Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced the bipartisan Helping Emergency Responders Overcome (HERO) Act this week to improve federal mental health support programs available to our nation’s firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other emergency response personnel.

“I’m pleased to co-lead the HERO Act because our firefighters and first responders deserve our full support. These brave men and women put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, often at the expense of their own physical and mental health. Our bipartisan bill would boost access to critical mental health resources that will reduce suicides, set up peer-to-peer counseling, and treat posttraumatic stress,” said Senator Fischer.

“Omaha Professional Fire Fighters are thankful to Senator Fischer for introducing this important legislation. Every day, Omaha Fire Fighters and Paramedics respond to tragic and traumatic emergencies that have a significant impact on their mental health and well-being.  The HERO Act will provide the resources needed to address the mental health needs of our members and allow them to remain on the job and continue to keep our community safe,” said Trevor Towey, President of the Omaha Professional Firefighters.

“Every day, fire fighters and rescue workers respond to some of the most dangerous and demanding emergencies imaginable. These responses take an enormous toll on fire fighters’ mental health and place them at risk for developing a variety of behavioral health conditions. We owe it to fire fighters to ensure they have the resources to stay safe on the job. The IAFF is proud to endorse the HERO Act, which will help train fire fighters on peer mental health counseling and drive more effective treatments for fire fighters. We thank Senators Rosen and Fischer for their leadership in ensuring fire fighters aren’t forced to struggle with job-related mental health emergencies. We urge Congress to pass the HERO Act immediately and stand beside our dedicated first responders,” said Edward Kelly, General President of the International Association of Firefighters.

Background:

The bipartisan HERO Act addresses the fact that first responders may be at higher risk for suicide and mental illness than others by providing for the study and treatment of the mental health challenges that first responders face.

Specifically, the HERO Act would:

• Support efforts by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect data and report to Congress biannually on first responder suicide rates;
• Require HHS to identify risk factors and possible interventions and recommended interventions for further study;
• Establish grants for peer-to-peer counseling for fire departments and emergency medical services agencies; and
• Require HHS to develop and distribute best practices on the prevention and treatment of post-traumatic stress among first responders.

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Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

06.15.23

Cantwell Delivers Senate Floor Speech Honoring Late State Senator & Tribal Leader John McCoy

Across decades of public service, Sen. McCoy helped develop Tulalip economic engine Quil Ceda Village, secured tribal history in WA state curriculum; Cantwell: “John led a life that will be remembered for generations”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) delivered a speech on the Senate floor honoring the legacy of John Richard McCoy, a longtime Washington state legislator and leader within the Tulalip Tribes of Washington.

State Sen. McCoy, whose decades-long career in public service also included 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and a period as a computer programmer in the White House Situation Room during the Reagan Administration, died on June 6, 2023. He was 79.

“He was one of the longest serving Native American legislators in our state’s history. His story was an inspiration and testament. He did overcome unbelievable odds. And most importantly, he showed what one person could do in achieving great service in the cause of others. John led a life and career that will be remembered for generations,” Sen. Cantwell said.

In 2001, he helped establish the Quil Ceda Village, a 500-acre business park that was the first of its kind – one of the Tulalip Tribes’ “greatest economic engine successes,” Sen. Cantwell said.

State Sen. McCoy served the State of Washington’s 38th district for nearly two decades — in the Washington House of Representatives from 2003-2013, and in the State Senate from 2013 until his retirement in 2020.

“A tireless advocate for K-12 education, health care, environmental issues, and very importantly, a member of our legislature and an important outspoken person on tribal issues. One important piece of legislation John championed and created was the Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State curriculum … Since Time Immemorial, endorsed by all of Washington’s 29 federally recognized Tribes, is curriculum that focuses on their history in the State of Washington. The lessons help students understand the importance of treaties, the history of Tribes in the Pacific Northwest, and the challenges of reservation life,”  Sen. Cantwell said.

“The knowledge of our students and what they’re gaining about Tribes because of this has been invaluable, but it’s just one example of what Senator McCoy’s leadership at the state level helped provide,” she continued.

“He also expanded dental care. He passed legislation requiring telecommunication companies to provide call information to emergency responders. He helped emergency responders locate victims and patients more quickly. And he passed a bill that allowed our state to provide jurisdiction over criminal and civil matters on tribal lands to help with our government and government efficiency. These were all important roles and we can never say enough thanks to him and his family for that.”

Last week, at a U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing, Sen. Cantwell also took a moment to recognize State Sen. McCoy’s passing: “We will miss him dearly.” Sen. Cantwell’s comments came moments before the committee passed S. 1723, the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act, addressing an issue of personal importance to Sen. McCoy. 

Video of Sen. Cantwell’s speech can be viewed HERE; audio HERE; and a transcript HERE. 

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Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, along with her colleagues U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee raised concerns to Acting Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Julie Su after reports indicate DOL is failing to process H-2B guest worker visas on time and in accordance with its own regulations. Currently, Ms. Su’s nomination for the Secretary of DOL is being considered by the U.S. Senate. 

DOL is responsible for administering visa applications for the H-2B guest worker program, which allows employers to fill positions with temporary guest workers when no American worker can be identified for a job. When an employer applies for the H-2B visa program, DOL, by its own standards, is supposed to issue a first action notice within seven business days, allowing the employer to move forward in the H-2B approval process. However, to date all applications filed on April 30th or later have yet to be processed or given any notice. In addition, DOL is required to make prevailing wage determinations to ensure migrant workers earn a comparable wage to domestic workers, a process that can take up to several months.  

Given that this is only a preliminary step and that employers must also fulfill requirements from the Departments of State and Homeland Security to receive full approval, the senators expressed concern that DOL’s delays will have significant impacts on employers that rely on H-2B workers to meet their seasonal needs. 

“This visa processing failure is preventing employers, including many small and family-owned businesses, from getting the help they need, when they need it…. [and delaying] a worker’s arrival past the season for which they are needed to perform the work outlined in the labor certification, leading to a variety of avoidable problems for workers and employers,” the senators wrote. “While DOL shares responsibility for the administration of this program with the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security, DOL is responsible for completing the first steps in the H-2B application process that must occur before these other agencies can begin their part of the process.” 

“[D]espite the request for additional funding, DOL does not appear to have conducted a thorough evaluation of its processes or identified specific refinements that need to occur to get the program back on track,” the senators continued. “In order to fully consider potential legislative proposals and appropriations requests, it is critical for Congress to understand how DOL is attempting to rectify the H-2B visa application backlog. As such, please provide responses to the following questions, on a question-by-question basis, by June 22, 2023.” 

Read the full letter here or below.  

Dear Acting Secretary Su:

Reviewing publicly available data, it is clear to us that the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is struggling to timely process H-2B visas. The H-2B visa program allows for temporary, full-time, non-agricultural positions to be filled by a guest worker when no American worker can be identified for the job. This visa processing failure is preventing employers, including many small and family-owned businesses, from getting the help they need, when they need it. Indeed, in some cases, these failures delay a worker’s arrival past the season for which they are needed to perform the work outlined in the labor certification, leading to a variety of avoidable problems for workers and employers.  While DOL shares responsibility for the administration of this program with the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security, DOL is responsible for completing the first steps in the H-2B application process that must occur before these other agencies can begin their part of the process.

DOL is not meeting its own milestones for the proper administration of the program. According to DOL, “[w]ithin seven business days of receipt of the application, the Chicago [National Processing Center (NPC)] will notify the employer in writing of the decision to accept (Notice of Acceptance) or not accept (Notice of Deficiency) the employer’s application and/or job order.” These first action notices are required before an employer can continue the process of finding workers to fulfill its job order needs, such as the recruitment of U.S. workers. Yet, we have heard from small businesses in our states that it is taking DOL much longer to provide the first action notices. For example, DOL’s Foreign Labor Application Gateway states the average number of days to process H-2B applications was 38 days in January 2023, 37 days in February 2023, and 35 days in March 2023, time frames longer than the 30-day threshold before an employer’s stated date of need. This follows delays in the timely processing of H-2B applications in fiscal year 2022 when only 52.5% of applications were timely processed.

The problems with the timely processing of H-2B applications are not limited to the first action notices. Our constituents have reported similar delays in connection with prevailing wage determinations. Moreover, final certifications are not being finalized in a timely manner and these workers are not able to travel to the United States to begin work where they are needed the most on a temporary or seasonal basis. To date all applications filed fo May 15 start dates have yet to be certified or denied, or completely processed. These numbers are troubling, especially given that this is only the first step and the employers still need to follow the requirements of the Departments of State and Homeland Security in order to receive workers to meet their seasonal needs.

Additionally, the delays are impacting workers who are transferring from one employer to another. DOL’s delays in processing applications in a timely manner result in some workers returning home rather than transfer to the employers where they are needed next, delaying their ability to work and further complicating the employer’s business operations. These delays are concerning given that the employers participating in the program need the workers on a temporary, often seasonal, basis.

DOL’s FY2024 budget request identifies the increase in H-2B visa applications as a concern, as the number of employers attempting to utilize the system has dramatically increased over the last five years. However, despite the request for additional funding, DOL does not appear to have conducted a thorough evaluation of its processes or identified specific refinements that need to occur to get the program back on track. In order to fully consider potential legislative proposals and appropriations requests, it is critical for Congress to understand how DOL is attempting to rectify the H-2B visa application backlog. As such, please provide responses to the following questions, on a question-by-question basis, by June 22, 2023.

• What performance metrics are in place to meet the milestones and timelines that are part of the H-2B application process?

• How are these metrics used in the performance appraisal process for ETA personnel?

• Is DOL working to identify the problems that have resulted in H-2B visa application processing delays? If so, how?

• What is DOL doing to resolve identified problems to adhere to regulatory timelines established for this program?

• Are ETA personnel working in the office or still utilizing telework flexibilities? What is the telework policy that currently applies to ETA personnel?

• Has DOL assessed whether telework or other alternative work arrangements have impacted productivity? If so, what were the findings of those assessments?

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

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Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 30 of their colleagues in writing an open letter to wrongfully detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The letter condemns his unjust detention by the Russian government and shows him their support during his wrongful imprisonment.

The lawmakers write, “We write to express our profound anger and concern over your unjust and wrongful detention in Russia. We hope you are doing as well as possible under the current circumstances and understand the enormous burden you may feel as the Russian government uses you as a political tool. We hope this letter makes clear our support and solidarity on your behalf and our desire that you and fellow detainee Paul Whelan are immediately and unconditionally released. Since your arrest, we have advocated for your release publicly and privately. We will not stop until you are safely home. We believe that a free press is crucial to the foundation and support of human rights everywhere.”

They continue, “We are fully committed to bringing you, Paul, and every wrongfully detained American home at the earliest opportunity. Every day you spend in Russia is a day too long. Please know that the support for you and Paul go well beyond the walls of the United States Senate, and that the American people are with us in demanding your release.”

In addition to Senators Coons and Risch, the letter is signed by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Angus King (I-Maine), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).

You can read the full letter here.

Senator Coons previously introduced legislation to prevent hostages and wrongfully detained Americans from incurring tax penalties, and to establish a National Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day and flag, which passed the Senate unanimously last month. He is Co-Chair of the Senate Human Rights Caucus and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement ahead of a Senate Commerce Committee markup on legislation to reauthorize Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs:

“The single runway at DCA is already the most congested in the country. Ahead of the Senate Commerce Committee markup this morning, we want to be clear that we will strongly oppose any FAA reauthorization that expands the number of flights or passengers into and out of National. Any such expansion would disrupt the balance among the region’s airports and create additional delays and problems at National, an airport just one-fourteenth the size of Dulles.”

Acknowledging the physical limitations at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), Congress has since 1986 restricted the number of nonstop flights that can originate out of DCA to airports outside of a 1,250-mile perimeter, while Washington Dulles International (IAD) was planned as the growth airport for the region’s aviation needs. However, in past FAA reauthorization bills, Congress has made changes to these rules that have disrupted the balance in this two-airport system by adding additional flights from Reagan to destinations outside the 1,250-mile perimeter. These changes in flight activity have produced significant stress on DCA’s facilities, from strained roadways and limited parking availability to overburdened baggage systems, and created frustrations for travelers, businesses, and local residents. Those changes have also prevented Dulles, whose size allows for larger planes to land and take off, from realizing its full potential as the primary long-haul flight destination for the Washington metropolitan area. In March, Sens. Warner and Kaine were joined by the two senators from Maryland in sending a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee, which has responsibility for drafting legislation to reauthorize the FAA, strongly opposing any further changes at airports that serve residents of the National Capital Area. Sen. Warner, Kaine, Cardin, and Van Hollen also penned an op-ed yesterday urging their colleagues to oppose changes to the current slot and perimeter rules at DCA.

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Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, the Senate passed U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-Wis.) resolution designating July as National Sarcoma Awareness Month by unanimous consent. The resolution raises awareness of sarcoma, a form of cancer, and honors the life of Melissa Locke and the many other Americans that this disease affects.

Sen. Johnson first introduced this resolution two years ago designating July as National Sarcoma Awareness Month to honor the life of Melissa Locke who tragically passed away from sarcoma. The resolution passed the Senate by unanimous consent each year since it was first introduced in 2021.

“I am pleased the Senate passed my resolution honoring Melissa Locke and all those that suffer at the hands of this life-threatening disease,” Sen. Johnson said. “As awareness increases, I hope that it will lead to better forms of combat against sarcoma in the medical field.”

Sen. Johnson is joined on the resolution by Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).

Full text of the resolution can be found here.

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Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto