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.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-murray-lead-senate-democrats-in-demanding-trump-admin-abandon-plans-to-exert-political-control-over-nih-funding,"Baldwin, Murray Lead Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Admin Abandon Plans to Exert Political Control Over NIH Funding",2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led 29 of their colleagues in demanding that White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought halt any plan to exert more political control over the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) grant-making process. The lawmakers’ call for new guardrails follows reporting that OMB was working on an Executive Order to create a commission that would include Director Vought to review NIH grants and give them the unilateral power to cut funding for groundbreaking research solely for political reasons.

In their letter, the lawmakers underscore that the executive order is just the latest way OMB has sought to undermine NIH and the scientific peer review process that is the foundation of biomedical advancements and innovation. Backtracking on a new executive order or not, the Trump administration has shown time and again it wants to use NIH funding to pursue political agendas and vendettas, at the expense of life-saving research, treatments, and cures for millions of Americans.

“Decisions about which National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants to fund should be guided only by science, and what research is most likely to advance new treatments and cures, or the next breakthrough to save or improve a patient’s life. The Trump administration considering, at the highest level, an Executive Order to exert unprecedented political control over NIH’s grant-making by establishing a commission empowered to veto NIH research awards represents just its latest attack on biomedical research,” Baldwin and the Senators write to OMB Director Vought. “Injecting political interference into the NIH grantmaking process will irreparably harm America’s biomedical research enterprise, override scientific expertise, and potentially set back lifesaving medical breakthroughs by decades.”

The Senators write, “Congress must step in to establish guardrails to protect American biomedical science. We urge our Republican colleagues to work with us on legislation to do much more to protect NIH from the Trump administration, which has proven over and over again to be dead set on picking political fights at the expense of advancing lifesaving treatments and cures for millions of Americans.”

“We write to call on you to abandon any plan to exert political control over NIH’s grant-making decisions — whether that’s through your proposed rule, a new Executive Order, or any other means—that would empower political appointees to deny funding for grant applications that have already been deemed meritorious by the NIH peer-review and Advisory Council process. Patients and families are already paying an enormous price because of this administration’s nonstop attacks on the NIH—the last thing they need is for their hopes for new treatments and cures to be pushed farther out of view because you want to put politics ahead of saving lives,” Baldwin and the Senators conclude.

In addition to Senators Baldwin and Murray, the letter was signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Angus King Jr. (I-ME), Jeffrey Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

The full letter is available here and below:

Director Vought:

Decisions about which National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants to fund should be guided only by science, and what research is most likely to advance new treatments and cures, or the next breakthrough to save or improve a patient’s life. The Trump administration considering, at the highest level, an Executive Order to exert unprecedented political control over NIH’s grant-making by establishing a commission empowered to veto NIH research awards represents just its latest attack on biomedical research. If established, such an entity would radically alter a nearly 140-year-old evaluation system built upon a rigorous peer-review process where subject matter experts assess applications based on scientific merit. Injecting political interference into the NIH grantmaking process will irreparably harm America’s biomedical research enterprise, override scientific expertise, and potentially set back lifesaving medical breakthroughs by decades.

Reports that the Trump administration is backtracking on such an Executive Order is of little relief. This scheme comes on the heels of the Office of Management Budget’s (OMB) proposal to rewrite rules governing the administration of federal grants government-wide, which centers on the same aims—to put politics over scientific rigor. These efforts violate longstanding practice and interpretation of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) statutory duties and are clearly counter to what Congress intended when funding NIH. That such an Executive Order was considered at all makes clear that despite Congress acting to temporarily block OMB’s proposed rule, this administration intends to continue to pursue efforts to undermine NIH and its grantmaking process. If not by Executive Order or a new government-wide rule, the Trump administration will simply pursue alternative administrative means that put politics over science and undermine the biomedical research enterprise we have built in this country over more than a century that is the envy of the world. The Trump administration will continue to have political appointees review Notices of Funding Opportunities and grant applications. It will continue to terminate scientifically meritorious grants for political reasons. And it will sideline expert peer review and empower political appointees to decide what research to fund or to not fund. Congress must step in to establish guardrails to protect American biomedical science. We urge our Republican colleagues to work with us on legislation to do much more to protect NIH from the Trump administration, which has proven over and over again to be dead set on picking political fights at the expense of advancing lifesaving treatments and cures for millions of Americans.

As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH supports research across virtually every area of human health. NIH research has led to countless groundbreaking discoveries, including mapping the human genome, isolating the AIDS virus, and the development of new drugs and treatments for cystic fibrosis, childhood leukemia, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and rare diseases, among so many others. The NIH peer-review system is the backbone of each one of those discoveries. It is a process established to ensure that taxpayer-funded research is evaluated according to scientific standards and to insulate funding decisions from political considerations. NIH funding has, for example, supported basic scientific research on lizard venom and sea snails that you or another political appointee without any scientific expertise may well have vetoed as a waste of taxpayer resources, but that very research led to the development of GLP-1 medications and non-addictive opioid alternatives. NIH’s scientific and peer review process that you are actively working to tear down is the foundation on which the United States stands as the world leader in biomedical innovation. OMB and unqualified political appointees have no business being involved in individual grant funding decisions and determining which specific cancer or Alzheimer’s disease research grants get funded.

Putting political decree above scientific peer review will mean research proposals are rejected not because of deficiencies in scientific quality, methodology, or relevance to statutory NIH missions, but because the subject matter, populations studied, institutions involved, or anticipated policy implications of the research do not align with the President’s political agenda. Breast cancer patients should not be denied hope of a new lifesaving treatment because you and the President think women’s health research is “woke”. Each year, NIH awards more than 50,000 grants and reviews tens of thousands more, each containing dozens of pages of dense scientific material. Whether through Executive Order, a new OMB rule, or other means, this administration seeks the ability to cut funding for specific research institutions it doesn’t like, or to cut funding for specific research projects because it doesn’t like how they sound. This would mean overruling decisions made by panels of scientific experts that have already determined which research is meritorious of federal funding and is our nation’s best bet at advancing new treatments and cures. Congress appropriated more than $48 billion to NIH in fiscal year 2026 for biomedical research pursuant to statute and congressionally directed programs, to be awarded according to a multi-step peer review process mandated by law. Congress does not delegate, or in any way intend to delegate, authority to the White House or your office to determine which individual scientific proposals may receive federal support. It similarly does not intend for unqualified political appointees to override the scientific peer review process in determining which specific grants to fund. But that is exactly what this administration continues to pursue.

These efforts are just the latest in a series of actions elevating politics and undermining science in biomedical research. Under your leadership, OMB has focused its efforts on destroying NIH and, with it, the nation’s biomedical research enterprise. To date, the Trump administration has terminated or disrupted 5,780 NIH grants worth an estimated $15 billion. Today, 1,231 of those grants still have not been restored. In fiscal year 2025, the agency issued 6,478 fewer awards compared to the year before – fewer than any year since 2018. The overall success rate for grant applicants fell to 17 percent, marking a 30-year low. The Trump administration has delayed NIH notices of funding opportunities and grant awards by months, setting back research and clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease, cancer research, opioid addiction, rare diseases, and others by a year or more. These disruptions are causing young scientists and researchers to abandon their careers altogether or leave to pursue them in other countries. Meanwhile, uncertainties about federal funding have led to a 15 percent decline in doctoral admissions at major research universities in the United States. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Trump administration plans to transfer up to $1.9 billion per year from NIH to the Department of Defense. Taken together, the Trump administration’s actions have systematically weakened the biomedical workforce and upended the very system designed to select the most scientifically promising research that delivers hope for millions of American patients and families who are praying for new treatments and cures.

We write to call on you to abandon any plan to exert political control over NIH’s grant-making decisions — whether that’s through your proposed rule, a new Executive Order, or any other means—that would empower political appointees to deny funding for grant applications that have already been deemed meritorious by the NIH peer-review and Advisory Council process. Patients and families are already paying an enormous price because of this administration’s nonstop attacks on the NIH—the last thing they need is for their hopes for new treatments and cures to be pushed farther out of view because you want to put politics ahead of saving lives.

Sincerely,

An online version of this release is available here.

###",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-votes-to-pass-the-bipartisan-protect-college-sports-act,Baldwin Votes to Pass the Bipartisan Protect College Sports Act,2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) voted for the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, which passed the Senate 77-22. The legislation sets national rules for college athletics around how student-athletes can be paid for their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The legislation, which is supported by President Trump and now heads to the House of Representatives for final passage, codifies athletes’ rights and protections in law and amends existing law to expand revenue for all schools. Baldwin’s amendment, which was successfully added to the bill on a bipartisan basis, preserves student-athletes’ legal rights, including their ability to bring lawsuits against universities for harms like sexual assault or injuries, like CTE.

“Wisconsin has an incredibly proud tradition of college sports. These young people learn lifelong skills, while also bringing pride to their schools and bringing our communities together,” said Senator Baldwin. “At the same time, we need to be honest that the college sports landscape has changed dramatically in recent years and become the Wild West. The chaotic expansion of sponsorship and NIL deals has led to money driving recruiting, constant roster turnover, and athletes’ rights under attack. This is happening at the same time that many athletic programs are being cut and roster sizes reduced. The current system is not working for athletes, schools, or fans. This bill is a step in the right direction to help stop the chaos, compensate student-athletes fairly, and support our sports programs at our universities for generations to come. I was proud to strengthen this bill to protect student-athletes’ rights and ensure that if they are sexually assaulted or get serious injuries like CTE, they can get their justice. Whether you cheer for the Blugolds, Badgers, or Blue Devils, we can all get behind this bill to protect student-athletes and the college sports we love.”

Baldwin’s amendment allows student-athletes to bring state-law claims involving harms like personal injury, sexual assault, and other health and safety violations, and preserves state laws that provide stronger protections than the Protect College Sports Act.

A one-pager on the bill is available here.

Full text of Baldwin’s amendment is available here.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

###",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-blasts-trumps-illegal-810-million-impoundment,Baldwin Blasts Trump’s Illegal $810 Million Impoundment,2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) announcement to illegally impound $810 million of congressionally mandated funding. The $810 million in illegal cuts comes from the bipartisan-passed Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations legislation, rescinding millions from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Office of Minority Health, Special Programs for Migrant Students, and International Education.

“President Trump knows well what the law says – the one I wrote with my Republican colleagues – but he is blatantly breaking it and stealing the money from the American people. Money that is supposed to be invested in groundbreaking health care research, chronic disease screening, home nursing visits, fresh food, and public education,” said Senator Baldwin. “President Trump always has enough money for his war, his ballroom, and all his other vanity projects, but when it comes time for American families, he leaves them out to dry. My Republican colleagues, who wrote and voted for this very law, need to stand up for the families and stop this President from illegally taking their money. On top of all of this, the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans undermining bipartisan budget agreements like this will only lead to more wasteful government shutdowns, when one side breaks the deal months later.”",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-leads-26-colleagues-in-rejecting-the-trump-admins-latest-move-to-politicize-and-undermine-education-funding,Baldwin Leads 26 Colleagues in Rejecting the Trump Admin’s Latest Move to Politicize and Undermine Education Funding,2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee, led 26 of her Senate colleagues in slamming the Department of Education’s (ED) latest move to further undermine the Department and jeopardize billions of dollars in funding for schools. Specifically, the Senators outlined their concerns with ED’s proposed changes to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) that would allow the President’s political appointees to cancel grants to local schools for any reason – putting everything from school-based mental health programs to teacher training programs under constant threat of being defunded at any point. The Senators also raise concerns that, if implemented, the rule would lead to weaker evidence-based standards for programs that serve students, hinder student achievement, and defy Congressional intent. This rule comes on top of a tumultuous funding process under the Trump Administration, which has continued to try to entirely shut down the Department of Education.

“This proposed rule is unnecessarily broad and vague, would undermine the stability of educational programs, and does nothing to improve educational outcomes for students,” wrote Baldwin and the Senators in a letter to Secretary McMahon. “As the Trump Administration continues its illegal attempt to dismantle the Department, this proposed rule will only serve to increase chaos and uncertainty for schools, states, institutions of higher education and families across the Country.”

Specifically, the Trump administration’s proposed rule allows the department to terminate a grant “for convenience.” This would allow Trump’s political appointees to terminate grants, even ones that have been awarded, with no justification.

“Schools and other grant recipients need a meaningful degree of certainty to properly plan their budgets and provide services to students,” the Senators continued. “Broad, unwarranted termination and discontinuation authority makes it difficult, if not impossible, for recipients to responsibly plan and spend these funds. In section 75.253(c), the proposal also would remove a priority to continue previously awarded grants over awarding new grants. These changes will increase funding uncertainty which may discourage recipients from undertaking ambitious projects.”

“We know high-quality education has the ability to raise families out of poverty and meaningfully improve future earnings. However, at a time when student achievement is falling and families are struggling with rising costs, this proposed rule only serves to undermine efforts to improve outcomes for students and raise costs by creating financial uncertainty for schools and educational programs,” Baldwin and the Senators concluded. “This damage and uncertainty will only hurt student populations that federal funding intended to support.”

Senator Baldwin has been an outspoken critic of President Trump’s stated goal of dismantling the Department of Education and continued efforts to withhold funding from American students and schools, including blocking $7 billion in Congressionally approved funding ahead of the 2025-2026 school year. Last December, Baldwin led a group of her colleagues in calling out the Trump administration’s moves to illegally outsource core functions of the agency that students and their families rely on. In April, Baldwin pushed Sec. McMahon on Trump’s budget that cuts $6 billion from K-12 schools, including $105 million for Wisconsin’s public schools.

The letter was also co-led by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and signed by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Edward Markey (D-MA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary McMahon,

We write in opposition to the proposed rule, “Education Department General Administrative Regulations” (EDGAR) (Docket ID ED-2026-OPEPD-2542),1 which would make fundamental changes to the administration of formula and competitive grants Congress has authorized and funded through the U.S. Department of Education (“the Department”). This proposed rule is unnecessarily broad and vague, would undermine the stability of educational programs, and does nothing to improve educational outcomes for students. As the Trump Administration continues its illegal attempt to dismantle the Department, this proposed rule will only serve to increase chaos and uncertainty for schools, states, institutions of higher education and families across the country. One of the key functions of the Department is to award and administer both formula and competitive grants. These grants range from Title I-A, which provide additional funding for elementary and secondary education programs serving students from low-income communities, to TRIO grants providing support to first generation college students, to Innovative Approaches to Literacy grants which promote literacy programs in low-income communities, and every education stage in-between. The funding provided to the Department for programs authorized by Congress is essential to ensure schools and communities across the country are able to provide every child, regardless of their zip code, a high-quality education.

Political Interference in Grant Awards and Administration

The proposed rule (Section 75.901) would give the Department free rein to end already awarded grants “for convenience,” without substantive reason or justification or connection to performance under a grant. Grants provided by the Department frequently support multiyear contracts involving the hiring of staff who provide services to students, research activities, and commitments to students and families that cannot be easily unwound. Schools and other grant recipients need a meaningful degree of certainty to properly plan their budgets and provide services to students. Broad, unwarranted termination and discontinuation authority makes it difficult, if not impossible, for recipients to responsibly plan and spend these funds. In section 75.253(c), the proposal also would remove a priority to continue previously awarded grants over awarding new grants. These changes will increase funding uncertainty which may discourage recipients from undertaking ambitious projects.

The proposed indirect-cost provision (section 75.228) will only add to this financial instability and uncertainty. This proposal could create a race to the bottom with an incentive structure where applicants are not encouraged to create programs based on value and merit but instead based on how much institutional costs they can absorb themselves. This will disadvantage entities that are not well-resourced, such as entities in rural communities or on tribal lands. Furthermore, lowering the amount of funds that can be used on indirect costs will not actually lower those costs for programs. Capping the amount of funds will not lower the cost of rent or electricity for an after-school program or a rural college serving first-generation students.

Undermining Congressional Intent in Serving Underserved Students and Communities

The General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) governs the administration of the Department and its grant programs. Section 427(b) of GEPA requires the Secretary to ensure each applicant for federal education funding describe how the applicant will ensure equitable access and participation to all students and teachers in federally funded education programs including “based on gender, race, color, national origin, disability, and age.”2 This demonstrates a clear Congressional intent that federal education programs help provide assistance to students and communities that have been historically underserved in our nation, including students of color, students with disabilities, English learners, and LGBT students. This proposed rule would further gut the intent of GEPA Sec. 427, which the Department has undermined by not renewing the information collection it previously collected from its applicants for grant programs.

Section 75.210(d) of the proposal weakens compliance by removing the current EDGAR requirement for the Secretary to consider equitable and adequate access on the basis of economic disadvantage, gender, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, disability, age, language, migration, living in a rural location, experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, involvement in the justice system, pregnancy, parenting or caregiver status, and sexual orientation. In addition to section 427 of GEPA, many federal laws3 authorized on a bipartisan basis direct federal education programs to focus on many of these underserved student populations. Removing this provision from EDGAR goes against Congressional intent not only in GEPA, but in these core foundational education laws.

This Proposed Rule Will Lead to a Weaker Evidence Base for Education Programs

The proposed rule also suggests a number of changes that would weaken evidence standards that govern Department programs. In changes detailed in section 77.1(c), the proposed rule would permit unknown, non-governmental organizations to determine whether grantees’ strategies and interventions meet the different levels of evidence established in EDGAR. This would break from how evidence standards are determined now by IES through a transparent and rigorous process. This could result in these important evidence standards being applied inconsistently within grant competitions. The evidence standards established in federal legislation and implementing regulations are critical to ensuring limited federal funds are spent on meaningful interventions that improve student outcomes. We are concerned that such goals are undermined by having unknown third parties judge applicants’ grant applications for whether or not they meet such evidence standards without a clear, rigorous, consistent, and transparent evaluation process.

We know high-quality education has the ability to raise families out of poverty and meaningfully improve future earnings. However, at a time when student achievement is falling and families are struggling with rising costs, this proposed rule only serves to undermine efforts to improve outcomes for students and raise costs by creating financial uncertainty for schools and educational programs. This damage and uncertainty will only hurt student populations that federal funding intended to support.

We urge you to withdraw the proposed rule.

Sincerely,",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-proposal-providing-tax-relief-for-victims-of-scams-and-disasters-passes-house,Baldwin Proposal Providing Tax Relief for Victims of Scams and Disasters Passes House,2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced that the U.S. House of Representatives passed key provisions of her bipartisan Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act to provide tax relief to Americans who fall victim to financial scams or natural disasters.

The proposal eliminates the “scam tax,” which taxes Americans on income or assets stolen from them, even if they no longer possess those funds, by reinstating the Nonbusiness Casualty and Theft Loss Deduction for 2026. The proposal also includes retroactive relief for victims scammed between 2021 and 2025.

“If you’ve been scammed out of your hard-earned savings or lost everything in a disaster, you shouldn’t then get stuck with a tax bill for money you don’t have,” said Senator Baldwin. “It’s just plain wrong, and I’m proud that our commonsense proposal passed the House and is one step closer to giving victims the relief they deserve.”

The Nonbusiness Casualty and Theft Loss Deduction was eliminated in 2018, forcing survivors of scams and natural disasters to pay taxes on their financial losses.

The provisions were passed as part of legislation led by Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY-03).

Full text of the bill is available here.

###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/watch-baldwin-votes-to-end-war-in-iran-bring-costs-down,"WATCH: Baldwin Votes to End War in Iran, Bring Costs Down",2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the U.S. Senate’s vote on a War Powers Resolution to end the President’s war in Iran, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) spoke on the Senate floor to make the case that the war needed to end immediately and recounted her travels across the state to hear about the impact of the war on Wisconsin families, manufacturers, small businesses, and farmers. Nearly all Senate Republicans voted against the measure, for the 13th time, continuing to greenlight the war in Iran. Baldwin’s floor speech comes just days after the Pentagon estimated the Iran war has cost American taxpayers more than $45 billion and the average cost of diesel hit the highest recorded average in Wisconsin at more than $6.60/gallon.

Watch: Baldwin takes to Senate floor to try to end war in Iran

For months, Senator Baldwin has been working to end the war in Iran, hold the White House accountable for an illegal war, and ensure servicemembers are getting the treatment and care they need. Baldwin pressed Hegseth on the lack of preparedness that has led to injuries and deaths and the disastrous impacts of the war on Wisconsin families and farmers. In recent weeks, Senator Baldwin traveled Wisconsin to connect with small businesses, farmers, restaurateurs, and working families about how higher costs brought on by this conflict are impacting their bottom lines.

A full recording of Senator Baldwin’s floor speech is available here.

###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/09/24/media-advisory-reminder-sen-johnson-to-lead-roundtable-discussion-covid-19-hospital-protocols-real-stories-from-real-people/,***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Reminder: Sen. Johnson to Lead Roundtable Discussion: “COVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People”,2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, September 28, 2026, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) will lead a roundtable discussion titled “COVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People.” Sen. Johnson will be joined by patients, families, doctors, and nurses to discuss how hospitals failed to administer proper care and treatment to patients suffering from COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.

Panelists will share firsthand accounts of mistreatment and other experiences they witnessed at hospitals across the country.

Sen. Johnson has held a series of public hearings and roundtables examining our federal health officials’ flawed response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first event devoted entirely to what happened inside hospitals.

WHEN: September 28, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

WHO: Sen. Johnson, patients, families, doctors, and nurses

WHERE: Russell Senate Office Building, Kennedy Caucus Room 325.

Please note guests must enter through security at the Russell entrance at First St. & Constitution Ave. door or the Upper Delaware Ave. door (ADA). A map is linked here.

LIVESTREAM: Rumble: @SenRonJohnson; X: @SenRonJohnson; Facebook: Senator Ron Johnson

PRESS RSVP: Please RSVP by Friday, September 25 at 10 a.m. ET with name, outlet, email, and phone number to press@ronjohnson.senate.gov.

RSVPs are strictly for press and media inquiries. Due to capacity restrictions, we cannot guarantee a seat to everyone who plans to attend. Seats will be on a first-come, first-served basis. An overflow room with the livestream will be available.

###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-baldwin-introduces-new-bill-to-stop-trump-from-sending-ice-national-guard-to-polls,"Senator Baldwin Introduces New Bill to Stop Trump from Sending ICE, National Guard to Polls",2026-09-23,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced a new bill to protect voters from intimidation or interference from federal agents at polling locations. The Safe Access to the Polls Act would prohibit federal funds from being used to send U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or the National Guard to polling places, set up a checkpoint near polling places, or interfere in any way with voters accessing their polling location. The legislation comes as the President has repeatedly threatened to send federal agents into states’ polling places, and in various hearings or to the press, several of the President’s appointees have refused to rule out sending troops or law enforcement.

“Your vote is your voice in our Democracy – and to have your voice heard, you need to be able to safely cast your ballot without anyone getting in the way. But, after starting a war in Iran that is causing gas and grocery costs to skyrocket, undermining our farmers with trade wars, and cutting Medicaid by $1 trillion, the President is trying to meddle in our elections and stop you from voting so he can avoid accountability,” said Senator Baldwin. “President Trump is pulling every lever he has to weaponize the federal government and undermine our elections — and that includes him threatening to send armed federal agents to our polling places. There is no reason for masked, armed agents to be at polling places like churches, schools, and libraries other than to intimidate eligible voters from making their voices heard. My bill will stop the President from sending armed troops to our local polling places and make sure you can access the ballot box and have your voice heard.”

The Safe Access to the Polls Act would prohibit the use of federal funds to send officers or agents of ICE, CBP, or members of the National Guard to:

Be within a quarter of a mile of any location in which an election is being held;

Set up a checkpoint along any route to any location in which an election is being held; or

Interfere in any way with the ability of any eligible voter to access his or her assigned polling place.

The introduction of the bill comes as President Trump has taken an all-of-the-above approach to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 elections. In addition to considering sending federal agents to polling places, President Trump has also attempted to restrict legal mail-in voting, repeated his claim about “rigged” elections more than 100 times, sent FBI agents into Milwaukee to relitigate his 2020 election loss, and has said Republicans shouldnationalize voting in at least 15 states.

Full text of the bill is available here.

###",1,2026-09-24T09:44:48Z,2026-09-24T09:45:52Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-calls-out-republicans-for-refusing-to-act-on-ai-demands-congress-protect-families-and-workers,"Baldwin Calls Out Republicans for Refusing to Act on AI, Demands Congress Protect Families and Workers",2026-09-21,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement as Washington Republicans are refusing to act to protect Americans from Artificial Intelligence (AI) before the November 2026 elections, despite repeated warnings about the largest AI companies losing control of the technology they are creating. This comes as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives cut their work in Washington short, Senate leadership has yet to prioritize AI regulation before the midterm elections, and President Trump said the threats AI poses are a “hoax” and opposes Congressional action.

“Americans need to have a say in how artificial intelligence is used in their lives, where it belongs and where it does not. But right now, too many of those decisions are being made inside a few companies run by a handful of billionaires and Big Tech executives, while workers, families and communities are expected to live with the consequences.

“AI comes with great opportunity that we need to harness and also tremendous risks for our workforce and safety that we need to protect against. But right now, we are staring down all sorts of dangers, and Republicans, who control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives, are refusing to act. I hear the calls from Wisconsinites who want some assurance that AI will not become capable of operating beyond human control. The time to act is now because we cannot trust Big Tech to do the right thing on their own, and the public should not bear the consequences when they get it wrong.

“In the short term, we must act to pump the brakes on these frontier models. We need an independent cop on the beat with the expertise and authority to stop deployment unless rigorous, independent testing shows that a model can be operated safely and kept under human control. Companies must disclose serious risks and incidents. We can and must both drive innovation and keep people safe. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again.

“As we look further down the road, my priority is making sure Wisconsin workers are at the center of the conversation. AI is already changing the way a lot of Wisconsinites work and will change more workplaces in the future. We have a responsibility to protect workers from being displaced, provide opportunities for skills training for folks in the middle of their career, ensure the workers of tomorrow have the technical know-how and knowledge they need for the changing economy, and fight for workers to have a say in how AI is used. I look forward to working with Wisconsinites – including small businesses, manufacturers, educators, unions, and workers – to map out what comes next and ensure workers will have dignity and more opportunity in the future.

“Wisconsinites are expecting we roll up our sleeves and get to work – and my Republican colleagues need to hear that urgency and join me, not cave to Donald Trump or Big Tech. The bottom line is that AI needs to work for Wisconsinites and Americans should be in control of AI, not the other way around.”

###",1,2026-09-22T09:42:49Z,2026-09-22T09:44:35Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-raises-alarms-on-white-house-further-politicizing-nihs-lifesaving-research,Baldwin Raises Alarms on White House Further Politicizing NIH’s Lifesaving Research,2026-09-21,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee, released the following statement as the White House plans to double down on its efforts to take control of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grantmaking process and further politicize the agency. Recent reporting shows the White House has begun drafting a new executive order that would establish a panel chosen by the White House to veto NIH research that does not conform to President Trump’s political agenda.

“Instead of investing taxpayer funds based on the science and what experts think is the best bet for the next medical breakthrough, President Trump wants to pick and choose research projects based on his own political agenda. If implemented, this scheme means that if Donald Trump wants to target a scientist or university he thinks wronged him, the President could stop their cancer clinical trial or defund their research into ALS cures,” said Senator Baldwin. “This is more of the same from President Trump, who has spent his second term taking away services and hope from families, just to seek revenge and free up money for his war overseas, tax breaks for billionaires, and vanity projects. It’s time for Republicans to join me and stop this administration from undermining biomedical research because American families deserve a government doing everything it can to find treatments and cures for the diseases their loved ones are battling – not one that empowers Russ Vought and Donald Trump to use taxpayer dollars with impunity.”

News that the White House is preparing an executive order comes after Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a policy that will allow the President to weaponize federal grants for political purposes and terminate or suspend federal grants at any time and without notice. In July, Senator Baldwin joined her colleagues in calling out the OMB proposed rule for exceeding OMB’s statutory authority, undermining Congress’s constitutional power of the purse, and inserting partisan politics into a process that should be driven by merit and expertise.

President Trump has spent his second term working to gut NIH – cutting staff, proposing a 40% cut to funding, withholding, diverting, and cancelling taxpayer dollars approved by Congress, and awarding billions of dollars less in grants to research projects than in previous years.

###",1,2026-09-22T09:42:49Z,2026-09-22T09:44:35Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-demands-trump-admin-immediately-investigate-tomah-va-staff-claims-of-serious-failures-in-care-at-facility,Baldwin Demands Trump Admin Immediately Investigate Tomah VA Staff Claims of Serious Failures in Care at Facility,2026-09-18,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to immediately investigate serious allegations about the failure to care for our veterans and unacceptable conditions at the Tomah VA Medical Center. Baldwin is calling for VA Secretary Collins to conduct a full review of staffing levels, provider coverage, medication delays, hospice care, and patient safety at the Tomah VA Hospital and requesting the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conduct an independent investigation. Baldwin’s office heard from several Tomah VA employees who outlined severe lapses in patient care at the hospital, including allegations of inadequate staffing contributing to falls, injuries, food choking incidents, and other adverse patient outcomes. The call comes as a Tomah VA nurse was criminally charged with patient abuse after a veteran receiving hospice treatment had oxygen allegedly withheld on purpose and later died.

“I write to express my grave concern regarding serious allegations about the treatment of veterans and conditions at the Tomah VA Medical Center. Employees at the Tomah VA contacted my office to report severe lapses in patient care at this facility. Their reports are specific and alarming. They include allegations of poor management and inadequate staffing contributing to falls, pressure injuries, food choking incidents, failures to conduct appropriate patient checks, and other adverse patient outcomes,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to VA Secretary Collins.

“They also raise particularly troubling concerns about the care of hospice patients, including inadequate provider coverage and delays in ensuring that seriously ill veterans receive medications necessary for comfort and end-of-life care. Veterans receiving hospice care are among the most vulnerable patients in the VA system, and they and their families should be able to trust that they will receive safe and compassionate care and be treated with dignity during the final days of their lives,” Baldwin continued.

In addition to today’s letter to Secretary Collins, Senator Baldwin also requested the VA OIG conduct an independent investigation into the employees’ allegations. Senator Baldwin underscored that corrective action at Tomah VA cannot wait for an OIG investigation to conclude and requested that the VA immediately direct the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) to conduct a full review of staffing levels, provider coverage, medication delays, hospice care, and patient safety. Specifically, Senator Baldwin asked the VA to determine:

the adequacy of current staffing levels and provider coverage to provide safe and appropriate care;

the impact of staffing shortages on patient safety, including falls, pressure injuries, food choking incidents, missed patient checks, medication delays and other adverse patient outcomes;

the adequacy of hospice care and provider coverage, including timely access to medications and other necessary end-of-life care;

recent provider departures and vacancies and their impact on patient care;

facility leadership’s response to patient safety concerns raised by frontline employees, including whether those concerns were appropriately identified, addressed and corrected;

whether management and leadership practices are contributing to unsafe conditions at the facility;

the immediate actions VA is taking to address any identified patient safety risks; and

the VHA and the VISN 3 officials responsible for ensuring that necessary corrective actions are implemented and sustained.

Additionally, Senator Baldwin asked the VA for more information regarding the recent criminal charges brought against a nurse at Tomah VA who allegedly purposefully withheld oxygen from a patient who later died in hospice care. Senator Baldwin requested to know when VA and Tomah leadership first became aware of the incident, what reviews were conducted afterwards, and what actions were taken to correct those failures and prevent them from happening again.

“The Tomah VA and the veterans it serves have spent years working to rectify and recover from the serious failures uncovered at the facility more than a decade ago. VA employees, veterans and the surrounding community worked hard to improve care, strengthen accountability and rebuild trust. We cannot allow serious patient safety or management problems to take root again or allow that hard earned trust to erode. Veterans and their families must be able to trust that VA will provide the safe, timely and high-quality care they have earned. Employees must also be able to raise concerns when that standard is not being met and know that speaking up will not put their careers at risk,” concluded Senator Baldwin.

A full version of the letter to Secretary Collins is available here and below. The letter to VA OIG is available here.

Dear Secretary Collins,

I write to express my grave concern regarding serious allegations about the treatment of veterans and conditions at the Tomah VA Medical Center. Employees at the Tomah VA contacted my office to report severe lapses in patient care at this facility. Their reports are specific and alarming. They include allegations of poor management and inadequate staffing contributing to falls, pressure injuries, food choking incidents, failures to conduct appropriate patient checks, and other adverse patient outcomes. They also raise particularly troubling concerns about the care of hospice patients, including inadequate provider coverage and delays in ensuring that seriously ill veterans receive medications necessary for comfort and end-of-life care. Veterans receiving hospice care are among the most vulnerable patients in the VA system, and they and their families should be able to trust that they will receive safe and compassionate care and be treated with dignity during the final days of their lives.

I have requested the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conduct an independent investigation into these allegations. That investigation is important, but the VA cannot wait for that investigation before ensuring veterans are receiving safe care today. I expect prompt and thorough action from your office to protect the dignity and safety of veterans receiving care at this facility.

To that end, I request that you immediately direct the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) to conduct a full review of staffing levels, provider coverage, medication delays, hospice care, and patient safety. To be clear, this review should not rely on assurances from leadership at the Tomah VA. Given the range and severity of the allegations, there must be an independent and thorough examination of conditions at the Tomah VA. At a minimum, I ask that VA determine:

the adequacy of current staffing levels and provider coverage to provide safe and appropriate care;

the impact of staffing shortages on patient safety, including falls, pressure injuries, food choking incidents, missed patient checks, medication delays and other adverse patient outcomes;

the adequacy of hospice care and provider coverage, including timely access to medications and other necessary end-of-life care;

recent provider departures and vacancies and their impact on patient care;

facility leadership’s response to patient safety concerns raised by frontline employees, including whether those concerns were appropriately identified, addressed and corrected;

whether management and leadership practices are contributing to unsafe conditions at the facility;

the immediate actions VA is taking to address any identified patient safety risks; and

the VHA and the VISN 3 officials responsible for ensuring that necessary corrective actions are implemented and sustained.

Separately, the criminal charges recently announced against a former Tomah VA nurse raise serious questions about the care of the hospice patients at the facility and how VA responded after learning of that incident. I ask that you provide my office with a full accounting of VA’s response upon learning of the alleged abuse including:

when VA and Tomah facility leadership first became aware of the incident and what immediate steps were taken to protect other patients;

what administrative, clinical, patient safety or management reviews were conducted;

what deficiencies, if any, were identified;

what corrective actions were required; and

whether those corrective actions were implemented and sustained.

A veteran receiving hospice care at the Tomah VA was allegedly abused and later died. A year later, employees are raising serious concerns about the safety and quality of hospice care at the same facility, in the same hospice unit. That demands close scrutiny. I ask you to determine whether there are broader failures in staffing, supervision, management, or patient safety practices, what VA learned from the 2025 incident and whether the actions taken afterward were sufficient to protect veterans from similar harm.

I also want to be unequivocal about the employees who are raising these concerns. There must be zero tolerance for retaliation or reprisal against any employee for raising concerns about patient care, making a protected disclosure, communicating with Congress, contacting OIG or the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP), or cooperating with an investigation. I ask that you immediately direct VHA and VISN leadership to communicate clearly to all Tomah employees that they may raise concerns through protected channels and that retaliation or reprisal will not be tolerated. Facility leadership must not attempt to identify employees who have communicated confidentially with any congressional offices or take action against employees because they are believed to have raised concerns. My office will not provide the identities of employees who have contacted us without their express authorization.

I am copying OAWP on this letter so that it is formally aware of these disclosures and prepared to respond promptly to any allegation of retaliation or reprisal. I also ask that OAWP work with my office to ensure employees who have raised concerns understand their rights and the confidential reporting channels available to them.

The Tomah VA and the veterans it serves have spent years working to rectify and recover from the serious failures uncovered at the facility more than a decade ago. VA employees, veterans and the surrounding community worked hard to improve care, strengthen accountability and rebuild trust. We cannot allow serious patient safety or management problems to take root again or allow that hard earned trust to erode. Veterans and their families must be able to trust that VA will provide the safe, timely and high-quality care they have earned. Employees must also be able to raise concerns when that standard is not being met and know that speaking up will not put their careers at risk.

I ask for your prompt attention to these matters and a written response detailing the immediate actions VA is taking at the Tomah VA, providing the requested accounting of VA’s response following the August 2025 incident, the steps being taken to protect employees who raise concerns and the senior VA officials responsible for overseeing this response.

###",1,2026-09-19T09:11:33Z,2026-09-19T09:12:45Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-scott-lead-bipartisan-call-for-investigation-into-amazon-and-walmart-for-hiding-made-in-america-goods,"Baldwin, Scott Lead Bipartisan Call for Investigation into Amazon and Walmart for Hiding Made in America Goods",2026-09-17,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Rick Scott (R-FL) are calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Amazon and Walmart for hiding Made in America products from customers on their websites and apps and failing to monitor and report Made in America labeling fraud, undermining American businesses and workers.

The Senators’ ask follows a recent report that found the companies’ AI shopping chatbots, Alexa for Amazon and Sparky for Walmart, do not show customers items that are Made in the USA when they are searching for them, despite the chatbots being fully capable of finding those products in their inventory. The report also showed that Amazon and Walmart failed to report fraudulently labeled Made in the USA products, despite their ability to detect this fraud. Specifically, the lawmakers are calling on the FTC to investigate Amazon and Walmart’s use of their AI shopping tools and increase enforcement against false Made in the USA claims.

“We all share the goal of strengthening American manufacturing and small businesses through initiatives such as Made in USA labeling, all while ensuring consumers receive accurate information about where the products they buy are made,” wrote Baldwin and Scott. “Following a robust investigation, we strongly encourage the Commission to consider additional enforcement measures to deter such behavior going forward.”

“As two of the largest retail companies in the world, Amazon and Walmart’s potential noncompliance with federal standards and their explicit promotion of overseas and potentially fraudulent sellers on their online marketplaces and through their AI shopping chatbots is deeply concerning,” continued the lawmakers. “American manufacturers who adhere to these standards and support other domestic suppliers deserve a fair playing field on these online marketplaces. Likewise, consumers who seek out Made in the USA products should be able to rely on accurate country-of-origin information when making purchasing decisions. New technologies such as AI shopping chatbots must preserve that fairness.”

“We strongly urge the Commission to investigate potential suppression of Made in the USA products through these chatbots and online marketplaces, as well as the lack of monitoring and reporting of fraudulent Made in the USA labeling despite the technological capability to do so. We stand ready to work with the Commission to ensure that American manufacturers and consumers can rely on the integrity of the Made in the USA label,” the lawmakers concluded.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Chairman Ferguson and Commissioner Meador:

We write to request that the Federal Trade Commission (the Commission) investigate alleged anticompetitive practices by Amazon and Walmart involving suppression of Made in the USA products when customers use their AI shopping chatbots, as well the companies’ apparent failure to report products fraudulently labeled Made in the USA. We all share the goal of strengthening American manufacturing and small businesses through initiatives such as Made in USA labeling, all while ensuring consumers receive accurate information about where the products they buy are made. Following a robust investigation, we strongly encourage the Commission to consider additional enforcement measures to deter such behavior going forward.

The authors of the report “Made in America, Hidden by AI” conducted an investigation to determine if the new Amazon and Walmart AI shopping chatbots (Alexa for Shopping for Amazon, and Sparky for Walmart) could reliably guide shoppers to Made in the USA products and determine whether those products were accurately labeled. Their findings indicate that Amazon and Walmart’s AI shopping chatbots have the capability to discern which products are Made in the USA and which products that are falsely listed as Made in the USA. However, the report suggests that Amazon and Walmart may obscure and suppress this information through their AI chatbot services, undercutting manufacturers that honestly utilize the Made in the USA label while benefitting bad actors and overseas sellers - potentially sowing doubt about the label’s veracity and effectiveness.

The presence of products fraudulently labeled as Made in the USA on Amazon and Walmart’s online marketplaces is not new. In July 2025, the Commission sent letters to both Amazon and Walmart alerting the companies that third-party sellers were falsely labeling products listed on their online marketplaces as Made in the USA, in potential violation of the federal standard and the marketplace terms of service. FTC’s letters encouraged Amazon and Walmart to monitor, identify, and take corrective action against sellers who make false or misleading Made in the USA claims. Despite progress, it appears the underlying problem has not been resolved; indeed, the companies’ AI shopping assistants may now be compounding it. Walmart launched Sparky in June 2025, and Amazon deployed Alexa for Shopping in May 2026. We understand that artificial intelligence may present pressing challenges for companies as they work to serve their customers; however, the aforementioned report’s allegations raise critical questions about fraud monitoring, compliance, and fair business practices overall.

The report details how searches for Made in the USA products through Amazon’s AI shopping chatbot, Alexa for Shopping (Alexa), are purportedly obscured and suppressed. When the report’s authors asked Alexa to show a “Made in USA” product, such as a fly-fishing reel, the chatbot claimed to not have access to that information. However, when asked to show products that were made in China, Alexa provided a list of products, including recommendations for purchase, suggesting that the system does have access to country-of-origin information. Slight alterations of search phrases, such as using “in USA” produced the desired result because the chatbot model could predict the rest of the phrase, suggesting that there could be an intentionally designed block for the “Made in USA” search term. When asked why there is no Made in USA filter, Alexa replied that it would “redirect significant sales away from their largest seller base,” referring to overseas manufacturers. Additional reporting from the Wall Street Journal described Walmart’s chatbot, Sparky, initially declining a request to evaluate the credibility of the labels on Made in the USA products in the shopper’s cart, but later producing an assessment when prompted differently.

Both the Amazon and Walmart’s AI shopping chatbots also demonstrated the ability to detect false Made in the USA labels when prompted, but both Alexa and Sparky indicated they do not proactively flag these fraudulent labels. For example, when Alexa provided a comparison chart that listed t-shirts as both Made in USA and imported, the chatbot could detect fraud after further questioning. It also disclosed the false Made in the USA label came from Amazon itself, not a third party. Similarly, Sparky was able to discern the credibility of Made in USA labeling using indicators like a company’s U.S. manufacturing footprint. When asked why this fraud is not flagged, both chatbots responded that it is a business decision not to. Sparky stated that because “the FTC pursues relatively few cases against retailers,” the incentive to create proactive compliance mechanisms is low. Alexa stated that because Amazon’s largest revenue contributors, their high-volume overseas sellers, benefit from inaction, addressing the fraud is not a priority. These responses warrant further scrutiny by the Commission.

As two of the largest retail companies in the world, Amazon and Walmart’s potential noncompliance with federal standards and their explicit promotion of overseas and potentially fraudulent sellers on their online marketplaces and through their AI shopping chatbots is deeply concerning. These concerns implicate the effectiveness of Made in the USA labeling as AI chatbots become more integrated in online shopping. The requirements for labeling a product as Made in the USA are rigorous. The final assembly or processing of the product must take place in the United States, all significant processing must occur in the United States, and all or virtually all ingredients or components of the product must be made and sourced in the United States. American manufacturers who adhere to these standards and support other domestic suppliers deserve a fair playing field on these online marketplaces. Likewise, consumers who seek out Made in the USA products should be able to rely on accurate country-of-origin information when making purchasing decisions. New technologies such as AI shopping chatbots must preserve that fairness. However, if these practices are allowed to persist, they will undermine the goals of the Made in the USA standard and disincentivize legitimate use of the label.

We strongly urge the Commission to investigate potential suppression of Made in the USA products through these chatbots and online marketplaces, as well as the lack of monitoring and reporting of fraudulent Made in the USA labeling despite the technological capability to do so. We stand ready to work with the Commission to ensure that American manufacturers and consumers can rely on the integrity of the Made in the USA label.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-09-18T09:27:43Z,2026-09-18T09:29:09Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-murray-sound-alarm-on-trump-admins-plans-to-divert-or-withhold-millions-in-healthcare-research-funds,"Baldwin, Murray Sound Alarm on Trump Admin’s Plans to Divert or Withhold Millions in Healthcare Research Funds",2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, and Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, demanded Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. release information about HHS’ plans to use tens of millions of dollars in funding Congress approved for lifesaving and cost-cutting healthcare research at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)—all of which is set to expire come September 30 if it is not awarded. The demand comes after the lawmakers learned that HHS is planning to send tens of millions of dollars of its funding to other agencies, potentially wasting funds meant to address our nation’s most pressing healthcare concerns. Today, during a Senate confirmation hearing, Senator Baldwin also pressed Chris Klomp, nominee for HHS Deputy Secretary, to provide more information on the Department’s plan for this funding.

President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have worked to systematically dismantle AHRQ since taking office and are on track to waste a significant portion of the agency’s budget for the current fiscal year. This comes after AHRQ terminated approximately 150 grants totaling $94 million earlier this year and failed to spend, or impounded, $80 million in fiscal year 2025 funding after failing to award grants last year.

“It is increasingly clear that once again, your Department intends to ignore the law and—through a combination of gross negligence and intentional sabotage—will refuse to spend millions of taxpayer dollars that should be funding research to lower costs in the health care system and protect patients’ safety,” wrote the Senators in a letter to Secretary Kennedy.

“Research funded by AHRQ grants has saved tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health care costs, but once again, instead of getting these funds provided by Congress out the door as is required by law, this administration is on track to impound these resources and kill lifesaving research,” they continued.

In the letter, Senators Murray and Baldwin state that HHS recently informed them that it plans to award just 90 grants this year—hundreds fewer than in prior years—and is seeking to transfer funding specifically appropriated for AHRQ to other agencies.

“AHRQ leadership informed the Committee of its ‘plans’ to spend $100 million on inter-agency agreements (IAAs), which would enable the Department to siphon dollars away from AHRQ to support other initiatives, instead of funding the health care quality and delivery research that Congress specifically set aside resources for. But to date, AHRQ has provided very limited information on how this funding would actually be spent—let alone how it could be spent effectively between now and September 30th,” Baldwin and Murray wrote.

The lawmakers also make clear that beyond seeking to steer AHRQ funding elsewhere without regard for the law, it is apparent the Trump administration may illegally impound funding set aside for this lifesaving research: “Even more alarming is the fact that AHRQ has provided exactly no information on how the remaining $65 million provided to it will be spent, again raising the likelihood that funding provided by Congress will simply be wasted.”

Murray and Baldwin ask HHS to furnish copies of all inter-agency agreements AHRQ has entered into and provide more information about exactly how Secretary Kennedy intends to get this funding out the door to support cost-cutting and lifesaving research.

The full letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

For months, we have directly raised our concerns about the unacceptable and intentional chaos at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) with you, with Director Roger Klein, and most recently with Deputy Secretary Nominee Chris Klomp. As health care costs continue to rise and patient safety concerns persist, your Department has chosen to dismantle the very agency whose mission is to solve these problems.

It is increasingly clear that once again, your Department intends to ignore the law and—through a combination of gross negligence and intentional sabotage—will refuse to spend millions of taxpayer dollars that should be funding research to lower costs in the health care system and protect patients’ safety.

Research funded by AHRQ grants has saved tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health care costs, but once again, instead of getting these funds provided by Congress out the door as is required by law, this administration is on track to impound these resources and kill lifesaving research.

At Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, AHRQ research helped reduce the percentage of preventable blood clots after surgery. A critical access hospital in New Mexico used AHRQ research to greatly reduce the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections by more than 90 percent. The Dayton, Ohio VA used AHRQ research to help veterans manage high-risk diabetes more effectively. AHRQ’s work is evidence-based first and foremost—it saves lives and money. Sabotaging this agency is a direct attack on both the patients and providers who rely on AHRQ to make our health care system work better.

In fiscal year 2025, under your leadership, AHRQ allowed over $80 million in federal funding provided by Congress to be wasted. Instead of awarding grants to promote patient safety, support families with children in the hospital, improve autism screening and diagnosis, and provide support for those suffering from chronic pain, the Trump administration intentionally withheld federal funding that Congress provided on a bipartisan basis, disrupting 200 different research programs across nearly 30 states. Over the past year, you have also managed to push out 80 percent of all AHRQ staff, including the majority of those who had previously vetted grants and worked directly with researchers. From 2020-2024, AHRQ awarded an average of 127 new grants and 306 continuation grants. In 2025, AHRQ awarded only one new grant and 206 continuation awards.

Your Department recently informed us that it intends to award only 90 grants this year. That is unacceptable.

In July, AHRQ terminated over 150 grants via a generic form letter. These grants included research that was clearly focused on addressing the agency’s stated priorities, such as patient safety, the use of digital tools to improve health, artificial intelligence, and training future health services researchers. AHRQ discontinued research in Wisconsin testing the use of artificial intelligence to improve the experience of hospitalized children and their families, research that the agency had highlighted in a webinar in May. AHRQ also discontinued the health services research training program at the University of Washington. For reasons we cannot comprehend, these two grants, among many others, were cited as “inconsistent with agency priorities.”

It is now abundantly clear that AHRQ terminated those grants, that were clearly consistent with AHRQ’s mission and stated priorities, with no plan on how it would otherwise spend its funding for this year.

On September 4th, AHRQ leadership informed the Committee of its “plans” to spend $100 million on inter-agency agreements (IAAs), which would enable the Department to siphon dollars away from AHRQ to support other initiatives, instead of funding the health care quality and delivery research that Congress specifically set aside resources for. But to date, AHRQ has provided very limited information on how this funding would actually be spent—let alone how it could be spent effectively between now and September 30th. AHRQ supposedly plans to spend $30 million to support the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and help schools develop strategies for improving school meals. We have received no further information on these plans. So far, it appears the only thing the agency has done is issue a press release, and with 15 days left in the fiscal year there aren’t any actual funding opportunities available for schools and school districts to apply for these resources. This continues an alarming pattern by which this administration is seeking to use IAAs to siphon funding away from one agency to fund the administration’s priorities at another, without regard for the law and what Congress provided funding for in the first place.

Similarly, while Congress set-aside $5 million to accelerate evidence-based research and care delivery models into routine clinical practice so that women can get the menopause care they need, all AHRQ has shared is that the funding will be spent on working with two other agencies on “quality improvement activities” addressing menopause. Yet no actual funding opportunities are available for that work. Even more alarming is the fact that AHRQ has provided exactly no information on how the remaining $65 million provided to it will be spent, again raising the likelihood that funding provided by Congress will simply be wasted.

Congress appropriated funding for AHRQ to improve the health of Americans, and to make health care safer, better, and more affordable. Using accounting gimmicks and supposed IAAs as cover for either intentional sabotage or complete incompetence is inexcusable. It is unfortunately only one of many examples of how this administration is willfully choosing to make Americans less healthy and less safe—and raising costs while it’s at it.

Within 24 hours, we expect to receive written copies of all IAAs that AHRQ has entered into with other federal agencies, a detailed description of all supported activities, and a list of all grantees that will be supported by such funding in accordance with Public Law 119-75 before the end of the fiscal year.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/watch-baldwin-secures-commitment-from-trump-admin-to-restore-988-press-3-in-coming-weeks,WATCH: Baldwin Secures Commitment from Trump Admin to Restore 988 ‘Press 3’ in Coming Weeks,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) questioned several of President Trump’s nominees for positions within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at a Senate hearing and secured commitments that the Trump Administration will restore the ‘Press 3’ option for LGBTQ+ youth at the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by the end of September. This news comes after the Trump Administration abruptly cancelled ‘Press 3’ over a year ago and has since dragged their feet on following Senator Baldwin's bipartisan law that mandated a return of these services. For more than 13 months, the Trump Administration has withheld specialized services for a population that is more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers.

During her questioning at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, Senator Baldwin pressed Chris Klomp, nominee for HHS Deputy Secretary, and Dr. Timothy Westlake, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (SAMHSA), about HHS’s failure to restore 988 specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth, despite Congress mandating the Trump Administration relaunch it in bipartisan funding legislation for Fiscal Year 2026 and only two weeks remaining in the Fiscal Year. Before it was shuttered by RFK, Jr., the hotline was fielding about 10% of all 988 contacts, including 19% of all texts. During their testimony, the nominees shared that a contract has been awarded to restore ‘Press 3’ services and that the Trump Administration should have an announcement about relaunch before the end of the Fiscal Year on September 30.

During her opening statement, Senator Baldwin highlighted how Secretary Kennedy and President Trump’s disastrous health policies are making Americans sicker and taking away care. She highlighted the historic outbreaks of measles and foodborne illnesses, withheld, unspent, or frozen funding impacting vital programs like Head Start and research on NIH, and record cuts to Affordable Care Act coverage and Medicaid that are projected to terminate health care for 15 million Americans.

Click here for a full video of Senator Baldwin's opening statement and questions in front of HELP.

###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/09/16/media-advisory-sen-johnson-to-lead-roundtable-discussion-covid-19-hospital-protocols-real-stories-from-real-people/,***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Sen. Johnson to Lead Roundtable Discussion: “COVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People”,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, September 28, 2026, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) will lead a roundtable discussion titled “COVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People.” Sen. Johnson will be joined by patients, families, doctors, and nurses to discuss how hospitals failed to administer proper care and treatment to patients suffering from COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.

Panelists will share firsthand accounts of mistreatment and other experiences they witnessed at hospitals across the country.

Sen. Johnson has held a series of public hearings and roundtables examining our federal health officials’ flawed response to the COVID-19pandemic. This is the first event devoted entirely to what happened inside hospitals.

A livestream of the event will be available.

WHAT: A nonpartisan panel discussion about flawed hospital protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic

WHEN: September 28, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

WHO: Sen. Johnson, patients, families, doctors, and nurses

WHERE: Russell Senate Office Building, Kennedy Caucus Room 325

PRESS RSVP: Please RSVP by Friday, September 25 at 10:00 a.m. ET with name, outlet, email, and phone number to press@ronjohnson.senate.gov.

Due to capacity restrictions, we cannot guarantee a seat to everyone who plans to attend. An overflow room will be available. Additional updates will be provided on our website.

###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-releases-statement-on-opposing-the-clarity-act,Baldwin Releases Statement on Opposing the Clarity Act,2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following after voting against the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which fails to address President Trump and other politicians’ abuse of cryptocurrencies to enrich themselves and does not adequately safeguard tribal sovereignty from prediction markets.

“Crypto is part of our economy, and I’m committed to making sure it works for Wisconsinites. There can be upsides, but we need to do more to protect folks from crypto scams, stop the self-dealing from politicians, and crack down on its use for drugs, human trafficking, and terrorism. Unfortunately, the Clarity Act fundamentally fails to do that. This bill turns a blind eye to the President and his family blatantly abusing their position of power to make more than a billion dollars – yes, billion with a ‘b’ – from his crypto scheme. The President of the United States of America and his family are taking hundreds of millions of dollars from foreign entities into his crypto ventures, and then doling out favors to foreign nationals – and this bill does absolutely nothing about it,” said Senator Baldwin. “The American people expect their elected officials to serve the public, not their pocketbooks, but Republicans once again are refusing to stop President Trump from using his office to get rich quick. The Clarity Act also doesn’t adequately respect tribal sovereignty, allowing prediction market platforms to sidestep state and tribal gaming regulations. The crypto industry needs to be regulated, but this bill fell short on keeping Wisconsinites’ safe from scams, stopping corruption, and protecting the rights of Wisconsin tribes.”

###",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/as-packers-season-kicks-off-baldwin-calls-for-passage-of-her-for-the-fans-act,"As Packers’ Season Kicks Off, Baldwin Calls for Passage of Her For the Fans Act",2026-09-11,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – As the Green Bay Packers season kicks off Sunday, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is calling for the passage of her For the Fans Act to ensure Wisconsin fans always have a free, live option to watch the Packers play. The Senator’s bill comes as more games are exclusively broadcast on streaming platforms, including four Packers’ games in the 2026-2027 NFL season, forcing millions of Wisconsinites to pay for a subscription just to watch their home team play. Currently, only people living in the Green Bay and Milwaukee media markets are guaranteed Packers games to be broadcast on local TV, leaving more than approximately half of Wisconsinites potentially without access to the games unless they pay for the additional streaming service.

“Regardless of where you live in Wisconsin, your political party, or who you pray to, we all root for the Green and Gold. We celebrate together, we commiserate together, and we always come back the next week to cheer on the Pack together,” said Senator Baldwin. “But, right now, we are watching the big billionaire-owned streaming giants and the NFL rig the rules and force us to fork up more and more money just to watch our home teams play. Wisconsin families have been crystal clear that they are stretched thin right now, and we need to help give them some relief. That’s why we need to pass my For the Fans Act to lower costs for families, stop the confusing maze of subscriptions, and ensure we can all watch the Packers continue to run the NFC North.”

Baldwin’s For the Fans Act would improve access for consumers of professional sports broadcasts by requiring free viewing access for local fans and ending blackouts on league-owned streaming services, like NBA League Pass or MLB.TV. The bill applies to professional baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer leagues, and makes an exception for minor league teams and leagues with fewer than eight teams.

Polling from Data for Progress shows that overwhelming majorities of Americans support Baldwin’s For the Fans Act to stop professional sports leagues from blacking out games for fans, end the complicated web of streaming services, and cut costs for viewers across the country.

A one-pager on the For the Fans Act is available here.

###",1,2026-09-12T09:02:30Z,2026-09-12T09:03:27Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-urges-supreme-court-to-block-trumps-effort-to-restrict-mail-in-voting,Baldwin Urges Supreme Court to Block Trump’s Effort to Restrict Mail-In Voting,2026-09-10,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to block President Trump’s unconstitutional Executive Order and U.S. Postal Service rule that attempts to restrict Wisconsinites’ ability to vote by mail ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Specifically, Baldwin joined a bipartisan group of 261 current and former lawmakers in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the matter of State of California, et al. v. United States Postal Service, et al., a lawsuit brought by a coalition of State Attorneys General against the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The court case challenges a final rule issued by the USPS in response to Trump’s directive that imposes unconstitutional and unworkable restrictions on mail-in voting, including requiring states to provide a “citizenship verification list” and attempting to give USPS control over who can vote by mail.

“The President is trying to meddle in the elections because he knows that Americans are going to hold him accountable in November,” said Senator Baldwin. “Instead of changing course and doing what he said he would to lower costs, he is trying to silence Americans from having their voice heard at the ballot box. This effort to stop Americans from voting by mail – despite many Wisconsinites already having their ballots on their counters – is cut and dry unconstitutional, and the Supreme Court needs to say just that and protect Americans’ right to vote.”

Nearly one-third of Americans have voted by mail in recent elections, including over 500,000 Wisconsinites in the 2024 election — a voting practice Trump himself used as recently as August 2026, when he voted in Florida’s Republican primary.

In the court filing, the lawmakers argue that Trump’s Executive Order 14399 and USPS’s final rule violate the separation of powers and usurp congressional authorities outlined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which gives the States and Congress exclusive authority over election administration.

The lawmakers also pointed to a recent federal court ruling blocking the USPS from implementing its newly finalized mail ballot rule for the midterm elections, saying the agency lacked the authority to implement the rule and that its actions are “substantively unconstitutional and contrary to law.”

The lawmakers concluded by asserting States’ power to administer elections and Congress’s power to make or alter rules regulating elections, which the Supreme Court itself has described as an “override” authority. Trump’s illegal incursion on this authority is an attempt to disenfranchise people who depend on mail-in ballots to vote.

Senator Baldwin has repeatedly pushed back against the Trump Administration’s efforts to restrict mail-in voting and disenfranchise Wisconsin voters. In June, Baldwin demanded that the USPS abandon the rule, and in July, she called on the USPS to immediately address severe mail delays that caused hundreds of Wisconsinites’ ballots to arrive after Election Day in April.

The lawmakers’ demands come as President Trump has taken an all-of-the-above approach to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 elections. In addition to his attempt to curtail legal mail-in voting, the President has repeatedly threatened to send federal agents to states’ polling places, repeated his claim about “rigged” elections more than 100 times, and sent FBI agents into Milwaukee to relitigate his 2020 election loss.

The amicus brief was led by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Gary Peters (D-MI) and joined by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus.

The full brief is available here.

###",1,2026-09-11T09:25:29Z,2026-09-11T09:27:08Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-calls-out-trumps-trade-war-with-canada-as-tariffs-hit-wisconsin-dairy-paper,"Baldwin Calls Out Trump’s Trade War with Canada as Tariffs Hit Wisconsin Dairy, Paper",2026-09-08,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement as Canada placed retaliatory tariffs on key Wisconsin exports, including dairy and paper. The tariffs come in response to President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on Canadian goods after he abandoned trade negotiations and as his administration’s trade war continues to result in higher costs and shrinking export markets for Wisconsin businesses.

“In recent weeks, I’ve traveled to every corner of Wisconsin to hear about how Donald Trump’s chaotic tariffs and war in Iran have made it harder for small businesses to make ends meet. Now, President Trump has decided to make that situation even worse by starting a tit-for-tat trade war with our state’s biggest trading partner. Wisconsin’s iconic dairy and paper industries are taking it on the chin, being either forced to cut deep into their bottom lines or worse, being locked out of a key market because the tariffs are just too much to bear,” said Senator Baldwin. “The President is gambling with the livelihoods of our family farmers and manufacturers, but this isn’t a game — the consequences are businesses being forced to lay off workers, shuttered family farms, and devastated rural economies. Made in Wisconsin businesses deserve stability they can depend on to support growth and plan for the future – not these higher costs and endless chaos. My Republican colleagues should be joining me in this outrage and speaking out against it on behalf of our constituents and Made in Wisconsin economy.”

Nearly every variety of cheese Wisconsin sells to Canada will face a 25 percent tariff, and milk powders, whey, and other dairy ingredients will face 50 percent. The tariffs will also impact Wisconsin’s paper industry, including corrugated boxes, coated papers, packaging, and tissue products, which will face retaliatory tariffs of mostly 50 percent. Wisconsin makes more paper products than any other state in the country and annually results in more than half a billion dollars in sales to Canada. Last year, Canada bought nearly 28 percent of Wisconsin’s total exports, amounting to over $7.5 billion in Wisconsin goods—nearly double what Wisconsin exports to Mexico, the next-largest market.

Last month, Senator Baldwin released a brand-new report showing that, from the ongoing trade war, war in Iran, and chaos, Congressional Republicans and President Trump are costing Wisconsin families more than $3,300 for everyday essentials like housing, gas, and groceries.

###",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-blasts-trump-admin-for-diverting-billions-from-lifesaving-medical-research-to-pentagon,Baldwin Blasts Trump Admin for Diverting Billions from Lifesaving Medical Research to Pentagon,2026-09-04,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee that funds the National Institute of Health (NIH), blasted the Trump Administration after the Department of Defense (DOD) announced that it was diverting billions of dollars Congress specifically provided for lifesaving medical research at NIH to fund Pentagon priorities instead.

“Donald Trump’s illegal war of choice in Iran is costing Americans billions of dollars in taxpayer funding and higher costs, and now he is raiding lifesaving medical research to find even more money for his out-of-control Department of Defense,” said Senator Baldwin. “The American people want cures to diseases that are causing heartache – not backdoor deals that rob them of hope and instead use their tax dollars for Secretary Hegseth’s pet projects. I will fight this decision at every step – and I expect to hear the same outrage from my Republican colleagues.”

The new agreement, which was not shared with Congress in advance, establishes a framework that could allow DOD to tap billions of dollars that Congress provided specifically for NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in order to fund DOD initiatives instead. The arrangement could mean that a substantial portion of NIAID’s overall budget is not spent on NIAID programs, but Pentagon priorities, which should be considered through the bipartisan annual appropriations process.

Since the start of 2025, the Trump Administration has repeatedly attacked or frozen funding for NIH and the lifesaving research it supports. Despite Senator Baldwin working to increase NIH’s budget by $415 million for Fiscal Year 2026, the White House delayed getting that money out the door and left NIH unable to fund research for 40 days. This slow walking, combined with staffing cuts and Trump’s multi-year funding scheme, means that NIH will award thousands fewer research grants this year; the fewest research grants it has awarded any year since 2017.

###",1,2026-09-05T08:49:07Z,2026-09-05T08:50:44Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-baldwin-wraps-up-week-2-of-the-ending-chaos-lowering-costs-tour,"ICYMI: Baldwin Wraps Up Week 2 of the “Ending Chaos, Lowering Costs” Tour",2026-09-04,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) wrapped up the second week of her “Ending Chaos, Lowering Costs” statewide tour with stops in Wausau, Green Bay, Monona, Waterloo, and the Twin Ports to meet with Wisconsinites and discuss how she is fighting to end the high costs and chaos that Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump have caused and her work to support our Made in Wisconsin economy.

In Wausau, Senator Baldwin visited a Head Start center to highlight the chaos that President Trump has created for Wisconsin parents and childcare providers. Senator Baldwin talked with staff about how the Trump Administration’s latest attacks on Head Start will gut quality standards and jeopardize funding for the program. Since the start of 2025, the Trump Administration has leveled attacks on Head Start, including trying to eliminate the program that serves nearly 800,000 children and families, including over 16,000 Wisconsin children. Senator Baldwin is a staunch supporter of Head Start and worked to include an $85 million increase for the program in last year’s budget.

In Green Bay and Monona, Senator Baldwin visited American Tent, Renegade Plastics, and Fraboni’s to discuss how President Trump’s trade war and his illegal war in Iran are driving up costs for Wisconsin small businesses and their customers.

In the Twin Ports, Senator Baldwin celebrated a key investment she secured for our Made in Wisconsin economy, joining Wisconsin and Minnesota leaders to break ground on the new Blatnik Bridge. Senator Baldwin supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and fought to deliver $1 billion in federal funding for the project.

In Waterloo, Senator Baldwin toured Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese to celebrate the launch of a new product and highlight a program she created and successfully funds annually to support small- and mid-sized dairy businesses. In the 2018 Farm Bill, she created the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative, which has supported 600 small and mid-sized dairy businesses, including Crave Brothers, with grants to improve efficiencies, build capacity, and find new markets.

Senator Baldwin’s tour of Wisconsin comes as Senator Baldwin released a brand-new report last week showing that, from the ongoing trade war, war in Iran, and chaos, Congressional Republicans and President Trump are costing Wisconsin families more than $3,300 for everyday essentials like housing, gas, and groceries.

Key findings from this report can be found below:

Wisconsin Families Spending $3,300+: As of June 2026, the average household in Wisconsin has had to spend more than $3,300 more on goods and services under President Trump, including $794 more on housing costs such as rent and mortgages, $310 more for groceries, and $120 more for electricity.

Back-to-School Essential Cost 20% More: As the cost of essentials like lunch boxes, notepad paper, index cards, and tissues has increased by 20% or more, nearly half of parents say they are cutting back on other household expenses to make room for back-to-school shopping. Additionally, packing lunches will cost families more than $3,800 this school year, up nearly $400 from last year.

Wisconsinites Spent $1 billion More on Gas: Wisconsinites have spent an estimated $1 billion more on gas. Nationwide, 75% of Americans believe that they have faced hardships due to the rising costs of gas.

Farmers Spend 73% More on Diesel: Wisconsin farmers spent $43,800,000 or 73.6% more, on diesel fuel during this year’s planting season than they did last year.

Read the full report here.

###",1,2026-09-05T08:49:07Z,2026-09-05T08:50:44Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-baldwin-evers-celebrate-groundbreaking-for-blatnik-bridge-replacement-project,"NEWS: Baldwin, Evers Celebrate Groundbreaking for Blatnik Bridge Replacement Project",2026-08-31,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Governor Tony Evers joined Wisconsin and Minnesota leaders to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the Blatnik Bridge replacement project, which Senator Baldwin successfully secured more than $1 billion in federal funding to support the project. The funding for the bridge replacement comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Senator Baldwin voted for, and all of Wisconsin’s Congressional Republicans voted against.

“This is what happens when leaders roll up their sleeves, work together, and deliver for the people we represent,” said Senator Baldwin. “Since the day we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I’ve worked tirelessly with Governor Evers and our friends on the other side of the Mississippi to get this funding, and today we are putting shovels in the ground to replace this aging bridge. This bridge is more than an investment in concrete and steel. We are investing in our people—in the workers who will build it, the businesses that depend on it, and the families who will use it every day.”

“Sen. Baldwin and I have been proud to champion the Blatnik Bridge replacement project for years with our partners across the river in Minnesota, and I’m excited to help celebrate the groundbreaking of this exciting and essential project that will serve our two states and our region for generations of future residents. This is a big deal, folks,” said Governor Evers. “Replacing Blatnik Bridge is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project that will not only create thousands of jobs but will support the 21st-century needs of our people, our workforces, and our economies. We’re proud of all of the years of effort and advocacy that went into getting to this point, and we’re glad this day has finally arrived.”

The Blatnik Bridge is a vital connection between Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, with over 33,000 vehicles passing through daily and 265,000 trucks transporting nearly $4 billion in goods annually. After more than 60 years of heavy usage, the bridge has suffered from significant structural deterioration, leading to capacity, mobility, and safety concerns.

Since the passage of the Baldwin-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Senator Baldwin has been advocating and building the coalition needed for Wisconsin and Minnesota to earn the federal funds to replace the Blatnik Bridge, including:

March 2022: Senator Baldwin joined President Biden in Superior to highlight Bipartisan Infrastructure Law transformational investments for local communities and advocate for funding to replace the Blatnik Bridge.

December 2022: Senator Baldwin secured $7.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to plan and design the replacement the Blatnik Bridge through the annual budget process.

June 2023: Senator Baldwin, Governor Evers, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson, and Superior Mayor Jim Paine visited Superior to highlight the continued need to replace the Blatnik Bridge and urge the Biden Administration to invest in the project.

August 2023: Senator Baldwin called on the Biden Administration to support Wisconsin and Minnesota’s application for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for the project.

October 2023: Senator Baldwin joined a bipartisan group of eight Minnesota and Wisconsin legislators to urge President Biden to support Minnesota and Wisconsin’s application for federal funding to rebuild the Blatnik Bridge.

December 2023: Senator Baldwin again voiced her support for the Blatnik Bridge and announced her support for Wisconsin and Minnesota’s second application for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.

January 2024: Senator Baldwin delivered over $1 billion in federal funding to replace the Blatnik Bridge

March 2026: Senator Baldwin successfully pushed the Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to release the more than $1 billion for the Blatnik Bridge replacement project.

The current, aging bridge will close for approximately 4-5 years starting in early 2027. The project is scheduled for completion in 2032, and construction is expected to employ 1,100 workers annually.

###",1,2026-09-01T09:48:49Z,2026-09-01T09:49:51Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-baldwin-wraps-up-first-week-of-ending-chaos-lowering-costs-statewide-tour,"ICYMI: Baldwin Wraps Up First Week of “Ending Chaos, Lowering Costs” Statewide Tour",2026-08-28,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) wrapped up the first week of her “Ending Chaos, Lowering Costs” statewide tour with stops in Madison, Richland Center, La Crosse, Onalaska, and Eau Claire, meeting with Wisconsin families and small businesses and highlighting how she is fighting to end the high costs and hardship that Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump have created.

In Madison, Senator Baldwin visited a local Boys & Girls Club to help pack donated school materials and meet with staff and stakeholders to hear how rising costs are hurting families this back-to-school season. Trump’s tariffs and war in Iran have increased back-to-school supplies’ costs for families, with nearly half of parents saying they are cutting back on other household expenses to make room for back-to-school shopping.

In Richland Center, Senator Baldwin stopped by Richland Hospital to learn how $4.5 million in direct federal support she secured is helping update this critical access hospital and medical center. The visit and Baldwin-backed support come as Republicans made historic cuts to the Medicaid program in their signature One, Big Beautiful Bill, which is poised to devastate rural hospitals and threaten the closure of critical access facilities for Wisconsin.

In La Crosse, Senator Baldwin visited with small businesses – including Oh Oh Coffee, Larson's General Store, and Kroner's Hardware – to discuss how President Trump’s trade war with our allies and his illegal war in Iran are driving up costs and squeezing Wisconsin Main Street shops and their consumers. A poll conducted by Small Business Majority in June found that 63% of small business owners reported decreased profit margins this year and 74% reported that they are being impacted by recent increases in fuel and transportation costs.

In Eau Claire, Senator Baldwin hosted a roundtable with local bar and restaurant owners to talk about how her new bill, the For the Fans Act, will save small businesses money and cut through the confusing landscape of watching televised sports. Her legislation would end blackouts and force leagues to provide a free viewing option for local fans. The bill comes as the Packers’ upcoming 2026-27 season schedule has four games on Amazon Prime and Netflix, forcing fans outside of the Milwaukee and Green Bay media markets to pay for games.

The tour comes as Senator Baldwin released a brand-new report earlier this week showing that, from the ongoing trade war, war in Iran, and chaos, Congressional Republicans and President Trump are costing Wisconsin families more than $3,300 for everyday essentials like housing, gas, and groceries.

Key findings from this report can be found below:

Wisconsin Families Spending $3,300+: As of June 2026, the average household in Wisconsin has had to spend more than $3,300 more on goods and services under President Trump, including $794 more on housing costs such as rent and mortgages, $310 more for groceries, and $120 more for electricity.

Back-to-School Essential Cost 20% More: As the cost of essentials like lunch boxes, notepad paper, index cards, and tissues has increased by 20% or more, nearly half of parents say they are cutting back on other household expenses to make room for back-to-school shopping. Additionally, packing lunches will cost families more than $3,800 this school year, up nearly $400 from last year.

Wisconsinites Spent $1 billion More on Gas: Wisconsinites have spent an estimated $1 billion more on gas. Nationwide, 75% of Americans believe that they have faced hardships due to the rising costs of gas.

Farmers Spend 73% More on Diesel: Wisconsin farmers spent $43,800,000 or 73.6% more, on diesel fuel during this year’s planting season than they did last year.

Next week, Senator Baldwin’s tour continues with stops in the Superior area, Wausau, Green Bay, and Monona.

Read the full report here.

###",1,2026-08-29T11:31:28Z,2026-08-29T11:32:37Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-booker-demand-ftc-investigate-syscorestaurant-depot-merger-protect-consumers-and-small-businesses-from-higher-costs,"Baldwin, Booker Demand FTC Investigate Sysco–Restaurant Depot Merger, Protect Consumers & Small Businesses from Higher Costs",2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) are demanding the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) thoroughly investigate Sysco’s proposed $29.1 billion acquisition of Jetro Restaurant Depot, over concerns that the deal could further consolidate the nation’s food distribution system, weaken competition, and drive-up costs for independent restaurants and consumers.

“A single dominant company monopolizing the food distribution system will allow one company unprecedented power to raise prices and reduce purchasing options for independent restaurants. The higher food and supply costs restaurants will likely incur from this merger will almost certainly be passed on to diners, as most of these small businesses operate on the margins of three to five percent even under favorable conditions. Or, these combined pressures could force many independent restaurants to close, resulting in layoffs and an economic loss to their local community,"" wrote the senators in a letter to FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson.

The senators warned that the proposed acquisition would eliminate an important source of competition for independent restaurants, caterers, farmers, and other small businesses. Restaurant Depot’s “cash-and-carry” model — which has no contracts, delivery fees, or minimum orders — provides small businesses with an alternative to traditional broadline distributors like Sysco and allows them to compare prices and purchasing options.

The deal comes as restaurants and consumers continue to face rising costs. According to the National Restaurant Association, menu prices have increased by at least 34 percent since 2020. The senators also raised concerns about the impact of further consolidation on farmers, noting that independent restaurants are often their largest commercial buyers of produce.

The FTC has previously intervened to prevent consolidation in the restaurant distribution industry. In 2015, the Commission blocked Sysco’s proposed acquisition of US Foods, determining that the transaction would significantly reduce competition and likely result in higher prices and lower levels of service for restaurant-goers.

“Sysco’s action represents an effort to vertically integrate the food distribution space and eliminate a competitor price check that helps maintain lower-cost options. We urge the FTC to review this merger to ensure that consumers, farmers, and restaurant owners maintain their independence and competition can flourish,” the senators concluded.

""As a chef, every price increase from product to protein or pantry staples hits us directly. Those margins are the difference between staying in business and keeping menu prices affordable for our guests. Restaurant Depot gives independent kitchens like mine a real price benchmark to push back against broadline distributors like Sysco,"" said Dan Jacobs, Chef and Owner of EsterEv and DanDan in Milwaukee. ""If Sysco is allowed to buy up a major competitor, that leverage disappears, and the cost gets passed straight to diners. We're grateful to Senator Baldwin for pushing regulators to take a hard look at this deal before it hurts independent restaurants and the communities we support.”

A full version of the letter is available here.

###",1,2026-08-27T16:10:01Z,2026-08-27T16:10:50Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/tour-baldwin-launches-ending-chaos-lowering-costs-statewide-tour,"TOUR: Baldwin Launches “Ending Chaos, Lowering Costs” Statewide Tour",2026-08-25,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is launching the “Ending Chaos, Lowering Costs” statewide tour to meet with Wisconsin families and small businesses and highlight how she is fighting to end the high costs and hardship that Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump have created. Ahead of the statewide tour, Baldwin is releasing a brand-new report showing that, from the ongoing trade war, war in Iran, and chaos, Congressional Republicans and President Trump are costing Wisconsin families more than $3,300 for everyday essentials like housing, gas, and groceries.

“My Republican colleagues and Donald Trump promised lower prices on Day One, but instead they’ve delivered higher costs at every turn and are creating chaos that is just making life harder for folks. This report shows that between their war of choice in Iran, reckless tariff policies, and slashing health care and food assistance to pay for billionaire tax breaks, my Republican colleagues and the President have turned their backs on Wisconsin’s working families,” said Senator Baldwin. “So, today, I am hitting the road to meet with hard-working families and small businesses to listen to what these high costs mean for them and show them just what I am doing to fight for them. We can and must strive for a future where families can afford to save for a vacation, small businesses are thinking of expansion – not if they will make rent, and farmers are growing their customer base, not having markets cut off. Together, we can build that future – but it starts with stopping the chaos from this president and Washington.”

Key findings from this report can be found below:

Wisconsin Families Spending $3,300+: As of June 2026, the average household in Wisconsin has had to spend more than $3,300 more on goods and services under President Trump, including $794 more on housing costs such as rent and mortgages, $310 more for groceries, and $120 more for electricity.

Back-to-School Essential Cost 20% More: As the cost of essentials like lunch boxes, notepad paper, index cards, and tissues has increased by 20% or more, nearly half of parents say they are cutting back on other household expenses to make room for back-to-school shopping. Additionally, packing lunches will cost families more than $3,800 this school year, up nearly $400 from last year.

Wisconsinites Spent $1 billion More on Gas: Wisconsinites have spent an estimated $1 billion more on gas. Nationwide, 75% of Americans believe that they have faced hardships due to the rising costs of gas.

Farmers Spend 73% More on Diesel: Wisconsin farmers spent $43,800,000, or 73.6% more, on diesel fuel during this year’s planting season than they did last year.

Senator Baldwin’s tour will kick off this week with stops in Madison, Richland Center, La Crosse, and Eau Claire.

Read the full report here.

###",1,2026-08-26T05:33:32Z,2026-08-26T05:34:56Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-takano-merkley-lead-179-colleagues-in-urging-supreme-court-to-protect-preschoolers-from-discrimination,"Baldwin, Takano, Merkley Lead 179 Colleagues in Urging Supreme Court to Protect Preschoolers from Discrimination",2026-08-24,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI), Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-39) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) led their colleagues in filing an amicus brief at the Supreme Court in the case of St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy advocating to the Justices that preschools that receive state dollars should not be able to discriminate against children and families. At issue in the case are religious preschools seeking an exemption from the nondiscrimination provision in Colorado’s universal preschool program so they can refuse to admit LGBTQ+ children or the children of LGBTQ+ people while still receiving public funding. The members’ brief urges the Supreme Court to uphold the nondiscrimination provision and not grant a religious exemption.

“Discriminating against anyone – let alone preschoolers – is simply wrong and betrays some of our most fundamental and enduring beliefs as Americans,” said Senator Baldwin. “No child or family should face discrimination in a program supported by taxpayer dollars. Our country has taken great strides in the march toward true equality, and the Supreme Court should stop such blatant discrimination that would take us an unmistakable step backwards.”

This upcoming term, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in St. Mary’s Catholic Parish v. Roy, where the court will be considering when to apply which of its standards for granting religious exemptions from nondiscrimination laws. In 2020, Colorado voters passed a ballot proposition to establish state funding for preschool. In response, the Colorado legislature passed legislation to codify a universal preschool program. The law includes a nondiscrimination provision, stating that the quality standards for the program must include “a requirement that each preschool provider provide eligible children an equal opportunity to enroll and receive preschool services regardless of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, lack of housing, income level, or disability, as such characteristics and circumstances apply to the child or the child's family.”

Two Catholic parishes that operate preschools, among other plaintiffs, sued claiming that this nondiscrimination policy violates their First Amendment rights. Specifically, the preschools want a religious exemption in order to receive taxpayer dollars while discriminating against LGBTQ+ students and children of LGBTQ+ parents.

The members’ brief argues that:

The Supreme Court defers to legislatures and the political process when assessing exemptions from neutral, generally-applicable laws;

Petitioners’ rule would endanger a myriad of federal nondiscrimination laws that Congress has carefully crafted over decades; and

The Court should be mindful not to destabilize or undermine that legislative role by effectively legislating ad hoc exemptions to nondiscrimination laws.

The full amicus brief is available here.

###",1,2026-08-25T05:31:37Z,2026-08-25T05:33:09Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-calls-on-trump-administration-to-reverse-denial-of-disaster-aid-for-wisconsin,Baldwin Calls on Trump Administration to Reverse Denial of Disaster Aid for Wisconsin,2026-08-20,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) backed Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ appeal and called on the Trump Administration to reverse its decision to deny federal assistance to Wisconsin communities recovering and building back after severe storms and flooding in April. While the Trump Administration approved some disaster assistance, it denied all hazard mitigation funding for the entire state that would help communities prevent or reduce damage from future disasters. The denial came after President Donald Trump rejected similar disaster aid for Wisconsin in 2025 after severe flooding, fitting into the trend of Democratic-run states being refused disaster aid at a record rate. The Trump Administration has denied disaster aid for states with Democratic governors at the highest rate in the 47-year history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Had hazard mitigation taken place after the first disaster, many of the damages for the current disaster declaration would have been avoided and taxpayer dollars saved,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton. “In light of the documented damage and its impact on local and state capacity, I request that FEMA give full and fair consideration to Wisconsin’s appeal for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding. It is imperative that the HMGP is added to this declaration so Wisconsin communities are able to recover and prevent similar impacts from future disaster events while saving local, state and federal taxpayer dollars.”

In April, communities across Wisconsin experienced heavy rainfall and severe weather, causing rivers to flood their banks and destroy homes and businesses alike. Following the storms, Senator Baldwin called on the Trump Administration to act and support Wisconsin’s request for federal resources so communities could recover.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Administrator Hamilton,

I write to express support for the State of Wisconsin’s appeal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) denial of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding statewide in response to the severe storms and flooding that affected the state during the period of April 13-23, 2026.

On June 30, 2026, Wisconsin received a federal disaster declaration, DR-4923, for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. However, on July 7, 2026, Wisconsin was denied Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding statewide.

The HMGP provides much-needed federal funds for long-term hazard mitigation projects to protect communities against future disasters. Some of the areas impacted by the April floods were still recovering from major flooding that occurred only eight months earlier. In August 2025, parts of the state experienced over 14 inches of rain in 24 hours, overwhelming local sewer systems and leading to a disaster declaration (DR-4892). The prior declaration was also denied HMPG funding.

Had hazard mitigation taken place after the first disaster, many of the damages for the current disaster declaration (DR-4923) would have been avoided and taxpayer dollars saved. In light of the documented damage and its impact on local and state capacity, I request that FEMA give full and fair consideration to Wisconsin’s appeal for HMGP funding. It is imperative that the HMGP is added to this declaration so Wisconsin communities are able to recover and prevent similar impacts from future disaster events while saving local, state and federal taxpayer dollars.

I remain committed to working with you to ensure Wisconsin communities receive appropriate federal support to recover and strengthen their resilience to future disasters. I appreciate your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-08-21T05:30:57Z,2026-08-21T05:32:22Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-evers-secure-over-140-million-for-passenger-rail-serving-wisconsin-midwest-rail-routes,"Baldwin, Evers Secure Over $140 Million for Passenger Rail Serving Wisconsin, Midwest Rail Routes",2026-08-19,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers successfully secured over $140 million from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to update up to 41 passenger locomotives, which serve Amtrak’s Midwest and Pacific Northwest routes, including the Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha route. The FRA investment in Wisconsin is funded by the Baldwin-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which no Republican member of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation voted for.

“Amtrak connects Wisconsinites and visitors to communities across our state and is a wonderful way to see all that Wisconsin has to offer,” said Senator Baldwin. “Investing in this rail line is an investment in the Main Streets that will get more customers, in families’ safety, and in our state’s future. I voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and supported this project so we can build on its success, support our small businesses and tourism economy, and help travelers get from point A to B more safely and efficiently.”

“Expanding reliable transportation alternatives to make it even easier to get to and from work, school, home, and everywhere in between has been a top priority for my administration since Day One, and I’m jazzed that we secured the funding so we can continue our work to bolster passenger rail here in Wisconsin,” said Gov. Evers. “I’m grateful to Sen. Baldwin for her unwavering support to bolster freight and passenger rail services in Wisconsin, and similarly grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for their work in 2021 to ensure states have the funding we need through the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support essential projects like this for years to come.”

Last year, with Senator Baldwin’s support, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), applied for the grant in partnership with Amtrak and the Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington transportation departments. The grant will provide essential, mid-life overhauls for the 41-unit Charger locomotive fleet to allow for continued, uninterrupted, and reliable service along nine corridors in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest.

“This grant will help keep the locomotive fleet in a state of good repair, enhancing rail line resiliency, and preventing unplanned outages,” said WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman. “As the Charger locomotives entered mid-life stage, it became clear to WisDOT and our state partners that upgrades were needed to ensure safety and reliability on the popular Hiawatha train, between Chicago and Milwaukee, and a host of other routes.”

Funded locomotive improvements include overhauls to the wheel sets, air compressors, traction motors, turbochargers, high-pressure fuel pumps, and diesel engines. The improvements will help modernize the locomotive fleet and improve reliability on Amtrak’s Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha route, as well as Blue Water, Cascades, Lincoln, Illini/Saluki, Illinois Zephyr, Missouri River Runner, and Pere Marquette routes.

Additionally, as part of WisDOT’s application, Wisconsin was a co-applicant on a project that received an over $45 million grant to support the procurement and installation of Onboard Shunt Enhancement devices, which aim to enhance safety, increase reliability, and improve system and service performance on Amtrak’s rolling stock. This project will support Wisconsin’s rail system, as well as over 30 state-supported and all 15 long-distance Amtrak routes.

More information on the National Railroad Partnership Program and the selections is available on the FRA website, as is the list of selected projects.

###",1,2026-08-20T05:28:41Z,2026-08-20T05:29:58Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/16/senators-johnson-paul-release-additional-texts-from-dr-faucis-government-iphone/,"Senators Johnson, Paul Release Additional Texts from Dr. Fauci’s Government iPhone",2026-08-16,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"In Jan. 2021 Dr. Fauci told: “Initial Studies avoid vaccination in first trimester”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released new text messages obtained from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-issued cellphone which was produced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on August 5, 2026, in response to Chairman Johnson’s request.

The text chain released today provides additional context to Dr. Fauci’s message to Drs. Vivek Murthy and Rochelle Walensky expressing concerns about “cytokines storm and fever after the 2nd dose” of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines “theoretically” resulting in “miscarriage in the 1st trimester.” According to the newly released January 25, 2021 text message, Dr. John Mascola, the then-Director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, texted Dr. Fauci writing “I am corrected on pregnancy studies. Initial Studies avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester[.]”

A key text in the chain from Dr. John Mascola to Dr. Fauci below:

Abbreviated Timeline of Text Messages from Dr. Fauci’s iPhone on Miscarriage Risk (New Text Message Highlighted)

January 25, 2021 at 4:31 pm: Dr. Vivek Murthy texts Drs. Fauci and Rochelle Walensky. Dr. Murthy writes “[f]or pregnant women considering getting the vaccine, are you aware of any data or theoretical reason why vaccinating early vs late in pregnancy would be preferred?”[1]

January 25, 2021 at 4:48 pm: Dr. Walensky responds to Dr. Murthy writing “my understanding is that this is all a [sic] data free.”[2]

January 25, 2021 at 4:56 pm: Dr. Fauci responds to Dr. Murthy and writes “[a]gree with Rochelle. There are no data or theoretical reason to believe that vaccinating early versus late in pregnancy would be preferred.”[3]

January 25, 2021 at 5:47 pm: Dr. Fauci receives a text from Dr. John Mascola, the then-Director of the NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center, who writes “I am corrected on pregnancy studies. Initial Studies [sic] avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester.”[4]

Information from the iPhone indicates Dr. Fauci read Dr. Mascola’s message at 6:42pm on January 25, 2021.[5]

Based on the information reviewed by the Subcommittee to date, it is unclear why Dr. Mascola sends this message or what “initial studies” he is referring to.

Chairman Johnson’s office immediately emailed Dr. Mascola to understand what he was saying and what he meant in this specific text message. Unfortunately, the Subcommittee has not yet been able to speak with Dr. Mascola as he has retained an attorney. Chairman Johnson hopes that Dr. Mascola will fully cooperate with the Subcommittee and expeditiously provide the transparency that federal health officials, like Dr. Fauci, have failed to provide for years.

January 25, 2021 at 6:45 pm: Three minutes after reading Dr. Mascola’s message, Dr. Fauci follows up again with Drs. Murthy and Walensky and writes, “Since many people have significant cytokines storm and fever after the 2nd dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester.”[6]

Dr. Walensky responds to Dr. Fauci’s text writing “Definitely a good point, esp [sic] after dose two.”[7]

Dr. Fauci also replied to Dr. Mascola’s message writing “Thanks.”[8]

Simple questions for Dr. Mascola:

What prompted your January 25, 2021 text to Dr. Fauci?

What pregnancy studies were you referring to?

In what way were you “corrected”?

Please explain: “Initial Studies [sic] avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester.”

Were there studies that avoided vaccination during the first trimester because they had already seen higher rates of miscarriage in the first trimester, or did they avoid vaccination because of “theoretically” higher rates of miscarriage?

###

[1] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 1.

[2] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 2.

[3] Id.

[4] January 24, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci and Mascola (emphasis added).

[5] Id.

[6] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 2 (emphasis added).

[7] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 2.

[8] January 24, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci and Mascola",1,2026-08-17T05:33:43Z,2026-08-17T05:34:34Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/16/senators-johnson-paul-release-email-showing-top-fda-official-expressing-concern-over-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-events-2/,"Senators Johnson, Paul Release Email Showing Top FDA Official Expressing Concern Over COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Events",2026-08-16,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"In May 2021, Dr. Janet Woodcock wrote about reports of patients experiencing unknown adverse events: “no one takes them seriously, no one knows how to treat them, and there is no effort to study this”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a new email obtained from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government email which was produced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The newly released email shows that on May 27, 2021, Dr. Janet Woodcock, the then-Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), wrote to Drs. Anthony Fauci and Francis Collins regarding reports she had received directly from individuals, including “healthcare professionals,” of adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination.

Dr. Woodcock wrote, “The symptoms do not fit together into a distinctive syndrome and most are not easily quantifiable or evaluated with standard laboratory testing.” She went on to write that “These problems are not the sort that a system like VAERS would be able to detect, or even a more sophisticated population-based active followup [sic] such as CDC has, or a medical record based system such as BEST [an FDA safety surveillance system].”

Dr. Woodcock wrote that she thought health officials should conduct a study, adding, “I doubt the industry would support, for obvious reasons. But my experience is, that if you let a problem fester, then it will come back to bite you later and you are not prepared.”

The day after receiving Dr. Woodcock’s email, Dr. Fauci forwarded it to Dr. Collins, writing: “Janet [Woodcock] asks what we think of this? We cannot ignore her. We should probably bring in CDC and see what Rochelle [Walensky] thinks.”

Based on information reviewed to date, it is unclear if Walensky was ever consulted.

Dr. Woodcock’s May 27, 2021 email below:

By the end of May 2021, when Acting Commissioner Woodcock wrote this email, there were already 440,025 worldwide adverse events and 8,650 deaths associated with the COVID injection reported to VAERS, with 3,350 (39%) of those deaths occurring within 2 days of injection. CDC used a contractor, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), to input reports into VAERS. The 440,025 adverse events exceeded GDIT’s December 2020 worst-case scenario of 1,000 reports per day by a factor of approximately 2.6.

As Chairman Johnson’s April 29, 2026 report details, three months before Woodcock’s May 27, 2021 email, on March 1, 2021, Dr. Peter Marks, Director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), was warned by Dr. Ana Szarfman that the algorithm FDA was using to evaluate VAERS was masking/hiding safety signals. The email we are releasing coincides with monthly data runs by Dr. Szarfman using a new algorithm showing dozens of safety signals including sudden cardiac death, pulmonary infarction (which Dr. Fauci suffered in June 2021), cerebral artery occlusion, basal ganglia stroke, agonal rhythm, and Bell’s palsy.

Unfortunately, FDA officials ignored Dr. Szarfman and the safety signals, told her to cease and desist, and continued to use the algorithm they knew was masking safety signals.

Also, beginning in March 2021, National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Dr. Avindra Nath was leading a team of doctors and researchers who were diagnosing and treating individuals severely injured by the COVID injections. The injuries and symptoms being treated were similar to those being described and reported directly to then-Acting Commissioner Woodcock.

Was Acting Commissioner Woodcock aware of Dr. Nath’s diagnosing and treatment of COVID injection injuries at NIH and/or what senior FDA officials had been told and shown about safety signals when she wrote her May 27, 2021 email? If so, why did she hide that knowledge from the public? If not, why was she kept in the dark?

Dr. Woodcock wrote that she thought health officials should conduct a study, adding, “I doubt the industry would support, for obvious reasons.” What are those obvious reasons?

The day after receiving Dr. Woodcock’s email, Dr. Fauci forwarded it to Dr. Collins, writing: “Janet [Woodcock] asks what we think of this? We cannot ignore her.” That is an odd statement as it indicates they sure would like to ignore her and the reports of injection injuries.

###",1,2026-08-17T05:33:43Z,2026-08-17T05:34:34Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-blumenthal-lead-colleagues-in-demanding-trump-admin-rescind-cancelation-of-lifesaving-research-grants-that-improve-patient-safety-and-care,"Baldwin, Blumenthal Lead Colleagues in Demanding Trump Admin Rescind Cancelation of Lifesaving Research Grants That Improve Patient Safety & Care",2026-08-14,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led 28 of their Democratic colleagues in the Senate in demanding that Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. reverse the Department’s destructive cancelations of lifesaving health research grants administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). On July 15, 2026, approximately 150 AHRQ grantees received a generic form letter notifying them that their grants were canceled, effective immediately, including funding for a project in Wisconsin.

“The American people deserve a healthcare system informed by the best available evidence. They deserve research that makes their care safer, more effective, and more affordable. Congress has provided the resources to support this vital work. It is your responsibility to ensure these resources are used as intended,” wrote the Senators in a letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

“The agency’s actions over the last year are an outrageous abuse of administrative power that will leave Americans sicker, poorer, and dying from preventable causes. Each of these canceled grants put real life patients further from the care that they need,” the Senators wrote.

Congress approved bipartisan funding for AHRQ grants that benefit critical research and initiatives to advance effective healthcare delivery, such as testing the use of artificial intelligence in hospitals in Wisconsin, training for rural healthcare workers in Connecticut, improving autism screening and services for Black children in North Carolina, and equipping primary care providers with effective chronic pain treatment in Virginia. The unprecedented action led to the disruption of nearly 200 different research programs across nearly 30 states, undermines decades of taxpayer investments to improve healthcare delivery, patient safety, and health outcomes for all Americans.

The Senators called on Kennedy to immediately restore full funding to research projects affected by the cancelations and ensure AHRQ’s full Fiscal Year 2026 funding is obligated as required by law.

“We want to be clear: Democrats and Republicans did not work together to appropriate funds for AHRQ as a gentle suggestion for the Department to follow at their discretion or leisure. We provided this money with the explicit instruction that the Department faithfully support life-saving research to improve access and health outcomes for Americans. We did not appropriate these funds so that money could remain unspent while Americans suffer and our healthcare system struggles,” wrote the Senators.

Full text of the Senators’ letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

We write to express our profound concern and unequivocal opposition to the recent mass cancelations of lifesaving health research grants administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as well as the year-long refusal to faithfully execute the Fiscal Year (FY25) and Fiscal Year (FY26) appropriations laws. This unprecedented action, which has led to the disruption of nearly 200 different research programs across nearly 30 states, undermines decades of taxpayer investments to improve healthcare delivery, patient safety, and health outcomes for all Americans. We demand that you immediately rescind these cancelations and ensure that the funding Congress appropriates to AHRQ is invested in health research in accordance with the law.

On July 15, 2026, approximately 150 AHRQ grantees received a generic form letter notifying them that their grants were canceled, effective immediately. For many, this was the first notice or communication that they have received from AHRQ in nearly a year. The grant cancelation letters cite regulations that require the Agency to consider the grantee's progress and management practices and the availability of funds, yet none of the notices substantively address any of these factors. Instead, these cancelation notices list a series of Agency priorities that do not appear in the subsections cited. Further, many of the grants that were canceled were explicitly investigating the topics that AHRQ has described as a priority. The cancelation letters, which were sent to a broad range of grantees, use the exact same language, which is evidence that the agency is categorically denying grants without making individual grant determinations.

A small sample of the research programs that were just devastated include:

Work in Connecticut on training rural healthcare workers to better respond to maternal medical emergencies;

Research in New York on how to improve healthcare delivery systems for patients to access home dialysis;

A program in Colorado that reduces risk factors for patient falls in rural hospitals;

Work in Utah to reduce antibiotic overuse at hospital discharge;

Research in Wisconsin testing the use of artificial intelligence to improve the experience of hospitalized children and their families;

A grant in North Carolina that improved autism screening, diagnosis, and services among Black children;

Research in Maryland to improve patient safety via telehealth;

Work in Virginia to equip primary care providers with more effective chronic pain treatment to reduce reliance on opioids; and

Research in Michigan on patient financial burden after a COVID-19 infection.

This is just a fraction of the important work that has been permanently discontinued, despite years of work and millions of taxpayer dollars that were invested to advance our understanding of effective healthcare delivery.

This recklessness is not the only crisis facing the Agency. Since October 1, 2025, the Agency has only awarded 5 percent of the funds available for extramural grants. Grantees were left in limbo, without notice or clarification, in some cases for over a year. Programs across the country were forced to layoff staff, discontinue research, shutdown programs, or not pursue new research opportunities at all. In 2025, AHRQ lost 80 percent of its staff, including the vast majority of those working to vet grant applications and work with grantees, so there is no one left to adequately manage the programming mandated by statute.

We want to be clear: Democrats and Republicans did not work together to appropriate funds for AHRQ as a gentle suggestion for the Department to follow at their discretion or leisure. We provided this money with the explicit instruction that the Department faithfully support life-saving research to improve access and health outcomes for Americans. We did not appropriate these funds so that money could remain unspent while Americans suffer and our healthcare system struggles. AHRQ has saved our country billions of dollars in healthcare costs and improved patient safety. Abandoning this work is antithetical to the mission of the Department.

The agency’s actions over the last year are an outrageous abuse of administrative power that will leave Americans sicker, poorer, and dying from preventable causes. Each of these canceled grants put real life patients further from the care that they need.

At a time when medical errors kill hundreds of thousands of Americans annually, when healthcare costs are crushing family budgets, and when we face unprecedented health challenges, your department has chosen to sabotage the very research designed to solve these problems. This is not leadership—this is sabotage of public health. And it must end, immediately.

We call upon you to take the following immediate actions:

Rescind all recent grant cancelations and restore full funding to all affected research projects;

Ensure that AHRQ’s full FY26 appropriation is obligated for health services research as the bipartisan majorities of Congress and President Trump’s signature intended;

Provide a detailed explanation to Congress within one month of receiving this letter regarding the decision-making process that led to these cancelations, including any written criteria, instructions, funding plans, rankings, spreadsheets, analyses, or other documents used to identify or select affected grants;

Explain how the priorities identified in the non-continuation notice were applied to grants that were terminated and explain why grants focused on listed priority research areas were selected for non-continuation;

Provide to Congress a spend plan to ensure that the approximately $200 million remaining in funding for extramural research grants are awarded before October 1, 2026, including any contract arrangements with other federal agencies and a description of how such contracts advance research on health care costs, quality, and outcomes;

Provide to Congress a detailed description of the number of employees at AHRQ that are performing grants-management functions, including issuing awards, processing continuations, and monitoring awards for compliance as of August 6, 2026, September 30, 2025, and January 1, 2025;

Provide a written assurance that such arbitrary cancelations will never happen again.

Countless researchers who have devoted their careers to improving healthcare for all of us have watched years of painstaking work and hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer investments destroyed overnight. The scientific and health pipelines that have been demolished will take decades to build back and may never be recovered.

The American people deserve a healthcare system informed by the best available evidence. They deserve research that makes their care safer, more effective, and more affordable. Congress has provided the resources to support this vital work. It is your responsibility to ensure these resources are used as intended.

We look forward to your response no later than August 25, 2026.

###",1,2026-08-15T05:23:20Z,2026-08-15T05:24:50Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-stop-trump-from-hiding-troop-deaths-and-injuries-from-iran-war,"Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stop Trump from Hiding Troop Deaths and Injuries from Iran War",2026-08-14,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Trump Administration attempts to hide the true cost of the Iran war from the American people, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues introduced the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act to stop President Donald Trump’s attempt to dishonor the sacrifice of our troops injured and killed in combat. This comes after the Pentagon recategorized recent casualties suffered in Trump’s Iran war – including four killed and over 200 wounded servicemembers – under a separate category outside of Operation Epic Fury to downplay the damage done and evade accountability to the American people.

“Donald Trump launched an unpopular war of choice wholly unprepared, and now he is doing everything he can to lie and deceive the American people about its consequences. This war has sent costs skyrocketing, taken the lives of 18 American service members, and wounded hundreds more”, said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “Now, rather than take responsibility and bring this war to an end, the Trump Administration is pulling the wool over the American people’s eyes. This is an insult to the servicemembers wounded and those who perished – and all of their families who have sacrificed alongside them. I’m pushing to make sure our servicemembers and their families get the respect and dignity they earned and to hold this reckless president accountable for this haphazard and spiraling war in Iran.”

To ban the Secretary of Defense from hiding the true cost of war, the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act specifically:

Bans Arbitrary, Unjustified Recategorizing of Designated Contingency Operations by prohibiting redesignating an ongoing conflict if the Administration continues to mobilize forces against the same enemy;

Prevents Manipulation of Casualty Records by prohibiting manipulation of casualty records by falsely redesignating a contingency operation;

Restores Casualty Records of Our Fallen and Wounded Heroes in the Iran War by requiring restoration of casualty records for Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026, and notify next-of-kin about the correction;

Bans Cutting Hard-Earned Benefits for Troops and Civilian Personnel by prohibiting the modification of eligibility for deployment-related personnel benefits on the basis of falsely redesignating a contingency operation; and

Restores Benefits to Personnel Supporting Iran War by retroactively restoring all covered benefits entitled to members of the Armed Services and civilian employees who have supported Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026.

Senator Baldwin has been an outspoken critic of President Trump’s illegal war with Iran and has repeatedly forced votes in the Senate to end Trump’s war of choice that is hurting Wisconsinites. For months, Senator Baldwin has been raising the alarms on the Trump Administration’s inadequate preparation, which put American troops in harm’s way and led to insufficient care for injured servicemembers, including two Wisconsinites who went weeks without proper screening and treatment for traumatic brain injuries.

The bill is led by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and also co-sponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), John Fetterman (D-PA), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

Full text of the bill is available here.

###",1,2026-08-15T05:23:20Z,2026-08-15T05:24:50Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-introduces-comprehensive-bill-to-combat-maternal-health-crisis-support-mothers-and-babies,"Baldwin Introduces Comprehensive Bill to Combat Maternal Health Crisis, Support Mothers and Babies",2026-08-13,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined her colleagues to reintroduce the Momnibus Act, a comprehensive legislative package designed to end the nation’s maternal health crisis and directly confront the devastating disparities that continue to claim the lives of Black mothers at alarming rates. The package includes Senator Baldwin’s Perinatal Workforce Act, legislation to help grow the perinatal workforce by creating grant programs to increase the number of maternity care providers and workers who provide care during and after pregnancy.

“Comprehensive prenatal and postpartum care shouldn’t be a luxury, but right now cost, workforce shortages, and decades of underinvestment in women’s health are putting moms and babies at risk. And, these roadblocks are even worse for Black women in our communities. If we want to give every child and their family a fair shot, we need to start before these kids are born and really invest in the support new and expecting moms need,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in making this overdue investment in our kids, mothers, and the workforce who cares for them to help every child get the strong start they deserve.”

For years, the United States has had the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries, with stark racial disparities. In 2024, Black women faced a pregnancy-related mortality ratio more than three times higher than White women—even though more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.

The Momnibus Act makes targeted, high-impact investments to address the drivers of the Black maternal health crisis, including social determinants of health, access to culturally congruent care, maternal mental health, community-based supports, and the effects of climate change and public health emergencies on Black mothers and babies.

The Momnibus Act is composed of 14 bills that will:

Grow and diversify the perinatal workforce to ensure Black mothers receive care from providers who understand their lived experiences.

Invest in social determinants of health—including housing, transportation, and nutrition—to reduce preventable risks disproportionately affecting Black moms.

Extend WIC eligibility during postpartum and breastfeeding periods.

Fund community-based organizations trusted by Black families and rooted in the communities they serve.

Increase maternal health care funding for veterans, including Black women veterans who face unique barriers.

Improve maternal health data collection to identify and eliminate disparities.

Expand maternal mental health and substance use disorder support, with attention to the needs of Black moms.

Improve care for incarcerated mothers, who are disproportionately Black.

Invest in digital tools to expand access to care in underserved communities.

Promote innovative payment models that incentivize high-quality, culturally congruent care.

Strengthen federal programs addressing maternal and infant health risks during public health emergencies.

Support climate resilience initiatives for moms and babies, including Black families disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards.

Invest in research to eliminate racial disparities and prevent maternal deaths.

Promote maternal vaccinations to protect moms and infants.

The Momnibus Act is endorsed by more than 250 organizations. View the full list of endorsers here.

To read the full text of the one-pager, click here.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.

###",1,2026-08-14T06:13:05Z,2026-08-14T06:14:08Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-wisconsin-congressional-delegation-call-for-trump-administration-to-provide-federal-support-following-fox-valley-tornado,"Baldwin, Wisconsin Congressional Delegation Call for Trump Administration to Provide Federal Support Following Fox Valley Tornado",2026-08-13,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and the entire bipartisan Wisconsin Congressional delegation called on the Trump Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support Wisconsin’s request to assist the state in conducting a formal federal preliminary damage assessment as communities in the Fox Valley recover following the devastating tornado that struck the area. This damage assessment is an important step to unlocking federal disaster aid.

The tornado caused widespread destruction across Appleton, Menasha, Neenah, and Fox Crossing. It remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes, traveled approximately 12 miles, reached nearly one mile in width, and produced estimated winds of 136 to 165 miles per hour.

“The tornado ripped roofs from homes and businesses, hollowed out houses, reduced some structures to little more than their exterior walls, overturned vehicles, snapped trees, and brought down utility poles and power lines. Debris was scattered across neighborhoods and highways, roadways became impassable, families were displaced, and more than 30,000 homes and businesses lost power,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter to FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton.

“Conducting a timely Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment is an essential first step in securing the federal support needed to help affected families, local governments, and communities recover and rebuild. We urge FEMA to begin work in partnership with Wisconsin Emergency Management as soon as possible so that this process can move forward without delay,” added the lawmakers.

The lawmakers’ call comes after Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced that he has directed Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) to submit a request for FEMA to assist the state in conducting a formal federal preliminary damage assessment of damage caused by severe storms on July 27, 2026.

Full text of the letter is available here.

###",1,2026-08-14T06:13:05Z,2026-08-14T06:14:08Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/11/chairman-johnson-requests-doj-investigate-california-ballot-fraud/,Chairman Johnson Requests DOJ Investigate California Ballot Fraud,2026-08-11,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Director Kash Patel, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bilal Essayli, requesting an investigation into potential ballot fraud occurring in Los Angeles, California. The letter follows a Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing held last month at which James O’Keefe, CEO of O’Keefe Media Group, testified about alleged violations of federal and state elections law through a cash-for-signatures scheme in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles.

In his letter, Chairman Johnson wrote that in March 2026, O’Keefe Media Group published a series of videos showing petition circulators paying homeless individuals cash, cigarettes, or marijuana for their signatures on various ballot measures. Based on this reporting, Chairman Johnson’s letter identified two entities, Urban Signers and 1 Moore Petition LLC, alleged to have engaged in misconduct.

“These entities’ apparent actions risk undermining confidence in our democratic process,” wrote Chairman Johnson.

Full text of the letter to the FBI and the Department of Justice can be found here.

Watch the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing here.

###",1,2026-08-12T06:18:38Z,2026-08-12T06:20:33Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-demand-epa-drop-its-effort-to-weaken-pfas-drinking-water-protections-for-millions-of-americans,"Baldwin, Colleagues Demand EPA Drop its Effort to Weaken PFAS Drinking Water Protections for Millions of Americans",2026-08-10,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are demanding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdraw their proposal to roll back drinking water protections – which, if finalized, would remove federal public health limits on the amount of certain PFAS chemicals in our drinking water.

The Senators emphasize that removing these health limits will expose Americans to unsafe levels of chemicals that have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression problems, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.

“Safe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health—not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established,” wrote Baldwin and the Senators to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Despite the administration touting their ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda, if enacted, EPA’s proposal would rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFAS and delay compliance for the PFOA and PFOS standards until 2031 – putting the health of millions of Americans at risk.

“As far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans’ health worse,” the Senators concluded.

The letter was led by Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and also signed by 24 other Senate colleagues.

Senator Baldwin has championed PFAS remediation efforts, supporting and securing funding to address contamination in communities across Wisconsin. She supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021 that is making historic investments in clean drinking water, including funding to address emerging contaminants like PFAS. Senator Baldwin has also secured millions in direct support for Wisconsin communities to address PFAS contamination through annual funding legislation. In 2019, Senator Baldwin helped secure provisions to the annual defense policy bill that require nationwide environmental testing for PFAS, establish enforceable standards for PFAS in drinking water, and authorize funding to develop better testing methods for PFAS in the environment.

In July, Senator Baldwin demanded answers from the Trump administration after it had pushed back its PFAS investigation and cleanup timelines by as much as 20 years across 178 sites, including Truax Field and Volk Field in Wisconsin.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Administrator Zeldin:

We write in strong opposition to EPA’s proposal to rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and the Hazard Index mixtures, while also delaying compliance for the PFOA and PFOS standards until 2031. These actions would reverse the first-ever national drinking water protections for six of the most dangerous and well-studied PFAS chemicals, despite overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating that there is no safe level of exposure to many of these chemicals. Furthermore, there is a strong case to be made that this proposal contravenes the Safe Drinking Water Act’s anti-backsliding provision.

The agency’s proposal is inconsistent with both the scientific record and EPA’s own prior findings. The 2024 drinking water standards followed years of scientific review, public input, and economic analysis. EPA concluded that the standards would protect up to 105 million people from exposure to toxic PFAS in drinking water, prevent thousands of premature deaths, reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses, and generate billions of dollars in public health benefits.

PFAS contamination is one of the most widespread public health concerns facing our nation. Nearly every American has PFAS in their blood, and millions of people continue to rely on drinking water contaminated with these persistent chemicals. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.

EPA has repeatedly stated that protecting Americans from PFAS is a top priority. Yet these proposed rollbacks move in the opposite direction. In addressing revisions to drinking water regulations, the Safe Drinking Water Act itself states that “each revision shall maintain, or provide for greater, protection of the health of persons.” Rather than strengthening protections, the proposal eliminates enforceable standards for four PFAS entirely and delays protections for the two most prevalent PFAS. Communities living with contamination should not be forced to wait additional years for clean drinking water while polluters and regulated entities receive regulatory relief.

Your agency has suggested that regulating only PFOA and PFOS is sufficient because these chemicals are often found alongside other PFAS. However, EPA’s own scientific record demonstrates otherwise. Other PFAS occur independently, contribute to cumulative health risks, and warrant their own enforceable protections. Removing standards for these contaminants will leave significant gaps in public health protections and create unnecessary uncertainty for water systems and states that have already begun compliance planning.

Moreover, many utilities and states have already invested substantial resources to comply with the 2024 standards using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding and other federal assistance. Weakening the standards now undermines those investments, creates regulatory uncertainty, and penalizes communities that have acted responsibly to protect public health.

Safe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health—not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established.

We therefore urge EPA to withdraw its proposal to rescind the 2024 drinking water standards for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and the Hazard Index mixtures, reject the proposed delay for the PFOA and PFOS standards, and fully implement the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations as finalized.

As far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans’ health worse. Thank you for your consideration.

###",1,2026-08-11T05:54:29Z,2026-08-11T05:56:25Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/10/icymi-sen-johnson-joins-the-clay-travis-and-buck-sexton-show-and-america-reports/,ICYMI: Sen. Johnson Joins The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show and America Reports,2026-08-10,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, appeared on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show and America Reports to discuss one of the text chain messages obtained from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-issued cellphone. The phone contains more than 34,000 text messages and 522 voicemails. Read more about the messages released here.

Watch the full interview with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton here.

Read excerpts from Sen. Johnson below:

“This piece of information I had to release today because it impacts public safety. It impacts informed consent. So, this is an email chain between Anthony Fauci, CDC director [Rochelle] Walensky, and Surgeon General [Vivek] Murthy. This is on January 25th and 26th, 2021 – a little more than a month after the emergency use authorization on the mRNA injections … So in the middle of the chain Dr. Fauci writes ‘I asked around a bit more, and another issue came up that you need to be aware of. Since many people have significant cytokine storm and fever after the second dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester.’ Now, I’ve never heard public officials talk about significant cytokine storms after the second dose. All we heard from public officials is that this was perfectly safe for pregnancy.

…

“In June of 2021, Tom Shimabukuro, he was the man in charge of safety surveillance systems for the CDC, published a grossly misleading paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, where they looked at 827 confirmed pregnancies, [in] 700 of those pregnancies, the women got their COVID injection in the third trimester, after 28 weeks. Of those 827, 104 suffered a spontaneous abortion, or a miscarriage.

“The problem with those stats is they took the 104 divided by 827 [and] came up with a miscarriage rate of 12.6 percent, which is about four times the normal miscarriage rate on a confirmed pregnancy. But here’s what they did that was so grossly misleading: 700 of those women got their injection in the third trimester. A miscarriage or a spontaneous abortion is defined as anything up to 20 weeks. So, the relevant denominator should have been 104 miscarriages divided by 127, which puts the miscarriage rate at 82 percent.

“Anthony Fauci knew about potential cytokine storms impacting the first trimester in miscarriages [and] told no one about it because it would create vaccine hesitancy. These folks are well aware of this stuff, you know, the massive government scandal I broke that no news station, not a broadcast network or major newspaper, has covered this as a story where Peter Marks knew about these safety signals in March of 2021 [and] he told no one.”

Watch the full interview with John Roberts and Sandra Smith here.

Read excerpts from Sen. Johnson below:

“Well, first of all, thanks for having me on and thanks for covering this. So we obviously have his phone. We’ve downloaded it. And we’re going to carefully go through this to protect these people’s personal information. But I thought we had to release this right away, because this is, I think, major news. Anthony Fauci, in a text exchange with Vivek Murthy and Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, they’re talking about the COVID injection and having pregnant women take it. And in the middle of that text exchange, I think the key text is where Anthony Fauci is talking about the fact that the second dose creates a greater cytokine storm. That’s additional information that could have an impact on increased miscarriages in the first trimester.

“Now to add to that, in June of 2021, Tom Shimabukuro, and a bunch of other people, published a grossly misleading study in the New England Journal of Medicine where they were looking at 827 confirmed pregnancies. There were 104 miscarriages. They called them spontaneous abortions. But we refer to those as miscarriages – 104 divided by 827 would imply about a 12.6 percent miscarriage rate, which is quite high for confirmed pregnancies. I talked to Dr. James Thorp, he said it’s generally around 3 percent. So it’s already four times as high, but within the realm of confirmed and unconfirmed pregnancies, OK?

“So they put this study out there, but what they don’t reveal – they do, but they don’t account for it is that 700 of those 827 women took the injection in their third trimester. Now spontaneous abortions occur before 20 weeks. Third trimester starts after 28 [weeks], so the relevant denominator would have been 127. So you would have had 104 miscarriages out of 127 of the women who got the injection in the first or second trimesters. That’s an 82 percent, 82 percent miscarriage rate. That is shocking news, OK? And that’s been known for quite some time.

“But, again, the federal health agencies weren’t highlighting that. A gross misrepresentation by Tom Shimabukuro, who is, by the way, he’s the guy, the head of safety and surveillance for the CDC, who deleted his emails, and we’ve also found out that not only did he delete them on his devices, but somebody deleted them on HHS servers as well. That needs to be fully investigated in terms of violations of the Federal Records Act.”

…

“Not one major news broadcast station or major newspaper has covered my April 29th report where I showed that Peter Marks, who’s the head of the division that approves vaccines and surveils for safety in FDA, was told that his algorithm analyzing VAERS was going to hide and mask safety signals. So then for four consecutive months, using a new algorithm, senior FDA officials were shown dozens of safety signals, including sudden cardiac death, pulmonary infarction – which Fauci himself suffered from in June of 2021 – Bell’s palsy, different types of strokes.

“So, no, again, I’ve been frustrated that the news media hasn’t been covering that major scandal, I guess because this was attached to Fauci, maybe they’ll start paying attention to how our federal officials, starting at the top with Anthony Fauci, lied to the American public [and] did not provide informed consent for those experimental gene therapy injections.”

###",1,2026-08-11T05:54:29Z,2026-08-11T05:56:25Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/10/senators-johnson-paul-release-initial-texts-from-dr-faucis-government-iphone-2/,"Senators Johnson, Paul Release Initial Texts from Dr. Fauci’s Government iPhone",2026-08-10,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Dr. Fauci in Jan. 2021: second dose of covid vaccine “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released one of the text chain messages obtained from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-issued cellphone which was produced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on August 5, 2026, in response to Chairman Johnson’s request.

The phone contains more than 34,000 text messages and 522 voicemails. Oddly, only three contacts are listed; all other text messages are identified only with phone numbers rather than contact names. It is too early to determine whether any data has been deleted.

To protect the privacy of individuals with whom Dr. Fauci communicated, as well as personal messages unrelated to the public health issues he was involved in, it will take time to carefully review the large volume of information the senators received. Chairman Johnson, Chairman Paul, and their staffs will work diligently and cooperatively to release relevant information to the public as soon as possible.

The text chain released today could have an immediate impact of public health and the principle of informed consent. The text chain below is between Anthony Fauci, Rochelle Walensky, and Vivek Murthy dated from January 25-26, 2021; in the chain they discuss pregnant women and the COVID-19 injection.

A key text in the chain is from Dr. Fauci:

Additional texts from the conversation can be found here.

Below are public statements made by federal health officials regarding their recommendations to pregnant women and a rebuttal by Dr. James Thorp OB/GYN to a Shimabukuro et al paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Feb. 3, 2021 – NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci: “[FDA] have found thus far and we have to be careful but thus far no red flags about that, about pregnant women.”

Aug. 11, 2021 – CDC’s Sascha Ellington: “We are not seeing a signal of safety concerns of the vaccine in pregnancy … This vaccine can prevent Covid-19, and so that’s the primary benefit.”

Aug. 30, 2021 – NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci: “Well, are the vaccines safe?” … “10s and 10s and 10s of thousands of women who have been followed by the CDC, who have been vaccinated when they were pregnant, there’s no indication whatsoever that there’s any increase of any adverse issues in a pregnant woman who was vaccinated compared to a pregnant woman who wasn’t vaccinated … it’s pretty clear that pregnant women should get vaccinated.”

Sept. 29, 2021 – CDC Director Rochelle Walensky: “CDC strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccination either before or during pregnancy because the benefits of vaccination outweigh known or potential risks,” the agency said in a health alert … Walensky told a White House COVID-19 briefing that studies show COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant women.

Feb. 1, 2022 – Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy: “It’s all the more important for you to get vaccinated if you are pregnant or if you are trying to become pregnant … The data points show that the vaccines are safe during these various stages before and during pregnancy … They found generally that anytime during your pregnancy is actually fine [to get the vaccine], and that’s why the recommendation is just to get it.”

Jan. 12, 2022 – Dr. James A Thorp, OB/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist published an open letter to the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology with the following critique of the Shimabukuro et al June 17, 2021 paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He argued that because 700 of the 827 pregnant women in the study received their COVID-19 injection in the third trimester (after 28 weeks), those 700 should be excluded from the denominator used to calculate a 12.6% (104/827) spontaneous abortion rate (defined as occurring before 20 weeks). The actual spontaneous abortion rate would then be 82% (104/127).

###",1,2026-08-11T05:54:29Z,2026-08-11T05:56:25Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-blasts-trump-administrations-latest-attack-on-head-start,Baldwin Blasts Trump Administration’s Latest Attack on Head Start,2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education, released the following statement after the Trump Administration’s latest attack on Head Start, the pre-K and childcare program that serves nearly 800,000 children and their families. The new effort from the Department of Health and Human Services guts basic standards that keep children safe in the classroom and jeopardizes essential childcare and early learning opportunities for the most vulnerable kids. Head Start serves nearly 800,000 Americans, including over 16,000 Wisconsin children. This announcement follows the Trump Administration’s earlier efforts to dismantle Head Start, including freezing and delaying funding that shuttered Head Start centers last year. The Trump Administration’s budget would have eliminated funding for the program all together.

“Wisconsin families in every part of our state struggle to find quality, affordable childcare – with parents driving hours or simply quitting their jobs so their kids have somewhere safe to play, learn, and grow. Head Start is a lifeline for working families, but since Donald Trump took office, his administration has repeatedly threatened care for our children and their parents. This latest push puts kids’ wellbeing and safety on the line and is all part of the President’s plan to shut down Head Start entirely, and it’s shameful,” said Senator Baldwin. “For decades, Republicans and Democrats have come together to support Head Start because it is essential for not just our children’s development and Kindergarten readiness, but our workforce and economy. Parents and children need to come first – not the President’s political crusade to end this lifeline of a program.”

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a new proposed rule to gut quality standards and jeopardize funding for Head Start programs, including:

Eliminating class size and staff-to-child ratio requirements,?leaving them up to individual states, some of which allow far higher ratios that Head Start currently permits.

Cutting the administrative spending cap from 15 percent to 5 percent?of grant funding, without any increase in the program’s budget, jeopardizing Head Start centers’ ability to operate.

Removing required development screenings?and detailed protections for children with disabilities.

Dropping accommodations for homeless families and children in foster care.

Making parent advisory committees optional?rather?than required

Eliminating guidance on suspension and expulsion, including the current ban on corporal punishment.

Adding new documentation and reporting burdens, requiring programs to verify immigration status, retain eligibility records, and report staff for violations.

Mandating English-only instruction, except for Native American tribes.

Since the start of 2025, the Trump Administration has leveled illegal attacks on Head Start that have left Wisconsin children and their families in the cold without the care they count on. Last year, following an illegal funding freeze that cut off funding for the program, Senator Baldwin visited a Head Start facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin that was forced to close their doors. The Trump Administration and Senate Republicans also refused to release funding for at least 17 programs in 12 states caring for over 6,600 children which were closed, including in Wisconsin, during a government shutdown. In June, a report from the influential conservative Heritage Foundation called on the administration to deregulate the program and eventually eliminate it.

Senator Baldwin has continued to speak out against these attacks on Head Start and worked to secure strong funding as the lead Democrat on the subcommittee that funds Head Start. In the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that passed last year, Senator Baldwin worked with her Republican colleagues to increase the program’s budget by $85 million over the previous year.

###",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/06/icymi-sen-johnson-votes-to-hold-dr-anthony-fauci-in-contempt-of-congress-in-todays-homeland-security-and-governmental-affairs-committee-business-meeting/,ICYMI: Sen. Johnson Votes to Hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress in Today’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Business Meeting,2026-08-06,2026,2026-08,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"“If these investigations are one-sided, it’s because one side simply doesn’t want to look at the truth.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress during a business meeting of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The vote follows Dr. Fauci’s refusal to comply with the committee’s investigation in his role during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as his silence in last Wednesday’s hearing.

Sen. Johnson’s remarks:

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I want to associate myself with and second your opening comments. And I also want to strongly rebut the comments from our Democratic colleagues here, you know, particularly when Ranking Member Peters says this has been ‘one-sided’ and ‘rushed,’ rushed?

“When I was chairman of this committee back in 2020, I started conducting oversight. I held hearings. There was no cooperation in those hearings. As a matter of fact, I remember one when we held a hearing with Dr. Pierre Kory, when he came in with all kinds of evidence on the effectiveness of ivermectin. The ranking member then denigrated him. Back then, Dr. Kory was a Democrat. He was shocked at the treatment he was given by the ranking member.

“How many people died because they lacked early treatment with safe, effective generic drugs? Well, that hearing laid out the truth that this could be something that could help people, and we had a ranking member that did everything that he could to denigrate that truth.

“My current experience is as the chairman of PSI; we’ve been holding hearing after hearing. My ranking member, [Senator] Blumenthal, in those hearings, we had one called ‘Voices of the Vaccine Injured.’ We had parents come in and tell their heart-wrenching stories. We had parents coming in, telling the truth. And the ranking member, a few hours before that hearing, held a press conference and said, ‘hope the press doesn’t cover it, because there’s nothing credible about this hearing.’

“If these investigations are one-sided, it’s because one side simply doesn’t want to look at the truth. They want to bury the truth. They want to memory-hole it. They don’t want to look at the Fauci diaries and take a look at how contradictory what he wrote to himself –how contradictory it was to what he actually told the public.

“I think one of the revelations of those diaries, I think probably the most significant one that’s being overlooked, was early on in the pandemic, he wrote in his diaries he thought COVID would be maybe twice a bad flu season. Now, I’m not downplaying a bad flu season. We have them oftentimes. They overwhelm hospitals, something to take seriously. But a pandemic that’s going to be twice that – is that really worth destroying people’s lives, shutting down businesses, destroying an economy? I argued back then that it wouldn’t be.

“It’s been six years since the pandemic began. We have not had a reckoning of what happened. Last Wednesday’s hearing was an excellent hearing from the standpoint of legitimate questions being raised, legitimate questions the American people want answers to, legitimate questions that some of them, only Anthony Fauci, ‘Saint Fauci,’ ‘Mr. Science’ could answer.

“And even though we have quotes of him saying, ‘I’m not afraid of any oversight committee, I’m happy to talk to any oversight committee, I have nothing to hide.’ That’s not the position he took last Wednesday. What he displayed last Wednesday was contempt for Congress, contempt for this committee, contempt for our investigation, the same contempt that … our ranking members have shown for the diligent oversight and the exposing of the truth that I’ve been undertaking for six years.

“There’s nothing rushed. It’s been one-sided, but not because we haven’t reached out, not because we haven’t involved the other side. The other side, like way too many Americans, have just closed their eyes, covered up their ears, and refused – refused to look at the truth.

“I am definitely going to vote yes on contempt of Congress, and my investigation has just begun.

“We’ve invited Dr. Fauci for a transcribed interview. Okay, he doesn’t want to do it in front of the American public? Come in front of our committee. We’ll go through detail [by] detail. You say you have nothing to hide. Good. We’ll do it behind closed doors. We’ll transcribe it. That’s only one of the interviews we will be conducting … Last week’s hearing just began the accountability. There’s a lot more accountability that’s required.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

Watch the full remarks here.

###",1,2026-08-07T06:11:19Z,2026-08-07T06:12:42Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-demands-military-release-its-investigation-into-iranian-attack-that-killed-6-servicemembers,Baldwin Demands Military Release Its Investigation into Iranian Attack that Killed 6 Servicemembers,2026-08-05,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is demanding the U.S. military release its investigation into a March drone strike on a U.S. military post at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait that killed six servicemembers and injured dozens of others. Last month, Senator Baldwin pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to release the report and explain the Trump Administration’s lack of planning that left troops vulnerable and delayed lifesaving medical care for injured servicemembers.

“Public reporting said that U.S. Army Central has conducted an investigation into the attack and has shared those initial findings with the families of the soldiers killed,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Brad Cooper. “On July 21 at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, I asked Secretary Hegseth to commit to releasing this investigation publicly and he responded that he would coordinate with you to provide additional information to Congress. I now request you immediately release the findings of that investigation publicly and provide Congress with a copy of the full investigation, all underlying documentation, and any additional classified review of the attack.”

“Congress and the American people deserve clear answers on what happened on March 1 and why the U.S. military was unable to protect or care for our soldiers,” Baldwin continued.

At a July 21 hearing, Baldwin questioned Hegseth about reports that the Army facility at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait did not have adequate air defense capabilities when it was attacked by Iran on March 1st and pushed for answers on why requests for additional medical and drone defense systems were denied prior to the conflict with Iran beginning. For months, Senator Baldwin has been raising the alarms on the Trump Administration’s inadequate preparation which put American troops in harm's way and led to insufficient care for injured servicemembers, including two Wisconsinites who went weeks without proper screening and treatment for traumatic brain injuries.

Specifically, Senator Baldwin calls on U.S. Central Command to provide the following by August 18, 2026:

Publicly release the findings of the U.S. Army Central investigation into the attack on Port Shuaiba.

Provide the Senator and Congressional defense committees with a full, unredacted copy of the investigation, all underlying documents that contributed to the investigation, and a copy of the classified U.S. Army Central investigation of intelligence warnings before the attack and Port Shuaiba’s defenses.

Provide an explanation on why U.S. military medical care was not immediately available to soldiers on March 1, why any requests for additional medical supplies were denied prior to March 1, and whether access to medical care was considered when soldiers were repositioned to the facility Port Shuaiba.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Admiral Cooper,

I write to you today regarding U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM) investigation into the March 1, 2026, Iranian drone strike on soldiers at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. This attack resulted in the deaths of six soldiers from the Army Reserve’s 103rd Sustainment Command and injuries to dozens more soldiers, including those from Wisconsin. Public reporting said that U.S. Army Central has conducted an investigation into the attack and has shared those initial findings with the families of the soldiers killed. On July 21 at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, I asked Secretary Hegseth to commit to releasing this investigation publicly and he responded that he would coordinate with you to provide additional information to Congress. I now request you release the findings of that investigation publicly and provide Congress with a copy of the full investigation, all underlying documentation, and any additional classified review of the attack.

On March 1, 2026, only the second day of President Trump’s war against Iran, an Iranian Shahed drone struck a temporary CENTCOM facility holding U.S. soldiers at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Six soldiers were killed in the strike and at least 30 more were injured. Soldiers from the 103rd Sustainment Command said that they had been relocated to Port Shuaiba from the larger and better defended facility at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait only days before the war began as part of a CENTCOM effort to more widely disperse U.S. servicemembers across the region to make them less vulnerable to potential Iranian attacks. Some of these soldiers later told The Washington Post that force protection assessments conducted by the 103rd Sustainment Command before the relocation had determined that the facility at Port Shuaiba was not suitable because it lacked the necessary defenses to protect soldiers from Iranian attacks. Soldiers, nonetheless, were moved to Port Shuaiba.

This initial mistake to move soldiers to Port Shuaiba despite the known deficiencies was further compounded by CENTCOM reportedly not taking adequate steps to increase defenses even after the facility was identified by U.S. intelligence as a likely Iranian target. CBS News reported that the leadership of the 103rd Sustainment Command was made aware of intelligence in the days prior to March 1 showing that Iran would likely strike Port Shuaiba during fighting between the U.S. and Iran. Furthermore, The Washington Post also reported that CENTCOM was unable to provide Port Shuaiba with additional air and drone defense systems, such as the EAGLS counter-drone system, because there were not a sufficient number of systems available. On July 21, I asked Secretary Hegseth about the denial of counter-drone systems to the 103rd Sustainment Command before March 1 and he claimed, ""there was not a single drone or defense request denied at any level.” This is clearly contradicted by what soldiers from the 103rd told The Washington Post in the July 12 article.

After the attack, soldiers also claimed that there was insufficient medical care available to treat the wounded in Kuwait. Given Port Shuaiba’s distance from any U.S. military medical facilities, soldiers were forced to drive to Kuwaiti civilian hospitals to receive medical care immediately after the strike. Soldiers injured in the attack said they believed at least one of those killed could likely have been saved if additional medical care was available. On May 19, 2026, CBS News reported that the 103rd Sustainment Command had requested additional medical supplies for Port Shuaiba prior to March 1, but that those requests were denied.

Congress and the American people deserve clear answers on what happened on March 1 and why the U.S. military was unable to protect or care for our soldiers. Accordingly, I request that, by August 18, you publicly release the findings of the U.S. Army Central investigation into the attack on Port Shuaiba; as well as provide me and the Congressional defense committees with a full, unredacted copy of the investigation, all underlying documents that contributed to the investigation, and a copy of the classified U.S. Army Central investigation of intelligence warnings before the attack and Port Shuaiba’s defenses.

Furthermore, I request you provide an explanation on why U.S. military medical care was not immediately available to soldiers on March 1, why any requests for additional medical supplies were denied prior to March 1, and whether access to medical care was considered when soldiers were repositioned to the facility at Port Shuaiba.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-08-06T07:37:31Z,2026-08-06T07:38:34Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-moran-roll-out-comprehensive-bill-to-reform-and-strengthen-340b-drug-discount-program,"Baldwin, Moran Roll Out Comprehensive Bill to Reform and Strengthen 340B Drug Discount Program",2026-08-05,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) led their colleagues, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Boozman (R-AK), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) – members of the Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group – to introduce sweeping legislation to reform the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which provides discounted prescription drugs to health care providers that serve vulnerable, low-income, and underserved patients.

“The 340B program was designed to help hospitals and clinics that help the most vulnerable Americans get the medications they need. However, to make sure that Wisconsinites can continue to receive the care they need, we need to bring some real accountability and transparency to the program,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to have brought together Democrats and Republicans to address these issues head on, helping more Americans afford the care they need and ensuring that the 340B program puts the patients first.”

The 340B Drug Pricing Program was designed to help Federally Qualified Health Centers, rural clinics and critical access hospitals, and other providers that serve high volumes of Medicaid and uninsured patients expand access to care and lower costs for patients. The program requires drug manufacturers to provide discounts to these clinics and hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income and underserved patients. However, in recent years, the 340B program has grown and evolved, leading to calls for more accountability, transparency, and certainty for covered entities participating in the program. The Supporting Underserved and Strengthening Transparency, Accountability, and Integrity Now (SUSTAIN) 340B Act is a set of bipartisan, comprehensive reforms to create greater stability, clarity, and transparency in the 340B program.

The SUSTAIN 340B Act would:

Sense of Congress – Reiterate the original intent of the 340B program and clarify the program provides point-of-purchase discounts, as opposed to rebates.

Contract Pharmacy – Codify covered entities’ use of contract pharmacies while placing reasonable limitations including registration, audits of covered entities with a large number of contract pharmacies, and standardization of contractual requirements between covered entities and contract pharmacies. The bill does not place numeric or geographic limitations on the use of contract pharmacies.

Patient Definition – Establish the definition of an eligible patient under the 340B program and covered services for these patients. It also adds requirements and oversight for 340B patients being dispensed 340B drugs through referrals to non-covered entities.

340B Rebate Model Pilot Program – End any 340B Rebate Model program within one year and require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) transition to the clearinghouse established in the legislation.

Child Sites – Establish that child sites must be wholly owned and integrated with the parent covered entity, disincentivizes child site acquisitions with the sole purpose of expanding 340B footprints, and directs HHS to establish registration and oversight procedures.

Supporting Transparency – Place new annual reporting requirements on covered entities relating to their utilization of the 340B program.

Strengthening Program Integrity – Give HHS authority to establish auditing and reporting procedures for compliance under the 340B program and authorize removal of covered entities who are found in noncompliance and do not implement corrective action plans.

Preventing Duplicate Discounts – Establish a 340B data clearinghouse operated by an independent, third-party entity to prevent diversion and duplicate discounts in the 340B program.

Patient Financial Assistance – Require covered entities to establish a standard, transparent patient financial assistance policy for patients at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

Supporting Equitable Treatment of Covered Participants – Prevent insurers from discriminating against 340B covered entities and their contract pharmacies.

User Fee Program – Establish a user fee program for participation in the 340B program to pay for program administration, including the clearinghouse.

Studies and Reports – Require reports to Congress on hospital debt collection practices, dispensing fees, and data collection system integration.

Additional Resources – Authorize three million dollars annually for five years for conducting oversight and enforcement and nine million dollars annually for four years for bill implementation.

The Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group has existed for more than a decade and is comprised of members who support the 340B program and are committed to sustaining it. In the 118th Congress, the group sought stakeholder feedback on how to improve the 340B program and released a bipartisan discussion draft to strengthen it. The draft reflected the group’s belief that the program provides a critical benefit to eligible providers by helping them stretch federal resources to deliver health care services to the patients they serve, while also addressing concerns about program ambiguity and the need for greater transparency and accountability.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

###",1,2026-08-06T07:37:31Z,2026-08-06T07:38:34Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-launch-investigation-into-port-shuaiba-attack-that-left-six-servicemembers-dead-dozens-injured,"Baldwin, Colleagues Launch Investigation into Port Shuaiba Attack that Left Six Servicemembers Dead, Dozens Injured",2026-07-31,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined her colleagues in opening a new investigation into reports that the Department of Defense (DoD) failed to provide adequate medical care to servicemembers injured in a March drone strike on a U.S. military post at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. The investigation follows months of Senator Baldwin demanding answers for the Trump Administration’s preparation failures that left troops vulnerable and led to delays in getting care for injured servicemembers.

“As President Trump once again ramps up his reckless war in Iran, and new reports indicate that additional American bases have come under attack, it is critical that DoD provide answers about its capacity to provide care for injured servicemembers,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

For months, Senator Baldwin has been raising the alarms on inadequate preparation which put American troops in harm's way and led to insufficient care for injured servicemembers, including two Wisconsinites who went weeks without proper screening and treatment for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Following new reporting revealing that servicemembers warned of safety issues ahead of the strike, the Senator Baldwin pressed Secretary Hegseth in a hearing for answers on why troops injured in the attack have not received timely access to medical care and why the Trump Administration failed to prepare for attacks on troops in the Middle East.

Survivors reported facing delays and challenges in getting necessary medical care, including that injured servicemembers who were flown to Germany for care were then told that they could only get limited treatment and had to wait in barracks as the hospital was unable to admit them. Other servicemembers with symptoms of traumatic brain injuries were reportedly unable to get proper care for nearly a month after the strike, even after they were flown from Germany to Fort Hood in Texas.

In March, Senator Baldwin heard about two Wisconsinites who were deployed in Kuwait that had sustained traumatic brain injuries in the March 1st attack at Port Shuaiba that killed 6 American servicemembers. After the attack, they'd been relocated to Fort Hood via Germany without receiving any specialized screening or care for TBI’s. Once the Senator intervened on their behalf, the servicemembers and the rest of their unit received the proper screening, and the soldiers were transferred to Walter Reed Medical Center near Washington, D.C. to receive treatment for TBI’s. That meant going weeks without receiving the specialized care they needed after the March 1st attack.

After ensuring these servicemembers received care, Senator Baldwin demanded answers from the Defense Health Administration about the delay in care, why the military wasn’t prepared with necessary medical units, and how they planned to avoid such delays moving forward.

The reports also raise serious concerns about DoD’s lack of preparation for a strike against Port Shuaiba. A soldier reportedly filed a complaint with the Inspector General stating that the lack of safety measures at Port Shuaiba were so significant that the unit’s force protection assessments “recommended against positioning any personnel at Shuaiba Port.” Survivors of the strike reported that they believed that at least one victim of the attack could have survived if they had had proper access to care.

The Army reportedly downplayed injuries sustained during the strike, including by telling families that their loved ones were not seriously injured despite suffering extensive injuries.

“These reports are also emblematic of a broader pattern of the Trump Administration’s blatant dismissal and disregard for the injuries and deaths of servicemembers in this war,” wrote the lawmakers.

The lawmakers also called out DoD’s revision of official casualty counts from the war in Iran. Last week, DoD lowered the number of U.S. servicemembers who had been killed in the war so far from 18 to 14, and categorized their deaths under “Overseas Operations” instead of Operation Epic Fury, in an apparent attempt to hide the growing casualty count of U.S. servicemembers from President Trump’s war against Iran.

“This is shameful and a complete and utter disrespect to these servicemembers, their loved ones, and those who served alongside them…It dishonors their ultimate sacrifice to attempt to hide the real costs of this war from the American people,” said the lawmakers.

“As you and President Trump continue to risk the lives of servicemembers in this reckless war, the American people deserve answers on whether you were adequately prepared to protect servicemembers from Iranian attacks and get them the care they needed, and whether you will be prepared to do so if the war continues and escalates even further,” wrote the lawmakers.

The lawmakers asked Secretary Hegseth to provide answers related to the reports of insufficient medical care, injury classifications, and details of the Port Shuaiba attack and ensuing investigation by August 12, 2026.

A full version of the letter is available here.

###",1,2026-08-01T07:27:26Z,2026-08-01T07:28:22Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-tours-milwaukee-elections-operation-center-as-trump-lays-groundwork-for-election-interference,Baldwin Tours Milwaukee Elections Operation Center as Trump Lays Groundwork for Election Interference,2026-07-31,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"MILWAUKEE, WI – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) toured the City of Milwaukee Elections Operations Center, taking up the City of Milwaukee’s offer to Vice President JD Vance to see firsthand the extensive security and accuracy measures in place. Following the tour, Baldwin held a discussion with Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee Elections Commission Executive Director Paulina?Gutiérrez as President Trump escalates his efforts to interfere in the administration of American elections ahead of the upcoming 2026 midterms.

“Today in Milwaukee, I was able to see what we all know: Wisconsin elections are as secure as it gets thanks to our local election officials,” said Senator Baldwin. “Despite this, the Trump Administration is reheating old, debunked lies and is weaponizing the federal government to undermine and meddle in our elections. The bottom line is that Trump?doesn’t?want your voice to be heard and to be held accountable for his cost raising policies and list of broken promises. ?I’m?working to do everything I can do to stop him and protect Wisconsinites’ right to vote and have their ballot count.”",1,2026-08-01T07:27:26Z,2026-08-01T07:28:22Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-backed-bill-to-stop-key-parts-of-trumps-push-to-shut-down-education-department-advances-to-full-senate,Baldwin-Backed Bill to Stop Key Parts of Trump’s Push to Shut Down Education Department Advances to Full Senate,2026-07-30,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s (D-WI) bipartisan legislation to block key elements of President Trump’s effort to shut down the Department of Education advanced on a bipartisan vote out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The bill would block some of the deals, called Interagency Agreements, that allow the transfer of special education and primary and secondary education out of the Department of Education and under the purview of other, sometimes nonsensical, federal agencies. The legislation is now teed up for a vote by the full Senate. Today at the hearing, Senator Baldwin also supported an amendment to go further than the proposed legislation and block the Trump Administration from transferring all proposed other programs out of the Department of Education, including civil rights enforcement and career and technical education, but that effort was defeated by Republicans.

“Americans expect our government to put our children first, not absurd campaign slogans, when it comes to how we provide education for millions of kids and young Americans. Instead, President Trump is prioritizing his half-baked campaign promise to shut down the Department of Education over our kids’ wellbeing. Haphazardly putting programs like special education and elementary education under agencies and leaders who have zero relevant experience is dangerous and will have devastating consequences for our students,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’ve been fighting for months to stop this attack on our local schools and special education and will continue working with anyone to reverse these changes before it’s too late for our students.”

Specifically, the legislation would prevent the Department of Education from relinquishing the Offices of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, Postsecondary Education, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Indian Education, or any programs within those offices to other agencies that lack the staff and expertise needed to execute their missions. On June 16, 2026, the Trump administration announced four Interagency Agreements (IAA) that would illegally move the administration of special education programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and vocational rehabilitation programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act from the ED to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They also transfer fundamental civil rights enforcement responsibility away from ED to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The amendment Senator Baldwin supported would have blocked the transfer of all of these programs.

Last month, Senator Baldwin led dozens of her colleagues in demanding that the Trump administration follow the law in which Congress authorized these programs to be carried out by ED, including most recently in annual bipartisan funding legislation for Fiscal Year 2026. Last week, she sat down in Madison with parents, teachers, and school officials to talk about how transferring these programs out of the Department of Education would hurt students.

###",1,2026-07-31T07:49:23Z,2026-07-31T07:50:48Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-counter-trumps-attacks-on-american-elections,"Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Counter Trump’s Attacks on American Elections",2026-07-29,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – As President Donald Trump escalates his efforts to interfere in the administration of American elections ahead of the upcoming 2026 midterms, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues introduced legislation to protect voters and combat unlawful election interference attempts. The Stop Harassment and Intimidations in Elections through Legal Defenses (SHIELD) Our Elections Act would give voters and state Attorneys General tools to stop interference in elections, strengthen accountability for people who illegally meddle in elections, and protect ballots from being improperly seized.

“Donald Trump has been actively laying the groundwork to undermine our 2026 elections to evade accountability for his cost-raising policies – and I refuse to stand idly by amidst his repeated efforts to stop Americans from having their voices heard,” said Senator Baldwin. “Our Democracy relies on people being able to show up to the ballot box and their vote to be secret and counted. And, if someone tries to interfere with that right, they need to be held accountable – no matter who they are.”

The SHIELD Our Elections Act creates a private right to action for State Attorneys General and voters to enforce federal anti-interference laws protecting polling locations and election sites, extends the statute of limitations for election related crimes so that future administrations can enforce them, restricts the seizure of ballots and election equipment from election officials until after an election outcome has been finalized, and authorizes a voluntary grant program to support states who have mail and absentee ballot tracking programs to provide confidence and security for voting by mail or drop box.

Specifically, the bill would secure federal elections by:

Allowing State Attorneys General and impacted voters to sue when federal officials unlawfully interfere with or intimidate them at polling places;

Strengthening accountability by extending the statute of limitations from five to nine years for key federal election crimes, including interference by armed forces and voter intimidation, to enable them to be brought by future administrations for past actions; and

Protecting ballots from improper seizure by limiting when state or federal law enforcement may seize ballots or election equipment and requiring court-authorized election officials to maintain joint custody whenever materials must be seized, especially prior to the resolution of an election.

The bill comes as President Trump has taken an all-of-the-above approach to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 elections. In March, President Trump issued an executive order directing the Postal Service to create a federal mail-in voting list made up of states’ absentee voters’ information. Following this unconstitutional directive, USPS proposed a rule that would ultimately allow the Postal Service to determine whether millions of Americans can receive and cast ballots through the mail. Baldwin has spoken out in strong opposition and demanded that the USPS abandon this rule.

President Trump has openly floated sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents to local polling locations and has said Republicans should nationalize voting in at least 15 states. Trump has also attempted to seize ballots in Georgia, Michigan, and Arizona, and sued 30 states for their voter rolls. Senator Baldwin and her colleagues introduced the Protect Our Polls Act to protect Americans’ constitutional right to vote and prevent federal interference by armed military or federal law enforcement.

The bill is led by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and also co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

Full text of the bill is available here. One-pager of the bill is available here.

###",1,2026-07-30T07:32:48Z,2026-07-30T07:34:08Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/07/29/chairman-johnson-requests-interviews-with-dr-anthony-fauci-dr-peter-marks-and-other-former-federal-health-officials-on-the-safety-and-efficacy-of-covid-19-vaccines/,"Chairman Johnson Requests Interviews with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Peter Marks, and Other Former Federal Health Officials on the Safety and Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines",2026-07-29,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters to former Food and Drug Administration officials (“FDA”) Dr. Peter Marks, Dr. Narayan Nair, Dr. Steven Anderson, and Dr. Manette Niu, as well as former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIAID”) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, requesting transcribed interviews about their roles in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.

On April 29, 2026, Chairman Johnson released an interim report detailing how senior officials at the FDA turned a blind eye toward warnings that their vaccine safety monitoring system was hiding safety signals for the COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Marks and other former FDA officials Chairman Johnson has requested interviews with were among the officials involved in ignoring those warnings.

“I hope that you will be cooperative and fully transparent regarding your involvement and knowledge of these issues,” Chairman Johnson wrote.

Chairman Johnson questioned Dr. Fauci about COVID-19 vaccine safety at today’s hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, but he refused to answer questions and asserted his Fifth Amendment right. In his letter to Dr. Fauci, Chairman Johnson wrote, “I want to give you another opportunity to provide much-needed transparency about the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s response to it, including early treatments and the development, deployment, safety monitoring, and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.”

The letters are listed below:

Dr. Anthony Fauci

Dr. Peter Marks

Dr. Narayan Nair

Dr. Steven Anderson

Dr. Manette Niu

###",1,2026-07-30T07:32:48Z,2026-07-30T07:34:08Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-demands-answers-from-defense-department-on-unacceptable-delays-in-pfas-remediation-endangering-wisconsinites-health,"Baldwin Demands Answers from Defense Department on ‘Unacceptable’ Delays in PFAS Remediation, Endangering Wisconsinites’ Health",2026-07-28,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is pressing the Department of Defense on another delay to their PFAS investigation and cleanup timelines by as much as 20 years at 178 sites across the United States, including at Truax Field and Volk Field in Wisconsin.

“I have worked for years to hold the Department accountable on PFAS through added federal funding for military PFAS cleanup and for replacing PFAS-based firefighting foam. It is unacceptable for the Department to disregard years of efforts to improve Wisconsin’s drinking water and further imperil the safety of my constituents without so much as an explanation,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to Secretary of the Airforce Troy Meink.

In June, it was reported that the Department of Defense (DoD) pushed back its PFAS investigation and cleanup timelines by as much as 20 years across 178 sites, including Truax Field and Volk Field in Wisconsin. The Department made the change quietly, without a public announcement and without notifying Congress. This is the second major recent delay DoD has made in conducting this investigation and cleanup, the first being in March 2025 when the Trump Administration announced delays at more than 150 locations across the country.

These delays come as the Air National Guard installations rank among the most PFAS-contaminated sites in Wisconsin. Truax Field in Madison, for example, has PFAS in groundwater measured as high as 39,841 parts per trillion; this is nearly 2,000 times the standard of 20 parts per trillion recommended by Wisconsin health officials. At Volk Field in Juneau County and General Mitchell Field in Milwaukee County, readings are as high as 23,000 and 10,800 parts per trillion, respectively. Delay in remediation efforts can allow contamination to spread, exposing more families and increasing the final cost of remediation.

The cited delays in cleanup timelines come as the Trump Administration continues to weaken the standards that drive this work. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to rescind drinking-water limits for several PFAS compounds and to push PFOA and PFOS compliance to 2031.

In the letter, Senator Baldwin requests that DoD provide the following information on what this delay means for the Air Force and the Air National Guard installations in Wisconsin, and for the nearby Wisconsin communities, including:

A full list of Wisconsin Air Force and Air National Guard installations whose PFAS investigation or cleanup milestones have changed, what the prior milestones were, new milestones dates, and the specific reasons for the change.

Confirmation of whether any Wisconsin installation falls among the 54 sites where the Department has confirmed a PFAS health risk to a surrounding community, and among the 15 such sites facing new delays. Include the interim steps the Air Force is taking to give affected residents safe drinking water in the meantime.

The current progress status and expected completion date of the remedial investigation at the Air Force and Air National Guard installations in Wisconsin and the Department's plan to fund and begin real remediation of the contamination, not more study.

Senator Baldwin has championed PFAS remediation efforts, supporting and securing funding to address contamination in communities across the state. She supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021 that is making historic investments in clean drinking water, including funding to address emerging contaminants like PFAS. Senator Baldwin has also secured millions in direct support for Wisconsin communities to address PFAS contamination through annual funding legislation. In 2019, Senator Baldwin helped secure provisions to the annual defense policy bill that require nationwide environmental testing for PFAS, establish enforceable standards for PFAS in drinking water, and authorize funding to develop better testing methods for PFAS in the environment. The bill also clarified that the Department of Defense is responsible for cleaning up PFAS contamination at National Guard Facilities, including at Wisconsin’s Truax Field.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Meink,

I am writing to you today to express my continued dismay that the Department of Defense (DoD) continues to delay per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation at military installations across the country. A June 11, 2026 report from NOTUS found that, for a second time and without public announcement, DoD has pushed back its timelines to investigate and clean up PFAS by as much as 20 years across 178 sites in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These include Volk and Truax Fields in Wisconsin. I request that you provide information on what this delay means for the Air Force and the Air National Guard installations in Wisconsin, and for the nearby Wisconsin communities.

These reported delays raise alarms, given that the PFAS remediation delays at DoD installations across the nation already average about a decade as of this year. The Department has confirmed 54 sites in the U.S. where PFAS poses a health risk to nearby communities; 15 of those sites face new, substantial delays, and 11 contaminated sites were due to reach cleanup milestones in 2025. None did. The timelines still do not establish a set date to finish remediation at any site. What I find even more troubling is that the changes to the timelines were made while keeping Congress in the dark. Members of Congress should be learning of such major updates that impact our communities from the Department, and not from reporters.

My primary concern is how badly these continued delays will impact Wisconsin. Some of our Air National Guard installations rank among the most PFAS-contaminated sites in the state. Truax Field in Madison, for example, has PFAS in groundwater measured as high as 39,841 parts per trillion; this is nearly 2,000 times the standard of 20 parts per trillion recommended by Wisconsin health officials. At Volk Field in Juneau County and General Mitchell Field in Milwaukee County, readings are as high as 23,000 and 10,800 parts per trillion, respectively. This is a major health concern for my constituents, and the longer this problem goes unresolved, the greater the threat of contamination grows.

The Administration is also moving to cut funding and weaken the standards behind any PFAS remediation work. For example, the EPA announced plans last year to rescind drinking-water limits for several PFAS compounds and to push compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS to 2031. Additionally, the Department’s FY2027 budget request proposes cutting about $44 million from environmental restoration accounts. The GAO reported last year that the Department has spent $2.6 billion on PFAS since 2017. Yet, no site has a known timeline to finish cleanup. Future investigation and remediation efforts, by the report’s estimates, will now cost more than $9.3 billion from fiscal year 2025 and beyond, and those costs have more than tripled since 2022. By your Department's own figures, delay saves nothing. Delay lets plumes spread, exposes more families, and raises the final bill.

I have worked for years to hold the Department accountable on PFAS through added federal funding for military PFAS cleanup and for replacing PFAS-based firefighting foam. It is unacceptable for the Department to disregard years of efforts to improve Wisconsin’s drinking water and further imperil the safety of my constituents without so much as an explanation.

I request the following from you no later than August 11, 2026:

A full list of Wisconsin Air Force and Air National Guard installations whose PFAS investigation or cleanup milestones have changed, what the prior milestones were, new milestones dates, and the specific reasons for the change.

Confirmation of whether any Wisconsin installation falls among the 54 sites where the Department has confirmed a PFAS health risk to a surrounding community, and among the 15 such sites facing new delays. Include the interim steps the Air Force is taking to give affected residents safe drinking water in the meantime.

The current progress status and expected completion date of the remedial investigation at the Air Force and Air National Guard installations in Wisconsin and the Department's plan to fund and begin real remediation of the contamination, not more study.

###",1,2026-07-29T07:41:48Z,2026-07-29T07:42:57Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-baldwin-introduces-bill-to-restore-and-protect-the-mississippi-river,Senator Baldwin Introduces Bill to Restore and Protect the Mississippi River,2026-07-28,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative (MRRRI) Act, legislation to restore and protect the Mississippi River corridor amid growing threats that put this vital waterway, and the economy that depends on it, at risk. The legislation creates a collaborative initiative to coordinate efforts and invest in building resilience to flooding and storms, improving water quality, restoring wildlife habitat, and stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species. MRRRI is modeled around the successful and broadly supported Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that coordinates across states and sectors to clean up toxic contaminants, control harmful and invasive aquatic species, restore habitats, and leverage investments for economic activity.

“The Mississippi River is essential to Wisconsin’s economy and way of life – from moving Made in Wisconsin products to market, to supporting fishing, boating, and other outdoor recreation, to providing fresh drinking water for millions of families,” said Senator Baldwin. “As communities along the river face more frequent flooding and worsening pollution, we must confront these challenges head on while also making the long-term investments needed to prepare for those ahead. Investing in the Mighty Mississippi is an investment in our economy, the great outdoors and the next generation of Wisconsinites.”

For 20 million Americans, the Mississippi River is their primary source of drinking water. The river supports a $500-billion-a-year commercial, recreation, and natural resources-based river economy that employs 1.5 million people.

MRRRI will fund community-driven projects to restore and protect the Mississippi River and build resilience for the communities who depend upon it. A regularly updated action plan, developed with public input, will guide the implementation of the MRRRI and the use of federal funds to:

Improve water quality to protect drinking water, wildlife, and river-dependent industries by reducing runoff pollution.

Reduce flood and storm risks and increase community resilience through natural infrastructure solutions and ecologically sound management.

Protect and restore wildlife habitat, including by preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Improve communication and partnership activities related to the focus areas listed above.

Monitor, collect, and evaluate scientific data to assess the focus areas listed above.

Senator Baldwin has long supported navigation and ecosystem improvements along the Upper Mississippi River. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Baldwin works each year to secure strong funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, which monitors the health of the river and restores key habitat for fish and wildlife critical for Wisconsin’s recreational economy.

This year, Senator Baldwin worked with her colleagues to successfully secure a total of $18 million in federal funding for the Army Corps of Engineers’ Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) to improve and restore both the capacity and efficiency of the river’s navigation system, as well as the river’s ecosystems.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) leads companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Full text of the bill is available here.

###",1,2026-07-29T07:41:48Z,2026-07-29T07:42:57Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-calls-out-trump-admin-for-abruptly-canceling-94-million-for-health-research-halting-clinical-trials,"Baldwin Calls Out Trump Admin for Abruptly Canceling $94 Million for Health Research, Halting Clinical Trials",2026-07-24,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education, blasted the Trump Administration for abruptly canceling $94 million in funding for 150 grants supporting health research and programs to train the next generations of scientists. As a result of these erratic cuts to grants funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), clinical trials, health research, and training programs for researchers have ended. The grants include helping doctors catch lung cancer earlier, keeping babies and new mothers safe during childbirth, and using telehealth to improve access to care in rural communities. Canceling funding in the middle of these multi-year research projects wastes years of prior work and millions of taxpayer dollars.

“Once again, Donald Trump and RFK, Jr. are cutting groundbreaking research all to play petty politics—it's sowing chaos and taking away chances to improve Americans’ health and well-being. We are talking about helping kids in hospitals, improving telehealth in rural parts of America, and stopping lung cancer from plaguing more Americans – but this administration is saying that is not a priority for them,” said Senator Baldwin. “American families want lower costs and to live healthy lives, but this administration isn’t listening. I will continue to use every lever I have to stand up to this chaos, support our Wisconsin scientists, and fight to make sure families can lead healthy lives.”

Included in the abrupt cancelations is a University of Wisconsin project testing the use of artificial intelligence to improve the experiences of hospitalized children and their families. Prior to canceling the funding, the Trump Administration highlighted this specific program in a webinar on innovations to better deliver high-value pediatric care. A month later, HHS terminated the grant for being “inconsistent with agency priorities."" In a Senate Appropriations hearing with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in April, Senator Baldwin shined a light on the absurdity of the administration holding up funding for this program earlier in the year, despite the Administration itself using it as a poster child for innovative work. Baldwin also demanded answers from AHRQ Director Dr. Roger Klein on the chaos and mismanagement at AHRQ during a private call in June. AHRQ is the only federal agency focused on studying how to improve health care delivery. In addition to terminating these grants, since Trump took office, the agency has failed to fund new research projects, left grantees in the dark, and allowed over $80 million in funding to lapse.

Senator Baldwin has been a leading voice in pushing back against cuts to critical health funding. Earlier this year, Senator Baldwin called out the administration for canceling $600 million in grants that were aimed at stopping the spread of HIV, connecting people to affordable health care, and growing the health care workforce. Baldwin also spoke out against the abrupt canceling, then reinstating, of $2 billion in funding for thousands of programs that support mental health and addiction treatment and prevention. As Ranking Member on the LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Baldwin also fought for and successfully included provisions to put up stronger guardrails to ensure funding for Fiscal Year 2026 is spent as Congress intended and without delay.

###",1,2026-07-25T07:13:44Z,2026-07-25T07:15:09Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-evers-sound-alarm-on-usps-mail-delays-and-interference-ahead-of-upcoming-elections,"Baldwin, Evers Sound Alarm on USPS Mail Delays and Interference Ahead of Upcoming Elections",2026-07-23,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers are sounding the alarm on multiple issues at the United States Postal Service (USPS) that will restrict Wisconsinites’ ability to have their ballots counted in the upcoming elections. Specifically, Baldwin and Evers are calling on the USPS to immediately address severe delays that caused hundreds of Wisconsinites’ ballots to arrive after Election Day in April. The lawmakers also urged USPS to immediately reverse course on implementing President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional order to severely restrict vote-by-mail.

“Hundreds of absentee ballots received by the Postal Service before Wisconsin's Spring Election were delivered after Election Day, preventing them from being counted,” wrote Senator Baldwin and Governor Evers in a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner and members of the USPS Board of Governors. “Now, USPS is rushing to implement President Trump's unconstitutional executive order that would, at best, significantly delay Wisconsinites' mailed ballots from reaching election officials and, at worst, allow the USPS to prevent a Wisconsin voter's fully legal, timely ballot from being counted at all. We call on the Postal Service to immediately resolve the issues that delayed ballots during Wisconsin’s Spring Election, withdraw the rule that will add significant additional delays in ballot delivery, and ensure preparations for Wisconsin’s fall elections prioritizes timely delivery of election mail.”

In the letter, Senator Baldwin and Governor Evers underscore the importance of protecting mail-in voting for Wisconsinites and how President Trump’s proposed rule could further jeopardize Wisconsinites’ access to the ballot box. In 2024, 500,000 Wisconsinites used mail-in ballots, nearly 15% of all Wisconsin voters.

Despite the vital role of mail-in voting, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), which administers elections in Wisconsin, found that during Wisconsin’s Spring Election this April, two-thirds of local election officials reported problems with the mail, and more than half reported receiving voter complaints and concerns about the Postal Service. According to WEC, one out of every four clerks reported receiving more late ballots than is typical for an election—with some reporting election mail taking 7 to 10 days or more to reach polling locations. Clerks also reported that some of the ballots they received after the election were not postmarked.

The lawmakers called on the Postal Service officials to address these delays ahead of this year’s August 11th primary and November 3rd general election. They also called on the Trump administration to immediately reverse course on President Trump’s executive order that illegally directs the Postal Service to create a federal mail-in voting list made up of states’ absentee voters’ information. In a U.S. Senate Committee hearing, Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed that if the rule is finalized, the Postal Service would refuse to deliver any mail-in ballots from states that did not comply with this new standard. The proposed rule could ultimately allow the Postal Service to determine whether millions of Americans can receive and cast ballots through the mail. A U.S. District Judge blocked the President’s executive order limiting Americans’ use of mail-in voting, but the Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling.

“Given the history of extremely close elections in Wisconsin, the President’s unconstitutional executive order and the Postal Service’s misguided rule very well could tip the scales of the election and deprive Wisconsinites from having their voices heard accurately,” Baldwin and Evers wrote.

Previously, Senator Baldwin has spoken out in strong opposition and demanded that the USPS abandon this rule. Senator Baldwin has also called for an investigation into USPS delays that caused Wisconsin voters’ ballots to arrive after Election Day this past spring.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Postmaster General Steiner, Chairwoman McReynolds, Vice Chairman Kan, Governor Stroman, and Governor Tangherlini:

We write to you about the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) role in ensuring that Wisconsin’s elections are fair and reliable and to express our serious concerns that USPS is threatening Wisconsinites’ ability to exercise their right to vote. Hundreds of absentee ballots received by the Postal Service before Wisconsin's Spring Election were delivered after Election Day, preventing them from being counted. Now, USPS is rushing to implement President Trump's unconstitutional executive order that would, at best, significantly delay Wisconsinites' mailed ballots from reaching election officials and, at worst, allow the USPS to prevent a Wisconsin voter's fully legal, timely ballot from being counted at all. We call on the Postal Service to immediately resolve the issues that delayed ballots during Wisconsin’s Spring Election, withdraw the rule that will add significant additional delays in ballot delivery, and ensure preparations for Wisconsin’s fall elections prioritizes timely delivery of election mail.

In May, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) sent a letter to the Postmaster General expressing grave concerns about the performance of election mail for Wisconsin’s Spring Election. The Commission is a bipartisan body that administers elections across the State of Wisconsin and assists election clerks in all 72 counties. WEC conducted a survey of Wisconsin’s local election officials and found that two-thirds reported problems with the mail, and more than half reported receiving voter complaints and concerns about the Postal Service. One out of every four clerks reported receiving more late ballots than is typical for an election—with some reporting election mail taking 7 to 10 days or more to reach polling locations. Clerks also reported that some of the ballots they received after the election were not postmarked. This is unacceptable.

We appreciate the work of the men and women who deliver mail for the United States Postal Service every day, including during our elections. Our concern lies with the decisions and actions by USPS that are inconsistent with normal operations and threaten the ability of Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote. We ask that you resolve any outstanding issues that caused delays in the delivery of Spring Election ballots before Wisconsin’s upcoming elections this fall—the primary election on August 11, 2026 and the general election on November 3, 2026. We also echo the request from the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to enact extraordinary measures for these elections to help ensure that every ballot reaches its destination as quickly as possible.

To add to these concerns, USPS has proposed a rule to implement President Trump’s unconstitutional executive order that directs the Postal Service to create a federal mail-in voting list using absentee voter information collected from the states. Not only will this rule restrict vote by mail, but if this rule is put in place for the upcoming elections, it will create significant timing and logistical hurdles for Wisconsin voters. It will add days or longer to the process of mailing a ballot. Wisconsin’s Spring Election demonstrated that the Postal Service is already struggling to deliver ballots on time. Adding days or more to the travel time of a ballot will most certainly lead to USPS preventing more eligible voters from having their ballots counted in future elections through no fault of their own. We ask that you abandon this proposed rule immediately.

These changes in USPS service are poised to disproportionately impact Wisconsin’s rural residents. Roughly one in three Wisconsinites live in rural areas with reduced access to polling locations and drop boxes and often rely on voting by mail. These Wisconsinites will be subject to these unnecessary delays and more likely to have their ballots not make it to their clerk on time to be counted.

The implications of these delays cannot be overstated. In 2024, 500,000 Wisconsinites used mail-in ballots, nearly 15% of all Wisconsin voters. Also in 2024, both the Presidential and U.S. Senate elections were decided by less than 30,000 votes. Given the history of extremely close elections in Wisconsin, the President’s unconstitutional executive order and the Postal Service’s misguided rule could very well tip the scales of the election and deprive Wisconsinites from having their voices heard accurately.

The Postal Service has a critical responsibility to ensure that election mail is handled with the urgency and reliability that voters, election officials, and the public rightly expect. To meet this responsibility, USPS must address delays we saw in Wisconsin’s Spring Election and not move forward with the rule restricting vote by mail. Ensuring the timely delivery of election mail is essential to protecting every eligible Wisconsinite’s right to vote and maintaining public confidence in our elections. When ballots fail to arrive in time to be counted, voters are denied the opportunity to participate in our democracy through no fault of their own. These failures not only disenfranchise individual voters, but also erode trust in the reliability and fairness of our elections.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this important matter.

###",1,2026-07-24T07:30:11Z,2026-07-24T07:31:13Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/watch-baldwin-urges-colleagues-to-vote-to-end-iran-war-prioritize-americans-needs,"WATCH: Baldwin Urges Colleagues to Vote to End Iran War, Prioritize Americans’ Needs",2026-07-23,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the U.S. Senate’s vote on a War Powers Resolution to end the President’s war in Iran, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) spoke on the Senate floor to make the case that the war needed to end immediately and that spending more money on a war in the Middle East is not a priority for the American people. Nearly all Senate Republicans voted against the measure, greenlighting the war in Iran to continue.

Baldwin’s floor speech comes just days after three more American servicemembers were killed by Iranian attacks in the region and the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth came before the Senate Appropriations Committee to ask for nearly $70 billion more to continue the war in Iran. Baldwin pressed Hegseth on the lack of preparedness that has led to injuries and deaths and the disastrous impacts of the war on Wisconsin families and farmers.

A full recording of Senator Baldwin’s floor speech is available here.

###",1,2026-07-24T07:30:11Z,2026-07-24T07:31:13Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-pushes-bipartisan-bill-to-ban-chinese-vehicles-protect-american-workers-through-senate-committee,"Baldwin Pushes Bipartisan Bill to Ban Chinese Vehicles, Protect American Workers Through Senate Committee",2026-07-22,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) successfully passed a bipartisan bill to protect American workers and families from the growing threat of Chinese-made vehicles through the Senate Commerce Committee. The Baldwin-backed Connected Vehicle Security Act prevents Americans’ data from being collected on American roads and sent back to Beijing by cutting off the supply of vehicles, software, and critical hardware originating from China or Chinese companies at every point in the chain, from the manufacturing process, to import, to sale.

“Chinese connected vehicles pose a serious threat to American jobs and Americans’ safety,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to have worked with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to take a step forward in our fight to prevent China from collecting our data and help keep Wisconsin workers and families safe.”

Specifically, the Connected Vehicle Security Act:

Bans foreign adversary vehicles by prohibiting the importation, manufacture, sale, and resale of connected vehicles, software, and hardware linked to China or other foreign adversaries, including those from joint ventures or entities under their control;

Empowers the Department of Commerce to identify and block high-risk vehicle technologies, components, and transactions that threaten U.S. economic or national security;

Establishes enforcement mechanisms to ensure prohibited technologies are kept out of the U.S. market; and

Phases implementation with vehicle and software restrictions taking effect in 2027, and hardware restrictions in 2030, giving the U.S. industry time to secure a domestic supply, in line with the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Connected Vehicles rule.

The bill is led by Senators Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

###",1,2026-07-23T07:31:02Z,2026-07-23T07:32:26Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwins-bipartisan-bill-to-cap-insulin-costs-at-35-per-month-for-millions-advances-in-the-senate,Baldwin’s Bipartisan Bill to Cap Insulin Costs at $35 Per Month for Millions Advances in the Senate,2026-07-22,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) voted for and helped advance legislation to cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 per month out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act, legislation Senator Baldwin cosponsors, now heads to the Senate floor for consideration by the full Senate.

“Wisconsin families are feeling the weight of rising costs across the board – and for the half a million Wisconsinites with diabetes, the cost of insulin is one more thing stretching their budgets,” said Senator Baldwin. “There is no reason these big drug companies should be able to continue to charge so much for a medicine that has been around for more than 100 years and remains basically unchanged. Our bipartisan legislation to finally stop this price gouging, tackle the root causes of high insulin costs, and cut prescription drug costs is now one step closer to becoming law of the land.”

A report from the American Diabetes Association shows the cost of diabetes in America, including the cost of insulin, continues to skyrocket for patients and the federal government. More than 40 million Americans live with diabetes, including over 526,000 Wisconsinites. The disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, claiming over 100,000 lives in 2021. It is also the most expensive chronic condition in the nation, costing Americans a combined total of $412.9 billion per year. The rising cost of insulin presents a barrier to care for a growing number of Americans living with diabetes; 1 in 4 individuals report reducing insulin use due to cost.

The INSULIN Act would directly address the root problems in the insulin market that cause high list prices, while simultaneously extending vital patient protections, fostering competition, and broadening access to needed insulin products. Senator Baldwin also offered a bipartisan amendment to ensure that provisions creating a pilot program to get $35 per month insulin to uninsured patients and establishing a resource center to help patients access affordable insulin remained in the bill, which was adopted. When the legislation gained enough support from both parties to surpass the filibuster and pass on the Senate floor, Senator Baldwin called on Republican Leader John Thune to bring the legislation up for a vote.

Senator Baldwin has long advocated for holding big drug companies accountable and expanding access to affordable health care for Wisconsinites. In 2022, she helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which for the first time allows Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and caps the cost of insulin at $35-a-month for Medicare recipients. The INSULIN Act builds on that momentum to cap out-of-pocket costs for all Americans who rely on insulin.

Full text of the bill is available here.

###",1,2026-07-23T07:31:02Z,2026-07-23T07:32:26Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/07/22/sen-johnson-named-chairman-of-the-u-s-senate-committee-on-the-budget/,Sen. Johnson Named Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget,2026-07-22,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) was named chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget by the Republican Conference. Today, the senator released the following statement:

“I’m stepping into this role following the tragic death of my friend and colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham. He was a true American patriot, and he will be sorely missed.

“As chairman for the remainder of the year, I intend to maximize this opportunity to define the fiscal challenge we face, help expose the fraud in government programs, and work with the House, the White House, and my Senate colleagues to enact as much of President Trump’s agenda as possible.”

###",1,2026-07-23T07:31:02Z,2026-07-23T07:32:26Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/watch-baldwin-questions-hegseth-on-disastrous-impacts-of-iran-war,WATCH: Baldwin Questions Hegseth on Disastrous Impacts of Iran War,2026-07-21,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) pressed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the disastrous impacts of Trump’s illegal war in Iran that’s raising costs on Wisconsin families and farmers. During a hearing in front of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Baldwin demanded answers from Secretary Hegseth on why soldiers in the Middle East were denied drone and air defense systems, only to then be hit by an Iranian drone strike killing six soldiers and injuring more than 30 others, including soldiers from Wisconsin. The hearing comes as President Trump has requested nearly $70 billion in additional funding to further his war in Iran.

“This supplemental request is another example of this Administration’s backwards priorities. Instead of spending tens of billions of dollars more for the President’s war in Iran, we should be meeting the needs of American families,” Baldwin opened her questioning with. “We could invest this money to accelerate new cures and treatments for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Or we could use it to help more families with rising home energy costs. We could use this funding to help more families afford quality childcare. We could use this funding to help more kids get free school lunch. We could use this funding to restore healthcare for working families. We could use this funding to support our public schools and special education. This was a misguided war of choice, and every dollar spent on this war is a dollar not spent helping families afford housing, health care, childcare or groceries at home.”

Senator Baldwin pressed Secretary Hegseth on his continued failures to protect American troops, including 17 servicemembers who have been killed and hundreds more injured. Baldwin questioned Hegseth about reports that the Army facility at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait did not have adequate air defense capabilities when it was attacked by Iran on March 1st and pushed for answers on why requests for additional medical and drone defense systems were denied prior to the conflict with Iran beginning. Earlier this year, Senator Baldwin demanded action from the Administration after servicemembers reported they were not receiving care for traumatic brain injuries.

Senator Baldwin has been an outspoken critic of President Trump’s illegal war with Iran and has repeatedly forced votes in the Senate to end Trump’s war of choice that is hurting Wisconsin farmers, families, and servicemembers. Senator Baldwin has traveled across Wisconsin, hearing directly from farmers about how President Trump’s war of choice is jacking up the cost of fertilizer and fuel and hurting their operations.

A full recording of Senator Baldwin’s questioning of Secretary Hegseth is available here.

###",1,2026-07-22T07:34:13Z,2026-07-22T07:35:16Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-demand-investigation-accountability-from-trump-admin-following-two-more-ice-shootings,"Baldwin, Colleagues Demand Investigation, Accountability from Trump Admin Following Two More ICE Shootings",2026-07-20,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are demanding investigations and accountability for the two fatal shootings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in recent days in Maine and Texas. The Senators call on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin to make reforms to ICE to increase transparency and fulfill its previous commitments to deploy and expand the usage of body-worn cameras.

“The recent fatal shootings involving U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers, specifically within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in Biddeford, Maine, and Houston, Texas, coupled with similar incidents elsewhere in the country, are completely unacceptable,” Baldwin and the Senators wrote. “Rather than making our communities safer, these actions endanger our citizens and seriously undermine confidence in law enforcement generally.”

“The unnecessary loss of life in these incidents demands immediate, thorough, independent, and transparent investigations (including the full involvement of local and state law enforcement personnel) along with a comprehensive examination of enforcement protocols, training, and operational approaches necessary to prevent such tragedies,” the Senators continued.

“By no stretch could either of the victims in Texas and Maine be characterized as ‘the worst of the worst,’ making these tragic deaths even more egregious. The American people deserve clarity and accountability,” concluded the Senators.

The two shootings bring the tally of immigration enforcement involved shootings to 23 since President Trump came back into office. Senator Baldwin has been an outspoken critic of ICE under the Trump administration and refused to fund the agency without increased transparency, accountability, and stronger guardrails.

Two-thirds of Americans say ICE and Border Patrol have gone “too far” with their tactics. A Marquette Law School poll found 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of the job ICE is doing, while 3 in 4 Americans support making changes at ICE.

The letter was led by Senator Angus King (I-ME) and co-signed by 37 other Senate colleagues.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Mullin:

The recent fatal shootings involving U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers, specifically within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in Biddeford, Maine, and Houston, Texas, coupled with fatalities during similar incidents elsewhere in the country, are completely unacceptable. Rather than making our communities safer, these actions endanger our citizens and seriously undermine confidence in law enforcement generally.

The tragic deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero occurred less than a week apart and carry startling similarities. In both incidents, the individuals were killed in enforcement actions in which they were not the intended targets. Furthermore, both individuals were shot by DHS officials while inside a vehicle. The unnecessary loss of life in these incidents demands immediate, thorough, independent, and transparent investigations (including the full involvement of local and state law enforcement personnel), along with a comprehensive examination of enforcement protocols, training, and operational approaches necessary to prevent such tragedies.

These recent events have further compromised the credibility of DHS and fractured public trust within communities across our country. In each case, DHS quickly issued statements asserting that officers were acting in self-defense, even before evidence of the facts surrounding the incidents had been gathered. Compounding this failure, no DHS officials involved in these fatal shootings wore body-worn cameras that could be reviewed by investigators or members of the Public.

While DHS has previously acknowledged that body-worn cameras promote public trust and increase officer and public safety, accountability, and transparency, the Department has clearly not prioritized acquiring cameras. Recent statements from DHS and the White House assert that DHS could not acquire cameras due to the government shutdown. However, since July 2025, DHS received nearly $40 billion in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that could have been used to swiftly acquire and deploy body-worn cameras for both existing ICE law enforcement officers and the reported 10,000 additional officers hired since enactment of OBBBA. Contrary to recent statements made by the Department and the White House, DHS has had more than sufficient time and funding to procure and deploy a body-worn camera for every officer before the end of 2025.

Following public outrage in the aftermath of the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the former Secretary announced in February of this year that DHS law enforcement officers would be required to wear body-worn cameras across the country, and ICE issued a directive reinforcing its policy to activate body-worn cameras during enforcement activities wherever cameras are available. Then-Secretary Noem stated that “[a]s funding is available, the body worn camera program will be expanded nationwide.” In March of this year, the White House border czar, Tom Homan, stated that the administration would expand the use of body-worn cameras by DHS officers undertaking immigration enforcements and require footage, in addition to ending roving patrols. The recent tragedies confirm that neither of these commitments were honored.

As we underscored during the subsequent funding negotiations earlier this year, implementing comprehensive accountability and oversight reforms for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is necessary both to protect the public and restore trust in the work of your agency. Our reform proposals are based upon the standards applicable to virtually every law enforcement agency in the country (except immigration enforcement officers), including visibly displayed identification, no masks, and body-worn cameras.

In recent weeks, federal agents have aggressively ramped up enforcement operations, reportedly arresting thousands of immigrants in a matter of days. Following the public backlash from these most recent fatal shootings, your Department has once again committed to distributing body-worn cameras, stating that every ICE arrest team will have at least one law enforcement officer equipped with a camera going forward and promising that all field offices will receive them within the next 60 days. Acting ICE Director Venturella also went on the record promising members of Congress that all field agents would be outfitted by the end of July. We view this timeline not as a projection, but as a firm, binding commitment to which we will hold the Department accountable.

Furthermore, to strengthen public safety and minimize dangerous operational confusion, we urge an immediate policy change regarding agency branding. To help ensure clear accountability and avoid misleading the public, ICE personnel engaged in interior enforcement must immediately cease wearing tactical gear, vests, or uniforms labeled with the generic term “POLICE” or “POLICE ICE.” All operational uniforms should explicitly and exclusively identify personnel as “ICE.” In addition, agents should be required to identify themselves as “ICE” when making arrests and uniforms must clearly be identified as “ICE.”

Finally, given the immediate need for administrative accountability following these tragedies, we request detailed information in response to the following questions:

What is DHS’s specific plan to respond to the public’s interest in timely, transparent, and independently verified investigations into these incidents?

What are the vetting procedures with respect to new ICE recruits? Does ICE consider records of domestic violence and abuse from family courts in its vetting?

What immediate updates or reviews are being made to ICE vehicle pursuit and traffic stop policies, including enhanced training specifically applicable to traffic stops to ensure they prioritize public and officer safety?

Beyond the deployment of body-worn cameras, what additional oversight, reporting requirements, or public safety measures is the agency implementing?

We remain supportive of removing dangerous convicted criminals from our communities, but this goal can and must be achieved without endangering these very communities in the process. By no stretch could either of the victims in Texas and Maine be characterized as “the worst of the worst,” making these tragic deaths even more egregious. The American people deserve clarity and accountability. We urge you to honor your Department’s earlier commitments and take immediate action to implement these necessary reforms. We also stand ready to work with you to codify reforms into law.

We look forward to hearing from you at the earliest possible date.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-07-21T07:32:02Z,2026-07-21T07:33:33Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-leads-bipartisan-group-of-colleagues-in-calling-on-trump-admin-to-crack-down-on-mislabeling-of-dairy-imitation-products,Baldwin Leads Bipartisan Group of Colleagues in Calling on Trump Admin to Crack Down on Mislabeling of Dairy Imitation Products,2026-07-20,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives in calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to crack down on the misuse of dairy terms for plant-based products, which unfairly impacts dairy farmers, processors, and consumers. The demands are in line with Senator Baldwin’s DAIRY PRIDE Act that would prevent dairy imitation products, such as calling non-dairy imitation products “milk” or “yogurt” that do not contain dairy and are instead from a plant, nut, or grain, from using dairy names. The letter to FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Dimantas was signed by all original sponsors of the DAIRY PRIDE Act, including Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) and Representatives John Joyce (R-PA-13) and Josh Riley (D-NY-19).

“The blatant misuse of dairy terms for plant-based products unfairly impacts dairy farmers and processors and harms consumers due to inaccurate labeling information,” wrote the Senators and Members of Congress in a letter to FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Dimantas.

“We recommend you do what your predecessors have not done. As you step into your new role, carrying with you your background at FDA Human Foods Program, we urge you to enforce dairy standards of identity and stop imitation products from usurping dairy terms. Rescinding the current FDA guidance and enforcing existing dairy standards of identity is in best interest of our nation’s consumers, dairy farmers and broader public health,” the Senators and Members of Congress concluded.

Senator Baldwin leads the bipartisan Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act, known as the DAIRY PRIDE Act, to crack down on the unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products using dairy names. The DAIRY Pride Act has support from National Milk Producers Federation, American Farm Bureau Federation, EDGE Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Midwest Dairy Coalition, Farmfirst Dairy Cooperative, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, and Wisconsin Farmers Union.

Current FDA regulations define dairy products as being from animals, however, the most recent FDA guidance on fluid dairy products allows plant-based alternatives to continue to use dairy terms despite not containing dairy, nor having the nutritional value of dairy products. The American Academy of Pediatrics has raised concerns about the nutritional inadequacy of plant-based alternatives (aside from fortified soy products). Improperly-labeled imitation products suggest a false nutritional equivalency to dairy milk, which carries the high risk of nutritional deficiencies in children.

In addition to leading the bipartisan DAIRY PRIDE Act, Senator Baldwin has repeatedly called on the FDA to take administrative action to enforce standards of identity for dairy products.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Acting Commissioner Dimantas,

We write to voice our concerns over the Food and Drug Administration’s lack of enforcement of dairy standards of identity given the proliferation of nutritionally-deficient and poorly-labeled plant-based imitation products on the market. As you step into your new role as Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, we urge you to prioritize our shared goal by enforcing existing dairy standards of identity, which are in the best interest of American consumers and dairy farmers.

Standards of identity for food products protect consumers by ensuring that the nutrition information, ingredients and production processes of specific foods are consistent with consumer expectations. Americans rely on FDA for marketplace safety and transparency, guiding informed decision-making for families across the United States. Unfortunately, FDA has continuously allowed non-dairy products to freely use dairy terms like “milk,” “cheese,” “yogurt” and “butter” on their product labels. The FDA guidance issued in February 2023 demonstrated a weak, nearly absent approach to enforcing dairy standards of identity by allowing plant-based alternatives to use dairy terms while only recommending voluntary labeling statements. As the market has evolved, even products not covered under the enforcement discretion have followed suit, and today many synthetic products sold at national retailers also employ non-compliant nomenclature such as “animal-free dairy milk.” Continuing with this overly lenient guidance is unacceptable, and stricter enforcement must be prioritized.

Dairy foods like milk contribute key dietary nutrients like protein, vitamins A, B-12 and D, calcium and potassium, and dairy products are well-understood by consumers to provide a meaningful source of these nutrients. In its own 2023 guidance, FDA recognized the wide variability and nutritional inferiority of most plant-based alternative products, stating that “while consumers appear to understand that plant-based milk alternatives are distinct products from milk, several consumer studies submitted in response to the notice indicate that consumers, including consumers who purchase plant-based milk alternatives, do not understand the nutritional differences between milk and plant-based milk alternatives.”

The blatant misuse of dairy terms for plant-based products unfairly impacts dairy farmers and processors and harms consumers due to inaccurate labeling information. The American Academy of Pediatrics has raised concerns about the nutritional inadequacy of plant-based alternatives (aside from fortified soy products). Improperly-labeled imitation products suggest a false nutritional equivalency to dairy milk, which carries the high risk of nutritional deficiencies in children. The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology expressed a similar concern that non-standardized plant-based beverages used inappropriately in lieu of standardized milk products “places children at risk of slowed growth, protein-calorie malnutrition, failure to thrive and specific nutrient deficiencies, such as vitamin D, compromising current and future health and development.” The ongoing misbranding of non-dairy products using established dairy standards of identity perpetuates consumer confusion about the nutritional profile of such products, ultimately posing a public health risk to American consumers – including children.

We lead a robust bipartisan effort through the DAIRY PRIDE Act, which would require non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants or algae to no longer be mislabeled with dairy terms such as “milk,” “yogurt,” “cheese” or “butter.” It requires FDA enforcement of imitation and misbranded food under section 403 of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act in addition to enforcement if a product does not meet the dairy standards of identity. As original co-sponsors of the, we urge your support of legislative efforts that bring alignment to stricter enforcement of dairy standards of identity.

Our intention is not to block the sale of dairy substitutes, which consumers may turn to for a variety of reasons, including dietary need and preference. However, such decisions should be based on clear consumer understanding that does not borrow from dairy’s known nutritional benefit. We recommend you do what your predecessors have not done. As you step into your new role, carrying with you your background at FDA Human Foods Program, we urge you to enforce dairy standards of identity and stop imitation products from usurping dairy terms. Rescinding the current FDA guidance and enforcing existing dairy standards of identity is in best interest of our nation’s consumers, dairy farmers and broader public health.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-07-21T07:32:02Z,2026-07-21T07:33:33Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-celebrates-success-of-her-988-suicide-and-crisis-lifeline-on-fourth-anniversary,Baldwin Celebrates Success of Her 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on Fourth Anniversary,2026-07-16,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the fourth anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is celebrating the proven success 988 has had on mental health outcomes. The fourth anniversary comes on the heels of a new study that found that since the launch of the three-digit crisis line, youth suicide deaths dropped 11% below projections, saving 4,372 lives.

“I wrote the legislation to stand up the 988 crisis line because I knew that if we made getting help a little easier for people when they need it most, it would save so much heartache,” said Senator Baldwin. “Over the past four years, millions upon millions of Americans reached out and got support they needed, and this investment is saving lives. Despite the resounding success, Donald Trump and RFK, Jr. have tried to undercut and gut this tool – and I am not having it. I have been proud to stand up and fight back at every turn – and I’ll continue to do just that to make sure every call and text gets answered and every person gets the help they need.”

Senator Baldwin wrote and passed the legislation to create the three-digit 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and has led the fight to ensure it gets properly funded each year. To support Wisconsin’s implementation of 988, the Senator also secured over $3 million in dedicated federal funding. When it was established, Baldwin and her Republican counterpart incorporated a specialized service for veterans, who disproportionately have suicidal ideation. Baldwin then successfully stood up a pilot program to address higher rates of suicide and mental health challenges among LGBTQ+ youth. Last July, President Trump eliminated the 988 Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth specialized services. As ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Senator Baldwin fought to secure $535 million for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and to restore dedicated funding for LGBTQ+ youth specialized services in Fiscal Year 2026 funding legislation. Senator Baldwin also secured a commitment from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to follow the law and restore the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline “Press 3” option that provides specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth.

The demand for 988 continues to rise, with the volume of calls, texts, and chats 15% higher than a year earlier and nearly 50% higher than two years ago. Since the lifeline launched, it has received over 23 million contacts, including over 15 million calls, 4 million texts, and 3 million chats. Last month, Senator Baldwin toured the 988-call center in Green Bay and held a roundtable with 988 Lifeline staff and local stakeholders about the impact the crisis line has had on mental health outcomes.

Watch Senator Baldwin’s full video marking the fourth anniversary of the 988 hotline here: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter. The full video is available for download here.

###",1,2026-07-17T07:15:58Z,2026-07-17T07:17:05Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-demands-the-surface-transportation-board-take-union-pacifics-threats-of-retaliation-against-shippers-seriously,Baldwin Demands the Surface Transportation Board Take Union Pacific’s Threats of Retaliation Against Shippers Seriously,2026-07-16,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is urging the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to take Union Pacific’s threat of retaliation against shippers who do not support its merger with Norfolk Southern seriously. Baldwin’s call comes as Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena and company representatives have reportedly made numerous comments alleging retaliation against shippers who oppose the merger, including threats of predatory rate increases during contract renewals, unfair demurrage fines, drop-offs in service, or weaponized embargoes. Baldwin has been an outspoken critic of the mega-rail merger, citing the reduction of competition, worsening already poor service, and higher costs for Wisconsin farmers, manufacturers, and consumers.

“Given what is at stake with a rail merger of this magnitude, I ask that you address threats of retaliation and make clear retaliation by railroads will not be tolerated by the STB,” wrote Senator Baldwin.

“I am deeply concerned by Mr. Vena’s words and recent actions as his company attempts to see this merger process rubber stamped and approved with haste. Given the magnitude of this potential merger and the impact it would have on our nation’s freight economy and the supply chain, it is simply unacceptable for UP to engage in this type of behavior,” Baldwin concluded.

The merger, in which Union Pacific agreed to acquire Norfolk Southern, would be the most significant consolidation in freight rail in decades, reshaping the U.S. freight rail industry and supply chain. Baldwin has been critical of the rail merger, citing the continued consolidation in the railroad industry and impacts on manufacturers, agriculture, small businesses, and consumers.

In 2025, Senators Baldwin and Roger Marshall (R-KS) called on the Surface Transportation Board to scrutinize the impact of this merger on the already poor service and high costs experienced by American businesses and consumers that rely on freight rail. That letter came after President Trump illegally fired former STB member Robert Primus ahead of the proposed megamerger. As the STB considers this merger, Union Pacific’s CEO visited President Trump in the Oval Office and committed to helping fund the President’s $400 million White House ballroom.

Since the 1950s, the rail industry has consolidated from over 100 Class I freight railroads to only six today, leaving U.S. manufacturers, utility companies, agricultural producers, and small businesses paying excessive rates despite poor service and reliability.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Chair Fuchs, Vice Chair Schultz, Member Hedlund, and Member Kloster,

I write with concerns about the threat of potential retaliation by Union Pacific (UP) towards shippers and other rail stakeholders who choose not to publicly support the merger between UP and Norfolk Southern (NS). Threats of retaliation must be taken seriously, as they directly undermine the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB or Board) review process and could prevent shippers from meaningfully participating in a forthcoming public comment period on the merger application. Given what is at stake with a rail merger of this magnitude, I ask that you address threats of retaliation and make clear retaliation by railroads will not be tolerated by the STB.

It has come to my attention that UP CEO Jim Vena has made remarks at conferences and closed-door meetings threatening to retaliate against stakeholders who oppose their merger application. This includes comments from Mr. Vena at the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers 2026 Annual Meeting in Houston in March, when he issued a thinly veiled threat to raise rates for customers who did not publicly support the merger.

The STB has acknowledged retaliation by railroads in the past, and now is the time to send a clear message to railroads and shippers that it will not be tolerated. In January 2025, former Chairman Robert Primus made a statement addressing the widespread issue of retaliation, whether it be in the form of rate increases, cutbacks in service, or refusals to provide new service upon request. In 2023, former Chairman Martin Oberman expressed frustration with the difficulty of getting shippers to comment on matters before the Board due to fears of retaliation. The freight rail industry has a long history of retaliation, and I can assure you that shippers nationwide are taking these comments at face value. I have heard from numerous stakeholders that they are afraid to publicly relay their concerns, knowing that UP can retaliate against them. Threats of retaliation discourage stakeholders from participating and undermine the STB’s ability to conduct a rigorous review of the proposed merger. The Board needs to hear directly from shipper companies to better understand the impacts of the merger UP is proposing.

I am deeply concerned by Mr. Vena’s words and recent actions as his company attempts to see this merger process rubber stamped and approved with haste. Given the magnitude of this potential merger and the impact it would have on our nation’s freight economy and the supply chain, it is simply unacceptable for UP to engage in this type of behavior. I urge the STB to address Mr. Vena’s comments and take rail stakeholders’ concerns seriously as you review the revised merger application.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-07-17T07:15:58Z,2026-07-17T07:17:05Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-responds-to-trumps-speech-laying-groundwork-to-undermine-2026-election,Baldwin Responds to Trump’s Speech Laying Groundwork to Undermine 2026 Election,2026-07-16,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released a statement in response to President Trump’s address to the nation. Over the past several months, President Trump has repeated his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him over 100 times while taking an all-of-the-above approach to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 elections, including threatening to send federal agents to polling places and trying to limit mail-in voting.

“Trump lost an election fair and square six years ago and has been lying about it ever since, not only because he’s a sore loser, but also because he is laying the groundwork to undermine our elections this November,” said Senator Baldwin. “President Trump should have given a primetime address on how we can work together to make rent a little cheaper or insurance premiums actually affordable – instead we got recycled conspiracy theories. The President has only made life harder and more expensive for families, and instead of leveling with folks and telling us how he will cut costs, he’s trying to evade accountability for it and hold on to power. Every minute that President Trump spends talking about election conspiracies and trying to undermine the next election is a minute he’s not working to deliver real relief to families stretching every paycheck.”

###",1,2026-07-17T07:15:58Z,2026-07-17T07:17:05Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-ernst-lead-bill-to-cut-red-tape-expand-internet-access-in-rural-communities,"Baldwin, Ernst Lead Bill to Cut Red Tape, Expand Internet Access in Rural Communities",2026-07-15,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to broadband in rural areas and ease the burden of regulatory costs for smaller broadband providers that rural communities rely on.

“Wisconsinites in every corner of our state depend on reliable, high-speed internet to run their businesses, attend school, manage their farms, and so much more,” said Senator Baldwin. “Unfortunately, burdensome regulations intended for much larger companies are hurting our small broadband providers and limiting their ability to reach more people. My bipartisan bill cuts through that red tape and helps our local providers expand access to high speed, affordable internet for families and businesses across Wisconsin.”

“Reliable broadband is essential for Iowa families, farmers, students, and small businesses,” said Senator Ernst. “I'm proud to partner with Senator Baldwin to cut unnecessary red tape through our bipartisan ACCESS Rural America Act so small, rural broadband providers can spend less time on paperwork and more time connecting rural America.”

The Access to Capital Creates Economic Strength and Supports (ACCESS) Rural America Act provides regulatory relief to rural telecommunications service providers by allowing them to submit streamlined financial reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These small companies—many of which are the sole service providers in their region—could be put out of business by regulatory costs and unnecessary red tape. Specifically, this bipartisan legislation would create an exemption from certain SEC public registration and reporting requirements for rural telecommunications companies. This will save these small companies from costly and burdensome requirements that were never intended for them.

The bill is supported by NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association.

“Federal Securities and Exchange Commission registration and reporting requirements intended for larger, publicly-traded firms pose significant challenges for, and can impose substantial burdens on, smaller, locally-owned companies with limited resources. NTCA therefore greatly appreciates the leadership of Senators Baldwin and Ernst in introducing the ‘ACCESS Rural America Act,’ which will help relieve these burdens and enable small providers to focus more on their core mission of deploying and operating advanced broadband networks in rural areas,” said Mike Romano, CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association.

“The Wisconsin contingent of rural local community-based providers are elated to see the bipartisan bill and to eagerly work with Senator Baldwin and her office on the ACCESS Rural America Act. As rural providers, our customers and stakeholders will benefit from the long-awaited relief of the bill to free up local providers to better serve rural America with lesser cost and restraint via additional SEC regulations. It is a great time to unleash the collective rural based providers for the likes of BEAD related and other funding programs as we celebrate the 30th year of The Telecommunications Act of 1996 that helped boost markets and innovation as this may have a similar effect. Many of these rural local community-providers in Wisconsin have existed and served for over about half of our nation’s 250-year celebration and endeavor to continue to serve deftly with bills like ACCESS Rural America Act paving the way. Thank you, Senator Baldwin, for your dedication to rural Wisconsin constituents on behalf of our community-based providers across the state,” said John Klatt, President of Lakeland Communications.

Full text of the bill is available here. A one-pager on the bill is available here.

###",1,2026-07-16T07:21:44Z,2026-07-16T07:23:13Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-presses-trump-health-nominees-on-vaccine-conspiracy-theories-and-putting-politics-ahead-of-americans-health,Baldwin Presses Trump Health Nominees on Vaccine Conspiracy Theories and Putting Politics Ahead of Americans’ Health,2026-07-15,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) pressed two of President Donald Trump’s top health nominees on vaccine skepticism and promotion of conspiracy theories and the ongoing politicization of public health and research threatening the health of Americans. During the confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Baldwin pressed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nominee, Dr. Erica Schwartz, on whether she thinks vaccines are safe and effective and whether political influence and pressure from President Trump would come before the health and safety of Americans. Senator Baldwin also questioned Trump’s nominee to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Sean Kaufman, on his view of vaccines given his track record promoting the disproven link between safe vaccines and autism and previous statements that he would “rather perish” than allow his child to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The hearing comes as President Trump and HHS Secretary RFK, Jr.’s agenda continues to threaten Americans’ health and safety, routinely putting politics before science. Under President Trump, the CDC has forced out thousands of career scientists and employees tasked with tracking infectious disease outbreaks and safety hazards, issued vaccine recommendations that undercut decades of settled science, and cut grants to states. Additionally, a recent rule pushed by the Trump Administration would create a government-wide mechanism requiring political review of every grant, add restrictions on what funded researchers can publish, and expand the President’s handpicked staff authority to terminate grants on a whim.

The Trump administration and HHS Secretary RFK, Jr.’s vaccine policy also continues to hurt Americans, including attempting to change the number of shots routinely recommended to children, including for flu, hepatitis A, rotavirus and meningococcal disease. President Trump’s first CDC Director, Susan Monarez, was fired last year after refusing to acquiesce to a demand from RFK, Jr. that she pre-approve a childhood vaccine schedule without scientific evidence. This spring, a study showing the effectiveness of COVID vaccines was blocked from publication by Trump officials. This administration’s work to undercut faith in vaccines comes as the United States is seeing record numbers of vaccine-preventable diseases. As of early July, 2,231 measles cases were confirmed, according to CDC data, already nearing 2025 totals. 93% of these cases have been linked to people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

A full video of Senator Baldwin’s questioning is available here.

###",1,2026-07-16T07:21:44Z,2026-07-16T07:23:13Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-blasts-trump-administration-for-denying-wisconsin-disaster-aid-again-backs-evers-appeal,"Baldwin Blasts Trump Administration for Denying Wisconsin Disaster Aid Again, Backs Evers’ Appeal",2026-07-14,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released a statement following the Trump Administration’s decision to deny federal Public Assistance funding to help Wisconsin communities recover and build back from severe storms and flooding in April. The denial comes as President Donald Trump rejected similar disaster aid for Wisconsin in 2025 after severe flooding, fitting into the trend of Democratic-run states being refused disaster aid at a record rate. The Trump Administration has denied disaster aid for states with Democratic governors at the highest rate in the 47-year history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The Trump Administration denied Wisconsin’s application for Public Assistance for Bayfield, Manitowoc, Marathon, and Racine Counties. Public Assistance funding can be used for local communities to cover the costs for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and rebuilding public infrastructure. Additionally, the Administration denied Wisconsin’s application for statewide Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding to develop hazard mitigation plans and rebuild in ways that reduce future disaster losses in its communities.

“Extreme weather doesn’t see party lines, and neither should our response to help communities rebuild and recover,” said Senator Baldwin. “Those April storms just battered communities across Wisconsin, and the truth is, they need the tax dollars they sent to the federal government to recover and get back on their feet. Instead of working in lockstep with Wisconsin families, businesses, and local officials, the Trump Administration is leaving us out to dry in what I can only call politics at its worst. This trend of the President doling out disaster aid to the states run by his political friends, but blocking it for states who he sees as his foes, is un-American and has to stop. I fully support Governor Evers’ appeal of this decision and will continue to work to get Wisconsinites what they need to rebuild and recover.”

In April, communities across Wisconsin experienced heavy rainfall and severe weather, causing rivers to flood their banks and destroy homes and businesses alike. Formal preliminary damage assessments conducted by joint teams that included FEMA, WEM, and local officials validated more than $20 million in eligible disaster costs. Following the storms, Senator Baldwin called on the Trump Administration to act and support Wisconsin’s request for federal resources so communities could recover.

This announcement comes as President Trump and his administration have still failed to justify their denial of federal Public Assistance to help communities respond to and recover from similar severe weather and flooding that occurred across the state in August 2025, causing nearly $27 million in damages to roads, public buildings, utilities, and community infrastructure. After the Trump Administration denied Wisconsin’s request for assistance to rebuild public infrastructure, Baldwin called on her Republican colleagues to join her in supporting Governor Evers’ appeal.

###",1,2026-07-15T07:12:08Z,2026-07-15T07:13:45Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/07/14/chairmen-johnson-grassley-release-records-showing-jack-smiths-investigative-team-secretly-obtained-text-messages-from-44-members-of-congress-amid-trump-probe/,"Chairmen Johnson, Grassley Release Records Showing Jack Smith’s Investigative Team Secretly Obtained Text Messages from 44 Members of Congress Amid Trump Probe",2026-07-14,2026,2026-07,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigative team obtained and reviewed text messages from White House personnel, including messages to and from 44 Members of Congress, as part of the Biden Department of Justice’s (DOJ) criminal investigation into President Trump. Evidence shows the investigators bypassed a required Filter Team review process, violating investigative protocols.

The bombshell discovery comes in new records released today by Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) as part of their ongoing Arctic Frost oversight. Johnson and Grassley requested the records from DOJ after receiving legally protected whistleblower disclosures.

The Justice Department’s letter to the chairmen and the provided records indicate Smith’s investigative team circumvented its own filter review process, which was established to protect privileged materials from being swept up in a criminal prosecution, and directly accessed the content of texts sent by Republican and Democrat senators and members of the House of Representatives to White House officials during Trump’s first term. Bypassing a Filter Team evades consideration of additional privileges, such as attorney-client privilege.

Both Johnson and Grassley’s text messages were obtained by Smith’s team.

“This is yet another grotesque example of the Biden administration’s weaponization of the Justice Department,” Sen. Johnson said. “Jack Smith’s team acted with impunity as they disregarded their own protocols to obtain and access White House text messages, including messages to and from 44 Members of Congress. At this point, no one should be shocked by Jack Smith’s recklessness and blatant abuse of power, but they should be outraged.”

“Jack Smith’s criminal investigation of President Trump was a runaway train that had no brakes. Based on the information that’s been produced to me and Senator Johnson, Biden DOJ and FBI investigators apparently ignored their own routine investigative protocols to obtain and review work-related messages from me and dozens of my Republican and Democrat colleagues who were outside the scope of the government’s investigation, ”Sen. Grassley said. “I hope my Democrat colleagues, several of whom had their own texts swept up, finally put partisanship aside and recognize the severity of these actions. Smith’s team ran roughshod over the Constitution even after repeated warnings. Jack Smith has answering to do, and I intend to have him before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the coming months to hold him accountable.”

Read DOJ’s summary of the records here and access the records here.

Background:

The records, as summarized in a DOJ cover letter, provide evidence the Biden Justice Department “established a Filter Team to evaluate materials obtained in the course of both Jack Smith’s investigation relating to January 6 (referred to as ‘Project Coconut’) and his Mar-a-Lago documents investigation (referred to as ‘Project Cranberry’). The Filter Team’s purpose was to prevent investigators from the Special Counsel’s Office and the FBI (‘Investigative Team’) from accessing privileged materials among the records obtained during the course of these investigations.” The DOJ letter further states “the Special Counsel’s Investigative Team apparently bypassed the Filter Team and directly accessed these text messages,” in reference to Members’ communications.

In June 2023, the Special Counsel’s Office (SCO) subpoenaed the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to provide all text messages from October 2020 through January 20, 2021, from phones associated with a long list of personnel serving in the White House during President Trump’s first term, including Trump himself as well as: Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino, Ivanka Trump, Stephen Miller, Peter Navarro, John Ratcliffe, Kash Patel, Rudy Giuliani, Kellyanne Conway and Mike Pence.

NARA provided the texts to SCO on August 21, 2023. Within half an hour, one of Smith’s senior lawyers, Thomas Windom, downloaded the texts and, within one hour, other members of Smith’s investigative team downloaded and began reviewing the texts. It appears the review was done without waiting for the Filter Team to evaluate and segregate privileged information.

Smith’s team accessed texts to and from the following current and former senators and members of the House of Representatives:

1. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)

2. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)

3. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas)

4. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

5. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)

6. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah)

7. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.)

8. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.)

9. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)

10. Senator David Perdue (R-Ga.)

11. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)

12. Senator Martha McSally (R-Ariz.)

13. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.)

14. Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.)

15. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio)

16. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)

17. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)

18. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.)

19. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)

20. Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.)

21. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)

22. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.)

23. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)

24. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.)

25. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.)

26. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.)

27. Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.)

28. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.)

29. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.)

30. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.)

31. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.)

32. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)

33. Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.)

34. Rep. Joshua Gottheimer (D-N.J.)

35. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.)

36. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.)

37. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.)

38. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.)

39. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.)

40. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.)

41. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.)

42. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho)

43. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.)

44. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)

###",1,2026-07-15T07:12:08Z,2026-07-15T07:13:45Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-baldwin-backed-housing-bill-becomes-law-at-midnight-despite-president-trump-refusing-to-sign-bipartisan-legislation,"NEWS: Baldwin-Backed Housing Bill Becomes Law at Midnight, Despite President Trump Refusing to Sign Bipartisan Legislation",2026-07-10,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – At midnight tonight, the U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)-backed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will become law, despite the over two-week delay from President Donald Trump and his refusal to sign the bill. The legislation, which is set to become law at midnight unless the President vetoes it, is the most significant legislation in 30 years to lower housing costs for families, invest in supply, and crack down on out-of-state investors gobbling up housing stock in our communities. For years, Senator Baldwin has fought to ban large private equity and large institutional investors from buying single-family homes in Wisconsin, often raising rent and putting home ownership further out of reach.

“I’ve travelled across Wisconsin talking to families who are begging for relief from high housing costs – renters’ budgets are stretched thin and homeownership is simply out of reach for so many. Republicans and Democrats came together to craft legislation that will build more housing in our state, lower costs, and take on Wall Street investors that are buying up homes in our neighborhoods,” said Senator Baldwin. “This bill should have been law weeks ago, but President Trump chose to play politics instead of listening to families struggling with the high cost of just about everything. I’m proud to have helped craft this bill and voted for it, and I will continue working with anyone to ensure Wisconsinites can make ends meet, achieve homeownership, and invest and live in the communities they love.”

Senator Baldwin traveled across the state, meeting with local families and housing stakeholders to advocate for the passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. Senator Baldwin held events in Sun Prairie, Wausau, Hayward, Watertown, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Racine, and Eau Claire. In Wisconsin, the median home price climbed from $155,000 in 2015 to $325,000 in 2025, more than doubling over the decade. Wisconsin homebuyers are now spending four times more than their household income, according to an analysis of Census Bureau and Zillow data.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes key bipartisan priorities, including a provision banning large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. Senator Baldwin has long championed legislation to crack down on corporate investors who buy up homes and lock Wisconsinites out of homeownership. Senator Baldwin co-leads the Affordable Housing and Homeownership Protection Act, legislation to help build and preserve approximately three million affordable housing units nationwide, fully paid for by taxing investors who purchase and hold more than 15 single-family homes. Baldwin also joined her colleagues in introducing the Stop Predatory Investing Act, to prohibit investors who acquire 50 or more single-family rental homes from deducting interest or depreciation on those properties. Baldwin and her colleagues called on President Trump to support their bill and to take on large institutional investors who are gobbling up homes. At the local level, Senator Baldwin called on the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Chicago to work with her office and Milwaukee affordable housing nonprofits to expand opportunities for Milwaukee residents to compete with out-of-state investors.

Key provisions of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act include:

Bans corporate landlords from buying up single-family homes: This housing package includes legislation that would rein in large institutional investor purchases of single-family homes. The legislation will halt large institutional investor purchases of single-family homes, making it easier for families to buy homes and harder for powerful corporate landlords to drive up the cost of rent. Penalties imposed for violations will be used to support housing construction and assistance for first-time homebuyers.

Boosts housing supply to bring down costs: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will boost housing supply to bring down costs, including through the first-ever federal incentives for municipalities that successfully build more housing. The package will make it easier and cheaper to build new housing by removing the chassis requirement for manufactured housing; easing financing for modular housing, manufactured housing, and affordable dwelling units; and streamlining construction approval processes and environmental reviews for affordable housing development. It will also help preserve existing supply and convert blighted and underutilized buildings into new housing.

Makes key reforms to increase housing fairness, access, and affordability: The legislation addresses appraisal bias, preserves manufactured housing communities, improves Section 8 inspection policies to get families housed faster, supports homeownership, addresses housing needs of veterans, and improves federal programs to help reduce homelessness.

Includes significant, longstanding policy priorities to build more housing and make it more affordable: These provisions include reforming and reauthorizing the HOME Investment Partnerships program, authorizing the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, making long-overdue reforms to the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service to prevent the loss of up to 400,000 affordable homes in rural communities, and creating new funding streams for HUD-certified housing counseling.

To read the bill text, click here.

To read the section-by-section, click here.

###",1,2026-07-11T07:10:48Z,2026-07-11T07:14:29Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-demand-trump-admin-rescind-rule-giving-president-sweeping-power-to-politicize-federal-grants,"Baldwin, Colleagues Demand Trump Admin Rescind Rule Giving President Sweeping Power to Politicize Federal Grants",2026-07-06,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are demanding that the Trump Administration immediately rescind its proposed policy that will allow the President to weaponize federal grants for political purposes and terminate or suspend federal grants at any time and without notice. The rule from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) exceeds OMB’s statutory authority, undermines Congress’s constitutional power of the purse, and inserts partisan politics in a process that should be driven by merit and expertise.

“This proposal dramatically expands agencies' authority to the point where the President could terminate or suspend any grant at any time for any reason and without any notice,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators continued, “OMB’s proposal also transforms federal grants from policy tools that Congress uses to promote the public good into a political cudgel that the President plans to use to punish his perceived political foes while rewarding himself and his friends. President Trump’s administration has already begun to do this.”

The proposed rule would dramatically expand agencies’ authority to terminate or suspend federal grants at any time and without notice. It would also require political appointees to make funding decisions without deferring to expert peer review. In a letter to OMB Director Russel Vought, the Senators warn this would inject partisan politics into grantmaking, threaten America’s leadership in scientific and medical innovation, and create chaos for communities and organizations that rely on federal funding to deliver critical services.

The Senators also argue that OMB’s proposal would force grant recipients to comply with vague, undefined, and political grant conditions that conflict with existing statutes. At the same time, it would weaken transparency and accountability requirements intended to safeguard taxpayer dollars. These changes could discourage qualified organizations from applying for federal grants and increase the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse.

The letter was led by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and was co-signed by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Director Vought:

We write to express our strong opposition to your proposed regulation on federal financial assistance (Fed. Reg. Vol. 91, No. 103, Friday May 29, 2026) and to insist you rescind it immediately. Your proposal exceeds OMB’s authority, will make it impossible for grant recipients to faithfully carry out the funding priorities that Congress establishes in statute, and would turn federal grants into a new cudgel for the President to unilaterally advance his partisan agenda and punish political rivals. Ultimately, these changes will make it harder for grant recipients to apply for and manage federal funds – undermining public safety, public health, economic competitiveness, and the government’s ability to address rising costs. And contrary to the regulation’s justification of fiscal transparency, the changes also weaken the oversight and effective stewardship of taxpayer funds.

The proposed rule undermines federal agencies’ and grant recipients’ ability to faithfully carry out the programs enacted by Congress. When Congress authorizes and appropriates money for federal grants, it does so with the understanding that all Administrations will distribute those grants consistent with Congressional intent and the funding instructions articulated in law. The type of discretion the President intends to bestow upon himself through this proposed rule is counter to all past precedent and ignores the reality of how appropriations and authorizing laws are drafted.

This proposal dramatically expands agencies' authority to the point where the President could terminate or suspend any grant at any time for any reason and without any notice. The Trump administration’s actions over the last year and a half have already shown how these types of arbitrary cancellations create chaos and new costs, making it harder for grant recipients to provide the intended public benefit. In one instance, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency cancelled over $2 billion of grants to mental health and addiction programs without notice, only to reinstate those grants within 24 hours. In another instance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency unilaterally cancelled nearly $4.5 billion of natural disaster mitigation funding without notice, only to claim in court that they had never really cancelled those grants at all. This boundless power to terminate federal funding creates whiplash and erodes grant recipients’ trust in the grant agreements they sign. Ultimately, it makes it less likely that deserving and capable organizations and communities would apply for federal grants and risk tying their work to grants that could be upended with no rhyme, reason, or even advance notice.

The proposed rule would also require and empower political appointees to decide which grants do and do not get funded, explicitly directing them to not defer to expert peer review. This would have far reaching consequences, including but not limited to scientific research. For example, over decades the United States has built a biomedical research enterprise, led by investments in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that is the envy of the world and makes us the world leader in medical innovation. It has led to new cures and treatments for devastating diseases that decades ago would have been considered miracles. This was built on the foundation that investments in biomedical research would be allocated based on a strictly non-partisan, rigorous, scientific review process to determine which specific research projects to fund. This proposed rule would fundamentally undermine that, and direct political appointees to substitute their own independent opinions over those of panels of experts.

OMB’s proposal also transforms federal grants from policy tools that Congress uses to promote the public good into a political cudgel that the President plans to use to punish his perceived political foes while rewarding himself and his friends. President Trump’s administration has already begun to do this. Although multiple requests for information have gone unanswered, we estimate that at the Department of Transportation alone, at least 45 grants totaling $5.3 billion have been terminated, withdrawn, or cancelled by the Trump Administration. This includes nearly $109 million in five grants slated for Colorado, $679 million in 12 port related grants, and $54 million in transportation research conducted by universities. Meanwhile grantees in California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota continue to wait in limbo as OMB instructed DOT to cancel more than $943 million in grants in early February. With the threat of termination hanging over every grant recipient, presidents will be able to substitute their personal and partisan policy positions for federal spending directives, undermining Congress’s constitutional power of the purse.

The proposal also injects vague, burdensome, and potentially unlawful terms and conditions that give the president pretext to pick winners and losers among grant recipients. Contrary to OMB claims that the proposal will bring “regulatory clarity” to the administration of federal grants, the proposal would create limits on funding based on undefined terms, making it impossible for grant recipients to comply. In the proposal OMB explains that these undefined terms will ensure that federal funds are “not diverted to . . . radical political ideologies,” without further elaboration. Grant recipients must instead “demonstrably advance the President’s policy priorities,” whatever they happen to be. Terms like “anti-American values,”9\ “gold-standard science,” and “diversity, equity, and inclusion” are not defined and, in some cases, are the subject of ongoing litigation. Further, Congress has passed specific statutes requiring agencies like the NIH to conduct health disparities research, including research on maternal mortality, cardiovascular disease in minority populations, and cancer screening equity. This rule’s prohibition on “diversity, equity, and inclusion” research would complicate compliance with those statutes. Rather than focusing on fulfilling the statutory purposes of a grant program, applicants and recipients will be forced to play an endless guessing game, trying to determine which of their activities may or may not run afoul of OMB’s ambiguous regulations or the president’s whims. Ultimately, many grant recipients will decide it is too costly and confusing to try to keep up with shifting priorities of each new administration and give up on seeking federal grants altogether, frustrating Congress’s purpose to help the intended beneficiaries of the program.

As OMB seeks to consolidate power over federal funds, it also seeks to undermine transparency and accountability of the use of taxpayer dollars. The proposal removes the requirement that grant recipients follow financial internal control standards established by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). However, Congress required that GAO issue standards for financial internal controls and that agencies follow these standards in the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act of 1982. Allowing recipients to disregard independent financial risk management standards required by statute jeopardizes the faithful stewardship of taxpayer dollars and increases the risk of fraud or abuse.

OMB’s grantmaking power grab is not only bad policy; it is also unlawful. OMB lacks the legal authority to issue binding regulations about how to cancel federal grants for each agency. In its proposal, OMB points to the Chief Financial Officers Act (CFO Act) for its sweeping assertion of power. However, the CFO Act in no way delegates to OMB the power to tell federal agencies that they can cancel grants at any time for any reason. Courts in Rhode Island and the District of Columbia have already rejected OMB’s claim that it can indiscriminately pause or terminate grants, holding that the CFO Act does not give OMB “the power to halt all finances, full-stop, on a moment's notice.” By dictating policy for grant recipients, OMB is attempting to supplant Congress’s primary role in appropriating funds and directing their purpose.

Article I of the Constitution vests the power of the purse in Congress, which Congress has historically exercised by appropriating taxpayer dollars through federal grants to fund critical programs, including to protect public safety, advance scientific research, and support health and nutrition initiatives. OMB’s proposal unlawfully seeks to substitute Congress’s role in directing federal spending with the President’s preferred priorities, and in doing so, makes it harder for every community and organization in the United States to fairly access federal funding. We call on you to rescind this proposal.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-07-07T08:20:12Z,2026-07-07T08:22:09Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-demands-rfk-jr-restore-abruptly-cancelled-teen-pregnancy-prevention-funding,"Baldwin Demands RFK, Jr. Restore Abruptly Cancelled Teen Pregnancy Prevention Funding",2026-07-06,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are sounding the alarm on the Trump administration’s recent decision to terminate nearly all Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program grants and are calling upon Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to immediately reinstate the funding for over 50 grantees nationwide, including the $1.2 million that was used to prevent teen pregnancy in Wisconsin. The $1.2 million was used to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections among young people, educate teens on how to navigate the healthcare system, and train medical providers on effectively communicating with teens.

“We write to express our outrage over your recent decision to terminate the vast majority of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants, which will deprive teens across the U.S. of vital resources and threaten to unwind decades of progress made in reducing teen pregnancy,” wrote Baldwin and the Senators.

In their letter to Secretary Kennedy, the lawmakers note that teen pregnancy in the U.S. has been on a steady decline for decades, thanks in part to successful programs like Teen Pregnancy Prevention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the teenage birth rate fell by 7% in 2025, reaching another historic low.

The Senators also note that the abrupt termination of these grants aligns with the Trump Administration’s pattern of rejecting evidence and science, ignoring Congressional intent and authority, and undermining the ability of people to make their own healthcare decisions. President Trump has long sought to destroy the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, including trying to fully eliminate it in his fiscal year 2026 budget, as did his prior budgets.

“We demand that you immediately reverse course and reinstate funding for established grantees of the TPP Program, who are midway through their grants and doing essential work to prevent teen pregnancy,” the lawmakers conclude.

The letter was led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and also co-signed by 17 Senate colleagues.

The full letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We write to express our outrage over your recent decision to terminate the vast majority of Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program grants, which will deprive teens across the U.S. of vital resources and threaten to unwind decades of progress made in reducing teen pregnancy. These grants, which were canceled in the middle of their five-year project period, supported evidence-based programs that worked to prevent teen pregnancy and behavioral risk factors underlying teen pregnancy, as is required by law. This decision to cancel 53 of 66 existing grants follows a pattern of actions the Trump Administration has taken to undermine access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare and put the health and wellbeing of our young people at risk. We call on you to immediately reinstate funding for these grantees who have a proven track record of working to uphold the goals of the program in accordance with the law.

For the last 35 years, the teen birth rate has been declining. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the teenage birth rate fell by 7% in 2025, reaching another historic low. In 1991, the number of babies born to mothers ages 15 to 19 was more than five times higher than it is today. Evidence suggests that these declines are driven by several factors, including the use of more effective forms of contraception, greater access to information about pregnancy prevention, and a decline in teen sexual activity[1], which the TPP Program has supported.

The very goal of the TPP Program when it was established in 2010 was to support evidence-driven practices that would reduce teen pregnancy, with the majority of funds directed to programs with models whose effectiveness at preventing teen pregnancy had been demonstrated through rigorous evaluation, known as “Tier 1”, and a smaller portion of funds for the development and testing of new prevention programs, or “Tier 2,” which helps to grow the list of approved Tier 1 curricula.

The bipartisan law that most recently appropriated funding for the program in fiscal year 2026 reiterated the program’s goals—providing $101 million for “making competitive contracts and grants to public and private entities to fund medically accurate and age appropriate programs that reduce teen pregnancy” with 75 percent of funds directed toward “replicating programs that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors.”

These grants were awarded to state and local health departments, universities, and community organizations across America, like the Boys & Girls Club. These are organizations that know exactly how to reach young people to provide them with the information they need to make smart decisions about their health and futures.

We know that both Trump Administrations have long sought to destroy the TPP Program. President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposed to eliminate it, as did his prior budgets, and in 2017, the Trump Administration attempted to cancel every TPP Program grant, a decision that was ultimately struck down by the courts. Now, however, allies of the president have increasingly suggested that declining teen birth rates are a “problem.” It appears this administration may agree with that assessment as you cancel funding for these proven programs. Your decision to terminate this funding squarely aligns with your department’s established pattern of rejecting evidence and science, ignoring Congressional intent, and undermining the ability of people to make their own healthcare decisions.

We demand that you immediately reverse course and reinstate funding for established grantees of the TPP Program, who are midway through their grants and doing essential work to prevent teen pregnancy.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-07-07T08:20:12Z,2026-07-07T08:22:09Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-slams-trump-for-cutting-off-support-for-paralyzed-americans,Baldwin Slams Trump for Cutting Off Support for Paralyzed Americans,2026-07-02,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, slammed the Trump Administration for cutting off funding for the National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) that provides services and support for the more than five million Americans living with paralysis and their families. The Trump Administration let the grant for the NPRC expire on June 30th, forcing the program to halt much of its work helping Americans living with paralysis pursue independent and fulfilling lives.

“President Trump is cutting off a lifeline for Americans who are paralyzed – all while he goes full steam ahead building his luxury ballroom and is begging for more money for a war of choice in Iran. To say his priorities are backwards would be an understatement,” said Senator Baldwin. “We are talking about injured veterans or neighbors who got into car accidents who are not getting the support and care they need – all because President Trump and RFK, Jr. said so. This administration needs to stop putting disability programs on the back burner, ensure these services resume as soon as possible, and apologize to the Americans who have been thrown into chaos from their cruelty.”

On June 30th, the NPRC grant, awarded to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation ended, forcing the services for paralyzed Americans to be significantly reduced.

A new NRPC grant should have been awarded prior to the current one expiring on June 30th. But the Trump administration delayed the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for months and only released the application for funding this week, after the grant funding had already lapsed. This new funding is not slated to be awarded until September 1st, ensuring that the NPRC and resources for paralyzed Americans will remain significantly reduced for at least two months.

This unnecessary delay is a direct result of Trump administration’s actions to politicize the federal grant making process, while simultaneously firing and forcing out federal employees, including more than half the staff that work at the Administration for Community Living that oversees this program and other programs for Americans with disabilities. Delays like this are happening across HHS, from grants supporting lifesaving biomedical research, to substance use prevention and treatment, to Head Start. These delays are troubling foreshadowing of things to come if the Trump administration moves forward with its new federal financial assistance regulation that would ensure every federal grant is a political tool of the Trump administration while delaying funding and services that Americans rely on.

HHS delaying this grant to provide services for Americans with disabilities comes at the same time the Trump administration is transferring special education programs for children with disabilities from the Department of Education to HHS, casting doubt on RFK, Jr.’s ability to manage programs for people with disabilities or special needs.

This lapse comes as Congress, on a bipartisan basis, appropriated funding earlier this year to continue the program. The NPRC was established with bipartisan Congressional support in 2001 to provide free, vital resources, care coordination, peer mentoring, and comprehensive information that help Americans living with paralysis navigate life after injury or diagnosis. Congress established the NPRC as a federally supported national resource because living with paralysis requires specialized expertise and coordination that fragmented state and local systems cannot consistently provide. The NPRC ensures that people living with paralysis, regardless of where they live, have access to trusted information, peer support, and specialized resources that no single state can deliver on its own.

###",1,2026-07-03T08:00:00Z,2026-07-03T08:01:30Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-calls-for-investigation-into-usps-delays-during-wisconsins-spring-election,Baldwin Calls for Investigation into USPS Delays During Wisconsin’s Spring Election,2026-07-01,2026,2026-07,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called for an investigation into the delays at the United States Postal Service (USPS) during the Wisconsin Spring Election that led to hundreds of Wisconsinites across the state not having their votes counted. Baldwin notes that hundreds of Wisconsinites sent their ballots before Election Day, some as early as weeks before the election, but were deprived of their right to vote because of delays by USPS. Two-thirds of Wisconsin’s local election officials across the state reported problems with the mail during the April 7th election, with some reporting election mail taking 7 to 10 days or more to reach polling locations.

“I request that USPS OIG conduct a timely review of Spring Election mail delays in Wisconsin and identify any remaining issues that undermine the on-time delivery of returned ballots so that USPS can resolve any outstanding concerns before Wisconsin’s elections this fall,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to USPS Inspector General Hull. “If the election mail delays that we saw this spring are not addressed, USPS is likely to disenfranchise an even greater number of voters during the fall elections, increasing the risk that eligible voters will cast a ballot that is not ultimately counted through no fault of their own. Ensuring timely delivery of election mail is essential to maintaining public confidence in our elections, and delays that prevent ballots from arriving on time undermine voters’ trust that our elections are fair and reliable.”

Numerous media reports and accounts from elections officials in Wisconsin have indicated that hundreds of absentee ballots from across the state that were received by the Postal Service prior to the election were not delivered until after the election's deadline had passed—and therefore were not counted.

Baldwin’s call for an investigation comes as President Trump has attempted to curtail legal mail-in voting, both through Congress and executive action. President Trump’s executive order directs the Postal Service to create a federal mail-in voting list made up of states’ absentee voters’ information. A U.S. District Judge blocked the President’s executive order limiting Americans’ use of mail-in voting, but the Trump Administration is expected to appeal the ruling.

Following this unconstitutional directive, USPS proposed a rule that would ultimately allow the Postal Service to determine whether millions of Americans can receive and cast ballots through the mail. Baldwin has spoken out in strong opposition and demanded that the USPS abandon this rule. In a U.S. Senate Committee hearing, Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed that if the rule is finalized, the Postal Service would refuse to deliver any mail-in ballots from states that did not comply with this new standard.

Senator Baldwin has repeatedly called on the USPS to address the mail delays Wisconsinites are experiencing. In April, she demanded answers from Postmaster General David Steiner regarding long-term mail delays and staffing shortages at post offices across Wisconsin that are impacting local businesses, newspapers, and Wisconsin families who rely on USPS for prescriptions, bills, voting, and more.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Inspector General Hull:

I am writing to request an investigation into the processes and procedures of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) leading up to the Wisconsin Spring Election held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Numerous media reports and accounts from elections officials in Wisconsin have indicated that hundreds of absentee ballots from across the state that were mailed prior to the election were not delivered until after the election's deadline had passed—and therefore were not counted. In Wisconsin, absentee ballots must be received by a polling location by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted, meaning that hundreds of my constituents voted on time but were deprived of their right to vote in the Spring Election because of delays by USPS. Members of the military face unique challenges in voting when election mail is delayed because they are more likely to rely on the Postal Service to mail their ballot. This is unacceptable and appears to be the result of decisions and actions by the Postal Service that are inconsistent with normal operations and threaten the ability of Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote. It warrants an investigation by the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG).

In May, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) sent a letter to the USPS Postmaster General expressing grave concerns about the performance of election mail for Wisconsin’s Spring Election. The Commission is a bipartisan body that administers elections across Wisconsin and assists election clerks in all 72 counties. WEC conducted a survey of Wisconsin’s local election officials and found that two-thirds reported problems with the mail, and more than half reported receiving complaints and concerns about the Postal Service from voters. One in four clerks reported receiving more late ballots than is typical for an election—with some reporting election mail taking 7 to 10 days or more to reach polling locations. I have attached the Commission’s letter to the Postmaster General, as well as a memorandum prepared by WEC, for your review.

I request that USPS OIG conduct a timely review of Spring Election mail delays in Wisconsin and identify any remaining issues that undermine the on-time delivery of returned ballots so that USPS can resolve any outstanding concerns before Wisconsin’s elections this fall. If the election mail delays that we saw this spring are not addressed, USPS is likely to disenfranchise an even greater number of voters during the fall elections, increasing the risk that eligible voters will cast a ballot that is not ultimately counted through no fault of their own. Ensuring timely delivery of election mail is essential to maintaining public confidence in our elections, and delays that prevent ballots from arriving on time undermine voters’ trust that our elections are fair and reliable.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

###",1,2026-07-02T06:20:02Z,2026-07-02T06:21:32Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-murray-sanders-lead-all-senate-democrats-in-demanding-trump-halt-illegal-move-to-undermine-special-ed-civil-rights-enforcement,"Baldwin, Murray, Sanders Lead All Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Halt Illegal Move to Undermine Special Ed, Civil Rights Enforcement",2026-06-30,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member on the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Bernie Sanders (VT-I), Ranking Member the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding the Trump administration put students first, follow the law, and immediately reverse course on transferring special education programs and civil rights enforcement out of the Department of Education (ED). These latest moves are part of the Trump administration’s explicit effort to dismantle ED, threatening key funding, support and services for students, schools, and families nationwide.

“The administration’s latest attempts to dismantle the Department of Education through the four Interagency Agreements (IAA) announced June 16, 2026 are outrageous and put the educational outcomes of students and their rights in the classroom at risk,” wrote the Senators in a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

On June 16, 2026, the Trump administration announced four Interagency Agreements (IAA) that would illegally move the administration of special education programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and vocational rehabilitation programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act from the ED to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They also transfer fundamental civil rights enforcement responsibility away from ED to the Department of Justice (DOJ). In their letter to ED Secretary Linda McMahon, Senators Baldwin, Murray, and Sanders demand that the Trump administration follow the law in which Congress authorized these programs to be carried out by ED, including most recently in annual bipartisan funding legislation for Fiscal Year 2026.

Despite announcing this illegal transfer of programs, this Administration has refused to provide information regarding what office within HHS will carry out special education programs, leaving teachers, students, and families with even greater uncertainty about where to turn to ensure their rights are protected. Burying special education programs in a sprawling HHS with significant other responsibilities, instead of at a Department of Education a fraction of the size solely focused on education, will jeopardize outcomes for students with disabilities.

The most recent reauthorization of IDEA passed by Congress reiterates that the responsibility for administering the law is clearly vested with ED, along with various duties vested in the Secretary of Education, including allotting funds to States and carrying out oversight among other activities. However, the law does not contain any provisions that would permit ED to offload its responsibilities for special education or vocational rehabilitation programs to another agency.

“Special education and vocational rehabilitation are education programs. Any attempt to move these programs to HHS would fundamentally alter the purposes of these services, upending fifty years of work that took place at the federal, state, and local level to improve educational and employment outcomes for people with disabilities,” wrote the Senators. “It appears the administration values its backward goal of dismantling ED over the faithful execution of the law and improving opportunities and outcomes for children, youth, and students with disabilities.”

These transfers come as the Administration has successfully worked to undermine core functions and statutory responsibilities of ED, following sweeping and unlawful firings, workforce reductions, and reorganization last year that have already undermined the very goals of the Education Department. At the same time, ED moved almost all programs supporting elementary and secondary education to multiple agencies with limited capacity and expertise administering similar programs. Wasting time and resources to scatter education programs all over the federal government does nothing to help children and families while only making it more complicated for states and school districts to administer important federal funding. Further, isolating special education programs away from all other federal K-12 programs risks isolating students with disabilities themselves.

Meanwhile, the transfer of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) out of ED also comes as the Trump Administration has failed to uphold the federal government’s obligations to protect students from unlawful discrimination. In 2025, ED’s OCR reached the fewest resolution agreements in over 12 years and failed to reach a single resolution agreement related to sexual harassment, sexual violence, racial harassment, discriminatory school discipline, or the seclusion and restraint of children with disabilities, with over 12,000 pending cases that were under investigation by OCR at the start of this Administration.

Despite this backlog, the administration is attempting to illegally transfer OCR’s functions to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division (CRT), which has lost an estimated 75% of its civil rights staff attorneys since January 2025, making it wholly unequipped to handle the over 23,000 complaints OCR receives and evaluates annually. The Senators also raised concerns that while OCR is currently required to evaluate every single complaint it receives, DOJ CRT can pick and choose the cases it takes to court. Under this IAA, students whose complaints are not prioritized by DOJ CRT may never see their rights vindicated.

The Senators re-iterated that Congress appropriates annual funding to ED to help States and local educational agencies carry out programs and ensure children, youth, students, and families are served in accordance with federal law. The annual bipartisan appropriation bills approved by Congress do not provide affirmative authority to ED to transfer special education funding or vocational rehabilitation services to HHS, nor ED’s civil rights enforcement responsibilities to DOJ CRT.

“We have a simple demand: follow our nation’s education and appropriations laws as Congress wrote them to protect students’ most basic right to a quality education. More than 80 education, disability, parent, and civil rights groups have vocally opposed the recent IAAs and other departmental changes. We call on this administration to immediately cease implementing these IAAs, fully implement IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act as Congressionally directed, and take immediate action to strengthen civil rights enforcement—instead of burying students’ cases behind more bureaucracy. Our students and their families deserve nothing less,” concluded the Senators.

This letter was led by Senators Baldwin, Murray, and Sanders and co-signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mark Warner (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary McMahon:

The administration’s latest attempts to dismantle the Department of Education (“ED”) through the four Interagency Agreements (IAA) announced June 16, 2026 are outrageous and put the educational outcomes of students and their rights in the classroom at risk. These actions illegally move the administration of special education programs authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), vocational rehabilitation programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act), and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) from ED to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They also transfer fundamental civil rights enforcement responsibility away from ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division (DOJ CRT). Congress authorized these programs to be carried out by ED, and Congress annually appropriates funding to ED to carry out these authorized programs, including most recently in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. The administration’s actions fly in the face of what Congress has required, directly undermine every child’s right to a quality public education in this country, and must be immediately reversed.

Since ED was established, Congress charged it with the responsibility of carrying out special education and vocational rehabilitation programs and authorized the administration of these programs under the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). Similarly, Congress assigned civil rights enforcement responsibilities to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at OCR. The Department of Education Organization Act of 1979 explicitly prohibits the Secretary from abolishing any offices established under ED and from altering any assigned delegation of functions. You have also acknowledged in congressional testimony that only Congress can determine whether to dismantle ED and its programs. Make no mistake – the IAAs rolled out by this administration dismantle ED and illegally circumvent Congress. While ED’s purported position is that these are “proofs of concept” for Congress to codify, other statements from ED and White House staff contradict the alleged “temporary” nature of these moves. Last year, the White House even claimed that ED was “abolished.” ED has not been abolished, and it is not within the administration’s authority to move the administration of these programs to any other agency. In fact, Congress affirmed on a bipartisan, bicameral basis earlier this year, “that no authorities exist for the Department of Education to transfer its fundamental responsibilities under numerous authorizing and appropriations laws, including through procuring services from other Federal agencies…” and that these agreements will “create inefficiencies, result in additional costs to the American taxpayer, and cause delays and administration challenges in Federal funding reaching States, school districts, and schools.”

Special education and vocational rehabilitation are education programs. Any attempt to move these programs to HHS would fundamentally alter the purposes of these services, upending fifty years of work that took place at the federal, state, and local level to improve educational and employment outcomes for people with disabilities. It appears the administration values its backward goal of dismantling ED over the faithful execution of the law and improving opportunities and outcomes for children, youth, and students with disabilities. This administration has refused to provide information regarding what office within HHS will carry out these weighty responsibilities under this agreement because it has not been determined. This lack of forethought demonstrates how little concern it has for students with disabilities and their learning. The administration couldn’t possibly know that this will be in the best interest of children and families because it doesn’t even know where and how these programs will be administered in the future.

The most recent reauthorization of IDEA passed by Congress, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, reiterates that the responsibility for administering the law is clearly vested with ED. The law also vests the Secretary of Education with various duties, including allotting funds to States; carrying out monitoring and oversight of States’ implementation; reviewing and approving State performance plans required under the law; subsequently reviewing and making annual determinations of State compliance under law; and furnishing technical assistance to States; among other activities. However, the law does not contain any provisions that would permit ED to offload its responsibilities to another agency.

Congress created a clear federal oversight role for ED because of our nation’s ugly history of denying children with disabilities a free appropriate public education. This critical federal enforcement has allowed ED to maintain accountability and find States in violation of IDEA, such as when Texas set an illegal cap on special education identification leading to a deliberate under-identification of children with disabilities and when New Mexico failed to maintain appropriate state special education funding. Clearly, federal oversight is a necessary component of our nation’s special education system. Without it, families and children with disabilities are left to fight alone to secure services they are entitled to when schools and states fail to meet their obligations.

Additionally, Congress authorized the Secretary of Education to carry out vocational rehabilitation programs in Titles I, III, V, and VI of the Rehabilitation Act. Congress directed the Secretary to undertake various responsibilities in administering the vocational rehabilitation programs, including awarding grants to designated State agencies; approving unified State plans; establishing performance standards and indicators required under the law; and supporting designated State agencies in the provision of preemployment transition services including highlighting best state practices and consulting with other federal agencies; among other activities. Unsurprisingly, the Rehabilitation Act does not contain any provisions that would permit ED to offload its responsibilities to another agency.

These important responsibilities support nearly ten million individuals with disabilities and their families throughout our nation. ED’s actions have already caused them significant harm and uncertainty. This arrangement is the latest callous attack on Americans with disabilities who need quality services and rely on federal support. It follows the sweeping and unlawful firing of 121 employees at OSERS during the government shutdown—an action Congress ultimately had to reverse. This administration’s workforce reductions and reorganization last year also eviscerated ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), costing taxpayers up to $38 million, as mounting backlogs in OCR’s critical work left parents of students with disabilities in the dark about the status of their civil rights complaints. At the same time, ED moved almost all programs supporting elementary and secondary education to multiple agencies with limited capacity and expertise administering similar programs, segregating these programs from those supporting our youth with disabilities and compromising decades of progress toward inclusive education. Each of these actions has undermined ED’s ability to fulfill its obligations under IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act. ED is now illegally transferring responsibilities to HHS—an agency undergoing major disruptions and whose principal subagency charged with supporting individuals with disabilities was proposed for elimination by the administration—and DOJ—an agency that this administration is weaponizing against the American people. This is in addition to the responsibilities unlawfully assigned to other agencies through interagency agreements for which this administration still has not explained full costs, potential benefits, and operational details.

Under this administration, OCR has failed to uphold the federal government’s obligations to protect students from unlawful discrimination. ED’s decision to transfer fundamental civil rights enforcement responsibilities to DOJ CRT will only make things worse. In 2025, ED’s OCR reached the fewest resolution agreements in over 12 years and failed to reach a single resolution agreement related to sexual harassment, sexual violence, racial harassment, discriminatory school discipline, or the seclusion and restraint of children with disabilities. ED has repeatedly refused to answer basic questions regarding the status of over 12,000 pending cases that were under investigation by OCR at the start of this Administration.

Instead of correcting OCR’s disastrous track record under this administration and working to rebuild OCR after taking a hatchet to it, this administration has chosen to waste taxpayer funds attempting to illegally transfer OCR’s functions to DOJ CRT. Under this administration, DOJ CRT has lost an estimated 75% of its civil rights staff attorneys since January 2025. DOJ CRT is not equipped nor designed to handle the over 23,000 complaints OCR receives and evaluates annually. While OCR is required to evaluate every single complaint it receives, DOJ CRT uses prosecutorial discretion to pick and choose the cases it takes to court. Under this IAA, students whose complaints are not prioritized by DOJ CRT may never see their rights vindicated, meaning thousands of students facing discrimination are likely to be ignored by the federal government. This is an unacceptable outcome for the millions of students and families across the country.

Congress appropriates annual funding to ED to help States and local educational agencies carry out programs and ensure children, youth, students, and families are served in accordance with federal law. The annual bipartisan appropriation bills approved by Congress do not provide affirmative authority to ED to transfer special education funding or vocational rehabilitation services to HHS, nor ED’s civil rights enforcement responsibilities to DOJ CRT. In fact, the only transfer authority provided to ED by the annual appropriations bill is the authority to transfer one percent of discretionary funds between education appropriations accounts, so long as no such appropriation is increased by more than three percent by any such transfer. Such a limited transfer within ED is not what is contemplated here. Moreover, transfers of any other type, including the type contemplated by this IAA, are prohibited by section 512 of Division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which states, “None of the funds made available in this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriation Act.”

As with the authorizing statutes, the annual appropriations process clearly requires ED to carry out both IDEA and Rehabilitation Act programs and to operate OCR at ED. ED has the expertise in working with state educational agencies, state vocational rehabilitation agencies, and local school districts in the administration of special education and vocational rehabilitation programs and for resources and oversight in complying with federal civil rights laws. Schools in local communities and state educational agencies rely on the guidance and technical expertise from the educational experts at ED to carry out these programs. Congress recognizes the expertise that specific agencies provide and deliberately decides which agency to vest authority with when passing laws. Congress was clear when it vested ED with the authority to carry out special education programs in 2004, and vocational rehabilitation programs in 2014, and did not provide any mechanism in the law for ED to transfer that authority to another agency. The June 16th IAAs fly in the face of laws enacted by Congress, annual appropriations requirements, and practice in states.

We have a simple demand: follow our nation’s education and appropriations laws as Congress wrote them to protect students’ most basic right to a quality education. More than 80 education, disability, parent, and civil rights groups have vocally opposed the recent IAAs and other departmental changes. We call on this administration to immediately cease implementing these IAAs, fully implement IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act as Congressionally directed, and take immediate action to strengthen civil rights enforcement—instead of burying students’ cases behind more bureaucracy. Our students and their families deserve nothing less.

###",1,2026-07-01T06:34:07Z,2026-07-01T06:35:35Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/30/chairman-johnson-requests-information-from-medical-journal-on-removal-of-article-on-sudden-infant-death-syndrome-and-vaccines/,Chairman Johnson Requests Information from Medical Journal on Removal of Article on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Vaccines,2026-06-30,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON – On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, wrote to the journal Toxicology Reports and its owner, Elsevier, requesting documents explaining their decision to remove a previously published article by Neil Z. Miller titled “Vaccines and sudden infant death: An analysis of the VAERS database 1990-2019 and review of the medical literature.”

Miller’s article, which discussed the potential connection between Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and vaccines, had been published and was publicly available online for five years before Toxicology Reports removed it on April 9, 2026. The removal was reportedly driven by comments on X and PubPeer, raising concerns about the article.

Chairman Johnson’s letter follows Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s June 11, 2026 letter to the journal regarding the removal of Miller’s article.

“The decision to remove this peer-reviewed article five years after the article was first published raises questions about the integrity of the scientific review process at the journal,” Chairman Johnson wrote.

“We owe it to … all parents that have lost a child to SIDS to encourage and promote—instead of discourage and remove—medical research into the potential connection between vaccines and pediatric deaths,” Chairman Johnson concluded.

Read more about the chairman’s letter in The Defender.

Full text of the letter can be found here.

###",1,2026-07-01T06:34:07Z,2026-07-01T06:35:35Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-demand-usps-abandon-effort-to-carry-out-trumps-illegal-executive-order-restricting-vote-by-mail,"Baldwin, Colleagues Demand USPS Abandon Effort to Carry Out Trump’s Illegal Executive Order Restricting Vote by Mail",2026-06-25,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are demanding that the United States Postal Service (USPS) abandon its proposed rule to implement President Trump’s unconstitutional executive order to restrict voting by mail. The President’s executive order and the USPS’s proposed rule are a piece of the President’s efforts to interfere in the 2026 elections and restrict Americans from voting. The Senators’ demand comes on top of USPS’ late delivery of ballots during Wisconsin’s 2026 Spring Election, with two-thirds of Wisconsin clerks reporting problems during the April 7th election. This morning, a U.S. District Judge blocked the President’s executive order limiting Americans’ use of mail-in voting, but the Trump Administration is expected to appeal the ruling.

“We write for a second time regarding the unconstitutional and illegal attempt to transform the United States Postal Service into an election administration agency controlled by the White House and President Trump,” wrote the Senators.

“This proposed rule risks disenfranchising millions of voters. We again insist that you follow the law, refuse to implement President Trump’s Executive Order, and withdraw this presidentially-directed proposed rule,” the Senators continued.

President Trump’s executive order directs the Postal Service to create a federal mail-in voting list made up by states absentee voters’ information. Following this unconstitutional directive, USPS proposed a rule that would ultimately allow the Postal Service to determine whether millions of Americans can receive and cast ballots through the mail. Yesterday, in a U.S. Senate Committee hearing, Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed that if the rule is finalized, the Postal Service would refuse to deliver any mail-in ballots from states that did not comply with this new standard. This gives the USPS an unprecedented and illegal role in the administration of American elections. In the 2024 election, over 500,000 Wisconsinites voted by mail.

The Senators warned that the proposed rule would create a federally controlled national list of absentee voters, raising serious concerns about potential misuse and abuse. In court filings, the administration has acknowledged that the Department of Homeland Security is already in discussions with USPS about potentially comparing the list to DHS datasets. The senators raised concerns that combining USPS data with unreliable federal records could lead to eligible voters being disenfranchised, or voters and election officials being unfairly targeted for investigation.

“Ultimately, the proposed rule seeks to create a centralized national absentee voter database with individualized barcodes connected to the voters’ names under the control of the President that contains the voting information of millions of Americans,” wrote the Senators. “That information would be ripe for potential abuse or improper disclosure potentially imperiling the integrity of American elections.”

“Accordingly, we insist that the Postal Service abandon this proposed regulation and return to its core mission of providing universal postal services to every American. The Constitution and federal law demand nothing less,” the Senators concluded.

The letter comes as President Trump has taken an all-of-the-above approach to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 elections. In addition to his attempt to curtail legal mail-in voting, the President has repeatedly threatened to send federal agents into states’ polling places, repeated his claim about “rigged” elections more than 100 times, and sent FBI agents into Milwaukee to relitigate his 2020 election loss.

Senator Baldwin has repeatedly called on the USPS to address rate hikes and delays Wisconsinites are experiencing. In April, she demanded answers from Postmaster General David Steiner regarding long-term mail delays and staffing shortages at post offices across Wisconsin that are impacting local businesses, newspapers, and Wisconsin families who rely on USPS for prescriptions, bills, voting, and more.

The letter is led by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and co-signed by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Postmaster General Steiner, Chairwoman McReynolds, Vice Chairman Kan, Governor Stroman, and Governor Tangherlini:

We write for a second time regarding the unconstitutional and illegal attempt to transform the United States Postal Service (USPS) into an election administration agency controlled by the White House and President Trump. In April, 37 senators wrote to you after President Trump issued his Executive Order directing USPS to issue a rule to establish compulsory specifications for election mail and create a master absentee voter list of millions of American voters – with the power to refuse to deliver their ballots. In that letter we urged you not to implement the President’s unconstitutional Executive Order. The Order is a blatant violation of the Constitution, which vests the authority to regulate the time, place, and manner of federal elections with the states, subject to alterations made by Congress. We received no response to that letter and USPS is now taking explicit steps to implement the Order. No federal statute vests the President or USPS with any authority to regulate elections of any kind. Accordingly, multiple states and organizations have filed lawsuits challenging the Executive Order.

Despite these grave and serious legal deficiencies, on June 2, 2026, USPS published a proposed rule that, if finalized, would establish President Trump’s control over federal elections and allow USPS to adjudicate who can and cannot vote by mail. This proposed rule risks disenfranchising millions of voters. We again insist that you follow the law, refuse to implement President Trump’s Executive Order, and withdraw this presidentially-directed proposed rule.

The right to vote is the most sacred and cherished right of the American people. It is the bedrock of American democracy. The framers of our Constitution understood the dangers of centralizing power over federal elections and accordingly vested the primary authority to regulate the “times, places, and manner” of federal elections with the states, subject to alterations by statute enacted by Congress. The Constitution similarly vests the authority to determine the eligibility of voters with the states—not the President, and certainly not with USPS. The Constitution provides no role for USPS in regulating federal elections, and no statute delegates to USPS any authority to regulate elections or voter eligibility. The proposed rule does not grapple with these serious legal deficiencies. The proposal simply cites two sections of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 to justify USPS’s regulation of federal elections. These sections provide specific postal powers and general authorization to issue regulations but say nothing about regulating federal elections. Indeed, Title 39 explicitly says, “In providing services [...] the Postal Service shall not [...] make any undue or unreasonable discrimination among users of the mails,” – this proposal does the exact opposite.

It is universally understood that the Postal Service does not regulate or administer American elections. By statute, USPS is “an independent establishment of the executive branch” and its Board of Governors is protected from arbitrary removal by the President. This independence, which the proposed rule undermines, is the foundation of the nation’s trust in USPS’s ability to deliver the mail without fear or favor. The Postal Service acknowledged in a rulemaking just last year, “the Postal Service does not administer elections, establish the rules or deadlines that govern elections, or determine whether or how election jurisdictions utilize the mail.” This neutral and apolitical role to transmit the mail is critical to ensuring American voters trust that their ballots will be properly delivered. The proposed rule would fundamentally upend this longstanding and vital role of USPS, transforming them into a federal election administration agency – with frightening authorities to disenfranchise Americans.

The proposed rule USPS issued on June 2 suffers from all the same legal deficiencies of the Executive Order and cannot be lawfully implemented. The proposed rule would illegally condition a state’s exercise of its constitutional authority to utilize mail-in ballots on submitting its complete absentee voter rolls to USPS and complying with USPS mandatory election mail specifications. Specifically, the proposal requires any state that permits votes to be cast by mail to submit to USPS each absentee or mail-in voter’s name, address, and their unique Intelligent Mail Barcode. The regulation purports to permit only states to control which of their voters are enrolled on the new master list, but this new and unnecessary master list of American voters would then be controlled by USPS and ultimately President Trump.

In addition, the proposed rule requires that all mail ballots comply with new mandatory specifications, including that they have an election mail logo, a specific design, automation compatibility, and an Intelligent Mail Barcode unique to each voter. All ballots must also undergo design review by USPS prior to being mailed by an election jurisdiction. While some of these requirements are best practices, their compulsory nature creates new onerous, costly, and unfunded requirements on election jurisdictions that do not currently use these practices nor have the resources to do so. Furthermore, the new mandatory specifications provide the USPS with new and subjective authority to reject ballots, even for a missing or misprinted logo.

Critically, the proposed rule requires USPS to conduct a verification process to ensure that states comply with the regulation’s mandates prior to USPS accepting ballots and mailing them to voters. For such a consequential regulation of American democracy, the regulation stunningly lacks any detailed information about the process USPS intends to use to verify each piece of outbound election mail. Nevertheless, this new “verification process” empowers USPS to serve as the final arbiter of whether ballots meet the unilateral federal standards and are adequate to be delivered to voters – granting USPS the ultimate authority to decide which Americans can cast a ballot by mail.

What the proposal also makes clear is that if a state chooses not to provide USPS with their voter rolls that state cannot mail ballots to their voters, effectively prohibiting vote-by-mail in those states. Even if a state does provide USPS its voter rolls, USPS can still disenfranchise individual voters if their ballots do not meet USPS’s demanding requirements. While “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” stops the mail, under the regulation a missing election logo will. Nothing in federal law authorizes USPS to restrict states and voters from using the postal system to mail ballots.

This proposed regulation occurs as the federal government is demanding nearly every state’s voter rolls – an effort which has consistently been rejected by federal courts. Creating a master absentee voter list for the entire country is a backdoor mechanism to secure access to these voters’ names and addresses. And for states with universal vote-by-mail like California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Vermont (in general elections), the proposed regulation is a form of extreme coercion. It creates an untenable scenario, that requires these states to submit their entire voter rolls to the federal government or face the prospects of abandoning absentee voting altogether.

Furthermore, the proposed regulation explicitly articulates that one of its purposes is to assist federal law enforcement, raising serious legal and policy questions about how this information will be used. In fact, the Administration has acknowledged in recent court filings that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is currently having conversations with the Postal Service on how it could use the new master list of absentee voters and potentially compare it to DHS datasets. Given the ongoing efforts of the Administration to seek voter rolls and put them through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program, this coordination could lead to the USPS data being used in coordination with other risky and unreliable sources of information to disenfranchise American voters or even target voters or election officials for investigation.

The proposed rule also raises serious privacy concerns. Ultimately, the proposed rule seeks to create a centralized national absentee voter database with individualized barcodes connected to the voters’ names under the control of the President that contains the voting information of millions of Americans. That information would be ripe for potential abuse or improper disclosure potentially imperiling the integrity of American elections. The proposal provides no discussion of how USPS would safeguard this crucial information and every American’s right to a secret ballot. USPS simply states that its explanation of its privacy controls is “forthcoming.” Compiling a master list of mail-in and absentee voter data is incredibly dangerous in the modern era.

Lastly, notwithstanding the regulation’s major constitutional and legal violations, the proposed timeline and scope is not feasible. The proposed regulation demands that the Postal Service set up an entirely new system and database to process and transmit millions of absentee ballots that is secure and accessible to every American election official, just months prior to a general election. The Postal Service already issued its election mail guidance in January, and states and local governments have been planning accordingly – they will have no ability to change course to respond to this rule. This endeavor will also allegedly be accomplished without any dedicated resources or funding at a time when the Postal Service’s finances are under immense strain. In fact, the Postal Service has recently suspended regular retirement contributions and placed limits on all non-essential spending. As such, it is wholly unworkable and impractical.

Accordingly, we insist that the Postal Service abandon this proposed regulation and return to its core mission of providing universal postal services to every American. The Constitution and federal law demand nothing less.

Sincerely,

###",1,2026-06-26T06:29:35Z,2026-06-26T06:31:46Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-marks-4-year-anniversary-of-dobbs-decision-overturning-roe-v-wade,Baldwin Marks 4-Year Anniversary of Dobbs Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade,2026-06-24,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) marked the four-year anniversary of the United States Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade by hosting a virtual press conference alongside Planned Parenthood’s Tanya Atkinson and Wisconsin storyteller Laurel Marcinkus from Kenosha. While women in Wisconsin lived under an 1849 criminal abortion ban for 18 months following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, 27 million women still live in states with abortion bans.

“When we talk about Roe being overturned, we’re talking about half of Americans losing a constitutionally protected right and freedom to make their own decisions about their own bodies. While we won a hard-fought victory in restoring abortion access in Wisconsin, 69 out of our 72 counties still do not have access to this essential health care,” said Senator Baldwin. “But Republicans and Donald Trump continue to chip away at what is left of women’s right to choose. These attacks aren’t going to stop unless we make clear in law that the government has no place making decisions for women, and I’m not throwing in the towel until that goal is reached.”

""Dobbs did not create freedom—it created chaos. It replaced personal medical decisions with political interference, and women have paid the price. Four years later, the evidence is undeniable: when politicians make health care decisions, people get hurt,” said Tanya Atkinson, CEO and President of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. “We need constitutional and statutory protections that guarantee every person—not the government—the right to make their own health care decisions.""

“I became pregnant in the fall of 2022 but developed a life-threatening blood clot in my uterus between 20 and 21 weeks gestation. Doctors told me that my labor needed to be induced to save my life, but due to Wisconsin's abortion ban at the time, I had to wait hours for care as I bled. When my labor finally was induced, my daughter survived for two hours after birth before dying in my arms. I was so sick from waiting and bleeding, that it is difficult for me to recall the time that I did have with my daughter, which has been a great source of trauma for me. Not only did an abortion ban strip me of my rights and my ability to give my daughter a proper goodbye but it stripped me of my dignity too,” said Laurel Marcinkus from Kenosha. “My daughter's name is Ember and for those who aren't aware, in a dwindling fire the ember is the last, lone flame that refuses to burn out. To me, it represents hope. To anyone who may hear my story and my truth, I ask you to please, carry the ember with you. Carry my daughter with you, carry my story with you and carry the same hope that I have for change.”

Since the Dobbs decision overturned national protections for abortion under Roe v. Wade four years ago, American women have been feeling the impacts:

20 states now have total abortion bans or severe abortion restrictions.

Nearly 40% of reproductive-age women — nearly 27 million women —live in states with bans, including more than half of Black women in the country.

Nearly 63 million women and girls live in states with abortion bans or severe restrictions.

More than 47 million women of reproductive age live in states where clinics have closed or where access to medication abortion is under attack.

Women living in abortion ban states are nearly twice as likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth, or shortly after giving birth than women in states where abortion remains legal.

Black mothers in abortion-ban states are 3.3 times more likely to die than white mothers in those states.

In Texas, after the state's near-total abortion ban took effect, the rate of sepsis among women hospitalized for second-trimester pregnancy loss increased by more than 50%.

Senator Baldwin leads the entire Democratic caucus on legislation to restore Roe and safeguard abortion access – including banning requirements for medically unnecessary interventions like mandatory ultrasounds, counselling, or waiting periods. On Tuesday, she also introduced two bills to help offset the cost of travel-related expenses for women who are trying to get reproductive care and support training for health care providers and students who are forced to travel out-of-state to complete their education in comprehensive reproductive care.

A full recording of Senator Baldwin’s virtual press conference on the Dobbs anniversary is available here.

###",1,2026-06-25T06:30:03Z,2026-06-25T06:31:21Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/in-lead-up-to-anniversary-of-roe-being-overturned-baldwin-leads-bills-to-expand-access-to-abortion-care,"In Lead up to Anniversary of Roe Being Overturned, Baldwin Leads Bills to Expand Access to Abortion Care",2026-06-23,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the four-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision overturning Roe v. Wade, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Patty Murray (D-WA) today introduced two bills to help Americans access abortion as Republicans continue to chip away at women’s fundamental right to make their own decisions about their bodies. The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade created a health care crisis across the country, with 27 million women living under abortion bans. Meanwhile, Republicans have doubled down on their efforts to further ban abortion, punish women and doctors, and rip away access to basic health care for women across America.

The Reproductive Travel Fund Act would help offset the cost of travel-related expenses for women who are trying to get reproductive care. The Reproductive Health Care Training Act would support training for health care providers and students who are forced to travel out-of-state just to access comprehensive reproductive care training like abortion.

“Four years ago, Donald Trump, Republicans, and an activist Supreme Court walked our country backwards and stripped women in America of the right to control their lives. For 18-months in Wisconsin, we saw the deadly fallout from the Dobbs decision as women were forced to bleed out in parking lots, develop life-threatening infections, or travel hours across state lines just to get the health care they needed,” said Senator Baldwin. “We need to restore these rights and freedoms for Americans, but until we do, it’s essential that women can still get the abortion care they need and have the ability to control their bodies. I’m proud to lead these bills to help Americans overcome barriers to care and ensure no woman is left without somewhere to turn in their time of crisis.”

“Republicans’ nonstop attacks on reproductive health care are threatening women’s health across the country. From forcing women to carry dangerous pregnancies to term, to defunding clinics that provide legal abortion care—it is clear as day that the Republicans’ goal has always been a nationwide abortion ban,” said Senator Murray. “Which is why Senator Baldwin and I are continuing to fight to ensure women have access to reproductive health care, no matter where they live. These common-sense bills will support critical training for health care providers to provide abortion care, including providers who have to travel out of state for training, and make sure women can freely travel between states for health care. Every woman deserves to have control over her own body and make her own health care decisions. We will keep fighting to restore women’s reproductive freedom across the country.”

The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act would set up a grant program, authorized at $350 million per year for FY27 through FY31, to help ease the financial burden associated with traveling long distances to access safe and legal reproductive health care. Specifically, the bill would allow the Treasury Secretary to award grants to eligible entities to pay for travel-related expenses and practical support for individuals accessing abortion services. Funds, made available through a competitive grant, could be used for travel, lodging, meals, childcare, and more.

The Reproductive Health Care Training Act would establish a program to award grants or contracts to eligible entities for expanding and supporting education for students, residents, or advanced practice clinicians in states that permit comprehensive training in abortion care. Grants would be available to health professions schools and academic health centers to offset the additional costs associated with training providers in a post-Roe world. The bill would:

Allow funds to be used for clinical training and development of educational programs in abortion care, instructor and faculty development, stipends to support access to training, and improving care in medically underserved areas, amongst other uses.

Prioritize funds for clinical training in states that provide comprehensive abortion care, supports training for those from places where abortion care is otherwise limited, and are institutions that are minority serving or provide training to increase the representation of minority health professionals.

Since the Dobbs decision, Senator Baldwin has been leading the charge to restore abortion care across the United States. Last year, Senator Baldwin led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025, legislation to guarantee access to abortion everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of Americans. She also co-sponsors the Right to Contraception Act, legislation that would create a statutory right to obtain and use contraceptives and ensure health care providers have a right to provide contraceptives, contraception, and share information about this essential care.

A one-pager on the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act is available here. Full text of this legislation is available here. The bill is supported by Reproductive Freedom for All, National Abortion Federation, National Partnership for Women & Families, Power to Decide, National Network of Abortion Funds, Guttmacher Institute, National Women’s Law Center, and National Asian Pacific American Woman’s Forum. This bill is also co-sponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

A one-pager on the Reproductive Health Care Training Act is available here. Full text of this legislation is available here. The bill is supported by Power to Decide, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, UW Health, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. This bill is also co-sponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

###",1,2026-06-24T06:25:30Z,2026-06-24T06:26:49Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/watch-baldwin-questions-trumps-alleged-deal-with-iran-urges-colleagues-to-vote-to-end-war,"WATCH: Baldwin Questions Trump’s Alleged Deal with Iran, Urges Colleagues to Vote to End War",2026-06-23,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) spoke on the Senate floor, slamming Trump’s alleged deal with Iran and calling on her colleagues to end Trump’s war of choice. Baldwin’s floor speech comes ahead of the Senate vote on the House-passed Iran War Powers Resolution. The measure cleared the House earlier this month with support from four House Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to stop the war.

Senator Baldwin has been an outspoken critic of President Trump’s illegal war with Iran and has repeatedly forced votes in the Senate to end Trump’s war of choice that is hurting Wisconsin farmers, families, and servicemembers. Senator Baldwin has traveled across Wisconsin, hearing from farmers about how President Trump’s war of choice is jacking up the cost of fertilizer and fuel and hurting their operations.

A full recording of Senator Baldwin’s floor speech is available here.

###",1,2026-06-24T06:25:30Z,2026-06-24T06:26:49Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-baldwin-votes-to-pass-biggest-housing-bill-in-30-years,NEWS: Baldwin Votes to Pass Biggest Housing Bill in 30 Years,2026-06-22,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) voted to pass the updated 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill to build more affordable housing, bring down housing costs, and stop Wall Street from buying up local homes. The Senate passed the bipartisan bill 85-5, and it now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.

“No matter where I travel in Wisconsin, whether it's big cities like Milwaukee and Madison or small villages like Brandon and Biron, everyone is struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living – and housing is at the top of that list of monthly expenses,” said Senator Baldwin. “Homeownership feels increasingly out of reach for too many families, and our bipartisan bill would be a step in the right direction so families can put down roots and live in the communities they love. Our bill will cut red tape and make it easier to get shovels in the ground and build more affordable housing. After years of working on it, I’m glad that we are finally cracking down on Wall Street investors that come into our communities, buy up single-family homes, and jack up prices for families or cut them out entirely.”",1,2026-06-23T06:27:52Z,2026-06-23T06:29:20Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-stop-trump-from-using-military-or-federal-law-enforcement-to-interfere-with-elections,"Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stop Trump from Using Military or Federal Law Enforcement to Interfere with Elections",2026-06-18,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are introducing a new bill to protect Americans’ constitutional right to vote and prevent federal interference by armed military or federal law enforcement. The Protect Our Polls Act defends our free and fair elections, preserves the apolitical nature of our military, and protects servicemembers from illegal orders. The bill comes as President Trump has openly floated sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents to local polling locations.

“Our democracy depends on Americans being able to show up to the ballot box and have their voices heard,” said Senator Baldwin. “But that’s all at risk this November as President Trump openly weighs sending in armed federal agents to our schools, churches, fire stations, and other polling locations. President Trump has shown time and again he’s willing to use and abuse the full force of the federal government to intimidate and harm Americans, punish his enemies, and get his way. And that is just what he is trying to do this November because he is afraid accountability is coming for him. We can’t allow President Trump to come between Americans and their constitutional right to vote, and that’s why we are fighting to protect Americans’ access to the ballot box, stop President Trump from surging federal agents to our polling locations, and make sure your voice is heard.”

The Protect Our Polls Act closes an existing loophole by requiring Congress to pass a Joint Resolution of Approval before the president can send troops or federal law enforcement to election sites. The President must also provide Congress with intelligence, legal justification, and evidence that state or local government cannot handle a threat on their own, at least 48 hours before deploying forces. The bill also prohibits military personnel and federal agencies from accessing election records preserved under federal law and reinforces the longstanding law that elections should be administered by civilian authorities free from intimidation or military interference.

The introduction of the bill comes as President Trump has taken an all-of-the-above approach to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 elections. The President has repeatedly threatened to send federal agents into states’ polling places. In various hearings or to the press, eight of the President’s appointees have refused to rule out sending troops or law enforcement. He has also said Republicans should nationalize voting in at least 15 states.?

The President has also attempted to curtail legal mail-in voting. He signed an executive order in March to restrict mail-in-voting, and USPS released proposed rules earlier this month to deny vote-by-mail to any state that refuses to hand over its voter rolls.?In Wisconsin, communities have already experienced major delays in ballots arriving at polling locations on time to be counted, resulting in hundreds of Wisconsinites not having their votes counted.

In just the last six months, President Trump has repeated his claim about “rigged” elections at least 107 times.?The President has also sent FBI agents into Milwaukee to relitigate his 2020 election loss, interviewing election officials and police officers. President Trump has also attempted to seize ballots in Georgia, Michigan, and Arizona, and sued 30 states for their voter rolls.

The Protect Our Polls Act is led by Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and also cosponsored by Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

Full text of the bill is available here.

###",1,2026-06-19T06:50:32Z,2026-06-19T06:53:40Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-duckworth-lead-bill-to-protect-and-expand-the-rights-of-airplane-passengers-with-disabilities,"Baldwin, Duckworth Lead Bill to Protect and Expand the Rights of Airplane Passengers with Disabilities",2026-06-18,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) are introducing the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act, a bill to protect and expand the rights of airplane passengers with disabilities and improve air travel safety. Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV-01) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Every American deserves to be treated with dignity and feel safe when they are traveling, but for far too long, passengers with disabilities, including our veterans, have been left behind. I have heard firsthand from Wisconsinites who’ve had their wheelchairs – the tool that lets them live a free and independent life – damaged by airlines, and it’s simply unacceptable,” said Senator Baldwin. “Our bill will ensure every American, no matter their ability, gets the respect they deserve when traveling.”

“No traveler should face barriers while traveling because of their disability,” said Senator Duckworth. “I hear so many frustrating stories from those who have experienced their wheelchair getting damaged, assistance being delayed and their needs for onboard accommodations just outright ignored—and it has to stop. Our legislation would help protect the rights of passengers with disabilities and provide them with the support they need when airlines fall short.”

“People with disabilities shouldn't have to face extra obstacles when they travel,” said Rep. Titus. “They deserve equal access to our airports and airplanes. This legislation will expand their rights and safety while making air travel more convenient and accommodating for all.”

“This legislation protects the rights of the flying public with disabilities and will improve overall safety for passengers,” said Rep. Cohen. “As a polio survivor with post-polio syndrome, I am proud to support legislation that seeks to make travel more accommodating for those living with disabilities.”

For over 40 years, the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) has prohibited discrimination based on disability in air travel. Despite this progress, too many travelers with disabilities encounter significant barriers, such as damaged assistive devices and wheelchairs, delayed assistance, unclear communications, and a lack of onboard accommodations.

The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act will protect and expand the rights of air passengers with disabilities and improve air travel safety by:

Requiring the Secretary of Transportation to assess civil penalties for Air Carrier Access Act violations and refer patterns of discrimination to the Department of Justice;

Granting individuals with disabilities a private right of action in civil court; and

Expressing a sense of Congress that legislation is necessary to ensure that individuals with disabilities have adequate remedies available when air carriers violate the ACAA.

Senator Baldwin has long been a leading advocate for passengers with disabilities. In 2024, Baldwin successfully fought to include key provisions in the bipartisan FAA reauthorization bill to ensure airplanes are designed to accommodate people with disabilities.

The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act is also co-sponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).

The legislation is supported by Paralyzed Veterans of America, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), American Cochlear Implant Alliance (ACI Alliance), Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), American Legion, I AM ALS, American Council of the Blind, Cure SMA, United Spinal Association, Periodic Paralysis Association, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Student Veterans of America (SVA), The Arc, Epilepsy Foundation of America, and Hearing Loss Association of America.

“Paralyzed Veterans of America has championed safe and accessible air travel for decades, fighting for exactly the reform reflected in the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act. Passengers with disabilities, especially our nation’s catastrophically disabled veterans, deserve to fly safely and with dignity. Stronger penalties, real enforcement, and a private right of action are precisely what it takes to turn civil rights protections into reality. This bill meets the standard our community has fought for, and PVA is fully committed to working with Sen. Baldwin to see it become law,” said Heather Ansley, Chief Policy Officer, Paralyzed Veterans of America.

“The Muscular Dystrophy Association thanks Senator Baldwin for her leadership on improving the air travel experience for passengers with disabilities. While the Air Carrier Access Act turns 40 this year, passengers with neuromuscular diseases continue to experience significant barriers to air travel, including damaged wheelchairs, physical harm, and inadequate assistance. Until passengers using wheelchairs can fly from the safety and comfort of their mobility devices, more needs to be done to ensure the neuromuscular disease community can fully exercise their rights under the law, which is why MDA proudly supports the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act,” said Sharon Hesterlee, PhD, President and CEO, Muscular Dystrophy Association.

“Disabled people have been promised nondiscrimination in air travel for forty years, yet they are still left stranded, injured, and in the worst cases killed — with no way to hold airlines accountable in court. The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act corrects a glaring injustice by giving disabled travelers the private right of action that every other civil rights law guarantees, backed by real penalties and Department of Justice enforcement. DREDF proudly supports this long-overdue bill,” said Michelle Uzeta, Executive Director, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF).

“We are incredibly grateful to Senator Baldwin for reintroducing the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act and for all of her support for families impacted by ALS,” said Andrea Goodman, CEO of I AM ALS. “People living with ALS and their caregivers experience constant mobility challenges. This bill will make air travel safer, more accessible, and easier for our community.”

“Despite past legislative improvements, people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and other disabilities continue to face wheelchair damage, seat transfer injuries, and other serious barriers when traveling by air,” said Kenneth Hobby, President of Cure SMA. “Cure SMA supports the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act and applauds Senator Baldwin for her leadership in advancing accessible air travel through stronger enforcement and meaningful accountability remedies for passengers.""

“The American Council of the Blind strongly supports comprehensive legislative updates that ensure people who are blind or have low vision can navigate airports, board aircraft and travel with the same independence and respect afforded for all. Air travel should be accessible and dignified for every traveler, regardless of vision status,” said Scott Thornhill, Executive Director, American Council of the Blind.

""Everyone deserves to fly safely and with dignity. All too often, air travel becomes unsafe for wheelchair users. The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act will allow individuals who have had their wheelchairs broken or who have been otherwise harmed during air travel to seek justice through the courts. The United Spinal Association applauds Senator Baldwin’s bill and will work with her and our national network of grassroots advocates to make this measure of fairness federal law,” said Stephen Lieberman, Senior Director of Advocacy and Policy for United Spinal Association.

A one-pager on this bill is available here. Full text of this bill is available here.

###",1,2026-06-19T06:50:32Z,2026-06-19T06:53:40Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/18/chairman-johnson-questions-cdc-awarding-pfizer-1-24-billion-for-mrna-covid-19-vaccines-after-fda-officials-recommended-warning-of-fatal-outcomes/,Chairman Johnson Questions CDC Awarding Pfizer $1.24 Billion for mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines After FDA Officials Recommended Warning of Fatal Outcomes,2026-06-18,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raising concerns about the CDC recently awarding Pfizer two contracts for its mRNA COVID-19 vaccines valued at approximately $1.24 billion.

In conjunction with the letter, Chairman Johnson released a December 5, 2025 email, in which FDA officials recommended changing the label on mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to include “myocarditis with fatal outcomes.” Chairman Johnson raised questions about the extent to which this proposed label change was considered by other FDA officials, particularly in light of the new Pfizer vaccine contracts.

The letter also revealed that in late 2025, FDA officials initially assessed ten cases of pediatric deaths to be probably or possibly connected to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Communications enclosed in the chairman’s letter show FDA officials discussing their plans to eventually reduce the number of pediatric deaths probably or possibly connected to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines which was then reflected in their December 5, 2025 memo. Chairman Johnson released that memo as an enclosure in his May 11, 2026 letter to HHS.

“The decision to award these contracts raises questions about CDC’s commitment to vaccine safety,” Chairman Johnson wrote.

“The safety issues with the COVID-19 injections that the Subcommittee has uncovered so far should have raised serious concerns at HHS and CDC about the mRNA COVID-19 injections. Instead, CDC’s reported awarding of approximately $1.24 billion in new contracts to Pfizer for a vaccine linked to serious adverse events—including potentially the deaths of children—suggests CDC continues to fail to take its vaccine safety responsibilities seriously,” Chairman Johnson concluded.

Read more about the chairman’s letter in The Daily Caller.

Full text of the letter can be found here.

###",1,2026-06-19T06:50:32Z,2026-06-19T06:53:40Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-leads-resolution-to-overturn-trump-affordable-care-act-rule-that-will-jack-up-costs-terminate-care-for-millions,"Baldwin Leads Resolution to Overturn Trump Affordable Care Act Rule that Will Jack Up Costs, Terminate Care for Millions",2026-06-17,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led their colleagues in introducing a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to repeal the Trump Administration’s rule that will undermine the Affordable Care Act marketplace, terminating coverage for up to two million Americans, raising out-of-pocket costs, and making it easier for insurance companies to cover fewer services. Once introduced, Senator Baldwin can and will force the Senate to vote on this Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to repeal this disastrous rule and protect Americans’ coverage.

“For over a decade, Donald Trump and Republicans have worked to gut the Affordable Care Act without any plan to replace it, leaving millions of Americans paying higher costs for worse coverage,” said Senator Baldwin. “This misguided rule is part and parcel of that plan, and I’m committed to doing everything I can to stop them from kicking Americans off their health care and lower insurance costs for working families. When Americans buy insurance, they expect the coverage to be there when they need it. But under Trump’s rule, families will be shortchanged – getting worse coverage for more of their hard-earned money.”

“Since taking office, Trump and Congressional Republicans have repeatedly put billionaires over the American people—dismantling the Affordable Care Act and leaving millions unable to afford life-saving care, all to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations,” said Leader Schumer. “If Trump’s rule is finalized, it will kick millions off their health insurance, families will face even higher health care costs, and patients will have worse options for care. But Congress can stop it, and I urge my Republican colleagues to do the right thing: vote with us to put patients over profits.”

“At every opportunity, Republicans have made Americans’ health care more expensive and handed more power to big insurance companies,” said Senator Wyden. “Trump’s latest attack on affordable health care includes sleazy schemes to let insurance companies sell you plans with sky high deductibles then turn around and offer you a loan to pay for the care you can’t afford. This vote will be an opportunity to show American families where each party stands on affordable health care.”

The Trump Administration’s rule promotes the use of catastrophic health plans with extremely high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, loosens physician network requirements for plans, and proposes that insurers be allowed to offer “non-network” plans that may not cover the cost of care. This would make it easier for insurers to raise out-of-pocket costs, sell new kinds of junk insurance coverage, increase working families’ deductibles, cover fewer services, and kick more providers out of network.

The result would be worse coverage at higher costs, including:

Terminate Insurance for Up to 2M: According to CMS estimates, the rule would reduce enrollment in ACA plans by up to 2 million.

Jack Up Costs: Insurance would become more unaffordable. For example, bronze plans would have maximum out-of-pocket costs of $15,600 for an individual or $31,200 for a family in 2027 – almost the entire income of an individual earning at the federal poverty level.

Reduce Benefits: Benefits may be reduced in many states – meaning Americans could lose access to coverage for substance use disorder treatment, hearing aids, or other critical services.

Increase Red Tape: Paperwork burden would increase on 4.7 million Americans, making it more difficult for them to get the coverage they deserve and kicking millions off their insurance.

Cut off Americans from their Doctors: Access to providers would decrease as insurance companies sell non-network health plans – with unlimited costs to consumers – and reduce the number of providers in their networks.

The Senators’ CRA resolution would repeal this destructive rule under the Congressional Review Act. Repealing this rule would prevent millions of Americans from losing their health insurance, stop working families from facing astronomical out-of-pocket costs, and make it harder for insurance companies to take advantage of Americans by selling them junk insurance.

The resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY-03) also introduced this resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives today.

Senator Baldwin has long pushed back against Republicans’ attempts to hollow out the Affordable Care Act and support Americans who rely on the marketplace for coverage. Earlier this year, she led her colleagues in demanding that the Trump Administration reverse course on its harmful proposed rule. Senator Baldwin has long pushed to curb the expansion of junk health insurance plans culminating in the Biden Administration heeding her years-long call to limit the availability of short-term limited duration insurance in 2024.

More information about this resolution is available here. Full text of this resolution is available here.

###",1,2026-06-18T06:41:00Z,2026-06-18T06:43:25Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-slams-trumps-latest-illegal-move-to-shut-down-department-of-education-kick-special-education-civil-rights-out-of-department,"Baldwin Slams Trump’s Latest Illegal Move to Shut Down Department of Education, Kick Special Education, Civil Rights Out of Department",2026-06-16,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), slammed the Trump Administration’s latest move in their effort to shut down the Department of Education and kick oversight and support of special education programs and civil rights enforcement out of the Department. The Trump Administration today announced that the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, which oversees the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will move to an unknown part of the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services and the Office for Civil Rights will move to the Justice Department.

“For no other reason than he thought it sounded good on the campaign trail, President Trump is doing everything he can to dismantle the Department of Education, whatever the consequences for students and families,” said Senator Baldwin. “Neither of these moves will do anything to make sure our students get a better public education or have a safe place to learn. In fact, it will do the opposite. Taking special education out of the Department of Education and moving it to another department that has next to zero expertise in education programs makes zero sense. This is illegal and worse, risks children with disabilities not getting the support they need. Wisconsin families just want to send their children to school knowing they are safe, have the support they need, and are treated fairly under the law. Instead, the Trump administration is undermining all of that and causing more chaos, confusion, and making their lives harder.”

Senator Baldwin has been an outspoken critic of President Trump’s stated goal of dismantling the Department of Education and continued efforts to withhold funding from American students and schools, including pushing Sec. McMahon on Trump’s budget that cuts $6 billion from K-12 schools, including $105 million for Wisconsin’s public schools.

###",1,2026-06-17T06:49:24Z,2026-06-17T06:50:53Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-calls-on-republican-leaders-to-bring-bipartisan-bill-to-cap-insulin-at-35-up-for-a-vote,Baldwin Calls on Republican Leaders to Bring Bipartisan Bill to Cap Insulin at $35 Up for a Vote,2026-06-15,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is calling on Majority Leader John Thune to bring the bipartisan legislation she co-sponsors to make insulin more accessible for millions of Americans to the Senate floor for a vote. The Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act caps the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 per month, helping millions of Americans afford the medication they need. With 60 bipartisan co-sponsors, the bill has enough support to overcome a filibuster and pass the Senate.

“No one should have to go without the medication they need to stay healthy, and that includes the hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites who rely on insulin every day. But as the rising cost of everything puts a strain on families’ budgets, too many of our neighbors are being forced to make hard choices between paying rent or putting food on the table and affording the sometimes lifesaving medications they need,” said Senator Baldwin. “The INSULIN Act would cap out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans, saving them money and giving them one less thing to worry about each month — and I’m proud we have earned enough support from my Democratic and Republican colleagues to pass this bill. Now, it’s time for Majority Leader Thune to bring this up for a vote so we can deliver some much-needed relief to Wisconsinites.”

A report from the American Diabetes Association that shows the cost of diabetes in America, including the cost of insulin, continues to skyrocket for patients and the federal government. More than 40 million Americans live with diabetes, including over 526,000 Wisconsinites. The disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, claiming over 100,000 lives in 2021. It is also the most expensive chronic condition in the nation, costing Americans a combined total of $412.9 billion per year. The rising cost of insulin presents a barrier to care for a growing number of Americans living with diabetes; 1 in 4 individuals report reducing insulin use due to cost.

The INSULIN Act would directly address the root problems in the insulin market causing high list prices, while simultaneously extending vital patient protections, fostering competition, and broadening access to needed insulin products. More information about this bill is available here.

Senator Baldwin has long advocated for holding big drug companies accountable and expanding access to affordable health care for Wisconsinites. In 2022, she helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which for the first time allows Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and caps the cost of insulin at $35-a-month for Medicare recipients. The INSULIN Act builds on that momentum to cap out-of-pocket costs for all Americans who rely on insulin.

###",1,2026-06-16T06:53:21Z,2026-06-16T06:55:02Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-baldwin-urges-trump-admin-to-immediately-address-new-world-screwworm-outbreak,Senator Baldwin Urges Trump Admin to Immediately Address New World Screwworm Outbreak,2026-06-15,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take immediate action to contain and respond to the outbreak of New World Screwworm (NWS) in the United States.

The parasitic fly is a threat to livestock, farm workers, wildlife, and rural economies across the country. So far, twelve active cases of New World screwworm have been confirmed by the USDA.

“We write with great concern regarding the current outbreak of New World Screwworm (NWS) within the United States and the growing threat this pest poses to livestock producers, farm workers, companion animals, wildlife, and rural economies across the country,” wrote the Senators. “Since June 3, 2026, the United States Department of Agriculture has confirmed at least seven cases of New World Screwworm in Texas and New Mexico. Due to the scale of the animal health threat that New World Screwworm poses to the United States, we urge the USDA to take further immediate action to contain and respond to this emergency.”

“We are aware that the USDA has engaged in preliminary efforts to contain this outbreak, including enhanced surveillance, sterile fly releases, coordination with animal health officials in Texas and New Mexico, and the confirmation that the U.S. food supply remains safe,” the Senators continued. “These actions are critical first steps, but the evolving situation demands additional actions to ensure that the United States is adequately responding to the significance of this threat.”

The letter was led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and co-signed by 16 other Senate colleagues.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Rollins:

We write with great concern regarding the current outbreak of New World Screwworm (NWS) within the United States and the growing threat this pest poses to livestock producers, farm workers, companion animals, wildlife, and rural economies across the country. Since June 3, 2026, the United States Department of Agriculture has confirmed at least seven cases of New World Screwworm in Texas and New Mexico. Due to the scale of the animal health threat that New World Screwworm poses to the United States, we urge the USDA to take further immediate action to contain and respond to this emergency.

We are aware that the USDA has engaged in preliminary efforts to contain this outbreak, including enhanced surveillance, sterile fly releases, coordination with animal health officials in Texas and New Mexico, and the confirmation that the U.S. food supply remains safe. These actions are critical first steps, but the evolving situation demands additional actions to ensure that the United States is adequately responding to the significance of this threat.

To strengthen the federal response, we urge USDA to explore and utilize the following measures:

Expand Countermeasure Production

Expand and accelerate the production of sterile flies, including surges in research investments to support innovation in NWS containment and eradication, similar to the New World Screwworm Grand Challenge Funding Opportunity.

Coordinate and expedite approval with other federal agencies for technologies that prove to be safe and effective.

Explore authorities under the Defense Production Act and, if feasible, use these authorities to expand production of veterinary countermeasures and sterile flies.

Identify partnership opportunities to contract with Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories to expand sterile fly production.

Improve Government Coordination and Outreach

Incentivize reporting through the implementation of indemnification for livestock and poultry producers who report suspected cases of New World Screwworm, modeled after the indemnification program for milk losses from dairy cattle due to avian flu.

Provide additional funding for education and outreach to livestock and poultry organizations and other impacted stakeholders at the local and state level, including outreach through trusted partners like Land-Grant Universities and the Cooperative Extension System.

Activate all available accredited USDA veterinarians to increase surveillance of New World Screwworm and, in their role as mandated reporters of foreign animal pests and diseases, underscore the requirement to immediately report any suspected cases of NWS.

Call an emergency meeting of USDA New World Screwworm leadership, border state commissioners of agriculture, and state veterinarians to coordinate on surveillance, deployment of staff for inspections, and USDA’s capacity to deploy sterile flies in areas that could be impacted.

Increase outreach and funding for all states that are viable habitats for a long-term infestation of New World Screwworm.

Increase USDA Capacity

Use direct hiring authorities to expand current Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service including Veterinary Services and Wildlife Services, Agricultural Research Service, and National Institute for Food and Agriculture staff.

As a part of the USDA’s broader reorganization, commit to not disrupting the New World Screwworm outbreak response through permanent relocation orders.

As the current outbreak of New World Screwworm continues to evolve, we will continue to work with the USDA to respond to this threat. While addressing this outbreak requires immediate and sustained attention, it is equally important that we do not lose sight of other animal pest and disease threats facing poultry and livestock producers across the country. We ask that the USDA continue to provide transparency on the ongoing outbreak and efforts related to the measures outlined above as they are taken, but no less than thirty days after receipt of this letter.

###",1,2026-06-16T06:53:21Z,2026-06-16T06:55:02Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-slams-armys-mismanagement-of-jltv-program-after-her-repeated-warnings,Baldwin Slams Army’s Mismanagement of JLTV Program After Her Repeated Warnings,2026-06-12,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) slammed the Army’s mismanagement of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program after she repeatedly warned that the private equity-owned company, AM General, lacked the skilled workforce, experience, and infrastructure to complete the contract on time. Under AM General, the production of the JLTVs are now nearly two years behind schedule, jeopardizing military readiness. After the Army awarded AM General, rather than the experienced Oshkosh Defense, a five-year, $8.6 billion contract to manufacture up to 20,000 JLTVs, Senator Baldwin raised concerns multiple times with Army leadership about AM General’s ability to produce JLTVs.

“Unfortunately, over the last three years, my concerns about AM General’s ability to meet the JLTV contract have borne out. In response to my letters in 2023 and 2024, the Army provided assurances that it would provide strict oversight of AM General’s production and potential risks of disruption to the program. Despite those assurances, AM General continued to flounder and the delivery of the JLTVs has continued to be delayed. AM General is now nearly two years late in delivering JLTVs and the Department of Defense (DoD) has yet to accept a single production standard JLTV A2, despite nearly $2 billion in taxpayer dollars being obligated to AM General since the contract was awarded. This is unacceptable performance for one of DoD’s largest vehicles contracts,” Senator Baldwin wrote in a letter to the Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll.

In addition to raising concerns about AM General’s lack of ability to fulfil the contract, Baldwin also called on the Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, to allow the Marine Corps to pursue new contracts to procure JLTVs. After the Army, the Marine Corps is the largest buyer of JLTVs, requesting $245 million for the program in FY27. However, the Marine Corps is currently facing growing readiness challenges due to the delays in JLTV production. The Army manages the JLTV contract for the entire military, so going with another contractor, like Oshkosh, would require collaboration between the Army and Marine Corps. Once ramped up, the Oshkosh JLTV production line could produce approximately 1,200 JLTVs per year. Without additional orders soon, Oshkosh says their JLTV production line will close.

Senator Baldwin concluded, “It is vital that the Marine Corps and other Services have the vehicles they need to be able to fight in future wars. Unfortunately, the Army’s risky financial decision in awarding the follow-on JLTV contract to AM General is imperiling the readiness of the Marine Corps.

In 2023, when the U.S. Army announced they awarded the contract for JLTVs to the New York private equity firm-owned AM General, Baldwin expressed her deep concern that this decision could cause a gap in the production of these vehicles because of AM General’s dangerous financial circumstances and lack of experience. Baldwin also pressed the then-Secretary of the Army Christine E. Wormuth in a Senate hearing on the issue and asked about the Army’s plan for managing the health of the defense industrial base for tactical wheeled vehicles. In 2024, Baldwin sounded the alarm again, noting that AM General was beset by production challenges and delays and outlining the consequences of delays on servicemembers.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Driscoll,

I write to you today to express my continued concerns with the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program that the Army administers on behalf of the military. Since the Army awarded the follow-on contract for the JLTV to AM General in early 2023, the program has been behind schedule and at risk of failure. To protect our military readiness, I ask that you support other Services’ efforts to pursue alternative acquisition approaches to fulfill their JLTV requirements.

In early 2023, the Army awarded AM General a five-year, $8.6 billion contract to manufacture up to 20,000 JLTVs for the Services. AM General was selected for this contract over Oshkosh Corporation, which had successfully produced the original A1 variant of the JLTV since 2016. As the Army shifted production to AM General, I expressed serious concerns to Army leadership regarding AM General’s ability to deliver its A2 variant of the JLTV on time and at the contracted cost. At the time the contract was awarded, AM General had a “very high credit risk” after being saddled with $675 million in expensive debt when it was acquired by KPS Capital Partners, a private equity firm, in 2020. In January 2023, shortly before the contract was awarded, Moody’s Investor Service issued a credit opinion on AM General that said, “the company has limited capacity to absorb unanticipated operating or financial setbacks.” Having never produced JLTVs before, AM General needed to incur significant startup costs to get a production line fully operating, as required by the Army contract.

Unfortunately, over the last three years, my concerns about AM General’s ability to meet the JLTV contract have borne out. In response to my letters in 2023 and 2024, the Army provided assurances that it would provide strict oversight of AM General’s production and potential risks of disruption to the program. Despite those assurances, AM General continued to flounder and the delivery of the JLTVs has continued to be delayed. AM General is now nearly two years late in delivering JLTVs and the Department of Defense (DoD) has yet to accept a single production standard JLTV A2, despite nearly $2 billion in taxpayer dollars being obligated to AM General since the contract was awarded. This is unacceptable performance for one of DoD’s largest vehicles contracts.

In 2025, the Army announced that it intends to pivot away from the JLTV towards the new Infantry Squad Vehicle and did not request any funding for JLVT procurement in the FY27 budget. However, the Army administers the JLTV contract for the entire DoD and, other Services, including the Marine Corps, continue to need JLTVs. The Marine Corps in particular is now facing readiness challenges because JLTV A2s have underperformed and delivery from AM General has been so delayed. To address this growing readiness gap, the Marine Corps has begun exploring alternative contracting options to procure additional JLTVs or JLTV-like vehicles. To that end, on May 27, the Marine Corps posted a request for information for alternative potential sources of these vehicles.

It is vital that the Marine Corps and other Services have the vehicles they need to be able to fight in future wars. Unfortunately, the Army’s risky financial decision in awarding the follow-on JLTV contract to AM General is imperiling the readiness of the Marine Corps. Therefore, I request that you:

Affirm that the Army will fully support the Marine Corps and any other Services pursuing alternative acquisition approaches to meet their JLTV requirements;

Direct the JLTV Joint Program Office to provide the Marine Corps full access to the technical data and program support needed to evaluate alternative sources; and

Provide my office, within 30 days, the Army’s plan to ensure continued JLTV A2 delivery shortfalls do not further degrade Marine Corps readiness.

Thank you for your continued willingness to prioritize improving military readiness and support novel military acquisitions approaches.

###",1,2026-06-13T06:32:19Z,2026-06-13T06:34:27Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/report-wisconsin-families-paying-over-3000-more-under-president-donald-trump,"REPORT: Wisconsin Families Paying Over $3,000 More Under President Donald Trump",2026-06-12,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – A new report shows that as of May 2026, the average household in Wisconsin has had to spend over $3,000 more on goods and services under President Donald Trump, including health care, rent, energy, and groceries.

“While Wisconsinites struggle to make ends meet, President Trump is saying that he ‘loves’ inflation. President Trump promised he’d bring their costs down on ‘Day One,’ but Wisconsin families can look at their bank accounts and see that is just not the case,” said Senator Baldwin. “President Trump’s tariffs and war in Iran are raising costs on families, all while he is making deep cuts to programs that help Wisconsinites afford their health care, rent, and groceries.”

Despite President Trump’s repeated pledges on the campaign trail that his administration would “end inflation” and bring down costs for families, Trump has instead caused costs to continue to rise significantly, including through his reckless tariffs and war in Iran.

Key findings of the report are below:

$713 more on Housing Costs: Wisconsin families have had to spend $713 more on housing costs, such as rent and mortgage payments since President Trump took office.

$310 more for Groceries: Americans paid $310 more for groceries in President Trump’s first year than in 2024, and grocery prices are now 4 percent higher than when Trump took office.

$378 more for Gas: In total, people across Wisconsin have spent $877 million more on gas since the beginning of Trump’s war of choice in Iran. That means the average family in Wisconsin has spent $378 more on gas in this time.

Higher Health Care Costs: Because of Trump and Republicans’ refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax cuts that help people afford their health insurance, monthly premiums for ACA plans rose over 50 percent on average in 2026 compared to last year. Meanwhile, deductibles surged to record highs, increasing by more than $1,000 on average.

Read the full report here.

###",1,2026-06-13T06:32:19Z,2026-06-13T06:34:27Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-khanna-lead-bill-to-step-up-oversight-on-foreign-investment-to-protect-american-workers-prevent-presidents-self-dealing,"Baldwin, Khanna Lead Bill to Step Up Oversight on Foreign Investment to Protect American Workers, Prevent President’s Self-Dealing",2026-06-11,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) introduced new legislation to ensure foreign investments made in the United States actually benefit American workers, while preventing the President from self-dealing. The Foreign Investment Review Monitoring and (FIRM) Commitment Tracking Oversight Board Act adds structured accountability, transparency, and standards for foreign investments.

“While foreign investments can create jobs and support our local economies, they also can open the door to adversaries undercutting American workers and the President lining his pockets,” said Senator Baldwin. “If foreign countries are going to invest in the United States like the President says they are, we need some basic oversight and transparency to make sure its American workers and American communities seeing a return, not our adversaries, the President’s family, or the well-connected.”

“Establishing the Foreign Investment Review Authority (FIRA) would empower the U.S. government with the tools it needs to ensure investment commitments negotiated by the President benefit working Americans and never our economic adversaries, such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Our bill would ensure foreign countries are unable to leverage FDI to gain unfair access to the U.S. market or make corrupt deals that lack Congressional oversight,” said Congressman Khanna, Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States can create jobs, promote innovation, bolster cooperation with allies, and improve economic conditions for Americans. However, economic adversaries like China have sought to leverage FDI to gain unfair access to the U.S. market, promote their control over certain industries, and even violate workers’ rights here in the U.S. For example, when Chinese-owned Fuyao glass opened up shop in 2016 in Ohio, they replaced good-paying union jobs with nonunion work at much lower wages, while paying millions in penalties for labor violations. All the while, Fuyao has expanded, adding new capacity and shrinking the market share of U.S. firms that play by the rules.

Adding to this risk is the current president, who is intent on securing flashy big dollar investment commitments from other nations, allied and adversarial, such as South Korea’s $350 billion commitment, Japan’s $550 billion commitment, Taiwan’s $500 billion commitment, and forthcoming investments from China through the recently announced U.S.-China Board of Investment and Board of Trade. These announcements are made with few details about and next to no oversight on how they will improve economic conditions for Americans or what guardrails there are to ensure the President is not personally enriching himself or his family.

Currently, the U.S. lacks the tools to assess the impact of FDI on the U.S. economy, workers, and competition. It is increasingly important that Congress establish a mechanism to review inbound investment being made pursuant to agreements that have been made with other economies without the input of the public or elected representatives in Congress. As a result, foreign investment commitments can operate with limited transparency, weak accountability, and no standardized evaluation of their economic or strategic impact. Foreign investment commitments mean little if the jobs they create are low-wage, temporary, or go to foreign workers.

The FIRM Commitment Tracking Oversight Board Act would introduce structured accountability, transparency, and standards for foreign investment in the United States. This bill would do so by:

Creating the Foreign Investment Review Authority (FIRA) to identify, track, and publicly disclose foreign investment commitments.

Members of the board will include a board chair appointed by the President and confirmed by Congress, designees by the Secretaries of Commerce and Labor and the U.S. Attorney General along with four members appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate that represent a party other than the President’s.

Establishing a formal review process to determine whether investments provide a net economic benefit to the U.S., including through quality job creation, promotion of domestic competition, and domestic supply chain integration;

Reinforcing ethical requirements, ensuring no investments can be used to inappropriately enrich government officials or family members of officials; and

Instituting enforceable reporting, backed by penalties for noncompliance, for covered investments.

The bill is also supported by Representatives Thomas Suozzi (D-NY-3), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6), and Shontel Brown (D-OH-11). The legislation is endorsed by the United Auto Workers and Groundwork Action.

“In the U.S. auto industry and beyond, trade and investment rules have empowered corporations to destroy jobs, erode union density, and undercut the working class,” said Rajiv Sicora, UAW Legislative Director. “Instead of inviting a race to the bottom, we should make sure that all foreign direct investment upholds the highest standards and strengthens our economy — especially when such investment is linked to trade concessions. We thank Senator Baldwin and Congressman Khanna for introducing this legislation to expand oversight of FDI and protect good wages, benefits, and the right to form a union.”

A one pager on this legislation is available here. A section-by-section breakdown is available here.

Full text of this legislation is available here.

###",1,2026-06-12T06:37:16Z,2026-06-12T06:39:00Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-sounds-alarm-on-trumps-reckless-health-cuts-impact-on-us-response-to-ebola,Baldwin Sounds Alarm on Trump’s Reckless Health Cuts Impact on U.S. Response to Ebola,2026-06-11,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are sounding the alarm on the Trump administration’s cuts to public health programs, defunding of research, and mass firing of health experts, warning these actions have had a crippling impact on the country’s response to the growing Ebola disease outbreak. Specifically, Senator Baldwin and colleagues are calling on the Trump administration to reverse course on the deep cuts that have weakened the United States’ public health infrastructure and are also demanding answers about the impacts of foreign aid cuts on Americans health and safety.

“Diseases like Ebola spread quickly – they don’t stop at the borders of a country or care if you are ready for it. Unfortunately, this Administration has taken a hacksaw to our public health system and efforts to stop disease from spreading across the world, leaving American families even more vulnerable to this Ebola outbreak,” said Senator Baldwin. “The President and his team have fired thousands of health experts and abandoned proven ways to stop the spread and treatment of diseases, and we need some answers on why and what they are doing to it to keep Americans safe.”

In one effort, Senator Baldwin and colleagues called on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to reverse course on the deep cuts that have weakened the United States’ public health infrastructure and threatened response to global health outbreaks. The Senators detail how critical it is that HHS continue to invest in infectious disease research and develop better diagnostics and treatments to remain a world leader in combatting health threats. The Senators demand answers about who is leading the response to the Ebola outbreak, why they are not using existing infrastructure to respond to it, and when they will fill the leadership positions that are vacant.

Baldwin and colleagues are also pressing Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio on the impacts that foreign aid cuts and the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) have had on the United States’ ability to protect Americans from Ebola and hantavirus. Senator Baldwin and her colleagues are raising serious concerns that the Trump administration's dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and withdrawal from the WHO have degraded the United States’ ability to detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases and protect Americans from other public health threats.

The lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to immediately reverse course on policies that have left the United States and the international community less prepared to respond to future outbreaks and put forward concrete solutions to protect the health and safety of the American people.

The letter to Secretary Kennedy was led by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA).

The letter to Secretary Rubio was led by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

Full text of the lawmakers’ letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy is available here.

Full text of the lawmakers’ letter to State Secretary Rubio is available here.

###",1,2026-06-12T06:37:16Z,2026-06-12T06:39:00Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-backs-bipartisan-bill-to-ban-chinese-vehicles-protect-american-workers-and-boost-national-security,"Baldwin Backs Bipartisan Bill to Ban Chinese Vehicles, Protect American Workers and Boost National Security",2026-06-10,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is backing a bipartisan bill to protect American workers and families from the growing threat of Chinese-made vehicles and the technology embedded within them. The Connected Vehicle Security Act prevents Americans’ data from being collected on American roads and sent back to Beijing by cutting off the supply of vehicles, software, and critical hardware originating from China or Chinese companies at every point in the chain, from the manufacturing process, to import, to sale.

“Chinese-made connected vehicles are a surveillance threat to our families, an economic threat to our workers, and a security threat to our whole country,” said Senator Baldwin. “We need to act fast before it’s too late – and I’m glad to be teaming up with Democrats and Republicans to make sure China can’t track and collect data on our communities and undercut American workers.”

Specifically, the Connected Vehicle Security Act:

Bans foreign adversary vehicles by prohibiting the importation, manufacture, sale, and resale of connected vehicles, software, and hardware linked to China or other foreign adversaries, including those from joint ventures or entities under their control;

Empowers the Department of Commerce to identify and block high-risk vehicle technologies, components, and transactions that threaten U.S. economic or national security;

Establishes enforcement mechanisms to ensure prohibited technologies are kept out of the U.S. market; and

Phases implementation with vehicle and software restrictions taking effect in 2027, and hardware restrictions in 2030, giving the U.S. industry time to secure a domestic supply, in line with the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Connected Vehicles rule.

The bill is led by Senators Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

A one-pager on this bill is available here. Full text of this legislation is available here.

###",1,2026-06-11T06:38:38Z,2026-06-11T06:41:07Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-cramer-lead-bipartisan-legislation-to-lower-housing-costs-for-volunteer-first-responders,"Baldwin, Cramer Lead Bipartisan Legislation to Lower Housing Costs for Volunteer First Responders",2026-06-10,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) introduced the Volunteer First Responder Housing Act, bipartisan legislation to lower the cost of housing for volunteer firefighters and first responders. The effort would help recruit and retain more volunteer first responders, especially in rural and underserved communities.

“Our volunteer first responders risk their lives every single day to protect their communities from fires, accidents, natural disasters, and so much more – all out of the goodness of their hearts and commitment to their communities. We need to be doing more to support these folks, grow this workforce, and keep our communities safe,” said Senator Baldwin. “I'm proud to work with Republicans and Democrats to put homeownership for these brave Americans within reach, allowing the first responders who do this selfless work to afford a house and invest in the communities they protect.”

“Volunteer firefighters and first responders are essential members of their local communities, especially in small towns or rural areas facing volunteer shortages,” said Senator Cramer. “Our bill aims to ease the burden on our heroes to buy a home or relocate. The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act will encourage more people to step up and serve by making them eligible for federal housing assistance programs.”

Fire departments and ambulance services across the country rely on volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services practitioners to respond to a wide array of emergencies, including fires, medical incidents, natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, and other general public service calls. According to the National Fire Protection Association’s most recent U.S. Fire Department Profile, 65 percent of firefighters nationwide are volunteers. Recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters is critical for thousands of communities, yet local volunteer fire departments, especially departments serving small and rural communities, continue to find it difficult to meet staffing needs and attract younger volunteers.

The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act would address this challenge head on by opening existing affordable housing opportunities to provide an incentive for volunteer firefighters and other responders. The bill expands eligibility for qualified volunteer emergency responders to participate in certain federal housing assistance programs.

Specifically, the bill makes it possible for more volunteer emergency responders to participate in the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA). This existing program assists approved lenders in providing loans to low- and moderate- income households to build, rehabilitate, or improve a home in eligible rural areas. The bill will allow volunteers to participate in the loan program even if their income exceeds the maximum allowable income level by up to $18,000.

The bill also makes volunteer emergency responders eligible to participate in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program. This existing program gives law enforcement officers, teachers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians a 50 percent discount from the list price of a home located in a revitalization area.

The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act is supported by National Volunteer Fire Council, International Association of Fire Chiefs, Housing Assistance Council, Wisconsin State Firefighters Association, Wisconsin EMS Association, and Wisconsin Towns Association.

“I’d like to thank Senator Baldwin for her leadership on this important bill,” said National Volunteer Fire Council Chair Steve Hirsch. “Many fire, EMS, and rescue departments are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain volunteer personnel. Helping volunteer emergency responders buy or renovate homes is a fantastic retention incentive that makes it easier for volunteers to continue living in the communities they serve.”

“Wisconsin’s EMS system depends on local people who step forward to serve their neighbors, often as volunteers in small towns and rural communities where every response matters. The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act recognizes that housing affordability is a real recruitment and retention issue for EMS and fire services. By helping qualified volunteer first responders access existing federal housing opportunities, this legislation gives communities another practical tool to keep trained first responders close to home and ready to answer the call. The Wisconsin EMS Association (WEMSA) is proud to support this effort to strengthen volunteer EMS, public safety, and emergency response across our state,” said Alan DeYoung, CEO of the Wisconsin EMS Association.

“Volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel provide a critical service to their communities with very limited or no compensation. Considering the nation’s housing crisis, I thank Senators Baldwin and Cramer for recognizing the dedication of the volunteer fire and EMS personnel and working to help them purchase homes in their communities,” said Fire Chief Trisha L. Wolford, the President and Board Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

“Counties are on the front lines of emergency response, especially in rural communities where volunteer first responders play a vital role in protecting residents and saving lives. Across the nation, rural counties employ more than 126,000 public safety personnel, including 54,000 first responders,” said Matthew Chase, Executive Director of the National Association of Counties. “The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act expands access to affordable housing for our nation's volunteer emergency responders while strengthening the critical county services that help keep our communities safe.”

“Affordable housing opportunities are an essential tool in providing safe and vibrant communities throughout Wisconsin. In many rural communities, volunteer first responders are becoming harder to recruit and retain, and better access to housing can provide a critical incentive for attracting the next generation of EMTs, firefighters, and emergency personnel to serve where they are needed most,” said Joe Ruth, Wisconsin Towns Association Government Affairs Director.

A one-pager on this bill is available here. Full bill text of this legislation is available here.

###",1,2026-06-11T06:38:38Z,2026-06-11T06:41:07Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/10/sen-johnson-leads-senate-passage-of-national-sarcoma-awareness-month-resolution/,Sen. Johnson Leads Senate Passage of National Sarcoma Awareness Month Resolution,2026-06-10,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, the Senate passed U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-Wis.) resolution designating July as National Sarcoma Awareness Month. This resolution raises awareness of sarcoma, a form of cancer, and honors the life of Melissa Locke and the thousands of other Americans who are affected by this disease.

“I am pleased that my resolution passed the Senate in honor of Melissa Locke and the countless other Americans who have struggled with the life-threatening disease sarcoma. I hope we can continue to increase awareness of this complex form of cancer that is diagnosed thousands of times each year,” said Sen. Johnson.

Sen. Johnson with Melissa and Brendan Locke

Sen. Johnson is joined on the resolution by U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).

The full text of the resolution can be found here.

###",1,2026-06-18T06:41:00Z,2026-06-18T06:43:25Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/08/sen-johnson-introduces-right-to-try-for-individualized-treatments-act/,Sen. Johnson Introduces Right to Try for Individualized Treatments Act,2026-06-08,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON –Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) introduced the Right to Try for Individualized Treatments Act (Right to Try 2.0) to provide access to individualized, one-patient therapies that are not eligible for approval under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulatory regime. Right to Try 2.0 builds on the Right to Try Act of 2017 to create a pathway for patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating conditions to receive unique, patient-specific therapies that cannot undergo Phase I trials and may lack any commercial regulatory path.

Right to Try 2.0 is voluntary for all involved parties. To partake in such treatments, patients must have considered all approved treatment options, in addition to obtaining a physician recommendation. Manufacturers are not obligated to provide treatments and physicians are not required to recommend such treatments. Manufacturers will receive coverage for direct costs but cannot profit from the unapproved treatment.

“I championed Right to Try to provide hope and freedom to those with terminal illnesses by giving them access to experimental treatments without waiting for full FDA approval. The original Right to Try Act was about giving terminal patients a fighting chance by cutting through red tape. Right to Try 2.0 builds on that success and would provide access to individualized, rare disease and one-patient therapies that the current regulatory environment has yet to accommodate. This is about medical freedom and putting doctors and patients at the top of the treatment pyramid,” Sen. Johnson said.

“When someone is fighting for their life, the last thing they need is the government standing in their way. We are entering a new era of medicine where breakthroughs in genomics and precision therapies can create treatments designed specifically for an individual patient, but our regulatory system was built for a different time and simply hasn’t kept up. This legislation makes sure patients have a clear, durable path to pursue individualized treatments when all other options have failed,” Rep. Harshbarger said.

U.S. Rep. Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Read more about Sen. Johnson’s work on Right to Try here.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

###",1,2026-06-18T06:41:00Z,2026-06-18T06:43:25Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-forces-vote-to-redirect-14-billion-in-excessive-ice-funding-towards-lowering-childcare-costs,Baldwin Forces Vote to Redirect $14 Billion in Excessive ICE Funding Towards Lowering Childcare Costs,2026-06-05,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) forced the Senate to vote to redirect billions in federal funding from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to instead invest in lowering the cost of childcare for American families. Senate Republicans voted down the measure.

As the Senate debated Republicans' bill to give $75 billion to ICE and Border Patrol, Baldwin forced the Senate to vote on her amendment to redirect $14.27 billion to invest in childcare. Specifically, Senator Baldwin’s amendment would transfer that $14.27 billion to the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Program, which helps working families access quality and affordable childcare.

Baldwin’s amendment comes after ICE killed two Americans and continues to terrorize communities. Two-thirds of Americans say ICE and Border Patrol have gone “too far” with their tactics. A Marquette Law School poll found 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of the job ICE is doing, while 3 in 4 Americans support making changes at ICE.

Full text of the amendment is available here.

Full recording of Senator Baldwin’s speech is available here.

###",1,2026-06-06T06:16:30Z,2026-06-06T06:17:47Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/05/video-release-sen-johnson-holds-hearing-on-the-mechanisms-of-the-covid-19-injections-causing-cancer-and-attacks-on-scientific-publications-and-research/,***VIDEO RELEASE*** Sen. Johnson Holds Hearing on the Mechanisms of the COVID-19 Injections Causing Cancer and Attacks on Scientific Publications and Research,2026-06-05,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, held a hearing titled, “Plausible Mechanisms of COVID-19 Injections Causing Cancer and Attacks on Scientific Publications and Research.” The seven witnesses testified in the following order:

Angus Dalgleish, M.D.

Professor Emeritus of Oncology; City St. George’s, University of London

Wafik El-Deiry, M.D., PH.D.

Director; Legorreta Cancer Center, Brown University

Saskia Mostert, M.D., PH.D.

Sabine Hazan, M.D.

Chief Executive Officer, ProgenaBiome

Aseem Malhotra, M.D.

Consultant Cardiologist; HUM2N Clinic, London

Julie Gralow, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer; American Society of Clinical Oncology

Tamika Felder

Cancer Survivor

The hearing exposed the corruption facing the field of scientific research and why the public remains unaware of the medical dangers, like cancer, connected to the COVID injection.

“The testimony [of] today’s hearing raises the question of whether Big Pharma might also be funding individuals who troll scientific research that runs counter to its goals and narratives. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that during the pandemic, treatment alternatives using cheap and safe generic drugs were not only suppressed but actively sabotaged in favor of a liability-free and highly profitable experimental gene therapy… The fact that all the institutions that benefit from Big Pharma’s largesse actively push the experimental gene therapy is also the reason they are now working so hard to suppress the reality of COVID mRNA injection injuries,” Sen. Johnson opened.

“Big Pharma has spent billions on TV ads to capture the media and as a result, the narrative. Prior to 1997, there was serious journalism covering suspected vaccine injuries. In 1979, Mike Wallace reported on CBS’s 60 Minutes about swine flu vaccine injuries … They pulled the swine flu vaccine after about 25 to 30 deaths … We have over 39,000 deaths right now associated with the COVID injection worldwide,” Sen. Johnson said.

“I think the number one job of RFK Jr. is to restore integrity to science. And that’s the main purpose of this hearing: to just show that there’s been corruption. It’s not good … Don’t try and destroy people’s lives when they disagree. If there’s a one-word definition of science, I think it’s skepticism. It’s what’s driven science throughout history. You need the skeptic … Give that person a shot without just going to destroy them. And that’s what we’ve seen. Too many people [were] destroyed during COVID,” Sen. Johnson concluded.

The hearing was a continuation of Sen. Johnson’s investigative efforts to expose how Biden health officials downplayed and ignored significant safety signals for adverse events associated with the COVID-19 injections.

Watch the full video of the hearing here.

###",1,2026-06-18T06:41:00Z,2026-06-18T06:43:25Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/new-report-donald-trumps-disastrous-agenda-for-wisconsins-dairyland,NEW REPORT: Donald Trump’s Disastrous Agenda for Wisconsin’s Dairyland,2026-06-04,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – As Dairy Month begins, and ahead of President Trump’s visit to Wisconsin, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today released a report highlighting how the Trump Administration’s policies are devastating Wisconsin farmers – jacking up input costs and cutting off access to customers who buy Made in Wisconsin agricultural products.

“Wisconsin farmers do backbreaking work to produce world-class products that feed the world and drive our rural economies. President Trump came into office promising to support our farmers, but instead has taken every opportunity to jack up their costs, limit their customers, and cut into their margins,” said Senator Baldwin. “Between Donald Trump’s trade war, unnecessary war in Iran, and attacks on our health care system, Wisconsin farmers are paying more for everything, and Donald Trump has no solutions to the problems he’s caused. As President Trump visits Wisconsin, he owes our farmers more than lip service – they need real relief from the high costs they are paying.”

The report outlines how President Trump’s policies – including starting a trade war and a war of choice in Iran – has sent Wisconsin farmers’ input costs through the roof:

Higher Costs: President Trump’s war in Iran has jacked up prices for Wisconsin farmers – with diesel hitting historic highs in May, up 80% from the year before. Likewise, global fertilizer prices jumped 50% in recent months.

Fewer Customers: Between the President’s trade wars and cuts to nutrition programs, Wisconsin farmers are losing access to key markets they rely on. According to the American Farm Bureau, crop farmers lost $34.6 billion in 2025 in large part due to Donald Trump’s trade war. President Trump's trade war also caused the top buyer of U.S. soybeans, China, to effectively boycott U.S. soybeans, cutting off a major export market for Wisconsin farmers. Soybean farmers lost almost $75 per harvested acre of soybeans in the 2025 crop. The report also highlights Republicans’ historic cut to the SNAP program, hurting farmers who sell nutritious food to American families on the food assistance program.

Health Care Cuts: Republicans’ historic $1 trillion cut to Medicaid will devastate rural hospitals, which disproportionately rely on the program to keep their doors open. In light of these cuts, one estimate found that three Wisconsin hospitals are at risk of closing. With Republicans taking away the enhanced premium tax credits that help Americans afford health insurance, 1 in 4 farmers who get their insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace will pay on average $780 more this year.

Senator Baldwin has traveled Wisconsin talking to farmers, growers, and ranchers about how higher costs and uncertainty under President Trump are adding to already challenging headwinds for their businesses. In recent weeks, Senator Baldwin has visited farms in Janesville, Sharon, Warrens, Stoddard, and Seymour to hear firsthand about the headwinds facing farmers.

A full version of the report is available here.

###",1,2026-06-05T06:35:23Z,2026-06-05T06:36:42Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-protect-veterans-from-being-scammed-by-claims-sharks,"Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Veterans from Being Scammed by Claims Sharks",2026-06-03,2026,2026-06,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined her colleagues in introducing legislation to protect veterans and their earned benefits from the scamming practices of claims sharks and other predatory actors.

The Stopping Abuse, Fraud, and Exploitation by Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (SAFEGUARD) Veterans Act would clarify that only accredited individuals can assist veterans with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit claims. And it would reinstate criminal penalties for unaccredited agents who charge veterans extortionate fees for assistance with VA disability claims—a service provided for free by VA and accredited nonprofits. While federal law prohibits this activity, predatory actors have used loopholes to avoid prosecution and federal agencies are limited in their ability to enforce the law without criminal penalties.

“Wisconsin veterans have served and sacrificed for our nation, and it’s our duty to ensure they get the care they need when they return home. These brave men and women earned their benefits, and it’s our job to stop any bad actors who try to take advantage and scam them,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to work with my colleagues to stand up for our veterans and safeguard the benefits that they deserve.”

Among its many provisions, the SAFEGUARD Veterans Act would:

Reestablish criminal penalties for unaccredited claims representatives scamming veterans;

Prohibit VA accreditation of any person found guilt of unauthorized solicitation, charging, or receiving compensation for assisting with VA benefit claims;

Close loopholes exploited by unaccredited actors to skirt federal prohibitions on unaccredited agents assisting veterans with VA benefit claims;

Prohibit the use of robocall technology to obtain VA claims information—targeting claim sharks who spam VA call centers to gain unauthorized access to veterans’ claims information;

Require VA to establish a system to track accredited agents and where veterans can report scammers; and

Increase warnings to veterans about claim sharks and other predatory practices of unaccredited agents.

The legislation follows a NPR investigation that revealed private companies continue to make millions by extorting veterans, despite knowing their actions are likely illegal.

Senator Baldwin has long led the charge to support and protect veterans. In 2023, Senator Baldwin introduced the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach (CVSO) Act, bipartisan legislation to expand a community-based outreach program that helps veterans learn about and access their earned benefits. The legislation was signed into law in 2025 and just last month, Senator Baldwin led a bipartisan effort urging the Trump administration to quickly implement the legislation.

The SAFEGUARD Veterans Act is led by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) and also co-sponsored by Senators Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NM), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The legislation is supported by National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and The American Legion.

“NACVSO supports the SAFEGUARD Veterans Act of 2026 and its efforts to restore integrity within the VA claims process,” said NACVSO President Andrew Tangen. “VA-accredited representatives operate under federal oversight, training requirements, and ethical standards designed to protect veterans, while unaccredited claims agents have increasingly exploited enforcement gaps while profiting from veteran injuries and illnesses. This legislation takes bad profit incentives away from unscrupulous claims agents by restoring criminal penalties for unauthorized assistance, improving transparency, modernizing accreditation oversight, and increasing awareness of predatory practices. No veteran should ever have to pay for initial claim services and those who have illegally profited must be held accountable.”

“For too long, unaccredited claims consultants have exploited veterans and survivors by charging excessive, unlawful fees for assistance they are not authorized to provide. The SAFEGUARD Veterans Act restores accountability, strengthens protections for veterans navigating the VA claims process, and reinforces the critical role of accredited veterans service organizations, attorneys, and claims agents who are held to rigorous standards,” said MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret). “MOAA applauds lawmakers for introducing this important legislation to preserve the integrity of the VA benefits system and ensure veterans are not targeted by predatory actors seeking to profit off of service-earned benefits.”

“DAV strongly supports the SAFEGUARD Veterans Act to help combat a serious and ongoing threat: unethical individuals who prey on veterans navigating the complex VA claims process and charge fees for help that should be free and accredited,” said DAV National Service Director Scott Hope. “By reinstating criminal penalties for unaccredited claims assistance, streamlining the accreditation process, and making public those who have been barred from VA accreditation, this bill puts teeth back into protections that veterans need, deserve, and have earned. Passage of this legislation would demonstrate our nation’s unwavering commitment to honor and protect all who have served because every veteran deserves strong, honest advocacy when seeking earned benefits—not opportunists seeking to profit.”

Full text of the legislation is available here.

###",1,2026-06-04T06:38:12Z,2026-06-04T06:39:44Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/03/media-advisory-chairman-johnson-to-hold-hearing-plausible-mechanisms-of-covid-19-injections-causing-cancer-and-attacks-on-scientific-publications-and-researchmedia-advisory/,***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Chairman Johnson to Hold Hearing: Plausible Mechanisms of COVID-19 Injections Causing Cancer and Attacks on Scientific Publications and Research,2026-06-03,2026,2026-06,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, will hold a hearing entitled “Plausible Mechanisms of COVID-19 Injections Causing Cancer and Attacks on Scientific Publications and Research.”

WHAT: The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hear from seven witnesses.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. ET

WHERE: Dirksen Senate Office Building, SD-342

WATCH: The hearing will be livestreamed on Sen. Johnson’s X account, Rumble, and the Subcommittee’s website.

WITNESSES:

Angus Dalgleish, M.D.

Professor Emeritus of Oncology; City St. George’s, University of London

Wafik El-Deiry, M.D., PH.D.

Director; Legorreta Cancer Center; Brown University

Saskia Mostert, M.D., PH.D.

Sabine Hazan, M.D.

Chief Executive Officer; ProgenaBiome

Aseem Malhorta, M.D.

Consultant Cardiologist; HUM2N Clinic, London

Julie Gralow, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer; American Society of Clinical Oncology

Tamika Felder

Cancer Survivor

###",1,2026-06-18T06:41:00Z,2026-06-18T06:43:25Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-baldwin-wraps-up-week-highlighting-support-for-wisconsin-farmers-emergency-responders-and-lowering-costs-for-families,"ICYMI: Baldwin Wraps Up Week Highlighting Support for Wisconsin Farmers, Emergency Responders, and Lowering Costs for Families",2026-05-29,2026,2026-05,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) wrapped up a week on the road talking to Wisconsin farmers about the impacts of President Trump’s Iran war and meeting with families, workers, and first responders to discuss her work to lower costs and deliver direct support for them. The Senator made stops in Platteville, Argyle, Janesville, Sharon, Madison, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Warrens, La Crosse, Stoddard and Viroqua.

“I have always said that I will show up everywhere, listen to everyone, and fight for Wisconsin – and that is just what I am doing. Across Wisconsin, I’m hearing from families and businesses feeling the squeeze of rising costs. Whether it’s our farmers getting hammered by the high cost of diesel and fertilizer, small businesses squeezed by tariffs, or families feeling the pinch everywhere they go – Wisconsinites are paying the price under the Trump administration,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m committed to addressing these challenges head on so more Wisconsinites cannot just get by, but get ahead. I’m proud of my work to support our communities, families, and farmers – but I know we have more to do.”

Senator Baldwin started the week honoring Memorial Day at gatherings in Platteville and at the Argyle American Legion in Lafayette County.

In Wisconsin Rapids, Senator Baldwin visited the Wood County Head Start to learn how sudden funding freezes and uncertainty under the Trump Administration are impacting their ability to provide high-quality, affordable childcare to Wisconsin families. Senator Baldwin also toured the Viroqua Fire Department, where she delivered $5.25 million for design and construction of a new fire station to serve the City of Viroqua, as well as the Townships of Viroqua, Franklin, and Jefferson. Senator Baldwin also visited with St. Mary’s nurses in Madison in support of their fight for fair pay and safe working conditions.

This week, Senator Baldwin made several stops on Wisconsin farms to talk about how Donald Trump’s trade war and war of choice in Iran is jacking up the cost of fuel and fertilizer and cutting into farmers’ bottom lines. On Tuesday, Senator Baldwin visited Rebout Farms in Janesville, Wisconsin, which raises 4,200 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat in Rock County, and Frontier Farms in Sharon, Wisconsin, which specializes in soybeans, corn, and winter wheat. Later in the week, Senator Baldwin visited Hamburg Hills Farm in Stoddard to talk about how rising costs are impacting their organic dairy operation. She also toured Wetherby Cranberry Company in Warrens to discuss the high cost of fuel and fertilizer and talk about how to address these challenges in the upcoming Farm Bill.

In Stevens Point, Senator Baldwin also toured the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology at UW-Stevens Point to learn how funding she supported through the U.S. Economic Development Association is being used to partner with Wisconsin’s paper and forest industry to help businesses and organizations meet their goals in ways that make more sustainable use of natural resources. She also stopped by several store fronts on Stevens Point Main Street to chat with local business owners about the challenges they are facing with rising costs under President Trump.

###",1,2026-05-30T06:11:53Z,2026-05-30T06:13:24Z
https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-visits-wisconsin-farms-as-war-in-iran-jacks-up-fertilizer-fuel-costs,"Baldwin Visits Wisconsin Farms as War in Iran Jacks Up Fertilizer, Fuel Costs",2026-05-26,2026,2026-05,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,baldwin,https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) visited two farms in Janesville and Sharon to hear from Wisconsin farmers about how President Trump’s war of choice in Iran is jacking up the cost of fertilizer and fuel and hurting their operations. Senator Baldwin visited Rebout Farms in Janesville, Wisconsin, which raises 4,200 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat in Rock County, and Frontier Farms in Sharon, Wisconsin, which specializes in soybeans, corn, and winter wheat.

“Wisconsin farmers work hard to produce world-class products that feed the world and power our rural economies. On top of Donald Trump’s reckless trade war that shut off places to sell their products and jacked up costs, Wisconsin’s farmers are now paying record high costs for diesel and fertilizer in the middle of spring planting because of this illegal war in Iran,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today, I visited two Wisconsin farms to understand how Donald Trump’s war of choice has created even more headwinds for Wisconsin farmers. This much is clear: this war needs to end.”

One-third?of the world’s fertilizer passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and since the attacks on the shipping lane, prices have gone up?25%. Diesel prices have?also?jumped?75%?in the last?three?months, dramatically increasing?farmers’?costs?to?operate?their machinery.?Senator Baldwin has?repeatedly forced votes?in the Senate to end Trump’s war in Iran that is hurting Wisconsin farmers, families, and servicemembers. Senator Baldwin also leads bipartisan legislation that would provide American producers with more accurate information on prices for fertilizer and fertilizer products in response to longstanding concerns over rising input costs.

###",1,2026-05-27T06:38:34Z,2026-05-27T06:40:17Z
https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/05/26/video-release-sen-johnson-holds-hearing-on-biden-health-officials-failure-to-detect-covid-19-vaccine-safety-signals/,***VIDEO RELEASE*** Sen. Johnson Holds Hearing on Biden Health Officials’ Failure to Detect COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals,2026-05-26,2026,2026-05,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,ronjohnson,https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, held a hearing titled, “Unmasked: How Biden Health Officials Purposely Turned a Blind Eye Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals.”

In conjunction with the hearing, the chairman released an interim Majority Staff Report, along with approximately 600 pages of records detailing how beginning in early 2021, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials became aware of a new, “state of the art” data mining method that could better detect statistically significant safety signals for adverse events associated with the COVID-19 vaccines. Rather than adopt the “state of the art” method, Biden health officials continued to employ their older data mining method with known limitations that prevented FDA from detecting adverse events.

“Peter Marks, with the knowledge that he was treating vaccine injuries, and they weren’t mild injuries. These were life-threatening injuries. These are total disability–type of injuries. So, he knew it. He was treating them. He knew that his safety surveillance system was masking these signals …. They were pleading with the officials at FDA, NIH, that knew they were severely injured by the vaccine, counting on them to make that public, to study their results so that others could get treated. To this day, they have not done that,” Sen. Johnson said.

“We’ve got a real big problem in this country about vaccine-injury deniers. Again, these vaccine injuries are real, but it’s being denied. And you know, Mr. Science himself, accused a lot of people of being science deniers. I’ll accuse people of being vaccine-injury deniers,” Sen. Johnson continued.

“Nobody that pushed these things wants to admit they’re wrong. The advice they gave might have resulted in somebody’s death or permanent disability. That’s what we’re faced with. That’s why we have this massive vaccine- and injection-injury denying going on in this country. And I can tell you, from my standpoint, I’m not giving up … I’m not caving to the ridicule and vilification,” Sen. Johnson concluded.

Watch the full video of the hearing here.

The interim PSI Majority Staff Report can be found here.

The records the senator released contain minimal redactions for personally identifiable information which was one of the categories of redactions requested by HHS. The records are linked below:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Excel Documents

###",1,2026-06-18T06:41:00Z,2026-06-18T06:43:25Z