url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-releases-2023-festivus-report-on-government-waste/,Dr. Rand Paul Releases 2023 ‘Festivus’ Report on Government Waste,2023-12-22,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 22, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Rand Paul Releases 2023 ‘Festivus’ Report on Government Waste

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released his 2023 “Festivus” Report, totaling ~$900,000,000,000 in government waste.

This marks Dr. Paul’s ninth edition of the Festivus Report as he continues working to alert the American people to how their federal government uses their hard-earned money.

Some of the highlights include the National Institutes of Health spending a portion of a $2.7 million grant to study Russian cats walking on a treadmill and Barbies used as proof of ID for receiving COVID Paycheck Protection Program funds. The Department of Defense ruined over $169 million worth of military equipment by leaving it outside, the United States Agency for International Development spent $6 million to promote tourism in Egypt, and the Small Business Administration gave ‘struggling’ music artists like Post Malone, Chris Brown, and Lil Wayne over $200 million.

You can find Dr. Paul’s 2023 Festivus Report HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=D0265091-BC21-4772-82C5-1B94F4C05E02,McConnell: America Needs To Show We Haven’t Forgotten How To Lead,2023-12-20,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“Negotiations on border security continue to make headway. I’m grateful to Senator Lankford for his uninterrupted focus on the task at hand: meaningful policy changes.

“Our colleagues at the negotiating table are under no illusions about how difficult it is to fix our nation’s broken asylum and parole system.

“They’re working on what would be the first serious repair in more than 30 years.

“But there’s no longer any disagreement that the situation at the southern border is unsustainable and requires the Senate to act.

“This is the core of America’s national security. It will be an essential part of supplemental legislation to address pressing security challenges. And negotiations will continue in earnest until we get there.

“The Senate cannot afford to get this wrong. From south Texas to southeast Asia, and from the Black Sea to the Red Sea, it’s an historically challenging and consequential time to protect America’s interests, our allies, and our own people.

“The world is witnessing the first land war in Europe since 1945. Ukraine’s citizen soldiers are in the trenches right now, resisting Russian aggression with Western assistance.

“American leadership has strengthened the NATO alliance, prompted our closest allies and trading partners to share more of the burden of collective defense, and driven historic investments in the military strength and industrial capacity we need here at home to compete with our biggest adversaries.

“Finishing the job will require more of that leadership.

“Meanwhile, Israel is responding to the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

“Our ally needs the time, space, and support required to eliminate the terrorist savages responsible for the horrors of October 7th.

“And the entire region needs American leadership to restore deterrence against Iran and its terrorist proxies who attack U.S. personnel with impunity.

“From the other side of the world, our friends in the Indo-Pacific are watching closely what goes on in Europe and the Middle East and investing seriously in their own military strength… because they know that China is doing the same.

“Our single greatest strategic adversary is growing increasingly aggressive, increasingly advanced, and increasingly keen to seize an edge over a global superpower that fails to act like one.

“Mr. President, the stakes are high this holiday season for our allies and partners on the front lines of authoritarian aggression. The challenges are real for brave American servicemembers who are spending this time of year far from home and loved ones to keep us safe.

“It’s a dangerous world – one that doesn’t reward weakness.

“America needs to show that we haven’t forgotten how to lead, and that we’re committed to restoring the hard power that leadership requires.

“So I’m encouraged by our colleagues’ commitment to keep working toward an agreement on national security, beginning with security here at home.

“The Senate will not let the challenges we face go unanswered.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=06A61E17-770D-42FF-ACB7-DAFE340717ED,McConnell: America Cannot Ignore Rising Anti-Semitism,2023-12-19,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding anti-Semitism:

“On Sunday, Jewish residents of our nation’s capital were subjected to a disturbing episode of anti-Semitic hate.

:As a Torah class at a Washington synagogue concluded and attendees began to leave, they were met on the sidewalk by a man who sprayed them with a foul-smelling substance and yelled, ‘gas the Jews’ – all while filming on his cell phone.

“This is just one example of the reality facing millions of American Jews.

“In the same weekend, hundreds of synagogues across the country received false bomb threats.

“And thousands of incidents of anti-Jewish hatred have cropped up on American soil in the months since October 7th – a rise that leading watchdogs say is the worst in more than forty years.

“The brazenness of this hateful deluge is horrifying, by itself.

“But an even more alarming trend is just how dramatically the moral cancer of identity politics is laying the groundwork for a continued wave of anti-Semitism.

“According to one recent poll, a full two-thirds of Americans aged 18-24 agreed with the following statement, ‘Jews as a class are oppressors and should be treated as oppressors.’ That’s the view of two-thirds of Americans between 18-24.

“This is the scorched-earth, Marxist nonsense that has quite publicly seized America’s most elite universities.

“As our former colleague, the President of the University of Florida, put it in a recent column, ‘In this upside-down system, an oppressor’s speech is violence. Sometimes an oppressor’s silence is violence. But for the oppressed, even violence is just speech.’

“So Mr. President, I’d like to request unanimous consent to submit President Sasse’s full comments for the record.

“This is the ideology that is poisoning a new generation. This is the world’s oldest form of hatred.

“And we cannot ignore it.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=0F65010A-2DB6-4CB3-87C7-0BA29B6C80F5,McConnell On Responsibility To Stand With Israel,2023-12-19,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“As the Senate convened this week, our colleagues negotiating on border security were still at the table, making slow and steady progress.

“They’re chipping away at years of failure to enact basic, commonsense border security policy. Reaching an agreement that can pass Congress and become law is easier said than done.

“But I’m very grateful to Senator Lankford for sticking with it.

“Our colleagues’ effort to address the glaring national security challenge here at home is the foundation of our broader responsibility to meet the linked threats we’re facing around the world – from the Indo-Pacific to Europe to the Middle East.

“Needless to say, it’s a particularly dangerous time for nations that care about protecting their sovereignty from totalitarian thugs and savage terrorists. The headlines are filled with evidence that America’s most dangerous adversaries are demonstrably not deterred.

“And it might have something to do with the Biden Administration’s penchant for deterring itself instead.

“America is a global superpower. But far too often, our commander-in-chief has conducted our foreign affairs with hesitation and weakness.

“Remember his Administration’s overwrought fears of ‘escalation’ that kept essential capabilities out of Ukrainian hands. Or the feeble half-measures in response to an ongoing surge in attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria.

“Reports that the Biden Administration now wants to constrain Israel’s efforts to destroy Hamas are disappointing. But not surprising.

“Two months ago, the Administration was encouraging Israel to slow down its response before entering Gaza. Now, it’s telling Israel to hasten its operations and wind them down to a close.

“America cannot afford to lose sight of reality. We must not blur the bold-face line between a sovereign democracy that takes great pains to avoid civilian casualties and a terrorist organization that steals humanitarian aid from vulnerable Gazans to fuel its war of hate.

“Israel did not choose this conflict. It ended the occupation of Gaza nearly two decades ago. But its policy of seeking to lower tensions was rewarded on October 7th, when Hamas unilaterally shattered the cease-fire with rape, torture, terror, and murder.

“Hamas – the terrorists who diverted mountains of foreign assistance intended for civilian infrastructure to build miles of elaborate terror tunnels, instead.

“Hamas – the cowards who intentionally hide their fighters and weapons in schools and hospitals.

“Hamas has repeatedly faced a choice between improving the lives of Palestinians and killing Israelis.

“Every time to date, it has chosen violence. And if Hamas survives with its military capabilities and leadership intact, it will make that choice again and again.

“This is the reality Israel faces. Its war cabinet knows they must see this fight through.

“It’s the same reality that recent American Presidents have confronted in the fight against al-Qaeda and ISIS.

“But for Israel, the determined terrorist threat is on its very borders, and its own citizen-soldiers are on the line.

“So I’ll repeat what I’ve said so many times before:

“Our responsibility as an ally is to provide the time, space, and support Israel needs to finish the job…

“To condemn shameful attempts at moral equivalence to excuse the genocidal violence of Hamas terrorists and apply double standards to Israel…

“And to offer counsel to our ally in private, not in front-page genuflections to the President’s left-wing base.

“Administration officials and world leaders who care about the Palestinians would do well to focus less on constraining Israel in the short-term and more on the challenge of ensuring Palestinian leaders and organizations in Gaza and the West Bank actually care about improving the lives of their fellow citizens in the long-term.

“Palestinians deserve better than Hamas’ cult of death in Gaza. They deserve better than the corrupt and sclerotic Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=45285B95-D9A1-48CE-9C3D-9F152E7836CD,Attacks On Freedom Of Navigation Are Direct Challenge To American Leadership,2023-12-18,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Iran-backed terrorism:

“The weekend brought even more glaring evidence that Iran and its terrorist proxies feel emboldened to escalate their attacks in the Middle East. In the past two months, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have repeatedly used lethal force in brazen attacks against both military and commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea.

“Just two days ago, the destroyer U.S.S. Carney engaged and destroyed at least 14 terrorist drones. U.S. Navy vessels have thus far succeeded in defending against these attacks.

“But the risk of American casualties is growing. Air defense is not perfect. And it doesn’t come cheap – the Navy is having to use expensive interceptors to bring down low-cost suicide drones.

“Commercial vessels have been less fortunate. Several ships have been hijacked or struck by drones and anti-ship missiles in recent weeks – including two strikes just today.

“This violence represents a grave and immediate economic threat. Iran’s network of terrorists is making an artery that carries nearly 12 percent of global trade essentially inoperable.

“In recent days, four of the world’s five largest shipping companies have suspended operations in the Red Sea. The carriers who account for more than half of maritime container traffic are opting to add weeks to transit times and untold extra fuel costs to avoid terrorist attack. And supply chains everywhere are bracing for the effects.

“Make no mistake: An undeterred adversary is laying down a direct challenge to American leadership. And the world is watching to see if we rise to meet it the way we’ve met it before in countless times.

“Protecting the freedom of navigation is an essential American interest because maritime commerce has been central to our nation’s economy from the very beginning.

“The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps waged their first successful expeditionary campaign against the Barbary pirates in order to protect American shipping. The ‘shores of Tripoli’ are immortalized in the Marine Corps hymn. And freedom of navigation operations have been an essential part of U.S. power projection ever since.

“In recent years, these operations have been especially important in the Indo-Pacific, where China increasingly threatens sea lanes.

“But let’s be clear: If America conducts freedom of navigation operations as peace-time exercises but fails to actually protect this freedom from immediate, real-time threats, then we’re just play-acting as a global superpower.

“What’s happening right now in the Red Sea isn’t an exercise. It’s a blaring siren that deterrence has failed.

“The United States and our allies and partners have a stake in defending the freedom of navigation. If we fail to take more serious action against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists, we’ll embolden other aggressors to challenge this freedom everywhere, and risk major consequences.

“Needless to say, our greatest strategic adversary and systemic rival is watching especially closely how we respond to this brazen challenge.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A4235AD2-19F3-4777-98E2-17B7D7855DAB,McConnell Comments On Border Security Negotiations,2023-12-18,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding border security negotiations:

“Over the weekend, our colleagues continued to make progress toward an agreement on border security.

“I’m especially grateful to Senator Lankford for stewarding Senate Republicans’ efforts to produce meaningful policy changes, fix our broken asylum system, and secure the southern border.

“Addressing the border crisis at home is a fundamental part of legislation that will help America meet each of the most glaring national security challenges we face around the world. And there are a number of significant issues our colleagues are still working to resolve.

“The effects of years of failed border enforcement are compounded. Border security policy is complex. And our colleagues at the negotiating table are clear-eyed about the fact that getting this agreement right – and producing legislative text – is going to require some time.

“Senate Republicans will not make up for others showing up late to the table by waiving our responsibility to carefully negotiate and review any agreement before voting on it.

“And I am encouraged by our colleagues’ commitment to keep making steady progress in their negotiations over the coming week and beyond.

“America is facing a never-before-seen border crisis. An imperialist thug is trying to redraw the map of Europe. A repressive authoritarian state is preparing to put more of the Indo-Pacific under its control. And the world’s largest state sponsor of terror is showing us it’s as determined as ever to kill American servicemembers and disrupt global commerce.

“There is simply no room for falling short, here. We cannot afford to get this wrong.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=2E293847-42A7-41AD-A838-E542BB91A0EE,Barr Secures Blue Grass Army Depot Priorities in NDAA,2023-12-15,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,Andy Barr,B001282,barr.house.gov,barr,https://barr.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C.– This week, Congressman Barr (KY-06) voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act which authorizes $886 billion for the Department of Defense and national security programs for fiscal year 2024. This vital legislation includes a 5.2% increase in servicemember pay (the highest pay raise in 22 years), addresses the needs of military families by improving housing and healthcare policies, bans drag shows and critical race theory in the military, provides critical support for Israel, and equips our military to counter Chinese, Russian, and Iranian threats to our national security.

Congressman Barr proudly secured priorities for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District including a provision for the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) regarding the Feasibility Study for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant in Madison County, Kentucky.

“I am proud to have secured language again this year in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act which builds upon the findings of the Blue Grass Army Depot Feasibility Study published earlier this year,” said Congressman Andy Barr. “The Depot plays a vital role in our national defense; I look forward to working with the local community in Madison County and federal stakeholders on opportunities for its bright future.”

“Madison County has much to celebrate this year. We can finally mark the end of chemical weapons sitting in our backyard at Blue Grass Army Depot. This achievement was a major milestone. As we work to identify plans for the Depot and its workforce in the future, I’m grateful to see this year’s national defense bill push forward this local and national imperative at record speed. I’m grateful for Congressman Barr’s advocacy on this matter, and I look forward to partnering with him to continue to support Madison County in the future,” said Madison County Judge/Executive Reagan Taylor.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=B168D678-0C8F-4766-B711-1C51D5C74372,Rep. Barr’s Introduces UDAAP Reform Legislation,2023-12-15,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,Andy Barr,B001282,barr.house.gov,barr,https://barr.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – This week, Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) introduced legislation to amend the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to clarify standards for unfair, deceptive, acts and practices (UDAAP) enforcement actions brough by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB). This legislation reforms the UDAAP authority granted to the CFPB by the Dodd-Frank Act to provide certainty for lenders and credit providers.

“Since the Dodd-Frank Act passed, financial institutions and providers have been left without clarity of the definition for the term “abusive,” and inadequate guidance from CFPB on what would constitute a UDAAP violation. Regulatory uncertainty leads to fewer choices and higher prices for consumers, and the agency tasked with protecting consumers should not be complicit in regulation that is causing these outcomes,” said Congressman Andy Barr. “My legislation, the Rectifying Undefined Definitions of Abusive Acts or Practices or the Rectifying UDAAP Act, requires the CFPB to provide the transparency financial institutions need to serve consumers and ensure there is ample access to credit in our consumer markets.”

“The consumer credit industry ensures that tens of millions of American consumers have access to credit products – from car loans to small dollar installment loans – that benefits them and the U.S. economy,” said Celia Winslow, Senior Vice President of American Financial Services Association. “Clear and certain rules of the road for our industry ensure that the largest number of consumers can get the credit they need from reputable and ethical lenders. Congressman Barr’s proposal ensures the CFPB adds both accountability for the agency and greater clarity to such rules and we strongly support such an approach.”

“The CFPB has attempted to exert its power well beyond what Congress ever intended, most strikingly with its UDAAP authority,” said CUNA President and CEO Jim Nussle and NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger. “I applaud Rep. Barr’s efforts to rein in the CFBP’s abuse of this authority to help credit unions continue to advance communities and support the financial well-being of American families.”

“ICBA and the nation’s community banks have long sought much-needed clarity on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s definition and regulation of unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts and practices within the legal authority defined by Congress,” Independent Community Bankers of America President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said. “We thank Congressman Barr for introducing the Rectifying UDAAP Act to clarify the CFPB’s regulatory authority related to UDAAP and to ensure it does not restrict the ability of community banks to meet the needs of the customers and communities they serve.”

“It is imperative that Congress better define the Bureau’s UDAAP authority to ensure it acts within its statutory boundaries. If history is any guide, even the most well-intentioned rules without clear expectations can lead to unintended consequences when applied to the marketplace,” said Consumer Bankers Association President and CEO Lindsey Johnson. “Thank you to Rep. Barr for introducing this important legislation which would ensure the Bureau operates beyond reproach while also providing industry with the clarity needed to comply with current and future regulatory requirements.”

“In recent years, the CFPB has attempted to dramatically expand its regulatory reach beyond its statutory authority, with significant implications for consumers, small businesses, banks and the broader financial services market,” said American Bankers Association President and CEO Rob Nichols. “Chairman Barr’s Rectifying UDAAP Act would more clearly define what the Bureau can and cannot do, and would rein in the Bureau’s overly aggressive stance on ‘abusive’ acts or practices by requiring it to prove intentional misconduct. This bill would also make clear that the Bureau’s UDAAP authority does not extend to discriminatory practices, which are already governed by our nation’s anti-discrimination laws. This common-sense legislation would be a win for American consumers and the banks that serve them.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=542F71EF-AB83-4B86-B0E2-2AE5507EFE94,Congressman Rogers Votes for 2024 National Defense Bill,2023-12-14,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Provides Troops with largest pay raise in 20 years

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the U.S. House of Representatives sent the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to the President's desk to be signed into law. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) voted for the bill, securing key victories for our military and national defense in the year ahead, including the largest pay raise in 20 years for U.S. Servicemembers.

The bill authorizes investments in military readiness, a stronger defense, more support for our troops and their families, and adds strength against aggression from China and other adversaries. It also supports the work of the Kentucky National Guard and paves the way for future usage of the Blue Grass Army Depot.

“Our military must remain focused on the tasks at hand and prepared for mounting aggression from foreign enemies. The United States must sustain our posture of military excellence with innovative hypersonic technology, intelligence and warfighters who stand ready to defend our homeland,” said Congressman Rogers. “This bill takes care of our military servicemembers and provides them with the tools and training that they need to be successful, from improving military housing and childcare, to reducing barriers to healthcare and improving resources for suicide prevention.”

This NDAA takes the necessary steps to save American taxpayers billions by strategically cutting inefficient programs, obsolete weapons systems, and burdensome red tape. It also refocuses our defense spending on national security and away from advancing misaligned political agendas, and bans teaching and promotion of Critical Race Theory.

The NDAA increases authorized funding for key military initiatives left unfunded or underfunded in the Biden budget, including the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, an essential tool in combatting Chinese aggression. It also protects the U.S. Navy by prohibiting the premature decommissioning of critical ships.

The legislation also provides a process for reinstatement for servicemembers who were discharged for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine and ensures that no future adverse action is taken on those who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine.

The NDAA has passed through the House and Senate and now moves to the President's desk to be signed into law.

For more information about Congressman Rogers' work in Washington and at home in Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=652F9D7A-7B8C-47F9-8CAD-7D7285C2CA9C,Congressman Rogers Votes for National Plan to End Parkinson's Act,2023-12-14,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. Harold ""Hal"" Rogers (KY-05) voted for the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act, H.R. 2365, to help prevent, diagnose, treat and cure the disease that plagues millions of Americans.

According to the National Institutes of Health, Parkinson's disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder in the United States, following Alzheimer’s disease. Approximately 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but considering the lack of awareness and diagnoses, some experts estimate that as many as one million Americans may have the disorder.

""More awareness, research and therapy is needed for Parkinson's Disease across the country, and especially in rural areas like Eastern Kentucky. The greatest success comes from planning your work and working your plan, and this bill puts a plan in motion to help diagnose and treat the disease that impacts more than half a million people every year,"" said Congressman Rogers. ""In Eastern Kentucky, the nonprofit group Parkinson's In Motion, is actively working to raise awareness, build family support, and connect patients to a variety of resources such as exercise and cognitive therapies. I applaud their local efforts and I hope this bill will pave the path forward nation-wide.""

The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate federal efforts and carry out a national project, including a review, assessment, plan, and strategy to prevent, diagnose, treat, and cure Parkinson’s Disease and related neurodegenerative Parkinsonisms.

This bill would also require HHS to establish an advisory council, comprised of federal and non-federal expert stakeholders, to evaluate current efforts, issue recommendations and implementation steps, and evaluate the national plan and strategy related to Parkinson’s Disease.

Parkinson's In Motion, a nonprofit organization in Laurel County, was launched by former Kentucky Administrative Law Judge Janie Rice Williams who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. She applauded Congressman Rogers' support of the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act and is hopeful for the impact it could have in Eastern Kentucky.

""This national plan is desperately needed as more people across the country are faced with Parkinson's, the fastest growing neurological condition on the planet. This disease not only impacts the patient, but the whole family. While we find a cure, our mission helps those who otherwise face this degenerative condition alone. We provide resources to strengthen body, mind and community,"" said Williams. ""I'm thankful for the support we have received in Eastern Kentucky, but more resources are needed to help connect individuals to information and therapy options, especially in rural areas. That's why I'm working hard in Eastern Kentucky to let families know that they don't have to face this journey alone. I appreciate Congressman Rogers for voting for this important bill to help people here at home and across the country.""

The bipartisan bill passed the House on Thursday and now moves on to the Senate for consideration.

For more information about Congressman Rogers' work in Washington and at home in Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-introduces-bill-to-support-the-families-of-mine-workers-afflicted-by-black-lung-disease,Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Bill to Support the Families of Mine Workers Afflicted by Black Lung Disease,2023-12-14,2023,2023-12,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 14, 2023) – This week, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) introduced the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act alongside Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-08) and cosponsors Reps. Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Dan Kildee (MI-08), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Abigail Spanberger (VA-07). The bill will make it easier for survivors of miners who died of pneumoconiosis, also known as “black lung disease”, to access benefits through the Black Lung Benefits Act of 1972. An identical bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Mark Warner of Virginia.

“Generations of mine workers have worked in dangerous conditions to power America and provide for their families and communities,” said Rep. Morgan McGarvey. “Kentucky was at the forefront of the last energy revolution, but we paid for it with the health and safety of our miners. I’m proud to join with my colleagues Senator Warner and Congressman Cartwright in righting a past wrong, and I’ll continue fighting to ensure these families receive the benefits they’ve more than earned.”

Research has shown that repeated exposure to coal dust and other materials puts miners at risk of developing black lung disease. Inhaling dust on the job scars the lungs, impairs breathing, and other respiratory complications that can have life-altering consequences and lead to disability and death.

The Black Lung Benefits Act of 1972 makes those disabled by black lung due to occupational exposure eligible for monthly payments and medical benefits. The miner’s surviving dependents are also able to claim benefits in the event of a miner’s death. However, under current law, the burden is on the survivor to prove that black lung substantially contributed to the miner’s death, despite many of these families facing significant grief and economic insecurity.

The Relief for Survivors of Miners Act would fix these barriers to benefits to ensure families of miners are properly compensated. Specifically, the legislation:

Re-establishes a pre-1981 “rebuttable presumption” that a miner who died from respiratory-related conditions had died due to black lung if the miner was previously disabled due to black lung.

Improves legal representation by paying attorney’s fees and medical expenses incurred during the claim process.

Requests a Government Accountability Office report on the financial impact of these payments and other ways to improve the claims process and benefits for survivors.

“Miners from Northeast Pennsylvania – and across the country - have made tremendous sacrifices to power our nation, and the families of miners who lost their lives to black lung disease deserve our support,” said Rep. Cartwright. “This bill is critical to removing the unwarranted red tape preventing families from receiving the benefits they deserve and will expand resources to help families secure the support they need.”

“When a miner dies, their families are left not only grieving and planning a funeral, but they also often lose the benefits they relied on for groceries and paying the bills.” said Vonda Robinson, Vice President of the National Black Lung Association. “The Relief for Survivors of Miners Act will make their lives a little easier, and help to make sure that families are not left in poverty after their loved ones die.”

“The UMWA has been at the forefront of battling black lung disease for more than fifty years,” said Cecil E. Roberts, International President of the United Mine Workers of America. “Enacted by Congress in 1969 as part of the Federal Mine Health and Safety Act, the black lung benefits system has been helpful to thousands of miners and their families. But more needs to be done. The cost of living has dramatically increased since 1969, miners are contracting the disease at younger ages and there are more severe forms of the disease. Congressman McGarvey’s, ‘Relief for Survivors of Miners Act’ would ease burdens families of deceased miners face claiming black lung benefits so these families receive the benefits they deserve.”

“Too many families have to navigate the black lung benefits process alone, often fighting tooth and nail with coal companies to prove that the coal miner died of black lung,” said Quenton King, Federal Legislative Specialist, Appalachian Voices. “This legislation will not only encourage more attorneys to take on black lung cases, but also will level the playing field for dependents by reestablishing a provision that anti-coal miner lawmakers removed in the 1980s. We applaud Rep. McGarvey for his leadership in introducing this bill in the House for the first time, and we urge Congress to swiftly enact this legislation.”

""Losing a loved one is a difficult experience but widows and survivors of miners who pass from black lung face the task of navigating the stresses of the black lung process,” said Courtney Rhoades Mullines, Black Lung Organizer at the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center. “This bill, and its matching Senate bill, will make this process more accessible for those that have lost a loved one to this preventable disease. We are thankful for Representative McGarvey’s leadership and being a voice for miners and their families.""

The Relief for Survivors of Miners Act is endorsed by Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, Appalachian Voices, National Black Lung Association, and United Mine Workers.

The bill text can be found HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=3BB510FC-0F7E-4CF1-9147-9F8264A784FA,Senate Cannot Claim To Address National Security Without Restoring Border Security,2023-12-14,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security:

“It’s been nearly eight weeks since President Biden submitted his supplemental funding request and identified four key national security priorities.

“For eight weeks, Senate Republicans have been working hard to produce legislation that takes appropriate action on all four fronts – helping Ukraine defeat Putin in Europe, helping Israel fight Iranian terror in the Middle East, helping Asian partners deter Chinese aggression, and helping the men and women of Border Patrol get the crisis at our southern border under control.

“At the same time, we’ve had to spend several weeks now trying to convince some of our Democratic colleagues not to tank the entire effort just because they wish a Democratic President had not put border security in his request.

“A number of Senate Republicans have been working in good faith to make sure that supplemental legislation makes substantive policy changes at the border, instead of just throwing money at the problem.

“Meanwhile, we’ve had to explain to members of President Biden’s own party why the border security issue he included in his proposal was not extraneous to America’s national security.

“So, here we are. Some very important conversations are ongoing.

“And here’s the bottom line: The Senate cannot claim to address major national security challenges without a solution to the one we’re facing on the southern border. We can’t pretend to be serious about threats facing America and our allies without fixing the broken system that lets 10,000 illegal aliens cross our border in a single day.

“Now, Mr. President, I’m serious. Senate Republicans are serious. And I hope our colleagues are as well.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=F61CA1B8-7C49-4CC4-ACB0-572069B10BA5,Harvard Is ‘Glaring Example’ Of Rampant Anti-Semitism Permeating Higher Education,2023-12-14,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding anti-Semitism on college campuses:

“The events of the past two months have underscored that something is rotten in the state of America’s most elite universities. And there aren’t many more glaring examples than Harvard.

“Last week, of course, Harvard’s president refused to say whether calls for Jewish genocide would constitute harassment on her campus.

“Two months ago, in the immediate aftermath of the October 7th terrorist attacks, she declined to condemn the Harvard student groups who openly declared that the murder of innocent Jews that day was Israel’s own fault.

“Under her leadership, radical ‘Students for Justice in Palestine’ have organized to spout terrorist propaganda and mostly succeeded in getting Harvard graduates blackballed by major corporations and federal judges.

“One Jewish student at Harvard Business School was even assaulted on his way to study.

“And yet despite her abysmal record of combatting anti-Semitism and mounting allegations of plagiarism in her own scholarship, the cadre of left-wing financiers and university administrators who make up the governing Harvard Corporation has affirmed their ‘confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal.’

“Well, when you look at Harvard’s history, this embarrassing lack of moral clarity is hardly a surprise. A century ago, Harvard President Abbott Lowell proposed a numerical quota on Jewish students.

“His reasoning? ‘The anti-Semitic feeling among the students is increasing, and it grows in proportion to the increase in the number of Jews.’

“So one Harvard President says that the presence of Jews causes anti-Semitism. A hundred years later, another says that calls for Jewish genocide really depend on the context in which they’re made.

“Frankly, you’d be forgiven for wondering whether anti-Semitism isn’t just business as usual at Harvard!”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=FB19AE0B-02AA-4F2A-A83E-7FBDA903E0AC,Biden Admin. Strangles American Energy While China Surges Forward,2023-12-14,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding left-wing climate policy:

“This week, the United Nations wrapped up its latest conference on climate change. World leaders took private jets to Dubai, and the Biden Administration’s Special Climate Envoy, John Kerry, returned triumphant with… a joint statement condemning the evils of coal power.

“Elite liberals sure are obsessed with killing jobs in places like Kentucky. But that’s only the half of it.

“Yet again, the maximum hardships the Biden Administration is happy to heap on American workers and consumers are producing no meaningful benefits on the world stage.

“The past three years have been an endless parade of canceled permits and new regulations that make it harder than ever to produce affordable and reliable American energy.

“By cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline on Day One, President Biden also cancelled as many as 59,000 jobs needed to build it.

“And now, the President’s envoy has returned with another meaningless pledge that doesn’t even compel the world’s biggest emitters of carbon.

“Just look at the numbers. U.S. emissions are projected to fall by 4% this year. Meanwhile, China’s are projected to increase by twice as much!

“Last year, Beijing green-lit four times as much new coal power as they did the year before. But the Biden Administration apparently wants us to believe its American producers and job creators and workers who aren’t pulling their weight.

“So, the UN climate conference is a good reminder that the elite left-wing obsession with self-inflicted climate penance is not just an American problem.

“Canada’s liberal government, for its part, has a bold new plan: paying farmers to make sure their cattle don’t burp so much.

“Apparently, Canada’s plan is built around a carbon credit – the nebulous commodity that supposedly negates carbon emissions from activities like flying private jets.

“Except in this case, the subjects aren’t elites looking to ease their conscience on the way to a conference in Dubai. They’re the workers who put food on the table!

“Canada’s so-called ‘Reducing Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle’ proposal would grant carbon credits to farmers who feed their cows special diets to reduce burping.

“Well, it sounds an awful lot like the way Washington bureaucrats try to tell middle-class Americans what kind of car to drive and what kind of stove to use.

“It sounds entirely ridiculous.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=FF040F39-9EA7-48CD-9B4F-0BF8C0E4F77B,"McConnell Secures Priorities for Kentucky Military Installations, Blue Grass Army Depot in National Defense Bill",2023-12-14,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) secured several important priorities for Kentucky in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This critical defense policy bill includes provisions for Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD), Fort Campbell, Fort Knox, and the Kentucky Army National Guard. The legislation passed the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives and now goes to the President to be signed into law.

BLUE GRASS ARMY DEPOT

At the request of Senator McConnell, the NDAA requires the Army to develop proposals to execute the “most promising” opportunities identified in the BGAD feasibility study released in September 2023. He also secured a provision requiring the Department of Defense to onshore production of critical chemicals by 2028, addressing a supply-chain vulnerability in 15 chemicals essential for explosive materials and currently produced overseas in countries like China. The provision requires consideration of BGAD’s suitability to meet this vital need.

“Our Nation faces growing threats from Russia, China, and Iran, whose shared interest in global chaos threatens our way of life. This moment demands American strength and real-dollar investments into establishing effective deterrence against our adversaries. This starts here at home with ramping up production of defense materials at installations like Blue Grass Army Depot. This year, the Depot safely destroyed the last of our country’s chemical weapons, which Kentucky has been home to for decades. Even as these efforts approach their end, the Depot’s facilities and workforce remain critical assets to the Army,” said Senator Mitch McConnell. “I’m glad to see this year’s National Defense Authorization Act advance the Depot’s important role in defense production. This legislation lays the groundwork for Blue Grass Army Depot to take on new missions and deliver the resources our Armed Forces need to confront these threats.”

“Madison County has much to celebrate this year. First and foremost, we can finally mark the end of chemical weapons sitting in our backyard at Blue Grass Army Depot. This achievement was a major milestone, and we couldn’t have done it without the staunch support of Senator McConnell for many years. As we work to identify plans for the Depot and its workforce in the future, I’m grateful to see this year’s national defense bill push forward this local and national imperative at record speed. I’m grateful for Senator McConnell’s advocacy on this matter, and I look forward to partnering with him to continue to deliver for Kentuckians in the region,” said Madison County Judge/Executive Reagan Taylor.

The bill also includes the following provisions that specifically benefit Kentucky and bolster the Commonwealth’s central role in America’s defense:

$39 million for a Multipurpose Training Range at Fort Campbell.

$16.4 million for a modern maintenance facility at Kentucky Army National Guard.

$3.3 million to plan and design a state-of-the-art munitions supply facility at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

$2.5 million to plan and design a new Air Traffic Control Tower at Fort Campbell.

$2.0 million to complete construction of a Kentucky National Guard Headquarters Building in Frankfort

Study requirement to support the Army Human Resources Command’s 2030 Transformation Plan at Ft. Knox.

Continued support for the University of Louisville’s cybersecurity workforce development partnership with the National Security Agency.

Vital investments in Kentucky’s defense manufacturing and innovation industry.

The NDAA also authorizes the following provisions to support our Nation’s service members and their families:

Secures a well-deserved 5.2% pay raise for servicemembers, the highest pay raise in 22 years to offset inflation.

Provides scholarship opportunities for recruits enrolled in community and junior colleges and increases scholarship opportunities for those pursuing military health careers.

Authorizes quality improvements for military enlisted barracks, including the replacement of barracks that do not meet basic standards.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/icymi-dr-rand-paul-continues-fight-against-covid-19-mandates-for-senate-pages/,ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Continues Fight Against COVID-19 Mandates for Senate Pages,2023-12-14,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 14, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Continues Fight Against COVID-19 Mandates for Senate Pages

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, as a continuation of his efforts to protect individual freedoms and put an end to unscientific mandates, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a resolution that would have protected Senate Pages from the imposition of COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Multiple scientific studies have shown a heightened risk of myocarditis for children and teenagers after taking an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and that, for young and healthy people, the risks posed by the vaccine are greater than the risks posed by COVID-19. Furthermore, there is consensus that the vaccines do not stop the transmission of COVID-19.

For the fourth time, Senate Democrats refused to follow the science and objected to Dr. Paul’s resolution passing by unanimous consent.

You can watch Dr. Paul’s remarks HERE, and can read the full resolution HERE.

Background:

In September, Dr. Paul introduced two resolutions that would have protected Senate Pages from the imposition of COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Also in September, Dr. Paul introduced a resolution that would have safeguarded Senate Pages from imposing vaccination, testing, and masking requirements related to COVID-19.

Over the last several years, Dr. Paul has taken numerous actions to defend Americans from those who fail to follow the science on COVID-19. Not only did he introduce a similar resolution last year that would have lifted vaccine and mask mandates for pages, he also introduced the Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act to ensure that federal taxpayer dollars are not used to support healthcare facilities that deny care to patients based on their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Additionally, Dr. Paul offered the Support the Reinstatement of Trained and Effective Firefighters amendment to the Fire Grants and Safety Act that would have made funding available to fire departments that terminated firefighters for refusing vaccination or voicing opposition to COVID-19 mandates only if they offered full reinstatement and backpay to those who lost their jobs. He also previously introduced the Travel Mask Mandate Repeal Act of 2021 and continues to be outspoken against COVID-19 mandates without a scientific basis.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://comer.house.gov/2023/12/comer-delivers-remarks-on-house-floor-in-support-of-impeachment-inquiry-as-congress-faces-obstruction-from-white-house-we-must-take-action-to-hold-president-biden-accountable,"Comer Delivers Remarks on House Floor in Support of Impeachment Inquiry: As Congress Faces Obstruction from White House, We Must Take Action to Hold President Biden Accountable",2023-12-13,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,James Comer,C001108,comer.house.gov,comer,https://comer.house.gov/media,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:Austin Hacker

WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today delivered remarks on the House floor in support of House Resolution 918, a resolution to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

Below are Chairman Comer’s remarks as prepared for delivery.

Thank you, Chairman Cole.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support House Resolution 918.

Joe Biden has repeatedly lied to the American people about his family’s corrupt influence peddling schemes.

He told the American people he never spoke to his son about his family’s business dealings.

He claimed there was an “absolute wall” between his official government duties as Vice President and his family.

He said his family never made money from China.

All of these are blatant lies.

Our investigation has revealed how Joe Biden knew of, participated in, and benefited from his family cashing in on the Biden name around the world.

Since January, we have learned some of the following:

The Bidens created 20 shell companies – most of which were created when Joe Biden was Vice President.

The Bidens and their associates then raked in over $24 million through these shell companies from China, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Romania between 2014-2019. At least ten members of the Biden family benefited or participated in these schemes.

The Bidens layered these payments through their bank accounts to hide the sources of the money.

The banks even flagged many of these transactions in more than 150 suspicious activity reports to the Treasury Department.

One bank investigator was so concerned about Hunter Biden’s financial transactions with the Chinese company that he wanted to re-evaluate the bank’s relationship with him. He noted that his transactions served “no current business purpose.”

According to Devon Archer, a Biden family associate, Joe Biden was THE BRAND of the business.

The BRAND showed up.

Joe Biden spoke to his son’s associates by speakerphone over 20 times, dined with foreign oligarchs and a Burisma executive, and had coffee with his son’s Chinese associate – all when he was Vice President.

Weeks after Joe Biden left the Vice Presidency, money from this CCP-linked entity began to make its way to the bank accounts of several Biden family members.

Based on one Biden associate’s interview with the FBI, these payments were sent to the Bidens as a “thank you.”

Ask any Justice Department public corruption investigator about the importance of payments received after one leaves public office. It’s a hallmark of corruption.

We are now at a pivotal moment in our investigation. We will soon depose and interview several members of the Biden family and their associates about these influence peddling schemes.

But we are facing obstruction from the White House.

The White House is seeking to block key testimony from current and former White House staff.

It is also withholding thousands of records from Joe Biden’s time as Vice President.

President Biden must be held accountable for his lies, corruption, and obstruction.

We have a duty to provide the accountability and transparency that Americans demand and deserve.

I urge my colleagues to support this important and necessary resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-morgan-mcgarvey-and-suzanne-bonamici-lead-effort-to-improve-family-access-to-housing-assistance,Reps. Morgan McGarvey and Suzanne Bonamici Lead Effort to Improve Family Access to Housing Assistance,2023-12-13,2023,2023-12,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 13, 2023) – Today Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) led 25 of their colleagues in drawing attention to the decline in federal housing assistance programs for families with children.

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit are two of the largest federal housing programs that can help prevent homelessness. Unfortunately, data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Section 8 vouchers shows that families with children have received a smaller share of voucher recipients over the last decade.

“The Biden Administration has shown historic dedication to improving opportunities for homeownership and increasing protections for families who rent,” the Representatives wrote. “Unfortunately, the number of families experiencing homelessness is on the rise nationally. We write to request information from your agencies so we can work together to improve federal programs to better serve vulnerable families.”

In 2009, households with children received 42 percent of the benefits from subsidized HUD programs. By 2022, that percentage had declined to 33 percent. This includes Section 8 choice vouchers, public housing, and project-based vouchers.

The letter requests HUD and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provide information on policies to enhance support for families and youth at risk of homelessness, including:

Data on how many new families are being accepted in federal housing programs;

A breakdown of information about families’ access to developments subsidized by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers;

Confirmation of the downward trend of families with children accessing federally subsidized housing and details on what may be the potential causes;

Information on initiatives HUD and IRS are undertaking to promote housing stability for families

The letter is supported by First Focus Campaign for Children and SchoolHouse Connection.

“Access to safe and affordable housing is critical for healthy child development, yet publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that over the past decade, families with children are a declining share of subsidized housing recipients,” said Bruce Lesley, President, First Focus Campaign for Children. “First Focus Campaign for Children applauds Reps. Bonamici, McGarvey, and the rest of the signers for prioritizing children by sending this letter to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge and IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel to inquire about this concerning trend, as well as ask for more information about actions taken by HUD and the IRS to increase support for families and youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability.”

In addition to Reps. Bonamici and McGarvey, the letter was signed by 25 of their colleagues, including Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Dwight Evans (D-PA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Scott Peters (D-CA), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), David Trone (D-MD), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and Nikema Williams (D-GA).

Reps. Bonamici and McGarvey lead the bipartisan, bicameral Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act together.

The full text of the letter can be found below.

Dear Secretary Fudge and Commissioner Werfel,

We write today to inquire about efforts to safeguard affordable housing for families in the United States. The Biden Administration has shown historic dedication to improving opportunities for homeownership and increasing protections for families who rent. Unfortunately, the number of families experiencing homelessness is on the rise nationally.] We write to request information from your agencies so we can work together to improve federal programs to better serve vulnerable families.

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers are our largest programs to secure housing stability for vulnerable Americans. It is essential that all our federal housing programs, but especially LIHTC and Section 8, directly serve the needs of low-income families. There is a potentially concerning trend of fewer families with children accessing stable housing through federal assistance, especially LIHTC and Section 8 vouchers. The database on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website shows that the percent of people with children in subsidized housing nationally has fallen to 33 percent, which is the lowest percentage in a decade and an overall decline of eight percent from 2010. According to research from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, the number of families receiving rent assistance fell by 250,000 or 13 percent from 2004 to 2016.

Although Congress has not provided needed investments to expand federal housing programs to fully meet the demands of our housing crisis, we remain concerned about fewer and fewer families with children being served by these programs. We ask that you provide responses to the following questions:

1. Do your agencies have data showing how many new families are being accepted in federal housing programs?

a. Please provide a breakdown of information about families’ access to developments subsidized by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

2. Does data available to your agencies reflect a downward trend of families with children accessing federally subsidized housing? If so, please detail the cause of this trend, including whether it is related to any or a combination of the following:

a. Prioritization of people other than families with children by housing developers or local and state housing agencies;

b. Rehabilitation and construction of units that are not accessible to families with children;

c. Children in families who entered housing developments moving out and the rest of their family staying, which in turn keeps these units off the market;

d. Discrimination based on source of income or familial status by landlords against vouchers or other screening practices that disproportionately harm low-income families with children; and,

e. Lack of accessible units for families with children because of limited appropriations for housing programs.

3. What initiatives is HUD taking to promote housing stability for families?

a. What resources are needed to fully meet the mission of the Family Unification Program?

b. When does HUD anticipate publishing guidance to better integrate services with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in response to the 2021 report, GAO-21-540?

c. How will family housing stability be integrated into the LGBTQI+ Youth Homelessness Initiative?

The need for expanded resources to address housing and houselessness is clear. As demonstrated by the Emergency Rental Assistance Program created during the COVID-19 pandemic, dedicated federal resources prevent evictions, improve wellbeing and financial security, and fill gaps to mitigate housing cost increases. We remain committed to addressing underinvestment in housing and making housing and homeownership affordable and achievable for all Americans. It is essential that Congress addresses this important issue and our effort must be coupled with policies that remove barriers to family access and enhance coordination of the full spectrum of services for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Thank you again for your dedication to making affordable housing attainable for all Americans. We look forward to your answers and opportunities to partner with you to deliver the resources needed so everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=38D22CDD-18CD-455A-B9A8-5B5EA174126A,Biden Admin. Pushes Judicial Nom. With Anti-Semitic Affiliations,2023-12-13,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding judicial nominations:

“This morning, the Judiciary Committee is examining another slate of President Biden’s nominees to join the federal bench.

“Over the past three years, our colleagues on the committee have met and considered an alarming parade of nominees whose conduct or lack of legal qualifications made them so wildly unfit for confirmation that they had to be withdrawn.

“From the First Circuit nominee known best for helping defend an elite prep school against a victim of sexual assault… to the Kansas District nominee who the American Bar Association was expected to find ‘not qualified’ for judicial service.

“Unfortunately, today’s nominees include yet another head-spinning example of the Biden Administration’s radical approach to filling the federal bench.

“Adeel Mangi is the President’s nominee to serve as Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Since graduating from Harvard Law, he’s spent his career in private practice.

“But for years, he’s also served on the board of a Rutgers student organization that facilitates and amplifies grotesque, anti-Semitic activism.

“For example, on the 20th anniversary of September 11th, the Center for Security, Race and Rights at Rutgers Law School hosted speaking engagements for a ringleader of recent calls for an intifada in the United States and a convicted supporter of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

“For those who need reminding, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas are holding hostages – including Americans – in Gaza as we speak.

“American Jews are facing an historic wave of anti-Semitic hate. And this wave is emanating from campus organizations across the country like the one Mr. Mangi guided and supported at Rutgers.

“Is the Biden Administration really asking the Senate to give life tenure on the court of appeals to a nominee with an extensive record of condoning terrorist propaganda?

I would urge our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to take a very close look at Mr. Mangi’s nomination, and reject it.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=CEDDD7C1-DC17-434F-87BE-186FEF4844BB,NDAA Marks Step Toward Addressing National Security Challenges,2023-12-13,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“Today, Senate Republicans are still working in good faith on border policy changes that will allow the Senate to pass a national security supplemental.

“I’m hopeful that Democrats – both here and at the White House – are beginning to recognize how committed we are to addressing the crisis at our southern border.

“I’m hopeful that we can reach an agreement and address top national security priorities.

“Meanwhile, the challenges we’re facing at home and abroad aren’t solving themselves.

“As of today, U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria have faced at least 92 attacks from Iran-backed terrorists since October, including just last week against the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

“Meanwhile, Iran’s Houthi proxies are escalating their threats against shipping vessels in one of the busiest checkpoints of international maritime commerce.

“Iran and its terrorist network are not deterred. They believe they can try to kill Americans with impunity.

“And yet, last week, leading Senate Democrats joined a failed effort to withdraw America’s presence in Syria.

“Three members of Democratic Caucus leadership cast votes to retreat in the face of an emboldened terrorist threat. So did the Chair of the Foreign Relations subcommittee that deals with the Middle East!

“It’s time for our colleagues to get serious about the threats we face. Fortunately, the Senate is on track to pass the long-awaited National Defense Authorization Act.

“I’m grateful to Ranking Member Wicker and Chairman Reed for the extensive work required to bring this must-pass legislation to the goal line.

“This year, the Armed Services Committee considered 445 amendments, and another 121 were adopted here on the floor. And thanks to the dedicated efforts of many of our colleagues on this side of the aisle, the bill they produced asserts the Senate’s priorities on a host of national security issues where the Biden Administration’s approach continues to fall short.

“This year’s NDAA recognizes the need to strengthen America’s position in strategic competition with China through targeted improvements to critical capabilities – from long-range fires and anti-ship weapons to modernizing our nuclear triad.

“It’ll authorize further investments in the defense industrial base and expand efficiency and accountability of the lethal assistance degrading Russia’s military in Ukraine.

“It’ll turbo-charge cooperation with Israel on future missile defense technologies and ensure our closest ally in the Middle East can access the U.S. capabilities it needs, when it needs them.

“It’ll give America’s men and women in uniform a pay raise.

“It’ll focus the Pentagon more squarely on tackling national security challenges instead of creating new ones with partisan social policies.

“And in my home state of Kentucky, it’ll advance important initiatives to expand production at Blue Grass Army Depot and reduce U.S. reliance on competitors for materials critical to our defense.

“Of course, Congress can’t fix the Biden Administration’s weakness on the world stage by ourselves. We can equip a global superpower, but we still need a Commander-in-Chief who recognizes that he’s leading one.

“President Biden should be focused on restoring real deterrence against Iran-backed terrorists, not interfering with the internal politics of the democratic ally they’re attacking.

“Israel is a modern, mature, and independent democracy. I imagine that neither Israel’s leaders nor its citizens appreciate President Biden’s punditry to Democratic donors about their wartime coalition government. In fact, foreign influence in our own politics used to be something Washington Democrats loved to condemn.

“So I would recommend that the President focus on the task at hand: imposing meaningful consequences on Iran and giving Israel the time, space, and support it needs to defeat Hamas.

“This week, the Senate will move the National Defense Authorization Act one step closer to becoming law. I hope that’ll mark a first step toward giving the national security challenges America faces the urgent attention they require.

“But it will still fall to Congress to pass supplemental national security appropriations and full-year defense funding to ensure the investments we authorize this week deliver real progress in making America stronger and more secure.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-fights-to-protect-civil-liberties-calls-on-senate-to-remove-domestic-spying-authority-in-ndaa/,"Dr. Rand Paul Fights to Protect Civil Liberties, Calls on Senate to Remove Domestic Spying Authority in NDAA",2023-12-13,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 13, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Rand Paul Fights to Protect Civil Liberties, Calls on Senate to Remove Domestic Spying Authority in NDAA

Including FISA in the NDAA, without necessary reform to Section 702, would continue to allow the U.S. government to spy on U.S. citizens without a warrant

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in a continuation of his efforts to protect Americans’ civil liberties and push for reform to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) forced a Senate vote to remove reauthorization of FISA from the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

A bipartisan group of 34 senators joined Dr. Paul in voting to remove the reauthorization of FISA from the annual NDAA. The final vote tally was 35-65, six votes short of ending domestic spying authority.

Below are excerpts from Dr. Paul’s prepared remarks he delivered ahead of the vote:

“So far as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows our government to spy on U.S. citizens without a warrant, it is unconstitutional.”

…

“Section 702 expires at the end of this year. Members of Congress anticipated using this deadline as an opportunity to not just make meaningful changes to 702, but to reform FISA generally to better protect Americans’ civil liberties.

“But it appears not to be so. Though we have known when 702 would expire for years, the uniparty never seriously considered or prioritized reforms. And now we are told that we simply have no choice but to extend Section 702 into 2024.

“Well, extending Section 702 robs Congress of the ability to make reforms now, and likely robs Congress of the opportunity to make reforms any time in the next year.

“That means, once again, the intelligence agencies that ignore the constraints on their power will go unaddressed and unpunished. And the warrantless surveillance of Americans, in violation of the Bill of Rights, will continue.

“Using 702, Americans’ communications content and metadata is inevitably swept up and kept in government databases without a warrant. Law enforcement agencies then access Americans’ communications without a warrant.

“In other words, your texts, emails, and phone calls are collected and stored in a government database without a warrant and then searched by government law enforcement without a warrant.”

…

“Those who make the lazy and predictable argument that government is your only shield from threats always fail to mention that government itself often is the threat.

“I think it is high time we quit letting fear overrun our constitutional duty. The Members of this body should do themselves the honor of standing by their oath to the Constitution.

“To protect our civil liberties and the integrity of the congressional conference committee process, we must strip this extension of domestic spying authority out of the defense bill.”

You can watch Dr. Paul’s full floor remarks HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/senators-paul-manchin-budd-send-letter-to-fda-urging-ctp-reform-for-harm-reduced-products/,"Senators Paul, Manchin, Budd Send Letter to FDA Urging CTP Reform for Harm-Reduced Products",2023-12-13,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 13, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Senators Paul, Manchin, Budd Send Letter to FDA Urging CTP Reform for Harm-Reduced Products

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Ted Budd (R-NC) sent a letter to Dr. Robert Califf, Commissioner of Food and Drugs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) to reform its application review process for harm-reduced products. The Senators also requested information about CTP’s policies and actions to ensure it is acting efficiently and in a way that is based on science and evidence.

You can read the full letter HERE or below.

Dear Dr. Califf:

We write to urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) to reform the application review process for harm-reduced products. Given the public health function the CTP is meant to serve, we also write to request information about its policies and actions to ensure it is acting efficiently in a way that is based on science and evidence.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, where nearly 31 million Americans smoke cigarettes. Less than eight percent of smokers will successfully quit smoking each year, while thousands will start smoking every day. Combustible cigarette smoking is on the decline due in part to the availability of harm reduction alternatives. Congress recognized the importance of harm reduction when it passed the bipartisan Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 (the “Act”), which charged the FDA with establishing one of the most comprehensive approaches to tobacco harm reduction in the world. The Act requires the CTP to make application determinations within 180 days, yet the agency routinely fails to meet this requirement.

For the FDA to meet its harm reduction goals, it must have a functioning authorization process. Since 2009, more than 26 million premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) have been submitted for new tobacco products in the U.S. Of those 26 million applications, the CTP has authorized fewer than 50. Remarkably, it has also authorized a total of only 16 Modified Risk Tobacco Products (MRTPs) for only four unique products and their accessories. This miniscule authorization rate is not in keeping with the CTP policy acknowledging that tobacco products fall on a continuum of risk. The availability of scientifically substantiated, authorized-PMT As or MRTPs could potentially improve health outcomes for smokers currently using riskier products.

The CTP has previously attributed its backlog to staffing shortages, but CTP’s staff has more than doubled over the past decade, from 426 employees in 2013 to more than 1,100 today. Since 2009, the FDA has also had the authority to assess and collect user fees from tobacco manufacturers and importers, with those fees being $712 million annually since 2019. Given these significant resources, there is no reason why the CTP should be so drastically out of step with the Act’s requirements.

The independent Reagan Udall Foundation (RUF) published a December 2022 review of the CTP, finding it has been struggling as a regulator. Specifically, the RUF recommended that “CTP should develop a more clear and predictable framework for high-quality PMTA and MRTP application submission and reviews.” In light of the RUF’s recommendations that the CTP clarify its policy goals and act more quickly on PMTA and MRTP applications, we request the following information:

Does the agency prioritize its review of PMTAs or MRTPAs, and if so, what criteria does the CTP apply in that prioritization process?

If the FDA does not prioritize its review of PMTAs or MRTPAs, do you agree there should be a prioritization strategy?

There are FDA programs in place in other Centers that enable accelerated review of certain products that have the potential to benefit public health (e.g., breakthrough designation). Has the CTP considered whether and how such a concept could be integrated into its review program for tobacco products?

Does the CTP support a supplemental PMTA process, and if so, what is the agency doing to (1) encourage use of the supplemental PMTA pathway and (2) implement ways to expedite decision-making on supplemental applications?

Given the FDA’ s acknowledgment of a continuum of risk in nicotine-containing products, what is the agency doing to raise public awareness of the difference in risk between product categories and to encourage smokers to switch to less harmful products?

The CTP’ s assessment of whether a PMT A product is “appropriate for the protection of public health” includes an evaluation of the extent or likelihood that a product promotes complete switching or a significant reduction in combustible cigarette use in adult smokers. What specific scientific criteria does the CTP consider in this assessment, and how does it weigh or balance each of them in its final determination?

Does the CTP apply any criteria to determine whether to provide applicants an opportunity to address application deficiencies before issuing a Refuse to Accept (RTA) decision? If so, what are those criteria?

An article from the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco recently called on the FDA to set a definition for premium cigars, saying that the failure to do so had prevented the agency from directing appropriate resources to riskier categories of tobacco products. Does the FDA agree with this approach and with establishing a separate category for premium cigars to promote risk-appropriate research and regulation?

Please respond within 30 days of the date of this letter. We look forward to your responses to these important questions.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=8BC45E65-8E51-436D-9B2C-4461D5C2CDA0,Congressman Rogers Votes for Federal Bill to Continue Opioid Treatment and Recovery Efforts,2023-12-12,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Includes Rogers' STAR Loan Repayment Act to increase the number of treatment professionals

WASHINGTON, DC -- On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. The bill continues providing treatment and recovery services for addiction as millions of Americans work to overcome substance use disorder through long-term recovery and workforce training. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) voted for the bill, which includes his Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program, incentivizing medical students to work in the treatment field.

""Eastern Kentucky was once dubbed the 'Nation's Painkiller Capital', but thanks to comprehensive efforts to expand treatment and education in our region, we're leading the country in access to recovery. This bill will help continue those efforts with critical funding for programs that are saving lives here at home and across America,"" said Congressman Rogers, cofounder of Operation UNITE, a nonprofit organization combatting the opioid epidemic through law enforcement, treatment and education. ""I'm thrilled that this bill includes the student loan repayment program to help close the gap in treatment providers needed to help individuals, and especially pregnant women, through recovery.""

Last week, a new report from the University of Kentucky and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranked the Commonwealth among the highest in the nation for babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). NAS is developed from mothers taking opioids or other substances while pregnant, causing an infant to experience withdrawals after birth. The report noted more than 77 of every 1,000 babies born in Eastern Kentucky in 2020, were born with the syndrome.

""We must do more to help these babies suffering with NAS, and that starts with helping their mothers. This bill will ensure there are more medical professionals prepared for the treatment field, safer prescribing in every state, and more access to recovery in every corner of the country,"" said Rogers.

Congressman Rogers' STAR Loan Repayment Program is expanded for five more years in the bill. It also increases the authorized amount from $25 million to $40 million, allowing more treatment professionals to participate in the program.

The bill continues the work of the Substance Use Disorder Prevention That Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act, which first passed in 2018. It enhances access to services for pregnant and postpartum women, provides training and support for first responders, and empowers individuals to participate in the workforce and live independently. The legislation also provides coverage for certified opioid treatment programs for patients on Medicare and temporarily provides coverage of medication assisted treatment for Medicaid recipients.

The legislation also strengthens coordination between the FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to prevent illicit drug trafficking at our southern border and through the mail.

The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

For more information about Congressman Rogers' work in Washington and at home in Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=50053602-C64B-420F-884F-03BFA860F37F,Admin. Takes Another Step Toward Prescription Drug Socialism,2023-12-12,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding prescription drug socialism:

“Last week, the Biden Administration announced the latest front in its push for prescription drug socialism: march-in rights.

“Here’s what it means: Washington bureaucrats are claiming the authority to determine price ranges for drugs funded through public-private partnerships. And if these unelected regulators decide that a company has set its price too high, they will steal the company’s intellectual property rights.

“In President Biden’s own words, ‘the government reserves the right to ‘march in’ and license that drug to another manufacturer who could sell it for less.’

“To make matters worse, the Biden Administration claims that the authority for this power grab comes from a 1980 law designed to promote the exact opposite outcome. The purpose of the Bayh-Dole Act was to encourage private-public cooperation to drive innovation in medicine – not the other way around.

“The truth is, incentives matter. If Washington bureaucrats get the final say on how American producers market lifesaving cures… then America will cease to be the world-leading hub of medical innovation.

“Why would any entrepreneur invest the time and resources to create a new treatment if the government can simply steal their intellectual property and redistribute it?

“Unsurprisingly, the Biden Administration is still working out the kinks of prescription drug socialism. But the medical innovation sector can’t afford to wait before reconsidering its investments.

“Neither, for that matter, can a whole host of other industries that rely on public-private partnerships.

“Just think about what it could mean in fast-evolving areas of technology.

“Under the model of prescription drug socialism, the Biden Administration is laying the groundwork for government patent seizure on other cutting-edge technologies – from semiconductors to nuclear energy.

“So Mr. President, America’s pipeline of lifesaving cures is the envy of the world. American entrepreneurs and researchers save millions of lives.

“If President Biden wants to march in on this innovation sector, the bright minds behind it just might decide to take their intellectual property and march on out of the American market.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=F0963B20-E11B-4A57-91E0-F60F78E840A6,Republicans Recognize Scope of National Security Threats,2023-12-12,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“This morning, the Senate welcomed Ukraine’s inspirational and determined President Zelensky to the Capitol.

“For nearly two years, the people of Ukraine have defied the world’s expectations. They’ve ground down the world’s second most powerful military. And they’ve confounded Putin’s aggressive imperialist aspirations.

“At every step of the way, America’s commitment and support has provided critical fuel for Ukraine’s resistance and helped European allies wake up from a holiday from history.

“Now, our allies are awake. They’re investing in collective defense.

“And clear majorities of Americans understand the importance of America continuing to lead as the arsenal of democracy.

“I’ve been a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s fight to take back its land, liberate its people, and restore its sovereignty since the beginning of Russia’s invasion way back in 2014.

“Our Ukrainian friends’ cause is just. And if the West continues to stand with them, they can win.

“But let’s be absolutely clear: Ukraine’s cause hasn’t always been popular here in Washington.

“In 2021, Republicans recommended that the Biden Administration step up assistance to help Ukraine deter renewed Russian threats.

“And the Administration seemed to think Ukraine was a frozen conflict, and a distraction from other priorities.

“In early 2022, as the gravity of Putin’s plans came into focus, Republicans urged the President to expedite shipments of critical weapons systems to stop Russia’s advance.

“But his Administration’s unfounded fear of escalating the conflict repeatedly kept decisive capabilities out of Ukrainian hands at critical moments.

“When Russia’s troops crossed the border and the Administration first came to Congress for assistance, it was Republicans who demanded we use emergency funds to pay for the cost of deploying U.S. forces to Europe rather than forcing our military to take these costs out of hide.

“And it was Republicans who demanded that our supplemental appropriations bills include funding to replenish and modernize the stockpiles we were drawing down to support Ukraine.

“Perhaps they expected the war to be over quickly, but the Biden Administration requested neither of these things.

“In fact, when the Senate received the President’s first supplemental request, I called the Democratic Leader and said, ‘Double it.’ He agreed with my suggestion, and that’s precisely what we did.

“Republicans on the Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Appropriations Committees have worked overtime to help equip Ukraine for victory.

“We’ve pushed relentlessly for investments that strengthen our armed forces, degrade our adversaries, and stand firmly with a sovereign democracy against authoritarian aggression – all while expanding our defense industrial capacity and creating American jobs at the very same time.

“We’ve done it because we know that American leadership has ripple effects. Just look at how our European allies are now contributing more to Ukraine than we are… How allies around the world are investing in hard power, and in our collective defense.

“We know that the threats we face are intertwined... That Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea work together to undermine America and the West.

“We know that our border – just like Ukraine’s borders, and Israel’s, and Taiwan’s – must be inviolable.

“That’s why – for months now – we’ve supported supplemental action on all four of the most pressing national security challenges we face.

“My support for Ukraine and Israel is rock-solid. I’m committed to preparing the U.S. military to deter and defend against Chinese aggression. I’m determined to get the national security crisis at our southern border under control.

“And I’m going to work to get it done, as long as it takes.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/senators-paul-markey-celebrate-bipartisan-committee-passage-of-lifesaving-methadone-expansion-legislation/,"Senators Paul, Markey Celebrate Bipartisan Committee Passage of Lifesaving Methadone Expansion Legislation",2023-12-12,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 12, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Senators Paul, Markey Celebrate Bipartisan Committee Passage of Lifesaving Methadone Expansion Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, issued the following statement after the Senate HELP Committee passed the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA), legislation to allow board certified addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry doctors registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe methadone that patients could pick up at a pharmacy. The bipartisan legislation would represent the first major reform to methadone in half a century and is supported by hundreds of clinicians and medical organizations.

“Methadone for opioid use disorder is locked behind arcane laws that criminalize and stigmatize people in recovery. The experts and evidence are clear: this outdated system is costing lives, and we should no longer stand by as outdated federal law keeps people from treatment they need no matter where they live. We are pleased that our colleagues are joining with us in passing the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act. Together, we took an essential step toward reducing stigma, expanding access, and saving lives in communities all across the country. We will keep fighting until theModernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act is signed into law.”

In March, Senators Paul and Markey, along with Representatives Donald Norcross (NJ-01) and Don Bacon (NE-02) introduced their bipartisan and bicameral MOTAA.

The Senate bill is cosponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

You can read the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-celebrates-closing-more-than-1000-constituent-cases-in-first-year-in-congress,"Congressman Morgan McGarvey Celebrates Closing More Than 1,000 Constituent Cases in First Year in Congress",2023-12-11,2023,2023-12,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"LOUISVILLE, KY (December 11, 2023) – Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) announced his office has closed more than 1,000 constituent cases during his first year in Congress.

“We hit the ground running and our office has closed over 1,000 constituent cases and returned more than $3.7 million to Louisvillians in my first year in Congress,”said Rep. McGarvey. “From ensuring Louisvillians receive their hard-earned benefits to getting passports returned in time for family trips, my team is working hard to assist our community. There is nothing more important than helping the people of Louisville.”

For assistance with a federal agency, please visit mcgarvey.house.gov.

###

Congressman Morgan McGarvey represents Kentucky’s Third Congressional District, including Louisville and Jefferson County. He serves on the House Veterans Affairs and House Small Business Committees.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=16E732D3-B7BC-4A13-92A3-1198A0617015,"McConnell Helps Secure Nearly $22 Million for Road Safety Improvements in Lexington, Kentucky",2023-12-11,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the Department of Transportation (DOT) will award Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government $21,720,000 in federal funding to reconstruct a critical roadway in Lexington, Kentucky.

Today’s funding will make several significant upgrades to New Circle Road, the highest fatal and serious injury corridor identified in Lexington’s safety action plan. This three-part project will overhaul the infrastructure of this heavily trafficked artery and implement several changes to improve motorist and pedestrian safety and reduce traffic fatalities.

This federal funding is made possible through DOT’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Funding Opportunity, established in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Senator McConnell led the IIJA to Senate passage two years ago, and the President signed the bill into law. The IIJA gives Kentucky billions of federal dollars over five years to improve the Commonwealth’s roads, bridges, railroads, riverports, airports, broadband, and more.

Senator McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, contacted the Secretary of Transportation in support of Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s competitive federal application.

“Traffic fatalities continue to take a tragic toll on communities across the Commonwealth, especially on New Circle Road in Lexington. Fortunately, we are taking important strides to reduce this deadly trend, and I’m grateful to see today’s significant investment help deploy commonsense safety improvements in the community,” said Senator McConnell. “I supported the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act because of programs like this, which will help improve traffic safety in one of our Commonwealth’s largest cities.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A6FAF340-E9A7-458C-AC9B-B57E82111E61,McConnell Helps Secure Over $7 Million for Road Improvements in Downtown Louisville,2023-12-11,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the Department of Transportation (DOT) will award Louisville Metro Government $7,500,000 in federal funding to improve critical roadways in downtown Louisville.

Today’s funding will help convert several important arteries in downtown Louisville from one-way to two-way streets, increasing access to businesses and residences along these corridors while making other improvements to reduce traffic conflicts and enhance safety.

This federal funding is made possible through DOT’s Safe Streets and Roads Program, which was established in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Senator McConnell led the IIJA to Senate passage two years ago, and the President signed the bill into law. The IIJA gives Kentucky billions of federal dollars over five years to improve the Commonwealth’s roads, bridges, railroads, riverports, airports, broadband, and more.

Senator McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, contacted the Secretary of Transportation in support of Louisville Metro Government’s competitive federal application.

“Like many growing American cities, Louisville is familiar with the cost that inefficient, backed-up roads can have on residents, commuters, families, and businesses alike. Unfortunately, busy roads can also lead to dangerous and sometimes deadly situations. While Kentuckians still experience far too many traffic fatalities, I’m grateful to see today’s significant investment go toward reducing this deadly trend,” said Senator McConnell. “I supported the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act because of grants like this, which will help improve the safety of our roads in Kentucky’s largest city.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=9719B339-4F19-46B9-8C72-B219377A219F,Congressman Rogers Keynotes Deployment Ceremony in Monticello,2023-12-09,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"MONTICELLO, Ky. -- U.S. Rep. Harold ""Hal"" Rogers (KY-05) joined local leaders, family and friends at Wayne County High School in Monticello, Kentucky on Saturday to salute 79 soldiers who are deploying to Southwest Asia this holiday season. In total, 300 Soldiers from the 1-623rd Field Artillery (FA) will deploy from Kentucky to support the U.S. Army Central Command's Operation Spartan Shield to maintain and strengthen partnerships with regional allies. They have trained for over a year to prepare for this deployment.

""Nothing gives me greater pride than returning to the armory where I first enlisted to serve my country, and seeing the next generation of warfighters and defenders standing strong to answer the call of duty,"" said Congressman Rogers, Dean of the House and a veteran of the Kentucky National Guard's 623rd. ""These soldiers have provided invaluable support during recent natural disasters across the Commonwealth, and now they will use their skill and training for this key mission overseas. They are not only highly trained to be a part of Task Force Spartan, but they are equipped with the most high-tech artillery and intelligence that this nation can provide. What better soldiers to guard our assets around the globe, to protect freedom and liberty for our nation and our friends abroad, than the brave members of the Kentucky National Guard?""

Task Force Spartan is a unique, multi-component organization made up of active Army, National Guard, U.S Army Reserve units. Since 2011, Operation Spartan Shield, Task Force Spartan has maintained U.S. military presence in Southwest Asia where they have been involved in a range of military activities aimed at promoting regional security and stability.

""I salute our Kentucky soldiers and their families for sacrificing so much for our nation throughout the year, and especially during the holidays,"" said Congressman Rogers.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=DC109123-E15E-46CA-B577-2AA4A1FEDC59,Congressman Rogers Delivers New Books to the Wayne County Library,2023-12-09,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"MONTICELLO, KY -- Last Christmas Eve, the Wayne County Library was flooded by 5,000 gallons of water after a main water line burst. More than 3,000 books were damaged by the water that spilled into the library from the ceiling. On Saturday, Congressman Hal Rogers helped replace the ruined books with a special Christmas delivery from the Library of Congress.

""During this season of giving, it's an honor to put books back into the hands of children and adults in Wayne County,"" said Congressman Rogers, a Wayne County native. ""As soon as I heard about my hometown library losing thousands of books, I contacted the Library of Congress to help replace as many books as possible. There is nothing sweeter than seeing our children's imagination light up as they turn the pages of a good book.""

The Library of Congress maintains a collection of more than 100 million items, including books, transcripts, and the Congressional Record. The nation's official library donates surplus books to eligible organizations and institutions, including schools, libraries, museums, government entities and nonprofit organizations that maintain a library or research center.

""On behalf of the Library’s patrons, staff, and board of trustees, we thank Congressman Rogers for his most generous donation of two-thousand children’s and young adult books to our collection. In the wake of this year’s flood-related losses, his support has not only expedited our recovery efforts, but has also granted us an opportunity to put new and exciting titles into the hands of developing readers,"" said Logan Anderson, Library Director. ""Wayne County’s young learners will enjoy these books for many years to come. Thank you, Congressman Rogers, for helping us to promote literacy and a love of reading among the young people in our community.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarveys-statement-on-planned-parenthoods-lawsuit-to-restore-abortion-rights-in-kentucky,Congressman Morgan McGarvey’s Statement on Planned Parenthood’s Lawsuit to Restore Abortion Rights in Kentucky,2023-12-08,2023,2023-12,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"LOUISVILLE, KY (December 08, 2023) – Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) released the following statement in support of Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit to restore abortion rights in Kentucky:

“Hope has been rekindled for countless Kentuckians who, for much of the last 18 months, have been forced to live without the long held right to bodily autonomy and healthcare, sometimes lifesaving healthcare, without recourse. Today, Kentuckians got their recourse, thanks to the courage of a Jane Doe — whose privacy, like any other patient of our healthcare system, must be respected.

""Since the fall of Roe, Kentucky's draconian abortion ban has created second-class citizenship for half our commonwealth and caused undue suffering for women in need. It is beyond time to restore equal rights under the law.

This is a great day for Kentucky. And if the court strikes down this cruel law, which I believe it should, today will be remembered as a historic turning point toward freedom.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/icymi-dr-rand-paul-forces-u-s-senate-vote-on-war-powers-resolution-concerning-u-s-troops-in-syria/,ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Forces U.S. Senate Vote on War Powers Resolution Concerning U.S. Troops in Syria,2023-12-08,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 8, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Forces U.S. Senate Vote on War Powers Resolution Concerning U.S. Troops in Syria

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, as a continuation of his efforts to return war powers to Congress and end the American military presence in Syria, which needlessly puts our troops’ lives in danger and risks further escalation of conflict in the Middle East, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) forced the U.S. Senate to vote on his War Powers Resolution (S.J. Res. 51). His resolution directed the president to remove all U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in and affecting Syria within 30 days of its enactment. Dr. Paul’s resolution was co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and JD Vance (R-OH).

“Keeping 900 U.S. troops in Syria does nothing to advance American security. Rather, our intervention puts those servicemembers at grave risk by providing an enticing target for Iranian-backed militias,” said Dr. Paul. “Our continued presence risks the United States getting dragged into yet another regional war in the Middle East without debate or a vote by the people’s representatives in Congress. Congress must cease abdicating its constitutional war powers to the executive branch.”

A bipartisan group of 13 Senators voted for Dr. Paul’s resolution.

You can read the full text of Dr. Paul’s Syria War Powers Resolution HERE, and watch Dr. Paul’s floor speech ahead of the vote HERE.

Although Congress never authorized the use of military force in Syria, the Biden Administration maintains 900 troops there. These troops are vulnerable to attacks by state and non-state actors as is tragically evident by recent weeks. Since Hamas’ reprehensible October 7th attack on Israel, our troops in Syria and Iraq have been attacked at least 76 times. According to the Pentagon, a total of 59 U.S. military personnel were injured in these attacks. Of those injured, 32 were at al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria, where our soldiers suffered various injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.

In September 2014, the Obama administration initiated U.S. military operations in Syria without congressional authorization. By 2017, the Pentagon revealed that 2,000 U.S. troops were deployed to Syria. The mission outlined in Operation Inherent Resolve to degrade and destroy ISIS was achieved in 2019 when the ISIS caliphate was eradicated. Four years later, 900 U.S. troops remain in Syria, with no clear objective, no definition of victory, no exit strategy, and no authorization from Congress to engage in hostilities there.

There is wide support for Dr. Paul’s Syria War Powers Resolution:

“We owe our soldiers serving there in harm’s way a serious debate about whether their mission is, in fact, achievable. Absent a debate and authorization of such a mission, our troops should be removed. Consideration of S.J. Res. 51 is an important opportunity for the Senate to take a step towards that necessary outcome,”saidRobert S. Ford, Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria and Political Counselor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

“We should only risk the well-being of our troops in conflicts overseas that our nation deemed worthy of such an enormous sacrifice. Under our Constitution, that decision should only be made by Congress. Unfortunately, none of this has happened with regards to the endless war and occupation of Syria. We are grateful that Senator Paul is once again requiring his colleagues to do their duty and cast a vote on these life and-death matters for our troops. While this is the first vote on Syria in the Senate, it is the fourth vote in Congress in just over two years, and pressure will only continue to grow until this endless war is brought to a close,” said Erik Sperling, Executive Director of Pro-Diplomacy Advocacy Group at Just Foreign Policy.

“The United States has been fighting the same undeclared war in Iraq and Syria for decades. This is a flagrant abuse of the Constitutional separation of powers and we wholeheartedly support Sen. Paul’s effort to return us to the proper order,” said Jim Hanson, Executive Director of America Matters.

“It is a national disgrace that the Biden Administration has left our troops in Syria to serve as soft targets for those looking to punish the United States in service of an ill-defined mission that has no connection to our safety or national interest. Five years after the destruction of ISIS’s territorial caliphate and with the Department of Defense admitting that the scattered remnants of ISIS are in “survival mode,” it is past time for our troops to come home from Syria. Citizens for Renewing America is proud to support Senator Rand Paul’s War Powers Resolution mandating the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and we urge the Senate to pass this critical piece of legislation,” said Wade Miller, Executive Director of Citizens for Renewing America.

“The Biden Administration’s deployment of nearly 900 US troops in Syria, facing 76 attacks since October 7, 2023, without specific congressional authorization or clear objectives raises concerns about constitutional checks and balances. While the President holds the role of Commander-in-Chief, Congress’s authority to declare war or sanction troop placement is vital. Senator Rand Paul’s Syria War Powers Resolution (S.J. Res. 51) aims to restore this balance, preventing an unchecked concentration of power in the Executive branch. Supporting the resolution is crucial for upholding constitutional principles amid complex geopolitical challenges,” said George Landrith, President of Frontiers of Freedom Institute.

“A debate really needs to happen about ‘why are we in Syria?’ and ‘what threat to the U.S. homeland do the groups we are fighting pose?’ The U.S. has been engaged in these wars for two decades and Congress has been derelict in its duties while the executive branch has vastly expanded these wars. So Sen. Paul’s War Powers Resolution is one of the few vehicles that serves to force Congress to take a vote,”said Heather Brandon-Smith, Legislative Director for Militarism and Human Rights for the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

“The Greater Middle East is a region beset with ancient ethnic rivalries and societal challenges that Washington D.C. has tried to fix, with both unlimited money and unlimited force, and have failed repeatedly, simply because it cannot be fixed top-down with big external and governmental interventions. It is also a region where at times the concepts of order and democracy are opposed to each other, and is a region of declining geo-political importance for the U.S. Whatever local threats from terrorism that remain in the region, are not existential to the U.S., compared to, say, the unsustainable trillions of dollars of American debt. Nothing warrants an American forward presence, in Syria or beyond. Washington should therefore narrow its priorities, and focus very narrowly on free shipping and trade routes and limited over-the-horizon counter-terrorism missions, as and when necessary, and otherwise leave the region to find its natural equilibrium. There are far greater future concerns, both strategic and social, elsewhere,” said Dr. Sumantra Maitra, Senior Fellow at the Center for Renewing America and Senior Editor of the American Conservative.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=D61A473B-CF24-4332-BBA4-142E8B51D091,"Reps. Rogers, Cartwright Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Rural Communities",2023-12-07,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Hal Rogers (KY-05) and Matt Cartwright (PA-08) introduced the Transforming Hiring in Rural Industries and Vital Economies (THRIVE) Act, legislation that would strengthen and create new economic opportunities in rural areas.

This bipartisan bill would permanently establish a federal interagency council to coordinate investment in our nation’s rural areas, ensuring that the federal government maximizes its investments in rural communities. The council would be directed to ensure that federal dollars go towards a wide range of needs of rural communities, including conservation of agricultural and working lands, improvement of online educational resources for teachers and students, strengthening rural broadband, improvements to transportation, and other key priorities.

“Rural America deserves a prominent council in Washington that will advocate for the incredible workforce, natural resources and abundance of opportunities we have to offer,” said Congressman Rogers, Dean of the House. “I’m pleased that this legislation will bring together key decisionmakers to prioritize rural needs across various federal agencies to ensure investments are maximized for the benefit of our communities most in-need. I’m honored to join my friend across the aisle, Congressman Cartwright, to champion this important legislation for our rural regions.""

“Rural communities deserve a seat at the table,” said Rep. Cartwright. “I’m proud to join my Republican colleague Representative Hal Rogers in this bipartisan effort to make sure that the federal government gives rural communities every opportunity for growth and economic development.”

The full text of the legislation can be found HERE.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=598C49E7-0C7D-41EE-9328-A13A9C57A8EF,Senate Must Not Allow Retreat In Face Of Terror,2023-12-07,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Syria war powers resolution vote:

“This morning, the Senate will vote on a resolution calling for the withdrawal of American military forces from Syria.

“Passage of such a resolution would be a gift to Iran and its terrorist network. Driving American forces from the Middle East is exactly what they would like to see.

“Adopting this short-sighted measure would wreck America’s credibility in the region.

“It would encourage Iran’s proxies to open a northern front in the territorial war against Israel. And it would invite America’s adversaries to challenge our military presence throughout the world.

“Back in 2019, as our colleagues may recall, the Senate went on the record about the wisdom of withdrawing prematurely from Syria and Afghanistan.

“At that time, the vast majority of us rejected such a retreat. And those who didn’t have since watched President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Putin’s escalation against Ukraine, China’s growing challenge to international peace and stability, and Iran’s glaring threat to America and Israel.

“Today is the 82nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor. It’s a day to remember the cost of being caught on our heels.

“A vote in favor of this resolution is a vote for retreat in the face of terror.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A62B7B25-5787-4A7C-91F9-9A5DE9DD2A61,White House’s ‘Word Of The Year’ Is Crushing Working Americans,2023-12-07,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Bidenomics:

“Working Americans can’t seem to catch a break from Bidenomics.

“Washington Democrats’ spending sprees on President Biden’s watch have driven inflation up 17.6%. And the effects are becoming inescapable.

“In my home state, many small business owners have been forced to raise their prices to keep up with rising costs.

“As one shop owner in Lexington put it, ‘I make food and chocolates and all the ingredients have gone up.’

“’I’ve been battling with increasing my prices,’ he said, ‘which I don’t want to do.’

“Just like in cities and towns across the country, small businesses in Lexington are facing declining foot traffic…

“Which might have something to do with consumers’ shrinking paychecks. Inflation is eating away at people’s savings.

“By one estimate, the average American family would need an extra $11,400 a year just to maintain the standard of living they had when President Biden took office. And needless to say, folks on fixed incomes are among the hardest hit.

“One sixty-eight-year-old retiree in western Massachusetts summed up his struggle to make ends meet in the Biden economy:

“‘You get your check and then you have to sit there … like ‘What am I going to pay out? Am I going to get food or lose my electricity? … I can’t spend nothing anymore. I have to pay rent, utilities, food, medicine.’

“This is what the American people are up against. This is everyday life under Bidenomics.

“Bizarrely, the Biden Administration still seems to hold its favorite phrase in high esteem. The White House Press Secretary called Bidenomics, ‘the word of the year’.

“Well, working Americans feel quite differently. And the President’s hometown is no exception. As one resident of Scranton, Pennsylvania reported recently, ‘everything’s going up except paychecks.’”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=BC5E6B0C-EB97-417E-AB88-7EE4CB3C8EE4,Time To Deliver On National Security Priorities At Home And Abroad,2023-12-07,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“Yesterday, every single Senate Republican rejected the Democratic Leader’s attempt to separate border security from national security. As we’ve said for weeks, that was a futile effort that was doomed to fail from the very beginning.

“Hopefully, the Senate can now seize a new opportunity to make real progress on legislation that addresses urgent national security priorities – both at home and abroad.

“So let’s establish a few things going forward:

“It is profoundly unserious to pretend that national security priorities don’t include securing our nation’s borders…

“To warn about borders in jeopardy and not start with the one that’s being overrun here at home…

“To invoke threats facing sovereign nations without a clear plan to uphold America’s own sovereignty.

“Mr. President, I’m not in need of any lectures about on the gravity of the challenges facing national security today.

“I don’t need any admonishments about what’s at stake for America and our allies in Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression.

“I’m well aware that the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism remains undeterred from trying to kill Americans in the Middle East.

“And I certainly have not forgotten that China – our top strategic adversary – is watching what we do very closely.

“Instead, unfortunately, it’s been the Biden Administration – including our Commander-in-Chief – who have all too often needed reminders about the responsibilities of a global superpower. From Europe to the Middle East, the Administration has reached new heights of self-deterrence.

“With Putin’s forces massing on the borders of Ukraine, the Administration slow-walked lethal assistance. As the Russian offensive unfolded, they held back the most decisive capabilities Ukraine needed out of an unfounded fear of escalation.

“And even with further security assistance hanging in the balance, the Biden Administration has been very slow to sell this urgent measure – and its massive domestic benefits – to the American people.

“From the outset, the Biden Administration resumed the Obama-era efforts to reset relations with Tehran and removed the Iran-backed Houthis from the terrorism list.

“It is no surprise that Iran has thumbed its nose at these displays of weakness. It’s no surprise that U.S. personnel are facing a spike in terrorist attacks, from Iraq and Syria to the Red Sea. But the Administration continues to pull its punches.

“And meanwhile, Republicans have spent years urging the Administration to start performing even the bare minimum of its fundamental responsibility to secure our southern border and enforce our nation’s laws.

“Right now, the crisis created by the Biden Administration’s neglect is bringing illegal aliens to the United States at a rate of 300,000 a month.

“That’s roughly the population of Lexington, Kentucky, arriving every month. And thanks to an asylum and parole system that desperately needs fixing, many of them are just brought straight in.

“I know many of our Democratic colleagues recognize the urgency of this crisis. I know many of them are ready to help restore sanity at our southern border.

“Well, Senator Lankford, Senator Graham, and other Republican colleagues are still working hard to do exactly that. And there’s no time like the present to join them in those efforts.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-to-force-u-s-senate-vote-on-war-powers-resolution-concerning-u-s-troops-in-syria/,Dr. Rand Paul to Force U.S. Senate Vote on War Powers Resolution Concerning U.S. Troops in Syria,2023-12-07,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 7, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Rand Paul to Force U.S. Senate Vote on War Powers Resolution Concerning U.S. Troops in Syria

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, as a continuation of his efforts to return war powers to Congress and end the American military presence in Syria, which needlessly puts our troops’ lives in danger and risks further escalation of conflict in the Middle East, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) will force the U.S. Senate to vote on his War Powers Resolution (S.J. Res. 51). His resolution directs the president to remove all U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in and affecting Syria within 30 days of its enactment. Dr. Paul’s resolution is currently co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and JD Vance (R-OH).

“Keeping 900 U.S. troops in Syria does nothing to advance American security. Rather, our intervention puts those servicemembers at grave risk by providing an enticing target for Iranian-backed militias,” said Dr. Paul. “Our continued presence risks the United States getting dragged into yet another regional war in the Middle East without debate or a vote by the people’s representatives in Congress. Congress must cease abdicating its constitutional war powers to the executive branch.”

Dr. Paul is expected to speak on the Senate floor at around 11:00 a.m. ET, you can watch his remarks HERE.

You can read the full text of Dr. Paul’s Syria War Powers Resolution HERE.

Although Congress never authorized the use of military force in Syria, the Biden Administration maintains 900 troops there. These troops are vulnerable to attacks by state and non-state actors as is tragically evident by recent weeks. Since Hamas’ reprehensible October 7th attack on Israel, our troops in Syria and Iraq have been attacked at least 76 times. According to the Pentagon, a total of 59 U.S. military personnel were injured in these attacks. Of those injured, 32 were at al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria, where our soldiers suffered various injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.

In September 2014, the Obama administration initiated U.S. military operations in Syria without congressional authorization. By 2017, the Pentagon revealed that 2,000 U.S. troops were deployed to Syria. The mission outlined in Operation Inherent Resolve to degrade and destroy ISIS was achieved in 2019 when the ISIS caliphate was eradicated. Four years later, 900 U.S. troops remain in Syria, with no clear objective, no definition of victory, no exit strategy, and no authorization from Congress to engage in hostilities there.

There is wide support for Dr. Paul’s Syria War Powers Resolution:

“We owe our soldiers serving there in harm’s way a serious debate about whether their mission is, in fact, achievable. Absent a debate and authorization of such a mission, our troops should be removed. Consideration of S.J. Res. 51 is an important opportunity for the Senate to take a step towards that necessary outcome,”saidRobert S. Ford, Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria and Political Counselor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

“We should only risk the well-being of our troops in conflicts overseas that our nation deemed worthy of such an enormous sacrifice. Under our Constitution, that decision should only be made by Congress. Unfortunately, none of this has happened with regards to the endless war and occupation of Syria. We are grateful that Senator Paul is once again requiring his colleagues to do their duty and cast a vote on these life and-death matters for our troops. While this is the first vote on Syria in the Senate, it is the fourth vote in Congress in just over two years, and pressure will only continue to grow until this endless war is brought to a close,” said Erik Sperling, Executive Director of Pro-Diplomacy Advocacy Group at Just Foreign Policy.

“The United States has been fighting the same undeclared war in Iraq and Syria for decades. This is a flagrant abuse of the Constitutional separation of powers and we wholeheartedly support Sen. Paul’s effort to return us to the proper order,” said Jim Hanson, Executive Director of America Matters.

“It is a national disgrace that the Biden Administration has left our troops in Syria to serve as soft targets for those looking to punish the United States in service of an ill-defined mission that has no connection to our safety or national interest. Five years after the destruction of ISIS’s territorial caliphate and with the Department of Defense admitting that the scattered remnants of ISIS are in “survival mode,” it is past time for our troops to come home from Syria. Citizens for Renewing America is proud to support Senator Rand Paul’s War Powers Resolution mandating the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and we urge the Senate to pass this critical piece of legislation,” said Wade Miller, Executive Director of Citizens for Renewing America.

“The Biden Administration’s deployment of nearly 900 US troops in Syria, facing 76 attacks since October 7, 2023, without specific congressional authorization or clear objectives raises concerns about constitutional checks and balances. While the President holds the role of Commander-in-Chief, Congress’s authority to declare war or sanction troop placement is vital. Senator Rand Paul’s Syria War Powers Resolution (S.J. Res. 51) aims to restore this balance, preventing an unchecked concentration of power in the Executive branch. Supporting the resolution is crucial for upholding constitutional principles amid complex geopolitical challenges,” said George Landrith, President of Frontiers of Freedom Institute.

“A debate really needs to happen about ‘why are we in Syria?’ and ‘what threat to the U.S. homeland do the groups we are fighting pose?’ The U.S. has been engaged in these wars for two decades and Congress has been derelict in its duties while the executive branch has vastly expanded these wars. So Sen. Paul’s War Powers Resolution is one of the few vehicles that serves to force Congress to take a vote,”said Heather Brandon-Smith, Legislative Director for Militarism and Human Rights for the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

“The Greater Middle East is a region beset with ancient ethnic rivalries and societal challenges that Washington D.C. has tried to fix, with both unlimited money and unlimited force, and have failed repeatedly, simply because it cannot be fixed top-down with big external and governmental interventions. It is also a region where at times the concepts of order and democracy are opposed to each other, and is a region of declining geo-political importance for the U.S. Whatever local threats from terrorism that remain in the region, are not existential to the U.S., compared to, say, the unsustainable trillions of dollars of American debt. Nothing warrants an American forward presence, in Syria or beyond. Washington should therefore narrow its priorities, and focus very narrowly on free shipping and trade routes and limited over-the-horizon counter-terrorism missions, as and when necessary, and otherwise leave the region to find its natural equilibrium. There are far greater future concerns, both strategic and social, elsewhere,” said Dr. Sumantra Maitra, Senior Fellow at the Center for Renewing America and Senior Editor of the American Conservative.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=4C796D44-1294-4C12-B011-FCE324B96C91,Congressman Rogers Reintroduces Black Lung Bill Named for Whitley County Coal Miner,2023-12-06,2023,2023-12,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) and U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expedite approved benefits from the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund for coal miners with black lung disease. The John ""J.L."" White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act is named in memory of a former coal miner from Williamsburg, Kentucky who passed away before receiving the benefits he was approved for.

""Mr. White's story is far too common. Fighting black lung disease can be a costly burden after many years of hard work, and our coal miners shouldn't have to fight through red tape while fighting for their lives,"" said Congressman Rogers, Dean of the House. ""I was honored to help J.L's family finally receive the benefits he rightfully earned to pay his medical expenses, but unfortunately, he never got to see the first check. That's why I keep pushing for this legislation, which will allow the trust fund to help black lung patients in waiting.""

This bill would ensure former coal miners who have met the Department of Labor’s (DoL) medical eligibility requirements can begin receiving payments from the trust fund 60 days after approval, while the DoL continues its diligent, and often lengthy work, to determine the responsible payer.

Medicare coverage for disabled coal miners with black lung disease ceases for some medical services and prescriptions, like inhalers, even though the miners have not yet started receiving payments, making this bill a critical fix.

“Coal miners who have developed black lung disease do not have the luxury to wait for their benefits from the Black Lung Disability Fund,” said Congressman Bishop. “This important legislation will help ensure that coal miners now, and in the future, will be able to receive the assistance they need in a timely manner so that they will not have to face lengthy delays like John White did. I commend my friend and colleague Hal Rogers for his outstanding bipartisan leadership on this vital issue.”

Liable companies will be responsible for reimbursing the trust fund, providing longevity to this important fund. If a liable company is not found, the miner would continue to receive benefits from the trust fund.

White’s daughter, Johnna Robinson, says her dad was recruited to the coal mines as a highly skilled dozer operator, and quickly worked his way up the ranks.

""This bill will ensure that these miners in need receive their benefits in a timely manner. My Dad loved coal mining, but nothing frustrated him more than red-tape and policies that protected larger corporations at the expense of hard-working men and women,"" said Robinson. ""He would be so honored to know about this bill, and how it could be a help and benefit to miners in need. To have this bill named for him means so much to our family because it means that the legacy and passions of our family patriarch, John L. White, can live on and remind us how blessed we all were to have him in our lives.""

Since 1973, the Department of Labor has received more than 119,000 black lung claims in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which is the third highest in the country.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-introduces-bill-to-crack-down-on-labor-rights-violations,Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Labor Rights Violations,2023-12-06,2023,2023-12,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 06, 2023) – Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) introduced the Workers Protecting Our Wage Earners’ Rights Act, or Workers POWER Act, alongside Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Education & Workforce Committee, Congressional Labor Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-01), and Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35). The bill will equip the Department of Labor with the resources needed to tackle federal labor law violations including child labor, wage theft, and workplace health and safety violations.

“Everyday working people are the ones who power this country, and they deserve to work with dignity, free from concerns of stolen wages or having their health and safety put at risk,” said Rep. Morgan McGarvey. “This bill creates a better future for our country’s workers by empowering the Department of Labor to crack down on bad actors engaging in conduct ranging from child labor violations to wage theft. I’m proud to lead my colleagues in the fight to prevent our workers from being exploited and will continue working to ensure every worker in our country makes good wages and has safe working conditions.”

The Workers POWER Act grew out of a federal investigation into several Louisville McDonald’s which were found in violation of child labor law and fined $212K by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. The investigators uncovered numerous violations, including 305 minors working illegally and two 10-year-old children working as late as 2:00 a.m. Despite the best efforts of the hardworking federal investigators, reports of child labor have continued to make headlines while staffing shortages at the Wage and Hour Division remain pertinent due to underfunding.

This legislation improves the pipeline, capacity, and resources into the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). To do so, the legislation seeks to increase the slots in pipeline programs, incentivize recruitment and retention, promote reports on the needs of the Department of Labor to best enforce labor laws, and create a grant program to states to increase labor violations enforcement.

“The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are an essential line of defense against wage theft, abusive child labor, and unsafe workplaces. Regrettably, these agencies and their staff have been left without the resources and support they need to fulfill DOL’s promise to workers. This is particularly dangerous at a time when unscrupulous employers are robbing workers of hard-earned pay and there is a surge in horrific incidents of child labor and workplace injuries and deaths,” said Ranking Member Scott. “The Workers POWER Act would help ensure that WHD and OSHA have access to a strong pipeline of talent and can provide their staff with the support they deserve. We must invest in the individuals who dedicate themselves to protecting the rights and safety of American workers.”

“No worker should be subjected to unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. As a former electrician, I saw many friends and coworkers seriously injured and killed on the job due to dangerous and exploitative working conditions,” said Congressman Norcross, co-chair of the Labor Caucus. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Workers POWER Act to empower the Department of Labor with the tools and resources it needs to enforce federal labor laws, protect workers, and crack down on exploitative labor practices. The health and safety of America’s workers remains one of my top priorities in Congress, and I will continue to work with both sides of the aisle to keep them safe and healthy.”

“Right now, people are being forced to work unsafe and dangerous jobs by some of the biggest corporations across the country,” said Congressman Casar. “We must increase the Department of Labor’s resources to help them tackle the increasing number of labor violations, hold these big corporations accountable, and protect U.S. workers for the long haul.”

“Our labor laws are only meaningful when we adequately fund the agencies that oversee enforcement,” said USW International President David McCall. “The USW commends Rep. McGarvey and his Workers POWER Act, which would finally give the Department of Labor and its state partners the resources they need to protect workers from employers who seek to exploit or endanger them.”

""Working people should not have to compromise when it comes to safety on the job,” William Samuel, AFL-CIO Government Affairs Director. “The Workers POWER Act will bolster the Department of Labor's resources, staffing and enforcement capabilities. This legislation is long overdue and absolutely necessary to prevent unacceptable labor violations like wage theft, child labor, and occupational hazards. We urge legislators to pass this critical bill to create specialized positions and allocate grants to states, all of which are necessary to protect American workers and ensure stronger enforcement of federal labor laws.""

“Labor laws without proper enforcement are as good as the paper they’re written on. The Workers POWER Act will empower workers across the country by giving the Department of Labor the resources it needs to enforce labor law to the fullest extent,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone. “Labor violations impact workers in every single district of this country while major corporations continue to profit. It is high-time to increase the number of trained investigators that our members need to stay safe from both injuries and substandard employers. We applaud Rep. McGarvey for giving the Department of Labor and its agencies the tools to fight back against widespread labor problems that continue to plague this country, such as wage theft, workplace safety, and violations of child labor laws.”

“SMART members know as well as anyone that rules and regulations designed to protect workers are only effective when they are enforced – and that’s especially true when it comes to labor law,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “As child labor law violations skyrocket, and as workers continue to organize in the face of well-documented violations of federal law, it is more crucial than ever that the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has the funding and staffing needed to protect working Americans and their families. SMART strongly supports the Workers POWER Act, and we encourage all pro-worker members of Congress to sign onto this commonsense legislation.”

“The Child Labor Coalition is delighted that Rep. McGarvey has introduced legislation, the Workers POWER Act, to help the Department of Labor increase its inspectorate. We’ve seen a huge increase in hazardous child labor this year and last. With less than 800 inspectors for 11 million workplaces, the Wage and Hour Division must have additional resources as it works to protect vulnerable teen workers. We believe that the U.S. needs at least 1500 labor inspectors, a doubling of current levels. We thank Rep. McGarvey and other original cosponsors for this nuanced, well-designed legislation,” said Reid Maki, coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition and the director of child labor advocacy for the National Consumers League.

The Workers POWER Act is endorsed by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Postal Workers Union (APWU), Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Media Voices for Children, National Child Labor Coalition, National Consumers League, National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), United Steelworkers (USW), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

The bill text can be found HERE.

A section-by-section breakdown of the bill text can be found HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=10957014-0498-45EB-B34D-17DA7E248538,McConnell Statement On Speaker Kevin McCarthy,2023-12-06,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding Speaker Kevin McCarthy:

“Long before he became the 55th Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy was already living the American Dream. He was already a small business owner, the grandson of immigrants, and a proud son of Bakersfield, California. And his patriotic ideals and fighting spirit had already made him a natural leader among his colleagues in Congress.

“I am grateful for the boundless optimism that Speaker McCarthy brought to our shared work on behalf of our party and the American people. Each of these qualities proved invaluable as we took on the most pressing challenges facing our nation with a united front.

“After 17 years of service, Speaker McCarthy can depart Congress with pride in what he and his conference have achieved for the nation. I am confident that his next chapter will be every bit as impressive as the last one.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=331C9323-752D-47A4-AB3D-A622FBC96294,Biden Admin. Radical Climate Agenda Still Hammering Kentucky,2023-12-06,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Democrats’ ‘War on Coal’:

“For millions of Americans, expensive heating bills and rolling blackouts are quickly becoming the hallmark of the holiday season under President Biden.

“So, it came as no small surprise when the Biden Administration’s climate czar, John Kerry, proclaimed this week that no coal plants should be ‘permitted anywhere in the world.’

“Our former colleague may have bought himself applause from the jet-set crowd assembled at the conference. But his ban on coal would make energy even less reliable and affordable here at home.

“As my colleague from West Virginia, Senator Capito, pointed out yesterday, many states in Middle America still rely on coal to keep the lights on. Kentucky, West Virginia, Wyoming, Missouri, Utah, North Dakota, Indiana, and Nebraska all use coal to generate over 50 percent of their electricity.

“President Biden’s handling of the economy is turning in dismal marks from working Americans. But the climate activists in this Administration continue to wage war on the most affordable forms of American energy they rely on.

“Unfortunately, Middle America is used to footing the bill for Washington’s radical climate agenda. For eight years under President Obama, Kentucky watched the ‘War on Coal’ kill jobs and cripple communities across Appalachia.

“These same communities continue to pay dearly under President Biden. Kentucky coal miner employment has never recovered from the Obama-era coal purge.

“Hasty plans to phase out fossil fuels only force more miners into early retirement in Kentucky and threaten the livelihood of Middle America.

“And the sort of power grid failures we’ve seen in California, Texas, and Kentucky, will become even more common if Democrats’ full-speed-ahead climate strategy continues.

“Meanwhile, our top strategic adversary is scaling up coal production. Despite the Biden Administration’s pleading, China continues to forge ahead with new coal projects and resurrect retired plants. Time and again, the President’s climate czar has happily accepted empty climate pledges from our adversaries at the expense of American jobs and job creators.

“So, Democrats can repeat their tired green energy talking points until the cows come home. But the reality for Americans is all the same: less reliable and more expensive energy this winter.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarveys-statement-on-voting-present-on-hres-894,Congressman Morgan McGarvey’s Statement on Voting Present on H.Res. 894,2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 05, 2023) – Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) released the following statement after voting present on Republican-led H.Res. 894:

“Today, for the first time in 11 years of serving in public office, I voted present on a bill. I voted present today not because I’m undecided on the question of antisemitism - I condemn antisemitism wholeheartedly and in all its forms - but because I could not in good conscience vote for a partisan resolution designed exclusively to score political points rather than address antisemitism. Just last week, I joined my colleagues in a nearly unanimous bipartisan vote affirming Israel’s right to exist and condemning antisemitic attacks on Israel; but with the rise of antisemitism across the country, we have to get this right, and I do not believe the resolution we voted on today was right. It did not receive the endorsement of the bipartisan Antisemitism Task Force, and it came to the floor without a single Democratic cosponsor. I agree wholeheartedly with what Representatives Jerry Nadler, Jamie Raskin, Dan Goldman said of this resolution: ‘The threat of antisemitism and the safety of Jewish lives is not a game. It is beneath the dignity of Congress and it is an affront to Jews everywhere to treat rising antisemitism as an opportunity to create partisan division with conceptual confusion’. I’m appalled that Republican leadership chose to play political games with such a serious issue. I will continue fighting for Congress to address antisemitism seriously.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=2EE9EC61-AC8C-4086-BA06-54132746B8DF,National Security Threats Not Waiting For Democrats To Get Serious,2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“The Senate has spent months considering supplemental action to meet serious, connected threats to America’s national security.

“As I’ve said from the outset, our work needs to address four urgent challenges: Putin’s war on a sovereign democracy in Europe, the terror campaign against Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle East, China’s aggressive escalation against Taiwan and peaceful nations in the Indo-Pacific, and the Biden Administration’s continuing failure to contend with the crisis at our southern border.

“Senate Republicans’ focus on securing the border didn’t just begin this fall. We’ve watched for three years as the border descended into chaos on President Biden’s watch. And for three years, we’ve urged his Administration to fulfill even its most basic responsibility to enforce our immigration laws.

“Anyone who suggests that Senate Republicans are injecting the issue of border security into this discussion at the last minute either isn’t serious or isn’t paying attention.

“Continuing to pretend that upholding American sovereignty is any less urgent than helping our allies and partners defend theirs is reckless.

“Borders in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are every bit as inviolable as those in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific.

“And the sooner our Democratic colleagues realize it, the sooner we can deliver on urgent national security priorities.

“Needless to say, America’s adversaries aren’t waiting for us to get serious about our own security. In the South China Sea, for example, the PRC is increasingly using aggressive posturing and outright force to disrupt peace, stability, and lawful maritime commerce.

“Beijing now greets lawful passage in international waters with threatening, unsafe conduct and hyperventilating bluster and continues to undermine the long-established territorial claims of sovereign nations throughout southeast Asia.

“Unfortunately, China is not the only adversary stepping up its aggression in the maritime domain.

“Iran and its network of terrorists continue to illustrate the failures of the Biden Administration’s deterrence in dangerous detail. On Sunday, a U.S. Navy destroyer and Israeli-flagged commercial vessels came under fire from the same Houthi rebels this Administration had inexplicably taken off its list of terror organizations when it took office as a concession to Iran.

“Of course, terrorist violence at sea is only the latest in a laundry list of Iran-backed attempts to kill Americans in region since October 7th. At least 77 times now, Tehran’s proxies have used lethal force against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria.

“By any objective standard, the Biden Administration’s response has been woefully inadequate. Tehran remains demonstrably undeterred. As President Obama’s former Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, put it last week, ‘I would be much more aggressive’.

“So, effective deterrence requires both capabilities and credibility. And America can’t hope to deter our adversaries if we signal hesitation and fear of escalation.

“Consider the enemy we’re up against. One of Hamas’ top terrorists in Gaza told the media recently: the slaughter of Israelis on October 7th was, ‘just a rehearsal’. A bloody rehearsal that left 1,200 innocent people dead and hundreds more in terrorist captivity.

“These savages mean what they say about erasing Israel from the map. But this is not just Israel’s fight.

“Today, at least eight Americans are still being held hostage in Gaza. And if Iran and its proxies get their way, there will be more Americans killed and captured.

“This is not a time to go soft on terror. This is not a time to put constraints on Israel. This is a time to support your friends and stand up to your adversaries.

“As the Senate considers urgent national security priorities, our adversaries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are watching closely what we do.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A88FD6D8-02E7-42AE-BC89-FAB6DE7F5378,"McConnell: Israel Has Right To Exist, American Jews Deserve Freedom From Fear",2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding anti-Semitism:

“In the 59 days since October 7th, an alarming surge in anti-Semitic hate has swept the world. And the United States unfortunately has not been exempt.

“On Sunday, an angry mob descended upon a Philadelphia restaurant co-owned by an Israeli-born Jew. Protesters demanded that customers boycott it, and – outrageously – charged the business and its proprietors with genocide.

“Unfortunately, this is hardly an isolated incident. Across social media, left-wing activists have whipped followers into a frenzy by proclaiming the urgent need to boycott hundreds of American businesses for the alleged crime of supporting Israel’s right to exist.

“They’ve committed acts of violence and vandalism, including against the homes of members of Congress.

“Anti-Semitic online mobs are insisting that organizations that do business in Israel are complicit in ethnic cleansing.

“Unfortunately, these situations seem most often to flare-up on the campuses of elite universities.

“This week, a prominent Harvard alumnus penned an open letter to Harvard’s president cataloguing that institution’s continued insanity when it comes to Israel’s right to self-defense.

“At Princeton, a faculty group recently signed a letter invoking academic freedom as a shield for students around the country who have parroted terrorist propaganda. Of course, in the same document, the professors found room to hurl their own accusation of ‘apartheid’ at Israel.

“American higher education has become the epicenter of an alarming wave of hatred toward Jews.

“Luckily, there are glimmers of hope. At Franciscan University in Ohio, administrators created an expedited transfer process to welcome students facing anti-Semitic threats at other schools.

“Catholic friars in rural Appalachia are eager to accept Jewish students that the Ivy League is failing to protect.

“But unfortunately, stories like these are few and far between. It’s especially alarming to see anti-Semitic hatred bleeding into secondary education, as well.

“Last month, an organization known as ‘The People’s Forum’ helped organize a massive anti-Israel protest and walk-out at schools in New York City.

“The group, which has direct ties to both domestic radical activists and state propagandists in Beijing, is creating toolkits and posters to facilitate such events at other schools.

“As I’ve said before, I am a staunch supporter of freedom of speech.

“Our nation gives hateful people the right to say appalling things.

“But it also gives people with a moral compass the right to condemn them in the strongest possible terms.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=C7274ABC-9FF6-4550-A673-F6DA0D907359,"Sens. McConnell, Paul Urge Biden Administration to Protect American Jobs, Remove Retaliatory Tariffs on Bourbon and Spirits",2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) wrote a letter to the Biden Administration urging quick action to protect the millions of U.S. jobs that rely on American bourbon and spirits producers. Without urgent action, the European Union (EU) will implement a 50% tariff on American whiskey imports on January 1, 2024, and American wine and other distilled spirits imports could see sharp tariff increases by 2026.

Retaliatory tariffs by the EU have cost domestic spirits distillers and winemakers billions of dollars since 2018, and the U.S. needs a permanent solution to safeguard over 1.7 million production, distribution, and hospitality jobs that rely on the industry. The bourbon and spirits industries support over 35,000 Kentucky jobs and over $14 million in state economic activity alone.

The senators’ letter urges U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to negotiate a deal to permanently remove retaliatory tariffs on all American-made spirits and wines.

“We write today to request an expedited agreement with the European Union (EU) to secure the permanent removal of retaliatory tariffs on spirits and wines,” the senators wrote. “We are deeply concerned that a lack of a permanent solution risks the re-imposition of tariffs.”

“Spirits have had a significant cultural impact in our country, and currently have a profound impact on the U.S. economy. In 2022 alone, U.S. distilled spirit exports reached $2.06 billion. But the impact of the retaliatory tariffs was devastating…Our belief is that the imposition of additional tariffs on this industry is detrimental,” the senators concluded. “There are mutual benefits in finding a path forward, and our belief is that spirits and wines are a point where there can be consensus to limit the damage for all parties.”

The bipartisan letter was also signed by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mark Warner (D-VA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Gary Peters (D-MI).",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-urges-fda-to-rescind-overburdensome-proposed-rule-on-laboratory-developed-tests/,Dr. Rand Paul Urges FDA to Rescind Overburdensome Proposed Rule on Laboratory Developed Tests,2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 5, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Rand Paul Urges FDA to Rescind Overburdensome Proposed Rule on Laboratory Developed Tests

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) sent a letter to Dr. Robert Califf, Commissioner of Food and Drugs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the FDA’s recent proposed rule on Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs). The proposed rule would inappropriately impose the FDA’s medical device regulatory framework on health care providers developing and performing LDTs as part of their professional practice. It would also cause unnecessary disruptions to patient care.

You can read the full letter HERE or below.

Dear Dr. Califf:

I write to convey my grave concerns about the FDA’s recent proposed rule on Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs; Docket No. FDA-2023-N-2177), which would inappropriately impose the FDA’s medical device regulatory framework on health care providers developing and performing LDTs as part of their professional practice.

The proposed rule clearly exceeds the FDA’s statutory authority under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and conflicts with implementation of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), which have successfully governed LDT regulation for decades. As observed in a white paper co-authored by Paul Clement, the former Solicitor General of the United States, and Professor Laurence Tribe of Harvard Law School, “FDA’s novel effort to expand its jurisdiction is foreclosed by the plain text of the FDCA. Congress gave FDA the authority to regulate medical devices, and laboratory-developed testing services are not devices.” This legal interpretation was reaffirmed in a June 2020 memorandum by the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Precisely because it has long been the mainstream view of legal experts that the FDA lacks authority to regulate LDTs in the absence of legislation to grant them such authority, both chambers of the 117th Congress twice considered-and twice rejected-a proposal to do exactly that. The VALID Act of 2021 would have amended federal law to shift regulation of all in vitro clinical tests to the FDA, thus creating a statutory basis for a rule like the one recently published. This policy was extensively debated in the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions during the 2022 consideration of legislation to reauthorize FDA user fee programs related to drugs, medical devices, and biosimilar products. When Congress reauthorized these user fee programs later that year, it chose to omit the VALID Act policies from the reauthorization. At the end of 2022, the VALID Act was again considered by both chambers of Congress during negotiation of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Again, Congress chose to omit the VALID Act policies when it passed that legislation to fund the government. Yet congressional debate about how to modernize the federal government’s approach to regulating laboratory testing services remains ongoing. Coming as it does in the midst of those discussions, the proposed rule threatens to usurp the lawmaking role assigned to Congress by the U.S. Constitution.

The proposed rule also risks repeating the disruptions to patient care we saw during the crucial first months of the CO VID-19 pandemic, when the FD A was empowered to enforce emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for all LDTs for SARS-CoV-2 due to the public health emergency. The FDA initially restricted clinical laboratories from testing and only issued an EUA for the CDC’s test kit, which was later recalled, leaving the U.S. without any authorized tests as COVID-19 spread undetected through our communities. As the Deputy Director of the newly formed White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy recently acknowledged, “During the pandemic, diagnostics were clearly the elephant in the room of what went wrong … we will never actually know how much it delayed us, or how much mortality it caused.”

Remarkably, the consequences of the FDA having authority over LDTs during the pandemic are not even mentioned in the proposed rule. Likewise, the agency’s legally mandated impact analysis does not address the policy’s potential societal costs, economic costs, or the new burden it would place on the agency to regulate a vast portion of the health care sector it does not regulate currently. Under current law, CUA governs some 320,000 certified laboratory entities, many of which are housed at our nation’s most prestigious academic institutions and staffed by the leading researchers in the world. The proposed rule would effectively transfer the LDT market from these world-class, federally certified labs to large medical device manufacturers and other large companies whose business model equips them to navigate the FDA’s medical device pathway. These unexamined impacts would likely have dire and far-reaching consequences by consolidating our nation’s clinical laboratory market and preventing providers from offering testing services. The fact that these potential effects on our nation’s health care sector were overlooked in the proposed rule suggest that the impact analysis is incomplete at best.

Perhaps most troubling, the proposed rule could have adverse consequences for patients. In 2011, the melanoma drug vemurafenib was FDA-approved along with a companion test. The drug sold well but physicians noticed that the FDA-approved companion test was failing to identify patients with melanoma who would respond to the drug. That experience should remind the agency that its expertise, though valuable in assessing drugs and devices, may not be readily transferred to LDTs. Subjecting all LDTs to FDA approval will inevitably lead them to become outdated and begin missing more patients as time goes on, because unlike LDTs in CLIA certified labs today, they will have to undergo lengthy product reviews for each new update or improvement. Many patients will not have the time to wait.

For all the reasons above, I strongly urge the FDA to rescind its proposed rule so that Congress can continue its work to establish a modem oversight framework for laboratory testing services.

Background:

Since 2019, Dr. Paul has fought to protect doctors, health care workers, and patients from unnecessary federal regulations by the FDA on laboratory testing services. In the 116th and 117th Congress, Dr. Paul introduced the VITAL Act as an alternative to the overburdensome VALID Act. Dr. Paul’s VITAL Act would help make tests quickly and widely available in health emergencies by removing unnecessary government barriers that drastically slowed the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/sens-paul-mcconnell-urge-biden-administration-to-protect-american-jobs-remove-retaliatory-tariffs-on-bourbon-and-spirits/,"Sens. Paul, McConnell Urge Biden Administration to Protect American Jobs, Remove Retaliatory Tariffs on Bourbon and Spirits",2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 5, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Sens. Paul, McConnell Urge Biden Administration to Protect American Jobs, Remove Retaliatory Tariffs on Bourbon and Spirits

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wrote a letter to the Biden Administration urging quick action to protect the millions of U.S. jobs that rely on American bourbon and spirits producers. Without urgent action, the European Union (EU) will implement a 50% tariff on American whiskey imports on January 1, 2024, and American wine and other distilled spirits imports could see sharp tariff increases by 2026.

Retaliatory tariffs by the EU have cost domestic spirits distillers and winemakers billions of dollars since 2018, and the U.S. needs a permanent solution to safeguard over 1.7 million production, distribution, and hospitality jobs that rely on the industry. The bourbon and spirits industries support over 35,000 Kentucky jobs and over $14 million in state economic activity alone.

The senators’ letter urges U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to negotiate a deal to permanently remove retaliatory tariffs on all American-made spirits and wines.

“We write today to request an expedited agreement with the European Union (EU) to secure the permanent removal of retaliatory tariffs on spirits and wines,” the senators wrote. “We are deeply concerned that a lack of a permanent solution risks the re-imposition of tariffs.”

“Spirits have had a significant cultural impact in our country, and currently have a profound impact on the U.S. economy. In 2022 alone, U.S. distilled spirit exports reached $2.06 billion. But the impact of the retaliatory tariffs was devastating…Our belief is that the imposition of additional tariffs on this industry is detrimental,” the senators concluded. “There are mutual benefits in finding a path forward, and our belief is that spirits and wines are a point where there can be consensus to limit the damage for all parties.”

The bipartisan letter was also signed by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mark Warner (D-VA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Gary Peters (D-MI).

The full text of the letter can be found HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-announces-holiday-cards-for-heroes-program,Congressman Morgan McGarvey Announces “Holiday Cards for Heroes” Program,2023-12-04,2023,2023-12,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Louisvillians are invited to leave their holiday greetings at Congressman McGarvey’s Louisville office

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 04, 2023) – Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) launched his “Holiday Cards for Heroes” program for the 2023 holiday season, encouraging Louisvillians to drop off holiday greetings for active duty service members and veterans at his downtown Louisville office.

“The holiday season is often a time to gather with our friends and loved ones, but many service members and veterans won’t have that opportunity this year,” said Rep. McGarvey. “My brother is currently stationed overseas and, while grateful for his service, we missed having him with us for Thanksgiving. That’s why I’m honored to lead this effort to connect our service members to our community, and I hope Louisvillians join me in sending heartfelt messages to the hardworking Americans proudly serving our country to spread some holiday cheer.”

A holiday card drop box can be found inside Congressman McGarvey’s district office at the Romano L. Mazzoli Federal Building, Suite 216, 600 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Pl, Louisville, KY, 40202. Congressman McGarvey has also invited Jefferson County Public Schools District (JCPS) students to participate.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=3F2227EF-044A-4A53-A448-2B721A6DCE4E,"McConnell Announces Nearly $2 Million for Water Infrastructure in Clinton, KY",2023-12-04,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the City of Clinton will receive $1,826,783 in federal funding to overhaul aging wastewater infrastructure. Today’s award will fund relocating and upgrading the city’s sole sewer lift station, which provides service to residences, nursing homes, local schools, and businesses in Clinton, Kentucky.

This federal grant is made possible through a Delta Regional Authority (DRA) assistance program, funded by annual appropriations and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Senator McConnell led the IIJA to Senate passage two years ago, and the President signed the bill into law. The IIJA gives Kentucky billions of federal dollars over five years to improve the Commonwealth’s roads, bridges, railroads, riverports, airports, broadband, and more.

Senator McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, contacted the DRA to support the City of Clinton’s competitive federal application and advocated for DRA funding in the FY2023 federal government appropriations bill and the bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“For years, communities across my home state have dealt with aging water infrastructure, which can complicate life for thousands of Kentuckians and disrupt the many schools and businesses that rely on these structures. That’s why I was proud to join leaders in West Kentucky and advocate for this critical funding on behalf of the Clinton community, said Senator McConnell. “I’m pleased to see the bipartisan Infrastructure Law deliver wins for communities like Clinton, and I’ll continue to champion the infrastructure priorities of Kentuckians that need them most.”

“Without question, the City of Clinton is heavily dependent upon this lift station, which serves numerous residents, businesses, nursing homes, and schools,” said Clinton Mayor John Kelly. “The entire Clinton community is incredibly pleased to see these federal funds go toward this critical component of our city’s infrastructure, and we’re grateful for Senator McConnell’s support in securing this much-needed grant.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=9D77CB9B-46A4-4438-968A-77AB3280277D,McConnell on Former UofL President Donald Swain,2023-12-04,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of former University of Louisville President Donald Swain:

“Elaine and I join Kentuckians in mourning former University of Louisville President Donald Swain. For nearly 15 years, my alma mater was fortunate to count Don among its top ranks. To Louisville, he brought with him a lifetime of service in academia, transforming the university into a magnet for higher education and leading research. He ushered in a golden era of unprecedented growth – from establishing a nationally recognized athletics program to steering the university hospital toward success to jump-starting the McConnell Center on campus together. Those of us fortunate to work with Don remember his knack for getting things done and his honorable stewardship of our beloved university. We extend our condolences to his children, Alan and Cynthia, family members, and friends during this difficult time.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A9E1434F-10A1-4592-A7A2-6346B42A5957,"National Security, Step One: Secure The Border",2023-12-04,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“The Senate has less than two weeks to pass supplemental legislation on urgent national security priorities.

“As I’ve said for months, that means addressing both grave threats to America’s interests overseas and a glaring border security crisis here at home.

“Senate Republicans know that national security begins with border security.

“And we’ve made it crystal clear that in order to pass the Senate, any measure we take up in the coming days must include serious policy changes designed to get the Biden Administration’s border crisis under control.

“Apparently, some of our colleagues aren’t ready to take that reality seriously.

“Senator Lankford, Senator Graham, and their fellow Republican negotiators are still at the table, working diligently on solutions. But from the White House to the Capitol, Washington Democrats are wasting time with bizarre public scoldings.

“Instead of engaging actively in the border security discussions required to complete a viable national security supplemental, the Biden Administration has chosen to lecture Congress with a brag reel of its supposed leadership in countering Putin in Europe.

“The Administration’s account glossed over its record of self-deterrence toward Russia, insisting that, ‘the time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now.’

“If only President Biden felt that sort of urgency in late 2021 and early 2022, as I and other Republicans urged his Administration to give Ukraine the lethal assistance it needed to resist Putin’s escalation. If only this lethal assistance – and critical investments in cutting-edge capabilities for U.S. forces – hadn’t required so much prodding.

“Last week, at the Reagan National Defense Forum, the previous Administration’s former National Security Advisor, Robert O’Brien, made the case for supporting Ukraine.

“He pointed out, rightly, that helping degrade the military power of a major U.S. adversary is in America’s national security interests, and that we shouldn’t hesitate to give Ukraine the weapons it needs to do the job.

“And he observed that the Biden Administration’s ‘self-congratulatory talk’ doesn’t square with its ‘parsimonious’ approach to actually getting decisive weapons to the battlefield. As he put it, President Biden’s team ought to ‘stop patting [itself] on the back’.

“For their part, it’s time for Senate Democrats to start demonstrating they’re more interested in reaching a productive outcome in border security discussions than in wringing their hands in the press.

“The junior Senator for Connecticut has concluded that beginning to stem the humanitarian and national security crisis on our southern border amounts to, ‘closing the border indiscriminately.’

“Apparently, restoring a functional asylum and parole system, orderly points of entry, and meaningful enforcement of our immigration laws is a bridge too far for Senate Democrats.

“Let’s be absolutely clear what we’re dealing with here. Let’s establish exactly what it is that the Democratic Leader has called ‘extraneous’ to America’s national security:

“On President Biden’s watch, CBP has recorded 6.5 million encounters at the southern border and 1.7 million known gotaways. And last fiscal year’s all-time record apprehensions at the southern border included 169 individuals on the terrorist watch list – a massive increase.

“The Biden Administration tried to convince the American people that they were serious about this historic crisis by having asylum seekers download a smartphone app. Instead, week after week, all we see are numbers that somehow keep getting worse.

“Meanwhile, liberal state and local officials told us that the increasing chaos of their ‘sanctuary cities’ could be mitigated if only we raced to give work permits to their ever-growing populations of illegal aliens.

“Now, setting aside the fact that this creates the exact wrong incentives, the Biden Administration has already tried this approach and failed. In New York City alone, just 2% of recent arrivals have even applied.

“President Biden’s officials have even admitted that they expected this unserious approach to produce a further surge in arrivals.

“As recently as two weeks ago, the White House was trying to sell its flawed, insufficient supplemental proposal as a solution to the crisis.

“As the junior Senator for Tennessee has pointed out, the President’s answer to the border crisis wasn’t to enforce immigration law – it was to turn ICE into a concierge service for illegal aliens.

“Washington Democrats appear to be hell-bent on exhausting every half-baked idea before they get serious about actually fixing our broken enforcement system and securing our southern border.

“That’s the job the American people expect them to do. That’s the foundation of America’s national security. And time is running out.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=BA96C390-C8B5-4DF5-8BA9-E87DE3C77234,McConnell Statement on the Passing of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor,2023-12-01,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"LOUISVILLE, KY – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell issued the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor:

“Today, our nation mourns the passing of a towering figure in the history of American law.

“Raised on an Arizona cattle ranch miles from the nearest paved road, Sandra Day O’Connor seemed destined for blazing new trails, and wasted no time getting down to work. She arrived at Stanford at 16 and left six years later having met the love of her life, John, with an honors law degree in tow.

“From her election as the first female Majority Leader in the history of American legislatures to her confirmation as the first female Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor led with a brilliance and conviction that disarmed resistance. Her vote on the court frequently determined the majority in landmark cases, and the legacy of her role in landmark decisions reviving federalism during her first several terms on the Court continues to resound in Constitutional jurisprudence.

“Elaine and I send our deepest condolences to Justice O’Connor’s sons, Scott, Brian, and Jay, to her grandchildren, and to the entire O’Connor family at this difficult time.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:56:20Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=A0FE9429-6BCF-4BFD-AEA5-30BF20ACB1FB,Congressman Rogers Votes to Freeze Iranian Funds Released by Biden,2023-11-30,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. Harold ""Hal"" Rogers (KY-05) voted for the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act, a bill passed by House Republicans on Thursday, to effectively freeze $6 billion in Iranian funds that the Biden Administration released in exchange for American hostages in September.

""Iran continues to fund brutal terrorism around the world, and the United States should not be in the business of negotiating billions of dollars that could be used to do more harm, and inspire more hostage operations,"" said Congressman Rogers, Dean of the House. ""Iran continues to support evil groups, like Hamas and Hezbollah, with total disregard for innocent lives. The terrorist attack on Israel magnified the need to freeze these funds. We must continue to stand against all forms of tyranny, and this bill ensures proper sanctions are restored to protect our allies.""

One month after the Biden Administration waived sanctions for the money transfer, Iran-backed Hamas terrorists brutally murdered more than 1,300 people in Israel, kidnapping 130 others, creating another hostage situation.

The legislation imposes immediate, mandatory sanctions on any financial institution that attempts to engage in transactions with the $6 billion currently held in Qatar banks, effectively freezing the funds.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Click here to read the bill.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=0235428C-39C8-462C-B5A4-5726113AE8C5,McConnell Honors Henry Kissinger,2023-11-30,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Henry Kissinger:

“The past hundred years have seen few, if any, strategic thinkers shape world events as profoundly as Henry Kissinger.

“Few academics have had such deep experience in the practice of foreign policy.

“Few political appointees have had such bureaucratic savvy.

“Few senior government officials have carried such intellectual heft.

“Who else could claim to have advised more than one-fourth of all U.S. Presidents? To have taken a seat across from every Chinese head of state since Chairman Mao?

“Yesterday marked the end of the extraordinary Kissinger century.

“If you considered just the early chapters of this remarkable life, you might expect Henry Kissinger to be the quintessential idealist.

“By the age of 30, he had escaped Nazi brutality for America, returned home a decorated veteran of the campaign to defeat Hitler, and launched a successful career as an Ivy League academic.

“Of course, instead of an idealist, this made-for-Hollywood origin story produced one of the world’s staunchest realists. The Kissinger calculus was grounded in pragmatic assessments of national interests, the use of military force, and diplomatic compromise. And by extension, so were decades of American foreign policy.

“Several years ago, one particularly apt assessment of Henry Kissinger’s legacy pointed out that he didn’t believe ‘the arc of history makes house calls’. In other words, if the free world waits passively for its noble convictions to be vindicated, we’ll be waiting quite a while.

“Instead, Henry Kissinger knew that the organizing principle for American strategy must be American interests.

“And he left no room for wondering what this approach looked like in practice.

“His careful negotiations ushered in a period of détente with America’s greatest 20th century rival, and his bold diplomacy opened the door to a relationship with China that rebalanced Cold War dynamics in America’s favor.

“Of course, the enduring relevance of Dr. Kissinger’s work is due in no small part to his prolific participation in public discourse on foreign policy and grand strategy up until the very end.

“The author of 21 books confounded scholars half his age with the pace and volume of his brilliant scholarship on topics ranging from the history of diplomacy to artificial intelligence.

“In perhaps the truest expression of both his intellectual horsepower and understanding of power, he remains the only American statesman to have served as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor at the very same time!

“Today, the world Henry Kissinger leaves behind bears his indelible mark. The nation he served – the global superpower he helped create – owes him our gratitude.

“Elaine and I, along with so many of Dr. Kissinger’s friends in the Senate, send our condolences to his wife, Nancy, his children David and Elizabeth, and to the entire Kissinger family as they mourn a great American.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=5635F6DF-02C4-4C4F-ADDE-C84E88023B43,McConnell Celebrates Robley Rex VAMC Construction Milestone,2023-11-30,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) today celebrated a construction milestone at the Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Louisville, Kentucky. Senator McConnell, who has been a long-time advocate of the project and worked to secure the funding for construction of the facility, released the following statement which was shared during the Louisville VAMC’s “Topping Off Ceremony”:

“The debt we owe our servicemembers extends far beyond any program the government can provide. Today, however, we move one important step toward honoring this sacred obligation to our nation’s heroes.

“As the son of a World War II veteran, I always appreciate any chance I get to meet with our nation’s servicemembers and, as Senate Republican Leader, to repay these brave men and women who, like my dad, answered the call to serve their country.

“For nearly two decades, I’ve been proud to secure over $1 billion in federal funding to construct this new medical center that will soon serve Kentucky and the greater region’s many veterans.

“To all the VA employees, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, contract partners, local leaders, and veterans involved in this effort, thank you for your countless hours of hard work that made today possible, and for your noble commitment to our Commonwealth’s veterans.

“This unique facility represents a rare opportunity for Louisville – and one we proudly welcome. I look forward to seeing the new Robley Rex VA Medical Center come to life and soon provide vital care to our Nation’s servicemembers who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe at home.

“Thank you, and God Bless.”

NOTE: Senator McConnell has proudly stood alongside this project’s supporters and our veterans since day one. As Senate Republican Leader and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, he has worked with four different administrations to ensure this new hospital remained a priority at the highest levels of government, steadily providing funding to make this facility a reality.

In 2008, Senator McConnell secured the project’s first appropriation of $75 million in the Fiscal Year 2009 government-funding bill, which was used for the development of the new Louisville VAMC. Since then, he has brought home more than $1 billion for construction of the health-care facility. On Veterans Day 2021, Senator McConnell proudly joined Kentucky veterans at the groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital that will provide revolutionary, 21st century care to our nation’s heroes.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=ED744814-EB0F-42CE-B8C5-1029A546D64B,Sovereign Borders Matter At Home And Abroad,2023-11-30,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“A good way to size up leaders – at home and abroad – is to look at how they treat borders.

“Good leaders recognize sovereignty as the bedrock of national security. As a result, peaceful nations both respect the inviolability of other nations’ borders as well as vigorously defend their own.

“The world is awash in examples of this fundamental reality.

“Vladimir Putin has spent years trampling the sovereignty of his European neighbors. But the people of Ukraine are enduring occupation and torture, and giving their lives to restore their homeland’s lawful borders.

“Iran’s network of proxies violates the sovereignty of Israel and its Arab neighbors with horrific terrorist bloodlust.

“But the people of Israel respond with unwavering resolve to restore security.

“President Xi is pouring unprecedented investments into Chinese military power with the express purpose of shattering a sovereign democracy and undermining regional order. But Taiwan and America’s other Asian partners are steeling themselves to deter aggression.

“The United States has a direct interest in helping our friends maintain their sovereignty – from Europe to the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. According to a survey published just today by the Reagan Institute, that’s exactly how overwhelming majorities in this country see it.

“By this latest account, 65% of Americans support U.S. assistance to Taiwan. 67% support assistance to Ukraine. And 71% support assistance to Israel.

“In other words, a full two-thirds of the country recognizes the scope of America’s interests and responsibilities as a global superpower.

“At the same time, vast majorities continue to affirm that national security begins at home. Recent polling shows that even a majority of Democrats say they are at least ‘very’ concerned about the state of American border security on President Biden’s watch.

“Over 9,000 illegal aliens arrive at our nation’s southern border every day. And thanks to a profoundly broken system of asylum and parole, they know that the vast majority will be waived on through to settle in the interior.

“The consequences of this crisis touch every corner of our country.

“The overwhelming task facing border patrol personnel is drawing federal law enforcement personnel off of other important missions to help contend with surging arrivals at ports of entry.

“As the senior Senator for Missouri revealed yesterday, some officers charged with protecting federal buildings are being sent instead to ferry illegal aliens to and from the hospital.

“The vast stretches of border in between are seeing massive flows of lethal drugs like fentanyl on their way to poisoning Americans in states across the interior.

“Across the country, even progressive mayors of self-described ‘sanctuary cities’ are at wit’s end contending with the human wave heading north.

“The Biden Administration’s failure to secure our southern border is an embarrassing and dangerous policy failure. Here in the Senate, Democrats are making an embarrassing misjudgment of their own.

“The Democratic Leader would like us to believe that the defense of sovereign borders is an urgent and noble cause when it takes place overseas… but an ‘extraneous’ distraction here at home.

“Some of our colleagues apparently think America can profess to stand for the rule of law without enforcing it on our own soil.

“The Senate has two weeks to pass supplemental legislation to meet urgent national security priorities.

“That means time is running out for our Democratic colleagues to recognize that national security begins here at home.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-legislation-to-restore-and-protect-americans-fourth-amendment-rights/,Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Legislation to Restore and Protect Americans’ Fourth Amendment Rights,2023-11-30,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 30, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Legislation to Restore and Protect Americans’ Fourth Amendment Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Fourth Amendment Restoration and Protection Act. The bill would ensure Americans cannot be subjected to government surveillance upon the order of the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) or Executive Order 12333. While national security requires the ability to gather intelligence on foreign threats, using those authorities to conduct warrantless spying on Americans is an impermissible violation of the rights guaranteed to us by the Fourth Amendment.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was enacted to protect the rights of Americans against the surveillance abuses documented by the Church and Pike Committees. Yet, events over the course of the last several years demonstrate that FISA has failed to prevent a recurrence of abuses that violate constitutionally protected rights. In fact, FISA’s secretive and one-sided process invites the kind of abuse the law was intended to combat. This abuse is almost never remedied because, unlike the open and adversarial process afforded by Article III courts, FISA denies defendants the ability to effectively challenge the validity of surveillance warrants. Dr. Paul’s legislation is a necessary remedy to this dangerously flawed process.

“No secret, unaccountable court should be allowed to authorize spying on American citizens,” said Dr. Paul. “My Fourth Amendment Restoration and Protection Act would exempt Americans from the FISA process and ensure both constitutional rights and national security are protected.”

Specifically, the Fourth Amendment Restoration and Protection Act would:

Preserve the ability of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to order surveillance of foreigners and terrorists;

Require the government to obtain an order from traditional Article III federal courts to surveil U.S. persons by prohibiting the government from requesting an order from the FISC for surveillance, searches, and seizures relating to U.S. persons;

Prohibit the government from conducting information queries of a U.S. person pursuant to section 702 of FISA or Executive Order 12333;

Prohibit the government from introducing in evidence any information concerning a United States person acquired or derived from an acquisition under FISA or Executive Order 12333 but preserve the right of the defense to introduce such information as exculpatory evidence; and

Ensure that the executive branch cannot violate constitutional rights through executive orders by mandating that statutory authorities and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure are the exclusive means by which searches or acquisitions shall take place if the target is a U.S. person.

You can read the Fourth Amendment Restoration and Protection Act HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/transcript-of-congressman-morgan-mcgarveys-remarks-on-premature-awareness-month,Transcript of Congressman Morgan McGarvey’s Remarks on Premature Awareness Month,2023-11-29,2023,2023-11,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 29, 2023) – Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) joined his colleagues, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02), and March of Dimes President and CEO Dr. Elizabeth Cherot, at a press conference marking November as Premature Awareness Month. A transcript of his remarks are below:

Thank you so much, Congresswoman McClellan. Thank you to Dr. Cherot for sharing those statistics. D plus is simply unacceptable — particularly when we are talking about women's health. We're talking about our most fragile human beings and premature babies. We're talking about the health disparities, particularly in black and brown women in this country. We've got to do better.

Thank you, Emma Lee, for your story. I know how difficult that is. And you were making me relive a lot of what we went through and thinking about this week. We can talk about the statistics, but the turmoil it takes on every family that goes through this as well is significant.

I remember we went in for our 24 week scan; we had twins, it was our first pregnancy, it was fantastic. The doctor said everything looks so good, don't come back for another month. The next day, my wife called me laughing from work and she said, “you're not going to believe this — I just peed my pants”. And the next call, she called crying from the emergency room and she said “my water broke”.

And we couldn't be cared for at the hospital where we were — they didn't have a level of NICU high enough for us and we were transported to a different hospital in an ambulance. We didn't leave for 109 days. And our babies were born fortunately at 26 weeks and had gotten some of the surfactant, some of the things we know help these premature babies, but they were a half and a pound and 15 ounces, respectively.

We went through the ventilator, we went through all the pumping stories, we had to use other people's freezers — it makes me think about all the things you have to go through. But even then with these such fragile, fragile human beings, they got one cc of breast milk over eight hours delivered through a hydraulic arm because they can't tolerate it and then they have to grow. And you can't change the caloric content of breast milk. And we know with premature babies that if you're using a cow supplement, a bovine supplement, to up the caloric count of that breast milk — it has terrible consequences for preemies. And we know the advantages of human fortified breast milk.

So we found out about that and in Kentucky, insurance wouldn't cover it. And so we fought and we fought and we fought to try and get our babies out of the hospital just as any parent would do. And it makes me realize the way policy interacts with this because when you're sleeping in a hospital chair, you say a lot of prayers and you make a lot of promises.

And one of the promises I made, I said if we ever get out of here, we're going to do something about this. I didn't know what but we'll do something to help. And a year later I ran for the state senate and passed the first insurance mandate in Kentucky history where we mandated the coverage of human fortified breast milk for premature babies. So raising this awareness, getting people to understand what goes on, to know the humans behind these stories, the successful outcomes. And of course, the nearly million babies who die worldwide from prematurity — that we can help out is just going to be so beneficial for our families in this country, in this world. And so, Congresswoman McClellan, thank you so much for what you're doing, the March of Dimes team, thank you for what you're doing. And let's continue raising awareness for these kids, these moms, these parents who so need it.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=8E61F2BF-7C5A-46AC-8E71-F18F0DFD221F,"Border Security Essential, Not Extraneous, To National Security",2023-11-29,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“Border security is national security. That’s not just a statement of legislative priorities or partisan politics. It’s a fact of human history.

“The Senate has little more than two weeks to deliver supplemental legislation on four urgent national security priorities. And each one of them deals directly with questions of borders and sovereignty.

“For over a decade, Putin has been trying to redraw the borders of Europe. He’s invaded and occupied Georgia and Ukraine.

“He’s attempted assassinations and influence operations on foreign soil. And he’s exploited humanitarian crises to weaponize migrant flows in Europe, including most recently at the border of Finland.

“Meanwhile, the Hamas terrorists who rule Gaza violated sovereign borders on their way to slaughtering 1,200 Israelis and taking hundreds more hostage.

“These savages’ stated objective is to erase the borders of the state of Israel, ‘from the river to the sea’.

“China, for its part, is also keenly focused on challenging borders. The PRC has used force in an attempt to gain the upper hand along its border with India.

“It’s expanded its military footprint in the South China Sea and threatened to resolve long-standing territorial disputes with multiple neighbors by force.

“And China’s historic investments in military modernization are aimed at threatening Taiwan’s sovereignty and bringing the island to heel.

“Borders matter. Sovereignty matters. The United States is a global superpower with global interests. And we have an interest in preventing autocrats and terrorists from trampling the borders of Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific.

“Because if we leave them unchecked, these aggressors will keep challenging borders and keep starting wars.

“Borders are intrinsically and universally about a nation’s security. Controlling and defending them is the essential predicate of sovereignty. So it’s not by accident that, in addressing urgent national security priorities, Senate Republicans are working so hard on policy changes to restore security to America’s own borders.

“Trying to clean up the Biden Administration’s border crisis isn’t some arbitrary interest. That is, unless you ask the Democratic Leader.

“According to the senior Senator for New York, the national security crisis his party has abetted at the southern border is ‘extraneous’ to the national security supplemental before the Senate.

“The way our colleague sees it, securing our own borders as we help our allies and partners defend their sovereignty would be dangerous.

“Dangerous.

“Here in the real world, what’s dangerous is denying the humanitarian and national security crisis festering at America’s southern border on President Biden’s watch.

“What’s dangerous is accepting the record numbers of illegal aliens surging across our borders as the new normal.

“What’s dangerous is defending open borders and a broken asylum and parole system even at the risk of urgent assistance to our partners in Ukraine, Israel, and Asia.

“The Biden Administration’s open borders will rank among its biggest national security failures. Plain and simple.

“But if Senate Democrats refuse to take border security policy changes seriously, they’ll also be wrapping American weakness up as a Christmas gift to Russia, China, and Iran.

“Borders are an essential element of national security. They are not extraneous.

“We must secure and defend sovereign borders, beginning right here at home.

“If we fail to uphold this basic, fundamental responsibility, America and our friends around the world will pay dearly.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A8DAFB36-377F-47F6-9612-AD07F64C87D3,Working Americans Aren’t Buying ‘Bidenomics’,2023-11-29,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the economy:

“President Biden is on the road today, and he’s facing an uphill battle to convince the American people that ‘Bidenomics’ is somehow working.

“For months, the President has been touring the country with a rosy assessment of the economy on his watch. He’s been telling working Americans about what his Administration’s obsession with radical climate policy is doing for them.

“But by overwhelming margins, the American people haven’t been buying what the President is selling. Polls continue to show that for millions of families, ‘Bidenomics’ is just code for higher prices, shrinking paychecks, and lower quality of life.

“The entire nation watched in real-time as the Biden Administration’s war on domestic energy drove the price of gas and home heating through the roof.

“Taxpayers watched Washington Democrats turn their hard-earned dollars into subsidies for blue-state liberal favorites electric cars and home appliances.

“Here’s how one analysis put it, ‘The typical American household must spend an additional $11,434 annually just to maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed in January of 2021.’

“An extra $11,000 a year just to stay afloat!

“But the Biden Administration’s latest tactic appears to be publicly congratulating itself that prices on some everyday staples were rising slower than the record paces that were set during their time in office!

“The President himself has even wagged his finger at American growers, manufacturers, and retailers to, ‘stop the price gouging’ now that ‘inflation has come down.’

“The Bidenomics strategy apparently depends on working Americans ignoring the reality they live in every day.

“The White House seems to be counting on middle class families to forget about the 40-year-high inflation their spending binge helped create.

“They want the country to set aside that average food prices have risen 20% since President Biden took office.

“Well, it doesn’t look like the American people have any intention of suspending their disbelief about Bidenomics. And who on Earth could blame them?”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/-congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-introduces-bill-to-expand-access-to-capital-for-small-business-owners,Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Bill to Expand Access to Capital for Small Business Owners,2023-11-28,2023,2023-11,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 28, 2023) – Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) and Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) introduced the Supporting Community Lenders Act, a bill which expands access to capital for underserved small business owners. The bill would establish a dedicated position within the Small Business Administration to support and advocate on behalf of community lenders – Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Microloan Intermediaries, and Minority Development Institutions (MDIs).

“Every American deserves a chance to start a business and achieve the American dream,” said Rep. McGarvey. “But too many entrepreneurs, particularly those from underserved communities and backgrounds, struggle to access critical capital when they start or grow their businesses. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill that will make it easier to create small businesses across our country. I’ll continue working with my colleagues to create equal opportunity for everyone, so that anyone who wants to be a small business owner can do just that — regardless of their race, ethnicity, or zip code.”

As it currently stands, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Microloan Intermediaries, and Minority Development Institutions (MDIs) do not have a designated advocate within the federal government. As a result, these institutions and those they serve often struggle to navigate the federal bureaucracy and take advantage of capital access programs and other federal assistance.

The Coordinator for Community Financial Institutions would be tasked with advocating for community lenders across federal agencies, providing support and education, and connecting these institutions to SBA’s capital access programs. Community lenders support veterans, rural Americans, and other traditionally underserved groups, and creating a position at SBA to support these lenders will increase their effectiveness and ensure every American benefits from critical federal programs.

“Capital access is a priority for small businesses—they need capital to survive. In Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District, this can be a challenge because we have banking deserts,” said Rep. Alford. “CDFIs, like those in our district, help keep the American Dream alive by providing capital to entrepreneurs in rural America. Too often, I am told in Committee hearings that constituents do not know the resources available to them. This legislation will make sure CDFIs and the small businesses they benefit are properly supported and know what resources they can access.”

“The Supporting Community Lenders Act is a great opportunity to integrate mission-focused CDFI and MDI banks into SBA’s outreach and servicing of small businesses in underserved, low income and minority communities,” said Brian Blake, Chief Public Policy Officer, Community Development Bankers Association. “The capital gap for these businesses is acute. The members of the Community Development Bankers Association thank Representatives McGarvey and Alford for introducing this important legislation on the House side.”

Text of the bill can be found here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A506FEF6-8168-4FEA-B099-B0677F2020D6,McConnell: Time To Get Serious On Border Security Policy,2023-11-28,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the southern border crisis:

“As my colleagues and I on this side of the aisle have made abundantly clear, national security begins with border security. And any serious supplemental legislation with a shot of passing the Senate in the coming weeks will have to take meaningful steps toward fixing the Biden Administration’s border crisis.

“On President Biden’s watch, record-setting illegal migration has strained border protection facilities and personnel to their breaking point.

“On this President’s watch, ‘catch-and-release’ has gone from a short-sighted policy option to a dangerous first resort for a profoundly broken asylum and parole system.

“Right now, immigration courts are facing over 2 million pending asylum cases. That backlog has grown by 50% just since President Biden took office.

“The average asylum case waits more than four years for judgment. Talk about sending the wrong signals – to legitimate asylum-seekers and to bad actors, alike.

“A wide, bipartisan consensus continues to acknowledge that this broken system is the central problem driving the border crisis.

“Even the Administration’s border czar, Secretary Mayorkas, has acknowledged the way the United States handles asylum claims needs to be, ‘reformed from top to bottom.’

“Well Mr. President, that’s exactly what Senate Republicans have been working on for weeks. Senators Lankford, Graham, Cotton, and Cornyn are trying in good faith to help DHS solve its problem by identifying policy changes that restore a measure of common sense to the way we process asylum claims and grant parole.

“But at the same time, the Democratic Leader has called border security measures ‘the biggest holdup’ for passing a national security supplemental.

“Well, he’s right about one thing. The single largest obstacle in the way of urgent resources to help Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan is Democrats’ refusal to address the crisis at the southern border.

“National security begins here at home. And the sooner our colleagues admit it, the sooner the Senate can move forward on the urgent business before us.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=D0C913DF-4FD8-4F8F-83A1-AF173E8FA4F4,"McConnell On Supporting Israel, Countering Iran",2023-11-28,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:

“In the coming weeks, Congress has a responsibility to equip America and our allies to face an historic array of national security challenges.

“To understand the urgency of this moment, just look at the impossible choices facing our ally, Israel, as it works to bring innocent people home from terrorist captivity.

“These brutal terrorists bankroll their existence with the blood of innocent people. They know that their hostages can be cashed in for a brief reprieve from justice… or in exchange for terrorists incarcerated in Israel. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is one of Hamas’ own design.

“Just as there is no moral equivalence between terrorism and self-defense, there is no moral equivalence between innocent hostages and convicted terrorists and criminals.

“Unfortunately, this is not just a reminder for the activists on elite campuses and in national newsrooms who have uncritically lapped up and regurgitated activist propaganda.

“It’s also for some of our colleagues here in Congress.

“According to some reports, Senate Democrats will use their caucus lunch today to discuss placing restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Israel.

“One of our colleagues is already on the record demanding that President Biden, ‘be more aggressive with the Israelis.’

“Another has declared that, ‘not one penny will be coming to Israel’ unless our ally bends to his view – offered from the comfort of a Senate office – on how Israel should conduct self-defense operations.

“If Senate Democrats want to vote to tie the hands of Israeli soldiers as they defend their country against vicious terrorists, I welcome such a debate.

“For anyone who needs to hear it again: the conflict unfolding today is between a sovereign democracy that takes great pains to avoid civilian casualties and terrorist butchers who go out of their way to inflict civilian casualties and put their own civilians in harm’s way. Israel deserves the time, space, and resources to restore its security. And I will stand by our ally 100%.

“For that matter, our own people – American men and women in uniform – deserve the same unwavering commitment to restoring credible deterrence against Iran.

“Since October 17th, Iran-backed terrorists have launched at least 73 attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria. Clearly, President Biden’s strikes against desert warehouses have not given our adversaries pause.

“The world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism remains demonstrably undeterred.

“Right now, we have a responsibility to equip Israel to destroy Hamas, deter violence against American servicemembers, and invest seriously in American hard power – a language our adversaries in Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing actually understand.

“Supplemental national security legislation is our chance to uphold this responsibility.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=3F6F54EC-DE8D-45CF-A37E-18C8C674E862,McConnell: Time To Address Critical National Security Priorities,2023-11-27,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding legislative priorities:

“Before the Senate adjourned for Thanksgiving, we voted to extend federal government funding into the new year.

“I’m glad there was no appetite in the Capitol for saddling the nation with a harmful and unnecessary government shutdown.

“The short-term funding legislation produced by the Speaker of the House was an important step toward fulfilling Congress’ responsibility to pass full-year appropriations. And work continues toward restoring the sort of regular order appropriations process that Senators on both sides of the aisle have set as our goal.

“But the Senate convenes today with some extremely important outstanding business that we need to address this year. In a few short weeks, we need to deliver on several urgent national security priorities.

“For starters, a number of our colleagues are hard at work on the conference report of the National Defense Authorization Act. This is Congress’ primary opportunity to shape America’s national security priorities and set the course of strategic competition with major adversaries.

“We need to empower our armed forces with a clear directive for the many challenges they face.

“We need to prepare them to deter and fight future wars, not drag them into political culture wars.

“We need to focus our military on geopolitics, not climate politics.

“But at this especially dangerous moment, we also need to deliver supplemental resources to help both America and our partners defend against linked threats from our biggest adversaries – Russia, Iran, and China.

“Make no mistake: the PRC is not deterred. Beijing didn’t take a Thanksgiving break from its historic military buildup, its threats to the freedom of navigation in international waters, or its efforts to meddle in Taiwan’s domestic politics.

“Russia is not deterred. Vladimir Putin hasn’t eased off his brutal conquest of Ukraine.

“Iran is not deterred. The world’s top state sponsor of terrorism has continued to underwrite an alarming surge in attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria since the barbaric attacks of October 7th.

“Hamas is not deterred. Even during a temporary pause in fighting, terrorists are clearly determined, with Iran’s help, to wipe Israel off the map, ‘from the river to the sea.’

“America needs to stand with our friends and stand up to aggressors. And Senate Republicans have been working for weeks to ensure that supplemental legislation includes robust investments in the hard power and defense industrial capacity we need to confront them head-on.

“But on this side of the aisle, we also recognize that national security begins here at home.

“Last month’s total southern border encounters marked the busiest October in decades of CBP records. And the harsh reality of the Biden Administration’s border crisis continues to impact millions of Americans in cities across the country.

“So I’m thankful that Senator Lankford, Senator Graham, and Senator Cotton have been working diligently to produce legislation to address this crisis head-on.

“Senate Republicans have been laser-focused on actually fixing our broken asylum process, not just pouring more money into a system that’s simply not working. And our Democratic colleagues would do well to take these efforts seriously.

“The bottom line is simple: We don’t have the luxury of addressing glaring threats to our national security one at a time. Crises don’t solve themselves just because Washington can’t muster the political will to address them.

“Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have already suggested they want to condition urgent resources for one of our top security priorities on not addressing another one.

“Apparently, our colleagues are considering putting support for Israel on the chopping block unless we promise not to fix the border crisis they helped create.

“So Madam President, this sort of cynical, short-sighted politics has denied the American people real border security too many times.

“The challenges facing America are connected. And the time to address them – each of them – is now.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=4594C8F7-7A4A-4780-923D-3939C3975F56,Congressman Rogers stands ready to assist Rockcastle County families impacted by train derailment,2023-11-22,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"LIVINGSTON, KY -- U.S. Rep. Harold ""Hal"" Rogers (KY-05) issued the following statement after Rockcastle County families were urged to evacuate the night before Thanksgiving, following a trail derailment and chemical spill in the Livingston area.

""Tonight, some families in Rockcastle County have been encouraged to evacuate from their homes on this Thanksgiving holiday after a train derailed, causing a chemical spill.

""Governor Beshear has declared a State of Emergency for the county and residents are encouraged to evacuate in the Piney Branch Road and Livingston areas. Impacted families can take shelter at the Rockcastle County Middle School, where cots have been set up. Local officials tell me CSX is also helping impacted families with hotel rooms and food.

""I applaud our local volunteer firefighters for going door-to-door to alert residents about the chemical spill in the area. My staff and I will remain in contact with local and state officials, as I stand ready to assist in any way possible. My prayers are with every family whose Thanksgiving gatherings have been disrupted by this derailment.""

For more information about Congressman Rogers' work in Washington and at home in Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarveys-statement-ceasefire-agreement-release-hostages,Congressman Morgan McGarvey’s Statement on the Ceasefire Agreement to Release Hostages and Provide Humanitarian Relief,2023-11-22,2023,2023-11,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"LOUISVILLE, KY (November 22, 2023) – Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey released the following statement:

“The freeing of 50 hostages, a temporary ceasefire, and the increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza is a welcome and desperately needed development. I’m grateful that President Biden managed to navigate the complexities of the crisis and negotiate an agreement that will save lives.

""Whether we will look back on this as a momentary pause or a significant step toward stopping the violence and achieving peace remains to be seen. I will continue to advocate for an immediate end to this war that stops the rockets going into and out of Gaza and Israel, saves innocent lives, sees the safe return of all hostages, and results in new leadership, free from terrorism, for the Palestinian people in Gaza so a two-state solution can be realized.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-joins-effort-to-demand-answers-over-biden-administrations-unprecedented-pause-of-firearms-export-licenses/,Dr. Rand Paul Joins Effort to Demand Answers Over Biden Administration’s Unprecedented Pause of Firearms Export Licenses,2023-11-21,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 21, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Rand Paul Joins Effort to Demand Answers Over Biden Administration’s Unprecedented Pause of Firearms Export Licenses

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) joined Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) and 44 other U.S. Senators in a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo raising questions over the decision announced last month by the Bureau of Industry and Security to pause for 90 days the issuance of export licenses for firearms, ammunition, and certain accessories to most overseas markets. This unprecedented move is the latest chapter in the Biden administration’s hostility towards America’s firearms industry.

The Biden Administration’s policy could cripple the firearms industry and, by extension, Second Amendment rights. As the Senators write in the letter, “according to a survey conducted by NSSF, the firearm and ammunition industry trade association, this decision would have a severe negative economic impact. As of today, the industry estimates a direct cost of at least $89 million associated with the 90 day pause and at least $238 million annually should the pause become permanent.”

The Senators are concerned that the Biden Administration is using unfounded national security concerns to advance its anti-gun agenda. The letter asks that the Department thoroughly explain the reasoning behind the pause, including any national security and foreign policy interests. The Senators are demanding a response to their inquiry by no later than November 30.

You can read the full letter HERE or below:

Dear Secretary Raimondo:

We write regarding the October 27 announcement from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce (the Department) that “[e]ffective immediately”, the Department “is pausing for approximately 90 days the issuance of new export licenses involving certain firearms, related components, and ammunition” as well as “the provision of new export assistance activities for such products to all non-governmental end users worldwide” with the exception of “those located in Ukraine, Israel, or a country in Country Group A:1 (Wassenaar Arrangement Participating States).” Further, this announcement stated that the Department will, during this “‘pause’ period”, conduct an urgent review of “current firearm export control review policies” in light of “U.S. national security and foreign policy interests” to “enable the Department to more effectively assess and mitigate risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities.”

We recognize the crucial need for firearms for civilian self-defense in Ukraine and Israel, which are exempted from this pause, and note the actions by the Ukrainian and Israeli governments to fulfill those needs. For example, in response to the Hamas attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that part of the war against Hamas involves “encouraging civilians and helping civilians to arm themselves for their self-defence.” The Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, promised to distribute 10,000 free weapons, including 4,000 rifles to settlers in the West Bank, and has relaxed rules for permits to allow 400,000 new people to qualify to carry a firearm. Similarly, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on February 24, 2022, that the Ukrainian government “will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country.” By June 2022, Ukraine had distributed “tens of thousands” of firearms to civilians “for national defense”, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky.

However, we also recognize the significance of exports that are now put on pause by the Department’s announcement. As you know, firearms exports to non-government users in countries not covered by the exception constitute a significant percentage of overall U.S. firearm exports. This pause puts at stake U.S. commercial and economic interests, as well as those business interests of firearm exporters whose pending exports are now subject to pause, in addition to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. According to a survey conducted by NSSF, the firearm and ammunition industry trade association, this decision would have a severe negative economic impact. As of today, the industry estimates a direct cost of at least $89 million associated with the 90 day pause and at least $238 million annually should the pause become permanent. Furthermore, it is our understanding that the Department has never before imposed such a 90 day pause on such a wide range of firearms exports. We have significant concerns about the justifications for and ramifications of this pause. Finally, we are concerned the unmet demand created by this action will promote opportunities for less scrupulous, professional, or conscientious sources of supply to fill the void, thereby strengthening illicit arms markets.

Thus, for the purpose of congressional oversight regarding the Department’s announcement we ask that you respond to the following questions and requests by November 30, 2023:

Please explain the reasoning for this pause and identify the specific U.S. national security and foreign policy interests that are part of this reasoning.

What specific situations has the Department identified where the current export policies affected U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, and contributed to regional instability, violated human rights, or fueled criminal activities?

Did BIS engage with firearm and ammunition industry stakeholders prior to the October 27 announcement to understand the impact this unprecedented decision would have on their industry?

Did BIS engage with advocacy organizations prior to the October 27 announcement to provide advance knowledge of this announcement?

If yes, then please provide a list of these organizations.

Has BIS held a meeting with firearm and ammunition industry stakeholders since making the October 27 announcement?

Please provide data on the number of export license applications covered by the Department’s October 27 announcement for all countries (disregarding any exceptions) that were pending on October 27, and the number submitted over the previous six months.

Please provide data on export license applications submitted for non-governmental users in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022 that are of the same type covered by the Department’s October 27 announcement.

Please provide data on export license applications submitted for non-governmental users in Israel since Hamas’ attacks began in October 2023 that are of the same type covered by the Department’s October 27 announcement.

Please provide data on the number of Department employees reviewing export license applications related to the October 27 announcement.

Please provide data on the average number of export license applications related to the October 27 announcement reviewed per day.

Please provide data on the average time to review export license applications related to the October 27 announcement to non-governmental users in Ukraine.

Please provide data on the average time to review export license applications related to the October 27 announcement to non-governmental users in Israel.

Are supplemental funds needed to add more Department employees to review applications so that reviews can be completed in a timely manner?

If so, what is the needed level of supplemental funding and how many additional employees should the Department add?

What is your estimate of potential economic loss, measured in dollars, to U.S. firearms industry as a result of this pause

What is your estimate of potential economic loss, measured in job losses, to U.S. firearms industry as a result of this pause?

Dr. Paul, Sen. Budd were joined in sending the letter by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Thune (R-SD), John Barrasso, M.D. (R-WY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Scott (R-SC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Rick Scott (R-FL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), J.D. Vance (R-OH), John Kennedy (R-LA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Cornyn (R-TX), Katie Britt (R-AL), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Braun (R-IN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Boozman (R-AR), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), James Lankford (R-OK), and Todd Young (R-IN).

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-urges-fda-to-update-animal-testing-guidance-in-accordance-with-the-fda-modernization-act-2-0/,Dr. Rand Paul Urges FDA to Update Animal Testing Guidance in Accordance with the FDA Modernization Act 2.0,2023-11-20,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 20, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Rand Paul Urges FDA to Update Animal Testing Guidance in Accordance with the FDA Modernization Act 2.0

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), led a bipartisan group of nine senators in sending a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure the FDA is updating its animal testing regulations following the enactment of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 last year. The legislation ended an outdated FDA mandate that required investigational new drugs to be tested on animals in pre-clinical trials. The legislation did not ban animal testing, but it allowed drug sponsors to use modern alternative methods to demonstrate a drug’s safety and effectiveness where they were suitable.

Dr. Paul was joined in sending the letter by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mike Braun (R-IN), Angus King (I-ME), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO).

You can read the full letter HERE or below and can read more about the Senators’ efforts published in Reason HERE.

Dear Dr. Califf:

We write to you about the investigational new drug development work of the FDA in the wake of the enactment of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0.

That legislation, which Congress passed and the President signed into law at the end of 2022 with uncommon unanimity, removes FDA’s mandate for animal testing of all new drug candidates and allows an applicant for new drug market approval to use methods other than animal testing to establish a drug’s safety and effectiveness. During one of your appearances before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, you spoke favorably about the shift toward human-based biology, noting that alternative methods may include cell-based assays, organ chips and micro-physiological systems, computer modeling, bioprinting, and a growing variety of other New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

As you are aware, agency regulations are promulgated in accordance and conformity with Congress’s statutory language and intent. Yet in the aftermath of the enactment of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, the FDA’s regulations related to animal testing no longer fully conform with applicable law. For example, federal regulations governing submission of Investigational New Drug (IND) applications require that amendments to an IND “should be supported by additional information, including the results of animal toxicology studies or other human studies as appropriate.” Further, regulations governing the IND Investigator’s Brochure call for a summary of “pharmacological and toxicological effects of the drug in animals and, to the extent known, in humans.” These and other regulatory provisions no longer reflect the full scope of the governing statute and should therefore be updated as expeditiously as possible.

The above examples are just a sampling of a larger set of inconsistencies between the amended statute and FDA regulations. We therefore write to ask what specific steps the FDA is taking to update its animal testing regulations, and what its timeline is for implementation of a revised regulatory framework. Please respond with this information within 30 days of the date of this letter.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Background:

The FDA Modernization Act 2.0 was introduced by Dr. Paul and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) last year and was unanimously passed by the Senate and signed into law in 2022.

In 1938, Congress passed the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, mandating animal toxicity testing. Since then, science and data has shown that in some products, animal testing is a highly inconsistent predictor of toxic responses in humans, all while animal testing on any single pharmaceutical product often requires killing hundreds of animal test subjects.

Dr. Paul and Sen. Cory Booker also previously introduced the first FDA Modernization Act in October 2021, and in the spirit of the bill, Dr. Paul hosted a Puppy Press Conference with Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) and Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA). You can read more about the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=C40A697D-8BE4-450E-BB44-9BF267AA2BC1,McConnell Statement On The Passing Of Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter,2023-11-19,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"LOUISVILLE, KY – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding the death of former First Lady of the United States, Rosalynn Carter:

“Elaine and I join the Senate and the entire nation in mourning the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

“The daughter of a small-town auto mechanic and a dressmaker will be remembered for her instrumental role in the most enduring partnership in the history of the American presidency. Today, that partnership ended where it began – in Plains, Georgia.

“Rosalynn Smith met Jimmy Carter before she could walk, moved frequently as a young Navy spouse, and embraced the even more dizzying pace of life in the political limelight with grace and resolve. From the White House, she reshaped the nation’s image of a modern First Lady, taking on policy and diplomatic missions as an equal partner.

“Rosalynn Carter used her role to help build ‘a more caring society’ – from advocating refugee relief to combating age discrimination. But like her husband, the former First Lady’s humble public service continued in earnest for decades after leaving the White House. Her tireless effort to promote mental health research and expand treatments for those on the margins of society leaves an especially enduring legacy of care.

“Today, as our nation gives thanks for the life of Rosalynn Carter, our thoughts and prayers are with her husband President Carter, their children Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and the millions of Americans whose lives were touched by her service.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://comer.house.gov/2023/11/comer-proud-to-support-murray-state-university-s-plan-to-develop-a-school-of-veterinary-medicine,Comer: Proud to Support Murray State University’s Plan to Develop a School of Veterinary Medicine,2023-11-16,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,KY,James Comer,C001108,comer.house.gov,comer,https://comer.house.gov/media,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.) met with officials from Murray State University (MSU) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to discuss the development of an accredited school of veterinary medicine at the MSU Hutson School of Agriculture.

“I am proud to support Murray State University’s plan to develop a top-tier, accredited school of veterinary medicine,” said Congressman Comer. “Today’s meeting with USDA and Murray State officials was productive. I know that Murray State University’s Hutson School of Agriculture is well-positioned to not only address the growing demand for rural large animal veterinarians but meet the needs of Kentucky farmers throughout the state. Kentucky’s livestock and equine industries are world renowned and it’s time for the Commonwealth to establish itself as a top destination for students seeking an education in veterinary medicine. I look forward to continuing to work with local, state, and federal leaders, including USDA and the Kentucky General Assembly, to make this plan a reality.”

Currently, there are no veterinary schools in Kentucky. Murray State University is proposing the development of an accredited school of veterinary medicine that will grant Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees and bolster their existing pre-veterinary program, the largest in the state. In Kentucky, there are only 54 vets dedicated to full-time services of large animals, and nationally there is an approximate shortage of 5,000 veterinarians. Murray State University’s Hutson College of Agriculture conducts groundbreaking and crucial research at the main campus and their Breathitt Veterinary Center, one of 23 nationwide diagnostic laboratories to be designated by USDA as a Level 1 facility within the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture recently released a call for applicants to fill the void in rural veterinarians in Kentucky following the request of Dr. Katherine Flynn, State Veterinarian with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarveys-statement-ongoing-violence-gaza,Congressman Morgan McGarvey’s Statement on the Ongoing Violence in Gaza,2023-11-16,2023,2023-11,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 16, 2023) – Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey released the following statement on the ongoing violence in Gaza:

“The images coming out of Gaza are horrifying. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed and so many more have fled their homes. I have seen Palestinians crying in agony while holding blood-stained toddlers, I have watched families digging through rubble searching for loved-ones, I have heard the doctors who refuse to leave patients as their hospitals fail. The pain, fear and anguish are palpable.

“The dire humanitarian situation unfolding before our eyes demands compassion and action. Over the last month, I have met with Palestinians and Muslims in Louisville, members of our Jewish community, as well as scholars, military, and intelligence officials in Washington, and two things are clear to me: (1) we must do all we can to protect innocent lives, and (2) nothing about this conflict is simple, even if we want it to be. I stand with Israel and its people, while opposing Prime Minister Netanyahu and the extremists in his party. Simultaneously, I stand with the Palestinians yearning for a future without war, while standing against Hamas both for what it has done to Israelis and to its own people. These truths can co-exist, even if it’s difficult to get to them on various social media platforms (or in response to a phone message).

“I remain deeply saddened by the terrorist attack on October 7th. The jarring images of terrorists paragliding into Israel, celebrating killing families in their homes, and dragging innocent Israelis into cars and taking them hostage are gut-wrenching. Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack killed over a thousand people, wounded thousands more, and took over 200 people hostage. American citizens are among the dead, wounded, and captive. I unequivocally condemn these attacks. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. At the same time, innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, half of whom are children who bear no guilt for Hamas’ terrorism, have the right to live free from violence.

“To pursue peace I believe we must free the hostages and avoid killing innocent civilians, even if they are being used as human shields by Hamas. For a two-state solution to become a reality, there must be an immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas, including innocent women and children, the dismantling of Hamas, and a ceasefire on both sides of the conflict.

“I support President Biden’s emphasis on the imperative to protect the lives of Palestinian civilians and reduce civilian harm in the course of Israel’s military operations. Additionally, innocent civilians must have access to food, water, fuel and medicine; that’s important to the values of peace, justice and freedom our country shares with Israel. I will continue to support the Biden Administration’s push for humanitarian pauses in order to get more critically needed aid to the people that need it most, and I will advocate for an immediate end to this war that stops the rockets going into and out of Israel, sees the safe return of all hostages, and removes the terrorist organization Hamas so a two-state solution can be realized.

“I remain steadfast in my commitment to ensuring our country is a force for good and always uses its strength to protect democracy and innocent life. My heart aches for every Israeli and Palestinian family robbed of a loved one in this conflict. It’s important to know that some of our Louisville neighbors have lost family and loved ones in Gaza and others had family taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th. Our community is hurting. As a person of faith, I am praying for peace. I remain committed to finding a peaceful path to a two-state solution in the region, which means the release of the hostages, the dismantling of Hamas, and an end to this war.""

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/icymi-dr-rand-paul-forces-senate-vote-on-conservative-amendment-saving-taxpayers-billions/,ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Forces Senate Vote on Conservative Amendment Saving Taxpayers Billions,2023-11-16,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 16, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Forces Senate Vote on Conservative Amendment Saving Taxpayers Billions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) forced the U.S. Senate to vote on his conservative amendment to the U.S. House of Representatives’ short-term spending bill that would have saved American taxpayers $50 billion over ten weeks.

Dr. Paul’s $50 billion cut, one percent of total federal spending, would exclude Social Security, Medicare, the Department of Defense, Military Construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs and would rescind $30 billion from funds originally appropriated to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

32 Senate Republicans voted for Dr. Paul’s amendment. You can view the full vote tally HERE.

Below are excerpts from Dr. Paul’s floor remarks ahead of the vote:

“To continue spending money at the current levels will inevitably lead to the bankruptcy of our great nation. My amendment, in order to stave off such a terrible fiscal outcome, would cut approximately 1% of our budgetary spending and help to put us on the path towards fiscal responsibility. In June of this year, the national debt surpassed $32 trillion. Then, in September, the national debt surpassed $33 trillion. You heard that right. It took Congress 90 short days to add a trillion dollars in debt.

“Unless we change course, the debt will consume us. America’s future as a nation is not threatened from without but from within. Our mounting debt will ultimately force a day of reckoning. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that we will add an average of $2 trillion in debt every year for the next decade. Using Congressional Budget Office projections, the U.S. government will add over $5 billion to its debt pile every single day for the next ten years. We borrow over $176 million every hour, we borrow $3 million every minute, and we borrow $50,000 every second.

“It’s only a matter of time before the world wakes up and refuses to buy our debt. This reckless level of borrowing and spending is patently unsustainable. The ever-increasing heights of our debt mean a weak economy, high inflation, and confiscatory tax rates. In other words, today’s spending threatens tomorrow’s prosperity.”

You can watch Dr. Paul’s full floor remarks HERE, and read the full text of his amendment HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-introduces-bipartisan-resolution-celebrating,Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Bipartisan Resolution Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week,2023-11-15,2023,2023-11,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 15, 2023) – This week, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) introduced a bipartisan resolution supporting the designation of the week of November 13th, 2023 as “National Apprenticeship Week.”

“Building the workforce of tomorrow begins with our investments today,” said Rep. Morgan McGarvey. “Registered apprenticeship programs are critical to ensuring our country provides the high-quality, high-paying jobs that hard working people deserve, with the training and support they merit. I’m so grateful to join my bipartisan colleagues to support the people who power and build our country.”

Registered apprenticeships are an “earn and learn” model where employers can develop and train their future workforce while workers receive progressively increasing wages, classroom instruction, a portable, nationally recognized credential, and a pathway to a high paying career. Apprenticeships can range from the electrical field to information technology and tech. After completion, registered apprenticeship participants have a 93% placement rate, an average starting salary of $77,000, and earn $300,000 more over their lifetime compared to their peers not in apprenticeship programs.

This bipartisan resolution is co-led by Rep. Bobby Scott, Ranking Member of the House Education & Workforce Committee, (VA-3), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3), Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-6), and Rep. Alex Mooney (WV-2). The resolution celebrates “National Apprenticeship Week” and highlights the importance of apprenticeship programs and applauds their benefits. The resolution encourages the expansion of registered apprenticeship programs, increases awareness about the value of the model, and supports the important work of its participants – uniting labor, industry, and a wide swath of stakeholders.

“Every year, Registered Apprenticeships connect workers across the country with in-demand skills and good-paying jobs and allow employers to tap into a pipeline of talented workers. In short, Registered Apprenticeship programs are critical to strengthening our workforce, businesses, and economy. That is why I remain committed to passing the National Apprenticeship Act, which invests in expanding and modernizing the apprenticeship programs for the next generation of workers,” said Ranking Member Scott, House Committee on Education and the Workforce. “I am proud to co-lead this resolution to officially designate National Apprenticeship Week and raise awareness about the need to reinvest in our apprenticeship system where workers can earn while they learn. We must continue fighting to ensure that workers and employers across America can access the proven benefits of our nation’s most successful federal workforce development initiative.”

""As our country faces workforce shortages and a gap in skills, it is crucial that we encourage more young Americans to pursue apprenticeship programs,"" said Congressman Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the Building Trades Caucus. ""I'm proud to join a bipartisan group of colleagues on this resolution to recognize the impacts that apprenticeships have on our students, our businesses, and our economy by preparing highly skilled technical employees who are ready for the workforce.""

“For anyone who’s looked at getting into the trades or buying their own tool set – it’s expensive and it takes resources. Apprenticeship programs equip young people with the training and support they need to build a fulfilling, good-paying career in the trades,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “Before coming to Congress, I ran an auto repair and machine shop and we were able to bring on an apprentice who has been with us ever since. I’m excited to stand alongside my bipartisan colleagues to support these opportunities and commit to empowering the next generation of tradespeople.”

“Providing specialized skills for the American tradesmen and women in manufacturing, construction, the oil and gas sector, and many other areas is critical,” said Rep. Bill Johnson. “There is high demand in Eastern Ohio and across the state for many of these trades, and I have seen firsthand the benefit these programs have for those looking to gain skills specific to their craft. By investing in these programs and expanding access, we can work together to ensure that all Americans have access to well-paying jobs and the skills they need to succeed. The skills and trades learned through these apprenticeship programs are going to be in demand for a long time to come.”

“College is not the only route to a successful career. In West Virginia and across America apprenticeships prepare workers for high-paying jobs so they can support their families,” said Rep. Alex X. Mooney. “I’m proud to join with this bipartisan group of colleagues to support National Apprenticeship Week and highlight the importance of apprenticeships to building the American workforce.”

The resolution text can be found here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=3ED948E3-5F1C-43F5-B96F-369ECC2953D9,Biden Admin. China Approach Fails To Keep Pace With ‘Pacing Threat’,2023-11-15,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding competition with China:

“One year ago, President Biden met for the first time as President with Chairman Xi, the head of the Chinese Communist Party. And he pledged that the United States would compete ‘vigorously’ with the PRC.

“Well, one year later, the President and the Chairman will meet again today. So let’s take stock of whether the Biden Administration is living up to its pledge of ‘vigorous’ competition.

“The stakes of this competition simply cannot be overstated.

“The Chinese military is outpacing us in pivotal military capabilities like hypersonics, precise long-range fires, and even naval vessels. Beijing has secured a commanding share of the rare minerals necessary to create critical supply chains.

“Chinese agents are engaged in an aggressive effort to steal sensitive Western technologies and government secrets. And the PRC consistently signals its disdain for national sovereignty, human rights, and the free flow of commerce.

“In other words, strategic competition with China is going to determine the course of the next century of American history. And yet, the Biden Administration has too often met this historic moment with weakness and naivete. Time and time again, it has sacrificed competition on the altar of green climate policy.

“In the Administration’s quest to turn the American automobile industry electric, it has apparently made peace with sending American tax dollars to the Chinese industries that dominate battery-making inputs.

“In pursuit of grand climate diplomacy, the Administration’s envoys have been laughed out of Beijing by a state that keeps on increasing its carbon emissions and has no plan to start cutting them literally for years.

“And meanwhile, the consequences of the Biden Administration’s neglect for American hard power are only getting more dangerous.

“The PRC is acquiring new weapons as much as 6 times faster than the United States. And for each of the past two years, it announced a 7% increase in military spending.

“But even as the President’s national defense strategy identifies China as ‘the pacing threat’, his defense budget requests haven’t even kept up with inflation.

“Chairman Xi has gone out of his way to align closely with fellow adversaries of the West, stepping up joint military exercises with Putin’s forces and helping both Moscow and Tehran endure Western sanctions.

“China has made military competition with the West a top priority. We can’t afford to ignore this challenge.

“Our allies certainly aren’t. Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other Indo-Pacific partners are investing heavily in their own defense.

“Taiwan is seeking to make itself a harder target for Chinese aggression. But America must continue to do its part.

“We have to keep investing in the sort of defense industrial base that can sustain this armament and strengthen our own military for effective deterrence.

“The Senate has multiple opportunities before us – in both supplemental measures and full-year defense appropriations – to do exactly that. And we can’t afford not to seize these opportunities.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=97FE49E8-FBB7-461C-979A-D8CFF6BD483B,McConnell: Democrats Must Get Serious About Fixing Biden Admin. Border Crisis,2023-11-15,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the southern border crisis:

“It is impossible to ignore the crisis at our southern border that’s erupted on Washington Democrats’ watch:

“Back-to-back record-setting years that saw millions upon millions of illegal arrivals at the border. And historic quantities of fentanyl and other lethal drugs pouring across to decimate American communities.

“Let’s remember where this crisis came from.

“President Biden campaigned on open-borders policies. His message was so compelling that crowds literally showed up at the southern border with his campaign logo on their shirts. As one put it back then, the President had, ‘promised us that everything was going to change.’

“Vice President Harris hit the campaign trail with a refrain of her own. She said ‘Say it loud, say it clear, everyone is welcome here.’ And she called the previous administration’s common-sense border security measures, ‘criminalizing innocent people.’

“Well Mr. President, this is the Administration that canceled commonsense policies like ‘Remain in Mexico,’ shelved DHS resources meant for border wall construction, and abandoned overstretched border enforcement personnel to contend with a tidal wave of mass migration.

“Today, cleaning up this Administration’s mess at the southern border is matter of urgent national security.

“And I’m grateful to the group of Senate Republicans including Senator Lankford, Senator Graham, and Senator Cotton who have been working in good faith on substantive policy reforms to bring the crisis under control.

“The goal here is simple: Slow the flow; and stop the catch-and-release asylum system that’s overrunning border communities and blue cities, alike.

“This crisis isn’t crying out for boatloads of new taxpayer dollars. Just commonsense policy reform.

“Unfortunately, Senate Democrats do not appear ready to admit this reality. They’re apparently not ready to seriously address asylum abuse. And that’s a stance that puts them out of step with even left-leaning governments across the Western world.

“For example, Germany, which is struggling with an asylum case load costing roughly $53 billion dollars, is exploring trusted third country policies to keep asylum seekers outside its borders while their cases are adjudicated.

“Finland is considering closing some crossing points along its borders as Russia weaponizes migrant flows against the West.

“Responsible people everywhere recognize that enforcing sovereign borders isn’t some hand-wringing moral outrage. In fact, what’s outrageous is refusing to do so!

“The American people deserve safe streets, stable prices, and secure borders. These are the fundamental responsibilities of any government. But on all counts, the Biden Administration is failing to deliver.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=E15389D5-46B7-4E5E-9469-846CF385BB76,Biden Admin. Takes Another Run At Student Loan Socialism,2023-11-15,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding student loan socialism:

“Today, the Senate will vote on yet another bipartisan resolution to overturn a harmful Biden Administration regulation.

“In its latest iteration, the Administration’s bid for student loan socialism – its so-called ‘Income Driven Repayment’ scheme – would likely go down as the most expensive federal regulation in our history.

“Leading estimates predict this policy would heap a $559 billion-dollar bill onto the taxpayers over the next decade. In exchange, a majority of the high-earning borrowers who choose to take on student debt would avoid even paying back the principal they borrowed.

“The Administration’s plan would actually remove the guardrails that ensure federal loan relief goes to low-income households. Apparently, loyal blue-state doctors and lawyers are the most important beneficiaries of student loan socialism.

“Whichever way you slice it, the President’s policy is a raw deal for working Americans who have made the sacrifices to pay off their student loans, or avoided debt altogether. But with taxpayers footing the bill, it’s also a powerful incentive for schools to raise the cost of college even higher!

“A bipartisan majority of our colleagues has already rejected this socialist fever dream. And President Biden’s first attempt at massive loan cancellation was struck down by the Supreme Court.

“But today, thanks to the leadership of Chairman Cassidy and Senators Thune and Cornyn, the Senate has another chance to kick student loan socialism to the curb.

“I urge my colleagues to support their resolution later today.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=D29913E5-B737-496C-AB6D-518A3E72B6ED,Barr Introduces Bill to Increase Tailoring for Mid-Size Banks,2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,KY,Andy Barr,B001282,barr.house.gov,barr,https://barr.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) introduced the ""Financial Institution Regulatory Tailoring Enhancement Act"" which would raise critical regulatory asset thresholds for financial institutions across our country.

The bill proposes substantial modifications in the asset thresholds at which financial institutions become subject to various regulatory requirements. Specifically, it seeks to amend the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, the Truth in Lending Act, and the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. These amendments will increase the asset thresholds from $10 billion to $50 billion, marking a significant shift in current regulations.

“This legislation represents a crucial step towards ensuring that our financial regulatory framework is both effective and appropriately scaled,” said Congressman Barr. “By adjusting these thresholds, we aim to alleviate undue burdens on smaller institutions while maintaining robust safeguards for our financial system. This legislation will foster economic growth and support tailoring in the banking industry.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=E56FF5F5-D49F-4D7A-80D0-8E13F5D08C9C,U.S. House passes bill to fund government operations through the new year,2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,KY,Harold Rogers,R000395,halrogers.house.gov,halrogers,https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. Harold ""Hal"" Rogers (KY-05) voted to extend government operations through the beginning of 2024 to avoid a harmful shutdown before the holidays. The House passed Speaker Mike Johnson's proposed two-step, stop-gap measure, fully funding U.S. troops and providing Congress more time to thoroughly complete federal funding bills for fiscal year 2024.

""I applaud Speaker Johnson's first big win on the House Floor, giving the American people added confidence through the upcoming holidays,"" said Congressman Rogers. ""On the heels of Veteran’s Day, it ensures that we continue providing critical resources to our military members defending America and our interests around the world, and takes care of our country’s heroic veterans. It also includes temporary extensions for critical expiring programs, such as Community Health Centers, the National Flood Insurance Program, and others that are important to rural regions like Kentucky’s Fifth District.""

""While a CR is not my preferred method of conducting business, a government shutdown, right before the holidays, does our nation no good. We need more time to complete our fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills to give the House a better negotiating position with the Senate, so we can eventually pass full year appropriations bills,"" added Congressman Rogers.

The bipartisan bill passed 336-95 and now heads to the Senate for consideration.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarveys-statement-voting-avoid-another-republican-led,Congressman Morgan McGarvey’s Statement on Voting to Avoid Another Republican-Led Government Shutdown,2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 14, 2023) – Congressman Morgan McGarvey released the following statement after voting in favor of a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through January 19th and February 2nd at current spending levels. The continuing resolution avoids a catastrophic shutdown and allows Congress to continue negotiating a funding agreement for fiscal year 2024.

“For the second time this year, I voted to avoid a catastrophic government shutdown,” said Rep. McGarvey. “Let me be clear — this continuing resolution is not a solution, and it will harm our ability to meet needs at home and respond to crises around the world. It’s been six weeks since Congress passed a CR at the end of September so we could come together and figure out a sustainable funding plan. Instead, House Republicans spent that time ousting their Speaker, trying and failing to elect a new leader, repeatedly bringing forward bills too draconian for even their own members to vote for, and refusing to negotiate an agreement with our Senate counterparts to fund the government for the rest of fiscal year 2024. This CR funds the government at levels agreed to in 2022, before I even got to Congress. These funding levels are wholly inadequate. They leave school meal programs underfunded, diplomats and soldiers without the resources to address global wars on multiple fronts, ignore humanitarian needs, and project general dysfunction at a time when we need to be showing strength and leadership. This is not how the government should work. I will continue working on a bipartisan path forward so we avoid more near-shutdowns, remain a global force for good, and fund our country’s needs.”

The continuing resolution now moves to the Senate. Funding for the government will run out at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, November 18, if not passed by both chambers and signed into law by the President. If signed into law, funding for the government will expire on January 19th and February 2nd.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=2DC84DB9-3F7F-4FDA-B981-9F302CDB6D04,McConnell Opening Remarks At Rules Committee Markup,2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks at today’s Senate Rules Committee markup:

“Thank you, Madam Chair and Ranking Member Fischer.

“I’d like to begin with the prime mover in this situation: an Administration policy I strongly oppose, which is designed to force American taxpayers to violate their rights of conscience.

“The Department of Defense is in the business of raising, equipping, training, and maintaining the strongest fighting forces in the world. Inserting our military into the center of a politically divisive subject isn’t just an ill-advised policy choice – it’s actually dangerous.

“But as I’ve said for months now, our colleague from Alabama’s response is not the way to reach the desired outcome he and I share. In fact, it’s created a nearly unprecedented situation for the Senate to address.

“As a general rule, when a President takes an executive action that a minority in Congress thinks is unlawful, you challenge it in the courts. And then, when the time comes, you elect a different President.

“The Senate, for our part, also has the power to hold the nomination of a civilian Biden Administration official to a role with actual responsibility for the objectionable policy. Unfortunately, our colleague has chosen instead to exert his leverage on career military officers with no influence over this Administration’s policy priorities.

“Right now, these holds affect 370 active duty positions. By the end of the year, if this situation is left unaddressed, it will impact 90% of our senior-most military commanders.

“Madam Chair, any one of us can talk for days about the growing challenges we’re facing around the world. But none of it is worth a dime if we can’t put experienced commanders in command in a timely manner.

“So I’m grateful to a number of our colleagues on both sides who have proposed plausible solutions to this situation.

“Ultimately, the best path forward for everyone involved will be one that allows us to clear the nominations backlog and preserve our substantive opposition to the Biden Administration’s atrocious policy.

“Productive discussions on that front are ongoing. And I’m of the mind that we ought to allow them to continue.

“So I appreciate the work put into the standing order proposal the Committee is considering. But I’m going to oppose taking that route at this particular moment.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=3A3AE750-9813-40D0-BC93-67F5DF147C6C,McConnell: Support For Israel Means Moral Clarity And American Strength,2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding support for Israel:

“Today, our nation’s capital will welcome a rally of Jewish Americans and friends of Israel.

“The participants in today’s events are gathering in mourning, in worry, in fear, and in shared resolve.

“In the dark days since the terrorist massacre of October 7th, their message has been crystal clear:

“There is no moral equivalence between terrorism and self-defense. Israel has a right to exist. And Jews everywhere have a right to live without fear.

“These basic truths should be obvious and unimpeachable. But if anyone failed to see the creeping advance of anti-Semitism across the West in recent years…

“If any corner of our society let itself believe that this unique hatred of Jews had been confined to history…

“That naïve fiction was shattered on October 7th, and swept away by the hate that has poured across college campuses and city streets throughout America and the West over the past month.

“In just the first week after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad murdered 1,200 Israelis, harassment, vandalism, and assault against American Jews rose 400%.

“But the peaceful people gathering in Washington today aren’t here to ask for pity for themselves. They’re here on behalf of the more than 240 hostages – including a three-year-old American boy and at least eight other Americans – who cannot speak for themselves. They’re here with a clear message for their leaders: Stand with Israel.

“Since October 7th, I’ve spoken repeatedly about the challenges Israel faces as it works to protect its people, bring the hostages home, and destroy Hamas’ capability to wage war.

“I’ve talked about the terrorists’ reprehensible record of systematically violating the customary laws of war. Their expropriation of humanitarian aid.

“Their cold-blooded practice of putting command centers and weapons caches in hospitals, schools, and even mosques.

“Their grotesque penchant for using innocent Gazans as human shields. And of course, the threat of further violence from Iran-backed terrorists on a second front.

“This is why I’ve urged the Biden Administration to give Israel the time, space, and support it needs to bring these savages to justice.

“How quickly some in the West have become confused about the crystal-clear distinction between terrorism and self-defense.

“Hamas sought this conflict. Hamas perpetuates it by holding hostages and continuing its terrorism. And those of us who live out of range of terrorist rockets should pause before second-guessing Israel’s response.

“This is a time that demands moral clarity – on campuses, in newsrooms, in Congress, and at the sharp end of American military strength.

“It’s also time to restore credible deterrence against Iran, the chief underwriter and architect of violence against Israel and against American forces in the Middle East.

“In less than one month, Iran-backed terrorists have targeted U.S. servicemembers in Iraq and Syria 52 times.

“From the abandonment of Afghanistan to the de-listing of the Houthis to our failure to respond to proxy attacks on our friends in the region, the Biden Administration has made Iran’s job actually easier.

“And now, as America dithers over support for our friends in Ukraine, Tehran is throwing itself firmly behind Putin’s Russia.

“It will take more than demolishing a couple warehouses to show our adversaries we’re credible. Iran and its terrorist networks must know that violence against America or our allies will meet swift and overwhelming lethal force.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=708D11A0-C398-44FA-8704-1F3BCEB3C10D,McConnell Welcomes Supreme Court Code Of Ethics,2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Supreme Court’s code of ethics:

“Yesterday, the Supreme Court announced its adoption of a code of ethics. The Court produced the code internally, and adopted it unanimously.

“In other words, as I expected, a coequal branch of government conducted its business independently. Which sounds an awful lot like the separation of powers envisioned in the Constitution.

“Certainly, that hasn’t deterred Senate Democrats from their obsessive effort to bend the Court to their will. In fact, their months-long smear campaign – disguised as an effort to make the senior-most jurists in the country, duly confirmed by the Senate, more ‘accountable’ to the American people – unfortunately continues apace.

“We know what our colleagues really mean by ‘accountability’. It’s code for ‘intimidation’.

“I’m sure that this sort of ‘accountability’ is exactly what the Justices and their families felt as the Biden Administration declined to enforce federal law and protect them in their homes from angry mobs.

“Or when Senate Democrats threatened to slash the Court’s security budget in the face of death threats.

“Or on any number of occasions when our colleagues have issued ominous, veiled warnings about ‘restructuring’ or outright threats that Justices would ‘pay the price’.

“Well, this week, Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are at it again.

“Our colleagues planned last week to threaten legal action against private citizens who declined to indulge their sham trial of the Justices. The only problem? Republicans on the Committee submitted too many commonsense amendments, and the Majority worried some of them might pass with bipartisan support!

“But regardless of how Senate Democrats choose to spend their time, I’ll repeat what I’ve said before: I have the utmost confidence in each of the Justices of our nation’s highest court, and they should continue to pay this intimidation campaign no mind.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A98D89FE-E517-43C9-A15D-27810128F96D,Bidenomics Is A Stubbornly Expensive Reality,2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the economy:

“This morning’s October inflation report tells a story that has become familiar on President Biden’s watch. Prices remain stubbornly high, and well above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target. Prices are up 3.2 percent year over year. And cumulative inflation since the President took office now clocks in at 17.6 percent.

“Even as the rate prices are growing, working Americans are growing more frustrated with an expensive new normal. The price of a gallon of milk has risen 15.8 percent since January 2021. Meanwhile, a gallon of gas is going for 54.8 percent more.

“As one small business owner in Texas put it to reporters recently, ‘I’m trying to think of one area where prices have eased and I can’t think of anything.’

“Earlier this month, President Biden told a gathering in rural Minnesota that, ‘Bidenomics is just another way of saying ‘the American Dream.’ The American people just aren’t buying it.

“According to one recent survey, only 14 percent of US voters have said President Biden has made them better off. And 65 per cent of voters said they had cut back on non-essential spending.

“So, if the President thinks that Bidenomics is the American Dream, he might want to pay closer to how many Americans are desperate to wake up,”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-paul-sen-budd-send-letter-to-sec-austin-demanding-that-dod-rescind-abortion-travel-policy/,"Dr. Paul, Sen. Budd Send Letter to Sec. Austin Demanding that DoD Rescind Abortion Travel Policy",2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 14, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Paul, Sen. Budd Send Letter to Sec. Austin Demanding that DoD Rescind Abortion Travel Policy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Budd (R-NC), along with 25 other GOP Senators, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin denouncing the department’s policy of paying the travel expenses of those servicemembers and dependents seeking abortions.

The letter also stresses that, “our men and women in uniform deserve Senate-confirmed leadership but the current situation began with your original sin of promulgating the Policy.”

The letter concludes by calling on Secretary Austin to, “Do the right thing. Rescind the Policy now.”

Dr. Paul and Sen. Budd were joined by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Boozman (R-AR), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Joni Ernst (R-IA) Roger Wicker (R-MS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and John Barrasso (R-WY).

You can read the full letter to Secretary Austin HERE or below:

Secretary Austin:

You have broken your promise to the American people not to politicize the military, and your actions have harmed and threaten to further harm institutional norms within our democracy. On June 28, 2022, four days after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, you issued a memorandum to senior leaders in the Department of Defense (“Department”) stating that the Department is authorized to pay for government funded, official travel for active duty personnel to receive abortions outside of the state in which they are stationed.

On October 20, 2022, you issued the memorandum Travel for Non-Covered Reproductive Health Care Services, properly referred to as the Department’s abortion travel policy (“Policy”), which directed the Department to pay travel expenses not only for active duty personnel to receive abortions, but for their dependents to receive abortions as well. Importantly, on July 19, 2023, at a hearing on the Department’s abortion travel policy, the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness confirmed that this policy extends to late term abortions.

All legislative power is vested in Congress, and the Executive branch is responsible for implementing and enforcing the law. While the Department may issue regulations, it can only do so under the laws authorized and enacted by Congress. But, Congress never authorized the Department to expend funds to facilitate abortions and, until the Policy was issued, the military never facilitated abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the mother would be endangered if the unborn child were carried to term. Now taxpayers—many of whom have deeply-held religious and moral objections to abortions—are on the hook to facilitate the very abortions they fundamentally oppose. Indeed, a Marist poll in January 2023 found that 60% of Americans strongly oppose the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for an abortion, consistent with polls taken throughout recent years.

Rather than respect the Supreme Court’s decision, you decided to engage the Department, and our men and women in uniform, in a policy debate properly reserved for the legislature. You did so by claiming that Dobbs had “readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the Force.” By your own officials’ admissions, however, the Department has no data to support that claim, and few servicemembers or dependents have utilized the Policy.

After multiple inquiries from Congress on this question, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness finally confirmed that “The Department does not have any data on women being deterred from joining the military for fear of being stationed at an installation or base in a state or nation that has restrictive abortion laws.” Finally, a recent letter from the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee revealed that only 12 women have taken advantage of the Policy since its inception, which undercuts your argument that Dobbs has significant recruiting and retention implications.

Our men and women in uniform deserve Senate-confirmed leadership but the current situation began with your original sin of promulgating the Policy. Much has been made in the press about one Senator’s decision to try and stop your egregious wrongs, without acknowledging the Senate Majority Leader’s refusal to bring general and flag officer nominations to the floor until forced to by Republicans. Seeking to circumvent the Senate prerogative of the informal “hold” practice without addressing the underlying causes—the novel Policy and the subsequent refusal of the Majority to bring these nominees to the floor—will not ultimately reconcile this matter. It could create a toxic precedent with lasting negative effects on future military nominations.

Your decision to issue the Policy politicized the military and placed the wants of a few over the needs of the entire nation.

Do the right thing. Rescind the Policy now.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-joins-bipartisan-letter-urging-the-u-s-to-end-prosecution-of-julian-assange/,Dr. Rand Paul Joins Bipartisan Letter Urging the U.S. to End Prosecution of Julian Assange,2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 14, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Rand Paul Joins Bipartisan Letter Urging the U.S. to End Prosecution of Julian Assange

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and 15 other bipartisan Members of Congress sent a letter encouraging President Biden to end the extradition request currently pending against Australian publisher Julian Assange and halt all prosecutorial proceedings against him in an effort to preserve free speech and freedom of the press.

As the Members write in the letter, “It is the duty of journalists to seek out sources, including documentary evidence, in order to report to the public on the activities of government. The United States must not pursue an unnecessary prosecution that risks criminalizing common journalistic practices and thus chilling the work of the free press. We urge you to ensure that this case be brought to a close in as timely a manner as possible.”

Dr. Paul was joined in sending the letter by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO-07), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT-02), Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX-35), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO-01), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16), Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14).

You can read the full letter HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=4CDA39AE-2D3C-4795-AC4B-B764590EB416,"Barr Presents $350,000 Award to Saint Joseph Berea Hospital",2023-11-13,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,KY,Andy Barr,B001282,barr.house.gov,barr,https://barr.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Berea, KY — On Friday, November 10th, 2023, U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) presented $350,000 in funding from the Fiscal Year 2023 Community Project Funding process to Saint Joseph Berea Hospital. This funding will be used to purchase a cardiac focused nuclear medicine camera with multiple components of advanced technology. It will improve heart care in Berea and surrounding communities and the advanced technology will provide patients with high-quality cardiac imaging while keeping radiation as low as practical, leading to appropriate medical interventions and treatment at Saint Joseph Berea Hospital.

“I am thrilled to announce $350,000 through the Fiscal Year 2023 Community Project Funding to Saint Joseph Berea Hospital"", said Congressman Andy Barr. ""This funding is vital to enhancing healthcare accessibility and quality in Central Kentucky, ensuring that Saint Joseph Berea Hospital remains at the forefront of medical excellence and patient care.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://comer.house.gov/2023/11/comer-u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-appears-to-be-levying-inconsistent-and-exorbitant-fees-against-marina-owners,Comer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Appears to be Levying Inconsistent and Exorbitant Fees Against Marina Owners,2023-11-13,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,KY,James Comer,C001108,comer.house.gov,comer,https://comer.house.gov/media,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:Austin Hacker

Comer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Appears to be Levying Inconsistent and Exorbitant Fees Against Marina Owners

Reintroduces the MARINA Act to bring much needed transparency and security for Kentucky marina owners

WASHINGTON – Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.) introduced the Maintaining Access to Recreational Industry and Necessary Adjustments (MARINA) Act today. In recent years, communities that rely on tourism in Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District have seen the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) recklessly wield their authority to charge administrative fees for improvement projects and events located on property leased by local marina businesses.

“Today, I am proud to reintroduce the MARINA Act. Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District has the largest number of marinas in the state, and each provides critical economic opportunities for our local communities. Struggling marinas are now confronting an unchecked Army Corps, which appears to be levying inconsistent and exorbitant fees against marina owners without sufficient justification or transparency. Unexpected fees can cripple these small businesses, and I have made it a priority to challenge the Corps to provide explanations for their unclear fee policies. As Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, I understand the need to secure transparency and stability for marina owners and ensure all fees incurred on private businesses are calculated consistently and properly,” said Congressman James Comer.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=84367E5C-4D12-4AE0-9DD1-41045904F739,America’s Allies And Adversaries Both Understand Global Stakes In Ukraine,2023-11-13,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding aid to Ukraine:

“As I’ve said for months, Congress also has a responsibility to help our nation meet a growing network of serious threats from adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran.

“As one recent analysis put it, ‘Each of these revisionist states aids the others in their goals to… subvert or destroy democratic nations.’

“Just consider the lengths that authoritarians in Beijing and terror sponsors in Tehran are going to prop up Vladimir Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine.

“The PRC has massively ramped up its purchases of Russian energy to help Moscow subvert Western sanctions. And Chinese materials are helping produce 80 million rounds of ammunition for Russian invaders.

“Meanwhile, Iran is providing maintenance for Russian aircraft that are subject to U.S. sanctions. And Iranian personnel are on Russian soil training Putin’s forces to use their lethal kamikaze drones.

“So Madam President, our adversaries are showing us by their actions that they’re heavily invested in Russia’s war in Ukraine. They clearly understand that their own ability to threaten America and the West is tied directly to what’s happening in Eastern Europe.

“Our allies understand this reality, as well. It’s why allies from Japan to Poland are making massive new commitments to modernizing their own defenses and expanding their defense industrial bases. This is good news for burden-sharing and for collective security.

“In some cases, like Germany, our allies’ investments since Russia’s escalation in Ukraine mark a long-overdue departure from years of neglect for hard power.

“Today, as Berlin continues to pour new resources into its own military strength, our German allies have also announced a plan to double their direct military aid to Ukraine in the coming year.

“Of course, some of our European allies have never had the luxury of taking a holiday from history. For example, since the beginning of Russia’s escalation, our NATO ally Estonia has allocated a nearly unparalleled share of its GDP in direct assistance. Estonians know that Vladimir Putin does not intend to stop at Kyiv.

“America’s friends understand that failing to check Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Europe would have far-reaching consequences. So do our biggest adversaries.

“We cannot afford to neglect this reality, ourselves. And we cannot deny the clear ways that America’s support for Ukraine is driving our growing readiness to face other threats.

“The emergency investments we’ve made in the U.S. defense industrial base as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine are doubling production capacity of 155mm artillery rounds. They’re driving a 40% increase in production of long-range precision fires. And nearly doubling capacity for air-to-air missiles.

“Denying the obvious connections between the threats we face can’t obscure the fact that the benefits of investments in Western strength are also connected. Expanding our defense industrial bases means making America and our allies stronger – from Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific.

“The most important thing anyone who is truly concerned about growing threats from China or Iran can do is support investments in American military capabilities and our defense industrial base. That includes both supplemental resources and full-year defense appropriations.

“If we fail to take these steps, we won’t just be starving our friends and allies, but our own military.

“The threats we face are not divisible. But neither is the progress we’re making toward restoring American strength.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=EAA57678-9CDA-42E2-B7AF-99A77B1BC7A0,McConnell Honors Fallen Members of Elite Ft. Campbell Unit,2023-11-13,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor Senate floor regarding the deaths of five soldiers of the 160th SOAR:

“I need to begin today with some tragic news.

“This weekend, as Americans joined together to salute our heroes, five soldiers deployed out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, were killed while operating in dangerous conditions in the Mediterranean Sea:

“Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen Dwyer.

“Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane Barnes.

“Staff Sergeant Tanner Grone.

“Sergeant Andrew Southard.

“And Sergeant Cade Wolfe.

“These fallen warriors were members of Fort Campbell’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known by their brothers- and sisters-in-arms as Night Stalkers.

“The Night Stalkers are elite, highly-trained fighters who take on the most sensitive missions. They’re ready to respond at any time to serious threats anywhere in the world. And they ground their service in two principles – never quit and never surrender.

“Night Stalkers live, breathe, and – tragically – often die by a creed which reads: ‘I serve with the memory and pride of those who have gone before me, for they loved to fight, fought to win, and would rather die than quit.’

“This weekend, five brave men honored their creed. Their memory will live on, carried by Night Stalkers who continue to profess it, and by every American who mourns their loss.

“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the incredible dangers our men and women in uniform face, and of the debt we owe them.

“Today, I join our nation in grieving these fallen warriors, and I extend my prayers to their families, children, and comrades.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=FB93A3EF-3776-4677-AD01-A4BC5DF5BEE0,McConnell on House CR: Responsible Measure Allows Important Work To Continue,2023-11-13,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding funding the government:

“I’ve been encouraged this year by the progress our Appropriations Committee has made toward restoring regular order to the way we fund the federal government. As I’ve said before, shutting down the government does nothing to advance that work.

“Regular order requires that Congress provide itself the time for careful consideration and thorough amendment. I’m glad to see that Speaker Johnson has produced a continuing resolution that would do exactly that.

“There’s a lot of work left to do. Aside from the remaining full-year appropriations bills, glaring national security priorities continue to demand our attention: from Israel to Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, and – of course – to our southern border.

“House Republicans have produced a responsible measure that will keep the lights on, avoid a harmful lapse in government funding, and provide the time and space to finish that important work.

“I will support their continuing resolution and encourage my colleagues to do the same.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=63C1B6D7-D5E2-4020-9323-7E1725103226,Barr Hosts Annual Youth Ambassador Conference,2023-11-09,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,KY,Andy Barr,B001282,barr.house.gov,barr,https://barr.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Lexington, KY — Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) hosted the annual Youth Ambassador Conference at the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics on Saturday, October 28th, 2023.

“Thank you to all students in Kentucky 6th Congressional District who participated in this year’s Youth Ambassador Conference,” said Congressman Andy Barr. “This annual conference provides a unique opportunity for high school students to hear directly from Kentucky leaders, while also serving as an ambassador to their school. I am pleased to announce that the 2023 Conference had student representatives from 25 schools in the 6th District including Bath, Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Garrard, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Montgomery, Powell, Scott, and Woodford counties. I would also like to thank the following public servants and business leaders who shared their advice with the students:

Elmer Keith Whitaker, President & CEO, Whitaker Bank

Jason Wells, Chief, Lexington Fire Department

Allison Lankford, Executive Director, Town Branch Park

Jim Coleman, President & CEO, Coleman Crest Farm, LLC

Christopher M. Campbell, Colonel, USAF (Ret)

Robert B. Trusell, Founder, Tempur-Pedic USA”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-introduces-bill-protect-veterans-against-scams-and,Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Bill to Protect Veterans Against Scams and Fraud,2023-11-09,2023,2023-11,Democrat,House,KY,Morgan McGarvey,M001220,mcgarvey.house.gov,mcgarvey,https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 09, 2023) – Today, as Americans prepare to honor our military veterans on Veterans Day, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) introduced the Veteran and Servicemember Consumer Protection Act. This bill gives the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) new authorities to crack down on fraud and scams targeting veterans and servicemembers.

“Veterans who have served our country and those who serve today have earned the right to enjoy every single dollar of their earned benefits,” said Rep. McGarvey. “Unfortunately, veterans and servicemembers are considerably more likely than their civilian counterparts to be targeted by criminals. This is unacceptable. My bill gives the Federal Trade Commission the tools it needs to prevent identity theft, phishing schemes, robocalls, and other scams seeking to steal from those who have served and continue to serve today.”

Veterans and servicemembers - especially those who receive disability compensation and other cash benefits - are criminals’ preferred targets for scams and fraud. According to the AARP,

78 percent of veterans report schemes designed to take advantage of their service benefits, and 16 percent of veterans have reported losing money to fraud. In 2021, according to FTC data, veterans, servicemembers, and their families lost $267 million to fraud.

The Veteran and Servicemember Consumer Protection Act directs the FTC to create a coordinator position within the Bureau of Consumer Protection to prevent fraud targeting veterans and servicemembers and to monitor mail, TV, robocalls, and other fraud schemes targeting them. The coordinator will be required to consult with other federal agencies to educate veterans and servicemembers on how criminals target them and provide information on how to report attempted fraud. The bill also requires the FTC to maintain a website with resources on how veterans can protect themselves from fraud.

Text of the bill can be found here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=46C8BA11-EC38-43DD-B978-76F599265238,McConnell Honors KFB President Mark Haney,2023-11-09,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor honoring Mark Haney, who announced he will conclude his tenure next month as the President of the Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB):

“Hardworking men and women in Kentucky have been in the business of growing the food that feeds our nation for centuries. When it comes to supporting these farmers, there's no organization that has had a greater impact on the agricultural community than the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation.

“Mark Haney, the Farm Bureau’s longest-serving president and a proud farmer himself, has played an important role in preserving our Commonwealth’s agricultural heritage and recruiting the next generation of young producers.

“This year, the Farm Bureau bids Mark a warm farewell as he prepares to step down, closing out 15 successful years as president and over three decades on the Board.

“Nearly 75,000 farms back home help keep dinner plates full across the country. And for the better part of this century, they’ve trusted Mark to lead them through the good times and the bad: From adapting to ever-evolving red tape from Washington… to helping farm families recover and rebuild after devastating storms… to navigating a once-in-a-century pandemic.

“Personally, I’ve leaned on Mark for his counsel on the challenges that face rural America, and having worked with him for decades, I am confident this is not our final goodbye. Mark is sure to be an invaluable asset to Kentucky’s agricultural community and the organization he loves well into the future.

“Elaine and I extend our warm wishes to our good friend Mark and his wife, Marlene, on his well-deserved retirement.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=AAF8584C-CD99-482F-9B48-7D6D284DEC77,"McConnell on Honoring America’s Veterans, Investing In American Strength",2023-11-09,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Veteran’s Day:

“This weekend – with parades and gatherings, solemn ceremonies and phone calls to loved ones – America will mark Veterans Day by expressing our gratitude to the men and women who have served our nation in the armed forces.

“But Veterans Day is much more than a once-a-year observation.

“It’s a reminder of our daily obligation to honor their service, uphold our promises to care for them when they come home, and do everything we can to equip those defending our nation today and tomorrow for success.

“Today, I’m reminded of some letters I’ve saved in my archives. They’re letters my father sent home to my mother from his own service in Patton’s Army in 1945.

“With Nazi Germany on the ropes; with peace within reach, my dad was already seeing firsthand the sorts of threats that would define the next half century of American history. In the parts of his letters that made it past Army censors, he told us how the Russians were going to be a big problem.

“Today, America faces threats every bit as grave. Like those of the 1940s, our adversaries today aren’t being shy about their efforts to win the next half century of competition with America and the West.

“As one recent analysis summed it up, Russia, China, and Iran are, ‘working to end the world order that has prevailed for three generations under American leadership.’

“‘Under American leadership.’

“This didn’t happen by accident. The Western order of peace and freedom was delivered by the sacrifices of American servicemembers like my father, and preserved by generations of brave men and women in uniform ever since.

“Right now, we have an obligation to these servicemembers… to our allies… and to the American people to behave like the world-leading power we actually are. We have a duty to invest seriously in American strength.

“It’s time to offer a clear strategy for victory against Russia, and then deliver the resources Ukraine needs to achieve it, right now.

“Putin is not deterred. And his imperial ambitions do not end at Ukraine’s border with the NATO alliance.

“If the United States abandons our support for Ukraine’s resistance, we would risk yet another generation of American forces becoming veterans of war in Europe.

“It’s time to get serious about deterring Iran – the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism, and the leading sponsor of violence against American servicemembers in Iraq and Syria. I welcome yesterday’s strike on an Iranian facility in Syria. But it will probably take more than striking ammunition warehouses to restore the deterrence the Biden Administration’s policies have actually squandered.

“It’s time to redouble our efforts to equip allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific to raise the costs of further aggression from communist China.

“And as I’ve said repeatedly, it’s long past time to make commonsense policy changes to address a southern border crisis that has required U.S. servicemembers to help border patrol to maintain order.

“These are the tasks before us. And they will not get any easier to address the longer we wait.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=BD81436F-7E03-44CF-ACD4-84665EF2F697,China Wins Big With Biden Admin. Climate Agenda,2023-11-09,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding left-wing climate policy:

“For three years, the Biden Administration’s radical climate agenda has laid siege to affordable American energy and American consumer choice.

“Slashed development of abundant domestic energy reserves. Soaring prices for gas and heating oil. And a thicket of new regulations from unelected bureaucrats – from construction permitting to home appliances.

“And as the President’s policies made life harder for working Americans, prominent Democrats took the Administration’s green obsession on the road.

“Special Climate Envoy John Kerry went to China hoping to treat climate goals as a ‘free standing’ issue from our major strategic competition. Unsurprisingly, the PRC saw things differently, and Chairman Xi stated publicly that China had no plans to stop increasing its carbon emissions for at least another seven years.

“Meanwhile, the Governor of California took his own trip to Beijing and pledged to PRC officials that, ‘regardless of what happens nationally, sub-nationally, you have a partner in California.’

“Well, Mr. President, they sure do. In fact, the supply chains for some of coastal liberals’ favorite green fashions like electric vehicles run directly through China.

“Close to 75% of lithium batteries – as well as 70% of the cathodes and anodes required to produce these batteries – come from China. The PRC holds more than 50% of the processing and refining capacity for critical minerals like cobalt.

“By all relevant measures, the United States lags dangerously behind. But earlier this year, the Biden Administration decided to make bringing these critical supply chains home even more difficult by waiving ‘Buy American’ requirements materials used to make electric vehicle chargers.

“Apparently, the Administration is so desperate to force its radical climate agenda, it’s willing to enrich America’s single biggest strategic adversary to get there!

“Washington Democrats so badly want to force working Americans to drive blue state millionaires’ favorite electric cars that they’re willing to cut communist China in on the profits.

“Fortunately, the Senate had an opportunity yesterday to set things straight. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Rubio, a bipartisan majority voted to block the Biden Administration’s waiver policy using the Congressional Review Act.

“Apparently, the President’s radical climate agenda is too radical for several members of his own party. Hopefully, he’ll listen to them soon.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-and-senator-richard-blumenthal-reintroduce-the-temporary-family-visitation-act/,Dr. Rand Paul and Senator Richard Blumenthal Reintroduce the Temporary Family Visitation Act,2023-11-09,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Rand Paul,P000603,www.paul.senate.gov,paul,https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 9, 2023

Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Dr. Rand Paul and Senator Richard Blumenthal Reintroduce the Temporary Family Visitation Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reintroduced the Temporary Family Visitation Act (TFVA) that would establish a new B-3 nonimmigrant category allowing U.S. citizens and permanent residents to petition for their family members for temporary visas.

Under the current system, family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents may only apply to visit their relatives through B2 visas. While facilitating family reunions is one of the main pillars of the U.S. immigration policy, the current immigration law lacks a direct path for families to temporarily reunite for family purposes such as weddings, birthdays, graduations, funerals, and holidays.

If enacted, the Temporary Family Visitation Act would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act and will establish a separate nonimmigrant classification under B visa category for family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are residents of countries not included in the Visa Waiver Program for a duration of 90 days.

Additionally, TFVA promotes U.S. national interests by supporting the principle of family reunion while strengthening the economy and reducing unintended immigrant visa applications.

“The Temporary Family Visitation Act is a great step forward in allowing family members of U.S. citizens/permanent residents to responsibly visit the United States for memorable occasions such as weddings, births and graduations,” said Dr. Paul. “The legislation will strengthen our economy through indirect spending and has the support of a large coalition of groups who agree that it is time to allow family members to visit the United States under responsible enforcement mechanisms to ensure that applicants do not overstay their visa.”

“This bill is pretty simple: we want to make it easier for close family members to see their grandchildren baptized, their children married or their nieces and nephews graduate from college,” said Senator Blumenthal. “As we’ve learned, it’s possible to celebrate these kinds of special occasions from afar, but it just isn’t the same as being there in person. I’m glad to join bipartisan legislation to make it a little easier for families to mark life’s big moments together.”

TFVA requires that:

Each petitioner signs an affidavit of financial support.

Each applicant must purchase travel medical insurance for the duration of their stay.

These requirements dissuade visa overstays by prohibiting the petitioner from using the TFVA if they had previously sponsored a relative who overstayed the 90-day period of authorized admission, it will also provide financial assurance to the U.S. Government.

You can read the Temporary Family Visitation Act, HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://comer.house.gov/2023/11/comer-issues-subpoenas-to-biden-family-associates,Comer Issues Subpoenas to Biden Family & Associates,2023-11-08,2023,2023-11,Republican,House,KY,James Comer,C001108,comer.house.gov,comer,https://comer.house.gov/media,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:Austin Hacker

WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today issued subpoenas to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, brother, James Biden, and Biden family associate, Rob Walker, to appear for depositions. Chairman Comer also requested additional members of the Biden family and their associates appear for transcribed interviews. Chairman Comer plans to send additional subpoenas and transcribed interview requests later this week.

“The House Oversight Committee has followed the money and built a record of evidence revealing how Joe Biden knew, was involved, and benefited from his family’s influence peddling schemes. Now, the House Oversight Committee is going to bring in members of the Biden family and their associates to question them on this record of evidence,” said Chairman Comer. “Unlike the many lies President Biden told the American people about his family’s business schemes, bank records don’t lie. These records reveal how the Bidens sold Joe Biden around to the world to benefit the Biden family, including Joe Biden himself, to the detriment of U.S. interests. The House Oversight Committee, along with the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, will continue to follow the facts and deliver the transparency and accountability that the American people demand and deserve.”

According to financial records obtained by the House Oversight Committee, the Biden family set up over 20 shell companies – most of which were created when Joe Biden was Vice President – in a concerted effort to hide payments from foreign adversaries. The Biden family, their business associates, and their companies received over $24 million from foreign nationals over the course of approximately five years – including millions of dollars from China, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and Kazakhstan. The Bidens and their associates made complicated financial transactions to conceal the source and total amount of money they received from foreign nationals and companies.

Devon Archer, a Biden family associate, testified that Joe Biden was “the brand” the Bidens sold around the world and used to send signals of access, power and influence. Archer admitted that Joe Biden was put on speakerphone by Hunter Biden with his business associates over twenty times; dined with his family’s foreign associates, including Russian and Kazakhstani oligarchs, and a Ukrainian executive being investigated for corruption; and had coffee with Hunter’s Chinese business partner and went on to write his daughter a college letter of recommendation.

Recently, the House Oversight Committee identified two checks labeled as “loan repayments” from James and Sara Biden to Joe Biden that were funded by laundered China money and domestic influence peddling schemes. After Chairman Comer called on President Biden to provide proof of loans to his brother, the White House refused.

“President Biden and his administration have continually changed their stories throughout this inquiry. You know who’s been consistent? The IRS whistleblowers. With each piece of evidence we gather, their whistleblower accounts are corroborated. These subpoenas are a necessary next step as House Republicans deliver accountability for the American people,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

“The American people are learning the truth about how the Biden Family sold access to Joe Biden and his political influence all around the world,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.). “Based on the evidence uncovered by an ongoing Congressional investigation that includes the testimony of two brave IRS whistleblowers, we know President Biden lied when he said he had no knowledge of his son’s business dealings; we know he was not only aware but involved; and it has now become abundantly clear that he in fact benefited. No one should be shielded from legal scrutiny based on their last name. Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight to determine whether our nation’s elected leaders have used public office to enrich themselves or their families, and more importantly, whether those public officials may be compromised by their family’s foreign business dealings. Subpoenaing key members of the Biden family influence peddling operation is the next logical step in this investigation.”

Below are the links for today’s subpoenas and transcribed interview requests:

Hunter Biden

James Biden

Rob Walker

Sara Biden

Hallie Biden

Elizabeth Secundy

Melissa Cohen

Tony Bobulinski

Read More:

Biden Family Investigation",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=6D4195C4-60BF-4720-A153-1487828B3250,McConnell: Growing Nat’l Security Challenges Require Comprehensive Response,2023-11-08,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding supplemental national security priorities:

“The challenges facing America and our allies today are not an a la carte menu of projects we can address at our leisure.

“No – the most dangerous threats we face are linked together.

“Take it from the author of the last administration’s National Security Strategy.

“Russia, Iran, and China, ‘see the U.S. as weak and in decline,’ and are willing, ‘to put aside their differences to collude against American interests.’

“So, Mr. President, they’re extraordinarily willing.

“Finland is investigating a case of suspected sabotage by a Chinese ship against an undersea communications cable and gas line connecting the newest member of NATO to Estonia, one of the alliance’s most stalwart backers of Ukraine.

“Putin’s Russia is reportedly helping Iran develop a space launch vehicle – a critical step toward building intercontinental ballistic missiles.

“In return, Iran isn’t just sending Russia kamikaze drones to kill Ukrainians. It’s helping build an entire drone factory on Russian soil.

“A Russia state energy company is reportedly providing China with highly enriched uranium.

“China is swarming social media platforms with pro-Hamas propaganda and protecting both Iran and Russia in the UN Security Council.

“America doesn’t have the luxury of facing these threats individually. Our ability to contend with complex, simultaneous threats is exactly what our adversaries are testing.

“Russian war in Europe, Chinese aggression in Asia, Iran-backed terror in the Middle East, and a southern border that’s dangerously lacking in credible enforcement. This is the reality we face. Right now.

“The Biden Administration’s supplemental request falls short of adequately addressing these linked threats. So let me explain again what this moment actually requires:

“In Europe, the Administration needs to provide a clear strategy for Ukrainian victory.

“That means prioritizing the lethal military capabilities Ukraine needs right now. No more half-measures. No more hesitation.

“As former Secretary of State Pompeo put it last week, America should be, ‘accelerating the flow of weapons and ammunition to Kyiv,’ because abandoning Ukraine would bolster our adversaries.

“We should be empowering agency inspectors general to continue the unprecedented oversight and accountability work we’ve built into U.S. assistance since the beginning of Putin’s escalation last year.

“And we should continue to invest in expanding America’s defense industrial base – both to replace capabilities Ukraine is using with newer for our own use, and to ramp up production of the ones Israel, Taiwan, and our Indo-Pacific allies and partners need.

“In Israel’s case, it’s especially important that we take stringent measures to ensure no humanitarian assistance bound for to the people of Gaza can be intercepted by Hamas terrorists.

“And as I’ve said before, for any of this supplemental security funding to pass the Senate, we will also need to implement serious policy changes at the southern border. Senate Republicans will not rubber-stamp the Biden Administration’s bailout for a problem it created. We’re focused on policies to slow the flow of illegal migration and secure the border.

“America’s strategic goals are crystal clear:

“Degrade Russian military strength and prevent major war in Europe. Re-establish credible deterrence against Iran and its terrorist networks. Grow our defense industrial base to equip our military and our allies in the Indo-Pacific to raise the costs of Chinese aggression. And restore real border security right here at home.

“That’s exactly what the Senate should be focused on.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=ECCB1D54-9A0C-435B-953D-2EC592DB87DF,Higher Ed. Faces Consequences Of Weak Response To Anti-Semitism On Campus,2023-11-08,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,KY,Mitch McConnell,M000355,www.mcconnell.senate.gov,mcconnell,https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding anti-Semitism on college campuses:

“Since October 7, a nationwide reckoning with the ancient scourge of anti-Semitism has centered on America’s most elite academic institutions. And the eye of this storm has been a cadre of the country’s most radical leftist faculty.

“Recently, the University of California’s Ethnic Studies Faculty Council released a letter condemning Israel as a ‘globally acknowledged apartheid.’

“The council called the UC System’s official response – which correctly identified the butchery committed by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad – irresponsible.

“And it claimed for itself the mantle of ‘moral authority.’

“Of course, tenured Marxists do not have to worry much about real-world consequences.

“But university administrators, recruiters, fundraisers, and students? They do.

“So in response to this faculty group’s terrorist propaganda, one member of the University of California Board of Regents published a strongly-worded letter of his own.

“Here’s what he said. ‘Let me be crystal clear with no ifs, ands, or buts – I…will do everything in my power to protect our Jewish students, and for that matter, everyone…from your inflammatory and out of touch rhetoric.’

“Unfortunately, too many other administrators have been unable or unwilling to speak with such moral clarity. And the consequences for their institutions are piling up.

“The billionaire philanthropist who just a few years ago made the biggest donation in the history of Penn’s Wharton School is now leading a revolt among influential donors that stretches across the Ivy League. He’s pledged to close his checkbook, and by one account, he’s talking to ‘half of Wall Street’ urging them to do likewise.

“One prominent national law firm has gone as far as setting up a legal assistance hotline for students experiencing anti-Semitism on campus.

“Apparently, the most successful alumni of the most elite schools in America want nothing to do with institutions that aid or abet anti-Semitism. Good on them!

“And it’s not just private funding on the line. This week, the Secretary of Education called a play from his Republican predecessor’s playbook and told major universities that he was willing to use Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to withhold federal funds if they permit anti-Semitic discrimination on their campuses.

“Of course, the Secretary couldn’t help but couch his warning in ‘both sides’ rhetoric about Islamophobia, as has been the Biden Administration’s practice this past month.

“Well, tomorrow, our colleagues on the HELP committee will convene a roundtable discussion addressing the topic at hand: a glaring rise in anti-Semitic hate on campus. I’m very grateful to Ranking Member Cassidy for leading this effort to highlight the legal responsibilities universities have to protect Jewish students.

“As our former colleague, the President of the University of Florida, put it without hesitation after October 7th, ‘Our Constitution protects the rights of people to make abject idiots of themselves.’

“Fortunately, the Constitution also protects our right to condemn these people in the strongest possible terms.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:49:58Z