Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $1 Million For Public Park Repairs In The Town Of North Hempstead

Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

June 08, 2021

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $1,007,533.80 in federal funding to repair the Harbor Hills Park that incurred severe damages during Superstorm Sandy. The park posed a serious threat to public health and safety after undergoing strong winds, heavy rain, and up to eight feet of storm surge. This funding was allocated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and will help return Harbor Hills Park to its pre-disaster condition and protect from future natural disasters.

“Harbor Hills Park in Great Neck suffered tremendous damage from Superstorm Sandy. With these funds, North Hempstead will be able to repair the park, a treasured neighborhood recreational space,” said Senator Schumer. “We have been fighting tooth and nail to build stronger and more resilient communities in the aftermath of Sandy by delivering federal dollars such as these. I’ll continue to fight for federal funds to give Long Island residents peace of mind knowing their community is better protected against future weather events exacerbated by climate change.”

“Almost a decade after Superstorm Sandy devastated New York communities, many towns are still recovering from one of the worst natural disasters in our state’s history,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This funding will support the Town of North Hempstead in repairing remaining storm damage in Harbor Hills Park, so that it can be fully restored and enjoyed by residents and visitors for years to come.”

The Town of North Hempstead was awarded $1,007,533.80 in federal funding for repairs to Harbor Hills Park in order to restore the park back to its pre-disaster condition under Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Act.

Project

Town

County

Type of Grant

Amount

Harbor Hills Park

North Hempstead

Nassau

PA 

$1,007,533.80



Cassidy, Hassan Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Overhaul National Stockpile and Expand Domestic Manufacturing

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

06.08.21

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08) introduced the bipartisan Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act to improve the Strategic National Stockpile, which is maintained by the federal government to ensure access to critical medical supplies during public health emergencies. This bipartisan bill reduces America’s dependence on foreign adversaries like China, boosts domestic manufacturing of medical supplies, and improves transparency to ensure the effectiveness of the strategic national stockpile during future public health emergencies.

“COVID-19 showed the danger of our nation’s dependence on China and other foreign countries for life-saving supplies,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We need to strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile by producing these supplies at home which creates jobs and bolsters our independence.”

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it was immediately clear that our country was unprepared to meet the magnitude of the crisis. For instance, in New Hampshire, medical professionals were unable to acquire the supplies that they needed to safely care for their patients, and in some cases were given defective supplies,” said Senator Hassan. “This failure must never happen again, which is why I am glad to introduced this important, bipartisan bill to help ensure that our country has the critical supplies that it needs in the event of another emergency. Our bill will make long overdue improvements to the Strategic National Stockpile and strengthen domestic manufacturing to help create jobs and reduce our reliance on foreign countries for PPE, ventilators, and other necessary supplies that keep Americans and Granite Staters safe.”

“Last spring as cases of COVID-19 surged across the country, our frontline medical workers were sent into combat against a deadly virus without the armor they needed to protect themselves. When Michigan and other states called on the Strategic National Stockpile for urgently needed masks, gloves and other protective gear, what we got was nowhere close to what we needed. We can never again let our country be dependent on foreign suppliers for the equipment we need when crises like this pandemic strike. This bipartisan package of bills addresses the lessons of the past year: it will boost domestic production of critical medical supplies; reduce our dependence on foreign manufacturers; give our frontline workers the protection they need for future crises; and improve maintenance and oversight of our stockpile,” said Rep. Slotkin.

The bipartisan Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act would:

  • Increase manufacturing of critical medical supplies in America and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign adversaries;
  • Improve maintenance of the stockpile to ensure stockpile items are in good working order when a crisis hits;
  • Provide more federal resources to states to expand or maintain their own strategic stockpiles of medical supplies;
  • Bring transparency to stockpile allocations by requiring a report to Congress on all requests for stockpile supplies during the pandemic and the response to each request.

Background
Cassidy has introduced two other bills to address issues with the Strategic National Stockpile and improve U.S. supply chains for critical medical supplies. Earlier this year, Cassidy introduced the Protecting Providers Everywhere (PPE) in America Act to address shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing supplies and the Onshoring Essential Antibiotics Act to improve U.S. supply chains for critical antibiotics.

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Senator Hassan on Colonial Pipeline Hearing: ‘I’ve talked with small school districts in my state of New Hampshire that are better prepared for cyberattacks than Colonial Pipeline’

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

June 08, 2021

When Senator Hassan Asked About Prior Plans for Ransomware Attacks, CEO Told Senator Hassan the Company Had ‘No Discussion About Ransom’

WASHINGTON – During a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) pressed Colonial Pipeline President and CEO Joseph A. Blount, Jr. on the recent cyberattack it experienced and its decision to pay hackers a ransom payment. When Senator Hassan asked Mr. Blount if the company had a cybersecurity plan prior to the attack that included guidance about paying a ransom, he said, “Senator specifically, no, no discussion about ransom and action to ransom.”

Senator Hassan also issued the following statement after the hearing:

“It is a stunning admission that Colonial Pipeline did not have a plan in place if hackers requested a ransom payment. I’ve talked with small school districts in my state of New Hampshire that are better prepared for cyberattacks than Colonial Pipeline was. Colonial Pipeline operates critical infrastructure that families and our economy rely on. It is unacceptable that it was so unprepared for a cyberattack, and it is a wakeup call that more must be done to secure our critical infrastructure.”

Watch Senator Hassan’s full hearing questioning here.

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Sens. Hassan, Cassidy & Rep. Slotkin Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Overhaul National Stockpile and Expand Domestic Manufacturing

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

June 08, 2021

Bipartisan Legislation Would Help Reduce Reliance on Foreign Adversaries like China for Critical Supplies and Help Prevent Future Shortages

WASHINGTON –– U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) and Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08) introduced the bipartisan Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act to make long-overdue improvements to the Strategic National Stockpile, which is maintained by the federal government to ensure access to medical supplies during public health emergencies. This comprehensive, bipartisan bill will help reduce America’s dependence on foreign adversaries like China for critical supplies, boost domestic manufacturing, and improve transparency to ensure the effectiveness of the Strategic National Stockpile during future public health emergencies.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it was immediately clear that our country was unprepared to meet the magnitude of the crisis. For instance, in New Hampshire, medical professionals were unable to acquire the supplies that they needed to safely care for their patients, and in some cases were given defective supplies,” Senator Hassan said. “This failure must never happen again, which is why I am glad to introduce this important, bipartisan bill to help ensure that our country has the critical supplies that it needs in the event of another emergency. Our bill will make long overdue improvements to the Strategic National Stockpile and strengthen domestic manufacturing to help create jobs and reduce our reliance on foreign countries for PPE, ventilators, and other necessary supplies that keep Americans and Granite Staters safe.”

“COVID-19 showed the danger of our nation’s dependence on China and other foreign countries for life-saving supplies,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We need to strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile by producing these supplies at home which creates jobs and bolsters our independence.”

“Last spring as cases of COVID-19 surged across the country, our frontline medical workers were sent into combat against a deadly virus without the armor they needed to protect themselves,” said Representative Slotkin. “When Michigan and other states called on the Strategic National Stockpile for urgently needed masks, gloves and other protective gear, what we got was nowhere close to what we needed. We can never again let our country be dependent on foreign suppliers for the equipment we need when crises like this pandemic strike. This bipartisan package of bills addresses the lessons of the past year: it will boost domestic production of critical medical supplies; reduce our dependence on foreign manufacturers; give our frontline workers the protection they need for future crises; and improve maintenance and oversight of our stockpile.”

The bipartisan Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act would:

  • Improve maintenance of the stockpile to ensure stockpile items are in good working order and ready to use if and when a crisis hits;
  • Increase manufacturing of critical supplies in America to diversify sources of personal protective equipment and partner with industry to replenish existing stocks;
  • Provide more federal resources to states to expand or maintain their own strategic stockpiles; and
  • Bring transparency to stockpile allocations by requiring a report to Congress on all requests for stockpile supplies during the pandemic and the response to each request.

To read the bill text for the Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act click here. To read the section-by-section, click here.

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Sen. Cruz in The Dallas Morning News: ‘Inflation Could Wreck American Wealth’

Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today published an op-ed in The Dallas Morning News detailing how the Biden-Harris administration’s massive spending spree could result in an inflation crisis and destroy the wealth of hard-working Americans.
In the op-ed, Sen. Cruz wrote:
“Since 2012, our inflation rate has been around 2% or under. But in April, it was announced that our inflation rate had ticked up to 4.2%, and it may keep going up. This is a problem because when the inflation rate rises, which can happen when the federal government prints money to keep up with a massive spending increase, our dollars have less purchasing power and prices go up.”
[…]
“Biden has proposed a $6 trillion budget, and Congress already passed a $1.9 trillion bill Biden wanted ostensibly for COVID-19 relief. But only 9% of that bill went to actual COVID-19 relief, and the huge price tag on the bill is part of what’s driving the inflation we’re seeing today.
“As the author Ronald Wright once said, each time history repeats itself, the price goes up. I sincerely hope no one tells Biden what comes after a trillion.
“And how is Biden going to pay for all of this new spending? By raising taxes. He’s been very transparent about that. Basically, if you’re an American and you’re working, your taxes are going up. He’s going to raise corporate taxes, individual taxes, the death tax, the capital gains tax. He’s raising taxes on everything. In fact, Biden wants to raise the American corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, which would put it higher than Communist China’s 25% corporate tax rate.”
Read his full op-ed here and below.
Inflation could wreck American wealthThe Dallas Morning NewsSen. Ted CruzJune 8, 2021
In just the four months that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been in office, we’ve experienced a border crisis, a gas crisis, and a war in the Middle East. Now, we’re also on the verge of an inflation crisis.
Since 2012, our inflation rate has been around 2% or under. But in April, it was announced that our inflation rate had ticked up to 4.2%, and it may keep going up. This is a problem because when the inflation rate rises, which can happen when the federal government prints money to keep up with a massive spending increase, our dollars have less purchasing power and prices go up.
If you’re looking to remodel your kitchen, buy a bigger house to fit your family, or take a road trip this summer, you should expect to pay more to do those things than you otherwise would have just last year or in 2019.
Everywhere we look, prices are rising.
Lumber prices have increased 340% in the past year, and Americans looking to buy homes should expect to pay over $35,000 more for a newly built house. Food and even the price of diapers are rising, squeezing Americans and especially lower and middle income households.
We have also seen gas prices rise as a key pipeline responsible for delivering fuel all over the Eastern Seaboard was attacked by Russian hackers and had to shut down operations for days.
If the gas crisis is a candle flame and lumber prices are a campfire, then growing inflation is a forest fire that has ignited, and may eventually burn through our entire economy.
I’ve described Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale 2.0. But when it comes to inflation, Biden might actually be worse than Carter. Faced with rising inflation, higher prices and voters’ discontent, Carter gave a speech in 1978 proposing to “hold down government spending, reduce the budget deficit and eliminate government waste” to tackle inflation.
Biden, by contrast, doesn’t talk about massive government spending, our $28 trillion national debt, and our growing deficit. In his joint address to Congress in late April, Biden never uttered the words “debt,” “federal spending” or “reduce” – except when it came to the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
Biden has proposed a $6 trillion budget, and Congress already passed a $1.9 trillion bill Biden wanted ostensibly for COVID-19 relief. But only 9% of that bill went to actual COVID-19 relief, and the huge price tag on the bill is part of what’s driving the inflation we’re seeing today.
As the author Ronald Wright once said, each time history repeats itself, the price goes up. I sincerely hope no one tells Biden what comes after a trillion.
And how is Biden going to pay for all of this new spending? By raising taxes. He’s been very transparent about that. Basically, if you’re an American and you’re working, your taxes are going up. He’s going to raise corporate taxes, individual taxes, the death tax, the capital gains tax. He’s raising taxes on everything. In fact, Biden wants to raise the American corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, which would put it higher than Communist China’s 25% corporate tax rate.
Even Larry Summers, who served as secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton and director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama, argued in a recent article about Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill that “macroeconomic stimulus” could “set off inflationary pressures of a kind we have not seen in a generation, with consequences for the value of the dollar and financial stability.”
But here’s the good news – after Jimmy Carter came Ronald Reagan. The American people were tired of inflation, constant crises and a president who didn’t have the strength to fight back.
Politics has a natural pendulum sense to it – things tend to go too far, and then they go back in the other direction. The far left is driving the train right now, and we need to reduce federal government spending and make the case that free markets, low taxes and low regulations work. That’s what we need to do to pull our country and our economy back from the damage we’re about to see over the next couple of years with Biden and the Democrats in charge.
In the Senate, I’ll be fighting to curb inflation and for policies that promote fiscal sanity. The strength of our economy depends on it.
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Senator Mike Braun, colleagues introduce bill to hold ATF accountable, give certainty to gun owners and manufacturers

Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Mike Braun of Indiana along with Senators: Barrasso (R-WY), Blackburn (R -TN), Cramer (R-ND), Crapo (R-ID), Lummis (R-WY), Risch (R-ID), and R. Scott (R-FL) introduced the ATF Accountability Act to provide transparency to gun owners across America on rules made by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

The ATF engages in a secretive classification review process where the agency makes decisions about whether a particular firearm is regulated by the National Firearms Act. Decisions and justification for decisions are often only made available to manufacturers in private correspondence. This causes a lot of uncertainty for both gun-owning Americans and firearm manufacturers, especially in combination with the ATF’s refusal to make final public rules regarding classification. 

Law-abiding gun-owning Americans are too often last to know the classification status of firearms, leaving them unsure as to what licenses or tax stamps are required for legal ownership, and firearm manufacturers are forced to make production decisions without final approval by ATF. Additionally, contrary to regular administrative procedure, gun manufacturers have no way to appeal if they believe that a classification decision was reached in error or is not reflective of a comprehensive review. 

“American gun owners and manufacturers have been left in the dark for far too long with closed-door rule changes by the ATF. Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights shouldn’t be the last to know the classification status of firearms, or what licenses or tax stamps they need to avoid running afoul of the law. The ATF needs accountability and transparency, which this bill accomplishes.” – Senator Mike Braun

The ATF Accountability Act: 

Policy Details: 

  • The ATF Accountability Act creates an appeals process following a ruling by ATF with specific regular timeframes.
  • The bill permits gun manufacturers to appeal the legal status or classification of any product by filing with the Director of Industry Operations with jurisdiction. After which, the appeal is directed to an administrative law judge. 
  • This bill is endorsed by the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition (FRAC).

# # #

Murphy, Cassidy, Cardenas, Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Compliance with Mental Health Parity Laws

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

June 08, 2021

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., (R-La.), both members of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, on Tuesday introduced legislation that would incentivize further compliance with federal mental health parity laws. The Parity Implementation Assistance Act would authorize $25 million in grants to states to support their oversight over health insurance plans’ compliance with mental health parity requirements, as long as states collect and review comparative analyses from insurers. The Parity Implementation Assistance Act builds upon the Murphy-Cassidy Mental Health Parity Compliance Act of 2019, which became law in 2020 and provided federal and state health insurance regulators with additional tools to monitor and assure compliance with mental health parity laws. U.S. Representatives Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.-29) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-1) are introducing the House companion legislation.

“Way too often, insurance companies still use red tape and bureaucratic hurdles to deny care to people with mental illness. That’s against the law, and gradually, Senator Cassidy and I have been improving enforcement of the federal mental health parity law.  This bill is the next step. The Parity Implementation Assistance Act would provide states with badly needed funding to support mental health parity implementation and enforcement,” said Murphy.

“As a doctor, it’s clear mental health and physical health are linked. In 2016 and 2020 we passed legislation taking steps to ensure Americans with mental illness have the same access to treatment for both. This bill strengthens accountability and enforcement to build on those efforts,” said Dr. Cassidy.

“These are hard times for everyone, and the impact of the pandemic is taking a toll on the mental health of many people in our communities,” said Cárdenas. “Despite this, those who attempt to receive care are far too often met with barriers in coverage. Our legislation will give states the resources needed to successfully implement parity compliance measures and help people access mental health care and treatment on the same basis as any other illness.”

“As a Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Addiction Task Force, I am proud to support the bipartisan Parity Implementation Assistance Act,” said Fitzpatrick. “Now, more than ever, it is imperative we provide crucial support for the millions of those struggling with mental health or a substance use disorder in our country. And a crucial part of this mission is ensuring that our mental health and substance use disorder parity laws are being enforced.”

“As states work to implement the new parity law passed by Congress at the end of last year, it is vital that the Federal government provide state insurance commissioners with resources to ensure compliance,” said American Psychiatric Association President Vivian Pender, M.D. “COVID-19 may appear to be subsiding, but discrimination against those seeking behavioral health treatment is a longstanding problem, and we are still dealing with a mental health crisis, the opioid epidemic, and the disparities produced by social determinants of mental health. This legislation is a necessary step to enhance the ability of states to effectively implement the parity law so that patients can access the life-saving care that they need.”

“We applaud Senators Murphy and Cassidy and Representatives Cárdenas and Fitzpatrick for their continued leadership and steadfast commitment to improving compliance with MHPAEA! The Parity Implementation Assistance Act would provide critically needed resources to state regulators so they can improve parity enforcement using the new documentation requirements,” said Shawn Coughlin, President and CEO, National Association for Behavioral Healthcare.

“The Parity Implementation Assistance Act is an important step toward ensuring Americans receive coverage for mental health and addiction treatment at a time of unprecedented need,” said former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum. “I applaud Senators Murphy and Cassidy and Congressmen Cardenas and Fitzpatrick for their leadership in helping to make the promise of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act a reality.”

In 2016, Murphy and Cassidy co-authored the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act, which was signed into law by President Obama.

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Durbin Questions Secretary Of State Blinken On Afghanisatn

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

06.08.21

Durbin also urges for safe return of Illinois-native Mark Frerichs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing about the State Department’s Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Budget Request, questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the United States’ policy towards Afghanistan in the future.

“It appears the Taliban is going to be a political force there. There is also a government in place. I’m not quite sure if there is any accommodation between them going on or expected,” Durbin said. “I think we’ve spent a vast amount of our fortune and many American lives trying to build an indigenous Afghan security force so they can stabilize the situation and stop the outgrowth of terrorism when it occurs…so whose side are we on in the future of Afghanistan?”

Blinken responded by saying the United States is on the side of the Afghan people to ensure they can move forward with peace, security, and freedom. Blinken noted that there are ongoing discussions between the government and the Taliban to see if they can come to a peaceful accommodation that ends the conflict. Blinken also assured Durbin that even though the United States is withdrawing its military forces from Afghanistan, that the United States will remain engaged in diplomatic and development efforts to assist the Afghan government and its people. 

Durbin also urged Blinken to do everything in his power to bring home Mark Frerichs, originally from Illinois and a veteran of the U.S. Navy, who was abducted in Afghanistan last year. Frerichs has spent nearly ten years living and working as an independent contractor in Afghanistan.

“Mark is an American who is being held captive in Afghanistan. I hope that you will give me an update in the next 24 to 48 hours on what we are doing to bring him home,” Durbin asked.

Durbin concluded his questioning by asking Blinken to ensure Afghans who helped the American war effort are kept safe after our military leaves the country. Durbin mentioned a recent Chicago Sun-Times article that described the efforts of an Afghan interpreter who saved the lives of troops during the war effort, and the danger the interpreter could face as America ends its military operations in the country. Durbin has been a strong supporter of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program and recently joined colleagues in a bipartisan letter to President Biden in support of improving, extending, and expanding the program, as well as options for keeping safe those applicants who may face immediate danger in Afghanistan.    

Video of Durbin’s remarks from the hearing is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks from the hearing is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks from the hearing is available here for TV Stations.

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Durbin Calls On Colleagues To Support President Biden’s First Judicial Nominees On The Floor Today

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

06.08.21

WASHINGTON – Ahead of their confirmation votes on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his Senate colleagues to support the nominations of Julien Xavier Neals, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; and Regina M. Rodriguez, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado.  These will be the first judicial nominees confirmed by the Senate during the Biden Administration.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted the nominees’ extensive legal experience—experience that was noticeably absent with many judicial nominees during the previous Administration.   Mr. Neals serves as Chief Judge of the Newark Municipal Court.  During his two years on this court, not only did he preside over more than 6,000 cases, but he supervised the entire court’s operations.  Ms. Rodriguez became Chief of the Civil Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the first Latina and Asian-American person to do so.  She is the first person of Asian-American descent to be nominated for a Federal judgeship in the State of Colorado.

“This week, the Senate will consider several of President Biden’s judicial nominees.  I believe that they understand the role of the judge in our system. They’ll bring much-needed experiential and demographic diversity to our nation’s court,” Durbin said.  “Given the background of these judges in trying cases, arguing appeals, and issuing rulings from the bench, I believe—and the Committee agreed—these judicial nominees are ready for service.”

Durbin concluded, “I commend these two nominees who passed out of our Committee with strong bipartisan votes to my colleagues on the floor today. I hope they’ll join me in supporting them.”

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

Mr. Neals was advanced out of Committee by a vote of 16-6 with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Kennedy (R-LA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) voting “aye” with all Committee Democrats.

Ms. Rodriguez was advanced out of Committee by a vote of 17-5 with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Kennedy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) voting “aye” with all Committee Democrats.

-30-



Wyden Co-sponsors Bill to End LGBTQ+ and Religious Discrimination in the Child Welfare System

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

June 08, 2021

Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today he is co-sponsoring legislation that would prohibit discrimination against prospective foster or adoptive parents, and children and youth in the foster care system on the basis of religion, marital status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act also would bar harmful practices like conversion therapy for children participating in child welfare programs receiving federal funding, improve services to LGBTQ+ and religious minority youth, and establish a National Resource Center for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families.  

“Foster children in Oregon and nationwide need every possible opportunity to be placed in a home with loving parents who will raise them with the support and care that all children deserve,” Wyden said. “This legislation taking its name from an American hero who devoted his life to a more inclusive country would live up to that goal by ensuring prospective foster and adoptive parents do not face discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or religion.”

There are nearly 425,000 children in the foster care system, and more than 122,000 children waiting for a permanent family. This legislation is designed to increase the number of homes available to all children in foster care and to improve services to LGBTQ+ and religious minority youth. About 28 percent of homeless youth with a foster care history identify as LGBTQ+ and are more likely to experience adverse events, such as being physically harmed or stigmatized, compared to peers with no foster care history. This legislation would put an end to discriminatory policies and create a system that supports the best interests of children and foster and adoptive parents alike.

Specifically, the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act would:

  • Prohibit organizations receiving federal funding from discriminating against children, youth, families, and individuals on the basis of religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), and marital status in the administration and provision of child welfare services.
  • Ban conversion therapy for children participating in child welfare programs receiving federal funding.
  • Promote safety, well-being, and permanency for LGBTQ+ children in foster care.
  • Require data collection on LGBTQ+ youth and families so we can better monitor these trends and issues, and it would establish a dedicated National Resource Center for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. 

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act is endorsed by 175 organizations.

In addition to Wyden, other co-sponsors of the bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) are U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).