Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator for Missouri Roy Blunt

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Ranking Member and Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, announced a hearing titled “Oversight of the U.S. Capitol Police following the January 6th Attack on the Capitol,” with Michael Bolton, Inspector General for the U.S. Capitol Police, on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. This week, the Rules and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees released a joint report on the security, planning, and response failures related to the violent and unprecedented attack on January 6th.

“The bipartisan joint investigation by the Rules and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees produced valuable information on what went wrong on January 6th and what we need to do to help prevent another attack,” said Blunt. “The intelligence and planning failures, combined with a lack of proper equipment, staffing, and training, put officers in an incredibly difficult and, tragically, dangerous position. I look forward to hearing from the Capitol Police Inspector General and working with him to assist the department with its implementation of these recommendations.”

“At our first bipartisan hearing, I announced as Chair of the Rules Committee that our purpose was to find solutions and issue timely recommendations so the failures we saw on January 6th never happen again,” said Klobuchar. This week we issued a report that laid out necessary reforms to ensure the Capitol Police and federal intelligence agencies are prepared in the future to protect our democracy. While more must be done, this hearing with the Capitol Police Inspector General is an important part of continuing our work.”

The hearing will be broadcast live at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 on the Rules Committee website here.

Source: United States Senator for Missouri Roy Blunt

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Ben Cardin (Md.) introduced an updated version of their Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act, which builds on previous success in increasing access to services for chronic kidney disease patients. The bill enhances care through new technologies; provides access to Medigap programs for all End-Stage Renal Disease patients, regardless of age; expands the Medicare Annual Wellness Benefit to include kidney disease screening; protects dialysis patient access to Medicare Advantage plans; and requires a report on prevention and treatment patterns for at-risk communities disproportionately affected by kidney failure.

“Many Americans living with kidney disease aren’t able to afford or access treatments and specialty care that could significantly impact their health and quality of life,” said Blunt. “I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation that will allow more patients to get the care they need.”

“With higher rates of diabetes and hypertension and poorer access to health insurance and medical care, communities of color develop end-stage renal disease at a faster rate than whites. This legislation bolsters preventive screenings for Medicare beneficiaries and will help with high out-of-pocket costs for treatment. Millions of Americans can benefit from new technologies that are changing outcomes for chronic kidney disease patients,” said Cardin. “Without further changes to our health care system, those treatments remain out of reach physically and financially for too many. Our bipartisan bill can save lives and improve quality of life for millions.”

An estimated 37 million Americans live with chronic kidney disease, which can lead to kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) – an irreversible condition that is fatal without a kidney transplant or life-sustaining dialysis. Nearly half of those are undiagnosed.

“As the voice of the kidney care community, Kidney Care Partners (KCP) is a strong advocate for improvements in treatment and care options for people living with kidney disease, including through CKD, dialysis, transplant and post-transplant care,” said John P. Butler, Chair of KCP. “This important legislation aims to increase access to screenings, improve treatment education, expand care options, and encourage innovation.”

The legislation is supported by the American Kidney Fund, American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, Amgen, American Nephrology Nurses Association, AstraZeneca, Baxter, B.Braun, Davita, Dialysis Patient Citizens, Fresenius Medical Care, and Renal Physicians Association.

Blunt and Cardin introduced similar legislation in 2019.

Full text of the bill can be found here. A section-by-section summary can be found here.

Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

June 09, 2021

Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and 9 additional Senate Republican colleagues in introducing the Defending Keystone Jobs Act, which would require the Department of Labor to submit a report to Congress on the number of jobs lost as a direct or indirect result of the Biden Administration’s move to cancel construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.  Cancelation of Keystone construction stands in contrast with the Administration’s decision to waive sanctions on the company constructing Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.  

Additional co-sponsors of the Defending Keystone Jobs Act include U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Montana), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana). 

“On his first day in office, President Biden killed thousands of American jobs–in the middle of a global pandemic–by cancelling construction of the privately-funded Keystone XL Pipeline,” said Senator Crapo.  “Shortly after, he waived sanctions against the Russia-backed Nord Stream 2 project.  These actions prop up our foreign adversaries while weakening America’s energy independence and causing further harm to American workers, families and taxpayers.  The Department of Labor should deliver a thorough estimate of the number of American jobs killed by such reckless decisions.” 

“The Keystone XL pipeline would have strengthened U.S. energy independence while supporting thousands of high-paying jobs in the U.S. and Canada.  It’s hard to square why the administration canceled its construction, yet waived sanctions on Russia’s malign pipeline project,” said Senator Risch.  “Reinstating the Keystone project to invest in U.S. energy security and job creation is just common sense.  Why is it bad for the U.S. to have access to natural gas, but it’s ok for Russia?” 

“President Biden is standing with Russian workers over Montana and American workers,” said Senator Daines.  “Biden turned his back on America when he canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and the thousands of jobs that come with it while harming our national security by allowing the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline to proceed.  We need to reverse this terrible decision and put American workers back into focus and back to work.” 

“The President’s decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline is a slap in the face to the American workers whose good-paying jobs vanished on Inauguration Day,” said Senator Barrasso.  “The Keystone XL pipeline would link the U.S. with a reliable ally and trading partner and would be built using American workers.  It’s a win-win for our energy and national security.  Instead, President Biden is more intent on saving Russian jobs than American jobs.  Our bill will shed light on the American jobs President Biden destroyed.”“I’m proud to join Senator Risch on this legislation. Over the past decade, the United States has become a global leader in energy production while cutting our carbon emissions,” said Senator Lummis.  President Biden is eroding this success by attacking American energy independence at every turn. We should know the true cost of President Biden’s political move to halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.” 

“Canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline has cost our country thousands of good-paying jobs and made us more dependent on foreign countries to supply our domestic energy needs,” said Senator Moran.  “The Biden Administration must reverse this policy, especially in light of its decision to waive sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and reprioritize the needs of American workers and energy consumers.” 

“The Biden Administration chose to fire American workers through government decree and surrender our country’s energy independence instead of taking steps to grow our economy,” said Senator Marshall.  “The least they can do is provide the American people with the truth in regard to how many people were left unemployed by the shameless political theater of cancelling the Keystone Pipeline.” 

“The Biden administration’s actions to waive sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 Pipeline while halting construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, will cost thousands of jobs, harm our national security and make us less energy independent,” said Senator Hoeven.  “This is simply the wrong approach, and instead, we should work to expand North American energy infrastructure, which is vital to U.S. economic and national security.” 

“President Biden campaigned on supporting middle-class union jobs, yet on day one he chose to cancel American workers’ livelihoods and the revenue state and local communities would receive from the Keystone XL pipeline,” said Senator Cramer.  “Our bill would require the Administration to acknowledge the damage it has caused, even as the President allows Russia to build a less environmentally friendly pipeline of its own.”  

“President Biden killed the Keystone XL pipeline in the name of ‘clean energy,’ but waived sanctions in order to allow the construction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline,” said Senator Cotton.  “His decisions killed American jobs and put the security of our European allies at risk.  Our bill will hold President Biden accountable for his blatant disregard for hard-working Americans.” 

“President Biden’s decision to kill the Keystone XL Pipeline put politics over Americans’ livelihoods,” said Dr. Cassidy.  “We need to take a serious look at how many Americans are now out of work because of the president’s harmful decision, and this bill does that.” 

Background:

On his first day in office, President Biden issued an executive order revoking the permit for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.  The Keystone pipeline project was expected to provide some 11,000 direct high-paying jobs and up to 60,000 indirect and direct jobs and strengthen North American energy independence.  Meanwhile, the Biden administration has waived sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. 

Senator Crapo is a co-sponsor of legislation introduced earlier this year to keep the Keystone XL Pipeline construction moving forward. 

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Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which passed the Senate today by a vote of 68-32.

“Today, the Senate took an unprecedented, bipartisan step towards positioning the United States to lead the world in industries of the future and effectively compete with China from a position of strength. I am proud to have worked with my Republican and Democratic colleagues on this legislation that will send a resounding, bipartisan message to the rest of the world that our democracy works,” said Senator Coons. “I’m pleased that this legislation includes critical economic, climate, and foreign policy initiatives that I’ve been working on in the Senate, including the creation of regional technology hubs around the country, the establishment of a nonprofit foundation to facilitate stronger partnerships between the Department of Energy and the private sector, and the authorization of significant amounts of new funding for the State Department and USAID to support the formation of an Indo-Pacific Strategy. I look forward to working with the Biden Administration to enact this ambitious legislation that will strengthen the United States at home and preserve U.S. leadership on the world stage.” 

Sen. Coons is pleased the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act includes:

• The Partnerships for Energy Security and Innovation Act, introduced by Sens. Coons, Graham (R-S.C.), and Luján (D-N.M.), which would establish a nonprofit foundation for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that would channel private-sector investments to support DOE’s mission and accelerate the commercialization of innovative technologies in energy, like next-generation batteries, low-carbon fuels, and advanced materials. The bill was included as an amendment cosponsored by Sens. Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Collins (R-Maine) that passed the Senate 83-14.
• A major increase in basic science and high-tech R&D, with a push to create new tech hubs around the country, as called for in Sen. Coons’ Innovation Centers Acceleration Act.
• A $1.2 billion expansion of the Manufacturing USA program, which leverages private sector investment to develop new manufacturing techniques and train advanced manufacturing workers.
• The establishment of a supply chain preparedness and resiliency program in the Department of Commerce, as called for in Sen. Coons’ National Manufacturing Guard Act.
• The mobilization of all U.S. government diplomatic, development, security, and economic tools for an Indo-Pacific strategy that will allow us to compete with China from a position of strength. Specifically, the bill authorizes significant amounts of new funding for the State Department and USAID for this important purpose.
• An investment in the tools of American diplomacy and development. The bill invests in our allies and partners through sound regional strategies. It also invests in the values the U.S. shares with countries around the world by protecting democracy in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang. 
• The authorization of a Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership to help foreign countries expand and increase secure internet access and digital infrastructure in emerging markets, protect technological assets, adopt policies that foster open models of internet governance, promote exports of US information, communications, and technology goods and services, and build cybersecurity capacity.
• The declaration that the U.S. must reassert its leadership in the international standard-setting bodies that set the governance norms and rules for digital technologies, that USTR should negotiate digital trade agreements with member countries of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan, that the U.S. should lead a global effort to ensure the freedom of information in the digital age, and that the U.S. should convene a global effort to ensure that technological development does not threaten democratic governance.

• Provisions to strengthen the sustainability of the congressionally chartered Harry S. Truman Foundation and James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. These programs, respectively, support states’ most promising emerging public leaders in attaining further education and extend to exceptional civics, history, and government teachers a chance to further improve their teaching of the Constitution. In doing so, the programs play important roles in preparing future generations to buttress our civic institutions.

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Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

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Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Washington, D.C. —  U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in introducing new legislation to bolster the United States’ defense partnership with Greece. The bipartisan U.S.-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act of 2021 seeks to bolster support for Greek military modernization, authorize new transfers of American military equipment, and foster increased multilateral engagement among the legislatures of Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and the United States.  

“This bipartisan legislation will continue to enhance defense cooperation with Greece, a valued NATO ally,” Rubio said. “By extending Foreign Military Assistance to Greece and establishing an inter parliamentary partnership with democratic countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, this legislation reaffirms our strong commitment to the region at a time when malign actors are working to undermine international security and stability.”

“As a reliable NATO ally, Greece plays a critical role in promoting security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. The 200th anniversary of Greek independence reminds us of the long history of U.S.-Greece cooperation based on our shared commitment to democratic values, and we must continue building that cooperation in the years to come,” Menendez said. “In order to ensure that the Eastern Mediterranean remains secure, the U.S. must bolster its defense relationship with Greece by supporting Greece’s efforts to modernize its armed forces. This legislation seeks to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the U.S. and Greece in order to advance our shared values, promote security cooperation, and support a secure Eastern Mediterranean for years to come.”

Key Provisions of the legislation are listed below. 

Support for Greek Military Modernization:

• Authorizes European Recapitalization Incentive Program (ERIP) assistance to Greece to support Greece’s transition away from Russian-produced military equipment
• Authorizes $1 million per year in International Military Education and Training (IMET) assistance for Greece for FY 2022 – 2026
• Expresses the Sense of Congress that the U.S. should provide direct loans to Greece for the procurement of defense articles, defense services, and design and construction services pursuant to the further development of Greece’s military force

Transfer of American Military Equipment to Greece:

• Authorizes expedited delivery of any future F-35 aircraft ordered by Greece
• Requires that the delivery of excess defense articles to Greece be given the same priority as that given other countries and regions
• Requires the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, to submit a report to Congress on Greece’s defense needs and how the United States will seek to address such needs through transfers of excess defense equipment to Greece

Parliamentary Engagement within the 3+1 Framework:

• Authorizes the establishment of an interparliamentary group among Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the United States to serve as the legislative component of the 3+1 process launched among the governments in March 2019

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

June 09, 2021

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA). The legislation would guarantee a pregnant person’s right to access an abortion—and the right of an abortion provider to deliver these abortion services—free from medically unnecessary restrictions that interfere with a patient’s individual choice or the provider-patient relationship. 

  

Introduction of the Women’s Health Protection Act follows the Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments in a case that directly threatens fifty years of precedent protecting access to abortion.

  

“Roe v. Wade established the fundamental principle that women’s health decisions belong to them and them alone. But since then, lawmakers at every level of government across the country have unleashed an onslaught of legislation to undermine and eliminate women’s constitutionally-protected right to an abortion. To make matters worse, the Supreme Court is now set to hear a direct challenge to Roe, putting women’s right to safe and legal abortions in grave risk,” said Senator Shaheen. “The Women’s Health Protection Act is urgently-needed legislation that would protect fifty years of precedent and ensure all American women can continue to make their own health care choices free from unnecessary restrictions. I always will defend a woman’s right to choose against these outrageous attempts to strip women of their constitutional rights.” 

  

“Across the country, a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions is under constant attack. And now, with the precedent set by Roe v. Wade in serious jeopardy, Congress must act to ensure that the government cannot interfere in a woman’s most personal, difficult, and complicated health care decisions,” Senator Hassan said. “This legislation would protect a woman’s freedom to decide how and when she wants to start a family, without fear that this constitutional right would be undermined in the courts or by state lawmakers. I urge my colleagues to join us in standing up for women’s ability to make their own health care decisions and control their own destiny.”

 

The text of the legislation is available here. 

 

Senator Shaheen is an unrelenting advocate for women’s reproductive rights. Senator Shaheen has fought for years to increase coverage of women’s preventative care, including through her legislation to reduce the cost of contraception for servicewomen and dependents in military families. Shaheen has also advocated for repealing the Global Gag Rule, which bans federal funds for foreign non-governmental organizations that use non-U.S. funds to provide abortion services or provide information about abortion as part of comprehensive family planning services. Heeding Shaheen’s calls, the Biden administration issued an executive order reversing the rule. She has also supported efforts in Congress in opposition to the domestic Gag Rule, a Trump administration policy that restricted women’s access to reproductive health services at centers funded by the Title X program, which the Biden administration moved to reverse in April.  

 

Senator Hassan is focused on expanding access to reproductive health care services and fighting against any efforts to chip away at the rights afforded under Roe v. Wade. Senator Hassan has led efforts in the Senate to protect Title X family planning centers, such as Planned Parenthood, which provide family planning services for low-income patients and serve nearly 18,000 Granite Staters annually. Earlier this year, Senator Hassan joined in leading more than 150 of her colleagues in urging the Department of Health and Human Services to rescind the former administration’s harmful Title X policies.

 

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