Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

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Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) issued the following statement on the passing of Luisa “Piti” Gándara, the former first lady of Puerto Rico:

“Today Puerto Rico lost an extraordinary light. Following the news that its former first lady, Luisa “Piti” Gándara, passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer, I join her friends, family, and all who knew her in honoring her memory. During her incredible career – whether as a school teacher, first lady, or representative in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives – Piti never stopped advocating for the most vulnerable in society.

“My thoughts are especially with the communities she always supported with her social platform: children, students, and human rights advocates. In these difficult times, I want to share my deepest condolences with her husband, former Governor of Puerto Rico Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, and her two children, Gabriela and Juan Carlos. May Piti’s legacy always serve as an inspiration to all who dream of a better future for the people of Puerto Rico.”

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Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both-D-N.J.) announced today a combined total of $26,462,670 to Rutgers University, the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, New Jersey Department of Health, Rutgers’ Biomedical and Health Sciences, and La Casa de Don Pedro. These grants will provide funds for research regarding neurological disorders, diabetes and endocrinology, sexual assault prevention and education, nursing and substance use disorder training, and head start projects.

“Research, prevention and education programs, and critical trainings are all examples of what our organizations here in New Jersey are doing daily to provide the highest level of care, treatment, and services for residents throughout the state,” said Sen. Menendez. “From state universities to non-profit organizations, we are all working toward a future with less illness, more support and better education to keep our most vulnerable and underrepresented community members safe, healthy, and thriving.”

“These grants are vital investments to improve health outcomes and the well-being of communities across the state,” said Sen. Booker. “They will fund health research, allow all New Jerseyans to access state-of-the-art care, and strengthen public health.”

The following will receive funding:

• Rutgers University, Clinical Research Related to Neurological Disorders

• NJ Department of Health, Public Health Emergency Response
  • $16,927,878

• Rutgers University, Nurse Anesthetist Traineeships
• NJ Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Sexual Assault Prevention and Education: Assessing Coalition Capacity
• Rutgers’ Biomedical and Health Sciences, Integrated Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Training Program
• Rutgers’ Biomedical and Health Sciences, Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Research
• Rutgers’ Biomedical and Health Sciences, Clinical Research Related to Neurological Disorders
• La Casa de Don Pedro, Head Start Projects
  • $7,312,932

Rutgers University will utilize these grant funds to support their exploratory and developmental clinical research into neurological disorders using stem cell therapy and investigations into mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegeneration. According to the National Institutes of Health, there is overwhelming evidence of impaired mitochondrial function as a causative factor in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease among others. Rutgers University’s Biomedical and Health Sciences will receive grant awards to support their diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic research projects as well as a training program designed to support substance use disorder (SUD) and traineeships for nurse anesthetists.

With this grant, the New Jersey Department of Health will continue to provide health services to the public health departments across the state to further their ability to effectively manage and respond to a wide range of public health threats through the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement (PHEP) Cooperative Agreement. The New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault will utilize their grant to fund the Rape Prevention and Education program which prepares a sexual violence prevention strategy to implement across the state and country that is focused on advancing health equity.

La Casa de Don Pedro, a nonprofit resource center located in Newark, New Jersey, will receive funds to support their Head Start projects. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start programs provide support for a child’s development from birth to age five, actively engages parents, and includes early learning and development, health, and family well-being.

Sen. Menendez has been a strong proponent for the health services, research and support programs New Jerseyans need. This month, Sens. Menendez and Booker announced a combined total of $25 million to the North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI), Rutgers University’s Biomedical and Health Sciences, and the New Jersey Department of Health from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for substance use and addiction research programs, allergy, immunology, transplantation and PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water exposure research programs.

In May, Sen. Menendez introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to increase the diversity of participants in all National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded trials to enhance the inclusion of women, racially and ethnically diverse individuals and people of all ages in all NIH-funded trials. In January, the Senator joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in co-leading the introduction of two bills in the Senate that would cement and build on the important progress that has been made to tackle Alzheimer’s disease. The bills would reauthorize the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act until 2035.

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Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

06.14.23

Cantwell Leads Letter to Biden Administration to Stand Up for Apple Growers Hurt by Tariffs from India

state exports to India dropped over 99%, from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million this season

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation led a letter signed by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) urging President Biden to address the harmful tariffs imposed by the government of India on American apples during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Washington, D.C. next week.

In the letter to President Biden, the Members write:

“India was once the second largest export market for American apples, but the U.S. apple industry has suffered significant losses due to India’s retaliatory tariffs on American agricultural products…It is past time to find a solution to stop the damage inflicted on American apple growers, their employees, and communities by these retaliatory tariffs.”

Overall, U.S. apple exports have plummeted since the tariffs first took effect. In 2017, Washington state apple growers exported $120 million worth of product to India, compared to less than $1 million this season.

Sen. Cantwell has been a strong advocate for Washington state growers. In January, Sen. Cantwell led the entire Washington state Congressional delegation in requesting help from the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of Commerce to remove harmful tariffs by India on Washington state apples. Sen. Cantwell also sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. Last week, Sens. Cantwell and Stabenow held a forum with 30 Washington state agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill.

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear President Biden,

We request that you address the harmful tariffs imposed by the Government of India on American apples with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the United States next week. Prime Minister Modi’s visit is a tremendous opportunity to re-affirm the special relationship that exists between our two nations, improve U.S. – India trade relations, and address the tariff on U.S. apples. India’s current trade restrictions on U.S. apples are harmful to this nationwide industry because they limit access of American growers to an important market, which has led to significant negative impacts on the U.S. domestic market for apples.

In 2019, the Indian government imposed an additional 20 percent tariff on U.S. apples in India, bringing the total tariff to 70 percent on U.S. apples, subsequently eliminating this once valuable export market. Apple growers throughout the U.S. are suffering significant economic losses. For example, Washington state growers have seen exports to India drop over 99 percent, from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million this season. The loss of the Indian market for Washington state growers alone affects apple growers in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other apple growing states because apples that were previously exported then enter the domestic market. This has led to reduced prices impacting growers’ bottom lines, at the very time that input costs and supply chain disruptions have left many on the verge of going out of business. Prime Minister Modi’s visit is an opportunity to remedy this situation for our apple growers. 

India was once the second largest export market for American apples, but the U.S. apple industry has suffered significant losses due to India’s retaliatory tariffs on American agricultural products. In retaliation to U.S. Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum in 2018, India increased apple tariffs by 20 percentage points for a combined tariff of 70 percent. Since the implementation of these retaliatory tariffs, American growers have lost significant market share at a cost to growers of half a billion dollars in sales.

Apples are also grown in Northern India. India’s domestic growers argue that they benefit from the high tariffs, but in fact, U.S. apples have been replaced by apples imported from Iran, Chile, and Turkey, which are not subject to India’s elevated tariffs. Notably, these markets don’t adhere to the high labor or environmental standards maintained by U.S. growers. This affects apple growers nationwide, including the 36 states where apples are grown commercially.

It is past time to find a solution to stop the damage inflicted on American apple growers, their employees, and communities by these retaliatory tariffs. In February, India announced a 70 percent cut to tariffs on American pecan exports, demonstrating that progress in tariff reduction for U.S. agriculture is possible. We encourage you to build off this progress and help re-open this critical market for U.S. apple growers.

We appreciate your attention to this important issue and ask you to raise our concerns with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the United States.

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

WASHINGTON – The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence passed the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (IAA) today by a unanimous 17-0 vote. The bill authorizes funding, provides legal authorities, and enhances congressional oversight for the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC).

“The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 reflects the Senate Intelligence Committee’s bipartisan commitment to ensuring America’s intelligence agencies have the resources they need to protect our country,” said Committee Chairman Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA). “This year’s bill increases the IC’s ability to track threats posed by adversarial nations, including technological and economic competition with China. It also promotes a reform of the nation’s security classification system, strengthens the security of our election systems, and furthers the Committee’s efforts to reform the security clearance process, so that the IC can attract and expeditiously on-board a talented, diverse, and trusted workforce to meet the emerging challenges we face.”

“The United States is in a moment of great power conflict where our adversaries—namely China and Russia —are colluding to destroy the international ruled-based system while undermining the United States and our alliances,” said Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). “The Intelligence Community (IC) must rapidly adapt and work aggressively to position the United States to focus on and counter the unprecedented global threats we face. This year’s IAA begins to equip the IC with the tools needed to enhance intelligence collection and improve objective intelligence analysis. Importantly, the committee-passed IAA also includes a prohibition DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis from collecting information on U.S Persons. This IAA further enables the IC to provide support to policymakers to make the right decisions that protect our national security, promote economic prosperity for all Americans, and uphold our values.”

Background:

The IAA for Fiscal Year 2024 authorizes funding for the IC and ensures that it has the resources, personnel, and authorities it needs to protect our country and inform decision makers, while ensuring continued robust congressional oversight. The bill’s provisions focus on the following key areas:

• Increases oversight of the national security threats posed by the People’s Republic of China, including its predatory economic practices, political influence operations, military capabilities, and investments in, and attempts to dominate the supply chains of artificial intelligence (AI), next-generation energy technologies, and biotechnology, among many others.
• Establishes a new IC atrocities coordinator to increase collection, analysis, and intelligence support to government-wide efforts to hold China accountable for its egregious human rights abuses.
• Promotes reform of the nation’s security classification system, including by reducing overclassification; establishing a new system of interagency governance and accountability; preventing mishandling of classified information; and promoting better use of technology to facilitate declassification and enhance public trust.
• Strengthens the security of America’s voting systems by requiring that they undergo simulated attacks as part of their standard certification process, allowing for the discovery of potential vulnerabilities before these can be exploited by adversaries.
• Requires the IC to conduct a “lessons-learned” assessment of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine and the long-term implications for United States national security and the NATO alliance.
• Improves the IC’s procurement, adoption, and integration of emerging technologies by requiring the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to establish policies for the IC’s acquisition, adoption, development, and use of AI.
• Protects against foreign counterintelligence risks at Department of Energy National Labs.
• Enhances insight into the Venezuela Maduro regime’s imprisonment of United States persons.

• Ensures the IC has a workforce that is second-to-none, by instituting improved IC workforce recruitment through education-based assistance; improving workforce mobility among IC agencies to meet national security needs; increasing recruitment priorities for candidates with financial intelligence and technical expertise; and requiring a standard procedure for investigating CIA sexual misconduct complaints, among other measures.

• Increases transparency by strengthening Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) funding and reporting requirements.
• Builds upon the Committee’s work in reforming the nation’s outdated security clearance system by requiring the codification of new timeliness standards for processing personnel vetting determinations.
• Prohibits the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis from collecting information or intelligence on U.S. persons.
• Maintains strong congressional oversight of and protections for whistleblowers who come forward to report fraud, waste, or abuse.
• Ensures continued support to the victims of anomalous health incidents (AHIs or “Havana Syndrome”) by improving the CIA’s funding flexibility for payments to qualified victims; and requiring each IC element to issue regulations and procedures for implementing HAVANA Act of 2021 authorities.

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Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin

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Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

WASHINGTON – After sustained efforts from U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) – ranking member and chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act of 2023 was signed into law. This bipartisan legislation will increase compensation benefits for veterans with service-connected disabilities and military survivors under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“We have a responsibility to provide care and support for our nation’s veterans and their families,” said Sen. Moran. “Many of these veterans rely on the VA for financial support, especially with current rising costs and inflation. Ensuring their benefits keep pace with these price increases will help provide disabled veterans and certain surviving spouses and children with peace of mind. I am pleased the President has signed this legislation into law to provide veterans with the stability they deserve.”

“At a time when folks are struggling with rising costs, from housing to groceries, veterans deserve absolute certainty when it comes to providing for their families,” said Sen. Tester. “That’s why I’m proud to have worked with Senator Moran and our colleagues to deliver a cost of living increase to millions of disabled veterans and survivors across the country—including 30,000 in my home state of Montana. As Chairman, I’ll always fight to make sure the men and women who put their lives on the line get the support they need and earned.”

The senators’ Veterans’ COLA Act would increase certain VA benefits including disability compensation, clothing allowances, and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses and children to reflect increases in the cost of living. It will directly benefit millions of disabled veterans and military survivors nationwide.

The cost-of-living adjustment will be determined by the annual COLA adjustment to social security benefits, as determined by the Social Security Administration, and will go into effect December 1, 2023. The Social Security Administration bases their annual COLA adjustment on the Consumer Price Index, as determined each December by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Veterans’ COLA Act is supported by the nation’s leading veterans and survivor groups, including The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, Gold Star Wives, TAPS, Wounded Warrior Project, Military Officers Association of America and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

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Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

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