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.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4240286B-F65D-48FE-AB2A-B75C6559812A,Johnson on Covid Funds: This Isnt Monopoly Money,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator calls for targeted relief to those who need it as debt climbs higher WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) continued to press for more targeted Covid relief in an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box Thursday. Excerpts from the interview are below and video can be found here. I certainly want to help people that are financially struggling through no fault of their own because of Covid. It's one of the reasons I voted for the $2.2 trillion CARES Act. We've now appropriated, we've authorized about $4 trillion in aid, but we did it in a shotgun approach. And we don't have an unlimited checking account. We're $27 trillion in debt. At the end of this fiscal year it will be over $29 trillion. Many, many, many of those individuals [receiving checks] have been working, they've been getting a paycheck, they're not financially struggling. Why would we be giving checks to people that truly don't need it? Again, we should have gone back to the drawing board, we should have targeted this relief. The lack of targeting, the lack of thoughtful consideration given to mortgaging our children's future by another $464 billion. I know it sounds good, it feels good to give away money. Everybody loves benefits. Somebody has got to be thinking about the effect of this on our future generations. We did it fast. We did it massively so the markets wouldn't collapse. We had to do that. I don't think even at that time it had to be $2.2 trillion. But we just had to lard out another $900 billion, and now people are talking about another $464 billion like this is Monopoly money. It's not. This is a mortgaging of our children's future. There is going to be a point in time where we have a debt crisis and it is not going to be pretty. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=E8047A7C-61B6-4943-8CDB-AA3BA1CAD12F,Johnson Urges Better-Targeted Relief in Fox Interview,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON During an interview on Fox and Friends' Wednesday, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) spoke about the need to better target financial relief to those who truly need it and the need to have a fair and unbiased federal investigation into Hunter Biden's business dealings. Excerpts of the interview are below and video can be found here. On Covid relief So, first of all, there's the demand to increase the $600 per-person payments up to $2,000 per-person, which would increase the average amount of money going to households, for Covid relief about $2,400 in the original CARES Act to a family of four getting $8,000. So, from my standpoint, I've seen a report that adds another $464 billion to the total cost of that package money we don't have, money that we're borrowing from our kids' future. So, I think we need to target that a little bit more. On Biden investigation In the end, we just might need a special counsel, as much as I dislike what happens with special counsels. In this case, I think, in order to restore the confidence in our justice system so that the American people do have confidence that it'll be equal justice under the law rather than special privileges for those that are [well] connected. Particularly, Democrats, seem to have a little bit easier time of getting that pass when they do something wrong. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://sensenbrenner.house.gov/2020/12/sensenbrenner-announces-2021-academy-nominees,Sensenbrenner Announces 2021 Academy Nominees,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,F. Sensenbrenner,S000244,sensenbrenner.house.gov,,,legacy,"BROOKFIELD, WI Today,Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner(WI-05) announced the nomination of 31 candidates from Wisconsin's Fifth Congressional District for appointment to the U.S. service academies. Rep. Sensenbrenner:This year Wisconsin's Fifth Congressional District yielded another outstanding group of students interested in attending the academies. They have demonstrated the ability to serve our nation, and I wish them all tremendous success. I would like to thank our Academy Selection Committee for the work they put into interviewing and assessing this year's applicants. Their efforts play a vital role in this process. As I approach my retirement from Congress in a few short days, I can say the ability to nominate students to our nation's service academies has been one of the highest honors. This year, Congressman Sensenbrenner nominated a total of 31 students, including six principal nominees. They are as follows:Principal Nominees Jocelyn Heckenkamp of Delafield has been named a principal nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Jocelyn, daughter of Jason and Jennifer Heckenkamp, attends the University of Texas at Dallas, and is a graduate of Kettle Moraine High School. Jane Yoo of Menomonee Falls has been named a principal nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Jane, daughter of Chang and Eun Yoo, is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School. Allyson Davis of Pewaukee has been named a principal nominee to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY. Allyson, daughter of Michael and Nicole Davis, is a senior at Arrowhead High School. Kye Yu of New Berlin has been named a principal nominee to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY. Kye, son of Ben and Karen Yu, is a senior at New Berlin Eisenhower High School. Alec Malone of Pewaukee has been named a principal nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Alec, son of Dan and Trudy Malone, is a senior at Marquette University High School. Timothy Rauh of Hartland has been named a principal nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Timothy, son of Jeffery and Ann Rauh, is a senior at Brookfield Academy. Competing Alternate Nominees and United States Merchant Marine Academy Nominees Kyle Anthes of New Berlin has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Kyle, son of Brian and Jennifer Anthes, is a senior at New Berlin Eisenhower High School. Anthony Bigari of Summit has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Anthony, son of Bryan and Tracy Bigari, is a senior at Pewaukee High School. David Crosby of Pewaukee has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and a nominee to the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. David, son of David, Sr. and Seleny Crosby, is a senior at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy. Arno Crowley of Whitewater has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Arno, son of Alexander and Holly Crowley, is a senior at Whitewater High School. Jack Dedrick of Menomonee Falls has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, US Military Academy in Annapolis, MD and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Jack, son of Craig and Jennifer Dedrick, is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School. Jack Ganos of Oconomowoc has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Jack, son of Michael and Rachel Ganos, is a senior at Arrowhead High School. Nicholas Hansen of Elm Grove has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, US Military Academy in Annapolis, MD and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Nick, son of Michael and Shelly Lynn Hansen, is a senior at Marquette University High School. He and his twin brother, Will, received nominations to the same academies. William Hansen of Elm Grove has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, US Military Academy in Annapolis, MD and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Will, son of Michael and Shelly Lynn Hansen, is a senior at Marquette University High School. He and his twin brother, Nick, received nominations to the same academies. Morgan Holley of Watertown has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Morgan, daughter of Allen and Katherine Holley, attends the US Air Force Prep School, and is a graduate of Watertown High School. Conall Hospidales of Oconomowoc has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Conall, son of Christopher and Sheila Hospidales, is a senior at Oconomowoc High School. Julian Jones of Brookfield has been named an alternate nominee to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY. Julian, son of Kent Jones and Christina Tilbury, is a senior at Brookfield East High School. Derek Kaiser of Delafield has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and a nominee to the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. Derek, son of William Kaiser and Angela Belsha, attends Kettle Moraine Global. Ahna Kammer of Jefferson has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Ahna, daughter of Scott Kammer and Terese Wenkman, is a senior at Jefferson High School. Brandon Lee of Brookfield has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Branson, son of Yonggon and Yuna Lee, attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is a graduate of Brookfield Central High School. Joseph Lynch of Menomonee Falls has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Joseph, son of Patrick and Jean Lynch, is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School. Ethan Megal of Elm Grove has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Ethan, son of Phillip and Sara Megal, is a senior at Brookfield East High School. Patrick Merkel of Pewaukee has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Patrick, son of Charlie and Sandy Merkel, is a senior at Pewaukee High School. Halle Quadracci of Hartland Pewaukee has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO and US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and a nominee to the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. Halle, daughter of Joel and Caran Quadracci, is a senior at Devine Savior Holy Angels. Tyler Rhode of Brookfield has been named an alternate nominee to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY. Tyler, son of Tim and Jana Rhode, is a senior at Brookfield East High School. Aubrey Schmutzler of Watertown has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Aubrey, daughter of Brent and Maria Schmutzler, is a senior at Watertown High School. Collin Schulz of Fort Atkinson has been named an alternate nominee to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Collin, son of Todd and LaRae Schulz, attends the US Air Force Prep School and is a graduate of Lakeside Lutheran High School. Amelia Sitzberger of Ixonia has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Amelia, daughter of Robert Sitzberger and Heidi Graf, is a senior at Oconomowoc High School. Kady Stigler of Menomonee Falls has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Kady, daughter of Chad and Lisa Stigler, is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School. Natalie Tesch of New Berlin has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Natalie, daughter of Walter and Barbara Tesch, is a senior at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. Haley Wolff of Waukesha has been named an alternate nominee to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Haley, daughter of Peter and Christine Wolff, is a senior at Devine Savior Holy Angels.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-urges-governor-evers-provide-transparency-develop-effective-covid-19,"Steil Urges Governor Evers to Provide Transparency, Develop Effective COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy in Wisconsin",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) urged Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers to provide transparency on Wisconsin's COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. Steil was joined by Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin in this request. The coronavirus vaccines play a crucial role in keeping our communities safe and defeating this virus. Across the state, frontline workers, seniors, and our most vulnerable populations are uncertain about when they are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. We must ensure the State of Wisconsin has a plan in place to disseminate information to the public and allocate the vaccine. Wisconsin's vaccination campaign must be fair and transparent, and we must ensure anyone who wants to receive a vaccine has the ability to do so, said Rep. Steil. Specifically, Steil and Baldwin ask Governor Evers to provide answers to the following questions on Wisconsin's vaccination strategy: What is your administration doing to distribute and administer the vaccine effectively and rapidly? When do you expect members of the general public to have access to the vaccine? How will the vaccine be distributed geographically across Wisconsin? What partnerships are in place across the state with health departments and providers to help carry out your vaccination plan? How are you working with partners across the state to communicate scientifically accurate information about the importance of getting vaccinated when the vaccine is widely available? We understand that the state has received unclear information from officials with Operation Warp Speed (OWS) regarding vaccine allocations. What additional resources or information do you need to ensure that vaccine distribution in the state will be conducted in an efficient manner? What steps have you taken to ensure that there is a high level of transparency for members of the public during this time? The Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (DHS) has worked to convey accurate information about the spread and impact of COVID-19 in the state. Can you describe how vaccine information will be incorporated into this effort and made available to the public?",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-urges-governor-evers-to-provide-transparency-develop-effective-covid-19-vaccine-strategy-in-wisconsin,"Steil Urges Governor Evers to Provide Transparency, Develop Effective COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy in Wisconsin",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,steil,https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"December 29, 2020 Steil requests collaboration, transparency, and COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan from State of Wisconsin WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) urged Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers to provide transparency on Wisconsin's COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. Steil was joined by Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin in this request. ""The coronavirus vaccines play a crucial role in keeping our communities safe and defeating this virus. Across the state, frontline workers, seniors, and our most vulnerable populations are uncertain about when they are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. We must ensure the State of Wisconsin has a plan in place to disseminate information to the public and allocate the vaccine. Wisconsin's vaccination campaign must be fair and transparent, and we must ensure anyone who wants to receive a vaccine has the ability to do so,"" said Rep. Steil. Specifically, Steil and Baldwin ask Governor Evers to provide answers to the following questions on Wisconsin's vaccination strategy: What is your administration doing to distribute and administer the vaccine effectively and rapidly? When do you expect members of the general public to have access to the vaccine? How will the vaccine be distributed geographically across Wisconsin? What partnerships are in place across the state with health departments and providers to help carry out your vaccination plan? How are you working with partners across the state to communicate scientifically accurate information about the importance of getting vaccinated when the vaccine is widely available? We understand that the state has received unclear information from officials with Operation Warp Speed (OWS) regarding vaccine allocations. What additional resources or information do you need to ensure that vaccine distribution in the state will be conducted in an efficient manner? What steps have you taken to ensure that there is a high level of transparency for members of the public during this time? The Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (DHS) has worked to convey accurate information about the spread and impact of COVID-19 in the state. Can you describe how vaccine information will be incorporated into this effort and made available to the public? Issues:Health",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-statement-fy2021-ndaa,Gallagher Statement on FY2021 NDAA,2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) today released the following statement after voting to make the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act law. ""The SolarWinds espionage campaign emphasized our vulnerabilities in cyberspace and underscored the pressing need for action. Congress must work to make sure this never happens again, and the FY2021 NDAA takes concrete steps to help achieve this goal. While we are still learning about the scale of this campaign, what we do know is that many of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission's recommendations included in this bill would have helped the government better respond to the hack. With these provisions, CISA would have enhanced resources and improved threat hunting capabilities, allowing the government to more quickly identify intrusions. The Department of Defense would have a comprehensive plan to strengthen the cyber defense of our nuclear command and control system, preventing malign access to this critical network from even happening. And a National Cyber Director would be able to coordinate a public-private response to dealing with this espionage. These long-overdue reforms in addition to provisions that provide a well-deserved pay raise to our troops, help counter threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party, and deliver full funding to the Future Frigate make this year's NDAA must-pass legislation."" The FY21 NDAA adopts26 recommendations from the bipartisan Cyberspace Solarium Commissionthat strengthen the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, empower the government to better protect against a cyber-attack against adversaries, and safeguard our nuclear enterprise. This is in addition to overall nuclear modernization and NNSA cybersecurity investments in the bill. The most notable of those measures include: Ensuring Cyber Resiliency of Nuclear Command and Control Systems --The FY21 NDAA requires the Department of Defense to implement a comprehensive plan that strengthens the cyber defense of nuclear command and control systems. Strengthening Cyber Security at the Nation's Nuclear Weapons Production FacilitiesAmerica's nuclear deterrent is the bedrock of our national security and reported hacks at the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration(NNSA) mayrepresentanextraordinarily grave threatto the safety of every American.In recognition that cyber infrastructure modernization is an important part of the overall nuclear modernization plan, the FY21 NDAA specifically authorizes $375.5 million for information technology and cybersecurity within the NNSA's weapons activities accounts. Establishinga National Cyber Director The FY21 NDAA creates the National Cyber Director(NCD)position in the White House to serve as the president's principal advisor on cyber issues and as a point of coordination and leadership within the federal government on these issues. The NCD would provide centralized White House leadership to coordinate federal response efforts and liaise with critical private-sector stakeholders. Strengtheningthe Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) The FY21 NDAA contains several provisions aimed at strengthening CISA's capacity to carry out its mission, including a provision authorizing CISA to conduct threat hunting on U.S. government networks. In addition, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission is calling on appropriators to increase funding to CISA to build out more Hunt and Incident Response Teams (HIRTs). Early reporting from affected departments and agencies suggests that CISA's incident response capacities may be overwhelmed. More HIRTs would bolster CISA capacity to assist departments and agencies in responding to the incident in a timely manner. Better threat hunting on the .gov domain would have identified the campaign earlier on and possibly stopped the attack in its tracks. CISA is and will continue to be crucial in both identifying and responding to cybersecurity incidents on federal government networks. Strengtheningan Integrated Cyber Center The FY21 NDAA contains a provision calling on the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a review of federal cybersecurity centers and propose a plan to establish an integrated cyber center at CISA to improve coordination among federal government cybersecurity centers. A stronger integrated cyber center would help facilitate greater information exchange between federal departments and agencies, helping to quickly paint a clearer picture of the scope and scale of incidents like this and to inform incident response and the allocation of critical incident response capabilities. Protecting Against Industrial Espionage and Cyber TheftThe FY21 NDAA contains a requirement for a Presidential assessment on the effectiveness of the National Cyber Strategy to deter industrial espionage and large-scale cyber theft of intellectual property and personal information conducted by China.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4701,"Congresswoman Gwen Moore Votes to Pass Legislation to Increase Survival Checks to $2,000",2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,WI,Gwen Moore,M001160,gwenmoore.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Gwen Moore Votes to Pass Legislation to Increase Survival Checks to $2,000 Today, Congresswoman Moore voted to pass the CASH Act, legislation to increase COVID-19 survival checks to $2,000, in response she released the following statement: I am so pleased to support legislation that would bring serious relief for my constituents, including those with adult dependents and Americans across the country, supplementing the COVID-19 package signed into law yesterday. As millions experience job loss along with housing and food insecurity, the need for direct relief is urgent. And $2,000 would provide a lifeline for Americans falling farther and farther behind. That's why for months, Democrats have fought for higher cash payments, and after Trump's vocal support for increasing cash payments, there should be no hesitation in passing this relief in the Senate. Now Mitch McConnell must do what's right for the people.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4702,Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Testing Positive for COVID-19,2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,WI,Gwen Moore,M001160,gwenmoore.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Testing Positive for COVID-19 f t # e Washington, December 28, 2020 Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Testing Positive for COVID-19 I tested positive for COVID-19. I am following guidance from my doctor and am isolating from others. I am thankful to be feeling well. I do not foresee this disrupting my work for Wisconsin's Fourth.I encourage every person to continue taking measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask, washing your hands, and practicing social distancing. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-increase-direct-payment-checks-wisconsinites,Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Increase Direct Payment Checks to Wisconsinites,2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for theCaring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act. This legislation increases the value of the second round of Economic Impact Payments in the recently enacted COVID-19 relief package from $600 for individuals to $2,000. I'm glad that the bipartisan COVID-19 relief package was finally signed into law given the amount of pain and suffering Wisconsin families have been facing during these challenging times, saidRep. Ron Kind. However, more support is needed and $600 rebate checks don't go far enough to provide Wisconsinites with the relief they deserve. That's why today I was proud to vote to increase direct payments to $2,000. Now, I hope the Senate will stand with Members on both sides of the aisle and the President to swiftly pass this vital legislation. Rep. Kindvotedfor the bipartisan emergency COVID-19 relief package on December 21, 2020 to provide critical relief for Wisconsin workers, small businesses, farmers, health care providers, and families. The legislationlays the groundwork for a smooth COVID-19 vaccine rollout and includes many priorities Rep. Kind fought for such as his Paycheck Protection for Producers Act to expand access for family farmers when qualifying for the paycheck protection program; $300 million in new grants to fund rural broadband buildout and $65 million to complete broadband coverage maps; and $15 billion grant for music venues harmed by the pandemic such as the Pablo Center in Eau Claire.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-support-our-servicemembers-and-override-dangerous,Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Support our Servicemembers and Override Dangerous National Defense Authorization Act Veto,2020-12-28,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted to override President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bipartisan legislationbolsters our national security,sets critical national defense priorities for the upcoming year, reaffirms our steadfast commitment to NATO,includes a 3% pay raise for servicemembers,provides benefits to certain veterans exposed to Agent Orange, andinvests in countering cyber security threats, such as the recent hacks perpetrated by Russia. Our troops serve with dedication and honor, and they deserve the best our nation can offer. To that end, it's unacceptable that the President put our national security and servicemembers at risk by choosing to veto the bipartisan NDAA, saidRep. Ron Kind. Today, I was proud to vote to override this veto and ensure that our brave men and women in uniform receive a well-deserved 3% pay raise and have the resources they need to safely and effectively defend our country. Rep. Kindvotedfor the annual NDAA, which passed with broad bipartisan support on December 8, 2020. This legislation determines critical defense and national security priorities. This year's bill also directs the VA to provide benefits to veterans exposed to Agent Orange who were later diagnosed with bladder cancer, parkinsonism, or hyperthyroidism, which Rep. Kind called for earlier this Congress. Additionally, the bill calls for the VA and the Defense Department to develop standards of coordinated care for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST).",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/stop-student-debt-relief-scams-act-signed-into-law,Baldwin’s Bipartisan Bill to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Signed into Law,2020-12-23,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.23.20 Baldwin's Bipartisan Bill to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Signed into Law The new law will provide more tools to identify and shut down fraudsters who hurt borrowers WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) issued the following statement after her bipartisan legislation with U.S. SenatorsMike Braun (R-IN),Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Deb Fischer (R-RE) was signed into law. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwill expand and enhance efforts to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. Far too many students are already struggling with student loan debt, and they deserve to be protected from scammers and bad actors who are preying on their financial security,said Senator Baldwin.The additional repayment relief provided to many borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately also created additional opportunities for fraudsters to do more harm. I'm so proud that my bipartisan reform is now the law of the land, because it is just commonsense to stop these student loan debt relief scams that harm hardworking Americans and prevent them from getting ahead. With Americans facingmore than$1.7trillion in student loan debt, borrowers are looking for relief wherever they can find it. Debt relief scams falsely promise borrowers a quick fix with little hassle. These schemes robocall student loan borrowers until they agree to pay thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees for services that are available for free, claiming to reduce or forgive borrowers' student debt. In a March 2018 report, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General recommended that Congress strengthen federal law to help stop scam artists that fraudulently obtain access to borrower's online login credentials, primarily by imposing meaningful financial penalties and prosecuting individuals and entities perpetrating these scams. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwould accelerate the end to this rampant misconduct. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Act,introduced in April 2019, will enhance law enforcement and administrative abilities to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. Specifically, the legislation will: Clarify that it is a federal crime to access U.S. Department of Education information technology systems for fraud, commercial advantage, or private financial gain, and impose fines on scammers for violations of the law; Direct the U.S. Department of Education to create a new form of third-party access, akin to the current preparer function on the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for those applying on behalf of a student and their family, in order to protect legitimate organizations; Require the U.S. Department of Education to maintain common-sense reporting, detection, and prevention activities to stop potential or known debt relief scams; and Require student loan exit counseling to warn federal loan borrowers about debt relief scams. The bill is endorsed by the Education Finance Council, Generation Progress, National Consumer Law Center(on behalf of its low-income clients), National Council of Higher Education Resources, Student Loan Servicing Alliance, The Institute for College Access and Success, and Young Invincibles. More information about this legislation is availablehere. The full bill text is availablehere. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-nominates-17-high-school-students-attend-service-academies,Steil Nominates 17 High School Students to Attend Service Academies,2020-12-23,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,,,legacy,"JANESVILLE, WISCONSINToday, Congressman Bryan Steil announced the nomination of 17 high school students from Southeast Wisconsin for appointments to attend U.S. service academies. One great responsibility I have as a Member of Congress is to recognize the character, leadership, and academic achievements of high school students in the First District. I am proud to nominate 17 students to attend our nation's service academies. These young men and women have excelled in the classroom, extracurriculars, and have a passion to service. I am confident these future leaders will serve our nation well, said Steil. Part of the U.S. service academy application process is obtaining a nomination from an authorized nominating source, such as a Member of Congress.Acceptance to the academies is highly competitive. Receiving a nomination is the important first step, however, the actual appointment to a service academy is determined by each academy itself. A list of students nominated by Congressman Steil can be found below: Paul Capelli of Salem has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Alyssa Cornell of Waterford has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Abby Doble of Waukesha has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Will French of Waterford has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Kaleb Gendron of Silver Lake has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Konnor Hill of Burlington has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Riley Larsen of Caledonia has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. George Main of Kenoshahas been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Jeffrey Meersman of Delavan has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Annie Oechsner of Muskego has been nominated for appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Thomas Roiniotis of Kenosha has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. George Smith of Janesville has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Joseph Sus of Racine has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Johnathan Totzke of Dousman has been nominated for appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Ashton Valentine of Pleasant Prairie has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Kiel Wolff of Janesville has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hunter Zoerner of Pleasant Prairie has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-nominates-17-high-school-students-to-attend-service-academies,Steil Nominates 17 High School Students to Attend Service Academies,2020-12-23,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,steil,https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"December 23, 2020 JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN—Today, Congressman Bryan Steil announced the nomination of 17 high school students from Southeast Wisconsin for appointments to attend U.S. service academies. ""One great responsibility I have as a Member of Congress is to recognize the character, leadership, and academic achievements of high school students in the First District. I am proud to nominate 17 students to attend our nation's service academies. These young men and women have excelled in the classroom, extracurriculars, and have a passion to service. I am confident these future leaders will serve our nation well,"" said Steil. Part of the U.S. service academy application process is obtaining a nomination from an authorized nominating source, such as a Member of Congress. Acceptance to the academies is highly competitive. Receiving a nomination is the important first step, however, the actual appointment to a service academy is determined by each academy itself. A list of students nominated by Congressman Steil can be found below: Paul Capelli of Salem has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Alyssa Cornell of Waterford has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Abby Doble of Waukesha has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Will French of Waterford has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Kaleb Gendron of Silver Lake has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Konnor Hill of Burlington has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Riley Larsen of Caledonia has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. George Main of Kenosha has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Jeffrey Meersman of Delavan has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Annie Oechsner of Muskego has been nominated for appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Thomas Roiniotis of Kenosha has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. George Smith of Janesville has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Joseph Sus of Racine has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Johnathan Totzke of Dousman has been nominated for appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Ashton Valentine of Pleasant Prairie has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Kiel Wolff of Janesville has been nominated for appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hunter Zoerner of Pleasant Prairie has been nominated for appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Issues:Education",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/grli-act-passes-senate,Senate Passes Baldwin’s Bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.22.20 Senate Passes Baldwin's Bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act Bipartisan Bill Ensures Great Lakes Will Be Protected for Future Generations WASHINGTON, D.C. The United States Senate has passed Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanGreat Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act, which reauthorizes and expands funding for the Great Lakes. The legislation passed the House earlier this year and now heads to the President's desk. The bipartisan bill will reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is set to expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2021, for another five years. The bill increases the current authorization level from $300 million to $375 million in Fiscal Year 2022 and increases funding by $25 million per year until it reaches $475 million in Fiscal Year 2026. Senator Baldwin, a member of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force,was joined bySenators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), co-Chairs of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, and Representatives David Joyce (R-OH) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)in introducingthis bipartisan legislation. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has earned bipartisan support and is critical for the health of our region, our communities, and our clean water resources. It helps us clean up polluted sites, restore water quality and combat invasive species,said Senator Baldwin.Preserving the Great Lakes is not just an environmental goal - it is an economic necessity for Wisconsin, and making stronger, long-term investments in GLRI will better help us ensure that our Great Lakes are protected and preserved for generations to come. I'm looking forward to the President signing our bipartisan bill into law. Since its inception, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has tripled the successful cleanup and delisting of Areas of Concern, reduced phosphorus runoff and the threat of harmful algal blooms, controlled and stopped the advancement of invasive species, and restored wildlife habitat over thousands of miles of rivers and waterways. Since 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided more than $2.5 billion to fund 4,706 projects throughout the Great Lakes region. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Vice Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Gary Peters (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Todd Young (R-IN), Vice Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, and 40 members of the House of Representatives are co-sponsors of this bipartisan legislation. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/working-students-act-passes-congress,Senator Baldwin Working to Make College More Affordable and Accessible for Wisconsin Students,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.22.20 Senator Baldwin Working to Make College More Affordable and Accessible for Wisconsin Students Provisions from Baldwin's Working Students Act secured in the year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation will allow working college students to complete their degrees more quickly and with less debt WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), successfully secured provisions from her Working Students Actin the year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation to support students who are working their way through school. This year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation, which Baldwin voted for, passed the full Congress on Monday night and now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. In Wisconsin, I've heard firsthand from students and graduates struggling with the cost of higher education. As the pandemic continues to present students and families with challenging financial situations, we must do everything we can to make college and its related expenses more affordable, so we can build a stronger path to the middle class for all Americans,said Senator Baldwin.Students who work while in school should not be penalized with less access to financial aid. I'm proud my legislation has passed both chambers of Congress because now more than ever, we must ensure that working students have the opportunity to earn an affordable higher education and succeed in the workforce. Senator BaldwinintroducedtheWorking Students Actwith Representative Ami Bera (D-CA) in October 2019. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). Nearly 44 million Americans have outstanding student loans. According to data from the Federal Reserve, student loan debt totals more than $1.6 trillion across the country. The rising debt load makes it more difficult for young professionals to purchase homes, automobiles, and other goods, creating a huge drag on the overall economy. Currently, students who work while attending school often are eligible for less financial aid due to their work income. The provisions included in the year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation from Baldwin'sWorking Students Actwill allow students that must work while in college to complete their degrees more quickly and with less debt. Specifically, these provisions will increase support for working students and families by reducing the work penalty that many students face when working to support themselves and pay for the rising costs of college. The year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation enacts a 35 percent increase for working students and 20 percent increase for families to the income protection allowance (IPA), shielding more of their income from reducing their financial aid. The year-end, bipartisan government funding legislation includes additional reforms to make college more affordable and accessible to more students, including provisions that will: Restore Pell grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals, by removing a counterproductive prohibition that has encouraged recidivism and limits incarcerated individuals' ability to support themselves and their families upon release. Especially important during this pandemic, investing in post-secondary education for incarcerated individuals has also been shown toimprove conditions inside prisons; Restore Pell Grant eligibility for defrauded students,by resetting the clock on a student's eligibility if they are defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges and successfully receive a borrower defense discharge; and Restore Pell Grant eligibility for students with drug-related offenses, by repealing a 1998 prohibition on federal financial aid for college students convicted of a drug offense, which disproportionately disqualifies students of color and students with low incomes from receiving aid. Expand eligibility for the maximum Pell Grant award,by ensuring that all families who make under 175 percent, and single parents who make under 225 percent, of the federal poverty level will receivea maximum Pell Grant. Make critical investments in our nation's HBCUs, by forgiving the debt HBCUs have received to finance capital infrastructure projects and allowing HBCUs to redirect that spending on educating their students. Support students with low-incomes and student parents,by requiring the Secretary of Education to notify students of their eligibility of programs that support students' basic needs, including housing andfood securityand access tochild care. Remove barriers to financial aid for students experiencing homelessness and students formerly in foster care,by easing the application and determination process for becoming eligible for aid. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4700,Congresswoman Gwen Moore Supports End of Year Legislation Benefitting Milwaukee Residents,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,WI,Gwen Moore,M001160,gwenmoore.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Gwen Moore Supports End of Year Legislation Benefitting Milwaukee Residents Today, Congresswoman Moore voted to pass H.R. 133, the omnibus spending bill which includes provisions she fought to secure to benefit Wisconsin's Fourth. In response, she released the following statement: This funding package includes investments in our communities that are critical to supporting Americans through this pandemic. The programs that I worked hard to increase funding for will increase educational opportunity, support domestic violence survivors, fight housing and food insecurity, and prevent lead exposure, providing services and resources for the most vulnerable at a time when they are often needed most. In addition, I am very glad that my bill, HR 5816, the Continuing Care for Patients Act, is included in this legislation. I know how important to good health outcomes it is to have sustained access to high quality health care and providers you trust and have worked with. Patients who are undergoing a course of treatment will now have protections when their doctor or hospital is terminated from their health plan's network. Network changes like this can leave patients in the lurch, potentially facing unexpected costs or delays. Under my bill, patients must be notified on a timely basis if their doctor or hospital is terminated from their health plan's network. And patients will have the right to elect to continue to see the same provider for 90 days (or until the treatment is complete if it less than 90 days). Patients who elect continued transitional care maintains the same plan or coverage benefits through the transition period and are subject to the same terms and conditions. For patients whose care extends beyond 90 days, this bill will help reduce the financial, emotional, and physical toll that can arise from having to transition because they will now have time to find a new provider. This provision is included in the portion of the legislation that wouldprotect consumers against surprise medical bills. By holding patients harmless, this fix ensures they are only responsible for their in-network cost-sharing amounts, including deductibles, in situations where patients do not have the ability to choose an in-network provider. Elsewhere, the omnibus package includes a proposal supported by Congresswoman Moore to help foster youth and families through the pandemic, including children who may have aged out or left foster care during this public health emergency and a provision to allow families who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) flexibility in how those credits are determined, potentially putting more money in the pockets of working families. The needs of Milwaukee residents have heightened during this economic recession and pandemic, which is why I continue to work to meet this critical moment in our country. Key Initiatives Educational Opportunity TRIO Programs: $1.09 billion, an increase of $7 million in funding Pell Grants: $6,495 maximum Pell Grant, an increase of $150 Elsewhere in this package, provisions are included to increase access to Pell including repealing the ban on Pell eligibility among incarcerated students and restoring Pell Grant eligibility for students who were defrauded by their institutions. Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies: $16.5 billion, an increase of $227 million Head Start: $10.7 billion, an increase of $135 million Child Care Development Block Grant: $5.9 billion, an increase of $85 million Supporting Domestic Violence Survivors Family Violence Prevention and Services and the Domestic Violence Hotline:$196 million, an increase of $8.5 million Violence Against Women Act programs: $513.5 million, an increase of $11 million Reducing Food Insecurity School Breakfast Expansion Grants: $6 million WIC: $6 billion Securing Housing Tenant-based rental assistance: $25.8 billion in funding McKinney Vento Homelessness Assistance Grants: $3 billion, an increase of $223 million Community Development Block Grants:$3.5 billion, an increase of $50 million Housing for the Elderly:$855 million, an increase of $62 million including up to $52 million for the construction of new affordable senior housing New eviction prevention services demonstration program to provide legal assistance for low-income tenants facing eviction: $20 million Supporting Public Transportation Transit infrastructure grants: $516 million Capital Investment Grants: $2 billion Lead Prevention HUD's Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes: $360 million, an increase of $70 million CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention: $39 million, an increase of $2 million Environmental Protection Combined Sewer Outflow grants: $40 million, an increase of $12 million in funding Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: $330 million, an increase of $10 million EPA Environmental Justice activities: $12.5 million, a $2.3 million increase",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-s-key-wisconsin-priorities-included-end-year-package,Rep. Ron Kind’s Key Wisconsin Priorities Included in End of Year Package,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Last night,Rep. Ron Kindvoted to support the year-end package that included a number of priorities he has worked on for Wisconsin families. I'm glad to see Congress come together in a bipartisan manner to get this year-end package done, saidRep. Ron Kind. This legislation included a number of wins for Wisconsin that I pushed for such asincreased funding for Upper Mississippi River conservation, expanded access to health care providers and telehealth services, support for our postal system, funding to expand access to high-speed internet, and support for our family farmers. Moving forward, I will continue to work for the economic security and wellbeing of all Wisconsinites and ensure our voice is heard in the halls of Congress. Critical provisions in the package that Rep. Kind worked for include: Rep. Kind'sCraft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which will give Wisconsin's craft brewers more certainty in these uncertain times $15 billion in grants for live music venues such as the Pablo Center in Eau Claire Rep. Kind's legislation to expand access to the Paycheck Protection Program for family farmers Funding for the Mississippi River through the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 Rep. Kind's legislation to expand medical residencies in Wisconsin, which willbring more doctors to community and rural hospitals $10 billion in direct funding for the USPS without requiring repayment Rep. Kind's legislation to improve coverage under Medicare for immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients $400 million for a dairy donation program for food banks and other nonprofits Rep. Kind's legislation to expand hospice services under Medicare at Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs) Expanded access to mental health services through telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries Over $120 million for opioid prescribing reforms at the VA $7 million for states to combat Chronic Wasting Disease $7 billion to increase expand broadband access for students, families and workers The above was passed alongside relief for Wisconsin's workers, families, small businesses, farmers, and health care providers.More can be foundhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases/tiffany-statement-train-wreck-omnibus-package,Tiffany statement on “train wreck” omnibus package,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Thomas P. Tiffany,T000165,tiffany.house.gov,tiffany,https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07) issued the following statement after a series of votes on a 5,500 page spending package considered mere hours after the release of bill text to lawmakers. ""The annual budget process in Congress has become the definition of insanity, as we are confronted with the same last-minute, take-it-or-leave it spending bills written behind closed doors with little to no involvement from rank-and-file lawmakers,"" said Tiffany. ""Adding almost a trillion dollars in Coronavirus Assistance to this whopping package is just insult to injury, the relief money could have passed on its own months ago. A measure I would have supported as a stand-alone bill."" ""What is happening in Washington has become an annual, instant-replay train wreck in the eyes of most Americans – whose elected representatives have little input on the debt being charged up on the nation's credit card,"" concluded Tiffany. ""Americans deserve a real say in how their money is spent.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=312A2E78-1BEB-4920-BB8E-D9D2342387CA,Johnson Statement on COVID Package Vote,2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said this regarding his vote on the Senate's COVID omnibus package: The dysfunction of Washington, D.C. was on full display as Congress combined covid relief with a massive omnibus spending bill three months past the deadline and into the current fiscal year. This monstrosity was5,593pages long, and passed onlynine hours after the Senate first saw it. It will be weeks, maybe months, before we begin to understand all that has been included. I simply could not support this dysfunction, so I voted no. While I am glad a government shutdown was avoided and that financial relief will finally reach many who truly need it, the fact that this dysfunction has become routine is the reason we are currently $27.5 trillion in debt. This combined spending bill will drive our debt to over $29 trillion by the end of this fiscal year. I supported the CARES Act because we had to act quickly and massively to prevent an economic meltdown and to provide needed financial relief. I also helped craft and voted for a bill in September that would have provided more than $600 billion in targeted relief, but Democrats simply voted no. We do not have an unlimited checking account. We must spend federal dollars money we are borrowing from future generations more carefully and place limits on how much we are mortgaging our children's future. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=707414B0-C530-417F-9B82-2DB7E540BE0B,"Johnson, Senators Send Letter to CMS Raising Alarm Over Growing Medicaid Improper Payments",2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, was joined by Sens. Lee (R-Utah), Paul (R-Ky.), Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Braun (R-Ind.), Lankford (R-Okla.), and Inhofe (R-Okla.) in sending a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma Tuesday to request a better understanding of how CMS is ensuring accountability in the Medicaid program after CMS reported its annual improper payment rates to Congress. The annual report estimated that $86.49 billion, or more than 21 percent of Medicaid payments were improper in fiscal year 2020 compared to $57.36 billion (14.9 percent) in Fiscal Year 2019 a 50.8 percent increase. A copy of the letter is available here and below. December 22, 2020 The Honorable Seema Verma Administrator Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20201 Dear Administrator Verma: Over the last several years, we have highlighted areas where the Medicaid program is plagued by waste, abuse, and misspending.[1] On November 16, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported its annual improper payment rates to Congress.[2] This report validated our prior concerns regarding the rapid growth of Medicaid abuse and misspending following the passage and implementation of Obamacare. In its report, CMS estimated that $86.49 billion, or more than 21 percent of Medicaid payments were improper in fiscal year 2020.[3] This compares to $57.36 billion (14.9 percent) in Fiscal Year 2019 - a 50.8 percent increase. As with prior years, the report confirmed that the dramatic increases of improper payments are mostly due to insufficient documentation to verify eligibility and income, or non-compliance with eligibility redetermination requirements.[4] This improper payment estimate includes eligibility audits for only two-thirds of states. According to recent reports, a complete accounting of the entire program would reveal an improper payment rate closer to 27 percent, or more than $100 billion in improper federal Medicaid spending.[5] Unfortunately, these same issues have plagued Medicaid for some time. For example, a 2019 report demonstrated the widespread problems in Medicaid expansion states like California, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, and West Virginia.[6] In total, it was estimated that between 2.3 million and 3.3 million people in Medicaid expansion states have income above the eligibility thresholds.[7] The authors warned that within the Medicaid expansion states, there are disturbing hotspots, such as New York City and Los Angeles, where the problem appears so large that it suggests purposeful and fraudulent abuse on the part of local officials and the medical industry.[8] As the authors noted, Obamacare created an incentive for states to view the Medicaid expansion population as a cash cow.[9] Additionally, by canceling eligibility audits for four years, CMS removed the oversight necessary for states to administer Medicaid responsibly or lawfully.[10] The result of Medicaid expansion without proper accountability is staggering: Medicaid's improper payment rates have more than tripledfrom 6 percent to at least 21 percentsince the expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare in 2014.[11] The magnitude of improper payments amplifies and reinforces the problems in the Medicaid program. Unfortunately, CMS has not taken steps to increase accountability, including withdrawing certain proposed corrective efforts and never completing others. This inaction has left Medicaid perpetually vulnerable to fraud and misuse and threatens the viability of the program for Americans truly in need.[12] To better understanding how CMS is ensuring accountability in the Medicaid program, please provide the following information and material: Please provide the improper payment rates, including the eligibility component of the rate, for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This means the estimated improper payment rate by state for the one-third of states reviewed in 2017, the one-third of states reviewed in 2018, and the one-third of states reviewed in 2019. In areas where there is an above average level of improper Medicaid spending, please explain what actions that CMS has taken to date to ensure that only people who meet eligibility requirements are enrolled in the program. Separately, please describe what CMS plans to do in the future to ensure that only people who meet eligibility requirements are enrolled in the program. Please describe what steps, if any, that CMS has taken to recover the more than $143 billion of improper Medicaid payments identified by the 2019 and 2020 reports. Please provide the actions CMS has taken or plans to take to ensure corrective action in states where there is an above average level of Medicaid improper payments. On February 12, 2020, you wrote that some estimates of the fiscal impact from the Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule were alarmist and overblown.[13] However, in your announcement that the rule would be withdrawn, you noted concerns raised by state and provider partners about potential unintended consequences of the proposed rule that required further study.[14] Please explain the potential unintended consequences and the factors that changed CMS' position on the rule. Please provide this material as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 p.m. on January 6, 2020. Thank you for your attention to this matter. ### [1] See, e.g., Letter from Sen. Ron Johnson, Chairman, S. Comm. on Homeland Sec. & Governmental Affairs, to Hon. Seema Verma, Admin'r, Ctr. For Medicare and Medicaid Serv. (Jun. 26, 2019), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2019-06-25%20RHJ%20to%20CMS%20re%20Medicaid%20Program%20Integrity%20One-Year%20Anniversary.pdf. [2] Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Newsroom, 2020 Estimated Improper Payment Rates for Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Programs (Nov. 16, 2020), https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2020-estimated-improper-payment-rates-centers-medicare-medicaid-services-cms-programs. [5] Brian Blas, Medicaid is Hemorrhaging $100B on Americans Ineligible for the Program, NY Post (Nov. 28, 2020, 1:01 PM), https://nypost.com/2020/11/28/medicaid-hemorrhaging-100b-on-americans-ineligible-for-the-program/. [6] Brian Blase and Aaron Yelowitz, Why Obama Stopped Auditing Medicaid, Wall Street Journal (Nov. 18, 2020, 7:05 PM), https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-obama-stopped-auditing-medicaid-11574121931. [10] Id., see also, e.g., RHJ 2019 letter. [12] Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS), Twitter (Sep. 14, 2020, 3:45 PM), https://twitter.com/SeemaCMS/status/1305608634165010443. [13] Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Blog, 2020 Medicaid Fiscal Integrity: Protecting Taxpayers and Patients (Feb. 12, 2020), https://www.cms.gov/blog/medicaid-fiscal-integrity-protecting-taxpayers-and-patients.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/bipartisan-covid-relief-legislation,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief Legislation,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.21.20 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief Legislation WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is voting for the bipartisan COVID-19 relief legislation that is set to pass both chambers of Congress today, before heading to the President's desk to be signed into law. In a statement, Senator Baldwin said: I am voting for the bipartisan COVID-19 relief legislation because Wisconsin needs help and it's essential that Congress provide some now before the end of the year. But our job is not done responding to this public health and economic crisis. In January, we need to come back and start working together with the Biden Administration to provide federal support to Wisconsin that working families, our state, and local communities are going to need next year to get past this deadly pandemic and build back better. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/economic-justice-act,"Baldwin Announces Support for Economic Justice Act, Historic $435 Billion Proposal to Address Systemic Racism and Historic Underinvestment in Communities of Color",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.21.20 Baldwin Announces Support for Economic Justice Act, Historic $435 Billion Proposal to Address Systemic Racism and Historic Underinvestment in Communities of Color Senator Baldwin, Leader Schumer And Senate Democrats Today Announced the New and Improved Economic Justice Act, A Major Proposal That Would Provide More Than $435 Billion In Immediate and Long-Term Investments in Communities of Color Senate Democrats' Proposal Invests $135 Billion In Child Care, Mental Health and Primary Care, Minority-Owned Businesses and Jobs And $300 Billion For Infrastructure, A Homeowner Down Payment Tax Credit, Medicaid Expansion, And More Senate Democrats: For Too Long Congress Has Underfunded Key Priorities in Communities of Color The Economic Justice Act Is A Commitment to Reverse Decades of Disparities and Historic Underinvestment WASHINGTON, D.C.U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and her Senate Democratic colleagues in unveiling new additions to theEconomic Justice Act, a major legislative proposal that now provides more than $435 billion in immediate and long-term investments in communities of color to address systemic racism and reverse decades of historic underinvestment. Through eleven key initiatives, theEconomic Justice Actaims to immediately help communities of color respond to the pandemic by investing over $135 billion in underfunded critical priorities, including child care, mental health and primary care, growth of minority-owned businesses, and job creation. This legislation also seeks to build long lasting wealth and health in these communities over the next five years by investing over $300 billion for infrastructure, a homeowner down payment tax credit, Medicaid expansion, and more. Systemic racism has plagued our country for far too long and those who deny it can do so no longer, particularly during this pandemic which has laid bare the health and economic disparities preventing communities of color from getting ahead. We know we have real work to do to heal the wounds of racism in our country and create shared prosperity for everyone,said Senator Baldwin.We must make long-term investments in communities of color to address systemic racism and reverse decades of historic underinvestment. That's why I'm supporting theEconomic Justice Act, a comprehensive proposal to invest in our underserved communities, help address systemic racism and move our country forward. Additionally, the bill makes key policy changes to better target federal assistance to high-poverty communities and to implement local hiring provisions to ensure more federal infrastructure spending translates into job opportunities for disadvantaged workers and underrepresented populations. TheEconomic Justice Actis not the conclusion of efforts in this space, but an initial down payment for communities of color and the first in many focused investments and policy initiatives to begin dismantling systematic racism. The legislation also includesincreasedinfrastructure investment, robust labor standards and policies to improve pay, benefits and worker power, and a new $15 billion Community Justice Initiative to begin to right the wrongs of past federal policy that displaced, physically isolated, and stripped wealth from communities of color. In addition to Senator Baldwin and Leader Schumer, theEconomic Justice Actwas introduced by Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Senate Committee on Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Committee on Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI), Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE), Senate Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD), Senate Committee on Budget Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Senate Committee on Rules Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), Senate Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senate Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD),Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA). Some key endorsements of theEconomic Justice Actinclude the National Urban League, Conference of National Black Churches, NWLC, National Black Worker Center, PolicyLink, US Hispanic Chamber, CDFI Coalition, UnidosUs and Prosperity Now. A comprehensive list of endorsements can be foundhere. A summary of theEconomic Justice Actcan be foundhereand a section-by-section summary can be foundhere. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/lifespan-respite-care-reauthorization-act-passes-congress,Baldwin’s Bipartisan Bill to Support the Health and Wellbeing of Family Caregivers to be Signed into Law,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.21.20 Baldwin's Bipartisan Bill to Support the Health and Wellbeing of Family Caregivers to be Signed into Law WASHINGTON, D.C.Following unanimous passage by the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanLifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Actheads to the President's desk to be signed into law.Authored by Senators Baldwin and Susan Collins (R-ME), as well as by Representatives JimLangevin(D-RI) and CathyMcMorrisRodgers (R-WA), this bipartisan legislation will support the health and wellbeing of family caregivers by authorizing $10 million annuallyfor the Lifespan Respite Care program from fiscal year 2020 through fiscal year 2024. Every day, family caregivers in Wisconsin and across our country tend to the needs of their loved ones,said Senator Baldwin.Although this work can be very rewarding, it can also be emotionally and physically challenging. I'm proud to see my bipartisan legislation with Senator Collins win approval from both chambers of Congress. Together, we're going to help ensure continued funding for the Lifespan Respite Care Program so that our family caregivers can access the support and relief they need. I'm looking forward to the President signing this important bill into law. The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted the struggles of family caregivers and exacerbated the caregiver workforce crisis. Now more than ever, we need funding to cover costs to mitigate barriers to providing and accepting respite care, such as access and provision of PPE and the need for technological supports. Senator Baldwin really gets it, and we are grateful for her leadership and support of the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act,said Lisa Schneider, Executive Director of Respite Care Wisconsin. Family and other unpaid caregivers play a critical and rarely recognized role in how our country cares for older adults,said John Sauer, President/CEO of LeadingAge Wisconsin.This legislation acknowledges their work and provides for essentialrespite services. During the pandemic, the burden on caregivers has grown, increasing their need for relief. Wisconsin's aging services providers stand ready to help. On behalf of family caregivers across the country, AARP thanks Senators Collins and Baldwin for their bipartisan work to extend the Lifespan Respite Care Program. Especially now in the middle of this pandemic, caregivers need respite services more than ever. We are thankful that this can help more families be able to take advantage of this much-needed relief,saidBill Sweeney, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for AARP. The National Respite Coalition applauds Representative JimLangevin, Senator Susan Collins, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Representative CathyMcMorrisRodgers for championing the Lifespan Respite Reauthorization Act to final passage. The pandemic has exacerbated the social isolation and economic insecurity felt by family caregivers and their loved ones, with devastating effects on their health and wellness. Respite may be their only lifeline,said Jill Kagan, Director of the ARCH National Respite Network. The Lifespan Respite Care Program, through very modest investments, allows states the flexibility and creativity to make sure family caregivers of children and adults are receiving quality respite services, even during COVID-19. The NRC stands ready to work with its partners and with our Congressional champions to make sure the program is fully funded and implemented. Respite care providestemporary relief to caregivers from their ongoing responsibilities.By protecting the health of caregivers, respite care decreases the need for professional long-term care and allows individuals who require care to remain at home. To date, 41 states have received funding through the Lifespan Respite Care program. The program provides competitive grants to states to establish or enhance statewide respite resources and help ensure that quality respite is available and accessible to all family caregivers. TheLifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019is endorsed by 100 leading caregiver and respite organizations, including AARP, the ARCH National Respite Coalition, Autism Society of America, the Arc, and the National Alliance for Caregiving.A group of 100 national, state, and local organizations across the countryhavesubmitted a letter of support. Thereare53millionfamily caregivers in the United States that provide an estimated $470 billion in uncompensated care each year. Print Email Tweet Next Press Release Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-statement-end-year-omnibus,Gallagher Statement on End of Year Omnibus,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) today released the following statement after Congressional leadership forced members to vote on a nearly 5,600 page bill less than seven hours after posting bill text. ""Yesterday, members of Congress were advised that we should expect a vote on a more than two trillion dollar funding bill. Members had little clarity on the hundreds of significant provisions included, and no timeline as to when we could expect to see the text of a final agreement. ""Then, after the white smoke rose out of the Speaker's office last night, members were finally provided with the actual text of the agreement at approximately 2:00pm today. Now, after less than seven hours, we were expected to vote on a more than $2 trillion bill which is a whopping 5,593 pages -- more than twice as long as the Affordable Care Act and more than 1,000 pages longer than the entire Harry Potter series. ""To state the obvious: no one knows what's all in this bill because no one has actually read this bill. And while there are no doubt long overdue and badly needed provisions -- such as $28 billion to support the purchase and distribution of a vaccine -- they make up an incredibly small fraction of the nearly $2.3 trillion in spending that we voted on this evening. ""After being on vacation for more than three quarters of the year, there's no reason why Congress should vote on a bill of this size on a few hours notice. If Congress was elected to simply be a rubber stamp of leadership, why even have a Congress?""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4699,Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on the COVID-19 Relief Package,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,WI,Gwen Moore,M001160,gwenmoore.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on the COVID-19 Relief Package f t # e Washington, December 21, 2020 Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on the COVID-19 Relief Package Congresswoman Moore released the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 133: This COVID relief legislation is not perfect and falls short of the comprehensive package that I know is needed to address the financial insecurity millions are experiencing right now. I fought for direct cash payments, and while I am disappointed that it does not match the amount that House Democrats passed, I know these payments are only the beginning. But it is an interim solution that includes additional SNAP benefits, rental assistance, and a temporary eviction moratorium that will secure help now to millions of Americans and I support the good faith bipartisan efforts that got us to this point. We still need to continue to address the health and economic impacts of this pandemic which has killed more than 300,000 Americans in less than a year. I am prepared to keep working with my colleagues in the House and the new Administration to pass additional legislation that will put money in the hands of the American people and deliver other aid to individuals, businesses, and our communities that have been hit hard. This will continue to be my priority until this pandemic is over. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-provide-relief-wisconsin-workers-and-families-covid,Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Provide Relief to Wisconsin Workers and Families as COVID-19 Crisis Continues,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for an emergency COVID-19 relief package to provide critical relief for Wisconsin workers, small businesses, farmers, health care providers, and families. Additionally, the legislationlays the groundwork for a smooth COVID-19 vaccine rollout and a robust economic recovery. This legislation passed the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support. The COVID-19 crisis has created hardships for so many Wisconsin families, workers, and small businesses. While there's light at the end of the tunnel as COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed across the country, people are currently facing serious economic challenges, saidRep. Ron Kind. While I'm glad to see Congress come together and work across the aisle to pass this legislation, this process was unnecessarily painful, and relief for Wisconsinites is long overdue. Ensuring Wisconsinites have a lifeline as this crisis continues is my top priority, which is why I voted in support of this crucial legislation today. I will continue fighting to ensure families across the state have some certainty during these deeply uncertain times. Rep. Kind fought hard to ensure this relief package included his Paycheck Protection for Producers Act to expand access for family farmers when qualifying for the paycheck protection program; $300 million in new grants to fund rural broadband buildout and $65 million to complete broadband coverage maps; and $15 billion grant for music venues harmed by the pandemic such as the Pablo Center in Eau Claire. In addition, this relief package includes provisions to: Invest roughly $50 billion for testing, contact tracing, and vaccine procurement and distribution Provide $600 stimulus checks per person, including $600 for eligible dependent children Provide $300 supplemental unemployment benefits and extend all emergency unemployment programs through March Deliver $9 billion in additional funding for struggling health care providers Provide direct support for family farmers whose markets continue to be hampered by COVID-19 Provide $10 billion in emergency funds for child care providers impacted by COVID-19 Provide $10 billion in direct funding for the USPS Include $325 billion in small business relief, including $284 billion for first and second forgivable PPP loans Deliver $25 billion in critically needed rental assistance for families struggling to stay in their homes and an extension of the eviction moratorium Dedicate $400 million for a dairy donation program to provide dairy products to food banks and other nonprofits Rep. Kind encourages anyone who needsassistance to contact his office at888-442-8040.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-provide-relief-wisconsin-workers-and-families-covid-0,Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Provide Relief to Wisconsin Workers and Families as COVID-19 Crisis Continues,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today, Rep. Ron Kind voted for an emergency COVID-19 relief package to provide critical relief for Wisconsin workers, small businesses, farmers, health care providers, and families. Additionally, the legislation lays the groundwork for a smooth COVID-19 vaccine rollout and a robust economic recovery. This legislation passed the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support. The COVID-19 crisis has created hardships for so many Wisconsin families, workers, and small businesses. While there's light at the end of the tunnel as COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed across the country, people are currently facing serious economic challenges, said Rep. Ron Kind. While I'm glad to see Congress come together and work across the aisle to pass this legislation, this process was unnecessarily painful, and relief for Wisconsinites is long overdue. Ensuring Wisconsinites have a lifeline as this crisis continues is my top priority, which is why I voted in support of this crucial legislation today. I will continue fighting to ensure families across the state have some certainty during these deeply uncertain times. Rep. Kind fought hard to ensure this relief package included his Paycheck Protection for Producers Act to expand access for family farmers when qualifying for the paycheck protection program; $300 million in new grants to fund rural broadband buildout and $65 million to complete broadband coverage maps; and $15 billion grant for music venues harmed by the pandemic such as the Pablo Center in Eau Claire. In addition, this relief package includes provisions to: Invest roughly $50 billion for testing, contact tracing, and vaccine procurement and distribution Provide $600 stimulus checks per person, including $600 for eligible dependent children Provide $300 supplemental unemployment benefits and extend all emergency unemployment programs through March Deliver $9 billion in additional funding for struggling health care providers Provide direct support for family farmers whose markets continue to be hampered by COVID-19 Provide $10 billion in emergency funds for child care providers impacted by COVID-19 Provide $10 billion in direct funding for the USPS Include $325 billion in small business relief, including $284 billion for first and second forgivable PPP loans Deliver $25 billion in critically needed rental assistance for families struggling to stay in their homes and an extension of the eviction moratorium Dedicate $400 million for a dairy donation program to provide dairy products to food banks and other nonprofits Rep. Kind encourages anyone who needs assistance to contact his office at 888-442-8040.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/passing-of-shirley-abrahamson,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on the Passing of Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson,2020-12-20,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.20 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on the Passing of Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today released a statement on the passing of former Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson. Shirley Abrahamson broke barriers and for her serving on the Supreme Court meant serving the people of Wisconsin as an independent, fair and impartial justice because after all, the court and our court system belongs to the people, not powerful special interests. That is why she spent a lot of her time traveling the state, meeting with people - whether it was meeting with local judges, riding along with local law enforcement, or meeting with advocates for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence she always understood that you can't serve the people if you don't walk in their shoes. That is why the people of Wisconsin elected her to the Supreme Court four times and she served 43 years on the court - serving the people. All of us know the stories of that lonely office light on at the State Capital, as the Chief did her job working late into the night reading briefs and writing opinions. She was a true public servant who lived up to Wisconsin's work ethic with all her hard work doing so much for our state. Wisconsin honors the life of Shirley Abrahamson, whose legacy will continue to inspire so many. Print Email Tweet Next Press Release Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/cyberspace-solarium-commission-statement-dual-hat-considerations,"Cyberspace Solarium Commission Statement on ""Dual-hat"" Considerations",2020-12-20,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Jim Langevin (D-RI) andSenators Angus King (I-ME), Ben Sasse (R-NE), thefour legislators serving on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, released the following statement regarding reports that the Department of Defense is considering ending the dual-hat arrangement that sees the Commander of United States Cyber Command jointly appointed to be the Director of the National Security Agency: Congress laid out clear criteria about when it would be appropriate to consider whether to split the dual-hat worn by the commander of USCYBERCOM and the Director of the NSA. To our knowledge, these criteria have not been met. The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to certify to Congress that splitting of the dual-hat will not pose unacceptable risks to the national security interests of the United States. This certification has not been made, and any attempt to split the dual-hat arrangement before this certification is made would clearly violate the law. Our government is currently responding to a cyber incident where a sophisticated adversary had access to thousands of U.S. networks. Regardless of whether it's better to keep or end the dual-hat arrangement between NSA and CYBERCOM, now is not the time to do it. We believe in continuing policy discussions about this arrangement, but it is unwise for any decisions to be made in the immediate future.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/cheney-gallagher-thornberry-rogers-turner-stefanik-we-respond-attacks-ndaa-will,"Gallagher, Cheney, Thornberry, Rogers, Turner, Stefanik: As We Respond To Attacks, The NDAA Will Bolster Our Cybersecurity Defenses",2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI),Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY),HASC Ranking Member Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), incoming HASC Ranking Member Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL),HASC Strategic Forces Subcommittee Ranking MemberRep. Mike Turner (R-OH), and HASCIntelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) all members of the House Armed Services Committee today issued a joint statement highlighting the critical provisions in the FY 2021 NDAA that will bolster America's cybersecurity defenses. The statement comesfollowing reportsof serious coordinated cyberattacks launched by the Kremlin against federal government agencies: Our nation must respond to the reported cyber espionage operation targeting America's nuclear infrastructure and federal government and hold the perpetrator accountable. This attack serves as a stark warning that our nation must bolster its cybersecurity posture and capabilities, and it must do so without delay. This year's national defense bill contains over two dozen provisions that would make critical progress in cybersecurity, including provisions that would help ensure the resiliency of our nation's nuclear command and control systems. The NDAA also fully funds long overdue modernization of our nuclear infrastructure, including $375 million to bolster cyber security of our nuclear weapons production facilities. There is no doubt that our adversaries will take advantage of any opportunity to attack vulnerabilities in our cyber infrastructure. The measures in this year's bill will provide critical safeguards to protect the information and capabilities most foundational to our nation's security. In addition to the above statement from the lawmakers, the information below includes key specifics about the provisions included in the FY 2021 NDAA that will make critical progress our country's cybersecurity defenses: BACKGROUND The FY21 NDAA adopts26 recommendations from the bipartisan Cyber Solarium Commissionthat strengthen the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, empower the government to better protect against a cyber-attack against adversaries, and safeguard our nuclear enterprise. This is in addition to overall nuclear modernization and NNSA cyber security investments in the bill. The most notable of those measures include: Ensuring Cyber Resiliency of Nuclear Command and Control Systems:The FY21 NDAA requires the Department of Defense to implement a comprehensive plan that strengthens the cyber defense of nuclear command and control systems. Strengthening Cyber Security at the Nation's Nuclear Weapons Production FacilitiesAmerica's nuclear deterrent is the bedrock of our national security and reported hacks at the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration(NNSA) mayrepresentanextraordinarily grave threatto the safety of every American.In recognition that cyber infrastructure modernization is an important part of the overall nuclear modernization plan, the FY21 NDAA specifically authorizes $375.5 million for information technology and cyber security within the NNSA's weapons activities accounts. Establishinga National Cyber Director The FY21 NDAA creates the National Cyber Director(NCD)position in the White House to serve as the president's principal advisor on cyber issues and as a point of coordination and leadership within the federal government on these issues. In situations like this, the NCD would provide centralized White House leadership to coordinate federal response efforts and liaise with critical private-sector stakeholders. Strengtheningthe Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) The FY21 NDAA contains several provisions aimed at strengthening CISA's capacity to carry out its mission, including a provision authorizing CISA to conduct threat hunting on U.S. government networks. In addition, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission is calling on appropriators to increase funding to CISA to build out more Hunt and Incident Response Teams (HIRTs). Early reporting from affected departments and agencies suggests that CISA's incident response capacities may be overwhelmed. More HIRTs would bolster CISA capacity to assist departments and agencies in responding to the incident in a timely manner. Better threat hunting on the .gov domain would have identified the campaign earlier on and possibly stopped the attack in its tracks. CISA is and will continue to be crucial in both identifying and responding to cybersecurity incidents on federal government networks. Strengtheningan Integrated Cyber Center The FY21 NDAA contains a provision calling on the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a review of federal cybersecurity centers and propose a plan to establish an integrated cyber center at CISA to improve coordination among federal government cybersecurity centers. A stronger integrated cyber center would help facilitate greater information exchange between federal departments and agencies, helping to quickly paint a clearer picture of the scope and scale of incidents like this and to inform incident response and the allocation of critical incident response capabilities. Protecting Against Industrial Espionage and Cyber TheftThe FY21 NDAA contains a requirement for a Presidential assessment on the effectiveness of the National Cyber Strategy to deter industrial espionage and large-scale cyber theft of intellectual property and personal information conducted by China.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-kind-urge-operation-warp-speed-leadership-support-rural-communities,"Gallagher, Kind Urge Operation Warp Speed Leadership to Support Rural Communities",2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Ron Kind (D-WI) yesterday sent a bipartisan letter to Operation Warp Speed leadership urging them to consider the unique challenges of vaccine distribution to rural areas across Wisconsin. The letter, addressed to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, CDC Director Robert Redfield, and Operation Warp Speed's Director of Supply and Distribution Maj. Gen Christopher Sharpsten, also urges them to take steps to support timely and equitable vaccine access for rural communities. Rural hospitals across Wisconsin will face unique challenges in distributing and storing the Coronavirus vaccine,said Rep. Mike Gallagher.We have to make sure these communities are not left behind, and that will require both resources and guidance to our state and local health leaders. Operation Warp Speed has played an incredible role in our vaccine development and distribution and I am confident they will take whatever steps necessary to ensure our rural hospitals are properly equipped to provide vaccines to their communities."" We are at a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccines are starting to be distributed across the country,said Rep. Ron Kind. We need to be prepared to safely, effectively, and equitably distribute the vaccine to all Wisconsinites, regardless of where they live. To that end, it's critical that additional resources be provided to state and local public health leaders to help address the challenges of distributing vaccines to rural areas and ensure our rural communities are not left behind. The full letter can be foundHEREand the text is below. Dear Secretary Azar, Director Redfield, and Maj. Gen. Sharpsten: Thanks to the work of our remarkable scientists and the efforts of Operation Warp Speed, we are at a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic as the first COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed across the country to inoculate our health care workers at the frontlines and people living in long-term care facilities. Despite these incredible achievements, our rural areas are facing unique challenges for vaccine distribution. We write today to bring attention to these concerns and to urge Operation Warp Speed to provide additional guidance and resources to state and local public health leaders in order to support timely and equitable vaccine access for people living in rural communities in Wisconsin and across the country. COVID-19 remains a top issue of concern to our rural communities across America. People living in these communities are often older and more likely to be in worse health than people in other parts of the country, leaving them at greater risk for COVID-19. Access to health care was a challenge in rural areas prior to the pandemic. Over the last ten years, 124 rural hospitals have closed across the country. One in five rural hospitals are considered at risk of closure and 47% face negative operating margins. These circumstances will make it even more difficult to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to rural communities. We have already heard from rural health care providers in Wisconsin about some of the unique challenges they face to deliver vaccines to people living in these communities. Identifying adequate ultra-cold storage capacity, ensuring vaccination sites are accessible, and securing staff to coordinate logistics and administer vaccines are leading concerns for vaccine distribution to our rural communities. Additionally, limited broadband access in rural areas could hinder vaccination data collection and reporting efforts through the CDC's Immunization Information System. Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, which is already being distributed and administered to eligible people across the country, poses unique challenges for rural communities. The vaccine must be stored in specialized ultra-cold freezers at -70 degrees Celsius and shipped in specialized climate-controlled boxes with 975-doses of the vaccine. These shipping and storage requirements will be more difficult to follow in rural areas given the dispersed population and limited access to the ultra cold freezers that can be used to preserve excess doses. These are just a few examples of the challenges we have heard in the very early stages of the vaccine deployment process. Rural communities should not be deprived of timely access to an authorized COVID-19 vaccine due to logistics challenges. State and local health leaders in coordination with our healthcare providers have done tremendous work to put together plans to conduct COVID-19 vaccination campaigns at unprecedented scale and speed. These efforts will undoubtedly require additional resources. As we move into future phases of the vaccine deployment, we urge you to mobilize Operation Warp Speed's resources and provide additional guidance to states to support vaccine distribution, especially in rural and underserved areas. We applaud your work to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine at an unprecedented speed. It is critical that no American is left behind as Operation Warp Speed's vaccine distribution continues and we remain willing and able to help ensure this. Our rural communities depend on it. Sincerely, Rep. Mike Gallagher Rep. Ron Kind",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1922,Grothman’s Statement on Short-Term Government Funding Bill,2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Glenn Grothman,G000576,grothman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06) released the following statement after voting for H.J. Res. 107, a bill to fund the government through 11:59 p.m. on December 20, 2020. This short-term bill was passed while Congress continues to negotiate legislation to fund the government for a longer period. H.J. Res. 107 passed the House of Representatives on December 18, 2020 by a vote of 320-60. Today I voted to keep the government open for two more days while negotiations are pending for a longer-term budget for the year ending September 30, 2021, said Grothman. 60 of my colleagues voted to shut down the government, however I don't understand the logic in shutting down national parks, telling federal employees they cannot work and closing other government facilities. This will only inconvenience Americans and add to the stress they currently face due to COVID-19. -30- U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman is serving his third term representing Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-s-statement-cyber-attacks-multiple-us-agencies,Rep. Ron Kind’s Statement on Cyber-Attacks on Multiple U.S. Agencies,2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Rep. Ron Kindreleased the following statement on reports that the Kremlin-backed Russian operatives hacked into multiple U.S. agencies--including the Departments of Treasury, Commerce, and Homeland Security: Russia's egregious cyber-attack highlights the severe cyber vulnerabilities that we need to be addressing now. It is deeply troubling that the White House remains silent on the attacks. It underlines the need for the President to stop playing games and sign the bipartisan NDAA into law, which includes critical improvements to our cyber capabilities. All tools available must be utilized to deter further attacks and respond to this attackincluding proportional offensive cyber responses and sanctions against Russia.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=DD2C34C4-91B4-42AC-ACF5-364CBFA78A4E,Johnson Objects to Next Round of Stimulus Checks,2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today, I went to the floor and objected to another round of stimulus checks that were not reformed from the CARES Act to better target Americans who need relief. Every Senator wants to help those who have been unable to work or have had their hours reduced due to government mandated closure to slow the spread of the coronavirus. We've had nine months since the CARES Act to understand this virus and to examine if stimulus checks and other economic programs totaling $2 trillion actually served to help those who are in need through no fault of their own. The objective data on the distribution and use of the CARES Act stimulus checks, when looking at today's employment numbers, do not justify another broad-brushed mailing of checks paid for by our children's futures. In my speech objecting to Sen. Hawley's bill for another round of stimulus checks identical to that of the CARES Act, I laid out the important data Americans and Congress should be looking at to make sure we're spending taxpayers' money in the appropriate way to help those in need. My remarks below: I think every Senator in this chamber shares [Senator Hawley's] concern for people who are hurting because of this covid pandemic. Businesses have closed. People are on unemployment. People are in need through no fault of their own. This is an act of God, and that's one of the reasons why I certainly supported the CARES Act. That was over $2 trillion. In total, this body has passed well over $3 trillion, 15 percent to 16 percent of last year's GDP in terms of financial relief. My comments here are really not directed specifically at the Senator from Missouri's proposal because he makes many good points. We do have working men and woman. We have households thatagain through no fault of their ownare struggling, and we need to provide financial support. I think my comments are in some respect more general from the standpoint of how we've done that. And as I have explained to my colleagues in conference, by and large, the initial relief packages here were a shotgun approach. We had to move fact. We had to do something big. We had to make sure that markets wouldn't seize, that financial relief could be sent to people very quickly. And so we passed over $3 trillion in financial relief. I knew it would be far from perfect. It was far from perfect. But now we've had a lot more time, and anything we consider for this additional package that we're considering now, that is being debated, that is being discussed, that's being negotiated, ought to be far more targeted. One of the reasons we are currently $27.4 trillion in debt, which is about 128 percent of last year's GDP. If we do this bipartisan deal, another trillion dollars, we will be $28.4 trillion in debt in the next three or four months. That's 132 percent of GDP. When I came to the Senate, we were a little over $14 trillion. Our GDP was over $15 trillion. We were actually below 100% of GDP. I know I'm using a lot of numbers right now, and I'm going to use more because that's part of the problem. And one of the reasons we are $27.4 trillion in debt is we only speak about need. We only talk in terms of compassion. We all have compassion. We all want to fulfill those needs. We just don't talk in numbers very often. We don't analyze the data. We don't take a look at what we did in the past and see did it work or didn't it work. What was spent well, what was wasted... Let me go through some numbers. I will go through slowly so people can understand at least my perspective of why I am so concerned about our nation's deb, the fact that we are mortgaging our children's future, and I think we need to be very careful about mortgaging it further then we aren't doing it in a targeted fashion. So again, before the covid recession hit, in December 2019, we hit a record number of people employed in this country. It was a record. Our economy was humming because of President Trump's administration putting forward a reasonable level of regulation and a competitive spirit that supercharged our economy. We were at 3.5 percent unemployment. When I took econ, five percent was considered full employment. We were at 3.5 percent unemployment. Then covid hit. And by April, we'd gone from almost 159 million people employed in this country to just a little over 133 million people. So that was a reduction in employment of a little more than 25 million people. Again, from 159 million to 133 million, 25 million people less employed in this nation. Now, the good news. Even though the pandemic is still not over, but the vaccine is being administered. It is being administrated. I think the end is in sight. We've already gained 16 million people employed. So now employment stands at 149.7 million people. 150 million people are employed, down about 9 million jobs. 9 million. Okay? So I want you to keep those numbers in mind because they're important. And our unemployment rate stands at 6.7 percent. By the way, the number of people unemployed according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is about 10.7 million. Now, in the CARES Act, again, payments, what Senator Hawley wants to duplicate. No changes, no modifications, no further targeting. What those economic impact payments were is about $275 billion to 166 million people. Again, remember, 25 million people lost their jobs. We sent out checks to 166 million people, averaging about $1,673 per person. What's more relative is how many households do you send those checks to? We sent them out to about 115 million households, about $2,400 per household. So again, $275 billion to 115 million households. That was about 4.5 times more than the number of households than the number of jobs lost. Today, with only 9 million jobs lost. Not only, I mean, that's a big number. I'm not minimizing that. But with nine million jobs lost, if we just repeated, sent it out to another 115 million households, that's 12.6 times the number of jobs lost. And if we double it, it goes from $275 billion to $550 billion. That's half a trillion dollars. I know a trillion dollars doesn't sound like much anymore. It seems like hundreds of billions, seems like more. But now we're dealing in one to two trillion dollars. It's pocket change, apparently. How is that money spent? Did it really, was it really spent on essentials? Was this money really needed? Was there any hope of actually that money being stimulative to our economy? Well, we have one study from the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. They issued it on October 13, 2020. What they did is they, since 2013, they've been sending out an internet national survey to 1,300 households called the Survey of Expectations. They sent out one in June and one in August. And here's what those survey results said. Of the $2,400 sent out, 18 percent was spent on essential items, 8 percent was spent on nonessential, 3 percent on donations, for a total of 29 percent spent, is what they call the marginal propensity consumed. The other 71 percent equally divided, 36 percent of that was saved, so our nation's savings rate has increased, and 35 percent went to pay off debt, credit card debt. They also asked the question of what happened to the unemployment payment? Very similar results, 24 percent of the plus-up, the $600 per week to state unemployment benefits, 25 percent was spent on essential, 4 percent on nonessential, 1 percent on donations. 29 percent was the marginal propensity to consume from the unemployment payment. 71 percent for savings and for debt repayment. Now, they also looked ahead, assuming that we're going to do another round of stimulus checks. This time they asked their respondents, how would you spent if you got $1,500, if you got a check. This time they said they'd spend about 14 percent on essential, 7 percent on nonessential, 3 percent on donations. A total of 24 percent would be the marginal propensity consumed. 76 percent on savings and debt repayment. So I don't think you can take a look at these direct payments to individuals as stimulative. Obviously, 18 percent to 24 percent is spent on essential items. We ought to figure out how to provide that money so that people can spend it on essentials. Again, that's only 18 percent to 24 percent. I do want to talk a little bit about past stimuluses. I personally don't believe they do much to stimulate the economy. I think the best way to stimulate the economy is again what this administration has donelower regulation to a reasonable level. Nobody argues for no regulation. We need a reasonable level and have a competitive tax system. I fear the next administration we may just repeat the mistakes of their Obama-Biden administration, and here's the proof of their mistakes. Again remember those employment numbers. A record of 159 million. Currently 150 million people being employed. Back in the Great Recession, we did have an employment of about 146 million people in January of 2008. By December 2009, that this dropped to 138 million people employed. But when President Obama took office, he had total control of Congress, a filibuster-proof majority here in the Senate. And within a month, they enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, $787 billion of proposed spending. In February of 2009, there were 141.6 million Americans working. The unemployment rate was 8.3 percent. Again, it continued to dip to December 2009 when it got down to 138 million. It took us three years from February of 2009 to get back to 141.6 million Americans working. And that's with a $800 billion stimulus package that did not work, but it further mortgaged our children's future by another $800 billion. I wish these things worked. A quick aside, part of that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, against Democrats had total control, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Do you know how much they plussed-up state unemployment benefits to help the unemployed, those 8.3 percent of Americans? They plussed it up by a whopping $25 per week. Now they're arguing that $300 per week, which I believe is the current proposal, isn't enough. Kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it? So, in summary, kind of reviewing these numbers, we currently are at 6.7 percent unemployment. I don't recall ever in the United States history where we've even begun to think that we should even spend $100 billion to stimulate an economy at 6.3 percent unemployment. But this is different. We have underemployed, We have families in need. There's no doubt about it. I completely support some kind of program targeted for small businesses so they can reemploy, so they can reopen, to restore capital. Their life savings have been wiped out. I have proposals. They have been ignored. So what I fear we're going to do with this bipartisan package and what the Senator from Missouri is talking about is the same thinga shotgun approach. We will not have learned the lessons from out very hurried, very rushed, very [phrase] earlier relief packages. We're just going to do more of the same, another $1 trillion. It takes our debt from $27.4 trillion to $28.4 trillion in a couple months. Doing virtually no revisions, no improvements. And certainly what the Senator from Missouri is talking about with respect to these economic impact payments, no revisions at all. Just spend another $275 billion. Sent it out to 115 million households when we are currently at about nine million jobs less than we were in a record economy before the covid recession. So for all those reasons, I not only object to what Senator Hawley is proposing here, but I'm certainly lodging ,y objection to what's barreling through here. The train has left the station on the package that's being negotiated right now that is way too big, that authorizes more money even though we've got $600 billion that's there just for repurposingno reauthorization required. 52 Republicans supported it. But that's not good enough. We've got to add another $300 billion to $400 billion on top, which is more that we are mortgaging our children's future, wihout reforms, without targeting.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DBA920F0-9627-4162-BAC8-68042B0D71ED,Johnson Objects to Another Untargeted Round of Stimulus Checks,2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor Friday objecting to another round of stimulus checks using the same shotgun approach as the CARES Act rather than instituting reforms to better target Americans who need relief. The senator further laid out the important data Americans and Congress should be aware of to ensure that American taxpayers' money is used in an appropriate way to help those in need. Below are important points from his speech. Video of the full speech can be found here. Employment levels before and throughout coronavirus pandemic: 3.5% unemployment rate and 158.8 million people employed in December 2019. 133.4 million people employed in April 2020, a reduction of 25.4 million people. 149.7 million people employed and 6.7% unemployment rate by the end of November, meaning 9.1 million remaining unemployed when compared to December 2019 data. CARES Act stimulus checks and their usage: $275 billion sent to 166 million people $1,673 average stimulus check amount Checks sent to 115 million households for about $2,400 per household. 4.5 times more households received stimulus checks than the number of jobs lost in April 2020. Under the Hawley/Sanders proposal, 12.6 times more households would receive stimulus checks than the number of jobs remaining lost relative to April 2020. Federal Reserve Bank of New York Survey of Expectations results: 29% of stimulus checks and unemployment benefits were used for spending and 71% were used equally for savings and debt repayment. If a second round of stimulus checks, 24% would be used for spending and 76% for savings and debt repayment. Government spending and national debt: National debt when I entered the Senate in 2011 was just over $14 trillion, with gross domestic product at $15 trillion. Congress passed over $3 trillion in coronavirus aid in March 2020, equal to 15% to 16% of last year's GDP. National debt is now at $27.4 trillion, about 128% of last year's GDP. The bipartisan deal being negotiated would put the national debt at $28.4 trillion, about 132% of last year's GDP. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-receives-the-2020-rarevoice-congressional-leadership-award,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Receives the 2020 RareVoice Congressional Leadership Award,2020-12-17,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/vet-hp-act-passes-congress,"Baldwin Bill to Cultivate Next Generation of Veterans Health Professionals Clears House and Senate, Heads to President’s Desk",2020-12-17,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.17.20 Baldwin Bill to Cultivate Next Generation of Veterans Health Professionals Clears House and Senate, Heads to President's Desk Bill lays groundwork to help fill VA's 30,000 health care vacancies WASHINGTON, D.C. The House of Representatives has passed U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanVeterans'-Specific Education for Tomorrow's Health Professionals Act of 2019 (VET HP Act).The bill passed the U.S. Senate last week and now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. The shortage of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) physicians and medical professionals has been a major problem for VA medical centers across the country, forcing VA facilities to provide care with fewer staff than are medically necessary to properly care for our nation's veterans. TheVET HP Actwould direct the Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) to create a one-year pilot program in at least five VA medical centers for pre-med students to gain clinical observation experience, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of veterans' specific health needs and experiences, while creating a viable pipeline of future medical professionals in the process. We have a shared responsibility to do right by our veterans and that includes making sure our doctors and nurses are trained and well-equipped to deliver the highest quality care to those who have served,said Senator Baldwin.Students interested in a medical career need better access to training opportunities, and our VA medical centers need to attract a workforce with more exposure to the VA system at an earlier stage in their education in order to better understand veterans' specific health needs. I am proud my bipartisan legislation has passed both chambers of Congress because it will help train the next generation of health professionals and ensure our veterans receive the care they deserve. TheVET HP Actpreviously passed the House of Representatives in March 2019 after being introduced by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH). TheVET HP Actpassed the U.S. Senate in December 2020 as a part of a broad veterans legislative package and had to be voted on again in the House. This bill has been endorsed by the American Legion and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/covid-19-vaccines-rollout-reps-kind-gallagher-urge-operation-warp-speed,"As COVID-19 Vaccines Rollout, Reps. Kind & Gallagher Urge Operation Warp Speed Leadership to Take Steps to Ensure Rural Communities Aren’t Left Behind",2020-12-17,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today,Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI)andMike Gallagher (R-WI)sent a bipartisan letter to Operation Warp Speed leadership urging them to consider the unique challenges of vaccine distribution to rural areas across Wisconsin and take steps to support timely and equitable vaccine access for rural communities. Wisconsin state and local health leaders have put together plans to conduct COVID-19 vaccination campaigns at unprecedented scale and speed, but additional resources andfederal support are critical to carrying out these efforts. Further, rural health care providers have already signaled concern about a number of unique challenges they might face in delivering vaccines to rural areas, such as ensuring vaccination sites are accessible, securing staff to coordinate logistics and administer vaccines, and ensuring adequate ultra-cold storage capacity. With COVID-19 cases surging across rural areas in Wisconsin, it's crucial that these communities have access to timely vaccination, underscoring the need for support with logistics. We are at a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccines are starting to be distributed across the country, saidRep. Ron Kind. We need to be prepared to safely, effectively, and equitably distribute the vaccine to all Wisconsinites, regardless of where they live. To that end, it's critical that additional resources be provided to state and local public health leaders to help address the challenges of distributing vaccines to rural areas and ensure our rural communities are not left behind. Rural hospitals across Wisconsin will face unique challenges in distributing and storing the Coronavirus vaccine, saidRep. Mike Gallagher. We have to make sure these communities are not left behind, and that will require both resources and guidance to our state and local health leaders. Operation Warp Speed has played an incredible role in our vaccine development and distribution and I am confident they will take whatever steps necessary to ensure our rural hospitals are properly equipped to provide vaccines to their communities."" Read the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-announces-winners-2020-app-challenge,Gallagher Announces Winners of 2020 App Challenge,2020-12-15,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"GREEN BAY, WI Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) todayannounced that Katie DeBruin and Wesley Jochman from Fox Valley Lutheran High School won the 2020 Congressional App Challenge for Wisconsin's Eighth Congressional District.Katie and Wesley created the Road America App, which helps scans tickets for sporting events. The idea for the app came to them while they worked as ticket-scanners at Road America over the summer, and would minimize the sharing of scanning devices and increase efficiency in the scanning of tickets. I'm proud to announce that Katie DeBruin and Wesley Jochman from Fox Valley Lutheran High School have won the 2020 Congressional App Challenge for Wisconsin's Eighth District,said Rep. Gallagher. Their app, the Road America App, efficiently scans people's tickets for sporting events, and demonstrates how coding and computer science skills can solve real-life challenges for businesses. I'm proud we have such talented students right here in Northeast Wisconsin. ClickHEREto watch a video of Katie and Wesley explaining their app. Background:The annual Congressional App Challenge is a nation-wide effort to spur interest in coding, STEM, and computer science education among middle and high school students. This year, 1,851 apps were submitted by more than 6,000 students. The Eighth District had one of the strongest participation rates across the country, with 25 apps submitted by 38 students.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-colleagues-press-trump-administration-on-decision-not-to-pre-order-more-doses-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine,"Baldwin, Colleagues Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward",2020-12-14,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.14.20 Baldwin, Colleagues Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward Reporting revealed the Trump Administration turned down an option this summer to pre-order additional doses Pfizer's vaccine Senators: We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation. WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined more than a dozen of her Democratic Senate colleagues led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, to send a letter to Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Chief Advisor of Operation Warp Speed, and General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Office of Operation Warp Speed, asking about recent reports that earlier this year the Trump Administration declined to purchase additional doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine when given the opportunity. The decision could hinder efforts to launch a nationwide mass vaccination campaign as the U.S. will reportedly be unable to purchase additional doses of the vaccine from Pfizer until pre-orders from other countries are filled. In their letter, the Senators express concern about the Trump Administration's lack of planning and transparency, and press for more information about the Administration's preparations to purchase vaccines. We write to you about reports the United States Government declined to exercise its option to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year. We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation. We fear this is yet another instance in which the Trump Administration's failure to develop a comprehensive national vaccines plan in a timely manner could jeopardize efforts to get people vaccinated and ultimately end this pandemic, wrote the Senators. The letter continued, To earn public confidence, demonstrate accountability, and ensure the incoming Biden Administration has the information it needs to hit the ground running in getting our COVID-19 response on track, the Administration must be more transparent about its preparations, as well as how much funding is available, and is needed, to purchase, distribute, and administer sufficient vaccine to end this pandemic. In addition to Baldwin, Murray and Wyden, the letter was also signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Brian Schatz (D-HI). The full text of the letter is included below and available here. December 14, 2020 Dr. Moncef Slaoui Chief Advisor, Operation Warp Speed 1400 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301 General Gustave Perna Chief Operating Officer, Operation Warp Speed 1400 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301 Dear Dr. Slaoui and General Perna: We write to you about reports the United States Government declined to exercise its option to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year. We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation. We fear this is yet another instance in which the Trump Administration's failure to develop a comprehensive national vaccines plan in a timely manner could jeopardize efforts to get people vaccinated and ultimately end this pandemic. While we are encouraged by the Food and Drug Administration's decision to grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, we are concerned that the Trump Administration's decision not to purchase more doses when given the opportunity will mean this development will not have the impact it could have to protect families from COVID-19. According to news reports, Pfizer offered the United States Government the chance to pre-purchase doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in excess of the initial order for 100 million doses.[1] When doing so, Pfizer reportedly warned that demand for its vaccine would likely outpace supply. However, the Trump Administration declined that offer; in consequence, the United States Government will not be able to purchase additional supply from Pfizer until pre-orders from other countries are filled. The European Union has finalized a deal with Pfizer for up to 300 million doses, and Canada has agreements to purchase up to 76 million doses.[2] There have been over 15 million cases of COVID-19 in the United States and over 287,000 associated deaths. Hospitals across the country are at capacity and facing increasing numbers of infections in the coming weeks. The number of daily COVID-19 deaths soared to a new high of over 3,100 this week.[3] Our government must widely distribute safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines that can be administered to patients at no cost as soon as possible to help stop transmission of this deadly virus in our communities. Yet, if we do not have sufficient vaccines purchased, there will soon be nothing to distribute. Reports this week indicate the U.S. may face a vaccine cliff this spring, due to the Trump Administration's failure to purchase sufficient doses of vaccine.[4] Operation Warp Speed anticipates distributing vaccines for 20 million people this month and 50 million people by the end of January. Limited supplies of vaccines, however, will force experts to make hard decisions about who should receive the first doses of the vaccine. Indeed, millions of Americans may not receive the vaccine for months or nearly a year. The longer it takes to vaccinate people, the longer it will be until we can have a meaningful recovery from this pandemic. Given these reports, we are very concerned the Trump Administration has not adequately planned for vaccine demand in the coming months, potentially imperiling the public health. To earn public confidence, demonstrate accountability, and ensure the incoming Biden Administration has the information it needs to hit the ground running in getting our COVID-19 response on track, the Administration must be more transparent about its preparations, as well as how much funding is available, and is needed, to purchase, distribute, and administer sufficient vaccine to end this pandemic. To provide this transparency, we respectfully request a briefing to respond to the following questions by December 28, 2020. What is your current projection of how many vaccine doses are necessary to vaccinate the entire population? How much vaccine has the United States Government contracted, and paid, for? How much vaccine does the United States Government have a contract option to purchase, and with which manufacturers? How much funding is available to make these purchases? How much more funding, above the amount described in 3(a), is needed to exercise all contract options in full? How much more funding, above the amount described in 3(a), is needed to purchase the number of doses described in 1? Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-encourages-wisconsinites-take-advantage-health-care-s-open,Rep. Ron Kind Encourages Wisconsinites to Take Advantage of Health Care’s Open Enrollment Period Ahead of Dec. 15 Deadline,2020-12-14,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"La Crosse, WI Today,Rep. Ron Kindis encouraging Wisconsinites to take advantage of the open enrollment period, which closes December 15. Before the deadline, those under the age of 65 can get health care coverage or make changes to their current health care plan by visitinghealthcare.gov. I encourage all Wisconsinites to take advantage of the open enrollment period and sign up for quality affordable health care ahead of tomorrow's deadline, saidRep. Ron Kind. Now is the best time to make changes to current health care plans and compare options to make sure that your plan is the best fit for you. Most people can find a plan with no-cost preventative care and may be eligible for tax credits to assist with monthly premiums. If you have questions about signing up or want to talk through your options with a trained professional, call 211 or visitGetCovered.WI.gov. If you have questions about how to access resources or need to be put in touch with the right person to help you sign up, you can call Rep. Kind's office at 1-608-782-2558 or visit kind.house.gov.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-speaks-at-senate-hearing-on-covid-19-vaccine-distribution,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Speaks at Senate Hearing on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wfrv-baldwin-urges-congressional-leaders-to-pass-the-bipartisan-restaurants-act-before-too-late,WFRV: Baldwin Urges Congressional Leaders to Pass the Bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act Before Too Late,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-announces-empowers-act,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Announces New Legislation to Reverse Trump Administration Move to Silence Workers in Corporate America,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.11.20 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Announces New Legislation to Reverse Trump Administration Move to Silence Workers in Corporate America EMPOWERS Act Allows Retirement Savers to Set Binding Proxy Voting Guidelines WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today announced new legislation that would reverse a final rule from the U.S. Department of Labor to limit retirement plans from voting on corporate proxies and undermine workers' voice in the public companies where they invest. In August, Trump's Labor Department proposed a rule to discourage ERISA plans from voting their proxies at all, unless the plans set a default voting policy to always vote with management. The rule effectively prevents workers from using their collective voice to influence public companies. The Trump administration's DOL rule is expected to be finalized today, and Baldwin will introduce her legislation to reverse it in January at the start of the 117th Congress. Baldwin's legislation would reverse this rule and make it easier for workers to control how their shares held for retirement are voted. The Encouraging More Proxy voting by Organized Workers, Employees, and Retirement Savers (EMPOWERS) Act would allow workers to elect representative trustees who would manage their ERISA plan jointly with the employer's trustees and set voting guidelines that investment managers would be required to follow. With this action, the message from President Trump and Secretary Scalia is clear: big corporations and investment funds want workers to hand over their hard-earned savings and then stay quiet, said Senator Baldwin. This DOL rule will allow special interests and big corporations, who already have too much power in Washington, to continue to put short-term profits and their own paychecks ahead of workers and their retirement savings. We must take action to give workers and retirees a seat at the table and their rightful voice in board rooms across America, and that's what my legislation will do. ERISA plans invest over $11 trillion in assets on behalf of workers and retirees. The public company stocks are held by the plan's investment manager, not by the workers and retirees who have built those retirement savings. That proxy voting power is also held by the investment managersnot workers. The investment industry has become increasingly concentrated and today the Big Three investment funds, BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, manage assets for over half of all ERISA plans. One of the Big Three is the largest shareholder in 9 out of 10 companies in the S&P 500, giving them the power to influence almost every vote, at almost every public company in the nation, using workers' retirement savings to do it. The EMPOWERS Act would restore the ability of ERISA plan participantsnot large asset managersto determine how their shares are voted. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and supported by: American Federal of Labor and Congressional of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Majority Action, Public Citizen, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Communication Workers of America (CWA), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), American Economic Liberties Project, Stop The Money Pipeline, Rapid Shift Network, Catholic Network US, Call to Action CO, and Connecticut Citizen Action Group, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Sierra Club. ""TheAFL-CIO is pleased to support Senator Baldwin's EMPOWERS Act. Pension plan assets are the deferred wages of working people, and appointing worker representatives to boards of trustees will give workers a voicein the companies that we invest in, said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. ""Research by Majority Action has shown that the world's largest asset managers have used their tremendous voting power to rubber-stamp corporate boards and undermine initiatives to address climate change. As its name suggests, Senator Baldwin's EMPOWERS Act will empower retirement savers to set their own proxy voting guidelinesreversing the recently proposed Department of Labor rule aiming to silence themand enable workers to collectively make their voices heard in boardrooms across the country, said Eli Kasargod-Staub, Executive Director of Majority Action. ""The EMPOWERS Act would help rein in the dominant role played by a small group of giant asset managers in determining the outcome of corporate elections and restore the decision-making authority to the true shareholders -- workers and retirees. We have seen time and again that the outsized footprint of a few large financial companies in the governance of corporate America results in an excessive deference to management and the needs of wealth and well-connectedbeing put ahead of the public interest. The EMPOWERS Act is an important step toward breaking the new version of the old money trust, said Graham Steele, seniorfellow with American Economic Liberties Project. Throughout her career, Senator Baldwin has stood up for the rights of workers, called out the abuses of big corporations and special interests, and championed reforms that will give workers a say in how their company's profits are spent. Senator Baldwin introduced legislation, theReward Work Act,that would give workers a seat on corporate boards andrein in corporate America's addiction to stock buybacks. More information on the EMPOWERS Act is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-votes-for-ndaa-gets-results-for-wisconsin-veterans-workers-communities,"U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Votes For National Defense Authorization, Gets Results for Wisconsin Veterans, Workers and Communities",2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.11.20 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Votes For National Defense Authorization, Gets Results for Wisconsin Veterans, Workers and Communities WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today voted for the final version of the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 that includes a number of measures that deliver results for Wisconsin. The final version of the defense funding bill passed the House and Senate with a veto-proof majority and now heads to the President's desk for his signature. I voted in favor of this bipartisan defense authorization legislation because it makes important investments to strengthen our national security and support the health and well-being of our nation's veterans, said Senator Baldwin. In particular, I am pleased the bill will help expand health care coverage for veterans who need it, and makes critical investments that support Wisconsin's communities, military personnel and our Made in Wisconsin economy. The final NDAA did not include strong Buy American standards that Senator Baldwin has long championed to help drive local economic growth and support good-paying jobs in Wisconsin. I strongly believe that when we build ships for America's Navy, we should use American workers and American made goods, and I'm disappointed that the final legislation does not include the strong Buy American standards that I recommended, said Senator Baldwin. Providing Health Care Benefits to Vietnam Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange The NDAA includes an amendment, supported by Senator Baldwin, that would expand the VA's list of medical conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange to include Bladder Cancer, Hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonismhealth conditions that each meet the historical standard for being added to the presumptive list for service-connection as it relates to Agent Orange exposure. Currently, thousands of Vietnam veterans living with chronic health conditions developed as a result of their service are being denied critical benefits and health care from VA. This provision would require VA to provide a presumption of service-connection for Bladder Cancer, Hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonismexpanding care and benefits for veterans suffering from these three conditions. Supporting K2 Veterans The NDAA includes language from Senator Baldwin's bipartisan K2 Veterans Toxic Exposure Accountability Act to help veterans who served at Karshi Khanabad (K2) Airbase in Uzbekistan to obtain the health screenings and services they need. Specifically, the bill requires the DoD to conduct a study on toxic exposure at K2the first step in establishing presumptive health and disability coverage for K2 related illnesses. Supporting Military Personnel The bill includes an across-the-bill pay raise of 3 percent for all service members. Additionally, the bill includes a number of initiatives that will increase diversity and inclusion in the armed forces, and monitor progress going forward. These include the creation of a Chief Diversity Officer in the Department of Defense, and the creation of a new Deputy Inspector General to oversee diversity and inclusion programs within the Department and to address supremacist, extremism, and criminal gang activity within military ranks. New Investments in Military Construction in Appleton and at Wisconsin's Fort McCoy At Baldwin's request, the bill includes $11.6 million for a Wisconsin National Guard Readiness Center in Appleton and $14.6 for a reconnaissance range at Ft. McCoy. Senator Baldwin also secured an additional $2.5 million that was not included in the President's budget request to continue construction of new barracks at Ft. McCoy. Supporting Made in Wisconsin Shipbuilding The NDAA supports the Made in Wisconsin shipbuilding industry by authorizing funding for one guided missile Frigate (FFG), to be built at Fincantieri Marinette Marine. The bill also fulfills a top priority of the U.S. Navy by authorizing funding for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines. Wisconsin is home to 40 companies that supply key components for the Virginia-class program. Investing in Workforce Development to Boost Shipbuilding At Senator Baldwin's request, the NDAA will create a new, joint Navy and Department of Labor working group to support the domestic shipbuilding workforce. The shipbuilding industry faces ongoing challenges due to workforce shortages and contract instability. This working group will assess existing trends within the shipbuilding workforce, ensure shipbuilders are able to benefit from existing federal government programs, and provide recommendations to Congress to stabilize the shipbuilding industrial base. Additionally, this provision directs the Secretary of the Navy to examine current and future shipbuilding contracts to maximize employment stability and provide a more stable workload to shipyards. Evaluating Impact of Trump Administration's Budget Cuts on Oshkosh Defense's Tactical Wheeled Vehicles The Trump Administration once again cut funding to medium and heavy tactical wheeled vehicles as a part of its annual budget request. These vehicles are built in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and supported by crucial suppliers across the Midwest. At Senator Baldwin's request, the NDAA requires the Army to report to Congress on its justification for continuing to request funding below the levels needed to keep production open in Oshkosh. Additionally, the Army must report on how its cuts to these accounts impact the small and medium sized businesses that make up the tactical wheeled vehicle supplier base. Limiting the Transfer of Certain Military Equipment to Local Police Departments The NDAA includes an amendment supported by Senator Baldwin to help end police militarization and limit the transfer of certain surplus military-grade equipment to local law enforcement agencies across the country. The amendment will prohibit the transfer of military equipment to law enforcement agencies, including bayonets, lethal grenades, weaponized tracked combat vehicles and weaponized drones. This prohibition does not prohibit the transfer of defensive equipment, such as body armor. The bill also requires Federal law enforcement agents and military personnel who respond to a civil disturbance to display the individual's name, or other unique identifier such as a badge number, along with the name of the agency or service of the individual. Renaming Military Bases The NDAA includes language supported by Baldwin that requires, within three years, the renaming of all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia on DoD property that honor the Confederacy.The provision would also establish a commission to make recommendations and create a renaming plan, identify costs, and include local community input and provide $2 million in funds for the commission. Senior DoD officials support this long overdue and essential move. Noise Mitigation for Truax Field The NDAA includes a provision that Senator Baldwin pushed for to establish a 5 year pilot program that would provide funds to install noise insulation in properties impacted by military aviation noise. It also includes language that notes the issue of military aviation noise in our communities will continue as more fifth generation aircraft are deployed, and encourages the DoD to look for ways to work with communities to proactively address their concerns about noise. Pressing for Chiropractic Health Care for Current and Former Military Personnel Inspired by Baldwin's Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act, the NDAA requires the Department of Defense (DoD) to report to Congress on the expected date that TRICARE will cover chiropractic services for military members, retirees and reservists, if the Department determines that it is feasible to expand these services.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-secures-nearly-2-million-fight-opioid-epidemic,Gallagher Secures Nearly $2 Million to Fight Opioid Epidemic,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) today announced that theU.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) a $1,945,652 grant to improve the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP). The grant will be used to improve the program by increasing its security, user-satisfaction, and adoption. The announcement comes after Rep. Gallagher wrote to the Department of Justice and called on them to fulfill this grant application. For far too many Wisconsinites, the opioid epidemic hits close to home, said Rep. Gallagher. Our state relies on the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to combat prescription drug abuse, and this announcement will help ensure that DSPS has the resources it needs to improve this tool. I'm proud to have advocated on the program's behalf and am confident that these funds will help make the system more effective, user-friendly, and sustainable. After receiving the grant, Dawn Crim, Secretary-designee of DSPS, said, ""Your letter of support for our application and your support of our work with the ePDMP has been instrumental to our success. Our award-winning program is an invaluable tool that has transformed prescribing culture and curbed prescription opioid use in Wisconsin. Your ongoing support ensures that we, together, will continue to make a difference."" The Wisconsin ePDMP is a highly successful tool that more than 55,000 licensed healthcare professionals use more than 650,000 times each month to help combat drug abuse in Wisconsin. The grant funding opportunity will enhance the program to help users make more informed prescribing, dispensing, and treatment decisions regarding their patients' controlled substance prescriptions. Specifically, DSPS will use the grant to make the system a more effective clinical decision support tool. The project is expected to result in improved patient matching accuracy, an upgraded user experience for those accessing the system via their electronic health record system, and more customizable analytics for healthcare professionals.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4697,Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Need for Future Stimulus Payments,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,WI,Gwen Moore,M001160,gwenmoore.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Gwen Moore Statement on Need for Future Stimulus Payments Congresswoman Moore released the following statement, calling for additional individual cash payments to be included in the next COVID relief package: Nine months ago, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. The CARES Act was the largest of the initial aid packages that Congress enacted to help Americans through the coronavirus pandemic. Among many critical provisions in that law was the one authorizing up to $1,200 payments to individuals (plus an additional $500 per child) for most Americans struggling with the economic impacts of this deadly virus. A true relief package must lift everyone up. And one of the best ways to do this is by putting money in the hands of the people. The cash payments in the CARES Act were needed relief, helping keep food on the table and pay rent, among other uses. But that money has since dried up. I support additional payments, as do most House Democrats, which is why strengthening those payments were a key part of the two follow up packages (H.R. 925 and H.R. 6800) that have passed in House in the last six months only to die in the Mitch McConnell's graveyard. The longer relief is delayed, the more Americans will be pushed into poverty and dire straits. I am calling on negotiators to include a new round of payments in any upcoming COVID-19 package. I have heard the calls from my constituents, who have spoken on the need for cash payments because they are facing financial trouble that worsens as the days go on. Millions are on the brink of eviction. Others are seeing their UI benefits expire, if they got them in the first place. Pantries are seeing long lines that keep growing. Congress must extend funding for vital public health efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic and must also help reduce the economic pain caused by the pandemic by quickly providing direct relief to Americans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-helps-secure-federal-funding-rural-health-clinics-expand,Rep. Ron Kind Helps Secure Federal Funding for Rural Health Clinics to Expand Access to COVID-19 Testing,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindannounced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide grants to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) for COVID-19 testing. This funding is provided through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which Rep. Kindvoted foron April 23, 2020. These investments will help RHCs across Wisconsin support COVID-19 testing efforts and expand access to testing in rural communities. I'm glad to see federal funding secured through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act used to support our Rural Health Clinics, saidRep. Ron Kind. Our rural health care providers are working tirelessly to keep our communities safe and healthy. As COVID-19 cases continue to climb in Wisconsin, it's critical that we ensure our Rural Health Clinics on the front lines of this pandemic have the funding and support they need to continue to their life-saving work. Rural communities have been particularly hard hit by the latest surge in the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the rate of COVID-19 transmission is higher in rural communities than many other parts of the country. In Wisconsin, COVID-19 cases are continuing to spike, putting additional pressure on rural health care providers and underscoring their need for assistance.Many rural health care providers faced serious financial challenges prior to the pandemic. In 2019, 19 rural hospitals closed across the U.S. and 1 in 5 rural hospitals are at risk of closure.That's why in July, Rep. Kind joined 48 of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle inurgingHHS to provide immediate relief to rural health care providers affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Kind is the co-chair of the House Rural Health Care Coalition and serves on the Subcommittee on Health for the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over tax measures, the management of public debt, trade and tariff laws, Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and many other economic growth measures.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=584BF5F7-DB70-4D45-A1CE-C9215F8AB4B4,Johnson Statement on National Defense Authorization Act,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said the following Friday regarding his vote on the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act: This defense bill is riddled with problematic policies and fails to address a number of key issues. However, at the end of the daythis bill provides support to the bravest among us the men and women of our armed forces and also includes language I authored tohalt a Russian malign-influence project,to authorize a tool for the nation's cyber agency to better identify and warn companies about vulnerabilities,and to greenlight Wisconsin National Guard construction projects. I cast my vote in support of those priorities, not as an endorsement offlawed policies that attempt to erase our history, limit our 5G development and add regulatory burdens to small businesses. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wxow-congress-passes-senator-baldwins-bipartisan-legislation-to-stop-student-debt-relief-scams,WXOW: Congress Passes Senator Baldwin’s Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams,2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/pass-restaurants-act-now,"Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Congressional Leaders to Pass the Bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act Before Too Late",2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.10.20 Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Congressional Leaders to Pass the Bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act Before Too Late Baldwin cosponsored the bipartisan legislation after hearing from Wisconsin restaurants and businesses WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues, led by Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), are urgingCongressional leaders to immediately pass the bipartisanRESTAURANTS Act, legislation that establishes the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide local Wisconsin restaurateurs with funding to rehire workers and deal with the long-term ramifications of COVID-19. For the second time this year, restaurants and bars are having to limit operations or close their doors completely, raising concerns about their ability to survive the long winter ahead. They need quick relief to keep their workers employed and hold onto their businesses. Congress needs to act speedily and pass the RESTAURANTS Act to help save local restaurants across the country and the millions of workers they employ,wrote the lawmakers. The lawmakers' letter comes as coronavirus cases are spiking in Wisconsin and across the country. The Independent Restaurant Coalitionsupports this letter, which is availableHERE. Across the country, restaurants have been uniquely devastated by COVID-19. In April alone, 5.5 million restaurant workers lost their jobs. Without federal relief, another 11 million restaurant workers stand to lose their jobs permanently. The bipartisanRESTAURANTS Actcreates the Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant program, authorizing $120 billion to provide structured relief to restaurants. Under the bill, the Department of the Treasury will administer the RRF program and source the $120B from itsCARES Actallotment. Awards will be one-time grants valued to cover the difference between revenues from 2019 and projected revenues through 2020, with a maximum grant of $10 million. Restaurants do not need to pay back their grants and can use the funding for payroll, benefits, mortgages, rent, utilities, maintenance, supplies, protective equipment, cleaning materials, food, and any other expenses deemed essential by the Treasury. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4696,Congresswoman Gwen Moore Responds to House Passage of Her Scarlett’s Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act,2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,WI,Gwen Moore,M001160,gwenmoore.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Gwen Moore Responds to House Passage of Her Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act Today, a negotiated version of Congresswoman Moore's bipartisan legislation, the Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act, passed the House. In response, she released the following statement: I am so pleased that the Scarlett Sunshine Act is that much closer to becoming law. Too many families know the pain of unexpectedly losing a child. My bill takes a needed step towards addressing the heartache families feel and helping save the lives of precious children. The bill would provide grants to states, municipalities, and nonprofits to for a number of activities to better understand why these deaths happen and to prevent them, including to help improve data collection, to support bestpractices to reduce sleep-related infant deaths;and death scene investigations for deaths categorized as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC), or Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) when it happens to infants under 12 months old (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, falls under the SUID umbrella). Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 445 children fell under the SUDC category in 2016, while 3,607 died under the SUID category. My heart goes out to each and every family that has every had to experience such a heartbreaking death and the lifelong pain that accompanies it, including that of Scarlett Lillian Pauley for whom this bill is named. I am grateful to be part of this effort to turn that pain into policy that will hopefully save other children and families from having to experience these tragedies. The Senate version of this measure has been championed by Senator Bob Casey and now retired Senator Johnny Isakson. This bill has been endorsed by a number of organizations including Children's Wisconsin,Progressive Community Health Centers,Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers,the American Academy of Pediatrics,The Scarlett Lillian Pauley Foundation,March of Dimes, Cribs for Kids, First Candle, SUDC Foundation, Aaron Matthew SIDS Research Guild of Seattle Children's Hospital, andSafe Kids Worldwide. The Senate is expected to take up and pass this legislation shortly, sending it to the White House to be signed into law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-kind-kelly-lead-bipartisan-push-protect-craft-brewers-devastating,"Reps. Kind, Kelly Lead Bipartisan Push to Protect Craft Brewers from Devastating Tax Hike, Keep Their Doors Open",2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today,Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI)andMike Kelly (R-PA)led 125of their colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy to pass theCraft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act. This legislation,introducedby Reps. Kind and Kelly, is critical to preventing America's brewers, cider-makers, distillers, and vintners from facing a significant increase in their federal excise taxes at a time when so many are struggling just to stay afloat. Lower rates for brewers and craft beverage manufacturers were initially passed on a temporary basis. Ifthe Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Actis not enacted, or if relief is allowed to expire, taxes will return to higher levels come January 1, 2021. The COVID-19 crisis has already created economic duress for many producers across the country as tasting rooms, bars, and restaurants have shut down. Now, without Congressional action, producers are facing a second looming crisis in the form of increased federal excise taxes. Craft breweries are not only a large part of Wisconsin's culture, they are also an economic engine--supporting local economies and creating job opportunities, saidRep. Ron Kind. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, so many of our craft breweries are facing serious economic struggles through no fault of their own. For many of these businesses, this tax increase could be the final straw. We need to act now to extend this critical economic lifeline to brewers and provide much needed relief. Across this country, craft brewers, distillers, vintners, and cider makers are struggling to keep their doors open. These businesses are having to make the difficult decision to stop production, furlough employees and close tasting rooms because of the pandemic. Adding to those problems, tax rates are set to expireon December 31st. We must act. It is critical that the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act be included in the end of the year legislative package. Allowing the current excise tax rates to lapse would force many of these businesses to close permanently, saidRep. Mike Kelly. The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act was important to brewers, and after the impacts from COVID-19, it's imperative, saidDick Leinenkugel. We have seen first-hand a dramatic decline in visitors to our Leinie Lodge in Chippewa Falls and lost sales from the closures of bars, restaurants, stadiums, and more. And while we will be able to get through this, there are hundreds of others brewers that have no chance of surviving without this legislation and the state's economy will suffer further. We are a small brewery that has grown from two employees and 300 BBLS in year one to 11,000 BBLS fifteen full time employees and twenty part time employees at year five. Because of the excise tax recalibration we have been able to reallocate those monies towards capital improvements like a new process chiller made in Washington State and our canning line which was made in Ohio. By adding these pieces of equipment we were able to increase our production and hire a full time packaging team consisting of four salaried employees with benefits. Without the tax reduction we would not have been able to grow at the pace we have been for the last few years. In addition, 2020 has been very difficult to plan due to COVID-19. Having a lower tax burden has also helped us to keep our entire staff employed while we lost time and revenues pivoting towards a business model that is now 100% off premise, saidWilliam Glass, the Brewing Projekt President. Since enactment of the federal excise tax recalibration in 2017, Wisconsin's small and independent craft brewers have been able to re-invest additional capital into their businesses and add more brewing jobs in every corner of our state. Wisconsin is also home to many of the equipment and ingredient suppliers that are utilized by craft breweries nationwide and the impact of making the current FET rates permanent will help us to maintain and grow the $2 billion economic impact that craft breweries have in our state. At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has had a punishing effect on small businesses in the entire hospitality sector which includes small breweries, a 100% increase in federal excise tax rates would compound the economic uncertainty that we are experiencing during these challenging times. We appreciate Congressman Kind's leadership on this issue and we are encouraged by the broad bipartisan support in Congress for moving CBMTRA forward, said theWisconsin Brewers Guild. TheCraft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Actreduces excise taxes, compliance burdens, and regulations for the 5,300 breweries, 8,000 wineries, and 800 distilleries across the country.In addition to creating jobs in every state and Congressional district, beverage alcohol producers are critical partners to our farmers and agriculture producers, the tourism industry, the manufacturing sector, and the hospitality industry, including restaurants, bars, and other on-premise establishments. Read the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=6BE1799B-FA1A-4C71-8CBC-E26755412625,"Johnson, Wisconsin Delegation Get Two Wisconsin Post Offices Renamed After WWII & Korean War Heroes",2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"OSHKOSH Bipartisan bills introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) to rename the post offices in Port Washington and Tomahawk passed the Houseof Representativestoday and are now on their way to President Trump to be signed into law. Thebillfor the Port Washington Post Office willofficially change the name of the post office at 104 E. Main St. in Port Washington, to the Joseph G. Demler Post Office. Joe Demler served in the 137thinfantry during the Battle of the Bulge where he was captured by German troops and taken as a prisoner of war. Doctors told him he was days away from death when he was liberated from a Nazi camp in April 1945 weighing less than 70 pounds. He became known as thehuman skeletonafter Lifemagazinepublished hisphoto. Upon his discharge from the Army in November 1945, Joe began working for the U.S. Postal Service in Milwaukee before transferring to the Port Washington Post Office where he worked for 37 years. Joe coined the motto every day is a bonus which became the motto of the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight, an organization he helped organize. Throughout his life, Joe participated in countless Honor Flights and proudly shared his story of service. He passed away in February 2020. Thebillfor the Tomahawk Post Office will officially change the name of the post office at 311 W. Wisconsin Ave. in Tomahawk, to the Einar Sarge' H. Ingman, Jr. Post Office Building. Sergeant Ingman was a Korean War veteran whose single-handed destruction of two machine gun nests near Maltari in 1951 allowed his squad to secure its objective. In 1951, President Truman awarded Ingman the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions. Mr. Ingman was also recognized with two Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars and various other recognitions. He passed away in September 2015. Senator Johnson said,Einar Sarge' Ingman is a true American hero who was awarded our nation's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor. Joe Demler served his country courageously and barely survived the horrors of a Nazi prisoner of war camp. It's a fitting honor to both men that the post offices in their hometowns will soon be renamed in their honor so that their service will never be forgotten by future generations. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wgba-senator-tammy-baldwin-on-the-need-for-congress-to-pass-covid-19-relief-legislation,WGBA: Senator Tammy Baldwin on the Need for Congress to Pass COVID-19 Relief Legislation,2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-requests-information-from-fbi-and-dhs-on-qanon-threat-posed-to-america-and-abroad-,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Requests Information from FBI and DHS On QAnon Threat Posed To America And Abroad,2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.09.20 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Requests Information from FBI and DHS On QAnon Threat Posed To America And Abroad Baldwin Joins Colleagues to Write To FBI Director Wray And Deputy General Counsel Maher At DHS Asking For A Written Assessment On The QAnon Threat To America's Democratic Institutions And Contribution To Hatred Here And Overseas Senate Democrats Seek Information About QAnon's Spread Of Disinformation And Hatred That Poses A Threat To U.S. Democracy WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined a group of Democratic colleagues, led by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Intelligence Committee Member Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), to write to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Principal Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Joseph Maher requesting a written assessment to Congress on the threat posed by QAnon, in the United States and abroad. The Senators also request information on the role of foreign influence operations in the inception and amplification of QAnon conspiracy theories. QAnon has been active in attacking America's democratic institutions by disseminating false and dangerous conspiracy theories, includingabout the November 2020 presidential election. Baldwin and colleagues note that, according to the FBI, the House of Representatives, and multiple organizations and researchers, QAnon conspiracy theories have inspired acts of domestic extremism and violence and have contributed to hatred in the United States and overseasin an effort to undermine our democratic norms. Recent reports also indicate that foreign influence operations have contributed to theamplification of QAnon conspiracy theories resulting in dangerous misinformation campaigns. The Senators request that this analysis on the threat posed by QAnon in the United States and abroad, as well as intelligence on the role of foreign influence actors in nurturingthis threat be made public, with any classified matters provided separately to Congress. In addition to Baldwin, Schumer and Heinrich, the letter was signed by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). See the full text of the letter below. A PDF of the letter is available here. December 8, 2020 The Honorable Christopher Wray Director Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington, D.C. 20035 Mr. Joseph B. Maher Principal Deputy General Counsel Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Undersecretary Office of Intelligence and Analysis Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20593 Dear Director Wray and Mr. Maher, We write to request a written assessment on the threat posed by QAnon.As the FBI, the U.S. House of Representatives, and multiple organizations and researchers have detailed, QAnon conspiracy theories have inspired acts of domestic extremism and violence, sought to undermine democratic institutions, and contributed to hatred in the United States and overseas. There is also reporting indicating that foreign influence operations have contributed to the dissemination of QAnon conspiracy theories. As the FBI has confirmed, QAnon poses a direct threat of violence. In congressional testimony on September 17, 2020, Director Wray described QAnon as a complex set of conspiracy theories, noting certainly we have had cases, properly predicated investigations involving violence where people have been motivated by some of those conspiracy theories. On October 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 1154 condemning QAnon and rejecting the conspiracy theories it promotes. The resolution, which passed by a vote of 371-18, described multiple cases in which QAnon inspired acts of violence. QAnon has also been active in attacking U.S. democratic institutions, including disseminating false conspiracy theories about the November 2020 U.S. election. While these conspiracy theories have been debunked by the Department of Homeland Security, they contribute to the spread of disinformation that poses a threat to U.S. democracy.[1] Multiple organizations and scholars have warned of the threat posed by QAnon. A study published by the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy at West Point concluded that QAnon is arguably no longer simply a fringe conspiracy theory but an ideology that has demonstrated its capacity to radicalize to violence individuals at an alarming speed.[2] Another study, by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, described belief in certain conspiracy theories, such as QAnon as part of the threat of far-right terrorism.[3] The Anti-Defamation League has characterized QAnon as an extremist movement that fuels antisemitism and promotes misinformation and hate in an effort to undermine our democratic process. The Southern Poverty Law Center has described it as a sprawling spiderweb of right-wing internet conspiracy theories with anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ elements The threat posed by QAnon is not limited to the United States.QAnon has also gained a foothold in Europe, in particular in Germany where its adherents overlap with the country's far right and anti-Semitic fringe.[4]These developments present a danger to U.S. interests by contributing to a terrorist threat and undermining the democratic institutions of U.S. allies. In addition to requesting analysis on the threat posed by QAnon in the United States and abroad, we ask that you provide intelligence on the role of foreign influence actors in nurturing and amplifying QAnon.According to an independent analysis of Twitter archives, an account that retweeted obscure Russian officials appeared to be the first account to use the term Q Anon on social media, on November 2, 2017. The same analysis found that Russian accounts began amplifying the [QAnon] movement as it started, and that [f]rom November 2017 on, QAnon was the single most frequent hashtag tweeted by accounts that Twitter has since identified as Russian-backed.[5] As H. Res. 1154 stressed, the Intelligence Community should seek to uncover any foreign support, assistance, or online amplification QAnon receives, as well as any QAnon affiliations, coordination, and contacts with foreign extremist organizations or groups espousing violence. Given this and other reporting, we request that you provide to Congress a written assessment of the threat posed by QAnon, in the United States and abroad, and on the role of foreign influence operations in the inception and amplification of QAnon conspiracy theories. We further request that this assessment be made public, with any classified matters provided separately to Congress through appropriate channels. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-kind-applauds-ambassador-lighthizer-s-decision-take-canada,Rep. Kind Applauds Ambassador Lighthizers Decision to Take Canada to Consultations via the Dispute Settlement Process for the First-Time Over Failure to Open their Dairy Market as Agreed in USMCA,2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced that the United States will be using the Dispute Settlement Process against Canada for the first time for failing to comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) implementation requirements. This comes after Rep. Ron Kind lead a bipartisan group of his colleagues in calling for it to be done. Canadian dairy policy has long unfairly excluded Wisconsin dairy products from competing fairly in Canada. In August, Rep. Kind led a bipartisan letter to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging them to take the action they are doing today. In order to create an even playing field for dairy farmers and keep jobs in the United States, it's crucial that the Administration holds Canada and Mexico accountable to their trade commitments by implementing enforcement provisions. The Administration is finally using the USMCA's consultation and enforcement measures necessary to ensure our trading partners deliver on their obligations in a way that's fully consistent with the spirit and letter of the agreement.The Dispute Settlement process under USMCA is a binding mechanism that countries can bring complaints against each otherfor not living up to the commitments made in the agreement. If the claims are proven true by an adjudicating panel, the US will have the right to retaliate against Canada. I applaud the Administration's decision to hold Canada accountable and ensure they uphold their end of the deal. I've always said trade agreements are not worth the paper they are written on without strong enforcement, and I am glad today those new procedures will help ensure Wisconsin farmers, workers, and families can reap the full benefits of this agreement, said Rep. Ron Kind. Today is a good day for Wisconsin's dairy farmerswe are that much closer to getting them the level playing field they need. Congressman Ron Kind has been an incredible champion for America's dairy farmers and farmer-owned cooperatives, and has worked hard to hold Canada accountable to its trade commitments under USMCA. His continued leadership has helped coalesce a broad base of bipartisan support for action on this topic and drive this issue to the top of USTR's agenda. After a difficult year, today's announcement is a high note for America's dairy industry and brings us one step closer towards fully realizing USMCA's promised benefits for dairy exports, said Jim Mulhern, President & CEO, National Milk Producers Federation. Rep. Kind spent years working to ensure the USMCA is fully enforceable to guarantee increased access to the Canadian dairy market specifically changes to TRQ's to directly increase the volume of American imports; codify science-based Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards; provide a faster and more enforceable dispute settlement process; and increase labor and environmental standards. Rep. Kind also released a Family Farm Rescue Plan earlier this year, which called for swift implementation of USMCA. Rep. Kind serves on the Subcommittee on Trade for the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over tax measures, the management of public debt, trade and tariff laws, Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and many other economic growth measures.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/waow-senator-baldwin-working-to-stop-student-debt-relief-scams-from-harming-hardworking-americans,WAOW: Senator Baldwin Working to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams from Harming Hardworking Americans,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wfrv-senate-unanimously-passes-baldwins-bipartisan-legislation-to-stop-student-debt-relief-scams,WFRV: Senate Unanimously Passes Baldwin’s Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wisc-baldwin-encourages-folks-to-sign-up-for-health-care-coverage-ahead-of-december-15th-deadline,WISC: Baldwin Encourages Folks to Sign Up for Health Care Coverage Ahead of December 15th Deadline,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-urge-google-to-improve-ad-policies-and-combat-election-related-disinformation,"Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Google to Improve Ad Policies and Combat Election-Related Disinformation",2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.08.20 Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Google to Improve Ad Policies and Combat Election-Related Disinformation Google continues to profit from ads that spread disinformation about the 2020 general election WASHINGTON, D.C U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined her colleagues, led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), to urge Google to improve its ad policies and combat election-related disinformation and voter suppression. Reports indicate that the company has profited from political ads that spread voting and election disinformation. The senators sent a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai calling on Google to take immediate action. While the 2020 general election occurred a month ago, efforts to undermine the election by spreading disinformation persist. This is happening despite both Attorney General Barr stating that the Department of Justice has uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and high ranking officials at the Department of Homeland Security stating that the 2020 general election was the most secure in American history. Stopping the ongoing spread of election-related disinformation is critical to maintainingAmericans' faith in our elections, the cornerstone of our democracy. In addition to Baldwin, Klobuchar and Warner, the letter was signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). Millions of Americans rely on Google to find voting and election-related information. It is imperative for the integrity of our democracy that they are not met with disinformation. Google's stated policy is to reject ads or destinations making demonstrably false claims that could significantly undermine participation or trust in an electoral or democratic process.' However, a recent study by the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) found that Google services ads on 145 out of 200 websites GDI examined that publish disinformation, the senators wrote. The letter echoed concerns from outside organizations about the use of Google's ad platforms to promote voter suppression. ""Google finances misinformation by placing adverts for respected brands - without their knowledge - on websites that spread untruths. It is vital legislators unveil the scale of Google's knowing participation in the global misinformation industry, the amount by which it has profited, and to come up with solutions that put an end to the systemic undermining of democracy and public safety, said Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. ""Disinformation in political advertising is a security problem, and Google and other ad platforms need to start treating it as such. When loopholes and vulnerabilities in systems for detecting political or disinformation content are found, companies need to act quickly to protect users from attacks that diminish trust in our democratic system, said Laura Edelson, Researcher, Online Political Ads Transparency Project, NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Google is among the most widely used Internet platforms. It mediates information access for more than a billion users around the globe. Unfortunately, there are bad actors those who wish to manipulate people for political or financial motives who understand how to use Google's search and advertising features to achieve their objectives. Dr. Kate Starbird, Associate Professor of Human Centered Design & Engineering, University of Washington. Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below. Dear Mr. Pichai: We write to express serious concerns regarding recent reports that Google is profiting from the sale of ads spreading election-related disinformation. Google is also helping organizations spreading election-related disinformation to raise revenue by placing ads on their websites. While Google has some policies in place to prevent the spread of election misinformation, they are not properly enforced and are inadequate. We urge you to immediately strengthen and improve enforcement of your policies on election-related disinformation and voter suppression, reject all ads spreading election-related disinformation, and stop providing advertising services on sites that spread election-related disinformation. Millions of Americans rely on Google to find voting and election-related information. It is imperative for the integrity of our democracy that they are not met with disinformation. Google's stated policy is to reject ads or destinations making demonstrably false claims that could significantly undermine participation or trust in an electoral or democratic process. However, a recent study by the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) found that Google services ads on 145 out of 200 websites GDI examined that publish disinformation. Similarly, a recent report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that Google has been placing ads on websites publishing disinformation designed to undermine elections. In examining just six websites publishing election-related disinformation, CCDH estimates that they receive 40 million visits a month, generating revenue for these sites of up to $3.4 million annually from displaying Google ads. In addition, Google receives $1.6 million from the advertisers' payments annually. These sites published stories ahead of the 2020 general election that contained disinformation alleging that voting by mail was not secure, that mail-in voting was being introduced to steal the election, and that election officials were discarding mail ballots. In August, media reports indicated that Google refused to remove search ads promoting false information about mail-in ballots which appeared in response to searches for mail-in voting in numerous battleground states, including Arizona and Georgia. The most common variation of that ad said, think mail-in voting and absentee voting are the same. Think again! There are different safeguards for each. The ads then directed users to a website that stated voting by mail results in lost votes and lost rights. These ads also seem to violate Google's policy since both the ads and the destinations make demonstrably false claims about the security of the voting by mail process. Researchers also discovered loopholes in Google's political ads policy, which allowed them to place ads targeted at election-related searches without going through the political ad review and verification process. In one instance, researchers paid to place ads that appeared on the search results page when users entered a search including the words should, vote, and Biden these ads read, you shouldn't, he'll destroy this country. This loophole could allow foreign adversaries to run ads with disinformation targeting elections without detection. It also allows advertisers placing these kinds of ads to circumvent Google's ban on microtargeting for political ads. In response to these findings, Google said it planned to increase the amount of human review that goes into evaluating landing pages for ads that potentially fall under the election policy. But months later when researchers placed the same kind of ads just a week before Election Day, Google still allowed them to run. In light of these concerns, we respectfully request you answer the following questions by December 18, 2020: Why did the websites identified by the CCDH not violate Google's policy for ads or destinations? Will Google re-evaluate this policy and how it is being enforced? Will Google commit to not running display ads on websites that publish demonstrably false information about voting or elections? Why did the ads reported by the University of Washington, that Google refused to remove in August, not violate Google's policy for ads that make demonstrably false claims? How much revenue did Google receive from the ads it reviewed and decided not to remove? Will Google commit to developing and enforcing a more comprehensive policy for ads that contain election-related disinformation or voter suppression content? Will Google commit to establishing a policy clearly defining political ads to include issue ads and ads that appear in searches targeting people searching for political content? What specific steps is Google taking to improve its evaluations process for landing pages and ensure that landing pages for ads are not redirecting people to websites with disinformation? It's been four years since Russia bought online ads to influence American voters. Now, the 2020 election cycle has once again made clear that we must do more to prevent disinformation from undermining the integrity of our elections. Still, Google continues to operate with a narrow and incomprehensive political ads policy that has major loopholes. It is also failing to enforce even this inadequate policy. As a result, the company is profiting from ads that spread voting and election disinformation and helping disinformation sites profit from their lies. Our democracy deserves better. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-secures-major-water-infrastructure-priorities-applauds-passage-wrda,"Gallagher Secures Major Water Infrastructure Priorities, Applauds Passage of WRDA",2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Mike Gallagher, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, today released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Water Resources and Development Act of 2020. The bill, which passed the House unanimously, authorizes projects to improve flood and storm protection, strengthen our ports and harbors, and protect inland waterways. The Water Resources and Development Act of 2020 takes critical steps to preserve our natural resources and modernize our nation's water infrastructure, said Rep. Gallagher. Most importantly, it includes a number of provisions I authored that will improve flood mitigation infrastructure in our community, ensure local ports have increased funding, and protect our Great Lakes from invasive species. This is a huge win for Northeast Wisconsin and I look forward to President Trump signing it into law. We want to thank Rep. Gallagher for his leadership to produce bipartisan legislation unanimously passed by the House today that puts the power of nature-based solutions front and center, including funding for the Great Lakes Navigation System and local flood control projects,"" said Todd Holshbach, Director of Government Relations, The Nature Conservancy Wisconsin State Chapter. ""Thanks to his efforts, this legislation will help ensure that critical water resources projects produce multiple benefits for people and nature while targeting resources to disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. It will also help stop the spread of invasive species into the Great Lakes and further the restoration of lands and waters throughout the upper Mississippi River basin. Last month, Rep. Gallagher called on House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio and Ranking Member Sam Graves to include a number of provisions he wrote that support Northeast Wisconsin. The final bill includes a number of these initiatives, including: Authorization for the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers to conduct a multipurpose study on the Upper Fox River and Wolf River watersheds.This study identifies where flood storage structures can be used to reduce flooding impacts downstream. Flood storage structures improve water quality by filtering nutrients and preventing them from draining into the Lower Fox River and bay of Green Bay. Authorization for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a study on the Lower Fox River basin.This study builds on an earlier study on storage capacity for flood waters in the Lower Fox River. If enacted, this would provide the Army Corps the authority to convene stakeholders for the purpose of discussing jurisdictions and developing a comprehensive agreement on the basin for the purposes of flood mitigation. A 13% set-aside in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for the Great Lakes Navigation System.Previous legislation included funding for small harbors like the Port of Green Bay, but failed to sufficiently increase the funding to adequate levels. This provision increased the amount allotted to small harbors on the Great Lakes Navigation System from 9.8% to 13%. Construction authorization for Brandon Road Lock and Dam and consideration of additional treatment and control techniques to manage invasive species.This would help prevent the movement of certain invasive species, such as Asian Carp, from the Mississippi and Great Lakes basins. Clarification that natural and nature-based features can be considered when carrying out Small Flood Control Projects.This allows stakeholders in Northeast Wisconsin to gather data and develop a greater understanding of the efficacy and costs of nature-based solutions, such as wetlands, as a way to help with flood control.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-statement-house-passage-ndaa-conference-report,Gallagher Statement on House Passage of NDAA Conference Report,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Mike Gallagher, a member of the NDAA Conference Committee, today released the following statement after the House passed the NDAA Conference Report by a vote of 335 to 78 to 1. Having served in the Marine Corps, I believe our highest duty in Congress is to ensure our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to complete their mission and get home safe, said Rep. Gallagher. This year's National Defense Authorization Act accomplishes this by taking aggressive action to counter the Chinese Communist Party, strengthening America's cyber defenses, and fully funding the Future Frigate ensuring Northeast Wisconsin will play an integral role in building our Navy. While this bill isn't perfect, when it comes to America's national security, we can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The final report features a number of items Rep. Gallagher championed, such as: 26 recommendations made by the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, including the creation of a National Cyber Director within the White House and Continuity of the Economy Planning Language similar to the Taiwan Defense Act, which helps ensure that the Department of Defense has capabilities and resources necessary to defeat a Chinese invasion of Taiwan The creation of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, which would include $2.2 billion of investments in new programs to modernize US posture and capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region An independent study of the Chinese defense industrial base so we better understand its vulnerabilities An amendment to help combat PLA-affiliated research institutions that steal technology from US campuses Click HERE to read the final report.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4695,Congresswoman Moore Urges Negotiators to Include Key Provisions in FY 2021 Defense Funding Bill,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,WI,Gwen Moore,M001160,gwenmoore.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Moore Urges Negotiators to Include Key Provisions in FY 2021 Defense Funding Bill f t # e Washington, December 8, 2020 Congresswoman Moore Urges Negotiators to Include Key Provisions in FY 2021 Defense Funding Bill As negotiations on final FY 2021 funding bills continue, Congresswoman released the followingletterthat she sent to negotiators on the Defense Department funding bill regarding the inclusion of key House passed provisions reaffirming Congress' war powers. I strongly support our men and women in uniform and their families who sacrifice so much for our country. It is critical that Congress reclaims its authority when it comes to decisions about putting these men and women in harms way. Unfortunately, under Administrations of both parties, that important responsibility has been severely undermined The House passed provisions help restore Congress Constitutional authority and responsibility to the American people to debate the use of our military forces to engage in war. Retaining those provisions in a final bill will restore a critical check on reckless military action andensure that decisions to use U.S. military force are properly debated and considered by Congress. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-two-rep-ron-kind-s-bills-including-legislation-support,"House Passes Two of Rep. Ron Kinds Bills, Including Legislation to Support Kidney Transplant Patients",2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DCToday, the House of Representatives passedtwo ofRep. Ron Kind'sbipartisanbillsto improve the Medicare program. The House passed the bipartisanComprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Actand theProvide Accurate Information Directly (PAID) Actwithunanimous support.The bills now await action in the Senate before they can be signed into law. Both pieces of legislation were passed as part of a package aimed at improving the Medicare program. TheComprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Actwillimprove coverage under Medicare for immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients, while thePAID Acttakes important stepsto streamline payments undertheMedicare Secondary Payer laws, which willreduce administrative complexities in the Medicare program and save taxpayer dollars. After a kidney transplant surgery, the last thing patients and their families should have to worry about is whether or not they will be able to afford the lifesaving drugs needed to prevent organ rejection. Taxpayers also shouldn't have to pay more because of government red tape. Today we addressed both these problems, saidRep. Ron Kind. I'm proud of the work my colleagues and I have done toimprove the Medicare program, provide support for kidney transplant recipients, and save taxpayer dollars."" Rep. Kind serves on the Subcommittee on Health for the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over tax measures, the management of public debt, trade and tariff laws, Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and many other economic growth measures.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-bipartisan-legislation-improve-water-infrastructure,"Rep. Ron Kind Votes for Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Water Infrastructure, Create Jobs, and Protect the Mississippi River",2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for thebipartisanWater Resources Development Act (WRDA), which would authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to carry out vital water infrastructure projects and studies. The bill would boost our economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic by creating jobs while investing in necessary projects like flood damage reduction, shoreline protection, inland waterways improvement, and ecosystem restoration. The legislation passed with bipartisan support. The Mississippi River shapes Wisconsin's local economy and environment. We need to take proactive steps to support the river and the communities that rely on it,"" saidRep. Ron Kind. ""To that end, I fought for Upper Mississippi River conservation and restoration funding to be included in WRDA and I'm proud that this legislation is now one of the largest investments in the Upper Mississippi in history. WRDA will update our ecosystem and infrastructure needs, create jobs, and reduce the risk of repeated flooding, all while protecting our waters for generations to come. Specifically, WRDA would authorize 35 Corps feasibility studies and construction of all 34 pending proposed projects to expand water resource infrastructure, as well as strengthen our ports, harbors, and inland waters, and build more resilient communities by maximizing sustainable development. The legislation would also improve resources for the Mississippi River by including provisions to: Increase funding for Upper Mississippi River System Environmental Management Program Authorize a plan to assess the water resource needs of the Upper Mississippi Invest in the construction of inland waterways projects and the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) for the Upper Mississippi River Authorize the Great Lakes Mississippi River inter-basin study on ecosystem restoration Increase funding to $15 million for the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, based out of the Upper Midwest Environment Sciences Center in La Crosse, WI Rep. Kind is the founder and co-chair of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Task Force, and a co-chair of the Congressional Mississippi River Caucus and the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus. He has been a longtime champion of protecting the Mississippi River for the people of Wisconsin's Third Congressional District.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-bipartisan-national-defense-authorization-act-support,Rep. Ron Kind Votes for Bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act to Support Our Troops,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, which will support our service members, maintain military readiness, and bolster our national security. The legislation sets important national defense priorities for the upcoming year and is critical to ensuring the national security of the United States. It also includes a 3% pay raise for service members, provides critical benefits for certain veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and reaffirms our steadfast commitment to NATO. Our brave men and women in uniform, veterans, and their families deserve the very best our nation has to offer, saidRep. Ron Kind. It's critical that we continue to make sure those who courageously defend our nation have all the resources they need to safely and effectively do their jobs. To that end, I'm proud to vote for the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act to protect and support our troops. The annual National Defense Authorization Act determines critical defense and national security priorities. This year's bill also directs the VA to provide benefits to veterans exposed to Agent Orange who were later diagnosed with bladder cancer, parkinsonism, or hypothyroidism, which Rep. Kindcalled forearlier this Congress. Additionally, the bill calls for the VA and the defense department to develop standards of coordinated care for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST).",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-great-lakes-priorities-included-in-water-resources-development-act,Steil Great Lakes Priorities Included in Water Resources Development Act,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,steil,https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—Two of Congressman Bryan Steil's Great Lakes priorities were included in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). WRDA passed the House of Representatives today and now heads to the Senate. The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study and the Brandon Road Project were both included in today's bill. ""Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes are a vital resource to Southeast Wisconsin. I am working to protect the Great Lakes today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. As we saw earlier this year, Racine, Kenosha, and Milwaukee counties suffered significant damage and shoreline erosion from high water levels in Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes Resiliency Study and the Brandon Road Project address our communities' concerns. We must ensure our shoreline is protected and that Lake Michigan continues to bring economic, health, and recreational benefits to Southeast Wisconsin,"" said Steil. In February, Steil testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the need to support Great Lakes funding. Specifically, Steil requested that the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study and the Brandon Road Project are included in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Watch Steil's testimony before the committee here. The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study brings together the eight Great Lakes states and federal partners to examine our shorelines and prevent environmental hazards. The Study area includes more than 5,000 miles of shoreline. This is a federal program that helps detect vulnerabilities along the shoreline and improve our communities' sustainability. The Brandon Road Project, an Army Corps of Engineers program, is a preventive measure to safeguard the Great Lakes. The program is intended to prevent invasive Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes, jeopardizing the $7 billion fishing industry of the Great Lakes. Today, Steil spoke on the House floor today in support of passage of the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Floor remarks below: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 2020 Water Resources Development Act. In Southeast Wisconsin, the Great Lakes are vital to our environment, our economy, our health, and our way of life. Let me put it this way: If the Great Lakes region was a country, it would have the third largest economy in the world. We must pass WRDA to protect the Great Lakes, invest in America's water infrastructure, and generate economic growth. Earlier this year, I urged the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to include the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study and the Brandon Road Project in WRDA. Both programs are included in today's bill. These programs detect vulnerabilities along the Great Lakes shoreline and prevent invasive species in the Great Lakes. I ask my colleagues to pass WRDA and support the Great Lakes for generations to come.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-great-lakes-priorities-included-water-resources-development-act,Steil Great Lakes Priorities Included in Water Resources Development Act,2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.Two of Congressman Bryan Steil's Great Lakes priorities were included in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). WRDA passed the House of Representatives today and now heads to the Senate. The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study and the Brandon Road Project were both included in today's bill. Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes are a vital resource to Southeast Wisconsin. I am working to protect the Great Lakes today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. As we saw earlier this year, Racine, Kenosha, and Milwaukee counties suffered significant damage and shoreline erosion from high water levels in Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes Resiliency Study and the Brandon Road Project address our communities' concerns. We must ensure our shoreline is protected and that Lake Michigan continues to bring economic, health, and recreational benefits to Southeast Wisconsin, said Steil. In February, Steil testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the need to support Great Lakes funding. Specifically, Steil requested that the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study and the Brandon Road Project are included in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Watch Steil's testimony before the committee here. The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study brings together the eight Great Lakes states and federal partners to examine our shorelines and prevent environmental hazards. The Study area includes more than 5,000 miles of shoreline. This is a federal program that helps detect vulnerabilities along the shoreline and improve our communities' sustainability. The Brandon Road Project, an Army Corps of Engineers program, is a preventive measure to safeguard the Great Lakes. The program is intended to prevent invasive Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes, jeopardizing the $7 billion fishing industry of the Great Lakes. Today, Steil spoke on the House floor today in support of passage of the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Floor remarks below: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 2020 Water Resources Development Act. In Southeast Wisconsin, the Great Lakes are vital to our environment, our economy, our health, and our way of life. Let me put it this way: If the Great Lakes region was a country, it would have the third largest economy in the world. We must pass WRDA to protect the Great Lakes, invest in America's water infrastructure, and generate economic growth. Earlier this year, I urged the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to include the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study and the Brandon Road Project in WRDA. Both programs are included in today's bill. These programs detect vulnerabilities along the Great Lakes shoreline and prevent invasive species in the Great Lakes. I ask my colleagues to pass WRDA and support the Great Lakes for generations to come.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/american-worker-holiday-relief-act,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Supports Legislation Introduced to Avert Looming Financial Disaster for Millions of Unemployed Workers,2020-12-07,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.07.20 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Supports Legislation Introduced to Avert Looming Financial Disaster for Millions of Unemployed Workers American Worker Holiday Relief Act would reinstate $600 boost, prevent expiration of additional weeks of federal benefits, program for gig and freelance workers WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is cosponsoring theAmerican Worker Holiday Relief Act,legislation introduced to avert looming financial disaster for millions of workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. People out of work are struggling to get by during this ongoing economic crisis. Without an extension of federal programs, millions of unemployed workers could lose their income in the coming weeks. We need to act now to extend aid programs created under theCARES Actand help people who are out of work through no fault of their own,said Senator Baldwin. Currently, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program are set to expire on December 26. The Baldwin-backed bill would retroactively extend the $600 weekly federal boost to unemployment insurance benefits through October 2021, as well as tie the additional weeks of federal benefits and the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program for gig and freelance workers to economic conditions on the ground. The additional weeks of federal benefits and the program for gig and freelance workers would not expire as long as the three-month average national unemployment rate is above 5.5 percent, and will stay available longer in states where unemployment remains high. TheAmerican Worker Holiday Relief Actwould add 26 weeks of federal benefits for workers receiving traditional unemployment insurance.An additional 13 weeks of benefits would be added for each percentage point a state's unemployment rate rises above 5.5 percent, up to a maximum of 78 weeks when a state's unemployment rate is above 8.5 percent. The bill would also strengthen the PUA program by adding 26 weeks of benefits, and clarifying that workers who need to care for children whose schools are not fully open for in-person learning, or whose employers are not following COVID-19 health and safety rules are covered by the program. The additional weeks would harmonize benefits for workers covered by traditional unemployment insurance and the PUA program. The legislation was introduced by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Senate Finance Committee Member Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI). Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/house-passes-stop-student-debt-relief-scams-act,House Passes Senator Baldwin’s Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams,2020-12-07,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.07.20 House Passes Senator Baldwin's Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Baldwin's reform heads to President Trump to be signed into law WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanStop Student Debt Relief Scams Act, legislation that will enhance efforts to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. The Senate unanimously passed Baldwin's legislation last week and it now heads to President Trump to be signed into law. I'm proud that my bipartisan legislation has passed the Senate and House and can now be signed into law by the President. Far too many students are already struggling with student loan debt, and they deserve to be protected from scammers and bad actors who are preying on their financial security,said Senator Baldwin. With Americans facingmore than$1.7trillion in student loan debt, borrowers are looking for relief wherever they can find it. Debt relief scams falsely promise borrowers a quick fix with little hassle. These schemes robocall student loan borrowers until they agree to pay thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees for services that are available for free, claiming to reduce or forgive borrowers' student debt. In a March 2018 report, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General recommended that Congress strengthen federal law to help stop scam artists that fraudulently obtain access to borrower's online login credentials, primarily by imposing meaningful financial penalties and prosecuting individuals and entities perpetrating these scams. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwould accelerate the end to this rampant misconduct. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Act,introduced in April 2019 with Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Deb Fischer (R-NE),will enhance law enforcement and administrative abilities to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. Specifically, the legislation will: Clarify that it is a federal crime to access U.S. Department of Education information technology systems for fraud, commercial advantage, or private financial gain, and impose fines on scammers for violations of the law; Direct the U.S. Department of Education to create a new form of third-party access, akin to the current preparer function on the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for those applying on behalf of a student and their family, in order to protect legitimate organizations; Require the U.S. Department of Education to maintain common-sense reporting, detection, and prevention activities to stop potential or known debt relief scams; and Require student loan exit counseling to warn federal loan borrowers about debt relief scams. Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) and Congressman Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) introduced and led the effort to pass the bipartisan legislation in the House. The bill is endorsed by the Education Finance Council, Generation Progress, National Consumer Law Center(on behalf of its low-income clients), National Council of Higher Education Resources, Student Loan Servicing Alliance, The Institute for College Access and Success, and Young Invincibles. More information about this legislation is availablehere. The full bill text is availablehere. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4692,"Representatives Gwen Moore, Mary Gay Scanlon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Guy Reschenthaler Introduce Driving for Opportunity Act",2020-12-07,2020,2020-12,Democrat,House,WI,Gwen Moore,M001160,gwenmoore.house.gov,,,legacy,"Representatives Gwen Moore, Mary Gay Scanlon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Guy Reschenthaler Introduce Driving for Opportunity Act Representatives Gwen Moore, Mary Gay Scanlon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Guy Reschenthaler introduced legislation to incentivize states to not suspend driver's licenses for unpaid court fees or fines. In response, she released the following statement: I can tell you firsthand that a valid driver's license can be a means and in some cases the only means given cuts to public transit systems to find gainful employment and thrive. Yet, for a number of years now, we have been seeing a growing pattern by cities across the country using driver's license suspensions as a means to punish those who fail to pay a municipal debt, not to protect public safety on our roadways. Often, these penalties have nothing to do with traffic infractions or poor driving behavior and can be imposed against those who have yet to even reach the legal driving age. Make no mistake: Those with a flagrant disregard for public safety don't belong behind the wheel. However, each year, millions of drivers are seeing their driver's licenses suspended for conduct that is unrelated to driving. Besides not being an effective debt collection tool, these too poor to drive suspensions can hinder an individual's ability to keep working or get work and can lead to interactions with the criminal justice system, both of which have far reaching impacts on our communities. In Milwaukee and around the country, these policies disproportionately impact minorities and the most financially vulnerable. As noted in a 2015 report about the practice here in Milwaukee, The practice of suspending eligibility for driver's license for non-payment of fines creates another burden for those who are already disadvantaged. TheDriving for Opportunity Actwould encourage states to end the suspension of driver's licenses for unpaid fees to lift the burden off of drivers and to reinstate such licenses and ensure resources are better allocated towards promoting public safety. Read more about theDriving for Opportunity Acthere. This is a House companion to a bipartisan measure introduced in the Senate by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Roger Wicker (R-MS). The legislation has been endorsed by, among others, theAmerican Civil Liberties Union, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Urban League, U.S. Conference of Mayors, Major Cities Chiefs Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, and the Drug Policy Alliance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-urge-passage-of-craft-beverage-modernization-and-tax-reform-act,Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Colleagues to Urge Passage of Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act,2020-12-04,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.04.20 Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Colleagues to Urge Passage of Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined a bipartisan group of 57 Senators led by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rob Portman (R-OH) to urge Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to include the bipartisanCraft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act in the next appropriate legislative package and act upon it before the end of the year. Senator Baldwin is cosponsor and champion of the bipartisanCraft Beverage Modernization & Tax Reform Act, which would permanently cut taxes and modernize outdated regulations for brewers, as well as cider makers and distillers, to further promote job creation in each industry. It is imperative that the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act be included in the next appropriate legislative package and acted upon before the end of the year,wrote the senators.As businesses struggle to retain workers and stay open, allowing the current rates to lapse would force many businesses across the country to lay off workers or close their doors permanently. With the support of 77 Senators and 351 Representatives, this bill is a bipartisan priority and an important economic lifeline to thousands of businesses across the country. In addition to Baldwin, Wyden and Portman, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tom Tillis (R-NC), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), John Barrasso (R-WY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Mazi Hirono (D-HI), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Boozman (R-AR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Angus King (I-ME), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Todd Young (R-IN), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Steve Daines (R-MT), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Casey (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). Full text of the letter can be found below andhere. Dear Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer: We are writing today to ask you to pass the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (S. 362/H.R. 1175) and make the existing federal excise tax rates for beverage alcohol producers permanent. Every state in our nation is proudly home to craft distillers, brewers, wineries, cideries, and meaderies who without Congressional action, face a significant increase in their federal excise taxes on January 1, 2021. In addition to creating jobs in every state and Congressional district, beverage alcohol producers are critical partners to our farmers and agriculture producers, the tourism industry, the manufacturing sector, and the hospitality industry, including restaurants, bars, and other on-premise establishments. Together, these producers support over four million jobs across the country and contribute immensely to the vibrancy of our economy and communities. However, with the economic duress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, producers' businesses have been devastated which would be compounded by an increase in their federal excise taxes. Producers have already seen dramatic declines in revenue because of the closures of tasting rooms and restaurants, bars, and other on-premise establishments and cancelations of major sporting events and concerts. These losses ripple throughout the supply chain, affecting farmers, agriculture producers, manufacturers, truck drivers, warehouse workers, and countless others. It is imperative that the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act be included in the next appropriate legislative package and acted upon before the end of the year. As businesses struggle to retain workers and stay open, allowing the current rates to lapse would force many businesses across the country to lay off workers or close their doors permanently. With the support of 77 Senators and 351 Representatives, this bill is a bipartisan priority and an important economic lifeline to thousands of businesses across the country. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-joins-bipartisan-bicameral-group-lawmakers-calling,"Rep. Ron Kind Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Group of Lawmakers in Calling for Permanent Expansion of Telehealth Coverage",2020-12-04,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC Today, Rep. Ron Kindjoined a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in calling to make the telehealth services that were extended during the COVID-19 pandemic to be made permanent. Provisions fromtheCONNECT for Health Act, which Rep. Kind cosponsored, were included in previous COVID-19 legislation and allowed Medicare beneficiaries across Wisconsin to utilize telehealth services, as well as other types of health care providers to provide telehealth. These provisions will expire following the pandemic unless Congressional leaders act now to make the measures permanent. Telehealth has been crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic in helping Wisconsinites to receive the health care services they need while staying safe. Moving forward, it's critical to ensure communities across Wisconsin--particularly in our rural areas--continue to have access to vital services regardless of where they live, and telehealth helps do just that, saidRep. Ron Kind. Telehealth services are effective and are relied upon by patients and providers, but the uncertainty about the long-term future of Medicare telehealth coverage is preventing many organizations from investing fully in telehealth. To that end, it's critical that we act now to support patients and health care providers during these challenging times and ensure that telehealth remains an option after the pandemic is over. In the letter, the lawmakers highlight the growing use and benefits of telehealth during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as patients seek to avoid traveling to hospitals and other providers and instead receive care at home. New data shows that the number of Medicare beneficiaries using telehealth services increased by nearly 13,000 percent in just a month and a half during the pandemic. Rep. Kind is a member of the Health Subcommittee on the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful - and the oldest - committee in the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over tax measures, the management of public debt, trade and tariff laws, Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and many other economic growth measures. Read the letter here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/weekly-newsletter?ContentRecord_id=9FAD90BA-AED0-401A-83A6-CD36D827705D,Media Suppression and Corruption Hearing,2020-12-04,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Investigative Journalists, Former FBI Testify This week, I held a hearing looking at misconduct of the FBI and Department of Justice and suppression of the media during the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. We heard testimony from investigative journalists Sharyl Attkisson and Lee Smith, as well as from former FBI Assistant Director Kevin Brock. This corruption should be troubling to every member of Congress, yet no Democrats participated in this hearing (except the Ranking Member's opening statement saying we shouldn't be holding this hearing). I've boiled down the nearly-two hour hearing into these shorter videos. 10-minute version 30-minute version We also released 430 pages of new documents in this case. Read more in these articles: Headline USA: Dems are No-Shows at Sen. Ron Johnson's Crossfire Hurricane Corruption Hearing Washington Examiner: Unearthed secrets detail how Hillary Clinton allies boosted Christopher Steele's access to FBI Daily Caller: Senate Committees Release A Treasure Trove Of Trump-Russia Documents Daily Caller: Official At Liberal Think Tank Offered To Give Comey The Steele Dossier Before It Was Published, Emails Show Early Treatment of COVID-19 Hearing Another hearing I held before Thanksgiving was called the most important Senate hearing of the year by theAssociation of American Physicians and Surgeons.It focused on the urgent need for early home treatment for COVID-19 patients. Sadly, it has been grossly mischaracterized by the mainstream media. It was an eye-opening hearing with frontline doctors advocating for more focus to be placed on early at-home treatment options. Right now, if you get COVID you are told to stay home and just hope you don't get hospitalized. How is that compassionate? We will continue exploring this topic next week withanother hearing. We've boiled down the first 2.5 hour hearing into 30 minutesfor your review here. Watch the Newsmaxinterview here. Listen to thisradio interview with Sean Hannity. Watch this storyabout one of our hero witnesses, Dr. Geroge Fareed, and his work treating COVID patients. Read this article:The Assault Against Early Treatment for COVID-19: How One Congressional Hearing Speaks Volumes about Americas Failed Response to the Pandemic Joseph Project Graduates Find Work Our November Joseph Project class may have been small but it was mighty! Two of the graduates started work this week and we will start class #99 the week of December 14 in Milwaukee. This volunteer-led program offers interviewing and life skills training and ongoing support once participants get hired. Well over 500 people have received jobs through the Joseph Project. Social Media Highlights",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wkbt-senator-baldwin-calling-on-trump-to-extend-federal-funding-for-wi-national-guard,WKBT: Senator Baldwin Calling on Trump to Extend Federal Funding for WI National Guard,2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wqow-baldwin-pushing-for-extended-covid-19-relief-funding,WQOW: Baldwin Pushing for Extended COVID-19 Relief Funding,2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-reintroduces-rail-shipper-fairness-act-2020,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Reintroduces Legislation to Help Businesses Move Made In Wisconsin Goods To Market,2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.03.20 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Reintroduces Legislation to Help Businesses Move Made In Wisconsin Goods To Market WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today reintroduced her legislation to address the challenges faced by businesses in Wisconsin and across the country when shipping by rail. The Rail Shipper Fairness Act aims to reduce costs and improve service problems faced by a broad coalition of Wisconsin rail shippers, including farmers, manufacturers and utilities. Now more than ever, our Wisconsin businesses need a quality and responsive railroad system to effectively get their goods to market, said Senator Baldwin. In order to continue building a strong Made in Wisconsin economy that is fair to farmers, manufacturers, and consumers, we need to give these shippers a seat at the table. My Rail Shipper Fairness Act will address the challenges faced by local businesses and help drive our Wisconsin economy forward. Businesses and consumers throughout Wisconsin have endured years of subpar rail service. Grain elevators across the Midwest are full due to farmers being left without means to move their goods to market. Wisconsin's paper industry routinely faces high rates and poor service on the railroads. Several Wisconsin power plants have had to reduce production or shutdown altogether because they can't get fuel by rail. These shutdowns pass higher rates on to their consumers with electricity costs set to reach their highest levels since 1999. These additional costs add up to make Made In Wisconsin products less competitive internationally. The Rail Shipper Fairness Act seeks to increase competition, reform rate case regulations and end unreasonable practices. The legislation will require railroads to be more responsive to their customers by honoring their contractual obligations. The legislation includes provisions to implement competitive switching, which Senator Baldwin has long advocated for to the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Additionally, the legislation prohibits railroads from charging customers for fuel in a way that does not correlate with actual fuel costs. The Rail Shipper Fairness Act is supported by the Freight Rail Customer Alliance (FRCA), National Industrial Transportation League, American Forest and Paper Association, Private Railcar Food and Beverage Association, International Warehouse Logistics Association, and American Chemistry Council. The Freight Rail Customer Alliance thanks Senator Baldwin for her continued leadership in seeking reforms to further enhance the efficiency and transparency of the Surface Transportation Board to benefit all stakeholders including shippers and rail carriers, and the communities we both serve, said Shelley Sahling-Zart, Freight Rail Customer Alliance President. The Rail Shipper Fairness Act of 2020 builds upon the reforms to the Surface Transportation Board made by Congress when it reauthorized the STB in 2015. The bill reinforces current proceedings before the Board such as implementing recommendations put forth by the STB's Rate Review Task Force and competitive switching. Another key provision of this bill calls upon the General Accountability Office to study and report to Congress on the industry-wide impacts of Precision Scheduling Railroading. Freight rail serves as a vital link between chemical manufacturers and just about every segment of the U.S. economy, from farms to factories, said Chris Jahn, President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council. Senator Baldwin's legislation contains many smart regulatory reforms that would improve access to affordable and reliable rail service, which would help large and small businesses across the country. The bill promotes good governance by harnessing the power of free market forces and streamlining overly bureaucratic procedures at the Surface Transportation Board to resolve freight rail issues quickly and sensibly. More information on the legislation is available here. A section by section summary is available here. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwins-bipartisan-digital-coast-act-passes-congress,Baldwin’s Bipartisan Digital Coast Act Passes Congress,2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.03.20 Baldwin's Bipartisan Digital Coast Act Passes Congress Legislation aids shoreline communities by delivering next generation coastal data WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) passed theUnited States Senate.TheDigitalCoastActwill help shoreline communities along the Great Lakes and oceancoasts better prepare for storms, cope with varying water levels and strengthen economic development efforts. Following today'saction, the bill now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. Wisconsin's Great Lakes are a great asset for our quality of life and also for our long-term economic security,said Senator Baldwin. I'm proud that this bipartisanlegislationhas passed both chambers of Congress to strengthen our shoreline communities, which face a variety of challenges to keep their harbors open, their waters clean and their beaches ready for visitors. This bipartisan bill ensures that our Great Lakes communities have the resources and tools they need to adapt to changing environmental conditions, maintain healthy shores, and make smart planning decisions to support their local economies and way of life. I'm looking forward to the President signing this bill into law. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) currently assembles and hosts theDigitalCoastProject, a collaborative online database of the most up-to-datecoastal information, and makes it available to both the public and private sectors.DigitalCoastalso provides tools forcoastal communities to decipher and use the high-tech mapping data to make accurate decisions and smart investments incoastal communities. TheDigitalCoastActauthorizes the next phase incoastal mapping at NOAA, delivering local leaders essential information for responding to bluff erosion, high lake levels, and economic development needs.The bill supports further development of the current project, including increasing access to uniform, up-to-date data to help communities get thecoastal data they need to respond to emergencies, plan for long-termcoastal resilience, and manage their water resources. Supporters of the bipartisanDigitalCoastActinclude Quantum Spatial, Inc., The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors, Association of State Floodplain Managers, U.S. GEO, National Society of Professional Surveyors, National States Geographic Information Council, MAPPS (a national association of geospatial firms), American Planning Association,Coastal States Organization, National Association of Counties, and theDigitalCoastal Partnership Advocacy Coalition. Read what supporters are saying about theDigitalCoastActhere. More information on theDigitalCoastActis availablehere. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/solarium-co-chairs-welcome-26-recommendations-2021-national-defense,Solarium Co-Chairs Welcome 26 Recommendations in 2021 National Defense Authorization Act,2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Co-Chairs of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission today welcomed the news that 25 of their recommendations for improving the United States' cybersecurity posture have been incorporated into the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) representing the most comprehensive and forward-looking piece of national cybersecurity in the nation's history. The conference report, which resolved differences between the Senate and House versions of the NDAA, also includes more than 50 cyberprovisions developed and incorporated by Congressional staff members reflecting the result of hundreds of hours of thoughtful discussion to continue forming the United States 21stCentury Cyberdoctrine.It represents an equal or greater amount of collaboration from key Congressional leaders, most significantly Cyberspace Solarium Commissioners Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI). The Cyberspace Solarium Commission started as a provision in the 2019 NDAA, and is pleased to see more than two dozen of our key priorities and recommendations accepted and adopted to protect our national security interests, our economy, and our increasingly-connected way of life, said Co-Chairs Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine) and Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI).From the first day we embarked on crafting America's cyberdoctrine, we were determined to create a plan of action, not a report collecting dust on a shelf.It is only because of the hard work and commitment of our commissioners, and tireless staff that we were able to create such a robust report earlier this year; it is due to them that we were able to inform national policy on such a remarkable level."" Many will note the inclusion of our top priority the National Cyber Director within this final legislation.We thank Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) for his leadership in getting this provision into the final conference report. The bill, released this week, makes meaningful progress on improving the state of America's cyber defenses, reorganizing the government to successfully partner with the private sector to combat growing cyber threats, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of federal government agencies, and setting in motion critical processes like Continuity of the Economy Planning. The Cyberspace Solarium Commission recommendations included in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act are: 1752 - Establish the National Cyber Director and the Office of the National Cyber Director (CSC Recommendation 1.3): Establishes a National Cyber Director within the Executive Office of the President to serve in a Senate-confirmed capacity as the President's principal cyber advisor and provide a nexus for cybersecurity leadership in the White House. 9603 - Continuity of the Economy Plan (CSC Recommendation 3.2): Mandates the creation of a Continuity of the Economy planning effort to ensure the rapid restart and recovery of the U.S. economy after a major disruption. 1715 - Establishment in DHS of the Joint Cyber Planning Office (CSC Recommendation 5.4): Establishes a Joint Cyber Planning Office under CISA, to facilitate comprehensive planning of defensive cybersecurity campaigns across federal departments and agencies and the private sector. 1731 - Establishment of an Integrated Cybersecurity Center (CSC Recommendation 5.3): Directs the executive branch to submit a report to Congress evaluating the Federal cybersecurity centers and the potential for better coordination of Federal cybersecurity efforts at an integrated cybersecurity center within CISA. 1745 - Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Review (CSC Recommendation 1.4): Tasks DHS with conducting a comprehensive review of the ability of the CISA to fulfill its current missions and implement the recommendations detailed by the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. 9001 - Department of Homeland Security CISA Director(CSC Recommendation 1.4): Administrative changes to strengthen the Director position at CISA. 1718 - Cybersecurity Advisory Committee (CSC Recommendation 1.4): Establishes a Cybersecurity Advisory Committee to advise DHS/CISA. 1716 - Administrative Subpoena Authority for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CSC Recommendation 5.1.3): Grants administrative subpoena authority to CISA in order to identify vulnerable systems and notify public and private system owners. 1705 - Strengthening Federal Networks (CSC Recommendation 1.4): Authorizes CISA to perform threat hunting identification on federal networks, and for other purposes. 9002 - Codify Sector Risk Management Agencies (CSC Recommendation 3.1): Codifies Sector Specific Agencies as Sector Risk Management Agencies, establishing minimum responsibilities and requirements for identifying, assessing, and assisting in managing risk for the critical infrastructure sectors under their purview. 1744 - Creation of a Biennial National Cyber Exercise (CSC Recommendation 3.3.5): Establishes a federal government cyber exercise to be conducted every two years for ten years to include federal, state, and private sector stakeholders, as well as international partners. 1728 - Assessing Private-Public Collaboration in Cybersecurity (CSC Recommendation 5.4.1): Requires the Department of Defense to assess of the impact of the current Pathfinder initiative, the Department's support to and integration with existing Federal cybersecurity centers, and comparable initiatives led by other Federal departments or agencies that support long-term public-private cybersecurity collaboration and make recommendations for improvements. 1729 - Clarifying the Cyber Capabilities and Interoperability of the National Guard (CSC Recommendation 3.3.6): Directs the Department of Defense to evaluate statutes, rules, regulations, and standards that pertain to the use of the National Guard for the response to and recovery from significant cyber incidents. 1706 - Improvement Relating to the Quadrennial Cyber Posture Review (CSC Recommendation 6.1 and 6.1.3): Directs the DoD to conduct a force structure assessment of the Cyber Mission Force to ensure that the United States has the appropriate force structure and capabilities in light of growing mission requirements and expectations, in both scope and scale. 1746 - Report on Enabling U.S. Cyber Command Resource Allocation (CSC Recommendation 6.1.1): 1730 - Evaluation of non-traditional cyber support to the Department of Defense (CSC Recommendation 6.1.7): Requires an assessment from DoD on the need for, and requirements of, a cyber reserve force. 1737 - Defense Industrial Base Participation in a Threat Intelligence Sharing Program (CSC Recommendation 6.2.1): 1739 - Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Threat Hunting and Sensing, Discovery, and Mitigation (CSC Recommendation 6.2.2): 1722 - Report on the risk to national security posed by quantum computing technologies (CSC Recommendation 6.2.4): Mandates the comprehensive assessment of the threats and risks posed by quantum technologies to national security systems. 1747 - Ensuring Cyber Resiliency of Nuclear Command and Control Systems (CSC Recommendation 6.2): 1712 - Modification of Requirements Relating to the Strategic Cyber Security Program and the Evaluation of Cyber Vulnerabilities of Major Weapon Systems of the Department of Defense (CSC Recommendation 6.2): Tasks the Department of Defense with developing a comprehensive plan for the annual assessment of cyber vulnerabilities of major weapon systems of the Department of Defense, sharing lessons learned and best practices from the annual assessment of cyber resiliency of nuclear command and control system 9005 - GAO Study of Cybersecurity Insurance (CSC Recommendation 4.4): Calls on the Government Accountability Office to study ways to improve the market for cybersecurity insurance. 9401-9407 -Recruit, Develop, and Retain a Stronger Cyber Workforce (CSC Recommendation 1.5): Enhances the federal government's ability to recruit, develop, and retain its cyber workforce. Changes to NIST NICE and Scholarship for Service. 1719 -Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program (CSC Recommendation 1.5.a): Authorizes the Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program at DHS/CISAa K-12 cyber education initiative. 1714 - Renewing the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC Recommendation 0.0): Reauthorizes the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission through late December 2021 (20 months after report submission). Removes the Commissioners from DoD, FBI, DHS, and ODNI. Halts consultant services, detailees, and any possibility of extension. For the duration of its continuance, CSC will focus on collecting and assessing comments and relevant developments; reviewing implementation; revising, amending, or making new recommendations; providing an annual update to Congress; and concluding activities. CSC will provide assessments of the final report every 10 months.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-house-floor-we-cannot-return-one-sided-deals-strengthen-iran-must,"Steil on House Floor: We cannot return to one-sided deals that strengthen Iran, must maintain pressure on Iranian regime",2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.Today, Congressman Bryan Steil delivered a speech on the House floor on the need to continue putting pressure on Iran through sanctions and peace agreements between Israel and Middle Eastern countries. Steil also highlighted his new bill, the Preventing Illicit Finance Act, which creates a public-private group to limit the use of the financial system by bad actors. U.S. financial sanctions hinder the Iranian Regime's influence and activity in the region and impair their ability to obtain a nuclear weapon. Our bill strengthens the United States' ability to enforce financial sanctions against Iran, Russia, and other bad actors. I will continue working to ensure government agencies and the private sector work together to combat illicit finance and sanctions evasion, said Steil. The Preventing Illicit Finance Act creates a public-private partnership focused on ensuring that sanctions enacted by the U.S. and its allies are not circumvented by hidden transactions, as well as preventing proliferation finance the use of the financial system to develop or distribute nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. Steil co-introduced the Preventing Illicit Finance Act with Congresswoman Cindy Axne. Both are both members of the House Financial Services Committee, which has oversight jurisdiction on the financial services products and institutions. Earlier this year, Steil introduced the Stop Evasion of Iran Sanctions Act, giving the Secretary of the Treasury the explicit authority to sanction a financial institution operating outside the United States that knowingly conducts a significant sanctionable transaction related to the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX). Read Steil's op-ed in the Washington Examiner on the need to hold Iran accountable here. Steil floor remarks: Mr. Speaker, I rise to address one of the greatest threats to American safety, Iran. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and from its past actions, we know Iran cannot be trusted. However, over the past four years, progress has been made. Our maximum pressure campaign and sanctions have reined in Iran's power. Normalization agreements between Israel and numerous nations in the region continue to isolate Iran. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan have embraced peace and cooperation. At this moment of success, the United States cannot back down. We cannot return to one-sided deals that strengthen Iran. There is little doubt that without our efforts, Iran will continue its pursuit for a nuclear weapon and regional domination. We must maintain pressure on the Regime. Just last month, the IAEA confirmed what we suspected all along. The Iranian Regime continues to ramp up its nuclear programin fact, it is accelerating its efforts. This is not the time to appease the Iranian Regime we must stand strong. Under theObama-Biden Administration, we saw years of failed foreign policy. Years of policy that allowed Iran to continue developing a nuclear weapon. Years of policy that sent pallets of cash to Iran. Years of policy that neglected our alliance with Israel. Years of policy that allowed Iranian terrorism to thrive across the region. After the failed Obama-Biden Iran Deal was implemented. Iran continued perpetrating violence, terrorism, and proxy wars across the Middle East. Iran came closer and closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon. President Trump has shown that there's another way. We do not need to appease terrorist states and turn our backs on Israel. Instead, the Trump administration's strength has helped set the conditions for regional peace. Cooperation between Israel and other Middle Eastern states is continuing to grow. This change of policy has brought hope. Peace is possible. But peace does not happen through capitulation and it will not happen if we go backwards. It's clear that U.S. sanctions targeting Iran are working. We need to maintain our sanctions against Iran and take decisive steps to prevent evasion. Sanctions cut off vital resources that Iran's leaders use to enrich themselves and spread terrorism. U.S. financial sanctions make it harder for Iran to fund its ambitions to become a nuclear power. Unfortunately, bad actors work hard to get around our sanctions. It's why I co-introduced the Preventing Illicit Finance Act. This bill supports our maximum pressure campaign and creates a public-private group to limit the abuse of the financial system by bad actors, like Iran. My bill strengthens the United States' ability to enforce financial sanctions against Iran, Russia, and other adversaries. Our maximum pressure campaign is working. We cannot turn a blind eye to Iran's aggression and pursuit of terrorism. Iran must be held accountable. By strengthening our sanctions enforcement and maintaining our tough approach, we can prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-on-house-floor-we-cannot-return-to-one-sided-deals-that-strengthen-iran-must-maintain-pressure-on-iranian-regime,"Steil on House Floor: We cannot return to one-sided deals that strengthen Iran, must maintain pressure on Iranian regime",2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,steil,https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Bryan Steil delivered a speech on the House floor on the need to continue putting pressure on Iran through sanctions and peace agreements between Israel and Middle Eastern countries. Steil also highlighted his new bill, the Preventing Illicit Finance Act, which creates a public-private group to limit the use of the financial system by bad actors. ""U.S. financial sanctions hinder the Iranian Regime's influence and activity in the region and impair their ability to obtain a nuclear weapon. Our bill strengthens the United States' ability to enforce financial sanctions against Iran, Russia, and other bad actors. I will continue working to ensure government agencies and the private sector work together to combat illicit finance and sanctions evasion,"" said Steil. The Preventing Illicit Finance Act creates a public-private partnership focused on ensuring that sanctions enacted by the U.S. and its allies are not circumvented by hidden transactions, as well as preventing proliferation finance – the use of the financial system to develop or distribute nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. Steil co-introduced the Preventing Illicit Finance Act with Congresswoman Cindy Axne. Both are both members of the House Financial Services Committee, which has oversight jurisdiction on the financial services products and institutions. Earlier this year, Steil introduced the Stop Evasion of Iran Sanctions Act, giving the Secretary of the Treasury the explicit authority to sanction a financial institution operating outside the United States that knowingly conducts a significant sanctionable transaction related to the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX). Read Steil's op-ed in the Washington Examiner on the need to hold Iran accountable here. Steil floor remarks: Mr. Speaker, I rise to address one of the greatest threats to American safety, Iran. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and from its past actions, we know Iran cannot be trusted. However, over the past four years, progress has been made. Our maximum pressure campaign and sanctions have reined in Iran's power. Normalization agreements between Israel and numerous nations in the region continue to isolate Iran. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan have embraced peace and cooperation. At this moment of success, the United States cannot back down. We cannot return to one-sided deals that strengthen Iran. There is little doubt that without our efforts, Iran will continue its pursuit for a nuclear weapon and regional domination. We must maintain pressure on the Regime. Just last month, the IAEA confirmed what we suspected all along. The Iranian Regime continues to ramp up its nuclear program—in fact, it is accelerating its efforts. This is not the time to appease the Iranian Regime – we must stand strong. Under the Obama-Biden Administration, we saw years of failed foreign policy. Years of policy that allowed Iran to continue developing a nuclear weapon. Years of policy that sent pallets of cash to Iran. Years of policy that neglected our alliance with Israel. Years of policy that allowed Iranian terrorism to thrive across the region. After the failed Obama-Biden Iran Deal was implemented. Iran continued perpetrating violence, terrorism, and proxy wars across the Middle East. Iran came closer and closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon. President Trump has shown that there's another way. We do not need to appease terrorist states and turn our backs on Israel. Instead, the Trump administration's strength has helped set the conditions for regional peace. Cooperation between Israel and other Middle Eastern states is continuing to grow. This change of policy has brought hope. Peace is possible. But peace does not happen through capitulation and it will not happen if we go backwards. It's clear that U.S. sanctions targeting Iran are working. We need to maintain our sanctions against Iran and take decisive steps to prevent evasion. Sanctions cut off vital resources that Iran's leaders use to enrich themselves and spread terrorism. U.S. financial sanctions make it harder for Iran to fund its ambitions to become a nuclear power. Unfortunately, bad actors work hard to get around our sanctions. It's why I co-introduced the Preventing Illicit Finance Act. This bill supports our maximum pressure campaign and creates a public-private group to limit the abuse of the financial system by bad actors, like Iran. My bill strengthens the United States' ability to enforce financial sanctions against Iran, Russia, and other adversaries. Our maximum pressure campaign is working. We cannot turn a blind eye to Iran's aggression and pursuit of terrorism. Iran must be held accountable. By strengthening our sanctions enforcement and maintaining our tough approach, we can prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/stop-student-debt-relief-scams-act-passes-senate,Senate Unanimously Passes Baldwin’s Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams,2020-12-02,2020,2020-12,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.02.20 Senate Unanimously Passes Baldwin's Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Bipartisan reform will provide more tools to identify and shut down fraudsters who hurt borrowers WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed Senator Tammy Baldwin's bipartisanStop Student Debt Relief Scams Act, legislation that will enhance efforts to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. Baldwin introduced this bipartisan reform back in April 2019 with Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Deb Fischer (R-NE). The legislation now awaits approval from the U.S. House of Representatives before heading to the President's desk to be signed into law. Far too many students are already struggling with student loan debt, and they deserve to be protected from scammers and bad actors who are preying on their financial security,said Senator Baldwin.The additional repayment relief provided to many borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately also created additional opportunities for fraudsters to do more harm.I'm so proud that my bipartisan reform has unanimously passed the Senate because it is just commonsense to stop these student loan debt relief scams that harmhardworkingAmericansand prevent them from getting ahead. With Americans facingmore than$1.7trillion in student loan debt, borrowers are looking for relief wherever they can find it. Debt relief scams falsely promise borrowers a quick fix with little hassle. These schemes robocall student loan borrowers until they agree to pay thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees for services that are available for free, claiming to reduce or forgive borrowers' student debt. In a March 2018 report, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General recommended that Congress strengthen federal law to help stop scam artists that fraudulently obtain access to borrower's online login credentials, primarily by imposing meaningful financial penalties and prosecuting individuals and entities perpetrating these scams. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwould accelerate the end to this rampant misconduct. TheStop Student Debt Relief Scams Actwill enhance law enforcement and administrative abilities to identify and shut down student debt relief scams. Specifically, the legislation will: Clarify that it is a federal crime to access U.S. Department of Education information technology systems for fraud, commercial advantage, or private financial gain, and impose fines on scammers for violations of the law; Direct the U.S. Department of Education to create a new form of third-party access, akin to the current preparer function on the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for those applying on behalf of a student and their family, in order to protect legitimate organizations; Require the U.S. Department of Education to maintain common-sense reporting, detection, and prevention activities to stop potential or known debt relief scams; and Require student loan exit counseling to warn federal loan borrowers about debt relief scams. This bill is endorsed by the Education Finance Council, Generation Progress, National Consumer Law Center(on behalf of its low-income clients), National Council of Higher Education Resources, Student Loan Servicing Alliance, The Institute for College Access and Success, and Young Invincibles. More information about this legislation is availablehere. The full bill text is availablehere. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-maloney-bill-honoring-purple-heart-recipients-heads-president-s-desk,"Gallagher, Maloney Bill Honoring Purple Heart Recipients Heads to Presidents Desk",2020-12-02,2020,2020-12,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) today applauded the House passage of their bipartisan National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act. The bill, which was passed by unanimous consent, requires the U.S. Mint to create a commemorative coin honoring Purple Heart recipients and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. The bill now awaits the President's signature to become law. Behind every Purple Heart is a story of incredible bravery and sacrifice on behalf of our country, said Rep. Mike Gallagher. This bill helps ensure that the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor can continue to tell these stories for generations to come, and provides Purple Heart recipients with well-deserved recognition of their heroism. I couldn't be prouder to work with Rep. Maloney on this legislation and look forward to seeing the President sign it into law. Supporting our veterans and honoring our Purple Heart recipients is something we can all agree with and this bipartisan bill proves that. I'm proud this bill, which I've worked for years to pass, is headed to the President's desk, said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. This bill honors our Purple Heart veterans, bolsters the important work of the Purple Heart Hall of Honor and the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, and brings business to the West Point Mint right here in the Hudson Valley. I thank Senator Schumer, the dedicated team at the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, and the Purple Heart Honor Mission for their partnership in making this bill a law. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act authorizes the U.S. Treasury to mint $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins at the United States Mint at West Point for the 2022 year. After production costs are recouped by the U.S. Treasury, proceeds from sales of the coin will be directed to the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, Inc. Those resourceswill help the organization augment their Honor Flight style Purple Heart Patriot Project program and create a new Mobile Tribute and Education Center that will visit communities across the nation bringing the story of the Purple Heart to a whole new generation of Americans. The PurpleHeart is one of the oldest and most recognized American military medals, awarded to service members who were killed or wounded by enemy action. General George Washington named West Point the most important strategic position in America during the Revolutionary War which is when the military decoration first originated. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor's mission is to collect and preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients from all branches of service and across generations to serve as a living memorial to their sacrifice. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act has been endorsed by: The Military Order of the Purple Heart, Senator Bob Dole, Armed Forces Marketing Council, American Military Retirees Association, American Military Society, AMVETS, Army Navy Union, Association of the United States Navy, Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., Korean War Veterans Foundation, Military Order of Foreign Wars, National Defense Committee, National Enlisted Reserve Association, Reserve Officers Association, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, The Flag and General Officers Network, The Retired Enlisted Association, and the Vietnam Veterans of America.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/president-of-egypt-to-release-detained-human-rights-advocates,Baldwin and Pocan Lead Lawmakers in Calling on President of Egypt to Immediately Release Wrongfully Detained Human Rights Advocates,2020-11-25,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.25.20 Baldwin and Pocan Lead Lawmakers in Calling on President of Egypt to Immediately Release Wrongfully Detained Human Rights Advocates The lawmakers also urge President al-Sisi to cease other arrests and end smear campaigns against civil rights organizations in Egypt WASHINGTON, D.C. Following the baseless detainment of human rights advocatesby security forces in Egypt,U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) are leading their Congressional colleagues in calling on EgyptianPresident Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to unconditionally release the detained human rights advocates,immediately cease other arrests and endthesmear campaign against civilrightsorganizations in Egypt. During the week of November 15, Egyptian security forces arrested Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) staff members Mohamed Basheer, Karim Ennarah, and Gasser Abdelrazek on baseless chargesfollowing a meeting with European ambassadors. Meanwhile, a coordinated smear campaign against EIPR is occurring in state-affiliated Egyptian media outlets, adding concerns that these politically-motivated efforts are intended to silence human rights defenders. In their letter to President al-Sisi, the lawmakers write,Punishing one of Egypt's most prominent and respected human rights organizations for nothing more than carrying out its work is an alarming attack on Egypt's civil society community. Following the arrests of EIPR staff, on November 23, Gasser Abdelrazek told his lawyers he has been kept in solitary confinement, provided only a metal bed with no mattress, and insufficient clothing to keep him warm. This adds to the lawmakers' strong concerns with inhumane living conditions in Egypt's prisons, including allegations of mistreatment and torture. Baldwin, Pocan and the lawmakers continue,These arrests of EIPR staff following meetings with foreign officials suggest that your government is seeking to criminalize engagement with foreign diplomats. Foreign governments must be able to meet with civil society organizations in Egyptas they can and do freely in countries all over the worldwithout fear of retaliation. Engagement with local civil society is a vital component of international diplomacy. Governments and institutions around the world rely on analysis and reporting from these organizations to inform our understanding of human rights, including in Egypt. The wrongful arrest of human rights defenders, use of arbitrary and extended detention to hold political prisoners, and other gross violations of human rights is inconsistent with the democratic norms the U.S. expects from its international security partners. Continuing these recent actions and ongoing crackdowns on civil society organizations undermines U.S.-Egyptian relations and sends a clear signal to us that this is not a relationship Egypt values. In the Senate, the letter was also signed by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Dick Durbin (D-IL).In the House, the letter was also signed by Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), Ted Deutch (D-FL-22), Barbara Lee (D-CA-09), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Brad Sherman (D-CA-27), Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05), Katie Porter (D-CA-45), Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Jess G. Chuy Garca (D-IL-04), David Cicilline (D-RI-01), David Trone (D-MD-06), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-07), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Ral M. Grijalva (D-AZ-03), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), Andr Carson (D-IN-07) and David Price (D-NC-04). The full letter is availableHERE. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4690,Congresswoman Gwen Moore Recognizes and Congratulates the 4th Congressional District’s 2020 Service Academy Nominees,2020-11-25,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,WI,Gwen Moore,M001160,gwenmoore.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Gwen Moore Recognizes and Congratulates the 4thCongressional District's 2020 Service Academy Nominees Every year, members of congress have the distinct privilege of helping choose the next leaders of our great nation's armed forces from their congressional districts. Today,Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04)released the following statement, announcing the 2020 service academy nominees from Wisconsin's 4thcongressional district: In 1899 General Douglas MacArthur was nominated to the U.S. Military Academy at West point from Wisconsin's 4thCongressional District. He once said, We must offer the world leadership designed to advance the goal of universal progress and enduring peace.' Each of the hard-working young men and women I nominated to attend U.S. military service academies this year show an unwavering commitment to serve the nation by advancing progress and peace through their leadership. Our country's military academies provide young people with world-class military training and an incredible education. Graduating from these schools is no easy task, but these young women and men from the 4thCongressional District are up to the challenge. While this year's process was highly competitive, I can say with certainty that these exceptional students will make our district and country proud. Below, please find a list of this years' service academy nominees. Michael Bortolotti Sadie Cumberbach Benjamin Eichholz Patrick Hauser Eleanor Kattman Christopher Machtel Joseph Machtel Dylan Payne Adam von Paumgartten",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/labor-caucus-announces-new-co-chairs,Labor Caucus Announces New Co-Chairs,2020-11-25,2020,2020-11,Democrat,House,WI,Mark Pocan,P000607,pocan.house.gov,pocan,https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Labor Caucus announced four additional co-chairs today, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) will join Congressmen Mark Pocan(D-WI) and Donald Norcross (D-NJ) as co-chairs of the Labor Caucus. In order to unite pro-worker efforts in Congress, we are combining the existing Labor and Working Families Caucus, as well as another labor-focused caucus members were considering forming, under one cohesive banner. Formed this month, the Labor Caucus now has over 50 members. ""A Biden-Harris administration is an opportunity for Congress to centralize the needs of the labor movement and working families once again,"" said Congressman Pocan. ""Donald Trump has greenlighted union-busting, weakened labor rights, and refused to protect workers livelihoods or safety during this pandemic. I am eager to begin work with my co-chairs to reverse his actions and ensure working people have a voice in Congress again."" ""While the Trump Administration has tried to dismantle labor rights, the incoming Biden-Harris Administration understands the dignity of work and knows that America succeeds when workers succeed,"" said Congressman Norcross, a proud, card-carrying member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) for over 40 years. ""Everyone should have a voice in their workplace to advocate for fair wages and safe spaces, and the Labor Caucus will advance the cause of working families by being their voice in Congress. I look forward to working together with my co-chairs and our brothers and sisters in the labor movement to strengthen unions and build a bright future for America's workers."" ""The formation of the Labor Caucus is great news for working families across this country, and I welcome my like-minded colleagues to leadership on these key issues,"" said Congresswoman Linda Sánchez. ""I've had the privilege to lead the Labor and Working Families Caucus for more than a decade, where we have helped members speak with one voice on important issues. I'm glad this work will continue under this new banner, which will be especially important as we usher in the Biden-Harris administration and begin to undo the incredible damage of the last four years. As a card-carrying union member, my work in Congress has always put working families first. Now, more than ever, I won't stop fighting for them and the relief they've earned."" ""Working families will lead our recovery from this pandemic and the economic devastation it has caused,"" said Congresswoman Dingell. ""In Michigan, we know that those efforts must include strong union protections, revitalized labor laws, and an intentional legislative focus on the everyday issues that matter most to working Americans. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, our Labor Caucus will demand economic justice for our workers in every corner of this country."" ""I'm honored to co-chair the new House Labor Caucus. In these challenging times, workers' rights and protections are important now more than ever. Creating good-paying jobs, protecting healthcare and security in retirement for working families should be a top focus in the next Congress,"" said Congressman Horsford. ""Union workers built and continue to be the backbone of my home state of Nevada, and I look forward to fighting for them and their families."" ""Over the past several decades the United States has created enormous wealth but working men and women have been left behind with stagnant wages. Climate change, immigration, civil rights, trade, economic growth and every other issue must be analyzed through a pro-labor perspective,"" said Congressman Suozzi. ""The American Dream, where hard work is rewarded with wages sufficient to guarantee a home, health insurance, children's education and retirement security, is no longer in reach for too many. We must reclaim the American Dream and that starts with a pro-labor, pro-growth agenda. Our Labor Caucus will work with the Biden Administration, our diverse labor unions, and other caucuses and committees of jurisdictions to advocate for a new, robust, middle class and all those that aspire to be part of it.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases/tiffany-calls-evers-legislative-leaders-work-together-craft-realistic-workable,"Tiffany Calls on Evers, Legislative Leaders, to Work Together to Craft “Realistic, Workable, and Data-Based” COVID-19 Guidelines",2020-11-24,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,WI,Thomas P. Tiffany,T000165,tiffany.house.gov,tiffany,https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07) called on Governor Tony Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and incoming Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu to work together to set pragmatic guidelines for school districts to enable the full resumption of in-person classroom learning as soon as possible, citing a recent op-ed he authored in the Wisconsin State Journal. Mr. Tiffany issued the following statement: ""School is essential and online education is simply not an acceptable substitute for classroom learning. Overly restrictive quarantine and contact tracing protocols are threatening to interrupt the full return to in-person instruction in our schools, jeopardizing the academic future of our kids and pushing parents to the breaking point. We need realistic, workable and data-based guidelines to ensure that students, who have already lost the 2020 academic year don't lose 2021, too."" ""Overzealous quarantine protocols are forcing dozens of kids who are not sick and exhibit no symptoms to miss school for weeks if they have even minimal exposure to someone who tests positive. This means just a handful of positive tests – regardless of whether they occurred in schools or not – can effectively shut down schools, placing more pressure on families and contributing to health care staffing shortfalls by forcing parents, who may be doctors, nurses or other front-line caregivers, to stay home with kids who are not ill, disrupting critical medical treatment efforts."" ""The data is clear: K-12 schools can operate responsibly, safely and effectively, and the governor and lawmakers should work together to empower our school administrators and school boards to implement common-sense, narrowly-tailored frameworks that reflect the needs and conditions of their unique communities while maximizing the academic well-being of our kids.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-robust-funding-for-state-to-distribute-covid-19-vaccines,"Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Robust Funding for State and Local Governments to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines",2020-11-23,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.23.20 Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Robust Funding for State and Local Governments to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines Public health experts have estimated that a minimum of $8.4 billion is needed for COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today joined her colleagues, led by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), in urging Congressional leaders to provide robust funding to ensure the swift distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as a part of any upcoming legislation to address the pandemic. Recent reports indicate that several COVID-19 vaccine candidates have demonstrated encouraging safety and efficacy data, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon begin reviewing at least one vaccine for emergency use authorization. However, even if a vaccine is ready for distribution as soon as next month, many state and local governments still lack the proper funding needed to distribute vaccines. According to arecent lettersent by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) to congressional leaders, a minimum of $8.4 billion is needed distribute COVID-19 vaccines nationwide. Some experts even estimated that $10 billion is required in order to fundcommunity vaccination clinicsalone. For months, as states, territories, Indian Tribes, and other localities have been responding to COVID-19 and working tirelessly to keep their residents safe, they have also been preparing to undertake one of the largest vaccination efforts in our nation's history,the lawmakers wrote in a letter sent today to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.To accomplish this, jurisdictions must recruit and train thousands of health care workers, modernize data systems and registries, stand up vaccination sites, develop communications and educational materials, and build and support the infrastructure needed to distribute multiple types and doses of COVID-19 vaccines, among other activities. To ensure that jurisdictions throughout the country are well-positioned to immediately, efficiently, and equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines as they become available, we respectfully request that any upcoming legislation to address the pandemic include robust funding for COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts,the lawmakers concluded. In addition to Baldwin and Booker, this letter was also signed by SenatorsMichael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Tom Carper (D-DE). The full text of the letter is available here. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1898,Grothman and Maloney Introduce Bipartisan Air America Act,2020-11-23,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,WI,Glenn Grothman,G000576,grothman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) and Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) have introduced the bipartisan Air America Act. This bill will correct an inequity suffered by the brave Americans who are former employees of Air America by ensuring they receive the federal retirement benefits they have earned. Between 1950 and 1976, a group of approximately 500 U.S. citizens worked flight operations for Air America, whichwas portrayed as a private company carrying out flight operations during the Cold War.However,now-declassified documentshaverevealedthat Air America wasfullyowned by the U.S. government making these brave Americans federal employees.The Air America Act will ensure that these 500 Americaswill be given access tothefederal benefitsthat they deserve. The Air America Act was introduced with 11 additional original cosponsors: Val Demings (D-FL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Brian Mast (R-FL), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Bradley Byrne (R-AL), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Julia Brownley (D-CA) and Michael Waltz (R-FL). This bipartisan bill is the House companion to S. 4380, authored by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), which is currently cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 31 Senators. Congress has twice passed corrective legislation for other covert CIA-affiliated groups, said Grothman. It is not right to continue to ignore Air Americans. These patriots risked their lives, many of them giving their life, fighting communism in the same way members of the Air Force did. I am honored that so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle are joining me to support these heroes. Now is the time to properly recognize Air Americans for their service to our country. I'm proud to join Rep. Grothman in introducing the Air America Act. This bipartisan bill would rightfully extend federal retirement benefits to Air America workers who put their lives on the line,said Rep. Maloney. The bravery, tenacity, and resolve of these workers helped secure the safety of thousands of soldiers and refugees in the midst of conflict. Our country is indebted to them for their actions and this bill is a crucial step to recompense the heroes of Air America. The brave men and women employed by Air America who conducted covert operations during the Cold War, Korean War, and Vietnam War were critical to U.S. efforts, Rubio said. I appreciate Congressman Grothman for introducing this legislation in the House to ensure that these Americans receive the long-overdue honor and recognition they deserve. For decades, Air America employees risked and gave their lives in service to their country. These brave public servants deserve to have their sacrifice recognized and should be afforded the federal retirement credit they have earned. I am proud to join my colleagues to finally recognize the Air Americans for their contributions. Said Rep. Brownley. The brave airmen who flew for Air America were servants of the American People, just like U.S. Marines at Khe Sanh, U.S. Soldiers at Hamburger Hill, U.S. Foreign Service Officers at U.S. Embassy Saigon, and U.S. Government employees throughout our history. They should be entitled to the credit and benefits that they earned through their service. For that reason, I'm pleased to co-sponsor the Air America Act with this bipartisan group of colleagues. Said Rep. Gallego. Background Information Between 1950 and 1976, a group of approximately 500 U.S. citizens worked flight operations forAir America, which was portrayed as a private company.According tonow-declassified documents, we now know that Air America was not a private company and, in fact, worked as a top-secret arm of the executive branch in implementing Cold War policies under the management of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Air Americans saved tens of thousands of lives in search and rescue missions for downed U.S. military pilots, evacuations of allied refugees,and the final evacuations of Danang and Saigon in 1975. The Air America Act would grant the individuals who worked for Air America the federal retirement credit they rightfully earned. Air America employees have not been granted their retirement credit because of an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rule change in 1985 that required government form SF-50/52 to prove federal employment status. While these patriots were at the time legally defined as federal employees eligible for civil service retirement credit, the covert nature of their work resulted in a narrative that they were employees of a private entity. Moreover, for obvious reasons of secrecy in a clandestine operation, our government did not hire Air Americans using standard government forms. The unusual and unjust retroactive application of the amended regulation requiring form SF-50/52 in 1985 should never have been applied to Air Americans whose employing U.S. government entity, Air America, was dissolved in 1976. This legislation will also recognize the heroes from Air America through the selection of five Air Americans for the CIA Wall of Stars and the CIA Museum's presentations of Air America at Langley headquarters and online. -30- U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman is serving his third term representing Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-fights-for-wisconsin-veterans-calls-for-national-personnel-records-center-to-immediately-address-backlog-prohibiting-veterans-from-obtaining-benefits,"Steil Fights for Wisconsin Veterans, Calls for National Personnel Records Center to Immediately Address Backlog Prohibiting Veterans from Obtaining Benefits",2020-11-23,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,steil,https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN— Today, Congressman Bryan Steil called on the Director of the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) to address the backlog of services requested by veterans. The NPRC provides veterans with documentation on service history, medical history, and other information that can be required to obtain VA benefits. Steil has assisted numerous veterans in Southeast Wisconsin with this issue throughout the coronavirus pandemic, however, NPRC has yet to provide Steil or Congress with a timeline or plan on how it intends to address the growing backlog. ""I am fighting for our veterans. Veterans in Southeast Wisconsin have waited months for VA benefits because of the NPRC's backlog. This is unacceptable. I am demanding the NPRC immediately addresses its backlog so veterans can obtain benefits. The NPRC is a vital agency that our veterans rely on. I heard from a veteran whose VA medical claim is in jeopardy because he cannot obtain his medical records from the NPRC. Every day that there is a backlog is another day a veteran cannot obtain benefits. I will provide updates to our veterans as I receive any new information,"" said Steil.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-fights-wisconsin-veterans-calls-national-personnel-records-center,"Steil Fights for Wisconsin Veterans, Calls for National Personnel Records Center to Immediately Address Backlog Prohibiting Veterans from Obtaining Benefits",2020-11-23,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,,,legacy,"JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN Today, Congressman Bryan Steil called on the Director of the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) to address the backlog of services requested by veterans. The NPRC provides veterans with documentation on service history, medical history, and other information that can be required to obtain VA benefits. Steil has assisted numerous veterans in Southeast Wisconsin with this issue throughout the coronavirus pandemic, however, NPRC has yet to provide Steil or Congress with a timeline or plan on how it intends to address the growing backlog. I am fighting for our veterans. Veterans in Southeast Wisconsin have waited months for VA benefits because of the NPRC's backlog. This is unacceptable. I am demanding the NPRCimmediately addresses its backlog so veterans can obtain benefits. The NPRC is a vital agency that our veterans rely on. I heard from a veteran whose VA medical claim is in jeopardy because he cannot obtain his medical records from the NPRC. Every day that there is a backlog is another day a veteran cannot obtain benefits. I will provide updates to our veterans as I receive any new information, said Steil. You can read the letter to the Director of the National Personnel Records Center here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-receives-response-from-us-department-of-veterans-affairs-on-investigation-into-covid-19-outbreak-in-union-grove-veterans-home,Steil Receives Response from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Investigation into COVID-19 Outbreak in Union Grove Veterans Home,2020-11-23,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,steil,https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN—Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove, Congressman Bryan Steil has sought answers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In August, Steil called on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to conduct an investigation into the outbreak. Steil received a response from Secretary Robert Wilkie last week. You can read the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs' response to Steil here. ""For the past several months, I have been in communication with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to get answers on the coronavirus outbreak in the Union Grove veterans home. We need to learn from these outbreaks so that we can prevent further cases. Our veterans deserve the highest quality care and frontline staff at the facility need support. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' response and attention to this issue is a step in the right direction to protect our veterans, health care workers, and Union Grove's staff. I am continuing to work with the federal VA to ensure we provide sufficient resources, personnel support, and a plan to keep Wisconsin veterans safe,"" said Steil. The response notes that federal officials offered consultation and staffing assistance to the state veterans home in May. That offer was declined until August, after the outbreak occurred. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' response directly states, ""(a)t the direction of Milwaukee's VAMC director, the State Veterans Home VA Medical Facility Representative offered the Wisconsin State Veterans Home at Union Grove consultation and staffing support on May 27, 2020. At that time, SVH leadership declined this assistance until the outbreak in August 2020."" In response to this information, Steil reached out to the Wisconsin Secretary of Veterans Affairs requesting clarification. You can find that letter here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-receives-response-us-department-veterans-affairs-investigation-covid-19,Steil Receives Response from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Investigation into COVID-19 Outbreak in Union Grove Veterans Home,2020-11-23,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,WI,Bryan Steil,S001213,steil.house.gov,,,legacy,"JANESVILLE, WISCONSINSince the COVID-19 outbreak began in the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove, Congressman Bryan Steil has sought answers from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In August, Steil called on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to conduct an investigation into the outbreak. Steil received a response from Secretary Robert Wilkie last week. You can read the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs' response to Steil here. For the past several months, I have been in communication with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to get answers on the coronavirus outbreak in the Union Grove veterans home. We need to learn from these outbreaks so that we can prevent further cases. Our veterans deserve the highest quality care and frontline staff at the facility need support. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' response and attention to this issue is a step in the right direction to protect our veterans, health care workers, and Union Grove's staff. I am continuing to work with the federal VA to ensure we provide sufficient resources, personnel support, and a plan to keep Wisconsin veterans safe, said Steil. The response notes that federal officials offered consultation and staffing assistance to the state veterans home in May.That offer was declined until August, after the outbreak occurred.The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' response directly states, (a)t the direction of Milwaukee's VAMC director, the State Veterans Home VA Medical Facility Representative offered the Wisconsin State Veterans Home at Union Grove consultation and staffing support on May 27, 2020. At that time, SVH leadership declined this assistance until the outbreak in August 2020. In response to this information, Steil reached out to the Wisconsin Secretary of Veterans Affairs requesting clarification.You can find that letter here. Read Steil's letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs calling for an investigation here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/transition-resources-for-president-elect-biden,"Baldwin, Peters & Colleagues Urge GSA Administrator to End Unprecedented Delay & Provide Critical Transition Resources to President-Elect Biden",2020-11-20,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.20.20 Baldwin, Peters & Colleagues Urge GSA Administrator to End Unprecedented Delay & Provide Critical Transition Resources to President-Elect Biden Delay in Providing Resources to Biden Transition Creates Unacceptable Risks to Pandemic Response & National Security WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and their colleagues in callingon General Services Administration(GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy to end her unprecedented delay, immediately ascertainVice President Joe Biden as President-Elect and Senator Kamala Harris as Vice President-Elect, and make available the transition resources that are provided by law. This delay creates unacceptable risks to national security and COVID-19 pandemic response efforts as the United States passed more than 250,000 coronavirus-related deaths this week. The United States is in the midst of a pandemic that has now claimed over 250,000 lives, with the number of new cases rising daily. Our country also faces a number of ongoing threats, including physical and cyber-attacks from foreign actors, violence from domestic extremists, and natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes,wrote the Senators. The GSA Administrator's ascertainment of a President-elect is also critical for agencies' willingness to share information with the transition team, including classified information, as well as for the expeditious processing of security clearances for candidates for high-level national security positions. Your delay in acknowledging Vice President Biden's status as President-elect could undermine efforts by the incoming Administration to meet the needs of the American people in a time of national emergency,continued the Senators. Under thePresidential Transition Act,GSA is charged with providing resources and support to the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect so they can be ready to govern from Day One. Administrator Murphy must complete the ascertainment process to allow the President-Elect's transition team to receive needed information from agency officials at public health and national security agencies, ensure incoming national security officials can receive background checks and access to classified information and provide federal funding and resources to support the transition process. A smooth and efficient transition is one of the hallmarks of American democracy. With the exception of the Presidential election in 2000 and the resulting recount, ascertainment by GSA normally happens within a day after a winner is declared, including in 2008 and 2016. The bipartisan 9/11 Commission found that the shortened transition following the 2000 recount created serious vulnerabilities, including delays related to key national security appointments. Joining Baldwin and Peters in sending the letter were Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Doug Jones (D-AL). The full letter is available below andhere. Dear Administrator Murphy, We are writing to express deep concern regarding reports that the General Services Administration (GSA) has delayed providing President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris with the resources they need to ensure a timely and efficient presidential transition. We urge you to immediately ascertain Vice President Biden as President-elect and Senator Harris as Vice President-elect and allow the transition team to receive the resources required under the law. We also request an urgent briefing on steps GSA is taking to ensure an orderly transition. The United States is in the midst of a pandemic that has now claimed over 250,000 lives, with the number of new cases rising daily. Our country also faces a number of ongoing threats, including physical and cyber attacks from foreign actors, violence from domestic extremists, and natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes.The independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission cited the shortened transition timeline for then President-elect George W. Bush as a factor in delaying key national security personnel appointments, potentially hampering the new Administration.A timely transition is critical to ensure coordination between the current and incoming Administrations, provide the incoming Administration with the resources they need to immediately address these challenges, and safeguard the public health and our national security. Under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended, GSA is charged with providing resources and support to the President-elect and Vice President-elect. Specifically, GSA must provide office space, communication services, funding for transition staff compensation, and other support. In response to a request from the Administration, Congress has appropriated $9.9 million to GSA for transition related activities.The GSA Administrator's ascertainment of a President-elect is also critical for agencies' willingness to share information with the transition team, including classified information, as well as for the expeditious processing of security clearances for candidates for high-level national security positions. Your delay in acknowledging Vice President Biden's status as President-elect could undermine efforts by the incoming Administration to meet the needs of the American people in a time of national emergency. This delay is also unprecedented. In both 2008 and 2016, President-elect Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump, respectively, were recognized by the GSA Administrator as President-elect within a day of the general election.In 2000, this decision was delayed due to an ongoing court case regarding less than 1,000 votes in a single statea far closer election than this one. The results of this election are clear. Vice President Biden will be the next President of the United States, and Senator Harris will be the next Vice President. It is past time to recognize the will of the American people so that the work of government can continue. The orderly transition of power from one President to another is a bedrock principle of our democracy and one of GSA's most important duties. We urge you to fulfill your responsibilities, ascertain Vice President Biden as President-elect and Senator Harris as Vice President-elect, and provide their transition team with the resources the law requires. We also request that, no later than November 23, 2020, GSA provide a briefing to staff of the Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Appropriations, and Environment and Public Works regarding the presidential transition process and the support that GSA has provided to date. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-colleagues-introduce-bill-ban-malign-chinese-companies-exploiting-us,"Gallagher, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Ban Malign Chinese Companies from Exploiting U.S. Financial Markets",2020-11-20,2020,2020-11,Republican,Senate,WI,Mike Gallagher,G000579,gallagher.house.gov,,,legacy,"""The Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a relentless campaign to dominate the critical technologies of tomorrow. Unfortunately, it receives unwitting assistance from many Americans who have no idea their hard-earned investments are directly financing many of these malign actors,""said Rep. Gallagher. ""This legislation builds on the President's actions against Communist Chinese military companies last week, and takes decisive action to defend our capital marketsand our technological superiorityagainst threats to our way of life. The Chinese Communist Party regularly breaches America's shores to steal our intellectual property, engage in espionage, feed off our markets, and more. The U.S. must counter the CCP's efforts to take advantage of our free and open system here at home, in addition to doing all we can to counter the CCP's malign activities abroad. This legislation is a critical step toward making sure that CCP military companies can no longer exploit U.S. markets in support of China's pernicious power projection, nuclear build-up, grave human rights abuses, and other malign activities,""said Rep. Liz Cheney. U.S. capital markets are the envy of the world. Access to these markets is a privilege and we should be under no obligation to allow our adversaries, that intend to do us harm, access. This bill protects our markets from exploitation and bans companies with ties to the CCP and their military, espionage, and human rights abuses,""said Rep. Chris Stewart.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-votes-expand-apprenticeship-opportunities-and-invest,Rep. Ron Kind Votes to Expand Apprenticeship Opportunities and Invest in Wisconsin Workers,2020-11-20,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,WI,Ron Kind,K000188,kind.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DCToday,Rep. Ron Kindvoted for thebipartisanNational Apprenticeship Act of 2020. This legislation reauthorizes theNational Apprenticeship Actfor the first time since its enactment in 1937 and would create nearly 1 million additional apprenticeship opportunities. Registered Apprenticeships which provide apprentices with paid, on-the-job training are the country's most successful federal workforce training program. Expanding access to apprenticeship opportunities will connect Wisconsin workers with stable, good-paying jobs and accelerate our economic recovery. According to the Department of Labor, 94% of people who complete Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) are employed upon completion and earn an average starting wage of more than $70,000 annually. Additionally, this legislation would yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased tax revenue and decreased spending on public-assistance programs and unemployment insurance. Throughout Wisconsin, I often hear from folks about the importance of hands-on training, and the leg up it gives as they apply for jobs and enter the workforce, saidRep. Ron Kind. Expanding access to apprenticeships will give people the tools and expertise they need to find good-paying jobs right here in Wisconsin. As our nation continues to face serious economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I'm proud to vote for bipartisan legislation that invests in our greatest resource our workers to help Wisconsin build back stronger than ever. TheNational Apprenticeship Act of 2020would expand apprenticeship opportunities by codifying and streamlining standards for Registered Apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship programs to make it easier for apprentices and employers to participate in high-quality apprenticeships; codifying the Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship; and establishing a grant program to support the expansion of apprenticeship opportunities, including pre-apprenticeships and youth apprenticeships.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=583A68A5-BE01-4F37-B15B-03F3A8CAB2C1,Johnson Presses USTR Regarding Tariff Exclusion Extension Requests,2020-11-20,2020,2020-11,Republican,Senate,WI,Ron Johnson,J000293,www.ronjohnson.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-1) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizerregarding the Section 301 tariff exclusion process as a number of Wisconsin businesses have expressed concerns and frustration with the process carried out by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). USTR granted exclusions from the imposed tariffs to some of these businesses for one year on May 14, 2019, due to either the tariff causing severe economic harm to the business or China being the only source for the product. The businesses requestedanother one-year extension of the exclusion request due to China remainingthe only source for the product or the tariff continuing tocause severe economic harm to the business. Many Wisconsin businesses have hadtheir exclusionextension requests denied by USTRwithout explanation.This letterrequests that USTR provide information on the rationale for the denials to Wisconsin businesses and generally, an explanation of USTR's process for reviewing these requests. The members wrote: As we have repeatedly warned, the trade war places U.S. manufacturers and businesses at a competitive disadvantage to businesses in other countries. The winners from the trade war are Washington lobbyists, trade lawyers, and politically connected businesses and industries while hard-working and earnest businesses in Wisconsin and across the country suffer the negative economic consequences.We urge the Administration to listen to the stories of these businesses, and end the self-inflicted harm from the trade war. The full text of the letter can be viewed here and below. November 19, 2020 The Honorable Robert E. Lighthizer United States Trade Representative 600 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20508 Dear Ambassador Lighthizer: While we appreciate the President's concerns with unfair trade practices between our nation and our trading partners, for more than two years, many Wisconsin businesses and farmers alerted me to the supply chain disruptions, increased compliance burdens, decreased international competitiveness, lost market access, and other unintended consequences resulting from this trade war. We write to you today about the Section 301 tariff exclusion process, as a number of Wisconsin businesses expressed concerns and frustration with this process carried out by your office. We write to request information regarding the exclusions filed by these businesses. On July 6, 2018, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) imposed a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion worth of goods from China.1 USTR issued a notice on July 11, 2018 establishing a process for businesses to request an exclusion for particular products,2 de- scribing factors that a business seeking an exclusion would need to demonstrate for an exclusion to be granted. After receiving the exclusion request, USTR would determine whether the exclusion would undermine the objective of the Section 301 investigation.3 On May 14, 2019, USTR announced a number of granted product exclusions to apply retroactively to July 6, 2018.4 These exclusions included a number of products under Heading 9903.88.08, including water filtration and purification products. 5 One such exclusion was for an apparatus, including pitchers, bottles, and unites designed for incorporation into refrigerators, appliances or sink faucets, the foregoing fitted with filters for filtering or purifying water. 6 However, following this one year exclusion period, a Wisconsin manufacturer requested USTR 1 Off. of the U.S. Trade Rep., Notice of Product Exclusions: China's Act's Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation, 83 Fed. Reg. 248 (Dec. 28, 2018), available at https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/301Investigations/2018-28277.pdf. 2 Procedures To Consider Requests for Exclusion of Particular Products From the Determination of Action Pursuant to Section 301: China's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and In- novation, 83 Fed. Reg. 32,181 (July I l, 2018). 3 Id. 4 Notice of Product Exclusions: China's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation, 84 Fed. Reg. 21,389 (May 14, 2019). 5 Id. 6 Id. for an extension of the exclusion.' On May 15, 2020, USTR issued a notice of product exclusions in the Federal Register that did not include an extension for this particular exclusion for a water filtration apparatus for drinking water but did grant extension requests for exclusion for a water filtration apparatus for waste water.' This Wisconsin manufacturer is frustrated by what appears to be a completely arbitrary process at USTR, given that an extension was granted for another water filtration apparatus. Moreover, the manufacturer questioned how USTR could make a determination that the product is only available from China or the tariff would cause severe economic harm in May of 2019, and one year later, come to a completely different decision despite no additional suppliers entering the market or no less severity in the costs resulting from the tariff. Unfortunately, other Wisconsin manufacturers are facing the same arbitrary and opaque process as well. One outboard marine engine manufacturer received an exclusion in 2018, but USTR denied its exclusion extension request one year later.9 USTR granted exclusions for other Wisconsin manufacturers of medical devices, auto parts and other goods, only to deny exclusion extension requests despite the manufacturers still being subject to the same factors for which USTR granted the exclusions. 10 These manufacturers are now facing increased costs from Section 301 tariffs that their international competitors do not suffer.' ' Despite months of' requests from my staff to your office,' it is still unclear what factors allowed USTR to make two distinctly different determinations on these and other exclusion ex- tension requests. For instance, did alternative suppliers enter the market, or do the tariffs no longer cause severe economic harm to the businesses? Additionally, the process chosen by USTRto post notices on the Federal Registerprovides no context or justification for the denial to U.S. businesses. This system presents due process concerns as businesses are not being told why their exclusion extension requests are denied. To better understand the exclusion extension denials by USTR for requests from Wisconsin businesses, please provide the specific justification for each denial of an exclusion extension 7 Email from Wis. Bus. Owner to Majority Staff, S. Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (July 22, 2020, 10:37 NDT} (on file with Committee staff). 8 Notice of Product Exclusion Extensions: China's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual. Property, and Innovation, 85 Fed. Reg. 29,505 (May 15, 2020). 9 Email from Wis.. Bus. Owner to Majority Staff, S. Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Mar. 20, 2020, 12:49 EDT) (on file with Committee staff). 10 Email from Wis. Bus. Owner to Majority Staff, S. Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Sep. 01, 2020, 10:43 EDT) (on file with Committee staff); Email from Wis. Bus. Owner to Majority Staff, S. Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Aug. 12, 2020, 10:I I EDT) (on file with Committee staff); Email from Wis. Bus. Owner to Majority Staff, S. Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Aug. 18, 2020, 6'S7 EDT) (on file with Committee staff). 11 Id. 12 Phone Call from Majority Staff, S. Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Staff to Off. of the U.S. Trade Rep. (Mar. 19, 2020); Email from Majority Staff, S. Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to Off. of the U,S. Trade Rep. .(May 19, 2020, 17:1 I EDI) (on file with Committee staff); Phone Call from Majority Staff, S. Comm, on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to Off. of the U.S. Trade Rep. (May 29, 2020). request from Section 301 tariffs submitted by an entity incorporated or headquartered in Wisconsin. We respectfully request this information as soon as possible, but no later than 5 p.m. on December 4, 2020. As we have repeatedly warned, the trade war places U.S. manufacturers and businesses at a competitive disadvantage to businesses in other countries. The winners from the trade war are Washington lobbyists, trade lawyers, and politically connected businesses and industries while hard-working and earnest businesses in Wisconsin and across the country suffer the negative economic consequences. We urge the Administration to listen to the stories of these businesses, and end the self-inflicted harm from the trade war. Respectfully, Ron Johnson Bryan Steil United States Senator U.S. Representative cc: Mr. Lawrence Kudlow Director, National Economic Council Mr. Tyler Goodspeed Acting Chairman, Council of Economic Advisors Dr. Peter Navarro Director, National Trade Council",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/fox-6-senator-baldwin-on-the-urgent-need-to-stopthespread-of-covid-19-in-wisconsin,Fox 6: Senator Baldwin on the Urgent Need to #StopTheSpread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin,2020-11-19,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/wdio-senator-tammy-baldwin-on-passing-new-relief-legislation-to-combat-covid-19-and-save-lives,WDIO: Senator Tammy Baldwin on Passing New Relief Legislation to Combat COVID-19 and Save Lives,2020-11-19,2020,2020-11,Democrat,Senate,WI,Tammy Baldwin,B001230,www.baldwin.senate.gov,,,legacy,,0,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z