Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

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Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin

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Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

06.16.23

WASHINGTON—In an interview yesterday on Fox News Channel, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), said the United States should not be “begging for some kind of communication” with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and should instead “push back” when China berates the American government, as a senior Chinese Communist Party official did yesterday.

“The foreign minister, yesterday, of China, already showed what he was going to do, which is berate Blinken on the state of the relationship, which is very rocky, and say it’s our fault. Well, it’s not our fault,” Senator Sullivan said. “The cause of the rocky relationship is China and the one thing Tony Blinken needs to do is push back on that narrative when he hears it from the Chinese for the world to hear.”

Senator Sullivan also discussed legislation he recently introduced in the Senate to prevent the Biden administration from banning gas stoves.

“The federal government should not be telling Americans how to cook their dinner,” Senator Sullivan said. “The Department of Energy has a proposed rule. Places like New York and Berkeley in California are banning gas stoves, if you can believe it. So my legislation, the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, is something that [Senator] Schumer should bring up. It’s bipartisan.”

Representative Debbie Lesko’s (R-Ariz.) companion legislation passed the House with bipartisan support this week.

SULLIVAN: The Biden administration needs to stop begging the CCP for talks and push back at their aggressive behavior

BRIAN KILMEADE: GOP Senator Dan Sullivan sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator, I know it is in our best interest to talk to China, but should we be talking under these circumstances? A day after they scolded us for our myriad of actions.

SENATOR SULLIVAN: Brian, good morning. And it’s a great point, by the way. First, I think prayers from all Americans for those American soldiers in Syria. I just learned about that. Reminds us just how dangerous serving in the military is all over the world. But you’re making a great point. And your point is important in a couple of areas. You know, even adversaries can talk, right? Especially crisis communications. We did that during the Reagan administration during the Soviet Union. But you shouldn’t have to beg for it.

And what we’ve been seeing over the last several months is literally this administration begging for some kind of communication with the Chinese Communist Party officials. And your piece set it up well: The foreign minister, yesterday, of China, already showed what he was going to do which is berate Blinken on the state of the relationship which is very rocky and say it’s our fault—well, it’s not our fault.

Look at what the Chinese Communist Party has done in the last couple of years: They unleashed this virus on the world, including on us and our economy; crushed the people of Hong Kong, which used to be a bastion of liberty; literal economic warfare against our allies like South Korea and Australia; a border war with India; and now all these aggressive actions in the South China Sea. The cause of the rocky relationship is China and the one thing Tony Blinken needs to do is push back on that narrative when he hears it from the Chinese for the world to hear.

SULLIVAN: Schumer needs to bring up bipartisan legislation that would ensure that Americans can continue to own and use gas stoves

STEVE DOOCY: Senator, as we switch gears a little bit, one of the things we get from China is a lot of cheap stuff, a lot of appliances as well. I know that the administration would like to get us to use less fossil fuels. And so there’s been a suggestion, you know what. Let’s start with the kitchen. Let’s get rid of gas stoves. You’re part of a group of senators that’s going to make sure that the gas stove in my kitchen lights up for years to come.

SULLIVAN: Look Steve, the federal government should not be telling Americans how to cook their dinner. And, literally, they are looking at doing that. The Department of Energy has a proposed rule. Places like New York and Berkeley and California are banning gas stoves, if you can believe it. So my legislation, Save our Gas Stoves, is something that Schumer should bring up. It’s bipartisan. You may have seen in the House, they passed it with a strong bipartisan vote. Schumer needs to bring it up in the Senate. We’ll send that to the president’s desk. I highly doubt they’ll do it. And here’s the reason why. You know, this administration has this zealot wing that is anti-American energy. And of course, that hurts working families more than anybody and families in rural states like mine. So, you know, it was a good move in the House, a strong vote to put this stop, this reckless kind of far-left policy about banning stoves. We need to bring it up in the Senate. That’s what my bill does. I got a lot of co-sponsors, Democrats and Republicans, but we’ll see. Don’t hold your breath on Schumer doing that.

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Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

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Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

NASHVILLE, TENN. – Given the important role tourism and entertainment play in Tennessee, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure the transportation industry is not faced with exorbitant tax fees on grants they received during the pandemic.

Senator Blackburn was joined by Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in pushing this bill to exempt grants received under the Coronavirus Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Act from federal taxation. 

“When the pandemic hit, Tennessee’s top industries became all too familiar with closures and financial hardship, and the transportation industry was no exception,” said Senator Blackburn. “While they received vital support to sustain their businesses, bus, motorcoach, and other passenger vessel companies are now faced with exorbitant tax bills through no fault of their own. My bill ensures the transportation industry – which plays a critical role in the Volunteer State’s economy, from tourism to entertainment – is treated fairly and granted the same tax exemptions that restaurants and performance halls received.”

“The COVID relief Congress provided to help bus, motorcoach, school bus, and passenger vessel companies was a critical lifeline,” said Senator Reed. “But the road to economic recovery for these businesses has been long and steep.  Now, Congress should step up on a bipartisan basis to support these critical transportation providers by putting them on the same tax footing as other industries that received COVID relief.  This bill would help accelerate economic recovery for this key link in our transportation system.”

“In 2020, I introduced the CERTS Act with Senator Jack Reed, and secured $2 billion to support transportation providers that desperately needed it. Extending to bus, motor coach, ferry, and tour boat companies the same tax relief provided by other emergency federal assistance programs, will allow these companies to recover from the pandemic, while continuing to provide good-paying jobs and vital transportation services throughout Maine,” said Senator Collins.

“Montana’s transportation sector was hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic and while many businesses received much-needed emergency funding to get back on their feet, they’re now facing hefty tax bills. Just as relief programs for restaurants and performance centers were exempt from taxation, Montana’s transportation businesses should be as well,” said Senator Daines.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, funds allocated through the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Act were a lifeline for motorcoach, bus and passenger vessel companies across the nation. These companies are critical to supporting our public transportation industry and should not be faced with steep tax bills as a result of their participation in this relief program,” said Senator Shaheen. “That’s why I’m glad to support this bipartisan legislation to ensure these companies are exempt from taxation on COVID-19 assistance grants and CERTS program funds remain exempt from taxation, similar to other pandemic-era relief programs.”

The bill is supported by United Motorcoach Association, American Bus Association, National School Transportation Association, and Passenger Vessel Association.

“The United Motorcoach Association thanks Senators Jack Reed and Marsha Blackburn, along with Senators Susan Collins, Bob Casey, Steve Daines and Jean Shaheen for their support in introducing the CERTS Tax Exemption Act for the first time in the United States Senate. The motorcoach industry lost nearly one-half of its companies due to the pandemic. For the survivors that remain, the bill would correct an unfair disparity in tax treatment of CERTS funds as compared to all other COVID relief funds Congress provided. UMA strongly appreciates the bipartisan support on this issue as the industry continues to recover and rebuild, ” said Scott Michael, President and CEO of the United Motorcoach Association. 

“When the pandemic brought the entire U.S. motorcoach industry to a halt, and numerous small, multigenerational family businesses were faced with the potential of having to permanently close, Congress provided a lifeline with the CERTS grant program. The invaluable relief to the U.S. motorcoach industry and its workers also ensured that thousands of rural and underprivileged communities would not lose their only mode of intercity transportation,” said Peter Pantuso, President & CEO of the American Bus Association. “However, unlike other pandemic relief programs, CERTS grants were inadvertently treated as taxable, which meant that as motorcoach operators across the country were trying to recover and resume normal operations, they got hit with an unexpected tax bill and essentially had to return a significant portion of relief funds to the government in the form of a tax payment. Senators Marsha Blackburn, Jack Reed, Susan Collins, Jeanne Shaheen, Steve Daines, and Bob Casey have long been champions of the U.S. motorcoach industry, and the American Bus Association is extremely grateful to the Senators for their continued support and leading the charge to fix this oversight by introducing the CERTS Tax Exemption Act.”

“On behalf of the nation’s private school bus contractors and 40% of the nations’ schoolchildren that rely on them for transportation to and from school, the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) thanks Senators Jack Reed and Marsha Blackburn as well as Senators Susan Collins, Bob Casey, Steve Daines and Jean Shaheen for introducing a bill to establish fair tax treatment for CERTS funds, ” said Curt Macysyn, Executive Director of NSTA. “The private school bus industry suffered significant monetary losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many school districts refused to pay contractors during closures.  School bus operators are still recovering, and we appreciate the support of the first Senate bill to correct the oversight on tax status of CERTS funds.”     

“Grants from the CERTS program were a lifeline for U.S. passenger vessel operators during the coronavirus pandemic,” said John Groundwater, Executive Director of the Passenger Vessel Association. “Unlike the Paycheck Protection Program and the Restaurant Revitalization Program, which were both tax free, CERTS grants were taxable. We believe this was simply an oversight and we urge Congress to take the necessary steps to make CERTS non-taxable.  We commend Senators Blackburn and Reed for their leadership in reintroducing this important and needed legislation.”

BACKGROUND:

• The bipartisan Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Act, included in the December 2020 COVID relief package, provided $2 billion in emergency funding for the motorcoach, bus, and passenger vessel companies.
• While this program provided a much-needed lifeline to this industry, their grants were not exempted from taxation like other grants such as the Paycheck Protection Program, the Restaurant Revitalization Funding, and the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant Program.
• As a result, many businesses that accepted funding through the CERTS program now face large tax bills through no fault of their own.

This bill would exempt them from taxation and put the CERTS program at par with the rest of the relief programs passed during the same period.

Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet

Denver — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper called on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to consider their Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy (CORE) Act. Last month, the senators introduced their 2023 CORE Act to protect approximately 420,000 acres of public land in Colorado, establish new wilderness areas, and safeguard existing outdoor recreation opportunities to boost the economy for future generations. 

“Colorado counties, in close coordination with businesses, recreation groups, sportsmen, and conservationists, worked for over a decade to craft the CORE Act,” wrote Bennet and Hickenlooper. “We respectfully request that the Committee move to consider it. 

In their letter, the senators point to the broad, bipartisan support in Colorado for their bill, including from Colorado Governor Jared Polis, local counties and municipalities, and diverse conservation, recreation, and industry groups.

The CORE Act combines four previously introduced Colorado public land bills, which have been in development over the past decade. Of the land protected by the bill, 71,000 acres are designated as new wilderness, and nearly 80,000 acres are designated as new recreation and conservation management areas that preserve existing outdoor uses, such as hiking and mountain biking. The bill also designates the Sandy Treat Overlook and Tenmile Wilderness in the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, and establishes a permanent mineral withdrawal in areas important to ranchers and sportsmen in the Thompson Divide.

Last year, Bennet and Hickenlooper led the push to establish the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument and secure a proposed administrative mineral withdrawal for the Thompson Divide – critical provisions of the original CORE Act, first introduced in 2019.

The text of the letter is available HERE and below. 

Dear Chairman Manchin and Ranking Member Barrasso:

We would like to thank the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for holding a hearing in the 117th Congress to consider S. 173, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act (“CORE Act”). After reintroducing the CORE Act (now S. 1634) on May 17, 2023, we respectfully request that the Committee move to consider it.  An identical bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on the same day and referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. 

Colorado counties, in close coordination with businesses, recreation groups, sportsmen, and conservationists, worked for over a decade to craft the CORE Act. The bill conserves over 420,000 acres of public land in Colorado across four distinct titles: Continental Divide, San Juan Mountains, Thompson Divide, and Curecanti National Recreation Area. The bill proposes about 71,000 acres of new wilderness, and nearly 80,000 acres of new recreation and conservation management areas.

The CORE Act is supported by: Governor Jared Polis, seven affected counties and 16 municipalities, including the nearby cities of Ouray, Crested Butte, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Telluride, Basalt, Breckenridge, Ophir, Ridgway, Mountain Village, Vail, Snowmass, and the Towns of Frisco and Dillon. 

In addition the following organizations also support the bill: Conservation Colorado, NPCA, Conservation Alliance, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, International Mountain Biking Association, TRCP, National Wildlife Foundation, Trout Unlimited, Outdoor Industry Association, Wilderness Workshop, Trust for Public Land, American Whitewater, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, The Wilderness Society, Roaring Fork Audubon, Roaring Fork Sierra Club, Solar Energy International, Carbondale Historical Society, Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association, and Great Old Broads for Wilderness.

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely,

Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet

Denver — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined their Senate colleagues to reintroduce the Right to Contraception Act, a bill that would strengthen the legal right to contraceptives.

“Last year, the Supreme Court stripped away a fundamental right from the American people for the first time since Reconstruction and denied their individual liberty to make intensely personal choices about their health and futures,” said Bennet. “As states across the country continue to restrict Americans’ access to reproductive health care, this bill would protect the right to access contraception.

“The freedom to decide when to start a family is fundamental,” said Hickenlooper. “This bill would protect access to all forms of birth control from any overreach by the Supreme Court.”

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, several states have passed laws to restrict access to contraceptives by eliminating public funding for it, defining abortion broadly enough to include contraception, or allowing providers to deny a patient contraception on the basis of their own beliefs. These restrictions to reproductive health care overwhelmingly impact rural, low-income, and LGBTQ communities and communities of color.

The Supreme Court first recognized the right to contraception in its 1965 decision in Griswold v. Connecticut. Enshrining the right to contraception into federal law would safeguard access to birth control across the country, protect against any attempt by the Supreme Court to overturn Griswold, and remove state restrictions on access to contraception already in place.

Specifically, the Right to Contraception Act would:

• Guarantee the right for individuals to access and use contraception, and for health care providers to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information, referrals, and services related to contraception;

• Prohibit the federal government or any state from administering, implementing, or enforcing any law, rule, regulation, standard or other provision to restrict the sale, provision, or use of contraception;

• Provide legal remedies for the U.S. Department of Justice, health care providers, and individuals affected by restrictions on contraception access to enforce the right to contraception.

The text of the bill is available HERE.

Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) co-led legislation recently to prohibit the Biden administration from banning gas stoves. The “Save Our Gas Stoves Act” explicitly prohibits the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from implementing a proposed rule that would impose intrusive and costly standards on the kitchen stovetops of millions of Americans.

“At a time when families across Nebraska are concerned about high inflation and the southern border crisis, Washington bureaucrats are considering whether to cancel gas stoves. It’s ridiculous. The 38% of the American people who have a gas stove or range don’t need more of the federal government intruding into their lives. I’ll keep fighting against the reckless regulations we continue to see from this administration that harm working families,” said Senator Fischer.

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) led the introduction of the legislation. In the House, companion legislation was introduced by U.S. Representative Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.).

Background:

This legislation amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to prevent the Secretary of Energy from implementing energy conservation standards if the standards result in the unavailability of a product based on the type of fuel the product uses. The bill also prohibits the Department of Energy from finalizing and implementing the February 1, 2023, proposed energy efficiency standard for gas cooking products.

Click here to view text of the bill.

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Source: United States Senator for South Dakota John Thune

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), all members of the Senate 340B bipartisan working group, today sent a letter to stakeholders seeking feedback on ways to improve the 340B program. Specifically, the senators are seeking input on bipartisan policy solutions that would provide stability and appropriate transparency to ensure the 340B program can continue to achieve its original intent of supporting entities serving eligible patients.
“The 340B program has been critical to South Dakota hospitals, health centers, and safety-net providers,” said Thune. “I continue to hear concerns from many of the health care providers in South Dakota about uncertainty in the program. It is critical that the 340B program continues to serve its original purpose of supporting health care providers as they serve the needs of South Dakota patients and communities.”
“The 340B program helps safety-net providers care for patients by reducing pharmaceutical costs,” said Stabenow. “Receiving input from stakeholders will help ensure that this program continues to be effective.”
“The 340B program plays a critical role in ensuring West Virginians receive the health care services they need to live healthier lives,” said Capito. “The information we receive from the program’s stakeholders will help us better understand what is necessary to ensure the program has the stability and oversight to continue serving West Virginians.”
“I continue to be concerned by the rising cost of prescription drugs that undermine this essential program, which helps deliver affordable medications to underserved communities,” said Baldwin. “I am proud to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to find solutions to increase transparency and accountability so that the 340B program can work as intended and provide relief for Americans who are struggling.”
“The 340B Drug Pricing Program is not working as effectively as it should,” said Moran. “The confusion around its contract pharmacy provision and lack of transparency and congressional oversight is failing the patients the program exists to help. In considering improvements to 340B, my colleagues and I look forward to reviewing the stakeholder responses to our Request for Information and using these proposals as a starting point for productive conversations.”
“Since its founding, the 340B program has played a key role in supporting the health care safety net,” said Cardin. “I am committed to ensuring the integrity of the program to ensure our most vulnerable communities have access to affordable, high-quality health care.”
The 340B program was created by Congress in 1992 through the Veteran’s Health Care Act. The program requires that drug manufacturers who participate in Medicaid provide certain non-profit health care providers, hospitals, and clinics (covered entities) a discount on outpatient drugs. The 340B program enables covered entities to use these savings to provide more comprehensive services to eligible patients and their communities.
Full letter below:
To 340B Stakeholders,

Congress created the 340B Drug Discount Program (340B) in 1992 to “stretch scarce Federal resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services.” The 340B program requires that drug manufacturers who participate in Medicaid provide certain non-profit health care providers, hospitals and clinics (covered entities) a discount on outpatient drugs. Since it was created, the program has enjoyed strong bipartisan support in Congress. While the program does not utilize federal taxpayer dollars, federal oversight is necessary to ensure the program functions as intended. We have heard concerns from some stakeholders about ambiguity in the 340B program and the need to strengthen oversight and accountability in the program. We are seeking information from stakeholders on bipartisan policy solutions that would ensure the program has stability and oversight to continue to achieve its original intention of serving eligible patients. 

As the health care delivery system has evolved, so too has the 340B program evolved to enable health care providers to offer improved services and care in the communities they serve. More than a decade ago, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which administers the 340B program, issued guidance allowing covered entities to dispense drugs through contract pharmacies in the 340B program since many covered entities do not have pharmacies in-house. However, the current 340B statute is silent on the issue, resulting in ambiguity in the treatment of drugs dispensed through contract pharmacies.

In recent years, a number of drug manufacturers have declined to offer 340B discounts on their covered outpatient drugs dispensed at contract pharmacies. We have heard directly from health care providers in our states about the disruption and negative impact these actions have had on hospitals and health centers who serve our constituents. The manufacturers’ decisions have resulted in ongoing litigation and enforcement actions. We do not seek to take a position with respect to specific legal questions in ongoing litigation. Instead, we seek to provide 340B hospitals, health centers, and other essential safety-net providers with certainty regarding the allowable use of contract pharmacies. For this reason, we request information from stakeholders regarding potential bipartisan policy solutions to provide certainty and commonsense improvements to the operation and oversight of contract pharmacies in the 340B program.
We also acknowledge that as the 340B program has evolved over the last 30 years, stakeholders have raised concerns about the need to strengthen program integrity measures in the program to ensure that 340B is serving eligible patients as originally intended. We request information from stakeholders on ways to improve accountability of covered entities in the program and ensure there is appropriate transparency. While duplicate discounts are prohibited by the 340B statute, we understand there is frustration by both covered entities and manufacturers that duplicate discounts continue to occur in the 340B program. We request information from stakeholders on proposals to ensure adequate claims information exists to prevent these duplicate discounts from occurring.
Our goal is to ensure the 340B program has improved integrity and stability, and that it continues to enable eligible health care providers to stretch federal resources to better provide healthcare for the patients they serve. We encourage stakeholders to provide information that will help Congress further the original intent of the program, strengthening the program’s ability to support entities serving eligible patients.

We request interested stakeholders submit written responses to this bipartisan request for information no later than July 28, 2023. Responses may be submitted to Bipartisan340BRFI@mail.senate.gov. Our intent is to keep these responses internal and they will not be posted publicly. 

1.  What specific policies should be considered to ensure HRSA can oversee the 340B program with adequate resources? What policies should be considered to ensure HRSA has the appropriate authority to enforce the statutory requirements and regulations of the 340B program?

2.  What specific policies should be considered to establish consistency and certainty in contract pharmacy arrangements for covered entities?

3.  What specific policies should be considered to ensure that the benefits of the 340B program accrue to covered entities for the benefit of patients they serve, not other parties?

4. What specific policies should be considered to ensure that accurate and appropriate claims information is available to ensure duplicate discounts do not occur? 

5.  What specific policies should be considered to implement common sense, targeted program integrity measures that will improve the accountability of the 340B program and give health care stakeholders greater confidence in its oversight?

6.  What specific policies should be considered to ensure transparency to show how 340B health care providers’ savings are used to support services that benefit patients’ health?

Sincerely,