda at the Department of Defense, and his FINISH IT Act, which would force the Department of Defense to allow millions of dollars’ worth of unused border panels already owned by the U.S. government to be used to extend the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The legislation contains several of Senator Wicker’s top national defense priorities, such as: Authorizing significant resources to ensure the United States military can prevail against adversaries in multiple theaters, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Enacting Senator W… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=377 | Ezell Statement on Biden Impeachment Inquiry | 2023-12-13 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | Congressman Mike Ezell released the following statement after this afternoon's vote to continue the impeachment inquiry into President Biden: "Investigations into the president and his associates continue to uncover concerning evidence of corruption and impropriety. I supported the opening of an impeachment inquiry in September, and I voted to continue it today. "Investigators need access to every tool possible in order to overcome the repeated attempts by President Biden, his family members, and his associates to delay proceedings and dodge accountability." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/legislative-session-border-security | LEGISLATIVE SESSION--Border Security | 2023-12-13 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Cindy Hyde-Smith | H001079 | www.hydesmith.senate.gov | hydesmith | https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom | scraper | Congressional Record Vol. 169, No. 205 (Senate - December 13, 2023) PDF Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to once again call attention to the crisis at our southern border--the very crisis the Biden administration refuses to acknowledge and in not doing so, fails the American people. It is a simple fact: There is no national security without border security; and everyone knows our border is anything but secure. We have the numbers to back it up. For starters, more than 8.2 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since Biden took office. To kick off fiscal year 2024, there were over 240,000 illegal immigrant encounters in October, the highest monthly total ever recorded. This comes after a record-setting fiscal year 2023, which saw more than 2.4 million encounters. Of the 2.4 million, at least 169 individuals are on the Terror Watchlist. But what is really frightening is that these numbers only reflect the known encounters and doesn't even include all of those who evaded law enforcement--the "got-aways." Border officials estimate that there were 1.7 million "got-aways," any number of which could be on the Terror Watchlist living in our country with who knows what intentions. Even with all of this information available, the administration continues to break all the wrong records. In the last several weeks, daily records have been smashed time and again with known daily encounters ranging from 10,000 to 12,000. For context, President Obama's DHS Secretary said that 1,000 a day ``overwhelms the system.'' We have heard from officials such as FBI Director Wray expressing his concern regarding the ability of terrorist organizations to exploit any port of entry, including our southwestern border. Warnings such as these should not be ignored, and yet it appears this administration will continue to do exactly that. But encounters are only part of the ongoing crisis. In October, over 1,300 pounds of fentanyl and over 9,500 pounds of meth were seized--and that is only wha… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/wicker-blasts-department-of-defense-abortion-policy-in-floor-speech | Wicker Blasts Department of Defense Abortion Policy in Floor Speech | 2023-12-12 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, took to the Senate floor to slam the Department of Defense’s abortion travel policies and urged the Biden administration to reverse course. In his remarks, Senator Wicker disputed claims from the Biden administration and Department of Defense that there is any linkage between overall military readiness and changes in abortion policy. “Our precarious situation makes it irresponsible for anyone to fear monger about readiness in order to advance a political agenda. Yet that is what we must conclude the president’s appointees at the Department of Defense have done,” Wicker said. “They contend that the Dobbs decision hurts readiness. So, in response, Republicans have repeatedly asked for proof that Dobbs harms readiness… And the administration has refused to provide that evidence. In truth, that is because the evidence does not exist.” As further evidence undermining claims from the Biden administration that there is a connection between readiness and abortion policy, Senator Wicker also noted that he has obtained information suggesting only 12 women have used the authorities available from the abortion policy change. “Despite the administration’s stonewalling, I obtained information indicating that just twelve women during this entire time have taken advantage of the reimbursement. Just twelve,” Wicker said. “Over a million Americans serve in our armed forces, but twelve – not twelve thousand or even twelve hundred, but twelve – have so far used this abortion travel reimbursement program. So, the Biden administration cannot provide proof that Dobbs precipitated a crisis for our national defense.” The Mississippi senator additionally raised the illegal and wrongheaded abortion policy in the context of growing politicization of the armed forces and noted Republican efforts to reverse that trend in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. “We do, Mr. President, have evidence that other administration … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/wicker-casey-garamendi-wittman-introduce-legislation-that-prioritizes-u-s-ship-production-and-energy-exports | Wicker, Casey, Garamendi, Wittman Introduce Legislation that Prioritizes U.S. Ship Production and Energy Exports | 2023-12-12 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Bob Casey, D-Penn., introduced the Energizing American Shipbuilding Act. This legislation would increase the United States’ exports of liquified natural gas (LNG) and crude oil on American built, flagged, and crewed vessels, and, subsequently, it would expand our domestic shipbuilding industrial base. U.S. Congressmen John Garamendi, D-Calif., and Rob Wittman, R-Va., introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. "Energy security is national security. There is a global energy demand and if the United States does not step up to the plate, our adversaries will fill the void. The United States — and Mississippi — can lead the way," Wicker said. "South Mississippi is home to a significant portion of our country’s shipbuilding industry. This bill would support American shipbuilding and pay dividends for the Magnolia State. It's a win-win for our economy and jobs." “From Philadelphia to Erie, Pennsylvania shipyards have produced many of the vessels that have made our maritime industry and our Navy strong,” Casey said. “Requiring an increasing share of natural gas and oil exports to be transported aboard American-built, American-crewed ships is an investment in our national defense, the economic competitiveness of American shipbuilders and mariners, and the communities they call home.” “I am pleased to again partner with Senators Wicker and Casey and my House colleagues on this critical bill. While I support the long-term transition to a global economy powered by clean energy, I believe strongly that any continued U.S. exports of petroleum and natural gas should be on American-built vessels. American shipyards and mariners are ready for the job, and our bipartisan bill ensures they are no longer expected to compete against heavily subsidized foreign shipyards in Korea, China, and elsewhere,” Garamendi said. "In 1995, Congress required that all crude oil exported from Alaska’s North Slo… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/wicker-announces-35-million-in-federal-funding-for-critical-freight-corridor | Wicker Announces $35 Million in Federal Funding for Critical Freight Corridor | 2023-12-11 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., announced a grant for a 10-mile critical freight corridor between Bentonia and Yazoo City made possible by a $35 million federal investment. The funding stems from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Senator Wicker helped negotiate as a top Republican in the U.S. Senate. Senator Wicker sent a letter of support to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for this project. The effort will rehabilitate a portion of the existing 4-lane rural freight corridor on US 49, which will improve regional transportation and promote commercial activity. “Infrastructure investments for rural areas are a top priority. Mississippians need access to safe, reliable transportation and an equal opportunity to draw more economic development. This grant funding is an investment in Yazoo County’s future,” Wicker said. About the federal funding and Senator Wicker’s involvement: The grant, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, is part of the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, also known as the “Rural” grant program. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/wicker-fischer-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-protect-rural-seniors | Wicker, Fischer, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect Rural Seniors | 2023-12-07 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., joined Senator Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and his colleagues in introducing the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act. The legislation would prohibit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary from finalizing a proposed nursing home staffing rule that would hurt rural facilities and could force many to close. On September 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule that would mandate new minimum staffing standards for long-term care (LTC) facilities. According to CMS, 75 percent of nursing homes would have to increase staffing to comply with the proposed standards. This standard will be even harder to meet in rural areas, which already face historic staffing shortages. “The Biden administration recently proposed a national plan to address healthcare provider shortages, a challenge which especially hurts rural areas. But what works in one state may not work in Mississippi,” Wicker said. “Closing our rural-urban healthcare gap will require tailored solutions designed by those who know their communities best – local leaders. This legislation empowers them to make decisions they believe are best for their towns while rejecting the Biden administration’s one-size-fits-all approach.” “Nursing homes across the country face historic staffing shortages, and nowhere are those challenges more real than in rural states like Nebraska. This mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would force many facilities to reduce their number of patients or even close their doors for good. My legislation will stop this staffing rule and allow time to find a fairer solution that protects rural facilities across our state,” Fischer said. The legislation would also establish an advisory panel on nursing home staffing that includes voices from both urban and rural communities. The panel would submit a report to Congress that analyzes workforce shortages and makes practical recommendations to strengthen the workforce.… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/wicker-cassidy-colleagues-sound-alarm-on-resurgence-of-bds-movement-threatening-israel-s-right-to-exist | Wicker, Cassidy, Colleagues Sound Alarm on Resurgence of BDS Movement Threatening Israel’s Right to Exist | 2023-12-06 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., joined 14 of his Republican colleagues in a letter to the Biden administration expressing concern over the resurgence of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement on college campuses. The stated goal of the BDS campaign is to economically weaken Israel and threaten the nation’s right to exist. Led by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., the senators also argued that President Biden’s 2022 environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) rule could empower left-wing activists to insert BDS policies into retirement plans, politicizing Americans’ retirement savings with the intention of hurting Israel. “We are deeply concerned that, in this environment of unrest, there is likely to be a resurgence in the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which will be used to economically harm and delegitimize the state of Israel,” wrote the senators. “Although student government resolutions are not binding, support for these initiatives can lead to a divisive atmosphere on campus.” “Furthermore, if the sentiments expressed in these resolutions are shared by a college or university system’s trustees, the institution’s affirmation of a pro-BDS position would have very real consequences for Israel, a military and cultural ally,” continued the senators. “The American people must be confident that pension investors will not override the economic goals, or personal views, of beneficiaries to pursue their own political agenda.” Wicker and Cassidy were joined by U.S. Senators Susan Collins, R-Maine, Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, James Risch, R-Idaho, Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Katie Britt, R-Ala. Read the full letter here and below. Dear Acting Secretary Su: On October 8, the day after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, killed 1,400 Israelis, and kidnapped at least 203 people,… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=367 | Hyde-Smith, Guest, and Ezell seek changes to new USDA emergency relief program | 2023-12-05 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and U.S. Representatives Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) are part of a bicameral effort calling on the Biden administration to abandon a long-delayed and deeply-flawed agricultural emergency relief program. The Mississippi lawmakers signed a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that asks the U.S. Department of Agriculture to drop new requirements for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), which is supposed to provide disaster relief funding for farmers harmed by natural disasters in 2022. Signed by eight Senators and 58 House members, the letter said the misguided ERP 2022 requirements run afoul of congressional intent by setting excessive conditions that could force farmers to wait longer for assistance or completely jeopardize their ability to access the program. “American producers have experienced significant losses, and the Administration has taken an approach that does not reflect congressional intent. The current program does not provide needed assistance to full-time farm families that suffered the deepest losses, and in short, it misallocates limited but badly needed assistance,” the lawmakers wrote. “Additionally, the methodology used for the 2022 ERP will negatively impact many farmers’ ability to receive financing from lenders and plan for the next crop year.” “USDA needs to follow the law and congressional intent to address the crop losses of our farm families without the pay limits and without preferences that are not authorized by the statute,” the lawmakers continued. ”We strongly request the USDA abandon this current program and implement the framework of 2021 ERP Phase 1 as quickly as possible.” The lawmakers’ request originated following growing concerns regarding ERP 2022 expressed by numerous national agriculture organizations, as well as the Mississippi Farm Bureau and Delta Council. The USDA departed from congressional intent by developing an ERP 2022 program that provides special treatment to underserved and part-time farme… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/pro-life-lawmakers-oppose-proposed-hhs-rule-targeting-pregnancy-centers | Pro-Life Lawmakers Oppose Proposed HHS Rule Targeting Pregnancy Centers | 2023-12-04 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and U.S. Representative Michael Guest, R-Miss., today joined Representative Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., and their colleagues in bicameral opposition to a proposed rule that targets the use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding by pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs. The comment letter, which was signed by 11 Senators and 19 Members of Congress, denounces the proposed Strengthening TANF as a Safety Net and Work Program rule and asks Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to withdraw it immediately. “Women deserve better than abortion and should receive support when they choose life for their babies. For decades, pregnancy centers have stood in the gap and generously provided free assistance to women, babies, and families in their moments of need—actions aligned with TANF’s purposes,” the lawmakers wrote. “The Proposed Rule, however, would undermine the TANF program and threaten to strip millions of dollars in support for pregnant women and their unborn babies through pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and alternatives to abortion programs. We urge you to withdraw the Proposed Rule immediately.” In the proposed rule, HHS singles out “entities sometimes known as crisis pregnancy centers or pregnancy resource centers,” which receive funding through “programs that only or primarily provide pregnancy counseling to women only after they become pregnant,” an apparent reference to alternatives to abortion programs. HHS states these programs “likely do not meet the reasonable person standard because the connection to preventing and reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies is tenuous or non-existent.” In their letter, the lawmakers point out that HHS is overlooking the full extent of services offered by the more than 2,700 pregnancy centers across the country, which alone helped nearly two million women and families in 2019. Alternatives to abortion programs offer services and material… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/wicker-scott-colleagues-demand-answers-from-biden-administration-on-latest-iran-sanctions-waiver | Wicker, Scott, Colleagues Demand Answers from Biden Administration on Latest Iran Sanctions Waiver | 2023-12-04 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Senator Tim Scott, R-S.C., and 23 other senators in calling out the Biden administration’s lack of a cohesive Iran strategy and its decision to extend a sanctions waiver. The November 13 waiver will provide Iran access to approximately $10 billion as Israel continues to battle Iranian-backed Hamas and the regime’s proxies increase their attacks against U.S. personnel in the region. "A strong signal of deterrence—utilizing military, economic, and diplomatic tools—is needed if we want to stop the attacks against U.S. personnel and prevent the war in Gaza from expanding into a protracted regional conflict. Unfortunately, the administration’s military and economic responses to Iran and its proxies have not only been disproportionate, they appear to be completely disjointed,” the senators wrote. Wicker and Scott were joined by U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Ted Budd, R-N.C., J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, Bill Cassidy, R-La., Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., John Hoeven, R-N.D., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Deb Fischer, R-Neb. On August 18, 2023, Wicker joined Scott and 24 of their Republican colleagues in demanding answers from the administration after it released approximately $6 billion in frozen assets to Iran in exchange for American prisoners. Read the full letter here and below: Dear Secretaries Blinken, Yellen, and Austin: On August 18, 2023, we wrote to express our concern over the administration’s decision to release $6 billion worth of frozen Iranian assets in exchange for the return of American detainees. This decision reinforced an incredibly dangerous precedent of providing ranso… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/wicker-delivers-floor-speech-on-slipping-american-deterrence-efforts | Wicker Delivers Floor Speech on Slipping American Deterrence Efforts | 2023-12-01 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, yesterday took to the floor to discuss the findings of the recent Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, which studied on a bipartisan basis the state of deterrence efforts across platforms and domains. In his remarks, Senator Wicker suggested that the findings of the report are “stunning,” as they measure up the implications of mission requirements for the United States military to deter both China and Russia at the same time. Wicker ensued that every Senator would personally receive a copy of the report given the gravity of its findings. “The report comments on an array of military issues, but it distills its findings to a single, alarming fact. China and Russia are increasingly able to match our military might, and if we do not act now, the consequences will be seismic. Not only could we fail to deter a war; we might actually lose the next war,” Wicker said. “The report finds that we are not prepared for what is coming. And here’s what’s coming: For the first time, we must stand up to the ambitions of two nuclear-armed peer adversaries, in multiple regions of the world, at the same time. That stunning conclusion means this report should be required reading for each of my colleagues.” Specifically, the Mississippi senator highlighted efforts by China and Russia to competitively invest in technologies that have previously guaranteed the United States battlefield dominance, such as space-based communications, cyber warfare, and nuclear modernization. “China and Russia watched as we shuttered our shipyards and ammunition plants, as we let our ships rust, and as we neglected to replace our aging Cold War nuclear arsenal…They built the kinds of weapons needed to take us on in a conventional fight and keep us at bay in a strategic one,” Wicker said. “The autocrats who rule China and Russia began paying attention to more than our guns and ships. When our satellites and next-ge… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/12/wicker-hyde-smith-urge-biden-admin-to-address-rising-rates-of-antisemitism | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Urge Biden Admin. To Address Rising Rates of Antisemitism | 2023-12-01 | 2023 | 2023-12 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., are among 32 Republican senators urging the Biden administration to address antisemitism toward Jewish children in K-12 schools amid rising rates in the aftermath of Hamas’ deadly attacks against Israel. In a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the senators asked that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act be enforced to ensure the protection of Jewish students from growing antisemitic harassment. The lawmakers also requested a briefing on the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights compliance reviews and investigations based on harassment or violence complaints in K-12 schools. “We are deeply concerned that the Department of Education is not ensuring American K-12 schools are fostering a safe learning environment for all students following the terrorist organization Hamas’ violent attack on civilians, including Americans and Israeli citizens,” the senators wrote. “Parents should feel confident that their children’s school will be safe and the focus will be on education,” the senators continued. “Instead, parents are beginning to fear that not only is school not safe for their students, but school officials are actively working to undermine the safety of their children.” “Some schools seem unwilling or unable to uphold their legal obligations under Title VI,” the senators wrote. “Therefore, the Department should use its full resources to enforce the law.” Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Department of Education has a responsibility to ensure schools that receive federal funds maintain a safe learning environment for students. While the administration has since announced new efforts to address antisemitism in schools, these actions do nothing to ensure schools are responsibly handling these events and working to prevent them in the first place. The letter cites several antisemitic incidences at K-12 schools following the Hamas attack on Israel, including: Shortly after the October 7 attacks, … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:14:16Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/u-s-senate-passes-ole-miss-175th-anniversary-resolution | U.S. Senate Passes Ole Miss 175th Anniversary Resolution | 2023-11-29 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate late Tuesday approved a resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., that commemorates the 175th anniversary of the University of Mississippi. Passed by unanimous consent, the resolution (S.Res.477) highlights the growth and accomplishments of Mississippi’s flagship university since it opened its doors on Nov. 6, 1848. It celebrates the growth of Ole Miss into a diverse Southeastern Conference powerhouse in academics, research, the arts, and athletics. “After 175 years of service, the University of Mississippi has a lot to celebrate. This institution has grown from a small college in north Mississippi to a premier research institution that attracts students from around the world. I look forward to seeing many more years of excellence from Ole Miss,” Wicker said. “The University of Mississippi has been and continues to be a huge part of our state’s history and culture,” Hyde-Smith said. “Our resolution commemorating this notable 175-year milestone recognizes and celebrates the fact that thousands of students of all races, creeds, backgrounds, and beliefs flock to Ole Miss to receive a world-class education.” “As we celebrate the University of Mississippi’s 175th anniversary, I’m reflecting on the wonderful memories Billy and I made at Ole Miss as graduate students,” said Shaheen. “I have carried these experiences with me throughout my career, and I’m proud to see Ole Miss continue to prepare its students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.” Read the text of the resolution here or below. RESOLUTION Commending the University of Mississippi for 175 years of service to the State of Mississippi and the United States. Whereas the University of Mississippi began its first session on November 6, 1848, with a 4-member faculty offering a liberal arts curriculum to 80 students; Whereas the University of Mississippi established one of the first State-supported law schools in the United States in 1854, … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-opens-national-defense-bill-conference | Wicker Opens National Defense Bill Conference | 2023-11-29 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today delivered opening remarks at the “Pass the Gavel” ceremony to formally begin conference proceedings on the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In his opening remarks, Wicker highlighted several of his priorities for the annual defense bill, which include procuring new platforms and munitions for service members, deterring adversaries, and refocusing the Department of Defense on its primary mission of warfighting. “Our weaponry is not where it should be. Our ships and airplanes – and particularly our submarines – are not where they ought to be,” Wicker said. “We are also concerned about the wokeness that seems to pervade the Department of Defense and military at this time, taking effort and attention away from most of what we need to be doing.” Read Senator Wicker’s remarks as delivered in full below. Thank you, Chairman Rogers, and thank you all. I agree with much of what has been said by my three teammates in this process already. My Chairman, Chairman Reed, mentioned China, Russia, Iran – I would also mention North Korea – these adversaries of the United States are in it together. It’s not just supposition on anyone’s part. The teamwork that they have been engaged in is public and open. And the Ranking Member Mr. Smith is correct: they have in common that they wish us ill. I join with the distinguished House Chairman in saying that Republican members on this side are not at all satisfied with how this administration has carried out the national defense responsibilities of the federal government. Our weaponry is not where it should be. Our ships and airplanes – and particularly our submarines – are not where they ought to be. We are also concerned about the wokeness that seems to pervade the Department of Defense and military at this time, taking effort and attention away from most of what we need to be doing. Clearly, Representative Smith is correct that our main goal… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-hyde-smith-cosponsor-bill-to-protect-faith-based-child-welfare-providers | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Cosponsor Bill to Protect Faith-Based Child Welfare Providers | 2023-11-28 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., have joined U.S. Senator Tim Scott, R-S.C., in introducing legislation to prohibit the federal government and states from discriminating against faith-based child welfare service providers, including adoption and foster care providers. The Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act (S.3344) would prohibit federal, state and local government agencies that receive federal adoption assistance funding from discriminating against child welfare service providers based on the providers’ unwillingness to act contrary to their religious beliefs. “Faith-based adoption and foster care providers do incredible work finding loving homes for our nation's orphans,” said Wicker. “It is deeply disturbing that certain states are seeking to drive these providers out of the marketplace because of their religious and moral beliefs, leaving children to pay the price. This legislation would protect federally-funded child welfare providers from discrimination based on their beliefs, allowing them to continue serving children in need." “Child service providers who hold fast to their faith and find loving homes for children are an inspiration, and don’t deserve to be penalized or targeted by the Biden administration,” Hyde-Smith said. “This is reasonable legislation that protects religious freedoms and supports an all-hands-on-deck approach to ensuring the best welfare for vulnerable children.” “Faith-based foster care organizations have provided reliable, effective resources to countless families and children with nowhere else to go,” said Scott. “Despite their success, President Biden has caved to the far-left, making it harder for these organizations to provide critical services and leaving the kids who need them most out in the cold. I’m fighting back to protect religious freedom and support the incredible work of these invaluable organizations.” In addition to Wicker and Hyde-Smith, additional S.3344 cosponsors include U.S. Senators James Risch, R-Idaho, T… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-kaine-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-to-commemorate-90th-anniversary-of-holodomor-reaffirm-support-for-ukraine | Wicker, Kaine Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Commemorate 90th Anniversary of Holodomor, Reaffirm Support for Ukraine | 2023-11-28 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Tim Kaine, D-Va.., introduced a resolution commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Ukraine Famine of 1932-1933, known as the Holodomor, and underscoring the threat of Russia’s current war on Ukraine to the existence of the Ukrainian people and global food security. The resolution comes in advance of negotiations over a bipartisan supplemental funding package to support key national security priorities, including aid for Ukraine. “The Ukrainian people are no strangers to the cruel will of a Russian dictator. Ninety years ago, a Soviet-imposed famine killed millions. Today, Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked assault has not only brought hunger to millions but also threatened the very existence of Ukraine. As we mark the anniversary of the Holodomor, we also need to recognize Ukraine’s current peril and continue helping them win,” said Wicker. “90 years ago, millions of Ukrainians lost their lives because of Joseph Stalin’s forced famine,” said Kaine. “Today, Russia’s war on Ukraine is having devastating impacts on the Ukrainian people and global food supply. We must remember the victims and survivors of the Holodomor, condemn Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine and his weaponization of hunger, and continue to support Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russian aggression.” Russia’s war in Ukraine has strangled Ukraine’s ability to export much-needed wheat. As the producer of roughly a fifth of the world’s high-grade wheat, Ukraine has historically played an outsized role in the global food supply. The ongoing war and Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Deal, which allowed international shipments of corn, wheat, barley, and other food products from three ports in Ukraine, is causing prices for grains to soar around the world, threatening to put millions of people in countries dependent on Ukraine’s food exports in danger, and devastating Ukraine’s economy. The number of people around the world facing acute food insecurity greatly increased from 193 milli… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-statement-on-gaza-hostage-deal | Wicker Statement on Gaza Hostage Deal | 2023-11-22 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the below statement following press reports of a hostage deal struck with Hamas in Gaza: “I am heartened to learn that at least fifty hostages whom Hamas terrorists seized on October 7, including dozens of children, will soon return to their loved ones. It is imperative that the Biden administration work to achieve the release of the remaining hostages, including women and children, until all are freed. “At the same time, I am deeply disappointed that this deal permits Hamas to benefit from its terrorism, including through the pause on Israeli action against the terrorist group and limitations on intelligence collection during the release process,” Wicker said. “It is further distressing to learn from media reports that Qatar, a major non-NATO ally, effectively served as Hamas’ lawyer during these events, allowing Hamas to set the terms for negotiating the release of young children. This is not behavior becoming of a friend of America. “It is now up to the Biden administration to ensure that the hostage releases happen as agreed while also holding Hamas accountable. This agreement cannot be an excuse to abandon Israel nor its mission of dismantling Hamas’ rule and terrorism capabilities in Gaza. This is Israel’s war of self-defense, and we must continue to stand strong beside our Israeli allies to ensure that Hamas can never repeat the horrors of October 7 again.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-hyde-smith-demand-answers-over-biden-s-unprecedented-pause-of-firearms-export-licenses | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Demand Answers Over Biden’s Unprecedented Pause of Firearms Export Licenses | 2023-11-20 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., are among 46 Republican Senators demanding answers regarding a 90-day pause imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) on the issuance of export licenses for firearms, ammunition, and certain accessories to most overseas markets. In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the senators pose a series of questions regarding the immediate pause announced by the DOC Bureau of Industry and Security on October 27, a move seen as the latest chapter in the Biden administration’s hostility toward the U.S. firearms industry. The pause, which includes exceptions for Israel and Ukraine, is expected to have a direct cost of at least $89 million and at least $238 million annually if it is made permanent. “As you know, firearms exports to non-government users in countries not covered by the exception constitute a significant percentage of overall U.S. firearm exports. This pause puts at stake U.S. commercial and economic interests, as well as those business interests of firearm exporters whose pending exports are now subject to pause, in addition to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests,” the lawmakers wrote Raimondo. “Finally, we are concerned the unmet demand created by this action will promote opportunities for less scrupulous, professional, or conscientious sources of supply to fill the void, thereby strengthening illicit arms markets,” the letter continued. The senators seek a response to their inquiry by no later than November 30. U.S. Senator Ted Budd, R-N.C., led the letter, which is available here and below. Dear Secretary Raimondo: We write regarding the October 27 announcement from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce (the Department) that “[e]ffective immediately”, the Department “is pausing for approximately 90 days the issuance of new export licenses involving certain firearms, related components, and ammunition” as well as “the provision of new export assistance activ… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-statement-on-china-s-continuing-aggression | Wicker Statement on China’s Continuing Aggression | 2023-11-18 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement in regard to recent reports of Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy action using sonar against Australian divers: “The Chinese military’s decision to injure Australian divers by using hull-mounted sonars on its destroyers is unacceptable. Only days after President Biden met with Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, Beijing is once again harassing U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. While the Biden Administration celebrates hollow U.S.-China “working groups” as meaningful progress and Xi Jinping receives a standing ovation from American CEOs, the United States and our allies need to continue the hard work of bolstering deterrence in the Indo-Pacific,” Wicker said. “The Chinese Communist Party respects only strength, and only through strength will they refrain from such unacceptable behavior.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-michael-guest-statement-rep-george-santos | Congressman Michael Guest Statement on Rep. George Santos | 2023-11-17 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | House | MS | Michael Guest | G000591 | guest.house.gov | guest | https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, D.C.– Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03) released the following statement regarding Representative George Santos: “Given the intense public scrutiny surrounding Representative Santos and the ongoing activity at the DOJ, including indictments, the Ethics Committee decided to finish its work without going through a lengthier process that provides for the Committee to make a recommendation of punishment to the House. The evidence uncovered in the Ethics Committee’s Investigative Subcommittee investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment and the most appropriate punishment, is expulsion. So, separate from the Committee process and my role as Chairman, I have filed an expulsion resolution.” | 1 | 2026-04-04T05:28:40Z | 2026-04-04T05:30:10Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-hyde-smith-call-on-biden-to-enforce-congressionally-mandated-sanctions-on-iran | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Call on Biden to Enforce Congressionally-Mandated Sanctions on Iran | 2023-11-17 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss. have joined Republican colleagues in calling on President Biden to immediately enforce oil sanctions on Iran as mandated by Congress. Wicker and Hyde-Smith are among 18 Senators who signed a letter to Biden that also urges the administration to permanently freeze the $6 billion funding mechanism established in September’s hostage agreement with Iran. The letter was spearheaded by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn. “For far too long, Iran has evaded consequence for its complacency in funding radical terror,” the senators wrote. “To prevent further atrocities and to fulfill our promise of providing unwavering support to our most important ally in the Middle East, we urge your administration to take the necessary means in severing financial avenues available to Iran, specifically cracking down on oil exports.” The letter cites a September 2023 Bloomberg Report that indicates U.S. officials “have privately acknowledged a gradual relaxation of enforcement on Iranian oil sales.” “Any relaxation of Congressionally-mandated sanctions against Iran while funding flows to terror organizations is wholly unacceptable,” the senators wrote. “The world is now seeing the direct result of allowing Iran’s oil revenues to grow and unfreezing billions of dollars in its extraterritorial bank accounts. Congress has a responsibility to ensure sanctions are not only on the books but enforced to their fullest extent. As our trusted ally Israel endures devastation, we must prioritize enforcing all economic sanctions and restricting Iranian oil revenue.” The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Ted Budd, R-N.C., Shelley Moore Capito, R- W.Va., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Steve Daines, R-Mont., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, John Hoeven, R-N.D., James Lankford, R-Okla., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., John Kennedy, R-La., Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C. The … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-peters-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-strengthen-commercial-space-industry-policy-and-competitiveness | Wicker, Peters Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Commercial Space Industry Policy and Competitiveness | 2023-11-17 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen commercial space policy and promote industry competitiveness by establishing a Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee within the Office of Space Commerce. This legislation enables the advisory committee to share important insights into non-governmental space activity and empowers its members to inform and shape federal policy and programs. “The commercial space industry is growing rapidly, and it is important for government to help it continue,” Wicker said. “Establishing a new advisory committee staffed by subject matter experts across industry, academia, and policy will help us guide this industry into the next era.” “As connected technologies continue to evolve, space-based assets will only become more critical to our safety and national security,” Peters said. “This bipartisan legislation would give our space industry leaders a seat at the table to help shape federal space policy and ensure the United States is at the forefront of commercial space development.” The Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee would be comprised of 15 members who make recommendations on various priorities, including: Identifying challenges relating to international obligations and export controls that affect the commercial space sector. Addressing the need to access adequate, predictable and reliable radio frequency spectrum. Reviewing best practices for U.S. entities to avoid harmful environmental impacts to both earth and space. Providing recommendations on matters related to space sector development and other activities the advisory committee considers necessary. The Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee Act is supported by Commercial Spaceflight Federation and ATLAS Space Operations. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-statement-on-national-defense-authorization-act-conference-proceedings | Wicker Statement on National Defense Authorization Act Conference Proceedings | 2023-11-16 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the below statement following the official proceeding of conference action on the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): “I appreciate my colleagues for recognizing the need to ensure that this year’s national defense legislation receives a strong conference in accordance with precedent and the good working order of Congress,” Wicker said. “Senate Republicans worked hard to include several key provisions in this year’s bill related to improving military readiness, eliminating toxic social policies, and accelerating procurement of the ships, aircraft, and munitions we need to deter China and other adversaries in the years ahead. It would be a disservice to these efforts to dispense with the traditional conference process. “I look forward to working with Chairman Reed, Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Smith and the rest of our conferees to deliver a strong final product to the President’s desk. During the most dangerous national security moment since World War II, we cannot afford anything less. During the floor debate of the Senate’s defense legislation, more than 900 amendments were considered and 120 amendments were adopted – the most amendments adopted to the Senate NDAA in years. The bill passed the full Senate 86-11. Prior to floor debate, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 24-1 to advance the bill from markup, with 445 amendments considered and 286 adopted. The 63rd annual NDAA supports a total of $886 billion in fiscal year 2024 funding for national defense. Within this topline, the legislation authorizes $845 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) and $32 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy (DOE). NDAA highlights include: Provides for a 5.2 percent pay raise for both military servicemembers and the DOD civilian workforce, and helps lower housing, healthcare, and childcare costs for military families. Supports request… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/senators-introduce-ole-miss-175th-anniversary-resolution | Senators Introduce Ole Miss 175th Anniversary Resolution | 2023-11-15 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., joined Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., today introduced a resolution commemorating the 175th anniversary of the University of Mississippi. The resolution highlights the growth and accomplishments of Mississippi’s flagship university since it opened its doors on Nov. 6, 1848. The measure celebrates the growth of Ole Miss into a diverse Southeastern Conference powerhouse in academics, research, the arts, and athletics. “After 175 years of service, the University of Mississippi has a lot to celebrate. This institution has grown from a small college in north Mississippi to a premier research institution that attracts students from around the world. I look forward to seeing many more years of excellence from Ole Miss,” Wicker said. “The University of Mississippi has been and continues to be a huge part of our state’s history and culture,” Hyde-Smith said. “Our resolution commemorating this notable 175-year milestone recognizes and celebrates the fact that thousands of students of all races, creeds, backgrounds, and beliefs flock to Ole Miss to receive a world-class education.” “As we celebrate the University of Mississippi’s 175th anniversary, I’m reflecting on the wonderful memories Billy and I made at Ole Miss as graduate students,” said Shaheen. “I have carried these experiences with me throughout my career, and I’m proud to see Ole Miss continue to prepare its students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.” Read the text of the resolution here or below. Whereas the University of Mississippi began its first session on November 6, 1848, with a 4-member faculty offering a liberal arts curriculum to 80 students; Whereas the University of Mississippi established one of the first State-supported law schools in the United States in 1854, and it was the first university in Mississippi to establish a school of engineering in 1900; Whereas, in 1882, the University of Mississippi became one of the first universities in the… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-hyde-smith-pfluger-colleagues-file-supreme-court-brief-in-ongoing-challenge-to-fda-chemical-abortion-actions | Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Pfluger, Colleagues File Supreme Court Brief in Ongoing Challenge to FDA Chemical Abortion Actions | 2023-11-15 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., joined Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and U.S. Representative August Pfluger, R-Texas, in filing an amicus brief in support of the U.S. Supreme Court considering initial “approval irregularities” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in its 2000 approval of chemical abortion drugs. Seventeen U.S. Senators and 92 members of the House of Representatives signed the amicus brief, including U.S. Representatives Trent Kelly, R-Miss., Michael Guest, R-Miss., and Mike Ezell, R-Miss. Americans United for Life authored the brief in support of the Conditional Cross Petition filed by Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. The cross petition asks the Supreme Court to consider the FDA’s 2000 drug approval should the court decide to hear challenges to a Fifth Circuit Court stay of the FDA’s 2016 and 2021 actions to broaden access to chemical abortion drugs. “As pro-life elected representatives, Amici are committed to protecting women and girls from the harms of the abortion industry. By approving and then deregulating chemical abortion drugs, the FDA failed to follow Congress’ statutorily prescribed drug approval process and subverted Congress’ critical public policy interests in upholding patient welfare,” the brief stated. “Amici support the Fifth Circuit’s reinstatement of common-sense patient safeguards, which include in-person dispensing of mifepristone as well as an in-person follow-up examination to ensure a woman has not suffered complications or retained fetal tissue. Accordingly, Amici support Cross-Petitioners’ opposition to the FDA and Danco’s petitions for a writ of certiorari, which have asked this Court to reconsider patient safeguards that protect women and girls seeking chemical abortion drugs,” the brief continued. The lawmakers’ brief makes these arguments: The FDA exceeded its Subpart H authority by approving mifepristone. The FDA misclassified pregnancy as a “life-threatening illness.” Chemical abortions do not provide a “meaningful therapeutic be… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-hyde-smith-call-on-dod-to-rescind-abortion-travel-policy | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Call on DoD to Rescind Abortion Travel Policy | 2023-11-14 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., are among 27 senators demanding that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) rescind its policy of paying the travel expenses of those servicemembers and dependents seeking abortions, including late-term abortions. The Mississippi lawmakers signed a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that outlines how the policy exceeds any authority granted to DoD by Congress. The letter, initiated by U.S. Senator Ted Budd, R-N.C., called on Austin to, “Do the right thing. Rescind the Policy now.” “Congress never authorized the Department to expend funds to facilitate abortions and, until the Policy was issued, the military never facilitated abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the mother would be endangered if the unborn child were carried to term. Now taxpayers—many of whom have deeply-held religious and moral objections to abortions—are on the hook to facilitate the very abortions they fundamentally oppose,” the senators wrote. “Rather than respect the Supreme Court’s decision, you decided to engage the Department, and our men and women in uniform, in a policy debate properly reserved for the legislature. You did so by claiming that Dobbs had ‘readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the Force.’ By your own officials’ admissions, however, the Department has no data to support that claim, and few servicemembers or dependents have utilized the Policy,” the letter continued. In addition to Wicker and Hyde-Smith, the Budd letter was signed by U.S. Senators Mike Lee, R-Utah, Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Mike Rounds, R-N.D., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rick Scott, R-Fla., Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, John Cornyn, R-Texas, John Boozman, R-Ark., Jo… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-risch-colleagues-biden-xi-meeting-should-bring-concrete-deliverables-not-more-concessions | Wicker, Risch, Colleagues: Biden-Xi Meeting Should Bring Concrete Deliverables, Not More Concessions | 2023-11-14 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today joined Senator Jim Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and other Republican colleagues in releasing the following statement ahead of the Biden-Xi meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. “President Biden’s planned meeting with Xi Jinping is a clear message that this administration will pursue an economic reset with China above fortifying the national security of the United States. The administration’s belief that a solid economic relationship will stabilize the entire U.S.-China relationship is dead wrong, and exactly what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wants us to believe. “There is no such thing as ‘healthy’ economic competition with China. That reality should be obvious to the casual observer after decades of China’s rampant intellectual property theft, massive subsidization of key industries, and coercive treatment of U.S.-based and international firms. “The United States should not throw any sort of economic lifeline to Xi Jinping after the mess he has made of the Chinese economy. If we are serious about competing with China, we should focus on hardening our economy against China’s abuses and on pursuing initiatives with willing partners that actually create opportunity. China wants not only to harm U.S. national security, but also to undermine our economic prosperity. For the CCP, there is no distinction. The Biden Administration’s belief otherwise shows it thinks we can still change China – a belief that is divorced from reality. “Biden agreeing to another Xi meeting without the release of wrongfully detained Americans and any commitments by China on fentanyl is astounding. Lopsided economic engagement should not be of greater priority than securing the release of Mark Swidan, David Lin, and Kai Li. These men have suffered for far too long and deserve to come home to their families immediately. The parade of Biden Administration offic… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=378 | Ezell to Miss Votes Following Mother's Passing | 2023-11-13 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | Congressman Ezell will miss votes this week following the passing of his mother, Mrs. Betty Jean Ezell, on Monday afternoon. “Congressman Ezell will return to Washington soon. In the meantime, our team is continuing to work for the people of South Mississippi as he and his family grieve,” said Jonathan Bailey, Congressman Ezell’s communications director. “We ask that you keep the Congressman and his family in your prayers.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-guest-and-congressman-cuellar-introduce-veterans-day-resolution | Congressman Guest and Congressman Cuellar Introduce Veterans Day Resolution | 2023-11-09 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | House | MS | Michael Guest | G000591 | guest.house.gov | guest | https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03), joined by Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the service and sacrifice of America’s veterans on Veterans Day, 2023. Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day to celebrate the end of the “war to end all wars.” The war ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. In 1947, after World War II came to an end, Raymond Weeks organized Veterans Day in Birmingham, Alabama, honoring all Veterans; and the idea caught on prompting a bill to change Armistice Day to Veterans Day and to honor all our American veterans who have served our country throughout all time. Over 16,200,000 veterans live in our great nation and have served our country since World War II. Since the founding of our nation in 1776, there have been over 41,000,000 men and women who have earned the title of veteran. Veterans throughout our history have fought to preserve Americans’ freedoms and protect our liberties. Serving around the world from the Arctic to Japan and from the United States to Iraq, veterans have played a key role in the history of our nation. Congressman Michael Guest stated, “I am humbled by the dedicated service and the sacrifice that our United States veterans have given to this country, and this resolution is a way for the U.S. House of Representatives to demonstrate our unerring appreciation to our nation’s heroes. I want to thank all veterans throughout our country for their service to protect my freedom and the freedom of Americans from sea to shining sea. May God bless our veterans.” | 1 | 2026-04-04T05:28:40Z | 2026-04-04T05:30:10Z |
| https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/recognizing-50th-anniversary-intercessors-america | RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA | 2023-11-09 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Cindy Hyde-Smith | H001079 | www.hydesmith.senate.gov | hydesmith | https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom | scraper | Congressional Record Vol. 169, No. 186 (Senate - November 9, 2023) PDF Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the 50th anniversary of Intercessors for America--IFA--a ministry that has faithfully served believers by encouraging effective prayer and fasting for the Church, our Nation, and our elected leaders, including those of us elected to Congress. At the time of IFA's founding, the Watergate scandal, the Vietnam war, pervasive drug use, and the Supreme Court's tragic decision to legalize abortion on demand in Roe v. Wade had shaken the moral foundations of our Nation. In the 50 years since, IFA's ministry has been important in rebuilding a society that once again respects the Judeo-Christian principles and moral values that lie at the heart of America. The founding leaders of IFA, including Derek Prince and John Beckett, began their first activities at a large dining table where John Talcott and his wife Roselyn wrote a prayer letter, which was mailed to a group of like-minded people who recognized the need for God to intervene to heal our Nation. Over the past 50 years, IFA has grown from these beginnings to inform, connect, and mobilize intercessors across America, in churches and communities nationwide, to pray for our Nation and our leaders. In its work, IFA follows the teaching of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1-3: ``I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.'' Nowhere could this impact of the power of prayer, including the prayers of many IFA intercessors, be better seen than the Supreme Court's historic decision in 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to overturn the moral stain of Roe v. Wade. This moment was a testament to God's fa… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/tribute-jack-rutland-jr | TRIBUTE TO JACK RUTLAND, JR. | 2023-11-08 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Cindy Hyde-Smith | H001079 | www.hydesmith.senate.gov | hydesmith | https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom | scraper | Congressional Record Vol. 169, No. 185 (Senate - November 8, 2023) PDF Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, it is an honor to pay tribute to Mr. Jack Rutland, Jr., of Lincoln County, MS, who for more than 10 years has shown an inspiring dedication to sharing the stories and memories of armed service veterans in Mississippi. By conducting radio interviews with veterans, their experiences can be appreciated by citizens all across Mississippi. Mr. Rutland has shown that his appreciation and respect for the men and women who have served in our armed forces goes beyond that of an average citizen, and America needs more people like Jack. Jack Rutland, Jr., was born on May 20, 1948, in Birmingham, AL, while his father was stationed at an Air Force base there. His father, Jack Rutland, Sr., enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps prior to World War II, and he served during the war for 3 years in countries like England, North Africa, and Italy. During his World War II service, the senior Mr. Rutland earned five battle stars. Upon the completion of the war, he remained in the Air Force for over 20 years. Once he retired, the family returned to Lawrence County, MS. From experiencing his father's patriotic dedication to our Nation, Jack grew up with a sincere reverence for the veterans who served to defend the United States of America. In 2003, the Military Memorial Museum in Brookhaven, MS, opened to inform the public of local veterans and the town's service history through artifacts, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia. The museum is operated completely by volunteers, one of them being Jack Rutland, Jr. On the 10-year anniversary of the Military Memorial Museum's opening, Jack interviewed four veterans. His interviews were captivating and respectfully executed, leading the public to want more. Today, Jack has conducted more than 50 interviews with veterans, some as recently as a few weeks ago. These interviews can be heartbreaking, like the story of World War II veteran Mr. Howard Britt who ha… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-rogers-mccaul-on-russia-withdrawing-from-the-conventional-forces-in-europe-treaty | Wicker, Rogers, McCaul on Russia Withdrawing from the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty | 2023-11-08 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers, R-Ala., Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today released the following statement in response to Russia’s withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and the United States’ subsequent decision to “suspend” its participation in the treaty: “Russia’s withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) is just another example of Vladimir Putin’s efforts to tear down the European security architecture that has existed since the Cold War ended. Putin clearly has no intention of stopping until Russia dominates its neighbors from the Black Sea to the Baltic. “While we welcome the Biden administration’s decision to stop providing Russia with valuable information on U.S. military forces, this move is too little, too late. The administration’s response has been nothing but a superficial half-measure. As the recent Strategic Posture Commission report suggests, it is time for the U.S. to take bold, decisive action to deter China, Russia, and North Korea. That means restoring economic competitiveness and building up a military capable of meeting modern threats without delay.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-joins-efforts-to-re-designate-houthis-as-foreign-terrorist-organization | Wicker Joins Efforts to Re-Designate Houthis as Foreign Terrorist Organization | 2023-11-07 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., last week joined his colleagues in legislation to re-designate the Iran-backed military organization called Ansarallah, more commonly known as the Houthis, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Led by U.S. Senator Steve Daines, R-Mont., the “Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act,” would impose that designation. Wicker also joined a letter led by U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the administration re-designate the Houthis as an FTO. “We have all seen the brutal devastation of Iran-backed terrorism in Israel. It is time to send a clear signal that we will not tolerate further aggression from the Ayatollah’s proxies,” Wicker said. “In increasingly hostile conditions, the world must know that the U.S. will not negotiate with terrorists.” The Trump administration designated the Houthis as an FTO in January 2021, which the Biden administration reversed only a month after assuming office, citing humanitarian concerns. The Houthis have one of the most sophisticated arsenals of ballistic missiles and drones among Iran’s allies and proxies, which they have used to target U.S. partners and interests. On October 19, 2023, the Navy destroyer U.S.S Carney was forced to intercept both cruise missiles and UAVs launched from Yemen by the Houthis. In addition to Wicker and Daines, co-sponsors of the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act include U.S. Senators John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., John Kennedy, R-La., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. The full text of the legislation can be found here. In addition to Wicker and Hagerty, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Steve Daines, R-Mont.… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-risch-rogers-mccaul-to-biden-finish-the-job-on-atacms | Wicker, Risch, Rogers, McCaul to Biden: “Finish the Job on ATACMS” | 2023-11-02 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jim Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers, R-Ala., Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, yesterday sent a letter to President Biden demanding that he send long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine in addition to the full inventory of the shorter range anti-personnel variants of the same munition. The legislators noted that ATACMS missiles featuring a unitary warhead have a capability to strike deeper at Russian targets in Crimea, including Black Sea fleet assets. Furthermore, the lawmakers pressed the President to send the remainder of U.S. stocks of the Anti-Personnel/Anti-Materiel (APAM) variant of the missile, which has no current use in the U.S. military and which has already been sent in limited quantities to Ukraine. The full provisioning of these capabilities, the legislators argued, would help alter the balance in Ukraine’s counteroffensive. “The job on ATACMS is only half-done,” the legislators wrote. “We urge you to provide the unitary warhead variant of ATACMS which has a substantially longer range than the APAMS…. Ukraine’s requirement for deep-strike capability remains urgent, particularly to range targets throughout Crimea. Recent successful strikes on Russian targets in Crimea, including on Black Sea Fleet assets, demonstrate the strategic significance of long-range strike options and the relevance of the longer range ATACMS. Wicker, Risch, Rogers, and McCaul additionally requested an immediate update on domestic ATACMS inventory and our own military’s requirements. “The bottom line is this: Ukraine has requested long-range ATACMS,” the legislators wrote. “The United States has an arsenal of long-range unitary warhead ATACMS, a hot production line to backfill them, and affordable and executable paths to speed… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=379 | Ezell and Garamendi Introduce Bill to Improve Emergency Supply Chains | 2023-11-01 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | Congressmen Mike Ezell (MS-04) and John Garamendi (CA-08) today introduced the Facilitate Access to Swiftly Transport Goods during a Publicly Announced State of Emergency Situation (FAST PASS) Act, a bipartisan bill designed to expedite the movement of critical cargo during an emergency. The FAST PASS Act would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a study on strategies to swiftly transport critical cargo such as medical supplies in declared emergencies while mitigating the impact on non-critical cargo. "When America faces emergencies like Hurricane Katrina or the COVID-19 pandemic, our supply chains must be ready to respond. That's why we're introducing the FAST PASS Act, which will help get critical supplies across the country quickly and efficiently," said Congressman Ezell. "I'm grateful to have Congressman Garamendi's help leading this bipartisan bill so our transportation system is better prepared for future emergencies." "As the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, congestion and supply chain crunches at American ports for medical supplies and other critical cargo can be a matter of life and death," Congressman Garamendi said. "I am pleased to co-author this important bill with Congressman Ezell to ensure the U.S. Department of Transportation can expedite delivery of critical cargo at our nation’s ports when American jobs and, even more importantly, lives are on the line." "The FAST PASS Act will take steps towards expediting medical supplies at ports and marine terminals on to rail and truck transport during emergencies like COVID," said Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) President and CEO Matthew J. Rowan. "During public health emergencies, essential medical supply shipments need to be prioritized. HIDA is grateful to Representatives Ezell and Garamendi for introducing this important legislation and for their leadership on transportation issues impacting our healthcare." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-urges-support-for-aukus-agreement-after-australian-visit | Wicker Urges Support for AUKUS Agreement After Australian Visit | 2023-11-01 | 2023 | 2023-11 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today took to the Senate floor to discuss his support for the historic Australia-U.K.-U.S. submarine agreement after a state visit from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. In his remarks, Senator Wicker praised the agreement and called upon the Biden administration to do more support investment in the domestic submarine industrial base. “The AUKUS agreement is vital. But there is more work to do,” Wicker said. “We have yet to take the actions necessary to ensure that our industrial base can support both the United States and Australia. The basic fact is this: Our defense industrial base is not where it needs to be...Our first step is clear. We must enact into law the nearly $3.4 billion in submarine funding included in the defense supplemental Congress is considering. We need every bit of this funding increase and more.” Specifically, the Mississippi senator pressed Biden to release a Department of Defense-directed study examining the submarine industrial base so that legislators can make the case for further investment to assist Australia and the Navy. “The Biden administration commissioned the Submarine Industrial Base 2025 study to examine the best way to execute AUKUS. From what I understand, the study will document what we already know: We need significant additional funding to fulfill Australia's needs alongside those of our fleet...Until the elected members of the United States Senate and the House see this study, Congress cannot make its strongest argument for submarine investment,” Wicker said. “I led a letter signed by a bipartisan group of defense leaders asking the administration to send the study without delay – and this was a bipartisan letter. Friends from both sides of the aisle joined me on that. We are an equal part of the government, we have authorized this study, and for heaven’s sake, the elected Senators and representatives of the people need to see this.” Wicker concluded b… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T01:01:09Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/miss-delegation-medgar-evers-deserves-presidential-medal-of-freedom | Miss. Delegation: Medgar Evers Deserves Presidential Medal of Freedom | 2023-10-31 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, Trent Kelly, R-Miss., Michael Guest, R-Miss., and Mike Ezell, R-Miss., today sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden urging him to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers. Evers was assassinated outside his home in Jackson, Miss., on June 12, 1963, as a result of his work to promote social justice, racial equality, and voting rights. “Mr. Evers dedicated his life to the defense of civil rights in Mississippi and the United States,” the legislators wrote. “His sacrifice inspires Americans to this day, and he furthered the cause of freedom for all humankind.” The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest U.S. civilian honor awarded to individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” Awardees are selected by the President. President Harry S. Truman selected the first Medal of Freedom recipient in 1946. Mississippi natives who have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom include: civil rights activist James Earl Chaney (2014); Representative G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery (2005); Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise (1970); historian Dumas Malone (1983); musical artists Leontyne Price (1964) and B.B. King (2006); writers Eudora Welty (1980) and Tennessee Williams (1980); and media mogul Oprah Winfrey (2013). See the full letter text here or below. Dear President Biden, We are honored to encourage you to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to heroic civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers. Medgar Evers first served our nation as a member of the U.S. Army during World War II. Afterward, he took up leadership roles in civil rights groups, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Mr. Evers became the first Field Secretary for the N… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-blasts-pentagon-on-abortion-policies | Wicker Blasts Pentagon on Abortion Policies | 2023-10-31 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to the Secretary of Defense again asking for information to support the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy. Wicker’s request follows a new report that indicates the Pentagon has little data to support the claim that a national abortion policy change would have a deleterious impact on readiness. Specifically, Wicker wrote in response to a notification from the Department of Defense regarding a study that it intends to conduct related to “service members’ experiences with family planning,” as the Department currently has insufficient information on abortion policies and their impacts. The Mississippi senator expressed that it is completely contradictory to be searching for data on abortion while also making the assertion that abortion policy changes have impacted readiness. “The Biden Administration’s repeated assertion that that there is force-wide readiness challenge due to limited abortion access cannot possibly be true if, simultaneously, the Department of Defense admits that it needs to study ‘areas related to family planning that may threaten the DOD’s ability to field a ready and lethal force.’ If the Administration were actually committed to maintaining an apolitical military, a study such as this should have been undertaken months before you promulgated this divisive and inflammatory policy,” Wicker wrote. “The resulting politicization of our armed forces has been shameful and completely self-inflicted. It is incumbent upon this administration to retract these unsubstantiated abortion-related readiness claims.” The letter follows other similar letters drafted by Senator Wicker to the Department on abortion policy. In July 2022, Wicker joined his Republican Senate Armed Services Committee colleagues on a letter asking for data to support the claim from the Department that recent policy changes had put negative pressure on military readiness. On September 15, Wicker sent a similar letter … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-hyde-smith-praise-8-7-million-investment-in-port-of-rosedale | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Praise $8.7 Million Investment in Port of Rosedale | 2023-10-31 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today celebrated an $8.7 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to improve infrastructure at the Port of Rosedale. The grant was issued by the Maritime Administration through the Port Infrastructure Development Program. “This is great news for Mississippi and the Port of Rosedale,” Wicker said. “This funding will support ongoing work to expand capacity and spur economic development. Multimodal improvements like this are the future of transportation along the Mississippi River.” “The capacity improvements supported by this grant will help create more certainty for Delta agriculture producers and industries that rely on the Rosedale port to ship and receive supplies efficiently. I look forward to continuing to support these upgrades,” said Hyde-Smith, ranking Republican on the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee. The project includes relocation and reconstruction of an inbound loading conveyor and the rehabilitation of an outbound conveyor on a new tower rather than a floating platform. The new components will be used to transload between barges, trucks, and storage, and they will be built with the capability to transload cargo between barges and rail once rail service is restored. The conveyors currently face capacity limitations and are unable to effectively handle commodities. The grant funding will help complete the first two phases of a three-part multi-modal expansion project at the port. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/icymi-george-will-in-the-washington-post-complacency-and-neglect-weaken-the-navy-amid-growing-threats | ICYMI: George Will in the Washington Post: “Complacency and neglect weaken the Navy amid growing threats” | 2023-10-27 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – Conservative columnist George Will today penned a column for the Washington Post discussing U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and his efforts to improve the United States’ naval deterrent against China. In his column, Will highlights Wicker’s work on growing and maintaining the United States Navy’s fleet of surface ships and submarines. “Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, wants you to be as alarmed as he is about this: If deterrence, which failed regarding Ukraine, fails regarding Taiwan, this might be because adversaries understand that U.S. leaders have allowed the nation’s defense industrial base to become shockingly short of capacities commensurate with the world’s multiplying threats,” Will wrote. “The U.S. Navy — the nation’s principal means of power projection; the answer to the “tyranny of distance” in the Indo-Pacific — is Wicker’s foremost concern. Production of stealthy, lethal attack submarines, which Wicker calls “the crown jewels of U.S. military power,” should, he says, be doubled. The Navy has only 49, and Wicker says nearly 40 percent cannot be deployed because of maintenance delays.” Will also cites Wicker’s assessment of the strategic situation. The Mississippi senator has said frequently in speeches, columns, and opening statements this year that “we are in our most dangerous security moment since World War II.” “President Xi Jinping has reportedly directed China’s military to be able to attack, blockade or otherwise subdue Taiwan by 2027. Unless the defense industrial base is urgently enlarged, America’s military will be, as some policy experts have observed, like a great football team that can play only through the first quarter,” Will wrote. “Hence, Wicker’s conclusion: ‘We are in our most dangerous security moment since World War II.’” Read George Will’s column on Senator Wicker’s efforts here or below. Read more about Senator Wicker’s recent work on navy issues here, her… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-rogers-statement-on-b61-13-gravity-bomb | Wicker, Rogers Statement on B61-13 Gravity Bomb | 2023-10-27 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, R-Ala., Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released a statement following an announcement by the Department of Defense on the B61 gravity bomb. “While we welcome the step of creating a variant of the B61, which will better allow the Air Force to reach hardened and deeply-buried targets, it is only a modest step in the right direction. The B61-13 is not a long-term solution, but it will provide our commanders, particularly in INDOPACOM and EUCOM, with more flexibility against these target sets. As the Strategic Posture Commission recently noted, China and Russia are in a full-on arms race, and the U.S. is running in place. Dramatic transformation of our deterrent posture – not incremental or piecemeal changes – is required to address this threat.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-risch-rubio-press-biden-for-decisive-response-to-chinese-aggression-in-south-china-sea | Wicker, Risch, Rubio Press Biden for Decisive Response to Chinese Aggression in South China Sea | 2023-10-26 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, yesterday joined Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence vice chairman Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on a letter to President Biden urging support for the Philippines following repeated aggressive incidents from Chinese maritime assets in the South China Sea. In the letter, the Senators recount actions beginning in August from the People’s Republic Coast Guard and maritime militia intended to interrupt Philippine resupply of the BRP Sierra Madre, a ship grounded on a reef in the area and manned by Philippine sailors. China’s Coast Guard and maritime militia have fired water cannons and threatened to ram supply ships in an attempt to stave off replenishment of the vessel. “China is on the verge of willfully triggering a humanitarian crisis by blocking the resupply of the BRP Sierra Madre. Its actions will eventually starve Filipino sailors on the vessel. China’s main purpose, of course, is to force the Philippines to abandon Second Thomas Shoal and take de facto control of this territorial feature,” the senators wrote. “Doing so would expand further its unlawful maritime claims – just as Beijing did with Scarborough Shoal over a decade ago. Each new claim of maritime sovereignty gives China another platform to hold allied territory (and U.S. military assets) at greater risk.” The Senators asked President Biden to outline a full list of plans to support the Philippine mission on the Sierra Madre – including defense and non-defense related options – while also pressing Biden to signal resolve in the face of Chinese aggression. Failing to do so, the senators argued, would enable even further malign action. “Your administration has repeatedly stated that an attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces – including those of its Coast Guard in the South China Sea – would invoke the U.S. mutual defense commitments... China’s action… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=381 | Ezell Statement on Speaker Mike Johnson | 2023-10-25 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | Today, Congressman Mike Ezell issued the following statement regarding the election of Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04): "Today, the House elected my friend from Louisiana, Congressman Mike Johnson, to serve as the 56th Speaker of the House of Representatives. Speaker Johnson and I have a lot in common, including our shared faith and our strong conservative values, and I was proud to support him. "I'm glad our Conference was able to unify and elect a conservative Speaker. I'm ready to get back to work cutting wasteful spending, securing our southern border, and standing with our allies in Israel." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-hagerty-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-resupply-israel-s-iron-dome-missile-defense | Wicker, Hagerty, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Resupply Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense | 2023-10-23 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., joined Senator Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., in introducing the Emergency Resupply for Iron Dome Act of 2023. This legislation would require the executive branch to transfer the U.S. foreign assistance that the U.S. Department of State plans to send to Hamas-controlled Gaza and redirect it to resupply Israel’s highly-effective missile defense interceptors. “The Iron Dome system has proven time and again to be one of Israel’s most important air defense capabilities,” Wicker said. “The United States should support replenishing Iron Dome and expanding our domestic industrial base to accelerate production.” In addition to Wicker and Hagerty, cosponsors include U.S. Senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Marco Rubio, R-Fla., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rick Scott, R-Fla. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-hyde-smith-back-bill-to-slam-brakes-on-radical-biden-electric-vehicle-mandate | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Back Bill to Slam Brakes on Radical Biden Electric Vehicle Mandate | 2023-10-23 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., are cosponsoring legislation to slam the brakes on a sweeping tailpipe emissions rule and other Biden administration regulations that seek to limit consumer vehicle choice and push American drivers to buy pricey electric vehicles (EVs). Wicker and Hyde-Smith late last week helped introduce the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act (S.3094), which would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing its draft emission rule and stop other regulations that limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type. “President Biden has consistently pursued a radical environmental agenda at the expense of the American people,” Wicker said. “At a time of unprecedented inflation, taxpayers cannot afford another attack on their pocketbooks. This legislation would stop the administration’s misguided rule in its tracks.” “It’s no secret that Biden’s EPA habitually imposes standards that do more harm than good to industry, and this latest tailpipe emissions scheme is the most aggressive yet. It reeks of central government planning that would be more at home in a nondemocratic country,” Hyde-Smith said. “This legislation is our effort to check this executive overreach that would only further disrupt markets, add to an already injured supply chain, and limit consumer choices.” The EPA in April issued a draft rule titled Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles, which sets stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for certain vehicles. It is the most aggressive tailpipe emissions proposal ever crafted and a de facto mandate for mass production of EVs. The EPA projected that, if finalized, over two-thirds of all new vehicles could be electric by 2032. The average price of an EV is over $17,000 more than the average price of a gas-powered vehicle, according to data from Kell… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-statement-on-submarine-industrial-base-provisions-in-defense-supplemental-package | Wicker Statement on Submarine Industrial Base Provisions in Defense Supplemental Package | 2023-10-20 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | Armed Services Leader: Supplemental Helps Shipyards, Suppliers, Shipbuilders Meet Navy’s Sub Requirements, Fulfill AUKUS WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement in response to the Biden administration’s $3.4 billion in funding for AUKUS and the submarine industrial base in the national defense supplemental: “Inclusion of submarine industrial base funds is a welcome start to the process of fortifying our submarine maintenance and production capabilities, but it cannot stop here,” Wicker said. “As I have repeatedly said, our shipyards are under-resourced to meet the Navy’s urgent submarine requirements as well as meet the prospective demands of the AUKUS agreement. We must work to signal to both our allies and U.S. industry that we can meet the obligations of the AUKUS agreement without putting our own submarine fleet in jeopardy.” “Fundamental investments in our shipbuilders, public shipyards, and nearly 16,000 suppliers across the nation are needed to maintain American undersea supremacy. There is still much work to be done with the administration and Pentagon to expand our industrial base and add the necessary attack submarines to prevent conflict on the seas, but this package signals a positive first step toward that goal.” Read more about Senator Wicker’s work on national defense here. Read below a detailed timeline about relevant actions from Senator Wicker on AUKUS and the submarine industrial base. Read analysis of that work here and here. On March 15, Senator Wicker delivered a Senate floor speech calling for a “healthy submarine industrial base” to deter Chinese aggression. Also on March 15, Senator Wicker issued a statement on the FY24 U.S. Navy budget calling out a reduced Naval reactors budget despite “extreme strain on the American submarine industrial base” offered by the AUKUS agreement. On March 28, Senator Wicker observed to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Ch… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-leads-armed-services-republicans-in-nuclear-posture-hearing | Wicker Leads Armed Services Republicans in Nuclear Posture Hearing | 2023-10-19 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a committee hearing examining the recently released report from the Congressional Commission the Strategic Posture of the United States. In his opening remarks, Wicker noted the expansion of Chinese military power and how it exposes a lack of American defense preparedness in response. “We are not even close to where we need to be. Over the past two years, this committee has watched China’s military grow,” Wicker said. “Beijing has more than doubled the size of its nuclear arsenal. It has expanded its shipbuilding capacity so that the capacity to build ships is now more than 230 times that of the United States’ – 230 times. And it has increased its space-based military capabilities. All of this shifts the orbital balance of power." Wicker also discussed the implications of the report for future congressional action, particularly in modernizing nuclear forces and domestic shipbuilding. “We simply cannot accept complacency if we want to prevail in long-term competition with China and Russia. To prevent war and keep the peace, it is incumbent upon legislators to commit – today – to a program of sustained innovation and investment. This is the only way we can reclaim lost ground,” Wicker said. “Events even in the last week suggest that a national policy of “peace through strength” is still a blueprint for success. It is time to begin making the national defense investments required to deter the conflicts looming ahead.” Read Senator Wicker’s full opening statement below or watch it here. Thank you very much, Mr. Reed. And thanks very much to our witnesses today and for their longtime service. We owe you our deepest thanks for your lifetime commitment to America’s security. This is as serious a topic as we will hear about this year. It has been nearly 15 years since the previous Strategic Posture Commission sat before this committee. They outlined their cautious, but hopeful, recommendations for h… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-leads-armed-services-republicans-in-hearing-supporting-veterans | Wicker Leads Armed Services Republicans in Hearing Supporting Veterans | 2023-10-18 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today participated in a joint committee hearing with the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee examining military to civilian transitions for service members. In his opening remarks, Wicker noted that successful outcomes continue to be significant for veterans after their military careers as they acquire key skills during their service. “There are improvements that need to be made in our veterans’ experience and our military experience, but the truth is that the vast majority of our military veterans are highly successful in their post-military careers and personal lives,” Wicker said. Wicker also discussed how Congress can maintain support effective veteran transition programming through legislation. “Congress has capitalized on that momentum. We have identified the success of these transition programs and expanded these opportunities,” Wicker said. “The Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act required broad reforms to make the Transition Assistance Program even stronger. Today, we will find out if we can improve on that. Congress must keep faith with our veterans through these initiatives, which I will continue to support.” Read Senator Wicker’s full opening statement below or watch it here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I’m glad to be here today joining with three of my distinguished colleagues. I’m particularly proud that I share a leadership role on the Armed Services Committee with a fellow veteran, Senator Jack Reed. His career in the military is far more distinguished than mine, but I’m proud to be a veteran, proud to have served, and proud to be here with three very distinguished supporters of our military and our veterans’ community. There are improvements that need to be made in our veterans’ experience and our military experience, but the truth is that the vast majority of our military veterans are highly successful in their post-military careers and personal lives. And I do apprec… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-stands-with-israel-calls-for-defense-package-to-help-israel-win | Wicker Stands with Israel, Calls for Defense Package to Help Israel Win | 2023-10-18 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor discussing the national security crisis underway in Israel and what Congress should do to support our Israeli allies. In his remarks, Wicker delivered a “message of unwavering support” for Israel as they undergo the worst terror attacks they have suffered in their national history. “We have all seen the devastation from Hamas’ brutal attacks. We need to send this clear signal from both sides of the aisle, and both sides of this building: Israel has a right self-defense, just as we in America have a right to our self-defense. And Israel is entitled to our full support,” Wicker said. Wicker, as lead Republican on the Armed Services Committee, called for renewed attention to American defense industrial capacity, suggesting that the crisis in Israel underscores the need for a strong military. Wicker requested that the Biden administration provide Israel with Tamir missile interceptor systems for the Iron Dome as well as precision-guided munitions. “This episode again highlights that our national defense is far behind where it needs to be,” Wicker said. “Some of us have been raising this point for a long time. I have been making this point long before I became the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. The administration must send Congress a funding request that fully resources the U.S. military for a rapidly worsening threat environment in Israel, in the Middle East, in Ukraine, in Europe, and the Western Pacific.” Wicker also highlighted Biden administration officials’ connections to an Iranian government operation, mentioning a letter he led alongside 30 colleagues to demand accountability. The Mississippi senator concluded with a message of overwhelming support for Israel from the people of his home state. “I can say with confidence that the people of my state are with Israel. My office has received a remarkable outpouring of support for Israel from pe… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-leads-bipartisan-effort-to-receive-aukus-update | Wicker Leads Bipartisan Effort To Receive AUKUS Update | 2023-10-17 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee recently joined his Armed Services colleagues Senators Tim Kaine, D-Va., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. on a letter to President Biden requesting an immediate update on the administration’s plans to implement the landmark AUKUS agreement. Specifically, the Senators reaffirmed their commitment to AUKUS and expressed their eagerness to receive a vital industrial base study from the administration. The study analyzes what kind of additional investment in the domestic submarine industrial base would be required to advance the agreement in the most effective fashion. The study, which was conducted by the Department of Defense’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office, would prove pivotal to informing Congress’ future plans for supporting the AUKUS agreement. The Senators asked for an update on the study no later than October 31. “It is critical that the administration articulate a detailed plan for instituting necessary enhancements to the submarine industrial base,” the senators wrote. “This is a crucial first step in posturing the United States to effectively address existing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, and essential for fully realizing the potential of the AUKUS agreement.” Read the letter in full here or below. October 12, 2023 President Joe Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Biden, We write to express our strong support for advancing the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership. The collaboration across the U.S. government over the last several months has enabled significant progress in the development of the legal authorities necessary for AUKUS implementation, and we are eager to see those authorities be signed into law this year. To realize the full potential of AUKUS, the American defense industrial base will require significant resource… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=380 | Ezell Endorses Jordan for Speaker | 2023-10-16 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | Congressman Mike Ezell today endorsed Chairman Jim Jordan (OH-04) in his bid for Speaker of the House: "On Friday, my friend, Chairman Jim Jordan, was elected by the Republican Conference to be our nominee for Speaker. I voted in support of him then, and I’ll vote in support of him again tomorrow." "America desperately needs leadership as we face serious problems at home and abroad. That’s why we must elect a strong, conservative Speaker of the House like Jim Jordan. I hope we’re able to finally end this chaos tomorrow and get back to work for the American people." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/miss-lawmakers-call-out-biden-administration-s-extreme-abortion-agenda | Miss. Lawmakers Call Out Biden Administration’s Extreme Abortion Agenda | 2023-10-13 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Senate Pro-Life Caucus Chair Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and U.S. Representatives Trent Kelly, R-Miss., and Michael Guest, R-Miss. this week signed a letter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sounding the alarm on the agency’s attempt to impose an abortion mandate on employers through the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). Signed by 20 Senators and 41 House members, the letter asserts that the proposed rule not only goes against the text and purpose of the PWFA, but it also exceeds the EEOC’s authority. “As Members of Congress, we support policies to ensure women are provided with access to necessary accommodations in the workplace during pregnancy to support the health of both the woman and her unborn child. This was the goal of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), and we write to share our strong opposition to the illegal imposition of abortion mandates in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) proposed regulations, published on August 11, 2023, to implement the PWFA,” the members wrote. In the proposed rule, the EEOC inaccurately determined abortion is included in the definition of “pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition.” The rule would mandate employers provide a “reasonable accommodation” for abortion, including paid leave, unpaid leave, or transfer to a position in another state, to seek an abortion at any stage in pregnancy up until birth, even for employers in states that prohibit most abortions. “In these regulations, the EEOC has moved far beyond the power delegated by Congress. The Commission was directed to implement a bipartisan law designed to provide accommodation protections for pregnant women in the workforce. Instead, it has sought to impose an unconstitutional nationwide abortion mandate on employers,” the members continued. “We urge you to remove abortion mandates from the scope of this rule, protect employers with religious and moral objections, and finalize a rule that accurately reflec… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-welcomes-final-report-of-u-s-strategic-posture-commission | Wicker Welcomes Final Report of U.S. Strategic Posture Commission | 2023-10-12 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today issued the following statement after the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States released its final unclassified report: “Ensuring the United States military is able to protect and defend our country is one of Congress’ most solemn responsibilities. We appreciate the work of the commission to provide a clear-eyed assessment of our strategic posture. It is apparent from the report that there is much more that we should be doing to ensure our military, and particularly our nuclear forces, are capable of deterring two near-peer nuclear adversaries at the same time. “The findings of this bipartisan report detail the gravity of the situation we face and emphasize that the current trajectory of the U.S. strategic forces are insufficient to deter the looming Chinese and Russian threat. The report is also a stark reminder of the significant work needed to expand our nuclear submarine industrial base to increase production and reduce repair time. The details of this report should serve as a wakeup call for our armed forces and the national security community as a whole. “It is essential that Congress move forward quickly with a plan to provide our military with the resources necessary to restore our nuclear deterrent and rebuild the capacity to fight and win two wars if necessary. Passing a defense supplemental in the near-term and guaranteeing real growth in the annual defense budget will help us meet this moment. Failing to make these investments now will leave the United States weaker and invite costly new threats from our adversaries.” BACKGROUND: The Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 2022) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) established the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States (Commission), and tasked it with examining the long-term strategic posture of the United States. The Commission’s report includes a comprehensive review of the current a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=313 | Ezell Cosponsors Bipartisan Resolution Supporting Israel; Condemning Hamas and Iran | 2023-10-10 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | Congressman Mike Ezell today joined House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (TX-10), Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (NY-05), and a bipartisan coalition of members to introduce a resolution supporting Israel and condemning the war launched on Saturday by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists. Since the first attacks on October 7, 2023, hundreds of civilians have died at the hands of Hamas, thousands have been injured, and hundreds more have been taken hostage. American citizens in Israel are among those who have been killed, injured, and abducted. "The stories and footage we've heard and seen over the last few days are heartbreaking," said Congressman Ezell. "America must stand with Israel in the wake of these despicable attacks." The resolution also calls for full enforcement of U.S. sanctions on Iran and other terrorist funders. According to the State Department, Iran spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year to support of Hamas and other Foreign Terrorist Organizations. On September 11, 2023, the Biden Administration announced its plan to release $6 billion in frozen assets to the Iranian government. While the money is earmarked for humanitarian aid, national security experts have raised concerns that such a large influx of cash would allow Iran to redirect other funds to support its terrorist network. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-statement-on-israel | Wicker Statement on Israel | 2023-10-07 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today reacted to the wave of attacks on Israel by Iranian-backed Hamas militants: "I stand with Israel in the face of this unprovoked attack by Iran-backed Hamas militants. As our best ally and friend in the Middle East, the safety and security of Israel must always be our priority. I strongly condemn these acts of terror and fully support Israel's right to defend itself. I am praying for Israel today." “Today’s attacks underscore the Biden administration’s naïve approach to Iran. President Biden’s lenient policy has sent billions in cash to Iran to continue its funding of terrorists and has jeopardized our closest regional partner, Israel. I will continue holding this administration accountable to support Israel and deter Iran.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/10/wicker-to-biden-build-the-wall-today | Wicker to Biden: Build the Wall Today | 2023-10-05 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today commented on the Biden administration’s decision to build 20 miles of border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border after spending millions of taxpayer dollars to store and auction off existing border wall materials. “If the president is serious about returning to border security like we had during the Trump administration, he should immediately enact what I have put in my FINISH It Act,” Wicker said. The Mississippi senator is the author of the FINISH IT Act, which has been included in the Senate’s fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. The provision would compel the Biden administration to use thousands of existing border panels for wall construction. Wicker has led Senate efforts to hold the Biden administration accountable for the waste of these panels, which the administration was moving quickly to sell at auction before Wicker’s legislation could be implemented. “I would say to the president, we've got sections of the wall right now that could be installed today, that could be installed tomorrow. Mr. President, quit selling those sections of the wall for scrap metal. Erect them and let's do the wall the way that it was intended to be,” Wicker said. Read more about the FINISH IT Act and other border legislation Senator Wicker has led here. Watch his recent speech on border security here. Read more about the Biden administration’s misuse of taxpayer dollars at the southern border here and here. See the full transcript of Senator Wicker’s comments below. If the president is serious about returning to border security like we had during the Trump administration, he should immediately enact what I have put in my FINISH It Act, which is to take those sections of the wall that are already manufactured and ready to be put in place and erect them on the border. Instead, his administration has -- for months now -- been selling these already manufactured parts of the border wall off for penni… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/remembering-jack-h-lucas | REMEMBERING JACK H. LUCAS | 2023-10-04 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | Senate | MS | Cindy Hyde-Smith | H001079 | www.hydesmith.senate.gov | hydesmith | https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom | scraper | Congressional Record Vol. 169, No. 163 (Senate - October 4, 2023) PDF Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Madam President, I am honored to pay tribute to the memory of a true American hero, Jacklyn ``Jack'' Harrell Lucas. Jack, a long-time resident of Mississippi, and the youngest marine to ever receive the Medal of Honor, left an indelible mark on American history. During the Battle of Iwo Jima, Jack jumped between two live grenades to shield three of his fellow marines from the explosion. This act of heroism caused him significant injuries. Even after his time in the military, Jack continued to inspire generations through his commitment to veterans' causes and his advocacy for those who suffered in service to their country. Jack Lucas took his final salute on June 5, 2008, in Hattiesburg, MS, leaving behind his wife, their five children, and a legacy of patriotism and service to this Nation. On October 7, 2023, the Navy will commission its first Arleigh Burke Flight III guided-missile destroyer. DDG-125 will bear the name of this distinguished son of Mississippi, Jack. H. Lucas. The USS Jack H. Lucas was built at Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, MS, further highlighting Mississippi's commitment to the defense of the United States. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=382 | Ezell Statement on Motion to Vacate the Chair | 2023-10-03 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | Today, Congressman Mike Ezell issued the following statement after voting to table Congressman Matt Gaetz's (FL-01) motion to vacate the chair: "When Republicans spend our time arguing about egos instead of fighting for conservative values, Joe Biden wins. That’s why Democrats are unanimously supporting the motion to vacate. "For the first time since the Clinton administration, the House is on track to fund the government through regular, constitutional order. We cannot lose sight of that goal. I voted and will continue to vote to move past these distractions and get back to doing our jobs." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-votes-to-avoid-shutdown | Wicker Votes to Avoid Shutdown | 2023-09-30 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today voted to advance legislation that would fund federal government operations for 45 days. The proposal, known as a “continuing resolution (CR),” would maintain the status quo for federal funding to allow Congress more time to negotiate full-year appropriations bills that would lower federal domestic spending and support national security and border security. “It is regrettable that Congress has not been able to enact legislation in time to fund the federal government. Passing this short-term bill, though not ideal, will allow both the House and Senate time to move forward with funding negotiations without the effects of a damaging shutdown. Congress should proceed quickly with the remaining appropriations bills so that we can get back to work on other important priorities, such as national defense,” Wicker said. Wicker also commented on the particular impact of a shutdown on military readiness, border security, and the U.S. economy. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=311 | Ezell Speaks on Ongoing Spending Negotiations | 2023-09-29 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | This afternoon, Congressman Mike Ezell outlined his thoughts on H.R. 5525, the Spending Reduction and Border Security Act, as well as the potential of a government shutdown. Remarks as delivered are below. You can download the video here. "Today, I voted for a bill that would have secured our southern border, cut billions in wasteful spending, and ensure our government is open and our troops are being paid for the next 30 days. "Unfortunately, Democrats and a few Republicans chose to block this legislation. "Let me be clear: I don’t like the way Washington does business. "When I came to Congress in January, I was ready to shake things up and bring back regular, constitutional order. For the first time in years, House Republicans have done just that. "We have passed single-subject spending bills to fund more than 70% of federal discretionary spending, including our military, our border patrol, and the VA. Those bills have been sent to Senator Schumer, but he has refused to bring them up for a vote. "Pushing forward strong, conservative appropriations bills takes time. That’s why we need to ensure our troops [and] border patrol get paid while Washington negotiates. "Today’s bill would have done just that. "It also would have forced the Biden Administration to finally secure our southern border. "In the last five days, we’ve had more than 50,000 illegal border crossings. That’s more people than live in the entire city of Biloxi. It’s out of control, but President Biden and Senate Democrats refuse to do anything serious. "They’ve refused to do anything serious on the looming government shutdown as well. "The American people and their representatives in the House have made it clear what we want — we want to tackle wasteful spending and shut down the border, not the country. "It’s very possible our government is gonna shut down this Sunday morning. I don’t know what the future’s gonna hold, but I know a couple of things. "First, Members of Congress should live under the same rules as the people they repre… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-colleagues-demand-accountability-on-iran-linked-dod-official | Wicker, Colleagues Demand Accountability on Iran-Linked DoD Official | 2023-09-29 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a letter signed by 30 of his Senate Republican colleagues demanding a full accounting of actions taken by a senior Pentagon official who has close links to the Iranian government. Ariane Tabatabai, the chief of staff to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, was reportedly engaged in an Iranian government-linked initiative to bolster the Iranian government’s image and reinforce Tehran’s national security views. Leaked emails show Tabatabai asking the Iranian government for input on her speaking engagements and offering to consult with the Iranian government on a congressional briefing that she was invited to give. In the letter, the senators suggested that it is “unconscionable” for Tabatabai to continue holding a sensitive national defense-related position and called for the immediate suspension of her security clearance. “Iran continues to threaten U.S. military personnel in the Middle East and remains intent on assassinating American citizens here in the United States. Given these facts, we find it simply unconscionable that a senior Department official would continue to hold a sensitive position despite her alleged participation in an Iranian government information operation,” the senators wrote. “While we note that Assistant Secretary of Defense for SOLIC Christopher Maier, who is Ms. Tabatabai's current supervisor, testified before the House on Thursday that the Department is “actively looking into whether all law and policy was properly followed in granting my chief of staff top secret special compartmented information,” we urge you to suspend Ms. Tabatabai's security clearance immediately pending further review, as the State Department did with her former supervisor, Robert Malley.” The senators also posed a range of questions related to the nature and extent of Tabatabai’s involvement with the Iran-backed initiative, demanding answers within … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-hyde-smith-honor-jimmy-buffett | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Honor Jimmy Buffett | 2023-09-29 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today introduced a resolution in honor of the late singer-songwriter, James “Jimmy” William Buffett, who passed away earlier this month. “One of the great Mississippi-born musicians, Jimmy Buffett taught a generation of Parrotheads how to pass time in Margaritaville and enjoy paradise,” Wicker said. “Jimmy was a generational talent and entrepreneur who made his native state proud. With this resolution, we raise a glass to honor the life and legacy of this musical pioneer.” “Jimmy Buffett was a true Southern storyteller who was generous enough to share his piece of paradise with the world,” Hyde-Smith said. “In honoring him, we celebrate the man who, through his music, brought us with him on many of his adventures around the sun, from the Pascagoula Run, to the shores of paradise, and we are all the better for it. I have no doubt his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.” Buffett was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi on Christmas Day, 1946, and he graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1966. Over his 50-year career, Buffett released over 30 albums, wrote three books, was nominated for two Grammys, and opened over 30 restaurants. See the full text of the resolution here or below: Honoring the life, legacy, and contributions of James William Buffett. Whereas, James William ‘‘Jimmy’’ Buffett was born on Christmas Day, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the first of James Delaney Buffett, Jr., and Mary Lorraine Peets Buffett’s three children; Whereas, Mr. Buffett grew up in Mobile, Alabama, attending grade school at St. Ignatius Catholic School and the McGill Institute, an all-boys school, where he served as an altar boy; Whereas, Mr. Buffett acquired a love of music, sailing, and aviation, a child of the sights and sounds of south Mississippi; Whereas, in 1964, Mr. Buffett attended Auburn University for one year, was initiated into Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Epsilon-Nu Chapter, learned how to play the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-hyde-smith-reintroduce-bill-to-boost-economic-growth-in-underserved-low-income-communities | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Reintroduce Bill to Boost Economic Growth in Underserved & Low-Income Communities | 2023-09-29 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., joined Senators Mark Warner, D-Va., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., in reintroducing bipartisan legislation to promote lasting economic prosperity in low-income, minority, and rural communities. The Community Development Investment Tax Credit Act would help unlock more equity and long-term financial capital for community development financial institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs often serve as a backbone for underserved communities including small and disadvantaged businesses, which tend to have fewer banking relationships and less access to credit. “Our country was built by small business, but many in low-income areas have trouble accessing the financing they need to launch and grow their businesses,” Wicker said. “CDFI investments play a pivotal role in bridging these gaps. The proposed tax credit in this legislation would help address the challenges faced by small business owners and provide an alternative to predatory loans.” “We know access to capital is more challenging in low-income areas unfortunately, which makes it harder for ambitious Mississippians and Americans in these areas to start up or grow their businesses,” Hyde-Smith said. “CDFIs have proven valuable in directing support to these small business owners, and this proposed tax credit would do even more to spur investment in underserved communities.” This bill will help direct support to lenders that focus on underserved communities by creating a CDFI Tax Credit for private sector investors that make equity, equity-equivalent investments, or long-term patient capital available to CDFIs. The bill would benefit CDFIs of all types, including banks, credit unions, venture capital CDFIs, and loan funds, while providing institutions with the maximum flexibility and financial support they need to increase wealth in low and moderate-income communities. This legislation has the support of a number of organizations, including the American Ba… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-promotes-border-security-in-national-defense-legislation | Wicker Promotes Border Security in National Defense Legislation | 2023-09-29 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, yesterday delivered a speech on the Senate floor discussing the national security crisis at the southern border and provisions he offered in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would address the challenge. In his remarks, Wicker noted that the crisis at the southern border has put the U.S. homeland at risk, as drug traffickers, extremists, and foreign spies take advantage of the lax security. “Bad actors continue to exploit our porous southern border to funnel criminals, fentanyl, and even suspected terrorists into the country…it is clear that the situation is out of control,” Wicker said. “The Senate Armed Services Committee has received testimony suggesting that even our adversaries see our broken border as a strategic advantage. Russia certainly does. The former Northern Command (NORTHCOM) chief reports that there are more Kremlin agents in Mexico than in any other country. They are there because of the open border policies of this administration. The Chinese Communist Party is also aware of this vulnerability – constantly looking the other way as Chinese criminal elements sell fentanyl components to cartels, helping fuel our national drug crisis.” Wicker, as lead Republican on the committee, included strong border provisions in the NDAA. In his speech, the senator mentioned his work on the FINISH IT Act, which would force the Biden administration to either restart construction of the border wall or sell unused materials to state governments. “As we move through the conference process, we must retain the border provisions we fought so hard to include. One such measure is the FINISH IT Act. The legislation, which I authored, would continue construction of the border wall,” Wicker said. “The previous administration purchased high-quality steel wall panels. But when President Biden took office, he chose to spend $130,000 per day to store these materials rather than using them to secure… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=306 | Ezell Cosponsors Legislation to Pay Troops During Potential Shutdown | 2023-09-28 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | This week, Congressman Mike Ezell joined the bipartisan Pay Our Troops Act (H.R. 5641), a bill that would ensure members of the armed forces continue to receive pay in the event of a government shutdown. "We cannot allow Washington politics to get in the way of our national defense," said Congressman Ezell. "Keeping our troops paid during a potential government shutdown should be one of our top priorities." The Pay Our Troops Act is led by Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), a Navy veteran. The bill would appropriate funds to ensure all members of the Armed Forces, including reservists, are paid if a shutdown happens during Fiscal Year 2024. More than 50 Republicans and 5 Democrats have signed on to the Pay Our Troops Act since it was introduced on September 21, 2023. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are leading companion legislation in the Senate. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is a cosponsor of the companion legislation. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-kelly-introduce-legislation-to-keep-u-s-merchant-marine-academy-open | Wicker, Kelly Introduce Legislation to Keep U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Open | 2023-09-28 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., introduced legislation to keep the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) open through any possible future lapse in federal appropriations. “There is no reason Congressional brinksmanship should derail our future maritime leaders from joining the workforce. Keeping the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s doors open is not only a matter of national security, but also a commitment to keeping our economy strong," Wicker said. The USMMA is one of the five federal service academies. However, because it is the only academy operated by the Department of Transportation, most of the faculty are subject to furlough in case of a lapse in government funding. Any gap in instruction could be highly disruptive to students because midshipmen must adhere to a strict academic schedule to meet the requirements to graduate with a Coast Guard Merchant Mariner license. If there is a lapse in government funding and USMMA is closed, midshipmen risk potential Coast Guard licensing issues. Wicker and Kelly are both members of the Board of Visitors for the USMMA. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-leads-republicans-in-senior-pentagon-nominees-confirmation-hearing | Wicker Leads Republicans in Senior Pentagon Nominees Confirmation Hearing | 2023-09-28 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today participated in a full committee hearing examining the nominations of Derek Chollet to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Cara Abercrombie to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition. In his remarks, Wicker noted the strategic environment the United States faces, suggesting that any nominees to senior Pentagon postings must act with urgency to improve deterrence. “Recently, the Marine Corps Commandant, General Eric Smith, noted that our country is in something of an “interwar period.” He’s right, and if we continue on our current course, we risk transforming this moment into a “pre-war period.” We need to act – and act quickly – to prevent a war,” Wicker said. “As we face a growing threat from Communist China, we need to pursue a policy of ‘peace through strength.’ Unfortunately, when it comes to addressing our deterrence gaps, the current administration demonstrates a lack of urgency.” Wicker also observed the need to repair relations with Congress among senior leaders at the Department of Defense following the tenure of Chollet’s predecessor, Dr. Colin Kahl. The senator asked that Chollet commit to a stronger working relationship with legislators. “Mr. Chollet, the recent Under Secretary of Defense for Policy repeatedly deflected House and Senate oversight efforts, made partisan comments unbecoming of his station, and demonstrated low regard for the authorities under the constitution of the legislative branch…Members on my side of the aisle have many questions still unanswered from his tenure,” Wicker said. “Mr. Chollet, I would like you to articulate what you understand your relationship with Congress ought to be and how you intend to repair the degraded relations with Congress, particularly on this side of the aisle.” Read Senator Wicker’s full opening statement below or watch it here. Watch his exchange with the nominees here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today, we are here to con… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-reintroduces-puerto-rico-status-act | Wicker Reintroduces Puerto Rico Status Act | 2023-09-28 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., recently reintroduced the Puerto Rico Status Act, legislation which would provide Puerto Ricans the full range of options for a future referendum on the island’s status as a commonwealth. Wicker has been a longtime advocate for a fair selection process for Puerto Ricans who wish to remain a commonwealth of the United States. Other pending legislative proposals would force Puerto Ricans to abandon their current status and choose among statehood, independence, or “Sovereignty in Free Association.” “The people of Puerto Rico deserve a voice in shaping their political destiny without being forced into a false choice between statehood or independence," Wicker said. "Pending legislative proposals from my colleagues do not acknowledge the fact that many Puerto Ricans prefer to maintain their current status and want the freedom to decide on their own terms. "After extensive deliberations with Puerto Rican leaders, I have proposed an alternative plan that avoids favoring any particular outcome, is consistent with guidance from the Department of Justice, and empowers Puerto Ricans to determine their future through a fair and democratic vote. " Among other provisions, Wicker’s legislation would authorize a binding plebiscite vote on four options: independence for Puerto Rico, sovereignty in free association with the United States, statehood, or retaining the status of Puerto Rico as a Commonwealth. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-reviews-coast-guard-mission-in-southcom-visit | Wicker Reviews Coast Guard Mission in SOUTHCOM Visit | 2023-09-28 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, this week returned from a visit to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) at Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) in Florida where he engaged with senior Coast Guard Leadership on their drug interdiction mission. On the visit, Wicker met with Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan and director of JIATF-S Rear Admiral Mark Fedor, with whom he discussed Coast Guard requirements to fulfill their mission. The Coast Guard interdicted more than 150,000 kg of cocaine and 60,000 kg of marijuana last year and has removed substantial amounts of fentanyl this year. “The national security crisis exacerbated by the cartels is not limited to our southern border. The administration’s weak enforcement policies are causing unprecedented drug trafficking by sea,” Wicker said. “Our Coast Guard is on the front lines of the fight. I appreciated the opportunity to visit with our senior Coast Guard leadership and hear how Congress can help the service meet its mission.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=304 | Hyde-Smith & Ezell Announce $365,000 Grant to Help Establish Nonstop Miss. Gulf Coast–Washington, D.C. Flights | 2023-09-27 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and U.S. Representative Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) today announced a $365,000 grant to the Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport Authority to embark on a process to establish a nonstop flight service to a Washington, D.C.-area airport. Hyde-Smith and Ezell wrote letters of support for the airport authority’s applications for a FY2022 Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) grants. The FY2022 award will support the airport authority’s goal to attract a nonstop route to the Washington region in order to support primary economic drivers in South Mississippi, including the defense and space industries. “There are enough federal interests on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to warrant direct flights to Washington, D.C., which we know is the is the top origination and destination market that is not served by a nonstop passenger service,” said Hyde-Smith, ranking Republican on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds SCASDP. “I think this is an exciting proposition that would benefit the overall defense and space presence in South Mississippi, and boost the overall economy.” “South Mississippi’s role in strengthening America’s national defense and innovating in space exploration makes a direct flight to Washington, D.C. a necessity,” said Ezell, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “I am grateful for the airport authority’s work to pursue this project, and I look forward to continuing to support this effort and the economic boosts it will bring to our Mississippi Gulf Coast.” The grant to the Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport Authority provides it with a revenue guarantee to cover recruitment fees and associated marketing plan to recruit, initiate and support new passenger air service between the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport and the nation’s capital. Hyde-Smith and Ezell supported the airport authority’s application preference to establish nonstop flights to Washington Reagan National Airport as the best opt… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-sullivan-cruz-introduce-bill-to-guarantee-military-pay-in-event-of-government-shutdown | Wicker, Sullivan, Cruz Introduce Bill to Guarantee Military Pay in Event of Government Shutdown | 2023-09-26 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON?– U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined his colleagues Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, along with 11 of their Senate colleagues, in introducing legislation to ensure America’s military service members—Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, and Space Force—are paid in the event of a government shutdown in Fiscal Year 2024. Titled the Pay Our Military Act of 2023, the legislation would appropriate funds to pay members of the Armed Forces, including reservists, if a temporary or full-year federal funding bill is not passed and signed by October 1. The measure would also fund the pay of civilian Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel and contractors whom each department’s respective secretary determines are “providing support to members of the Armed Forces.” “Our military service members dedicate their lives to their country, and the least we can do is ensure their paychecks arrive on time.” Wicker said. “Extending pay for our service members would demonstrate that legislators mean it when they say ‘thank you for your service,’ and it would ensure that military readiness does not become a casualty of Congressional negotiation.” “We have entered the most dangerous period in American history since the end of World War II—a new era of authoritarian aggression led by the dictators in Beijing and Moscow,” said Sullivan. “All Americans count on our military members to be ready to respond to threats to the homeland, wherever and whenever they may arise. The last thing our brave men and women in uniform need to be worrying about is whether they will get a paycheck, and whether their families are taken care of back home. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and pass our commonsense legislation to alleviate those concerns as we face a potential government shutdown. Senators and congressmen often like to say how much they support our military members—now they… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-hyde-smith-welcome-enactment-of-organ-donation-reform-bill | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Welcome Enactment of Organ Donation Reform Bill | 2023-09-25 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today welcomed the enactment of legislation they backed to break up the monopoly contract that manages the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). President Biden on Friday signed the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act (HR.2544), which passed the Senate on July 27. Wicker and Hyde-Smith cosponsored S.1668, the Senate companion bill to HR.2544. “I am glad to see this legislation signed into law,” Wicker said. “These reforms will expand competition and improve management of the organ donation network. Every Mississippian deserves access to life-saving care.” “The demand for transplant organs grows every year. Unfortunately, the system to ensure fairness and efficiency in distributing those organs isn’t working well, often to the detriment of patients in the South. This new law provides the tools to begin fixing those shortcomings,” Hyde-Smith said. The new law provides the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with clear authority to expand competition for contracts related to the operation of the OPTN in order to improve management of the organ transplantation system in the United States. It expressly authorizes the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award multiple grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to support the operation of the network. Enacting the legislation is urgent and timely in that it will allow HRSA to implement a new contract procurement process before the current OPTN contract expires. The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency supported the legislation, which was prompted by evidence of consistent mismanagement and underperformance by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the sole organization running the transplant system since its inception decades ago. In early 2022, Wicker and Hyde-Smith signed a letter asking HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to reverse the Biden administration’s flawed national liver distribution policy, … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=303 | Ezell Welcomes Grant to Bring Amtrak Back to Mississippi Gulf Coast | 2023-09-22 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | Congressman Mike Ezell welcomed the award of over $178 million from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to restore a passenger rail route along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. "Bringing passenger rail service back to the Gulf Coast means more jobs and even more tourism for our coastal communities," said Congressman Ezell. "As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I'm proud of the work we've done to strengthen rail infrastructure in South Mississippi and our entire state." The Amtrak line will reconnect New Orleans, LA, and Mobile, AL, with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. The project is funded under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. “This funding is a major step toward the return of passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast and will lead to improved access and economic opportunity for the people of Mississippi and the Coastal South,” said John Robert Smith, Chairman of Transportation for America. “We look forward to continuing our work with Representative Ezell to advance safe, accessible, well-connected transportation throughout Mississippi.” "The Southern Rail Commission is pleased to have played an integral role in the successful CRISI grant award," Southern Rail Commissioner Knox Ross said. "From our first meeting with Congressman Ezell, he has actively supported this project and others, such as the North Rail Connector in Pascagoula, that will add to an already excellent quality of life on our Coast. We look forward to soon being able to say 'Y’all Aboard!'." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-hyde-smith-back-bill-to-stop-use-of-public-health-emergency-to-infringe-on-second-amendment-rights | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Back Bill to Stop Use of ‘Public Health Emergency’ to Infringe on Second Amendment Rights | 2023-09-22 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – With threats of federal or state efforts to promote gun control through emergency declarations, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., again cosponsored legislation to ensure that law abiding Americans do not arbitrarily have their rights stripped in the name of any irresponsible “public health emergency” declaration. Wicker and Hyde-Smith are original cosponsors of the Protecting the Right To Keep and Bear Arms Act of 2023, legislation that would prevent the President, Secretary of Health and Human Services, or other government officials from declaring certain emergencies or disasters for the purpose of imposing gun control. It was reintroduced by U.S. Senator Mike Braun, R-Ind. “Americans have a constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and no disaster or emergency declared by bureaucrats can circumvent that right,” Wicker said. “I will fight any attempt by this Administration to make an end run around the Constitution.” “No emergency declaration will fix the senseless policies that are fueling the violent crime surge in blue cities and states. The use of such a declaration would be an abuse of the power to declare emergencies, violate the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners, and, worse, further erode public confidence in those who govern them,” Hyde-Smith said. “Many said that public health emergencies would not be abused to impose gun control, but after we saw the vast expansion of executive power during COVID and the New Mexico Governor use a public health emergency to effectively suspend the 2nd Amendment in her state, no one can doubt that this needs to be addressed,” said Braun. “We need to set into law that no one can remove the right to defend ourselves and our families with the stroke of a pen.” The Washington Post this week reported that the Biden administration will create a new Office of Gun Violence Prevention in response to “stalled” progress in Congress. A high-profile activist from the Community Justice Action Fund will serve a key rol… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-blasts-biden-administration-for-more-atacms-delays | Wicker Blasts Biden Administration for More ATACMS Delays | 2023-09-21 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON?– U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement in response to press reports that the Biden administration has decided to withhold Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) from military aid to Ukraine: “Does the Biden administration want Ukraine to win, or not?” Wicker said. “Every delay in supplying Ukraine with the tools it needs to secure victory has cost unnecessary lives and prolonged the war. Instead of leading from the front, the President held back for months after Britain and France provided deep-strike missiles. This is yet another example of the dangerous drip-drip-drip approach by the Biden administration, which has failed to give Ukraine a bigger advantage. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-hyde-smith-praise-96-million-u-s-army-contract-for-taylor-defense | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Praise $96 Million U.S. Army Contract for Taylor Defense | 2023-09-21 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today praised a $96,851,697 U.S. Army contract award to Taylor Defense Products, LLC. of Louisville to support the Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH) Modernization program. The award follows a competitive process that selected Taylor Defense to modernize the Army’s existing machines, which are used to transfer heavy shipping containers in the field. “Taylor Defense is a world-class company that makes some of the best heavy duty-equipment for our U.S. military,” Wicker said. “This award is a testament to their work and our state’s expanding role in supporting our service members.” “This sizeable contract represents a true vote of confidence in the terrific work done by Taylor Defense in support of our armed forces. I’m confident the Army will be well-served as this Mississippi company gives it the equipment it needs to move loads effectively,” Hyde-Smith said. Wicker and Hyde-Smith previously praised Taylor Defense for winning a contract to produce the prototype for the modernized RTCH in 2021. The company will work to incorporate new technology to increase RTCH capabilities and extend the system service life of the vehicles. This contract will support the production of field kits and modification kits and transportation, travel, training, and all other ancillary services in support of the program. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-praises-230-4-million-award-to-expand-rail-service-in-mississippi | Wicker Praises $230.4 Million Award to Expand Rail Service in Mississippi | 2023-09-21 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today praised the award of $178,435,333 from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to provide crucial funding to restore passenger rail service along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A second award of $52,000,000 will help reestablish freight rail service along a 35-mile segment of the Gloster Southern Railroad. The two awards totaling $230,435,333 were made possible by yearly appropriations and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Wicker helped negotiate as the lead Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee. "I am thrilled to announce this $178.4 million federal grant to restore passenger rail service along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This is a significant milestone, representing years of dedicated efforts to reconnect our communities after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Restoring passenger rail service will create jobs, improve quality of life, and offer a convenient travel option for tourists, contributing to our region's economic growth and vitality. I appreciate the work of all who have worked tirelessly to bring this project to this point. I look forward to getting this plan across the finish line in the near future with the support of our state and local officials,” Wicker said. “The $52 million award for the Gloster Southern Railroad is another major win for the state of Mississippi. This rail line will support business development in the area, and it is exactly the kind of hard infrastructure investment that is necessary for economic growth,” Wicker added. John Robert Smith, chairman of Transportation for America and former mayor of Meridian, also commented on the award, “For nearly a decade, Senator Wicker has been instrumental in the effort to bring passenger rail to the Gulf Coast. We applaud him for his leadership in creating this source of federal funds to expand and improve our nation’s rail networks. We’re now on the cusp of seeing that dream become reality for the people of the Coastal South.” Southern Rail Commissioner Kno… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-risch-collins-mcconnell-commend-selection-of-lead-ukraine-inspector-general | Wicker, Risch, Collins, McConnell Commend Selection of Lead Ukraine Inspector General | 2023-09-20 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jim Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Susan Collins, R-Maine, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., today offered the following comments in response to the appointment of Hon. Robert P. Storch as the lead Inspector General for the oversight of Ukraine aid: "Taxpayers must have confidence that U.S. aid to Ukraine is being used to support the national interest. I appreciate that the Department of Defense has responded to repeated calls from Senate Republicans to match military aid with significant oversight. Appointing a lead Inspector General will help ensure that Congress supports Ukraine's defense in the most responsible and effective way possible,” Wicker said. “At our insistence, the inspectors general at the State Department, USAID, and Department of Defense are doing a tremendous job at overseeing our assistance to Ukraine,” said Risch. “The appointment of a lead inspector general, which I have advocated for, will enhance the important transparency and accountability work they are doing and ensure no resources are wasted.” “Maintaining strong oversight of U.S. aid to Ukraine is critical to ensuring taxpayer dollars are being well spent while providing Congress with timely, fact-based information,” said Collins. “Congress has appropriated nearly $50 million towards oversight of assistance provided to Ukraine, and hundreds of oversight professionals are working in support of that effort. The appointment of a lead Inspector General will continue such comprehensive and coordinated oversight, helping to increase transparency and provide Ukraine with what it needs to defend and take back its sovereign territory.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-comments-on-gao-barracks-report | Wicker Comments on GAO Barracks Report | 2023-09-19 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON?– U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement in response to a recently released Government Accountability Office (GAO) report examining the state of American military barracks: “This report’s findings are shameful and troubling for the future of our force,” Wicker said. “Our servicemembers deserve a safe place to live and work. Failing to provide this basic necessity harms readiness and discourages recruitment and retention. ?This year's Senate NDAA would add increased oversight, establish basic habitability standards, and add targeted funding to help address some of these challenges. Rest assured that we are committed to ensuring these changes are implemented through conference.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-demands-information-from-pentagon-on-abortion-policy | Wicker Demands Information from Pentagon on Abortion Policy | 2023-09-19 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has called on the Secretary of Defense to support claims made by the Department of Defense regarding their policy of using taxpayer money to fund travel for service members who want to have abortions. Recent unconfirmed reports have suggested that only 12 service members have used the authorities provided by the new abortion policy, despite earlier claims from the Department that reversing the rule would have “significant implications” across the services. “To date, we have yet to receive any substantive data to support these assertions,” Wicker wrote. “I now ask again for the specific data considered by the Department of Defense.” Wicker urged the secretary to end the policy and shift his focus back to deterrence within the military. “The United States is at a pivotal moment for national defense, and there is no time for distractions. When the Department of Defense becomes sidetracked by divisive political sideshows, the missions of deterrence and readiness are the first to suffer,” Wicker wrote. “The Department of Defense’s focus should always be our national defense, not on circumventing Federal law to facilitate abortions. I ask you to rescind these policies immediately.” Read the whole letter here or below. Read more about Wicker’s efforts to keep the military focused on deterrence here. Read previous correspondence with the Department of Defense on their dubious readiness claims related to abortion here and here. Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-1000 Dear Secretary Austin: I request information on the use of the abortion policies concerning reimbursed travel and authorized absence that your department implemented in February 2023. I received information that the total number of women who have been granted administrative absence and reimbursed travel pursuant to this policy is approximately 12. Can you please confirm whether this in… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-comments-on-foreign-military-financing-reprogramming-for-taiwan | Wicker Comments on Foreign Military Financing Reprogramming for Taiwan | 2023-09-14 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement in response to press reports regarding President Biden’s decision to reprogram some $55 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) from Egypt to Taiwan: “The Biden administration’s decision to provide $55 million in foreign military financing to Taiwan is a pittance compared to Taiwan’s enormous needs for self-defense and the United States’ clear national interest in supporting Taipei,” Wicker said. “It is doubly disappointing that rather than requesting standalone FMF funding for Taiwan, as I have repeatedly challenged the administration to do, the president chose to source these funds from a different security partner. This is especially counterproductive since Egypt has proven receptive to this administration's human rights concerns. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-urges-navy-nominee-to-keep-focus-on-china-shipbuilding-aukus | Wicker Urges Navy Nominee to Keep Focus on China, Shipbuilding, AUKUS | 2023-09-14 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led his colleagues in a full committee hearing examining the nomination of Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti, USN, to become the next Chief of Naval Operations. In his remarks, Wicker observed that China’s naval buildup and the United States’ shrinking navy leave our national defense as unprepared as it was in 1941. “While China builds its maritime strength, American command of the sea is increasingly at risk …This crisis is nothing short of historic,” Wicker said.?“We are as unprepared for a strategic surprise from China as our Pacific fleet was for a Japanese attack on the eve of Pearl Harbor in 1941. We need to act.” Specifically, Wicker outlined the need for substantial investment in the defense industrial base. Wicker has been a strong advocate for improving submarine construction and maintenance availabilities, especially in light of the Australia-United Kingdom-U.S. (AUKUS) agreement to share U.S. submarine technology. Wicker also raised ongoing challenges with surface ship repairs and amphibious warship procurement. “We should be producing somewhere between 2.3 to 2.5 attack submarines a year to fulfill our own requirements as we implement AUKUS,” Wicker said. “Instead, we are down to building 1.2 attack submarines per year, as compared to the required 2.3 to 2.5. The path back toward 2 per year is based on hopes and wishes.”? In his exchange with Admiral Franchetti, Wicker discussed the need to meet the navy’s submarine requirements while also fulfilling prospective AUKUS obligations. The Admiral agreed that the Navy is currently far from meeting minimum submarine requirements. Wicker also pressed the nominee for a commitment to advocate for block-buys of amphibious warships, an acquisition strategy that would save considerable amounts of taxpayer money, which she failed to provide. Click here to view Senator Wicker’s exchange with Admiral Franchetti. Read Senator Wicker’s remarks as delivered bel… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/legislative-session | LEGISLATIVE SESSION | 2023-09-13 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Cindy Hyde-Smith | H001079 | www.hydesmith.senate.gov | hydesmith | https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom | scraper | LEGISLATIVE SESSION Congressional Record Vol. 169, No. 148 (Senate - September 13, 2023) PDF Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, I am pleased the Senate is beginning consideration of the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bills. Let me begin my remarks by thanking Chairman Murray and Vice Chairman Collins for their strong leadership in advancing these bills through committee and now to the Senate floor. This returns to regular order, which is long overdue and is a testament to what we can accomplish through a committed bipartisanship. I also want to thank Senator Schatz, the chairman of the T-HUD Subcommittee. He has been a delight to work with and has been very, very pleasant to go through this and help me. The fiscal year 2024 Transportation, Housing, Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill is a bipartisan and fiscally responsible bill that has passed unanimously--a 29-to-0 vote in July-- by the full Appropriations Committee. There are a few important aspects of the bill that I would like to highlight. First, I want to stress that this bipartisan bill incorporates input and requests from more than 80 Senators from both sides of the aisle. The bill provides adequate resources for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to administer the many important programs and activities under their jurisdictions. These programs protect public health and safety, promote economic growth, and improve the overall quality of life for all Americans. The bill includes $28.5 billion for DOT and $73 billion for HUD, as well as funding for small independent Agencies like the Federal Maritime Commission and the National Transportation Safety Board. With this bill, we are continuing to foster and grow the safest and most reliable transportation system in the world. The bill makes key investments in our transportation infrastructure, including $800 million for t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-hyde-smith-encourage-students-to-apply-for-u-s-senate-youth-program | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Encourage Students to Apply for U.S. Senate Youth Program | 2023-09-13 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today encouraged Mississippi juniors and seniors involved in student leadership to apply for the 2024 U.S. Senate Youth Program (USSYP). The highly-selective USSYP will provide $10,000 college scholarships to two Magnolia State delegates, who must be juniors or seniors and elected or appointed student officers for the 2023-2024 academic year. The delegates from Mississippi will join 102 other delegates to attend the 62nd Annual Washington Week from March 2-9, 2024. “For 62 years, the U.S. Senate Youth Program has provided the incredible opportunity for students to see their government and policymaking firsthand,” Wicker said. “I encourage all eligible Mississippians to apply to represent our state.” “There are so many young leaders across our state and I hope many of them will apply to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate Youth Program. This well-established and respected program offers chances for students to meet with national leaders and network with peers from across the country,” Hyde-Smith said. The U.S. Senate established the USSYP in 1962 to introduce student leaders to the federal government and public policy. It is fully funded and administered by the nonprofit Hearst Foundation. Washington Week activities include meetings with U.S. Senators, cabinet members, State and Defense Department officials, senior members of the national media, and other policymakers. Interested students can review the USSYP 2024 Washington Week brochure and visit https://www.ussenateyouth.org for more information. The Mississippi Department of Education has set a September 29 deadline for applications to the program. The Mississippi USSYP application is available here. To apply, students should also contact their high school principal or Mississippi’s state selection administrator: Mrs. Sandra Hilliard Coordinator of Recognition Programs Office of Teaching and Learning, Division of Educator Effectiveness Mississippi Department of Edu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-promotes-competition-in-va-acquisition-process | Wicker Promotes Competition in VA Acquisition Process | 2023-09-13 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today introduced the Vetting for Equal Treatment of Small (VETS) Business Act, which would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a report to Congress about competition among suppliers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The legislation would encourage the VA to ensure small businesses can compete fairly for federal contracts. “Promoting competition and access to federal opportunities for small businesses is critical, especially at the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Wicker said. “Strong supply chains depend on a diverse group of suppliers to keep costs low. The VETS Business Act is focused on promoting competition, supporting small businesses, and ensuring cost savings for the American taxpayer." This legislation is in response to issues regarding the VA’s acquisition process. In May, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) admitted that the VA is struggling to manage that process effectively, placing a burden on U.S. taxpayers. Small business VA suppliers have also expressed concerns about their capability to compete for VA medical supply contracts. The VETS Business Act would require a report modeled after the 2022 report of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment entitled “State of Competition within the Defense Industrial Base.” The report would determine problems and provide recommendations for reform. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=299 | Ezell Votes to Sanction and Condemn Iran; Draws Attention to Disastrous Biden Policies | 2023-09-12 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | House | MS | Mike Ezell | E000235 | ezell.house.gov | ezell | https://ezell.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 | scraper | Congressman Mike Ezell joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to vote for a package of legislation aimed at Iran's nuclear missile efforts and human rights abuses. The package included the Fight CRIME Act, which Congressman Ezell cosponsored. "I'm proud to take these votes tonight to sanction the repressive Iranian regime," said Congressman Ezell. "Their pursuit of a nuclear missile threatens the entire Middle East, and we must continue to use economic sanctions and international pressure to prevent them from ever attaining that goal." The votes come just one day after President Biden notified Congress of his intentions to release $6 billion in sanctioned funds to Iran as part of a prisoner exchange. The deal also includes the swap of five Iranian prisoners for five American prisoners. While the Biden administration claims the funds will only be used for humanitarian purposes, Iran's president told NBC news his government would allocate the money "wherever we need it." "On the twenty-second anniversary of 9/11, this administration decided to give the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism six billion dollars," Congressman Ezell said. "While I'm glad these American prisoners are being freed, President Biden's disastrous deal gives our enemies more incentive to hold Americans hostage. We cannot continue to display this kind of weakness on the world stage." | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/remembering-jimmy-buffett-executive-session | REMEMBERING JIMMY BUFFETT (Executive Session) | 2023-09-12 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Cindy Hyde-Smith | H001079 | www.hydesmith.senate.gov | hydesmith | https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom | scraper | Congressional Record Vol. 169, No. 147 (Senate - September 12, 2023) PDF Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the remarkable life of a legendary native of Mississippi whose music is synonymous with the spirit of summertime and enjoying life: Jimmy Buffett. Born in Pascagoula, MS, Jimmy Buffett's journey began in the heart of the South. His music touches the heart of those well beyond Mississippi or the South, but there is no denying Jimmy's music embodies the very essence of the South, with its warm hospitality, vibrant culture, and distinctive charm. Jimmy's early years were filled with the sights and sounds of Mississippi. The Sun shining over the Gulf of Mexico and many other beautiful experiences of the South would later inspire some of his most beloved songs. But it was Jimmy's great appetite for adventure that ultimately propelled him to worldwide fame. He embarked on a journey that would take him to the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, and beyond those changes in latitudes. Amid more than 40 musical tours throughout his career, he churned his talents into a diverse business empire and charitable works. As we reflect on the legacy of this son of a son of a sailor, we cannot help but be inspired by Jimmy Buffett's unyielding commitment to following his dreams and embracing life. His songs transport us to sandy beaches, where the stresses of life fade away. He reminds us that sometimes we all need to kick back, relax, and take a moment to savor the simple pleasures of life. As Jimmy would put it, ``it's 5 o'clock somewhere.'' In honoring Jimmy Buffett, we celebrate the man who, through his music, brought us with him on many of his adventures around the Sun, from the Pascagoula Run to the shores of paradise, and we are all better for it. I have so much gratitude for the joy, laughter, and the inspiration that Jimmy Buffett brought into so many Americans' lives. His music is a timeless reminder that no matter where we come from, we can all find a bit of p… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-hyde-smith-back-bill-to-block-biden-attack-on-school-hunting-archery-programs | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Back Bill to Block Biden Attack on School Hunting, Archery Programs | 2023-09-08 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today cosponsored the Allowing for Recreational Resources for Outdoor Wellness (ARROW) Act to stop the Biden administration from withholding funding for elementary and secondary schools with hunting and archery programs. The legislation would clarify that the prohibition of the use of federal education funds for certain weapons does not apply to the use of funds for sports clubs, teams, trainings, or related activities provided for students. “It is outrageous that the Biden administration would cut hunting and archery programs that help decrease gun-related hunting accidents,” Wicker said. “The ARROW Act would preserve these important programs, which train students how to practice their Constitutional right responsibly.” “The Biden Education Department’s kneejerk liberal anti-gun policy demonstrates just how much it does not understand or appreciate the valuable lessons instilled in youth who take part in hunter education and archery programs,” Hyde-Smith said. “I fully support this legislation to protect these programs and to stop these misguided threats to withhold funding to schools that offer them.” U.S. Senator John Barrasso, R-Wyo., introduced the ARROW Act in response to the Biden administration’s blatant misinterpretation of a gun control law to justify blocking funding for schools with hunter education and archery programs. The bill follows a Barrasso-led letter signed by Wicker and Hyde-Smith that encouraged President Biden and his administration to withdraw any plans to block funding for schools with hunting and archery programs. The National Rifle Association, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Safari Club International, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and other organizations support the ARROW Act. Every year, more than 500,000 students participate and are certified through hunter education courses. These programs have decreased hunting accidents by over 50 percent. According to the National Archery in Schools… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-06T18:35:26Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/9/wicker-rogers-press-stratcom-for-answers-on-iranian-propagandist-speaking-invitation | Wicker, Rogers Press STRATCOM for Answers on Iranian Propagandist Speaking Invitation | 2023-09-01 | 2023 | 2023-09 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, today issued a letter to United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM), demanding a full accounting of why an Iranian propagandist and former regime official participated as a keynote speaker in a STRATCOM-sponsored event. Press reports and a STRATCOM official statement indicate that Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a former spokesman for the Iranian nuclear negotiating team and a former senior staffer for the regime’s Supreme National Security Council, was a featured participant in the August 2023 STRATCOM Deterrence Symposium. In addition to Mousavian’s former posts supporting the regime, he continues to demonstrate sympathy and support for the adversarial government. In 2020, Mousavian termed Iranian terrorist Qassem Soleimani a “hero fighting terrorism” and has repeatedly mocked American officials living under the threat of assassination by Iranian-backed actors because of their role in formulating tough-on-Iran policies. The Armed Services leaders criticized the decision to allow Mousavian to engage in the forum, expressing concern that it suggests insufficient focus on the increasingly pressing nuclear threats from American adversaries – including Iran. “Providing Mousavian with an officially sanctioned U.S. Government platform for spreading historical falsehoods and Iranian regime propaganda is profoundly ill-advised,” the lawmakers wrote. “The decision to invite Mousavian to address its Deterrence Symposium calls into question the judgement of any personnel involved in such a decision, and leads us to question whether the command is appropriately focused on meeting the rapidly growing strategic threats to the United States and its allies.” Read the full letter here or below. August 31, 2023 General Anthony J. Cotton U.S. Strategic Command 900 SAC BLVD Offutt Air Force Base, NE 68113-6020 Dear General Cotton, We write with deep… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:37:48Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/8/wicker-travels-mississippi-to-meet-with-constituents | Wicker Travels Mississippi to Meet With Constituents | 2023-08-31 | 2023 | 2023-08 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | JACKSON, MISS. – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today released a new video highlighting his recent travel throughout Mississippi in the month of August. “By the end of the month, we will have been in every corner and region of the state,” Wicker said about his travel. Wicker hit the road in August to meet with Mississippians and highlight his recent work on economic development and national security. The video features footage from a joint meeting with the Forest Rotary and Lions Club, visits to the 172nd Airlift Wing and Tougaloo College, and a groundbreaking in Madison County. Senator Wicker has also highlighted other stops across the state on his social media, including a joint Farm Bill roundtable with U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and John Boozman, R-Ark., visits to local businesses like Robert St. John’s Loblolly Bakery, and several celebrations like the 20th Anniversary of Airbus Helicopters in Mississippi. “The opportunity to meet Mississippians face to face where they live and work and hear their concerns is one of my most important duties,” Wicker said. See below for a full transcript of the video. TRANSCRIPT: SENATOR WICKER: By the end of the month, we will have been in every corner of the state. And it’s an opportunity to meet with state leaders, but also a lot of small towns, a lot of county seat courthouses, all over the state. I really appreciate the opportunity to listen to the people and see what they’re thinking. We’ve got inflation. Biden came in and he pushed through $2 trillion in stimulus. We wouldn’t have the situation we have now if he hadn’t made those mistakes. The fact that I have an opportunity to provide jobs for Mississippians, to have a leadership role in one of the most important committees of our Senate, the Armed Services Committee, the committee where the legislation originates to keep our citizens safe. Also at the same time, send a signal to our adversaries not to try anything. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:30:18Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/8/wicker-celebrates-economic-development-projects | Wicker Celebrates Economic Development Projects | 2023-08-29 | 2023 | 2023-08 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | JACKSON, MISS. – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today released a new video highlighting his work on economic development projects in Mississippi. The video features the senator’s recent visits to Hattiesburg and Madison County for the groundbreaking of two infrastructure projects supported by federal funds. During the video, the senator highlighted the benefits of long-term investments for growth in Mississippi. Senator Wicker, along with other members of the Mississippi congressional delegation, has been a champion of both the Hall Avenue West Overpass and Madison County Reunion Interchange projects. The senator has been a strong advocate for hard infrastructure projects in the state. Both projects will ease traffic for the communities, increase safety, and support job creation. See below for a full transcript of the video. For more information on these projects, see Senator Wicker’s column here. TRANSCRIPT: NEWS ANCHOR: Drivers in Madison will soon have an easier way around the city. Reunion Parkway will connect I-55, Highway 51, and Bozeman Road. SENATOR WICKER: This means jobs for Mississippians. This means safety. And this will save lives. SENATOR HYDE-SMITH: This is a growing area, and this is so needed for this area. And the people of Madison County have just turned out today to celebrate progress, prosperity. But it’s vision from this county that has brought us here. SENATOR WICKER: This is the kind of federal program that the taxpayers see a benefit in. This is going to get us back on track. NEWS ANCHOR: Big day for Hattiesburg. Construction of the western portion of the city’s Hall Avenue overpass project has begun. MAYOR BARKER: Gone are the days when these neighborhoods are completely cut off from other parts of the city, when a train is across the tracks. And the biggest reason we are here today is because of a statesman named Roger Wicker. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:30:18Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/8/wicker-armed-services-republicans-call-for-halt-to-border-wall-material-auctions | Wicker, Armed Services Republicans Call for Halt to Border Wall Material Auctions | 2023-08-22 | 2023 | 2023-08 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led all Republican members of the Committee in demanding the Department of Defense halt the sale of border wall construction materials after reports that the Department was moving quickly to dispose of the parts before the provisions of Wicker’s FINISH It Act could be implemented. “We are deeply disappointed to learn that rather than using construction materials that were purchased to secure the southwest border for that purpose, the Department of Defense has begun auctioning these materials off for other purposes,” the senators wrote. “These auctions represent a brazen attempt to circumvent the FINISH IT Act, which was included in both the House and Senate FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act.” Wicker, as ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, worked with Republicans to insert the legislation, which would force the administration to allow the materials to be used to complete sections of the southern border wall, in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA passed the Senate with a broad bipartisan majority, and the provisions of the FINISH It Act were also included the House-passed version of the NDAA. In addition to halting all further auctions of border wall materials and requesting detailed information on the current sales, the letter calls for the administration to direct the Department of Defense Inspector General to investigate Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs Melissa Dalton for her failure to provide Congress accurate and timely information about the use of these border wall construction materials. The Senate Armed Services Committee Republicans pledge not to consent to a confirmation hearing for the nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy until the senators’ concerns are addressed. Senators who signed the letter include Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Dan… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:30:18Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/8/wicker-hyde-smith-join-colleagues-in-calling-out-biden-s-attack-on-school-hunting-archery-programs | Wicker, Hyde-Smith Join Colleagues in Calling Out Biden’s Attack on School Hunting, Archery Programs | 2023-08-16 | 2023 | 2023-08 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., joined 17 of their Republican Senate colleagues in a letter to President Biden urging his administration to withdraw its plans to block funding for elementary and secondary schools with hunting and archery programs. Led by U.S. Senator John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the letter condemns the Biden administration’s purposeful misinterpretation of last year’s gun control bill to justify blocking funding for schools with these outdoor recreation programs. More than 500,000 students participate and are certified through hunter education courses each year. These important programs help students learn how to handle firearms safely — in turn, decreasing firearm-related injuries and accidents. In the letter, the senators urge President Biden to withdraw this guidance immediately and support hunter education and archery programs in schools across the country. “While the administration claims to be eliminating dangerous activities, this guidance will, in fact, have the opposite effect. These programs provided thousands of students with the opportunity to learn proper instruction for firearm and archery safety,” the senators wrote. “By including hunter education in schools, students are given the tools to be safe and responsible hunters. It is now clearer than ever that the Biden Administration will use the bill to attack the constitutional rights of Americans.” In addition to Wicker, Hyde-Smith, and Barrasso, co-signers include U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., John Thune, R-S.D., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., John Kennedy, R-La., Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Rick Scott, R-Fla., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Steve Daines, R-Mont., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. The full text of the letter can be found here or below. Dear President Biden, We write to express our deep concern about the Biden Administration’s attempt to use the gun … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:30:18Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/8/wicker-calls-out-lack-of-aukus-support-in-defense-supplemental-request | Wicker Calls Out Lack of AUKUS Support in Defense Supplemental Request | 2023-08-11 | 2023 | 2023-08 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today commented on the omission of submarine industrial base funding from a proposed supplemental funding request submitted to Congress by the White House: “This request unwisely neglects the necessary submarine industrial base investments to ensure the success of the AUKUS agreement,” Wicker said. “President Biden has missed a near-term opportunity to send a clear signal of deterrence to China and a show of commitment to Australia. “If we hope to realize the full potential of the AUKUS deal, it is imperative that the president articulate an achievable plan of action to increase American submarine production that meets both American and Australian needs. The enhanced security of the United States and our partners depends on our mutual collaboration and cooperation.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:30:18Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/8/wicker-celebrates-defense-bill-passage-with-visit-to-mississippi-base | Wicker Celebrates Defense Bill Passage with Visit to Mississippi Base | 2023-08-10 | 2023 | 2023-08 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | JACKSON, MISS. – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today released a new video highlighting his work on the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which recently passed the U.S. Senate. The video features the senator’s visit to the Mississippi Air National Guard’s 172nd Airlift Wing, which is based in Jackson. During his visit, the senator highlighted a 5.2% pay raise for service members and funding for the tools and capabilities necessary to support the military. The senator has been a strong advocate for increased military funding in his role as ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. See below for a full transcript of the video. Soundtrack-free video and B-roll is also available for download here. For more information on this year’s National Defense Authorization Act and its expected impact on Mississippi, click here. TRANSCRIPT: NEWS ANCHOR: The National Defense Authorization Act passed in the Senate. The NDAA authorizes ten new Navy ships and provides a 5.2% pay hike for military personnel. SENATOR WICKER: This is my first meeting with actual servicemen and women since the passage in the Senate the other day of the National Defense Authorization Act. It's a great chance for me to be back in Mississippi and to talk to the actual people who step forward to join the military and our all-volunteer force and agree to put themselves in harm's way. This is the sort of thing that we need more of and the sort of thing that we try to provide funds for. It is part of our peace through strength effort worldwide. We have more support for the Air National Guard in the NDAA bill. Those of us on my side of the aisle are making the case that we're really not where we need to be in terms of aircraft, ships, amphibious ships, submarines. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:30:18Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/8/icymi-wicker-efforts-hold-military-service-academies-accountable-for-woke-instruction-training | ICYMI: Wicker Efforts Hold Military Service Academies Accountable for ‘Woke’ Instruction, Training | 2023-08-08 | 2023 | 2023-08 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON– In case you missed it, this weekend the Washington Examiner editorial board highlighted recent oversight work by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, into the use of toxic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies at national military academies. After learning that the United States Air Force Academy had been improperly classifying DEI instruction materials to prevent their disclosure to the public, Wicker pressed the Academy to end the practice so that the American public could have a full accounting of the scope, scale, and content of DEI instruction. The effort follows the passage of Wicker’s MERIT Act in the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act, which also included several other provisions that keep the military focused on its primary mission of warfighting, not wokeness. The Washington Examiner applauded Wicker’s oversight efforts in an Aug. 6 editorial, calling it “good news” for American taxpayers interested in accountability at our service academies. Read the full editorial below or here. Read more about Wicker’s MERIT Act and other important deterrence-focused provisions in the FY24 NDAA here. The DEI threat to our military academies August 6, 2023 By: Washington Examiner Editors The U.S. military’s failure to prepare adequately to protect the nation’s security is perhaps most evident in the military academies. Here, young cadets are supposed to be trained for a career of service to the country as officers. These once-venerable institutions, which claim to prioritize "duty," "honor," "country," and "excellence," have become vectors for leftist ideology. Today, they all too often emphasize diversity over honor, equity over excellence, and inclusion over duty. We know this because of multiple reports exposing divisive DEI curricula in the academies and firsthand accounts from current cadets. Two Air Force Academy cadets, for example, wrote about their experiences confronting this divisive ideology in op-eds for the Washi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:30:18Z |
| https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/8/wicker-statement-on-unprecedented-combined-china-russia-naval-exercise-near-alaska | Wicker Statement on Unprecedented Combined China-Russia Naval Exercise Near Alaska | 2023-08-07 | 2023 | 2023-08 | Republican | Senate | MS | Roger F. Wicker | W000437 | www.wicker.senate.gov | wicker | https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today commented on the ongoing combined China-Russia naval exercises near Alaska: “The scale and complexity of this Russian and Chinese naval deployment is unprecedented,” Wicker said. “While I am glad the U.S. Navy deployed four destroyers and a P-8 aircraft to monitor the fleet, the exercise serves as a stark signal that generational investments in U.S. shipbuilding and ship maintenance to maintain deterrence are more necessary than ever. “President Biden has a near-term opportunity to send a signal to both Beijing and Moscow by including funding to implement the AUKUS deal fully in his upcoming supplemental request. I look forward to seeing a comprehensive plan to improve America’s ability to manufacture and maintain our most important conventional capability, the Virginia-class submarine.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:30:18Z |
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