url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-applauds-passage-of-amendment-providing-compensation-to-terrorism-victims,Cotton Applauds Passage of Amendment Providing Compensation to Terrorism Victims,2022-12-22,2022,2022-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 December 22, 2022 Cotton Applauds Passage of Amendment Providing Compensation to Terrorism Victims Washington, D.C. — The Senate passed today Senator Tom Cotton’s (R-Arkansas) legislation that will extend financial compensation to American victims of terrorism and their families. Introduced with Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), the legislation will also extend coverage to victims of the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing and their families and increase the available funds to help satisfy their judgments. “The passage of this amendment will direct funding to the brave Americans who were the targets of brutal terrorist attacks. The victims of acts of terrorism like 9/11 and the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing cannot be compensated fully for their losses, but this legislation will help repay the debt of gratitude America owes them,” said Cotton. Video of Senator Cotton speaking on the amendment can be found here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:32:05Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/-cotton-boozman-pay-tribute-to-fallen-arkansas-law-enforcement-officers,"Cotton, Boozman Pay Tribute to Fallen Arkansas Law Enforcement Officers",2022-12-21,2022,2022-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 December 21, 2022 Cotton, Boozman Pay Tribute to Fallen Arkansas Law Enforcement Officers Click here to watch the remarks WASHINGTON, D.C.–– Arkansas U.S. Senators Tom Cotton and John Boozman paid tribute on the Senate floor to the service and sacrifice of Benton County Sheriff’s Detective Paul Newell, Stuttgart Police Sergeant Donald Scoby, and Jonesboro Police Officer Vincent Parks. “All of Arkansas mourns the loss of these brave men in uniform. Their courage and selflessness will not soon be forgotten. I pray that God will bring their families and loved ones the peace that comes from knowing their sacrifice was not in vain,” Cotton said. “These individuals selflessly volunteer for this duty while accepting that the dangers of the job also put them in harm’s way. It takes a special person to take on that responsibility, and that fact must never be lost on us,” Boozman said. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:32:05Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/12/16/2022/cotton-statement-on-senate-passage-of-ndaa,Cotton Statement on Senate Passage of NDAA,2022-12-16,2022,2022-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 December 16, 2022 Cotton Statement on Senate Passage of NDAA Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act: “Our troops pledge their lives to the defense of the United States, and this bill gives them more support and funding to perform that important mission. It invests significantly more than President Biden called for, and it also excludes the worst aspects of the Democrats’ social engineering plans, like forcing women into the draft, gender-based fitness tests for ground-combat jobs, and ‘extremism’ training. I’m also pleased that this bill includes increased research and development for our nuclear defense, as well as for bolstering the munitions our military needs. While we must remain vigilant, America is now better prepared to ward off her enemies.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:32:05Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-stuttgart-officer-killed-in-line-of-duty,Cotton Statement on Stuttgart Officer Killed in Line of Duty,2022-12-15,2022,2022-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 December 15, 2022 Cotton Statement on Stuttgart Officer Killed in Line of Duty Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after Stuttgart police officer Sergeant Donald Scoby was shot and killed in the line of duty Wednesday night: “Sergeant Donald Scoby died serving the community he loved and swore to protect—there is no more noble end to life on this earth. May God grant Sergeant Scoby’s family peace as all of Arkansas mourns his loss. We will not forget his service and bravery.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:32:05Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-van-hollen-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-cut-huawei-and-chinese-5g-companies-off-from-us-banks,"Cotton, Van Hollen, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Cut Huawei and Chinese 5G Companies off from U.S. Banks",2022-12-13,2022,2022-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 December 13, 2022 Cotton, Van Hollen, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Cut Huawei and Chinese 5G Companies off from U.S. Banks Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced a bill with Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Rick Scott (R-Florida) to severely sanction Chinese technology company Huawei and other untrustworthy Chinese 5G producers who engage in economic espionage against the United States. This bill would add these entities to the Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List, which would effectively freeze them from accessing the U.S. financial system. Congressman Mike Gallagher (WI-08) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. In October, the Department of Justice charged two Chinese intelligence officials for collaborating with Huawei to obstruct the federal government’s investigation of the company. The FBI also recently revealed that Huawei gear was found in cell towers near several U.S. nuclear missile bases and that signals from these towers could interfere with the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Bill text is here. “We’ve made great strides in recent years at home and abroad in combatting Huawei’s malign attempts to dominate 5G and steal Americans’ data. However, the fight is not finished. Huawei is an arm of Chinese intelligence. We cannot allow Huawei and the Chinese Communist Party to have access to Americans’ personal data and our country’s most sensitive defense systems. We must address the dire threat these Chinese companies pose to our national security,” saidSen. Cotton. “Foreign companies that spy on the U.S. and violate our laws should face severe consequences. Huawei is a repeat offender. This bipartisan bill will bolster our national defenses by further sanctioning Huawei and other similar bad actors seeking to undermine our security,” saidSen. Van Hollen. “I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the NETWORKS Act which will implement strict sanctions on companies like Huawei that spy on Americans and put our national security at risk. I’ve been very clear about the threat we face from technology companies controlled by Communist China and other enemies that are known for espionage and theft of American technology. For too long, the United States has allowed one of our biggest adversaries into the most sensitive areas of our lives, but that must end. We must pass the NETWORKS Act immediately and hold these companies accountable,” said Sen. Scott. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:32:05Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-brittney-griner-prisoner-swap,Cotton Statement on Brittney Griner Prisoner Swap,2022-12-08,2022,2022-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 December 8, 2022 Cotton Statement on Brittney Griner Prisoner Swap Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on the prisoner swap with Russia: “Joe Biden’s prisoner swap with Vladimir Putin released Viktor Bout, the notorious ‘Merchant of Death’ who armed America’s worst enemies. And it left behind Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran who’s languishing in a Russian jail cell on trumped-up charges. Americans welcome the release of Brittney Griner, but it shouldn’t have come at the cost of releasing one of the world’s worst arms dealers and creating a dangerous precedent for our enemies: detain Americans and Democrats will agree to set your worst killers free.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:32:05Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-legislation-to-overturn-biden-esg-retirement-savings-rule,Cotton Introduces Legislation to Overturn Biden ESG Retirement Savings Rule,2022-12-01,2022,2022-12,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 December 1, 2022 Cotton Introduces Legislation to Overturn Biden ESG Retirement Savings Rule Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced legislation today that would overturn the Biden administration’s new rule allowing retirement plans to prioritize ESG factors like climate change and racial justice over maximizing shareholder value. Bill text is here. “Retirement plans should prioritize investments with the highest return, not ESG scams,” saidSen. Cotton. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:32:05Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-urge-president-biden-to-block-chinese-data-sharing-platform,"Cotton, Colleagues Urge President Biden to Block Chinese Data-Sharing Platform",2022-11-30,2022,2022-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 November 30, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Urge President Biden to Block Chinese Data-Sharing Platform Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Congresswoman Michelle Steel (CA-48) today sent a letter to President Biden warning of the danger that a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) controlled maritime data-sharing platform, LOGINK, poses to U.S. military and commercial interests. The letter detailed how the CCP could use the sensitive data LOGINK collects to increase its insight and influence over international maritime trade, port infrastructure, and possibly even U.S. military activities. The letter also asks the president to describe efforts his administration has taken thus far to counter LOGINK. In part, the members wrote: “The CCP could exploit their control over LOGINK to identify early trends in the movement of U.S. military supplies and equipment through commercial ports while denying other countries the same data on Chinese military assets. The CCP could gain valuable intelligence regarding U.S. supply chains and use this knowledge to imperil our supply of critical resources. The CCP can also capitalize on LOGINK data to confer commercial advantages to Chinese firms and skew the marketplace away from U.S. firms.” Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), as well as Representatives Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Brian Babin (TX-36), Ben Cline (VA-06), Eric “Rick” Crawford (AR-01), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Mike Gallagher (WI-08), Carlos Gimenez (FL-26), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Lisa McClain (MI-10), Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), (Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Austin Scott (GA-08), Gregory Steube (FL-17), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Ann Wagner (MO-02), and Randy Weber (TX-14) joined the letter. Full text of the letter may be found here and below. November 30, 2022 President Joseph R. Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Biden, We write to urge you to take action to halt the spread of LOGINK, a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) controlled digital platform for maritime data-sharing. The LOGINK logistics platform, which first spread outside of China in 2010, is both subsidized and promoted by the Chinese Ministry of Transport. It is now used by over 20 global ports and has the potential to collect massive amounts of sensitive business and foreign government data, such as corporate registries and vessel and cargo data. Most notably, many ports in South Korea and Japan, the hubs of the U.S. military presence in the Indo-Pacific, are already tied to a network linked with LOGINK. LOGINK is also spreading to Europe and now includes ports in Spain and Portugal. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) recently identified this as a threat to the United States and reported that the CCP plans to use LOGINK to strengthen its influence over international maritime trade and port infrastructure. The widespread adoption of the LOGINK platform creates a strategic risk for U.S. commercial and military interests. The CCP could exploit their control over LOGINK to identify early trends in the movement of U.S. military supplies and equipment through commercial ports while denying other countries the same data on Chinese military assets. The CCP could gain valuable intelligence regarding U.S. supply chains and use this knowledge to imperil our supply of critical resources. The CCP can also capitalize on LOGINK data to confer commercial advantages to Chinese firms and skew the marketplace away from U.S. firms. The expansion of LOGINK, if left unchecked, could give the CCP a roadmap to gain a stranglehold on the arteries of global trade and data flows, a key aim of their Belt-and-Road Initiative (BRI). With the data that a global LOGINK system could provide, the CCP could efficiently identify vital transportation nodes necessary to control the physical movement of goods. This would be a disaster for American interests. For the reasons highlighted above, we respectfully request answers to the following questions, within all applicable rules and regulations, no later than January 11, 2023: 1.Does your administration agree that the Chinese Communist Party having access to sensitive U.S. government and military shipping data poses a threat to national security? 2.What steps has your administration taken to protect sensitive U.S. government and military shipping data from LOGINK and other logistics management platforms run by or affiliated with potential adversaries? 3.Has your administration identified any U.S. platforms or platforms from ally or partner nations that could serve as secure alternatives to LOGINK? If so, please list them. 4.What actions has your administration taken to counter attempts by China at international standards-setting bodies to spread LOGINK or similar systems globally? 5.What discussions has your administration had with allied and partner governments, particularly Japan and South Korea, on the potential threat that this system may pose to the U.S. military presence in their countries? 6.Has your administration raised the need to halt the spread of LOGINK, or other concerns about LOGINK, as part of the administration’s current bilateral and multilateral economic efforts in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere? Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to receiving your response. Sincerely, ____________________ ____________________ Tom Cotton Michelle Steel United States Senator Member of Congress ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:24:37Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-sullivan-introduce-bill-to-support-9/11-beirut-bombing-victims,"Cotton, Sullivan Introduce Bill to Support 9/11, Beirut Bombing Victims",2022-11-30,2022,2022-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 November 30, 2022 Cotton, Sullivan Introduce Bill to Support 9/11, Beirut Bombing Victims Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today introduced the Fairness for American Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Act, which would expand and improve a federal program that helps terrorist attack victims and their families get justice. Specifically, the bill repurposes no-longer-needed COVID-19 funding to help American victims of terrorism recover court-awarded payments for acts of terrorism committed by foreign nations. It would expand and improve H.R. 8987, the Fairness for 9/11 Victims Act, by extending coverage to victims of the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing and their families and increasing the available funds to help satisfy their judgments. Bill text is here. “The pandemic is long over—unnecessary funding should shift to more worthy causes, like helping U.S. victims of terror attacks. This legislation will allocate funding to ensure that the brave Americans who were killed in brutal attacks like 9/11 and the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing are repaid the debt of gratitude America owes,” said Cotton. “I would like to thank Senator Cotton and Senator Sullivan for their leadership. I am honored to support this bill. I know 1983 is a long time ago, and the bombing has faded in the public’s memory. But it’s something I live with every day. All these years later, it would rub salt in the wound if the family members of those who were lost are left behind again. I can’t believe that is what Congress intends. We have always had support from leaders on both sides of the aisle and I hope that continues,” said Paul Rivers, a former Marine sergeant who survived the bombing in Beirut after being buried alive for two hours. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-OH) is cosponsoring the bill. A brief overview of the bill is below. The bill would: Repurpose nearly $3 billion in unspent CARES Act pandemic funds to provide ""catch-up"" funds for 9/11 victims and their families who were previously excluded from the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund; Amend the law to allow victims of the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing and their families to join the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund, just as excluded 9/11 victims and their families were allowed to join the fund in 2019; Repurpose an additional $3 billion in unspent American Rescue Plan Act pandemic funds to provide ""catch-up"" funds for the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing victims and their families who were previously excluded from the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund; Direct the nearly $2 billion in estimated leftover funds after the catch-up payments to 9/11 victims and Beirut Marine families back to the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund, to be distributed fairly to 9/11 and non-9/11 American victims of terrorism; and Provide oversight of the catch-up payments through a Government Accountability Office audit to ensure that catch-up payments put American victims of terrorism on equal footing and don't result in anyone receiving more than their court-awarded judgments. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:24:37Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/11/24/2022/cotton-statement-on-thanksgiving,Cotton Statement on Thanksgiving,2022-11-24,2022,2022-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 November 24, 2022 Cotton Statement on Thanksgiving Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on Thanksgiving: “More than four centuries ago, our Pilgrim fathers joined with the Wampanoag tribe for the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims suffered many hardships and trials in the wilderness of the New World, but they bowed their heads and thanked God for giving them a special mission here on Earth. Today, the nation they helped to build stretches thousands of miles from Plymouth Rock to the shimmering shores of the Pacific. We have much to be grateful for as a nation. But most of all, we should be grateful that our special mission continues. From the Cotton family to yours, we wish you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:24:37Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-expresses-concern-over-european-commission-jurisdiction-claim,Cotton Expresses Concern Over European Commission Jurisdiction Claim,2022-11-21,2022,2022-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 November 21, 2022 Cotton Expresses Concern Over European Commission Jurisdiction Claim Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to the German Ambassador and the Austrian Chargé d’Affaires detailing potential problems with the European Commission’s decision to invoke Article 22 of the EU Merger Regulations to review a deal between U.S. companies. The Commission’s use of Article 22 last year to review the Illumina/Grail acquisition is an extraordinary expansion of the Commission’s jurisdiction that will needlessly interfere with American business. Senator Cotton asked Germany and Austria to intervene in the case, which is now pending before the European Court of Justice. In part, the letter said: “The Commission’s decision to use Article 22 to assert jurisdiction over the Illumina/Grail deal last spring is alarming. Neither France, nor Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, or Iceland were entitled to investigate the deal under their own laws because the acquisition did not meet any merger control thresholds. Illumina has some EU operations; Grail, however, has none and generates no revenue in the EU. Both are U.S. companies.” Full text of the letter to the German Ambassador may be found here and the letter to the Austrian Chargé d’Affaires here. November 21, 2022 Dear ________, I am deeply troubled by the European Commission’s new interpretation of Article 22 of the European Union Merger Regulations, allowing the Commission to interfere in acquisitions where there is no European dimension. Under this new standard, there are no identifiable thresholds that a large “foreign-to-foreign” merger must meet for the Commission to assert jurisdiction. The Commission merely needs a member state to claim that the transaction would affect trade between member states and competition within its own borders and to ask the Commission to review the merger. This new approach is a breathtaking expansion of jurisdictional authority that is already interfering with American business. The Commission’s decision to use Article 22 to assert jurisdiction over the Illumina/Grail deal last spring is alarming. Neither France, nor Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, or Iceland were entitled to investigate the deal under their own laws because the acquisition did not meet any merger control thresholds. Illumina has some EU operations; Grail, however, has none and generates no revenue in the EU. Both are U.S. companies. Instead of leaving U.S. business in the hands of U.S. regulators, the Commission sent a letter asking member states to refer the deal to it. France, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and Iceland all did. Then, the Commission published new “guidance” in March of 2021 so it could review the transaction despite Illumina and Grail’s not having conducted sufficient business to be investigated by any of the referring members under their own national laws. The EU General Court recently upheld the Commission’s actions despite the highly speculative claims the Commission made about the deal’s impact on member states. If the European Commission wishes to assert jurisdiction over such a merger, it should be able to identify a concrete, substantial harm to European consumers. A theory of generic prejudice to innovation doesn’t cut it. The consequences of this new approach are indefensible and would permit the EU to continue to interfere in U.S. business without justification based on nebulous standards of harm. The European Commission should not position itself to harm U.S. consumers by depriving them of procompetitive deals. American regulators do not need European assistance to police America’s free market. I kindly request that you intervene in the upcoming review by the European Court of Justice so this misstep may be corrected. I will continue to monitor developments and will consider further actions as necessary. Sincerely, ___________________ Tom Cotton United States Senator ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:24:37Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-on-foreign-tiktok-employees-in-the-us,Cotton Demands Answers on Foreign TikTok Employees in the US,2022-11-14,2022,2022-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 November 14, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers on Foreign TikTok Employees in the US Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding security concerns that TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance pose to American citizens’ personal data. The letter requested details on TikTok’s use of H-1B guest workers who may have ties to the Chinese Communist Party. In part, Senator Cotton wrote: “In 2022 alone DHS has approved over 570 new and continuing H-1B visas for foreign individuals to work at ByteDance and TikTok’s offices in California. Given the security concerns with TikTok and the company’s repeated statements about “US-based” teams and data centers, having hundreds of foreign nationals working in those offices presents another potential threat.” Full text of the letter may be found here and below. November 14, 2022 The Honorable Alejandro MayorkasSecretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528 Dear Secretary Mayorkas: I write regarding TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, and their use of H-1B guest worker visas for employees who might have ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). TikTok captures vast amounts of private information on users, including American citizens, and has long been suspected of providing the CCP with potential access to that information. This threatens the safety and security of American citizens, and also functions as an avenue for the Chinese government to track the locations of and develop blackmail on Federal employees and contractors. In response to security and espionage concerns, TikTok claims that it stores “all TikTok US user data in the United States,” and that its “data centers are located entirely outside of China.” In a Senate hearing, TikTok’s vice president added that TikTok has a “US-based security team that handles access to user data.” However, recent public reports indicate that sensitive data on American users of TikTok has been accessed from within China, that Beijing-based employees of ByteDance have targeted specific American users for surveillance, and that at least 300 TikTok and ByteDance employees are also current or former employees of Chinese state media. In 2022 alone, DHS has approved over 570 new and continuing H-1B visas for foreign individuals to work at ByteDance and TikTok’s offices in California. Given the security concerns with TikTok and the company’s repeated statements about “US-based” teams and data centers, having hundreds of foreign nationals working in those offices presents another potential threat. For each H-1B application sponsored by ByteDance or TikTok in 2022, please provide a list of the nationalities and job titles of each applicant employee no later than 5:00PM on Tuesday, November 15. I look forward to your prompt response. Sincerely, ________________ Tom Cotton United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:24:37Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-president-biden-meeting-with-president-xi,Cotton Statement on President Biden Meeting with President Xi,2022-11-14,2022,2022-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 November 14, 2022 Cotton Statement on President Biden Meeting with President Xi Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on President Biden’s meeting this morning with Chinese President Xi Jinping: “Joe Biden has again failed to address or even acknowledge China’s Cold War against the United States. His naive return to a policy of appeasement will hurt the United States, endanger Taiwan, and further embolden Xi Jinping.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:24:37Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/11/11/2022/cotton-statement-on-veterans-day,Cotton Statement on Veterans Day,2022-11-11,2022,2022-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 November 11, 2022 Cotton Statement on Veterans Day Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement in observance of Veterans Day: ""Today a grateful nation pauses to remember the Americans who put the needs of their country above their own. At home and abroad, the sacrifice of our veterans has made America safer and stronger. These exceptional Americans and their families deserve our lasting gratitude."" ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:24:37Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-warn-law-firms-about-esg-initiatives,"Cotton, Colleagues Warn Law Firms About ESG Initiatives",2022-11-04,2022,2022-11,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 November 4, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Warn Law Firms About ESG Initiatives Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Marco Rubio (R-Florida), sent letters to 51 law firms detailing the possible antitrust violations that their clients may commit if they pursue collusive Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives. The letter advises the law firms to preserve documents relevant to their clients’ ESG practices in preparation for Congress’s oversight of ESG-related antitrust violations. In part, the members wrote: “The ESG movement attempts to weaponize corporations to reshape society in ways that Americans would never endorse at the ballot box. Of particular concern is the collusive effort to restrict the supply of coal, oil, and gas, which is driving up energy costs across the globe and empowering America’s adversaries abroad.” Full text of the letter may be found here and below. Dear ________, We are writing about your firm’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practice. Although businesses would certainly be wise to lawyer up before undertaking ESG initiatives, your firm has a duty to fully inform clients of the risks they incur by participating in climate cartels and other ill-advised ESG schemes. During a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, FTC Commissioner Lina Khan and Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division Jonathan Kanter were asked to share their thoughts about ESG collusion. Commissioner Khan emphasized that there is no ESG exemption to antitrust laws. Regarding ESG group initiatives, she added, “Certainly, those types of cooperation or agreements, in as much as they can affect competition, are always relevant to” the FTC. Assistant AG Kanter emphasized his own agreement with “the sentiment that collusion is anticompetitive, and I also agree with the underlying sentiment that when firms have substantial power and they use that power to achieve anticompetitive ends, that should be actionable under the antitrust laws.” The ESG movement attempts to weaponize corporations to reshape society in ways that Americans would never endorse at the ballot box. Of particular concern is the collusive effort to restrict the supply of coal, oil, and gas, which is driving up energy costs across the globe and empowering America’s adversaries abroad. Over the coming months and years, Congress will increasingly use its oversight powers to scrutinize the institutionalized antitrust violations being committed in the name of ESG, and refer those violations to the FTC and the Department of Justice. To the extent that your firm continues to advise clients regarding participation in ESG initiatives, both you and those clients should take care to preserve relevant documents in anticipation of those investigations. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:24:37Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-how-tom-cottons-hard-line-on-crime-took-over-the-republican-party,ICYMI: How Tom Cotton’s hard line on crime took over the Republican Party,2022-10-21,2022,2022-10,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 October 21, 2022 ICYMI: How Tom Cotton’s hard line on crime took over the Republican Party How Tom Cotton’s hard line on crime took over the Republican Party Semafor By David Weigel When prison reform was in vogue, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. was against it. In 2018, he led the GOP opposition to the First Step Act, a bipartisan effort to reduce some sentences and let some criminals out of prison. Just 11 other Republicans sided with him against the Trump administration, which celebrated the bill’s passage as something Democrats never could have pulled off. Four years later, Cotton said in an interview, plenty of his colleagues wish they could take that vote back. AMERICANA: You’ve talked about ideas that are popular in “the faculty lounge,” and you spent some time in the Ivy League yourself. When did you first encounter the idea that it was ipso facto a problem to have too many people in prison? COTTON: The first time I remember this being at the forefront, as a political issue, was in my first year in the Senate in 2015. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would substantially decrease prison sentences – would let thousands, if not tens of thousands, of convicts out of jail. I did not know that the Republican Party stood for such a thing. On the Columbus Day recess I was on a co-del with Mitch McConnell, and I asked him: What the hell? When did the Republican Party become the party of letting felons – hardened, serious felons – out of prison? McConnell said, “Well, I have a lot of Republican members who voted for that bill and are very passionate about it. And I don't have any Republican members at the moment who are outspoken opponents to it.” And I said, “I think I found your man.” AMERICANA: You’ve said that the reformers, while wrong, are well-intentioned. COTTON: There are a handful of politicians in Congress who have libertarian leanings. They don't like state power in most contexts. They have philosophical objections to long prison sentences, especially long prison sentences for drug crimes, because they object to the criminalization of drugs to begin with. Unfortunately, you see the same dynamic in a lot of states. And at that level, you have the added pressure of the state budget. It's not a major concern for the federal government, because the Bureau of Prisons and our law enforcement budgets are relatively small parts of the federal budget. AMERICANA: During the pandemic, DOJ let more than 11,000 people out of jail and confined them at home. Seventeen of those people have been charged for crimes they committed after getting out. I’ve seen criminal justice reform advocates point to that and say, look, here’s proof you don’t need all of these people to stay in prison. COTTON: The victims of those 17 criminals probably viewed it differently. Look, the 11,000 people sitting at home right now include 6000 drug offenders. Drug trafficking is a classic crime that you can do from the comfort of your own home even while you're wearing an ankle bracelet. And the new director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons said she can’t assure us that felons who would otherwise be sitting in a federal prison are not conducting criminal activities from their house. As I said to her: I assure you that many of them are. AMERICANA: The Biden administration – during a campaign, to be fair – has proposed hiring 100,000 new police officers, which Republicans have supported in a different form. Do you see any possible agreement between the parties on that? Does it come up in the lame duck after the midterms? COTTON: I don't think they get that through the House of Representatives. Look how much they struggled just to pass rhetorical messaging bills with no teeth – they had to beg, borrow and steal votes, pleading with the radicals in the so-called “Squad” just to vote present. I don't know how Biden is going to take the beating that's coming his way in the election, if he's going to react more like Barack Obama or Bill Clinton. AMERICANA: Is there a federal response to defensive policing? That’s some of the tension, too – police departments report lower morale after negative attention, make fewer arrests, close fewer cases. COTTON: So many officers worry too much about what their city or county's political leadership – in some cases, even their departmental leadership – would do if faced with one of those controversial moments where all the facts aren’t clear. Local leaders need to make it clear that they will not jump to conclusions, that they will not abandon officers. Simply winning the Congress and putting an end to nonsense like repealing qualified immunity would contribute to greater confidence on the part of our police officers. DAVID 'S VIEW Cotton was years ahead of what's now the dominant Republican message on crime: That there's no ""mass incarceration"" problem, and that freeing prisoners inevitably leads to more violence. I wasn't surprised by his answers, but interested in where he wants to take this in 2023, with new Republican legislators who want to fire liberal prosecutors and step up penalties for drug trafficking. THE VIEW FROM CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMERS Investigative journalist Radley Balko has accused Cotton and his allies of misleading voters on crime, especially when they've tried to keep progressive judicial nominees off the bench. ""As with any other institution, we improve the criminal justice system by exposing and correcting its flaws, not by pretending those flaws don’t exist."" ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:20:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-urge-president-biden-to-take-action-against-huawei-aligned-semiconductor-plant,"Cotton, Colleagues Urge President Biden to Take Action Against Huawei-Aligned Semiconductor Plant",2022-10-14,2022,2022-10,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 October 14, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Urge President Biden to Take Action Against Huawei-Aligned Semiconductor Plant Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Marco Rubio (R-Florida), sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling on the administration to take immediate action to prevent the Chinese technology company Huawei from building the Pengxinwei IC Manufacturing Company (PXW) semiconductor plant. The letter details how the plant would severely undermine the U.S. strategy to counter Huawei, an arm of Chinese intelligence. The plant would give Huawei a guaranteed supply of advanced chips, a key element of the CCP’s Military-Civil Fusion campaign. The senators also raise concerns that the administration has taken no official steps to delay the project’s progress, despite knowing about the plant’s construction. In part, the senators wrote: “Bloomberg recently published evidence that Huawei began construction over seven months ago on a factory where PXW is expected to eventually mass produce chips as advanced as 14 nanometers and 7 nanometers. Almost all of these chips are expected to be sold to Huawei, and PXW reportedly has already ordered the advanced equipment necessary to build these chips. This would represent a dangerous leap in Chinese semiconductor manufacturing, as Chinese chipmakers have thus far only been able to produce 7-nanometer chips in limited quantities. With these new chips for its base stations, Huawei could resume its march towards 5G market dominance, and the CCP will advance its plan to control global telecommunications and extend its economic espionage and repression.” Full text of the letter may be found here and below. October 13, 2022 President Joseph R. Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Biden, We call on the administration to take immediate action to halt Huawei’s attempt to build the Pengxinwei IC Manufacturing Company (PXW) semiconductor foundry. This Huawei-aligned foundry is designed to fatally undermine the U.S. strategy to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) bid to dominate global 5G markets and strengthen its intelligence and repression apparatus. Bloomberg recently published evidence that Huawei began construction over seven months ago on a factory where PXW is expected to eventually mass produce chips as advanced as 14 nanometers and 7 nanometers. Almost all of these chips are expected to be sold to Huawei, and PXW reportedly has already ordered the advanced equipment necessary to build these chips. This would represent a dangerous leap in Chinese semiconductor manufacturing, as Chinese chipmakers have thus far only been able to produce 7-nanometer chips in limited quantities. With these new chips for its base stations, Huawei could resume its march towards 5G market dominance, and the CCP will advance its plan to control global telecommunications and extend its economic espionage and repression. We are deeply concerned that, despite the obvious threat that PXW poses, your administration has taken no official steps to delay the project’s progress, despite being aware of the project for some time. The Department of Commerce’s apparent inaction is a dereliction of duty. Despite PXW’s clear connection with Huawei, Commerce has not added PXW to its Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS) Entity List or its list of Huawei subsidiaries under the Foreign Direct Product Rule. As far as we can tell, Commerce has not sent a single “informed” letter to any entities potentially working with PXW, ordering them to halt all shipments to and transactions with the factory. Export controls are among our nation’s foremost tools to win the economic long war with China. It defies logic that, at the same time as your administration worked on a package of export controls on Chinese semiconductors, it has not used all the tools at its disposal to end PXW’s development. Your administration should blacklist PXW immediately, unless you wish to preside over the unravelling of the U.S. campaign against Huawei and the CCP’s bid for global 5G dominance. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to receiving your response. Sincerely, _________________________ _________________________ Tom Cotton Bill Hagerty United States Senator United States Senator _________________________ _________________________ Marsha Blackburn Ted Cruz United States Senator United States Senator _________________________ Marco Rubio United States Senator ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:20:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-requests-information-on-release-of-private-military-records,Cotton Requests Information on Release of Private Military Records,2022-10-13,2022,2022-10,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 October 13, 2022 Cotton Requests Information on Release of Private Military Records Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and Chief of the National Guard Bureau General Daniel Hokanson requesting a full accounting of how Politico obtained the private personnel records of USAF Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer-Ruth Green. Included in Politico’s reporting were Green’s Officer Performance Reports and her own account of being sexually assaulted while serving in Iraq. In part, Senator Cotton wrote: “Absent the written consent of the servicemember, military performance evaluations appear to be protected by the Privacy Act and not releasable under the Freedom of Information Act, based on the statutes themselves, various government FAQs, and the Air Force itself in response to a formal congressional inquiry from my office into whether Officer Performance Reports (OPRs) are releasable under FOIA: An ‘OPR could only be released if that member agreed, in writing, to release his/her document. Without written consent/release, Air Force has no authority to release these documents.’” Full text of the letter may be found here and below. October 12, 2022 The Honorable Frank Kendall, III Secretary of the Air Force 1670 Air Force Pentagon Washington, DC 20330-1670 General Daniel R. Hokanson Chief of the National Guard Bureau 111 South George Mason Drive Arlington, VA 22204 Dear Secretary Kendall and General Hokanson: On October 7, 2022, Politico published highly private information from the military records of Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer-Ruth Green, USAF, including both the contents of her Officer Performance Reports and her own detailed account of being sexually assaulted while serving in Iraq—an assault she had chosen to keep private until Politico decided to ignore her objections and publish the details anyway. The Politico reporter claims in the article that “the documents…were obtained by a public records request and provided to [Politico.]” Separately, in a statement to Fox News Digital, a Politico spokesperson contends that “[t]he records in question are publicly available documents that can be obtained by a standard FOIA request.” But absent the written consent of the servicemember, military performance evaluations appear to be protected by the Privacy Act and not releasable under the Freedom of Information Act, based on the statutes themselves, various government FAQs, and the Air Force itself in response to a formal congressional inquiry from my office into whether Officer Performance Reports (OPRs) are releasable under FOIA: An “OPR could only be released if that member agreed, in writing, to release his/her document. Without written consent/release, Air Force has no authority to release these documents.” If that’s true, the release of Lt Col Green’s personnel records appears to be a grave violation of both Lt Col Green’s privacy and federal law. Of additional concern is the appearance that the party responsible for releasing these Air Force documents may be exploiting private matters, including a sexual assault, for partisan purposes to interfere in the democratic process just weeks before an election. I am therefore formally requesting a full accounting of how and on what basis these documents were released or leaked, and who is responsible. I look forward to your prompt response. ___________________________ Tom Cotton United States Senator ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:20:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-questions-mayorkas-about-border-patrol-whipping-claims,Cotton Questions Mayorkas About Border Patrol ‘Whipping’ Claims,2022-10-12,2022,2022-10,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 October 12, 2022 Cotton Questions Mayorkas About Border Patrol ‘Whipping’ Claims Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking why the secretary condemned border patrol agents for allegedly whipping illegal immigrants when he had already received assurances that they had not done so. The letter cites a recently released email to Secretary Mayorkas that included a statement from the photographer whose pictures sparked the false claims. In the email, the photographer said that he had “never seen [the agents] whip anyone.” In part, Senator Cotton wrote: “If this is true, you intentionally misled the public and vilified Border Patrol agents for political gain—a gross abuse of your responsibility to the men and women in your Department and to the country.” Full text of the letter may be found here and below. October 12, 2022 The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas Secretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528 Dear Secretary Mayorkas: Last year, a misleading photograph circulated online of mounted Border Patrol agents using the reins of their horses to control their movements. News outlets and some Democrats falsely claimed that the photograph showed the agents “whipping” illegal aliens at the border. An email recently made public appears to show that you received a statement from the photographer saying that he had “never seen [the agents] whip anyone.” Mere hours after you received that statement, you attended a White House press conference where you called the photograph “horrifying” and stood silently as President Biden falsely claimed that illegal aliens were “being strapped,” and promised that the agents “will pay.” If this is true, you intentionally misled the public and vilified Border Patrol agents for political gain—a gross abuse of your responsibility to the men and women in your Department and to the country. Please answer the following questions no later than 5:00PM on Wednesday, October 19: 1.Did you receive an email dated September 24, 2021, containing the photographer’s statement that he had “never seen [the Border Patrol agents] whip anyone”? 2.Did you inform the Biden White House prior to its press conference on September 24, 2021, of the email containing the photographer’s statement? 3.Have you apologized to the Border Patrol agents for unfairly vilifying them and their work? I look forward to your prompt response. Sincerely, ________________ Tom Cotton United States Senator ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:20:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-call-for-answers-on-possible-double-dipping-student-loan-refunds-for-federal-employees,"Cotton, Colleagues Call for Answers on Possible Double-Dipping Student Loan “Refunds” for Federal Employees",2022-10-07,2022,2022-10,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 October 7, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Call for Answers on Possible Double-Dipping Student Loan “Refunds” for Federal Employees Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with Sens. John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Steve Daines (R-South Dakota), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), and Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), today sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. The letter seeks answers about federal employees potentially receiving refunds for student loan payments that the federal government made on their behalf. In part, the members wrote: “Your current guidance raises the troubling possibility that over 12,000 federal employees who benefit from these taxpayers funded repayment programs could receive direct checks to ‘reimburse’ them for loan repayments already made by taxpayers. Your Department explicitly tells borrowers that payments can only be ‘refunded to you, even if someone else made a payment on your loan.’ This could allow federal employees to receive thousands of dollars in refunds for student loans payments that they never actually made themselves.” Full text of the letter may be found here and below. October 6, 2022 The Honorable Miguel Cardona Secretary of Education Department of Education Building 400 Maryland Ave, SW Washington, DC 20202 Dear Secretary Cardona, Your agency recently released a guidance document stating that federal student loan borrowers who made repayments since March 13, 2020 will receive an automatic refund for their payments because both the requirement to make payments and the accrual of interest were paused since this time period. As you know, the federal government already offers generous repayment programs to its employees, which continued during the pandemic. Reports suggest roughly 2,000 Capitol Hill staffers and 10,400 executive branch employees benefit from these generous repayment plans. Your current guidance raises the troubling possibility that over 12,000 federal employees who benefit from these taxpayers funded repayment programs could receive direct checks to “reimburse” them for loan repayments already made by taxpayers. Your Department explicitly tells borrowers that payments can only be “refunded to you, even if someone else made a payment on your loan.” This could allow federal employees to receive thousands of dollars in refunds for student loans payments that they never actually made themselves. Please respond to the following questions no later than October 14, 2022: 1.Do you plan to give a “refund” to any federal employees who had repayments made on their behalf by the federal government since March 13th, 2020? 2.If a federal employee with a $20,000 federal student loan balance in March of 2020 stopped making payments at that time but continued to receive taxpayer benefits that paid their balance down to zero over the course of the pause on repayment, could that borrower apply to have $20,000 “refunded” to them? ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:20:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-bill-providing-funding-for-critical-munitions-to-protect-america,"Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill Providing Funding for Critical Munitions to Protect America",2022-10-04,2022,2022-10,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 October 4, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill Providing Funding for Critical Munitions to Protect America Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced a bill with Senators Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Rick Scott (R-Florida), and Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) to restore America’s diminished stockpiles of critical munitions. The legislation will authorize investments in necessary munitions production, ensuring America is prepared to fight a major war while also building a workforce that can produce the weapons we need. Investing in our munitions industrial base and developing a skilled workforce would better prepare the Department of Defense to make sure our defense industry can protect American citizens in case of war. Bill text is here. “The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown that the United States’ stockpile of munitions is dangerously low. We must reinvest not only in the munitions critical for the defense of America, but also in a workforce that can build these weapons to ensure our military’s readiness,” said Sen. Cotton. “For far too long, we've underinvested in munitions. This legislation would immediately reverse this trend and improve readiness by increasing our munitions production capacity. It also includes my language to provide Congress with better reporting on our industrial base so we can further refine future investments. It’s our responsibility to ensure our nation has the ability to produce the things we need to defend ourselves, project strength, and better support our allies and partners,” said Sen. Fischer. Background: -Current U.S. munitions supplies are produced over decades, limiting how much the military would have immediate access to in the event of a crisis. -The current munitions and missile supply would evaporate before wartime surges of money and attention could fill the gap. -As the current Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown, America needs to direct adequate funding to munitions production and a skilled workforce to protect both ourselves and our allies. The bill would: -Authorize $3.8 billion in appropriations to procure additional munitions and necessary materials for munitions. -Authorize $479 million in appropriations to expand the capacity of vital munitions and launcher production lines (JAGM, SM-6, LRASM, JASSM, SM-3, HIMARS cabs). -Authorize $244 million in appropriations to procure and expand production capacity for the Coyote counter-UAS (C-UAS) system. -Authorize the Secretary of Defense to enter multi-year procurement contracts of up to 5 years for munitions if those munitions are critical to warfighting and deterrence. -Requires a brief on DoD’s fulfillment of reporting requirements (under Section 222c, 10 U.S.C.) on the level of munitions needed for potential conflicts and planned inventories. -Requires a report by DoD on the industrial base constraints for munitions needed for potential conflicts and on past efforts and potential efforts to mitigate those constraints. -Authorize the Secretary of Defense to enter into Support or Procurement Partnership Agreements with Ukraine and allies and partners who have provided military aid to Ukraine. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:20:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-warn-amalgamated-bank-for-abusing-financial-system-to-infringe-on-second-amendment,"Cotton, Colleagues Warn Amalgamated Bank for Abusing Financial System to Infringe on Second Amendment",2022-10-03,2022,2022-10,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 October 3, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Warn Amalgamated Bank forAbusing Financial System to Infringe on Second Amendment Washington, DC—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) led 24 colleagues in a letter to Amalgamated Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Priscilla Sims Brown criticizing the bank’s manipulation of an international rules organization to force U.S. financial services firms to categorize gun purchases—an attempt to target law-abiding Americans exercising their right to purchase firearms and to enact far-left political goals. “Your bank is attempting to restrict the Second Amendment rights of Americans by going around the democratic process. You should expect Congressional oversight of your actions,” the Senators wrote. “It is clear from Amalgamated Bank’s website that it has fully embraced an anti-firearm agenda. Whether it is choosing to debank firearms manufacturers, forcing all commercial clients to adopt anti-gun control codes, or divesting customer assets from lawful businesses, these decisions demonstrate your attempt to force your political views on law-abiding Americans. If you want to change gun policy, you should run for office and make yourself accountable to voters. What’s worse, these actions weren’t enough for you, so you set your sights on forcing these radical and discriminatory policies on the entire financial system,” the Senators continued. “Let us be clear: weaponizing the financial system to enact far-left political goals is inexcusable… You should consider this notice to retain all communications involving your role in ISO’s categorization scheme, and you should anticipate testifying before Congress in the near future,” the Senators concluded. Additional signers include United States Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), along with Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Boozman (R-AR), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Thune (R-SD), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and John Cornyn (R-TX). A copy of the letter can be found here and below. Dear Ms. Brown, We write to you about your bank’s manipulation of an international rules organization to force U.S. financial services firms to categorize gun purchases. Your bank is attempting to restrict the Second Amendment rights of Americans by going around the democratic process. You should expect Congressional oversight of your actions. As you are undoubtedly aware, earlier this month, the International Standards Organization (ISO) based in Switzerland created a merchant category code (MCC) specifically to target, surveil and discourage gun and ammunition sellers. Your actions were a major step toward targeting law-abiding Americans exercising their right to purchase firearms, a right that is protected by the Constitution. It is clear from Amalgamated Bank’s website that it has fully embraced an anti-firearm agenda. Whether it is choosing to debank firearms manufacturers, forcing all commercial clients to adopt anti-gun control codes, or divesting customer assets from lawful businesses, these decisions demonstrate your attempt to force your political views on law-abiding Americans. If you want to change gun policy, you should run for office and make yourself accountable to voters. What’s worse, these actions weren’t enough for you, so you set your sights on forcing these radical and discriminatory policies on the entire financial system. There was good reason that the ISO rejected your previous three applications for this policy, as such a move is purely political, not to mention the immense regulatory and compliance burden it will ultimately place on retailers. Let us be clear: weaponizing the financial system to enact far-left political goals is inexcusable. The fundamental rights of Americans should be legislated on and debated by the elected officials who are sent to Washington, D.C. on their constituents’ behalf, and not by progressive activist CEOs or un-elected bureaucrats in Geneva. You should consider this notice to retain all communications involving your role in ISO’s categorization scheme, and you should anticipate testifying before Congress in the near future. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:20:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gallagher-cotton-introduce-legislation-to-impose-crippling-sanctions-on-ymtc,"Gallagher, Cotton Introduce Legislation to Impose Crippling Sanctions on YMTC",2022-09-30,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 September 30, 2022 Gallagher, Cotton Introduce Legislation to Impose Crippling Sanctions on YMTC WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) today introduced legislation that would impose crippling sanctions on Chinese memory chip manufacturer Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC). The bill would place YMTC on the Specially Designated Nationals List and would also direct the President to take similar actions against other advanced Chinese memory chip manufacturers of similar development. Recent reports suggest that Apple may choose YMTC as a memory chip supplier for the latest iPhone, which would expose iPhone users to a number of security risks, give legitimacy to YMTC despite its ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and expand US dependency on Chinese semiconductors. This legislation would wall off YMTC from the U.S. economy and prevent Apple from moving forward with selecting YMTC memory chips. ""YMTC has well documented ties to the CCP, and their push to serve as Apple's flash memory provider is just the Party's latest attempt to increase our dependence on China and undermine our national security. In light of recent reports, is long past time for us to take decisive action against this threat,"" said Rep. Gallagher. ""This bill will defend the security of our semiconductor supply chains and combat YMTC and other CCP-backed actors from using predatory pricing to crowd more secure options out of the critical flash memory market. “The Chinese Communist Party wants to use YMTC to dominate the global microchip market so the world depends on them for this critical technology. The United States can’t take that risk for security reasons alone—much less the dangers of accompanying Chinese espionage, or YMTC’s human rights record, or their likely violation of U.S. sanctions. Our bill would sanction YMTC and all similar Chinese manufacturers tied to the Chinese state,"" said Sen. Cotton. Specifically, this bill would: · Direct the President to impose sanctions on YMTC to the full extent that International Emergency Economic Powers Act allows, thus adding them to the SDN list, and · Require the President to use sanctions on other advanced Chinese memory chip manufacturers. Click HERE for bill text. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-express-concern-over-reduced-reimbursements-for-prescriptions,"Cotton, Colleagues Express Concern Over Reduced Reimbursements for Prescriptions",2022-09-29,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 September 29, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Express Concern Over Reduced Reimbursements for Prescriptions Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) sent a letter to Seileen Mullen, the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, seeking answers about TRICARE beneficiaries’ ability to maintain access to local pharmacies. The letter expressed concern that Express Scripts will reduce prescription reimbursements for 9.6 million TRICARE members in 2023. The letter also notes that 2022 pharmacy contracts will expire on October 24, rather than the end of the year. This will only reduce the pharmacy network for TRICARE patients and their families. They were joined on the letter by 98 of their colleagues. In part, the members wrote: “Pharmacists continue to be one of the most accessible health care providers in the United States. Over 90 percent of Americans live within five miles of a community pharmacy, and 76.5 percent of pharmacies in rural areas are independent community pharmacies. As you know, in addition to dispensing medications and vaccines, community pharmacies provide services that lead to better health outcomes, lower overall administrative fees, and valuable in-person consultations with a healthcare provider.” Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Montana), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), John Thune (R-South Dakota), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) joined the letter. Full text of the letter may be found here and below. September 29, 2022 The Honorable Seileen Mullen Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Defense Health Agency 7700 Arlington Boulevard Suite 5101 Falls Church, VA 22042-5101 Dear Acting Assistant Secretary Mullen, We write to request information regarding the Department of Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) monitoring of TRICARE beneficiaries’ access to retail and community pharmacies. It has been brought to our attention that Express Scripts has reduced reimbursements for prescriptions dispensed at in-network retail pharmacies for 2023. These reductions may leave many retail pharmacies unable to participate in the TRICARE Pharmacy Program, thus significantly impacting 9.6 million TRICARE beneficiaries’ access to local pharmacies. Most recently, Express Scripts notified pharmacies and beneficiaries that current 2022 pharmacy contracts will expire October 24, 2022, rather than the end of the year. This will only further reduce the pharmacy network for TRICARE patients and their families, and may force beneficiaries to change pharmacies at a time when many receive annual vaccinations. Pharmacists continue to be one of the most accessible health care providers in the United States. Over 90 percent of Americans live within five miles of a community pharmacy, and 76.5 percent of pharmacies in rural areas are independent community pharmacies. As you know, in addition to dispensing medications and vaccines, community pharmacies provide services that lead to better health outcomes, lower overall administrative fees, and valuable in-person consultations with a healthcare provider. To ensure TRICARE beneficiaries maintain access to local pharmacies, we respectfully request answers to the following questions. 1.How is DHA monitoring current and future retail pharmacy participation in the TRICARE Pharmacy program? 2.If future in-network pharmacy participation decreases, what steps will DHA take to ensure adequate access to in-person pharmacy services for TRICARE beneficiaries? 3.Terminating the 2022 pharmacy contracts two months ahead of schedule will likely lead to a disruption of care for Tricare beneficiaries. What reasons has Express Scripts given DHA for terminating the 2022 contracts early? Please outline what oversight DHA has over Express Scripts, as well as what authority DHA has given Express Scripts to make these contract changes. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Due to the patient access and safety concerns expressed above, we look forward to receiving your response and working with you to ensure TRICARE beneficiaries continue to receive the utmost care from trusted, local health care professionals.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-probes-potential-meta-cooperation-with-iranian-government,Cotton Probes Potential Meta Cooperation with Iranian Government,2022-09-29,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 September 29, 2022 Cotton Probes Potential Meta Cooperation with Iranian Government Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the company’s alleged cooperation with Iran in suppressing dissent from the Iranian people. The letter cites news reports that one of Meta’s subsidiaries, Instagram, may have sided with Iran’s leaders and removed documentation of the regime’s violent crushing of peaceful protests. The letter asked Zuckerberg to confirm whether any of Meta’s companies or subsidiaries censored any information of the protests and whether any Meta employees or subsidiaries accepted bribes from anyone affiliated with the Iranian government. Full text of the letter may be found here and below. September 28, 2022 Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer Meta Platforms, Inc. 1 Hacker Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 Dear Mr. Zuckerberg, News reports indicate that at least one of your company’s subsidiaries, Instagram, may have removed documentation of the Iranian regime’s vicious attempts to crush recent peaceful protests. This is particularly concerning given prior allegations that Iran attempted to bribe your content moderators to remove accounts that challenged or criticized the Iranian regime. As the CEO, founder, and majority shareholder, you are ultimately responsible for Meta’s actions. Please respond to the following questions no later than October 3, 2022: 1.Did Instagram or any other Meta company (including Whatsapp) remove any images or videos of the protests or restrict accounts sharing information about the protests? a.Was any such censorship conducted at the request of the Iranian government? 2.Have any employees of Meta or its subcontractors received or accepted bribes or other payments from any representative or proxy of the Iranian government? 3.Did anyone in your organization or any third-party content moderator responsible for removing information about the protests receive any bribes or other payments from Iranian intelligence services? 4.Is it the official position of Meta or any of its subsidiaries to support or cooperate with dictatorships and violent extremist regimes? 5.What specific steps are you taking to reestablish the accounts that were deleted or disabled during the ongoing protests? 6.What specific steps are you taking to ensure that protestors in Iran continue to have access to your products as they showcase the truth about the Iranian regime? I look forward to your prompt and detailed responses. Sincerely, _____________________ Tom Cotton United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-on-partially-chinese-owned-lithium-mine-potentially-receiving-us-funding,Cotton Demands Answers on Partially Chinese-Owned Lithium Mine Potentially Receiving U.S. Funding,2022-09-27,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter today to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm requesting information about the Department of Energy potentially funding a lithium mine by Lithium Americas, a company partially owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The letter addresses the significant risks to national security and our supply chain that would arise if federal funding were to deepen Chinese control over America’s critical minerals and urges Granholm to reject Lithium America’s funding request if it refuses to separate from its Chinese owner. In part, the senator wrote: “The U.S. government should apply strict oversight regarding potential federal funding of CCP-owned or -controlled entities. DOE’s loan for the Thacker Pass mine would be substantial and reportedly cover the majority of the project’s capital costs. It is critical that DOE ensure taxpayer funding does not go to corporations with CCP ties and does not increase U.S. mineral dependence on China.” Full text of the letter may be found below. September 27, 2022 The Honorable Jennifer Granholm Secretary Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave. SW Washington, D.C. 20585 Dear Secretary Granholm, I write to you requesting information and raising concerns regarding reports of the Department of Energy potentially funding a lithium mine controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Washington Free Beacon recently reported plans by Lithium Americas, an ostensibly Canadian company, to build a mine at Thacker Pass in Humboldt County, Nevada. Worryingly, media reports indicate that Lithium Americas’ largest shareholder is Ganfeng, a Chinese company with direct ties to the CCP. Ganfeng is currently acquiring lithium mines around the world, which, according to former Secretary Mike Pompeo, is part of a “clear intention by the Chinese Communist Party to control the entire supply chain for green energy.” The United States should be reducing its dependence on China for these critical inputs, not opening the door for China to “gain a foothold in America on lithium mining,” as reported. I am deeply concerned that, despite clear CCP influence over the company, Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass project is under consideration for a loan through the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Technologies Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program. Lithium Americas’ assurances that Thacker Pass is 100%-owned by them rather than Ganfeng are insufficient to resolve national security concerns, given the Party’s considerable stake in the company. The U.S. government should apply strict oversight regarding potential federal funding of CCP-owned or -controlled entities. DOE’s loan for the Thacker Pass mine would be substantial and reportedly cover the majority of the project’s capital costs. As the government continues to invest in battery supply chain programs, it is critical that DOE ensure taxpayer funding does not go to corporations with CCP ties and does not increase U.S. mineral dependence on China. Your department has an opportunity to leverage this ATVM loan application to incentivize Lithium Americas to part ways with Ganfeng. Ganfeng and any other Chinese entities with CCP ties should divest their stakes in Lithium Americas before the company is offered this loan. If Lithium Americas refuses to part ways with Ganfeng, then I strongly urge you to reject their application for the ATVM loan. The United States urgently needs domestic critical mineral production to supply its technology sector and reduce its dependence on China; the United States does not need and should not fund possible attempts by the CCP to deepen its control over the U.S. critical mineral supply chain. For the reasons highlighted above, I respectfully request answers to the following questions: 1.Is DOE aware of Lithium Americas’ application for the Advanced Technologies Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program and the company’s partial ownership by entities closely tied the CCP? 2.What safeguards or requirements are in place to ensure the ATVM program is not funding other companies owned or controlled by the CCP or other adversaries? 3.Does DOE agree that the United States must reduce its dependence on China for critical minerals like lithium and should invest in domestic production of such minerals? If so, does DOE believe that funding deeper CCP control of the U.S. critical mineral supply chain is counterproductive to this goal? If not, why not? 4.Has DOE raised with Lithium Americas the possibility that its loan application for the Thacker Pass project may be harmed by the company’s partial ownership by Ganfeng or that its application may be improved if Ganfeng divested in the company? Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to receiving your response. Sincerely, _________________ Tom Cotton United States Senator ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-air-force-academy-regarding-reports-of-mandatory-diversity-training-exercises,Cotton Demands Answers from Air Force Academy Regarding Reports of Mandatory Diversity Training Exercises,2022-09-23,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 September 23, 2022 Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter yesterday to Lieutenant General Richard M. Clark, Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Senator Cotton wrote to express his deep concern with reports that the Lieutenant General has commanded cadets to attend “diversity and inclusion” training sessions. The training reportedly instructed cadets to not use gender-specific terms like “mom” or “dad.” The letter asked the Lieutenant General to confirm the details of the training and the official positions of the USAFA towards gendered and race-related language. In part, the senator wrote: “These divisive and un-American training exercises have no place in our military and demonstrate an alarming lack of focus at the Air Force Academy. The Air Force Academy ought to teach future airmen to revere our nation’s traditions and values, not to have contempt for them. The USAFA’s increasing politicization is damaging the institution’s reputation, along with the reputation of the U.S. Air Force as a whole.” Full text of the letter may be found below. September 22, 2022 Lieutenant General Richard M. Clark Superintendent, United States Air Force Academy 2304 Cadet Drive, Suite 3100 USAF Academy, CO 80840-5002 Dear Lieutenant General Clark, I write to express my deep concern with reports that the Air Force Academy recently forced cadets under your command to attend “diversity and inclusion” training sessions. Cadets were reportedly instructed to refrain from using terms such as, “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” or “mom” and “dad,” and instead use terms that “include all gender.” The training also condemns the use of the term “colorblind” or the claim that a someone does not “see color.” Even the term “terrorist” was deemed inappropriate. “These divisive and un-American training exercises have no place in our military and demonstrate an alarming lack of focus at the Air Force Academy. The Air Force Academy ought to teach future airmen to revere our nation’s traditions and values, not to have contempt for them. The USAFA’s increasing politicization is damaging the institution’s reputation, along with the reputation of the U.S. Air Force as a whole.” Given these concerns, please respond to the following questions by October 3, 2022. 1.Can you confirm that the aforementioned training took place? 2.How many cadets were subjected to this training? 3.How much money does USAFA spend on similar “diversity” training? 4.Is it the official position of the USAFA that gendered language, such as “mom” and “dad,” is offensive or should be avoided by cadets? 5.Is it the official position of the USAFA that terms advocating for equal treatment on the basis of race, such as “colorblind,” are offensive and should be avoided by cadets? 6.Is it the official position of the USAFA that the term “terrorist” is offensive and should be avoided by cadets? Sincerely, Senator Tom Cotton",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-unveils-bill-to-lower-college-tuition-cost-reform-student-loans,"Cotton Unveils Bill to Lower College Tuition Cost, Reform Student Loans",2022-09-20,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 September 20, 2022 Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Student Loan Reform Act of 2022, a bill that will reduce the cost of tuition by holding colleges financially responsible for the loans they encourage students to take. Specifically, the bill requires that colleges become guarantors of up to 50 percent of future federal student loans and fines colleges 25 percent of the value of future defaulted loans. This will force colleges to have a financial stake in their student’s success, strongly incentivizing them to offer reasonably priced and useful degree programs. The bill will also force any university charging over $20,000 a year for undergraduate tuition to gradually eliminate 50 percent of their administrative staff to qualify for future student loans. Bill text is here. “America does have a student loan problem. But it’s not the problem Joe Biden wants you to believe it is. The real issue with student debt today is that the cost of college tuition has skyrocketed, yet the value of a college diploma has plummeted. What’s worse is the federal government created this problem by writing blank checks to colleges, with little effort to control the cost or quality of higher education. My Student Loan Reform Act of 2022 would end this academic Gilded Age, reduce the cost of tuition, and give colleges a much-needed reality check,” wrote Cotton. A brief overview of the bill is below. Background: · The Federal student loan program has incentivized colleges to raise tuition and students to take on unsustainable amounts of debt. · The higher education bureaucracy has increased 616% from 1976 to 2018, compared to only a 78% increase in student enrollment. · Student loan debt has grown to a staggering $1.7 trillion—putting an enormous risk on taxpayers – while colleges have faced no consequences if their graduates fail to pay their loans. The bill would: · Require any university with undergraduate tuition fees above $20,000 to gradually eliminate up to 50% of their administrative staff to be eligible for future student loans, excluding religious colleges and medical colleges · Require the richest private colleges to distribute at least five percent of their endowment to support their educational mission per year, or else face a penalty · Penalize universities up to 25% of a borrower’s loan for every one of their students who defaults on student loans · Require universities to act as loan guarantor for up to 50% of any future federal student loans · Place a luxury tax of 20% on annual undergraduate tuition fees above $40,000 with the funds raised being used for workforce training, excluding religious colleges and medical colleges · Eliminate Plus loans, except for medical and dental students and parents of undergraduates, who would have loans capped at a $10,000 loan per year · Require universities to implement admission and hiring policies that protect political and ideological diversity on campus · Ban universities from soliciting FASFA paperwork from families who choose not to use financial aid · Levy a one-percent tax on the fair market value of endowments held by the richest private colleges. The tax would apply to private colleges that 1) have more than 500 full-time enrolled students, 2) have endowments worth more than $2.5 billion and $500,000 per full-time enrolled student, 3) do not have a religious mission. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-warns-apple-not-to-do-business-with-dangerous-chinese-chipmaker,Cotton Warns Apple Not To Do Business With Dangerous Chinese Chipmaker,2022-09-15,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353 September 15, 2022 Cotton Warns Apple Not To Do Business With Dangerous Chinese Chipmaker Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter today to Apple CEO Tim Cook warning him of the dangers that using chips from Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC) in Apple products poses to U.S. national security, consumer data security, and to Apple’s reputation and shareholders. The letter requested answers on why Apple made this reckless decision and what steps Apple planned to take to protect the United States and American consumers from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In part, the senator wrote: “I urge you to rethink Apple’s decision to do business with YMTC. If Apple continues to court untrustworthy Chinese companies like YMTC, it will do grave harm to its shareholders, its customers, and our country. As there is bipartisan support to address the threat posed by YMTC, I must stress for you and your shareholders the risks of this partnership with an entity that may soon be the target of U.S. government action.” Full letter of the text may be found here and below. September 15, 2022 Mr. Tim Cook Chief Executive Officer Apple Inc. One Apple Park Way Cupertino, CA 95014 Dear Mr. Cook, I write regarding Apple’s ill-advised plans to do business with a dangerous Chinese chipmaker, Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC). YMTC is a key player in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) campaign to dominate the semiconductor industry. YMTC has seized market share thanks to an estimated $24 billion in government subsidies. These subsidies have allowed YMTC to poach engineers and sell its flash-memory products below cost, to the detriment of firms in the United States and allied countries. YMTC also collaborates with Chinese companies sanctioned by the U.S. government for human rights abuses and collaboration with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on military-modernization projects. As a result, members of Congress from both parties have called on the Biden administration to add YMTC to the Entity List, and the Commerce Department may blacklist the company. China has made great strides in strategic sectors like semiconductors due to subsidies and outright theft, but so far, its national champions lack legitimacy—and rightfully so. Your company’s decision may change that. I urge you to rethink Apple’s decision to do business with YMTC. Apple and far too many other American companies already rely on China for manufacturing and supplies. Adding another Chinese company to Apple’s supply chain, particularly one with close ties to the CCP and PLA, compounds these risks. If Apple continues to court untrustworthy Chinese companies like YMTC, it will do grave harm to its shareholders, its customers, and our country. As there is bipartisan support to address the threat posed by YMTC, I must stress for you and your shareholders the risks of this partnership with an entity that may soon be the target of U.S. government action. With these concerns in mind, I request that you answer the following questions: 1.Can Apple confirm that their products using YMTC chips will not be available for purchase in the U.S. market or through any e-commerce platform available in the United States? If not, what safeguards does Apple have in place to protect U.S. national security and consumer data security from the CCP? 2.Did Chinese authorities require Apple to use YMTC’s chips as part of its new iPhone 14? If not, on what basis did Apple make its decision to use YMTC chips, despite the threat posed by YMTC? 3.How did YMTC’s ties to companies sanctioned for human rights abuses factor into Apple’s decision? 4.Have members of Apple senior leadership considered the risk resulting from Apple making itself reliant on an entity that is likely the target of future U.S. government action? Sincerely, Tom Cotton United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-the-21st-anniversary-of-9/11,Cotton Statement on the 21st Anniversary of 9/11,2022-09-11,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Caroline Tabler (202) 224-2353 September 11, 2022 Cotton Statement on the 21st Anniversary of 9/11 Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement on the 21st anniversary of the September 11th attacks: “On this anniversary of 9/11 we again remember the 3,000 Americans murdered on that infamous day, the first responders who gave all to save them, and the brave veterans who fought to avenge their deaths over the years. We have rebuilt what those terrorists destroyed, and we have killed or captured the leaders they served. Al Qaeda sought to break America, but it failed; America endures and al Qaeda retreats. We will never forget those we lost, and we will remain vigilant that it never happens again.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-bill-overhauls-workforce-education,Cotton Bill Overhauls Workforce Education,2022-09-08,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Caroline Tabler (202) 224-2353 September 8, 2022 Cotton Bill Overhauls Workforce Education Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced the American Workforce Act, a bill that overhauls workforce education. The legislation provides high school graduates with a 9,000-dollar workforce training voucher, used to participate in education programs designed by employers for jobs in their industry. Vouchers would be paid for in part by taxing wealthy private college endowments. Bill text is here. “For decades, the federal government has spent billions propping up bloated colleges that serve—often poorly—a minority of our citizens. Meanwhile, the majority of Americans, who don’t go to college, are left behind. In fact, the federal government spends eight times more on college for the few than it does on job training for the many. My bill will right that wrong by investing heavily in a new workforce education strategy to help working Americans get ahead,” said Cotton. “The often well-meaning but also self-serving embrace by elites of College-for-All has done untold damage to American workers and families. The American Workforce Act is a landmark proposal on the path to a better education system that offers many tickets besides college to the middle class,” said Oren Cass, executive director of American Compass. Click here to view a bill summary—a brief overview is below. Background: For decades, policymakers have largely ignored non-college workforce education. Meanwhile, college completion rates have stagnated while average college costs have grown to a staggering $35,331 per student with the collective student debt burden nearing $2 trillion. The mounting cost of tuition has been matched by an ever more bloated higher education bureaucracy, which has increased 616% from 1976 to 2018, compared to only a 78% increase in student enrollment. There are alternatives to college education, but the federal government’s approach to non-collegiate workforce education is outdated and government-led. A new model for vocational education must not only focus on funding, but also put the employer at the center of workforce training, keep requirements flexible and simple, and ensure that spending follows the workers to maximize their choices. The bill would: Create a $9,000 federal voucher available to prospective “trainees,” defined as any citizen with a high school degree/GED, but without a bachelor’s degree or higher. Offer an additional $1,000 bonus to employers for each trainee that is hired after completion of the workforce training program. Require participating employers to provide training for positions paid at least 80% of the local median household income. Allow the voucher to subsidize employer-led workforce training that offers a full time, paid position combining on-the-job experience and skilled workforce training. Give employers wide flexibility to build their own training programs or delegate the training to a valid third-party entity, such as a trade association, community college, high school, non-profit, or union. Require e-verify at participating employers. Levy a one-percent tax on the fair market value of endowments held by private colleges that 1) have more than 500 full-time enrolled students, 2) have endowments worth more than $2.5 billion and $500,000 per full-time enrolled student, 3) do not have a religious mission.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-death-of-queen-elizabeth-ii,Cotton Statement on Death of Queen Elizabeth II,2022-09-08,2022,2022-09,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Caroline Tabler (202) 224-2353 September 8, 2022 Cotton Statement on Death of Queen Elizabeth II Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after the death of Queen Elizabeth II: “Anna and I join all Arkansans in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and expressing our deepest condolences to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth and the Royal Family. The Queen embodied the highest standards of duty, service, and sacrifice for the nation throughout her life. As a young teenage girl in World War II, she inspired the British people during her nation’s darkest hour and she ultimately joined the British Army. During her remarkable seventy-year reign, she advised fifteen different prime ministers, beginning with Winston Churchill. Her reign coincided with fourteen different presidents and ushered in a golden age in the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, an unparalleled alliance for freedom in the annals of history. At every turn, Her Majesty always put her people and her nation above herself, setting an example for the ages of graceful and selfless service. May Her Majesty rest in peace and may her legacy always guide the living.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T03:08:33Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-urge-against-return-to-biased-wto-dispute-settlement-body,"Cotton, Colleagues Urge Against Return to Biased WTO Dispute Settlement Body",2022-08-30,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Caroline Tabler (202) 224-2353 August 30, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Urge Against Return to Biased WTO Dispute Settlement Body Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) today sent a letter to USTR Representative Katherine Tai urging her to keep the resurrection of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body out of any dispute settlement reform negotiations at the WTO. In part, the senators wrote: “We are writing to express our deep concern with your comments indicating American cooperation in reassembling the WTO’s appellate body. As you may know, the United States has blocked new members to the appellate body since 2011, when the Obama Administration blocked an appointment, citing the WTO’s failure to protect American interests. The Trump Administration followed in this tradition. This rare bipartisan agreement was the result of a clear and consistent pattern of the WTO intentionally undermining American sovereignty, while enriching the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The trade laws of the United States have been subject to more challenges than any other WTO Member and roughly a quarter of all disputes involve U.S. trade policy. The variety of ways in which the Appellate Body has failed to live up to its intended purpose was cataloged in a 2020 report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)…” Full text of the letter may be found here and below. August 29, 2022 The Honorable Katherine Tai United States Trade Representative 600 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20508 Dear Ambassador Tai: We are writing to express our deep concern with your comments indicating American cooperation in reassembling the WTO’s appellate body. As you may know, the United States has blocked new members to the appellate body since 2011, when the Obama Administration blocked an appointment, citing the WTO’s failure to protect American interests. The Trump Administration followed in this tradition. This rare bipartisan agreement was the result of a clear and consistent pattern of the WTO intentionally undermining American sovereignty, while enriching the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The trade laws of the United States have been subject to more challenges than any other WTO Member and roughly a quarter of all disputes involve U.S. trade policy. The variety of ways in which the Appellate Body has failed to live up to its intended purpose was cataloged in a 2020 report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), which demonstrated that the Appellate Body has: ·Repeatedly ignored the mandatory deadline for deciding appeals, ·Allowed Appellate Body members whose term has expired to continue deciding appeals, ·Made findings on issues of fact, including issues relating to the domestic law of WTO Members, although Members authorized it to only address legal issues, ·Insisted that dispute settlement panels treat prior Appellate Body interpretations effectively as binding precedent, ·Failed to apply WTO agreements in a manner that adheres to their text (as negotiated and agreed to by WTO Members), while filling in perceived ""gaps"" in agreements to impose new requirements on the United States to which we never agreed. In so doing, the Appellate Body has infringed on our sovereign laws and strayed far from the limited role that WTO members assigned to it. The Appellate Body is not only harmful, it is also corrupted by CCP influence. WTO rules require Appellate Body members to be “unaffiliated with any government,” yet Chinese nationals are allowed to become members. The Chinese Communist Party’s complete control of power in the PRC means it can coerce and intimidate any PRC national into following its will. Moreover, a recent Appellate Body member from the PRC appears to have had – and concealed – an improper continued role working for the PRC government. PRC nationals will be forced to do the bidding of the CCP if they want to, or not. The CCP shouldn’t get a vote on the WTO Appellate Body when it is the primary threat to free and fair trade around the world. Even without the Appellate Body, the WTO’s dispute settlement process can remain a useful resource for U.S. policymakers. WTO panel decisions can still be issued and may have persuasive effect through their force of reasoning. To the extent such decisions can be effectively blocked by appealing to an Appellate Body that no longer exists, this fact has allowed WTO members to regain a measure of sovereignty. And, of course, to the extent Members want to agree to truly binding dispute settlement, they have numerous options to do so – including, for example, an agreement not to appeal the results of a panel decision. Restoring the Appellate Body would only do harm to the United States and give international bureaucrats and members of the CCP more influence over U.S. trade policy. We ask you to continue blocking the appointment of new Appellate Body members.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-courts-blocking-of-arkansas-transgender-youth-law,Cotton Statement on Court’s Blocking of Arkansas Transgender Youth Law,2022-08-25,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Caroline Tabler (202) 224-2353 August 25, 2022 Cotton Statement on Court’s Blocking of Arkansas Transgender Youth Law Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a hold on Arkansas’s law to ban transgender medical interventions for children: “Our legislature voted to protect kids from experimental drugs and surgeries that could permanently damage their health and well-being. By blocking this law again, the court has kept the fate of Arkansas’s children in the hands of liberal activists who support ‘sex-changes’ for children.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-will-offer-alternative-to-student-loan-bailout-plan,Cotton Will Offer Alternative to Student Loan Bailout Plan,2022-08-24,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Caroline Tabler (202) 224-2353 August 24, 2022 Cotton Will Offer Alternative to Student Loan Bailout Plan Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after President Biden announced his plan to “forgive” student loan debt. “There is no such thing as student loan forgiveness—this is a bailout, paid for by the large majority of Americans who never went to college or who responsibly paid off their debts. Even worse, President Biden’s plan ignores the true culprit: bloated, self-serving colleges. I’ll be introducing a bill to hold these colleges accountable for debt, lower tuition, support non-college career paths, and save the taxpayers billions.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-amendment-targets-fentanyl-variants,Cotton Amendment Targets Fentanyl Variants,2022-08-06,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Caroline Tabler (202) 224-2353 August 6, 2022 Cotton Amendment Targets Fentanyl Variants Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced an amendment to the upcoming budget reconciliation spending bill that would eliminate the expiration date on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) emergency scheduling of fentanyl analogues to allow for permanent control of these deadly substances. Amendment text may be found here. “The DEA’s emergency scheduling of all new fentanyl variants helps stop the flow of the fentanyl analogues drug cartels are using to skirt our laws. But to stop the drug crisis from getting worse and provide law enforcement the real tools they need to get these drugs off our streets, we must make their fentanyl scheduling permanent,” said Cotton. Background: Senator Cotton has previously introduced bills to permanently schedule fentanyl in 2021 and 2022, but Democrats have blocked their passage.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-amendment-trades-dhs-green-funding-for-ice-detention,Cotton Amendment Trades DHS “Green” Funding for ICE Detention,2022-08-06,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Caroline Tabler (202) 224-2353 August 6, 2022 Cotton Amendment Trades DHS “Green” Funding for ICE Detention Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced an amendment to the upcoming budget reconciliation bill that would cut $500 million currently allocated by the bill to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for “sustainability and environmental programs.” The amendment then directs $400 million to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detaining single, adult criminal aliens. Amendment text may be found here. “This bill funnels $500 million to DHS for something completely unrelated to its mission: doing the bidding of environmental activists. My amendment would take the Democrats’ green bucks and give it instead to our officers at ICE so they can get the illegal-immigration crisis under control,” said Cotton.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-about-delayed-missile-test-launch,Cotton Demands Answers About Delayed Missile Test Launch,2022-08-04,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 August 4, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers About Delayed Missile Test Launch Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demanding answers about reports that a routine missile test launch was delayed or canceled. In part, Cotton wrote, “I’ve heard reliable reports that this week’s routine test launch of a Minuteman III missile was delayed or canceled. If accurate, this would be the second termination since February, when Russia invaded Ukraine.” “Are these reports accurate? If so, how long does the administration intend to allow Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to dictate our missile-test schedule?” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Lloyd. J. Austin Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-1000 Secretary Austin, I’ve heard reliable reports that this week’s routine test launch of a Minuteman III missile was delayed or canceled. If accurate, this would be the second termination since February, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Are these reports accurate? If so, how long does the administration intend to allow Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to dictate our missile-test schedule? Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-cotton-rep-kustoff-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-stop-contraband-cellphone-use-in-prisons,"Senator Cotton, Rep. Kustoff, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stop Contraband Cellphone Use in Prisons",2022-08-03,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 August 3, 2022 Senator Cotton, Rep. Kustoff, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stop Contraband Cellphone Use in Prisons Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act, legislation to prevent contraband cellphone use in federal and state prison facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cell phone jamming systems. Senators James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), and Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) are original co-sponsors of the bill. Representative David Kustoff (R-Tennessee) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House Of Representatives. Text of the bill may be found here. The Cell Phone Jamming Reform Act gives state and federal prisons the authority to implement a jamming system to protect inmates, guards, and the public at large. ""Prisoners have used contraband cell phones to direct illegal activities outside prison walls, including hits on rivals, sex trafficking, drug operations, and business deals. Cellphone jamming devices can stop this but the Federal Communications Act doesn't allow facilities to use this technology. My bill would fix this problem so that criminals serve their time without posing a threat to the general public,"" said Cotton. “Cell phones are being slipped into jails and prisons, but federal policy prevents local law enforcement from jamming the cell signal. That needs to stop,” said Lankford. “After years of work and conversations with law enforcement, the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Justice, and Oklahoma prison leadership, we finally have a bill to allow states to jam illegal cell phones in their prisons to prevent prisoners from contacting their victims or coordinating even more crime while they are incarcerated. This bill simply allows state and federal prisons to use cell phone jammers to ensure they have the tools they need to combat illegal activity in a prison.” ""In correctional facilities across our country, inmates are using contraband cell phones to conduct illegal activities, including running drug operations, facilitating sex trafficking, and organizing escapes,” said Kustoff.“These contraband cell phones are a major problem and Congress must take action to protect the public from dangerous criminals who continue their illegal activities behind bars. I am pleased to join Senators Cotton and Graham in reintroducing this important bill that will keep our communities in West Tennessee and the United States safe."" This legislation is supported by the Correctional Leaders Association, the Council of Prison Locals, the American Correctional Association, the National Sheriff’s Association, and the Major County Sheriffs of America. Background: The use of contraband cellphones is widespread in both federal and state prison facilities. Inmates have used contraband cellphones to conduct illegal activities, including ordering hits on individuals outside of the prison walls, running illegal drug operations, conducting illegal business deals, facilitating sex trafficking, and organizing escapes which endanger correctional employees, other inmates, and members of the public. In 2018, a gang fight over territory using cellphones to trade contraband sparked a brawl inside the Lee Correctional Institution near Bishopville, South Carolina, and left seven inmates dead and 20 injured. Bureau of Prisons Correctional officer Lt. Osvaldo Albarati was murdered in 2013 for interrupting an illicit contraband cellphone business. His actual assassination was initiated by an inmate using a contraband cellphone to contact the gunman as outlined in the indictment. A 2018 report showed an FCI Fort Dix inmate arranged murder and assault from a smuggled phone in a Jersey prison. Contraband cell phones aren't only allowing violent criminals to continue their nefarious activities. In 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported that Martin Shkreli, the disgraced pharmaceutical executive sentenced to seven years for securities fraud, was still making decisions at Phoenixus AG through the use of a contraband cellphone.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-demand-biden-deny-iranian-president-raisi-visa-to-new-york,"Cotton, Colleagues Demand Biden Deny Iranian President Raisi Visa to New York",2022-08-02,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 August 2, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Demand Biden Deny Iranian President Raisi Visa to New York Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding that he deny visas for Iranian President Raisi and his delegation to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City in September. In part, the senators wrote, “Raisi’s involvement in mass murder and the Iranian regime’s campaign to assassinate U.S. officials on American soil make allowing Raisi and his henchmen to enter our country an inexcusable threat to national security.” “If recent reports are true that Raisi plans to attend the UN General Assembly, the White House must deny Raisi and other Iranian officials visas to attend. Allowing Raisi to travel to the United States—while his agents actively work to assassinate senior American officials on U.S. soil—would gravely endanger our national security, given the likely presence of IRGC agents in the Iranian delegation,” the senators continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. President Joseph R. Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Biden, We urge you to deny visas for Iranian President Raisi and his delegation to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City in September. Raisi’s involvement in mass murder and the Iranian regime’s campaign to assassinate U.S. officials on American soil make allowing Raisi and his henchmen to enter our country an inexcusable threat to national security. Raisi’s record as a violator of human rights is long-standing and clear. In 1988, while deputy prosecutor of Tehran, Raisi served on a Death Commission which sentenced approximately 5,000 prisoners to death, including women and children, without the right to appeal or a fair trial. Raisi is proud of his record; in 2018, he defended the commission, calling it “divine punishment” and “one of the proud achievements of the system.” In the decades since, Raisi continued to subject the Iranian people to extrajudicial prosecution, torture, and execution, such as during the 2009 Green Revolution or in his more recent tenure as the head of Iran’s judiciary. Raisi’s role in these gross human rights abuses led the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to sanction him in 2019, pursuant to Executive Order 13876. While Raisi continues the regime’s wave of repression at home, agents of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, plot to assassinate current and former senior U.S. officials in the United States. In March, the Washington Examiner reported that the Department of Justice had indictable evidence that IRGC Quds Force operatives were planning to assassinate former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton. The IRGC has reportedly been plotting similar efforts against former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former CENTCOM Commander Kenneth McKenzie, and other former officials. According to news reports earlier this month, the IRGC is also targeting current U.S. officials as part of its assassination campaign. If recent reports are true that Raisi plans to attend the UN General Assembly, the White House must deny Raisi and other Iranian officials visas to attend. Allowing Raisi to travel to the United States—while his agents actively work to assassinate senior American officials on U.S. soil—would gravely endanger our national security, given the likely presence of IRGC agents in the Iranian delegation. Furthermore, granting a mass murderer like Raisi a visa to enter our country would also legitimize his repression. It is a risk we cannot and should not take. There is strong precedent for denying an entry visa to foreign leaders. In 1988, the United States barred PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat from entering the United States to attend a meeting of the United Nations. In 2014, President Obama denied an entry visa to Iranian UN Ambassador Hamid Aboutalebi, who was involved in taking American diplomats hostage in 1979. In 2020, the United States declined to issue a visa for Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Ebrahim Raisi’s role in the regime’s human rights abuses and Iran’s continuing efforts to murder American officials should more than disqualify him from receiving a visa to the United States. Thank you for considering this important matter of national security.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-tuberville-introduce-bill-to-prohibit-the-chinese-communist-party-from-purchasing-american-land,"Cotton, Tuberville Introduce Bill to Prohibit the Chinese Communist Party from Purchasing American Land",2022-08-02,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 August 2, 2022 Cotton, Tuberville Introduce Bill to Prohibit the Chinese Communist Party from Purchasing American Land Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) today introduced the Securing America’s Land from Foreign Interference Act to prohibit members of the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing any land in the United States. Text of the bill may be found here. “Chinese investments in American farmland put our food security at risk and provide opportunities for Chinese espionage against our military bases and critical infrastructure. Instead of allowing these purchases, the U.S. government must bar the Communist Party from purchasing our land,” said Cotton. “We cannot continue giving our top adversary a foot in the door to purchase land in the United States and undermine our national security,” said Tuberville. “I hope my colleagues will recognize the importance of our bill and join the effort to prohibit Chinese Communist Party involvement in America’s agriculture industry.” Background: • China’s agricultural investments in countries around the globe grew more than tenfold from 2009 to 2016. China’s Ministry of Agriculture claims the country had over 1,300 agricultural, forestry, and fisheries enterprises with registered overseas investments of $26 billion, at the end of 2016. • Chinese investments in U.S. agricultural may provide the CCP with undue leverage over U.S. supply chains and access to sensitive information critical to U.S. national security. • While Chinese entities held slightly less than one percent of all foreign-held acres in the U.S. in 2020, the volume of their holdings increased dramatically over the last decade. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports, Chinese investors’ holdings of U.S. agricultural land surged from 13,720 acres in 2010 to 352,140 acres in 2020. • The USDA’s most recent report on foreign landholding through December 31, 2020 shows foreign investors now hold an interest in nearly 37.6 million acres of agricultural land in the U.S.—an area larger than the state of Iowa. • Approximately 14 states have some level of foreign ownership restriction yet there are no federal restrictions on the amount of private U.S. agricultural land that can be foreign owned. • Land grabbing by foreign actors will become a greater threat in the coming years. With an aging population of American farmers (one-third over the age of 65), millions of acres in U.S. farmland are expected to change hands in the next decade.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-accepting-service-academy-nominations,Cotton Accepting Service Academy Nominations,2022-08-01,2022,2022-08,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 August 1, 2022 Cotton Accepting Service Academy Nominations Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) announced today that he is accepting applications for service academy nominations. In order to be considered for a nomination, materials must be submitted by Monday, November 1, 2022. ""Students who attend U.S. service academies and go on to serve their country in uniform are the pride of Arkansas, and I encourage each young Arkansan with a sincere interest to apply,"" Cotton said. Interested students can find the application, along with information on eligibility and other requirements, here. Please contact Nicole Millar (501) 223-9081 for any additional questions.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:59:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-demand-answers-about-bidens-proposed-title-ix-gender-identity-rule-in-schools,"Cotton, Colleagues Demand Answers About Biden’s Proposed Title IX “Gender Identity” Rule in Schools",2022-07-28,2022,2022-07,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 July 28, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Demand Answers About Biden’s Proposed Title IX “Gender Identity” Rule in Schools Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona demanding answers about the Department of Education’s intention to include “gender identity” as a protected category under Title IX. In part, the senators wrote, “The Biden administration claims that Title IX, which was written to provide equal opportunities to women, protects men claiming to be women on the basis of their “gender identity.” Consequently, your department has suggested that schools which prohibit males from using women’s bathrooms or playing women’s sports could be guilty of unlawful “discrimination.” Your interpretation of Title IX will undermine that law’s very purpose by making schools and sports unsafe and unfair for women and girls.” “Equally disturbing is the likelihood that your department will weaponize Title IX to force a radical gender ideology in K-12 classrooms. A number of troubling incidents suggest how your interpretation of Title IX could erode women’s rights, free-speech rights, parental rights, and children’s safety and innocence,” the senators continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Miguel Cardona Attn: Title IX Rulemaking Secretary of Education Department of Education Building 400 Maryland Ave, SW Washington, DC 20202 Dear Secretary Cardona, We write regarding the Department of Education’s intention to unlawfully include “gender identity” as a protected category under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. § 1681). The Biden administration claims that Title IX, which was written to provide equal opportunities to women, protects men claiming to be women on the basis of their “gender identity.” Consequently, your department has suggested that schools which prohibit males from using women’s bathrooms or playing women’s sports could be guilty of unlawful “discrimination.” Your interpretation of Title IX will undermine that law’s very purpose by making schools and sports unsafe and unfair for women and girls. Equally disturbing is the likelihood that your department will weaponize Title IX to force a radical gender ideology in K-12 classrooms. A number of troubling incidents suggest how your interpretation of Title IX could erode women’s rights, free-speech rights, parental rights, and children’s safety and innocence. Given these concerns, please respond to the following questions by Monday, August 15, 2022. 1.A middle school in Wisconsin recently filed a complaint under Title IX against three students for choosing not to refer to another student by her preferred pronouns. Would it be a potential violation of Title IX for a student to refuse to call someone by pronouns that do not correspond to their biological sex? 2.A school in Virginia suspended a teacher, Tanner Cross, for refusing to use a child’s “preferred” pronouns and cited Title IX as one justification. Would it be “discriminatory” or a potential violation of Title IX for a school employee to refuse to refer to a student or colleague by their preferred name or pronouns? If yes, would teachers with religious or conscientious objections be given an exemption? 3.When Florida passed a law to protect K-3 students from inappropriate classroom instruction, you implied it might run afoul of Title IX. Would it be “discriminatory” or a potential violation of Title IX for a school, district, or state to limit a school employee’s ability to discuss “gender identity” with young children? Would it be a potential violation of Title IX for any school, district, or state to discipline a teacher’s or school employee’s discussion of the aforementioned topic with young children? 4.Would it be a potential violation of Title IX for any school, district, or state to refuse to provide puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to “affirm” a students’ “gender identity” at a school health clinic? 5.In order to comply with the Obama administration’s “Dear Colleague letter” on Title IX, a Chicago public school chose to treat a girl as a boy and override the parents’ expressed wish to treat their daughter according to her biological sex. Would it be “discriminatory” or a potential violation of Title IX to treat a child according to their biological sex if the parents requested this, but the child preferred a different “gender identity”? 6.An alarming number of schools deceive parents about their child’s “gender transition” by withholding information about their child’s “gender identity.” Your proposed rules favorably cite policies from California and Washoe County, Nevada, which forbid school staff from notifying parents about their child’s “gender identity.” Would it be “discriminatory” or a potential violation of Title IX for a school employee or student to notify or inform parents about their child’s “gender transition” or alleged “gender identity”? 7.The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act guarantees parents’ “right to inspect and review the education records their children.” Under your proposed rule, would a school be allowed to deny parents access to a child’s educational records, including sensitive information about their purported “gender identity,” for any reason? Under what circumstances could a school deny parents their right to inspect and review their children’s records? 8.In Loudon County, Virginia, a girl was raped in the girl’s bathroom by a boy who “identifies” as “gender fluid.” Would it be “discriminatory” or a potential violation of Title IX to deny a boy who claimed a different “gender identity” access to the girl’s bathroom? 9.A male student at the University of Pennsylvania who claims to be a woman, Lia Thomas, has caused discomfort through his presence and behavior in the women’s locker room. Would it be discriminatory or a violation of Title IX to deny a boy who claimed a “gender identity” that did not correspond with his biological sex to use a girl’s locker room? 10.You have claimed that your proposed rule will not address women’s sports, yet your agency appears to be enforcing Title IX to effectively end women’s sports teams. Last June, your department signed onto a statement of interest, led by the Department of Justice, arguing that West Virginia’s law to prevent biological males from participating in female athletics is a violation of Title IX. Would it be a violation of Title IX to deny a biological male who claimed a “gender identity” that did not correspond with his biological sex to join a women’s sports team? Thank you for your attention to this important manner.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:49:02Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-asks-blackrock-to-explain-its-inadequate-response-to-antitrust-concerns-from-esg-scam,Cotton Asks BlackRock to Explain its Inadequate Response to Antitrust Concerns from ESG Scam,2022-07-27,2022,2022-07,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 July 27, 2022 Cotton Asks BlackRock to Explain its Inadequate Response to Antitrust Concerns from ESG Scam Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) last night sent a second letter to Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock Inc., reiterating his demand for answers about the firm’s involvement in a scheme to reduce drilling for oil and gas that may violate antitrust law. In part, Cotton wrote, “BlackRock’s intimation that it set boundaries when joining CA100+ is unconvincing, as the statement mirrors CA100+’s own language on its website. And if this was a response to my letter, it did not answer my questions.” “BlackRock’s statement raises additional questions about its commitments to the CA100+ initiative. Many of the commitments investor participants make when joining CA100+ raise potential antitrust issues,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. Mr. Larry Fink Chairman and Chief Executive Officer BlackRock Inc. 55 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10055 Dear Mr. Fink, On July 13, I sent you a letter inquiring about BlackRock’s involvement with Climate Action 100+ (“CA100+”). Though BlackRock failed to provide my office with a response, it did respond to a request for a statement by “responsible-investor.com.” BlackRock’s statement to the website was: BlackRock joined Climate Action 100+ to participate in dialogue with companies and financial institutions on matters important to our clients. As we made clear to CA100+ when we joined, BlackRock acts independently in its investment decisions. We do not co-ordinate investment decisions with any members of Climate Action 100+, and we do not buy, sell, hold or vote our shares together with any Climate Action 100+ signatory. As fiduciaries to our clients, we consistently prioritise the long-term economic interests of our clients above any commitments or pledges not required by law. BlackRock’s intimation that it set boundaries when joining CA100+ is unconvincing, as the statement mirrors CA100+’s own language on its website. And if this was a response to my letter, it did not answer my questions. BlackRock’s statement raises additional questions about its commitments to the CA100+ initiative. Many of the commitments investor participants make when joining CA100+ raise potential antitrust issues. For example, based on CA100+’s website: •“investors commit to engaging with at least one of 166 focus companies . . . and to seek commitments on the initiative’s key asks”; •investors are required to “work cooperatively with a number of collaborating investors”; •investors are “required to share information with the engagement working group and the coordinating investor network”; •investors are “required to liaise with relevant network staff and/or lead investors to ensure engagement priorities and ambition are aligned with the goals of the initiative, as well as with the overall collaborative approach”; •investors are required to “disclose through a bi-annual survey their engagement plans and priorities over the coming 12 months to ensure strong and concerted action”; and •investors are required to warn focus companies that “inaction by companies following engagement may result in investors taking further action.” In light of these commitments that BlackRock made when becoming a CA100+ “investor participant,” please provide answers to the following questions by August 2, 2022: 1.Has BlackRock followed through on its intention to “participate in dialogue with companies and financial institutions” as part of the CA100+ initiative? If so, please list each company and financial institution BlackRock engaged in “dialogue” with, and explain what was discussed during such “dialogue.” 2.In light of BlackRock’s insistence that it “acts independently” and “do[es] not co-ordinate” with other CA100+ members, does BlackRock count itself among the CA100+ “investors [that] recognise that unprecedented cross-sector collaboration is required to achieve net zero across the global economy”? 3.Has Blackrock fulfilled the CA100+ commitments listed above? If so, please identify: a.the companies BlackRock has engaged with; b.the investors BlackRock has collaborated with; c.the investors BlackRock has shared information with; d.the investors and network staff BlackRock has liaised with; and e.the companies BlackRock has threatened with “further action.” In addition, please provide a copy of all bi-annual surveys BlackRock has prepared for CA100+.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:49:02Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-amendment-to-prohibit-companies-from-expanding-semiconductor-manufacturing-in-china,Cotton Introduces Amendment to Prohibit Companies from Expanding Semiconductor Manufacturing in China,2022-07-25,2022,2022-07,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 July 25, 2022 Cotton Introduces Amendment to Prohibit Companies from Expanding Semiconductor Manufacturing in China Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced an amendment to the CHIPS+ package to prohibit companies that receive federal grants and tax credits from expanding semiconductor production in China. Text of the amendment may be found here. “We should be bolstering manufacturing at home—not expanding abroad. My amendment will ensure companies that receive taxpayer funds can’t turn around and build more factories in China,” said Cotton. This amendment would: Eliminate loopholes that would allow semiconductor companies to take taxpayer money while expanding production of so-called “legacy semiconductors” in China. Eliminate a “Mitigation” process that would allow semiconductor companies to expand advanced semiconductor manufacturing in China and keep CHIPS grant money while keeping taxpayer funds. Provide a more comprehensive definition of “semiconductor manufacturing” so that companies cannot take taxpayer money and move other parts of their manufacturing supply chains like testing, packaging, and R&D to China. Eliminate other loopholes that companies could use to argue with the Department of Commerce about whether their activities in China disqualify them from receiving taxpayer funds.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:49:02Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-president-bidens-remarks-about-taiwan,Cotton Statement on President Biden’s Remarks About Taiwan,2022-07-21,2022,2022-07,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 July 21, 2022 Cotton Statement on President Biden’s Remarks About Taiwan Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement after President Biden’s comment discouraging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) from visiting Taiwan: “This pathetic self-deterrence is a mistake, and it will invite more aggression.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:49:02Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-investigation-into-us-attorneys-apparent-violation-of-hatch-act,Cotton Demands Investigation into U.S. Attorney’s Apparent Violation of Hatch Act,2022-07-15,2022,2022-07,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 July 15, 2022 Cotton Demands Investigation into U.S. Attorney’s Apparent Violation of Hatch Act Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz demanding an investigation into an apparent violation of the Hatch Act by Rachael Rollins, United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. In part, Cotton wrote, “It has been publicly reported that Ms. Rollins attended a high-dollar political fundraiser at a private home in Andover, Massachusetts yesterday. The fundraiser, which featured First Lady Jill Biden and began during typical business hours, was one that Ms. Rollins attended in her official capacity as United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. She reportedly even used a vehicle with government license plates to travel to and from the event.” “The Hatch Act expressly prohibits covered federal employees, such as Ms. Rollins, from using their official positions for partisan political purposes, including attending partisan political events in their official capacities. The Hatch Act is intended to prevent the use of official resources for partisan political purposes, but it is also intended to maintain a politically neutral workplace. This is especially true in the context of a United States Attorney, who is supposed to act as a nonpartisan law enforcement official rather than as a partisan politician. Given the apparent blatant violation in this case, I urge you to conduct an investigation into Ms. Rollins’s conduct,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Michael Horowitz, Inspector General United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Inspector General Horowitz: I write regarding a potential Hatch Act violation by Rachael Rollins, United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. It has been publicly reported that Ms. Rollins attended a high-dollar political fundraiser at a private home in Andover, Massachusetts yesterday. The fundraiser, which featured First Lady Jill Biden and began during typical business hours, was one that Ms. Rollins attended in her official capacity as United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. She reportedly even used a vehicle with government license plates to travel to and from the event. The Hatch Act expressly prohibits covered federal employees, such as Ms. Rollins, from using their official positions for partisan political purposes, including attending partisan political events in their official capacities. The Hatch Act is intended to prevent the use of official resources for partisan political purposes, but it is also intended to maintain a politically neutral workplace. This is especially true in the context of a United States Attorney, who is supposed to act as a nonpartisan law enforcement official rather than as a partisan politician. Given the apparent blatant violation in this case, I urge you to conduct an investigation into Ms. Rollins’s conduct. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:49:02Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-blackrock-about-involvement-with-climate-action-100-potential-antitrust-violations,"Cotton Demands Answers from BlackRock About Involvement with Climate Action 100+, Potential Antitrust Violations",2022-07-14,2022,2022-07,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 July 14, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers from BlackRock About Involvement with Climate Action 100+, Potential Antitrust Violations Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) last night sent a letter to Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock Inc., demanding answers about the firm’s involvement in a scheme to reduce drilling for oil and gas that may violate antitrust law. In part, Cotton wrote, “BlackRock is an ‘investor participant’ in Climate Action 100+ (‘CA100+’), ‘an investor-led initiative’ to pressure ‘the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters [to] take necessary action on climate change’ like, for example, pressuring oil companies to drill for less oil. According to CA100+, ‘investor participants’ are ‘signatories to the initiative and are responsible for direct engagements with focus companies’ that directly compete with one another.” “Your anti-drilling coercion threatens our national security, hurts Americans struggling to buy a tank of gas, and appears to violate antitrust laws. Specifically, by engaging with competing ‘focus companies,’ CA100+ investor participants appear to be running a spoke-and-hub conspiracy to restrict the supply of fossil fuels and impose various other unlawful restraints on trade. By ‘collaborating’ with other investors, you and your fellow CA100+ investor participants appear to be acting like a climate cartel,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. Mr. Larry Fink Chairman and Chief Executive Officer BlackRock Inc. 55 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10055 Dear Mr. Fink, I'm writing about your involvement in a scheme to reduce drilling for oil and gas. BlackRock is an ""investor participant"" in Climate Action 100+ (""CA100+""), ""an investor-led initiative"" to pressure ""the world's largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters [to] take necessary action on climate change"" like, for example, pressuring oil companies to drill for less oil. According to CA100+, ""investor participants"" are ""signatories to the initiative and are responsible for direct engagements with focus companies"" that directly compete with one another. Your anti-drilling coercion threatens our national security, hurts Americans struggling to buy a tank of gas, and appears to violate antitrust laws. Specifically, by engaging with competing ""focus companies,"" CA100+ investor participants appear to be running a spoke-and-hub conspiracy to restrict the supply of fossil fuels and impose various other unlawful restraints on trade. By ""collaborating"" with other investors, you and your fellow CA100+ investor participants appear to be acting like a climate cartel. In light of the growing concerns about anti-competitive ESG activities, many law firms have begun offering antitrust counsel to clients participating in initiatives like CA100+. Please provide answers to the following questions by July 20, 2022: Has BlackRock engaged with any focus companies as part of the CA100+ initiative? If so, please list each focus company. Has BlackRock collaborated with any other investor participants as part of the CA100+ initiative? If so, please list each investor participant.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:49:02Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-demand-action-from-biden-administration-against-tiktok,"Cotton, Colleagues Demand Action from Biden Administration Against TikTok",2022-06-24,2022,2022-06,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 June 24, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Demand Action from Biden Administration Against TikTok Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Todd Young (R-Indiana), and Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen demanding answers about actions the Biden administration is taking to combat the national security risks associated with TikTok, a social media platform developed and owned by Chinese company ByteDance Ltd. In part, the senators wrote, “The Biden Administration has seemingly done nothing to enforce the August 14 order nearly two years since its promulgation. The results of the security reviews, likewise, have not been publicly released after one year. Instead, news reports indicate TikTok is nearing a deal with a U.S. company to ‘store its U.S. users’ information without its Chinese parent ByteDance having access to it, hoping to address U.S. regulatory concerns.’” “The proposed TikTok deal would do little to address the core security concerns that motivated the August 14 order. That order was not simply concerned about data, but about a Chinese company’s ownership of a social media platform in America. If the Biden Administration focuses solely on data storage and integrity to the exclusion of the critical issue of ByteDance’s ownership, control, and influence of TikTok, serious security risks will remain and the August 14 order will go unenforced,” the senators continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Janet Yellen Secretary Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20220 Dear Secretary Yellen, We write to inquire about the Biden Administration’s delayed response to the national security and privacy risks posed by TikTok, the video-sharing social media platform developed and owned by the Chinese company ByteDance Ltd. On August 6, 2020, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order (E.O. 13942) restricting the use of TikTok in the United States. The order noted that the app “captures vast swaths of information from its users, including… location data and browsing and search histories.” TikTok’s data-collection practices threatened to “allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information—potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.” Shortly afterward, ByteDance sued in federal court and secured a preliminary injunction that halted a pending prohibition against downloading the TikTok app. President Trump issued an additional Presidential Order on August 14, 2020 (the August 14 order) directing ByteDance to divest its American assets and destroy any data it acquired through TikTok. The order also blocked ByteDance’s acquisition of another video-sharing social media platform, Musical.ly. The August 14 order was based on “credible evidence” that the acquisition threatened to “impair the national security of the United States,” likely including evidence unearthed by a review of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). On June 9, 2021, President Joe Biden revoked E.O. 13942 and ordered security reviews of TikTok and similar apps developed in adversary countries. The next month, the Biden Administration petitioned to dismiss ongoing federal litigation against ByteDance. President Biden did not, however, revoke the August 14 Presidential Order requiring ByteDance to divest its American assets, property, and data. The Biden Administration has seemingly done nothing to enforce the August 14 order nearly two years since its promulgation. The results of the security reviews, likewise, have not been publicly released after one year. Instead, news reports indicate TikTok is nearing a deal with a U.S. company to “store its U.S. users’ information without its Chinese parent ByteDance having access to it, hoping to address U.S. regulatory concerns.” The proposed TikTok deal would do little to address the core security concerns that motivated the August 14 order. That order was not simply concerned about data, but about a Chinese company’s ownership of a social media platform in America. If the Biden Administration focuses solely on data storage and integrity to the exclusion of the critical issue of ByteDance’s ownership, control, and influence of TikTok, serious security risks will remain and the August 14 order will go unenforced. Please answer the following requests in writing: 1. Identify all CFIUS member agencies that are “lead” agencies for this matter. 2. Given recent press reporting that TikTok may partner with a U.S. company to store Americans’ data in the United States: a.Are these arrangements part of a CFIUS-ordered plan to address national security risk? b.Will such arrangements appropriately and adequately effectuate the directives contained in the August 14 order? If so, how? c.What assurances does the U.S. government have that TikTok will store U.S. data and adopt privacy policies with adequate protections? d.How will the U.S. government enforce any such data protection and storage arrangements vis-à-vis an independent third-party U.S. company? e.What steps will be taken with regard to the storage, protection, and integrity of the extensive U.S. data that has already been acquired by TikTok and ByteDance both prior to and since the August 14 order? f.Will the United States impose requirements for destruction of data previously acquired and not stored within U.S. jurisdiction, and how will such a requirement be enforced and verified? g.How will the U.S. government ensure the TikTok app contains no malicious code and does not manipulate information and content? How will this be accomplished and verified on an ongoing basis? If an independent third party is responsible to the U.S. government for these functions, how will any failure to protect Americans and U.S. national security be remedied and enforced? Has the U.S. government considered adequate means of accountability? h.Will TikTok be locally managed in the United States? i.If the control and operation of TikTok’s algorithm remains in the Chinese company’s hands, does that mean that U.S. persons’ data will be transferred to China to inform said algorithm? j.Will the U.S. government have the ability to routinely access and inspect the algorithm’s source code? k.What safeguards will the United States have to ensure protection of U.S. persons’ data in the event the CCP were to invoke its National Security Law and direct ByteDance to provide U.S. data to the Chinese government? l.Will only U.S. persons be the officers and employees responsible for all operations and activities of TikTok in the United States? How will the decision-making of U.S. officers and employees be isolated from any and all influence of ByteDance’s officers and employees? 3. If the divestment ordered by the August 14 order will not be effectuated, will the President issue a superseding Presidential or Executive Order? 4. If divestment ordered by the August 14 order is not effectuated, to what extent will ByteDance or other Chinese persons retain ownership or control over TikTok’s operations in the United States? Describe in detail both the ownership and control structure contemplated for TikTok in the United States. 5. Are the actions that CFIUS may be taking to address the threat posed by TikTok being considered and applied by U.S. government agencies to WeChat, Didi, and other Chinese-owned or controlled apps? Please respond to these questions no later than July 22. Thank you for your prompt response to this important matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:13:54Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-supreme-courts-dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization-decision,Cotton Statement on Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Decision,2022-06-24,2022,2022-06,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 June 24, 2022 Cotton Statement on Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Decision Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement regarding the United States Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization: “Roe was a tragic mistake, taking from the American people and their elected representatives a deeply moral question. The Supreme Court has finally corrected this mistake and I highly commend the millions of Americans who toiled for years to achieve this great victory for unborn life and self-government.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:13:54Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-banks-introduce-legislation-to-protect-children-from-gender-transition-surgery,"Cotton, Banks Introduce Legislation to Protect Children from “Gender-Transition” Surgery",2022-06-22,2022,2022-06,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 June 22, 2022 Cotton, Banks Introduce Legislation to Protect Children from “Gender-Transition” Surgery Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), and Steve Daines (R-Montana) introduced the Protecting Minors from Medical Malpractice Act, legislation to help individuals who suffer from potentially sterilizing gender-transition procedures as minors and to allow them to seek justice in court. Representative Jim Banks (R-Indiana) is leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives. “Gender-transition procedures aren’t safe or appropriate for children. Unfortunately, radical doctors in the United States perform dangerous, experimental, and even sterilizing gender-transition procedures on young kids, who cannot even provide informed consent. Our bill allows children who grow up to regret these procedures to sue for damages. Any doctor who performs these irresponsible procedures on kids should pay,” said Cotton. “The Biden administration released official guidance recommending irreversible and life-altering surgery for minors too young to apply for a learner’s permit. These procedures lack any solid evidence and have been rejected by public health agencies around the world. Ten years from now, there will be hundreds of thousands of Americans who were permanently scarred by the radical left’s agenda before they reached adulthood. If Democrats truly supported gender-confused children, they’d support our effort to give them legal recourse,” said Banks. Text of the bill may be found here. The Protecting Minors from Medical Malpractice Act would: Create a private right of action allowing people who have gender-transition procedures performed on them as minors to sue the medical practitioner who performed the procedure. Allows victims or their legal guardian to sue for declaratory or injunctive relief, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees Provides a 30-year statute of limitation after the age of majority Gender-transition procedures include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures that change an individual’s body in order to align with an identity at odds with an individual’s biological sex Applicable to procedures performed after the date of passage of this legislation Clarify that federal law cannot be construed to force medical practitioners to offer such procedures. Prohibit federal health funds from going to states that force medical practitioners to perform gender-transition procedures. The legislation is supported by the American Principles Project, Heritage Action, Family Policy Alliance, Family Research Council, Independent Women’s Forum, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Alliance Defending Freedom, ForAmerica, Eagle Forum, CHANGED Movement.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:39:01Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-senate-gun-control-legislation,Cotton Statement on Senate Gun-Control Legislation,2022-06-21,2022,2022-06,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 June 21, 2022 Cotton Statement on Senate Gun-Control Legislation Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement on the Senate gun-control bill: “This bill won’t stop the violent shootings by deranged criminals. But it will restrict the freedoms of law-abiding Americans and put too much power in the hands of politicians and political officials. Stopping gun violence starts with more funding for police and tougher sentences for the criminals who violate gun laws—not taking away due process from law-abiding gun owners.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:39:01Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-action-from-doj-following-violent-attacks-on-crisis-pregnancy-centers-by-pro-abortion-group-janes-revenge,Cotton Demands Action from DOJ Following Violent Attacks on Crisis Pregnancy Centers by Pro-Abortion Group ‘Jane’s Revenge’,2022-06-16,2022,2022-06,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 June 16, 2022 Cotton Demands Action from DOJ Following Violent Attacks on Crisis Pregnancy Centers by Pro-Abortion Group ‘Jane’s Revenge’ Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding that the Department of Justice take action to protect Americans from ongoing violent attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers. In part, Cotton wrote, “Houses of worship and pro-life pregnancy centers are under attack.” “What is the Department of Justice doing to protect Americans from these violent attacks? At a minimum, you should bring federal charges against the perpetrators, where appropriate, and investigate ‘Jane’s Revenge’ as a domestic terrorist organization. If you are unwilling to protect Americans from these attacks, you should resign—although, in my opinion, you should resign in any case,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Merrick Garland U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20530-0001 Dear Attorney General Garland, Houses of worship and pro-life pregnancy centers are under attack. The Family Research Council has compiled a list of more than 50 attacks against churches, pro-life pregnancy centers, and other pro-life groups in the past few weeks. A left-wing extremist group called “Jane’s Revenge” has taken credit for many of these attacks, including firebombings and grotesque acts of vandalism. The same group has now issued a letter declaring “open season” on all so-called “anti-choice” groups, and calls for terrorist attacks against these groups by anyone “with the urge to paint, to burn, to cut, [or] to jam.” I am appending a list of attacks this group has already claimed at the end of this letter. What is the Department of Justice doing to protect Americans from these violent attacks? At a minimum, you should bring federal charges against the perpetrators, where appropriate, and investigate “Jane’s Revenge” as a domestic terrorist organization. If you are unwilling to protect Americans from these attacks, you should resign—although, in my opinion, you should resign in any case. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:39:01Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-reduce-gun-violence,"Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Reduce Gun Violence",2022-06-09,2022,2022-06,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 June 9, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Reduce Gun Violence Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), John Thune (R-South Dakota) Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), and Todd Young (R-Indiana) introduced the Stop Gun Criminals Act, legislation to increase penalties for felons who illegally possess or use firearms. Text of the bill may be found here. “Violent felons commit the vast majority of gun crimes and should be held accountable for their actions. Instead of releasing criminals onto the streets to commit more crime, our bill will establish mandatory minimum sentences for repeat offenders,” said Cotton. The Stop Gun Criminals Act would: · Set a minimum sentence of five years for illegally possessing a gun. · Increase the mandatory minimum sentence for serious repeat felons (defined as criminals with at least three prior convictions for crimes that are punishable by 10 years or longer) if they use a gun in the commission of more crimes, increasing the minimum from five years to seven years. o For such criminals who brandish the gun during the crime, the minimum would increase from seven years to 10 years. o For such criminals who actually fire their weapon during the crime, the minimum would increase from 10 years to 15 years. · Make a technical correction to remove the ""residual clause"" from the Armed Career Criminal Act, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015 for being unconstitutionally vague.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:13:54Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-unethical-for-white-house-staff-to-forgive-their-own-student-debt,Cotton: Unethical for White House Staff to “Forgive” their Own Student Debt,2022-06-06,2022,2022-06,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 June 6, 2022 Cotton: Unethical for White House Staff to “Forgive” their Own Student Debt Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today called on President Joe Biden to require aides with federal student loan debt to be recused from any discussions about a student loan debt transfer plan. In part, Cotton wrote, “President Biden promised to ‘Restore Ethics in Government,’ to prevent ‘self-enrichment,’ and to ‘[ensure] that everyone in a position of public trust eliminates even the appearance that their financial holdings could influence decision-making.’” “It’s hard to imagine a more blatant example of ‘self-enrichment’ than White House aides with federal student loan debt working to transfer their debts to taxpayers who never attended college,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. To: WH EOP, Office of Government Ethics, Department of Education Cc: House Ethics Committee, Senate Ethics Committee, OMB Despite claiming that we are in a strong economy, President Biden has repeatedly delayed repayment of federal student loans. Public reports state that the President is also planning to “forgive” at least $10,000 in federal student loan debt per borrower by transferring these debts to taxpayers. The failure to require repayment has cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars and transferring the debt would cost billions more. Bloomberg reported that dozens of White House aides have substantial federal student loan debt[1]. This is a clear conflict of interest, as these aides stand to profit by transferring their debts to taxpayers. President Biden promised to “Restore Ethics in Government,” to prevent “self-enrichment,” and to “[ensure] that everyone in a position of public trust eliminates even the appearance that their financial holdings could influence decision-making[2].” It’s hard to imagine a more blatant example of “self-enrichment” than White House aides with federal student loan debt working to transfer their debts to taxpayers who never attended college. Does the White House require aides with federal student loan debt to be recused from working on a student loan debt transfer plan? If not, why not?",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:13:54Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/05/30/2022/cotton-statement-on-memorial-day,Cotton Statement on Memorial Day,2022-05-30,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 30, 2022 Cotton Statement on Memorial Day Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement on Memorial Day: “On Memorial Day, we remember the brave men and women in uniform who died serving our country. This occasion is especially somber, as we honor the 13 American heroes who died defending the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul last year. They were the last to lay down their lives during our mission in Afghanistan and they are first in our hearts today. They perished, like so many other American patriots before them, so that others could live. For nearly 250 years, Americans in uniform have fought and died so we could be free. Now they rest in honor beneath the rolling hills of Arlington, in a thousand other cemeteries, and in the quiet places known only to God. Their legacy and our gratitude will live forever. We will never forget their sacrifice.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:09:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-braun-rubio-introduce-bill-to-limit-use-of-chinese-digital-currency-in-the-us,"Cotton, Braun, Rubio Introduce Bill to Limit Use of Chinese Digital Currency in the U.S.",2022-05-26,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 26, 2022 Cotton, Braun, Rubio Introduce Bill to Limit Use of Chinese Digital Currency in the U.S. Washington, D.C. – Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) introduced the Defending Americans from Authoritarian Digital Currencies Act, legislation to prohibit app platforms in the United States from hosting apps that enable transactions using the Chinese Communist Party’s Digital Yuan (e-CNY). Text of the bill may be foundhere. “The Chinese Communist Party will use its digital currency to control and spy on anyone who uses it. We can’t give China that chance—the United States should reject China’s attempt to undermine our economy at its most basic level,” said Cotton. “The Chinese Communist Party’s digital yuan allows direct control and access to the financial lives of individuals. We cannot allow this authoritarian regime to use their state-controlled digital currency as an instrument to infiltrate our economy and the private information of American citizens,” said Braun. “It makes no sense to tie ourselves to the digital currency of a genocidal regime that hates us and wants to replace us on the world stage,” said Rubio. “This is a major financial and surveillance risk that the United States cannot afford to make.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:09:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-hagerty-introduce-legislation-to-expose-foreign-subsidies-in-merger-filings,"Cotton, Hagerty Introduce Legislation to Expose Foreign Subsidies in Merger Filings",2022-05-26,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 26, 2022 Cotton, Hagerty Introduce Legislation to Expose Foreign Subsidies in Merger Filings Washington, D.C. – Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) today introduced the Foreign Merger Subsidy Disclosure Act, legislation that would require companies to disclose financial support from adversarial foreign governments and entities in premerger notification filings to U.S. antitrust regulators. Bill text may be found here. “The Chinese Communist Party is attempting to gain power by manipulating the market and undercutting American businesses. Our bill will promote transparency in antitrust filings, and allow regulators to examine whether a company may act anticompetitively because it has the backing of foreign subsidies,” said Cotton. “Congress cannot ignore the malign actions and intellectual property theft of the Chinese Communist Party and its attempt to harm American businesses and workers. This legislation ensures transparency, giving regulators the ability to thoroughly examine the influence of foreign governments in business mergers,” said Hagerty. Representative Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wisconsin) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives in October 2021.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:09:24Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-call-for-increased-oversight-of-chinese-economic-aggression-after-proposed-forbes-acquisition,"Cotton, Colleagues Call for Increased Oversight of Chinese Economic Aggression After Proposed Forbes Acquisition",2022-05-24,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 24, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Call for Increased Oversight of Chinese Economic Aggression After Proposed Forbes Acquisition Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen raising concerns about the proposed acquisition of Forbes by an entity linked to the Chinese Communist Party. In part, the senators wrote, “Forbes is a recognizable American brand with immense propaganda value to the CCP. Additionally, the CCP’s direction of Forbes’ editorial content and business operations, or its access to Forbes’ financial and personal research, could present a serious national security threat to the United States. As members of the Intelligence, Judiciary, Banking, and Finance Committees, we view proposed transactions like this one as a compelling reason for increased oversight of the CCP’s predatory economic behavior in American markets. We urge you to take the necessary steps to thoroughly review the circumstances and potential consequences of this deal.” Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Janet Yellen Secretary U.S. Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20220 Dear Secretary Yellen: We are writing regarding the proposed acquisition of Forbes by a Chinese Communist Party-linked entity. In August 2021, Forbes Global Media Holdings (Forbes) announced a proposed acquisition by Magnum Opus Acquisition Limited (Magnum Opus), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. In your role as chair of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), we urge you to investigate the circumstances and national security implications of this proposed acquisition. China's deliberately vague patchwork of intelligence, national security, and cybersecurity laws compel companies to support and cooperate with the government’s intelligence work. Not only is Magnum Opus domiciled within the jurisdiction of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), but the seed money for Magnum Opus came directly from China’s sovereign wealth fund, the Chinese Investment Corporation (CIC). The CCP’s intent to wield the Forbes brand for its own purposes is clear. The purchasing entity’s April 8, 2022 proxy statement admits that, if this deal is allowed to proceed, Forbes “could be subject to oversight and discretion of PRC governmental authorities, which could seek to intervene or influence its business operations at any time that the government deems appropriate to further their regulatory, political, and societal goals.” Forbes is a recognizable American brand with immense propaganda value to the CCP. Additionally, the CCP’s direction of Forbes’ editorial content and business operations, or its access to Forbes’ financial and personal research, could present a serious national security threat to the United States. As members of the Intelligence, Judiciary, Banking, and Finance Committees, we view proposed transactions like this one as a compelling reason for increased oversight of the CCP’s predatory economic behavior in American markets. We urge you to take the necessary steps to thoroughly review the circumstances and potential consequences of this deal. Thank you for your attention to this important matter of national security.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-bidens-shift-in-taiwan-policy,Cotton Statement on Biden’s Shift in Taiwan Policy,2022-05-23,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 23, 2022 Cotton Statement on Biden’s Shift in Taiwan Policy Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement regarding President Biden’s recent comments about Taiwan: “I’ve long said that we should change our Taiwan policy from ‘strategic ambiguity’ to ‘strategic clarity’: the United States will come to the defense of Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. As usual, strategic clarity and military strength is the best way to deter China. Given President Biden’s apparent policy shift in off-the-cuff remarks at a press conference in Japan, followed by anonymous White House aides trying to ‘walk back’ his statement, it’s now essential that President Biden restate our new policy of strategic clarity in clear, deliberate remarks from a prepared text. Otherwise, the continued ambiguity and uncertainty will likely provoke the Chinese communists without deterring them—the worst of both worlds.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-unanimously-passes-cotton-resolution-to-designate-may-as-als-awareness-month,Senate Unanimously Passes Cotton Resolution to Designate May as ALS Awareness Month,2022-05-16,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 16, 2022 Senate Unanimously Passes Cotton Resolution to Designate May as ALS Awareness Month Washington, D.C. – Today, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), and Chris Coons (D-Delaware) to designate May 2022 as ALS Awareness Month. Text of the resolution may be found here. “Each year, thousands of Americans are diagnosed with ALS—a progressive and disabling disease for which there is no cure. I’m proud to work with my colleagues to raise awareness about ALS and help bring relief to Americans living with the disease,” said Cotton. “It takes tremendous courage from patients, families, and friends to cope with an ALS diagnosis – a relentless and debilitating disease,” said Whitehouse. “It’s my hope that by passing this ALS Awareness Month resolution, we will draw attention to those affected by ALS and the researchers working on new treatments on the path to a cure.” “There is no ALS survivor community, so it’s a top priority for me to advocate in Congress for those that are diagnosed with this devastating disease. As a co-founder of the first Senate ALS Caucus with Senator Coons, I am proud to join my Senate colleagues in designating May as ALS Awareness Month,” said Braun. “ALS is a cruel disease that takes the lives of thousands of Americans every year, and we must work together by sustaining research and expanding treatment and therapy options. That’s why I worked so hard to secure passage of my bipartisan ACT for ALS bill, which President Biden signed into law last year, and continue to work with my colleagues to secure full funding for that law today,” said Coons. “I hope that with more awareness around ALS, we will be able to better support patients and their loved ones, and move closer to a cure.” Cotton has been a leading advocate for Americans living with ALS during his time in Congress. His ALS Disability Insurance Act, which eliminates the five-month waiting period before ALS patients can receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, was first introduced in 2016 and finally signed into law in 2020. Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative disease affecting the ability of the brain to control muscle movements. Individuals with ALS progressively lose the ability to speak, walk, and breathe. The intended purpose of a five-month waiting period is to allow temporary conditions to reverse. However, there is currently no cure or treatment to halt or undo the effects of ALS, and some ALS patients lose their fight with the disease before ever receiving benefits. The ALS Disability Insurance Access Act would help alleviate some of the financial hardship that accompanies an ALS diagnosis, and support those living with ALS and their families.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-bill-demanding-accountability-for-formula-shortage,Cotton Introduces Bill Demanding Accountability for Formula Shortage,2022-05-12,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 12, 2022 Cotton Introduces Bill Demanding Accountability for Formula Shortage Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced legislation requiring President Joe Biden to submit a report to Congress within 30 days detailing the steps the administration is taking to end the infant formula shortage. Bill text may be found here. “Four months ago, the FDA closed a formula manufacturing site without taking steps to ensure infant formula supply levels would remain sufficient, leaving millions of babies without the food they need,” said Cotton. “This shortage is a direct result of the Biden administration’s actions, and the President needs to take start taking this seriously.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-finlands-intent-to-join-nato,Cotton Statement on Finland’s Intent to Join NATO,2022-05-12,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 12, 2022 Cotton Statement on Finland’s Intent to Join NATO Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement in support of Finland joining NATO: “The United States should welcome Finland into the NATO alliance with open arms. Finland has a proud history of resisting Russian aggression and will be a valuable ally in Europe. Finland’s military will soon exceed NATO military spending requirements and averages, demonstrating its ability to contribute to the alliance. I urge President Biden and the Senate to act quickly in support of our Finnish friends.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-calls-on-doj-to-prosecute-protestors-outside-justices-homes,Cotton Calls on DOJ to Prosecute Protestors Outside Justices’ Homes,2022-05-11,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 11, 2022 Cotton Calls on DOJ to Prosecute Protestors Outside Justices’ Homes Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding action from the Department of Justice in response to ongoing protests at the homes of Supreme Court Justices with the intent to sway the outcome of a pending case—a violation of federal law. In part, Cotton wrote, “Please explain why you have refused to enforce the federal law against picketing and protesting at the homes of Supreme Court Justices. Left-wing mobs have recently targeted the homes of Justices Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Barrett, and Kavanaugh, a blatant and obvious violation of 18 USC § 1507. These unlawful protestors widely publicized their plans, yet it appears that no federal law-enforcement officers were present to arrest the lawbreakers and no investigation is ongoing.” “This is in stark contrast to when you sicced federal agents on parents who attended public meetings of school boards in public buildings. Without an adequate explanation, one can only assume that you have weaponized federal law-enforcement against your party’s political opponents,” Cotton continued. Cotton concluded by warning Garland that a continued refusal to enforce federal law might prompt impeachment proceedings against him in the next Congress. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Merrick Garland U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Dear Attorney General Garland, Please explain why you have refused to enforce the federal law against picketing and protesting at the homes of Supreme Court Justices. Left-wing mobs have recently targeted the homes of Justices Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Barrett, and Kavanaugh, a blatant and obvious violation of 18 USC § 1507. These unlawful protestors widely publicized their plans, yet it appears that no federal law-enforcement officers were present to arrest the lawbreakers and no investigation is ongoing. Further, President Biden’s own press secretary announced this week that the Biden administration “certainly continue[s] to encourage [protests] outside of judges’ homes, and that’s the president’s position.” This is in stark contrast to when you sicced federal agents on parents who attended public meetings of school boards in public buildings. Without an adequate explanation, one can only assume that you have weaponized federal law-enforcement against your party’s political opponents. When you last testified at the Senate Judiciary Committee, I recommended that you resign in disgrace. Unfortunately, I see you haven’t taken my advice. If you don’t take immediate action to enforce the law even-handedly against your party’s political opponents, perhaps the next Congress should take matters into its own hands with impeachment proceedings. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-protect-public-servants-and-their-families-from-threats-at-home,"Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Public Servants and their Families from Threats at Home",2022-05-10,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 10, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Public Servants and their Families from Threats at Home Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), and Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) today introduced the Public Servant Protection Act, legislation to protect all government employees and their families from having their home addresses listed publicly online. Text of the bill may be found here. “Judges and other government officials should not be subjected to angry protests and violent threats at home simply because they serve the public at work. Our bill will protect public servants and their families by allowing them to remove their home addresses from any public website,” said Cotton.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-action-from-fda-on-infant-formula-shortage,Cotton Demands Action from FDA on Infant Formula Shortage,2022-05-09,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 9, 2022 Cotton Demands Action from FDA on Infant Formula Shortage Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton today wrote to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf demanding answers about the dangerous shortage of infant formula and asking how the FDA is planning to combat the issue. In part, Cotton wrote, “Millions of babies rely on formula for their nutritional needs. Major retailers are limiting the amount of infant formula customers can purchase per visit, and families are being forced to pay higher prices and fees to obtain adequate food for their child. This places an additional burden on hardworking Americans already spending more on necessities due to inflation.” “I hope that the FDA understands the extraordinary strain this crisis has placed on parents and children alike and is doing everything in its power to re-open the Abbott plant,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Robert Califf, M.D. Commissioner U.S. Food and Drug Administration 10903 New Hampshire Ave Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002 Dear Commissioner Califf: I write today requesting information regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) actions to address the dangerous shortage of infant formula. Arkansas mothers have contacted my office because they can’t get the formula they need to feed their children. Infant formula shortages have been rising since November 2021 and one study shows the out-of-stock rate for baby formula jumped from 30 percent to 40 percent in just the last few weeks. This is a direct result of the FDA’s actions. On February 17, 2022, Abbott Nutrition announced it was recalling infant formulas manufactured at an Abbott facility in Sturgis, MI, due to bacterial contamination. An FDA investigation led to this shutdown and as you know, production has yet to resume. Millions of babies rely on formula for their nutritional needs. Major retailers are limiting the amount of infant formula customers can purchase per visit, and families are being forced to pay higher prices and fees to obtain adequate food for their child. This places an additional burden on hardworking Americans already spending more on necessities due to inflation. I hope that the FDA understands the extraordinary strain this crisis has placed on parents and children alike and is doing everything in its power to re-open the Abbott plant. At a minimum, your agency ought to provide parents with a clear timeline of when they can expect to get formula back on shelves. Please provide my office—and all parents—the following information regarding the FDA’s plan to address the infant formula shortage: Please identify any additional steps that must be completed prior to resuming production at the Sturgis plant, as well as an estimated timeline of when those actions will be completed. Please explain what standards the FDA is using to measure whether the Sturgis plant can safely resume production. While recalls have exacerbated formula shortages, there were warning signs that additional complications could lead to enormous disruptions in the supply chain. When was the FDA first alerted to potential sanitary concerns at the Abbott manufacturing facility in Sturgis, MI? What steps did the FDA take once alerted to the sanitary concerns? What is the FDA protocol when there is a potential shortage of an essential food (i.e., infant formula)? I look forward to receiving your response.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-defund-homeland-securitys-disinformation-board,"Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Defund Homeland Security’s “Disinformation Board”",2022-05-03,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 3, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Defund Homeland Security’s “Disinformation Board” Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced legislation to bar federal funds from being used to establish a Disinformation Governance Board at the Department of Homeland Security. Text of the legislation may be found here. “The Biden administration wants a government agency dedicated to cracking down on what its subjects can say, an idea popular with Orwellian governments everywhere. This board is unconstitutional and un-American—my bill puts a stop to it,” said Cotton. Senators John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Todd Young (R-Indiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), and Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) joined the bill as cosponsors.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-transparency-about-biden-plan-to-transfer-student-loan-debt-to-taxpayers,Cotton Demands Transparency About Biden Plan to Transfer Student Loan Debt to Taxpayers,2022-05-03,2022,2022-05,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 May 3, 2022 Cotton Demands Transparency About Biden Plan to Transfer Student Loan Debt to Taxpayers Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona demanding transparency regarding the Biden administration’s deliberations on transferring over $1.5 trillion in student loan debt to taxpayers. In part, Cotton wrote, “I’m firmly opposed to student debt cancellation. It is an insult to the majority of Americans who chose not to attend college, a hand-out to the wealthy and well connected, and a get out of jail free card for universities that charge unjustifiably high tuition and fees.” “Student debt cancellation would also exacerbate the rising inflation that is crushing working-class Americans—the very people who would be responsible for bailing out college-educated Americans under this policy,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Miguel Cardona Secretary of Education Department of Education Building 400 Maryland Ave, SW Washington, D.C. 20202 Dear Secretary Cardona, I write to demand transparency regarding the Biden administration’s deliberations on cancelling over $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. Last April, the Department of Education’s Office of General Counsel wrote an analysis of the legality of canceling debt via executive action entitled “The Secretary's Legal Authority for Broad-Based Debt Cancellation.” Over a year later, the unredacted memorandum still has not been released to the public. I ask that you please send me a fully-unredacted copy of this legal memorandum by May 20, 2022. I’m firmly opposed to student debt cancellation. It is an insult to the majority of Americans who chose not to attend college, a hand-out to the wealthy and well connected, and a get out of jail free card for universities that charge unjustifiably high tuition and fees. Student debt cancellation would also exacerbate the rising inflation that is crushing working-class Americans—the very people who would be responsible for bailing out college-educated Americans under this policy. With such basic questions of justice and more than $1 trillion dollars at stake, Americans are entitled, at a minimum, to understand the legal justification for such an action. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:29:07Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-demand-answers-about-doj-decision-to-investigate-three-deputy-us-marshals,"Cotton, Colleagues Demand Answers About DOJ Decision to Investigate Three Deputy U.S. Marshals",2022-04-26,2022,2022-04,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 April 26, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Demand Answers About DOJ Decision to Investigate Three Deputy U.S. Marshals Washington, D.C. – Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding to know why the Department of Justice to placed three deputy U.S. Marshals (DUSMs) on limited duty and opened an investigation into a use-of-force incident during the defense of the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon in July 2020. In part, the senators wrote, “According to information that we’ve been given, these DUSMs have never been reprimanded for their actions in Portland; to the contrary, they received the Director’s Award, received outstanding or excellent evaluations in 2020, and had been subsequently deployed on numerous dangerous missions as part of the USMS Special Operations Group, including to other cities where there was anticipated civil unrest. Accordingly, the timing of this decision is inherently suspect, appears politically-motivated, and smacks of retaliation.” “In addition, before they were confirmed, Associate Attorney General, Vanita Gupta, and Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke, made concerning comments about the riots at the Portland courthouse that could create a conflict with their involvement in any decision relating to these DUSMs,” the senators continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Merrick Garland U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Dear Attorney General Garland, We are writing to demand answers regarding your recent decision to place three deputy United States Marshals (DUSMs) on limited duty and inform them they are under investigation for a use-of-force incident that occurred over 20 months ago while they defended the federal courthouse in Portland. We do not condone any unjustified violence against innocent parties, if that's what occurred; however, the Department had 20 months to make both these decisions but only made them after Senator Cotton refused to allow expedited consideration of Department of Justice (DOJ) nominees because DOJ had not provided these DUSMs payments for defense counsel when they were named defendants in a civil suit related to the Portland riots. According to information that we've been given, these DUSMs have never been reprimanded for their actions in Portland; to the contrary, they received the Director's Award, received outstanding or excellent evaluations in 2020, and had been subsequently deployed on numerous dangerous missions as part of the USMS Special Operations Group, including to other cities where there was anticipated civil unrest. Accordingly, the timing of this decision is inherently suspect, appears politically-motivated, and smacks of retaliation. In addition, before they were confirmed, Associate Attorney General, Vanita Gupta, and Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke, made concerning comments about the riots at the Portland courthouse that could create a conflict with their involvement in any decision relating to these DUSMs. For example, on July 21, 2020, Ms. Gupta tweeted that federal intervention in Portland was ""tyranny"" and on July 19, 2020, tweeted that federal use-of-force on a protestor was ""authoritarianism."" On July 23, 2020, Ms. Clarke re-tweeted then-Senator Kamala Harris, calling federal intervention in Portland a ""disturbing violation of Americans' civil rights."" Their public comments illustrate that they cannot objectively oversee any disciplinary matter relating to the Portland courthouse and that they should be recused from any matter that arises from it, if they have yet to recuse. To better understand the Department's decision-making process with respect to placing these DUSMs on limited duty and placing them under investigation-20 months after-the-fact-please respond to the following no later than May 1, 2022: 1.Please provide all communications and any internal documents regarding the decision to place these DUSMs on limited duty and under investigation, including the following: a.The date any investigation was opened; and b.The date the decision was made to place the DUSMs on limited duty. 2.Please provide all communications and any internal documents regarding the decision of whether or not to pay for civil representation for all four DUSMs who had not been provided payment for counsel as of today - including all communications and any recommendation to the Civil Division from the USMS Office of General Counsel. 3.Have Ms. Gupta and Ms. Clarke been recused from matters relating to the Portland courthouse riots? If so, when? If not, why not? Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:19:30Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-doj-about-reversal-in-death-penalty-case,Cotton Demands Answers from DOJ About Reversal in Death Penalty Case,2022-04-15,2022,2022-04,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 April 15, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers from DOJ About Reversal in Death Penalty Case Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding answers about his decision to stop seeking the death penalty in a case of a serial domestic abuser who killed Army Sergeant Brittney Niecol Silvers at her home on base at Fort Campbell. In part, Cotton wrote, “The Department of Justice initially announced on February 25, 2021, its intent to seek the death penalty against Victor Everette Silvers, who murdered Army Sergeant Brittney Niecol Silvers on Fort Campbell in Kentucky in 2018” “Yesterday, federal prosecutors filed a motion to withdraw the notice of intent to seek the death penalty, writing that the withdrawal was ‘authorized and directed by’ you on April 7, 2022. Why did you ‘authorize and direct’ this action? Has anything changed since February 25, 2021? Sgt. Silvers deserves justice,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Merrick Garland U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Dear Attorney General Garland, It’s come to my attention that the Department of Justice has decided to stop seeking the death penalty in the case of a serial domestic abuser who shot and murdered Brittney Niecol Silvers, a United States soldier, in front of her apartment on a U.S. Army base in 2018. The Department of Justice initially announced on February 25, 2021, its intent to seek the death penalty against Victor Everette Silvers, who murdered Army Sergeant Brittney Niecol Silvers on Fort Campbell in Kentucky in 2018. Sgt. Silvers was assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Her estranged husband, Victor, was charged with premeditated murder in the case. Yesterday, federal prosecutors filed a motion to withdraw the notice of intent to seek the death penalty, writing that the withdrawal was “authorized and directed by” you on April 7, 2022. Why did you “authorize and direct” this action? Has anything changed since February 25, 2021? Sgt. Silvers deserves justice. Please reply no later than 5:00PM on Wednesday, April 20, detailing the reasons for your decision to stop seeking the death penalty against her murderer. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:19:30Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-new-biden-gun-regulations,Cotton Statement on New Biden Gun Regulations,2022-04-11,2022,2022-04,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 April 11, 2022 Cotton Statement on New Biden Gun Regulations Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement after President Biden announced new restrictions on so-called “ghost guns” and privately made firearms: “Expanding federal gun regulations only makes it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to own guns. If President Biden wants to crack down on crime, he should begin by enforcing existing laws and prosecuting violent criminals.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:19:30Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-call-on-biden-to-provide-israel-with-support-to-defend-itself-from-iran,"Cotton, Colleagues Call on Biden to Provide Israel with Support to Defend Itself from Iran",2022-04-07,2022,2022-04,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 April 7, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Call on Biden to Provide Israel with Support to Defend Itself from Iran Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) was joined today by Senators James Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Rick Scott (R-Florida), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) in a letter to President Joe Biden urging the administration to provide Israel with the military capabilities it needs to defend itself and to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear-weapons capability. In part, the senators wrote, “Your administration appears intent on striking a new nuclear deal with Iran that will provide the regime with a pathway to nuclear weapons. A nuclear-armed Iran would have major negative regional implications. It would put at risk the existence of the State of Israel and the governments of our Arab allies, destroy America’s position in the Middle East, and ultimately threaten the U.S. homeland. A course-correction is necessary.” “We therefore urge your administration to take immediate action to provide Israel with the military capabilities it needs to defend itself from Iran,” the senators continued. The letter is supported by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), Christians United for Israel (CUFI), Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), and the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA). Text of the letter may be found here and below. President Joseph R. Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Biden, We write to urge you to provide Israel with the military capabilities it needs to defend itself and prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear-weapons capability. As you know, Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, its support for terrorism, and its other destabilizing activities pose grave threats to the United States and our allies and partners in the Middle East. The Iranian regime arms the Houthis in Yemen with the missiles and drones that they use to attack civilian targets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iran equips Hezbollah and Hamas with tens of thousands of rockets, including the more than 4,000 rockets which Hamas fired at Israeli civilians last May. Last month, Iran escalated its attacks against Americans in Iraq, firing a dozen ballistic missiles from Iranian soil at the U.S. consulate in Erbil. Meanwhile, your administration appears intent on striking a new nuclear deal with Iran that will provide the regime with a pathway to nuclear weapons. A nuclear-armed Iran would have major negative regional implications. It would put at risk the existence of the State of Israel and the governments of our Arab allies, destroy America’s position in the Middle East, and ultimately threaten the U.S. homeland. A course-correction is necessary. We therefore urge your administration to take immediate action to provide Israel with the military capabilities it needs to defend itself from Iran. Most importantly, since the purchase has already been approved, your administration must expedite the delivery of KC-46A aerial refueling tankers to Israel as rapidly as possible without interrupting deliveries to our own Air Force. Accelerating delivery of tactical aircraft like the F-35I and F-15I and helicopters like the CH-53K would continue to bolster Israel’s ability to defend itself. While providing improved tactical aircraft is vital, your administration must also ensure that Israel retains adequate stockpiles of U.S.-made precision guided munitions. Finally, you must ensure that Israel possesses robust, multi-layered air defenses to mitigate attacks by Iran and its proxies, to include continued support for the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems. Your administration must urgently fulfill America’s obligation to help Israel defend itself by giving it the tools it needs to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:19:30Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-about-exclusion-of-chinese-made-products-from-section-301-tariffs,Cotton Demands Answers About Exclusion of Chinese-Made Products from Section 301 Tariffs,2022-04-07,2022,2022-04,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 April 7, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers About Exclusion of Chinese-Made Products from Section 301 Tariffs Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai demanding answers about the USTR’s decision to exclude over 350 Chinese-made products from Section 301 tariffs. In part, Cotton wrote, “This decision is yet another example of the disconnect between your tough talk and your agency’s weak actions. You have spoken compellingly on the need for firm action against China. Just last week, you testified before the House Ways and Means Committee that China violated its Phase I trade deal obligations and that the communists in Beijing ‘only comply with those trade obligations that fit its own interests.’ I agree. China lives by the simple motto of ‘lie, cheat, and steal’ and has wiped out millions of American manufacturing jobs and tens of thousands of factories as a result. I also agreed with your statement that ‘enforcement is a key component of our worker-centered trade policy.’” “Unfortunately, USTR’s recent actions contradict your strong rhetoric. Days ago, your agency blew a massive hole in our enforcement regime by approving tariff exemptions for over 350 Chinese-made products. Earlier last month, USTR also punted on opening new 301 investigations into China’s economic abuses. These trade concessions are a gift to Chinese producers that continue your agency’s pattern of economic appeasement,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Katherine Tai U.S. Trade Representative 600 17th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20508 Dear Ambassador Tai, I write to express my concern with USTR’s recent decision to exclude over 350 Chinese-made products from Section 301 tariffs. This decision is yet another example of the disconnect between your tough talk and your agency’s weak actions. You have spoken compellingly on the need for firm action against China. Just last week, you testified before the House Ways and Means Committee that China violated its Phase I trade deal obligations and that the communists in Beijing “only comply with those trade obligations that fit its own interests.” I agree. China lives by the simple motto of “lie, cheat, and steal” and has wiped out millions of American manufacturing jobs and tens of thousands of factories as a result. I also agreed with your statement that “enforcement is a key component of our worker-centered trade policy.” Unfortunately, USTR’s recent actions contradict your strong rhetoric. Days ago, your agency blew a massive hole in our enforcement regime by approving tariff exemptions for over 350 Chinese-made products. Earlier last month, USTR also punted on opening new 301 investigations into China’s economic abuses. These trade concessions are a gift to Chinese producers that continue your agency’s pattern of economic appeasement. In your congressional testimony, you stated that a public “trust gap” has emerged on trade policy. Sadly, your agency’s tendency to say one thing and do another has contributed to this crisis of confidence. I urge you to change course and restore the American people’s trust in our nation’s trade policy. Please answer the following questions so that the American people can better understand USTR’s recent actions: How many of the over 350 Chinese items recently exempted from tariffs could be produced by the United States or a U.S. ally? Please share with members of Congress the research that was conducted to reach this conclusion. During internal deliberations, did career USTR staff believe these exemptions were justified on the merits or did political staff at the White House or any agency pressure USTR to approve them? In estimated total dollar value, how much will trade with China likely increase as a result of these tariff exemptions? Will our trade deficit likely grow or shrink? Did we receive any reciprocal tariff reductions or other trade concessions from China in response to these exemptions? With regards,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:19:30Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/judiciary-republicans-press-judge-jackson-on-lenient-sentencing-of-repeat-sex-offender,Judiciary Republicans Press Judge Jackson on Lenient Sentencing of Repeat Sex Offender,2022-03-25,2022,2022-03,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 March 25, 2022 Judiciary Republicans Press Judge Jackson on Lenient Sentencing of Repeat Sex Offender Washington, D.C. – Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) sent a letter to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson asking her to provide the Senate Judiciary Committee with information related to the case of Wesley Hawkins. Sentencing guidelines for similar child pornography cases recommended an 8–10-year sentence. However, Judge Jackson sentenced Hawkins to a mere three months in Bureau of Prisons custody. Hawkins would later re-offend—when he would have been in prison had Judge Jackson followed the sentencing guidelines—and appear before Judge Jackson again. In part, the senators wrote, “Accordingly, consistent with measures necessary to protect the privacy of the victims and other innocent third parties, please immediately provide the Committee with a copy of the probation petition that you referenced in that April 2019 order, and an explanation of what Hawkins did in 2019 that earned him twice as much time in BOP custody as your original three-month sentence. If discussing those details necessitates confidentiality, please contact the Committee to schedule a closed-door briefing on the topic. Further, please confirm whether computer monitoring software was already required prior to 2019 as part of your original sentence in the Hawkins case.” The full text of the letter may be found below. A copy of the letter may be found here. March 25, 2022 The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse, Room 5700 333 Constitution Avenue, Northwest Washington, District of Columbia 20001 Dear Judge Jackson, During your confirmation hearing, you were asked by multiple members about the extraordinarily lenient sentences that you have given to child pornography offenders. Your sentences for child pornography offenders were routinely less than the sentences recommended by the sentencing guidelines and less than the sentences recommended by the prosecutors—in fact, you gave reduced sentences far more often than did average federal judges. In one specific case that was addressed at the hearing, you sentenced a man named Wesley Hawkins, who distributed child pornography on the internet. The sentencing guidelines recommended a sentence of about 8-10 years. As a result of a plea agreement, the prosecutors in the case recommended a 24-month sentence, and your own probation office recommended 18 months. You, however, sentenced Hawkins to a mere three months in BOP custody for his crimes. In 2019—when he would have been in prison if you had followed the sentencing guidelines—Hawkins apparently did something that caused you to send him back to BOP custody for six months in a halfway house, along with instituting new restrictions on his computer usage. According to the court docket in the case, on April 17, 2019 (five and one-half years after your original sentence), you concurred with the recommendation of a “Probation Petition” and ordered that Hawkins return to BOP custody in a halfway house for six months, and that he allow the probation officer to install computer monitoring software on his electronic devices. Your lenient sentencing in the Hawkins case was the subject of significant interest in the Committee’s review of your judicial record. Our review of your nomination requires that the Committee fully understand the circumstances that informed your actions in this case. Accordingly, consistent with measures necessary to protect the privacy of the victims and other innocent third parties, please immediately provide the Committee with a copy of the probation petition that you referenced in that April 2019 order, and an explanation of what Hawkins did in 2019 that earned him twice as much time in BOP custody as your original three-month sentence. If discussing those details necessitates confidentiality, please contact the Committee to schedule a closed-door briefing on the topic. Further, please confirm whether computer monitoring software was already required prior to 2019 as part of your original sentence in the Hawkins case. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:06:17Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-the-biden-administration-for-its-delayed-investigation-of-illegal-chinese-trade-practices,Cotton Demands Answers from the Biden Administration for Its Delayed Investigation of Illegal Chinese Trade Practices,2022-03-16,2022,2022-03,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 March 16, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers from the Biden Administration for Its Delayed Investigation of Illegal Chinese Trade Practices Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai demanding answers about the USTR’s reported delay in deciding to launch Section 301 investigations into China’s criminal economic practices. In part, Cotton wrote, “The CCP has shown nothing but malice towards this nation and should be shown no leniency in our response to its economic aggression. For this reason, I am deeply disappointed to learn that USTR is not pursuing an expansive set of Section 301 investigations into China’s anti-competitive and illegal trade practices.” “Such investigations would likely result in barriers to subsidized Chinese goods and would blunt Beijing’s attempt to dominate critical sectors through economic aggression. It’s past time that we act to defend American industry, prevent China from dominating the industries of the future, and decouple key strategic sectors from China,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter ay be found here and below. The Honorable Katherine Tai U.S. Trade Representative 600 17th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20508 Dear Ambassador Tai, I write to express my concern regarding USTR’s reported delay in deciding to launch Section 301 investigations into China’s economic practices. As you know, the Chinese Communist Party’s prolific trade abuses threaten American prosperity. In the two decades since China’s entry into the WTO, the CCP has effectively shuttered tens of thousands of American factories, destroyed millions of American manufacturing jobs, and stolen hundreds of billions of dollars of American intellectual property. China’s broad industrial destruction has fed the heartbreaking opioid crisis that still grips our nation, and is in no small part fueled by Chinese fentanyl. Far from showing contrition, China’s rulers have added insult to injury at every opportunity. You have rightfully criticized China for violating the terms of the Phase I trade deal. Instead of increasing imports from the United States by $200 billion over the baseline, China reduced purchases by nearly $14 billion. For months, your agency has negotiated in good faith to bring China into compliance with Phase I, but the Communist Party has steadfastly refused to keep their promises. Our goods trade deficit with China last year reached the highest level since 2018, and our total trade deficit surpassed $1 trillion, for the first time ever. The CCP has shown nothing but malice towards this nation and should be shown no leniency in our response to its economic aggression. For this reason, I am deeply disappointed to learn that USTR is not pursuing an expansive set of Section 301 investigations into China’s anti-competitive and illegal trade practices. Such investigations would likely result in barriers to subsidized Chinese goods and would blunt Beijing’s attempt to dominate critical sectors through economic aggression. It’s past time that we act to defend American industry, prevent China from dominating the industries of the future, and decouple key strategic sectors from China. I hope you share these objectives. Please answer the following questions so that the American people can better understand the Biden administration’s position on China’s economic aggression: Has USTR delayed its decision on launching Section 301 investigations into China’s economic practices? Yes or no? If yes, why have you delayed these essential investigations? Did China’s threat of retaliation contribute to this delay? Do you believe that China is currently doing at least tens of billions of dollars in damages to the United States economy every year as a result of its anti-competitive and illegal behavior? Do you believe it is important to penalize China for violating its Phase I obligations? Do you believe it is important to reduce our dependence on China in strategic industries? Do you believe it is important to decouple our strategic industries from China? Very respectfully,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:06:17Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-death-of-little-rock-native-in-ukraine,Cotton Statement on Death of Little Rock Native in Ukraine,2022-03-13,2022,2022-03,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 March 13, 2022 Cotton Statement on Death of Little Rock Native in Ukraine Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after Brent Renaud, a filmmaker from Little Rock, was killed in Ukraine: “Arkansans are saddened today at the death of Brent Renaud in Ukraine. I join them in expressing deepest condolences to the Renaud family. And I reiterate to Vladimir Putin and his military leaders that the intentional targeting of innocent civilians, including reporters, is a war crime.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:06:17Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-boozman-statement-on-passage-of-15-trillion-spending-bill,"Cotton, Boozman Statement on Passage of $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill",2022-03-11,2022,2022-03,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 March 11, 2022 Cotton, Boozman Statement on Passage of $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill Washington, D.C. – Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Boozman (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement after the Senate passed a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package: “Costs are rising for Arkansans on everyday necessities like gasoline and groceries, and now Democrats are using the crisis in Europe to push through their liberal wishlist. This massive $1.5 trillion spending bill will fuel the fire of inflation and expand President Biden’s federal bureaucracy. Aid for Ukraine is much needed, but this bill wasn’t the way to pass it.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:06:17Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-graham-rebuke-bidens-rejection-of-polish-assistance-for-ukraine,"Cotton, Graham Rebuke Biden’s Rejection of Polish Assistance for Ukraine",2022-03-09,2022,2022-03,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 March 9, 2022 Cotton, Graham Rebuke Biden’s Rejection of Polish Assistance for Ukraine Washington, D.C. – Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) issued the following statement after the Biden administration rejected Poland’s offer to transfer MiG-29s to Ukraine: “President Biden should have welcomed Poland’s offer to aid Ukraine with MiG-29s—as he should welcome conventional arms transfers of any kind from our NATO partners to defeat Putin’s advance. Instead, he’s dithering and hiding behind lawyers, signaling hesitation and weakness to Putin and a lack of resolve to our allies.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T02:06:17Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-passing-of-pulaski-county-officer,Cotton Statement on Passing of Pulaski County Officer,2022-02-28,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 28, 2022 Cotton Statement on Passing of Pulaski County Officer Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after it was reported that Sergeant Joshua Caudell of Redfield, Arkansas was killed in the line of duty: “Officer Caudell sacrificed his life while protecting his community and defending the rule of law. I pray that God will bring comfort to his family, friends, and fellow officers during this difficult time, and I trust his killer will be brought to justice.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-russian-invasion-of-ukraine,Cotton Statement on Russian Invasion of Ukraine,2022-02-24,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 24, 2022 Cotton Statement on Russian Invasion of Ukraine Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement after Russian troops invaded Ukraine: “Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked, naked war of aggression must face the most severe consequences. I urge President Biden to finally impose these consequences. And I join all Arkansans in praying for the safety of innocent Ukrainians.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-responds-to-president-bidens-russia-sanctions,Cotton Responds to President Biden’s Russia Sanctions,2022-02-23,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 21, 2022 Cotton Responds to President Biden’s Russia Sanctions Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) issued the following statement after Vladimir Putin ordered troops to move into Ukrainian territory: “President Biden’s timid sanctions tonight are wholly unequal to this moment. Russia is invading Ukraine now. The time has come for the ‘swift and severe’ sanctions that Joe Biden has long threatened but refused to impose. There is not a minute to lose.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-doj-termination-of-its-china-initiative,Cotton Statement on DOJ Termination of Its “China Initiative”,2022-02-23,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 23, 2022 Cotton Statement on DOJ Termination of Its “China Initiative” Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after the Department of Justice announced the termination of its “China Initiative,” which was designed to combat the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to spy on the United States and steal our intellectual property: “The CCP has stolen trillions of dollars of American intellectual property, destroyed millions of American jobs, and turned students and researchers studying in the United States into foreign spies. Yet today, the Biden administration announced it’s cancelling the initiative tasked with combatting the Chinese government’s unprecedented domestic sabotage and aggression because they claim it’s racist. Cancelling this initiative is just another instance of weakness from an administration more concerned with being politically correct than protecting Americans. And you can be sure our adversaries are watching.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-dod-report-confirming-bidens-failure-to-screen-afghan-evacuees,Cotton Statement on DOD Report Confirming Biden’s Failure to Screen Afghan Evacuees,2022-02-18,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 18, 2022 Cotton Statement on DOD Report Confirming Biden’s Failure to Screen Afghan Evacuees Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding the Department of Defense Inspector General’s report on the screening of evacuees during the withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021: “Joe Biden promised to vet the evacuees that came to America after his retreat from Afghanistan. But he didn’t, and now American lives are at risk. According to this report, dozens of suspected bombmakers and terrorists arrived in our country—and now some have gone missing. This debacle is yet another reminder of the dangerous consequences of Joe Biden’s dishonorable withdrawal from Afghanistan.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-explanation-behind-hhs-safe-crack-pipe-lie,Cotton Demands Explanation Behind HHS “Safe” Crack Pipe Lie,2022-02-16,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 16, 2022 Cotton Demands Explanation Behind HHS “Safe” Crack Pipe Lie Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to Secretary Xavier Becerra at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) demanding clarification on the department’s reversal to distribute taxpayer-funded crack pipes as part of its harm reduction initiative. Cotton also condemned the department’s accusation that the Washington Free Beacon was spreading “misinformation” regarding the “safe smoking kits.” In part, Cotton wrote, “I'm writing about your department’s smear of the Washington Free Beacon's report on your ‘safe smoking kits’—kits which, until last week, included taxpayer-funded crack pipes.” “What happened is obvious. HHS planned to allow the safe smoking kits to include crack pipes. You got caught, scrambled under pressure, and falsely accused the Free Beacon of ‘misinformation,’"" Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Xavier Becerra Secretary of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201 Dear Secretary Becerra, I'm writing about your department’s smear of the Washington Free Beacon's report on your ""safe smoking kits”—kits which, until last week, included taxpayer-funded crack pipes. Last month, HHS put out a notice of funding to support ""community-based overdose prevention programs, syringe services programs, and other harm reduction services."" In the ""Required Activities"" section of this notice, HHS wrote that funds must be used to support purchases including ""safe smoking kits/supplies."" Safe smoking kits have been used across the country and often contain glass pipes. In fact, ""safe"" pipes are usually the entire point of ""safe smoking kits."" As your drug legalization allies said when expressing disappointment that the safe smoking kits will no longer include pipes, ""safe smoking kits without pipes are useless."" After the Free Beacon's report, HHS accused the Free Beacon and many other reputable outlets of ""misinformation."" Your spokeswoman attacked me on Twitter while defending the crack pipes as a ""harm reduction strategy."" Then, HHS put out another statement, announcing that the ""safe smoking kits"" will not contain crack pipes—just heroin needles. What happened is obvious. HHS planned to allow the safe smoking kits to include crack pipes. You got caught, scrambled under pressure, and falsely accused the Free Beacon of ""misinformation."" Please provide the following correspondences to my office. You should anticipate testifying before the 118th Congress on HHS’s lack of forthrightness about your crack pipe funding plan. 1. Provide all correspondence between HHS and grant applicants that mention the term ""safe smoking kits."" 2. Provide all correspondence between HHS staff involving the department's statement on Tuesday, February 8th, when you called the Free Beacon's report ""misinformation."" 3. Provide all correspondence between HHS staff and the White House between Monday, February 7, and Thursday, February 10, involving the contents of the HHS ""safe smoking kits."" Regards,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-doubles-down-on-demand-for-answers-from-doj,Cotton Doubles Down on Demand for Answers from DOJ,2022-02-10,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 10, 2022 Cotton Doubles Down on Demand for Answers from DOJ Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today responded to a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding reports that the DOJ is not providing legal defense for Deputy U.S. Marshals in Portland who protected the federal courthouse during BLM riots in 2020. Cotton first requested information regarding these reports in January. On February 9, the Office of Legislative Affairs at the Department of Justice responded to Cotton’s letter, but failed to address the issue. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Merrick Garland U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Dear Attorney General Garland: I received your letter; you didn’t answer my question. Why won’t the Department of Justice defend four deputy U.S. Marshals attacked by a left-wing street militia in Portland? Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-trone-led-us-commission-on-combating-synthetic-opioid-trafficking-releases-final-report,"Cotton, Trone-Led U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking Releases Final Report",2022-02-08,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 8, 2022 Cotton, Trone-Led U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking Releases Final Report Washington, D.C. — Today, Commission Chairs Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Congressman David Trone (D-Maryland), alongside Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Congressman Fred Upton (R-Michigan), released the final report of the U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking. Established by the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act, the Commission was charged with examining aspects of the synthetic drug threat to the United States. The Commission comprised representatives of seven Executive Branch departments and agencies, four sitting members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and four subject-matter experts chosen for their deep experience and expertise on this topic. The final report serves as a bipartisan, strategic approach to combating the flow of synthetic opioids into the United States — with an overarching goal of reducing the number of overdose deaths from these drugs. The report outlines a host of evidence-based, data-driven proposals to implement a nationwide and coordinated approach to this crisis, including efforts to: Establish strategies to reduce demand, such as increasing prevention resources and access to treatment, as central priorities in the fight against opioid trafficking; Develop a unified, central body to coordinate planning, implementation, and evaluation of all U.S. drug control policies; Disrupt drug supply through targeted oversight and enforcement; Collaborate with other countries involved in the production and distribution of synthetic opioids and their chemical precursors; Improve data collection and analysis to allow for more timely and effective responses on the ground in our communities. Click here to read the full report. “274 Americans die every day from drug overdoses—that’s one person every five minutes, and every day it gets worse,” said Senator Tom Cotton, Co-Chair of the Commission. “We must destroy the cartels and drug trafficking networks that flood our streets with these poisons to protect our communities. I’m proud to work with my colleagues to combat this epidemic at all levels of government.” “Since 1999, we’ve lost more than one million Americans to drug overdoses. That’s one million moms, dads, sons, and daughters lost because our country’s response to the opioid epidemic has failed,” said Congressman David Trone, Co-Chair of the Commission. “It’s time to come together, from all levels of government and both sides of the aisle, to address this epidemic and put an end to it once and for all. The Commission’s informed proposals must serve as a roadmap for our country’s leadership, including Congress, to take swift, deliberate action in the months to come. Let’s get to work.” “The final report of the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking will serve as a roadmap to stanch the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States, and be our guide as we work to save lives and rebuild communities across the country,” said Senator Edward J. Markey. “This report is not the end of our work, but merely the beginning, particularly here on Capitol Hill. Now, we must follow through with comprehensive legislation to implement the report’s recommendations.” “The scourge of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids is tearing apart communities throughout Michigan and across the country. Families have been through unspeakable suffering as loved ones struggle with addiction,” said Congressman Fred Upton. “In my district, I have met with grieving parents whose grief is unbearable for them. We must redouble our efforts to secure the border against illegal trafficking by targeting Mexican cartels flooding our streets with illicit opioids and force China’s hand to crackdown on their pharmaceutical industry supplying cartels with the base compounds used to manufacture synthetic opioids. I was proud to be a part of this Commission and hope to take what’s in this report and put it into action.” The Members of Congress were joined by federal agencies and subject-matter experts in support of this vital effort: “The number of lives we’re losing and the economic impact of this crisis, and the fact that the supply is maliciously coming from entities in other nations, speaks to this as a national security crisis rather than simply a public health crisis,” said Ret. Admiral James Winnefeld, Jr. “The efforts of the Commission and this report make clear that a solution will require far more concerted resources and action at the federal level, in addition to the state, local, and non-profit levels, to tackle this epidemic in any effective way.” ""A full-court press is urgently needed to break the fentanyl death grip on our families, stop the trillion-dollar toll on our economy and protect our national security,"" said Karen Tandy, former Administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. ""Meaningful progress to reverse the direction of overdose deaths will require new strategic approaches and tools outlined by the Commission, including the implementation of economic sanctions on foreign actors involved in the trade and targeted enforcement support to dismantle drug cartels. I am proud to have served as a member of this Commission and look forward to seeing its work enacted."" ""This report exemplifies the best of what our country can and must do to come together and address a complicated and complex national security problem. The bipartisan leadership of and support for this Commission worked together to address this difficult challenge head-on,” said David Luckey, co-leader of the RAND Corporation team that helped to prepare the report for the Commission. “The recommendations laid out in this report provide a path to achieving a consensus strategic approach toward reducing this national security threat and saving American lives."" “Combating the trafficking of fentanyl must be a high priority for the United States government, the increase in overdose deaths is a national crisis, and this crisis must be met in a whole of government and whole of society effort,” said D.L. McNeal, managing director and senior policy analyst, Longview Global. “The Commission’s report outlines several recommendations for addressing this complex challenge.” Background: Since 1999, more than one million Americans have died from drug overdoses — far more than all of the US service members killed in battle in every war throughout our nation’s history. The number of our citizens lost to opioids each year is more than double the number killed by firearms, motor vehicle accidents, or suicide. Synthetic opioids – primarily fentanyl – were responsible for nearly two-thirds of the over 100,000 reported drug overdose deaths in the United States in the 12-month period ending in June 2021. According to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, this rate is up 30% from the year prior. Throughout the Commission’s work, it has become abundantly clear that this cannot be narrowly defined as a local- or state-level public health concern. In 2018, it was estimated that overdose fatalities cost the United States $696 billion. With the rise in overdose deaths in years since, it is fair to estimate that fatal overdoses are now at least a $1 trillion annual cost. Given this demonstrated financial strain and its devastating human impact, it is undeniable that the epidemic presents a threat to our national security and global competitiveness. The U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking was established under Section 7221 of the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2020, and, by law, concluded its work on February 8, 2022. The Commission includes several federal departments and agencies, as well as four outside members appointed by congressional leadership from the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Commission is led by two co-chairs, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Congressman David Trone (D-Maryland), who were appointed by congressional leadership and approved by the President of the United States.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-support-buffington-petition-for-veteran-disability,"Cotton, Colleagues Support Buffington Petition for Veteran Disability",2022-02-07,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 7, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Support Buffington Petition for Veteran Disability Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), and Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) today filed an amicus brief to support a review of Buffington v. McDonough before the Supreme Court. In 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs refused to give Thomas Buffington the disability payments he had earned, and the U.S. Court of Appeals has since defended the VA’s decision. In doing so, the Federal Circuit ignored court precedent and violated a long-standing practice of siding with the veteran when interpreting law. The senators disagree with the Federal Circuit’s decision and are supporting a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court. Specifically, the senators argue: “…rather than following Congress’s instruction that the courts should interpret these laws, and should do so in favor of veterans, the decision below invoked Chevron deference to endorse an agency “interpretation” that disfavored veterans. By refusing to apply the pro-veteran canon at Chevron’s first step, the lower court departed from the plain language of the statute and improperly placed the agency’s view ahead of the established rule that any statutory ambiguities must be resolved in favor of the veteran.” Text of the brief may be found here. “No veteran should have to fight the VA to get the benefits they earned, and no court should defer to the administration instead of Congress and deny that compensation. It was wrong for the court to distort Congress’ wishes by invoking Chevron deference—the VA should pay Mr. Buffington what he’s owed,” said Cotton.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-about-doj-leniency-for-left-wing-arsonist,Cotton Demands Answers About DOJ Leniency for Left-Wing Arsonist,2022-02-07,2022,2022-02,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 February 7, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers About DOJ Leniency for Left-Wing Arsonist Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding reports that the U.S. Attorney’s office requested a significantly reduced sentence for Montez Lee, who plead guilty to one count of Arson, because the crime was committed during BLM riots. In part, Cotton wrote, “In August 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office in Minnesota indicted Lee on one count of Arson and he pleaded guilty on July 22, 2021. The sentencing guidelines called for a sentence of around 20 years. But the U.S. Attorney’s office filed a Sentencing Memorandum asking for half this time. Most shockingly, the U.S. Attorney defended Montez Lee and expressed sympathy for his murderous arson because Lee’s crime was committed during the BLM riots.” “Showing leniency towards a career criminal who committed murder is bad enough. But justifying the murder because the career criminal shares the Biden Administration’s politics is beyond the pale. The American people deserve to know whether leniency for left-wing murderers is the official policy of the Biden Department of Justice, or whether this travesty was a one-off,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Merrick Garland U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20530-0001 Dear Attorney General Garland, On May 28, 2020, Montez Lee set fire to a pawn shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and murdered a 30-year-old father of five. In August 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office in Minnesota indicted Lee on one count of Arson and he pleaded guilty on July 22, 2021. The sentencing guidelines called for a sentence of around 20 years. But the U.S. Attorney’s office filed a Sentencing Memorandum asking for half this time. Most shockingly, the U.S. Attorney defended Montez Lee and expressed sympathy for his murderous arson because Lee’s crime was committed during the BLM riots. Showing leniency towards a career criminal who committed murder is bad enough. But justifying the murder because the career criminal shares the Biden Administration’s politics is beyond the pale. The American people deserve to know whether leniency for left-wing murderers is the official policy of the Biden Department of Justice, or whether this travesty was a one-off. Please provide answers to the following questions by February 21, 2022. Does the Attorney General believe participation in a riot is a basis for leniency in sentencing individuals for violent crimes? In the Sentencing Memorandum, the government concludes that Montez Lee “does not appear to pose a danger to the public.” The Sentencing Memorandum stated that Lee, who was 25 when he committed this crime, had been convicted for burglary, domestic violence, and theft. The government also acknowledged that, in his domestic violence case, Montez Lee violently ruptured his girlfriend’s eardrum. Given these convictions, all committed in a truncated period before Lee was even 25 and which put him at Criminal History Level IV (out of VI), please describe how the government concluded that Lee posed no danger to the community. Please provide all communications between the United States Attorney’s Office for Minnesota and any political appointees at the Department of Justice regarding the sentencing recommendation for Montez Lee. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:57:46Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-colleagues-call-on-biden-to-enforce-sanctions-on-iranian-oil-tankers,"Cotton, Colleagues Call on Biden to Enforce Sanctions on Iranian Oil Tankers",2022-01-28,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 28, 2022 Cotton, Colleagues Call on Biden to Enforce Sanctions on Iranian Oil Tankers Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and nine of his Senate colleagues sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding that he enforce mandatory sanctions against the growing fleet of oil tankers selling Iranian oil and against the entities purchasing this oil. President Biden has so far refused to take action against the sharp rise in Iranian oil exports since he took office. President Joseph R. Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Biden, We write to urge you to take action against the growing fleet of oil tankers evading U.S. sanctions and against the entities purchasing Iranian oil from these tankers. As you are aware, Iran’s energy sector is a primary source of funding to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Because of its critical role in funding terrorism, the National Iranian Oil Company is subject to U.S. terrorism sanctions. Therefore, enforcing oil sanctions against Iran is also enforcing terrorism sanctions against Iran. Bipartisan laws enacted by Congress in 2011 and 2012 targeting Iran’s oil exports and energy sector require the President to enforce these sanctions. The U.S. maximum pressure campaign seriously reduced Iranian oil exports and curtailed the Iranian regime’s ability to finance terrorism and other malign activities. From April 2018 to June 2020, Iranian oil exports shrank from nearly 2.9 million barrels per day to 600,000 barrels per day. Tehran faced severe budget deficits in 2019 and 2020 due to the decline in oil sales. This massive drop in revenue gave the United States significant leverage over Iran and impeded the regime’s strategic ambitions. These gains have been threatened by the disturbing rise in Iranian oil exports since your administration began, despite U.S. sanctions remaining in place. Iran exported an estimated 418 million barrels of oil in 2021, 123 million more than in 2020. Twice in 2021, Iranian oil exports exceeded 1.4 million barrels per day, the highest rate since March 2019. Three-quarters of this oil was exported to China, which purchased 310 million barrels of Iranian oil last year. In recent weeks, the Chinese government has openly acknowledged importing millions of barrels of Iranian oil for its strategic petroleum reserves. As a result of this surge in oil sales, Iranian currency reserves soared from just $4 billion at the end of 2020 to $31 billion at the end of 2021. These Chinese purchases give the Iranian regime a vital lifeline and flout U.S. sanctions with impunity. While your administration has reportedly warned China and other countries about the sanctions risks to their companies, these entities remain unpunished. Iran’s increased oil exports are only possible because non-Iranian, foreign-flagged vessels are increasingly willing to risk U.S. sanctions to sell Iranian oil. Much of this activity is done illicitly, with foreign-flagged tankers transferring oil at sea from Iranian tankers to obscure the origin of their illegal cargo. These vessels avoid sanctions by hiding behind shell companies and often flying a false flag. Other such vessels turn off their satellite transponders, change their flag, or register under the flag of a country where maritime authorities are willing to look the other way. The number of foreign-flagged tankers suspected of involvement in the transport of Iranian oil has more than doubled from 70 vessels in November 2020 to 165 vessels in January 2022. This fleet will only continue to grow if your administration keeps refusing to crack down on this practice. The vessel owners and their customers in China are taking greater risks because they believe that your administration is too weak and indecisive to punish them for their crimes. Your unwillingness to take actions that could jeopardize the doomed Vienna nuclear talks has undeniably emboldened these criminals. Meanwhile, the boom in oil sales has refilled the Iranian regime’s once-empty coffers, removed crucial American leverage over Iran, and encouraged the Iranians to stall negotiations in Vienna and irreversibly advance their pursuit of a nuclear weapon. It is long past time to stop your dithering. You are putting U.S. national security at risk. We urge you to enforce U.S. sanctions against entities that purchase Iranian oil and against those foreign-flagged oil tankers which keep Iran’s illicit oil trade alive. Each day you delay gives Iran more money to finance their terrorist activity and more time to develop a nuclear weapon. We would also remind you that sanctions against Iran’s oil exports are mandatory and passed Congress with bipartisan majorities. You are not above the law and must stop violating it. The radical mullahs in Iran will only abandon their nuclear ambitions when they believe time is no longer on their side. Decisive action by your administration can stop the regime’s malign activity; more concessions and polite expressions of impatience are not going to cut it. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-statement-on-justice-breyers-retirement,Cotton Statement on Justice Breyer’s Retirement,2022-01-27,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 27, 2022 Cotton Statement on Justice Breyer’s Retirement Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after the announced retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer: “While I didn’t often agree with Justice Breyer’s jurisprudence, I honor and thank him for his decades of service to our country, from the Army to the Supreme Court. I wish him the very best in retirement. I encourage President Biden to nominate a jurist committed to the Constitution and the rule of law, instead of nominating yet another unqualified, left-wing ideologue, as he has done so often with lower-court nominees.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-education-secretary-about-collaboration-with-teachers-union-to-intimidate-parents,Cotton Demands Answers from Education Secretary About Collaboration with Teachers Union to Intimidate Parents,2022-01-24,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 24, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers from Education Secretary About Collaboration with Teachers Union to Intimidate Parents Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona asking about his involvement in a letter that the National Education Association (NEA) sent to tech leaders requesting that they censor users allegedly spreading “misinformation” about unpopular school board policies. The letter may be found here. In part, Cotton wrote, “The NEA’s letter is remarkably similar to a letter sent just nine days earlier by the National School Board Association (NSBA) to President Biden. In that letter, the NSBA smeared parents as potential “domestic terrorists” while singling out mask polices and critical race theory as the causes of disturbances at local school board meetings. The implication of both letters is the same: individuals opposed to critical race theory and mask mandates in schools are potential domestic terrorists.” “Recent reporting indicates that you asked the NSBA to write its letter to President Biden. Similarities in the timing and content of the NEA letter raise the troubling possibility that you or your staff may have had a hand in that letter, as well,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Miguel Cardona Secretary of Education Department of Education Building 400 Maryland Ave, SW Washington, D.C. 20202 Dear Secretary Cardona, I write regarding an October 8th letter that the National Education Association (NEA) sent to the leaders of Facebook (officially known as “Meta”), Twitter, and TikTok. This letter accused social-media platforms of spreading “misinformation” about unpopular school board policies. Specifically, this letter singled out “radicalized adults who falsely believe that graduate level courses about racism are being taught in K-12 public schools.” This statement appears to be a thinly veiled reference to parents who are concerned about critical race theory, a radical ideology that claims America is a fundamentally racist country and attributes moral characteristics to people on the basis of race. The letter also decried a “small yet vocal group of extremists who are putting the safety of our children, educators, and families at risk over the notion that wearing a mask is in infringement on personal liberty.” NEA accused groups concerned about curricula based on critical race theory and restrictive mask policies of spreading “propaganda” and “lies” on social media and requested that social-media companies “stamp out” such speech. The NEA’s letter is remarkably similar to a letter sent just nine days earlier by the National School Board Association (NSBA) to President Biden. In that letter, the NSBA smeared parents as potential “domestic terrorists” while singling out mask polices and critical race theory as the causes of disturbances at local school board meetings. The implication of both letters is the same: individuals opposed to critical race theory and mask mandates in schools are potential domestic terrorists. Recent reporting indicates that you asked the NSBA to write its letter to President Biden. Similarities in the timing and content of the NEA letter raise the troubling possibility that you or your staff may have had a hand in that letter, as well. The Biden administration already has a concerning record of collaboration with tech giants and teachers unions, including the NEA. Just last year, the NEA, along with other powerful teachers unions, inappropriately influenced the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as it developed guidance documents on school re-opening plans during the pandemic. Moreover, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged that the Biden administration has identified “problematic” posts for Facebook to censor because they allegedly contain “misinformation” about coronavirus. Big Tech’s potential censorship of concerned parents would be a chilling addition to the Biden administration’s efforts to intimidate parents seeking a greater role in their children’s education. Given these concerns, please respond to the following questions by January 31, 2022. Did you, your staff, or any employee of the Department of Education solicit or otherwise encourage the National Education Association’s letter to the aforementioned social media companies? Please provide all correspondence between your department and the National Education Association since January 21, 2021. Have you or your staff ever requested that social media companies, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, monitor, censor, demote, or otherwise limit the distribution of social media posts and groups related to school policies? Please provide all correspondence between your department and the three aforementioned social media companies, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook since January 21, 2021.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-nba-should-force-warriors-palihapitiya-to-sell,Cotton: NBA Should Force Warriors’ Palihapitiya to Sell,2022-01-18,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 18, 2022 Cotton: NBA Should Force Warriors’ Palihapitiya to Sell Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement regarding Golden State Warrior part-owner Chamath Palihapitiya’s comments dismissing the religious genocide against Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region of China: “Woke CEO Chamath Palihapitiya said no one cares about the Chinese Communist Party’s mass enslavement, torture, and rape of religious minorities. He may be so callous that he doesn’t care about genocide, but the American people do. The NBA has investigated owners and forced a sale after outrageous comments before, and it even moved the All-Star game to protest a North Carolina law saying boys and girls shouldn’t use the same bathroom. The league will prove itself greedy, spineless, and hypocritical if it doesn’t force Palihapitiya to sell his interest in the Warriors.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-kelly-introduce-bill-to-end-reliance-on-china-for-rare-earth-elements,"Cotton, Kelly Introduce Bill to End Reliance on China for Rare-Earth Elements",2022-01-14,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 14, 2022 Cotton, Kelly Introduce Bill to End Reliance on China for Rare-Earth Elements Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) today introduced the Restoring Essential Energy and Security Holdings Onshore for Rare Earths (REEShore) Act to protect America from the threat of rare-earth element supply disruptions, encourage domestic production of those elements, and reduce our reliance on China. Text of the bill may be found here. “The Chinese Communist Party has a chokehold on global rare-earth element supplies, which are used in everything from batteries to fighter jets. Ending America’s dependence on the CCP for extraction and processing of these elements is critical to winning the strategic competition against China and protecting our national security,” said Cotton. “As a 25-year Navy veteran who served in the South China Sea, I know just how critical it is to invest in our nation’s defense and technology capabilities. Our bipartisan bill will strengthen America’s position as a global leader in technology by reducing our country’s reliance on adversaries like China for rare earth elements,"" said Kelly. The REEShore Act Would: Create a Strategic Reserve of Rare-Earth Elements: Require the Departments of Defense and the Interior to create a strategic reserve of rare-earth elements and products by 2025. The reserve must meet the needs of the U.S. military, defense industrial and technology sectors, and other critical infrastructure for one year in the event of a supply disruption. Require Country of Origin Disclosure: Require Department of Defense contractors to track and disclose the origins of rare-earth magnets used in systems that it delivers to the U.S. military. Restrict Use of Chinese Rare-Earth Metals in Advanced Defense Technology: Prohibit Chinese rare-earth metals from being used in sensitive Department of Defense systems by 2026. Investigate China’s Unfair Trade Practices: Require the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Department of Commerce to submit a report to Congress on China’s unfair trade practices in the rare-earth metal market, with potential tariffs to follow.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-bill-blocks-biden-plan-to-place-men-in-female-prisons,Cotton Bill Blocks Biden Plan to Place Men in Female Prisons,2022-01-12,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 12, 2022 Cotton Bill Blocks Biden Plan to Place Men in Female Prisons Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Preventing Violence Against Female Inmates Act, legislation to prohibit the Bureau of Prisons from housing prisoners with persons of the opposite sex. Text of the bill may be found here. “President Biden’s plan to house male and female prisoners together will put women in danger. Documented cases prove that placing men—including ones who ‘identify’ as female—in women’s prisons puts female inmates at increased risk of sexual assault. My bill will stop the president’s ill-conceived plan and keep men and women separated in federal prison,” said Cotton. The American Principles Project, Heritage Action, and Concerned Women for America LCA support this bill. The Preventing Violence Against Female Inmates Act would: Forbid the Bureau of Prisons from using asserted “gender identity” to house inmates of one sex with inmates of the opposite sex. As a condition of receiving certain federal law enforcement grant funds, forbid state correctional institutions from using gender identity to house inmates of one sex with inmates of the opposite sex. The Preventing Violence Against Female Inmates Act would not: Prevent prisons from designating a separate housing option for inmates based on their asserted “gender identity,” as long as they are not housed with inmates of the opposite sex. For example, a prison would be free to set up specific housing units for transgender inmates based on security, medical, or programming needs, but would not be allowed co-locate those inmates with inmates of the opposite sex. Prohibit co-locating male and female prisoners for reasons unrelated to asserted “gender identity.” For example, a state or federal institution would still be allowed to use short-term detention cells in a courthouse to house both male and female prisoners during a trial in which they are both witnesses, subject to normal security considerations to protect all detainees.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-boozman-ask-sba-to-improve-services-for-arkansans,"Cotton, Boozman Ask SBA to Improve Services for Arkansans",2022-01-12,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 12, 2022 Cotton, Boozman Ask SBA to Improve Services for Arkansans Washington, D.C. – Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Boozman (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration asking that the agency improve its constituent services, especially related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and an expansion of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL). Arkansans relying on the PPP and the EIDL have reported unacceptable delays and limited communications from the SBA, even for routine requests such as address changes and form submissions. The letter may be found here. Full text of the letter may be found below. January 12, 2022 The Honorable Isabel Guzman Administrator United States Small Business Administration 409 3rd Street SW Washington, DC 20416 Dear Administrator Guzman, We write to inquire about constituent service procedures at the Small Business Administration (SBA) and inform you of issues our offices have had when requesting help for Arkansans. As you know, Congress approved the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and an expansion of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) under the CARES Act in March 2020. In the months immediately following passage of the CARES Act, it was understandable that the SBA’s modest workforce would face issues reviewing and processing millions of applications to these programs. We appreciate the SBA’s efforts to distribute EIDL and PPP loans to Arkansans struggling during the pandemic. However, nearly two years after these programs were signed into law, Americans are still dealing with unacceptable delays and limited communications from SBA. Here are a few examples from Arkansas: An EIDL grant was sent to the wrong bank account after approval. The money was returned over a month ago, yet the application portal still says “error.” A constituent has been trying to update his business address. He asked SBA to update it several times, but SBA officials have not yet updated it on the SBA portal. He was then told to update his address via email. He attempted to do so, but the problem remains unaddressed. Another constituent sent in his 4506-T form more than 20 times, but SBA has not yet accepted the document. His document was denied a single time because it was submitted with a cover page. One constituent’s inquiry has been open since April 2021. The SBA continues to send the individual emails with instructions to move forward in the process, except each time the included link is expired. We understand there are cases with legitimate technical issues that are out of the hands of any individual SBA employee processing these applications. However, our offices have noticed a pattern of Arkansans experiencing unreasonable difficulty accessing SBA programs that were supposed to be a lifeline for businesses during the pandemic. We are also concerned that the SBA’s remote work policies may be a factor in the organization’s reduction of timely constituent services. We understand the need to provide employees with flexibility to carry out their jobs safely, but these policies must be reassessed when they negatively impact Americans’ access to federal programs. We ask that you consider ways to improve SBA’s delivery of constituent services and work with Congress to make reforms, as needed. Thank you for your attention to this matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-fda-about-using-race-to-determine-covid-treatment-eligibility,Cotton Demands Answers from FDA About Using Race to Determine Covid Treatment Eligibility,2022-01-12,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 12, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers from FDA About Using Race to Determine Covid Treatment Eligibility Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) demanding answers about reports that the FDA is suggesting race should be used to determine eligibility for the monoclonal antibody treatment Sotrovimab. In part, Cotton wrote, “Using race as a factor will lead to unjust and racist outcomes, where young, healthy individuals who qualify for treatment are prioritized over at-risk individuals because of the color of their skin. This racist policy will lead to additional deaths.” “The FDA’s race-based rationing is also blatantly illegal. Race-based rationing of care violates the Constitution and our civil rights laws, just as it runs afoul of our values as a nation,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Janet Woodcock, M.D. Acting Commissioner U.S. Food and Drug Administration 10903 New Hampshire Ave Silver Springs, MD 20993-0002 Dear Acting Commissioner Woodcock: I write today requesting information regarding the criteria used for determining an individual’s eligibility for Covid-19 therapeutics. The Washington Free Beacon reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a fact sheet suggesting race should be used to determine who qualifies for the monoclonal antibody treatment Sotrovimab. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also issued a fact sheet indicating that “systemic health and social inequities” have put minority populations at increased risk of contracting severe Covid-19. These life-saving therapeutics are in short supply both in Arkansas and nationwide. While we are aware these fact sheets are non-binding, state health departments look to the FDA and other federal agencies for guidance when selecting which individuals receive Covid-19 therapeutics and treatments. Data show that factors like age, pre-existing medical conditions, and comorbidities affect the toll this virus takes on an individual. These risk factors are already assessed when determining whether a person is eligible to receive Covid-19 treatment. Using race as a factor will lead to unjust and racist outcomes, where young, healthy individuals who qualify for treatment are prioritized over at-risk individuals because of the color of their skin. This racist policy will lead to additional deaths. The FDA’s race-based rationing is also blatantly illegal. Race-based rationing of care violates the Constitution and our civil rights laws, just as it runs afoul of our values as a nation. Please answer the following questions about the FDA’s decision to use race as a factor in prioritizing care: Why should a healthy 18-year-old non-white individual be prioritized over a 64-year white American with high blood pressure? What are the death rates for each person with those characteristics? What legal basis is the FDA relying on that justifies using race as an independent factor for receiving a Covid-19 therapeutic or treatment? I look forward to receiving your response and working to ensure that life-saving therapeutics are distributed to individuals who need them most.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-bill-to-permanently-control-fentanyl-analogues,Cotton Introduces Bill to Permanently Control Fentanyl Analogues,2022-01-10,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 10, 2022 Cotton Introduces Bill to Permanently Control Fentanyl Analogues Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Protecting Americans from Fentanyl Trafficking Act, legislation eliminating the expiration date on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) emergency scheduling of fentanyl analogues to allow for permanent control of the deadly substance. Bill text may be found here. “Illicit fentanyl is made with the intent to create addicts and to kill. Granting the DEA permanent control of this deadly drug and its analogues will provide law enforcement the tools needed take these dangerous drugs off the streets,” said Cotton. Background: Senator Cotton first introduced the Protecting Americans from Fentanyl Act in April of 2021 and called for its passage by unanimous consent, but Senate Democrats objected to the motion.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-doj-about-releasing-criminals-to-home-confinement,Cotton Demands Answers from DOJ About Releasing Criminals to Home Confinement,2022-01-04,2022,2022-01,Republican,Senate,AR,Tom Cotton,C001095,www.cotton.senate.gov,cotton,https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353 January 4, 2022 Cotton Demands Answers from DOJ About Releasing Criminals to Home Confinement Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding the Department of Justice’s recent decision to ignore the clear limits placed by Congress on pandemic-related home confinement of convicted federal criminals. In part, Cotton wrote, “The Department’s Office of Legal Counsel correctly concluded in January 2021 that the only tenable reading of the CARES Act is that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) could only exercise expanded home confinement placement authority during the coronavirus national emergency, and that the law requires that the BOP return such inmates to prison and follow the limits of longstanding federal law following the end of the emergency.” “Unfortunately, it seems that you have now decided to bow to the pressure from political activists rather than do your job. The Office of Legal Counsel, at your direction, issued a slapdash opinion reversing itself in December 2021. That new opinion is not based on the law, but rather on the policy goals of criminal leniency,” Cotton continued. Text of the letter may be found here and below. The Honorable Merrick Garland U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Dear Attorney General Garland: I write today regarding the Department of Justice’s recent decision to ignore the clear limits placed by Congress on pandemic-related home confinement of convicted federal criminals. When Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) in 2020, it granted temporary, emergency authority for the Department of Justice to house federal inmates in home confinement without regard for the typical limits on home confinement under federal law. The Department’s Office of Legal Counsel correctly concluded in January 2021 that the only tenable reading of the CARES Act is that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) could only exercise expanded home confinement placement authority during the coronavirus national emergency, and that the law requires that the BOP return such inmates to prison and follow the limits of longstanding federal law following the end of the emergency. Activists asked the Department to ignore the law to reach their preferred policy outcome of mass early release of serious criminals, but ignoring the law is not within your authority. Indeed, it was publicly reported this summer that the Biden administration had reviewed the law in the hopes of pleasing those activists, but found that it could not. Unfortunately, it seems that you have now decided to bow to the pressure from political activists rather than do your job. The Office of Legal Counsel, at your direction, issued a slapdash opinion reversing itself in December 2021. That new opinion is not based on the law, but rather on the policy goals of criminal leniency. It even admits as much. Your opinion would also allow absurd results; under your baseless reading of the CARES Act, even after the coronavirus national emergency ends, the BOP would have 30 days during which it could release as many inmates as possible to home confinement and have them stay there until the end of their sentences, whether for years or even for the remainder of their lives. Such a scenario is not plausibly contained within the temporary authority that Congress granted to you, yet would be allowable under your new opinion. It is Congress’s duty to oversee the enforcement of federal law. Accordingly, please answer the following questions no later than 5:00PM on Wednesday, January 12, 2021: Did anyone in the White House direct you to have the Office of Legal Counsel reconsider or rescind its January 15, 2021 opinion? Please provide a list of all meetings and phone calls between you, your staff, or any Department of Justice component with any outside group or individual between January 20, 2021, and December 21, 2021, in which the CARES Act or the BOP’s authority to place inmates on home confinement was discussed. Note that there can be no justification for refusing to provide such a list to Congress, as all such information is required to be disclosed even to the general public upon request under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act. Please provide copies of all written communications between you, your staff, or any Department of Justice component with any outside group or individual between January 20, 2021, and December 21, 2021, in which the CARES Act or the BOP’s authority to place inmates on home confinement was discussed. Note that there can be no justification for refusing to provide such copies to Congress, as all such information is required to be disclosed even to the general public upon request under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act. The CARES Act provides that, to grant an otherwise-ineligible inmate temporary home confinement during the pandemic, the Attorney General must first find that the emergency is “materially affect[ing] the functioning” of the BOP. On April 3, 2020, Attorney General Barr made such a finding based on the need to protect at-risk inmates from contracting COVID-19. Given that every inmate in BOP custody has now been vaccinated or offered the vaccine, please provide a written justification for continuing any use of the temporary home confinement authority under the CARES Act, and explain the conditions under which you plan to withdraw such continuing authority. Please provide a list of all inmates who are currently placed on home confinement under the temporary authority granted by the CARES Act, broken down by primary offense, total sentence length, and the number of months remaining under their sentence. How many inmates who were placed on home confinement under the temporary authority granted by the CARES Act have had their home confinement rescinded or have been rearrested for a new offense? Please provide a description of the offenses for which any such inmates have been rearrested, or the reasons for which their home confinement was rescinded. I look forward to your prompt response regarding this important matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:50:39Z