url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409099,"Would create ambassador position to combat anti-SemitismSmith anti-Semitism bill headed to Presidents desk",2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, at the very last legislative session of the 116th Congress, the House of Representatives passed legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) that would elevate the State Department's Anti-Semitism Special Envoy positionfirst created by Smith's legislative provisions in 2004to an Ambassadorship, giving more clout to address the alarming rise in anti-Semitism worldwide. As the Senate has already approved the amended legislation, the bill now heads to President Trump's desk to be signed into law. We've seen a rapid rise in anti-Semitic acts and rhetoric in many countries over the past decade: Jews harassed, assaulted and even murdered; synagogues attacked; graves and cemeteries desecrated; anti-Semitic slurs; and targeting the State of Israel with what my friend, the great Soviet refusenik and religious prisoner Natan Sharansky, calls the three Ds' demonization, double-standard, and de-legitimization, said Smith. My new law will raise the Special Envoy to the rank of Ambassador, and enable him or her to report directly to the Secretary of State, Smith said. That will give the Special Envoy more seniority and diplomatic accessboth inside the U.S. Government and when engaging foreign governmentsthat is needed do the job effectively. Especially with the rise of on-line anti-Semitism, we see that hate abroad easily crosses borders and impacts our communities here at home.Now more than ever we need to integrate our efforts both in the United States and abroad to stop the hate and keep our communities safe, said Smith, a founding member of both the House Anti-Semitism Caucus and the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism, which is comprised of legislative-branch members from Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Smith's bill, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act (H.R. 221) will ensure that the U.S. leadership position in fighting anti-Semitism worldwidethe Special Envoy at the State Departmentwould not only be promptly filled, but would be strengthened. The position, as well as the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, was created and required by Smith's original provisionsof theGlobal Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004. Smith's new bill would also mandate the timely nomination of a Special Envoy. Under the bill the Special Envoy position: Would be elevated to the rank of Ambassador at the State Department and report directly to the Secretary of State; Would be the primary advisor to the U.S. government in monitoring and combating anti-Semitism; Would not be saddled with duties irrelevant to combating anti-Semitism, or double-hatted; Must be filled (if vacant) by requiring the President to nominate a Special Envoy within 90 days of the bill becoming law and not later than 120 days after the position becomes vacant. I would like to thank my House colleagues, especially Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL), for working with leadership in both parties to pass this bill. I also would like to thank Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jackie Rosen (D-NV) and Kristen Gillibrand (D-FL), along with their staffs, for their hard work in securing passage on the Senate side.I would also like to acknowledge and thank Special Envoy Elan Carr for his tremendous contribution in fighting anti-Semitism.And finally, I want to thank the many wonderful Jewish groups who fought hard for this legislation. The House voted overwhelmingly to pass Smith's H.R. 221 in 2019. In the previous 115th Congress, Smith introduced identical legislation, H.R. 1911, which passed the House in 2018, but stalled in the Senate. Smith's bill is endorsed by numerous organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, B'nai B'rith International, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the American Jewish Committee, Hadassah, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and the Jewish Federations of North America. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402403,Congressman Griffiths Weekly E-Newsletter 12.31.20,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The year 2020 was a difficult one, but as the year draws to a close, I want to highlight something about the year that went right. Operation Warp Speed accomplished what had been considered nearly impossible: the development, manufacture, and distribution of a safe and effective vaccine to combat COVID-19. President Trump announced Operation Warp Speed in May. His Administration recognized that meeting the challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic would require the investment of Federal Government resources, partnership between the public, private, and scientific sectors, and cutting red tape that would impede delivery of a safe and effective vaccine. This effort was supported by almost $10 billion in funding included in the CARES Act passed by Congress with my support. The project focused on six vaccine candidates. Seven months after Operation Warp Speed was launched and less than one year after COVID-19 began spreading widely around the globe, two vaccine candidates were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use. On December 11, the FDA approved for emergency use the first vaccine created by Pfizer. After clinical trials including over 43,000 participants, the vaccine was found to be 95 percent effective. A vaccine developed by Moderna was subsequently approved for emergency use on December 18. Thirty thousand people participated in its clinical trials, and its efficacy rate is 94.5 percent. These vaccines are the fastest ever produced for a novel pathogen. In fact, the average development timeline for a vaccine is eight to twelve years. Operation Warp Speed reduced the time needed by maximizing the number of participants in Phase 3 trials and manufacturing vaccine doses while waiting for the FDA's emergency use authorization order. While bureaucratic hurdles were lowered, the vaccine development process did not skimp on safety. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over health matters, I was briefed repeatedly throughout the process or involved in hearings featuring public health officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and the FDA, as well as the vaccine manufacturers. I am confident that they maintained high safety standards as they pursued a vaccine. While the vaccines were under development, the Trump Administration planned ahead for their delivery and administration to Americans. It purchased millions of doses of the prospective vaccines and made agreements with pharmacies that would be able to vaccinate people. While enough vaccine doses will be manufactured to cover most of the population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended the priorities for vaccination while supplies remain limited. It suggested health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities be first in line, followed by older adults and frontline essential workers, all groups with a higher susceptibility to the coronavirus than other parts of the population. The vaccines are broadly safe, but caution is appropriate for people with allergic reactions and certain other conditions. The CDC recommends that you talk to your doctor if you have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies to determine if a COVID vaccine is a safe decision for you. Further, if you have had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID vaccine, the CDC recommends not getting that vaccine. I also believe that vaccinations should not be mandatory. This would be true particularly for people who object to taking it due to their religious principles or as a matter of conscience. I also reject the idea of individuals being required to carry around a vaccination certificate, which is too close to the identification papers of highly restricted societies for my comfort. Operation Warp Speed is just one component of the Federal Government's efforts to combat the coronavirus. Other therapeutics and treatments have also been developed at a rapid pace and are also being deployed as the pandemic still inflicts widespread sickness. The United States has long excelled at scientific innovation, but even among our country's long list of achievements, from the light bulb to the first manned landing on the Moon, Operation Warp Speed stands out for its scale, speed, safety, and ultimately lives saved. Amid all the bad news of 2020, this accomplishment is one worth praising. If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website atwww.morgangriffith.house.gov. Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=5539,Sen. Cruz: This Year Highlighted the Resilience of Texas and the Vigor of the American Spirit,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,,,legacy,"HOUSTON, Texas - In a year marked by unique challenges, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) proudly fought for more economic opportunity for millions of Texans, security for America and her allies, and freedom for all Americans to live, work, and worship as they choose. WATCH: Sen. Cruz: This Year Highlighted the Resilience of Texas and the Vigor of the American Spirit Reflecting on the past year, Sen. Cruz said: ""Texans are strong and resilient and the American spirit has always been marked by courage and generosity. That spirit was on full display throughout this year as we dealt with the massive economic and public health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. We dealt with enflamed racial division and a polarized political environment. ""Despite all of these difficulties, Texans and Americans alike rose to the challenge to help our neighbors and those in need by supporting our brave health care workers, first responders, grocery store clerks, and other critical workers on the front lines of this crisis, truly making a difference in our communities. People across this great nation exercised their fundamental rights to further the promises this nation was founded upon - freedom and equality. I am confident that we will come out of these troubled times stronger, more united, and renewed in pursuit of freedom and opportunity for every American. ""As we look ahead to 2021, I am deeply honored to continue representing the great state of Texas, and I will continue fighting to reopen our economy and to get millions of Americans safely back to work, back to school, to strengthen America's national security, and to protect the religious liberty and the constitutional rights of each and every American."" Sen. Cruz's 2020 Highlights: Combatting the Coronavirus Pandemic SIGNED INTO LAW: Helped secure passage of three coronavirus emergency response packages to address the public health crisis and deliver real relief for the American people. Launched the #CombatCOVID19Challenge, a social media challenge to encourage Americans to continue supporting their communities as we all work to combat this pandemic. Sen. Cruz kicked off the challenge by delivering food to the Houston Police Officers' Union. Introduced the Reinvigorating the Economy, Creating Opportunity for every Vocation, Employer, Retiree & Youth or RECOVERY Act, a comprehensive legislative package designed to help small businesses re-hire their employees and create jobs, help kids get back to school safely, allow Americans to catch-up on their retirement savings, and help find cures for COVID-19 while increasing testing. Introduced the Creating Capacity for Communities in Need Act, legislation to increase healthcare capacity and to speed up FDA approval for certain vaccines and therapeutics. PASSED THE U.S. SENATE: Led the fight to pass legislation to enhance partnerships between companies in the United States and Israel to develop innovative medical projects aimed at detecting, treating, and curing COVID-19. Introduced the Equal Access to Care Act and the Right to Test Act, legislation to expand healthcare access and make testing more available. Introduced the Bring Entrepreneurial Advancements to Consumers Here In North America or BEAT CHINA Act to incentivize pharmaceutical, medical device, and supply manufacturers to relocate to the United States. Introduced the Ending Chinese Medical Censorship and Cover Ups Act, legislation to sanction Chinese officials involved in the ongoing suppression of medical experts, journalists, and political dissidents, amid Chinese censorship of its citizens that helped fuel the coronavirus pandemic. Introduced the Coronavirus Emergency Education Grants Act, legislation designed to empower all families with the resources needed to provide for their children's public, private, or homeschool education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Introduced the COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Act to prevent the Communist Chinese Party (CCP) from stealing or sabotaging American COVID-19 vaccine research. Introduced the Addressing Missed-savings Opportunities for Retirement due to an Epidemic or AMORE Act to allow individuals facing financial challenges and who are unable to make contributions to their tax-advantaged retirement accounts in 2020 to make ""catch-up"" contributions to these accounts in the coming years. Delivering for Texas INFLUENCED THE ADMINISTRATION: Protected small and independent refiners facing bankruptcy because of the pandemic by working with the administration to make sure these energy producers had access to critical capital. Sen. Cruz also worked to ensure that banks were not discriminating against energy producers so that they could keep their wells producing, their doors open and their employees on the payroll. INFLUENCED THE ADMINISTRATION: Successfully pushed for the Federal Reserve to establish a new lending facility to provide immediate emergency liquidity for oil and gas businesses, a request they granted by altering their Main Street Lending Program to allow energy companies to qualify for much-needed relief. INFLUENCED THE ADMINISTRATION: Led the fight in the Senate to help secure an agreement for Saudi Arabia and Russia to significantly cut oil production amid this emergency. These efforts held Saudi Arabia and Russia accountable for engaging in predatory oil pricing during the pandemic, which greatly impacted Texas energy producers. SIGNED INTO LAW: Worked to secure passage for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which was signed by President Trump, a decisive victory for farmers, ranchers, businesses, and manufacturers to ensure greater economic opportunities for all Americans. This trade agreement puts American jobs first, including the 2.2 million jobs in Texas directly dependent on international trade. PASSED THE U.S. SENATE: Led the fight as chair of the Aviation and Space Subcommittee to unanimously pass in the Senate the NASA Authorization Act, legislation that gives NASA the resources it needs to face a new era of space exploration and enhances our presence in low-Earth orbit. The bill will also help Americans safely return to the moon and will bring us closer to an American taking the first step on the surface of Mars. In addition, Sen. Cruz's legislation to permanently protect the Apollo landing sites on the moon also passed the House and Senate. Led efforts to urge the U.S. Air Force to designate Port San Antonio and Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) as the location for the U.S. Space Command Headquarters (USSPACECOM HQ). SIGNED INTO LAW: Led efforts in the Senate to pass legislation authorizing the Daughters of the Republic of Texas to establish a memorial commemorating the Republic of Texas Legation in Washington D.C. which was signed into law in December. Boosting Jobs, Jobs, Jobs Confirming Constitutionalist Judges and Protecting Our Independent Judiciary As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Cruz led the fight to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, the third Supreme Court justice he has helped confirm since 2017. Justice Barrett is a principled constitutionalist with impeccable credentials and her confirmation was a great victory for every American who cares about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and our fundamental liberties. In 2020, the Senate confirmed 48 federal judges, while celebrating the 200th federal judicial nominee confirmed by the Senate since the election of President Donald J. Trump. These 234 judges will faithfully interpret and apply the law as part of an independent judiciary, and their addition to the federal courts will benefit all Americans who value the Constitution and individual liberties for decades to come. Led the fight in the Senate to preserve the integrity and independence of the Supreme Court by introducing two proposals, including the ""Keep Nine"" constitutional amendment, to maintain the number of justices on the bench and protect Americans' constitutional liberties. Standing with the Brave Men and Women of Law Enforcement Took a stand against Antifa and introduced the Restitution for Economic losses Caused by Leaders who Allow Insurrection and Mayhem or RECLAIM Act, legislation to hold state and local officials liable when rioters establish lawless autonomous zones' and officials abdicate their duty to protect their citizens. Sen. Cruz also delivered a speech on the Senate floor condemning the violent groups that hijacked the peaceful and just protests honoring George Floyd, and calling for strong leadership to stop the riots and restore law and order. Signed Heritage Action's Police Pledge to reaffirm his support for the men and women of our nation's law enforcement and his commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities. Introduced legislation to rename the U.S. Border Patrol Station in Rocksprings to honor Agent Donna M. Doss, who proudly served in the U.S. Border Patrol for more than 15 years and was killed in the line of duty. Chaired a hearing titled ""The Right of the People Peaceably to Assemble: Protecting Speech by Stopping Anarchist Violence,"" examining how groups like Antifa and other anti-American anarchists exploit peaceful protests and engage in political violence. Took action to protect Americans by re-introducing Kate's law, legislation to impose a mandatory minimum prison sentence on illegal aliens with serious felony convictions who illegally reenter the country. Introduced the National Child Identification Act, legislation that would authorize the use of federal grant funds from the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to provide child identification kits to local law enforcement for distribution to parents of children who attend kindergarten or elementary school. These kits remain with parents, who may provide the kit to law enforcement in the tragic event that their child is missing. SIGNED INTO LAW: Led efforts to rename a U.S. Post Office in Houston, Texas the ""Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Building,"" to serve as a lasting tribute to Deputy Dhaliwal's trailblazing legacy for Sikh Americans and religious minorities in law enforcement. This legislation passed the U.S. Senate and was signed into law in December. Holding Big Tech Accountable Fought to subpoena both Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on political censorship and election interference and questioned them at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Called for a criminal investigation into Twitter for violating our laws prohibiting Americans from providing services to sanctioned Iranian individuals. Sent two letters - one to Google and one to Facebook - slamming the companies for their separate announcements regarding their decisions to limit or block election advertising. Joined Parler, a pro-free-speech social media platform. Questioned the CEOs of Twitter, Facebook, and Google at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing regarding Big Tech's repeated political censorship and their attempts to interfere in the 2020 election, as well as the need to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Protecting Our Religious Freedom Introduced the Safeguarding Americans from Coronavirus and Religious Exercise Discrimination or SACRED Act, legislation that would block federal funding for COVID relief to state and local governments that discriminate against religious individuals or institutions, violating their First Amendment rights. INFLUENCED THE ADMINISTRATION: Called on the Department of Justice to investigate state and local officials who target and discriminate against religious communities under the guise of protecting public health, which resulted in a rebuke of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Sent a letter urging the Secretary of Defense to protect religious freedom within the Department of Defense after reports that the Army has censored military chaplains and harmed their ability to provide religious services during the coronavirus pandemic - access that is not only essential for many service members, but also mandated by the Constitution. Joined an amicus brief on behalf of 34 Senators supporting the Capitol Hill Baptist Church's lawsuit against Muriel Bowser, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., after she permitted and participated in several mass protests but issued COVID-19 regulations prohibiting a religious gathering of more than 100 individuals outdoors. Penned an op-ed warning against the dangers of ""pandemic authoritarianism"" and urged state and local leaders to protect Americans' civil liberties as we all work together to combat COVID-19. Protecting Life Sent a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) requesting a full investigation into the 37 Planned Parenthood affiliates who applied for and improperly received a total of $80 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Called on the administration to maintain pro-life protections during the search for COVID-19 treatments and cures. Urged the FDA to classify the abortion pill Mifeprex as a hazard to public health. Honoring Our Veterans Introduced the Limiting and Enabling Gathering Awards Commemorating Yesteryear or LEGACY Act to facilitate the repatriation of medals, including the Congressional Medal of Honor (MoH), into the United States for display in museums and for educational purposes. Cosponsored the National Purple Heart Honor Mission Commemorative Coin Act, legislation that would direct the Treasury Department to issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins in 2022 honoring Purple Heart recipients and the work of the National Purple Heart Honor Mission. SIGNED INTO LAW: Led efforts in the Senate to pass legislation that would give the president authority to award posthumously the Medal of Honor to Texas's own Sergeant First Class (SFC) Alwyn Cashe. This legislation was signed into law in December. SIGNED INTO LAW: Led efforts to rename a U.S. Postal Office located in Castroville, Texas as the ""Lance Corporal Rhonald Dain Rairdan Post Office,"" as a memorial to Lance Corporal Rairdan and his fellow soldiers who fell in the line of duty. This legislation passed the U.S. Senate and was signed into law in December. Defending Our Second Amendment Rights Urged the ATF to ensure that law-abiding citizens are not deprived of their constitutional right to keep and bear arms during the coronavirus pandemic. Raised concerns to the Attorney General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) about the ATF's practice of relying on non-public standards in its regulation of the importation of ArmaLite Rifle (AR) styled pistols and pistol stabilizing braces. Standing Up to America's Enemies and Adversaries While Standing With Her Allies Russia PASSED THE U.S. SENATE: Led a congressional push to halt construction of Vladimir Putin's Nord Stream 2 pipeline by clarifying and expanding sanctions. If completed, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would reward Russia's aggressive expansionism and economic blackmail, hold our European allies' energy security hostage to Russia, and undermine America's national security interests. These efforts passed the U.S. Senate. INFLUENCED THE ADMINISTRATION: Led the fight for the United States to exit from Cold War-style treaties that constrain American capabilities while providing advantages to Russia or China, such as the Open Skies Treaty and outdated nuclear treaties. Middle East Attended the White House signing ceremony for the Abraham Accords, historic agreements to normalize relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, the achievement of which validated Sen. Cruz's long-running advocacy that unapologetically standing with Israel would unite our allies across the region. INFLUENCED THE ADMINISTRATION: Led the fight to end the catastrophic Obama-Iran nuclear deal, including by revoking the remaining civil-nuclear waivers stemming from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and calling for the deal to be ended once and for all by invoking UN snapback sanctions, restoring all international sanctions on Iran and preventing the United Nations Arms embargo on Iran from expiring. Introduced the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, a bill that urges the U.S. State Department to use its statutory authority to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Introduced the Stop Sending American Taxpayer Money To Governments Controlled By Terrorists Act aimed at creating accountability related to the use of American funds in Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon. PASSED THE U.S. SENATE: Following the successful mission that killed Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and a designated terrorist, Sen. Cruz introduced and the Senate passed in February an amendment recognizing and applauding the president and the brave men and women involved in the mission. Fought against and introduced a resolution condemning the International Criminal Court for unjust, politicized prosecutions against American and Israeli citizens. China Sen. Cruz's leadership against the CCP's human rights atrocities and political oppression led to his being repeatedly sanctioned, something he calls ""a badge of honor."" Led efforts to end U.S. dependence on China for rare earth elements and other critical minerals by introducing the Onshoring Rare Earths or ORE Act, legislation that would establish a supply chain in the U.S. for minerals used to manufacture defense technologies and other high-tech products. INFLUENCED THE ADMINISTRATION: Led the fight to combat the CCP's propaganda by introducing the Blocking Evasive Attempts to Manipulate Signals or BEAMS Act, legislation to prevent the CCP from exploiting Federal Communications Commission (FCC) loopholes to propagandize to Americans from radio stations in Mexico or Canada, including through stations entangled with Chinese state-owned media outlets such as Phoenix TV. This legislation resulted in the Trump Administration blocking the license to these stations. Introduced the Stopping Censorship, Restoring Integrity, Protecting Talkies or SCRIPT Act, legislation cutting off Hollywood studios from assistance they receive from the Department of Defense if those studios censor their films for screening in China. Introduced the Sanctioning and Highlighting Authoritarian Medicine and Eugenics or SHAME Act, legislation sanctioning CCP officials for systematic ethnic cleansing, including through forced abortions and other coercive population control measures in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Introduced the Strongly and Unambiguously Sanctioning Proliferators Exploiting Nuclear Diplomacy or SUSPEND Act, legislation imposing sanctions on the defense sectors of China and Russia unless those countries reverse violations of their obligations under international arms control treaties. Introduced the Protecting America from Spies Act, legislation that would allow the Department of State to deny visas to individuals who have committed acts of espionage or intellectual property theft against the United States. Stood with our friends in Taiwan by introducing the Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty Act, allowing diplomats and service members in the Taiwanese military to display their flag and wear their uniforms while in the United States on official businesses, and fighting against the exclusion of Taiwan from international forums such as ICAO at the behest of Communist China. Western Hemisphere Fought to ensure deep and robust relations between the United States and our Mexican partners, including working with the Trump administration to protect supply lines running between the two countries and recently calling on the Departments of State and Justice to prevent the Mexican government from undermining our countries' security and law enforcement relationship. Introduced a bipartisan resolution to rename the street outside the Cuban Embassy in Washington D.C. as ""Oswaldo Pay Way,"" casting a light on the Cuban regime's human rights atrocities. Introduced a bipartisan resolution expressing support for the people of Nicaragua. Continued working to bring home Americans unjustly held by the Maduro regime in Venezuela, including calling for sanctions against officials involved in the imprisonment of the CITGO 6. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=video&id=5538,Sen. Cruz: This Year Highlighted the Resilience of Texas and the Vigor of the American Spirit,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Central TX (512) 916-5834 300 E 8th Suite 961 Austin, TX 78701 Email North TX (214) 599-8749 Lee Park Tower II 3626 N. Hall St. Suite 410 Dallas, TX 75219 Email Southeast TX (713) 718-3057 The Mickey Leland Federal Building 1919 Smith Street Suite 9047 Houston, TX 77002 Email South/Cen. TX (210) 340-2885 9901 IH-10W Suite 950 San Antonio, TX 78230 Email East TX (903) 593-5130305 S. Broadway Suite 501 Tyler, TX 75702 Email South TX (956) 686-7339 200 S. 10th St Suite 1603 McAllen, TX 78501 Email Washington, D.C. (202) 224-5922 127A Russell Washington, DC 20510 Contact",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B71E096B-03CB-4A08-BA59-8732EF16266E,"McConnell Supports NDAA, Opposes Pelosi Plan for Socialism for Rich People",2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding NDAA and COVID-19 relief: Yesterday, the Senate was finally able to proceed to this year's National Defense Authorization Act. A few of our Democratic colleagues have pulled out all the stops to hold back this crucial bill. But last night, a big, bipartisan majority of 80 Senators voted to proceed. There should be nothing controversial about giving our brave men and women in uniform the tools and training they need to stay safe. There should be nothing controversial about continuing the work of rebuilding and modernizing our capabilities. It should be a nonpartisan proposition that America should keep pace with Russia and China rather than slip behind. We have enacted an annual NDAA for 59 straight years and counting. In the next few days, the easy way or the hard way, we're going to do our job once again. This body will fulfill our responsibility to the men and women who protect our country. The Senate will be here until we finish this bipartisan legislation. *** Now, for several days, we've heard some Senators say Congress must send more cash to high-earning households who haven't seen any income disruption during COVID-19. Our colleagues who purport to be the champions of vulnerable Americans now say that what struggling people really need is for Congress to stop focusing on targeted relief for them specifically, and to instead send thousands of dollars to people who don't need the help. Experts from across the political spectrum agree that our colleague from Vermont is dead wrong on this. Socialism for rich people is a terrible way to help the American families that are actually struggling. Let me say that again. Borrowing from our grandkids to do socialism for rich people is a terrible way to get help to families who actually need it. Washington Democrats took President Trump's suggestion and skewed it so the checks would benefit even more high-earning households. Imagine a family of five where the parents earn $250,000 per year and have not seen any income loss this past year. Speaker Pelosi and Senator Sanders want to send them $5,000 from Uncle Sam. They make a quarter of a million dollars; nobody's out of work; but our so-called progressive friends say that household needs, quote, survival checks.' In fact, they believe a family of five should have to earn $350,000 before the spigot of government money would stop entirely. Socialism for rich people. That's what Speaker Pelosi and Senator Sanders have sketched out. A terrible way to help those who need it. And experts across the political spectrum agree. The liberal editors of the Washington Post have blasted so-called progressives demanding a non-targeted giveaway that would huge amounts' to perfectly comfortable families.' Larry Summers, who ran the Treasury Department for President Clinton and the National Economic Council for President Obama, says there is no good economic argument' for more non-targeted checks with no linkage to need. The liberal New York Times reported this morning that a majority' of the households that get non-targeted checks do not end up spending them on urgent needs, but rather, just add to their savings. We know where the pockets of need are,' said one economist, and putting [money] there would be a much more efficient use.' Fortunately, though some of our colleagues seem to have forgotten, that is exactly what we did less than a week ago. It has been less than five days since President Trump signed into law another historic, bipartisan rescue package targeted to Americans who actually need help. We passed an entire second round of PPP loans to save small business jobs, targeted to the hardest-hit. We renewed multiple kinds of additional federal benefits for unemployed workers, including an extra $300 supplement every week. There are billions for targeted food assistance. Billions for targeted rental assistance. And many billions of dollars for vaccine distribution, so we can finally beat this virus and reopen the economy in full. These are the kinds of targeted emergency programs that directly help the most vulnerable. And we just poured almost another trillion dollars into them, less than five days ago. Along with more direct checks that are already arriving in households' accounts. That's what we did less than five days ago. *** This crisis has not affected everyone equally. The data show that many upper-middle-class Americans have kept their jobs, worked remotely, and remained totally financially comfortable. On the other hand, some of our fellow citizens have had their entire existences turned upside down and continue to suffer terribly. We do not need to let the Speaker of the House do socialism for rich people in order to help those who need help. Our duty, both to struggling Americans and to taxpayers, is to focus on targeted relief that will have the maximum impact and help people who need help the most. That's what the experts say we should do. That's where there is broad, bipartisan support. And that's exactly what we did less than one week ago when nearly $900 billion in more targeted relief was signed into law for our people.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/historic-artifacts-museum-appalachia-display-burchett-s-washington-office,Historic artifacts from Museum of Appalachia on display in Burchetts Washington office,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,TN,Tim Burchett,B001309,burchett.house.gov,,,legacy,"KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 31, 2020)--Today,U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (TN-02)announced unique artifacts from the Museum of Appalachia will be on display in his Washington D.C. office, which is located in room 1122 of the Longworth House Office Building. Since 2003, these items have been on loan toU.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)for display in his Washington office. These historic pieces needed a new home asSen. Alexanderretires from office in January 2021, andRep. Burchettis keeping alive a Tennessee Congressional delegation tradition by moving these pieces to his office. Every item on display originated from within Tennessee's Second Congressional District. Ahead of the relocation,Rep. Burchett,Sen. AlexanderandElaine Meyer,President of the Museum of Appalachia, met virtually to discuss the cultural importance of these artifacts. Sen. Alexander and I grew up in East Tennessee, and these pieces belonged to the folks who came before us,Rep. Burchett said during the discussion.This stuff really touches me and it's cool the Museum of Appalachia can show us how people back then overcame obstacles in everyday life. The Museum of Appalachia is such a treasure for East Tennessee and helps us celebrate our Appalachian culture,Sen. Alexander said.These artifacts gave me a chance to show off that culture, and these pieces of history always caught the attention of people walking by my office. I'm grateful to Elaine Meyer, the Irwin family and John Rice for loaning these items to me and I'm glad Rep. Burchett has decided to put a sizable part of this exhibit in his Washington office. These artifacts are something all East Tennesseans can lay claim to, and it's great they were on display in Sen. Alexander's office throughout his tenure in the U.S. Senate,Ms. Meyer said.I'm glad this tradition is continuing, and these pieces will be a unique part of Rep. Burchett's office just as they were with Sen. Alexander. Click hereor on the image below to watch the full conversation betweenRep. Burchett, Sen. Alexander, and Ms. Meyer.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/historic-artifacts-museum-appalachia-display-burchetts-washington-office,Historic artifacts from Museum of Appalachia on display in Burchett’s Washington office,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,TN,Tim Burchett,B001309,burchett.house.gov,burchett,https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Contact Email Me Newsletter Subscription Office Locations Request an Appearance Website Problem About Committees and Caucuses Our District Votes and Legislation Media Opinions Press Releases Tennessee Under the Capitol Dome Services Appropriations Requests Art Competition Commendations and Greetings Flags Grant Applicants Help with a Federal Agency Internships Military Academy Nominations Tours and Tickets Veterans History Project Issues Abortion Border Security Debt & Deficit Education Foreign Affairs Oversight & Accountability Second Amendment Social Security & Medicare Transportation & Infrastructure Veterans Historic artifacts from Museum of Appalachia on display in Burchett’s Washington office Thursday, December 31, 2020 Image KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 31, 2020) -- Today, U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (TN-02) announced unique artifacts from the Museum of Appalachia will be on display in his Washington D.C. office, which is located in room 1122 of the Longworth House Office Building. Since 2003, these items have been on loan to U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) for display in his Washington office. These historic pieces needed a new home as Sen. Alexander retires from office in January 2021, and Rep. Burchett is keeping alive a Tennessee Congressional delegation tradition by moving these pieces to his office. Every item on display originated from within Tennessee's Second Congressional District.  Ahead of the relocation, Rep. Burchett, Sen. Alexander and Elaine Meyer, President of the Museum of Appalachia, met virtually to discuss the cultural importance of these artifacts. ""Sen. Alexander and I grew up in East Tennessee, and these pieces belonged to the folks who came before us,"" Rep. Burchett said during the discussion. ""This stuff really touches me and it's cool the Museum of Appalachia can show us how people back then overcame obstacles in everyday life."" ""The Museum of Appalachia is such a treasure for East Tennessee and helps us celebrate our Appalachian culture,"" Sen. Alexander said. ""These artifacts gave me a chance to show off that culture, and these pieces of history always caught the attention of people walking by my office. I'm grateful to Elaine Meyer, the Irwin family and John Rice for loaning these items to me and I'm glad Rep. Burchett has decided to put a sizable part of this exhibit in his Washington office."" ""These artifacts are something all East Tennesseans can lay claim to, and it's great they were on display in Sen. Alexander's office throughout his tenure in the U.S. Senate,"" Ms. Meyer said. ""I'm glad this tradition is continuing, and these pieces will be a unique part of Rep. Burchett's office just as they were with Sen. Alexander."" Click here or on the image below to watch the full conversation between Rep. Burchett, Sen. Alexander, and Ms. Meyer. 35.96218937574084 -83.91705284439482 35.754871307863255 -83.96938554624516 TN02",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2020/12/31/higgins-will-object-certification-electoral-college-votes/,Higgins Will Object to Certification of Electoral College Votes,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"“I will object to the certification of electoral votes on January 6th. Reports of voter fraud and actions by some states to alter election processes in an unlawful manner have not been properly reviewed. Evidence that a crime has been committed leads to an investigation. That standard is reasonable suspicion. Investigation into an alleged crime produces evidence either exculpatory or condemning. Investigations crossing multiple jurisdictional authorities are particularly complex and require time. Our Constitutional requirement to inaugurate a President on January 20th does not abrogate our Constitutional requirement to investigate reasonable suspicion of election fraud and violation of election laws within several of the sovereign states. I believe those actions of fraud and illegal election processes thwarted the true will of We, the People, and flipped the Presidential election to career politician Joe Biden. America is not a confederacy of states. We are a Union of States. We are a Representative Republic. Therefore, each sovereign state has a deep obligation to follow its own written election laws when that state participates in a federal election. Otherwise, the Union itself is violated, and the federal election is compromised. I warned of this prior to November 3rd, 2020. Six weeks ago, I instructed my Congressional staff to begin preparing for my formal objection to Electoral slates of several sovereign states. While the mainstream media and establishment forces want to ignore election irregularities that began coming to light in the days following the election, We, the People, will not stand idly by. For over a month now, I have been examining and researching the various allegations that have come forth, and I will take every legal and Constitutionally-available action to ensure a righteous outcome. That includes objecting to the electoral slates from disputed states. There is sufficient evidence, at a minimum, to investigate criminal acts, which may have compromised the integrity of our election. This effort and action to safeguard our election systems must continue, even beyond January 20th, 2021.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/higgins-will-object-certification-electoral-college-votes,Higgins Will Object to Certification of Electoral College Votes,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued the following statement today after announcing that he will object to the certification of Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021. I will object to the certification of electoral votes on January 6th. Reports of voter fraud and actions by some states to alter election processes in an unlawful manner have not been properly reviewed. Evidence that a crime has been committed leads to an investigation. That standard is reasonable suspicion. Investigation into an alleged crime produces evidence either exculpatory or condemning. Investigations crossing multiple jurisdictional authorities are particularly complex and require time. Our Constitutional requirement to inaugurate a President on January 20th does not abrogate our Constitutional requirement to investigate reasonable suspicion of election fraud and violation of election laws within several of the sovereign states. I believe those actions of fraud and illegal election processes thwarted the true will of We, the People, and flipped the Presidential election to career politician Joe Biden. America is not a confederacy of states. We are a Union of States. We are a Representative Republic. Therefore, each sovereign state has a deep obligation to follow its own written election laws when that state participates in a federal election. Otherwise, the Union itself is violated, and the federal election is compromised. I warned of this prior to November 3rd, 2020. Six weeks ago, I instructed my Congressional staff to begin preparing for my formal objection to Electoral slates of several sovereign states. While the mainstream media and establishment forces want to ignore election irregularities that began coming to light in the days following the election, We, the People, will not stand idly by. For over a month now, I have been examining and researching the various allegations that have come forth, and I will take every legal and Constitutionally-available action to ensure a righteous outcome. That includes objecting to the electoral slates from disputed states. There is sufficient evidence, at a minimum, to investigate criminal acts, which may have compromised the integrity of our election. This effort and action to safeguard our election systems must continue, even beyond January 20th, 2021.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-urges-additional-flexibility-for-digital-asset-rulemaking,Emmer Urges Additional Flexibility for Digital Asset Rulemaking,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MN,Tom Emmer,E000294,emmer.house.gov,emmer,https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) and seven of his colleagues and Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to express concerns regarding a limited comment period to respond to a recently released rule making significant changes to the regulation of digital assets. The rule was announced on December 18, 2020, and comments must be received by January 4, 2021. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s (FinCEN) rule would require certain members of the cryptocurrency industry to submit additional reports and keep records relating to customer identities if transactions are made above certain thresholds. The additional data collection also pertains to unhosted wallets, which do not require a financial institution to conduct transactions. Congressman Emmer's letter requests a 60 day comment period for public and stakeholder input on the rule before it is finalized, and a potential delay of implementation to allow stakeholders to become compliant. “The blockchain industry and cryptocurrency innovations are constantly and rapidly evolving. Government frequently struggles to keep up. We owe it to this community to be fair, transparent, and open to stakeholder advice,"" said Emmer. ""Our request is simple: allow additional flexibility for stakeholders to comment and advise our government on this proposal,"" Emmer concluded. Read the letter here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://emmer.house.gov/press-releases?ID=14FD5053-6EE0-4841-B64E-11D13F004C19,Emmer Urges Additional Flexibility for Digital Asset Rulemaking,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MN,Tom Emmer,E000294,emmer.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://graves.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletters/we-will-object,We Will Object,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Next week, your 117th United States Congress will convene for the first time. After the election of Speaker and the adoption of the Rules of Congress, theaction will quickly move to reading aloud the electoral votessubmitted by each state from this past November'selection - counting them, and declaring the vote tally for President and Vice President. During that process, the question will be put before your elected officials - does anyone object to the certificationof electoral votes of a state. We will object. Our hope is that others will join us. We don't take this decision lightly, but we must protect the integrity of each vote cast by every law-abidingMissourian. For every instance of Georgia failing to follow its own state law in verifying signatures, of Pennsylvania accepting mail ballots after the legal deadline set by its state legislature, or folks from outside Nevada casting a ballotin that state - the value of every Missourians' vote is diminished. That's not right. And we cannot simply look the other way. The right to freely cast yourvote in elections is a sacred privilegeafforded to us as Americans because of the sacrificesof the patriots who fought for that right. When that process is spoiled and abused by officials not following their own state law, it violates that right and jeopardizes the entire integrity and foundation of 'free and fair' elections. In such instances, where voting process changes are made without the consent of the voter, we know it is our duty and our obligation to serve as a backstop to protect the power of one person, one vote - to protect your vote as a Missourian. We must be able to have confidence in not only the agreement and expectation that this election would follow the law, but future ones will as well. We take the responsibilityof upholding the Constitutionseriously, and that is why we feel compelled to object to the electoral count taking place on January 6th. The reported results of this past November's Presidential election don't even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projectedto lose control of the United States Senate - we didn't, and we won't. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It's hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn't add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama - 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama - 873 counties, Joe Biden - 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves. We have joined lawsuits, called for a Special Counsel and demanded accountability and integrity, now we finally get to cast our vote. We have no illusions about the outcome, at the end of the day, this is still Nancy Pelosi's House. Our only hope is that more will join us - that more will value protecting the vote of every American living in their state as much as we do fighting for yours.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hill.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=8184,Congressional Oversight Commission Publishes Eighth Report,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,AR,French Hill,H001072,hill.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressional Oversight Commission Publishes Eighth Report f t # e Washington, December 31, 2020 WASHINGTON D.C. The members of the bipartisan Congressional Oversight Commission have published their eighth report.It is available for review here. The Commission's seven previous reports are also available for review at theCongressional Oversight Commission's website. The Congressional Oversight Commission is a five-person panel that was established by the CARES Act. The Commission is focused specifically on the economic stabilization efforts of the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve. The members of the commission are Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), and Congressman French Hill (R-Ark.) Commissioner Bharat Ramamurti recently announced he would be joining President-Elect Biden's Administration as the Deputy Director of the National Economic Council and stepped down from his role on the Commission. The Commission's chairperson has not been appointed yet. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3342,We Will Object,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Next week, your 117th United States Congress will convene for the first time. After the election of Speaker and the adoption of the Rules of Congress, theaction will quickly move to reading aloud the electoral votessubmitted by each state from this past November'selection - counting them, and declaring the vote tally for President and Vice President. During that process, the question will be put before your elected officials - does anyone object to the certificationof electoral votes of a state. We will object. Our hope is that others will join us. We don't take this decision lightly, but we must protect the integrity of each vote cast by every law-abidingMissourian. For every instance of Georgia failing to follow its own state law in verifying signatures, of Pennsylvania accepting mail ballots after the legal deadline set by its state legislature, or folks from outside Nevada casting a ballotin that state - the value of every Missourians' vote is diminished. That's not right. And we cannot simply look the other way. The right to freely cast yourvote in elections is a sacred privilegeafforded to us as Americans because of the sacrificesof the patriots who fought for that right. When that process is spoiled and abused by officials not following their own state law, it violates that right and jeopardizes the entire integrity and foundation of 'free and fair' elections. In such instances, where voting process changes are made without the consent of the voter, we know it is our duty and our obligation to serve as a backstop to protect the power of one person, one vote - to protect your vote as a Missourian. We must be able to have confidence in not only the agreement and expectation that this election would follow the law, but future ones will as well. We take the responsibilityof upholding the Constitutionseriously, and that is why we feel compelled to object to the electoral count taking place on January 6th. The reported results of this past November's Presidential election don't even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projectedto lose control of the United States Senate - we didn't, and we won't. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It's hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn't add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama - 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama - 873 counties, Joe Biden - 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves. We have joined lawsuits, called for a Special Counsel and demanded accountability and integrity, now we finally get to cast our vote. We have no illusions about the outcome, at the end of the day, this is still Nancy Pelosi's House. Our only hope is that more will join us - that more will value protecting the vote of every American living in their state as much as we do fighting for yours.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jeffduncan.house.gov/media/in-the-news/list-gop-lawmakers-object-during-electoral-college-certification-process-grows,List Of GOP Lawmakers To Object During Electoral College Certification Process Grows,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,SC,Jeffrey Duncan,D000615,jeffduncan.house.gov,,,legacy,2229 Rayburn House Office Building,1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://joewilson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-joe-wilson-to-object-to-electoral-college-certification,CONGRESSMAN JOE WILSON TO OBJECT TO ELECTORAL COLLEGE CERTIFICATION,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,SC,Joe Wilson,W000795,joewilson.house.gov,joewilson,https://joewilson.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"On December 31, Congressman Joe Wilson issued the following statement: ""As a former Lexington County Election Commissioner, not just as a Member of Congress, I am disgusted at the irregularities in the 2020 presidential election. The failure to validate signatures, the omission of witnesses, the interruption of counting before completion, the denial of poll watchers for access to fully observe, the extension of ballots received beyond Election Day, and the registration of illegal aliens, allowing non-citizens to vote, are all an open invitation for fraud. I had counted on courts to fully consider lawsuits by 18 states and 126 members of Congress, but the Courts have declined to act and it is my duty to object to the Electoral count because irregularities were never addressed."" ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://johnjoyce.house.gov/media/press-releases/john-joyce-will-object-electoral-college-certification-process-january-6,John Joyce Will Object to Electoral College Certification Process on January 6,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,PA,John Joyce,J000302,johnjoyce.house.gov,johnjoyce,https://johnjoyce.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) today announced that he will object to the Electoral College certification process on Wednesday, January 6. ""American democracy is possible only as long as the American people have faith in government ?of, by, and for the people.' We cannot have truly free and fair elections unless American voters have confidence in the results. In Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf's unlawful actions coupled with the hastily passed Act 77 shrouded this year's election and spurred rabid distrust in the system. Despite millions of Americans' efforts to discern the facts, we have not seen a meaningful investigation into the many legitimate accounts of election fraud and irregularities. For the sake of our liberty and our American values, I will stand up for President Trump and our American democracy by objecting to the Electoral College certification on January 6."" Today Dr. Joyce joined fellow members of the Republican Congressional delegation in a joint statement on the certification of the electors, including in part: ""Unfortunately, the many unlawful actions undertaken by the Pennsylvania Governor's office, the Secretary of State, and what has been described as a rogue Pennsylvania Supreme Court exceeded and circumvented the state legislature's clear constitutional authority. ""The unlawful actions include, but are not limited to: Accepting ballots past 8:00 pm on Election Day Not properly requiring signatures to match those on mail-in ballots or requiring dates Meanwhile, the matching of signatures was required at a polling site Authorizing the curing of mail-in ballots with less than a 24-hour's notice Only some counties were informed and adhered to this order leaving voters treated unequally from county to county Authorizing the use of unsecure drop boxes, which is not permitted in statute Prohibiting certified poll watchers overseeing the canvassing of ballots in Philadelphia ""These unlawful actions were taken without the authority or consent of the Pennsylvania state legislature. These are facts, and they are indisputable."" Despite sustained efforts to discern the truth, these Members of Congress have not received an adequate response from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Given this failure of the Commonwealth's leadership, they cannot agree to support electors chosen based upon an inaccurate total vote count. ""This very unfortunate, volatile, and distressing situation is due to the lack of respect and regard for the law and the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Pennsylvania State Constitution. Additionally, the failure of Pennsylvania's justice system to seek the truth, rather than stay silent, allowed these irregular, unlawful actions to create a high level of mistrust in the process, as well as a potentially flawed outcome,"" they continued. Background: Since Election Day, Dr. Joyce has been in lockstep with President Trump and his team to ensure that justice is served. ? November 6, 2020: Dr. Joyce and 38 fellow Members of Congress call on U.S. Attorney General Barr to begin a federal investigation and exercise oversight on the November 3 elections in Pennsylvania and around the country. ? November 7, 2020: Dr. Joyce and fellow Republican Members of the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation urge Governor Wolf, PA Attorney General Shapiro, and Secretary Boockvar to uphold the law of Pennsylvania and ensure that every LEGAL vote is counted once. They also call on Governor Wolf to recuse AG Shapiro, a hyper-partisan candidate, from ALL election oversight. ? November-December: Dr. Joyce supports President Trump's legal challenges in Pennsylvania. ? December 1, 2020: Dr. Joyce and 36 fellow Members of Congress urge U.S. Attorney General Barr to take ""bold and courageous action"" in DOJ investigation of widespread allegations of election fraud in Pennsylvania and around the country and to uphold the rule of law and ensure legal justice for President Trump. As they write, ""justice delayed is justice denied."" ? December 7, 2020: Dr. Joyce files an amicus brief in support of Kelly v. Pennsylvania, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Congressman Mike Kelly's case against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ? December 8, 2020: Dr. Joyce co-sponsorsH.R.8830, the You Must Be Alive to Vote Act of 2020, which will require states to obtain information from Social Security Administration on deaths for purposes of voter registration list maintenance and to prevent dead people from voting. ? December 10, 2020: In support of President Trump, Dr. Joyce files an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Texas v. Pennsylvania and give all due consideration to our President. ? December 24, 2020: Dr. Joyce files an amicus brief calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Kelly v. Commonwealthof Pennsylvania and uphold the Constitution of Pennsylvania. ? December 31, 2020: Dr. Joyce and members of the Republican Pennsylvania Congressional delegation release statement announcing that they will object to the Electoral College certification process. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://keller.house.gov/media/press-releases/pennsylvania-members-congress-release-statement-regarding-certification,Pennsylvania Members of Congress Release Statement Regarding Certification of Electors,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,PA,Fred Keller,K000395,keller.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) and seven Pennsylvania members of Congress released the following statement regarding the certification of electors on January 6, 2020: The United States Constitution is unambiguous in declaring that state legislatures are the entity with authority to set election procedure Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof' Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2: Each state shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors' Unfortunately, the many unlawful actions undertaken by the Pennsylvania Governor's office, the Secretary of State, and what has been described as a rogue Pennsylvania Supreme Court exceeded and circumvented the state legislature's clear constitutional authority. The unlawful actions include, but are not limited to: Accepting ballots past 8:00 pm on Election Day. Not properly requiring signatures to match those on mail-in ballots or requiring dates. Meanwhile, the matching of signatures was required at a polling site. Authorizing the curing of mail-in ballots with less than a 24-hours' notice. Only some counties were informed and adhered to this order leaving voters treated unequally from county to county. Authorizing the use of unsecure drop boxes, which is not permitted in statute. Prohibiting certified poll watchers overseeing the canvassing of ballots in Philadelphia. These unlawful actions were taken without the authority or consent of the Pennsylvania state legislature. These are facts, and they are indisputable. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Attorney General did nothing with regard to these unlawful activities. Not one inquiry, no questioning, and certainly no investigations. Not to mention that hundreds, if not thousands, of affidavits outlining election complaints and potential fraud were documented, submitted, and ignored. The Pennsylvania election could be summed up as a free-for-all with no oversight and different standards applied throughout the Commonwealth. It is also very apparent that the unlawful actions described were concentrated in heavily populated, Democrat-led counties. By definition, such unlawful, unregulated, and inconsistent activities resulted in a highly questionable and inaccurate vote total. The scope of these inaccuracies cannot be known until the legal ballots are identified and counted, and the illegal ballots are disqualified. This has not been done. Therefore, the state's official certification of electors was based upon a flawed system and an inaccurate vote count. Thus, very possibly resulting in an erroneous certification. Until these unlawful practices are acknowledged and corrected, we, as members of the U.S. House of Representatives, cannot agree to support electors chosen based upon an inaccurate total vote count. The voters of Pennsylvania deserve integrity in the election process and equal protection under the law. This very unfortunate, volatile, and distressing situation is due to the lack of respect and regard for the law and the U.S. Constitution as well as the Pennsylvania State Constitution. Additionally, the failure of Pennsylvania's justice system to seek the truth, rather than stay silent, allowed these irregular, unlawful actions to create a high level of mistrust in the process as well as a potentially flawed outcome. The one thing that all voters, regardless of party affiliation, can all agree upon is that we must have election integrity. That is the only way to ensure trust in our elections and it is accomplished by adhering to our Constitution and the law. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kelly.house.gov/press-release/pennsylvania-us-house-members-release-statement-certification-electors,Pennsylvania U.S. House Members Release Statement on Certification of Electors,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-16) today released this joint statement with Representatives Dan Meuser (PA-9), Glenn GT' Thompson (PA-15), Scott Perry (PA-10), Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), John Joyce (PA-13), and Fred Keller (PA-12) regarding their intent to vote against certification of Pennsylvania's electors on January 6: The United States Constitution is unambiguous in declaring that state legislatures are the entity with authority to set election procedure - Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2: Each state shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors Unfortunately, the many unlawful actions undertaken by the Pennsylvania Governor's office, the Secretary of State, and what has been described as a rogue Pennsylvania Supreme Court exceeded and circumvented the state legislature's clear constitutional authority. The unlawful actions include, but are not limited to: Accepting ballots past 8:00 pm on Election Day; Not properly requiring signatures to match those on mail-in ballots or requiring dates.Meanwhile, the matching of signatures was required at a polling site; Authorizing the curing of mail-in ballots with less than a 24-hour's notice.Only some counties were informed and adhered to this order leaving voters treated unequally from county to county; Authorizing the use of unsecured drop boxes, which is not permitted in statute Prohibiting certified poll watchers overseeing the canvassing of ballots in Philadelphia; These unlawful actions were taken without the authority or consent of the Pennsylvania state legislature. These are facts, and they are indisputable. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Attorney General did nothing with regard to these unlawful activities. Not one inquiry, no questioning, and certainly no investigations. Not to mention that hundreds, if not thousands, of affidavits outlining election complaints and potential fraud were documented, submitted, and ignored. The Pennsylvania election could be summed up as a free-for-all with no oversight and different standards applied throughout the Commonwealth. It is also very apparent that the unlawful actions described were concentrated in heavily populated, Democrat-led counties. By definition, such unlawful, unregulated, and inconsistent activities resulted in a highly questionable and inaccurate vote total. The scope of these inaccuracies cannot be known until the legal ballots are identified and counted, and the illegal ballots are disqualified. This has not been done. Therefore, the state's official certification of electors was based upon a flawed system and an inaccurate vote count. Thus, very possibly resulting in an erroneous certification. Until these unlawful practices are acknowledged and corrected, we cannot agree to support electors chosen based upon an inaccurate total vote count. The voters of Pennsylvania deserve integrity in the election process and equal protection under the law. This very unfortunate, volatile, and distressing situation is due to the lack of respect and regard for the law and the U.S. Constitution as well as the Pennsylvania State Constitution. Additionally, the failure of Pennsylvania's justice system to seek the truth, rather than stay silent, allowed these irregular, unlawful actions to create a high level of mistrust in the process as well as a potentially flawed outcome. If there is an American ideal that all citizens, regardless of party affiliation, can agree upon it is that we must have election integrity. Election integrity is the only way to ensure trust in our elections and it is accomplished by adhering to our Constitution and the law."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://long.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=476,We Will Object,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Billy Long,L000576,long.house.gov,,,legacy,"Next week, your 117th United States Congress will convene for the first time. After the election of Speaker and the adoption of the Rules of Congress, theaction will quickly move to reading aloud the electoral votessubmitted by each state from this past November'selection - counting them, and declaring the vote tally for President and Vice President. During that process, the question will be put before your elected officials - does anyone object to the certificationof electoral votes of a state. We will object. Our hope is that others will join us. We don't take this decision lightly, but we must protect the integrity of each vote cast by every law-abidingMissourian. For every instance of Georgia failing to follow its own state law in verifying signatures, of Pennsylvania accepting mail ballots after the legal deadline set by its state legislature, or folks from outside Nevada casting a ballotin that state - the value of every Missourians' vote is diminished. That's not right. And we cannot simply look the other way. The right to freely cast yourvote in elections is a sacred privilegeafforded to us as Americans because of the sacrificesof the patriots who fought for that right. When that process is spoiled and abused by officials not following their own state law, it violates that right and jeopardizes the entire integrity and foundation of 'free and fair' elections. In such instances, where voting process changes are made without the consent of the voter, we know it is our duty and our obligation to serve as a backstop to protect the power of one person, one vote - to protect your vote as a Missourian. We must be able to have confidence in not only the agreement and expectation that this election would follow the law, but future ones will as well. We take the responsibilityof upholding the Constitutionseriously, and that is why we feel compelled to object to the electoral count taking place on January 6th. The reported results of this past November's Presidential election don't even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projectedto lose control of the United States Senate - we didn't, and we won't. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It's hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn't add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama - 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama - 873 counties, Joe Biden - 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves. We have joined lawsuits, called for a Special Counsel and demanded accountability and integrity, now we finally get to cast our vote. We have no illusions about the outcome, at the end of the day, this is still Nancy Pelosi's House. Our only hope is that more will join us - that more will value protecting the vote of every American living in their state as much as we do fighting for yours.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://loudermilk.house.gov/news/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=3564,Bill to Help Non-Profit Organizations Goes to President Trumps Desk to be Signed,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,GA,Barry Loudermilk,L000583,loudermilk.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga) issued the following statement after the Senate and House of Representatives passed his bill, the Building Up Independent Lives and Dreams (BUILD) Act: share: f t Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga) issued the following statement after the Senate and House of Representatives passed his bill, the Building Up Independent Lives and Dreams (BUILD) Act:It's great to see the BUILD Act on its way to the president's desk to be signed into law. The bipartisan support for this bill was overwhelming; and it's clear that many of my colleagues agree we should make it easier for charitable organizations to help those in need. This bill is a major help for non-profits, like Habitat for Humanity, which provide low-cost housing for needy families. The BUILD Act cuts government red-tape by reducing some of the overly burdensome regulations placed on charities through the Dodd-Frank Act. The difficulty and cost of compliance has been too much for some non-profits, causing them to spend more time doing regulatory paperwork and less time fulfilling their missions. The BUILD Act recognizes that these non-profit organizations operate under different business models than traditional financial institutions, and provides a simpler method for providing mortgage disclosures. Summary of the BUILD Act (S. 371): Allows Habitat for Humanity affiliates, and similar organizations, to choose whether to use the TRID loan estimate and closing disclosure form or use the less complex GFE, HUD-1, and TILA forms. You can view the text of this legislation by HERE.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://loudermilk.house.gov/news/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=3565,Rep. Loudermilk to Object to Georgia Electors in U.S. House of Representatives,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,GA,Barry Loudermilk,L000583,loudermilk.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga) issued the following statement regarding the November 3rd election, and the certification of the electors for the Presidential election in the U.S. House on January 6, 2021:""Since the November 3rd election, I have received numerous reports of election irregularities, mismanagement of the election system, and multiple incidents of voter fraud. While contacting voters who needed to cure their absentee ballots just after the election, I and my team heard from several voters who reported that when they went to vote on Election Day, they were told they had already voted absentee, though they had not. Two weeks before the election, I received credible information that a Georgia-based non-profit group was actively calling residents of other states and encouraging them to register as Georgia voters. I reported this information, and the contact for my source, to the Georgia Secretary of State. Two weeks after the election, I found out that the informant had never been contacted by the Secretary of State's office. ""Over the past several weeks, I have been in contact with members of the Georgia General Assembly who have conducted hearings on potential voter fraud in the November general election. I have received hundreds of testimonies, affidavits, and witness accounts of voting irregularities, lack of ballot accountability, and violations of state election law. While I am fully supportive of Governor Brian Kemp and how he is leading Georgia during these trying times, I do not believe the Governor's office, nor the Secretary of State, have adequately answered the most significant claims of voter fraud and election mismanagement made by several individuals and entities. ""After weeks of researching Georgia's handling of the 2020 General Election, I have a reasonable and significant doubt that the electors selected to represent Georgia in the electoral college actually reflect the true will of the people of Georgia. Due to the many unanswered and credible charges of potential fraud, highly respected members of the State House and Senate have called for a special session to address the certification of Georgia's votes. However, no special session has been called. Therefore, on behalf of my colleagues in the Georgia General Assembly, I will be objecting to Georgia's electors when these votes are presented to the U.S. House of Representatives on January 6, 2021.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-statement-on-cash-act-vote/,McMorris Rodgers Statement on CASH Act Vote,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) issued the following statement after voting on the CASH Act. This year, I have supported trillions in emergency relief and assistance for those hurt by the COVID-19 crisis and resulting economic shutdowns. That includes this month's bipartisan agreement with increased unemployment assistance, aid to farmers and ranchers, reimbursements for our health care providers, support for small businesses and their employees, and additional direct payments to Eastern Washington families, said McMorris Rodgers. Unfortunately, the CASH Act would add $464 billion to our national debt. I believe assistance should be more targeted. In addition, this bill failed to include the spending reductions that President Trump called for. As I've repeatedly urged Governor Inslee to do, the best and most effective way to help families and restore our way of life is to reopen our economy and safely get people back to work. That's what I am committed to. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://meuser.house.gov/media/press-releases/pennsylvania-members-congress-release-statement-regarding-certification,PENNSYLVANIA MEMBERS OF CONGRESS RELEASE STATEMENT REGARDING CERTIFICATION OF ELECTORS,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,PA,Daniel Meuser,M001204,meuser.house.gov,meuser,https://meuser.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Pennsylvania members of the U.S. House of Representatives including Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-9), Congressman Glenn ‘GT' Thompson (PA-15), Congressman Mike Kelly (PA-16), Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10), Congressman Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Congressman Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), Congressman John Joyce (PA-13), and Congressman Fred Keller (PA-12) released the following joint statement: ""The United States Constitution is unambiguous in declaring that state legislatures are the entity with authority to set election procedure - ""Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof… ""Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2: Each state shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors… ""Unfortunately, the many unlawful actions undertaken by the Pennsylvania Governor's office, the Secretary of State, and what has been described as a rogue Pennsylvania Supreme Court exceeded and circumvented the state legislature's clear constitutional authority. ""The unlawful actions include, but are not limited to: Accepting ballots past 8:00 pm on Election Day Not properly requiring signatures to match those on mail-in ballots or requiring dates Meanwhile, the matching of signatures was required at a polling site Authorizing the curing of mail-in ballots with less than a 24-hour's notice Only some counties were informed and adhered to this order leaving voters treated unequally from county to county Authorizing the use of unsecure drop boxes, which is not permitted in statute Prohibiting certified poll watchers overseeing the canvassing of ballots in Philadelphia ""These unlawful actions were taken without the authority or consent of the Pennsylvania state legislature. These are facts, and they are indisputable. ""Additionally, the Pennsylvania Attorney General did nothing with regard to these unlawful activities. Not one inquiry, no questioning, and certainly no investigations. Not to mention that hundreds, if not thousands, of affidavits outlining election complaints and potential fraud were documented, submitted, and ignored. The Pennsylvania election could be summed up as a free-for-all with no oversight and different standards applied throughout the Commonwealth. It is also very apparent that the unlawful actions described were concentrated in heavily populated, Democrat-led counties. ""By definition, such unlawful, unregulated, and inconsistent activities resulted in a highly questionable and inaccurate vote total. The scope of these inaccuracies cannot be known until the legal ballots are identified and counted, and the illegal ballots are disqualified. This has not been done. ""Therefore, the state's official certification of electors was based upon a flawed system and an inaccurate vote count. Thus, very possibly resulting in an erroneous certification. ""Until these unlawful practices are acknowledged and corrected, we cannot agree to support electors chosen based upon an inaccurate total vote count. The voters of Pennsylvania deserve integrity in the election process and equal protection under the law. ""This very unfortunate, volatile, and distressing situation is due to the lack of respect and regard for the law and the U.S. Constitution as well as the Pennsylvania State Constitution. Additionally, the failure of Pennsylvania's justice system to seek the truth, rather than stay silent, allowed these irregular, unlawful actions to create a high level of mistrust in the process as well as a potentially flawed outcome. ""If there is an American ideal that all citizens, regardless of party affiliation, can agree upon is that we must have election integrity. Election integrity is the only way to ensure trust in our elections and it is accomplished by adhering to our Constitution and the law.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://norman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=732,Statement on Electoral College Certification,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,SC,Ralph Norman,N000190,norman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Statement on Electoral College Certification U.S. Congressman Ralph Norman issued the following statement on Thursday, December 31, 2020: On January 6th, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate will meet in joint session to accept the results of the Electoral College. My office has received a lot of calls asking about my position on this. My position is clear: Because we don't have a thorough accounting of all the various reports of voting irregularities, as well as transparent evidence that the election in several key states was fair overall and remedied where it wasn't fair I will be joining other colleagues from the House of Representatives to formally challenge the Electoral College results from those states. At the end of the day, I believe Congress has a responsibility to ensure that our federal elections are fair and transparent. Individual states, which are empowered by our Constitution to run their own elections, need to ensure that state and federal laws were followed when making their election policies, that every lawful vote is counted, unlawful votes are discarded, and legitimate reports of irregularities are thoroughly investigated and resolved. Because there remain valid questions as to whether several states have actually met this threshold for certification, Congress has a right and (I would argue) a responsibility to examine and debate the results.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://reschenthaler.house.gov/media/press-releases/pennsylvania-members-congress-release-statement-regarding-certification,Pennsylvania Members of Congress Release Statement Regarding Certification of Electors,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,PA,Guy Reschenthaler,R000610,reschenthaler.house.gov,reschenthaler,https://reschenthaler.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Pennsylvania members of the U.S. House of Representatives including Congressman Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-9), Congressman Glenn ‘GT' Thompson (PA-15), Congressman Mike Kelly (PA-16), Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10), Congressman Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Congressman John Joyce (PA-13), and Congressman Fred Keller (PA-12) released the following joint statement: ""The United States Constitution is unambiguous in declaring that state legislatures are the entity with authority to set election procedure - ""Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof… ""Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2: Each state shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors… ""Unfortunately, the many unlawful actions undertaken by the Pennsylvania Governor's office, the Secretary of State, and what has been described as a rogue Pennsylvania Supreme Court exceeded and circumvented the state legislature's clear constitutional authority. ""The unlawful actions include, but are not limited to: Accepting ballots past 8:00 pm on Election Day Not properly requiring signatures to match those on mail-in ballots or requiring dates Meanwhile, the matching of signatures was required at a polling site Authorizing the curing of mail-in ballots with less than a 24-hour's notice Only some counties were informed and adhered to this order leaving voters treated unequally from county to county Authorizing the use of unsecure drop boxes, which is not permitted in statute Prohibiting certified poll watchers overseeing the canvassing of ballots in Philadelphia ""These unlawful actions were taken without the authority or consent of the Pennsylvania state legislature. These are facts, and they are indisputable. ""Additionally, the Pennsylvania Attorney General did nothing with regard to these unlawful activities. Not one inquiry, no questioning, and certainly no investigations. Not to mention that hundreds, if not thousands, of affidavits outlining election complaints and potential fraud were documented, submitted, and ignored. The Pennsylvania election could be summed up as a free-for-all with no oversight and different standards applied throughout the Commonwealth. It is also very apparent that the unlawful actions described were concentrated in heavily populated, Democrat-led counties. ""By definition, such unlawful, unregulated, and inconsistent activities resulted in a highly questionable and inaccurate vote total. The scope of these inaccuracies cannot be known until the legal ballots are identified and counted, and the illegal ballots are disqualified. This has not been done. ""Therefore, the state's official certification of electors was based upon a flawed system and an inaccurate vote count. Thus, very possibly resulting in an erroneous certification. ""Until these unlawful practices are acknowledged and corrected, we cannot agree to support electors chosen based upon an inaccurate total vote count. The voters of Pennsylvania deserve integrity in the election process and equal protection under the law. ""This very unfortunate, volatile, and distressing situation is due to the lack of respect and regard for the law and the U.S. Constitution as well as the Pennsylvania State Constitution. Additionally, the failure of Pennsylvania's justice system to seek the truth, rather than stay silent, allowed these irregular, unlawful actions to create a high level of mistrust in the process as well as a potentially flawed outcome. ""If there is an American ideal that all citizens, regardless of party affiliation, can agree upon is that we must have election integrity. Election integrity is the only way to ensure trust in our elections and it is accomplished by adhering to our Constitution and the law."" ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://steveking.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/king-introduces-legislation-to-refurbish-the-pillars-of-american,King Introduces Legislation to Refurbish the Pillars of American Exceptionalism,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,IA,Steve King,K000362,steveking.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, Congressman Steve King introduced a significant, capstone piece of legislation, The Refurbishing the Pillars of American Exceptionalism Act. The legislation, if enacted, would amend and improve Federal law in the areas of immigration, health care, the Constitution, education, trade, veterans' affairs, welfare, and tax, among numerous other areas. This large, comprehensive Act contains many of the bills Congressman King has championed during his nearly quarter century in the public service of Iowans and all Americans, including: H.R. 490, the Heartbeat Protection Act (the Heartbeat Bill) H.R. 140, the Birthright Citizenship Act H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act H.R. 185, the ObamaCare Repeal Act H.R. 385, Sarah's Law H.R. 902, the Protect American IPR Act H.R. 904, the New Illegal Deduction Elimination Act (New IDEA) H.R. 1319, the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act H.R. 1320, the Census Accuracy Act H.R. 4651, the American Future Healthcare Act King's legislation also includes the FAIR Tax, repeal of the 16th Amendment, and a prescription for substantive welfare reform, among many other important provisions. From the start of my service in elected office, I committed to my constituents that I would work tirelessly for them and stay true to my principles, said King. This legislation is a capstone of my legislative work to make good on those promises to my constituents, while always simultaneously endeavoring to refurbish the pillars of American Exceptionalism. It is significant because it not only includes a comprehensive selection of the most important bills I've worked on and spent countless hours advocating for, but moreover because I have no doubt that if enacted, this legislation would set the United States on a path of cultural and economic growth that perhaps is unparalleled in the life of our nation. I encourage new Members of Congress and leaders across our nation to never allow fear, opposition or lies to stop you from being a thought leader and standing on principle. Our nation is greatly in need of those leaders who would stay true to their convictions, no matter the cost. In addition to this Act, Congressman King also introduced three other measures today, including a resolution nullifying the impeachment of President Trump, his No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, and a bill to require agencies of the Federal Government to define the term service animal in accordance with the regulations of the Department of Justice.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steveking.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/king-introduces-resolution-to-nullify-the-sham-impeachment-of-president,King Introduces Resolution to Nullify the Sham Impeachment of President Donald J. Trump,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,IA,Steve King,K000362,steveking.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, Congressman Steve King introduced a resolution which nullifies the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump, as if such impeachment had not occurred, due to a lack of a constitutional basis, the House of Representatives having failed to substantiate its allegations of Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors, which is required by the U.S. Constitution. With this resolution, I reiterate and emphasize my following statement from this past February, I commend the United States Senate for voting to acquit President Trump. The House impeachment effort was illegitimate from the outset, and President Trump was correct to describe it as a witch hunt' brought by bitter partisans who never accepted that Americans preferred him to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Since the Senate rightly acquitted President Trump last winter, subsequently released information, such as documents demonstrating no substantive basis for the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation into the Trump Campaign's very much nonexistent Russian collusion, has only reinforced the utter innocence of the President, his campaign staff and administration. As I stated in the complaint I submitted to the Ethics Committee before Christmas, the Constitution does not allow the people's House to be used as a cover for party machines and bosses. Using power and position to manufacture and perpetrate dishonest political narratives, complete with distortions and outright lies camouflaged as facts under the cover of official congressional business, is a gross and repugnant violation of the American people who are the very constituent parts of this government. President Trump has made great personal and professional sacrifices to lead our nation at this pivotal point in history when every objective standard, even truth itself, is being attacked, by those who continually seek to consolidate their own power and control through the devices of division, manipulation, fraud and outright lies. In his pursuit to provide the strong and bold leadership our nation needs, Congressional Democrats and Never Trumpers, bankrolled and spurred on by their billionaire class donors, repaid him with a rapid succession of deceitful attacks, perhaps none more baseless than the sham impeachment. He has been exonerated in fact, and now this scourge on our Constitutional Republic needs to be nullified, as if it had never happened, because in a Constitutional body, committed to the Rule of Law, it never would have happened.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/legislation-protect-patients-surprise-medical-bills-now-law,Legislation to Protect Patients from Surprise Medical Bills is Now Law,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,ME,Susan Collins,C001035,www.collins.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that bipartisan legislation to protect patients from surprise medical bills was signed into law as part of the government funding package. Americans increasingly pay more out-of-pocket for their health care, so it is crucial that they have access to the information they need to make informed decisions. The health and economic crisis we are currently experiencing due to COVID-19 has underscored the need for Congress to come together to increase the affordability and accessibility of medical care. Far too many Americans are struggling with the skyrocketing cost of health care, which places severe strain on family budgets and threatens access to the care and medications they need. The last thing patients should have to worry about while they are sick or recovering is receiving an unexpected bill because they were unaware they were receiving out-of-network care,said Senator Collins. Increasing the affordability and accessibility of health care is one of my highest priorities, and this new law ending the unfair practice of surprise medical billing will help provide significant relief. The proposal to end surprise medical billing will also allow approximately $18 billion in savings to be used to fully fund Community Health Centers, Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education, and Special Diabetes Programs for three years. As the lead sponsor of theTraining the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act, Senator Collins has long worked to bolster and expand this successful training program. As the founder and co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, she has championed the Special Diabetes Program, which has been instrumental in promoting advances in diabetes care such as the artificial pancreas system. The bipartisan, bicameral agreement protects patients and establishes a fair payment dispute resolution process including: Holds patients harmless from surprise medical bills, including from air ambulance providers, by ensuring they are only responsible for their in-network cost-sharing amounts, including deductibles, in both emergency situations and certain non-emergency situations where patients do not have the ability to choose an in-network provider. Prohibits certain out-of-network providers from balance billing patients unless the provider gives the patient notice of their network status and an estimate of charges 72 hours prior to receiving out-of-network services and the patient provides consent to receive out-of-network care. Creates a framework that takes patients out of the middle, and allows health care providers and insurers to resolve payment disputes without involving the patient. Under the agreement, insurers will make a payment to the provider that is determined either through negotiation between the parties or an independent dispute resolution (IDR) process. There is no minimum payment threshold to enter IDR, and claims may be batched together to ease administrative burdens. If the parties choose to utilize the IDR process, both parties would each submit an offer to the independent arbiter. When choosing between the two offers the arbiter is required to consider the median in-network rate, information related to the training and experience of the provider, the market share of the parties, previous contracting history between the parties, complexity of the services provided, and any other information submitted by the parties. Following an IDR process, the party that initiated the dispute may not take the same party to arbitration for the same item or service for 90-days following a determination by the arbitrator. However, all claims that occur during the 90-day period are eligible for IDR after the 90-days. Provides additional consumer protections when insurance companies change networks, including a transition of care for people with complex care needs and appeal rights for consumers. Empowers consumers by providing a true and honest cost estimate that describes which providers will deliver their treatment, the cost of services, and provider network status. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-announces-more-500000-maine-housing-authorities-0,"Senator Collins Announces More Than $500,000 for Maine Housing Authorities",2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,ME,Susan Collins,C001035,www.collins.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.- U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, announced today that nine housing authorities in Maine will receive a total of $509,826 through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS). Maine's housing authorities provide an array of vital services to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families,said Senator Collins. As the Chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, I am committed to ensuring that the housing needs of all Mainers are met. By supporting public housing agencies, this funding will help connect individuals with the resources they need to achieve economic independence. The funding will be allocated as follows: Augusta Housing Authoritywill receive $32,484. Bangor Housing Authoritywill receive $63,709. City of Caribouwill receive $57,446. Housing Authority of Brewerwill receive $60,978. Housing Authority of Old Townwill receive $47,944. Lewiston Housing Authoritywill receive $58,873. Maine State Housing Authoritywill receive $62,467. Portland Housing Authoritywill receive $78,659. Westbrook Housing Authoritywill receive $47,266. As the Chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Collins has worked hard to preserve and modernize affordable housing units across the State of Maine. Earlier this month, sheannounced$120,000 for housing authorities in Aroostook and Sagadahoc Counties. In addition, Senator Collins helped to secure a total of $46.5 million in HUD's CARES Act funding to help communities throughout Maine respond to COVID-19 by protecting affordable housing, providing housing assistance for the homeless, and supporting community development. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qa-counterfeit-vaccines-and-pandemic-fraud,Q&A: Counterfeit Vaccines and Pandemic Fraud,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,IA,Charles Grassley,G000386,www.grassley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Q&A: Counterfeit Vaccines and Pandemic Fraud With U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley Q: What are you doing to protect taxpayer dollars included in the pandemic relief laws? A: Iowans work hard for their money. I work hard to protect hard-earned tax dollars from waste, fraud and abuse. In times of emergency, such as natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government provides urgently needed support and resources to help Americans who have lost homes, farms, livelihoods and paychecks. 2020 has produced one crisis after another. The virus has killed more than 300,000 Americans. Too many families are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Congress approved $4 trillion this year to accelerate vaccine production and send emergency assistance to help health care professionals, unemployed workers, student borrowers, foster youth, farmers, households and small businesses struggling to stay afloat. This historic federal spending will add to the nation's $27 trillion debt. As a fiscal conservative, it's a tough pill to swallow. Iowans don't want to pass the buck on to our children and grandchildren. Borrowing money means every dollar consumed by interest payments means one less dollar for national security, infrastructure, health care and tax relief. The same goes for money lost to waste, fraud and abuse. For example, in the most recent $900 billion pandemic relief package, Congress approved $26 billion to help fight hunger and replenish food assistance programs. Starting Jan. 1, recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will get a 15 percent bump in benefits. Lawmakers owe it to taxpayers to ensure this money is spent to feed hungry kids and their families who have fallen on hard times. Rooting out corruption, theft and fraud tied to pandemic spending is as important as ever. When Congress passed the CARES Act in March, I worked to sharpen the federal government's anti-fraud and oversight tools. I introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure the federal watchdog tasked to oversee pandemic spending could hit the ground running. The good news is Congress approved a Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery in the CARES Act. The bad news is my bill that would allow this office to get fully staffed and operational as quickly as possible wasn't included in the most recent pandemic package. Taxpayers don't want a dog and pony show in charge of oversight. Taxpayers deserve a watchdog with teeth and a bite to match. From my leadership posts in the U.S. Senate, I'll keep tabs on the public purse and exercise my constitutional oversight responsibilities as rigorously as ever. Q: Do you have pandemic fraud on your radar that Iowans ought to be watching out for? A: It's no secret that bad actors and fraudsters troll federal spending at every turn to take advantage of bloated bureaucracies and pluck the golden goose. My crusade against wasteful spending began at the Department of Defense four decades ago. I soon discovered the Pentagon was only the tip of the iceberg. More lawmakers need to join the oversight bandwagon and invest time and effort to cut fat and fraud from the federal ledgers. In December, I led a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers with Sens. Joni Ernst, Thom Tillis and Chris Coons to commend the Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their pro-active efforts to combat pandemic-related fraud, including scams targeting unemployment benefits, illicit personal protective equipment and counterfeit vaccines. Operation Stolen Promise was launched in April by HSI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to combat fraud and criminal trafficking of COVID-19 goods. In the first eight months, the anti-fraud operation seized 1,654 items, such as counterfeit test kits, counterfeit masks and banned pharmaceuticals, netting $27.8 million in illicit proceeds. As Americans await their turn to get immunized and roll up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine, it's vital to reinforce confidence in the safety and integrity of the vaccine. That means the federal government must take decisive steps to stop the spread of misinformation about counterfeit vaccines and stop the sale of fake vaccines in the United States. I'll continue robust oversight throughout the New Year to ensure America puts its best foot forward in the pandemic recovery and that the public health is protected. I advise Iowans to be wary of scams and fraud. Always consult your health care provider and listen to public health officials so that you and your loved ones get immunized with the vaccines authorized by the FDA when it's your turn. -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=7A188C6A-2DBE-4730-AC33-225D07FF5E1C,Gov. Gary Herberts Retirement,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,UT,Mike Lee,L000577,www.lee.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Mr./Madam President, I rise today to honor my friend, Gary Herbert, Governor of the State of Utah for the last 12 years, who after a long career in public service is embarking on a well-earned retirement. He has served the state of Utah with enthusiasm, dedication, and spirit; and I am grateful to have worked alongside him throughout his tenure. Gary was born in American Fork, Utah, and grew up in Orem. He served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the East Coast, and later attended Brigham Young University. He first began his public service after college, serving in the Utah Army National Guard for six years and becoming a staff sergeant. After his time in the National Guard, he set up a real estate firm, and eventually became president of the Utah Association of Counties and Utah Association of Realtors. Starting in 1990, he served as a commissioner on the Utah County Commission for 14 years, and then began his service at the state level. In 2004, when Jon Huntsman ran for the Governor's seat, Gary became his running mate for Lieutenant Governor, with the pair going on to win the race that November. It was then that I first got to know him myself, when I was hired to be the general counsel for Governor Huntsman. One of my first memories of him was when we began to move into the governor's office suite. The day before he was sworn in, Gary came and gave a warm welcome to all the staff, along with sound advice about the importance of staying grounded as we entered the political fray. I soon learned that he was not only a skilled politician, but also a formidable ping pong player. Right after he and Governor Huntsman were sworn in, the staff got together as a team several times at the governor's mansion, where there was a ping pong table in the basement. I then learned the hard way that Gary's table-tennis skills are off the charts. While serving Governor Huntsman, I always found Gary to be friendly, approachable, and willing to tackle every assignment with eagerness and poise. Whenever Governor Huntsman's schedule became chaotic or would change unexpectedly, Lieutenant Governor Herbert would routinely be dispatched to speak on his behalf often to remote corners of the state, and often at inconvenient times. He never once complained; and was not only willing, but always eager and happy to help. Likewise, whenever there was an issue that needed to be addressed and the Governor was unable to meet with a particular group, Gary was assigned the case. He would meet with all the different stakeholders, legislators, and people from different sides of an issue, bringing them all together and wading through the intricate details of the matter. What's more, he had the skill of figuring out the best path forward for all parties involved, and for making everyone feel heard and understood. The same traits I saw in him as Lieutenant Governor would go on to make him an effective and beloved Governor himself. In office since 2009, he is currently the nation's longest-serving governor. And our state has seen exciting achievement and prosperity with Governor Herbert at the helm. In the last eight years, Utah has seen continued, steady growth in our economy with improvement in our GDP, number of jobs, and unemployment rate. We have seen the boom of Silicon Slopes. We celebrated the centennial of the driving of the Golden Spike, when it was an honor to stand alongside him at the celebratory reenactment. And so too was it an honor to join Gary when President Trump shrank Bears Ears National Monument, when we could stand together and celebrate reclaiming the land back for the people of Utah. Through his enthusiasm and zeal, Gary has championed our state and the things that we stand for. He can rattle off figures and metrics about Utah at the drop of a hat; and is a compelling spokesman for our values. His spirit has helped Utah to attract talent and investment, and to make it the good place that it is to live. Not only that, but Gary has been an instrumental partner in supporting initiatives that reflect and strengthen the values of our state. To champion the reclamation of our lands, he signed into law the Utah Transfer of Public Lands Act. He also signed into law innovative criminal justice reforms in Utah, making a far-reaching impact across the state; and paving the way for the work Congress and President Trump were able to do at the federal level. He has been a strong supporter of Utah's family culture, and was helpful in the Senate's work promoting the child tax credit during tax reform. And on a more personal note, he had the wisdom to put my brother, Tom Lee, on the Utah Supreme Court. For all his public achievements, Gary is most proud, however, of his own role as husband, father, and grandfather. He and his wife Jeanette have six children together, as well as 16 grandchildren; and he is known to encourage them to follow in his footsteps and marry up. In a myriad of ways, Governor Gary Herbert has been a champion and a spokesman for all that is good about our state. It has been an honor to serve the people of Utah with him, and I wish him all the best as he embarks on his retirement.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/portman-difference/portman-delivers-results-ohio-second-year-116th-congress,Portman Delivers Results for Ohio in Second Year of the 116th Congress,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,OH,Rob Portman,P000449,www.portman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Portman Delivers Results for Ohio in Second Year of the 116th Congress December 31, 2020 | Portman Difference During the second year of the 116th Congress, Senator Portman continued to deliver results for Ohio, just as he did in the previous Congress. He worked tirelessly to help Ohioans who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; create economic opportunity and retirement security for Ohio families; combat the addiction epidemic; honor our nation's veterans and strengthen our military; promote responsible use of artificial intelligence and technology; stand up against police brutality and the unnecessary violence in our country; protect and preserve our national parks; improve transparency and accountability within the federal government; fight for better and more affordable health care; and help all Ohioans achieve their God-given potential. During the 116th Congress, Portman has authored or co-authored 45legislative priorities in total that have been signed into law. Under President Trump, in total 82of Senator Portman's bills have been signed into law. Under President Obama, 68 of Portman's bill were signed into law. In total, during his 10 years in the Senate, Portman has successfully enacted 175 legislative priorities into law, including 129 bills as well as 46 amendments. Helping Ohioans Impacted By COVID-19 The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of every American in 2020, and Senator Portman played a leadership role in crafting solutions to help families and small businesses leading to the passage of the COVID-19 Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Senator Portman has consistently called for bipartisan action to provide the health care and economic relief the American need and deserve. Since March, Portman has delivered 21 speeches on the Senate floor calling for bipartisan action to provide Americans the COVID-19 relief. Portman has urged Congress to provide additional relief to bolster our health care response, help our economy and small businesses recover, provide funding for schools and state and local governments, permanently expand telehealth options for addiction treatment, and provide enhanced federal unemployment benefits to help people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. In November, in an effort to encourage all Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Portman announced his participation in the ENSEMBLE phase 3 trial for the COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Johnson & Johnson and managed by CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services (CTI) at its research center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Portman furthered this work by introducing his COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Support Act to fund a national campaign to raise awareness of the safety and efficacy of FDA-authorized vaccines. In September, Portman introduced legislation to replenish FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) to continue the enhanced federal unemployment insurance benefit of $300 per week authorized by President Trump's executive action and provide additional resources to support the federal government's response to historic wildfires in the West and other natural disasters such as Hurricane Sally. Securing Resources for Ohio: At the start of the pandemic, Portman worked closely with the administration and with Ohio companies to secure additional supplies for the strategic national stockpile including testing machines, ventilators, PPE, and food resources. In March, Portman successfully helped UC Health secure vital equipment to increase diagnostic testing for COVID-19. Portman helped UC Health secure a cobas 6800 machine which they will use to conduct nearly one thousand diagnostic tests every day, exponentially increasing COVID-19 testing capacity in southwest Ohio. Earlier this year, Portman worked with the White House and HHS and FDA to successfully facilitate the donation of approximately 2.2 million new gowns from Ohio-based Cardinal Health to theStrategic National Stockpile. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has authorized the distribution and use of these gowns asnon-surgical isolation apparel. When Ohio-based company Gojo, which produces Purell, alerted Portman to the issue of tariffs restricting the access of components used in the distribution of hand sanitizer - specifically pumphouses, and e-collars he reached out to U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer and facilitated a tariff relief. This helps companies like Gojo increase production and distribution to accommodate the increased demand. In July, Portman visited GOJO Industries and met with the company's leadership and team members to discussPortman's work to facilitate tariff relieffor hand hygiene products including hand sanitizer and soap dispensers and components to allow for increaseddistribution during COVID-19 pandemic. In April, Portman sent a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue urging swift approval of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' (ODJFS) request to operate the DisasterHousehold DistributionProgram.The request was approved the next week allowing foodbanks throughout Ohio to distribute more food across the state by removing administrative burdens, making it easier for staff and volunteers at foodbanks to maintain social distancing protocols, keeping themselves and their clients safe. Portman also worked with Ohio company Battelle in April to secure a new federal contract to help fund the rapid deployment of Battelle's decontamination systems to return to use previously worn N95 respirator masks and training to operate these systems to 60 sites across the country. In April, Portman facilitated Cleveland-based SecondBreath's request to produce ventilators for deployment around Ohio and the country. The ventilators were developed by Ohioans and tested in Ohio at a number of northeast Ohio hospitals, including the Cleveland Clinic, Akron Children's Hospital, and Akron City Hospital. The administration approved their production and SecondBreath was able to increase production for shipment across Ohio and the country. In August, Portman visited Honda Heritage Center and toured the ventilator compressor parts production facility. While on the tour, Portman, Honda leadership, and employees discussed Honda's efforts to help support the COVID-19 response, including production of face shields and compressor parts for ventilators. Portman also volunteered with the Ohio National Guard and met with leaders at foodbanks in the Mahoning Valley, at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to see firsthand how the CARES Act funding helped with food access and distribution across Ohio. Listening to Ohio Groups Stakeholders: Senator Portman made it a priority tocommunicatewith constituents throughout the pandemic through tele town halls and FacebookLive town halls about the work he has done with the state and federal government. He also spoke with companies andstakeholdersthroughout the statetoensure Ohio has the resources it needs to respond to this unprecedented health crisis and can contribute to the national effort to slow the spread of the virus. Portman hosted multiples calls with Ohio business groups and leaders to discuss the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how Congress and the administration could take further action to address their concerns. He spoke with business leaders of sizes in Central Ohio, Dayton, Toledo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Warren County, and Butler County. In addition to business groups, Portman also hosted a wide-range of conference calls with the Ohio Restaurant Association, Ohio foodbanks, nonprofit organizations, manufacturers, bio science employers, higher education leaders, farmers, veterans, county commissioners, and mayors from all over the state. Portman also hosted conference calls with Ohio hospital leaders and withthe Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 health crisison health services, and mental health and addiction services around Ohio. Finally, Portman participated in a conference call with Ohio Jewish Communities to discuss the efforts the Jewish community made during the pandemic to help Ohio communities. Portman continued his push on the Senate Floor this year for swift bipartisan action to respond to the increasing number of drug overdoses as a result of the pandemic. Providing Resources for Ohioans Suffering with Addiction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing guidelines have disrupted traditional addiction treatment services and necessitated the use of telehealth services to help individuals with recovery. To meet this need, the CARES Act took unprecedented steps to expand access to telehealth through the waiving of federal restrictions to pay for telehealth and expanding grants to build out the nation's telehealth infrastructure. That's why Senator Portman has introduced legislation entitled theTelehealth Response for E-Prescribing Addiction Treatment Services (TREATS) Actto make permanent a number of temporary waivers for telehealth services that were authorized under the Public Health Emergency and to bolster telehealth options for addiction treatment services. Specifically, it will allow for a patient to be prescribed lower scheduled drugs like through telehealth on their first visit. Current law requires an in-person visit to receive any controlled substance, but this is a deterrent to patients in crisis and in urgent need of treatments from Schedule III or IV drugs. In July, Portman published a column highlighting the importance of Congress passing the TREATS Act to ensure that addiction health services have the resources they need to adapt to this new reality. He emphasized that doing so will help to preserve the progress made in combating the addiction crisis and ensure that more Americans can reach their God-given potential.He then participated in adrug addiction roundtable discussion with members of theHancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS)to discuss COVID-19's impact on addiction treatment. Securing Grant Funding: The COVID-19 Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Actprovided unprecedented economic and health care relief to Americans during the ongoing pandemic. Portman worked closely with the administration to ensure Ohioans received the support they needed. Housing: Portman worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure communities in Ohio received funding to help promote economic development in urban communities, address the needs of homeless people in emergency or transitional shelters, and provide housing assistance and related supportive services for low-income persons. This includes: o Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Grants for cities in Ohio, o $30 million to Supplemental Public Housing Operating Funds across Ohio, which helps support public housing agencies across the state provide services during the COVID-19 pandemic; o Nearly $90 million in Housing Choice Voucher Program Housing Assistance Payments Supplemental Funding to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the pandemic among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance. o $1.85 million in funding to Ohio housing agencies to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities, particularly those who are transitioning out of institutional or other separated settings; at serious risk of institutionalization; currently experiencing homelessness; previously experienced homelessness and currently a client in a permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing project; or at risk of becoming homeless; o and nearly $185,000 in CARES Act funding to provide project-based rental assistance for low income families. Agriculture: Senator Portman applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture for awarding more than $1.4 millionin grants to communities in Ohio for rural development.These grants will help these Ohio communities build and improve critical facilities. According to the USDA, the Ohio grant recipients can use the funding to build or upgrade a wide-range of rural community facilities such as schools, libraries, clinics and public safety facilities. FEMA: In March, Senator Portman senta letter urging President Trump to act swiftly on Governor Mike DeWine's request for approval of a major disaster declaration for the state of Ohio in response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.The president approved the disaster declaration the following day. As a result, Ohio received nearly $4.1 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as well as the following funding; o $5.5 million for ProMedica Toledo Hospital to help fund COVID-19 protective measures; o $5.2 million to Ohio Health Care Systems and $2.6 million to University Hospitals Health System to help continue to provide COVID-19 treatment, testing and protective measures; o $12.7 million to help Ohio State University - Columbus Campus and Premier Health in Ohio with costs associated with COVID-19; o and $46 million to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Businesses: Portman worked with the Trump administration to ensure that businesses of all sizes in Ohio had the resources they needed to help retain employees and keep their doors open. o In May, Portman applauded the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for awarding a $3.75 million grant for COVID-19 Emergency Response for Small to Medium Enterprises to Appalachian Community Capital (ACC). ACC will use this funding to help the region's development finance institutions make up for lost revenue as they temporarily defer loan payments. o Thanks to funding available through the CARES Act, which Portman supported, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) CARES Act Emergency Program awarded the Ohio Development Services Agency $2.3 million to help support Ohio-based U.S. small- and medium-sized manufacturers, including rural manufacturers. o In August, Portman applauded U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross's announcement that the Department's Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $8.8 million and $1 million in CARES Act grants to Ohio cities to be able to provide critical gap financing to small businesses and entrepreneurs. In addition, EDA awarded $2 million to five EDA Economic Development District organizations across Ohio to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. o In addition, through the CARES Act, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $8.5 million in funding for Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) to help address the workforce-related impacts of the pandemic. Education: The historic CARES Act provided a higher education emergency relief fund to assist higher education institutions across the nation. Senator Portman worked with the U.S. Department of Education to ensure Ohio higher education institutions received the resources needed to meet the demands of the pandemic. o In April, Portman announced that the Department of Education distributed $388 million in funding to institutions of higher education in Ohio and in May, the National Science Foundation awarded more than $1.5 million in CARES Act-funded RAPID Response Research grants to fund research that addresses the pandemic. In September, Portman announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $5 million, two-yearRapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx)-UPgrant to The Ohio State University. The RADx-UP program supports projects designed to rapidly implement COVID-19 testing strategies in populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic. o Portman applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development for awarding more than $1.1 million in Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants to two school districts in Ohio: Gallia County Schools and New London Local School District. The $172,358 Rural Development grant for Gallia County Schools will help provide students and staff with primary and preventative care through the Appalachian Primary Care Telemedicine Program. The $999,524 grant for the New London Local School District will help expand Science Technology Engineering and Math resource access to students in Pre-kindergarten through sixth grade across the four Ohio counties served by the school district. USDA's Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program was provided $25 million in the bipartisan CARES Act. Health Care: This year, thousands of Ohioans had to rely on telehealth in order to have access to their primary care providers. Thanks to the bipartisan CARES Act, which Portman strongly supported, Ohio received multiple telehealth grants to assist health care facilities, testing centers, and hospitals serving children and low-income, vulnerable populations across the state. Portman led legislation to provide certainty to hospitals participating in the 340B drug discount program during the COVID-19 public health emergency. In normal years, the 340B program provides needed flexible funds to meet the needs of a hospital's community, but during the ongoing pandemic, the 340B program has become a vital lifeline for hospitals as they've see precipitous drop offs in revenue and an inability to pay for the essential COVID services that patients continue to need. Early days of the pandemic forced many hospitals to reduce inpatient hospital admissions of low-income Medicare and Medicaid patients, a critical metric in determining eligibility for the 340B program. Though hospitals have resumed elective procedures, and patients have begun returning to seek care, there is concern that as a result of this year's slowdown and threats to suspend elective care again as hospital beds fill up, some hospitals may not meet the required inpatient admission threshold to remain in the program for the following year. This legislation would ensure that any previously eligible hospital will be deemed eligible for any cost reporting period during which the public health emergency occurred to meet the needs of hospitals now during this crisis and to preserve the vital program for years to come. o In May, Portman announced that Ohio received $238 million to expand COVID-19 diagnostic testing capabilities. o In July, Portman announced that the Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureauawardedmore than $415,000in telehealth grants to four health care facilities in Ohio that will use this fundingto provide telehealth services targeted at low-income patients so thattheycan receive medical care in more flexible settings. This grant award followed previous announcements of telehealth grants for Ohio, including oneannouncedin April for the Health Partners of Western Ohio located in Lima, Ohio.In early May, three facilitiesreceivednearly $1 million in funding and four facilitiesreceivednearly $800,000 in funding, and later that month six facilitiesreceived$1.8 million in funding, and an additional six facilitiesreceived$1.1 million. In June, $3.46 million wasdistributedtofacilitiesin Ohio. o Portman made clearthat the Administration must do a better job of quickly distributing funding for safety net hospitals and providers, speaking out in April when other hospitals and health care providers received the first tranche of COVID-19 response funding while safety net provider funding was initially In April, he announced that Ohio received an additional $17 million in CARES Act funding for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to help increase testing and other response tools. In May, theHealth Resources andServices Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,awarded$17.4million in federal grantsto support51health centers throughout Ohio in an effort to expand testing capacities. o Portman repeatedly urgedthe administration to support health care providers thatserve our nation's most vulnerable,including our children's hospitals, nursing homes, and safety net hospitals. In June, Portman and a group of bipartisan colleagues sent aletterto HHS urging them to actquickly and equitably in distributing funding to vulnerable populations and the next dayHHS released $10 billionfor these hospitals. In July, Portman applauded the Trump Administration for distributing $3 billion in additional emergency funding allocated in COVID-19 spending packages to hospitals that overwhelmingly serve Medicaid and low-income patients. Ohio received about $90 million from this $3 billion. In August, Portman announced that Ohio received an additional $165 million in federal funding for children's hospitals. Transportation: The transportation industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, and Senator Portman worked closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure Ohio companies have the financial resources they need during the pandemic. o Portman worked with DOT's Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that airports across Ohio received the resources they needed. In total, Portman has helped to secure more than $126.2 million for 97 airports across Ohio. These grants helped to provide economic relief for lost revenue due to COVID-19. o In addition, thanks to the CARES Act, Portman announced that DOT's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded a $5.8 million grant to the Butler County Regional Transit Authority, and a $1.7 million grant to the City of Springfield in Clark County, Ohio in order to respond to and recover from the public health emergency. o In April, Portman announced that the Federal Transit Administration awarded a $1.7 million grant to Miami County to help fund critical continued public transit operations to keep the region moving during these unprecedented times. o In November, Portman applauded DOT for awarding a $12 million federal grant to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways and roads on federal lands that have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause. Helping Businesses Stay Afloat. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Portman has stayed in constant contact with business leaders of all sizes and worked to help deliver the results they need to stay afloat during this economic crisis. He visited business in Tipp City, Cincinnati, Russells Point, Sidney, and Hamilton and heard from company leaders about how, thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program loan that Portman supported, they were able to keep workers on payroll and continue operations. During the second year of the 116th Congress, Senator Portman continued to deliver results for Ohio, just as he did in the previous Congress. He worked tirelessly to help Ohioans who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; create economic opportunity and retirement security for Ohio families; combat the addiction epidemic; honor our nation's veterans and strengthen our military; promote responsible use of artificial intelligence and technology; stand up against police brutality and the unnecessary violence in our country; protect and preserve our national parks; improve transparency and accountability within the federal government; fight for better and more affordable health care; and help all Ohioans achieve their God-given potential. During the 116th Congress, Portman has authored or co-authored 42 legislative priorities in total that have been signed into law. Under President Trump, in total 79 of Senator Portman's bills have been signed into law. Under President Obama, 68 of Portman's bill were signed into law. In total, during his 10 years in the Senate, Portman has successfully enacted 172 legislative priorities into law, including 126 bills as well as 46 amendments. Helping Ohioans Impacted By COVID-19 The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of every American in 2020, and Senator Portman played a leadership role in crafting solutions to help families and small businesses leading to the passage of the COVID-19 Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Senator Portman has consistently called for bipartisan action to provide the health care and economic relief the American need and deserve. Since March, Portman has delivered 21 speeches on the Senate floor calling for bipartisan action to provide Americans the COVID-19 relief. Portman has urged Congress to provide additional relief to bolster our health care response, help our economy and small businesses recover, provide funding for schools and state and local governments, permanently expand telehealth options for addiction treatment, and provide enhanced federal unemployment benefits to help people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. In November, in an effort to encourage all Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Portman announced his participation in the ENSEMBLE phase 3 trial for the COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Johnson & Johnson and managed by CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services (CTI) at its research center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Portman furthered this work by introducing his COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Support Act to fund a national campaign to raise awareness of the safety and efficacy of FDA-authorized vaccines. In September, Portman introduced legislation to replenish FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) to continue the enhanced federal unemployment insurance benefit of $300 per week authorized by President Trump's executive action and provide additional resources to support the federal government's response to historic wildfires in the West and other natural disasters such as Hurricane Sally. Securing Resources for Ohio: At the start of the pandemic, Portman worked closely with the administration and with Ohio companies to secure additional supplies for the strategic national stockpile including testing machines, ventilators, PPE, and food resources. In March, Portman successfully helped UC Health secure vital equipment to increase diagnostic testing for COVID-19. Portman helped UC Health secure a cobas 6800 machine which they will use to conduct nearly one thousand diagnostic tests every day, exponentially increasing COVID-19 testing capacity in southwest Ohio. Earlier this year, Portman worked with the White House and HHS and FDA to successfully facilitate the donation of approximately 2.2 million new gowns from Ohio-based Cardinal Health to theStrategic National Stockpile. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has authorized the distribution and use of these gowns asnon-surgical isolation apparel. When Ohio-based company Gojo, which produces Purell, alerted Portman to the issue of tariffs restricting the access of components used in the distribution of hand sanitizer - specifically pumphouses, and e-collars he reached out to U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer and facilitated a tariff relief. This helps companies like Gojo increase production and distribution to accommodate the increased demand. In July, Portman visited GOJO Industries and met with the company's leadership and team members to discussPortman's work to facilitate tariff relieffor hand hygiene products including hand sanitizer and soap dispensers and components to allow for increaseddistribution during COVID-19 pandemic. In April, Portman sent a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue urging swift approval of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' (ODJFS) request to operate the DisasterHousehold DistributionProgram.The request was approved the next week allowing foodbanks throughout Ohio to distribute more food across the state by removing administrative burdens, making it easier for staff and volunteers at foodbanks to maintain social distancing protocols, keeping themselves and their clients safe. Portman also worked with Ohio company Battelle in April to secure a new federal contract to help fund the rapid deployment of Battelle's decontamination systems to return to use previously worn N95 respirator masks and training to operate these systems to 60 sites across the country. In April, Portman facilitated Cleveland-based SecondBreath's request to produce ventilators for deployment around Ohio and the country. The ventilators were developed by Ohioans and tested in Ohio at a number of northeast Ohio hospitals, including the Cleveland Clinic, Akron Children's Hospital, and Akron City Hospital. The administration approved their production and SecondBreath was able to increase production for shipment across Ohio and the country. In August, Portman visited Honda Heritage Center and toured the ventilator compressor parts production facility. While on the tour, Portman, Honda leadership, and employees discussed Honda's efforts to help support the COVID-19 response, including production of face shields and compressor parts for ventilators. Listening to Ohio Groups Stakeholders: Senator Portman made it a priority tocommunicatewith constituents throughout the pandemic through tele town halls and FacebookLive town halls about the work he has done with the state and federal government. He also spoke with companies andstakeholdersthroughout the statetoensure Ohio has the resources it needs to respond to this unprecedented health crisis and can contribute to the national effort to slow the spread of the virus. In addition to business groups, Portman also hosted a wide-range of conference calls with the Ohio Restaurant Association, Ohio foodbanks, nonprofit organizations, manufacturers, bio science employers, higher education leaders, farmers, veterans, county commissioners, and mayors from all over the state. Portman also hosted conference calls with Ohio hospital leaders and withthe Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 health crisison health services, and mental health and addiction services around Ohio. Finally, Portman participated in a conference call with Ohio Jewish Communities to discuss the efforts the Jewish community made during the pandemic to help Ohio communities. Portman continued his push on the Senate Floor this year for swift bipartisan action to respond to the increasing number of drug overdoses as a result of the pandemic. Providing Resources for Ohioans Suffering with Addiction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing guidelines have disrupted traditional addiction treatment services and necessitated the use of telehealth services to help individuals with recovery. To meet this need, the CARES Act took unprecedented steps to expand access to telehealth through the waiving of federal restrictions to pay for telehealth and expanding grants to build out the nation's telehealth infrastructure. That's why Senator Portman has introduced legislation entitled theTelehealth Response for E-Prescribing Addiction Treatment Services (TREATS) Actto make permanent a number of temporary waivers for telehealth services that were authorized under the Public Health Emergency and to bolster telehealth options for addiction treatment services. Specifically, it will allow for a patient to be prescribed lower scheduled drugs like through telehealth on their first visit. Current law requires an in-person visit to receive any controlled substance, but this is a deterrent to patients in crisis and in urgent need of treatments from Schedule III or IV drugs. In July, Portman published a column highlighting the importance of Congress passing the TREATS Act to ensure that addiction health services have the resources they need to adapt to this new reality. He emphasized that doing so will help to preserve the progress made in combating the addiction crisis and ensure that more Americans can reach their God-given potential.He then participated in adrug addiction roundtable discussion with members of theHancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS)to discuss COVID-19's impact on addiction treatment. Securing Grant Funding: The COVID-19 Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Actprovided unprecedented economic and health care relief to Americans during the ongoing pandemic. Portman worked closely with the administration to ensure Ohioans received the support they needed. Housing: Portman worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure communities in Ohio received funding to help promote economic development in urban communities, address the needs of homeless people in emergency or transitional shelters, and provide housing assistance and related supportive services for low-income persons. This includes: Agriculture: Senator Portman applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture for awarding more than $1.4 millionin grants to communities in Ohio for rural development.These grants will help these Ohio communities build and improve critical facilities. According to the USDA, the Ohio grant recipients can use the funding to build or upgrade a wide-range of rural community facilities such as schools, libraries, clinics and public safety facilities. FEMA: In March, Senator Portman senta letter urging President Trump to act swiftly on Governor Mike DeWine's request for approval of a major disaster declaration for the state of Ohio in response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.The president approved the disaster declaration the following day. As a result, Ohio received nearly $4.1 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as well as the following funding; $5.5 million for ProMedica Toledo Hospital to help fund COVID-19 protective measures; $5.2 million to Ohio Health Care Systems and $2.6 million to University Hospitals Health System to help continue to provide COVID-19 treatment, testing and protective measures; $12.7 million to help Ohio State University - Columbus Campus and Premier Health in Ohio with costs associated with COVID-19; and $46 million to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Businesses: Portman worked with the Trump administration to ensure that businesses of all sizes in Ohio had the resources they needed to help retain employees and keep their doors open. In May, Portman applauded the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for awarding a $3.75 million grant for COVID-19 Emergency Response for Small to Medium Enterprises to Appalachian Community Capital (ACC). ACC will use this funding to help the region's development finance institutions make up for lost revenue as they temporarily defer loan payments. Thanks to funding available through the CARES Act, which Portman supported, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) CARES Act Emergency Program awarded the Ohio Development Services Agency $2.3 million to help support Ohio-based U.S. small- and medium-sized manufacturers, including rural manufacturers. In August, Portman applauded U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross's announcement that the Department's Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $8.8 million and $1 million in CARES Act grants to Ohio cities to be able to provide critical gap financing to small businesses and entrepreneurs. In addition, EDA awarded $2 million to five EDA Economic Development District organizations across Ohio to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, through the CARES Act, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $8.5 million in funding for Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) to help address the workforce-related impacts of the pandemic. Education: The historic CARES Act provided a higher education emergency relief fund to assist higher education institutions across the nation. Senator Portman worked with the U.S. Department of Education to ensure Ohio higher education institutions received the resources needed to meet the demands of the pandemic. In April, Portman announced that the Department of Education distributed $388 million in funding to institutions of higher education in Ohio and in May, the National Science Foundation awarded more than $1.5 million in CARES Act-funded RAPID Response Research grants to fund research that addresses the pandemic. In September, Portman announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $5 million, two-yearRapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx)-UPgrant to The Ohio State University. The RADx-UP program supports projects designed to rapidly implement COVID-19 testing strategies in populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Portman applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development for awarding more than $1.1 million in Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants to two school districts in Ohio: Gallia County Schools and New London Local School District. The $172,358 Rural Development grant for Gallia County Schools will help provide students and staff with primary and preventative care through the Appalachian Primary Care Telemedicine Program. The $999,524 grant for the New London Local School District will help expand Science Technology Engineering and Math resource access to students in Pre-kindergarten through sixth grade across the four Ohio counties served by the school district. USDA's Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program was provided $25 million in the bipartisan CARES Act. Health Care: This year, thousands of Ohioans had to rely on telehealth in order to have access to their primary care providers. Thanks to the bipartisan CARES Act, which Portman strongly supported, Ohio received multiple telehealth grants to assist health care facilities, testing centers, and hospitals serving children and low-income, vulnerable populations across the state. Portman led legislation to provide certainty to hospitals participating in the 340B drug discount program during the COVID-19 public health emergency. In normal years, the 340B program provides needed flexible funds to meet the needs of a hospital's community, but during the ongoing pandemic, the 340B program has become a vital lifeline for hospitals as they've see precipitous drop offs in revenue and an inability to pay for the essential COVID services that patients continue to need. Early days of the pandemic forced many hospitals to reduce inpatient hospital admissions of low-income Medicare and Medicaid patients, a critical metric in determining eligibility for the 340B program. Though hospitals have resumed elective procedures, and patients have begun returning to seek care, there is concern that as a result of this year's slowdown and threats to suspend elective care again as hospital beds fill up, some hospitals may not meet the required inpatient admission threshold to remain in the program for the following year. This legislation would ensure that any previously eligible hospital will be deemed eligible for any cost reporting period during which the public health emergency occurred to meet the needs of hospitals now during this crisis and to preserve the vital program for years to come. In May, Portman announced that Ohio received $238 million to expand COVID-19 diagnostic testing capabilities. In July, Portman announced that the Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureauawardedmore than $415,000in telehealth grants to four health care facilities in Ohio that will use this fundingto provide telehealth services targeted at low-income patients so thattheycan receive medical care in more flexible settings. This grant award followed previous announcements of telehealth grants for Ohio, including oneannouncedin April for the Health Partners of Western Ohio located in Lima, Ohio.In early May, three facilitiesreceivednearly $1 million in funding and four facilitiesreceivednearly $800,000 in funding, and later that month six facilitiesreceived$1.8 million in funding, and an additional six facilitiesreceived$1.1 million. In June, $3.46 million wasdistributedtofacilitiesin Ohio. Portman made clearthat the Administration must do a better job of quickly distributing funding for safety net hospitals and providers, speaking out in April when other hospitals and health care providers received the first tranche of COVID-19 response funding while safety net provider funding was initially In April, he announced that Ohio received an additional $17 million in CARES Act funding for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to help increase testing and other response tools. In May, theHealth Resources andServices Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,awarded$17.4million in federal grantsto support51health centers throughout Ohio in an effort to expand testing capacities. Portman repeatedly urgedthe administration to support health care providers thatserve our nation's most vulnerable,including our children's hospitals, nursing homes, and safety net hospitals. In June, Portman and a group of bipartisan colleagues sent aletterto HHS urging them to actquickly and equitably in distributing funding to vulnerable populations and the next dayHHS released $10 billionfor these hospitals. In July, Portman applauded the Trump Administration for distributing $3 billion in additional emergency funding allocated in COVID-19 spending packages to hospitals that overwhelmingly serve Medicaid and low-income patients. Ohio received about $90 million from this $3 billion. In August, Portman announced that Ohio received an additional $165 million in federal funding for children's hospitals. Transportation: The transportation industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, and Senator Portman worked closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure Ohio companies have the financial resources they need during the pandemic. Portman worked with DOT's Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that airports across Ohio received the resources they needed. In addition, thanks to the CARES Act, Portman announced that DOT's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded a $5.8 million grant to the Butler County Regional Transit Authority, and a $1.7 million grant to the City of Springfield in Clark County, Ohio in order to respond to and recover from the public health emergency. In April, Portman announced that the Federal Transit Administration awarded a $1.7 million grant to Miami County to help fund critical continued public transit operations to keep the region moving during these unprecedented times. In November, Portman applauded DOT for awarding a $12 million federal grant to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways and roads on federal lands that have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause. Helping Businesses Stay Afloat. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Portman has stayed in constant contact with business leaders of all sizes and worked to help deliver the results they need to stay afloat during this economic crisis. He visited business in Tipp City, Cincinnati, Russells Point, Sidney, and Hamilton and heard from company leaders about how, thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program loan that Portman supported, they were able to keep workers on payroll and continue operations. In July, Portman introduced theHealthy Workplaces Tax Credit Actto help businesses continue to safely reopen while ensuring the safety of employees and consumers through a refundable tax credit against payroll taxes for 50 percent of the costs incurred by a business for increased testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfecting, extra cleaning and reconfiguring work spaces to adhere to social distancing guidelines.He hopes to have it included in any additional COVID-19 relief package that passes from the Senate. In September, in an effort to remove unnecessary regulations that undermined our nation's ability to rapidly respond to the pandemic, Portman introduced the Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Act. The legislation establishes an accountable, expert-led, commission to identify ineffective, unnecessary, or overly burdensome regulations that should be modified, consolidated, harmonized, or repealed to promote jobs and higher wages; reduce household expenses; improve economic performance and competitiveness; reduce compliance costs; encourage growth and innovation; improve competitiveness; and protect public health, safety, and welfare. In July, Portman introduced theHealthy Workplaces Tax Credit Actto help businesses continue to safely reopen while ensuring the safety of employees and consumers through a refundable tax credit against payroll taxes for 50 percent of the costs incurred by a business for increased testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfecting, extra cleaning and reconfiguring work spaces to adhere to social distancing guidelines.He hopes to have it included in any additional COVID-19 relief package that passes from the Senate. In September, in an effort to remove unnecessary regulations that undermined our nation's ability to rapidly respond to the pandemic, Portman introduced the Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Act. The legislation establishes an accountable, expert-led, commission to identify ineffective, unnecessary, or overly burdensome regulations that should be modified, consolidated, harmonized, or repealed to promote jobs and higher wages; reduce household expenses; improve economic performance and competitiveness; reduce compliance costs; encourage growth and innovation; improve competitiveness; and protect public health, safety, and welfare. Assisting Second Chance Business Owners. In June 2020, Portman introduced the bipartisanPaycheck Protection Program Second Chance Act,which would remove barriers to PPP for owners with unrelated felony records while preserving the presumption of innocence and keeping in place the five year timeframe for felony crimes related to financial fraud. This legislation follows Senator Portman'sletterto Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza urging that the SBA allow small business owners with criminal records to apply for the PPP. National and Ohioan reentry and second chance coalition leaders, law enforcement, and local officials havevoiced their supportof the initiative. In August, Portman met with local business leaders in Cincinnati for a discussion led by Innovative Labor and Cleaning Services owner Troy Parker. Parker's company received a $235,000 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in June thanks to Portman's efforts to expand eligibility to cover Second Chance businesses owned by individuals who have a criminal record in their past but who have turned their lives around. Troyis an example of a Second Chance success story having started Innovative Labor and Cleaning in2015 after re-entering the community. Reshoring PPE: Portman believes that the American people should not have to rely so heavily on foreign countries for personal protective equipment and that we should bring personal protection equipment production back to the United States. In August, he introduced bipartisan legislation that will strengthen efforts to onshore production of PPE in the United States by requiring the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to issue long-term contracts for American-made PPE. In June, Portman and Senator Sherrod Brown sent a letter urging the COVID-19 Joint Acquisition Task Force (JATF) to prioritize the procurement of American-made PPE, and to consider comprehensive measures to incentivize the reshoring of additional PPE production back to the United States. JATF was created to synchronize and support execution of the Department of Defense's COVID-19 response to interagency requests for medical resources involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Health and Human Services, and other agencies. Meeting with Ohio Hospitals: As a result of the bipartisan CARES Act, which Senator Portman supported and President Trump signed into law, health facilities around Ohio were able to receive much needed resources to care for patients with COVID-19, to expand testing, and to work to address the disproportionate impact the virus had on minority communities. This year, Portman visited the Columbus Public Health Department, the Health Collaborative in Cincinnati, Adena Health System in Chillicothe, and Premier Health's Miami Valley Hospital to see firsthand how the CARES Act was working to help Ohio hospitals. Advocating for Additional Testing at Elkton: In April, Portman sent a letterurging Attorney General William Barr and Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal to increase COVID-19 testing at Federal Correctional Institution Elkton in Lisbon, Ohio. Elkton had the highest number of deaths of any federal prison, with nine fatalities. Creating Economic Opportunity & Retirement Security for Ohio Families Since his election in 2010, Senator Portman has focused on strengthening the economy, reforming our tax code and providing relief to families and small businesses. In the 115th Congress, he delivered on this commitment with the enactment of comprehensive tax cuts and tax reform, and Portman saw firsthand how Ohio companies are responding by creating more jobs, increasing wages, paying bonuses, making additional investments in plants and equipment, and expanding health care and retirement benefits. In addition to tax reform, Portman worked on a number of measures to help create jobs, level the playing field for Ohio workers, and make Ohio businesses more competitive. Strengthening Skills Training & Workforce Development. Portman, who is the co-founder of theSenate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus,continued to help lead efforts in the Senate to expand skills training to close the skills gap and ensure that Ohioans are ready for the jobs available today. As part of his efforts, Portman joined Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) inintroducingthe bipartisanJOBS Actwhich will make high-quality and rigorous short-term job training programs more affordable by expanding access to Pell Grants for low-income students. Portman has toured Ohio meeting with community colleges, educators, workforce development officials and others to receive input and highlight the importance of this bill, which is supported by the Trump administration and was included in its budget request. As we work to rebuild the economy, and as manufacturers continue to look to hire more workers, this bill is needed now more than ever. In late July, Portman teamed up with Senator Peters (D-MI) to introduce bipartisan legislation to strengthen reentry programs that provide workforce training, as well as pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities. The Reentry Employment Opportunities Act would codify into law the U.S. Department of Labor's Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) Program, which supports national, regional, and local organizations that administer skills training programs. The REO program provides critical opportunities for returning citizens to be able to have a smooth transition back into society and learn skills that will help them secure good jobs. Ensuring a Secure Retirement for Hard Working Americans. Portman is widely regarded as the leading Senate voice for common-sense pension reform. Portman believes that every American should have the opportunity to save for a safe, secure retirement. In February 2019, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) selected Portman to lead the committee's Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy. Portman has leveraged this perch to spearhead passage of the SECURE Act at the end of 2019 and help lead bipartisan efforts to reform multiemployer pension funds and ensure hard working American's receive the benefits they have earned. In June, Portman delivered remarks on the Senate floor outlining the multiemployer pension crisis currently threatening the retirements of millions of Americans, and the consequences of ongoing inaction. Portman also underscored the need for any bipartisan multiemployer pension reform legislation to address both the immediate crisis with respect to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC,) and the longer-term structural issues that created the conditions for the persistent underfunding of multiemployer pension plans in the first place. He also emphasized that any solution to address the immediate crisis must involve a shared responsibility approach, with contributions from not just general public funds, but also employers and plan participants within the multiemployer pension system. Portman introduced the Railroad Employee Equality and Fairness Act, which would end the sequester on the Railroad Retirement Board's (RRB) Unemployment Insurance Account. Due to the Budget Control Act of 2011, and a subsequent sequestration order to implement mandated spending cuts, railroad unemployment benefits have been reduced by a set percentage that is subject to revision at the beginning of each fiscal year. Currently, the sequester, as it relates to the RRB, continues until fiscal year 2030. Without this legislation, it is expected that the sequestration will result in a 5.7 percent reduction in railroad unemployment benefits through fiscal year 2030. In December, Portman's Subcommittee held a hearing on his bipartisan Retirement Security & Savings Act, which was designed to help pave the way for bipartisan action early in the 117th Congress. Portman's legislation with Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) is poised for bipartisan action, and Portman was encouraged that new legislation introduced by Congressmen Richard Neal's (D-MA) and Kevin Brady's (R-TX), the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2020, included many similar reforms, such as: improving the tax credit so businesses have a larger incentive to create plans, allowing workers to save more for retirement, allowing workers to save longer for retirement, lowering the penalty on errors, and expanding product options so Americans can choose the right investment and annuity option for themselves. Portman and Cardin's bill, along with this new, bipartisan legislation in the House, seek to build on the SECURE Act, which became law in 2019 and included a set of reforms designed to help more Americans save for their retirement. Encouraging Broadband & Infrastructure Development in Rural Areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced countless functions of everyday life to go virtual. As such, it is vital that every American have access to reliable, high-speed internet. That is why Portman introduced legislation in July to bolster efforts to expand access to rural broadband nationwide and speed up the distribution of the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). The Rural Broadband Acceleration Act also directs the FCC to adhere to the Universal Service requirement in federal law, which is a joint responsibility for the federal and state governments. The Universal Service requirement states that all people in rural areas must have access to telecommunications and information services that are reasonably comparable, in both speed and price, to the services in urban areas. Thus, this legislation will allow rural America to have the same level of broadband service enjoyed by cities and suburbs across the country. Expanding Markets for Ohio Farmers & Small Businesses. As a former U.S. Trade Representative, Portman continues to be a leading voice in the Senate on trade policy, working to ensure a level playing field for American workers and create more jobs for Ohio farmers and small businesses. This year, he worked to advance those priorities in a number of ways, including: Portman emerged as a leading advocate for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Trade Agreement, which was ratified by the U.S. Senate on January 17th, 2020. The modernized trade agreement will create at least 176,000 new jobs, expand opportunities for agricultural trade, encourage new opportunities for auto jobs in America, and add a new section on digital trade to make online sales. Portman touted the trade pact's new and enforceable environmental and labor standards, a new section on digital trade, expanded opportunities for agricultural trade, and new opportunities for auto jobs in America. Portman touted the phase one trade agreement with China signed by President Trump on January 15th, 2020. Portman, who has taken on China's unfair trade practices for more than a decade, highlighted the agreement as a good first step towards rectifying unfair trade imbalances and creating a more balanced and durable economic relationship between the United States and China. In June 2020, Portman penned a letter urging the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to side with American workers and fully and fairly enforce U.S. trade remedy laws. The letter, which was co-led by Senator Brown, pressed the ITC to give full and fair consideration to the United Steelworker's petitions in these cases of unfairly traded imports. In November 2020, Portman testified before the ITC and urged them to support an extension of the current Section 201 safeguard for washing machines. Portman has fought against unfair trade practices that have harmed Whirlpool and sent a letter to the ITC in October urging them to thoughtfully consider Whirlpool's request to extend and strengthen the safeguard to maximize its benefits for the domestic industry and its workers. Portman continued his years long effort to reform international trade and commerce by introducing a bipartisan resolution expressing support for U.S. leadership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) while also calling for reform to parts of the institution. In January 2020, Portman visited Lebanon, Ohio to participate in a workforce roundtable discussion hosted by the United Way of Warren County at Fecon, manufacturer of vegetation management machinery. Other participants included students, employees who have got through their program, and local employers. The discussion highlighted expanding access to workforce skills training and how Portman's bipartisan JOBS Act legislation will help more Ohioans get the skills and training they need to find in-demand jobs as well as the economic benefits of two trade agreements: the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, and the phase one trade agreement with China signed by President Trump. On July 15th, 2020, Portman visited Ford Lima Engine Plant and met leadership and employees to discuss the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Trade Agreement and how it will create new jobs, and encourage new opportunities for American manufacturing. Protecting American Taxpayers. Portman has a long history of working to reform the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For instance, on July 1, 2019, President Trump signed the Taxpayer First Act into law - bipartisan legislation that included a number of Portman's legislative priorities. Over the course of this year, Portman built on his past success with two significant efforts: As Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), Portman led a bipartisan investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Free File Program, which provides free online tax preparation and filing services to U.S. taxpayers. The probe culminated with the release of a bipartisan staff memo detailing the lack of IRS oversight of the Free File program. As a result, the memo noted, American taxpayers may not be aware of the program or taking advantage of it. This could result in eligible taxpayers paying fees to file their taxes. Securing Funding for Key Ohio Economic Priorities. Senator Portman has worked with the Trump administration to ensure that Ohio has access to competitive grant opportunities in order to strengthen efforts to improve the economy and job creation around the state. This year, Portman worked alongside the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to announce several grant awards for Ohio including; $1.9 million to help support Lake County's Laketran Project; $13.8 million in grant funding to six Ohio rail systems for consolidated rail infrastructure and safety improvement programs; a $1.9 million University Transportation Centers (UTC) grant to The Ohio State University for their work to advance transportation research and technology; $14.7 million to help reconstruct and repair airports' taxiways and runways in Ohio; $23.6 million in funding as part of the Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) competitive grant program for the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Government; $15 million in funding as part of the BUILD competitive grant program for Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority; and $4.4 million to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to help support the Interstate 70 truck automation corridor. Portman worked alongside the U.S. Department of Commerce to ensure cities and towns in Ohio had the resources they needed including; $3.7 million to the Greene County Board of Commissioners to assist the region with recovery efforts from the 2019 Memorial Day Tornadoes; $132,500 to the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments to help with conducting a broadband feasibility study; and $3.6 million for the city of Dayton to help purchase and establish new electric generators needed to upgrade water system infrastructure. In order to ensure Ohio has the adequate resources to ensure a culture of preparedness, Portman worked with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure grant funding, including; A $10.1 million grant to help Ohio assist state, local, tribal and territorial governments in preparing for all hazards, as authorized by Congress; and $1.6 million to help fund Ohio's security efforts along Ohio's northern border. Portman worked with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure Ohioans had the resources they need to protect themselves and our schools including; More than $35 million in federal grants from the Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the DOJ's Office of Justice Programs; and more than $320,000 in federal funding for school safety through its School Violence Prevention Program. Earlier this year, Portman announced thatthe U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated nearly $2.5 million in federal funding through its Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to improve the Village of Rio Grande's 84-year-old wastewater treatment facility. In addition, he announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded Vantage Aging in Akron, Ohio a nearly $2.3 million Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) grant to provide career services and training services to low-income older individuals who seek to enter or re-enter the workforce. In an effort to help lower income students, Portman announced that the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has awarded seven higher education schools in Ohio nearly $3 million in Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grants. Combating America's Opioid Epidemic No one in the Senate has been more active in the fight against drug addiction than Senator Portman. He continues to lead the national effort to combat the opioid crisis that is devastating communities. As part of his efforts to help Ohio, Portman has worked to help stop the influx of synthetic drugs like fentanyl, expand access to treatment programs that are so critical to an effective recovery, and secure additional funding for evidenced-based Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act (CARA) programs focused on prevention, treatment, recovery, and first responders. In addition, Portman worked tosecure $1 billionin new funding for state grants to fight opioid abuse in the21st Century CURES Act.He's also fought for more overall opioid funding, and helped secure more than $4 billionin new opioid funding over the last few years between CARA, CURES and other opioid programs. Portman has also been at the forefront of addressing the changes faces of addiction in Ohio and around the country. In response to increasing reports of overdose deaths in Ohio due to psychostimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine both often laced with fentanyl Senator Portman introduced and successfully foug",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/el-senador-rick-scott-aplaude-la-distribucion-de-casi-20-millones-de-dosis-de-vacunas-los-estados,El Senador Rick Scott aplaude la distribución de casi 20 millones de dosis de vacunas a los estados,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,FL,Rick Scott,S001217,www.rickscott.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. El Senador Rick Scott hizo hoy la siguiente declaracin aplaudiendo el esfuerzo del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de distribuir casi 20 millones de dosis de vacunas a los estados en solo cuatro semanas. A la Florida se le habrn asignado 1.28 millones de dosis de vacunas para la prxima semana. 175,000 floridanos recibieron la primera dosis de la vacuna al 30 de diciembre, segn inform el Departamento de Salud de la Florida. En noviembre, el Senador Scott escribi una carta al secretario del HHS, Alex Azar, solicitando informacin sobre los planes de los estados para asegurar una distribucin de vacunas rpida, confiable y equitativa. Una planificacin y coordinacin detallada en todos los niveles de gobierno es necesaria para asegurar que los estadounidenses reciban la vacuna de manera segura, eficiente y sin demoras. El Senador Rick Scott dijo: Estoy orgulloso del arduo trabajo de tantos en la Administracin para desarrollar y distribuir rpidamente esta vacuna a los estados. El HHS le ha enviado a nuestros estados millones de dosis de vacunas este mes. La prioridad ahora debe ser asegurarnos de que las personas mayores y las poblaciones en riesgo, as como nuestros trabajadores de la salud, tengan acceso a la vacuna primero. Es por eso que mi equipo y yo tomamos la decisin de esperar para recibir la vacuna en el momento apropiado, y he pedido que la asignacin de mi oficina se d a las poblaciones vulnerables que ms necesitan la vacuna. No tendremos xito hasta que todos los que quieran una vacuna puedan recibirla. Todos los estados necesitan un proceso ordenado y transparente para sacar estas vacunas, y deben hacerlo ya. No hay excusas. "" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/sen-rick-scott-urges-ftc-investigation-zooms-relationship-communist-china,Sen. Rick Scott Urges FTC Investigation into Zoom’s Relationship with Communist China,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,FL,Rick Scott,S001217,www.rickscott.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Senator Rick Scott sent a letter urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to further investigate Zoom's relationship to Communist China and the risks it poses to Americans' security. This letter follows the Department of Justice's recent announcement that a former Zoom executive had been charged for coordinating with the Communist Party of China to target U.S.-based dissidents and disrupt video meetings commemorating the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. Read the Senator's letter HERE or below. December 30, 2020 Joseph J. Simons Chairman Federal Trade Commission 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580 Dear Chairman Simons: As a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, I write today to urgently request a full investigation into Communist China's growing influence and interference in social telecommunications technology, including companies like Zoom, and what more can be done to protect Americans' personal identifying information. Earlier this month, the United States Department of Justice revealed that a former Zoom executive, Xinjiang Jin, had been charged for coordinating with the Communist Party of China (CCP) to target U.S.-based dissidents and disrupt video meetings commemorating the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. This is just the latest example of how Communist China uses personal identifying data collected by tech companies with a significant presence in China against American citizens. Communist China's efforts to silence anyone who dares to oppose the CCP is shameful, and it's even more alarming that it happened right here in the United States. This cannot be tolerated. For years, the CCP has done everything possible to become the dominant world power. Communist China has long been accused of forced technology transfers, data localization, and spying on U.S. citizens using Chinese-based companies like TikTok and WeChat, which are obligated by law to hand over data to the CCP. The American people deserve to know exactly how an employee of Zoom, an American video service our citizens use daily, would have the ability to spy on behalf of the CCP. I commend the action earlier this year by the FTC to hold Zoom accountable for misleading users and failing to secure their platform. But more must be done. Today, I urge you to further investigate Zoom's relationship with Communist China, and the risks it poses to Americans' security. We cannot ignore the threat of Communist China and its latest attempt to surveil American citizens and steal our data. I look forward to hearing from you as we continue to work together on this important issue. Sincerely, Rick Scott United States Senator CC: Commissioner Noah Joshua Phillips Commissioner Rohit Chopra Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter Commissioner Christine S. Wilson Eric S. Yuan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/senator-rick-scott-applauds-distribution-nearly-20-million-vaccine-doses-states,Senator Rick Scott Applauds the Distribution of Nearly 20 Million Vaccine Doses to States,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,FL,Rick Scott,S001217,www.rickscott.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Senator Rick Scott released the below statement applauding the effort by Health and Human Services to get nearly 20 million doses of vaccines to states in four weeks. Florida will have been allocated 1.28 million doses of the vaccines by the end of next week. 175,000 Floridians received the first dose of the vaccine as of December 30, as reported by the Florida Department of Health. In November, Senator Scott wrote a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar requesting information on the states' plans for fast, reliable and equitable vaccine distribution. Detailed planning and coordination at every level of government will be required to get the vaccine to Americans safely and efficiently without unnecessary delays. Senator Rick Scottsaid, I'm proud of the hard work by so many in the Administration to develop and quickly distribute this vaccine to the states. HHS has sent our states millions of doses of vaccines this month. The priority now must be to make sure the elderly and at-risk populations, as well as our healthcare workers, have access to thevaccinefirst. That's why my staff and I made the decision to wait to get thevaccineat the appropriate time, and I've asked that my office's allotment be given to vulnerable populations that need thevaccinemost. We aren't successful until everyone who wants a vaccine can get one. Everystate needs an orderly, transparent process for getting these vaccines out, and they need to do it now. There is no excuse. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4240286B-F65D-48FE-AB2A-B75C6559812A,Johnson on Covid Funds: This Isnt Monopoly Money,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator calls for targeted relief to those who need it as debt climbs higher WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) continued to press for more targeted Covid relief in an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box Thursday. Excerpts from the interview are below and video can be found here. I certainly want to help people that are financially struggling through no fault of their own because of Covid. It's one of the reasons I voted for the $2.2 trillion CARES Act. We've now appropriated, we've authorized about $4 trillion in aid, but we did it in a shotgun approach. And we don't have an unlimited checking account. We're $27 trillion in debt. At the end of this fiscal year it will be over $29 trillion. Many, many, many of those individuals [receiving checks] have been working, they've been getting a paycheck, they're not financially struggling. Why would we be giving checks to people that truly don't need it? Again, we should have gone back to the drawing board, we should have targeted this relief. The lack of targeting, the lack of thoughtful consideration given to mortgaging our children's future by another $464 billion. I know it sounds good, it feels good to give away money. Everybody loves benefits. Somebody has got to be thinking about the effect of this on our future generations. We did it fast. We did it massively so the markets wouldn't collapse. We had to do that. I don't think even at that time it had to be $2.2 trillion. But we just had to lard out another $900 billion, and now people are talking about another $464 billion like this is Monopoly money. It's not. This is a mortgaging of our children's future. There is going to be a point in time where we have a debt crisis and it is not going to be pretty. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://jhb.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402050,Herrera Beutlers Legislation to Strengthen Grid Security and Increase Energy Efficiency Signed into Law,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,jhb.house.gov,,,legacy,"This week, the president signed into law two bipartisan bills led by Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler to strengthen grid security and improve energy efficiency in Southwest Washington. The Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act and Grid Modernization Research and Development Act were included in the funding package approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. These energy solutions I'm leading tackle two important needs: improving security of our energy grid from cyberattacks and natural disasters, and improving the durability of our energy sources, Herrera Beutler said. I'm pleased that Congress has approved these two critical pieces of bipartisan legislation to increase the security, reliability, and affordability of energy for Southwest Washington residents, which will help lead our region to a more secure energy future. Details on Herrera Beutler's legislation: Grid Modernization Research and Development Act, H.R. 5428. Refines and expands research and development programs aimed at increasing reliability and security of the grid. It also extends the Smart Grid Regional Demonstration initiative and authorizes a research, development, and demonstration program focused on: Enhancing grid resilience and emergency response; and Designing and developing advanced controls, operations, monitoring and visualization tools for the grid BEST Act, H.R. 2986. Authorizes the Department of Energy to establish a grid-scale storage research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) program to advance energy storage technologies and creates specific objectives for energy RD&D projects, and bolsters research with federal agencies and national labs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=5537,"Sen. Cruz Condemns Jailing of Chinese Journalist Who Documented Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak, Vows to Reintroduce Sanctions Bill Against Chinese Medical Censorship",2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,,,legacy,"HOUSTON, Texas - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today issued the following statement in response to reports that China will jail journalist Zhang Zhan for four years, in retaliation for Zhan's efforts in early 2020 to document the emergence and spread of COVID-19, and announced his intention to reintroduce the ""Ending Chinese Medical Censorship and Cover Ups Act,"" legislation to sanction Chinese officials involved in the ongoing suppression of medical experts, journalists, and political dissidents trying to disseminate medical information: ""In the early days of the pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party did everything it could to cover up the severity of the outbreak, from lying about the origin of the virus and how it was being transmitted, to destroying evidence, to silencing the brave whistleblower doctors, scientists, journalists, and activists who tried to warn the world and prevent a global public health crisis. Had the CCP acted responsibly, there's a very real possibility the coronavirus could have been contained as a regional outbreak. Almost a year later, the CCP is continuing and deepening its repression of those whistleblowers. ""The consequences of this censorship continuing are deadly - not just for those in China but for Americans and people around the world. That's why at the start of the next Congress I will reintroduce a version of my bill from the 116th Congress, the Ending Chinese Medical Censorship and Cover Ups Act, legislation to impose visa bans and asset blocks on those who punish or censor Chinese citizens for reporting accurate information about a disease. COVID-19 went global because of this sort of malign behavior, and it is imperative that those who conduct it are held accountable."" Sen. Cruz has been leading the charge in the Senate to fundamentally reassess the U.S.-China relationship and counter Chinese censorship in the wake of the CCP coronavirus coverup. In May, Sen. Cruz first introduced the ""Ending Chinese Medical Censorship and Cover Ups Act"" after he delivered remarks on the Senate Floor highlighting the acute need to counter Chinese propaganda and hold China accountable for the types of medical and political censorship that helped fuel the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Sen. Cruz has: Led efforts to end U.S. dependence on China for rare earth elements and other critical minerals by introducing the Onshoring Rare Earths or ORE Act, legislation that would establish a supply chain in the U.S. for minerals used to manufacture defense technologies and other high-tech products. Introduced the Blocking Evasive Attempts to Manipulate Signals or BEAMS Act, legislation to prevent the CCP from exploiting Federal Communications Commission (FCC) loopholes to propagandize to Americans from radio stations in Mexico or Canada, including through stations entangled with Chinese state-owned media outlets such as Phoenix TV. This legislation resulted in the Trump Administration blocking the license to these stations. Introduced the Stopping Censorship, Restoring Integrity, Protecting Talkies or SCRIPT Act, legislation cutting off Hollywood studios from assistance they receive from the Department of Defense if those studios censor their films for screening in China. Introduced the Sanctioning and Highlighting Authoritarian Medicine and Eugenics or SHAME Act, legislation sanctioning CCP officials for systematic ethnic cleansing, including through forced abortions and other coercive population control measures in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Sen. Cruz's leadership against the CCP's human rights atrocities and political oppression led to his being repeatedly sanctioned, something he calls ""a badge of honor."" READ: Sen. Cruz on FoxNews.com: China Is Expanding Its Malign Influence All Over the World ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.ernst.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/columns?ContentRecord_id=F6699444-A32D-4656-8087-B6B30C56D44D,"Joni Ernst: As we head into the New Year, I will always put Iowa first.",2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,IA,Joni Ernst,E000295,www.ernst.senate.gov,,,legacy,"2020 has presented unique challenges for folks all across our state. The global pandemic coupled with a devastating derecho has been tough, but through it all we've witnessed the resilient spirit of Iowans. As I safely and responsibly traveled Iowa on my sixth annual 99 County Tour visiting every county in our beautiful state I continued to listen to your stories, challenges, and successes to take your voices back to Washington. COVID-19 was certainly top of mind for so many, and that's why I prioritized getting relief to families, workers, small businesses, farmers, and folks in all walks of life. I worked swiftly with Democrats and Republicans to secure billions in relief for more than 60,000 of our small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). And in the newest COVID-19 relief package, I again worked across the aisle to bolster the PPP. I've continued to be a strong advocate for our families; fighting to expand access to child care services, provide financial relief for family caregivers, crackdown on scammers targeting our seniors, and support our nursing homes and senior care facilities. Through the bipartisan CARES Act, I helped secure nearly $32 million in relief for Iowa child care centers and pushed for more assistance for Iowa's diaper banks. In the newest aid package, I worked in a bipartisan way to make sure our child care industry continues to have support. When it comes to health care, I've also worked hard with Democrats and Republicans to support Iowa's hospitals and health care systems throughout this pandemic including expanded telehealth and mental health treatment to push for lower health care and drug costs, and to expand access to care, especially for rural Iowans. Having grown up on a farm in rural Iowa, the same community I still live in to this day, I understand the challenges our hardworking farmers face. With the pandemic and devastating derecho, things were that much tougher this year. That's why I pushed to secure immediate COVID help for our pork producers and strengthen our food supply chain. I successfully helped provide support for Iowa's dairy, turkey, egg, and cattle producers and in the newest COVID-19 aid package, deliver more agriculture support. In the immediate aftermath of the derecho, I met directly with Iowans and local leaders on the ground to help ensure recovery resources were available, including assistance for farmers and cooperatives impacted by the storm. Most recently, my bipartisan bill to provide tax relief to communities, families, and businesses hurt by the derecho was signed into law. When it comes to trade, I helped finalize the USMCA, supported getting the Phase One trade deal with China done, and pushed for a new deal with the U.K. And, of course, I've kept up the fight for our biofuel producers always pushing to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). I helped get the gap year small refinery waivers thrown out, secured a commitment from the president to allow E15 at E10 pumps, and helped push the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow ethanol to be used for hand sanitizer.And just recently, after pushing Congressional leadership, we successfully made COVID relief accessible to renewable fuel producers. While there was a significant portion of this year focused on pandemic and derecho recovery, there was also a lot of other really important work we were able to get done for Iowans. As a combat veteran, and subcommittee chair on the Armed Services Committee, I take very seriously my duty to support our servicemembers and veterans. Throughout the year, I've continued my work to combat sexual assault in our military and military academies, and have taken action to prevent abuse at the VA. I've also built on my bipartisan efforts to ensure quality care for our vets, combat veteran suicide, and help veterans transition to civilian life. Through the annual defense bill, I helped military women have proper-fitting body armor and equip our troops for the battlefield with modern technology, including military systems built and developed right here in Iowa. Whether it was securing critical COVID relief, working to rebuild from the derecho, fighting tooth and nail to defend the RFS, or continuing to be accessible to Iowans across our statein 2020 I never stopped fighting relentlessly and delivering for all Iowans. As we head into the New Year, I'll continue to be your voice in Washington and to always put Iowa first. Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5AE9ABDD-1AEB-4DD0-9D61-9EDF34F20AB0,Were Going to Continue Delivering on the Needs of Our Nation,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding NDAA and COVID-19 relief: Today, the Senate was supposed to finish legislation securing critical tools, training, and support for America's armed forces. But the junior Senator for Vermont had other ideas. Remember, Senator Sanders spent this past summer literally trying to defund our military. Not my words, but the title of a piece he published: Defund the Pentagon: The liberal case. Our colleague authored an amendment to strip 10% of funding from our servicemembers and decimate our defense budget. The Russians aren't cutting military funding. China isn't cutting funding. But last summer, Senator Sanders and fellow Democrats, including the Democratic Leader, voted to make America unilaterally disarm and cut ours. The left took a break from trying to defund the police to try to defund our Armed Forces. Their amendment went down in a landslide. But now our colleague from Vermont is again putting political stunts before the needs of our men and women in uniform. Our colleague says he will slow down this vital bill unless he gets to muscle through another standalone proposal from Speaker Pelosi that would add roughly half a trillion dollars to the national debt. Which does not align with what President Trump has suggested. And which has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate. Well, as I've said, the Senate will not let our national security be shoved off course. Certainly not by Senators who have spent years trying to gut America's capabilities while our adversaries continue ramping up. The Senate will stay on this important bill until we complete it, one way or another. *** Now let's talk about COVID-19 relief. Four days ago, President Trump signed the second-largest rescue package in American history. The largest one was the CARES Act in March. Due to this pandemic and our massive response, we now have a national debt far larger than our entire economy for the first time since World War II. But we knew our people needed more help. So Congress just passed another nearly $900 billion in emergency relief, targeted to those who need help most. A second round of payroll support to save small-business jobs. More unemployment aid. Vaccine distribution money. Funding for safe schools. And much more. In addition to historic amounts of targeted help, at the request of President Trump and his team, the package also included another round of direct relief checks to households -- whether or not each household needs the help, whether or not their finances have changed dramatically this past year. Yesterday, Secretary Mnuchin announced households should begin receiving those payments as early as today and this week. That is more good news for a lot of people. *** After Congress and the Administration finalized the bipartisan bill, the President expressed interest in further expanding the non-targeted direct payments. So, to ensure the President was comfortable signing the bill into law, the Senate committed to beginning one process that would combine three of the President's priorities: Larger direct checks; a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act; and further efforts to review the integrity of our democracy. Three of the President's priorities in one Senate process. That was the commitment, and that's what happened yesterday when I introduced text reflecting just what the President had requested. Now, House and Senate Democrats want something very different. As they have tried to do countless times in the past four years, Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer are trying to pull a fast one on the President and the American people. First of all, they are hoping everyone just forgets about election integrity and Big Tech. They are desperate to ignore those two parts of President Trump's request. Draw your own conclusions. And even on the question of larger checks, the Democrats have tried to warp what President Trump laid out. Look, it's no secret that Republicans have a diversity of views about the wisdom of borrowing hundreds of billions more to send out more non-targeted money, including to many households that have suffered no loss of income during this crisis. COVID-19 has not affected all households equally. Not even close. It is hardly clear that the federal government's top priority should be sending thousands of dollars to, for example, a childless couple making well into six figures who have been comfortably teleworking all year. Our duty is to get help to the people who need help. Like we did to an historic degree just four days ago. *** But above and beyond that discussion, the Democratic leaders have broken from what President Trump proposed. They quietly changed his proposal in an attempt to let wealthy households suck up even more money. Speaker Pelosi structured her bill so that a family of four would have to earn more than $300,000 in order not to qualify for more cash. A family of three could pull in $250,000 per year a quarter of a million dollars and still qualify for some money. And Democratic leaders want to call this scheme, quote, survival checks. Only my friends Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leader could look at households in New York and California who make $300,000 in households where nobody has been laid off where earnings did not even drop this past year and conclude these rich constituents of theirs need survival checks financed by taxpayer dollars and borrowed money. Everyone sees the game here. These are the same Democrats who proudly block the entire aid package for months because they tried to hold out for special tax cuts for rich people in blue states. Now they say it's a matter of survival to send another boatload of cash to people making $300,000, regardless of whether they have experienced any disruption at all this past year. *** Even the liberal Washington Post editorial board is laughing at the political left for demanding more huge giveaways with no relationship to need. Here's what they wrote: Especially wrongheaded is the progressive left, spearheaded by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who depicts the $2,000 as aid to desperate' Americans despite the huge amounts destined for perfectly comfortable families.' That's from the editors of the Washington Post. The Wall Street Journal, usually their opposite number, agrees. These non-targeted checks are unnecessary,' and struggling households can access targeted support like expanded jobless benefits, food stamps, child-care subsidies and much more.' The liberal economist Larry Summers, President Clinton's Treasury Secretary and President Obama's NEC director, says, quote, there is no good economic argument' for universal $2,000 checks at this moment. He points out the CARES Act and the brand-new law will already have boosted overall household income, relative to the economy, back to its pre-pandemic levels, if not higher. If specific struggling households need still more help after the huge, historic package that was just signed into law four days ago has taken effect, then what they will need is smart, targeted aid. Not another firehose of borrowed money that encompasses other people who are doing just fine. In my view, colleagues like Senator Cornyn from Texas and Senator Toomey from Pennsylvania have pointed this out persuasively. *** But, more broadly, here's the deal: The Senate is not going to split apart the three issues that President Trump linked together just because Democrats are afraid to address two of them. The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of the Democrats' rich friends who don't need the help. We just approved almost a trillion dollars in aid a few days ago. It struck a balance between broad support for all kinds of households and a lot more targeted relief for those who need help most. We are going to stay smart, we're going to stay focused, and we're going to continue delivering on the needs of our nation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://austinscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-austin-scott-statement-fy21-ndaa,Rep. Austin Scott Statement on FY21 NDAA,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,GA,Austin Scott,S001189,austinscott.house.gov,,,legacy,"TIFTON, GA Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), released the below statement on his vote to override President Trump's veto of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (FY21 NDAA), which authorizes spending for the Department of Defense. The NDAA is one of the most important pieces of legislation our body passes each year, as it pays our warfighters and provides them with the resourcesthey need to tackle their missions and return home safely. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and as the grandson of a World War II POW, this is a task I take very seriously, said Rep. Austin Scott. President Trump ultimately vetoed the measure due the package not addressing concerns over Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which created federal immunity for providers and users of social media companies and generally prevents them from being held liable for hosting content that someone else created. While I believe the President is founded in his concerns over Section 230, it is in our nation's best interest to pass the NDAA to deliver much-needed resources to our men and women in uniform, including a 3% pay raise and critical resources for installations like Robins and Moody Air Force Bases in Georgia's Eighth District, said. Rep. Scott. Social media companies should be held accountable for their selective censorship and bias that in many cases impedes the First Amendment of American citizens, but this issue can and should be addressed separate from the defense bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and President Trump to address this measure. In November, Rep. Scott was chosen to serve on a conference committee which was charged with working through differences of the House and Senate versions of FY21 NDAA to comprise a final bill for passage. The final bill provided resources for Robins and Moody Air Forces Bases in Georgia's Eighth District, as well as a 3% pay raise for troops and resources to help the Department of Defense combat COVID-19. Click here to read more. In July, Rep. Scott joined FOX and Friends First to discuss the FY21 NDAA and the President's intention to veto the legislation and the importance of deliver a defense bill for the Department of Defense. You can click here to watch the interview. -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://austinscott.house.gov/press-releases?ID=66B4E161-F01B-492B-A314-B07DF4823BC4,Rep. Austin Scott Statement on FY21 NDAA,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,GA,Austin Scott,S001189,austinscott.house.gov,austinscott,https://austinscott.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"TIFTON, GA – Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), released the below statement on his vote to override President Trump’s veto of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (FY21 NDAA), which authorizes spending for the Department of Defense. “The NDAA is one of the most important pieces of legislation our body passes each year, as it pays our warfighters and provides them with the resources they need to tackle their missions and return home safely. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and as the grandson of a World War II POW, this is a task I take very seriously,” said Rep. Austin Scott. President Trump ultimately vetoed the measure due the package not addressing concerns over Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which created federal immunity for providers and users of social media companies and generally prevents them from being held liable for hosting content that someone else created. “While I believe the President is founded in his concerns over Section 230, it is in our nation’s best interest to pass the NDAA to deliver much-needed resources to our men and women in uniform, including a 3% pay raise and critical resources for installations like Robins and Moody Air Force Bases in Georgia’s Eighth District,” said. Rep. Scott. “Social media companies should be held accountable for their selective censorship and bias that in many cases impedes the First Amendment of American citizens, but this issue can and should be addressed separate from the defense bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and President Trump to address this measure.” In November, Rep. Scott was chosen to serve on a conference committee which was charged with working through differences of the House and Senate versions of FY21 NDAA to comprise a final bill for passage. The final bill provided resources for Robins and Moody Air Forces Bases in Georgia’s Eighth District, as well as a 3% pay raise for troops and resources to help the Department of Defense combat COVID-19. Click here to read more. In July, Rep. Scott joined “FOX and Friends First” to discuss the FY21 NDAA and the President’s intention to veto the legislation and the importance of deliver a defense bill for the Department of Defense. You can click here to watch the interview. -30-",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/bam-fight-americas-republic-senator-josh-hawley-r-mo-joins-congressman-mo,"Bam! The Fight for America's Republic is On! Senator Josh Hawley (R, MO) Joins Congressman Mo Brooks' Effort to Block Untrustworthy Electoral College Votes!",2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,AL,Mo Brooks,B001274,brooks.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DCWednesday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) praised Senator Josh Hawley's (R, MO) announcement to object to untrustworthy electoral college submissions on January 6th. Congressman Brooks said, ""I thankSenator Hawley for joining dozens of Congressmen's fight for an honest and accurate election system that is the underpinning of America's Republic! With America's Republicat stake,we are fortunate to have leaders like Senator Hawley stand up and do what is right to ensure America remains the greatest nation in world history."" Brooks continued,""AsMissouri's former Attorney General,an experiencedlitigator,and renowned legal and constitutional scholar,Senator Hawley understands that Congress (not federal courts) is the final and ultimate judge, jury and arbiter of all contested federal elections."" Brooks concluded,""Too many states have blatantly violated Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, violated federal election statutes, or willfully failed to obey their own state election laws, thereby opening the door to massive voter fraud, casting of illegal ballots, and election theft. These combined failures render some states' election results untrustworthy. With a Senatecosponsornowjoiningthis fight, Congressmen and Senators will face an easy vote: you can either acquiesce to and support voter fraud and election theft, or you can stand and fight for an honest and accurate election system that is the underpinning of America's Republic. On January 6, on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, I choose to fight!!!"" Senator Hawley's December 30th statement follows: ""Following both the 2004 and 2016 elections, Democrats in Congress objected during the certification of electoral votes in order to raise concerns about election integrity. They were praised by Democratic leadership and the media when they did. And they were entitled to do so. But now those of us concerned about the integrity of this election are entitled to do the same. I cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws. And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act. For these reasons, I will follow the same practice Democrat members of Congress have in years past and object during the certification process on January 6 to raise these critical issues."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://chabot.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401085,Congressional Freedom of the Press Caucus Co-Chairs Schiff and Chabot Denounce Sentencing of Chinese Journalist Reporting on COVID-19 Pandemic,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,OH,Steven Chabot,C000266,chabot.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, Representatives Steve Chabot (R-OH) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Freedom of the Press Caucus, released a statement following the sentencing of Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist who reported from Wuhan during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic:We are deeply concerned by the recent conviction of Zhang Zhan for her reporting on the early handling of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan last winter, the Co-Chairs said. Ms. Zhang's photos and short video clips uploaded to WeChat, Twitter, and YouTube documented the harsh reality of life in Wuhan during lockdown in the early days of the virus, informing the Chinese people and the world about the extent of the crisis at a critical time. We are alarmed at the treatment of Ms. Zhang and call on PRC authorities to immediately release her and all others detained in connection with sharing news about the coronavirus. On December 28, Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in jail by the Shanghai Pudong People's Court for picking quarrels and provoking trouble. She is accused of spreading false information and accepting media interviews with foreign outlets. Her lawyer reports that Ms. Zhang has been on a hunger strike since June and was force-fed via a nasal tube while shackled in prison. Other citizen journalists who reported on the situation in Wuhan have gone missing or been under close surveillance for months. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://hartzler.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/hartzler-statement-cash-act,Hartzler Statement on the CASH Act,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,MO,Vicky Hartzler,H001053,hartzler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) issued the following statement on the CASH Act. A coronavirus relief bill should be directed to helping those who have been negatively impacted by the virus. The bill passed last week accomplishes this by helping struggling businesses, families, and individuals without work due to the pandemic. It also sends $600 to every person in a household who makes under $75,000 whether or not they have been impacted by the virus. This was a reasonable compromise. Increasing these across the board payments to $2000 without even having to demonstrate a need would further America's out of control debt. With a debt of $27 trillion, our focus should remain on getting people back to work and defeating the virus.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jeffduncan.house.gov/media/press-releases/duncan-plans-object-electoral-college-certification,Duncan Plans to Object to Electoral College Certification,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,SC,Jeffrey Duncan,D000615,jeffduncan.house.gov,,,legacy,"Laurens, S.C. Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03) plans to formally object to the Electoral College certification in the House of Representatives on January 6, 2021. He released the following statement: I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States as a Member of Congress, and with that oath comes the vital role of ensuring the legality and integrity of our free and fair election system. The 2020 election saw unprecedented institutional issues like states changing their voting systems in violation of their state constitutions, unelected bureaucrats changing election law instead of lawmakers themselves, poll watchers prohibited from doing their jobs, failure to properly scrutinize the validity of mail-in voting, and the list goes on. We need to shed light on the issues that took place during the 2020 election to preserve our electoral system for generations to come. Our mission is simple: Count every legal vote, throw out every illegal vote, and investigate every irregularity and allegation. All Americans should be on board with this mission. On January 6, 2021, I plan to object to the Electoral College certification from states that experienced these unprecedented issues like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. I plan to object for the people of the Third District of South Carolina and the millions of Americans who are demanding transparency into the 2020 election. We the People know this is a pivotal decision for our great country. May God bless the United States of America. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?ID=4CB11E7D-D0C7-49A3-86B8-745E88B80BE4,Rep. Mark Green Supports Objection to Electoral College Certification on Jan. 6,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,TN,Mark Green,G000590,markgreen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right Home Media Press Releases Print",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-names-senior-staff-for-energy-and-commerce-committee/,McMorris Rodgers Names Senior Staff for Energy and Commerce Committee,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), incoming Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today announced senior staff for the Committee. Additional staff announcements will be made in the coming days. The Energy and Commerce Committee is at the very center of our mission for America to win the future. I'm excited to announce members of my senior staff who are uniquely qualified to support this mission, said McMorris Rodgers. They are top-notch talents who have invaluable expertise. I'm grateful for their service and commitment to embracing value-based leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee so every member shines and delivers results to restore, rebuild, and renew the American Dream. On the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the following staff will serve under Republican Staff Director Nate Hodson. Sarah Rogers Burke Deputy Staff Director Sarah Rogers Burke is returning to the McMorris Rodgers team after serving as Rep. Jason Smith's Deputy Chief of Staff for two years. She previously served under McMorris Rodgers as the Director of Member Services during her tenure as House Republican Conference Chair. Burke's experience also includes working for multiple Members of Congress, in the private sector, and on the Romney Ryan 2012 Presidential Campaign. Michael Taggart Policy Director Michael Taggart has served as McMorris Rodgers's Legislative Director since 2019. As Policy Director, he will be a senior advisor on policy and strategy, manage the subcommittees, and develop the legislative agenda for Energy and Commerce Republicans. Taggart previously served as Legislative Director to former E&C member Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ). Olivia Hnat Communications Director Olivia Hnat has served as McMorris Rodgers's Deputy Chief of Staff since 2019. Hnat was National Press Secretary for McMorris Rodgers when she chaired the House Republican Conference. She is a former spokesperson for Speaker John Boehner and Communications Director for Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-OH). Emily King Director of Member Services Emily King will continue serving McMorris Rodgers as Director of Member Services for the Committee. King started her career in the House with McMorris Rodgers five years ago and most recently served as Director of Operations. Peter Kielty General Counsel Peter Kielty is a 20-year veteran of the Energy and Commerce Committee. He has served as Minority General Counsel since 2019 and previously as the Deputy General Counsel. Kielty has advised on parliamentary and jurisdictional matters before the Committee. Bijan (BJ) Koohmaraie Chief Counsel BJ Koohmaraie will serve as Chief Counsel of the Committee, which will include advising McMorris Rodgers on all technology related policy matters across E&C's jurisdiction. He most recently served as the Deputy Chief Counsel to the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee and the Director of Coalitions. Prior to joining the Committee in 2017, Koohmaraie served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Nebraska Attorney General's Office.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://radewagen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/amata-congratulates-governor-lemanu-and-lieutenant-governor-talauega,Amata Congratulates Governor Lemanu and Lieutenant Governor Talauega,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,AS,Amata Radewagen,R000600,radewagen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Wednesday, Congresswoman Uifaatali Amatareleased a statement of congratulations for the inauguration of Governor Lemanu Peleti Sialega Mauga and Lieutenant Governor Talauega Eleasalo Va'alele Ale. American Samoa is adding a new chapter in our history. Each successive administration strengthens our tradition of governing ourselves, and choosing our own leadership and representation from among our own people that began a generation ago. I appreciate the collected experience of the new administration that will guide American Samoa Government for this four year term. I also want to thank Governor Lolo Moliga for his dedication. In Governor Lemanu, the people chose a Governor who served in the military and has built experience as Lieutenant Governor. Serving with him, the next Lieutenant Governor has a lawyer's expertise and experience as Attorney General. Congratulations to them both as they take on these important responsibilities and decisions. As always, I am optimistic about our beautiful island home and all we can see accomplished together. Congratulations to the people of American Samoa as we exercised our freedom to vote and decide together the direction of our islands' government. I look forward to working with the American Samoa Government as I represent the people in Congress. As Members of Congress meet the first few days of January to begin the next session, I remain in Washington. I join you in prayer for guidance and blessing for our government at all levels so that our people can live in health and happiness. Once again, my warmest congratulations to Governor Lemanu and Lieutenant Governor Talauega upon this special occasion. May God bless American Samoa, and the United States. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases/scalise-reflects-tragic-loss-congressman-elect-luke-letlow,Scalise Reflects on Tragic Loss of Congressman-Elect Luke Letlow,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox News Channel'sFox and Friendsto reflect on the tragic loss of Congressman-Elect Luke Letlow. Whip Scalise remembered Luke as a friend and highlighted his positive spirit and excitement to begin serving the people of Louisiana in Congress. Scalise offered his prayers to Luke's wife, Julia, and their two young children during this incredibly difficult time. Clickhereor on the image above to watch the interview. On the passing of Congressman-Elect Luke Letlow: It's just such devastating news last night. I know I've been talking to Luke the last few days. He's been fighting, he was battling in the hospital up in Shreveport and, you know, had taken a turn for the worse right before Christmas. It was going up and down. And, you know, it was just heartbreaking. I mean, Luke is a young guy, 41 years old, in great health, and looking forward to a bright future. He had just gotten elected to Congress three weeks ago. We would talk a lot about the things he wanted to do, the committees he wanted to get on. Boy, talk about a loss of someone with so much energy. He's got a beautiful young family. I know my prayers are with Julia, his two young kids. You know, everything about this is just heart breaking. Our whole delegation is devastated. Luke is just, you know, one of those people that everybody liked and, boy, he was really looking forward to the opportunity to serve in Congress and just a tragic loss. On reforming Section 230: ""Well, first of all, I'm very encouraged that Mitch and the Senate are working on reforms to Section 230. This is a law that's been abused by the Big Tech companies shielding themselves with legal protections while they go out and this was intended for any social media platform, it was a town square if you just let people post whatever their thoughts are, the company would be protected from liability. And yet some of these tech companies are censoring data. Primarily conservative data, by the way, where they now would be considered publishers. That was not the intent of Section 230. So, I think it's very important that the Senate look at that. I hope they get something out."" On election reform legislation: ""Election reform as we've seen, I mean, look at all the different states that went against their own state laws that said how election day was supposed to work. And, yet, whether it was their Secretary of State or a Supreme Court in the state, making up a new law when the legislature framed a different law. We need some standards, especially when you think about election night. We ought to know in America what the results are on election night. Whoever wins or loses, look at a state like Florida, very large state, they were able to get their results in by 10:00 at night. Then you have other states New York is still counting votes right now in a Congressional race. Claudia Tenney is up by about 25 votes and they're still counting votes or finding ballots. I mean, that's really what undermines public trust when, you know, it's 3:00 in the morning and they kick everybody out of a room when you're legally supposed to be able to watch what's going on in that room and then you wake up the next morning and hundreds of thousands of votes swung a different direction. That's what undermines public confidence. I hope they get that right and get a bill out that will address those problems that we saw."" [...] ""Well, obviously you want to see what they come up with. If they come up with something that actually fixes those problems these problems have been identified. Courts don't like getting in the middle of that. But again, you go look at some of the state Supreme Courts, Pennsylvania, their law says a ballot that comes in after 8:00 on election night when the polls close, that shouldn't be counted because the polls close at 8:00. By the way, other states do that, and their state law said that and yet [their] Supreme Court just said, 'You know what? We'll just let ballots come in for days later and selectively count what happens.' That's not what a fair system is about. You want to know what the rules are, play by the rules. But when somebody changes the rules in the middle of the game at halftime or something, it creates, again, it breeds a lot of distrust in the election that you still see right now. Millions of people have been asking these questions. I hope they're able to get a bill out.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.braun.senate.gov/senator-braun-joins-governor-holcombs-covid-19-update-press-conference,Senator Braun joins Governor Holcomb's COVID-19 Update Press Conference,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,IN,Mike Braun,B001310,www.braun.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Watch today's COVID-19 Update with Senator Braun WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mike Braun joined Governor Eric Holcomb's COVID-19 Update press conference Wednesday to discuss federal resources available to Hoosiers and Indiana small businesses in the COVID relief package. ""All along my priority has been how to target the most resources to the folks that actually need it,"" Senator Braun said of the COVID relief package, noting that Congress's dysfunction led to a federal spending bill filled with pork and wasteful spending attached to the targeted COVID relief bill. ""Sadly Congress does not manage its budget like we do back in Indiana, and has ended up with trillion dollar deficits because of it."" Senator Braun noted the COVID relief package includes important resources for farmers and schools, as well as $300 weekly additional federal unemployment and changes to the Paycheck Protection Program to help Hoosier small business owners and workers. Senator Braun encouraged Hoosiers to visit his website to read resource guides with information about how the federal funds and loans available to unemployed Hoosiers, small businesses, non-profits, farmers, and other organizations at:https://www.braun.senate.gov/contact-mike/coronavirus-assistance # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/collins-hassan-protect-funding-nearly-200-rural-low-income-school-districts,"Collins, Hassan Protect Funding for Nearly 200 Rural, Low-Income School Districts",2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,ME,Susan Collins,C001035,www.collins.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) announced that they successfully reversed a Department of Education decision that jeopardized funding for nearly 200 rural, low-income school districts. A provision they negotiated that was included in the year-end government funding bill that was signed into law prevents a funding cliff for the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP), the only dedicated federal funding stream to support rural schools. The Department of Education's abrupt change in eligibility for REAP funding would have forced many ruralschools in Maine and throughout the country to forgo essential activities and services,said Senator Collins.REAP helps deliver an equitable and enriching education to thousands of students living in rural America. This bipartisanprovisionI pushed forwill ensure that students in rural communities continue to have access to these critical programs. Rural schools in New Hampshire rely on this critical funding coming every year so that they can serve their students, and the bipartisan provision that Senator Collins and I worked on will help ensure that these resources aren't pulled out from under them,said Senator Hassan.This funding is particularly important now amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has presented unprecedented challenges to remote and in-person learning. REAP was created in 2002 by Senator Collins and former Senator Kent Conrad to help rural schools overcome the increased expenses caused by geographic isolation. It consists of two programs the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program and the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program. Many states have qualified for RLIS because the Department of Education has allowed school districts to measure poverty by the percentage of students receiving free lunch. Earlier this year, however, the Department abruptly announced that it would no longer accept the poverty measurements it had received from participating states in years past, threatening the eligibility and funding for schools without any notification to Congress. This change would have excluded nearly 200 school districts from the RLIS program, creating a funding cliff for rural schools already balancing tight budgets. In Maine alone, more than 100 of the 149 schools were eligible for RLIS program funding last year. Without this provision, they could have lost a total of $1.2 million in RLIS funding due to the Department of Education's decision.In New Hampshire, 43 school districts received funding this year. Without this provision, more than 30 districts would have lost funding a nearly $600,000 funding loss statewide. Senator Collinsfirst raised this problemwith SecretaryDeVosin February. Additionally, Senator Collins and members of the Maine Delegationsent a follow-up letterto SecretaryDeVosurging her to restore this vital funding. In March, Senators Collins and Hassanled a letterto SecretaryDeVosthat was signed by 19 of their colleagues, expressing their strong opposition to this abrupt decision. Following that effort, the Department announced it would delay the change and prevent these cuts from taking effect this year.Earlier this month, SenatorsCollinsand Hassanled a bipartisan letterurging the Appropriations Committeeto support their request to protect state and school district participation in REAP in the government funding bill. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/provision-senator-collins-championed-prevent-medicare-physician-payment-cuts-signed-law,Provision Senator Collins Championed to Prevent Medicare Physician Payment Cuts Signed into Law,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,ME,Susan Collins,C001035,www.collins.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Newsroom Provision Senator Collins Championed to Prevent Medicare Physician Payment Cuts Signed into Law Posted Wed, 12/30/2020 - 09:18 Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the year-end government funding bill that was signed into lawincludesaprovision based onbipartisanlegislation sheco-authoredto prevent the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) planned physician payment cuts scheduled to begin January 1, 2021. These reimbursement cutswould have fallenprimarily on the backs of health care providers across non-primary care specialties from radiology to physical therapy toorthopaedicsurgery andcould have hada devastating effect on health care practices and, most important, patient access to care,said Senator Collins. I am pleased that this provisionincluded in the government funding billwill halt theseill-timedpayment cuts from going into effect at the start of the New Year, helping to ensure that we do not further burden our health care system that is already struggling due to the pandemic. Senator Collins has long been a champion of improving access to health care, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Inaddition tosponsoring legislationto avert destabilizing cuts to medical providers that would have harmed patients' access to health care, Senator Collinssent a letterto Senate leaders in October, urging them to advance legislation to prevent these sharp reductions in payment. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/slate-of-energy-job-bills-championed-by-daines-signed-into-law,Slate of Energy Job Bills Championed by Daines Signed into Law,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MT,Steve Daines,D000618,www.daines.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.30.20 Slate of Energy Job Bills Championed by Daines Signed into Law U.S. SENATELast Sunday, four bipartisan energy bills, as well as a tax extension for carbon capture, championed by Senator Steve Daines were signed into law. The bipartisan bills, the EFFECT Act,American Mineral Security Act, Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act, and USE It Act, all help protect Montana energy jobs and support Montana's energy industry. These bipartisan bills will help create and protect Montana energy jobs, promote renewable energy on public lands,and provide reliable, affordable energy to all Montanans, Daines said.I'm glad to have worked across the aisle to accomplish thesemajor wins for Montana's energy industry. Supporting Montana energy jobs has been a top priority forSenatorDaines. He is committed to creating more jobs in this industry and ensuring all Montanans have access to theseresources. Background: EFFECT Act: The bill updates Department of Energy (DOE) authorities that enable carbon capture storage and utilization investment on existing coal and gas facilities, such as the Colstrip Power Plant. American Mineral Security Act: This bill promotes the research and development of critical minerals which serve as an essential function to the manufacturing of energy, defense, currency, agriculture, health care, and electronic products and whose absence of which would have an impact on the economic or national security of the US.It will also direct the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of the Interior to jointly operate a program to design more efficient methods to extract, refine, and recycle critical materials. Additionally, it requires the Department of the Interior to designate and publish a list of critical minerals and work with states to conduct resource assessments to identify deposits of critical minerals. Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act: This bill creates and protects jobs in the energy sector. Itwill help increase renewable energy development on federal lands and expand associated economic benefits to local communities by developing a streamlined permitting process that will drive investment and development of renewable sources. Use It Act: This bill supports carbon capture, utilization and sequestration research by creating a program for the research, development and commercialization of direct air carbon capture. A two-year extension of 45Q tax credit for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage: This willmove the expiration of the tax credit from December 2023 to December 2025. This will provide much-needed certainty to producers and developers who are still awaiting needed regulations from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to take advantage of this credit. Print Email Tweet Previous Article Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-marks-policy-oversight-accomplishments-2020,"Grassley Marks Policy, Oversight Accomplishments in 2020",2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,IA,Charles Grassley,G000386,www.grassley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today marked a series of policy and oversight accomplishments of 2020. While this past year has been challenging for us all, serving the people of Iowa is my first priority and it's an honor that I take seriously. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and through my extensive oversight efforts, my work focuses on making the government more transparent, efficient and accountable to Iowans and all Americans, Grassley said. Grassley holds at least one question-and-answer session in each of Iowa's 99 counties every year to hear concerns and answer questions on any subject from Iowans. In 2020, Grassley completed his annual county meetings for the 40th year in a row. Grassley holds meetings in a variety of settings to ensure that a broad cross-section of Iowans can participate, including businesses, schools, town hall meetings, hospitals and factory floors. While the COVID-19 pandemic may have made some of Grassley's meetings look a little different this year, the format remained the same: Iowans set the agenda. Grassley moved forward with his meetings in a safe and responsible way while following public health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the state of Iowa. In addition to his annual meetings, Grassley attended or convened a variety of events and forums, including: In 2020, Grassley continued his annual social media series called #CornWatch and #SoybeanWatch. These give followers an inside look at farming operations and to track the progression of corn and soybean crops grown on the Grassley family farm in New Hartford, Iowa, from planting through harvest. When the Senate is in session, Grassley sets aside at least eight 15-minute meetings every Monday through Thursday to meet with Iowans in Washington, D.C., including advocacy groups, associations, chambers of commerce and local business leaders, students and families. While there were limitations this year due to the pandemic, Grassley was able to meet with Iowans virtually. Throughout 2020, Grassley met with more than 800 groups of Iowans and discussed a variety of policy issues such as trade, tax reform, prescription drug pricing as well as the many issues that have arisen during the pandemic. Grassley also joined Iowa schools for Q&As via video conferencing and, as an avid fan of Iowa universities, cheered on dozens of student-athletes at sporting events. This year, Grassley became the 10th longest-serving U.S. Senator in history and continued his constitutional duty serving as the Senate president pro tempore, a position historically bestowed upon the most senior member of the majority party in the upper chamber of Congress. Upon his swearing in, Grassley became third in the line of presidential succession following the vice president and the speaker of the House of Representatives. An Iowan has not held this position since Senator Albert B. Cummins in 1919. In his capacity as president pro tempore, Grassley aided in the selection process of the new Architect of the Capitol and nominated an Iowan to the U.S. Senate Curatorial Advisory board. He also played a role in many historic events this year including welcoming President Donald Trump into the chamber of the House of Representatives for the 68th annual State of the Union address and signing the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. Highlights of Grassley's legislative and oversight work follow here: Agriculture: This year was particularly tough on the farming industry due to commodity prices taking a hit from the novel coronavirus, drought across West Central Iowa and an intense windstorm known as a derecho that caused widespread damage across central Iowa. However, through it all, farmers continued to plow ahead and support their communities. As the senior senator of one of the top agricultural states in the country and a family farmer, Grassley has been an outspoken advocate for farmers and Rural America.Throughout the various spending negotiations in Congress, Grassley was a staunch defender of family farms. He led the Iowa Congressional delegation in urging Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to ensure funds for the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) were replenished in the next government funding bill. He exposed Democrats for blocking crucial coronavirus relief, which included billions of dollars in assistance for farmers and agribusiness employees.When COVID-19 began affecting our meat supply chain, Grassley immediately raised concerns with his colleagues. Grassley has long focused on consolidation in the meatpacking industry and pressed USDA to protect independent producers. In May, Grassley introduced bipartisan legislation that would foster efficient markets and improve competition and transparency among packers that purchase cattle. Grassley first introduced this bill in 2002. The bill will require a minimum of 50 percent of a packer's weekly volume of beef slaughter to come as a result of purchases made on the open or spot market.While many around the country noticed higher prices at the grocery store due to these market disruptions, many cattle producers across the country could not get a bid on their animals. Grassley was one of the first lawmakers to seek an investigation to bring more transparency to the cattle industry. He called on the Departments of Justice and Agriculture to investigate potential market manipulation and other illegal activity by large meat packing companies in the cattle industry. President Trump echoed this call for an investigation into possible anticompetitive behavior in the beef industry.In June, Grassley sent a letter to USDA Secretary Perdue relaying the frustration of farmers about the lack of enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, and called for the report on the Holcomb, Kansas, fire to be released by August 9, 2020, or he would seek an audit of the USDA's enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Division. USDA took this issue seriously and released its report echoing the need for more transparency in the industry. Additionally, he partnered with Sen. Tester in sending a letter to Secretary Perdue recommending the department clarify an ambiguous proposed rule regarding the undue and reasonable preferences provision of the Packers and Stockyards Act.This year, Grassley also joined Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and a bipartisan group of colleagues to introduce the Securing All Livestock Equitably (SALE) Act. Quick turnaround between the purchase and resale of cattle by a dealer often leaves the rancher who originally owned the cattle with little recourse if a dealer defaults on a purchase because the livestock has often already been resold. The SALE Act would establish dealer statutory trusts, mimicking existing packer statutory trusts, for the purpose of ensuring that cattle sellers receive payment should a livestock dealer become insolvent. Grassley joined 30 members of Congress on a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging USDA Secretary Perdue to take immediate action to assist pork producers and maintain the pork food supply chain. As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, Grassley led his colleagues in sending an additional letter to USDA to recommend additional funding for farmers being forced to depopulate their livestock herds. Farmers faced an animal welfare crisis due to overcrowding and the challenge of providing enough feed and water available to each animal. Grassley also joined Iowa leaders, Sen. Joni Ernst, Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig in sending a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and requested additional support from the Administration for the state's pork producers.In addition to livestock farmers, Grassley urged his colleagues to support dairy farmers around the country. Additionally, he joined Sen. Ernst, Gov. Reynolds, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Naig in requesting the USDA to include egg producers and turkey producers in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). In the second round of CFAP payments, both egg and turkey producers were eligible.To make sure tax dollars are spent as intended to benefit the farmers who actually work the land instead of managers or corporations, Grassley has been a longtime advocate for farm payment limitations. This year, USDA initially announced a final rule on the implementation of payment limitations and the definition of actively engaged in farming as part of the 2018 Farm Bill, which would have required additional family members to provide either 25 percent of the total management hours required by the operation on an annual basis or perform at least 500 hours of management annually. Unfortunately, USDA recently reversed this rule. Prior to this reversal, Grassley requested an additional GAO review of the program. The GAO report concluded that while USDA has improved its completion of eligibility compliance review, additional oversight is needed. Grassley will continue his fight to close loopholes that have allowed some operations to exploit federal farm payments at taxpayer expense.Grassley joined the only other farmer in the U.S. Senate, Jon Tester (D-Montana), to address farmer mental health. Grassley and Tester authored the Seeding Rural Resilience Act which aims to curb growing rates of suicide in Rural America by implementing a voluntary stress management training program, creating a public service announcement campaign to raise awareness and directing the Secretary of Agriculture to work with state and local groups to identify best practices when responding to farm mental stress. This bill was successfully voted out of the Senate this summer and later became law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.Diseases like African swine fever have the potential to devastate entire sectors of U.S. agriculture. With that in mind, Grassley cosponsored the Protecting America's Food & Agriculture Act of 2019 to address the shortage of agricultural inspectors who protect the nation's food supply and agricultural industries at the border. This legislation was signed into law by President Trump earlier this year.This year, the Trump administration kept its promise and successfully rolled back the harmful Obama-era Waters of the United States or WOTUS rule and replaced it with a workable rule that clearly defines what waters fall under federal jurisdiction. Grassley was a steadfast opponent of the original rule, which would have regulated 97 percent of Iowa farmland as a navigable waterway. This regulatory certainty will continue to help spur economic growth in Iowa and around the country while also ensuring individual property rights are protected.Enhancing water quality is critical to meeting the goals of Iowa's Nutrient Reduction Strategy and making improvements to Iowa's river and stream health. With that in mind, Grassley joined Sen. Ernst and a bipartisan group of senators to urge the USDA to make several changes to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to maximize the program's ability for producers to use the program to enhance both soil health and water quality. Antitrust: Grassley joined Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to introduce the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules (SMARTER) Act. This bill would require the Federal Trade Commission to go through the same procedures that the Department of Justice (DOJ) must go through when enforcing antitrust law, and would require the Federal Communications Commission to issue merger review decisions expeditiously.Grassley also partnered with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in introducing the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act which extends whistleblower protections for employees who provide information to DOJ related to criminal antitrust violations. The Senate unanimously passed a similar version of the legislation in 2013, 2015 and 2017. This year, the legislation passed in both the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Trump in December. COVID-19: In February, when the world was just learning about COVID-19, oversight and investigations staff for Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), received a classified briefing from the HHS Office of National Security (ONS) regarding the coronavirus threat and the status of U.S. government efforts to combat the spread of the deadly virus. Grassley also was named to the bipartisan task force focused on safely re-opening America following the public health crisis. The task force includes Democrat and Republican members of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.Grassley was an original proponent of an emergency supplemental appropriations bill providing funding to combat the spread of COVID-19. The funding package amounts to an $8.3 billion surge in resources to combat COVID-19 and provides comprehensive funding for efforts on the local, state, national and international levels.In March, Governor Reynolds declared a State of Public Health Emergency as confirmed COVID-19 cases rose. Grassley sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking that he promptly grant the Governor's request for an expedited review of the major disaster declaration for the State of Iowa as a result of multiple cases of COVID-19 detected in the state. Small businesses across the country were hit particularly hard by associated COVID-19 restrictions. To address this, Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in the CARES Act to help keep workers on the payroll by providing small businesses forgivable loans to cover payroll expenses. As the pandemic worsened, Grassley worked with his colleagues to provide additional funding to this program. While the Senate Democrats originally tried to block it, the additional funding later successfully went through. Grassley also worked with the Department of Treasury and the Small Business Administration on clarifying terms and eligibility of the program for Iowa businesses and bankers.For example, Grassley partnered with Finance Committee Ranking Member, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) urging the Department of Treasury to allow small businesses to deduct expenses associated with PPP loans that are ultimately forgiven. Ultimately, Grassley and many of his colleagues disagreed with Treasury's final guidance.Grassley worked with his colleagues to ensure the rural economy reaped the benefits of the CARES Act including additional funding for rural health centers, providers, programs, telehealth services and related infrastructure. Grassley also worked to secure relief for American agriculture. He worked to include $23.5 billion in the CARES Act to send emergency temporary relief to farm country to help survive the fall-out caused by the pandemic. Specifically, it set aside $9.5 billion for the USDA to directly support farmers and ranchers. The CARES Act also replenishes the Commodity Credit Corporation with $14 billion. Grassley called upon USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to use some of these additional funds to help support the biofuels industry, including resources for higher blends infrastructure at filling stations and to leverage the purchasing power of the federal government to buy excess farm commodities and replenish food pantries and nutrition programs across the nation. He then introduced legislation with Sen. Amy Klobuchar to make this a requirement. On December 21, the Senate passed an additional large legislative package including COVID-19 relief and economic stimulus, tax and health care policy extensions and government funding. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley championed several provisions including expanding unemployment insurance benefits, additional economic impact payments for individuals and families and extension of certain expiring provisions for families as well as small- and medium-sized businesses around the country. Additionally, under the Senate Finance Committee's jurisdiction, this package extends a number of important Medicare, Medicaid and other health policies, including boosting payments to doctors in Iowa and other rural areas. It also provides permanent coverage for mental health telehealth visits, which are helpful during the pandemic and will remain critical for many Americans afterward. And, it extends the period over which state and local governments can use money from the Coronavirus Relief Fund provided under the CARES Act by one year, giving more flexibility to state and local governments as they face spending challenges caused by the pandemic. It also provides additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program. Grassley's full statement on the legislative package and further details on what is included can be found HERE.Grassley joined Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) to introduce the bipartisan State and Local Coronavirus Relief Fund Extension Act to extend the year-end deadline for states to use federal CARES Act assistance, as well as any future funding to state and local governments, through 2021. The goal of this bill is to provide flexibility in uses of Coronavirus Relief Fund resources by allowing spending by states, localities, territories, and tribes on coronavirus responses to be covered over a longer period of time. Throughout the funding negotiations, Grassley worked to ensure the COVID-19 relief funds would go to those who actually needed it. With that in mind, Grassley introduced the COVID-19 Funding Accountability Act. This legislation would impose strict congressional oversight over the implementation of various funding in the CARES Act as well as create bipartisan oversight boards.Grassley criticized his Democratic colleagues when they wanted to impose a quarter of a trillion dollar retroactive tax increase on businesses in need of cash to restart their operations as states began to lift shut-down orders.Grassley also worked with Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in introducing a bill to protect recovery payments provided in the recent CARES Act pandemic response legislation from garnishment by private debt collectors.Grassley has been a longtime watchdog of waste, fraud and abuse. Unfortunately, throughout this pandemic, fraudsters have taken advantage of the American public through a variety of scams. Grassley wrote to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) encouraging the IRS watchdog to engage in a public awareness and education campaign informing Americans of scams and frauds related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the federal government's response.Grassley also partnered with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to call on DOJ to take vigorous action to protect consumers from price gouging during the coronavirus pandemic and help prevent the hoarding of essential medical supplies. Although Grassley took all of the appropriate and recommended precautions, the senator tested positive for COVID-19 after learning of an earlier exposure. Grassley quarantined per CDC and local public health guidelines and at the recommendation of his doctors. Due to his quarantine, Grassley was unable to cast votes on the Senate floor for the first time in 27 years. Grassley has cast 8,927 consecutive votes and continues to hold the record for longest length of time without missing a vote in the history of the Senate. Ultimately, Grassley was asymptomatic throughout his quarantine and was cleared to return to work by his doctors. Crime and Criminal Justice: All Americans have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including inmates in the state and federal prison system. Grassley and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the lead authors of the bipartisan First Step Act (FSA), led 12 of their colleagues in a bipartisan letter pressing DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to take necessary steps to protect the health and wellbeing of federal prison staff and inmates in Federal custody. They urged the release or transfer of the most vulnerable inmates to home confinement as permitted under the FSA. The senators called on BOP and DOJ to review and expedite current cases where the Elderly Home Detention Pilot Program would allow for an early transfer where appropriate of terminally ill and eligible elderly inmates to home confinement. In April, Grassley and Durbin sent a follow up letter to the DOJ Inspector General's (IG) regarding its decision to assess whether facilities housing BOP inmates are complying with available guidance and best practices regarding preventing, managing, and containing potential COVID-19 outbreaks and asked them to expand the probe. As a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley also participated in a hearing titled, Examining Best Practices for Incarceration and Detention During COVID-19, where he pressed DOJ and BOP officials on the use of home confinement and adherence to CDC guidelines on social distancing, use of personal protective equipment, and other risk mitigation efforts in correctional facilities. Also, in an effort to protect the most vulnerable inmates in our society, Grassley and Durbin introduced the COVID-19 Safer Detention Act. This bill expands eligibility for and provides judicial review of the Elderly Home Detention Pilot Program, and also provides for the compassionate release of federal prisoners based on COVID-19 vulnerability and shortens the waiting period of judicial review during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Grassley also led a letter to the Justice Department about its handling of COVID-19 in juvenile detention facilities. Along with Sens. Whitehouse and Ernst, Grassley urged the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to equip the juvenile justice system with consistent, reliable, and transparent information to help mitigate the impact of the virus on vulnerable youth.Grassley continued his work to protect children from predators online through his co-sponsorship of the EARN IT Act. This bill creates incentives for the tech industry to address online child sexual exploitation, by removing blanket immunity in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. It also establishes a National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention that will be responsible for developing voluntary best practices. Defense Oversight: Grassley's extensive oversight work throughout his career has included a dogged pursuit for answers from the Pentagon over decades of wasteful spending and its inability to produce a clean financial audit.Grassley has conducted oversight to hold the DoD accountable for over four decades. He continued to press the Department on the new Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program, alleged conflicts of interest pertaining to those charged with creating its bid and reported disputes between bidders and the Department. This comes after the Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) completed a review and provided recommendations in response to Grassley and members of Congress raising concerns about the JEDI program. Last year, Grassley sent a letter to then Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, seeking information on Department policies intended to mitigate conflicts of interest and prevent the tailoring of procurement requests to match a specific vendor, as alleged in the JEDI program procurement process. Grassley and several of his colleagues sent a letter to GAO in July 2018 requesting the agency conduct an independent review of the reasons behind the DoD's failure to acquire modern financial information technology systems capable of generating reliable information and supporting credible financial statements. The report was released in September and reaffirmed Grassley's longtime concerns about financial mismanagement and waste at the DoD. The Department is working towards a clean audit and updating its financial management systems. However, it's clear from this report the Pentagon has a long way to go. Grassley, along with the other requestors of the GAO report and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), also sent a letter earlier this year to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, urging them to include in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2021 certain provisions that would make progress towards a clean audit, including more detailed reporting to Congress on DoD financial management systems. Both of the provisions were ultimately included in the final version of the NDAA.Earlier this year, Grassley renewed inquiries into potential wasteful and inappropriate travel spending at the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), specifically seeking full and complete answers to prior questions about multiple trips to Hawaii.Grassley joined Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to reintroduce the Military Justice Improvement Act in response to reports of mishandling military sexual assaults.Grassley and Gillibrand also introduced bipartisan legislation to require the military to establish a Safe to Report policy. According to a Department of Defense report, in fiscal year 2018, only 30% of sexual assaults in the military were reported. Studies show more survivors are empowered to come forward without the threat of retaliation, and the Safe to Report Act empowers survivors of sexual violence to report these incidents without fear of collateral misconduct charges for minor offenses. This legislation was included in the final version of the NDAA.Also included in the NDAA was a provision that Grassley championed along with other members of the Iowa and Illinois delegation that seeks to improve Army real-estate management. The provision establishes a pilot program to create an online real-estate management system at several Army installations, with the goal of helping the military and federal government use existing resources more efficiently.Additionally, Grassley expanded his probe into the Department's Office of Net Assessment's (ONA) contract compliance after reviewing troubling documents related to contracts awarded to Professor Stefan Halper. Those documents call into question ONA's stewardship of taxpayer dollars as well as its contract management and internal controls. In early 2019, Grassley requested the DoD Inspector General (IG) review allegations of mismanagement by ONA contracts for political, improper or wasteful activities. Grassley later sought information about ONA contracting processes following a DoD IG audit of the program, which found ONA could not provide sufficient documentation that Halper conducted all of his work in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The Pentagon issued a corrective action plan for ONA in August.On January 23, 2020, Grassley sought an inspector general investigation into the manufacturing practices of Lockheed Martin's C-130J aircraft after whistleblower reports alleged a lack of oversight by the DoD has resulted in significant health and safety concerns. On October 8, 2020, Grassley sought additional information from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding the manufacturing practices of Lockheed Martin's C-130J after learning of discrepancies in the initial investigation. Derecho Recovery: From year to year, natural disasters take place across the country. In August, many Iowans experienced a historic derecho. Immediately after the storm hit, Grassley visited Cedar Rapids to survey damage, meet with residents affected by the storm and visit a local nonprofit assisting in relief efforts. Grassley and Ernst also participated in a roundtable discussion with 20 nonprofit leaders and the Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. The local nonprofits assisted with housing, case management, mental health, volunteer coordination, food access and legal assistance. Iowa's agricultural community faced significant damage and new challenges resulting from the storm. Grassley led the Iowa congressional delegation in sending a letter to USDA Secretary Perdue urging a prompt approval of Gov. Reynolds Secretarial Disaster Designation request for 57 Iowa counties that suffered losses as a result of the derecho. Following this request, Grassley and Ernst sent an additional letter to USDA requesting it provide additional support for Iowa farmers impacted by the derecho and severe drought. They also sent a letter requesting additional funding for Iowa agricultural cooperatives.In addition to tens of millions of acres of damaged crops, grain bins across the state were destroyed. Grassley and Ernst requested the U.S. Department of Commerce lift Section 232 tariffs on steel that will be used in Iowa's derecho recovery, especially on steel used for rebuilding grain bins and machine sheds. Grassley worked with Ernst to file legislation to provide tax relief to Iowans affected by the derecho. The legislation would provide certain employers a tax credit for retaining employees, enhance the tax deduction for disaster-related personal casualty losses, and facilitate enhanced access to tax-exempt retirement plans, among other benefits. Additionally, Grassley and Ernst worked to ensure Iowans affected by the derecho weren't victims of fraud. They sent a letter to the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate price-gouging scams. DOJ/FBI: Grassley and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) continued their investigation into the fatal shooting of Bijan Ghaisar by U.S. Park Police in 2017. Grassley first contacted the FBI in December 2018 about its investigation into the shooting, and the FBI responded in March with little information, prompting a follow-up letter from Grassley. Since then the senators also have pressed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide details on specific reforms being implemented to avoid a repeat of its drawn-out and opaque investigation of U.S. Park Police's fatal shooting of Bijan Ghaisar.This legislative session, Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, persistently contacted U.S. Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray to investigate the origins of the FBI's Russia investigation, code-named Crossfire Hurricane, to bring transparency to FBI mismanagement. Grassley has long been skeptical of the FBI's justification to spy on Carter Page, including its reliance on the debunked anti-Trump dossier, which was compiled by a former British spy, sub-sourced to Russian officials and paid for by then-candidate Trump's Democrat political opponents. The DOJ inspector general determined the dossier to be central and essential to the FBI's Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant application. The inspector general also determined the FBI's applications included at least 17 errors and omissions and over 50 errors and omissions in the Woods File. After further reviewing the DOJ OIG report on Crossfire Hurricane, Grassley and Johnson sent Barr a follow up letter requesting the declassification of four footnotes in the report on FISA abuses in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Those footnotes were later declassified and showed how Russian disinformation infected the Steele Dossier.On April 25, 2019, Grassley and Johnson wrote to the DOJ regarding the FBI and how it may have used a counterintelligence briefing to conduct surveillance on the Trump transition team during Crossfire Hurricane.In April, Grassley and Johnson requested additional Crossfire Hurricane records after the declassified footnotes revealed the Steele Dossier contained reported Russian disinformation.On May 12, 2020, Grassley and Johnson requested a list of Obama-era officials that unmasked Lt. Gen. Flynn. In response, the Intelligence Community provided a list that included then-Vice President Biden as one of the Obama-era officials that requested to unmask Flynn.In November, Grassley and Johnson also sent a letter to Barr requesting the full declassification of briefing notes for then-Director James Comey summarizing the FBI's investigative efforts regarding Crossfire Hurricane.On October 13, 2020, Grassley and Johnson also sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray warning the bureau's recent production of limited text messages from former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was unacceptable and the FBI must produce all records in compliance with previous requests.On October 15, 2020, Grassley and Johnson sent another letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe seeking an unredacted version of a spreadsheet created to attempt to corroborate allegations made in the discredited Steele Dossier.Grassley and Johnson also released a majority staff report detailing how the FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Office secretly sought and received access to the private records of Donald J. Trump's presidential transition team, Trump for America, Inc., despite an agreement between the Trump transition team and the General Services Administration that those records were the transition team's private property that would not be retained at the conclusion of the transition. Grassley also pressed DOJ for details on steps taken to recover material deleted from mobile devices assigned to Mueller's team, and investigate potential violations of federal record keeping laws. Many of those deletions occurred after the agency watchdog discovered anti-Trump texts on then-FBI agent Peter Strzok's government-issued phone, and after the DOJ IG began reviewing the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.On December 1, 2020, news broke that Barr had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham to be special counsel in his ongoing review of the origins of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Grassley praised this decision.On December 3, 2020, Grassley and Johnson released over 400 pages of records acquired from the DOJ, FBI and State Department during their investigation into the FBI's mishandling of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. The production includes recently declassified material that illustrate the flawed decision-making process by federal officials during Crossfire Hurricane.As part of Grassley's ongoing FARA oversight, he called on the Justice Department to evaluate whether Hunter and James Biden should have registered as foreign agents for their business arrangements with the Chinese government-back energy company CEFC, in compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The company was actively seeking to build influence in the United States when it partnered with the Bidens. Drug Prices: Grassley has long raised concerns about lack of transparency in the pharmaceutical industry and the prescription drug supply chain. This year, he also highlighted high prescription drug prices and the concerning trend that the price of many medications are increasing faster than inflation. As researchers around the world are racing to find a vaccine to combat COVID-19, Grassley welcomed news from Pfizer and Operation Warp Speed accelerating the response to end the pandemic.As Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley and Wyden also partnered on a bipartisan investigation into insulin prices. They sent letters to leading insulin manufacturers, seeking information regarding recent price increases of up to 500% or more for insulin, a treatment available for diabetes for nearly 100 years. This year, they expanded that investigation and warned those companies that were not cooperating.Grassley also joined several of his colleagues in introducing the PRICE Transparency Act. This legislation would codify the two health care price transparency rules that came out of President Trump's Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare Executive Order which requires hospitals and insurers to reveal their low, discounted cash prices and negotiated rates to consumers before they receive medical care. On June 2, 2020, Grassley chaired a hearing titled, COVID-19 and Beyond: Oversight of the FDA's Foreign Drug Manufacturing Inspection Process. The hearing was based on Grassley's oversight work on the FDA's foreign drug manufacturing facility inspection process and highlighted the risks associated with drugs manufactured in foreign countries, especially China, and imported to the United States. At the hearing, Grassley introduced into the Committee record thousands of pages of records that he acquired during his FDA investigation relating to China- and India-based drug manufacturing facilities.Over the years, Grassley has called on pharmaceutical companies to list prices of their prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer advertisements. In 2019, HHS made good on the promise and finalized a rule requiring price disclosure on TV ads for prescription drugs. However, that rule was challenged by pharmaceutical companies in court and recently overturned. Grassley will continue working to increase transparency from pharmaceutical companies. Education: Grassley continued to confront the issue of academic freedom this year. In 2019, he sent letters to the presidents of Duke University, Harvard University, Sarah Lawrence College and Villanova University, seeking information on the current culture of academic freedom on campus. This fall, Grassley followed up on that issue by sending a letter to his colleagues discussing the responses of those colleges and universities. In that letter, he stated the mission of colleges and universities should be to develop the character of young adults by challenging them with new ideas rather than making them feel safe. Grassley concluded his letter by stating, [O]ur colleges and universities must ensure that their professors can freely teach their students and that students are free to learn, without retribution. While working in Washington, Grassley highlighted Iowa's academic excellence for his colleagues. He praised the state's highest four-year graduation rate in Iowa's history, at 91.6 percent. He also applauded the University of Iowa's independent newspaper, The Daily Iowan, which was named the Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper by the Society of Professional Journalists. Election Integrity: With another presidential election in 2020, the spotlight was once again on Iowa and the first in the nation caucuses. The Iowa caucuses are an example of grassroots democracy. While not every part of the caucus went according to plan this year, Grassley joined Ernst and Gov. Reynolds in supporting the integrity of the process and demonstrated the seriousness Iowans take in their civic duty.The COVID-19 pandemic presented many unique challenges in 2020. However, election officials around the country worked diligently to ensure a safe and secure election this November. In Iowa, Secretary of State Paul Pate mailed an absentee ballot request form to every registered Iowa voter for the November election and the state saw a record turnout. Congress in March unanimously approved a $10 billion loan for the U.S. Postal Service to respond to pandemic-related uncertainties. However, the USPS assured lawmakers that it had enough cash on hand to maintain operations through next year even without that loan. In fact, the USPS reported a record amount of cash on hand due to the increase in package deliveries during the pandemic. Even with this additional bipartisan funding, many Democrats continued to undermine faith in the electoral process. Grassley strongly condemned such statements on the Senate floor. Energy: As a champion of renewable fuels and an all-of-the-above American energy policy, Grassley continued his extensive work to enact responsible energy policies throughout 2020. Grassley was a leader in the effort to allow the sale of year-round E15.Grassley has continued to lead the fight to maintain a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). He led efforts to pressure the EPA to stop issuing hardship waivers to obligated refiners as well as make the waiver process more transparent and highlighted the importance of the RFS to President Trump. Grassley joined Ernst in voting against Mark Menezes, nominated to be Deputy Secretary of Energy due to lack of transparency among the agencies.Much of Grassley's energy agenda focused on the RFS. Grassley worked extensively with Senate colleagues, President Trump and the EPA to expand renewable energy and fulfill congressional intent on the RFS. This year, Grassley slammed the proposed Zero-Emission Vehicles Act which would require 50 percent of sales for new passenger vehicles to be all electric by 2025 and mandate 100 percent of new sales for the U.S. passenger transportation fleet by 2035. Grassley joined his partner in the Senate, Ernst, in sending a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting clarification on its temporary policy for the manufacture of alcohol-based hand sanitizer products during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than wait for the economy to rebound, biofuel producers across Iowa shifted production to manufacture hand sanitizer to help meet the needs of their communities across the state.Last year, Grassley and Ernst fought hard to include the biodiesel tax credit in the year-end funding package. In February, the two Iowa senators called on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to promptly process 2018-2019 biodiesel tax credit claims.In addition to ethanol and biodiesel, Grassley highlighted the importance of wind energy in Iowa and around the country. Federal Judiciary: As a former chairman and senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley rigorously vetted and reviewed judicial nominations to ensure our federal judges will interpret and apply the law as written, not legislate from the bench based on policy preferences.President Trump has made an effort to nominate constitutionalist and textualist judges who understand the role of the judiciary in our constitutional system. Under Grassley's leadership, the Judiciary Committee oversaw the confirmation of a record 30 circuit court judges, which is the most circuit court confirmations in the first two years of any presidency in history, and in 2020, the Senate has confirmed a record number of circuit court nominees. These confirmations will have an important impact on our country for decades to come.Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away in September, leaving behind a historic legacy that will live on for generations. With an opening on the highest court in the land, Grassley supported Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in moving forward to fill the vacancy. In 2016, citing a divided government, then-Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley and his committee colleagues exercised their constitutional authority to withhold consent on any nominee prior to the completion of the election. The circumstances were different in 2020, where the American people elected a Republican President and Senate in 2016 and expanded the Republican Senate majority in 2018.Later that month, President Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court. Grassley met with Judge Barrett and vetted her credentials. Grassley strongly supported Judge Barrett in the hearings and urged his colleagues to support her in the final vote before the full senate. In late October, the Senate approved Judge Barrett's nomination by a vote of 52-48. As Senate President pro tempore, Grassley presided over the vote.Throughout Justice Barrett's confirmation process, he admonished Democrats who were threatening to pack the courts with partisan judges.Throughout the pandemic, the Supreme Court allowed live audio streams of oral arguments conducted via teleconference following pandemic-induced lockdowns. The unprecedented live audio feed broadened access to real-time proceedings far beyond the Court's limited seating capacity even in normal times. The move sparked widespread praise from transparency advocates and the general public. Grassley and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) renewed their push to allow live video coverage of court proceedings even after the pandemic restrictions are lifted. Foster youth, adoption, families and elder care: Throughout his congressional career, Grassley has advocated for children and families. He continued his work on these issues in 2020 by developing policies aimed at protecting special needs children, preventing elder abuse, encouraging elder independence and promoting funding for programs to improve family health.Grassley has long been a leader in the effort to protect older Americans, especially those living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Grassley has helped lead congressional oversight of nursing homes and their response to the deadly pandemic.In April, Grassley wrote to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and CMS Administrator Seema Verma regarding several issues related to the outbreak of COVID-19 at long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the country. Grassley expressed concerns about testing capacity, inconsistencies in data tracking, a lack of PPE and transparency in federal spending. Following Grassley's call on CMS to require nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to report all cases of COVID-19 to the federal government, the agency took such steps to ensure transparency and usable data.In July, Grassley and Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) introduced the Emergency Support for Nursing Homes and Elder Justice Reform Act of 2020, which would improve existing programs to protect older Americans and provide help to nursing homes and their staff providing care for vulnerable residents. The legislation includes several provisions to help nursing homes manage COVID-19 outbreaks, including the establishment of specialty regional strike teams and extends COVID-19 related reporting requirements through the end of 2020. The bill calls on states receiving federal relief assistance to devote some funding to tele-visitation programs so nursing home residents aren't isolated from family throughout the pandemic. It also renews and reauthorizes funding for several programs enacted in the Elder Justice Act of 2009 and boosts transparency and accountability measures for underperforming nursing homes.Following the Trump administration's announcement that it would require weekly testing of nursing home staffers and the disbursement of an additional $5 billion in funding to these facilities, Grassley praised the action as a big step in the right direction, which will help further protect the lives and health of both the residents of nursing facilities and the dedicated staff who care for them.As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley continued his oversight work and released a comprehensive report on care in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in the United States during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The report, titled COVID-19 and Nursing Homes: What Went Wrong and Next Steps, reviews U.S. nursing home performance during the first eight months of the pandemic.He also sent a letter to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at HHS requesting the OIG initiate an investigation into whether or not five states California, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania violated federal guidance in pressuring nursing home facilities to accept patients who tested positive for COVID-19. Grassley partnered with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), to protect seniors with dementia from harm and exploitation. The Promoting Alzheimer's Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act successfully passed out of the Senate and would ensure the Department of Justice's elder abuse training materials take into account individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Grassley, in his capacity as Senate Finance Committee Chairman, convened a bipartisan working group to address federal paid family leave policies. The working group considered ideas and principles relating to the issue of paid family leave and reviewed existing legislation introduced by several senators on and off the committee and from both parties.In the year-end COVID-19 economic relief and funding legislative package, Grassley advocated for additional support for the elder community. This legislation included $100 million to support elder justice initiatives, including 50 million for state adult protective service agencies as they cope with unique challenges of serving vulnerable populations during the pandemic. Good Government and Transparency: Grassley has been a longtime advocate for inspectors general and government oversight regardless of political party and administration. On April 8, 2020, Grassley led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling on President Trump to provide a detailed written explanation for his decision to remove an inspector general. In the letter, the lawmakers underscore the important role inspectors general play in holding agencies accountable and outline the removal procedures, which are designed to prevent political interference. This comes after two inspectors generals were terminated this spring.On April 14, 2020, Grassley and Wyden wrote to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, in his role as chair of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), regarding CIGIE's role in the inspector general nominating process. They inquired about the CIGIE recommendation process, the consistency of its advice to the White House, the rate at which its advice is taken by the White House and how often CIGIE has expressed concerns about IG vacancies.Following complaints from dozens of whistleblowers, Grassley and his colleagues also continued their investigation into whistleblower allegations of low morale and low productivity at the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General. On October 6, 2020, Grassley led a bipartisan letter to the House and Senate Armed Services Committee Conference urging the protection of the work of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The Senate-passed version of the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included language that would have limited SIGAR's jurisdiction to just six reconstruction funds and severely restricted SIGAR's oversight of reconstruction spending, to exclude oversight authority over internationally monitored trust funds like the World-Bank-administered Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, military construction, human rights and anti-corruption assistance, and certain counternarcotics programs. This section was removed from the House and Senate Conference NDAA, preserving SIGAR's oversight authority over crucial overseas funds.Grassley joined his colleagues, Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) to change the authority of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to conduct a thorough and rigorous review of independent agencies' regulations. Currently, independent agencies are not required to undergo a review by OIRA. They wrote, in part, Although these agencies have been created with certain protections designed to insulate them from the political process, they are not a fourth branch of government that is exempt from Congressional and Executive oversight.On February 5, 2020 Grassley and Johnson sought records of Hunter Biden's travel while he was under U.S. Secret Service protection as part of their investigation into potential conflicts of interest among the Biden family when Joe Biden was Vice President.Grassley and Johnson faced unhelpful challenges from their Democratic colleagues regarding their oversight work. In February they rebuked their colleagues who attempted to undermine legitimate oversight by selectively leaking information from their Biden investigation. In August, they urged their colleagues to stop falsely claiming the Ukraine/Biden investigation was subject to Russian disinformation.On September 23, 2020, Grassley and Johnson released a report that revealed millions of dollars in questionable financial transactions between Hunter Biden and his associates and foreign individuals, including individuals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. They later released a supplemental report with new information which confirmed connections between the Biden family and the communist Chinese government, as well as the links between Hunter Biden's business associates and the Russian government.In October, news broke referencing an alleged Hunter Biden laptop with additional pertinent information relating to Grassley and Johnson's investigation. They immediately sent a letter to United States Secret Service Director James Murray highlighting references to Hunter Biden's travel from recently published emails that appear to align with Secret Service records previously produced to the committees. The chairmen also requested records to verify whether the Secret Service traveled with Hunter Biden after he apparently discontinued his protective detail.Grassley joined Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) in introducing bipartisan legislation to strengthen federal financial management by updating the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act of 1990. The CFO Act created a new foundation for federal financial management and established a fiscal management reporting and leadership structure.Additionally, Grassley partnered with Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) to introduce bipartisan legislation to increase transparency and accountability within the federal government. The Oversight.gov Authorization Act would formally authorize the establishment and maintenance of a website to help the public more easily access reports that have been generated by the independent work of Inspectors General.Grassley, and Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) requested information about the federal government's ability to timely respond to public records requests in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to the Justice Department's Office of Information Policy (OIP), the senators, all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, noted reports of decreased capability to process Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and other concerning developments, including the FBI's decision to stop accepting electronic requests altogether. The senators also released the findings of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report titled Freedom of Information Act: Federal Agencies' Recent Implementation Efforts.Grassley continued his work to ensure Social Security remains strong for generations to come. Along with House Ways and Means Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-Texas), Grassley wrote to the Chief Actuary of Social Security regarding the use of his office for political purposes and pushed for public clarifications to recently published analysis that has allowed for partisan misinformation to be spread by Democrats. As the leading Republican tax writers, Grassley and Brady argued that Social Security's actuaries should not be used for political purposes. The Chief Actuary of Social Security promptly responded with a letter and affirmed that he was not aware that anyone has proposed legislation like Senate Democrats outlined in a recent request, which they subsequently used to spread false and misleading partisan messaging. Grassley took to the Senate floor to set the record straight and urged his Democratic colleagues to stop spreading misinformation to scare Social Security beneficiaries.In October, Grassley and Brady again reached out to request more information on how the Office of the Chief Actuary functions, particularly in responding to requests from outside groups, using taxpayer dollars. Given the finite resources available and the important services the SSA provides to Americans, it is essential that the agency's budget is used wisely. For that reason, we are seeking additional information regarding practices of the Office of the Chief Actuary for information, analysis, and/or technical assistance requested by non-government individuals and organizations, the members wrote.In December, Grassley and Brady requested that the Chief Actuary of Social Security explain misleading testimony that the actuary presented before a congressional committee in July. In that testimony, the Chief Actuary appeared to have been attempting to provide justification for lack of prior action on an important issue in Social Security by Congress. As the letter from Grassley and Brady to the Chief Actuary identified: It is not the job of anyone at the Social Security Administration to justify decisions made by Congress and we are concerned by your recent attempt to do so. Health Care: With the COVID-19 pandemic, families faced unique challenges accessing health care services. Recognizing this, Grassley introduced the bipartisan Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act to help families access life-saving care for children with complex medical conditions. The legislation aims to facilitate access to care while retaining program safeguards and reducing regulatory burdens on providers. This legislation builds off the Grassley-sponsored Advancing Care for Exceptional (ACE) Kids Act, which was signed into law in 2019, which makes it easier for the many providers who treat children with complex conditions to coordinate care and improve outcomes.In September, Grassley fought to include the Medicare Part B Premium Adjustment provision in the Senate appropriations bill. This will protect Medicare beneficiaries from an expected spike in the Part B premium for 2021 caused by economic conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grassley also authored a provision to address concerns with the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program. This provision delays the date on which hospitals and other providers must start to repay Medicare Accelerated and Advance payment loans and makes other changes to relax repayment terms, while protecting the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund. Throughout the pandemic, Grassley worked with the Trump administration on a variety of health care policies. He praised the Administration's reforms to the Medicaid program which will allow more flexibility for states while they continue to care for and protect individual Americans and communities at most risk.Grassley also followed up with the FDA this year to ensure Americans can access over-the-counter hearing aids without delay. Grassley's Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act, which was signed into law in 2017 to remove outdated regulations blocking consumer access to affordable hearing aids, required the FDA to issue these proposed regulations no later than August 18, 2020, but the FDA has yet to do so.Grassley partnered with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) to introduce a bipartisan resolution designating the week of October 5 through October 9 2020, as Malnutrition Awareness Week. The resolution recognizes the impact the pandemic has had on vulnerable populations and supports emergency funding for federal nutrition programs to combat malnutrition. Grassley also highlighted mental health awareness month and the services available to Iowans during this difficult time.Over the years, Congress has considered a number of initiatives aimed at addressing maternal health. Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden asked stakeholders to submit data and findings on factors contributing to poor maternal health outcomes in the United States. The Senate Finance Committee leaders also requested specific, evidence-based solutions to address those factors and improve maternal health. In addition, in June 2020, Grassley wrote a letter to every member of the Senate Finance Committee soliciting ideas for how to address racial and ethnic health disparities.Grassley also continued his oversight work into the nation's organ donation and procurement system. In October, he sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This probe comes after numerous inspector general audits and news reports raised questions about the adequacy of patient safety standards, suggested thousands of available organs are not being used and highlighted questionable financial practices of some organ procurement organizations (OPOs). This letter is part of the ongoing investigation into the conduct of the nation's organ procurement organizations, and the oversight gaps present in the U.S. organ donation and procurement system. In February, Grassley and Wyden jointly initiated this bipartisan investigation with Senators Young and Cardin when they sent an expansive request for information and data to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which was contracted by Congress nearly four decades ago to oversee the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). This investigation is ongoing.In April 2019, Grassley and Wyden jointly began investigations of organizations in their home states that provide services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). This December, they released two investigative reports regarding the performance and efficacy of providers REM Iowa and MENTOR Oregon, which receive significant federal funding through Medicaid to provide care for individuals with I/DD. Grassley's review of REM Iowa found that the company has had and continues to face problems, including failures to report abuse or neglect, failures to follow an individual's particular care plan and failures to adhere to clients' medication schedules. Grassley's report makes three specific recommendations to REM Iowa: improve training practices for employees, improve access to data and establish a process to track and monitor critical incidents using electronic databases. Grassley's report also recommends that the federal and state governments improve oversight, outreach and support for facilities facing systemic issues.On December 2, 2020, Grassley wrote a letter to every member of the Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees about the need for new attention to the tax laws governing non-profit hospitals. In late 2019, Grassley announced he was renewing his probe of non-profit, tax-exempt hospitals. It's time for Americans to have more financial information available to them when going to the hospital and working with their insurance companies. It's time for Congress to empower Americans to shop for healthcare in a competitive, functional market so as to reduce the costs of care and coverage, and save individuals and businesses hundreds of billions of dollars, Grassley wrote. Housing: Grassley joined a bipartisan group of senators to introduce legislation to protect property owners whose assets are seized by the federal government. An earlier version of the bill was introduced in 2016, following a Judiciary Committee hearing that examined several concerns associated with law enforcement asset seizure policies and practices. The hearing identified gaps in procedural protections for property owners whose assets were seized despite the absence of criminal charges or convictions. Additionally, many individuals whose assets are seized don't know their rights and don't know how to proceed to challenge the seizure. Illegal, illicit drugs, and opioids: In 2020, Grassley continued his longtime work addressing illegal and illicit drug manufacturing and addiction in the U.S. He joined Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in introducing the Methamphetamine Response Act, a bill declaring methamphetamine an emerging drug threat which would require the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop, implement and make public a national plan to prevent methamphetamine addiction and overdoses from becoming a crisis. This bill passed the Senate on November 16, 2020 but wasn't considered for final passage in the House of Representatives.Grassley also cosponsored the Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act. President Trump signed this bill into law in February, which extends a Drug Enforcement Administration temporary scheduling order to proactively control deadly fentanyl analogues. Fentanyl-related overdose deaths continue to rise and sophisticated drug trafficking organizations manipulate dangerous substances to skirt the law, so this critical law placed fentanyl substances in Schedule I so that they can be better detected and criminals can be held accountable for their actions. This Grassley supported law sunsets in May of 2021. Grassley and Ernst once again urged Iowans to participate in National Drug Take-Back Day. Unused, unneeded and expired prescription medicines present risk for misuse and theft. Responsible disposal can help prevent accidental poisoning, addiction and overdose deaths.As Chairman of the Senate Finance Finance Committee, Grassley initiated a bipartisan investigation with Ranking Member Ron Wyden, and sent letters to 10 tax-exempt organizations requesting information about their financial relationship with opioid manufacturers. This is a continuation of the investigation Grassley started in 2012, when he was Ranking Member of Judiciary. This investigation requested payme",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/sen-hawley-will-object-during-electoral-college-certification-process-jan-6,Sen. Hawley Will Object During Electoral College Certification Process On Jan 6,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced he will object during the Electoral College certification process on January 6, 2021. Senator Hawley will object to highlight the failure of some states, including notably Pennsylvania, to follow their own election laws as well as the unprecedented interference of Big Tech monopolies in the election. He will call for Congress to launch a full investigation of potential fraud and election irregularities and enact election integrity measures. Democrats have previously objected during the certification process for the 2004 and 2016 Presidential elections. Senator Hawley said,""Following both the 2004 and 2016 elections, Democrats in Congress objected during the certification of electoral votes in order to raise concerns about election integrity. They were praised by Democratic leadership and the media when they did. And they were entitled to do so. But now those of us concerned about the integrity of this election are entitled to do the same. I cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws. And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act. For these reasons, I will follow the same practice Democrat members of Congress have in years past and object during the certification process on January 6 to raise these critical issues."" Background On Previous Objections to Electoral College Vote Certification In 2005, Senator Barbara Boxer and Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones Objected to the Electoral College Votes from Ohio. Stephanie Tubs-Jones Said, I Raise This Objection Because I Am Convinced That We As A Body Must Conduct A Formal And Legitimate Debate About Election Irregularities.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 3:10-3:20) Boxer views her 2005 objection as her proudest moment on the Senate floor, according to CNN.(CNN, 12/27/2020) In January 2005, 31 Congressional Democrats Voted To Reject Ohio's Electoral Votes.(CNN, 1/6/05) Nancy Pelosi Praised The 2005 Objections, Saying Democrats Were Speaking Up For Their Aggrieved Constituents During Their Only Opportunity To Have This Debate While The Country Is Listening"" Nancy Pelosi Said We Are Witnessing Democracy At Work And This Debate Is Fundamental To Our Democracy.""""[T]oday we are witnessing democracy at work. This is not, as some of our Republican colleagues have referred to it, sadly, frivolous. This debate is fundamental to our democracy.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 32:49-33:08) Pelosi Said Democrats Were Speaking Up For Their Aggrieved Constituents, Many Of Whom May Have Been Disenfranchised In This Process.""""The Members of Congress who have brought this challenge are speaking up for their aggrieved constituents, many of whom may have been disenfranchised in this process. This is their only opportunity to have this debate while the country is listening, and it is appropriate to do so. If there were other venues of this caliber, we would have taken that opportunity. But this is the opportunity. We have a responsibility to take advantage of it.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 34:14-34:45) Pelosi Said This Is Their Only Opportunity To Have This Debate While The Country Is Listening And We Have A Responsibility To Take Advantage Of It.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 34:14-34:45) Pelosi Said Do Not Talk About This As A Conspiracy Theory.'""""[P]lease do not talk about this as a conspiracy theory.' It is not about that. It is not about conspiracy; it is about the Constitution of the United States.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 39:50-40:03) In 2017, At Least Seven House Democrats Sought To Object To Electoral Votes In Favor Of President Trump: Jim McGovern Said The Electors Were Not Lawfully Certified, Especially Given The Confirmed And Illegal Activities Engaged By The Government Of Russia.""(CNN, 1/6/17) Raul Grijalva Objected After North Carolina's Tally.(CNN, 1/6/17) Pramila Jayapal Objected To Georgia's Vote Certificate.(CNN, 1/6/17) Jamie Raskin Objected To 10 Of Florida's 29 Electoral Votes, Saying They Violated Florida's Prohibition Against Dual Office Holders.""(CNN, 1/6/17) Maxine Waters Objected.(CNN, 1/6/17)",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases/hoeven-announces-17-million-to-northland-health-partners-community-health-center,Hoeven Announces $1.7 Million to Northland Health Partners Community Health Center,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,ND,John Hoeven,H001061,www.hoeven.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.30.20 Hoeven Announces $1.7 Million to Northland Health Partners Community Health Center BISMARCK, N.D. Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), has awarded $1.7 million to Northland Health Partners Community Health Center in Turtle Lake. This funding was made available through the Health Center Cluster grant program and will be used to support health care services in the Turtle Lake community. This funding will be used to provide essential health services and quality care to residents of Turtle Lake and the surrounding communities, said Hoeven. -###- Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases/hoeven-announces-dod-funding-to-und-for-augmented-reality-tech-research-and-development,Hoeven Announces DOD Funding to UND for Augmented Reality Tech Research & Development,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,ND,John Hoeven,H001061,www.hoeven.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.30.20 Hoeven Announces DOD Funding to UND for Augmented Reality Tech Research & Development Senator Secured Funding through FY2020 Defense Appropriations Legislation, Advancing Competitive Research Opportunities for North Dakota GRAND FORKS, N.D. Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded a contract for $5 million to the University of North Dakota (UND) and AM General to develop augmented reality (AR) systems for Army vehicles, which would provide soldiers with access to more and better battlefield data as a display on the windshield. As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Hoeven secured this funding in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations bill and has included an additional $5 million in the FY2021 funding legislation to further advance this research. The project's goal is to enable soldiers operating or riding in High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, also known as Humvees, to view a broad range of battlefield data visually represented as an AR heads up display on the windshield. This involves determining the best methods for collecting available battlefield data, maintaining its security and displaying it in a manner that provides full battlefield situational awareness. UND and AM General have now been awarded a $5 million contract through funding we secured through the Defense Appropriations Committee. This project will help develop new systems for providing important data to our soldiers in their vehicles on the battlefield. This is critical support for our servicemembers, providing them with better awareness to counter threats and succeed in their missions,said Senator Hoeven. At the same time, this is an important opportunity to continue building UND's research expertise and is part of our efforts to secure additional investment in our state's tech industry, ensuring this sector continues serving as the third wave in North Dakota's economic growth. Autonomy is one of UND's Grand Challenges one of the best ways for UND to help diversify North Dakota's economy and enrich the quality of life,said Mark Askelson, Executive Director of UND's Research Institute for Autonomous Systems. We're proud to have pioneered the development of autonomous technology in aircraft, and we're thrilled to now be doing the same in ground vehicles. At the same time, what really excites me about this work is us bringing our skill set to bear on problems are facing the Department of Defense. We can solve these very real problems that are affecting people in the field and help the operators execute their missions with greater safety and more efficiency. UND is grateful to Senator Hoeven for helping to make the opportunity available. It's safe to say that if not for his leadership, UND would not be working on this project right now. This award is part of the senator's broader efforts to provide competitive research opportunities for North Dakota universities and businesses. To this end, Hoeven is advancing the following priorities for FY2021, in addition to the augmented reality research: $20 million for advanced coatings research. $17 million for the DoD Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCOR) program, of which UND and NDSU are a part. $10 million for Navy research into UAS payloads and performance. $7 million for developing advanced power and battery systems for spacecraft. $2.5 million to support a new silicone solar cell research project at NDSU. -###- Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases/hoeven-fema-awards-funding-to-nd-department-of-health-nd-department-of-emergency-services,"Hoeven: FEMA Awards Funding to ND Department of Health, ND Department of Emergency Services",2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,ND,John Hoeven,H001061,www.hoeven.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.30.20 Hoeven: FEMA Awards Funding to ND Department of Health, ND Department of Emergency Services BISMARCK, N.D. Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $6.4 million to the North Dakota Department of Health and $2.2 million to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services. These grants were made available under the Stafford Act for Emergency Protective Measures and will be used to assist with expenses related to the state's coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response efforts including increased staffing needs, materials and equipment and testing efforts. This funding from FEMA will support North Dakota's continued efforts to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency across the state, said Hoeven. -###- Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/portman-brown-announce-bipartisan-legislation-rename-nasas-plum-brook,"Portman, Brown Announce Bipartisan Legislation to Rename NASAs Plum Brook Station Test Facility After Neil Armstrong Signed Into Law",2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OH,Rob Portman,P000449,www.portman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Portman, Brown Announce Bipartisan Legislation to Rename NASA's Plum Brook Station Test Facility After Neil Armstrong Signed Into Law December 30, 2020 | Press Releases WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that President Trump has signed into law their bipartisan legislation to rename NASA's Plum Brook Station, the agency's test facility in Sandusky, Ohio, after Neil Armstrong. Portman and Brown introduced the legislation last year. Plum Brook is part of the NASA Glenn Research Center. Ithouses unique world-class facilities that conduct critical and innovative ground tests for the international aerospace community. From his service as a Navy fighter pilot, to his courageous experiments as a test pilot, to his space exploration and first step on the surface of the Moon, Neil Armstrong left an indelible mark in mankind's history of flight.In all his accomplishments, he considered himself first and foremost a test pilot who pushed the boundaries of what was possible in the air and in space, Senator Portman said. Neil was a humble and patriotic Ohioan who believed the honor of serving his country was a reward in and of itself. That's why, when I asked him the year before he passed away whether he wanted me to pursue naming Plum Brook after him, he demurred. But he was a strong supporter of Plum Brook Station and the important simulations and testing being done there, and I believe it is precisely because of his humility, coupled with his unparalleled accomplishments, that the renaming is appropriate.In consultation with his family and NASA, Senator Brown and I introduced this legislation last year and I applaud President Trump for signing this legislation into law as a fitting tribute to Armstrongs amazing accomplishments in air and in space. Before Neil Armstrong became the first person to step foot on the moon, he was an up-and-coming test pilot in northeast Ohio at what is now known as the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center. I'm pleased to join Sen. Portman in honoring Ohio-native Neil Armstrong by renaming NASA Glenn's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky for a man who inspires future Ohioans to continue our state's tradition of breaking barriers in space,said Senator Brown, who nowoccupiesthe late Ohio Senator and astronaut John Glenn's old office in Washington, DC. NOTE: In July of 2019, in advance of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Portman and Brown announced their intention to rename the facility. Prior to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Portman paid tribute to his friend, Ohio-native Neil Armstrong in a video, as well as on the Senate floor. In August of 2019, Portman accompanied NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a visit to NASA's Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland and Plum Brook Station in Sandusky to view progress on the agency's Artemis Program -- its multi-year plan to return American astronauts to the Moon and eventually send manned missions to Mars. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/portman-votes-support-national-defense-bill,Portman Votes to Support National Defense Bill,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OH,Rob Portman,P000449,www.portman.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Portman Votes to Support National Defense Bill December 30, 2020 | Press Releases WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) issued the following statement in support of the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act: The defense bill provides needed resources that build on President Trump's successful efforts to restore our military after years of underfunding and deterioration of our readiness.It also supports the National Defense Strategy, gives a needed pay raise to our troops, and provides critical upgrades and support to Ohio's defense installations. Ohio is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force base, the Lima tank plant, and other important military facilities that help support our troops around the globe.This legislation directly impacts our Ohio defense community. I agree with President Trump that we need to take a serious look at Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, but a defense bill isn't the place for those reforms. Our country faces significant security threats around the world, and this bipartisan legislation will help ensure that our soldiers, airmen, sailors, Marines and space professionals have the vital resources they need to accomplish their national security missions.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=E8047A7C-61B6-4943-8CDB-AA3BA1CAD12F,Johnson Urges Better-Targeted Relief in Fox Interview,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON During an interview on Fox and Friends' Wednesday, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) spoke about the need to better target financial relief to those who truly need it and the need to have a fair and unbiased federal investigation into Hunter Biden's business dealings. Excerpts of the interview are below and video can be found here. On Covid relief So, first of all, there's the demand to increase the $600 per-person payments up to $2,000 per-person, which would increase the average amount of money going to households, for Covid relief about $2,400 in the original CARES Act to a family of four getting $8,000. So, from my standpoint, I've seen a report that adds another $464 billion to the total cost of that package money we don't have, money that we're borrowing from our kids' future. So, I think we need to target that a little bit more. On Biden investigation In the end, we just might need a special counsel, as much as I dislike what happens with special counsels. In this case, I think, in order to restore the confidence in our justice system so that the American people do have confidence that it'll be equal justice under the law rather than special privileges for those that are [well] connected. Particularly, Democrats, seem to have a little bit easier time of getting that pass when they do something wrong. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-zeldin-local-elected-officials-and-environmental-stakeholders,"Rep. Zeldin, Local Elected Officials and Environmental Stakeholders Celebrate New Federal Law to Save Plum Island",2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,NY,Lee Zeldin,Z000017,zeldin.house.gov,,,legacy,"SOUTHOLD, NY - On Tuesday, December 29, 2020, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), hosted a virtual press conference via Zoom with Southold Supervisor Scott Russell, Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski, Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Agular, Shelter Island Supervisor Gerry Siller and Deputy Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams, Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, Assemblywoman-Elect Jodi Giglio, John Turner of the Plum Island Coalition, Louise Harrison, Chris Cryder and Leah Schmalz of Save the Sound, Greg Jacob of The Nature Conservancy, Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Bob DeLuca of Group for the East End, and others to celebrate the repeal of a 2008 federal law that required Plum Island to be sold to the highest bidder. Senator Ron Johnson (R, WI), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had opposed reversing this federal law due to long standing opposition by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In the past three weeks, as Congressional funding was being negotiated, Congressman Zeldin worked closely with Senator Johnson and White House and DHS leadership to successfully advocate for their assistance to remove the opposition and get this extremely high priority over the finish line for the First Congressional District of New York. Due to Congressman Zeldin's efforts, the 2008 federal law has now been reversed. Congressman Zeldin also worked with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D, NY) who maintained direct contact with Congressman Zeldin during this effort. ""Not only does Plum Island offer diverse wildlife, a precious ecosystem and critical habitat for migratory birds, marine mammals, and rare plants, but it is an essential cultural and historical resource as well, said Congressman Lee Zeldin following passage of this legislation. The law which mandated the sale of the island to the highest bidder was the wrong path forward. It's an honor to deliver this huge win that reversed that law and preserves Plum Island's rich history and taps into its limitless potential for generations to come. I would like to thank my colleagues in government for their support and the tireless Plum Island advocates throughout our region for their tenacity all along the way. It's been an honor to lead this fight, and I'm looking forward to continuing to fight for the future of Plum Island. In 2008, Congress created a new law to mandate the sale of Plum Island to the highest bidder. Since coming to Congress, Congressman Zeldin has secured House passage of 6 of his proposals to preserve Plum Island as a world-renowned research facility, historical site and conservation area, and secured $1.5 million in federal funds last year to stabilize and restore its iconic lighthouse. Last year, Congressman Zeldin authored and secured enactment of legislative language to halt the sale of the island for Fiscal Year 2020. Additionally, this Congress, he introduced the Plum Island Preservation Act of 2019, which would permanently repeal the law mandating the sale of Plum Island and require any further use of the island be for conservation, education and/or research purposes.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://burgess.house.gov/blog/?postid=403002,Burgess: Presidents should be in command of our troops,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Michael Burgess,B001248,burgess.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement after voting against overturning President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The President of the United States is the Commander in Chief and should have the ability to bring our troops home. President Trump committed to America that he would end the endless wars our country has been fighting. Over the last four years, he has kept his promise. The NDAA placed restrictions on the President's ability to bring troops home from commitment overseas. Rather than restrict the President's authority, Congress should do more to see how we can support our troops as they defend this great country while evaluating how to swiftly remove them from harm's way, said Burgess.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://burgess.house.gov/blog/?postid=403003,Burgess: Vote puts Americans First,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Michael Burgess,B001248,burgess.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement after voting in support of the CASH Act. Americans are hurting. This Coronavirus has affected more than our physical health. Americans have suffered from job and financial losses. When putting together the appropriations for this year and the next COVID-19 response legislation, the priority should have been to help the American people. Congress should have gone through each of the appropriation bills in a bipartisan way so that we were not left at the end of the year having to cram everything in one bill. When Speaker Pelosi decided to combine the two bills, there should have been cuts to other parts of our budget to ensure we could have included more money going directly to Americans first. Through this pandemic, Congress' focus should be America's needs, said Burgess.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://huizenga.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401221,"Huizenga Celebrates Completion of $6.6 Million Great Lakes Restoration Project in Muskegon, $2.9 Million Project in Detroit",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,MI,Bill Huizenga,H001058,huizenga.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga, Co-Chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force, released the following statement after the EPA announced the completion of a $6.6 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Project in Muskegon as well as the completion of a $2.9 million project on the Detroit Riverwalk. The Ryerson Creek Outfall is a 12-acre site located on the shores of Muskegon Lake that has been contaminated with petroleum, metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This GLRI funded project successfully dredged 10,600 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, removed over 2,000 tons of mill debris, and covered a two-acre area with clean sand.Along the Detroit River, EPA dredged approximately 13,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment just downstream of the MacArthur Bridge that leads to Belle Isle. The EPA then isolated and stabilized the contaminated sediment with a cap made of clean material. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative continues to successfully rehabilitate areas impacted by legacy pollution, said Congressman Bill Huizenga, Co-Chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force. Today's announcement by the EPA marks another critical step forward in the efforts to restore Muskegon Lake and the Detroit riverfront. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has played a leading role in strengthening the ecology as well as the economy of communities across Michigan. The continued recovery of Muskegon Lake and the Detroit Riverwalk is not only great news for Muskegon and Detroit, it is great news for Michigan and the entire Great Lakes Region. This is another great example of how effective this agency has been following the priorities of this Administration the completion of these Great Lakes Legacy Act projects demonstrate that when federal, state, local, and industry partners work together collaboratively, we can solve complex environmental problems and get the job done, said Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Kurt Thiede. These cleanups in the Muskegon Lake and Detroit River AOCs will significantly advance our efforts to restore water quality in these two important waterways. In August, Grand Valley State University released new research detailing how efforts to restore Muskegon Lake through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative have led to $27.9 million in additional recreational spending per year, increased property values by $7.9 million, and increased the total number of visits to Muskegon Lake by 11%. Overall, the GVSU study found that restoring Muskegon Lake has led to a 4% increase in recreational spending in Muskegon County. This study was conducted prior to the successful clean up at the Ryerson Creek Outfall. In addition to the Grand Valley State University Study, a 2018 study by the University of Michigan found that every $1 invested from the GLRI between 2010 and 2016 will generate $3.35 in additional economic activity through 2036. In cities such as Detroit and Buffalo that investment will yield a return of over $4 for every $1 invested according to the U of M Study. The EPA provided $4.3 million through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) provided $1.2 million in cash and in-kind contributions for the cleanup of Muskegon Lake. This successful cleanup of legacy pollution utilizing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative follows the removal of 50,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in 2018 from the former Zephyr Oil Refinery in Muskegon Township. The $2.9 million Detroit Riverwalk cleanup was funded through the GLRI's cost-sharing partnership with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy (DRFC). DRFC covered the sediment cap with stone rip rap, which stabilized an aging seawall and provided geophysical support for the future Detroit Riverwalk extension, which will connect Mt. Elliott and Gabriel Richards parks. EPA also collaborated with the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, EGLE, and the City of Detroit to complete this project.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://jhb.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402048,Herrera Beutler-Led Measure to Provide Hardship Waivers for Unemployed Workers Signed into Law,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,jhb.house.gov,,,legacy,"This week, the president signed into law COVID relief legislation that included a Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler led bipartisan measure to issue hardship waivers for congressionally-approved Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) overpayments by state unemployment agencies. With Herrera Beutler's bill now law, states may waive PUA overpayments when the individual receiving the jobless benefits is not at fault and in which the collection of overpayments would create further financial harm. Folks who are already struggling to make ends meet should not find themselves in debt or have paychecks garnishedbecause of Washington's Employment Security Department's own mistakes in issuing unemployment benefits, Herrera Beutler said. I'm pleased this legislative effort to give struggling residents relief from this type of financial burden is now law and I will keep working to assist Southwest Washington citizens with unemployment benefits however I can.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://jhb.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402049,Herrera Beutlers Columbia River Infrastructure Projects Signed into Law,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,jhb.house.gov,,,legacy,"This week, the president signed into law the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) that included a Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler-authored provision to construct a turning basin navigation improvement project in the Columbia River. Herrera Beutler's provision will authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct the necessary feasibility study of establishing a turning basin on the Lower Martin Bar near Kalama, as well as the improvement of two turning basins near Longview and Vancouver. The addition of the turning basin near the Lower Martin Bar and improvements of the two existing turning basins will increase cargo volume capacity and spur economic development in the region. The Columbia River supports millions of tons of cargo each year and thousands of local jobs, which is why it's important to invest in and upgrade the river's infrastructure. I was pleased to help champion the construction of the Kalama turning basin which is going to support those vital jobs, and I'm pleased this infrastructure bill I helped shape has now been signed into law, said Herrera Beutler. The Port of Kalama appreciates the determined efforts by Congresswoman Herrera Beutler and our Senators to include the Columbia River Turning Basin language in the WRDA legislation.The Lower Martin Turning Basin is an important Columbia River asset to the Port of Kalama as well as all commercial traffic on the river, said Mark Wilson, Executive Director of the Port of Kalama. ""Establishing a new federal turning basin near Kalama and improving the existing turning basins near Longview and Vancouver will enable more efficient operations for our lower Columbia River ports and terminals, making them even more productive gateways for U.S. goods headed overseas. We appreciate Congresswoman Herrera Beutler's continued leadership on these projects, which are so important to our trade competitiveness and our regional and national economy, said Kristin Meira, Executive Director of Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA). The Columbia River is the largest wheat export gateway in the nation, second in the nation for soybeans, and the third largest gateway in the world. The channel supports over 50 million tons of cargo valued at $24 billion each year, and over 40,000 local jobs are dependent on commerce that runs through the Columbia River. Traffic is expected to grow, increasing the need for additional locations for large, deep-draft vessels to safely turn and park on the lower river. Background on Columbia River Turning Basins: Turning basins along the Columbia River allow large, deep-drafting ships to turn around in the event of severe weather or emergencies. Currently, there are a limited number of areas for vessels to safely turn on the Columbia River. Frequently, several ships will form a caravan spaced approximately two to three miles apart. There can be upwards of four or five ships in the caravan ranging from 750 to 1000 feet in length, carrying a wide variety of product, and loaded as deeply as possible to maximize the 43-foot channel. Additionally, intense storms from autumn through spring necessitate closures on the Columbia River Bar which can require the caravans to turn around and return to an anchorage location as far as the Vancouver/Portland area. With very few places on the lower Columbia River to safely turn vessels of this size, it is vital another federal turning basin be established at the Lower Martin Bar.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.ernst.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=0221051A-F1E6-43CF-B61D-00D023FE4CE3,"In 2020, Joni Keeps Fighting, Delivering for Iowa",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,IA,Joni Ernst,E000295,www.ernst.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON From securing critical, bipartisan COVID relief for Iowa families, small businesses, hospitals, and farmers, to continuing to hear directly from and be accessible to Iowans across the state on her annual 99 County Tour, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) continued to fight relentlessly and deliver for her home state of Iowa in 2020. This past year, we Iowans have experienced trying times, but we've also seen the resilient spirit of our state. Whether securing critical COVID relief, fighting tooth and nail to defend the RFS, or continuing to be accessible to Iowans across our statethroughout it all, I've never stopped fighting relentlessly and delivering for all Iowans. Of course, the work doesn't stop here, and as we head into the New Year, I'll continue fighting for our families, farmers, and small businesses, being your voice in Washington, and always putting Iowa first said Senator Joni Ernst, the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate. Click here or on the image above to watch my video. Some highlights of 2020: Fighting for Iowa Small Businesses Delivered billions of dollars of COVID relief to more than 60,000 Iowa small businesses through the first installment of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); pushed Congress and delivered additional support for Iowa small businesses. Accessibility and the 99 County Tour Completed her sixth 99 County Tour; has held a public town hall or event in every county in Iowa from the most populated county, Polk County, to the smallest, Adams County. Standing Up for Farmers, Securing Trade Deals Fought tooth and nail for Iowa pork producers by securing immediate COVID assistance and strengthening the supply chain; successfully pushed for support for Iowa dairy, turkey, egg, and cattle producers; worked across the aisle to bolster support for farmers through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC); and finalized the USMCA, supported the Phase One China trade deal, and pushed for a trade deal with the UK. Defending the RFS, Fighting for Biofuels Delivered key provisions in the latest COVID relief package to provide support for Iowa biofuel producers; after blocking a key EPA nominee, Ernst successfully pushed EPA to throw out the gap year waivers; secured a commitment from the president to allow E15 at E10 pumps and, at her urging, applauded USDA's investment in renewable fuel infrastructure in Iowa; called for and commended the ethanol agreement with Brazil; and, earlier in the year, pushed for COVID relief for biofuel producers and pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow ethanol to be used for hand sanitizer. Supporting Iowans Hurt By the Derecho Met directly with Iowans on the ground and with local leaders immediately after the storm hit and helped make resources available; called on USDA to provide assistance for farmers and cooperatives impacted by the storm; took action to go after scammers and price-gougers who were targeting Iowans; and pushed for tax relief for Iowans impacted by the storm. Caring for Veterans, Bolstering the Military Demandedanswers about sexual misconduct at U.S. military academies, worked across the aisle to combat assault in the Coast Guard, and took action to prevent abuse at the VA; pushed for equipment and policies to better prevent traumatic brain injury (TBI) and pressed for answers about conditions leading to TBI in veterans; built on her bipartisan work for veterans to ensure quality care for our veterans, combat veteran suicide, and help veterans transition to civilian life; and fought the bureaucracy to get female servicemembers proper-fitting body armor. Making em Squeal Pushed back on Washington waste and frivolous spending with her monthly Squeal Award; called for unused government cash to go toward emergency PPE and medical equipment; worked to ban U.S. tax dollars from being spent at China's wet markets and the Wuhan lab; fought to eliminate a taxpayer-funded presidential campaign fund; and worked to ban taxpayer funding of anarchy in U.S. cities. Supporting Hospitals, Lowering Health Costs, Expanding Access to Care Delivered vital relief for Iowa hospitals and rural health care providers in the latest COVID relief package; secured support for Iowa's hospitals, including those in rural areas, and pushed to ensure hospitals' access to the Paycheck Protection Program; continued her bipartisan work to lower health care costs for Iowans and increase transparency to reduce drug prices; called for expanded telehealth services; and continued working with Senator Grassley to drive down Rx drug costs. Delivering for Families, Seniors Continued be a strong advocate for expanding child care services; secured $32 million in COVID relief for Iowa child care centers and additional funding for centers in the latest COVID package; called for additional support for diaper assistance amid COVID; continued supporting family caregivers; called for a crackdown on scammers targeting seniors during COVID; pushed for support for nursing homes and senior care facilities. Promoting Women, Conservative Values Voted to confirm Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, who Ernst described as an inspiration for working moms and young girls across the country; was unanimously reelected to serve as Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference; led the effort to eliminate female genital mutilation and fully denounce it as a human rights violation; and helped create the law to safeguard the resources for investigating sexual abuses of Olympic and amateur athletes. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=D8C20728-AB93-4D18-9A39-9A9391888F92,McConnell on NDAA: I Urge My Colleagues to Support This Legislation,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding NDAA and COVID-19 relief: Congress has returned to work this week to enact the 60th annual National Defense Authorization Act into law. Yesterday, a bipartisan supermajority in the House voted to reapprove the conference report of this must-pass legislation. Today, the Senate will set up a final vote for tomorrow Wednesday for this chamber to follow suit. Soon this important legislation will be passed into law. President Trump has rightly noted this year's defense bill doesn't contain every provision that we Republicans would have wanted. I'm confident our Democratic colleagues feel the same way. But that is the case every year. And yet, for 59 consecutive years and counting, Washington has put our differences aside, found common ground, and passed the annual defense bill. Not once in six decades has a Congress let its differences prevent it from completing this work for our national security and our men and women who wear the uniform. This year's NDAA will continue our momentum in rebuilding and modernizing our armed forces. It will authorize the personnel, equipment, tools, and training we need to reinforce the National Defense Strategy and deter great-power rivals like China and Russia. It will cement our advantage on the seas, on land, in the air, in cyberspace, and in space. And the bill will help us continue to recruit, retain, and support the men and women who keep us safe. It provides a pay raise for the troops, improvements for military housing, childcare, and more. For the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, failure is not an option. So when it is our turn in Congress to have their backs, failure is not an option here either. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation one more time when we vote tomorrow. *** On Sunday, President Trump signed into law another historic, bipartisan rescue package. It will provide major support to American families through what we hope will be the home stretch of our fight with the coronavirus. Congressional Republicans, congressional Democrats, and President Trump's senior team had all worked together to push hundreds of billions more dollars in urgent assistance to the people who need help most. This new law will set up a targeted second round of the Paycheck Protection Program to save jobs. It will renew and continue federal programs that have helped laid-off workers endure this crisis. It will send more cash to households. It will invest billions in vaccine distribution so the success of Operation Warp Speed kills this pandemic as fast as possible. And much more. This bipartisan compromise was our shot at getting help to working families on the urgent timeline that they need. Once again, I want to applaud President Trump for signing the bill and getting this much-needed assistance into the pipeline. *** During this process, the President highlighted three additional issues of national significance he would like to see Congress tackle together. First, as he's explained, the President would like further direct financial support for American households. Second is the growing willingness on both sides of the aisle to at least reexamine the special legal protections afforded to technology companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, including the ways it benefits some of the most prosperous, most powerful Big Tech firms. And the third subject since every American, regardless of their politics, should feel the integrity of our democracy is beyond reproach is exploring further ways to protect the sanctity of Americans' ballots, while continuing to respect the federal government's limited role in standing behind the state and local elections authorities who run elections. Those are the three important subjects the President has linked together. This week, the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.thune.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=BE3D2463-5C2C-44AD-906A-88A0BE03A55C,Delegation Bill to Allow Tribal Grant Schools to Devote Additional Resources to Improving Education Signed Into Law,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,SD,John Thune,T000250,www.thune.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) applauded the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives for passing theirlegislationthat will allow tribal grant schools to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Federal Employees Group Life Insurance programs and cover at least the employer's share of the premiums. This change will free up resources to improve recruiting and retention efforts for professional educators in tribal communities by allowing schools to spend less on health insurance and more on education-specific items. The bill was included in the broader COVID-19 relief and government funding package, which was signed into law earlier this week. As the son of two educators, I understand how critical it is to have adequate resources available to schools and how it can have a positive effect on their success, said Thune. I'm glad that our bill to ensure tribal grant schools can participate in federal health insurance programs is now law and that these schools will soon be able spend more of their money on our top priority the students. Our legislation will enhance teacher benefits at South Dakota's 19 tribal grant schools and, at the same time, save the schools thousands of dollars annually, said Rounds. This will not only help improve teacher and administrator retention rates at tribal grant schools, it will allow these schools to redirect resources to the students in the classroom. It's a commonsense law that benefits everyone. Tribal schools have enough challenges without having to deal with unnecessary red tape, said Johnson. Ensuring this fix is made has been a longtime coming, and I'm grateful to Cecelia Fire Thunder for working for years to get this done. The Tribal School Federal Insurance Parity Actprovides a simple fix that allows funding to flow directly to the students instead of healthcare costs. Currently, tribal schools are operated either directly by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE); by tribes, through Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance (ISDEA) Act contracts; or through Tribally Controlled Schools Act grants, which help support tribal grant schools. As of December 2018, 128 schools nationwide operate as tribal grant schools, including nearly 20 in South Dakota, and three schools operate through an ISDEA contract. BIE operates 52 tribal schools across the nation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://armstrong.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-kelly-armstrong-statement-vote-against-cash-act,Congressman Kelly Armstrong Statement on Vote Against the CASH Act,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,ND,Kelly Armstrong,A000377,armstrong.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON- North Dakota's Congressman Kelly Armstrong released the following statement on his vote against the CASH Act, which would increase direct payments authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act from $600 to $2,000. I have long supported commonsense, targeted relief. The bill voted on yesterday that raises direct payments to $2k has serious flaws and does not provide targeted relief to those who need it most. It increases payments to those who have not faced unemployment or income loss. I support programs like the PPP and assisting families and businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic. Even if we had unlimited amounts of money, I would not support giving everyone money regardless of their being impacted by the pandemic or not. We need to provide targeted relief to those in need, said Congressman Armstrong. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=580,BACON VOTES IN FAVOR OF NDAA,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,NE,Don Bacon,B001298,bacon.house.gov,bacon,https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx,scraper,"Washington, D.C. -Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) released the following statement after voting in favor of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act: ""Last night I voted in favor of the Defense Bill that gives us the best deterrence capabilities against China and Russia, and invests in cyber, stealth, and a strong Navy. My measure that initiates making UNMC a national hub for pandemic readiness is also in the bill. Peace through strength is a conservative value and this bill delivers it.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=262CBFC7-9779-498F-B9FB-0A9CA56D9657,Congressman Barr Secures Major Investments for Rural Broadband Expansion,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,KY,Andy Barr,B001282,barr.house.gov,barr,https://barr.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Lexington, KY – U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) secured major federal investments for the expansion of rural broadband connectivity. Over $7 billion for rural broadband initiatives were included as part of the COVID-19 relief bill signed by President Donald Trump on Sunday evening. This includes $300 million for the construction of rural broadband connectivity and $250 million for expanding telehealth services. “I have worked diligently to enhance internet connectivity for rural communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when many Kentuckians are working or learning remotely,” said Congressman Barr. “Additionally, by expanding telehealth services we embrace technology as a powerful weapon in limiting the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Together, these investments will provide a huge boost to Central and Eastern Kentucky as we fight to defeat the COVID-19 virus and deliver widespread and reliable broadband access for all.” In April, Congressman Barr led the effort to persuade the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services to expand coverage of telehealth services to include same-location services. This helped conserve personal protective equipment (PPE) and cut down on exposure for frontline doctors, nurses and healthcare workers to possible COVID-19 positive patients. Furthermore, Congressman Barr introduced H.R. 8368, the Rural Broadband Expansion Act of 2020. The proposal provides local governments the flexibility to use funding from the Coronavirus, Aid, Recovery and Economic Security (CARES) Act to develop rural broadband infrastructure in their communities. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/delivering-safe-and-effective-vaccines,Delivering Safe and Effective Vaccines,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,OK,Tom Cole,C001053,cole.house.gov,,,legacy,"While 2020 has certainly been one of the most challenging years in modern history and recent memory, there is hope on the horizon that better days are ahead. Although the world is still reeling from the destruction caused by the coronavirus pandemic, glimmers of hope are brightening more each day with the discovery, development and delivery of safe and effective vaccines to save lives and eliminate COVID-19's stranglehold on society. Indeed, this scientific achievement is coming faster than any other time in human history, and for that, we can and should be exceedingly grateful. As you might know, vaccines to fight infectious diseases normally take several years to develop and distribute. However, thanks to Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the United States has miraculously been able to race toward discovery of lifesaving vaccines, treatments and therapeutics for COVID-19 in a matter of months. Initiated by the Trump Administration in mid-May, OWS established a public-private partnership between relevant federal agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense and pharmaceutical companies. Since it was created, OWS has not only supported some of the scientific research but it has enabled more rapid development and testing of vaccine candidates, allowing promising candidates to undergo clinical trials at essentially the same time as regulatory approval and preparation for mass production. Delivering a vaccine in record time has led some to have concerns about safety. However, I want to assure you that the accelerated turnaround is not the result of cutting corners or ignoring the existing safety standards required by statute. Indeed, from research and development to clinical trials to emergency use authorization (EUA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has remained closely involved every step of the way. In fact, clinical trials on promising vaccine candidates cannot even proceed without the FDA's clearance to do so. Moreover, a Data Safety Monitoring Board advises pharmaceutical companies and oversees results throughout clinical trials. If testing reveals that a vaccine candidate is effective by the end of phase three, a company can then request an EUA from the FDA. Before an EUA for a vaccine can be granted, an FDA advisory committee must undergo a rigorous and fully transparent review of research and testing data in a public setting before making a recommendation. Moreover, for a vaccine candidate or any other unapproved medical product to receive an EUA from the FDA, it must meet certain conditions required by law under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act. First, a life-threatening illness must exist. Second, it must be reasonable to believe that the illness can be prevented, diagnosed or treated by using the product. Third, the known and potential benefits of using the product must outweigh the known and potential risks. Fourth, there must be no adequate, approved and available alternative to the product. While there are vaccine candidates for COVID-19 still in development or undergoing clinical trials, two have already received FDA's authorization for emergency use in the United States. And since the federal government contracted with pharmaceutical companies to pre-purchase hundreds of millions of doses of promising candidates through OWS, vaccines could be manufactured at the same time as clinical trials and made ready to distribute immediately but only if approved by the FDA. The vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was the first one approved and deployed nationwide, and Moderna's followed about a week later. During testing with thousands of volunteers, the results were remarkable, with vaccines proving at least 94 percent effective in preventing sickness from exposure to COVID-19. In fact, this data is even better than the efficacy of annual vaccines to protect against influenza. Neither COVID-19 vaccine has live coronavirus in it. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains on their website, these messenger RNA vaccines trigger an immune response, which produces antibodies and then protects against infection if the real virus enters the body. At the recommendation of the Office of the Attending Physician and to demonstrate my total confidence in our nation's vaccine efforts, I recently received my first dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine. While vaccinations are a personal decision, defeating this terrible coronavirus is a war we must fight and win together. We can all do our part by taking the free-of-charge vaccine as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, please continue taking the same practical precautions we have learned this year to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to wear a mask, social distance and frequently wash your hands. For details and ongoing updates on Oklahoma's four-phase vaccine distribution plan, please visit oklahoma.gov/covid19/vaccine-information.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-and-lynch-introduce-bill-to-study-use-of-distributed-ledger-technology-in-post-trade-clearing-and-settlement,Emmer and Lynch Introduce Bill to Study Use of Distributed Ledger Technology in Post-Trade Clearing and Settlement,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MN,Tom Emmer,E000294,emmer.house.gov,emmer,https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) and Rep. Tom Emmer (MN-06) introduced legislation, H.R. 8989, to require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to study the operational regulatory challenges and opportunities in the use of distributed ledger technology (DLT) in the post-trade clearing and settlement process. The legislation, which would require the SEC to produce two reports over two years to identify best practices, steps toward establishing international standards, and the implications of utilizing DLT systems. In studying these issues, the SEC is directed to work with both domestic and international stakeholders. “I am very hopeful about distributed ledger technology and its use in the clearing and settlement process. These studies will provide the necessary advancement and understanding of this outstanding technology, and will eventually allow for the implementation of these important upgrades. In order to lead in the global financial landscape, we must be exploring and innovating. It has been an honor to work with Chairman Lynch on the Task Force on Financial Technology, and this effort is a great example of the nonpartisan work Congress can advance to support fintech in the United States,” said Emmer. “Distributed ledger technology, like Blockchain, has the potential to make systems more efficient and more secure,” said Lynch. “Post-trade clearing and settlement is ripe for the kind of evolution that DLT offers. These studies will lay the groundwork for upgrades in our financial markets necessary to maintain the preeminence of the American financial system. I’m grateful for the work of Mr. Emmer on this legislation and am looking forward to working with the SEC to ensure confidence in the technology used in capital markets.” Representative Lynch is the Chairman and Representative Emmer is the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee’s Task Force on Financial Technology. Over the past 18 months, the Task Force has received considerable testimony on the potential benefits of DLT to increase transaction efficiency, transparency, and security. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://emmer.house.gov/press-releases?ID=C87C2E63-5597-401D-BF15-C146F7197F02,Emmer and Lynch Introduce Bill to Study Use of Distributed Ledger Technology in Post-Trade Clearing and Settlement,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MN,Tom Emmer,E000294,emmer.house.gov,,,legacy,"Facebook Icon Google Plus Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Vimeo Icon Clients Icon Email icon Map Icon Print Icon Quote Icon icon_share Carousel Arrow - Left Carousel Arrow - Right",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://estes.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2790,Rep. Estes Announces App Challenge Winner,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,KS,Ron Estes,E000298,estes.house.gov,,,legacy,"WICHITA Today Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) announced the Kansas 4th District winner of this year's Congressional App Challenge, Abir Haque. This is his second year winning first place in this competition.""This year has highlighted the advances in technology and how apps have changed the way we work, learn and communicate,"" said Rep. Estes. ""Abir has demonstrated his impressive coding skills for the second year in a row, and I look forward to seeing the work of 4th District students as we continue this competition in years to come."" This was the second year the Fourth District participated in the national Congressional App Challenge. The competition offers middle school and high school students an opportunity to showcase their creativity and technical skill by submitting the app of their choosing that they have created in the last calendar year, either for a class project, extracurricular or specifically for the App Challenge. Students living in or attending school in Kansas' 4th District were eligible to compete as individuals or teams of up to four. The winning app will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building and featured on House.gov. First place winner Abir Haque's CSVOL is an extensible query language for managing CSV datasets, interacting with online program libraries, and synthesizing speech and music. Haque used Java and other coding languages to develop the app and is a student at Wichita East High School. Ron Estes is a 5th generation Kansan and represents Kansas' 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-votes-override-presidential-veto-ndaa,Rep. Kelly Votes to Override Presidential Veto of NDAA,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to override President Trump's veto of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA is enacted annually to set the policy and spending priorities of the United States military. Representative Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) voted to pass the NDAA over the president's objection and issued this statement: ""The NDAA outlines the budget and policies the Department of Defense uses to plan for the next year. While I support the president's goal of amending or abolishing Section 230, that debate must not delay military planning for 2021."" #####",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases/kustoff-announces-west-tennessee-app-challenge-winners,Kustoff Announces West Tennessee App Challenge Winners,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,TN,David Kustoff,K000392,kustoff.house.gov,kustoff,https://kustoff.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08), announced that Abdala Jabase from Houston High School (1st Place), Uthej Katikaneni from West Collierville Middle School (2nd Place), and Connor Jordan from Houston High School (3rd Place), are the overall winners of the 2020 Congressional App Challenge for Tennessee's 8th District. The winning app, ""USA Knowledge"", created by Abdala Jabase, is a quiz to test people's knowledge about the geography, birds, and flags of each state in our country. Once the user is done with the quiz, the app chooses one of the states the user got wrong and redirects them to a website where they can learn more about that certain state. ""Congratulations to Abdala, Uthej, and Connor on placing in this year's Congressional App Challenge. Every year, I continue to be impressed by the ingenuity and talent displayed by those West Tennessee students who chose to submit an app,"" said Rep. Kustoff. ""Through your innovation and skill, each of you has the opportunity to positively impact your community. Thank you to everyone who applied to the App Challenge this year, and I hope you continue to showcase your talents in coding."" App Challenge Winners: 1st Place: Abdala Jabase ""USA Knowledge"" Houston High School (12th Grade) 2nd Place: Uthej Katikaneni ""Survival of the Fittest"" West Collierville Middle School (6th Grade) 3rd Place: Connor Jordan ""Drop Shot Rally"" Houston High School (10th Grade) 1st Place Winner, Abdala Jabase from Houston High School Background: The Congressional App Challenge began in 2014 as an effort to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and to encourage students to learn coding and computer science skills. Students in participating congressional districts compete against their peers by creating original software applications (""apps""). Winning apps are featured on the U.S. House of Representatives' website, the Congressional App Challenge website, and are displayed in a U.S. Capitol Building exhibit.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://radewagen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/amata-congratulates-john-iosefo-prestigious-rangel-fellowship,Amata Congratulates John Iosefo on Prestigious Rangel Fellowship,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,AS,Amata Radewagen,R000600,radewagen.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Tuesday, Congresswoman Uifaatali Amatais delighted to congratulate John Iosefo of American Samoa upon the announcement of the prestigious Charles B. Rangel Fellowship in International Studies from Howard University. Congratulations to John upon earning this superb opportunity, said Congresswoman Amata. We're always so happy to see one of our own succeeding and taking on new challenges. John served in the American Samoa congressional office as an intern, and did an excellent job. Now he's making American Samoa proud with this new educational step into diplomatic public service with the U.S. State Department. Congratulations also to his parents Tauiliili Silivelio and Juliana Ah-Ching Iosefo, and his many teachers, professors and influencers along the way. Congresswoman Amata and Rangel Fellowship winner John Iosefo (file photo) This highly regarded Fellowship is part of a career and academic path to becoming a Foreign Service Officer and to earning a Master's degree in security studies. As part of the Rangel Program, John will intern with a Member of Congress on issues related to foreign affairs in summer 2021. In summer 2022, the U.S. Department of State will send him overseas to intern in a U.S. Embassy or Consulate to get hands-on experience in U.S. foreign policy and the work of the Foreign Service. Upon successful completion of the program, John will become a U.S. diplomat in summer 2023, embarking on one of the most challenging and rewarding careers of service to his country. John is from Tafuna and Lauli'i villages of American Samoa, and graduated Tafuna High School. He is the youngest of eight children. John now attends the University of San Francisco, and is completing his final year of undergraduate studies. He also serves in student government as President of the ASUSF Senate. The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program, administered by Howard University, selects outstanding Fellows yearly in a highly competitive nationwide selection process, then supports them through two years of graduate study, internships, mentoring and professional development activities. Graduates of the program now serve as diplomats around the world. The program is named for the late Congressman Charles Rangel, who had a long and influential career in Congress that included chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases/louisiana-delegation-statement-passing-congressman-elect-luke-letlow,Louisiana Delegation Statement on the Passing of Congressman-Elect Luke Letlow,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Congressman Ralph Abraham (R-La.), Congressman Garret Graves (R-La.), Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), Congressman Clay Higgins (R-La.), and Congressman Mike Johnson (R-La.) released the following statement on the passing of Congressman-Elect Luke Letlow: ""We are devastated to hear of Luke Letlow's passing. Luke had such a positive spirit, and a tremendously bright future ahead of him. He was looking forward to serving the people of Louisiana in Congress, and we were excited to welcome him to our delegation where he was ready to make an even greater impact on our state and our Nation. More than anything, Luke was a loving husband, father, brother, and son, and his family like so many others who have been affected by this evil disease needs our prayers. ""We all join in sending our strongest support to Luke's wife Julia and their young family, and are keeping them in our prayers.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://sensenbrenner.house.gov/2020/12/sensenbrenner-announces-2021-academy-nominees,Sensenbrenner Announces 2021 Academy Nominees,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,F. Sensenbrenner,S000244,sensenbrenner.house.gov,,,legacy,"BROOKFIELD, WI Today,Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner(WI-05) announced the nomination of 31 candidates from Wisconsin's Fifth Congressional District for appointment to the U.S. service academies. Rep. Sensenbrenner:This year Wisconsin's Fifth Congressional District yielded another outstanding group of students interested in attending the academies. They have demonstrated the ability to serve our nation, and I wish them all tremendous success. I would like to thank our Academy Selection Committee for the work they put into interviewing and assessing this year's applicants. Their efforts play a vital role in this process. As I approach my retirement from Congress in a few short days, I can say the ability to nominate students to our nation's service academies has been one of the highest honors. This year, Congressman Sensenbrenner nominated a total of 31 students, including six principal nominees. They are as follows:Principal Nominees Jocelyn Heckenkamp of Delafield has been named a principal nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Jocelyn, daughter of Jason and Jennifer Heckenkamp, attends the University of Texas at Dallas, and is a graduate of Kettle Moraine High School. Jane Yoo of Menomonee Falls has been named a principal nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Jane, daughter of Chang and Eun Yoo, is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School. Allyson Davis of Pewaukee has been named a principal nominee to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY. Allyson, daughter of Michael and Nicole Davis, is a senior at Arrowhead High School. Kye Yu of New Berlin has been named a principal nominee to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY. Kye, son of Ben and Karen Yu, is a senior at New Berlin Eisenhower High School. Alec Malone of Pewaukee has been named a principal nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Alec, son of Dan and Trudy Malone, is a senior at Marquette University High School. Timothy Rauh of Hartland has been named a principal nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Timothy, son of Jeffery and Ann Rauh, is a senior at Brookfield Academy. Competing Alternate Nominees and United States Merchant Marine Academy Nominees Kyle Anthes of New Berlin has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Kyle, son of Brian and Jennifer Anthes, is a senior at New Berlin Eisenhower High School. Anthony Bigari of Summit has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Anthony, son of Bryan and Tracy Bigari, is a senior at Pewaukee High School. David Crosby of Pewaukee has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and a nominee to the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. David, son of David, Sr. and Seleny Crosby, is a senior at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy. Arno Crowley of Whitewater has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Arno, son of Alexander and Holly Crowley, is a senior at Whitewater High School. Jack Dedrick of Menomonee Falls has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, US Military Academy in Annapolis, MD and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Jack, son of Craig and Jennifer Dedrick, is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School. Jack Ganos of Oconomowoc has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Jack, son of Michael and Rachel Ganos, is a senior at Arrowhead High School. Nicholas Hansen of Elm Grove has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, US Military Academy in Annapolis, MD and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Nick, son of Michael and Shelly Lynn Hansen, is a senior at Marquette University High School. He and his twin brother, Will, received nominations to the same academies. William Hansen of Elm Grove has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, US Military Academy in Annapolis, MD and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Will, son of Michael and Shelly Lynn Hansen, is a senior at Marquette University High School. He and his twin brother, Nick, received nominations to the same academies. Morgan Holley of Watertown has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Morgan, daughter of Allen and Katherine Holley, attends the US Air Force Prep School, and is a graduate of Watertown High School. Conall Hospidales of Oconomowoc has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Conall, son of Christopher and Sheila Hospidales, is a senior at Oconomowoc High School. Julian Jones of Brookfield has been named an alternate nominee to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY. Julian, son of Kent Jones and Christina Tilbury, is a senior at Brookfield East High School. Derek Kaiser of Delafield has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and a nominee to the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. Derek, son of William Kaiser and Angela Belsha, attends Kettle Moraine Global. Ahna Kammer of Jefferson has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Ahna, daughter of Scott Kammer and Terese Wenkman, is a senior at Jefferson High School. Brandon Lee of Brookfield has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Branson, son of Yonggon and Yuna Lee, attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is a graduate of Brookfield Central High School. Joseph Lynch of Menomonee Falls has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Joseph, son of Patrick and Jean Lynch, is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School. Ethan Megal of Elm Grove has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Ethan, son of Phillip and Sara Megal, is a senior at Brookfield East High School. Patrick Merkel of Pewaukee has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Patrick, son of Charlie and Sandy Merkel, is a senior at Pewaukee High School. Halle Quadracci of Hartland Pewaukee has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and a nominee to the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. Halle, daughter of Joel and Caran Quadracci, is a senior at Devine Savior Holy Angels. Tyler Rhode of Brookfield has been named an alternate nominee to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY. Tyler, son of Tim and Jana Rhode, is a senior at Brookfield East High School. Aubrey Schmutzler of Watertown has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Aubrey, daughter of Brent and Maria Schmutzler, is a senior at Watertown High School. Collin Schulz of Fort Atkinson has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Collin, son of Todd and LaRae Schulz, attends the US Air Force Prep School and is a graduate of Lakeside Lutheran High School. Amelia Sitzberger of Ixonia has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Amelia, daughter of Robert Sitzberger and Heidi Graf, is a senior at Oconomowoc High School. Kady Stigler of Menomonee Falls has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Kady, daughter of Chad and Lisa Stigler, is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School. Natalie Tesch of New Berlin has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Natalie, daughter of Walter and Barbara Tesch, is a senior at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. Haley Wolff of Waukesha has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Haley, daughter of Peter and Christine Wolff, is a senior at Devine Savior Holy Angels.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/reps-action-dec-29-2020,"Reps in Action: Dec. 29, 2020",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,NY,Elise Stefanik,S001196,stefanik.house.gov,,,legacy,"December 29th, 2020 Press Republican",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-votes-bigger-stimulus-checks-trump-veto-override,"Stefanik votes for bigger stimulus checks, Trump veto override",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,NY,Elise Stefanik,S001196,stefanik.house.gov,,,legacy,"December 28th, 2020 NCPR",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-votes-boost-stimulus-checks-override-trump-military-veto,"Stefanik votes to boost stimulus checks, override Trump military veto",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,NY,Elise Stefanik,S001196,stefanik.house.gov,,,legacy,"December 28th, 2020 WWNY",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-urges-governor-evers-provide-transparency-develop-effective-covid-19,"Steil Urges Governor Evers to Provide Transparency, Develop Effective COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy in Wisconsin",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) urged Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers to provide transparency on Wisconsin's COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. Steil was joined by Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin in this request. The coronavirus vaccines play a crucial role in keeping our communities safe and defeating this virus. Across the state, frontline workers, seniors, and our most vulnerable populations are uncertain about when they are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. We must ensure the State of Wisconsin has a plan in place to disseminate information to the public and allocate the vaccine. Wisconsin's vaccination campaign must be fair and transparent, and we must ensure anyone who wants to receive a vaccine has the ability to do so, said Rep. Steil. Specifically, Steil and Baldwin ask Governor Evers to provide answers to the following questions on Wisconsin's vaccination strategy: What is your administration doing to distribute and administer the vaccine effectively and rapidly? When do you expect members of the general public to have access to the vaccine? How will the vaccine be distributed geographically across Wisconsin? What partnerships are in place across the state with health departments and providers to help carry out your vaccination plan? How are you working with partners across the state to communicate scientifically accurate information about the importance of getting vaccinated when the vaccine is widely available? We understand that the state has received unclear information from officials with Operation Warp Speed (OWS) regarding vaccine allocations. What additional resources or information do you need to ensure that vaccine distribution in the state will be conducted in an efficient manner? What steps have you taken to ensure that there is a high level of transparency for members of the public during this time? The Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (DHS) has worked to convey accurate information about the spread and impact of COVID-19 in the state. Can you describe how vaccine information will be incorporated into this effort and made available to the public?",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-urges-governor-evers-to-provide-transparency-develop-effective-covid-19-vaccine-strategy-in-wisconsin,"Steil Urges Governor Evers to Provide Transparency, Develop Effective COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy in Wisconsin",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,steil,https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"December 29, 2020 Steil requests collaboration, transparency, and COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan from State of Wisconsin WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) urged Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers to provide transparency on Wisconsin's COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. Steil was joined by Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin in this request. ""The coronavirus vaccines play a crucial role in keeping our communities safe and defeating this virus. Across the state, frontline workers, seniors, and our most vulnerable populations are uncertain about when they are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. We must ensure the State of Wisconsin has a plan in place to disseminate information to the public and allocate the vaccine. Wisconsin's vaccination campaign must be fair and transparent, and we must ensure anyone who wants to receive a vaccine has the ability to do so,"" said Rep. Steil. Specifically, Steil and Baldwin ask Governor Evers to provide answers to the following questions on Wisconsin's vaccination strategy: What is your administration doing to distribute and administer the vaccine effectively and rapidly? When do you expect members of the general public to have access to the vaccine? How will the vaccine be distributed geographically across Wisconsin? What partnerships are in place across the state with health departments and providers to help carry out your vaccination plan? How are you working with partners across the state to communicate scientifically accurate information about the importance of getting vaccinated when the vaccine is widely available? We understand that the state has received unclear information from officials with Operation Warp Speed (OWS) regarding vaccine allocations. What additional resources or information do you need to ensure that vaccine distribution in the state will be conducted in an efficient manner? What steps have you taken to ensure that there is a high level of transparency for members of the public during this time? The Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (DHS) has worked to convey accurate information about the spread and impact of COVID-19 in the state. Can you describe how vaccine information will be incorporated into this effort and made available to the public? Issues:Health",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-highlights-covid-relief-provisions-benefiting-missouri-small-businesses,Blunt Highlights COVID Relief Provisions Benefiting Missouri Small Businesses,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) highlighted some of the small business provisions in the COVID relief package, which was signed into law this week, that he led or cosponsored to help support local Missouri businesses. Small businesses create the majority of new jobs in our country and shape the character of the communities they serve, said Blunt. Small business owners have done their part to keep people safe during the pandemic. We need to do our part to ensure they have the support they need to stay afloat, keep their employees on the payroll, and come back stronger than ever. I was proud to lead legislation reducing the tax and regulatory burden on Missouri's craft beverage industry, which supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes billions to our state's economy. As home to thousands of world-class live entertainment venues and museums, I was also proud to support dedicated funding for independent venues that have been particularly hard hit and are at risk of permanently closing. The COVID relief package also extends and improves the Paycheck Protection Program, which has saved millions of jobs nationwide. I'm glad another round of relief is on its way to our state, and I will continue talking with small business owners to ensure they are getting the help they need. Paycheck Protection Program: The COVID relief package includes $284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and focuses relief on the hardest hit businesses. The package expands the number of allowable and forgivable costs paid with PPP loans to provide businesses with more flexibility. The package also incorporates provisions from the Small Business Expense Protection Act, which Blunt cosponsored, to ensure business expenses paid using forgiven PPP funds are tax deductible, as well as the Paycheck Protection Small Business Forgiveness Act, which Blunt cosponsored, providing for simplified loan forgiveness for PPP loans up to $150,000. The package also includes a Blunt-backed provision to expand PPP eligibility for local newspapers, TV and radio stations, and public broadcasters that produce and distribute local news and emergency information. Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act: The package includes provisions from the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which Blunt introduced, to permanently reduce taxes and modernize regulations for brewers, cider makers, vintners and distillers. Missouri's wine industry supports nearly 30,000 jobs and contributes $3.2 billion each year to the state's economy. Missouri's beer industry is responsible for more than 57,000 direct and indirect jobs and nearly $3 billion in wages and benefits. Missouri's spirit industry is responsible for nearly 30,000 jobs and contributes $1.9 billion to the economy. Save Our Stages Act: The package includes $15 billion for independent venues, including live entertainment venues, movie theaters, museums, and zoos. The National Independent Venue Alliance estimated that 90% of all independent venues would close without additional funding.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.braun.senate.gov/senator-braun-releases-statement-support-president-trump-signing-covid-relief-bill-cutting-wasteful,"Senator Braun releases statement in support of President Trump signing COVID relief bill, cutting wasteful spending",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,IN,Mike Braun,B001310,www.braun.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Tuesday, December 29, 2020 ""I want to thank President Trump for signing the COVID relief bill much needed by Main Street small businesses and their employees across the country, and I support his veto of the massive, unaudited NDAA and his call for Congress to address wasteful spending in the Omnibus spending bill. I am also calling on my colleagues in the US Senate to vote immediately to repeal Section 230 to hold Big Tech accountable and cut the pork in the Omnibus spending bill. We should not adjourn the 116th Congress with our final act being an override of President Trump's veto while ignoring these other urgent matters."" - Senator Mike Braun Issues",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/bipartisan-improving-hope-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-act-signed-law,Bipartisan Improving HOPE for Alzheimers Act Signed into Law,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,ME,Susan Collins,C001035,www.collins.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Shelley MooreCapito(R-WV)and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) announced that theImproving HOPE (Health, Outcomes, Planning, and Education) for Alzheimer's Actpassed Congress as part of the year-end omnibus package and has been signed into law. Following the lawmakers' successful bipartisan push in 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced in November 2016 that Medicare would begin covering new care plans in 2017. TheImprovingHOPE for Alzheimer's Actwill require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct outreach to make more health care providers aware of this important benefit and to report back on rates of utilization and barriers to access. ""It is imperative that those living with Alzheimer's disease and their families receive the resources they need, including information about treatment options and what medical and community services are available,said Senator Collins.Fortunately, following our advocacy, CMS implemented a new rule in 2018 that allows Medicare beneficiaries to receive a care planning session.Our legislation will expand access to this service by increasing awareness of this policy change among physicians.As the Co-Chair of the Senate Alzheimer's Task Force, I will continue to support those living with Alzheimer's diseaseand their caregivers. Care plans are an important tool to ensure that those living with Alzheimer's disease and their loved ones who help care for them every day have the support they need to cope with this devastating disease,said Senator Stabenow.TheImproving HOPE for Alzheimer's Actwill help make sure patients, their families, and their health care providers know about and can take advantage of the available resources. While we work towards the goal of finding a cure for Alzheimer's by 2025, we must also ensure seniors with Alzheimer's get the best care possible. Developing care plans that assist families, caregivers, and seniors understand diagnosis and available treatments helps make that happen. Enacting the Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's Act will mean more seniors will benefit for these plans. This is an important step forward for those suffering from Alzheimer's,said Senator Markey. Delivering accessible care to those struggling with Alzheimer's is crucial to the foundation of our families and gives hope to our loved ones. Now that certain care plans are offered, we must make sure this information is properly relayed to eligible families. The HOPE for Alzheimer's Act successfully strengthens our outreach strategy and makes resources available to those who need it most. I'm proud to have been part of this movement since 2015 and that our legislation was included in the year-end package,said SenatorCapito. I know how devastating it can be, not only for our loved ones struggling with Alzheimer's like my mother did -- but for families trying to understand how to provide the best care possible. Although we fought to provide patients and their caregivers important services like help in understanding a diagnosis, available treatments, and ways to manage the challenges ahead -- far too many seniors and their doctors have no idea the benefit is available. I'm thrilled to see our bill enacted so we can change that and ensure patients get the resources they need,said Senator Menendez. Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and more than 16 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's. TheHOPE for Alzheimer's Actrequires Medicare to pay for an individual care plan for newly diagnosed Alzheimer's patients. This benefit encourages doctors to give a clear diagnosis to patients with Alzheimer's disease, including information about treatment options and what medical and community services are available. In 2017, less than one percent of seniors living with Alzheimer's disease received the care planning benefit. TheImproving HOPE for Alzheimer's Actrequires HHS to conduct outreach to health care practitioners about comprehensive Alzheimer's disease care planning services, including education initiatives and materials on appropriate diagnostic evaluations and explanations of the requirements for eligibility. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/daines-bill-providing-permanent-tax-relief-for-montana-breweries-distilleries-signed-into-law,"Daines Bill Providing Permanent Tax Relief for Montana Breweries, Distilleries Signed Into Law",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MT,Steve Daines,D000618,www.daines.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.29.20 Daines Bill Providing Permanent Tax Relief for Montana Breweries, Distilleries Signed Into Law Daines' bill will help create jobs in Montana, support Montana farmers U.S. SENATEU.S. Senator Steve Daines' bipartisan bill supporting Montana breweries and distilleries across the state was recently signed into law. Daines' bill, the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, provides permanent tax relief for small craft breweries and distilleries, supporting jobs across Montana. In Montana, we're home to some of the best craft breweries in the country. Now, with my bipartisan bill being signed into law, these small businesses will have permanent tax relief which will create jobs across Montana and support our Montana barley growers,Daines said. Daines' bill makes the excise tax relief enacted by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent for small craft breweries at $3.50 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels, and $16 per barrel thereafter up to 2,000,000 barrels. This bill also expands the wine producer tax credit and establishes reduced excise taxes for craft distilleries. Background: In December, Daines sent a letter urging Senate leadership to pass this legislation. Dainessupporteda similar provision in the 2017Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In February of 2018, Dainescompleteda four-day tour across Montana to see the benefits firsthand of these tax credits on Montana's breweries. Print Email Tweet Previous Article Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/what-they-are-saying-montana-leaders-praise-montana-water-rights-protection-act-being-signed-into-law,What They Are Saying: Montana Leaders Praise Montana Water Rights Protection Act Being Signed into Law,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MT,Steve Daines,D000618,www.daines.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.29.20 What They Are Saying: Montana Leaders Praise Montana Water Rights Protection Act Being Signed into Law U.S. SENATE On Sunday, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester celebrated their bipartisan bill, the Montana Water Rights Protection Act, being signed into law by President Trump. The bill permanently settles the century long CSKT water dispute, supports Montana jobs, saves taxpayer dollars, modernizes rural infrastructure and protects the water rights of all Montanans. Several Montana leaders issued statements in support following the President's signing of this critical legislation. After years of effort, our bipartisan bill that settles the century long CSKT water dispute is now law. This is a huge win for all Montanans. Our bill protects the water rights of all Montanans, saves taxpayer dollars, createsjobs, modernizes rural infrastructure, protects Montana agriculture and prevents costly litigation. I'm very glad I could play a direct role in getting this done, and I thank President Trump for signing our bill into law. Daines' statement following the signing Today is a historic day for Montana taxpayers, ranchers, farmers, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Water is life, and the Compact honors our trust responsibilities, creates jobs, and prevents decades of costly litigation while investing in infrastructure and providing certainty to water users everywhere. I am proud to have led the effort to get this Compact signed into law, and I will continue working with the Tribes and water users to hold the government accountable and ensure it is implemented quickly and effectively. Tester's statement following the signing This law is a win for all Montanans. Our farmers, ranchers, the Salish and Kootenai tribes, and all water users across the state will now have the certainty they need. Thank you President Trump and my colleaguesin the Senate for getting this across the finish line. Congressman Gianforte's statement following the signing Statements of Support: I cannot express how much we appreciate the hard work that the Montana Congressional Delegation put into this bill and now having it signed into law. From Senator Tester's initial introduction of the bill four years ago, to Senator Daines' introduction, amendments and work with the Trump Administration this year and to both of our Senators urging their respective leaders to include the bill in the omnibus appropriations bill, and to Congressman Gianforte's work with the Minority Leader in the House, all played pivotal roles and the residents of Montana should be thankful for their efforts. We certainly are grateful. We also express our appreciation to the many agriculture and conservation groups across Montana and even across the country who also helped advocate for passage of this truly historic and important bill. Shelly R. Fyant, Chairwoman, CSKT Thank you to Senator Daines and Senator Tester for their leadership and continued perseverance for a permanent water settlement. An additional thanks goes to Representative Gianforte for his stewardship in the House. The success of Montana's agriculture industry is dependent upon water and water rights certainty. It is easily the single most important resource for people across Montana, which is why MSGA has long supported an agreement such as the Montana Water Rights Protection Act. Jim Steinbeisser, President, Montana Stockgrowers Association The passage of the Compact will benefit all of Montana, while providing certainty and protecting senior municipal water rights for many of our members. Tim Burton, Executive Director, Montana League of Cities and Towns The passage of the Montana Water Rights Protection Act is great news for Montana. The legislation is a product of decades of negotiation and will settle farmers and ranchers water rights as far east as the Milk, Musselshell and Yellowstone rivers. This bipartisan bill and settlement is a good-faith compromise that will bring final resolution to a century-long water dispute, avoiding years of costly litigation. We especially want to thank bill sponsor Senator Steve Daines for all of his hard and also thank Senator Tester for co-sponsoring this legislation. John Youngberg, Executive Vice President, Montana Farm Bureau Federation Passage of the Montana Water Right Protection Act provides for settlement of the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes water right claims that are crucial to providing certainty regarding adjudication of Montana water rights. Passage of this important settlement legislation will prevent costly litigation, protect water rights throughout Montana, and very importantly, recognize and protect Montana's primacy over our water resources. We extend our appreciation to Senator Steve Daines, Senator Jon Tester, and Congressman Greg Gianforte for their support and efforts to enable passage of this important legislation. Mike Murphy, Executive Director, Montana Water Resources Association We appreciate the work and time that both Senator Daines and Senator Tester have put into the passage of this agreement. Without their steadfast support for Montana water users, Montana's agriculture industry would have taken over a billion dollar hit at a time when they could afford it the least. Our Senators have put in place an agreement that will ensure the future of agriculture in our state and protect our water resources for generations to come, while investing in Montana's economy and saving our taxpayers, farmers, and ranchers millions of dollars. Tom Beck, Co-Chair, Farmers & Ranchers for Montana (FARM) On behalf of the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators (AGAI), I wish to express our enthusiastic appreciation for the passage of the Montana Water Rights Protection Act. Senator Daines' continual work and ""never say never"" attitude will be enjoyed by many of us here at home. Senator Daines understands the value in this equitable solution, but rest assured the irrigators in the Gallatin Valley will be able to tell the story of a Montana solution that kept agriculture alive and focused on daily chores for generations rather than looking back on the dark days of litigation, telling the story of lost opportunities. From our 400+ irrigating members, THANK YOU, for a well-fought, positive outcome from Washington D.C., proving Montana's work ethic value. Walt Sales, President, Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators On behalf of the Montana Agricultural Business Association, I am more than excited to hear of the passing of the CSKT Compact by Congress. This is a logical solution that protects access to farmers' and ranchers' most limiting resource - water. We thank those who put in a tremendous amount of work in a bipartisan way to see this through to fruition and protect Montana's vital agriculture community. Luke Dighans, President, Montana Agricultural Business Association Senator Daines was the only public official that dug down into understanding what the CKST water compact really did to off reservation water users. He asked questions and listened to Montana ranchers and farmers. Senator Daines rewrote the bill doing the very best he could to protect our property rights and respect hundreds of years of water rights in Montana. Thank you Senator Daines for your leadership. We grateful to have you as a public servant to who works for ALL of us. Bill Slaughter, Commissioner, Granite County I am pleased this has been resolved. Montana irrigators can breathe a gigantic sigh of relief now that this is done. Thank you Senator Daines for all your work on accomplishing this compact. This is the seventh and final compact in Montana. It's not a question of having one, it is a question of having what's in it and getting it done. I am very pleased with Senator Daines and so appreciate his leadership on this issue. Fred Thomas, Former State Legislator",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-wont-consent-ndaa-vote-without-vote-2000-direct-assistance,"Hawley Wont Consent to NDAA Vote Without Vote on $2,000 Direct Assistance",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Tuesday, December 29, 2020 Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)announcedhe will not consent to a vote on the NDAA unless the Senate votes on $2,000 in direct assistance for working Americans. I will not consent to a vote on the bad defense bill - which should stay vetoed - unless the Senate votes on $2k #covid relief for working people Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 29, 2020 Issues",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=BE3D2463-5C2C-44AD-906A-88A0BE03A55C,Delegation Bill to Allow Tribal Grant Schools to Devote Additional Resources to Improving Education Signed Into Law,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,SD,John Thune,T000250,www.thune.senate.gov,thune,https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases,scraper,"U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) applauded the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives for passing their legislation that will allow tribal grant schools to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Federal Employees Group Life Insurance programs and cover at least the employer’s share of the premiums. This change will free up resources to improve recruiting and retention efforts for professional educators in tribal communities by allowing schools to spend less on health insurance and more on education-specific items. The bill was included in the broader COVID-19 relief and government funding package, which was signed into law earlier this week. “As the son of two educators, I understand how critical it is to have adequate resources available to schools and how it can have a positive effect on their success,” said Thune. “I’m glad that our bill to ensure tribal grant schools can participate in federal health insurance programs is now law and that these schools will soon be able spend more of their money on our top priority – the students.” “Our legislation will enhance teacher benefits at South Dakota’s 19 tribal grant schools and, at the same time, save the schools thousands of dollars annually,” said Rounds. “This will not only help improve teacher and administrator retention rates at tribal grant schools, it will allow these schools to redirect resources to the students in the classroom. It’s a commonsense law that benefits everyone.” “Tribal schools have enough challenges without having to deal with unnecessary red tape,” said Johnson. “Ensuring this fix is made has been a longtime coming, and I’m grateful to Cecelia Fire Thunder for working for years to get this done. The Tribal School Federal Insurance Parity Act provides a simple fix that allows funding to flow directly to the students instead of healthcare costs.” Currently, tribal schools are operated either directly by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE); by tribes, through Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance (ISDEA) Act contracts; or through Tribally Controlled Schools Act grants, which help support tribal grant schools. As of December 2018, 128 schools nationwide operate as tribal grant schools, including nearly 20 in South Dakota, and three schools operate through an ISDEA contract. BIE operates 52 tribal schools across the nation.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409097,"Rep. Smith votes 'YES' to increase COVID-19 relief assistance checks to $2,000",2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,NJ,Christopher Smith,S000522,chrissmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today said: The increase of COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000 coupled with yesterday's extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), expanded unemployment benefits and other assistance are justified and necessary to assist tens of millions of people devastated by the pandemic and like previous COVID relief packages are a bridge to a post-COVID world. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://gohmert.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399897,Rep. Gohmert Issues Statement on Pence Lawsuit,2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Louie Gohmert,G000552,gohmert.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Louie Gohmert (TX-01) released the following statement regarding the lawsuit filed against the Vice President: The 2020 presidential election was one we'd expect to see in a banana republic, not the United States of America. In fact, the rampant fraud and unconstitutional actions that took place were so egregious that seven contested states-- Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin all sent dueling slates of electors to Congress. This puts Vice President Mike Pence in a position where some argue he has to choose between morality and the law. That is not the case. It is also critical to note that as many formerly in the mainstream media, now the Alt-Left media, continue to say that every court has said there is no evidence of fraud. That is disingenuous, deceitful, and flat out dishonest. The truth is that no court so far has had the morality and courage to allow evidence of fraud to be introduced in front of it. We continue to hold out hope that there is a federal judge who understands that the fraud that stole this election will mean the end of our republic, and this suit would insure that the Vice-President will only accept electors legitimately and legally elected. There must be an opportunity for a day in court when fraud was this prevalent. It is for this reason that I and other plaintiffs have filed a complaint for expedited declaratory and emergency injunctive relief to seek judgement from the court on the Vice President's authority when presiding over the Senate during the Joint Session of Congress. We are asking the court to uphold the powers laid out in the United States Constitution which grant the Vice President the exclusive authority and sole discretion in determining which electoral votes to count. As outlined in the filing, the Electoral Count Act is unconstitutional because it directs Vice President Pence to legitimize electoral votes in violation of the Electors Clause and limits or eliminates his Twelfth Amendment authority to determine which slates of electors should be counted and which, if any, may not be counted. This is fundamental because no statute can constitutionally supply rules to the extent that such statute violates the U.S. Constitution. Thanks to spineless politicians, corrupt state officials and a coordinated effort to undermine the will of the American people in favor of business as usual in the D.C. swamp, we now find ourselves in a place where a stolen election becomes just another one of the miscarriages of justice this town refuses to remedy. The D.C. elites want to sweep these electoral injustices under the rug, just as they have done with countless other scandals such as the Russia-collusion hoax, the Biden-Ukrainian quid-pro quo, and Hillary Clinton's mishandling of classified information, to mention only a few. For the sake of the future of our Republic, come January 6th, Vice President Pence must be authorized to uphold the legal votes of millions of Americans and preserve our nation's great experiment in self-governance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://huizenga.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401220,"Huizenga Discusses Supporting Troops, American Families, and Fiscal Responsibility",2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,MI,Bill Huizenga,H001058,huizenga.house.gov,,,legacy,"Huizenga Discussing Supporting Troops, American Families, and Fiscal Responsibility Tonight, Congressman Bill Huizenga spoke in a Facebook Live conversation with constituents across West Michigan to explain his support for our men and women in uniform. In the live video, Congressman Huizenga also explains why he did not support an additional $464 billion in COVID relief because he believes those dollars should be offset by reductions in federal spending. The video is embedded below.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402402,Griffith Statement on CASH Act,2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement regarding the CASH Act of 2020: Yesterday, the President signed the more than $2.3 trillion Omnibus, which includedCOVID relief. After signing it, the President issued a statement calling on Congress to increase the amount of money going to individuals AND to cut bloated government spending. Today, the Democrats in the House put forward a bill to increase the size of the individual checks, BUT did not put forward any of the President's cut suggestions OR cuts to spending that they preferred. This is a typical Democrat compromise. We will give you increased spending, but we will not give you the cuts requested. Accordingly, I could not support this increased spending, at this time, without legitimate cuts as requested by the President. Hopefully with vaccines being distributed, our businesses and our economy will be back in operation soon. If not, we will have to examine additional relief in the new year. Background Congressman Griffith supported the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations (HR 6074), the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR 6201), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (HR 748), and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (HR 266). Click here for his statement on the Omnibus spending bill for Fiscal Year 2021. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z